Day One Hundred Sixty Six

Good evening, everyone. This post comes to you from the living room floor, as your author attempts to keep from moving one single sore muscle. After signing up for junior roller derby yesterday, I figured I’d better get back on skates.

A few hours later, I managed to stay upright long enough to build up some momentum in the gym and really get skating. I fell and slid across the floor less than half a dozen times, so I’d count it as a good, albeit bruise-y day.

I took a few liberties with today’s word; bending it a bit to fit the character as it evolved. It feels great to be drawing something un-girly, though.

Today’s word is interesting, but comes off as a bit of an exaggeration when you see the final piece.

el-e-phan-tine adj. To have a lot of strength or to be great in size.

I liked the idea of illustrating a rather fat character; someone loveable and chubby. Although I’m not sure anyone would really refer to this poor man as “elephantine”, I like the way he came out.

I decided to keep his face blank and mannequin-like after I had traced a pencil line so as to be able to draw the face at a particular angle. I liked the way the simple line complimented the rest of the character.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post; have a great night.

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Sixty Three

So, I’ve managed to get this here blog started a little earlier. Maybe I can actually stay awake until the end of this post. Phew! I’m not sure how today went; it was a little strange. It did end with Hesher, however, which I highly recommend seeing.

So, today’s word was pretty tough to figure out. Because it, in its very nature, is a form of art. Therefore, I could have simply created today’s word in a literal sense. But, being overly self-conscious about my skill level in that area, I decided to stick with illustration instead. Okay, I think I’d better try to undo the confusion I must have created here...

po-em n. A composition in verse with language selected for its beauty and sound.

I decided to illustrate both a poet and a poem for today’s piece.

I like the way this came out, and the way the character is both self-conscious about and proud of his creation at the same time.

Well, everyone, I hope you enjoy your evening and your Friday!

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Fifty Seven

Today was a sleepy Saturday. We huddled inside away from the cold for most of it (although, after the couple days of 100 degree weather we just had, I’m hesitant to complain about a chilly day or two). After a really awesome, really chilly outdoor rock show, it was time to settle down, thaw out my toes (one of them turned blue...seriously...) and make some art.

I found that old dictionary today!! The brat was hiding atop a wardrobe in a box of patches/stickers/notebooks. How it got there, I have no idea. Unfortunately, I left the house without it, and had to use another too-fancy, too-large, pretentious dictionary to find a word for today.

cas-cade a steep usu. small fall of water. Something arranged or occurring in a series or in a succession of stages so that each stage derives from or acts upon the product of the preceding.

There’s more to the definition than that (as you can see from the photograph) but I won’t go into it too much.

So, I couldn’t get the image of “cascading” hair out of my mind. I didn’t much like the idea of going with a curly, flowy look-it seemed much too bland and girly. I decided to go with something a little different, and a little more abstract.

She seems almost confused by her hair situation. Although it seems like a mess, I’d kill (or at least seriously injure) for hair that long. Ah, well, a girl can dream.

Have a good night everyone.

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Forty Six

Oh, boy! Super, super late post...

Today signaled (although, not in terms of weather) the start of summer. It passed slowly by with that languid, dream-like quality that (usually) only summer can provide. I hope, this week, to have school finished so that I may really kick back and enjoy myself. For now, we labor on. (haha)

Once again without my dictionary, I grumbled over to the thesaurus to find a usable word for today. I ended up with a word that really had nothing to do with my day, but also everything to do with it. (I like to make sense on this blog.)

en-dure v. To continue.

I set out to illustrate a very solid, resolute illustration. Lacking evidence of pain, fury, or troubles in need of overcoming, I wanted someone who quietly endured. It really spoke to me to present a character who, despite being in the midst of turmoil, remained calm and at peace.

I decided not to include arms or any extraneous detail, in keeping with the sense of tranquility I sought to convey through this illustration. Once again, I have drawn a speck closer to being able to illustrate rain in a way that made sense to me. For today’s attempt, I sketched lines ending in water droplets around the character, and then blended various shades of blue pastel over the inked lines.

I kind of like this one, I think.

As always, thank you.

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Forty One

Another strange day today. I believe I’ve entered into the summer way of thinking, where one loses track of not only the name of the current day, but the name of the current month. Oh, well, it’s bliss.

So, I haven’t got much to say about today’s word, so I’ll just begin with it.

wa-ter-tight adj. Closed or sealed so tightly that no water can enter, leaving no chance for evasion.

Immediately, I knew I wanted to illustrate a character in a water-tight vessel under the ocean. Going with a steam punk edge, I added large rivets to create a strange little box to house today’s character.

I added blue pastel to convey a sense of water, and used a lighter bit of blue pastel to cover the area on top of the box.

Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed today’s post.

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Thirty Eight

I’ve spent the last few days feeling an intense need to write. Unfortunately (with the exception of this blog) everything I write either ends up erased, scratched out, or crumpled up... I’m not sure what’s trying to make its way from my subconscious to paper, but it’s definitely an interesting, not to mention extremely frustrating experience. Despite this frustration, today was a lovely day.

Today’s word was a little strange and threw me creatively quite a bit. I toyed with several rather disgusting ideas before settling on a milder take.

in-nards pl. n. Slang The internal organs or parts of the body; the inner parts of a machine.

Inspired by the antics of my four brothers, I was tempted to go all-out, road kill nasty on this one. However, sedated somewhat by a heavenly mixture of chicory coffee and vanilla ice cream, my mood called for something a little less graphic.

I went with a more subtle, funny take on “innards” by emphasizing the absence of them. She seems a bit shy, and a little confused by the fact that she misses her middle. I added the sketchy background to balance out the negative space. Although unintended, it ended up reminding me of the Northern Lights because of how the lines formed into ribbon-like patters.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post; thanks for reading.

Xx

-r 

Day One Hundred Thirty Seven

Today was spent how most good Saturdays should be spent; outside getting sweaty and dirty. We spent the day on the sailboat; removing the current covering of the boat’s interior walls. Dusty and dirty, we huddled inside the bow, masks on, scraping away.  

Settling down, exhausted and glassy-eyed, I began today’s piece. Today’s word really resonated with me, and I knew immediately what I wanted to portray. I hoped to avoid the hipster, Kerouac-wannabe take on today’s word and so decided to do an old west take on it.

way-far-er n. A person who travels on foot.

With only a chewed-up pen at my disposal, I gave up on planning and simply started to draw.

 Beginning with the image of the man, I worked outwards from there to create the shaded path. As an afterthought, I added a small moon and a few stars in the sky.

I like his bowlegged stance, and the dusty weight of the trail stretched out in the night behind him.

Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed today’s post!

Xx

-r  

Day One Hundred Thirty Six

I believe today is Friday.

 Looking back, I cannot say how I really felt about this week, but I’m truly glad it’s finally over.

I spent the rainy, dreary portion of today writing a (not so short) short story; only to realize I wasn’t supposed to be writing a short story after all. So much enthusiasm, so little time [to read directions properly]. Ah, well...at least I got an interesting creation out of the deal.

So, after a long day/week/year/life, I settled down in front of the television (because the best art is made while ½ your brain is slowly microwaving) to find today’s word. The “word” ended up being “words”, as I found a set that pulled me back into the winter. As much as I despise the red-nosed, shivering, whiny creature I become in the depths of winter, I really do enjoy the layering; the beauty of being able to wear all of my favorite clothing...at one time...

bundle up v. To dress warmly, usually using many layers of clothing.

I began to draw a Russian-looking character; bundled up close against a harsh winter.

I added sort of outrageous pink pastel to her cheeks to emphasize the sting of a cold wind. As an afterthought, I colored her legs a flat red; the idea of bright colors in the snow (Are they tights? Or perhaps a union suit?) and I think her legs stand out as sort of a strange element. I like the way this turned out, but I’m glad to be heading away from all of this business for a little while.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post; thank you for reading!

Xx

-r 

Day One Hundred Thirty Four

Today ended as all days should end-under a blanket with a hot cup of tea. Sleepily, I fetched a piece of tagboard, pens, and a few pastels. I flipped through the pages of my old dictionary and settled upon a rather ordinary word.

ap-ple n. The round, red, yellow, or green edible fruit of a tree.

I thought about the word apple, and the imagery surrounding it. Deciding against a simple pastel sketch of an apple, I thought more about apples and their various uses. Then, I hit upon the idea of an apple, atop a head, being used for target practice. Giving it a little twist, I decided to have the person balancing the apple be enjoying the tension, and smiling in an almost mischievous way.

I like that she seems to enjoy the (imagined) reaction of the viewer and the (probable) hesitation of the shooter. I used thin lines of pen to give texture to the background, as I was going for an out-in-the-yard-against-the-shed look. I also like the addition of the goggles (as if they’d provide any protection).

I hope you enjoyed today’s post; thanks for reading!

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Thirty Two

Today was a good day. Although, any Monday in which one does absolutely no work automatically counts as a good day but I think this one was good despite (and partly because of) that fact. So, I returned home to throw a record on the turntable, brush the notebooks, jewelry and odd antiques from my desk and start in on some art.

Today’s word delighted me. I loved the way it sounded old and unused. It fit right up there with words like “jitter” and “bop”. Sure enough, a Google search later, this word was (approximately) in prime use from the years of 1940 to 1945.

table--hop v. To go from one table to another in order to talk with one’s friends such as in a restaurant.  

I loved this! I decided to illustrate a café at which some table-hopping was occurring. Inspired by Edward Gorey (though not nearly anywhere within the same spectrum of artistic talent) I used cross-hatching to convey a sense of nighttime and depth.

As I finished, all I could think was Oh, boy. This man must have used so many pens... I kept the color confined to the match to emphasize the action taking place. I like the subtlety of the woman sitting at the table, partially hidden by the “gentleman”. I can just imagine a drawn face; red lips pursed beneath narrowed eyes as she watches her date “table-hop” on over to another lady. Hah!

I hope you enjoyed today’s post; thanks for reading!

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Thirty One

We spent today (or at least the beginning of it) setting fire to a vast expanse of prairie. As it is time to burn the native grasses to allow them to grow back taller and fuller the next year, I headed out into the country to photograph this taking place.

Returning home exhausted, windblown and smelling strongly of smoke, I sat down to work on today’s piece.

I decided to launch right into the art today, without thinking too much about what exactly I wanted to end up with (which is ironic, considering today’s word)...

care-ful adj. Exercising care; cautious; watchful.

I threw aside my pencil (and with it my ability to edit the piece along the way) and picked up an old pen. I went with the idea of a character being careful and whimsical at the same time, and decided to illustrate a balancing act.

I like the simplicity of this piece, and may continue to work with this idea so as to polish it further. (Maybe a pencil would help, after all...)

Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed today’s post. Have a lovely Monday!

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Twenty Nine

I spent today working (observing) in the print shop, huddled away from the drizzle and the gray gloom that has fallen over our little town. Aside from the cold and the somewhat bitter wind, today was just marvelous. The rain fell in a light mist for hours, and the sky clouded over with a heavy, bluesy layer of cloud. I can honestly say that I wish there were more days like this. Oh, well. I will have to enjoy them as they come along.

After an ice cream sandwich and a cup of very strong coffee (because the only thing better than a sugar high is a sugar+caffeine high) I was ready to begin writing for today’s post. The dictionary offered up a rather plain word today, but it led to an interesting and unintended result.

pin n. A small, stiff piece of wire with a blunt head and a sharp point, used to fasten something, usually temporarily; one of the rounded wooden clubs serving as the target in bowling.

Now, today’s piece came about as the result of a misunderstanding on my part. I thought of a “pin” as a “button” (the colorful type of button that pins onto clothing, not the kind that keep your shirt on ya). Without thinking, I began to illustrate a rather sullen character, decorated in my changed version of “pins”. 

Only as I finished did it dawn on me that I had, in fact, drawn buttons! As I pulled back from the page to look at my new creation, I realized that the stance of the character makes him look as if he’s “pinned” in place. He leans slightly forward, as if wanting to move but not knowing just quite how to do so. This piece really struck me; as it embodied recent experiences and a desperate desire on my part never to be “pinned” like this character. It’s always been fascinating to me-things about yourself that you may not intend to translate through your art come through without you intending them to. It’s as if I pick up a pencil and get lost in it; emerging to find a strange piece of art.   

I hope you enjoyed today’s post; thank you for reading.

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Twenty Five

There probably is not a way to tell you that I spend the entire day cleaning my room without it reflecting badly on my room-upkeep skills (and/or my concentration skills), but that is the sad truth. Ah, well. It needed to be done. I took a break for dinner and the last few seconds of House, and then got down to business.

I wasn’t really sure what to do with today’s word until I read through the definition. At first glance, it seemed rather boring but not without potential; after reading a little more, I knew the perfect use for it (or a variation of it)!

drawer n. One that draws pictures; a sliding box or receptacle in furniture. drawers pl. An article of clothing for the lower body.

After a short-lived internal debate over freedom of artistic expression and maintaining a certain level of appropriateness (guess what won?) I began to draw.

I love the simplicity of this drawing, and the (almost) innocent way in which it is provocative. I kept the color to a minimum; wanting to avoid busying-up the piece, and wanting to highlight the...er...“drawers”.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post; thank you for reading!

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Nineteen

I’m not sure where today went. It began with a wired girl dashing out the front door to claim a package form a very frightened postman. The arrival (finally!!) of these prints signaled the beginning of a few intense hours of hot-gluing, framing, and muffled cursing. As the shadow boxes reached completion, and were carefully wrapped in paper, I headed to the library to set up the show!

To see more of the shadow boxes (there are five in all) and to check out Auntie Liza’s magnificent monotype prints and vinyl work, come by the Lawrence Public Library lower level any time before the end of April!

Alright, it’s time to get down to business.

Alright, so today’s word, in combination with a collage class I recently started, allowed for a multimedia approach. Because the word itself is rather dry and agonizing (at least, I think so) I decided to use that feeling to illustrate a character.

al-ge-bra n. generalization of math in which symbols represent members of a specified set of numbers and are related by operations that hold for all numbers in the set.

I used my old Algebra II notebook to decorate today’s piece, and illustrated a rather forlorn, frustrated character.

It was incredibly liberating to be able to rip the crap out of something that was once so precious! I loved the look of this character because it reminded me of the times spent crouched over an old notebook, scribbling away. I like the way the pieces of notebook stood out on the page to create sort of a chaotic look in keeping with the utter “blugh” that goes along with Algebra.

As always, thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the post and don’t forget to check out the library show!

Xx

-r

Day One Hundred Seventeen

Listening to the drum of rain on the steps of the front porch punctuated by the frantic click of laptop keys as I type faster than I can think. If I could be any closer to this rain without drenching this computer, you would find me there. Storms have always both calmed and excited me; the change in pressure and the darkening of the sky as clouds sweep quickly across it making my heart race as I rush for a camera. As the clouds burst open, and drops begin to fall, excitement gives way to tranquility; every breath becoming increasingly deep, pulling in the scent of rain on brick and wet earth. The largest portion of this one is over now, I believe. There is only the occasional flash of lightning and crack of thunder. I suppose I’d better continue on, and fulfill the original purpose of this project.

Before I begin, I’d like to announce that Page 177 has broken free from the binding of this old Webster’s pocket dictionary, and will be cared for as tenderly as it’s the two other pieces of what was once one. (Meaning, for those of you that have not seen the careless manner with which I treat this poor book, not very tenderly.)

As I looked back on some of my older work, I realized that much of my current art has been put under the awful restraint of reality. Striving to “improve” my technique, I had lost some of the strangeness that is seen more clearly before I began to be concerned with miniscule details like the realistic portrayal of a human being. Darn this focus on technique! I decided to, little by little, peel away the layers of restraint and bring back the “weird”. Today’s word and the tools I had at hand provided the perfect opportunity to do just that.

be-smear v. To soil; to smear.

I began with a drawing in pencil of a strange character. For inspiration, I drew on the dress style I have come to love (only real women have that many buttons) and the small, dark-eyed, wild-haired creature that stared back at me from the mirror after a long, long day in the wind.

After completing the sketch, I lined it with paint to aid in the “besmearing” process, and stepped out onto the porch. Holding it out into the wind while the freezing (okay, not freezing, just cold) rain battered the both of us was not an entirely terrible process. It was oddly invigorating to be clinging to a soggy piece of watercolor paper by the light of a few windows on an empty street. Who knows what the neighbors think of me, but I’m pretty sure they’ve come to realize by now that this family is just strange. Anyway, I ended up with a very warped, very soggy, fairly interesting piece of work.

I really wish she would have smudged more; the rain was slightly too cold and separated the paint into pieces as opposed to making it run. Ah, well. There will always be another rainstorm and another sketch.

Thank you for reading; I hope you enjoyed today’s post and your weekend.

Xx

-r