Just Because...

The past month has been super great:

1. I went out to DC for two weeks to visit one my best friends, her husband, and her new little one: 

It was a really great visit and yes, baby is just as adorable awake as she is asleep. She is a really great baby with beautiful red hair. Friend is now in Brazil for the next two to three years. Husband and I are hoping to bring our own little one down next summer to visit with a possible Brazil/Machu Picchu adventure mix. 

2. We found out a few days after I got home from DC that we are having a little girl: 

Husband and I are both really excited about it. By all accounts she is super healthy, but a little small. Small seems to run in my family, though -- all of my sister's pregnancies measured small-- so we aren't worried. We even saw her suck her hand or thumb, it was adorable. 

3. I am going a little domestic and have started to crochet animals for the little gote: 

The bunny is a good size at about 18". I think that I am going to add a little smile to the face. I also really like his tail, mostly because I made it up and have no idea what I am doing. 

I purchased a pattern from Pica Pau on Etsy. I highly recommend taking a look at her blog/website: El Mundo De Pica Pau. I desperately want her book, but can't figure out how to get it here in the US. 

Sadly she only has two patterns on her Etsy page, otherwise I would purchase the entire book a pattern at a time. Also, two days ago when I went to purchase the two patterns she does have, she only had one, a donkey. I purchased it in hopes that I would be able to adjust the pattern ever so slightly so I could make the below blue bunnies from this really great curiosity shop. 

Not too bad, if I do say so myself. I was a little bit sad when I finished the first leg and realized that I had forgotten to add the little white dots of the pants, but I still like him. Next week I am going to try my hand at the little girl bunny. We shall see how the making of that little skirt goes. 

4. Hiking season has officially begun: 

For me, hiking season should always begin with a Stewart Falls hike. One summer Friend and I went to Stewart Falls, I swear, every Saturday morning. Well maybe not every Saturday, but a lot. In memory of such a great summer, I like Stewart to be the opening hike of the season. The falls were a little small as there is still a ton of snow all around (not pictured). We went with my sister's family and their four year old successfully hiked the whole thing on her own (well almost)! It was her first doin' it by herself hike and she was a trooper. 

A Thank You: To my Hogle Zoo Patron, plus Some Small Announcements

Monday I raced, in really horrible weather, up to Hogle Zoo in order to retrieve my two paintings from their gallery show and I had a little surprise when I arrived. Over this past weekend one of my paintings sold!

I didn't think of getting the person's information until after I left. I will have to call about it. I would love to send them a thank you note, but for now thank you secret patron. I love you. (Also sorry about the crappy frame, the whole thing was a little rushed.)

Also, I haven't been painting for a while. Mostly because for the past two months I have been glued to my couch in a never-ending surge of pain, nausea, and sickness. The reason? This very, very little one:

You can see its little hand and scary Darth Vader smile. Other than that it is just a little blob, but it's my little blob and that is exciting to me.

This week I am officially 13 weeks and out of the first trimester! I am so happy about this, as the past few days I have been feeling wonderful. For example, yesterday I opened the fridge, ate a grape, and didn't instantly regret it. Progress!

Good bye, diet of cheese sticks and eggo waffles!

Some additional progress is that my paints have stopped smelling so badly to me that it makes me want to throw up. However, over the past six weeks of feeling so sick and so depressed (my couch also now has some serious depressions), I really started feeling down about painting. I have always felt like there is something lacking about them, like there needs to be more, but this self-loathing pity party got so bad that I was ready to completely give up. The purchase of my pronghorn was just the boost that I needed.

Now I am ready to hit the ground running, finish up the owl and goldfish, and keep going.

Just Because: Anyone Can Quantum

I am kind of a comic book geek, and while I like the Marvel movies, I was hesitant about Ant Man. He is cool and all, but I was on the fence. Then I watched it and loved it. It is super funny and I now understand why the world loves Paul Rudd. Another actor I love is Keanu Reeves. Watch Constantine and you will know why (thanks nana!). John Wick is also really great.

So when I saw a video with both Keanu and Rudd, I was on board! The below video is a little long, but hilarious. Well worth the watch:

Just Because: Color Perception Tests and Boredom

In college I had a professor who was just a weird dude. He considered himself a mark above the other professors in both talent and teaching ability (this was pathetically not true), and particularly considered his eyes to be "color experts." His color hubris was so strange to me. I mean, obviously everyone wants to have good eyes, and particularly as an artist you want to be able to discern color well. But what is the point of being better than everyone else, when literally no one would be able to see that you are?

Maybe I am just jealous. I do not have the best color perception. I mean it is good, like totally above acceptable, but I do have a hard time with green-blues. I know this because sometimes when I am looking at green-blues my eye balls go crazy, and there are also the scores I get on perception tests.

I got super bored today which means like any normal person I turned to color perception tests for entertainment. Obviously this is something everyone does, right?

Would you like to know how well you discern color? Now I don't mean like whether or not you are color blind, but whether or not you can "see" color correctly.

Below are some links that I highly recommend for testing your color perception. To take the test or game click on the title link below:

The Color Game 

During the game you have one minute to click on the different colored squares. As the game continues it increases in difficulty.

My highest score is 47, but I usually land in the high to mid 30s. But then there are those times when I barely make 20 because I get stuck on this bright, old school blue that I just can't see.














Farnsworth Munsell 100 Hue Test

This will tell you where you have a color deficiency. I do! I score three, always, on this test. Always in the same range of green-blues. Husband gets a perfect score of 0.

Fun Fact from the site: 1 out of 255 women and 1 out of 12 men have some form of color vision deficiency. I guess that means I am that 1. 

Color

This test also increases in difficulty, and as it goes it can sometimes be confusing as to which color you are controlling. I recommend taking more than one stab with this one. My highest score is 9.2, but I generally get around 8.9. 

So, what did numbers did you get? 

A Gallery Show for Me!

One of my goals for last January was to get into the Hogle Zoo's World of the Wild Art Show, but then Husband's cousin moved in with us and then died and all of my goals were set back by, well, a year. 

Now that it is January again, it is time to finally complete some of these goals. Today I got an email telling me that both my Pronghorn and Ram paintings were accepted into the Hogle Zoo show. It is a small thing, but baby steps, right? I am excited. 

I am a little bummed that I didn't finish the Barn Owl in time, but I think it was a good thing that I am not rushing through painting it.  

RIP Alan Rickman

I have loved you since...

and

A New Logo for Me!

For a couple of years I had a website. My sister was building it for me, however it was never finished. Not because of her, mind you, but me. Because I am the slowest, dork of a painter ever. Happily, now that I actually have some works to put up, we are at it again!

As I have been sharpening my illustrator and photoshop skills I thought I would try my hand at a logo for my new imaginary site. My idea for the logo came from a Christmas present of a moveable type stamp that was given to me by an awesome friend.

She found it in England and thought that I could use it as a type of signature for my paintings. It being a gryphon and all, I was sold.

Sadly, as a moveable type it is meant to be pressed into, and not stamped from. I took to the internets and found another stamp, though not as cool, and it is this stamp that I now use to "sign" the back of my paintings.

Below are some of the logo ideas I came up with, although in the end another sister will be making my actual logo. As her's will be a billion times better. The first two were made in illustrator, the last two in photoshop:

I use a red ink pad to stamp my "signature," hence the red images. Depending on the colors we choose for the site I may be getting a different color pad, but I do really like the last one.

Just Because: A Jerboa!

Husband loves rats and wants one for a pet. I have always said no, but maybe an asian jerboa could be a solid compromise?

Also, I am sick and painfully bored. Expect many more random posting today. Sorry...

About an Artist: Ellsworth Kelly Dies at 92

On Sunday a juggernaut of 20th century american abstraction, Ellsworth Kelly, passed away at 92. If you have ever been in a museum with an abstract exhibit, you have walked passed him. He is known for his bold colors and simple geometric shapes, as seen below, but it is his drawings that I really love.

Contour drawing is one of my favorite ways to draw and consequently, largely make up some of my favorite drawings. Below are some of Kelly's:

Just Because: First Annual " Comedy Wildlife Awards"

These are hilarious. You can see all of the winners here, but below are some of my favorites:

The Art of Writing: For the Twins and Nanna

Fonts elude me. My best friend nanna and my sisters are exceptional with fonts. A couple of weeks ago my sister-in-law asked me to make some kind of family motto for her, and I passed the buck onto someone else. Because, like I said, I am horrible with fonts.

But these! These make me want to understand the wonderful world of typography!!! 

Originally printed in the early 1600s, these are the work of Paul Franck in Nuremberg, note there is no J. You can see all 170 pages here. I highly recommend checking it out. Be aware that the book is located at the top of the link's page. It took me a moment to realize where it was. 

Just Because: Wanna know how to make curling more appealing?

Just Because: Yep and Yep

Graphic Stuff: Cardinal and Drawing

Sunday was my birthday and it was super great. Art stuff is always a safe bet with me, and I scored on that front. Husband got me a new toy (an intuos tablet) and my friend, Buddy (who is pychic), got me two books. One on Charlie Harper and another titled Plants and Their Application to Ornament. I squeaked when I opened them.

The past two days I have been a little bit obsessed with my new things and did not exactly paint anything. I did however draw with my new tablet and I copied Cardinal by Charley Harper.

The one on the left is mine and his is on the right. The seed/leaf things in my book are green, but all I could find online were the black and white ones. Also my cardinal is a little on the fat side.

Below is a copy of a character design that I did in photoshop with my new tablet. PS, I am horrible at this but not bad enough to give up. So, you know, a silver lining.

Gold Fish: Part 2

Remember those fishies that I told you about forever long ago? Well I am finally working on them. The past two weeks I was a little out of commision. I got sick from babysitting sick kidos and then babysat them several times while being sick.

Not that I mind all that much, I mean they are pretty great:

But back to the fishies! Below are some progress shots (top two are the underpainting, bottom two are the overpainting), a detail image, and a special fishy movie trailer just for you! 

Just Because: Honest Trailers - The Force Awakens

If you have never seen an Honest Trailers, I recommend taking a look at their youTube channel. They are really great. This one has a different flavor than their normal videos, but yeah...spot on:

I hope this movie has good reviews, if not, don't think I can go see it. 

Just Because: Things for Buddy

I have recently been finding several things across the internets that I think my friend, Buddy, would particularly enjoy. Mostly because she is awesome and for some reason I feel like writing a post is better than an email, like I have left her a secret present. To see more about each, click on the title links.


Classical Sculpture Action Figures

I want one.

Portraits of Auto Mechanics in the Style of Renaissance Painting by Freddy Fabris 

Dually Sinister and Playful Solarplate Etchings by Jaco Putker

Towering Wooden Set Pieces and Combustible Monuments by Manolo Garcia

I hope he made a lot of money on these things, I don't think I would be able to blow them up. 

Photographer Captures his Architectural Pilgramage 

“Architects of the Imagination” Highlights Disney and Dalí’s Unlikely Friendship

Turns out that they were friends, who knew? Also, it never occurred to me that they would be contemporaries. I have these categories in my head, and I have dates and time periods for those categories, but sometimes I fail to associate the different groups. Like with Disney and Dali. 

Models Recreate Gustav Klimt’s Golden Paintings

Yep that is a photograph, not a painting.