In honour of my new friend who was kind enough to feature me in her journal, [link]

She goes by the name of Tea, and she has made DA feel like a great community with her wonderful features, and great photography.

You should go see her page for great, underviewed art that she features in her journal. And especially visit her wonderful gallery!


And to pay it forward here are a few features of artists who have inspired me:

Little miss sunshine by ~turningpage

The Ascent. by ~missjessicajoy

cake oO by ~Zimtkoernchen

.yellow by =Tracie76Stock

Sunbather by *ozzyroo

Nude Back by *blackhair85

tree by ~mellowpurple

Life for Your Soul by ~MandiJean

And that's all I can manage to do, because my browser is starting to freeze, haha.


In other news...

My beloved coffee shop has turned into a cupcake shop, we are completely dead most of the time I work. But, the good news is that I still work!

In July I'm going to Chicago. I want to skip the month of June. Except the 11th. That's my mom's birthday.

School is out for the summer. I'm glad. I passed the semester with 2 A's a B and a C. Didn't make the Dean's list this semester, but that's alright! I have a couple of things from my intermediate design class I want to submit, but I need one of them returned to me and I don't know when that will be.

Since school's out, I've been kind of sort of, but not as much as I'd like to be, working on building up my inventory of art.

But, there's been a lull in my work ethic. Hopefully, once I clean and reorganize my studio it will pick back up and I'll be churning out pieces.

I have 3 pieces going at the moment. One is close to being finished, the other is in progress, and the third needs colour to be added.

I have a couple of pieces I want to post. Heaven's knows when I'll get around to it, haha.

I'm off from work tomorrow. I suppose I should do it then since I have nothing else pressing to do.

And after that, I should clean my studio. And exactly after that, I should get to work.

Right.

Thank you to every one who took the time to look at "Forests of the Heart" and thank you so much for my Daily Deviation.

I'm not going to lie. I've wanted one for quite some time.

It meant a great deal to receive feedback from people who I didn't previously know. And while I get that occassionally, feedback on a massive scale was my goal.

And I've achieved that, now, and I feel so happy.

So, thank you very much to those of you commented and to the thousands who faved. You have no idea how much it means to me.

And... yeah this is enough incentive to try another finger painting!

When your God was handing out sense, were you out having a smoke?


-----------------------


I would love to know what goes through a person's mind when they pluck an image from the internet and post it some where claiming it as their own.

This may be particularly easy for ' photographers ' and no less irritating.

Of course, there's no way to filter these kinds of things and they happen all the time. But, for those of us traditional artists and photographers who work hard and take the time to build a portrait or piece from nothing except the reference and model, it's an absolute annoyance. So, I think every one should take the time to simply click the 'Report Deviation' link and help send the sorry posers packing.

And WHY would you claim another person's art work as your own. Have you no scruples? No morals? No, really, I want to know. What the hell is wrong with you? Get a life. Preferably one that you claim to be your own.


-------------------------

In other news:


1) Pastel Portrait of Zooey Dashanel: Complete.
2) Colour Pencil Portrait: In Progress.
3) Some Place to Be Flying: Complete. Picture soon to follow.
4) Mixed media (Watercolour, Pastel) piece dubbed Psyche: In Progress
5) Piece to start: Well, I'm wondering if illustrations count.

Oh. And I've started writing a book. Yep. Its along similar lines as Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere and Stardust. Hopefully not too similar. But, I suppose it can't be helped since I love those books so much.

I just finished one part of the three part book. It's all in one book. So far I have twenty pages. And I've started illustrating it with a couple scenes of a forest and a cottage. I think I'll just do character sketches for the people. I don't know if I'll do any in colour as I've never really drawn a guy and when I tried to colour a sketch it just looked laughable.

Clearly, the female character sketches will be much easier because that's in my comfort zone.

We'll see.

Oh!

Have a Happy New Year!!!!

Oh hi!

I'm still alive.

Oh yes. School is out until Jan 8 and I've actually had time to sit in my studio and WORK.

I've been much happier since.

I have 1/5 works finished. I'm in a race with my art instructor, Bill (AKA Gandalf) to see how many pieces we can finish before I have to go back to school.

I sort of have the upper hand, since two of the 5 pieces are/were close to being done any way.

And I say was, because I already finished one. Hope to get a picture up of it soon. Right now its freezing out side and my hair is still a little wet.

It feels so good to work again. Even got my hands dirty with the pastels.

SO.

1) Pastel Portrait of Zooey Dashanel: Complete.
2) Colour Pencil Portrait: In Progress.
3) Some Place to Be Flying: Almost Complete.
4) Mixed media (Watercolour, Pastel) piece dubbed Psyche: In Progress
5) Piece to start: Still brain storming.

So technically I only have four to finish and one to start.

Because I always have at least 3 or more pieces to work on. That way if I get tired of one I have another I can pick back up. I blame bill for this.

I have a couple of ideas that I want to execute for my fifth project. We shall see.

Happy Christmas to all who celebrate it! Happy holidays to those who may not.

Happy Yule to others!!

10/27/08 Update:

In relation to my Journal title...

There is a litter of kitten strays that have taken residence by my house.

And every time I see them, they always position themselves in such a way that makes me want to take a picture of them.

Only, cats are tricky, and quick, and cautious.

So, of course I haven't been able to yet.

Oh but I will keep trying.

Even if I have to simulate a stake out.

Its like fishing. Maybe if I keep still and quiet they'll come to me????

Not that I've ever been fishing. Or, if I have it wasn't a good experience and my brain has blocked it out...

We shall see...



________________________

HAPPY OCTOBER!

Yes, I'm still alive.

I am currently in to Heroes. I hate my Physical Science Class. I have no time to draw or paint or create traditionally. I barely have much time to read. I dreamt the other day that I had a magical necklace that could take me anywhere I wanted to go. I turned 21 the 26th of September and like Venetian Sunsets. And I got a post card from China that was so poetic and it's sitting on my new computer desk where I can fondly look at it.

There. An update I'm sure you were dying to get.

I cannot express the amount of disdain I feel for not having been able to set foot and SIT for an extended period of time into my beloved, yet neglected, studio. I haven't had the time to SKETCH. I am creatively stifled.

And I'm torn between wanting to go out and see people and have some fun or staying in and locking myself into my studio with the time off I am finally allowed. WOE. Social duties versus personal duties - WHO WILL WIN????

I still work at the coffee shop - the hours have changed. I've been having lots of fun with my Nikon D40 and getting to capture life as art - a minor form of letting out creative energy. I really want to try portraiture, though. But can't get (or find) any one to model for me (or sit still long enough).

I feel... unsettled. Off. Uncentered. Out of touch with my usual self.

There's too much to do, little I actually want to do, and much I do want to but can't - and not enough time in the world.

Where's a TARDIS when you need one? Just stop time and sit in there for a bit.

That can be my new studio.

Now there's a thought...