The Inexplicable Rabbit

I'm Back

2012-01-21T13:55:00.000-05:00

Oh, wow. I have been inactive for TOO long. Blogger changed!? Whoa...

It is sad to say that not much has happened since my last post, I'm still taking my general courses (which sucks out the creative energy in me), so that's fun. I did however discover a new love for poetry. :)

My son is also discovering the magical world of ART.

I Love Handmade: Handmade Rug

2011-11-29T00:19:00.004-05:00

Handmade Rug

So...I really wanted to make a colorful scalloped rug. This was my first sort of "experiment" which resulted in a small prototype. I really just wanted to see if the felt pieces would work out in the design...and also withstand the massive amounts of animal hair floating around. It passed that test for sure.

My son is in love with this small version. I plan on uploading my pattern and maybe give some tips on making this very quirky and inexpensive rug.

Myself with the botched small piece.

The final rug will be much straighter...and better...I promise haha!

I am currently working on the HUGE rug that I initially set out to make in the first place...but you know...I didn't want to go "all out" if it wasn't going to look good in the end.

I'm also making some small ones as Christmas gifts for others.

Anyone else giving handmade for Christmas this year?

Collage of a Sort-SS

2011-11-16T14:36:00.003-05:00

I made this initially for a project in class but then it turned out to be something different than what we were working on. This is a collage (of a sort), and I enjoy the simple composition for the piece.

Materials Used: Prismacolor colored pencils, Faber Castell ink, and a floral decorative paper.

I especially relish how dramatic it looks in a frame. YES! New wall art!

Lastly, my boyfriend bought me the most lovely item of all. I desperately needed something to store and carry my colored pencils in and he found this one, with artwork by Macoto/Makoto Takahashi on it!!!

I feel so lucky right now.

I have been missing out on Sunday Sketches and decided to submit this post!

xoxo

2011-11-12T01:40:00.006-05:00

Reusing an old design to make new art! YES!!!

I've noticed a pattern in my absence from this blog. I need to break from that.

Lately I have had a heightened interest in Zines that I have decided to create my very own! I like the idea of distributing my own work in a "mini" sort of art book. This art zine has to be elaborate and filled with all sorts of imagery that everyone will love. I try to strive for perfection in one way or another.

So far I have included: my art work, collages, surreal imagery, paper dolls, tutorials, and other sketches that haven't been posted to this blog.

It is still a work-in-progress, but here are a few random sketches.

Fish Head

2011-10-12T00:35:00.000-04:00

"Fish Head" Work in Progress (cropped)

I will be having a giveaway soon on my Facebook page... (exclusively for the fans of that page.)

The prize will consist of an original framed piece...and I'm contemplating something else....

Anyways, I am so excited that it is October! It feels great outside and it's time to start going to haunted houses, and almost time for the Covered Bridge Festival, and of course HALLOWEEN!!!

A Little Off Topic But...

2011-10-02T23:23:00.010-04:00

...if you dig funky designs...you might just dig these too!

Awhile back I wrote about these quirky tights and have received lots and LOTS of e-mails asking who they were made by. I didn't know at that time who created them BUT....a few weeks ago I tried locating them again on Tin Eye (which is a reverse image look up) and finally found a link!

I am glad to have discovered the company behind these whimsical tights...

Les Queues de Sardines (The Tail Sardines)

About:

"Les Queues de Sardines, a registered trademark of the m + o studio, is offering an original range of stockings and tights notable for their unconventional and unique graphic style. Add a pinch of narrative humor - the result is a choice of elegant and unusual models that will dress up your legs with an unusual stylish and elegant pattern. Screen-printed by hand in limited quantities, these rare and exclusive articles will never go unnoticed."

Showcase

I am down for anything unusual and artsy... but these especially are complete genius!

The thing I adore most about these are the creativity and imagination involved. These would definitely make a fashion statement.

This really makes me want to learn how to screen-print ASAP. I can guess the whole process as super hard to the max...tights are just so darn delicate. If anyone has some clues to this let me know! Your art on pantyhose? That thought is beyond awesome.

I e-mailed them to find out if they had an online store...because I couldn't locate any on their website. They sent me this link:
L'exception

Other online stores also carry their collections:
Greenky
Luna & Curious

Bird on the Wire

Lille Boutique

If you haven't guessed by now..(especially with each of these being screen-printed by hand)...these tights are expensive. You are looking at a price range from $60-$80.

Step Right Up

2011-10-01T12:52:00.000-04:00

Fawn Boy- Ink and Prismacolor Pencils

My sister said that this drawing has a sort of "creepy" aspect to it. I'm glad for that.

If you are in the mood for a little spontaneous inspiration, I will share with you a few artists whose work that has been deemed creepy. I find them to be absolutely lovely.

Martin Wittfooth

Vania Zouraliov

Gustav Adolf Mossa (1883

Hikari Shimoda

Dorothea Tanning

Jean Marembert

Suehiro Maruo (weirdest horror manga...by far.)

Domenico Gnoli (1933-1970)

Well...I could go on and on and on and on and on but...I don't want to bore you to death. The artists mentioned above have many other weird artworks. I am telepathically suggesting that they would be worth researching more into. Well that wraps it up I am off to play catch up on Blogger.

Experimenting With Color

2011-09-30T23:34:00.000-04:00

Prismacolor Pencils

Hey there, it's been awhile.
I've been missing in action longer than I imagined-appearing and reappearing...I guess you can say I am a magician of sorts.

The truth is...is that I feel like I have "lost" myself in the art world. For months my mindset was that I'd rather sleep, eat, stare at a wall, do anything else but draw. I even closed my Etsy shop awhile back...

To simplify what I am trying to say here is a quote by one of my favorite writers Haruki Murakami:
“I have this strange feeling that I’m not myself anymore. It’s hard to put into words, but I guess it’s
like I was fast asleep, and someone came, disassembled me, and hurriedly put me back together again. That sort of feeling.”

...It could be from stress but I have been trying to approach everything with a different attitude; It isn't that easy though. I mean, this year hasn't been that fantastic because I have been in a lot of pain. The only good news to that is I will be getting an endoscopy and colonoscopy next month to determine what is causing my severe pains. I'm not too excited about this visit at all. The thought of it makes me want to pass out.

"Fawn Boy" Prismacolor Pencils and Ink WIP

Within the past few days I have attempted at creating again. Attempted. I am satisfied with my new drawings but hope I can continue to create for awhile.

Shrink Plastic Brooch

2011-08-22T15:48:00.005-04:00

My new craft love...shrink plastic. I was surprised to see how much fun these things really are to make! After many failed creations here is my favorite so far! The opposite side is felted, an a pin back was applied to the back.

I used Frosted Shrinky Dinks, Prismacolor Pencils, and a Clear Finish on top of it.

ON ETSY.

I haven't been around blogging much lately and now school is starting again! Hooray! :)

Free Crappy Portraits

2011-08-05T02:47:00.000-04:00

I found out about this awesome site from Kat at Zanni Plain Jane Fashion...

It is called Free Crappy Portraits and it is exactly what it sounds like!

I submitted just a random photo of myself just to see what they would come up with and a few weeks later they sent me my free drawing!!!

Haha. I love it.

You should definitely check it out.

http://www.freecrappyportraits.com/

Original photo by Ben Rains

Aerodynamically the bumble bee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn't know it, so it goes on flying anyway.

2011-07-29T20:09:00.002-04:00

This is initially for "Sunday Sketches" this upcoming Sunday but I will probably miss it again.

Hope everyone is having a great Summer!!!

Manx

2011-07-18T21:46:00.001-04:00

These stickers were very hard on my printer because of the different colors I used for them. A digital tea-stain over a pink hue practically eliminated the outline during the printing process. I just drew the outline on myself.

I have a thing for awkward body types in animals. Have you heard of Munchkin or Manx cats?

Manx

Munchkin

Pinback Buttons

2011-07-09T22:17:00.001-04:00

Pinback buttons. www.shaylafish.etsy.com

Gosh guys...I really haven't been blogging as much as I'd like to....and I miss everyone.

I have been super Super SUPERRRRRRRRR busy...no time to do the things I want to do.

I recently started on a new belt. I love studded belts but I'd rather make my own with different designs. This one I am using a kitsch fabric with purple pyramid studs. It is a hard, long, annoying, and painful process;but when the belt is finished and I wear it out in public, everyone asks me where I bought it. I have the joy of telling them that I made it myself! :)

Etsy Favorites

2011-07-04T23:36:00.001-04:00

Some lovely crafty inspiration for my fellow bloggers.

Baby Monster Plush (twistyfishies)

Resin Moss Ring (sisicata)

Hand Drawn Moleskine Sketchbook (dannybrito)

Glass Anemone Pendant (glasspeace)

Original Acrylic Painting (FairRosamund)

1940s Toy Teacups (OldTymeNotions)

The Amazing Tattooed Girl Paper Doll (mabgraves)

You Can Never Have Too Many Brooches

2011-07-03T20:43:00.001-04:00

Handmade Brooch

I love collecting brooches...but making my own is a whole other story. This brooch is made from wood with one of my drawings transferred to it surrounded by lace. I have grown very fond of this and decided to put one up on Etsy for someone else to adore.

Hope everyone is having a lovely summer! The heat here is exhausting me!

Dinosaur Planter Tutorial

2011-06-28T13:05:00.004-04:00

Image from Plaid Pigeon's Facebook Page

Have you seen these quirky planters on Etsy yet? The ones above were created by Plaid Pigeon (shop inactive now).

Well it just so happens that they are very easy,FUN, and inexpensive to make!

What you will need:

-Exacto Knife

-Plastic Dinosaur (You can find these at Walmart and Toys R Us)

-Sewing Needle

Step One

The plastic dinosaur. I bought this one from Walmart for one dollar.

Not necessary but: I didn't like the color it originally came in, which was a sort of distressed bluish/purple. I painted this dino red (for some complimentary color action) with acrylics and sprayed a clear finish over it.

Step Two

Take your Exacto Knife and cut a hole in the back of the dinosaur...just like carving a pumpkin...except this is plastic....and a tad bit harder.

Step Three

Thankfully the dinosaurs are hollow inside so really all the hard work is over with. I made the hole in my little guy approximately 4-5 inches wide (don't worry about the edges around the hole because your plant should cover it up). You can now put soil and your plant inside.

Step Four

After I placed the soil and plant inside I took a sewing needle (with much applied force) to make holes in the bottom which will expel some water. Make sure the hole is deep enough.

FIN!

This is what yours should look similar to in the end. EPIC!!!!

Pink Hair

2011-06-22T21:04:00.005-04:00

I recently discovered a program that is so much fun to use with a tablet. The program is called "Paint Tool SAI." It is easy to utilize and is equipped with different mediums to play around with. Creating this little girl was a fun experience with this program and I will definitely be using it a lot from now on.

Sunday Sketches

2011-06-19T00:36:00.004-04:00

Summer Lovin

2011-06-13T15:44:00.003-04:00

Sticker Packing

Imaginary

2011-06-09T00:05:00.003-04:00

SUNDAY SKETCHES!!!!

Lazy Day

2011-06-05T21:22:00.003-04:00

If you haven't met him already this is my son Luke.
Today was a total lazy day at the park...this park is the best...located in Noblesville, IN...
There is so much to do here and even though lots of people are around, it is still relaxing and a LOT of fun.

After my dog Cork's death...his parents had another litter of puppies, their last litter in fact. The whole litter turned out to be tri-colored Pembrokes the only sable one died shortly after birth. :( This little guy that I am holding was the only boy...I still like to think of him as Cork reincarnated or something.

Here is a photo of Cork when he was a puppy...do you see any resemblances?

And, here is a sketch I did in the park today.

Hope everyone had an awesome weekend. xoxo

Rabbits

2011-06-01T13:59:00.001-04:00

There is nothing I love more than rabbits. I created these stickers from a drawing I made using a baby rabbit stock image to look off of. I then altered the color in photoshop for a more "vintage" feel and then added blush...because...it just adds to the cuteness!!!

You can visit these little guys here.

Just Sketching

2011-05-28T00:06:00.003-04:00

Always believe in yourself. Do this and no matter where you are, you will have nothing to fear

2011-05-21T23:41:00.002-04:00

Artwork from High School

"Grid" method for class...wasn't very into it.

XOXO

Illustrated Plush Stickers

2011-05-19T19:00:00.002-04:00

I think I may have blogged about this drawing before. Hmmm...anyways....

These are my new stickers!!! (I am going sort of sticker crazy lately)

These little stuffed animals are adorable! I am selling them as a set of five for $3.00.

You can view them here.

XOXO

Queen of Rabbits

2011-05-16T11:22:00.002-04:00

Yeah, I really like to think of myself as the queen of rabbits. :)

Of course, she is also a sticker HERE.

Alice in Wonderland Sticker Set

2011-05-15T18:39:00.003-04:00

So...who doesn't love falling down the rabbit whole and entering Alice's magical world? I love Lewis Carroll and HIS stories...it's an adventure every time. I created an Alice in Wonderland illustrated sticker set to show my love for the story, and pass the love onto others.

Introducing: Alice, the Dormouse, the White Rabbit, a flamingo, and three magical mushrooms.

Visit this sticker set on Etsy here.

My Inspiration

2011-05-15T15:23:00.000-04:00

When I find something I REALLY like, I become obsessed. Not a creepy obsession but a heightened interest in something over everything else. My basic obsessions include rabbits, corgis, anime, lacy items, vintage manga, children's books, surrealism, and art in general. But this artist however, is added to my list of obsessions.

Meet Mab Graves, a Pop Surrealist who creates lovely doll-like and dreamy girls.

....Fairy tales, Handmade Jewelry Fascinators, Cameos, Illustrations, Paintings, and more...she does it all!

Here is how she describes her creations:

"My creations, my obsessions, my darlings. My waifs and strays. To inspire you, capture your wall, hold it hostage and not let go. Or maybe just to vaguely creep you out."

She is definitely worth keeping an eye on, especially at her Etsy shop. When she lists something it seems that within minutes/hours it is sold.

I think the reason I am most attracted to her work is because the characters she creates reminds me of my son. It's all in their eyes, very alluring. Not only that, but her work reminds me a bit of some of Mark Ryden's work. Mab just has an insanely cuter and girly take on it, in which I absolutely love with all my heart.

The above photos are my "Mab" collection...which I love to look at everyday for inspiration. I have a few more paper dolls and a screen printed cameo...but for my birthday I hope to own one of her hand painted cameos. :D You can find all of the above items at her Etsy shop.

Visit Mab On:

-Her Website

-Blog

-Etsy

-Facebook Fan Page

"The Lovelies" sticker pack

2011-05-13T16:35:00.004-04:00

Introducing "The Lovelies"

The Lovelies are a group of four girls who are a bit conniving but by all means fashionable. These illustrated stickers are approximately 2.5 inches in width, the length differs with each sticker due to their hairstyles. Complete with a "matte" finish these stickers would be perfect for anyone interested in illustration, fashion, scrap booking, and more!

View them here

Bad news, my son has destroyed my laptop. Along with the missing keys it now has lines going through the screen and I need to get a new computer for school before next Fall. Saving all of my Etsy sales in hopes that I can achieve my goal.

Flapper

2011-05-11T14:44:00.003-04:00

Flapper girl...with tea-stain.

A Creator Needs Only One Enthusiast to Justify Him

2011-05-05T23:04:00.002-04:00

Pretend Photographer

"Pretend Photographer," I like that title. I have always had a hidden interest for portrait photography but never got around to pursuing it. The photos above are self-taken, which is kind hard to do but the outcome tends to have such interesting composition, just the way I like it. In high school my art teacher literally hated when we put our subject in the center of the paper she said "it is boring composition," and she is right. You see, the second photo is off-centered and cut off a bit but ended up very eye-catching. I like to think of myself as a pretend photographer because I have never jumped on this interest before, therefore it is fairly new. I add many textures to my photos to make them the way I like them, usually with an antique, grungy, worn out, water stained look. I have a film SLR camera but never use it. I take all of my photos with an ordinary digital camera and distort them to fool others. When it comes down to it, these photos were only taken to showcase what I can do and hopefully send local models my way...decided to post these on my blog to share with you some of my hidden passion.

Hopefully...you like?

STUTZ ARTISTS OPEN HOUSE

2011-04-30T22:16:00.000-04:00

http://www.stutzartists.com

My boyfriend and I attended the Stutz Artists Open House today. It was incredible! There were four floors full of such a diverse group of artists. I have never even heard of this place before...a fantastic new discovery.

Finger Paintings by Jane Knight visit Her Blog

My boyfriend...just hanging out.

Fascinator buddies! I loved this woman, her name is Judith Sturges and she had artwork of rabbits and corgis! My two favorite animals.

Artist Julie Perigo (I actually bought one of her beautiful prints...too cool!)

These things were so weird that they stuck in my mind the whole day. Artist Julie Perigo

My favorite artist of the day, Mallory Marty (artwork below) She was nice, fashionable, and extremely talented!
Her website.

Mallory is interested in the sensuality and symbolism of costumes and disguises. The images of corsets play with sexuality and feminine identity.

All in all, it was a spectacular day. Viewing so many different works of art and meeting so many new artists is really exhausting...I can kind of imagine how most of the artists felt at the opening. It really drains your energy.

I forgot to mention that I stopped by to view Travis Little's work as well. He is an insanely talented local artist that creates oil painting/pastels that will fool you into thinking that they are photos at first glance, yeah...they are THAT GOOD. I would seriously advise checking out his website to see what I am getting at.

Hair Fascinator Tutorial

2011-04-29T13:49:00.003-04:00

"Hair Fascinators (elaborate adornments for the hair) have been around since the 17th century. Ladies would wear fantastic ornaments such as ships in full sail or stuffed birds in mid-flight in their hair. Marie Antoinette is a good example as she was known throughout France for her elaborate hair fashion and even popularizing it during her time. Today hair fascinators are making a comeback and the most notable person worth mentioning that frequently wears them is Kate Middleton."

Supplies

-Hot Glue Gun

-Craft Feathers (can be found at Hobby Lobby)

- Hair clip (ex. alligator clips)

-Center Piece (I used a vintage earring)

-Backing for your fascinator (not shown)

The backing could be felt or whatever, just something sturdy to glue your feathers onto. I used some of my cross stitching material.

Step One:

1. 2.

1. You will have to sort through your feathers to find good ones that you will be able to use. Most of my feathers's vanes were torn apart so I just tossed them in a pile because I wouldn't be using them for this project.

2. I sorted my feathers into three groups: Contour feathers, Semiplumes, and then the small Guinea feathers.

My sketch of a contour feather is on the left which is basically a feather you would recognize...it is the flight feathers on a bird. The semiplume on the right is a more feathery sort of feather.

Step Two:

Do not glue yet, just get a feel of what the base will look like for your fascinator so this will minimize any mess ups.

Take the contour feathers and place them as shown in the photo above on the left and right. If your feathers do not fit together very well because of different sizes...I would advise cutting the ends of the quills to shorten them.

Step Three:

At this time you should cut out you backing into a circle. My circle is 3" across. Then using your hot glue gun place the glue on the quill of a contour feather and place the feather onto your backing.

Step Four:

Keep gluing your feathers onto your backing until you have made your way all the way around. It start to look somewhat like a star. (DO NOT worry about how the middle looks because it will eventually be covered up with more feathers and your center piece.)

Step Five:

Now it is time to add your semiplume feathers to the fascinator. Placement isn't that critical, but you should take a look at your fascinator and find any areas that seem bare and place the semiplumes in those areas so that it will make an illusion that there are feathers everywhere.

Step Six:

The main point about this tutorial is "layering."

From left to right this is how I layered my fascinator.

I first added the contour feathers as a base, then the semiplumes in bare areas, and finally I added my Guinea feathers on top of the semiplumes and placed my center piece in the middle of the whole thing covering all the weirdness you will see occurring in the middle area.

Step Seven:

To finish and wear your hair fascinator you will have to add a clip. I used an alligator clip and in which I put glue on top of the clip then held it open while placing it onto the back of my hair piece so it didn't glue itself shut. I held it for about 20 seconds or so and closed it.

Step Eight: SHOW IT OFF!

I enjoyed the way my hair piece turned out in the end and it is now one of my favorite hair pieces I own.

If you have any questions you can e-mail me or leave a comment. If you decide to make one please send me a photo of your creation and I will post it on here!

Erin made a beautiful fascinator

Sketch.

2011-04-28T17:38:00.003-04:00

W.I.P

I'm using this sketch to go along with something I will post either tonight or tomorrow.

Please check out Sunday Sketch hosted by Sophia. It is a wonderful event to take part in every Sunday

Inspiration

2011-04-25T19:54:00.002-04:00

Pierre Mornet

Hikari Shimoda

Lisa Falzon

Nell Brinkley

Chen Wenling

Tiffany Bozic

Andy Kehoe

Michael Shapcott

Nicoletta Ceccoli

Heidi Taillefer

http://onpeutdisparaitreici.blogspot.com/

Terre Haute Dog Show

2011-04-24T14:33:00.001-04:00

My favorite dog breed just happens to be a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. Therefore, when I heard they were going to be at the Terre Haute Dog Show...I had to show up just to see them!

Rabbit Sideshow

2011-04-24T11:34:00.004-04:00

Happy Easter.

Earth Day

2011-04-22T23:57:00.001-04:00

For an assignment we had to do an "Earth Day" themed project.

This is one of my concept ideas I made in class...sort of a Mother Earth-y kind of thing going on.

I decided to redo this and add more flowers, change her position, color palette, and paint it in oils.

Sunday Sketches!!!!!

When you photograph people in B&W, you photograph their souls!

2011-04-18T22:58:00.000-04:00

This has to be my favorite photograph from a session with Ben Rains. I was really awkward at this shoot...not even going to lie about that. Sometimes...nervousness gets ahold of me and I act weird. Shucks. <3

Visit:

Ben's Blog

Ben's Flickr

Etsy Favorites

2011-04-18T17:38:00.002-04:00

Click for Full View

So lovely...wish I could own all of these items. :)

1. Vintage lunch box tin by Miyako

2. Blue Mountain Swallowtail butterfly art display

3. "These Dreams Are Blossoming" print

4. "The White Rabbit" original cameo necklace

5. Deep tea stained lace dress

6. Cat portrait on thrifted wood frame

7. Sakura and chrysanthemum fabric purse

8. Victorian altered bottle

9. Japanese kachi kachi yama fabric

10. Asian ceramic bunnies

11. 1968 Japanese elephant bank

12. Fish vintage cameo

13. 1940s Fantasia mushrooms salt and pepper shakers

14. Vintage style rabbit frame ring

15. "Red Apples" print

16. Peter pan collar wool coat

17. Ceramic piggy bank from Japan

Doll.

2011-04-17T03:14:00.006-04:00

Watercolor and graphite then digital work

Dolls.

Though I never got into them when I was younger I have always loved the way they looked, innocent and absolutely lovely. Dolls have been present in the earliest civilizations, in fact they are the oldest of toys to be found. First discovered inside Egyptian tombs around 2000 BCE. They have also been found in Greece and Rome and it was common to find them in the children's graves. Most were made of wood. Dolls with movable limbs and removable clothing date back to 200 BCE...

So speaking of dolls, a sort of peculiar interest to me sparked up in my life. I like paper dolls. Old and New. Though I don't put really them together, I do however admire the artwork and the diversity presented in each one. I even framed the ones I received from Mab Graves.

Sadly, I could not find many sources for these images but the few labeled ones actually have Etsy stores.

1. Mab Graves

2&3. Wool and Water

Paper Doll Links:

Fuck Yeah Paper Dolls

Vintage Paper Doll

Paper Doll Central

From my rotting body, flowers shall grow and I am in them and that is eternity.

2011-04-13T20:57:00.004-04:00

....quote by Edvard Munch

This is a collage/pastel drawing/ink drawing in the making.

In a World of My Own

2011-04-10T01:51:00.001-04:00

...which is exactly where I have been lately. I have been slipping out of reality just so I can do more creative things. Life becomes too dull doing work all of the time...so I ignored what needed to be done these past days to energize my imagination. A world of my own.

I feel more productive when I put in music by my favorite composers who are: Joe Hisaishi, Yann Tiersen, and Clint Mansell. I also recently bought Disney 60 Years of Musical Magic, which also helps in the creative process.

2011-04-03T15:23:00.003-04:00

Lowbrow, Pop Surrealism, Illustration, Peculiar,...Whatever you want to call it. I like it.

2011-03-18T22:39:00.002-04:00

Michael Brown

Femke Hiemstra

Chris Berens

Ana Bagayan

Nicoletta Ceccoli

Marion Peck

Mark Ryden

Mab Graves

Vania Zouravliov

Takato Yamamoto

....and there are more artists that I have taken interest in and I will post them in the future.

Luna

2011-03-12T21:45:00.001-05:00

Random ATC/ACEO but I like it.

I like Luna's eyes blue, the way they originally were in the manga. Then when the manga was turned into anime they made her eyes like orange-reddish? I guess Artemis' eyes were a different color in the manga as well.

Submitted this to Sunday Sketches, my favorite online event to participate in every Sunday!

Darling, forever is a long, long time, and time has a way of changing things.

2011-03-10T22:29:00.002-05:00

An old drawing I picked up and finished tonight.

Watercolor and Ink.

A Moon Star is Born!

2011-02-27T18:16:00.003-05:00

Rabbit embroidery.

Yeah, So...

2011-02-25T10:40:00.004-05:00

As you can probably tell, I am reworking my blog further...it is going to look a little naked because I deleted most of the html coding so I can customize it. I am also working on a header for a friend's blog, t-shirt design, album cover, tattoo idea, and more.(sigh) Sooo.... I don't really have any art to post this week;I will just post some irrelevant/random things....

My dog Cork died this week and it has had a huge impact on me emotionally. He was only three years old and he got ran over...by my mom. Cork meant the world to me. He gave me something to look forward to after the shitty week was over with (since he lived at my moms house and couldn't live with me). He was my best and only friend. I feel like a part of myself is missing now without him-his personality was just amazing and "corky." Now that he is gone...almost everything that makes me happy reminds me of Cork...and I just break down.

RIP Corkbutt

My son and myself..pretending we are fabulous bitches. (Yeah that coat is twice his size)

I dyed my hair pink. I think I am going to go for a more pastel color though...

I found a lot of things I wouldn't mind owning someday...

...anything vintage Japan would be pretty sweet to own.

and some lovely artwork by Mark Ryden

Would You Like a Little More Tea?

2011-02-18T01:09:00.003-05:00

Sunday Sketch

I am currently on-the-go, in a manner of speaking, and do not have my camera; thus, I had to take a photo of my current doodle with an iPhone...which creates grainy photographs. Hooray!!! : /

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.

2011-02-12T02:06:00.005-05:00

I am still in an art rut and it is driving me insane;I have been taking my mind off of it by doing spontaneous activities/saying YES to (almost) everything...just like in the movie Yes Man! I am stoked that EatSleepDraw actually published another one of my pieces. It feels great to run into your own artwork at random on different websites...it is happening a lot lately and I cannot explain how much I enjoy it.

I uploaded some prints to my insanely inactive (but active now) Etsy shop today, just to try it out...

Basically, that is all I have for this week...being bombarded with homework actually kind of sucks but I have to deal with it to keep my GPA owning! (I would much rather be creating things though... )

Artwork

2011-02-06T02:53:00.020-05:00

We have been hit with an ice storm therefore and to conquer boredom...we must create!

Everything outside looks so surreal and magical...like a dream.

Sketch that I really have no plans for...yet

One of my high school works. Medium:Pastels

Tanuki/Sunday Sketch

2011-01-28T02:40:00.008-05:00

For Sunday Sketch's Anniversary!!!!

I have also fallen in love with Russian Lubok (example above)

The Best Way to Predict the Future is to Create it

2011-01-21T23:30:00.014-05:00

My son and I have been stuck inside a lot this winter.

Christmas Gift

2011-01-14T02:39:00.007-05:00

Christmas gift from Rachael.

This is totally "me" at least someone out there gets me.

Also for the 3rd time this week "Le Grand Lapin," has been the second blog under Up and Coming in the art category on Bloglovin!!! I know it isn't a big deal but it makes me happy!!!

A Girl

2011-01-06T22:31:00.000-05:00

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."

Pablo Picasso

I really must say THANK YOU to everyone.

I am glad to have met so many talented artists on here and receive so many nice comments from everyone

Sick Head Blackened Lungs

2011-01-05T04:21:00.000-05:00

I don't like it...I am not feeling very artsy lately.

Year of the Rabbit

2011-01-01T18:34:00.007-05:00

Dear anon,
I found these images on weheartit (which is an image bookmarking site) I then re-bookmarked them under my own name so I can find them again. They did not have any sources and I would love to find the artist who created the third image as well.

Vintage Manga

2010-12-28T01:23:00.006-05:00

I think I have a new addiction and it is...vintage manga!

The artwork is so delicate and beautiful;I can't stop searching for items on the internet that I want to have for myself.

My favorite artist so far, that I have found recently is Macoto/Makoto Takahashi. (Everyone spells the name differently for some reason)

I love his work in the 1960's...I also read that people believe he started the kawaii trend.

It is really hard to find a lot of information about him but I noticed that day by day his work is starting to gain popularity.

I wanted to recreate his work in a drawing of my own.

Edited

Ice Fishing

2010-12-26T00:15:00.010-05:00

I also noticed that Kathryn wrote some really great things about me in her blog. She is a great photographer/artist and just started her blog! She is so talented and I look forward to her future projects.

Anyways the doodle below is of my friend Leigha. She always had her own look and I loved the way she used eyeliner.

This is for S.S.

That photo above is just for fun, because I LOL'ed hard.

Just Some Sketches...

2010-12-19T03:01:00.007-05:00

I have a million sketches that I barely work on and then put them in a folder...for example these next two drawings.:

and a photo of my bundle of joy:

Jessica Joslin

2010-12-16T22:58:00.000-05:00

I am usually not a huge fan of three-dimensional art, but there are certain kinds of work I will always love and find exquisite. Taxidermy has been in my life for a long time, and watching my father put together deer heads and other animal figures was a sight for me growing up. The whole process is interesting.

Jessica Joslin had an interest in Victorian-era taxidermy and started to collect an assortment of natural objects such as shells, bones, feathers, seedpods, etc. She utilized taxidermy and thus created her first, one of a kind, taxidermy beast in 1992. Her art has a truly unique and creepy appearance. I think she is wonderful and I am glad to have stumbled onto her art.

http://www.jessicajoslin.com/

The one above was made using a real turtle shell, bone, brass hardware, beads, antique vestment trim, leather, and glass eyes!

Other images:

Random

2010-11-30T00:24:00.000-05:00

Doodles and More

2010-11-28T08:54:00.001-05:00

Another photo to add to my previous

post.

These photo's were taken by Rachael.

I would also like to share with you one of Rachael's paintings....

Now behold, another sketch dump:

and last of all, a photo of kitty Poif. She is a queen, truly.

Watch Your Heads

2010-11-26T02:20:00.001-05:00

During the week Rachael came over and we went out on a whim and took some photos. There are so many fantastic shots to choose from that I can not pick one over the other. I will post more later on...

Illustration Inspiration

2010-11-11T22:10:00.001-05:00

(Justin Bryan Nelson)

(Brett Manning)

(Iain Macarthur)

Her art kind of reminds me of Mark Ryden's work.

(Nicoletta Ceccoli)

(Yukari Terakado)

These sailor outfits are adorable!

(Alexandra Lekia)

I have been obsessed with the recent illustrations I have been coming across for awhile now and I try to mimic certain styles of illustrations in my own work, especially fashion illustration. It depends on my mood of course.

I like to view work by other artists and see how they incorporate hair into their drawings. I also LOVE drawing hair...it is actually what heightened my interest into fashion illustration, along with the different styles the artists use when drawing the female form.

Along with all the amazing blogs and art sites I have posted above, a really neat illustration site is Old Book Illustrations.

It is definitely WORTH checking out!

My tastes in art vary all the time, just last month I was into Art Nouveau and the previous month before that was Magical Realism. I love when my tastes in art change because I learn a lot about what I am into and can share it with my family and friends.

If you have any artists you would like to throw in PLEASE, please, please, do!

Halloween

2010-11-02T12:41:00.002-04:00

Halloween weekend was a lot of fun. I drove all over Indiana to participate in haunted houses, zombie walks, and meet up with old friends. My son and I dressed up as people from the Victorian Era, (though not entirely accurate.) This is going to be a grand memory.

Fascinator Girl

2010-11-01T00:39:00.002-04:00

Medium: Graphite

Creation Machines

2010-10-26T03:57:00.001-04:00

At least that is what it feels like where I live. My boyfriend's mom draws, can knit and make all sorts of things, as well as her daughter (who is also a tattoo artist). I love the creative environment here.

My first hand-carved stamp!

Drop-stitch scarf.

Scrap fabric...into a hair bow!

Another Week Ahead...

2010-10-18T02:30:00.001-04:00

These past few weeks have been a bit too stressful for me. Too much school work and no time to do it. I did manage however to do a shoot with Bloomin' Gael Photography. I had to lay in a pool during the chilly weather for hours, at least a few good photos came out of it all.

My sister and I spontaneously do little "photo shoots" from time to time. It is pretty much the equivalent of playing dress up.

Random

2010-10-13T22:26:00.000-04:00

Hi! I moved from http://shaylaf.wordpress.com to here so I can keep up with everyone who I swap with on swap-bot and connect with artists. I have imported my pages, layout, and the last two entries from wordpress, and now onto the new!!!

I have been so busy with school that it feels like I have no time to do anything I want! I get a rush from getting good grades though, if that doesn't sound nerdy or anything.

Recently I read all about Greek Art and I became really interested that I had to read about it again and again. I love their decorated vessels (geometric or orientalizing are both wonderfully decorated) that I want to own one (or make one!) and High Classical Greek statues that are contrapposto make me want to drool. I love body forms and thanks to Polykleitos for introducing mathematical proportion to the Greeks, without it I don't think the Classical Greek statues would be as enticing AT ALL! I'm only saying this because I wasn't into their Archaic statue stage, it just doesn't feel "Greek," to me. I know they have Egyptian influence in their Archaic Art period but since it isn't actual Egyptian art I'm not really into it.

I have my own make-shift studio, which is a lot of fun to have. I enjoy taking photos and editing them, I really haven't been able to play around with it due to school work. The next thing I want now is an Alienbees studio light(s). I saw Mike Arledge's lights and I liked them more than all of the other ones I keep finding.

Random Shot+Creepy editing to celebrate Halloween!!!

I bought a Muslin backdrop and I'm not really into the one I have, I am set on buying a canvas one next time. Hopefully one that is longer than 9 feet this time as well haha. Now I just want everyone to come over so I can take photos of them.

I have an obsession with rabbits and a new obsession rising with porcelain, and I finally found an actual porcelain rabbit that didn't strike me as cheesy! I wish I can find another one! I want to put my own designs on porcelain objects, I have been asking around and I guess there IS a paint pen out there that you can use to do this! I guess you have to fire it as well, so I am going to learn how to make my own kiln. Mrs. Gjesvold showed us videos on how to make a fire-pit kiln so I know who I am going to get the information from.

Plus I want to find something like this!

Anywho...that was a long and dull post, next time I am going to post my newest projects. (So excited :D)

Handmade Belt

2010-10-12T17:18:00.000-04:00

For a long time I have been really obsessed with belts, especially those with pyramid studs. I have fed this obsession by buying belt after belt after belt after belt, even though they all looked the same I still bought them. Now that I have so many I can't find any interesting ones that would be worth getting because I basically already have them all. I wanted a floral one and I kept googling and I could never find one. So I though about just making one in hopes I would figure it out.

First off I drew up what I wanted because I work well when I have a visual of something first.

Then I shopped around at Hobby Lobby for the most desirable fabric to use and I was excited when I found what I wanted. I ordered a few belts off the internet because even with shipping, it is still a hell of a lot cheaper than a store bought belt. I even bought the pyramid studs off the internet, because just as I had imagined, the studs in the belt that I bought were of shitty plastic.

Getting rid of the crappy plastic studs

I spray painted the metal studs I had bought, I used two different colors to achieve the vintage, old-feel I was going for. I was really thrilled when they came out exactly how I wanted them too.

Putting fabric on and sewing it to the belt was the easy part, re-assembling all the parts I took out of it was the first hard part I had went though. I had to figure out how to actually get things to stay and be permanent so they wouldn't fall out later on.

Putting the metal studs in the old holes of the belt was the hardest part and actually took a long time, it is too hard to get the studs to stay straight and fit exactly right.

I am satisfied that my first belt turned out the way it did, I hope to make a lot of improvements on my next one.

The next one I am making is a rabbit belt. It is kind of wonderland inspired I suppose, I will post it as soon as I am done. I'm currently figuring out how to make a lot of different things that I can not find on the internet or anywhere else.

I have entered an art show literally called Recycled Art Show. I plan on entering a 2-d project. My idea is just making a collage using paper bags, but I will be using paint over them...just so I can have something actually recycled being used in my work.

Plastic bags are ruining our environment, I literally fucking hate them. If you want you can search anything about plastic bags and find all sorts of negative results.

I have drawn up what I want my collage to be of, and I have taken an approach toward Ocean Wildlife as a result from watching The Cove in my English class. I hope to have a very controversial piece in the show because I plan on making it a bit on the gore side.

2010-10-12T17:13:00.000-04:00

I have been busy with school and life and have not been able to write all about dumb things in my blog for awhile.

Last week I went to watch Bill Nye give a presentation in Terre Haute, I don't know about you, but science intrigues me and Bill Nye could literally break down everything and make it easier for you to understand with all the drawn out terms. He is exactly how I pictured him to be in real life, fucking awesome.

I spontaneously hit up Body Art Ink because I like Tom, the piercer there, a lot. I actually enjoy this shop above others because they are a lot more friendly than a lot of others I have been into. I have had both sides of my nostrils re-pierced by him so many times, I think maybe 6 in all now. I wanted to have both pierced again because it is the only piercings I actually don't find to be too out there.

We also randomly went into an Art Museum that I had no idea was even there. I'm not really into American Art that much but I did find a few paintings I adored. I think Luke might be an art critic in the future because all he did was babble in front of certain works.

After all of this I wanted to take photos of my sister, mostly for stock photos but I just went ahead and used the same grunge texture on both photos because I fucking like it.

I went to Joe and Kristine's Wedding later on in the evening. I am sad that Kristine is all the way up in New York because I enjoyed hanging out with her.

Life is good.

How to Draw a Peacock Feather

2010-08-28T22:04:00.003-04:00

I am currently studying art education. Therefore, I made this tutorial as practice for myself in teaching others how to draw.

I hope as an artist you will be able to gain a bit from this tutorial. I've always had trouble with drawing feathers in art, most specifically of peacocks.

First, I suggest finding a stock image to look at. It is always better to keep looking at the subject rather than guessing from memory. (here is a good image)

Materials You Will Need: Paper, Tortillion (shader), and a pencil

The Steps:
1. Draw a very simplified balloon (see left image below)

2. Inside the actual balloon area create oval/circular designs similar to the design on a peacock's feather. The stock photo makes this part handy because every feather creates a different unique design.

Steps 1 and 2

3. Lightly color in the main part of the eye:(your area inside the balloon shape but outside of the ovals)

4. I made the main area of the eye on mine darker before blending.

5. If you have a shader you can use that to blend it all together, if not you can smudge with your finger. I blended all around the main area of my eye leaving some light around my small oval shapes.

6. Make the smallest part of the eye the darkest. Also leaving a bit of light inside it to give it a shiny, reflective feel.

7. Lightly color in the rest of the eye and blend for a desirable effect. Blend again.

Steps 3-7 (click here a high resolution image)

8. The feathers appear more spaced out at the bottom and closer together as you make your way to the top. You can use the letter V as a layout for the feather.

9. To add feathers above the eye I actually go through the eye with my pencil from underneath it to try and keep some symmetry. Then I blend whatever lines noticeable inside the eye so they aren't visible anymore.

10. After the basic line art add a little more graphite to those feathers to make them thicker. (last photo on right)

steps 8-10

Last step:
This is my final feather. I added more shading inside the eye and left more lighter to resemble light bouncing off the feather. You can really add to your piece and make it "pop."

I really hope you enjoyed this little tutorial and I plan on adding more soon. :)