tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49019320640183284492024-03-05T05:42:11.729-08:00Doodle BabbleThis is a blog about my art, my take on art, my journey with art, my creative process and my attempt to be a better, more productive artist.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-12845429553574966782015-03-20T09:17:00.001-07:002015-03-20T09:17:12.154-07:00identity crisis, self esteem, and words of encouragement<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /><br />In my brief micro-adventure into the land of photography this past week, I have noticed myself going through a range of emotions. <br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">These thoughts & criticisms go somewhat as follows...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Maybe a nature walk will make me feel better.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Maybe I should take some photos for inspiration. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>Meh, you're not a <b>real</b> photographer, you don't even have a real camera, iphones don't count.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Well, this looks kinda neat, maybe I can do something with it in photoshop? </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #999999;"><i>Oh, you messed with the saturation & hues palette in photoshop and suddenly your mediocre snapshot counts as 'abstract art'?</i></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://society6.com/product/not-bananas_framed-print#12=52&13=54" target="_blank">Not Bananas</a>, <a href="http://society6.com/product/not-lobsters_framed-print#12=52&13=54" target="_blank">Not Lobsters</a>, <a href="http://society6.com/product/not-watermelon_framed-print#12=52&13=54" target="_blank">Not Watermelon</a>, <a href="http://society6.com/product/not-nail-polish_print#1=45" target="_blank">Not Nail Polish</a> and <a href="http://society6.com/product/not-the-eighties_framed-print#12=60&13=54" target="_blank">Not The Eighties</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I kinda like these, I think they're kinda cool, I think I'll post them in my store. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999;"><i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">What's wrong with you? </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Who do you think you are sharing your so-called 'artistic photos' to anyone?...let alone, posting them up for sale on some POD site. </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I do like the colors. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Is there any real artistic value to these, though, besides the colors being a bit fun? </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">What are you expressing? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Oh, you just like the wacky colors? </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">How brilliant!!! Your type of artistry is a dime a dozen. </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Go find another hobby. </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">You suck!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">They're not that simplistic... </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">See... the corrugated drain pipe, in yellow, on purple, kinda reminds me of bananas... </span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>Ugh! You sound like one of those pretentious assholes that claim everything they do has some 'big, deep meaning'</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">And the orange on the blue, makes me think of lobsters... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This drain pipe is having a bit of an identity crisis! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">I am projecting my own identity crisis onto this poor pipe... </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">I'm so uncomfortable in my own skin, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">I'm forcing my state of mind onto this pipe & using bright, happy colors to do so. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">I'm trying to cheer myself up! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">I'm trying to figure myself out! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">What kind of artist am I? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Do I even have a style? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">I'm supposed to be consistent... </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">The market prefers predictability. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">As an artist, you need to have a style. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Something that fits well & is marketable with the world! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">No one will ever buy this crap.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>You're not that important. </i></span><i><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">You're not that original, or different, or special. </span></span></i><i><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Why do you bother?</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I'm just compelled, I guess...</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">And no, I don't have some singular shtick that I can peddle to the masses. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">I'm not clever.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">I'm not edgy.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">I'm not unique.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">But I'm not that different either.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">I like too many things.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">I can't focus on just one style, or genre, or subject... I get bored.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">I like weird things.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">I like cute things.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">I like pretty things. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">I don't specialize.</span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">I am worthless.</span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">I should just give up.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"><b>STOP</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I should keep trying, keep doing, keep creating whatever I want & sharing it whenever, wherever... What makes them so special that they can & do but I somehow shouldn't? Nothing. I'm just as special as everyone else. I need to find my own way. Carve my own path! I need to be nicer, & more encouraging to myself. I would never critique a person outside of my own skin, in the way I treat myself. My overly critical self can get downright mean... To the point I do give up, temporarily. While certain questions need to be asked in order to make sure I'm not just 'phoning it in' as an artist, being an outright asshole to myself is just not helpful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I think I've made my point. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Today's post was quite therapeutic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Thank you for reading my babble.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-Jen:)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-24944036720625656172015-03-17T16:11:00.000-07:002015-03-17T16:11:56.412-07:00...in a Funk!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiON3L7B_m4H2J47wziYKZIenYBw8fhHY2O3dDLGO7zu4L4UENn0gamBGdznmyF3HWc8rdDlaJinpnMt9wsw_RTtdGxu48pB0EZ7QfBBRB25YHA4y5JgcjQyjsdm5tNA8A0lQjxpbcXSzJ7/s1600/IMG_3529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiON3L7B_m4H2J47wziYKZIenYBw8fhHY2O3dDLGO7zu4L4UENn0gamBGdznmyF3HWc8rdDlaJinpnMt9wsw_RTtdGxu48pB0EZ7QfBBRB25YHA4y5JgcjQyjsdm5tNA8A0lQjxpbcXSzJ7/s1600/IMG_3529.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">I've been struggling.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>My creativity has stalled out.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">I'm having a hard time painting & drawing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><i>It's time to switch gears.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>I turn to photography.</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZoaZB6ufv7VQmGg-AjLqubAZyMRH_6bzRrZTOjSr97G7V4dyfrUHmDUL_tDAmrOy8Dhd8CkQo2K5rMTab6eAoYbPL5a3EIN1Inlrur97Ik63cIrVRGQj-gKQeCVkkuTWGyHOAkuiK6V6G/s1600/IMG_3530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZoaZB6ufv7VQmGg-AjLqubAZyMRH_6bzRrZTOjSr97G7V4dyfrUHmDUL_tDAmrOy8Dhd8CkQo2K5rMTab6eAoYbPL5a3EIN1Inlrur97Ik63cIrVRGQj-gKQeCVkkuTWGyHOAkuiK6V6G/s1600/IMG_3530.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">I seek out <br />textures <br />& shapes <br />that I find <br />interesting.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShW4sdfO5imRCD-7a1jE5CmWzNaoUxrpFcg43ufTynIIbxFVre4HhgWRKkkIiazcGfH7oNkebIdHmPVMX8oSCOgqzJHf7eQHKU7TtPK6cucR99CsOlzu0NIFciTl2h-p3SwvkROIBc26T/s1600/IMG_3532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkS1eGefjQVG_ayfIamECNDQBjsAcjZuPQZ4bghkNUWuBAvNzGqPgyPZF_oYLnsgLD4L6p3Ic8mcsJOoYAHFYIYy44l1hFcYFxWMCfYSew_AUrh75Eu-gl9bEUx5WfLXIZodUhpqibN-C/s1600/IMG_3531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkS1eGefjQVG_ayfIamECNDQBjsAcjZuPQZ4bghkNUWuBAvNzGqPgyPZF_oYLnsgLD4L6p3Ic8mcsJOoYAHFYIYy44l1hFcYFxWMCfYSew_AUrh75Eu-gl9bEUx5WfLXIZodUhpqibN-C/s1600/IMG_3531.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShW4sdfO5imRCD-7a1jE5CmWzNaoUxrpFcg43ufTynIIbxFVre4HhgWRKkkIiazcGfH7oNkebIdHmPVMX8oSCOgqzJHf7eQHKU7TtPK6cucR99CsOlzu0NIFciTl2h-p3SwvkROIBc26T/s1600/IMG_3532.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Even </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">this process was feeling forced.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">But I decided to play in photoshop, anyway. By simply adjusting the saturation, these colors emerged. You can see some faint reds & greens in the original shot. I continued to adjust the contrast, shadows & even the resolution to dramatize the bark's texture.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://society6.com/product/anatural-abstraction-of-tree-bark_framed-print#12=60&13=54" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kf01QGiEtwCPJFVUEZcjtB518gFdyYCutI1_DnY3LyB2u4GDrRWpU0wrXgcw3Rm10u80zbdmp1GkXzTZQWxYhSg3NPnkOAQLQQ8vJpQ1JtCF4xjN_ef1ZjZzJDdRSLz9JTtbP2ffIg8w/s1600/NaturalAbstractionBarkLR.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://society6.com/product/anatural-abstraction-of-tree-bark_framed-print#12=60&13=54" target="_blank">Anatural Abstraction of Tree Bark</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Then, I decided to take it out of it's hue range... These pretty iridescent purples, pinks and turquoises emerged as if from some fantasy forest. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://society6.com/product/afantasy-abstraction-of-tree-bark_framed-print#12=60&13=54" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Gi9D51fzFjnCrGp4pCo6KAGHl_8TTbZRsyFWl-z77AJ_kgRU7m7wwSiaUeN_CFt3xcr42hi3wP5MIz3v1_mww9FPSuskT4TW7QMNiR3bWCiV6dNdKkaaVN_M8Vc4TdRqPFkZGlcjI-9r/s1600/FantasyBarkLR.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://society6.com/product/afantasy-abstraction-of-tree-bark_framed-print#12=60&13=54" target="_blank">Afantasy Abstraction of Tree Bark</a></td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I felt better! Pretty things have that effect on me. I couldn't resist, I had to offer them up in <a href="http://society6.com/ghennah" target="_blank">my society6 shop</a>!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I hope you like them as much as I do!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Thank you for reading my babble!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-Jen:)</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxTW6cxwJz0zQBmKSvYeN_c1YD-7rZZWMLNzgZFe8N0tUgwzUc0oC3LU23Td39W0NS_nl1yX5qzeghZcP78dgEC2R8Q1BPazewF_7-1EPORGPzoGIhrw5os7Leq3ts9RDIy0fHYJJWlFMG/s1600/FrazzledHagLRBW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxTW6cxwJz0zQBmKSvYeN_c1YD-7rZZWMLNzgZFe8N0tUgwzUc0oC3LU23Td39W0NS_nl1yX5qzeghZcP78dgEC2R8Q1BPazewF_7-1EPORGPzoGIhrw5os7Leq3ts9RDIy0fHYJJWlFMG/s1600/FrazzledHagLRBW.jpg" height="277" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was supposed to be some flowers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4>
My doodles are never just doodles. </h4>
It began with a few swirls, some lines to look like flowers & vines. Then, I saw a face emerge. There she was, my Frazzled Hag, my anxiety. A <a href="http://instagram.com/p/vHL-vnn930/?modal=true" target="_blank">self portrait</a> of sorts!<br />
<br />
Not all anxiety is the same. I'm not that jumpy, frightened rodent, fearful of her own shadow. I'm not even the hand-wringing, worrier type. I appear quite calm, sedate even, most of the time. All of my anxiety is deep, deep inside my gut. Am I good enough? Am I acting right? Should I not have said <i>that</i>? Am I talking too much? or not enough? Smile, nod, laugh, repeat...<br />
<br />
<h4>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLF3e1I2yLFDr_jm6y-nnxmdHvTpPHqzkHEyl2eeU2EnPTemcTDAXINus_xMo6LD4BF-5xRcRs_yO3Kdd0cyPIv3rfpYxK2IgCJU87vfEdWzP5fA7gmDZCKgjV_K2ISYdLC5IbNfhLJfJN/s1600/FrazzledHagLR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLF3e1I2yLFDr_jm6y-nnxmdHvTpPHqzkHEyl2eeU2EnPTemcTDAXINus_xMo6LD4BF-5xRcRs_yO3Kdd0cyPIv3rfpYxK2IgCJU87vfEdWzP5fA7gmDZCKgjV_K2ISYdLC5IbNfhLJfJN/s1600/FrazzledHagLR.jpg" height="276" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://society6.com/product/frazzled-hag-color_print#1=45" target="_blank">Frazzled Hag</a></td></tr>
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</h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Who knew just feeling </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">okay</i><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">could take so much work? </span></h4>
I was diagnosed with <a href="http://www.allaboutdepression.com/dia_04.html" target="_blank">Dysthymia</a> years ago, in my late 20's. I am a low mood person. This is just the way that I am. I suffer from anxiety & depression & really low self-esteem. This makes functioning like a person, difficult. I feel like I don't know how to act most of the time. I try to do the best I can to fit in. I try to follow along & do as everyone else seems to be doing. Yet I feel a bit like my Frazzled Hag looks much of the time.<br />
<br />
I keep falling off the <i>Cognitive Behavioral Therapy</i> truck. The maintenance just feels so hokey. I tend to <i>should</i> all over myself while stammering through the exercises. I <i>should</i> know better... I've done this before... Ugh! Why won't it just stay away & leave me alone! I really have no reason to hate myself as much as I do. Redundant. I am redundant.<br />
<br />
Why am I so mean to myself?<br />
<br />
Par for the course, I suppose... I'll move on, I always do... But these rough spots really suck.<br />
<br />
Thank you for reading my babble!<br />
-Jen :)<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-9429767122615814202014-12-09T17:48:00.000-08:002014-12-09T17:48:00.339-08:00Figuring it out<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://society6.com/product/freeform-doodle_framed-print#12=60&13=54" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVOQG7T0i8biahNqzxnTtAC2hWba4CCDsYNxhi7IYiiAaDsxUZHoZJp9CTt0ihfbfOPN2_Nk97f6-5jhAlOsvPRTAdv_Qh6vAHOqIqH9VfVBm_jpmcnGOoMQrBlSRlaoq6M0-cAsdpdsW/s1600/15586102_5260257-frm118bl01_lz.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://society6.com/product/freeform-doodle_framed-print#12=60&13=54" target="_blank">Freeform Doodle</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As the kids get older, I'm slowly able to sneak more time to work on my artsy stuff, including this incredibly neglected blog. This also means I need to figure out what I'm gonna do when they grow up. Like, really do. I hate to say 'work' or 'career' because I don't want to poison my creative sprit in that way, but I'm really gonna need to convert my hobbies into something that has some monetary value.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLzbV812LQMX-46yUzkktTEPcx2HKv0B_UlfDfHxb3voNq6WQDA8IrhmGDFePIf-prDCEXgG0Lq6HudOdGm6F_bFOxnCnMZ4klkSuPrRYEuZgq0W0GWmU0XxraogaQbpH674WzBJGW5-5/s1600/IMG_5703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKLzbV812LQMX-46yUzkktTEPcx2HKv0B_UlfDfHxb3voNq6WQDA8IrhmGDFePIf-prDCEXgG0Lq6HudOdGm6F_bFOxnCnMZ4klkSuPrRYEuZgq0W0GWmU0XxraogaQbpH674WzBJGW5-5/s1600/IMG_5703.JPG" height="200" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jewelry Hobby</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74KXXuV-F_vflQtv6vFaSFwuEcHbF0dSSxHxD2PY96LBW6-BtQ0cK2zUmQnXLhuVGS6d2yDnaqRyxCZelO9Zye9qEIDVBhQy-eWeQ-9i7H5ahPFWmbRhuZe4VkaCGu5-K5xTpj7JYi6G3/s1600/6304941716_67b7d7b772_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj74KXXuV-F_vflQtv6vFaSFwuEcHbF0dSSxHxD2PY96LBW6-BtQ0cK2zUmQnXLhuVGS6d2yDnaqRyxCZelO9Zye9qEIDVBhQy-eWeQ-9i7H5ahPFWmbRhuZe4VkaCGu5-K5xTpj7JYi6G3/s1600/6304941716_67b7d7b772_o.jpg" height="186" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/69073356@N07/sets/72157627908368295/" target="_blank">Soft book</a> I designed & stitched<br /><a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/730210" target="_blank">Pattern at Spoonflower</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3dnydMC-eXzjRh4TLKQeZ9050G4pp8teo_Jx2Il-UUS25z065xfa0t-1lmVCQcIKAah1PYRyET91nYY12RYIv-AVqPSSmisywSVBhLPpP3euOBb46M-cYnsaD8iWnR-4dD09kGktD09n/s1600/15420553_14751993-mugs11_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3dnydMC-eXzjRh4TLKQeZ9050G4pp8teo_Jx2Il-UUS25z065xfa0t-1lmVCQcIKAah1PYRyET91nYY12RYIv-AVqPSSmisywSVBhLPpP3euOBb46M-cYnsaD8iWnR-4dD09kGktD09n/s1600/15420553_14751993-mugs11_l.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://society6.com/ghennah/wiggly-flower_mug#27=199" target="_blank">Wiggly Flower</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://society6.com/ghennah/abstract-drip_framed-print#12=52&13=55" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxrzGM0AXnB1EEUgF6ui187FKIuCtzci6XqHyPIt7Y064PphnIY7ApElWrKO-8QQVQwCxfV-k3CJUbX8YQOXqPg-xQyGx8NY1slTVMokZJb8svFjIS0iRpcEueAiU77DCOB9cKmiu_eUm/s1600/15588811_16429860-frm715bl02_lz.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://society6.com/ghennah/abstract-drip_framed-print#12=52&13=55" target="_blank">Abstract Drip</a></td></tr>
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I am aware that everything is about choices. And that's just it... too many choices! My biggest problem is focus. I'm drawn in so many directions. I love to paint, draw, bead & even sew, but there aren't enough hours in the day or days in the week, blah, blah, blah. <br />
<br />
I even get caught up in applying my designs to products on sites like <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/ghennah*" target="_blank">zazzle</a>, <a href="http://society6.com/ghennah?promo=CH9Y3W2HYMNJ" target="_blank">society6</a> & <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/ghennah" target="_blank">spoonflower</a>, because I just can't shake my graphic design roots. Plus, it's just really cool to see my own art printed on stuff without having to do formal sourcing like the olden days. And that's huge!<br />
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<br />
And second to focus, is networking, I have a real hard time wrapping my head around the whole networking process. The world barely knows I exist and it's all my fault! I do have a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ghennah222" target="_blank">facebook</a> page and an <a href="http://www.instagram.com/ghennah" target="_blank">instagram</a> account too! I'm just so clunky & haphazard I fail to use them to their full potential. I really don't know where to begin or what my priorities should be! HA! I'm a mess!!!<br />
<br />
So here I am, stumbling along, trying to figure out my next move.<br />
Wish me luck! Leave a comment if you can relate, or if you been here in any way & got past this, I'd love to hear from you!<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading my babble!<br />
JenAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-63976650422926781412014-03-13T09:07:00.000-07:002014-03-13T09:07:56.819-07:00Real Artists Use Paint<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim68ZC77uW_nttuPBi29kJCCwh-idlj51qmsIZzBIJWAtiR9rVRa30KlwWlJOQwtiBuiWpJ3gzBDHmqVmWBCuHuGnCC8UzyOZmipAVQcPyY06if5BfRUrfRfwnD9GWgVAETpn6ClhKLaKg/s1600/IMG_1679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim68ZC77uW_nttuPBi29kJCCwh-idlj51qmsIZzBIJWAtiR9rVRa30KlwWlJOQwtiBuiWpJ3gzBDHmqVmWBCuHuGnCC8UzyOZmipAVQcPyY06if5BfRUrfRfwnD9GWgVAETpn6ClhKLaKg/s1600/IMG_1679.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Heart - 1997 - Acrylic<br />My first intuitive painting.</td></tr>
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<br />
I've always wanted to be a real artist.<br />
<br />
I've always envied the painters.<br />
<br />
I've dabbled a little but have always backed away from it quickly regardless of my feelings about the process. When I've enjoyed it, I also found it too overwhelming & emotional, so I quit. When I've been frustrated by it, I quit. When I've liked what I've done but feared messing it up, I've quit.<br />
<br />
I always blame the paint. I don't know how to use it. I'm impatient. I keep making mud. It's so expensive!!! I don't want to waste my paint on bad paintings. I have a fear of paint. If I can't be a painter, I can't be an artist. I'll never be a real artist!<br />
Oh, woe is me…<br />
<br />
Then a friend shared a link to a site offering an online painting class.<br />
<a href="http://braveintuitiveyou.com/">http://braveintuitiveyou.com</a> The Bloom True e-course with Flora Bowly.<br />
<br />
My friend had already signed up. I checked it out & the price seemed reasonable so I signed up too. I had nothing to lose. It might be fun. I have a bunch of paint already. But, it was the philosophy behind Flora Bowly's creative process that really got me.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Intuitive painting. </h3>
She doesn't sweat out planning her paintings, she paints until… it happens! Until she feels her images emerge… the paintings paint themselves!<br />
Of course! (How did this not occur to me on my own?)<br />
<br />
I have been an intuitive artist all along but I managed to diminish it by calling it doodling or babble. And I may have well just called it crap (and I have).<br />
<br />
<h3>
It's not the paint!</h3>
Paint does not make art, Art!<br />
The process does... the meaning, the feelings, the self, the message, the communication does!<br />
<br />
We are in our final week of class this week. I don't want it to end because the daily postings are what have been motivating me to keep painting over the last 5 weeks. I have to say, this is a 5 star class. <br />
It has been a confidence booster for sure. My fear of paint has diminished quite a bit. I'm able to play & focus now. I can take myself seriously as an artist. And I'm starting to see the value of my own work… even if most of it is not in paint.<br />
<br />
Thank you, Flora! There are no words that can fully express my gratitude for you & your class. Thank you hardly seems strong enough. In addition to my struggles as an artist, you have helped me as a person. And now I have flood of cliche things floating through my head to express but I'll save anyone from having to endure that mess… Again, Thank you, is the best I can do. Flora, You're great!<br />
<br />
Thank you for stopping by to read my babble.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-61634547257647728202013-11-21T11:31:00.001-08:002013-11-21T11:31:30.576-08:00Amateur PerformanceI just completed a new watercolor & ink illustration.<br />
I titled it <i><a href="http://society6.com/ghennah/Amateur-Performance_Print" target="_blank">Amateur Performance</a></i> for a couple of reasons:<br />
<br />
First, because the 2 central characters look like they're putting on a play (or engaging in a confrontation?).<br />
The second reason is because it perfectly explains how I feel about myself & my art & my attempts to get noticed… totally amateur.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yM7-k2r7GNoPxq0lvfG7N5B6lEzoAS0MfsfATWioc7NKJg7KfmdpvjAdr7bnh8_sMolrextMUs-qCe-wfvA6Y-Uhg4fFd9YxGpp-bYNQoSefePwETuzHf7tb0z2Tb7nOS-2LhlWBmZtb/s1600/AmateurPerformance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yM7-k2r7GNoPxq0lvfG7N5B6lEzoAS0MfsfATWioc7NKJg7KfmdpvjAdr7bnh8_sMolrextMUs-qCe-wfvA6Y-Uhg4fFd9YxGpp-bYNQoSefePwETuzHf7tb0z2Tb7nOS-2LhlWBmZtb/s400/AmateurPerformance.jpg" width="307" /></a></div>
<br />
The dinosaur/rock structure holding up the backdrop reflects my insecurity about my age and my late start. I've realized I have a few reoccurring themes in my doodles and they include wings. Wings to me imply the ability to fly, therefore flee & escape. They also imply a sort of freedom. I wish I allowed myself total freedom to express and not be so self conscious. While there are spectators, there are only a few. (I'm just getting started, though do I really expect global domination?) The feedback I've gotten so far has been positive but I'm bracing myself for when I get asked to leave. My insecurity is so crippling at times I fail to move forward. It's scary to share any of the things I create. They are incredibly personal. Being able to share digitally makes this a bit easier. I find it encouraging to get positive feedback on sites like Spoonflower and Society6 and I'm hoping these communities will help me grow & accept myself a little better.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading my babble.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-37695060441632177602013-11-18T20:12:00.000-08:002013-11-18T20:12:17.866-08:00Playing with SuppliesI like to play with art supplies and I don't care to have a plan. Since I am in a constant state of being interrupted, it's easiest to draw. And if the kids are painting with their watercolors, I can do that too. So, for the last year or so I've been pairing up the two, watercolors with my ink drawings.<br />
Here are a few.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wO2wTs-SxySCRlNr6TgJxM-zM1AXTxFYdwj8IL5ZQwUV19c920UH5a0W8BAXmi6OJeWeMIfdSStGweTiu-VnmrO1kWnIBLlD32mIc34LHRssn7LAl9vaDYGj7Q1zHTSGN2qY8IdtMAWm/s1600/MyBrain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_wO2wTs-SxySCRlNr6TgJxM-zM1AXTxFYdwj8IL5ZQwUV19c920UH5a0W8BAXmi6OJeWeMIfdSStGweTiu-VnmrO1kWnIBLlD32mIc34LHRssn7LAl9vaDYGj7Q1zHTSGN2qY8IdtMAWm/s400/MyBrain.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://society6.com/ghennah/My-Brain-Has-These-Thoughts-Sometimes_Framed-Print#12=52" target="_blank">My Brain has These Thoughts Sometimes</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><a href="http://society6.com/ghennah/My-Brain-Has-These-Thoughts-Sometimes_Framed-Print#12=52" target="_blank">My Brain has These Thoughts Sometimes</a></i> was one of the first and I think still the best of my experiments. It's on bristol board. I can't remember if my son contributed to this one or not but there are certainly finger smears that I used to create the little floating critters. To me, it looks like the profile of a patchwork head that's been happily blown apart.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_fdiG3tqEinbk9560EfUPfyjZgyq1cJXuJmDt3HTh2prZYtrOl3qehepIFP2dtjQVPFNeP2UAXMAv-KiD3JMZ38bVxUrrvZG1UV4SOMLFAqs-chphKygTHetkcnMEa3fO_qmCbpD5zvt/s1600/AlienSeaFloor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_fdiG3tqEinbk9560EfUPfyjZgyq1cJXuJmDt3HTh2prZYtrOl3qehepIFP2dtjQVPFNeP2UAXMAv-KiD3JMZ38bVxUrrvZG1UV4SOMLFAqs-chphKygTHetkcnMEa3fO_qmCbpD5zvt/s320/AlienSeaFloor.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://society6.com/ghennah/Alien-Sea-Floor_Framed-Print#12=60" target="_blank">Alien Sea Floor</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://society6.com/ghennah/Alien-Sea-Floor_Framed-Print#12=60" target="_blank"><i>Alien Sea Floor</i></a> was done around the same time as <i>My Brain has These Thoughts Sometimes</i>. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkTSjPs9ooufkX4vAMjONIKypTZWAOLWLAKW5NHC6eIE6BIdiO3W75QyDsyDiaueeK50YrE4msGwjyn4Jx3T6g2B0Q65xCORllFoZ4z_3m2rpT3Y1atpF7OkrkNrHPsESEdavFIM7Y-qH/s1600/ContentPleadingForChange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggkTSjPs9ooufkX4vAMjONIKypTZWAOLWLAKW5NHC6eIE6BIdiO3W75QyDsyDiaueeK50YrE4msGwjyn4Jx3T6g2B0Q65xCORllFoZ4z_3m2rpT3Y1atpF7OkrkNrHPsESEdavFIM7Y-qH/s400/ContentPleadingForChange.jpg" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://society6.com/ghennah/Desires-for-Change-Complacent-in-the-Same_Framed-Print#12=60" target="_blank">Desires for Change Complacent in the Same</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><a href="http://society6.com/ghennah/Desires-for-Change-Complacent-in-the-Same_Framed-Print#12=52" target="_blank">Desires for Change Complacent in the Same</a></i> is a more recent completion. I hated it for weeks. All I had was the weird flower thing developed for the longest time and couldn't get past it. I didn't want to do another generic imaginary floral design. But then, I started to see the faces emerge, so I followed them. The worry, the complacency, the longing… Hair that becomes wings to a snail-like creature. It's like a weird dream I have yet to figure out all the way.<br />
<br />
Thanks for stopping by and taking a look and reading some of my babble.<br />
-Jen :)<br />
<br />
Prints of these are available over at my <a href="http://society6.com/ghennah" target="_blank">Society6</a> store.<br />
<div>
<br /><br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-16612123781933468452013-10-09T09:32:00.001-07:002013-10-09T09:32:21.317-07:00ugh!So, here's my dilemma... my whole career I've had constant and instant feedback on my designs to the point of meddling and it made me nuts! Now, I have ho sense of self editing or regulation. There's a contest on <a href="http://www.talenthouse.com/design-for-limoland-love" target="_blank">Talenthouse</a> I want to enter for <a href="http://www.shoplimoland.com/" target="_blank">LimoLand</a> to design a love icon. This love icon cannot include traditional heart symbols. So I did a simple, marketable graphic that I thought would fit their clothing line. But then, I had this quirky idea I want to share and now I'm torn on which one to submit.<br />
<br />
That said, I need help choosing...<br />
<h3>
Serious?</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAci9crtDKeI3kPU1bShSP4lbiDyGlUvDC0oH5Yp6UUUfMNy6oFzH907L6RYGkZY4I7EQsDOBvTwyVuVH-S65BtKJn8XhI-hgXGVIixtjc-I_r6S4jt1YQAxTGfp6oc6qDRl-vhehsVvt/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-01+at+10.14.13+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZAci9crtDKeI3kPU1bShSP4lbiDyGlUvDC0oH5Yp6UUUfMNy6oFzH907L6RYGkZY4I7EQsDOBvTwyVuVH-S65BtKJn8XhI-hgXGVIixtjc-I_r6S4jt1YQAxTGfp6oc6qDRl-vhehsVvt/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-10-01+at+10.14.13+PM.png" width="553" /></a></div>
<h3>
or Quirky? </h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLybzTwuJyFLWg0tYibNdD_MklsDEoHKhajFq5lXsYIcn_ZwZfDTN2YLf9m1YOPrgY0-TqQAZb-Ao5y2ZXHFq2ovuX1lQz1EH-rIbTW6DOf1EftdqXu_uWF_orxul4iGz5NA0Or_JBgx6/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-01+at+10.11.00+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioLybzTwuJyFLWg0tYibNdD_MklsDEoHKhajFq5lXsYIcn_ZwZfDTN2YLf9m1YOPrgY0-TqQAZb-Ao5y2ZXHFq2ovuX1lQz1EH-rIbTW6DOf1EftdqXu_uWF_orxul4iGz5NA0Or_JBgx6/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-10-01+at+10.11.00+PM.png" width="552" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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I'd love to hear your opinion. </div>
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Thanks for stopping by to read my babble!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-74429790024597716312013-10-08T22:47:00.002-07:002013-10-08T22:47:54.712-07:00Some direction would be niceI'm stranded over here!!!<br />
I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-77219750221950648942013-09-02T19:38:00.000-07:002013-09-02T19:38:23.106-07:00Bob: Almost a PalindromeWell, a couple of weeks ago my brain was feeling icky. When my brain feels icky, drawing usually helps. When I don't have any idea what to draw, I ask my 2 year old or my 3 year old what I should draw. This time, I asked the 2 year old and he requested 'circles'.<br />
"Big circle," he says.<br />
"Okay, now what?" I ask.<br />
"Little circle," he says.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgrOF3Q97VJaqtCyNtdEu6_jcRsFjNywHlgGpsbPH5pvZmDkWxyqaBDdNn8_qDDYI2o5_Vw1ForEKanmhyphenhyphenodAYfvN95BgYtJmqiYToeGTug2w2GzkDCR5H9wPGlSocoNot_i-hscU7sNlD/s1600/FallingBobOriginal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgrOF3Q97VJaqtCyNtdEu6_jcRsFjNywHlgGpsbPH5pvZmDkWxyqaBDdNn8_qDDYI2o5_Vw1ForEKanmhyphenhyphenodAYfvN95BgYtJmqiYToeGTug2w2GzkDCR5H9wPGlSocoNot_i-hscU7sNlD/s400/FallingBobOriginal.jpg" width="322" /></a></div>
<br />
This goes on for a bit and once he's lost interest, I begin to connect the circles and add more circles until I see a figure begin to emerge. I give him teeth around his one big eye, which instantly becomes his tongue, or maybe just his throat? And I decide I don't want him to be stuck only one way. So I turn him upside-down and give him a second identity. Two sets of feet [slash] eyeballs and a pair of hands that really do express his anxiety from both view points. Then we move on to dinner and diaper changes.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.talenthouse.com/creativeinvites/preview/ada717444232c38e14be9f2c93ee1180/3534" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC69rrguzNNPqw8263eLARyHs3eqKfqZkRtHb-ok2i8C7_gcmxUcWsRxxE4Bn4FvO0OFdm1h8XtJcXG7Ulf-cz5DZ6612wyl7RpkDsT2VJ6ZgBjmwWtUayeAhV36PWM-GI9oIo9G6EYMjw/s400/Signal_Topsheet_and_Signal_Base_Jen_Starchvill.jpg" width="186" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">right side up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbuoVtchQfIcisrzkwgL1Xug5-Ggs9oYCYcFe3GhaZDsyonkEiMtyGDDtjH0zAUuNi4km6jGTeXJ2pBrCA0_R9GXlcZO7q7eb3vEAm7alatqQG6U85AGKiPRdLkRZLaZwjPNln3Au6r8w/s1600/Signal_Topsheet_and_Signal_Base_Jen2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbuoVtchQfIcisrzkwgL1Xug5-Ggs9oYCYcFe3GhaZDsyonkEiMtyGDDtjH0zAUuNi4km6jGTeXJ2pBrCA0_R9GXlcZO7q7eb3vEAm7alatqQG6U85AGKiPRdLkRZLaZwjPNln3Au6r8w/s400/Signal_Topsheet_and_Signal_Base_Jen2.jpg" width="187" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">upside-down</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thanks to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ghennah222" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, I noticed <a href="http://signalsnowboards.com/" target="_blank">Signal Snowboards</a> is hosting a design contest via <a href="http://www.talenthouse.com/creativeinvites/preview/ada717444232c38e14be9f2c93ee1180/3534" target="_blank">Talenthouse</a>.<br />
I hesitated for a few days. I'm not a snowboarder. And this is a youngster competition. I'm not young. But I am a designer. But I don't have many Facebook friends or art fans, I'll never win a popular vote. But is it really about winning? Isn't exposure just as good? Despite my chronological age, I'm a beginner as far as the 'art' world is concerned. But... in the design world, I'm a veteran. My stuff's been all over the planet and I dismiss that achievement outright. It doesn't count. Nobody knows I'm the one that did all those designs. I was a work-for-hire after all. Should I bother?<br />
<br />
<br />
I downloaded the templates. I scanned my circle guy with the toes for eyelashes and eyelashes for toes. I manually trace him out with the pen tool because I hate the lack of control I get with auto-trace. I start assigning the limited colors, 3 max for the base of the board. I choose deep forest green (evergreen trees), an icy muted blue (sky) and a light cool gray (ice and snow). My little guy looks like he's in free-fall and shouting, swearing, screaming, whatever... I think the logo fits as his exclamation. So I place one bubble for each guy as well as one for the rider, since they are in this ride together. For the top sheet of the board, I wanted to pull the image from the base through it as to merge life on Earth with their 2D little universe. So, I used complimentary orange and deep red to illustrate a shadow puppet effect as well as highlighting the intensity of this 'extreme' sport. I included the exclamation bubble in the shadow, but without the mark, because of the intensity of the situation; even speech becomes a solid object that would cast a shadow. So, I guess I'm doing this... I'll enter this in the contest...<br />
<br />
So I upload the file and Talenthouse requests a title and description of the work. I'm terrible at this. My 2nd weakest characteristic right behind lack of confidence, a clever title. Since my little guy works right side-up or upside-down, I thought Bob would be an appropriate name. He is not symmetrical, so he's not a real palindrome, but he's good enough for me.<br />
<br />
In the end, I think it would make for a cool board. I'd love to see it in production. I'm not sure of the median age of a snowboarder these days, but I think they may dig it too.<br />
<br />
Your votes and your support would be greatly appreciated.<br />
Voting opens September 5th.<br />
Please click the <a href="http://www.talenthouse.com/creativeinvites/preview/ada717444232c38e14be9f2c93ee1180/3534" target="_blank">'Support Jennifer'</a> button on the page and share via Facebook and Twitter.<br />
Thanks!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-74581629335249569272013-05-18T22:01:00.002-07:002013-05-18T22:01:58.092-07:00Bathing Suits 2014Over at <a href="http://www.frontrowsociety.com/boutique/modules/frsindex/homeindex.php" target="_blank">Front Row Society</a> they are hosting a new contest and this time it is bathing suits!!! The theme is African textiles.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDw9v89m5nIKPh8aO2KMOTQE_2h8s4yuk4HzpsoiiGgLV3kN5jNdpTc03h4DgeQ2x6cOmdNmaMnLkzAaj5dtqSuoDytVucoLQHMnBcehOVXQ88BBO_8IJaXgxa6v8EfKz13OfuR1j45u8b/s1600/decorate-your-home-garden-with-african-daisy-_-dimorphotheca.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDw9v89m5nIKPh8aO2KMOTQE_2h8s4yuk4HzpsoiiGgLV3kN5jNdpTc03h4DgeQ2x6cOmdNmaMnLkzAaj5dtqSuoDytVucoLQHMnBcehOVXQ88BBO_8IJaXgxa6v8EfKz13OfuR1j45u8b/s320/decorate-your-home-garden-with-african-daisy-_-dimorphotheca.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I drew my inspiration from the <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/African_daisy_with_studio_lighting.jpg" target="_blank">African Daisy</a> for 2 of my entries, then a stylized leaf for my 3rd entry.<br />
<h3>
Design One</h3>
As usual, I started with ink on paper.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQfnS96vWh28mzhOdZ2AqjYBN4lHZo1yLfA7Ot_in-rhQvhe5KzI7URVnUyE8559VwAS5HWomjYoRSineLclDXQWHwhCOvmHDDyCCS8dq24mIB8dTJ-VVe8gq0SfJvw-8NBQBLomSmImw2/s1600/African.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQfnS96vWh28mzhOdZ2AqjYBN4lHZo1yLfA7Ot_in-rhQvhe5KzI7URVnUyE8559VwAS5HWomjYoRSineLclDXQWHwhCOvmHDDyCCS8dq24mIB8dTJ-VVe8gq0SfJvw-8NBQBLomSmImw2/s400/African.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
I created the repeat then decided on 3 different color ways.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.frontrowsociety.com/boutique/modules/contest/contest-detail.php?c_id=3758&id=59" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIMAsFODRJr9zNks_d0SEKRmjNaZk6mqZc0ujh4AMEG_hwpF5zzb21NBchTiZq9dr0r0iylbmlpGno6MvWxWrZpgHLCsNUuZL0vB5tbeXP5rNoZNAwFLDA6PN1ImOU7p-T_kHHoE9uCf3/s320/a_pink.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.frontrowsociety.com/boutique/modules/contest/contest-detail.php?c_id=3758&id=59" target="_blank">Daisy Rhythm in Pink</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.frontrowsociety.com/boutique/modules/contest/contest-detail.php?c_id=3757&id=59" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNT7iny158wT6LFnvMHW_5W3pDoRMMeeZUdkAI1ssBJk7X-Kcw0v4foHHcAm0eGDRKmOxRZPIpDql0t5XEKhyphenhyphenG_QgUmfK9OuyE7ebCtS7ODxZdtIBwBr_AtjXke8J_9FRxKLAcASLWwKlW/s320/a_blue.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.frontrowsociety.com/boutique/modules/contest/contest-detail.php?c_id=3757&id=59" target="_blank">Daisy Rhythm in Blue</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWU-O8x5EAUtWidUDNmul4Dg_C5L1hVMCVPClWheJXMa-Z38LOfERbdpmydHIEXhCuwv6WTHv6RUHBi5jnPxTB-0NwHYuYtPnh38gHp6IPsRnEgvcebmVL3A1xtcI7-dlHmGnzH2dTP4W/s320/a_red.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.frontrowsociety.com/boutique/modules/contest/contest-detail.php?c_id=3758&id=59" target="_blank">Daisy Rhythm in Red</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
Design Two</h3>
<div>
I rearranged the pieces to create a new pattern, a bit more flower-like. Again in 3 more color ways. This time I neglected to choose a unique name for each design. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyvPdOLG0-d_mHaPlMAp95Ja3yL9M46dcLtdLjGLc2aH03BlAYeGGbi1BJ1VCfoukeWa8Qp1Sq7fUy20zIYt1zFgqz7j_cK2xVX7C8xpwJ8aYx_mPQjLSIYacDmlQyKsjN-g8Vc_2JKg_/s1600/a_FlowerBurst_Bold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPyvPdOLG0-d_mHaPlMAp95Ja3yL9M46dcLtdLjGLc2aH03BlAYeGGbi1BJ1VCfoukeWa8Qp1Sq7fUy20zIYt1zFgqz7j_cK2xVX7C8xpwJ8aYx_mPQjLSIYacDmlQyKsjN-g8Vc_2JKg_/s320/a_FlowerBurst_Bold.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.frontrowsociety.com/boutique/modules/contest/contest-detail.php?c_id=3861&id=59" target="_blank">Daisy Burst</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0vxY5doGUpJyiy8u1RrtF1I3wQWjjPZ8E2au-zwlLF8r3c-c0oylcD-x-ECEpp11euyWE2Xh1YNhC8-u2YaeX47BRHKmsgUPlVwFN4VfmCGvwz3qSVM-O7zLWqVDBPWe1q2arwGnSrMz/s1600/a_FlowerBurst_Brite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht0vxY5doGUpJyiy8u1RrtF1I3wQWjjPZ8E2au-zwlLF8r3c-c0oylcD-x-ECEpp11euyWE2Xh1YNhC8-u2YaeX47BRHKmsgUPlVwFN4VfmCGvwz3qSVM-O7zLWqVDBPWe1q2arwGnSrMz/s320/a_FlowerBurst_Brite.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.frontrowsociety.com/boutique/modules/contest/contest-detail.php?c_id=3862&id=59" target="_blank">Daisy Burst</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfSQOrsoJ_C-N9f3KnKpggmeF5rpNffyaexyDrqYz8d9kCfaYuDrHvvLXY8QgadiJnqfkRz138A7jaSwHN0X6DgwicLlYReKd_QdSd-tgLDptp73F4JgXHQ23FECf84X5jgvgIwzneEMW/s1600/a_FlowerBurst_Green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfSQOrsoJ_C-N9f3KnKpggmeF5rpNffyaexyDrqYz8d9kCfaYuDrHvvLXY8QgadiJnqfkRz138A7jaSwHN0X6DgwicLlYReKd_QdSd-tgLDptp73F4JgXHQ23FECf84X5jgvgIwzneEMW/s320/a_FlowerBurst_Green.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.frontrowsociety.com/boutique/modules/contest/contest-detail.php?c_id=3857&id=59" target="_blank">Daisy Burst</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
Design Three</h3>
<div>
I drew out some stylized leaves.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFvfHVGKeuQpH60XRykKF9ldhlu3NY9KIsvkT7KOHWmnzTAE_MeUv1X7lYyM51ZSqmYhqNF2hNuiorN-0S3_hi3UiG2hHvQt1LKbY4l7GPBqWwFJ_MCZJk8Cdb42MKu_BEZOBRvxO7swqt/s1600/African+1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFvfHVGKeuQpH60XRykKF9ldhlu3NY9KIsvkT7KOHWmnzTAE_MeUv1X7lYyM51ZSqmYhqNF2hNuiorN-0S3_hi3UiG2hHvQt1LKbY4l7GPBqWwFJ_MCZJk8Cdb42MKu_BEZOBRvxO7swqt/s400/African+1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
Then I created a simple pattern and stuck to the color green.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gOc1WhaDfcbl515U6ZMctiU0Tyv3Z0D3cI75V-Gk8vc3Y-2e3xbI4GW7TnXIdMllt0nc2UtWwj1uwZGhqKCBIwqSIvEr5mJ7sfvCwvih0gIUVbOzYtPPQ1IXpgOvGt6Glo8D_nmxAYRB/s1600/a_GreenLeaves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gOc1WhaDfcbl515U6ZMctiU0Tyv3Z0D3cI75V-Gk8vc3Y-2e3xbI4GW7TnXIdMllt0nc2UtWwj1uwZGhqKCBIwqSIvEr5mJ7sfvCwvih0gIUVbOzYtPPQ1IXpgOvGt6Glo8D_nmxAYRB/s320/a_GreenLeaves.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.frontrowsociety.com/boutique/modules/contest/contest-detail.php?c_id=3807&id=59" target="_blank">Adwoa</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Please follow the link below each design to cast your vote for your favorite(s).</div>
<div>
Thanks for reading my babble!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-44573673971966333362013-04-24T22:53:00.000-07:002014-03-06T08:53:04.900-08:00Delilah's Garden<h2>
UPDATE!!! The Scarf is Now Available!!!</h2>
<a href="http://www.frontrowsociety.com/boutique/403-delilahs-garden-silk-scarf-5060296704537.html?cid=6" target="_blank">Delilah's Garden Printed Silk Scarf</a><br />
<br />
<h3>
The Backstory...</h3>
<a href="http://www.frontrowsociety.com/boutique/modules/frsindex/homeindex.php" target="_blank">Front Row Society</a> is a unique fashion company in that artists compete to have their designs used to make unique fashion accessories.<br />
As with most things in my life I wandered into them by accident. Poking around on flickr one day, I was admiring the work of fellow <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/welcome" target="_blank">Spoonflower</a> designer, <a href="http://akwaflorell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Akwaflorell</a>, and saw she had some designs up for vote at Front Row Society. I followed the link but the voting was already closed for that contest. So, I spent some time investigating what the deal was & how can I get in on it?<br />
<br />
The upcoming contest was to be 'Bohemian vs. Bourgeois'. I thought I'd give it a try.<br />
<br />
I got out the pen and started drawing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRGc5PlsngHvlyfA_N6qWBkcPa1w6Wj-yY-GEWJ6j0owTLkHIIdCHpvxnlZaw9DzDu8D5g7wk5H4QTJbBzwf6j7bFFHnJ0sLqWCBTR-Dvv5romEgBmLmCAM10hJGyXN0nTjpeIrwMH7x/s1600/DelilahsInk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYRGc5PlsngHvlyfA_N6qWBkcPa1w6Wj-yY-GEWJ6j0owTLkHIIdCHpvxnlZaw9DzDu8D5g7wk5H4QTJbBzwf6j7bFFHnJ0sLqWCBTR-Dvv5romEgBmLmCAM10hJGyXN0nTjpeIrwMH7x/s640/DelilahsInk.jpg" height="640" width="499" /></a></div>
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Again, I tend to work backwards on things, I felt the design needed some color. Plus, they recommended a color palette. I tried to follow it best I could with my watercolors and created an approximate color layer to be combined in photoshop.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2l-bmiGzg7wBOdz_HLB4YZidecGKCJSollO6S0Iu2bBnGYkRcOFOPACwIVgjxI78T45eGx0HrhvwWHKkzp_u6860mlsb-PGWuuheMU-vEXWFMBz-yRL172OQndPgYkqxFHcZbShx6LqW/s1600/DelilahsWatercolor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2l-bmiGzg7wBOdz_HLB4YZidecGKCJSollO6S0Iu2bBnGYkRcOFOPACwIVgjxI78T45eGx0HrhvwWHKkzp_u6860mlsb-PGWuuheMU-vEXWFMBz-yRL172OQndPgYkqxFHcZbShx6LqW/s640/DelilahsWatercolor.jpg" height="640" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
Worked some photoshop magic and voila! Here is the design before creating the repeat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOELZPOgCOdO-Gkx5TnaMiGcuXqlcSAtrWpwpEOXh0CWVhyymiuVP0H9MGUN0tV87cQqRbQTzLnlUCgxjlmPDUi8FSTsNoVEiMa0mlI3jjzaewBCIfxXydy-NiFKNOTUQqb2D0SNoEhxTC/s1600/DelilahsCrop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOELZPOgCOdO-Gkx5TnaMiGcuXqlcSAtrWpwpEOXh0CWVhyymiuVP0H9MGUN0tV87cQqRbQTzLnlUCgxjlmPDUi8FSTsNoVEiMa0mlI3jjzaewBCIfxXydy-NiFKNOTUQqb2D0SNoEhxTC/s640/DelilahsCrop.jpg" height="640" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
Full view of the repeat as I hope it looks as a finished scarf.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrkXpnfFlX83REr53cPLIYT7FGz7F1YPtJ1teHXWjL6PoSqQegwuayexU6zSU2E_9OLITkHzONMzBKyimq1_ERcfpdBKVUKLTCWkVrQ-JnANKFB5RfFDVH0ItgzxqtdlytYrrg9cbDZ9g/s1600/BohemianScarfDesign72sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrkXpnfFlX83REr53cPLIYT7FGz7F1YPtJ1teHXWjL6PoSqQegwuayexU6zSU2E_9OLITkHzONMzBKyimq1_ERcfpdBKVUKLTCWkVrQ-JnANKFB5RfFDVH0ItgzxqtdlytYrrg9cbDZ9g/s640/BohemianScarfDesign72sm.jpg" height="222" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
To my great surprise, the team over there felt my design was worthy of their Spring 2014 collection!<br />
I couldn't be happier.<br />
<br />
Oh, and <a href="http://akwaflorell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Akwaflorell</a> won for four of her designs! So, you should check her stuff out too!<br />
See all 20 winning designs <a href="http://www.frontrowsociety.com/frs/announcing-the-winning-designs-of-the-frs-bohemian-vs-bourgeois-design-challenge/" target="_blank">here</a>!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-65451311754323742232013-03-09T11:16:00.001-08:002013-03-10T08:07:16.657-07:00LollapadoodleI entered a t-shirt design contest for <a href="http://www.talenthouse.com/creativeinvites/preview/ada717444232c38e14be9f2c93ee1180/935" target="_blank">Lollapalooza</a>. I hope you like it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxVffE8yE_medKXRa2R_HXf5Y6Ihly4mPfe3IPypLeIKQB6nRdYBYe7CGqtAv4gl_VXctvc76gTI9sMfTRCvHGpR1F6ESM6j5JOusfMmi3SX8hN6JfU6IVcvK-kkjLg5x42VsCzbnn2na/s1600/lollapalozzaT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxVffE8yE_medKXRa2R_HXf5Y6Ihly4mPfe3IPypLeIKQB6nRdYBYe7CGqtAv4gl_VXctvc76gTI9sMfTRCvHGpR1F6ESM6j5JOusfMmi3SX8hN6JfU6IVcvK-kkjLg5x42VsCzbnn2na/s640/lollapalozzaT.jpg" width="618" /></a></div>
How I came to this design is I started out drawing my own letters. I was going to simply decorate the letters with some patterns but they started to take on personalities. I blame the lowercase 'a'. I made a weird mistake with my pen and it turned into a tooth. It wasn't going to be a tooth, it was going to be some sort of fringe all the way around the 'a' but I couldn't ignore it's toothy quality. I drew the 'p' upside-down in an effort to twist the word on itself. I was going to re-use the 'a', one of the 'l's and proceed to the eye ball 'o's, 'z' and final 'a' but I didn't think that would read easily. I backed it up by adding the uppercase upside-down 'A' at the top and another 'l' to lead into the 'ooza' instead. This creates a spiraling shape conducive of a large spiraling lollipop... or a lollapalooza.<br />
<br />
Once the letters were drawn, I evolved them into characters. The first 'L' is actually the shrunken head shape that intersects what became the 3 eyed 'O' Monster. The top O-eye is bloodshot because he's being strained by the L. It's crowded here. Like any sold out show. The lowercase 'l's are my tortured little artists, singing their hearts out, making their mark... even if the snotty little 'a' is trying to eat 'em up. The P-man is simply a spectator. The upside-down uppercase A seems to be a grown version of the lowercase 'a's yet none of them are wearing shirts. The Z is sleeping, or blissfully enjoying the crowd, I'm not sure. He's a Z, I felt he should be sleeping... Zzzz. I'm not sure why the O-Monster is trying to eat Z, maybe he's just trying to wake up his passed out friend? The 2013 is simply done up sideshow style to not steal any personality from the letters.<br />
<br />
I left it in black & white because I like color so much, I have difficulty being satisfied in it's placement with in my designs. Plus, I thought it would be so cool to be a shirt that could be colored in while wearing it at the concert. Either with washable or permanent markers, it would really make the shirt interactive and a great personal memory that in the end would be unique.<br />
<br />
I hope a few more people get to know I exist and I hope they vote for my design.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-23729385768349974272012-11-13T22:24:00.001-08:002012-11-13T22:24:27.140-08:00Flight of Fancy<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over at <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/shop?shop=fabric" target="_blank">Spoonflower</a> (</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the fabric design on-line store), they are hosting their fabric of the week contest with the theme of Flight... and/or Birds. It is a limited palette contest: grey, teal, green, & yellow. It is being sponsored by UK craft magazine <a href="http://molliemakes.themakingspot.com/" style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #7da8ac; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;" target="new">Mollie Makes</a> and they're planning to use the winning fabric in a cover photo. You can vote this Thursday <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/contests/163" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #271a13; font-size: 11px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Technical Stuff: The Process</span></h4>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About 2 weeks ago, I did a little pencil sketch on a scrap of paper. Working in pencil alludes to a planning process. This is already a stray from my typical working directly in ink. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEXQb8C8ualo-456mCRhbFahfP4p-tEokkxImKVrZatM1oKpVwYJ2EAJfxO7CJST-9UTKkUTi38IEqbd-PlOr4_SnoyZRrqDcZLZV5Y_DHbvMucHp5qj_zRys0WZjgkrPhTqy3emR6mmm/s1600/filler+birds+5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEXQb8C8ualo-456mCRhbFahfP4p-tEokkxImKVrZatM1oKpVwYJ2EAJfxO7CJST-9UTKkUTi38IEqbd-PlOr4_SnoyZRrqDcZLZV5Y_DHbvMucHp5qj_zRys0WZjgkrPhTqy3emR6mmm/s320/filler+birds+5.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I prefer to work around the unexpected and see what happens. So, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I decided to start again, but true to form, in ink.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQeukNycSK3Qq5oyRB9FNVmrT51JzaRTi61GK_AeTPDY-GzWfYhBZ-1Rwoa58CGPIfPYANNCIpQ_ITwPqMEAi66qOmzXjPRZ-U6eVGkqw2rGy_vH8P0-bmJQHCA4NccxY80LoxpjPW_vX/s1600/MMOriginal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQeukNycSK3Qq5oyRB9FNVmrT51JzaRTi61GK_AeTPDY-GzWfYhBZ-1Rwoa58CGPIfPYANNCIpQ_ITwPqMEAi66qOmzXjPRZ-U6eVGkqw2rGy_vH8P0-bmJQHCA4NccxY80LoxpjPW_vX/s640/MMOriginal.jpg" width="478" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then, I scanned it to try to work out the repeat. I did a free form brick repeat so the 'sun' would tuck into the cusp of the cloud. Then I printed it & traced the negative space onto fresh bristol paper & filled that in with more bird elements.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxxDoRHqKS17UGbThemzlqmNbxKd1b7ywHW37nUZWQCMJ-lUxp-bkgcfTagXD8qHVSwZSGbKZHztzsgXNM4Pkhq0zBvMmGChtgYExZY48QWl8g9lgsOfA41rcbOdnMjgSzMvYwu8xlo4x/s1600/RepeatWork1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxxDoRHqKS17UGbThemzlqmNbxKd1b7ywHW37nUZWQCMJ-lUxp-bkgcfTagXD8qHVSwZSGbKZHztzsgXNM4Pkhq0zBvMmGChtgYExZY48QWl8g9lgsOfA41rcbOdnMjgSzMvYwu8xlo4x/s640/RepeatWork1.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I drew, I stopped accepting things I didn't like & simply outlined the area again to start over.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51LBxycSM4rh1N2S04R9T024yqUXDuyUaoxAy6gHwP5W0F0eXT8satGnd0Vgbb7U6gnPDMbl-m_8OQkDkfXIaOFAvYJ-ooxSPiwxGsZCjj29QW82Ck8XpX5Fyz-6hXnntTLDSt4lP_I7t/s1600/RepeatWork2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg51LBxycSM4rh1N2S04R9T024yqUXDuyUaoxAy6gHwP5W0F0eXT8satGnd0Vgbb7U6gnPDMbl-m_8OQkDkfXIaOFAvYJ-ooxSPiwxGsZCjj29QW82Ck8XpX5Fyz-6hXnntTLDSt4lP_I7t/s640/RepeatWork2.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I struggled with the limited color palette. I struggle with adding color to my ink drawings in general because I don't really care for the 'paint by number' look. However, I think it turned out okay.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhOTfnJOt9YJbJ0WumULbbR6g8VgtMoWdn2KAfAGGXPM6PXmD6bFCtEIWhDHO2cUpypsnzaAKXw0VK_wXKGKUrqlTIEjUvv-ELU1m9CmWqdmWDrwR0kFLzYxjd6gWKl_F56Nh1BMBE4F7/s1600/MotherMigrationCROP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhOTfnJOt9YJbJ0WumULbbR6g8VgtMoWdn2KAfAGGXPM6PXmD6bFCtEIWhDHO2cUpypsnzaAKXw0VK_wXKGKUrqlTIEjUvv-ELU1m9CmWqdmWDrwR0kFLzYxjd6gWKl_F56Nh1BMBE4F7/s640/MotherMigrationCROP.jpg" width="564" /></a></div>
<h4>
The Guts: The Meaning</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This design became very meaningful to me which made many of the elements become more intentional than my usual art. The large mother bird represents me. The little one clinging to her represents my son. He's very, very, very clingy. But, he's trying to move on. The medium sized yellow bird represents my 3 year old. She's independent. Confident. Ready to go. The migration is the events that lead up to my son & daughter. I was 33 and already considered to be of advanced maternal age. It took 3 years to experience a successful pregnancy. Then, when my daughter was 10 months old, I found out I was pregnant again. The clouds are the gloominess of infertility as well as the challenges of motherhood while the flowers & sunshine are the hope & happiness. The sleeping birds represent the dream babies, all the failed embryos that refused to implant. The small, malformed birds represent the miscarriages. I think there is certainly more happiness than sadness in my mother migration but the work is endless. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
See the full repeat pattern <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/designs/1575582" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-3660502405428376152012-10-11T21:38:00.000-07:002012-10-11T21:38:30.775-07:00Therapy Session<h3>
<b>For the last 3 months I've been adding some 'doodle babble' to the hubcap I received from Landfillart.org and here's my finished piece.</b></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iufTf6AIFn3C_wH1It6CkG8Us5xivLs1uws7VT-g7m0XZtzCFCtcxN4fK2CoyRIUbViAYelbuIV90ZAGq9IGr2fwNv-MKATBRSZr2Bt8VIyvzvD_g4348XrQ6kF_KYaZgwsDeMW6Q-ON/s1600/IMG_4918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iufTf6AIFn3C_wH1It6CkG8Us5xivLs1uws7VT-g7m0XZtzCFCtcxN4fK2CoyRIUbViAYelbuIV90ZAGq9IGr2fwNv-MKATBRSZr2Bt8VIyvzvD_g4348XrQ6kF_KYaZgwsDeMW6Q-ON/s400/IMG_4918.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Materials</span></h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">I used an Ultra Fine Point <a href="http://blog.sharpie.com/" target="_blank">Sharpie</a>®, a silver Sharpie Paint Pen and my trusty Koh-i-nor Rapidograph. I decided it was necessary to coat the final piece with clear Rust-O-leum with the hopes of preserving the design for a little while. I wish I had more experience with spray paint. I tried to follow the advice I received from Dave, of <a href="http://www.cpcpowdercoating.com/" target="_blank">CPC Powder Coating</a>, which was to lightly spray the piece with a layer of overspray first, wait 5-10 minutes & then spray normal but I accidentally got too close to the piece and blurred some of the design. I have no way to correct this error. It exposes my inexperience. I hope my creativity overshadows my technical flaw. I hope they will still include it in their online gallery.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2cIFhiewwx6E-EisROD_mgP9KnqBdWO279AovzkiFwfSRQpuLIeJtCGSObp-kS8toK3MK5FIXCWu9hyphenhyphenPdfLlzcV6268OPdPvPemaeWEVNjw1w49S-9VFDVyu6hlY7TH8je1hvqG565ai/s1600/IMG_4993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy2cIFhiewwx6E-EisROD_mgP9KnqBdWO279AovzkiFwfSRQpuLIeJtCGSObp-kS8toK3MK5FIXCWu9hyphenhyphenPdfLlzcV6268OPdPvPemaeWEVNjw1w49S-9VFDVyu6hlY7TH8je1hvqG565ai/s640/IMG_4993.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">So, what's it about anyway?</span></h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Well, I decided to title the piece "Therapy Session" because it is the best description I could come up with to explain the mish-mash of doodles. It reflects the random things that crossed my mind this summer as I worked on the design. A big part of the design is the anxiety, anguish & frustration of having life's challenges thrown upon us, against our will. Then there's just a lot of filler, just like life. </div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
Topics include but are not limited to:</h4>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">Cancer. Lots of cancer. Polyps, nodes, cysts, you name it. My dear friend Marilyn had to endure treatment for a hearty dose of thyroid cancer. She is in the clear now and feeling back to normal but it made me sad, angry, frustrated & helpless. </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Anguish </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Solitude/Escapism</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Confinement</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Motherhood</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">The Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">The 2012 Olympics</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Heroism</li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGExFEptbc-NzOzi7Dpy0d4kjAPilGWNdb32RtMozPsIWp_ERca_67BSsYBCf7L4UoDYoehSKLlBcU3yht-SOvMl34vFxnBw1SKca6P_rYAgkQVDWUMrITvWH9pFsTZrpri_WbVER_IE8X/s1600/IMG_4991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><br /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGExFEptbc-NzOzi7Dpy0d4kjAPilGWNdb32RtMozPsIWp_ERca_67BSsYBCf7L4UoDYoehSKLlBcU3yht-SOvMl34vFxnBw1SKca6P_rYAgkQVDWUMrITvWH9pFsTZrpri_WbVER_IE8X/s1600/IMG_4991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGExFEptbc-NzOzi7Dpy0d4kjAPilGWNdb32RtMozPsIWp_ERca_67BSsYBCf7L4UoDYoehSKLlBcU3yht-SOvMl34vFxnBw1SKca6P_rYAgkQVDWUMrITvWH9pFsTZrpri_WbVER_IE8X/s640/IMG_4991.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-35057594255998465132012-07-31T20:36:00.000-07:002012-07-31T20:37:17.439-07:00Hubcap as Fine Art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvpYgEoONUAnYMQ0QWK4iEGz4mdbRD-Os3Z4Dbs1wcOI5-_hyWfHeVcUm5s2-HBFBDvom_02z7r1qgiW3gX8o0gpEwMvf17xZBhqNWua1JDZznQYABoHMKlLbw670Gt1h4JmgX2f7LOup/s1600/IMG_4678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvpYgEoONUAnYMQ0QWK4iEGz4mdbRD-Os3Z4Dbs1wcOI5-_hyWfHeVcUm5s2-HBFBDvom_02z7r1qgiW3gX8o0gpEwMvf17xZBhqNWua1JDZznQYABoHMKlLbw670Gt1h4JmgX2f7LOup/s400/IMG_4678.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>I got my very own hubcap!!!</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>First off, some background info:</b><br />
Last spring, shortly after my son was born, I started to design fabric for the site, Spoonflower. There are tons of talented designers & artists creating one of a kind fabric designs there and among those artists is Kristen Stein. Her <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/kristenstein" target="_blank">fabric</a> is beautiful and her <a href="http://studioartworks.com/" target="_blank">artwork</a> equally beautiful. Her <a href="http://blog.studioartworks.com/" target="_blank">blog</a> is where I found out about <a href="http://landfillart.org/">Landfillart.org</a> An Artist Reclamation Project.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><a href="http://landfillart.org/">Landfillart.org</a> and their mission: </b></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: verdana; font-size: 9px; line-height: 12px;"><strong style="font-size: 10px;">Landfillart is an international effort encompassing one-thousand-forty-one (1,041) artists to claim a piece of rusted metal garbage and create fine art.</strong></span><br />
<div class="style3" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 9.5px; line-height: 12px;">
The 1,041 pieces of rusted metal are actually old automobile hub caps from the 1930’s through the 1970’s. Each hub cap, after being cleaned and primed, is affectionately called a “metal canvas.” Although most “metal canvases” have been transformed by the artist using oil or acrylic paint, some have been weaved on, glued or screwed or welded to, or made into fine sculpture.</div>
<div class="style3" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 9.5px; line-height: 12px;">
I have found that the fine artists I have worked with on this project do not even flinch when looking at this white round disc of metal canvas. And why should they. Artists from the beginning of time have used cave walls (Lascaux, France and Altamira, Spain,) walls of pyramids (Egyptians,) animal skins (American Indians,) etc… as their canvas. In addition, as a gallery owner for over thirty years, I maintain that artists, generally speaking, are more ecologically in touch and environmentally aware. Perhaps that is the reason forty-one artists readily accepted the challenge and embraced the project.</div>
<div class="style3" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 9.5px; line-height: 12px;">
Although the project is in its infancy (I hope to have it completed by 2012,) it will evolve from a simple idea of taking forty-one old rusted hub caps and creating forty-one pieces of great art. The second phase has already started with the acquisition of one thousand additional (1000) rusted hub caps which will be turned into cleaned and primed “metal canvases. The project will continue with finding one thousand (1000) talented artists who believe in this project.</div>
<div align="left" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 9px; line-height: 12px;">
<span class="style3" style="color: black; font-size: 9.5px;"><span class="policy" style="color: #7f7f7f;">The third phase will involve publishing a book on the project showcasing all one thousand forty one (1,041) completed “metal canvases.”</span></span></div>
<div align="left" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 9px; line-height: 12px;">
<span class="style3" style="color: black; font-size: 9.5px;"><span class="policy policy" style="color: #7f7f7f;">The fourth and final phase will involve choosing 200 metal canvases that adequately represent the project and create a traveling show.</span><span class="policy" style="color: #7f7f7f;"> The book and traveling show will publically portray the global art community's effort to positively impact the environment through repurposing previous metal waste into great landfill art.</span></span></div>
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<span class="style3" style="color: black; font-size: 9.5px;"><span class="policy" style="color: #7f7f7f;"><br /></span></span></div>
My first thought was "I want to do this!", my second was "I can't believe they haven't already reached their goal!". So I looked at their <a href="http://landfillart.org/index-5.html" target="_blank">application page</a> which read:<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div align="center" style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 9px; line-height: 12px;">
<div align="left">
<strong style="font-size: 10px;"><span class="style3" style="color: #e93400;">If you are a professional artist</span>, who would like to apply for consideration to become part of the landfillart project, please send:</strong></div>
<div align="left">
<ul style="line-height: 19px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://landfillart.org/images/list_marker.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-size: 10px;">short biography</strong></li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://landfillart.org/images/list_marker.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-size: 10px;">samples of your work</strong></li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://landfillart.org/images/list_marker.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-size: 10px;">a description of what you'd like to create</strong></li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(http://landfillart.org/images/list_marker.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 10px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="font-size: 10px;">why you'd like to participate (please limit your descriptions to under two-hundred words)</strong></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div align="left">
<strong style="font-size: 10px;">to: <a href="mailto:%20artistsubmissions@landfillart.org" style="color: #e93400; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: none;">artistsubmissions@landfillart.org</a>. You can also mail your information (CD format is preferred) to the address below.</strong></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 9px; line-height: 12px;">
<strong style="font-size: 10px;"><img align="left" alt="conact" height="72" hspace="5" src="http://landfillart.org/images/pic5_3.gif" vspace="5" width="110" />Landfill Art</strong><br />
122 South Main Street. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, 18701 USA<br />
<br />
Telephone: 1 570 823 0519<br />
In USA: 1 800 248 2467<br />
FAX: 1 570 823 7182<br />
EMAIL: <a href="mailto:%20ken@landfillart.org" style="color: #e93400; text-decoration: none;">ken@landfillart.org</a></div>
<div style="color: #7f7f7f; font-family: verdana; font-size: 9px; line-height: 12px;">
<br /></div>
Then I thought "Do I qualify as a professional artist?" I have sold a few designs through Spoonflower. I was a graphic designer for over 15 years. Does that count? It took a full 24 hours to muster enough gall to send Ken Marquis an email.</div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>The email went as follows:</b></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Dear Ken and all in charge of submissions,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">* short biography -</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">My name is Jennifer Starchvill. I am a married, mother of two small</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">children. I live in a suburb of Chicago. I became aware of your</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">project by way of Kristen Stein's blog yesterday. I found her on</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Spoonflower, where I also post my designs for sale as printed fabric</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">patterns. I have always been an artist. I was a professional graphic</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">designer for 15 years where I did everything from package design to</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">product design, marketing anything from construction supplies to baby</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">toys. I've experimented in quite a few artistic mediums however, the</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">one I keep going back to is pen and ink. What I draw most is what I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">call 'Doodle Babble'. Doodle Babbles are ink drawings inspired by my</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">subconscious. Some are decorative, some are deep, some whimsical and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">fun, and some can be weird, but mostly, people say they're interesting</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and they like them.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">* samples of your work -</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">'Subconscious Garden' Pen and ink on paper, repeat pattern -</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/1181142" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.spoonflower.com/<wbr></wbr>fabric/1181142</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">'Bejeweled Lines' Pen and Ink on paper, repeat pattern -</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/1198269" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.spoonflower.com/<wbr></wbr>fabric/1198269</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">'Curves' Pen and Ink on paper, repeat pattern -</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/975039" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.spoonflower.com/<wbr></wbr>fabric/975039</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">'The Shirt' Pen and Ink on cotton knit single continuous pattern (see</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">attached), plus, this blog entry includes photos of paintings The</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Shirt inspired -</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://doodlebabble.blogspot.com/2012/06/shirt.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://doodlebabble.blogspot.<wbr></wbr>com/2012/06/shirt.html</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">* a description of what you'd like to create -</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I would like to create a subconscious scene on one of your metal</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">canvases. If ink isn't feasible, I can use a different medium, like</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">oil paint or acrylic.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">* why you'd like to participate (please limit your descriptions to</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">under two-hundred words) -</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Why not? Your project seems so cool! I love the idea of arting up some</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">junk, making it functional again (even if it is decorative).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Thank you for creating this project.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I hope I get the opportunity to be a part of it.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Best Regards,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Jennifer Starchvill</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div>
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<b>The Fun Begins:</b></div>
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To my surprise, I got a positive response and my hubcap was shipped on July 5th. I received it the following Tuesday. I wasn't sure what to expect but I thought it was going to be primed in white like the photos on their site but mine was still metal. Which, after looking at many of the ones in the gallery, it seems many of those were in their natural hubcap condition before the artist got a hold of them too.<br />
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Then I started to experiment. Will my ink stick? Temporarily. It rubs off quite easily with a paper towel. It's really not commonplace to use a rapidograph on metal. There are home made inks and some graffiti market inks but I need (want) them to work in my rapidograph pen and I don't have the luxury of time. I figured, ink would stick to paint, right? So I started to look for paint that would stick to metal. The preparation process was just too much for a mother of a 2yr old & 1yr old to handle... Sanding, acetone, rubber gloves...Ugh! So I looked for a powder coater that could 'prime' my 'canvas' for me. I sent out a few emails searching for advice & pricing. I hit pay dirt! My new friend Dave, of <a href="http://www.cpcpowdercoating.com/" target="_blank">CPC Powder Coating</a> in Crest Hill offered to coat it pro-bono! Understanding my artistic vision, he did a clear coat for me. Another coater offered the advice of a matte silver for $25 but ya can't beat 'free'. I also felt matte silver would have taken some of the hubcappyness out of it. Now, it is still reflective and looks like steel. But, the ink still rubs off with a paper towel. I anticipated a top coat of clear would be needed to hold the design. Dave assured me once my design was complete, some clear rust-o-leum should preserve it. He suggested to do a 'dust' coat first & let it set 5 minutes, then to do a regular coat. There shouldn't be a problem with the top coat adhering to their clear coat. I'm crossing my fingers. Since I can't leave well enough alone, I thought I'd try a different ink, just in case. A good old <a href="http://blog.sharpie.com/" target="_blank">Sharpie</a>®. (Some artist I am, it just didn't occur to me sooner to try a good old fashioned Sharpie.) Yes! Sharpie will work!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-24499640263536152012-07-03T21:52:00.001-07:002012-07-03T21:52:14.268-07:00PomegranatesToday, I magically threw together a design for Spoonflower's Fabric of the week contest, Pomegranates. I'm trying to challenge myself more by moving out of my comfort zone and drawing actual things. I referenced some images via the internets & did some 'doodling'.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFLO7eCUWswBEALwLNUeeIRZCuxi3sc9NaUAj3gsXtfn4GeKheYSJpwbn2rOoXv_VDkagUfM9SGheBjzRJ1s1i0V9_XGbmiejUl7uV8Exy8kIRD35BQb8KnVt2wY_4WDQrVL7PfThiDTs/s1600/pom_lineart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFLO7eCUWswBEALwLNUeeIRZCuxi3sc9NaUAj3gsXtfn4GeKheYSJpwbn2rOoXv_VDkagUfM9SGheBjzRJ1s1i0V9_XGbmiejUl7uV8Exy8kIRD35BQb8KnVt2wY_4WDQrVL7PfThiDTs/s320/pom_lineart.jpg" width="284" /></a></div>
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Then, I used auto-trace in illustrator, colored & arranged them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwLUub9Yu-UPwLqalQl2xoLcKpmM6qd65cmYgJoe7G7rbXr8xLvJGTyI7_gnNi2WYz9xh0_9-YomxkQIh3nAdikTMY7ihAHpXXUQD-Gw2pHpAE2-vWDaqcgjgtAQoDUk_YbWK0zpvgtoj/s1600/GraphicPOM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwLUub9Yu-UPwLqalQl2xoLcKpmM6qd65cmYgJoe7G7rbXr8xLvJGTyI7_gnNi2WYz9xh0_9-YomxkQIh3nAdikTMY7ihAHpXXUQD-Gw2pHpAE2-vWDaqcgjgtAQoDUk_YbWK0zpvgtoj/s320/GraphicPOM.jpg" width="203" /></a></div>
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Using the signature pomegranate shape, I used just my outline and layered in a screen of it at a larger scale for a scribbly, urban effect. I hope to get a few votes.<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-6169759461679138012012-06-25T21:23:00.002-07:002012-06-25T21:23:45.317-07:00Dinosaur Room<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpmdfiUVk5tmxngxTRjvS2DQnTapGaOgVzvsJntuWhh7EJd1n-O4YFMnYZa4Rcl1TeWf-IelcayhdyPa3hzV5Nfd4ueJPd8BwyheHMK896nqPlgl1PQSlQtTbpVfWf1oWKO4aOztrX6S3/s1600/DinoDrawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpmdfiUVk5tmxngxTRjvS2DQnTapGaOgVzvsJntuWhh7EJd1n-O4YFMnYZa4Rcl1TeWf-IelcayhdyPa3hzV5Nfd4ueJPd8BwyheHMK896nqPlgl1PQSlQtTbpVfWf1oWKO4aOztrX6S3/s400/DinoDrawing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original computer illustration drawn to scale</td></tr>
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Since I had my daughter & quit my day job in November, 2009, I'd been searching for other ways to express myself creatively. When she was about 5 months old, I started designing her room. I designed a large dinosaur mural on the computer that would cover one of her walls. The plan was to do the one wall and the window. I ended up painting a 360° mural around her room of an entire cartoon
prehistoric scene, in addition to the large orange dinosaur, I added an
extra large prehistoric flower and a distant volcano & misc. other
foliage. It took weeks to complete since I only had her nap times to
work on it, but I think the effort was well worth it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JzwAWz3nxIU8Dgh9fy5lyFvzeE0BDf1KcMQy9pBvknV3MiawSn9kdcGUDcaeTrN-q8RpYsq4oTiefNAtSvTW5okN9x9_Azw7Y0UUNlYfd0F7HL-2iG1Xej5e-KZsNLrEqWUB16Ly1z83/s1600/Tree1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JzwAWz3nxIU8Dgh9fy5lyFvzeE0BDf1KcMQy9pBvknV3MiawSn9kdcGUDcaeTrN-q8RpYsq4oTiefNAtSvTW5okN9x9_Azw7Y0UUNlYfd0F7HL-2iG1Xej5e-KZsNLrEqWUB16Ly1z83/s400/Tree1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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To make the window into a tree, I bought brown blinds & painted the window frame brown. Then, I had to make the leaves for a valance. I decided to use wool felt since I figured it could be cut to shape and not require much sewing. I also thought it would drape similar to actual palm leaves the best. I chose two green colors, one for the leafy part and one for the stalk. The stalk was sewn up the middle of the leaf to create a long pocket & I filled it with poly-fil. Then I put heavy wire in the pocket to support the leaf and get it to arc out from the wall. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkBEDJkgVaVoahmswYLZTPrLCGxm-IYusiQDBzbM9deBSMFWu6rDQTvymzjMIxmam66XQLepacZkwaS0siGmdtnVVP7rnHtdWJY28JFhfNFN234Vxf3R3ojlenoIEzyWfwlWfx2W0Nl7i/s1600/TreeLeaves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkBEDJkgVaVoahmswYLZTPrLCGxm-IYusiQDBzbM9deBSMFWu6rDQTvymzjMIxmam66XQLepacZkwaS0siGmdtnVVP7rnHtdWJY28JFhfNFN234Vxf3R3ojlenoIEzyWfwlWfx2W0Nl7i/s200/TreeLeaves.jpg" width="140" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5HuqOdt4WmhWsq14cwwFSQE6oCQADVOKiir7cqhXwA8SAKE6Tlx-9gcCKmW4qrA62RmJCKQ8PkrdT8YMiVG5bRllSOScU7LjcN2WDusOQ3l_7YN8PrJIkVuhstQLlYKIBTsVScpONcr6B/s1600/LeafAttachment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5HuqOdt4WmhWsq14cwwFSQE6oCQADVOKiir7cqhXwA8SAKE6Tlx-9gcCKmW4qrA62RmJCKQ8PkrdT8YMiVG5bRllSOScU7LjcN2WDusOQ3l_7YN8PrJIkVuhstQLlYKIBTsVScpONcr6B/s200/LeafAttachment.jpg" width="159" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYK31XiBCQoD4KqBZ0AFUILWvyU0wemm12j4ZKo5ce9lJB5ZGIcgrc4skJuYfBfnvGdLKSkKJZnxl8Z4EMaB_SUWIQUdzNjBIvaePX6bmr3U10dEj99o5VZly7uiP6RqA3EZgleekAz-Ar/s1600/Wire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYK31XiBCQoD4KqBZ0AFUILWvyU0wemm12j4ZKo5ce9lJB5ZGIcgrc4skJuYfBfnvGdLKSkKJZnxl8Z4EMaB_SUWIQUdzNjBIvaePX6bmr3U10dEj99o5VZly7uiP6RqA3EZgleekAz-Ar/s200/Wire.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>
To attach the leaves to the window, I bent the end of the wire in a bit
of a 'z' shape to hook over the curtain rod & rest under the frame
at the top of the window. I was so proud of myself and thrilled with the
result. Mostly because this is the first sewing project I've done since Jr. High.<br />
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I had all these odd drop off pieces from cutting out the
leaves. I barely had to think about what to do. I'd make fat, plush
blades of grass to sit at the bottom of the tree, of course. Lilah and her brother Jack like to play with these fun, odd shaped pillows.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vcTrYR81S1OXZDMO8lezJROl9K6cwX71D0_qG3c15HCrgHvYJNjpdAFl4FuEMKMhwM9cfDO17GMuOGCCnJz52ciNyms8wDJlqRBcygd9z-3gIV0komMl8XNLos7LzF1stYAhJSmDdWeu/s1600/DinoTreeNLilah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vcTrYR81S1OXZDMO8lezJROl9K6cwX71D0_qG3c15HCrgHvYJNjpdAFl4FuEMKMhwM9cfDO17GMuOGCCnJz52ciNyms8wDJlqRBcygd9z-3gIV0komMl8XNLos7LzF1stYAhJSmDdWeu/s400/DinoTreeNLilah.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lilah in her prehistoric scene</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMd008_NZjRjxGdXUvn72zKGRpnDfFFs4jyo38tlX7KvRotgl4qWoHYFtb4Nl7VeSqxSasigeWs0CYdhc9SVZU7dHMh8t9r3UwidqTGfOuhdTcObSxQ6KvaznVY_LI5O4_leBoSliwxHoz/s1600/VolcanoWall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMd008_NZjRjxGdXUvn72zKGRpnDfFFs4jyo38tlX7KvRotgl4qWoHYFtb4Nl7VeSqxSasigeWs0CYdhc9SVZU7dHMh8t9r3UwidqTGfOuhdTcObSxQ6KvaznVY_LI5O4_leBoSliwxHoz/s400/VolcanoWall.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The distant volcano</td></tr>
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I used the grid technique to transfer the dinosaur to the wall but the remainder of the room was free-handed shortly before I began painting. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0wopYLodUTlXFaFTUozEc3qlq47YHBV3UlCIkbal0zBiGVauXXH15UZ2rVn-bxhKRdDhejL0Fk4VsjZnadR7GbpAVdtyvvNJ3nSiwNgQciXE1FN_ieQVl6BD-a5zYPGjo1QNbTlymbhv/s1600/Volcano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0wopYLodUTlXFaFTUozEc3qlq47YHBV3UlCIkbal0zBiGVauXXH15UZ2rVn-bxhKRdDhejL0Fk4VsjZnadR7GbpAVdtyvvNJ3nSiwNgQciXE1FN_ieQVl6BD-a5zYPGjo1QNbTlymbhv/s400/Volcano.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another view of the volcano</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2le3gka0O2XjukY3A6NMxYj_SHQTuBObin8805pmMuTxaOzXK8FQYsBXTf2kDUrD4KJpU2gDVWCVmgktumku1eXEp6kohB1ULeQUsiL_7BkyXSPcg2Nn4MTP0CCOMTvC8yEpf_h54n2Eg/s1600/EntryDoor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2le3gka0O2XjukY3A6NMxYj_SHQTuBObin8805pmMuTxaOzXK8FQYsBXTf2kDUrD4KJpU2gDVWCVmgktumku1eXEp6kohB1ULeQUsiL_7BkyXSPcg2Nn4MTP0CCOMTvC8yEpf_h54n2Eg/s400/EntryDoor.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entry door to the room with fantasy foliage</td></tr>
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While my babies had no choice in their room theme, I think any child would love to play and sleep in this room. While the colors are bright & bold, when you stand in the room, the green & blue is incredibly calming and the happiness of the illustrations are simply, fun.<br />
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I used <a href="http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-your-home/paint-products/aura-waterborne-interior-paint?lang=en_US&role=H#s_pu=interior_product&s_pt=use_paint&s_cu=clean_soapwater&piSheen=524&advs=0&tab=2" target="_blank">Benjamin Moore Aura</a> paints so I wouldn't need a primer. It was so worth the added expense. It was low odor. I did need 2 coats which was wonderful compared to my previous experience with bold color. I purchased 1 quart each of Peony, Citrus Blast, Mystical Grape & Jade Green. I got 1 gallon each of my custom blue & custom green for the sky & grass. The guys at the Westmont store did a great job color matching to the Disney color palette, (Sonic Boom Green & Buzz Blaster Blue) which really matched my original colors from my computer illustration. The brown was some left over paint also from Benjamin Moore but I'm not 100% sure of the color name, I think it was Clydesdale Brown. The black was Liquitex Acrylic, Mars Black.<br />
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It was fun designing this room. I still have ideas for some sewing projects but my inexperience & lack of time keep holding me back. I've designed a couple of wall quilts I hope to make some day. But, I've never quilted or done any applique.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNp4H0OPJ66wN3bqFpckUgY-g0VfCA9bbt1Gwub_Q7tnK6aZXiGv3s9SFV-gJaeDc306i5U1sae8PdYj33zr4qW_nQTJhIHZePJJ2HQDk9OTKUEvD_PUsQIqe-cd3VB4aVgZ8EB_NYT8f9/s1600/DinoQuilts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNp4H0OPJ66wN3bqFpckUgY-g0VfCA9bbt1Gwub_Q7tnK6aZXiGv3s9SFV-gJaeDc306i5U1sae8PdYj33zr4qW_nQTJhIHZePJJ2HQDk9OTKUEvD_PUsQIqe-cd3VB4aVgZ8EB_NYT8f9/s320/DinoQuilts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I also wanted to create a custom cushion for the rocker. But again, super amateur. Luckily the babies are still very little, and maybe this theme will last a few more years, or at least until I get my projects complete.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-78167830041597521902012-06-21T21:14:00.001-07:002012-06-21T21:14:27.056-07:00The Shirt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAl8swu-oeUAHqPROJlV0icHWbvKmZkzOoJrGNbm2kCOB91-mleaNJceXMUD7IPLZz5hnp8V-o5mjt_9Ol37IGPD5Ud3joWHIb85z9Hapa1rTm3GfyYt_AvAXsrWPx6COXXqa24XwD17B0/s1600/TShirtFront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAl8swu-oeUAHqPROJlV0icHWbvKmZkzOoJrGNbm2kCOB91-mleaNJceXMUD7IPLZz5hnp8V-o5mjt_9Ol37IGPD5Ud3joWHIb85z9Hapa1rTm3GfyYt_AvAXsrWPx6COXXqa24XwD17B0/s400/TShirtFront.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Here is The Shirt.<br />
The Shirt is not just a version of a sketch book, it is a bit of a diary of my 20's. There are things that I actually remember from the time, just looking at the individual doodles. And there are things that I am able to interpret now, kinda like examining a weird dream.<br />
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There are various themes that reoccur. Voyeurism being a prominent one. Eyes peering, sometimes direct, sometimes peeking from behind a hand or other object. I suppose I am both watching and, in my head anyway, being watched, therefore uncomfortable in my skin. That whimsical uncomfortableness occurs a lot throughout, seen best through the facial expressions of most of the monsters. They all make a sort of deer in headlights look. And they seem to not really know what's going on. I felt that way a lot then, and occasionally do now as well. I am approaching my 40th birthday this year and while I know I'm older & wiser, I still harbor a lot of who I was then.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyIMnyH2UiKtVqjTWF5uTfcz8Az3EPKd6L_SX0lipVnfkJcnrBv3VDIBlWFv0q8qTD0TeT0EPFMBxjluyZu0hdXkpjcnuCojBeikZ2VIaYk9cU_lRWev00rxtmMgIWvcp-ZYYAV-ZdQgw/s1600/Scorpion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEyIMnyH2UiKtVqjTWF5uTfcz8Az3EPKd6L_SX0lipVnfkJcnrBv3VDIBlWFv0q8qTD0TeT0EPFMBxjluyZu0hdXkpjcnuCojBeikZ2VIaYk9cU_lRWev00rxtmMgIWvcp-ZYYAV-ZdQgw/s1600/Scorpion.jpg" /></a></div>
The weekend I drew the scorpion (center, just off the pocket) was when the birth of the name Doodle Babble occurred. It wasn't long after I turned 25 & I was visiting a friend for the weekend while he was away at college. He had to work during the days so I sat, doodled & wrote bad 'boy who hurt me' poetry. It was in one of those crappy poems, the term Doodle Babble was first used. I remember this because I rarely draw stuff I see, and in that day sitting alone in my friend's trailer, watching 'the bug channel'... and I was creatively stuck. I felt I had no excuse not to draw but nothing was happening. Being bored of the terrible poetry, I decided to draw that scorpion simply because I saw one on TV.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLxAPJZpEN4_tOmGbZOWJ0F3RSwe-giEkRbf95PS6Xu9vLtJswRyE54VAPLhJMrItz1QrG8_vG66aQtw6kEU-YSnKPmYT8qUOD78fmG5aDkxtAtm5hfXfe9o-TpV7LYWrIyOPwEuvoPbOG/s1600/BeachOriginal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLxAPJZpEN4_tOmGbZOWJ0F3RSwe-giEkRbf95PS6Xu9vLtJswRyE54VAPLhJMrItz1QrG8_vG66aQtw6kEU-YSnKPmYT8qUOD78fmG5aDkxtAtm5hfXfe9o-TpV7LYWrIyOPwEuvoPbOG/s320/BeachOriginal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original drawing of the Beach Scene below - The Shirt: Left sleeve</td></tr>
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Doodle Babble comes from my subconscious. As I created The Shirt, when existing lines didn't spark new lines, I would deliberately smear ink smudges on the blank areas of the fabric to inspire myself to make something out of the supposed mistakes. Making something from nothing and without a plan. Sometimes I could simply stare at the blank fibers and see lines, shapes or paths I'd want to draw. As I'd draw, tangible objects would emerge. Figures like monsters, aliens, plant-like doo-dads. Sometimes a scene would emerge.<br />
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I've started to make a few of The Shirt drawings into actual paintings. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkxy_IDLTB5wDGVPhA6rHZzxD16sNsNBKnaqySAS33HCQ3w7QKj142KyFDi0URr9aHvyibB1v8U5adqR6swzYoLR-jc_hxm7Hre0-VvGK36KiZj4WImFA63vUbQlGXOnqiCiuVvddRbuw/s1600/Oil30x24BeachSceneLR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPkxy_IDLTB5wDGVPhA6rHZzxD16sNsNBKnaqySAS33HCQ3w7QKj142KyFDi0URr9aHvyibB1v8U5adqR6swzYoLR-jc_hxm7Hre0-VvGK36KiZj4WImFA63vUbQlGXOnqiCiuVvddRbuw/s640/Oil30x24BeachSceneLR.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Beach Scene - Oil on canvas</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5x_IgZaPc0MnfOSuawrNniNK2KWOAMAvijk2lXaqV2P4vHRCpgzeoul2Xz0sH2Z-wSuqd6i71CxZJKaNmm3oES9vZcD2L4tYWCrKD4r2b2R0W-4Pj7KmNJVML7XbqEz42hUZco20oDugh/s1600/ShameOriginal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"></td><div style="text-align: left;">
I took a couple of oil painting classes at the Art Institute of
Chicago as non-credit a few years ago. I wasn't sure what from The Shirt
I'd paint but I wanted to do something. I chose the Beach Scene because of
the cute weirdness of it. Other than using some smudges to create these
little characters, I don't remember actually drawing this scene on the shirt. I can't
remember when, why, where, anything about it's creation. I like it though. And so does my sister. She said she wanted it so it hangs in her home.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5x_IgZaPc0MnfOSuawrNniNK2KWOAMAvijk2lXaqV2P4vHRCpgzeoul2Xz0sH2Z-wSuqd6i71CxZJKaNmm3oES9vZcD2L4tYWCrKD4r2b2R0W-4Pj7KmNJVML7XbqEz42hUZco20oDugh/s1600/ShameOriginal.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5x_IgZaPc0MnfOSuawrNniNK2KWOAMAvijk2lXaqV2P4vHRCpgzeoul2Xz0sH2Z-wSuqd6i71CxZJKaNmm3oES9vZcD2L4tYWCrKD4r2b2R0W-4Pj7KmNJVML7XbqEz42hUZco20oDugh/s1600/ShameOriginal.jpg" /></a>Shame, did not originate on the shirt but I copied her there from one of
my small scrap paper sketches. She was inspired by my first long-term
boyfriend of whom I cheated on & the first boyfriend who dumped me.
He dumped me because he didn't love me anymore. I cheated on him because
I didn't think he cared much about me anyway. I always felt like he
thought he could do better, cheating on him helped to prove that right. I
wanted ownership in the failure, I couldn't bear simply being
unlovable. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKr3KxBnj5ok04xXMesHAVWxdLAkajSABvSabgFSZrQiBOvzRz4HmDAtZ-SJHPLEmJGeETUsHrezBLJdhAL6DxohZ7WjBb8Ce3AED2_8QnhFuJmyykvBlxZLS-jc-ZWokyjp_1QZAh8D1/s1600/Acrylic18x24ShameLR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDKr3KxBnj5ok04xXMesHAVWxdLAkajSABvSabgFSZrQiBOvzRz4HmDAtZ-SJHPLEmJGeETUsHrezBLJdhAL6DxohZ7WjBb8Ce3AED2_8QnhFuJmyykvBlxZLS-jc-ZWokyjp_1QZAh8D1/s640/Acrylic18x24ShameLR.jpg" width="513" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shame - Acrylic on canvas</td></tr>
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She became a painting not long before my 25th birthday.
It was a new boy who inspired me to put her to paint. I had my first
corporate job & a hard crush on a coworker. He simply paid attention
to me. And he was artistic & aloof. I wanted to be around him as
much as possible, I wanted to be like him. He was an active actor &
musician. I should be an active artist then. So, I painted. I was
ashamed of my crush. Everyday I went to work with a knot in my gut. Then
there she was... My Shame. Nearly a year later that crush got used to
me hanging around & told me he wanted me to be his girlfriend. For
his birthday, I gave him this painting as well as another one because he
was the one to inspire me to paint them. A huge slight to the man who
inspired the original sketch, but I was trying desperately to move
forward. He reluctantly accepted the gift under the condition that if I
ever felt I needed the paintings back, I could have them. He broke up
with me about 6 weeks later, right before my 26th birthday. I
asked for them both back a couple of years later. I felt he didn't deserve
them anymore & probably never deserved them & he should have been
honest with me from the start. I had hoped to stay friends at least
& it turns out he was a shitty friend too. Shame on me. Now my Shame
is with me where she belongs.<br />
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The Shirt continues to be an inspiration for future projects for me. I have another oil painting sitting around waiting to be worked on. I started it in 2001. Life just keeps getting in the way of my art!<br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-15587862644945101722012-06-16T19:47:00.001-07:002012-06-16T19:47:47.275-07:00InspirationI've noticed artists of all mediums speak of what inspires them. Many times it's nature, or music, or other works of art... movies or stories or moments in life.<br />
I, however, am inspired by line & shape. To get things started when I was working on 'The Shirt', I would use some of the blank space to clean my leaky pen. From the smudges, I'd create shapes. Sometimes those shapes would lead to something tangible, like a monster or some sort of alien foliage.<br />
For Spoonflower's Hand Drawn fabric of the week contest, I created Subconscious Garden. I started it with a bean shape, inspired by some woman's shirt pattern at the park. I'm not sure about how I thought 'bean' since her shirt was a large scale paisley print but I did.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7v6JIkdUXgpdHorSTUz_KAny9Mhw-B2aIDlpCXExSH_eB3D92DHn6KCsL4rZ1pzqSD1hn3lh5kTu-u0ofIB88-cyLJlBUnyMxF48ZLYwk5Nh4Bnf3x2AEjGZP9ebtwxNRNwqKmwsbBT1h/s1600/GardenStart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7v6JIkdUXgpdHorSTUz_KAny9Mhw-B2aIDlpCXExSH_eB3D92DHn6KCsL4rZ1pzqSD1hn3lh5kTu-u0ofIB88-cyLJlBUnyMxF48ZLYwk5Nh4Bnf3x2AEjGZP9ebtwxNRNwqKmwsbBT1h/s320/GardenStart.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This bean led me into all the other lines. At first I started to think seed pod of something floral, then it became butterfly, then more likely a moth.</div>
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This is the finished drawing that I scanned for the pattern. I rolled the paper on some plastic material I had to create the repeat drawing from top to bottom.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeCf9xtvFi2c0WzkuMhs4T_zQQPAKtt4_Vgv0nXeK_MEukQbkrbynJSRNr8_uyUmKhQYfZGJtirrnLVMncEevTbII2lK7kB_-6VsH-NCptBpEWqH94KgfkY6dQmp8qD8Ede-f8MyXfIlX/s1600/GardenMR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeCf9xtvFi2c0WzkuMhs4T_zQQPAKtt4_Vgv0nXeK_MEukQbkrbynJSRNr8_uyUmKhQYfZGJtirrnLVMncEevTbII2lK7kB_-6VsH-NCptBpEWqH94KgfkY6dQmp8qD8Ede-f8MyXfIlX/s640/GardenMR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
I mirrored it left to right to complete the surface design. And then, I noticed the psychedelic skull-flower faces. Even the cyclops sticking out his tongue between the moth's antennae. Now the moth has the illusion it's wings are flapping. I dig it and so did the Spoonflower crowd. In the end, it placed 37th out of 500 entries with 213 votes for <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/1181142">Subconscious Garden - A 'Color Me' Fabric.</a> It will be available soon for purchase, the order is processing.<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-57099733833265486472012-06-16T08:08:00.002-07:002012-06-16T08:08:48.419-07:00Urban BouquetIn January of 2012, Spoonflower hosted a design contest with a
graffiti theme. I knew I had a graffiti-like squiggle somewhere that I
could maybe use to make a design. It was on The Shirt, of course, right
up under the arm pit. A filler design, but still a design. Somehow, it immediately seemed floral to me. I tried to keep the 's' shape in tact but quickly realized it had to go.<br />
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA10IIFr1EoiMCOv4V161fUOGjUgQqcQwyApe2dvVPIOnGxj3RhcMWTPhHud2goxBw7Y4qL1W-_jkPJn5rsmmw_-qnhNsNFXkRyxG2psivDmvuTshZLPIveDyJIQ_FoMyaffj5TVsOxHI7/s640/TShirtRight2.jpg" width="416" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKJ2_z49ZlYP7me54CvrIWZQHjJI6fAZVr7O2bgP4PsHgAzHxGCErnvG6xooNY7aQfVSPiUDMQ0hjxWUX_H_uTRosNURWtnpVT_LPXaQYO_419HQ-Z6Mq9welW9IJ6vjBlRLgC3im0Swd/s1600/UrbanBouquetOGNL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCKJ2_z49ZlYP7me54CvrIWZQHjJI6fAZVr7O2bgP4PsHgAzHxGCErnvG6xooNY7aQfVSPiUDMQ0hjxWUX_H_uTRosNURWtnpVT_LPXaQYO_419HQ-Z6Mq9welW9IJ6vjBlRLgC3im0Swd/s1600/UrbanBouquetOGNL.jpg" /></a></div>
I was having problems inventing a flower and I remembered I had taken
photos months ago of a bouquet of flowers I got in the fall
(Thanksgiving, maybe?) from my mother-in-law.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcuBFNxyvkyuTEJ-4QNwh0tEP9_KwGW01yyVEIEkKdYrylNumDD34Es3z790Ec_KZUifyUJovg5ylUN9czJ_p07q6GUx2cloBheSUWa13UahIx4mSmdAyHRe_D0xYb2fb5LsH2rSmi4vGQ/s1600/Flower2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcuBFNxyvkyuTEJ-4QNwh0tEP9_KwGW01yyVEIEkKdYrylNumDD34Es3z790Ec_KZUifyUJovg5ylUN9czJ_p07q6GUx2cloBheSUWa13UahIx4mSmdAyHRe_D0xYb2fb5LsH2rSmi4vGQ/s320/Flower2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixO8TYuZadnktLs8yXm3PBC9wcIAAnALJ0HxprNQK6AN3z2fEZbuA1KoknDXS4c5izuVAMChW_N3g6gKVTzBAVAJfojmqXtpyue8Q2n4stSUicms2Yh_xfOcHSmJjZMFaNGb7GMmviBLf8/s1600/Flower3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixO8TYuZadnktLs8yXm3PBC9wcIAAnALJ0HxprNQK6AN3z2fEZbuA1KoknDXS4c5izuVAMChW_N3g6gKVTzBAVAJfojmqXtpyue8Q2n4stSUicms2Yh_xfOcHSmJjZMFaNGb7GMmviBLf8/s320/Flower3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqcPhSB0uhLtkdGQEMCH2JjLSRTN4bUJcnAPto_AV8f-DlTBJf9GKySh86dfZMCeFbAs07BIJbZYSPVDqGxAPt4FksmV9-sRjjStgUWriJJ_ZVo9c3MBvSkKRifIJcX8zydpXD4GaY6Ta/s1600/UrbanBouquetCU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaqcPhSB0uhLtkdGQEMCH2JjLSRTN4bUJcnAPto_AV8f-DlTBJf9GKySh86dfZMCeFbAs07BIJbZYSPVDqGxAPt4FksmV9-sRjjStgUWriJJ_ZVo9c3MBvSkKRifIJcX8zydpXD4GaY6Ta/s320/UrbanBouquetCU.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I duped & rotated that little squiggle to create the middles of the flowers. I removed the inner lines, scaled & rotated them in 2 or more layers to create the petals. I stylized the middle of the flowers with large radiating circles that I think give the design that 'urban' appeal. The final touch was adding the heavy black offset drop shadow. I think this added a bit of dimension & made it more graffiti-y. <br />
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpaXsrbCCbWkpmfboWJ2BIbfH8LLDtM0ziFrn-xIqKmdVUokI40hIbr_olriBYFOMboX4Tedp2a-6EnFqiK6pVG3TI8EFZojUYf20MdDn6RhWw41BYhlgSeL-RsXUfpHdKhx71uLyuW6C2/s320/UrbanBouquet.jpg" width="277" /> </div>
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Then, I arranged the repeat. It turns out, even this process is a bit subconscious for me. I'm sure there's a formula, or trick, or
something for this step but for now I eye-ball it to make it work. It's probably the long way of doing things but it
works. I
evenly distributed the flowers so the same colors don't touch, creating balance within the design. As I
examine what I did, it seems I scattered about 4-6 of each flower within
the repeating area. In retrospect, I suppose I did apply a bit of a mathematical strategy, just not in a preconceived, calculated way. </div>
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As for the contest, I placed 15th out of 157 entries with 254 votes for <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/939606" target="_blank">UrbanBouquet</a>. My highest ranking entry so far! While I've gotten more votes on other designs, this design is still generating viewers that are marking it as a 'favorite'. And I've even sold a swatch to a customer who says she has plans for curtains! I hope she doesn't change her mind.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-43337653852049617352012-06-13T09:21:00.000-07:002012-06-13T09:21:42.890-07:00Birth of Sea CreaturesI am fueled by tangents. I offshoot so much I think I may have ADHD. As I try to write this post, it is becoming more difficult to organize my process. But I'm trying. Please bear with me while I get my bearings.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIV8tA7lQKIsdeLnbW1k1o2c8s55zl8ZM9_GbqvZ8VSbCdRUbFoIuQvBNmU96GIcP2FISlZBFkMK6LA3AnsFSmxpH1tywAJX8yYFDjei6IjHAWH4LneSP7FQ6yzT_L-ryQXuxd35rHaEdT/s1600/Abstrax1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIV8tA7lQKIsdeLnbW1k1o2c8s55zl8ZM9_GbqvZ8VSbCdRUbFoIuQvBNmU96GIcP2FISlZBFkMK6LA3AnsFSmxpH1tywAJX8yYFDjei6IjHAWH4LneSP7FQ6yzT_L-ryQXuxd35rHaEdT/s320/Abstrax1.jpg" width="302" /></a></div>
This doodle was created with Spoonflower fabric in mind to become a mirror repeat. Then a Spoonflower contest came about for Ditsy Sea Creatures. While doing my research, I found these little 'spores' also appeared similar to some microscopic jellyfish. So I created a new drawing in ink.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNnNvQfVj66-RouDmmZGcn6-744ZLE4uUlz0xITBLcrrYF5V8ZYb27HhdttcQ-KTXEcg3pgZPaPqzQQEo6ceLth7FGY8eX2PgXEAWmf5uvaYh3Lneoh7cspaumUjG9xwJFW4lAE3m2Jtp/s1600/OceanSpores2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNnNvQfVj66-RouDmmZGcn6-744ZLE4uUlz0xITBLcrrYF5V8ZYb27HhdttcQ-KTXEcg3pgZPaPqzQQEo6ceLth7FGY8eX2PgXEAWmf5uvaYh3Lneoh7cspaumUjG9xwJFW4lAE3m2Jtp/s320/OceanSpores2.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>
Since I am more familiar with Illustrator, I auto traced the scan & created my repeat. Below is the final entry for that Ditsy Sea Creatures contest at <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/979871" target="_blank">Spoonflower</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYWupXXPsgJf4Qjbm8pboZjDha-AknJC3tbNtT32WmW2xSl6e2saK9ACHtqWJOGGxu6d7kdTmWRp28UWw09VuASa8G9UrM_XS4UYa9s_JGhj_2GIS2zy7aKxCe61CSkHT6W7UObu_wTsg/s1600/SeaCreatures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYWupXXPsgJf4Qjbm8pboZjDha-AknJC3tbNtT32WmW2xSl6e2saK9ACHtqWJOGGxu6d7kdTmWRp28UWw09VuASa8G9UrM_XS4UYa9s_JGhj_2GIS2zy7aKxCe61CSkHT6W7UObu_wTsg/s320/SeaCreatures.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/979871">SeaCreatures</a> ended up placing 29th out of 214 entries with 310 votes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxo0_NFW2tNr2z9L4wpJVKd6Oh-d4FW6nKaGREK-a-hJoKvNmw8QwD1N7vtJ9hp-I3VNJww73LzfL8BGHKCuUbGKGb1snOLicA74EryDE6ImZwf7VE1c9tl7jglWA6YLGXxVs12bsUC9N/s1600/SeaCreaturesPink.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxo0_NFW2tNr2z9L4wpJVKd6Oh-d4FW6nKaGREK-a-hJoKvNmw8QwD1N7vtJ9hp-I3VNJww73LzfL8BGHKCuUbGKGb1snOLicA74EryDE6ImZwf7VE1c9tl7jglWA6YLGXxVs12bsUC9N/s320/SeaCreaturesPink.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The next contest after Sea Creatures was one for Jellyfish so, I
created a pink version of the ditsy to make a coordinate. I used Illustrator to create a sort of 'mod' jelly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeIBmDyYIe8duexF0fY52kWXPU2QhH2FO6m__MfW0UCs7zsWrqJkrf1hodZyZl18W-Ln0G_4lPeQHvREbeqRV4o1cAn_8BrK-lCJuDD9u3X7w6viFW-Ed6AIqK3mxg1LtyPyT_L1CriW0I/s1600/GeoJelly4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeIBmDyYIe8duexF0fY52kWXPU2QhH2FO6m__MfW0UCs7zsWrqJkrf1hodZyZl18W-Ln0G_4lPeQHvREbeqRV4o1cAn_8BrK-lCJuDD9u3X7w6viFW-Ed6AIqK3mxg1LtyPyT_L1CriW0I/s320/GeoJelly4.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/990663">GeoJelly4</a> came in 70th out of 226 entries with 156 votes. It uses rounded square elements from another previous design shown below. As a design, I like the GeoJelly but as a fabric pattern, I think it's a big fail. The details of the tentacally-goo are too fine. So, the Jelly has to be quite large to appreciate them, thus making it impractical for fabric application. I'm willing to be wrong. Maybe it would work well on a dress?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxebCc0b61k3MZxskgoLupZfVx2p5atPdYwtaYoCR9fXDfa-m6OxHeNQqAhmQLbRgt8w-OIO-AuSy9VbdoJMY6bPKuR0K6RTIZACe04PgANCC6-q8QQKwtWNeF2sDueWjkesNFaZ_nvCZi/s1600/ModSquaresBrnOnSea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxebCc0b61k3MZxskgoLupZfVx2p5atPdYwtaYoCR9fXDfa-m6OxHeNQqAhmQLbRgt8w-OIO-AuSy9VbdoJMY6bPKuR0K6RTIZACe04PgANCC6-q8QQKwtWNeF2sDueWjkesNFaZ_nvCZi/s320/ModSquaresBrnOnSea.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCGEpuBeArXXbPqgWwMQqrAi6uFSYkP_aVBjryO-ey5TbZqk9dxKbDXApWXzuiE0yR83Oz490xATQcme1lBb4qYG3QqcsvrdeVI0M83x4RbY8fv88wgVJkqqVpHi7CStknaSpEJMa8MR4/s1600/ModSquaresSeaOnBrnR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCGEpuBeArXXbPqgWwMQqrAi6uFSYkP_aVBjryO-ey5TbZqk9dxKbDXApWXzuiE0yR83Oz490xATQcme1lBb4qYG3QqcsvrdeVI0M83x4RbY8fv88wgVJkqqVpHi7CStknaSpEJMa8MR4/s320/ModSquaresSeaOnBrnR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
These mod squares were created years ago as a concept that never got used for some business card ideas. Here I duped them & arranged them in a repeat for fabric which I hope to someday make into pillows. I like to re-purpose & reuse ideas all the time. Constant reinvention. And I can be a bit lazy. So I use my creativity to make my processes more simple & pick up elements here & there to create new. But only from my own work, of course. <br />
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So, what's my point?<br />
Well, years ago, I made some retro square design that I later used to make a repeat for some future 'mod' pillows, which led me to make a square-y mod jellyfish that ties in with a more recent random hand drawn thing that I felt sorta looked like microscopic sea creatures and made it all work in an effort to enter a contest or 2. All done in the hopes of someday establishing myself as a 'real' artist. Good thing I hung onto that old file & old idea. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901932064018328449.post-37200968207631660182012-06-12T20:42:00.000-07:002012-06-12T20:42:44.733-07:00Getting StartedSo, I think I need to do some blogging about my art.<br />
Mostly in an attempt to make myself more artsy.<br />
I named this blog Doodle Babble because that is what I describe my art as... Doodle Babble. Sometimes it's incoherent scribblings, sometimes it's deeply cryptic, meaningful stuff all via wiggly lines, mostly from subconscious origins.<br />
It all started with a stain on a white t-shirt in my early 20's. I thought I'd simply cover up the stain with some doodles. I got my rapidograph pen because the tip was very fine and the ink read 'waterproof' on it's label and started drawing. It took years to complete, but many long stretches of time passed without touching it. My commitment to my art was somewhat fleeting. I was easily distracted by life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBPwHLCDVEp0bTORp7wsIMMa2-M9NGdMMSVkmdZtZEL4sm33jqGvm3IdtzKNn1qkSgOGGUeZl1Mp13vMg2sZVdZ_JTFecjEOdUstjCh67E8VghSPakmlqbt8eX5B6duq_Vq7VA3uGGDEW/s1600/TShirtFrontLR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBPwHLCDVEp0bTORp7wsIMMa2-M9NGdMMSVkmdZtZEL4sm33jqGvm3IdtzKNn1qkSgOGGUeZl1Mp13vMg2sZVdZ_JTFecjEOdUstjCh67E8VghSPakmlqbt8eX5B6duq_Vq7VA3uGGDEW/s320/TShirtFrontLR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiioGkx9559JNUWwbK4MkXZ5ncgs9vGzvFOBI8svStdSXVzXierU3BwwSnqesAvF7DzIIvD78l-18Fkhx7aLnKh7GCTtb5J_SxR92OyBqH8qXFhJskFbGyxu0-DDsUEmuLz94YsPGm1MroM/s1600/TShirtBackLR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiioGkx9559JNUWwbK4MkXZ5ncgs9vGzvFOBI8svStdSXVzXierU3BwwSnqesAvF7DzIIvD78l-18Fkhx7aLnKh7GCTtb5J_SxR92OyBqH8qXFhJskFbGyxu0-DDsUEmuLz94YsPGm1MroM/s320/TShirtBackLR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I am currently in the process of properly digitizing all of the drawing from 'The Shirt'. Eventually, I hope to create an official repeat pattern of it to share with the world on <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/ghennah" target="_blank">Spoonflower</a>.<br />
The Shirt became an interesting study of my growth as an artist since it spanned so many years to complete. I began in the lower center of the front of the shirt & worked my way up, out & over the shoulders & around the sleeves to the back. It was my main sketchbook. I carried it everywhere when I was binge drawing, kinda like a security blanket. The drawings got looser & on occasion, more meaningful as time went on.<br />
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Drawing on a t-shirt with a rapidograph pen is very time consuming & meditative. While the ink flows nicely, you do have to use a bit of a pointilistic approach since the tip gets caught in the weave of the fibers, ya can't just 'draw'. Like a slow motion tattoo gun, with a single needle. This obstacle forced me to have to go over my line work repeatedly to smooth out any edges to make things look crisp. I now use a similar technique even when I draw on paper. I prefer the organic, variable thickness in my lines.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYulppABsg4vNM6Ha19oPHBqDK89QUf2Q7tzJf4NHgzw26_OwHynHNWNtBQ53UADItXGuu6IpWc4A9caE74pB0Hzenx4dLY5rZzZ1WXt84fJuSbI4Kpb6Ht01QsJRZ_uIc_6XiJNix0X72/s1600/CurvesBW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYulppABsg4vNM6Ha19oPHBqDK89QUf2Q7tzJf4NHgzw26_OwHynHNWNtBQ53UADItXGuu6IpWc4A9caE74pB0Hzenx4dLY5rZzZ1WXt84fJuSbI4Kpb6Ht01QsJRZ_uIc_6XiJNix0X72/s320/CurvesBW.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This untitled drawing shows how repeatedly going over the lines gives that variable thickness. I think it gives the line work movement. I created this to be used as a mirrored repeat pattern on Spoonflower for fabric. Until I can come up with a better name, it's <a href="http://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/975039" target="_blank">Curves</a>.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10165022535039716274noreply@blogger.com0