Motivation

I've been mulling over some ideas for illustrations I have yet to do...I really need to get my portfolio out there. I'm actually embarrassed how little I have gotten done art-wise since moving into my house. I actually have a whole room that's just for doing art, and lately, I only go in it to feed the gerbil and the turtle that live there. Well now I'm determined...I'm gonna work on artwork at least a couple times a week. And I'm gonna keep pushing myself to make better art.

And to further motivate myself...I've stumbled upon yet another amazing artist who's work is so awe-inspiring it actually gives me butterflies in my stomach. And makes me want to lock myself in my own art studio for a few days.

a concert poster for a "Rupa" and "The April Fishes" by Mona Caron:

painting

I finally finished this portrait. I should have gotten it done a while ago. buying a house then packing and moving kind of made it take longer, though. That and I just never have free time anymore...for some reason.

The portrait is a trade for one of these collars http://www.pacocollars.com/pets.php?clid=7



here's the original photo:

horseshorseshorses

Very occasionally, I get to draw horses for work. I'm working on a pack of just horses right now. Alas, it just makes me miss taking horseback riding lessons. Really bad. For anyone who has never experienced jumping on a horse, or cantering really really fast, or riding bareback or falling off and getting back on, or brushing a horse, or having a horse try and use you as a scratching post, or just having a horse come to the gate when they see you coming...you should try it sometime. It's the best... *sigh*

maybe later I'll finish

I started this last week, but never finished it. The 116th EDM challenge ("draw something green") really had perfect timing. Just last saturday I found a red eared slider hatchling. He was in the street where I was walking my dog. I named him Koopa.

I still need to color his shell and add some detail. Here's a photo of my model:

Bartering Artwork

I confess...I spoil my animals. I rarely buy myself things, but I am always buying new stuff for my cats and dog. But I try and be reasonable about spending ridiculous amounts on things my animals wont even appreciate. However I think my dog might appreciate the obvious craftsmanship that goes into these collars. (ok, well maybe not as much as I do.) but they just look so cool...
However, I don't have $70 or so to spend on a collar for my dog. so I emailed them and asked if they would be willing to trade a collar for a portrait of paco (the owner's dog.) I just got an email back saying yes!
I'm so excited!


an example of a portrait I did of a friend's cat:

Wake me on May 19

I wish my dog was as tired as I am when I get off work. I have to confess, I havn't walked her or really played with her for a couple days now.

I've been pretty busy with the business of house buying. I never knew it was so complicated. So much stuff to remember, and do, and learn about. We are supposed to close May 18th...I'll be glad when that's over. All this "grown up" stuff just makes me want to crawl into bed and go to sleep.

so long, apartment life

I haven't posted in a while...I haven't been doing as much art as I should lately. (besides the drawing I do every day at work.) First, I got pneumonia. You'd think that would make a perfect opportunity to get lots of drawing done...but no, I wasted most my time sleeping off my sickness. Then, my friend Ashley and I have been house hunting. First we had decided to rent a house together, but after seeing what we would be getting for our money (crappy houses for $900+ a month) and after considering how many pets we have between us (2 dogs and too many cats) we decided to buy a house instead. Well, we found one. It's perfect...and we got ourselves pre-approved for a loan this morning. We are going to meet with the realtor and make an offer after work...needless to say I'm finding it hard to work.

They look like popcorn trees

EDM challenge # 59: Draw a sign of spring.

ah....spring in oklahoma.

ah, the putrid smell of bradford pear blossoms. ah, the huge fluctuations between hot and cold weather. ah, the allergies.

but, the thunderstorms are awsome. And when you can't smell them (because of the allergies) the bradord pear trees are actually pretty. Spring really is a great season.

EDM challenge #103

"Draw some exercise equipment - what you use to stay fit"

My dog is sick

She had to go to the vet today. I didn't get to talk to the actual vet when I called to check up on her at lunch, but basicaly she has tummy ache. Poor bella's tummy.

What I do at work

I've truly been blessed with a great job. I sit around and draw for a living. I am an artist at an embroidery company. not the kind you take your little league team's hats to to have their team logo embroidered on, the kind where people buy the designs to embroider on their own stuff at home. (a niche i didn't even know existed before I worked here) There are two of us artists there, we draw artwork in "packs" of 20 or so designs, then hand them over to digitizers, who basically trace them using special software that tells the machine where exactly to stitch and how thick and what direction and when to stop and changethread colors and all that. here are some "before and after" examples of a couple designs from a pack called "Mo' Cuddly Garden"

draw something with folds

the EDM weekly challenge #40:

my process

Apperently I took photographs of my process on this piece, "girl with a violen." I did it a couple of years ago, back when I had an OC (Oklahoma Christian University) laptop. I have since dropped out of college and turned in my laptop, but this morning I decided to bring some of my old back up CD's to work, to look at what all they contained. I had totally forgoten that I ever took these pictures.

So here it is:

I drew the different elements of the scene, the girl and the house, on tracing paper.

Then, arranged them where I wanted and taped them together.

Then I traced them onto watercolor paper with a black pen. I didn't trace everything,

and some details were just traced in pencil.

Next, the colored pencil. Only Prismacolors will do.

Then more colored pencil, and some acrylic paint.

More paint, more color, more pen, lots of layers. The final illustration:

Testing 123

Well I decided to make a blog on blogspot. I've tried livejournal and greatestjournal in the past, and I've got a myspace (*shudder*) actually I only got one to keep in touch with some friends, and have actually found it great for finding new music...but it seems most people don't use their myspace as a blog. I figure I'll use this one as mostly an art blog.
Anyway, I just want to see how this works.