Fairies Colored

Well these have been done for a while now but alas, I have been so busy that I completely forgot to post them! So without further ado there they are...

Fairys!!

I have two weeks left before these wonderful little (hah! 8-1/2 X 11") drawings are due! I worked the day away, putting my novel on the back to get the ink sketches completed! And my hard work paid off! Now all I have left is adding the color! I'm so excited at how these are coming out; they have been so much fun!

So busy

As much as I want to do the things I want to do, this class I am currently taking is kicking my butt! I haven't hardly had time to breathe, let alone create anything other than lesson plans. The only problem with this scenario is all of my creativity is being bottled up, and like a pop can dropped too many times on the ground I am ready to EXPLODE! My solution is to create a schedule; schoolwork on certain days and creative works on the others. I need an outlet and I have new commission pieces to complete along with the revisions to Soul of the Lost. Lots to do and the time is ticking away from me!

Light Box

Today I spent the day constructing a light box and taking pictures. This was a simple project and there are many different ways to construct a inexpensive light box. I am going to run through the how-to of how I built mine.

Materials:
Clear Rubbermaid type Box
Tissue Paper
Clear Tape
Work Lights (the ones with the rims on them and clamp) -2 to 3 lights

Step 1: Light Diffusing
The purpose of the light box is to diffuse the light to take the glare off of the object of your photography, and light up the item from all sides. I taped tissue paper on all sides of the clear rubbermaid type box so that there was more for the light to filter through. And so that when I take the picture of my item you cannot see any of the objects through the box.

Step 2: Light Location
I placed one light directly above the box, and another along one side. The store I bought my lamps from only had two, when I have a chance I will go back to pick up one more lamp to place on the other side of the box, so I have light coming from 3 directions. I used 100 watt bulbs. You don't want to shine the light straight onto the object as that completely negates the purpose of diffusing the light.

Step 3: Take picture
I like to use a tripod. Setting my camera at macro, and non flash I use the 2 second delay and take several shots from different angles.

Mermaid Collection Finished!

I am so happy to say I have finished the Mermaid Collection! Four 8X10 line drawings done in ink and prismacolor pencils. I am so excited to show them to the lady who ordered them. It was a wonderful collection to work on and I had so much fun doing them. Here are pictures of the final results of the art work.

That doesn't define you. Then what does?

During a conversation with a friend today the following question (more or less) came into play, "What defines us?" I made several attempts to answer this question, but I still feel like my one word answer didn't give the question justice. So, after hours of mulling it over in my mind here is the conclusions I have come to.

What defines us? Is it our experiences? The things we have done or the things done to us? Maybe it pertains to our accomplishments or misfortunes: a college degree, marriage, divorce, procreation, wealth, bankruptcy. I have a college degree. I’m married, have kids, been divorced; does that define who I am. Not hardly. Perhaps it’s your title. I’m a wife, a Mother, a Woman, a Student, a Writer, an Artist. Sure, these are all things that describe me but these titles do not define me.

How about the furnishings in our homes, is that what defines us? Our clothes? Our jewelry. What about our skills?

Does any of this truly define who a person is?

After much thought, I’ve come to the simple conclusion. Defining who you are is not the same as describing who you are. The character is what defines a person. But the character is an enigma. It is ever changing. As you grow, so does it. As you meander through the experiences in life both good and bad, those experiences are what shape your character. Not in the experiences themselves, but in our reactions to those experiences. That is what defines our character, and that is what defines us.

Think of your character as a large unrefined piece of marble. Every experience in life, every choice you make chisels off pieces of that marble. Sure choices, the ones made with conviction and resolve fall like sure strokes upon the marbles face, each landing in the perfect spot taking away just enough to gain a glimpse of the masterpiece beneath. The strokes of the hammer upon the stone refines the marble, refines your character. From that first stroke, that piece of marble has changed. Never can it go back to what it was before, it can only move forward with what it has. And if the artist makes mistakes, just as mistakes happen in life, the design is not lost it is just redefined.

Coffee Please

A new day dawns, but the sun stays hidden behind a heavy bank of clouds. Oh how I miss the sun. The feel of its warmth on my face as I bask in its glory, but no, there is no sun. Only an endless sky of grey. I can almost feel their giddy anticipation as they wait to expel their watery contents on the already flooded ground.

But the rain stirs my mind and I have a chance to produce. With yesterdays rain I had a chance to finish the second stage of the Mermaid Collection. First stage was the pencil sketches I posted before. The second stage was the line art done in ink. A painstakingly long task using various widths of ink. I think I used up at least four pens drawing the lines.

As much as I would like to begin stage three, adding color, I think I will spend majority of the day revising Soul of the Lost, and writing a paper for school. Stage three of the Mermaid Collection may begin this evening or tomorrow. Either way I have high expectations for the day. Lots of coffee and tons accomplished.

Stage 2 of Mermaid Collection: