Orion

...I think I should take them outside more~ I miss the sun in this dark little apartment~

(Ever more) Autumn Dolls~

Been having a good time making little companion creatures~

Now I'm thinking I'll finish up one more 'monster' and then make some little fairy/jackalope/winged gals~ as I so enjoy creating.. maybe I'll finally get around to making one with a nice cuff of white fur/wool that I so love to draw:

And I keep thinking I should really be making some honest to goodness 'art-dolls'~ you know the kind that people actually have in galleries and art shows... but I just don't think I will~ I can think about them... sketch ideas out - but what would I do with one if I actually finished one? I don't want to create things that require extra attention - I want to make creatures that fit in on a bookshelf or tucked in a living room by a lamp. A little companion - a friendly face - something to make someone smile - not a piece of work that requires the new owner to worry. I want to make art that people live with... not showcase. Back to work I GOoooo~

Custom Dryad~

Here there be dragons...

Okay.... well~ when I said I didn't intend to make more dragons~ but then some lovely people commissioned me.... and it isn't like they aren't fun to make! ...but now what do I make?! >:D

Caelie~

Beatrix Doongara...

This poor little adorable creature is my attempt to create a 'simple' doll. I just couldn't NOT give her arms... and she had to have feet - and ears and then a cute little shape. I don't think I can simplify my works without creating craft and not art. <-- do I flatter myself? Maybe a bit.

I do love her size - though it is so much easier to work larger ~12" ... Beatrix is a little over 8". She has a little functional backpack filled with little pages... I adore her little head of hair!

Must get back to work!

Two new ladies...

I don't want to flatter myself too much - but allow me this: I am getting better at faces. And - may i add: I make strange things...
I can't wait to see what I make next week!

Oh - and I've been taking a little advice from the show: Project Runway and trying to work on a story of the character as I work... I'm - still working on it. I fear I'm much more of a visual person - things just 'feel' right... words rarely take part in what I do... I have to change that :)

I want stories with my characters... it's just - that I make so very many characters... and they can't exist in a void -where do they live? how do they live? who made their clothes? Is pink hair a normal hair color where they come from - where do they come from? Where are they going... I - errr- I'm working on it ;)

I'll be back with new creations - I'm thinking little monsters and I want to work on more 'doll pairs' - I imagine I can make stories between two characters and -that- interaction would be a little less to create than a whole world.. and I would still have a tale to tell...

Sprites.

So I set about on Monday to make the first sprites... I so totally failed. I worked and worked and worked and WORKED and when I was done I had two nice looking heads with far too much detail. As I have said in the past - I find I have to balance the level of detail with that of my desire for fantastical abstraction - and I just didn't feel I could have crazy colored wild things with pointy toes and four fingernail-less fingers with much more human looking faces.... so I started again.... and I think the end results are not too bad - far closer to what I had in mind. Simple - cute- odd (of course) but that's what I do - eh?

I'd say I'm happy... can't wait to make more... I think I'll do and do just that! Brighter colors this time! Yarrr!

See you next week! :)

Imp attack!

I fear I've not much to say at the moment... I'm tired, covered in fur, glue and spray paint... but oh so happy.

I've plans for another monster/creature - sort of eastern dragon like... of course, in my slightly cute/creepy style... 'cause I can't help myself.

Oh! And another plan/goal to add to my already (often unfinished) list of 'things to do in the day' I am adding a weekly plan to finish one truly finished/large portfolio image. 'cause... well, artists need those - right?

Right.

See you soon!

Oh! and I have a good sized lot of button/magnets finished as well... I'll get you some images of those next time.

New monsters/imps...

I wanted to try making some smaller monsters... so I thought I'd take the imps I sketch (which I had made into two plushies for x-mas gifts this last year... and had been rather pleased with) and make them into dolls... I think they've turned out rather well... Again - trying to balance the fantasy... But I fear - some of the sketches - when I take them closer to what could exist in this world... and we move from cute to scary rather quickly... So I stood firm and tried to keep these guys close to my sketches.

Like in this sketch... though he's slightly different... more like the Duster character... (geh! I'd better watch out... I might start putting a story together...)


It's... kinda overwhelming to sit down to something and have very little idea how it will turn out... so often though... the media itself dictates what you'll have as an end result... I suppose not knowing just what you're making can help a great deal when working with a fickle media.

Granted, dear reader - I often have no idea what I'm going to do until it's done and I've scanned it and I sit here typing about it.

It's - kind fun. But, again, rather strange and, often, overwhelming...

Good thing I work so small... what would I do with something MORE than 20 inches... no no.. I must always work small... something big would take me over.... and then where would I be?

I recall a large drawing of leaves I worked on in college (my father has it now)... I worked on it until I passed out. Woke up and sketched until I passed out again... I think this went on for two or three days. It was fun, but I can't live like that - the dishes would pile up and the food would burn...

So: Small scanner sized things... those - I will be back with soon!

Things are coming along well... if a bit slowly (as I mentioned in my last post). I've finished this guy - I've been calling him Harbor - and I think I can surely say he's the best I've made to date. It's hard to tell from the shot, but he has hooves (which are weighted), as well as posable ears (one is pierced) and a full set of curly ram(ish) horns. I'll be taking better photos of him for Etsy later on... but the light here is so very dim and we've yet to get light bulbs (next trip out I'll try and remember).

My plan still stands to make a small army of monsters at least double that in sketches and buttons and such... So. I'll be back with ever more new things.

Hope all is well out there!