It only took all night but here she is. Based on Kayla.
Archive for June, 2006
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I have completed Lolly
2006
06.29
06.29
(Non) Organized Chaos
2006
06.29
06.29
Today my post will be complete unorganized chaos. I can’t think clearly ’cause of lots of things. So I will simply put it down as it comes to my head.
Update on WordPress Wednesday:
It was not successful. I have learned that I am “adding Div Tags” all over the place. The Code God is mad (not Jerry, the actual code – you know, like TRON). While working on Wordpress at Barnes and Noble I ran into Doug (former art teacher) and listened to a ranting mental mystic. I should have known this meant trouble. Funkiness abounds whenever this happens around me. I wasn’t sure if he was really there but Doug assured me that he was.
After leaving Barnes and Noble and going home I found out that I had trouble on the home front. I had completely forgotten that Christopher was installing Sequel Server today and I was supposed to be home early. It just didn’t occur to me ’cause he didn’t remind me (in a way that I actually understood) that it was actually on Thursday or put it on the calendar on the fridge. Crap! Crap! My lack of consideration wound up keeping me up all night.
Update on the Muse:
I also learned that Jerry does not like the term “Muse” because he thinks it sounds hmm…diplomacy…not manly enough. Apparently this is because all the Muses referenced are women. I tried to explain that this was done during a time that artists were mostly men and so therefore, I should be allowed to change the rules and have a male muse since I am a female artist. I also tried to convince him I could use HeMuse (as in he amuses me) but that was also a NO-GO. We have temporarily settled on “The Professor”.
Update on Lolly and the Poster Contest:
I have figured out Lolly (happily) and will draw her tonight. I have finally been able to research depression era clothing and cars so I can incorporate them into the drawing to make it more realistic. If I finish in time I will submit it tomorrow to the poster contest. I also think I am going to submit Dead End Friends.
Update on the Bird:
I looked high and low for the bird this morning and I could not find it. I think it made it. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Mental Brain Strain equals MUSH:
This morning I was thinking about how my creative schedule was working out/or not. I have been successful in drawing 2 days a week and working on Web/Wordpress 1 day a week. I have made it into my studio 1 day a week. I still can’t seem to fit in physical activity.
I have 2 dilemma’s I need to figure out: 1) In order to produce at night after the day job I have to stay up late. This makes it impossible to go and do Yoga, etc. 2) It appears that my focus on the creativity schedule is causing me to be thoughtless, forgetful, and inconsiderate to Christopher. This is bad, very bad. I am struggling. I don’t know how to do it all.
Monday: Work Day Job,Read. Blog
Tuesday: Work Day Job,Draw, Blog
Wednesday: Work Day Job, WordPress/Web, Blog
Thursday: Work Day Job,Draw, Blog
Friday: Work Day Job, Blog, Research
Saturday: Blog, Studio
Sunday: Family Time, Blog, Studio
What’s Missing: Exercise, Downtime, Communication with Friends and Family.
I have told myself that this is something I just have to figure out. So sometime this weekend I am going to rewrite/refigure the 10 things that I have to have in my life to be happy or just start going to someone who can tell me (this is code for therapist). I think the creativity is making me manic. It is a poor side effect.
Positive statement for the day:
Here is a really really Cool Artist:
Vaughn Bode died on July 18,1975 in San Francisco in a mystic (I added this -magic mushroom?) experiment gone wrong. Take a minute to check him out at:
http://www.markbode.com/site/vaughnbode.html.
No Fear
2006
06.29
06.29
This morning Kitty caught a Dove. She “brought” it to me as I was trying to leave for work. Much to her dismay, I made her let it go and it promptly went to hide out underneath my car. Great. Now I had to try and get it out from underneath the car, try not to scare it any more than it already was, and try to put it in a safe place so that Kitty didn’t find it again while I was at work.
First I tried to use a shovel, thinking it was long and maybe the bird would just walk onto it. NOPE. Then I tried a broom. NOPE.
Finally I just freaking picked the thing up from halfway underneath the car (and yes, I was dressed for work so this was just so much fun) and talked to it. I finally convinced Super Bird that I just wanted to help it. It settled down and let me put it in a tree where it would be safe. Its’s wings and neck seemed to be ok and I think it was just very Dazed and Confused.
After this little field trip from my every day life I was also a little confused, covered in dirt and had red ants all over me from rolling around underneath the car in a sundress. Thank Buddha & the Code Gods I chose to wear pretty underwear today, cause all the neighbors were getting a show. It must have been good karma for lighting incense and candles last night in the hopes that WordPress Wednesday would go well today.
So, finally I am driving to work about 15 minutes late (I WAS 30 minutes EARLY before this) and I was thinking about the Poster contest. I realized that the only way to actually do anything is to have NO FEAR. Crap. This one really sucks. So, I decided to actually submit the drawings to the poster contest and to email Dean and see if he wants the Mitzi’s Little Dragon domain back.
I got into work and that was its normal crazy stuff and guess who emailed me: PosterGirl. She is still accepting applications and will take mine on Friday. So, I have to finish the last one today and tomorrow.
I also got this: “Train yourself in three hard disciplines.” These are the difficult practices of mindfulness, of expulsion and of ‘interrupting the flow.’ I am having visions of a nightmarish WordPress Wednesday. I will let you know how it goes.
The Muse Speaks in Chinese Riddles…
2006
06.27
06.27
…and tells stories about Monkeys and Magic Mushrooms. I’m interested…
Today I finished the Rex Spangler Drawing. I finally figured out his coat and decided to add a hat after researching pictures of Hobos from the Depression. The Muse said he did not think the text showed up well so I changed that too (he was, as usual, correct). I am hoping that I did not turn him into one of the Village People or a 70’s Pimp Daddy.
I have decided to move on to #95: Lolly Hoot Holler. She is going to be Kayla since the personalities suit and I am going to draw her like Bonnie with a fab car and a big gun.
If I can finish Lolly by the 30th I am going to submit all 3 to the Redux poster contest and see if they get in.
So here is Rex, complete. We’ll see if the Muse thinks he is up to submission to the 700 Hoboes Project . Tomorrow is WordPress Wednesday. The Muse/HTML/PHP God has agreed to help me yet again on the Blog to see if we can get the categories showing up correctly.
Hopefully this will work out ok. I am lighting candles and burning incense in hopes that this will help. I have given up on planning for any of this to work out as planned. I have accepted that I must give gifts to the code.
It is late and I must go to bed or I will suffer tomorrow.
Here is a wonderful tidbit of information I learned late last night (Monday) after I posted. Hobo’s carved nickels and used them as trade. Google Hobo Nickels. You will be amazed.
#100: The 700 Hoboes Project
Based on a superhero pose by Jim Lee of
Cyclops (XMEN) from the early 90’s.
Glass Beads
2006
06.26
06.26
Today is Monday and I took off work to recover from institution and family reunion. I had originally planned to go drive a golf cart into a lake with Tom Kascak after drinking much home brewed beer, looking at Tom’s Europe trip pics, and getting lots of music for the library but Tom never called back to confirm.
In case Tom is reading this: You can not get mad that I don’t come to your house and hang out with you if you don’t call me back and confirm when we have plans.
Actually upon reflection I am happy about this for 2 reasons. One: I am drinking far too much and have decided not to for awhile, and 2) I was able to continue working on something artistic since I lost an entire weekend to family do’s.
Instead Idee and I got together and worked with the Hot Head torches to make glass beads. After a full 8 hours of work I came out with 2 beads (2 broke, 1 would not come off the mandrel, and 2 survived, still only a total of 5 beads total for the day).
I am giving the 2 that actually made it to Jerry. It is always good karma to start a project by giving something away that you like and that you feel actually worked out.
So, although I do not have any glass beads for the Inflated Baby Doll Hair, I do have an idea of what I want and I have set up my work space so I can try to make a bead or 2 a week during the week (you know, in my copious spare time that I always have).
I have decided that I want orange hair. I need something that is going to stand out against the gray of the steel. I will need to get some more glass rods and continue trying to actually making the patterns for the beads.
Not a real interesting post today but I did have a nice day. Here’s pictures of making beads.
Setting Up
3 Beads in a Blanket
3 Beads/8 Hours of Work
Cheerio.
Bizarre, Bizarre
2006
06.24
06.24
I am surviving the Myrtle Beach Family Reunion and gratefully the Hotel Room has free wireless. Happy Daze. The login and password is the same as the room. Happiness.
Christopher is sleeping and our hotel room smells like many cleaning chemicals. I had my first vodka mixed drink ever today ( I actually had 3 of them in very big cups) and I am sure that they made me a) much more social than I would have otherwise been, and B) kept me at the family reunion longer than I had expected. Overall I had a very good time.
Christopher’s family seems to be very nice and they actually seem to genuinely like each other. Bizarre and very very cool all at the same time. They spent most of the night play music and singing. Also fun and wonderful.
The bizarre part of the evening was when I met Jerry Oplinger. He is: a) the spitting image of Rex Wells, whom I am basing the Rex Spangler Super Hero drawing on, B) his name is Jerry, C) He knows Chinese/Mandarin, D) He is about the same age as Rex.
It is difficult after 3 large mixed drinks, 4 hours of driving, and 2 weeks of institution to explain exactly how strange this is but it is and I am very happy to get a picture of Jerry to use for the super hero drawing as I have been having a lot of difficulty getting Rex’s face on the drawing from memory. It is much easier when you can see your friends.
It is very late (almost 4 am) and we have to get up for brunch and be there by 10 am so I must sign off. I was unable to read X-men in the car ( I started getting car sick) our work on the Rex Spangler drawing ( I started getting car sick) so sadness I did not work on any art Saturday. Sunday is likewise not very likely since the car sick stuff and pure exhaustion seem to be in the cards.
Here is a picture of Jerry. Signing off.
Jerry Oplinger
Purple Elephant
2006
06.23
06.23
This has been the extent of my creativity today. I made a purple elephant out of pipe cleaners. They were a gift from the institution participants. Very nice (the gift). I made it during the open discussion portion of day 1 (Houston, we have landed). Now I just have to make it through Myrtle Hell. Hopefully I will be able to work on the Rex drawing in the car on the way up.
Purple Elephant
After the festivities of the institution Jerry and I took a walk to the art store for pencils. We tried to go to Boomers bookstore but were stopped in our tracks by a domestic altercation on King Street between two very angry women and I very unhappy man, so decided to go to the comic book store instead. Apparently it was not a Boomers Bookstore day.
The comic book store was great. I figured out how I want to color in Rex’s trench coat and am going hunting tonight for depression era patches. Perhaps the Google/Wikipedia gods will smile fondly on me.
I have also been reflecting about yesterdays post about my muse. Not wanting Jerry to get completely weirded out by this statement I thought hmm I should make sure I haven’t said something that actually means something else and I have decided that I can use the term. By definition muse is the source of an artist’s inspiration. Groovy. I have not inadvertently said something I didn’t mean to.
I have also learned that Christopher has blog envy and he is threatening to hide my computer power cord if I don’t start coming to bed with him at night. Perhaps I should hide a spare somewhere:)
Signing off.
I'm Late, I'm Late for a Very Important Date!
2006
06.22
06.22
…and the Rancid Transit driver tried to run over the fire marshall this morning. I bet he’s getting a call about How is my driving.
I was late to day 2 (counting down) of the institution and I was absolutely no help today. I am completely spent. I have decided that I would like to grow antennas and become a bug because if you are a bug no one notices you unless you let them see you. The bummer part of this would be that if they did see you they would probably squish you. The positive would be if you are a Buddhist bug maybe you get a better life the next round since you obviously suffered from the squish. In people lives you get squished all the time and since you are high on the food chain your just supposed to accept it. Really big bummer.
On a positive note, I found chocolate covered Paydays again at the gas station and got two for Jerry. I also tried to check our lottery tickets but the machine was DOWN. Welcome to Charleston. We have a lottery, you just can’t play it unless we feel like letting you today.
I was pleased however to get the paydays and as I was driving home I had a sudden surprising whah whah whah moment when I realized that I had found my muse. And, to my great surprise I realized that I have been sitting next to him for the last two weeks. WOW! I hope I don’t suck the life out of him. This was confirmed this evening when I found out that Muse has been posting things about my blog. Touch Stumpy.
So an update on the 700 Hobos. I have decided that the best method is to draw on paper, then edit in Photoshop. I just really miss the pencil. But I have been working on Rex. Originally I had him without a shirt but the Muse (a.k.a. the PHP and HTML God) thought he looked like one of the village people. I agree. He looked rather queer. So I have put a trench coat on him as suggested. Better.
I have also planned out in my mind the freak and lolly and hopefully I can start on them this weekend. So, here is the second draft of REX. I have to teach at 8am on day 1 – BLAST OFF! and talk to the BOB. So I am signing off. I just have to get through the family reunion in Myrtle Hell and then I get to got drive a golf cart in a lake with Tom on Monday.
Vashi!
Never Say Never
2006
06.20
06.20
So I said I wasn’t going to post until Monday, Maybe and I lied. Tonight I drew my second SuperHero Drawing. What brought this on? A conversation with Jerry at lunch. I have decided that I find him rather curious. Hopefully he will not mind the drawing attempt. If so, I will have to remove the post and re-draw him with super big “guns”..hehe. This is a bothersome consequence of drawing “All my Friends are SuperHero’s”. Not sure how to deal with it yet. Most of them won’t be reading this so what they don’t know…
This was first attempt at drawing the superhero’s all on the computer. Not really sure how I feel about it yet. same pros and cons as the last post. Also, can’t get as much detail but it does force you to SIMPLIFY SIMIPLIFY SIMPLFY.
In case you cant’ tell yet…this is extremely difficult for me. I did run into some technical difficulties like the dratted power surge protector kept tripping and my computer decided to hybernate 3 different times, one time I lost all that I had done. RATS DOUBLE RATS! ( I was out at my outside desk). I gave up on the power protector and found the beloved orange extension cord. I love my orange extension cord. It seems to follow me wherever I go…
Must go now. Tomorrow is day 3 (and counting) at the institution and I have spent far too much time on this evening when I should be sleeping. 5.30 is very early in the morning.
Hoboes Submitted to the 700 Hoboes Project
2006
06.20
06.20
Digital illustrations of my friends as Depression Era Hoboes for The 700 Hoboes Project. The project is inspired by the writings of author John Hodgman and his book Areas of My Expertise. It is meant as an homage to the wandering men and women who chose to ride the rails during and before The Great Depression.
Taken directly from the 700 Hoboes website:
"In the beginning, there were hoboes. Then, a notable non-historian wrote some lies about them in his wonderful and wholly inaccurate almanac. That man was John Hodgman. The book was The Areas of My Expertise. Amongst the lies was a comprehensive list of notable historical hobo names, numbering 700. After Hodgman read the list into a music flattening device, one Mr. Mark Frauenfelder of the Boing Boing teletyped a suggestion that 700 cartoonists volunteer to draw one hobo each as a public service or for no particular reason. And so it was, more or less, and here they are."
The running list of hoboes I have submitted to the 700 Hoboes Project.
#586: Self-Taught-Guitarist Edmund (Submitted September 24, 2006)
#252: The Young Churchill (Submitted September 24, 2006)
#253: The Young Churchill’s Hated Bride (Submitted September 24, 2006)
#530: Trixie of the East (Submitted September 24, 2006)
#531: Trixie of the West (Submitted September 24, 2006)
#538: Shanty Queen Elizabeth Regina (Submitted July 26, 2006)
#55 Iron Trousers the Strong (Submitted July 4, 2006)
#95 Lolly Hoot Holler (Submitted June 29, 2006)
#100 Rex Spangler the Bedazzler (Based on a superhero pose by Jim Lee of
Cyclops (XMEN) from the early 90’s. Submitted June 27, 2006)
#677 Professor ? (Submitted June 20, 2006)