enveri

I suppose I should update, do the whole 'yes, we're alive' thing.

It was our 5th anniversary recently, and

roho surprised me with a romantic weekend getaway in Stowe, Vermont.

I won't bore everyone with the details, but it was... just what we needed, I think. It was not a weekend of perfect small-town-inn-quaintness, but.. it was relaxing and fun and filled with wine, laughter, and a NCIS marathon. And local-grown organic garlic. Only in Vermont do you drive out to the boonies for a farm, find the produce unsupervised (save by a friendly dog) with a note to leave the money in the box and a list of prices. We spent alot there.

Since then, things have been a bit busy. I got hired as a full time employee at the company I've been working at since March (I was a temp) at the end of August, and have been moving along ever since.

I was contacted recently by someone I had a rather... fiery falling out with. I had a horrible sick feeling when I saw her name in my email inbox, but we've had a rather pleasant, 'hey, let's talk about what happened' and... I have high hopes that one day we'll be good friends again.

We've recovered from Briana's loss, more or less. We both still miss her, and I know I still have little pangs when I see a Samoyed truddling down the sidewalk. We have a beautiful box with her remains, along with a clay imprint of her paw. She'll be buried in Roho's mother's front yard where she can hear the neighborhood children pass. She loved them, they loved her. Mom will watch over her. (I'm getting choked up typing this, so apologies for abrupt topic switch)

My health is still iffy. I started coughing and having asthma-related while we were in Vermont, and it's not really getting better. I tire easily; I have noticed that since May/June, and I am starting to notice short term memory issues. If something is not in my face, I forget about it. (For those of you waiting for packages from me, I apologize- I feel like a horrible friend, I keep forgetting to get them together) The daily grind feels like a grind alot, and I never feel like I get enough rest. I need to schedule some doctors appointments, but it feels rather overwhelming when I look at everything I need to get checked. Getting old sucks. :(

Speaking of getting old.. Roho's birthday is coming up, along with the birthdays of some special friends. Where has this year gone?

And... that's all I have to write about now. I will perhaps try to write more later.

quote of the week
“Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” —General George S. Patton (1885-1945); American General in World War II

art

Art is going good! I finished another painting last night, I do not yet have permission to share it. Once the commissioner has approved everything and I can put the 'Complete' stamp on it in my mind, I'll upload it for everyone to see. (For those keeping count at home, that's 3 paintings finished in the month of January, the last one within the past 2 weeks, despite my horrible class schedule. Go me!)

I DO have other arts to share, never fear!


Self Portrait, Redux	Scholars and Scribes	Jingle Bells

current projects

I realized yesterday that I really should break my project lists down, and start keeping a separate calendaring system just for art and school related deadlines, along with any other projects I may be working on. I haven't found one I liked yet (I did try out a couple, but they all embed into the desktop, and, well.. I never SEE my desktop). Worst case, I use pencil and paper, oh noes. :)

Otherwise, my plate currently contains, in no particular order:

art - 2 bookmarks, 3 badges, 2 full sized paintings. To be complete by FCN (April 9). HA.
school - Of necessity, highest priority. A chapter reading, essay reading and analysis. I'll do that today.
home - Various cleaning activities, laundry, fix various leaky things that shouldn't leak. This week sometime.
business - State sales taxes need to be done this month, I am going to endeavor to get that done this week. I also need to update billing information for one of my websites (due this month) and sit down and figure out how to make Drupal look pretty; essentially learn CSS. I really need to get cheekitty back on its feet. That... maybe by the end of March.

Pretty full plate, but I think it's helpful to keep track of goals in short-mid-long range terms, and keep an eye out to make sure they're being met.

links

Well. Chrome kind of crashed and I hadn't bookmarked the things I had WANTED to link to today, so..

Create realistic fictional characters -- I thought this was an interesting exercise, as I've been doing a bit of world building and exploring the characters visually... although I haven't written down the bits and bobs of personality I've discovered yet. I know there are a lot of creative people out there, and you all probably have your own process, but perhaps the tips here may be useful in dealing with unruly residents in your own heads.

Carve out time for social networking -- Many artists are coming to the realization that social networking is a valuable marketing tool, but perhaps, like me, they're getting bogged down with other things. I thought this was an interesting read.

Have a great week folks! Hope it's a productive and happy Monday!

Quote of the Day

"The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps - we must step up the stairs." -- Vance Havner (1901-1986); preacher, author

News

Started new diet today! I'll post more about what I'm doing to the appropriate filter. On today's agenda is laundry, some light cleaning... and I don't know what else. I'm working on updating my bios for the various websites I frequent.. I had hoped to have it finished for this morning, but no such luck. I'll work on that some more today.

Art

New art today!

The image on the right is a nude, and as such is not suitable for viewing in the workplace. So... look with care! :)

Links

The Painting and Drawing channel -- Sponsored by Atelier Interactive Acrylics (which are -awesome!-). Tips on drawing, painting... fascinating stuff! :) I really like the Atelier paints, as an aside. I attended a demo from them, and they really do everything they advertised. I think overall I still prefer gouache, just because the brand I use (M. Graham) is very smooth and easy to use (and acrylics dry so -fast-!), but... it's nice to have options for when I need that extra opacity!

Milieux Costume Images -- I don't recall how I found this, but... it looks incredibly comprehensive! Reference images of historical, science fiction and fantasy-related clothing. Valuable resource for the artist!

Have a great day guys!

Current Location: Antioch

Before I get started with today's daily post, I'd like to apologize for the unsecheduled hiatus. I got hit with a nasty case of Life, and just couldn't handle adding another 'responsibility' (heh.) to my day. I will, as always, endeavor to do better. :) I'd also like to welcome all the new faces! I'm happy to see fresh eyes, and hope you guys enjoy my entries!

Quote of the Day

"Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world." --- Joel A. Barker; scholar, speaker

News

After much deliberation...

roho and I decided not to go to FurFright. It was disappointing, but we'd arrive mid-late afternoon on Friday, and we'd have to leave early on Sunday to get back to Boston to snag our flight, and... it just didn't seem worth paying the airfare and hustling ourselves down there for at most, a day and a half. I'd feel like I was obligated to slave away in the Alley to recoup some of our cost, and... it would just be more stress than it's worth. I'm really disappointed, because there are so many wonderful awesome people I was hoping to see... but I'm really a Thursday-Monday kinda congoer.

The good news is, this gives me more time to prep for MFF! And you, dearest wonderful readers, get to help me direct my efforts, as I only have 46 days left to get ready. (Thank you, RB, for bringing it home how little time I have. Really.;) ) I have a lot to get ready for tomorrow's entry, but I'd like to give you guys some input on what sorts of things I bring to the convention. I have some special goodies in store, I'm really excited!

I am also going to be setting up some filters.. One for health/dieting discussion, and one for the online equine sim, Howrse. If you'd like to be added/removed to or from either of those, please let me know. The Howrse one particularly is opt-in, as I don't want to spam anyone with my pony nerdiness. :D

Art

Enough talk, more art! I have yet to scan new stuff I've doodled over the last week. :( I know, I know... slacker. I have some art-time on my to-do list for today, including a color test of a centaur commission, penciling out the roughs for a new commission, and I have a couple of jumbo badges I need to work on (I had forgotten them. I REALLY need some sort of database to track this stuff. >.>)

In the meantime, let's see who I have to share!

The art of Aimee Major

Aimee was one of my very first influences when I started doing 'furry' art, and watching her style evolve and change has been fascinating and inspiring. I stumbled on her DeviantArt account about a week ago, and wow. Alot of people will look at another more.. successful... artist and say, 'Wow. I want to be that good some day'... and yeah, I'm there. Gorgeous work!

Art of Jessica Sanders

Otherwise known as 'SightHoundLady', this is another artist I greatly admire. Her work reminds me of Jody Lee, for whom I have a great fondness. She also does a comic, which alas, I have not read. It's on my to-do list. :) Her website can be found at www.tapestryhounds.com. Check her out!

Know an artist you think I'd like? Send me a link!

Links

Authorized sequel to Winnie-the-Pooh is published -- I loved Pooh as a kid, and I'd love to read stories about the 100 acre woods to any children I might have (or as part of my spoil rotten plan for neices and nephews). I think I'm in the same boat as Elizabeth Bluemle, who is quoted as saying spinoffs and sequels tend to be "thin soup". Especially when it's a new author taking over a well-established franchise. Reserving judgement, however! And there is a new character- an otter! Everybody loves otters! (link courtesy of

loboguara)

More supermarkets, please! -- I found this article astounding, as I have always lived in areas with an overabundance of grocery options available. I don't recall who I was discussing this with, but I had a conversation recently online about how expensive it is to eat well (was it you,

haikujaguar?) compared to how cheap it is to eat junk food. I don't want to sound preachy, or like you should all go through your cupboards and toss your snacks, it just astounds me that in a country with so many food options available, we aren't doing more to ensure that those that want to eat healthy can access healthy food options easily. I like the idea of encouraging the creation and use of urban food gardens, and I hope that if there is a federal incentive to use of farmer's markets, that they give a boost to CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture). For our household, we're discussing going in on a half-share CSA with a couple of friends (since there's just two of us, and I fear we wouldn't be able to eat all the vegetables before they went bad). Interested in a CSA for your household? Local Harvest.com has information on farms across the country, as well as tips for selecting the CSA that works best for you and your family. (Original link courtesy of

gypsypet)

Got an interesting link? Let me know!

Okay, that wraps up for today. I will have my own art to share tomorrow, along with some polling questions! Have a great day everyone!

Current Location: Antioch

Quote of the Day:

"I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us." --- Anne Lamott (b 1954); author, political activist

News...

This week has left me feeling fried and tapped out, and I'm not really sure why. Maybe it's because our weekends have been so jam packed with activity lately? I only know that I am exhausted,

roho is exhausted, and both of us could benefit from a couple days spent doing nothing more stressful than deciding what movie to watch.

I've been working on getting more exercise this week; yesterday was the first day I missed walking (because it started to rain rather hard right as we were getting ready to go). I've been walking approximately two miles in the mornings before class, then another two in the evenings after Roho gets home. It's left me feeling tired, but at at least it's the -good- kind of tired, right?

I'm still stalled out on painting. I'm going to

duncandahusky and

takaza's place tomorrow to watch the Amazing Race premiere, I will probably bring paints and supplies with me, try and get something artistic done. I've also considered hooking up my tablet again and doing some digital sketches, see if I can shake things loose. I was making great progress over the summer, then once the school semester started... well. yeah.

Art...

I actually have some new artists to feature!

The art of Heather Meuser - I just discovered this artist recently, when

vantid mentioned her on FA. Her work is gorgeous! I always admire the hyperrealistic artists (and feel a little sad when I see that they're younger than me). I realize now I'll never be 'that good', and I'm slowly coming to grips with that. Instead, I can enjoy their lovely works. :)

Etuix - I've watched her artwork for a few years now, and really like her whimsical style. Predominantly an anthro artist, as you can see with the Okami image, she does beautiful work with non-anthros as well.

I have no links to elsewhere today, I haven't had a lot of time to do much web browsing. And I do apologize that the art links are anthro-centric. DA is the only 'fantasy/general art' site I go to terribly often, and many artists only update on THEIR websites, which makes it difficult to find new artists unless you are searching for key words.

Who are some of your favorite artists? The people that inspire you, that you want on your walls? What do you like about them? Suggest things to me!

---

I've picked up some new readers, and I'd like to welcome you all! I will be updating my profile page soon (haha, no really), but I'd like to encourage comments! Open up a dialog! If you'd like me to watch your journal, that's the fastest way to catch my attention. :)

Have a great weekend, everyone! I am off to do homework, then maybe go do something outdoors. :)

-Lydia

(edit: apologies for weird spacing. LJ is being aggravating with the layout. :P)

Current Location: United States, Illinois, Bloomingdale

Daily Quote:

"There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness, freedom and peace of mind, are always attained by giving them to someone else." --- Peyton C. March (1864 - 1955); General, US Army

General News:

Phew, where did this week go? I am knackered! Since we got back from Boston, I've been making a point of exercising more, to the tune of one hour of activity, twice a day. That plus schoolwork and reading has been taking up a lot of my time.

I really need to get my business cards together; I may work on that tonight. I need new ones for FurFright. I need to do color tests for my large commissions, as well. Phew. I will paint this weekend! I am determined!

I've cut back on my online time a bit; I have a lot going on, and I need to start scrubbing the house from top to bottom in preparation for

roho's dad visiting next month. So much to do... swiftly diminishing time!

I have another anthropology assignment that I'll post about tonight, as I need to interview three more volunteers as part of the assignment. Maybe I'll do some sort of incentive for assistants? A thank-you sketch? What do you guys think?

I need to start getting ready for class. Time seems so fleeting!

Have a great day everybody!

Quote of the Day:

"The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning." --- Mitch Albom (b. 1958); author, screenwriter, musician

Daily News:

I want to apologize for my lack of updates lately. School and so forth has been really nuts, and when energy is at such a low ebb... the internet updates suffer. :)

We spent last weekend in Boston visiting

roho's sister and new baby niece. The baby is disgustingly adorable, she had both of us wrapped around her pudgy little fingers within moments of arriving. She's going to grow up to be a beauty- both of her parents are attractive people, and she has Roho's beautiful dimples.

Before we left, I was crunching to get all my homework completed. Now that we're home, I'm re-entering the grind, but since we don't have a whole lot going on this weekend, I have more time for internet activities.

I haven't worked on artwork lately, and I'm feeling that lack. I really need to finish my two large commissions, and to do that, I think I'm going to need to start adhering to a schedule. Otherwise, my time gets away from me, and I get nothing done.

I think I have enough finished work to show as samples for FurFright, and I'm definitely thinking I'm only going to accept badges and other quickwork at the convention. So if you'd like to pre-order for delivery next month, please let me know!

I had some other thoughts I wanted to share, and.. I seem to have forgotten them. Maybe they'll come back to me later.

Nifty Things...

Twisted Princess - Artist Jeffrey Thomas put a new twist on Disney Princesses, and while some of them are really creepy, the effect is really neat. The artist included some descriptions of what he wanted to do on his DA page. (Don't look if you find distortion of childhood icons disturbing) -- Link courtesy of

nyuni

Roza and the Horse Prince -- A web comic from Kelly Hamilton, I love her expressive faces and storytelling style.

Enjoy, and hopefully soon, I will have my own work to share!

If you're just joining me, welcome! Draw up a chair, have a cup of tea, and enjoy the morning!

Quote of the Day:

"One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest." --- Maya Angelou (b. 1928); poet

Daily Art:

I'm changing the heading from Art News to Daily Art, since my whole intent is to provide people with something pretty to look at. My stuff is preferable, but when I don't have time to produce new things... well.

A modern landscape artist, Ken Bushe's work is soft and almost pastel-y. It reminds me of 18th century landscapes, such as this piece by Gaspard.

All I have to say is 'wow'. I would have said these were photographs instead of acrylic on canvas. She does a lot of spotty cats, which is a subject near and dear to my heart, and I'd love to have a print of the one featured above. (I'd love the original even more, but... art is expensive)

In other news...

Our camping trip was a roaring success. Sunday we were sitting around grumbling that the trip wasn't longer. I would have dearly liked to get more hiking in, but my footwear choices for both walking and camp shoes were poorly thought out, and caused blisters. Next time, the Bean's boots will go. I was writing up a rather long and involved trip report, but I apparently left it on

roho's laptop. I'll try to get that posted in the next couple of days.

I'm rolling an idea around in my head for the past couple of days... I'm trying to get more healthy, and as such, eat better. I've ordered a cookbook from Amazon that is supposed to help me prepare meals that aren't going to do weird things with my blood sugar, and will help me maintain an even mood throughout the day. I'm thinking I may pull a Julie & Julia and work my way through the book, blogging about the results. It's not an original idea; the real Julie started it in 2002, and there are clubs around the internet that go through different cookbooks each week.... but.. it's something. Maybe posting about my efforts will give me the oomph I need to keep it up. Maybe it'll inspire someone else to be a little more healthy. I promise I am not going to scold everyone about the evils of unhealthy (and ohhh sooo yummy) food. ;) I'm not here to proselytize or convert you. I'm here to invite you into my life.

I like to think of this blog as a big window into my living room. I invite you in, we have a cup of the hot beverage of your choice, and chat for a while. I want my little corner of the internet to be warm, inviting and comfortable. I hope I'm managing that ok. :)

Nifty things...

Fishing for Rabbits -- I stumbled on this while surfing Ken Bushe's website, and... it was really cute. I'm guessing it's a tame bunny, but I giggled at the idea. :)

The Secrets Inside Your Dog's Mind -- No, it's not a 'Bark - to - English' translator. It's a study from Brian Hare, a professor of evolutionary anthropology at Duke. He's studying social behaviors of canines in an effort get a better understanding of their intelligence. (Link courtesy of

gypsypet)

That's it for today! Off to class soon. Have a great day, everyone! =)

Quote of the Day:

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." --- Helen Keller (1880 - 1968); author, lecturer, activist

Art News:

I'm working on designing my new business cards. I will post my final choices next week. Haven't had much time for drawing or painting, so unfortunately nothing new today. Maybe on Monday!

Current Projects:

Starting to ramp up for the fall convention circuit. I'm doing FurFright in October, and Midwest FurFest in November. I never sell prints, but I do have some nifty little impulse buy items I need to get ready, and I will have originals in the MFF Artshow... going to be a busy few weeks!

Nifty things:

The Art of Sara Forlenza - As usual, when I have no artwork to share of my own, I'd like to share someone else's creations! I don't quite remember how I found Sara, but I love her paintings. They remind me of my young adulthood, when I was devouring everything I could find about dragons and high fantasy, admiring the beautiful paintings of Michael Whelen on the covers.

I WANTED to feature

lisagems's etsy store. She designs and creates absolutely beautiful jewelry. But her store is empty! Lisa! Put things up for sale so I can encourage people to buy from you! ;)

Instead, we'll do Fire-n-Ash on DevArt. She draws photorealistically, and her favorite subject is one near and dear to my own heart. She does occasionally do sales of originals, and they are criminally cheap. If you're looking for good equine art, look no further!

I want to thank everyone that wished

roho and I a Happy Anniversary on Wednesday. It's so hard to believe that we've been together for 8 years, married for 3! Time really does fly. I feel so fortunate to have him in my life; he's amazing.

There will be no weekend posts this week, as we're going camping in New Glarus Woods. It'll be a blend of car-camping and hiking in, as the site we want is farther away from the parking lot (but not so far that we can't go back to the car if we need something). I'm excited, and we leave this afternoon.

So I hope everyone has a great weekend, and I will be back on Monday!

You are my husband
My feet shall run because of you
My feet shall dance because of you
My heart shall beat because of you
My eyes see because of you
My mind thinks because of you
And I shall love because of you.
--- Eskimo Love Song

Three years ago today I stood up with my best friend in front of our friends, families and God, and pledged to love, honor and cherish him for the rest of my life, and throughout eternity.

I think that was the easiest promise I've ever made.

Happy Anniversary,

roho. I love you.

Quote of the Day:

"The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die." --- Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy (1932 - 2009); United States Senator

I received this quote 5 days before Mr. Kennedy passed away. Seems somehow appropriate.

Art News:

I.. have art to share! I've been working really hard on schoolwork, so work on commissions pretty much stopped. However, I did take a break on Sunday evening to work on a commission for a very dear friend. He wanted a painting he can use for a beer label, and he wanted a centaur. Soooo...

There are a few adjustments left to be made, I put too much feathering around the hooves, but... that's easily fixed.

Current Projects:

Homework... homework... trying to get all my homework done for the week, because this weekend, we're going camping with

linnaeus. I am so totally psyched!

So, I should probably get cracking on that. Sooner done, sooner I can play. :)

Nifty things:

Treasure trove of previously undiscovered wildlife found in Papua New Guinea -- The photos attached to this article are amazing! I, like I'm sure many other people, always assume that humanity has wiggled its way into so many remote nooks and crannies of the earth that it's damned near impossible to find something new. I was wrong! (Link courtesy of

yotogi)

Have a great day!

Quote of the Day:

"I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening." --- Larry King (b. 1933); American television and radio host

Art News:

I have art, but I have to wait til the commissioner has seen and approved it to post. I've seen far too many friends see their commissions for the first time in a public forum and be disappointed that other people saw it before them. Soo.. hopefully in a day or two I can post it.

Current Projects:

Moar homework. I have plans this coming weekend that will make doing my homework difficult over the weekend, so I have to get it all done during the week. Fortunately, tomorrow is a school holiday, so I only have one day of class this week, which means I can concentrate on getting everything done before Friday.

Nifty things:

The Cat Piano -- When

loboguara told me I had to see this video, I admit; I thought it was an America's Funniest Videos thing of a cat playing a piano. I went and looked.... and wow. Very much not! It's an animated short movie that was apparently submitted to the Adelaide Movie Festival in Australia. Very worth viewing, very very good!

The Directions and The Elements, Sculptural Masks by Jodi Forster -- I was looking for something unusual and pretty to include in today's links and I stumbled on these. I particularly like her 'West' piece. The suggestion of water carved into the wood is appealing.

If you have any links you'd like to share, please feel free to pass them on!

Enjoy the last day of the holiday weekend (in the US)!

Quote of the Day:

"All of our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them." --- Walt Disney (1901 - 1966); animator, film producer

Art News:

It's been a busy week for homework. I'll try to get some art together to share before the weekend's over.

In the mean time... More artists featured!

Shadowscapes, the Art of Stephanie Pui-Mun -- This artist does a lot of asian-themed work, and a lot of fairies. If you like fantasy oriented winged things, fairies, angels and the like... you'll probably like her stuff. It's mostly watercolor, and all very lovely.

Featherlady Studio, the Art of Julie Thompson -- Perhaps you've heard of her, perhaps you've seen some of her work. Julie does amazingly detailed paintings on feathers, and is probably my favorite wildlife artist. Once I get out of school and have money again, I really want to commission her for something special.

Current Projects:

I finished all of last week's homework on time (yay!) but I still have some reading to catch up with, and I need to assemble and write up everyone's responses from the anthropology assignment. I want to thank EVERYONE that participated!! I know some wanted to remain anonymous, so I will not thank everyone by name here.

Nifty things:

Great Big Sea will be in Milwaukee on Oct 1st, and Glen Ellyn on Oct 3rd. I REALLY REALLY want to go! (to one show, not both) I'm not sure if we can swing it, but just in case anyone else is a fan!

Illinois Storytelling Festival is going on at Dominican University in River Forest on September 25-26. I've never heard of any of the storytellers coming, but their bios sound fascinating! I'm not sure if we're going to be in town that weekend (or up for doing much if we are), but if someone's looking for something unique and interesting to do.... there we go!

Enjoy your Sunday, folks!

Quote of the Day:

"Listening is an attitude of the heart, a genuine desire to be with another which both attracts and heals." --- J. Isham

Art News:

I have no art news, currently. I'm still flailing around with schoolwork (it's a heavy writing semester. Yech!). If people are interested, I can start posting samples of some of the things I'm writing? It's non-fiction, but some of it (I hope) is interesting!

And since I have no art to feature, I'll feature some other artists!

haikujaguar is having a Blue Bag Sale - Old prints chopped up into bookmarks and random small pieces of art. Limited amount available, grab one while you can!

djinni has launched a new comic, Ekwara. He's also the super talented artist behind Dracula. Go check out his stuff!

Support the arts, today! Tip an artist!

Current Projects:

Homework homework homwork! Ahem.

I have several test problems to finish up for my algebra class, I am typing up my notes for my Anthropology interviews -- And I am still accepting information! Please, take 5 minutes and fill out the information! Culture does not mean visiting another country!! It can be moving to a different state, going to a new school, going away to college for the first time, even visiting a strange city!

Help me get an A! :D

Nifty things:

Animal Diversity Web -- Maintained by the University of Michigan's Museum of Zoology, this website is an excellent resource for animal skeletal structures. They have a 3-D model you can rotate around using Quicktime (for macs, not sure about pcs), which makes it invaluable for that pesky carnivore you're trying to draw.

How to Draw People - By Joumana Medlej --- If anyone is looking for ideas for Christmas / birthday gifts for me, I would love a copy of this book. Ms. Medlej USED to have the contents up on a website, and they were wonderfully clear, illustrating different ethnicities with clarity and providing an excellent resource for the artist. She took the website down when she published the book. If you're a budding artist and struggling, or just want a good reference book, this one is -awesome-.

Hope everyone has a wonderful (and safe) Labor Day weekend if you're in the US, if you're not, then... I hope you have a great weekend anyway. :D

Quote of the Day:

"The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought, and attended to my answer." --- Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862); philosopher, writer, naturalist

Art News:

Pew. Got feedback on a commission, need to do some tweaks and changes to it, and find some help drawing a different body shape. I'm in a rut. Will upload and share once changes are approved, and I was, indeed, failureface for August. I wanted to finish more work, but I only completed one painting.

Mind you, it was a very nice one, but.. still. I want better of myself. Maybe September will be good?

Current Projects:

Homework homework homework! I need to complete my Algebra assignment, I need to design and create an Access Database, I have reading to do for my Writing class, and I have to write a three page journal entry about my history as a writer (what history? I'm not a writer! I don't beloonnnggg heeeerreee!).

The writing class is a required course, because I got a job tutoring in the writing center. I still feel like there had to be some mistake, because.. duh, I'm a visual artist, not a writer. Right?

Also need to do some personal correspondence before my sister sends my neices after me in revenge. >.>

Nifty things:

Photo Realistic Pencil Drawings -- I've seen photo realism of human subjects in galleries, but never of animals. Amazing stuff! (Video of him working can be found here.)

One Stop Shop for Artistic Photo Reference -- I don't know this guy's story, but he is a -fantastic- photographer. I love flipping through the gallery (and it's huge) and marking images I can use for later drawings. I grabbed a random photo of something cool for the link, it's all wildlife photos, safe for work or children's viewings.

Have a great day folks! (One more day til Friday!)

Ooog. I did not want to get up this morning.

Quote of the Day:

"Set out each day believing in your dreams. Know without a doubt that you were made for amazing things." --- Josh Hinds; motivational speaker, author

Art News:

I've hit a bit of a dry spell. I started work on another outstanding commission, I still haven't redrawn Tigerwolf's commission. I did a couple of little sketches that I wanted to share, however.

Current Projects:

I'm currently flailing around with schoolwork, trying to find my semester routine. I have some housework I want to get done before my father-in-law visits in October, and I am really looking forward to the Labor Day break. -.-

Today's my first day at my new job. I'm... apprehensive. I'm sure I'll do fine.

Nifty things:

Ukraine's Got Talent Winner - I'm sure this video has made the rounds already, but... it bears reposting for those that haven't seen it. I'm always fascinated with sand artists, but this one is almost like watching a movie. The story is about the artist's grandmother, whose first husband went off to fight in WWII. He died before seeing his unborn child come into the world. Grab some tissues before you watch. You'll want them.

The Sinking of the Cumberland Part 1, and part 2 - James Gurney walks the viewer through the creation of his aforementioned painting. If you enjoy watching artists work in progress, or you just love Civil War naval art, this is definitely worth checking out!

Have a great day!

Quote of the Day:

"To be rich in admiration and free from envy, to rejoice greatly in the good of others, to love with such generosity of heart that your love is still a dear possession in absence or unkindness - these are the gifts which money cannot buy." --- Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894 ); poet, essayist, author

Art News:

I have things to scan! I didn't get around to them last night, so I shall scan them today. I still haven't put Heron down on paper, but now I have some major incentive to, so I'l work on that soon. I'm going to redraw Tigerwolf's commission, because the painting... just didn't work out. I need to do a color test, and maybe find a better reference for the rock. I laid out the pencils for

linnaeus's commission, but not quite happy with it... the anatomy is driving me crazy.

So anyway, I have some sketches and works in progress to share for tomorrow. =)

Current Projects:

School, school, and.. uh.. school. I have several math problems I need to work on over the weekend, to make sure I understand how to solve them. It's been *mumble* years since I studied math, and even in the remedial course, I'm finding myself wondering what I was thinking. I have some really awesome resources, however, so I'll get through it.

The weather outside is crisp and damp, and it feels so much like fall! It's incredible! I'm curled up at the kitchen table while I write this, a steaming cup of coffee at my elbow, the window open behind me. Ahhh, I adore this time of year! J'adore, j'aime, oui oui!

Once I get settled in my new routine, and the initial ZOMG SCHOOL panic dies down, I'm interested in doing the 100 daily sketches. I was interested in doing 100 daily paintings, honestly, but I don't think I have the time nor the supplies.

I also received a line on getting my art put into a catalog to provide samples of the art supplies in use; this excites me a great deal, and I think once I have some wildlife paintings completed, I'm going to talk to my local gallery about what I need to do. That's a big step for me; I've always done the convention-sell-direct route, but... hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Nifty things:

It's a good morning for conversation --- I've had similar experiences with deer, never with a wild carnivore.

More Close Encounters of the Wildlife Kind -- I admit, I love the idea of one day living somewhere rural enough that I'll see more wildlife of this sort. I grew up in an area that was predominantly woods and farmland, but was heavily hunted; so the largest wild critter I'd see is a squirrel, and occasionally (rarely!) a coyote. Now, we live in rural farmland, and do occasionally see deer, but I think the land around us is too heavily settled for more wild things to come in.

Ahh, one day!

Have a great Friday, everyone!

Quote of the Day:

"There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life-- happiness, freedom, and peace of mind-- are always attained by giving them to someone else." -- Peyton C. March (1864 - 1955); General, US Army

Art News:

I have new arts to scan, I will hopefully get around to doing that tonight. I managed to... ah... not go in the direction I wanted with the commission I was working on, so I have to start that one over. The down side of working on paper is it won't put up with a lot of painting over.

In the mean time, while I figure out what I want to do with that, I started getting pencils for another commission down. I want to get both of the large commissions I've got on my plate right now done by the end of September, so.. two in a month. I'm thinking it's not going to be impossible, but it's going to require some work.

Right now, I'm having difficulty with horse anatomy. buh. -.-

Current Projects:

I'm still turning over the idea of databases and how best to work them. I have vague ideas of what I want, and when I haven't nailed down the details, it's pretty difficult to have someone else help me.

I need to figure out what I'm going to do with my Facebook space. I'm not really sure I'm ready to have my worlds collide as people from adolescence and childhood that I've not spoken to in 20 years are introduced to what I've made of my adult life, but.. it's networking, right?

I'm also mulling over the idea of crowdfunding, and what I could offer sponsors. I'll likely put a poll up in the next couple of days.

Nifty things:

Since this has pretty much become my defacto art journal, I thought it might be nice to feature some art!

Last week I was talking to someone about web comics vs online graphic novels, and they mentioned they didn't read much, because they weren't really into the single-strip story style of most print comics (the funny papers we all grew up reading), and didn't want to spend alot of time looking for something to enjoy.

So! Here are some of the things I peek in on, from time to time. I don't read comics daily, I tend to go 2-3 months without checking on them; I just bookmark the last strip I read, go back later, and get caught up.... then update my bookmark til the next 2-3 months have gone by.

Sequential Art -- A 'furry' comic, but one I think everyone can enjoy. It has both long and short story arcs, and the writing has been good enough to keep me coming back since I discovered the comic...however many years ago it's been.

Inverloch -- A graphic novel that has been completed, it's 760 pages, and full of awesome. The artist is working on a new graphic novel that's a little more difficult to get into (but totally worth it), The Phoenix Requiem. The artwork is lovely, and the writing is good. Read! Enjoy!

Have a great day folks, weekend's nearly here!

Apologies for the lack of updates for the past couple of days. I had a lot going on that I needed to think about.

Quote of the Day:

"It often takes more courage to change ones opinion than to keep it." --- Willy Brandt

Art News:

Last night, I discovered clayboard. If the stuff is half as nice to paint on as it is to draw... I really really liked it. So yeah. I'll upload those drawings in a couple of days, I want to scan them before I attempt painting them.

I started work on Tigerwolf's commission, and.... it's already at the stage where I hate how it looks. (Ask any artist, each painting has a stage where it's hideously ugly, and they hate it) So.. we'll see if I can bring it back out of that, or if I need to start over.

I did upload some artwork yesterday, some if it, folks have already seen, some you may not.

The one with the thicker border does contain tasteful nudity, so have care while browsing.

If you have indicated interest in a commission and I haven't given you prices and information where to send the details, please nudge me. I still need a good system for keeping track of work. :(

If you are interested in a commission and haven't talked to me, please do! There is currently a bit of a list, but I'm happy to discuss your desires and we can work something out.

Current Projects:

First day of classes was yesterday, so today is doing a bit of homework, and in general... getting things in order. I need to pick up a couple of things by way of supplies, but mostly I'm pretty set for the semester.

I want to keep researching for a database to make my life easier, I'm thinking I'm going to end up having to create one. Excel just isn't cutting it.

I'm kind of psyched about cooking dinner tonight, we're having one of my favorites. Korean burritos. :9

Nifty things:

I'm running out of cool and nifty things to link to you guys! I'll come up with something for tomorrow. :)

Have a great day!

Quote of the Day:

"We never realize the power of a single human being until one comes along and conquers our heart." --- Unknown

Art News:

The past couple of days have been spent running around being social and helping friends with various home projects. So I haven't had a chance to scan recent doodles.

I'm still working on a Secret Project, and cheekitty.com has been getting a complete overhaul behind the scenes. As soon as I can learn/figure out how to make the new site look pretty, it'll go live.

roho has been invaluable in helping me get this together, I couldn't have done it without him. :)

I shall hopefully have new art soon to share with people.

Current Projects:

I'm getting ready for school to start on Tuesday. My class schedule thusfar is just on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but I don't know my new work schedule yet. We have several house projects in the queue, I'd like to dejunk from top to bottom, and find permanent storage solutions for the things we keep. That'll be interesting.

Today, we're going to take the dog for a visit with friends, possibly get lunch out, then come back and recover a bit, I think.

Nifty things:

Irish Oatmeal in 10 minutes -- We love oatmeal in our house, and we have two recipes that we use. One is Alton Brown's overnight oatmeal and the other is a recipe from Cooking Light that takes about an hour. I think this recipe is good if you don't have a crock pot, but if you do.... just do Alton's version. >.> (recipe courtesy of

haikujaguar)

Move over, Swiss Miss! -- I wish I remembered who told me that this particular product was bliss in a mug, but I have it on good authority that this is the instant cocoa to purchase. And as we transition into autumn, the idea of a steaming cup of cocoa on a chilly morning sounds divine. :)

Have a great day, guys!

Current Location: United States, Illinois, Carol Stream

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