Jewelry

In lieu of the dreaded shopping-of-christmas, I went on a jewelry making spree today. Actually more like an earring making spree, as those seem to be the only form of jewelry I can crank out decently. I found wrapping things in silver wire to be deceptively satisfying. Once I started, I just couldn't stop! and now I have lots of random beads wrapped in wire and awaiting some sort of thing to be attached to. I think the next thing I'll give a whirl is ribbon necklaces with hanging beads!
I've also decided to make plush robots this year...have a design floating on paper, but have yet to create a prototype/pattern. The problem is a) deciding who will actually appreciate made gifts and b) being able to make enough of them in time...
In other news, I finally got my first pair of stylish specs. I went to an eye doctor on saturday and he told me pretty much what I already knew and thus a tiny prescription was given. Hopefully I can get them in a week and start seeing the world ANEW. Altho the coolest part had to be seeing pictures of my own optic nerve!
Anyways, enough ramblings. Here's a photo of said earring-mania.

El Monk Italiano!

I've been struggling with this commission for a while now, debating what mediums to use and how best to crop the picture. All until Jason (genius that he is!) suggested I try it in charcoal! When I got the original picture in the mail, I sighed: a 5x6 magazine clipping with multiple creases showing a very, very dark picture. Now, as artists, we all wish our clients would send us sensibly lit, fully realized reference pictures...but alas this is not always the case. I really didn't like the picture at all before I actually put pencil to paper and started sketching it out, haha. But! Once I started the process, I had a rather nice time doing it! Plus it was very much fun to get back into charcoal, which I haven't touched since college.

So, here is the work-in-progress shot. I used pencil sketch to start off on this random super smooth paper I found lying around my studio. Then layered down some vine charcoal to get a good middle ground and topped off the super darks with compressed charcoal (my favorite!). Boy that sounds like a recipe! mmm, dammit now im hungry. haha.

And voila, finished piece! I was impressed this only took about 3.4 hrs to do! Charcoal is one speedy medium!

Wheel of Time

Here's an illustration I popped out today, just 'cuz it was fun to do! I've been really into Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series and am most of the way through the second book. Albeit there's thirteen books in the series >.<; The story must be rather epic. Anyways, here's my crack at the second book (because lets face, this would make SUCH a better cover than the one on this book right now - they made Loial look like Spock for cryin' out loud!).

Espana con queso!

I saw a show on wednesday about Gwyneth Paltrow romping around Spain and eating lots of delicious food. A) It made me really hungry and B) it made me want to go to Spain! Alas, I can no afford such a thing, but here is what mr.internet inspired me to do...
Also, a newly discovered fabulous illustrator of 50's style art is Derek Yaniger, his webby is here and has lots of fabulous prints!

Mo' animation

Because I haven't done any at work for a while now...plz to click ze link Its really big and i don't know why...

My day...

Click the image to view.
blogger really doesn't want to let me embed swfs...stupid piece of stupidness.

England-Land

Been a while since I posted last, so here's a bunch of stuff from my recent (and fabulous) trip to England! I visited all my family there, which was obviously the best thing about the entire trip :D Plus got to visit quite a few museums and standard britishy type places.

After spending most of a week in Birmingham and then traveling down to the south coast to Paignton, I discovered my sketchbook was rather empty. So in order to make up for lost time, I plastered page after page with random people drawings, beach scenery, doggies and various family members.

We traveled around and about the south coast a bit, exploring Devonshire. In above picture: Left top and right bottom sketches are from a Tea garden in Bovey Tracey...whereupon I DEVOURED a cream tea nom nom nom. I swear my cholesterol must have risen a good 20% on this trip from all the fried food and clotted cream. ^_^


More sketches from Bovey Tracey inside a pub. We also discovered my cousin has a knack for winning at gambling machines. heh.
Sadly those are all the sketches I did on the trip. On the plus side, I did rediscover the joys of brush pens and how quickly you can get down movement and shape with them. Hurrah! Mayhaps I will share the artsy industrial photos I took over there (lots of heavy rusting equipment and such) in a later post. I was actually fairly surprised most of my photos came out, being that my camera blurs every other image. But for now I will make dinner and collapse on the couch.