Monster #8

Might just be a smug looking cat with swirly chest fur and a flaming tail.

Monster #7

This grounded and heavy species feeds on fruit high up in the trees. A height and keen sense of smell allow them to seek out ripe morsels beyond the reach of other creatures. Their characteristically fearsome, sharp fangs are in actuality hollow and remarkably unbreakable, which allows them to pierce through thick rinds to suck the juices out of their favorite fruits.

Despite the comical look of their splendid whiskers and useless, showy plumage, these creatures are devoted, fearless parents and have been known to stand watch over any egg from their flock with unwavering determination.

Monster #6

Monster #6 listens to Rihanna while waiting to train home from work. She's lucky to live near good public transportation.

Monster #5

This guy enjoys slithering around, eating fish and listening to classical music. Being drunk makes him a bit timid. He worries too much about deadlines.

Monster #4

A quick little guy before bed. He's mostly chicken feet and Elmo fur.

Settling in with the new Cintiq 13HD

It's here!!! Today marks the first day that I've been able to get my new Cintiq 13HD up and running. It came earlier this week, but I didn't realize a mini-display to HDMI converter would be needed to get it functional on my macbook.

I just spent 2 hours getting everything all hooked up and installed. So folks, this is what it looks like to spend your hard earned savings on some pretty swank new equipment, only to balance it on the tv tray that passes for a desk in the livingroom/diningroom/office space that my boyfriend and I share in our overpriced tiny apartment in SF. Behold!

The cintiq itself is thin, beautiful and only about 2.5lbs, so it seems wondrously portable. But after including the separate power and cables, my macbook, and the USB keyboard hooked up to give it at least some semblance of being ergonomic? Not so much. My setup is super janky - but it is also surprisingly comfortable.

Monster #3

Jeez, I've been so busy all summer with weddings, trips and crunchiness at work. But it's August now, a brand new month. Let's do this!

This guy was inspired by a couple of weird looking African spurred tortoises we saw at the Austin Zoo over the weekend. They can grow up to 200 lbs and are embarrassingly messy eaters.

Coming soon: more post-it note monsters, plus I'm hoping to finish a couple of pieces that have been laying around half done.

Monster #2

Have a monster as I attempt to destress after work. Day 2, so far so good...

A Monster a Day: Monster #1

Happy summer! I've been enjoying my summer break a lot. And by enjoy, I mean working 10 hour days, going on trips to random places (this weekend was a geothermic park, Reno and a bear feeding for the July 4th weekend), catching up on my stack of videogames and in general doing anything but drawing.

So, to counteract my creative lethargy, I've decided to do daily pen and ink warmups on my little EA post-it notes. The point is to just let my mind and hand wander without worrying about what comes out. The theme I've chosen is a monster a day. Yay! Here is monster #1.

May 16th Sustained Figurative Concepts FInal Project

My last piece for the Sustained Figurative concept class was a picture of my boyfriend that I had taken wearing my favorite scarf and holding my cat in his PJ's. Done in Nupastel, 5 or 6 hours.

The posting is a month late because I left the last class of the spring semester early to rush home to Texas for a wedding, then rushed off to vacation in Belize the week after for 10 days. I've been back and thrust back into the crazy fast SFBay Area lifestyle and crunch time at work for almost a week now. Deadlines deadlines...

April 18th - May 9th - Clothed Figure

Hello, I'm lagging a bit behind on the posting...these are my first attempts at clothed figure drawing in class over the last couple of weeks. Definitely a two steps forward, one step back thing.

It's been an experience, learning how to draw and render and use the medium, all at the same time. I've been quickly learning not to compare myself to others in the class; many did fine arts or illustration for their undergraduate. As they say, "comparison is the thief of joy." It is neat, seeing what some of the really talented folks produce, and getting to ask them about the way they approach our weekly assignments. I am better now at just enjoying the rhythm of the process now, and being less critical of myself. I might not be proud of these, but I am proud of my efforts and tenacity. I'll just keep on practicing until I understand drapery and clothing. Although it's not required, Clothed Figure drawing will mostly likely be my next class.

My First Bonsai-style Kokedama

I love plants and sculpture and have been planning and researching this project for a little while. This is my first bonsai-style kokedama: a mini-tree rooted in a ball of living moss. It's been doing surprisingly well at my work desk, considering that the air is quite dry and there is no sunlight! The leaf imprint dish was made by a co-worker's late wife and fits it quite nicely.

I'll be making more and more of these over the next couple weeks after work crunch is over and my final is finished. Thanks for looking!

March 28th - April 17th

I've been falling behind in posting my studies, so here is a catch-up post. 2 done in class, and 2 homeworks. All nupastel, and in chronological order. 

I'm growing in the understanding of how to better block in shapes and to step away from the easel when working on a large scale (these are all 19x25's) so that the features are less derpy. Also I'm finally getting down both the technique in the medium and blocking out large shapes since that is what the teacher firmly wants us to focus on. Plane change, edge control, form value. Drill drill drill, I wish I could be doing this every day. Progress might be a bit slow, but at least I feel encouraged by the fact that it is coming at a steady pace. 

I really want to understand texture, rhythm and color, because I'm understanding that is where I will eventually find an individual voice. These will be my next goals in addition to growing my fledgeling foundation in technique. 

Thanks again, to those who are following my beginning journey in the fine arts! To my surprise, this blog just came up on 1200 views around my birthday this month. I enjoy seeing visitors and knowing that much of it comes from other people who are fighting to learn and find the time to do what they love, just like me. Peace. :)