Friday, January 30, 2009

IF - Flawed



well i found the secret to life
i found the secret to life
i'm okay when everything is not okay
i said i found the secret to life
i found the secret to life
i'm okay when everything is not okay
is not okay

tori amos - upside down


In an upside down, flawed world... I've found the secret, so I'm okay. =)

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Get Ready for Earth Day!


Calling all little artists!! (17 and under.) Celebrate Earth Day by having your creative kid(s) compose a masterpiece for auction to benefit The Nature Conservancy What could be more fun than creating something beautiful and giving back to the planet for Earth Day? Check out the post at greeblemonkey.com for all the rules and details.

Also!! Don’t forget to follow @kidartauction on Twitter to stay up to date with the latest and greatest from now until Earth Day! April 22, 2009

IF - Climbing



and even as I'm climbing up
the stairs I know there's
Heaven there and then
Empty arms that comes
with the Morning Star


Little late with last weeks IF, and therefore just a sketch... but made it just in time to get ready for tomorrow's! Phew! This one comes from Tori's song "Mrs. Jesus." It would ruin it to explain my take on the song, not to mention my vision is cloudy and complicated. I hope you enjoy the sketch nonetheless.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Valentines Giveaway!

painter_mommy_blog_badge.jpg I am a proud sponsor of the paintermommy.com fabulous Valentines Giveaway Bash! Here's what you'll win from me: A handmade felt cookie set that includes a heart shaped cookie cutter, 7" rolling pin, dough and 4 baked cookies with red icing and sprinkles.

If you'd like to make more cookies for yourself, check out this post to see how to do it yourself!

Be sure to check out her site for more information and to see all the other goodies you can win. Good luck!


ValentineCookies

IF - Pale



and if i'm hanging on to your shade
i guess i'm way beyond the pale


This little diddy comes from the "Doughnut Song" by Tori Amos. It's a tough one to interpret but ultimately she is "beyond the pale," beyond the limits of comfort, protection and safety from a failed relationship. I show her mourn the loss with a single tear and look up, hopeful to find her own satellite. Enjoy!

Friday, January 9, 2009

IF - Contained



is it right,
butterfly
they like you
better
frame and dried


Sometimes pretty little things are contained to keep them at arms reach, safe and preserved to have and admire, always.

I had a lot of fun with this one and allowed myself to experiment a bit. Drawn on watercolor paper, colored with watercolor pencils and markers blended with blender pen. Scanned and digitally enhanced. Plus the Torrey Girl was up for a little experimenting too and decided she'd like to not quite be herself today. Enjoy!

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Tattooed Dolls

During our 3-week, 13-state trip across the country last November we stopped to see a few of the wonderful sites America has to offer. I never thought that one of my favorite spots would be right in my hometown's backyard. The Roanoke downtown now boasts a wonderful new modern art museum, the Taubman Museum.

RMA

It's small in comparison to the Dallas and Denver museums that I am used to visiting. The building itself is stunning, a work of art in it's own right. There is a room inside with a piece of the building structure you can view up close to see how it's put together and timelines of the creative process behind the design and construction of the museum. Fascinating! If you are in the area check it out. Oh, and stop at the visitors center (just a few blocks away from the museum) to pick up a "RED Card" to get 1/2 off admission and discounts on other area attractions and restaurants.

There were so many wonderful pieces of art, yet one of my favorite exhibits was the History of Tattoos. Not what I would have imagined as being a favorite, but after the past year of diving head first into the whole crafting world, I've developed an appreciation for embroidery and these dolls were a part of the exhibit. They were amazing and intimidating at the same time.

Doll1 Doll2 Doll3

They made me happy and I wanted to stay and just look at all the intricate detail for hours. Alas, the boys were not so interested, so we moved on. But not before M. got a few pictures for me! I did a little research on them and you can see more on the Tattoo Baby Doll Project website. I was surprised to see how long they've actually been in circulation and so glad our paths crossed.

Now, upon what embroidery project should I embark? =)

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Show and Tell - Halloween Winnings

I am a little late with getting this post made... but better late than never. Last October I went nuts-o for Halloween crafting and decorating and entered my "Pin the Fangs on the Vampire" game in a few blog contests. And it must have been the right thing at the right time cause I won something in both, yeay me! =) So now I get to show them off!

The first was at Dabble.org and my prize was a custom illustration from Nancy. I hemmed and hawed at first not knowing what to request and then one day she posted this fabulous Alice in Wonderland inspired piece. Ah-ha! Instantly, I knew what I wanted and the results are better than my wildest dreams. I had two things I wanted the illustration to portray: Beast with blue eyes and Beauty with brown hair. And this is the amazing illustration I received!!! I truly love it Nancy, thank you!!




Next was at LivingLocurto.com and I got this adorable wall hanging decoration. It's made of wood and the letters are soft and pillowy. I love the colors and patterns and can't wait to make other pieces to go with it next year! Thank you Amy!

Friday, January 2, 2009

IF - Resolve



One of my 2009 resolutions is to participate in every IF (Illustration Friday) for the whole year. I am also going to try to use the Torrey Girl in all of them, we'll see if she wants to participate each week. Here she faces "Winter" head-on, resolved to stand up for herself and face the coming changes. So here you go! One down 51 more to go. =) Enjoy and Happy New Year!