Experiment #4

This is named for the fact that I was trying out how Copic markers worked on the darker Canson board...not real good. I had a small scrap of 5 x not quite 9, red/brown board and started with the idea of doing a simple wolf head. Again, not so good! The proportions are off (I know most would not notice, but IT is off...). So, it became more werewolf and got the name "Experiment #4". Don't ask why number 4, it was just what came to mind.

It was done mostly while setting in a church (not attending service but waiting on my husband who was at the service), so it didn't cut into commission work time.

I ended up adding allot of Acrylic so you will never figure out what was the Copic marker and what was something else. For a small quick picture, it's OK. Original for sale, $30. Picture 16.

New Bat

While I am well started now on the 4 picture commission (thank goodness), I can still do small pics as a distraction for my muse. Last year I created a character for FurAffinity called Pip. He is an anthro bat and I really like him. This is the latest picture of him. "Pip on the Carpet" (not a great title I know), 6 x 6, Acrylic, watercolor colored pencil, Copic marker, Micron marker on Bristol. This was done on the diamond and the square background color is just computer filler. Picture 15. Original for sale, $40.

Old Bat

This is an old picture that I still have. Not sure why no one has wanted it. I think it's good. I love bat wings and always try to do them as correctly as possible. "Night Flyer Landing", 16 x 20, Acrylic and watercolor colored pencil on Canson board. For sale, matted and framed $100.

Spirit of Froud

My muse is a brat (as I have stated before). I have a set of 4 pictures to do and I started the first one but didn't get far before THIS insisted on being painted. This is not exactly a portrait of the son of friends of mine. I used a picture of him (clothed of course) but I fear it's not a great likeness. (The child has seen it and says it's him, so I guess the likeness is right). Brian Froud is the main influence here. I love doing all the little details and the boys expression is just right I think. "Wild Boy, I'll Protect You!" 7 1/2 x 9, Acrylic and watercolor colored pencil on Canson board. Original available, $50 matted and framed. Picture 14.

Banner Winner...maybe

OK, after getting input from a few here, many more on Furr Affinity and from my husband. I think this slightly altered version of #1 is what I will go with. All of them had something I loved and wanted to use but this seems the strongest, most striking to many. Thanks again. I may do a second one someday and will keep all your ideas in mind.

Help With Banner

I want to order a nice banner to hang up at cons etc. to advertise my work. This would be 4 feet x 2.5 feet so when looking at these pictures, remember it will be large and no lettering will really be small. Which one do you like best? They are numbered 1-6 so you can just say the number you like best/think works best as a sign/banner. Thanks

To Much is Never Enough

A friend, asked me to do a black and white picture for her husband...I wanted to do color instead. I gave her a price and she said it was perfect...so I then proceeded to add 10 people to the picture! So here is what was originally to be a simple black and white anthro portrait. "Animal Weretiger, Battle", 8 1/2 x 11, Acrylic and watercolor colored pencil on Canson board. Picture 13.

30 Followers, I Feel Like a Cult

LOL, welcome to the new people who now follow my Weble (please note I prefer that term to blog). Please also note I crave comments!! Please, if you have a thought about anything I post, leave a comment!

Nothing new today but I will post some older art I did for a small press publisher. Back in the early 90's I did several covers for Circlet Press and a few others. Here is a pair of covers I did for a Vampire and Werewolf erotica collection. I was very pleased with them but they only used them for the first printing. They switched to all black with red lettering after that! Stupid if you ask me! I don't find books with no art on the cover attract me to them. Any way, here is "Blood Kiss" and "The Beast Within" covers. Each was 5 1/2 x 8 ink on Bristol.

Q pid

If you know me, you know I love cherubs! I am picky though and they have to have that certain something (no not a pee pee)! Anyway, as mentioned in my last post J.C. Leyendecker has a style I love and his cherubs are so cute! He is the man who really created the idea of the "New Year" being represented as a baby or cherub (see many many "Saturday Evening Post" covers by him). This little guy is directly inspired by his cherubs. He may stay in my personal collection... "Cupid", Acrylic on 6 x 6 Bristol paper. Picture 12.

Inspiration

Many many artists inspire me! From back when I was in high school till now, I have loved the works of J.C. Leyendecker. I was thrilled to see a book of his work come out and I now own it (thanks dear), I got it for Christmas. While I had always loved his work I am now even a bigger fan finding out that he was gay and his main model was his long time lover :)

Here is one of the hundreds of magazine covers he did (you think "Saturday Evening Post" and magazines like that only used Rockwell covers? Leyendecker did MORE!)

I am sure you will see my version or something based on this picture sometime soon.

Tiny Fun

Inspiration is strange. I am really enjoying doing the Art Trade Cards (or Art Card Editions Originals, ACEO as I have learned the ones for sale are called). These tiny pictures let me do something without needing to put hours or days into them. I don't feel guilty doing them when I should be doing other stuff, since they don't take to long :) .

"Is He Asleep?", Acrylic on 2.5 x 3.5, Bristol card. Original for sale (ask for price if interested). Picture 11.

Hot Stuff

Just a quick little picture that I did on yellow paper. I am not sure why but the scan seems paler at the bottom than at the top (the original is fairly even in color from top to bottom). Looks like a hot tub of lava... maybe it's a reaction to the cold we are dealing with? :)

"Hot Stuff", 5 x 8, Acrylic and Prisma Color. Original available for $30. picture 10.

First Pic Finally

The scroll I did which was the actual first picture done for 2010 can now be fully shown. Aneira, if you look at it, my new apprentice Eithne of Bright Hills did the calligraphy (which is WAY better than mine) so you should be happy with it. Golden Dolphin scroll based on Folio 133v. Pss 19.8 from the Abecedarium of the "Mira Calligraphiae Monumenta", German late 1500's. 8 1/2 x 11 on Velum (the skin not the paper) in Acrylic.

Number Nine

Here is the ninth picture for 2010, it is a slightly anthropomorphic Pine Marten (a member of the weasel family). The background is my favorite part though I really like Pine Martens (Thanks Theddy). "Sentry", 8 1/2 x 18 1/2, Acrylic on Canson board. Original SOLD at Balticon. Prints available!

Thinking Ahead

Pennsic is a mere 6 months away so I am starting my plans now! This year will be the 25th anniversary of my shop "The Magic Mirror" and so I had a banner made up to post at the shop to advertise this and those who sell there. Thought I would share it here. It is a huge blow up of a small part of a scroll I did and is printed by VistaPrint on vinyl, 35 x 20.

For Valentine's Day

Gee, I was going to post something about the TRUE origin of this holiday and I looked online and find all these nasty Christian, anti everything versions of the history. Of course, I learned way back when, that Valentine's day was originally a "pagan" holiday of fertility and people had lots of sex and it was fun! Then when the Christians came along they stole most of the pagan holidays and made up "saints" to have as the reason for the festival. Of course they took the sex out and tried to make it about "pure chaste love"! But some symbols stayed with it over the years in spite of what the Christians wanted. Cupid, Roman god of love, though reduced to a chubby baby in most cases, still remained the main symbol. The "heart" was also a continued symbol. Thanks to the mid 90's TV show "Cybill" (which we found extremely funny and I still miss), I can never look at a stylised Valentine style "heart" and see it the same. They made a good point/argument that the shape is NOT really a heart shape but the female sex organ!
After saying all this I hope the few who read this have a great Valentine's day and have that special someone in their lives as I do.
"Blind Cupid Box", 6 x 11 (box top as far as I can remember), Acrylic and enamel on wood. Original donated to an AIDs charity auction!

Fake Anime

I like some Anime but I really don't DO Anime style. This was inspired by someone else's version of an Anime character I am not familiar with. Their picture was digital and had just enough style to make me want to try my own version. In the original, he had a bandage around his chest and one arm and had a tiny wing. "Angel Boy", 2.5 x 3.5, Watercolor colored pencil with Acrylic for the lines on Bristol art trade card. I offered him for $1 on FurAffinity and someone has claimed him! Picture 8.

Ice Bars

Well our 3 or more feet of snow has been fun...well, ok, it has been interesting! We have snow higher than we have ever seen in the 8 years we have been in the house. This is a pic of the ice sickles out our bathroom window!

Tradgedy Inspired

The Earthquake in Haiti is the odd inspiration for this tiny picture. The children have been a big focus of the rescue efforts and the news. Haitian children are usually very beautiful (in my opinion) and I found a photo that was excellent as a reference. "Haiti", 2.5 x 3.5 , Acrylic on Bristol artist trading card. Picture 7. Sold at Balticon. Prints available!

Failed Attempt

Kerin are often called the Japanese/Chinese Unicorn and I think they are really cool creatures! I have seen a few fantastic anthro Kerin and wanted to do one for a long time. This was my first attempt and unfortunately I consider it a failure. The background is kinda nice but overall it's just not what I consider a good picture. "Anthro Kerin", 8 x 8, Acrylic and Micron pen on colored paper. Picture 6.

Spoiled Muse

It seems that now that I have a 4 picture commission and have been paid half to get started, my Muse has decided I need to paint OTHER things! He is a brat and I will have to get him under control soon, but for now I am doing a few non commissioned pictures.

Here is picture 5 for 2010, it took me 2 days and I really love how it came out. Tepeyollotl is an Aztec Jaguar God, the statue behind him and the jewelry he wears are all based on actual Aztec artifacts. "Tepeyollotl Awakening", 8 1/2 x 10, Acrylic with a small amount of watercolor colored pencil and Pro White on Canson board. Original SOLD at Balticon. Prints available.

Not Complaining

But I do wonder if anyone (other than Andy and Pyra on occasion) are even looking at this any more? Haven't had more than 1 comment on anything since the new year started. (my replies don't count). Just wondering...

Four....

This is just a quickie I started last night and finished today. Not based on anything really just me trying to do a more action picture and not be to caught up on realistic/photo based figure. I like it for the most part. "Hunt Quickie", Acrylic, Copic marker, Micron marker on colored paper, 7 1/2 x 7 1/2. Original available, $30.

Textural Tour de Force

Finally, I have the 3rd picture of 2010 done. This is a bad digital photo of it but I wanted to get it up asap. I seem to have done about every texture I could on this one. I am pretty happy with the finished piece. Colors are a bit off due to being photographed indoors with florescent lighting but you get the idea. "An Audience with the Prince", 14 1/2 x 18 1/2 Acrylic and watercolor colored pencil on Canson board. Original still available $200 (matted and framed).
(Prints will be available once I can get good pics of it!)

What Time Is IT

I like to paint on different things, shields, cloth, boxes, tiles, feathers, etc. I have done a few clocks and this is one of them. Overall I like how it came out but I would do it slightly differently today. "Elf Clock", about 11 inches tall (I think) Acrylic on wood. This sold at it's first convention!

Musical Inspiration

Back in the late 80's (I think), I did this picture based on a blind musician. The title and concept was inspired by the Moody Blues song "Veteran Cosmic Rocker". Music often inspires my work and I am almost always listening to music while working.

I think my favorite part of this picture is the Celtic guitar. I would love to see a real one like that. Doing the knotwork design on it and the strap drove me nuts but in the end I was very pleased with how it came out. "Cosmic Rocker", about 8 x 20 or so, Acrylic on board.

Warning Labels

I found this last year on some site and loved it! They had one for the Koran as well! I could not agree more with this and I think ALL religious books should come with real warning labels like this!!

Nature Angel

I did a black and white book way back when called "Darkness & Light; Demons and Angels". I did hand colored prints of several of the pictures I did for it because they just screamed for color. This is one of many I loved from it, "Amazonian Angel" is based on pictures of actual Amazonian natives and all the bits are also proper Amazonian items. The face markings, parrot feathers and plant arm bands are all based on Amazon tribal practices. Even the background is based on the actual Amazon. Black and white print on goldenrod card stock colored with Acrylics, 8 1/2 x 11.