Happy Holidays!

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More from my Pen Sketchbook Project

Here are some more images from my ongoing personal Pen Sketchbook Project. These images were all done over the last year - mostly last Winter and Spring, and this Winter, too; I was busy with other projects for most of the rest of the year, and didn't have much in-between time to sketch for myself. Note, I am now going back and working on them more, as I feel like it. They evolve over time.

Click to view full picture - some of the thumbnails are cropped.

First is a guardian lion type creature (all-black, all-gold, and white lions are special to me) - not a real lion of course. Done to a-ha's Here I Stand and Face The Rain ("Trust me / For whom I am / Lay all your pains / Into these hands"). Second is a sort of manticore, though not a "by the books" one. Yeah, more weird human faces. Third popped into my head, a peaceful creature. I debated giving this one a mouth, but left it off - these are symbolic, after all. Fourth shows some random little owlthings. And Fifth is inspired by Nine Inch Nails' song, Letting You ("We are letting you GET AWAY!").

    
Have questions? Here's my disclaimer: Now, before anyone says (and rightly so) that the anatomy's wrong, or they're not researched well, or there are mistakes, or they're messy and unfinished, or asks where my "usual" type and style of artwork has gone - don't worry; these pieces are just weird things from my head, drawn at odd moments (at lunch, waiting for laundry to finish, etc.), and actually give a good idea of what I draw for myself, when I am inspired and not worried about anatomy, or historical accuracy, or mass appeal. There is a lot of of stylization and symbolism here!

I hoped you liked this little glimpse into my mind. :) More soon, and thanks for looking!

Art Post: Projects and WIPs

Well, as promised, here's some bits and pieces of what I've been working on, and some older pieces I haven't shown before, and some WIPs. To start off, here are some parts of my last big project for the year, a comic-sized collection of my art, which I did in the Fall and over the Thanksgiving break. The first is cropped and the second is a border for something.

  
Next, a trio of leopards for various reasons. First is a pencil sketch idea I had for someone that I didn't finish. Second is a piece for a very deserving friend of mine, with as many of her interests as I could fit in. The heraldic wolf at the end of the runner is based on an awesome design done for her by the wonderful and talented Angela Butt; the other designs on the fabric and the stag are adapted from Scythian art and artifacts. The leopard is supposed to be stylized, like my old leopard with a magazine.

  
Coming up, more art, a Sketchbook Project post, and a WIP post. And trades and gift art are still in the works, too. As always, thanks so much for looking! I really appreciate it. :)

Fifth Anniversary

In all the rush and craziness, I just wanted to take the time to note, for myself if no one else: 11-08-2008 was our Five-Year Anniversary. As a matter of fact, we spent the day at someone else's wedding! My in-laws sent flowers, though and my parents dropped off a dinner treat for us. It was a nice day. We'll celebrate more when we're off next week. The image above is part of a silly little card I made for him.

Totem Cards for Sale!

Now Available:
PATHFINDERS: The Animal Totem Deck

Featuring my Leopards and Thylacine art!


(photos courtesy of Laken)
The price is $25 per card set.
NEW: Downloadable information booklets ARE NOW AVAILABLE on the Pathfinders Website; you can find them HERE.

TO ORDER: Please see my bigcartel.com shop here. Thank you! :)

For more information, see the Official Pathfinders Website!

More from My Pen Sketchbook Project

In an attempt to keep updated with my Pen Sketchbook Project, here are some pages I did in the fall and winter; I'll have newer stuff soon, I promise. :)

        
The first is a kitsune/foxlike thing (not trying to be realistic), that sorta inspired another small piece. The second is a random, horned snow-leopardy-cat thing. The third and fourth are more of my sphynx creatures; I like playing around with the facial features. I imagine the third is more muscular, and serves a guardian function, while the fourth is more of a sage-type - who I have dubbed "Sphynx Mulder" (though I didn't plan on him looking like that XD). I imagine him and others of his type in large, sun-lit rooms, discussing the workings of the world (or maybe tossing pencils at the ceiling ;>).

The last is actually from a while ago, but I forgot to upload it; it was inspired by the line "I've become... impossible" and the music leading up to it, from the song We're In This Together (note: YouTube link) by Nine Inch Nails (it's not supposed to be Trent Reznor*, though, just some random guy). Yes yes, over the years I've drawn a lot of NIN-inspired stuff; I have sketchbooks full of it. :D This is one of the more recent ones I did, but now that NIN's The Slip is out (download it for FREE!!! Legally!!!), I am just champing at the bit to draw some fangy, clawed, scaled, skull-headed things, as always happens whenever I hear their music. Argh, I am busting with ideas but need more time. :P Oh well, more soon!

*When we went to lunch at Quaker Steak & Lube a while ago, we noticed a familiar-looking face in a photo on the wall. We asked the waitress about it and she said, "Yeah, that's Trent Reznor - he grew up nearby and stops in every once in a while. Nice guy." Glad to know he's nice! It just seemed - odd? unexpected? surprising? - to see him sitting there smiling out at us at a chicken-wing place XD

Mini Pencil Sketches

For an art show this summer, I created four little pieces I did in the manner of my sketch cards (small pieces that are easy to carry and work on in bits of free time). I double-matted them all nicely, and sent them off to my agent there. They were a lot of fun - I did them in the medium I know best (graphite) and chose subjects I love (dragons, bunnies, horned cats, and vaguely-foxlike things). You can see a (quick phone camera) photo of the matted group here, and an individual one here, to give you an idea of the size. They are actually on white paper, but scanning them a bit golden preserved the shading. Maybe I will color them in Photoshop, someday, too.

      

Art Post: Sketches and More

Here are some small things I've been working on in between larger projects. The first is a little color test of my pen sketch of Aqua'Demia; just a little fun, not a finished piece, though I tried to make her skin look kind of translucent. After that, a brushpen drawing and the original RSVP pen sketch for a friend, and the pencil sketch/WIP for another friend, which is now transferred to black board and waiting to be painted. Also: a "hellcat", a "uniboar", and something named Zerfan, all gifts for other friends, too, based on descriptions they gave me.

            
Thanks for looking! More soon!

My Art - Actually Cross-Stitched

You know how cross-stitch-pattern makers sometimes contact artists and ask to use their art for patterns (I know that's happened to a number of you)? Well, I usually say yes, and in this one case, the lady sent me an actual pattern made from my Lion, King of Diamonds piece. The pattern was really complicated (calling for 99 different thread colors!) so I knew I would probably never do it, but I thanked her and saved it anyway. Well, now, my mother in law is a prize-winning Counted Cross-Stitcher (she has won many ribbons and Best In Shows for her pieces), and she actually wanted to try stitching it. When we were out to visit recently (more on that in another post), she surprised me with her work in progress. I was floored! It really was a lot of work to get as far as she has already - and it's counted cross stitch, not printed on the fabric (!!!), and I thought I'd share some WIP's of it.

They are not the best photos - I took them in a hurry with my iPhone - but you get the idea. I'll be sure to get better photos of it all when she is finished.

        
The diamonds are in metallic thread, even, and when you see it in person, it looks beautiful; and I'm not talking about the "my art" part of it, I'm talking about her handiwork and attention to detail. She really is amazing!