Things Going Slowly Behind the Scenes

Things slowly going along behind the scenes. I think I'm getting really tired of gray skies and cold weather. Anyone else crossing fingers for spring and warm air? I like having the windows open.

Blog Buttons, and Clouds, and Cactus

Two Ideas, and nitty gritty snow day today.

One is about clouds, they're doing relaxing things like playing Badminton, reading the paper, doing puzzles, and tanning.

Another involves desert plants like cactus made out of bunnies and other desert animals. Brain got a bit weird there...but I didn't put on the breaks.

And finally, today, I'm working on the blog layout. I want things to have a very hand-drawn look, so, it's drawing time. I drew a fat bird for Twitter, so, pressing on with that theme...fat cute things.

Until next time, when I feel more confident posting to a blog that isn't ugly as sin.

Changes

Some changes soon in the blog, since I had 1 gmail/google account tied, and switched it to the one that I associate with my Etsy and such, I run the risk of killing my followed blogs and posted images, so once I migrate them in on this username, I'll kick the other guy (which is still me, which is weird) out of the authors list.

Thankfully, I don't have too many things to toggle and switcheroo.

NOTE: I am still following all the current blogs I followed under my other email address, since I was just able to simply import them into google reader.... unfortunately, there's no such import option *that I know of* to get them from reader> blogger. Looks like following and feeds aren't mutual across the board.

New Ink, Sketches, and Finished Stuff

Ebenezer Archer Kling and Scott Campbell (ScottC) are two artists that I'm currently borrowing a certain style element from, for coming work. Using a color as their line in their watercolor work. 


I usually favor an india ink either applied before painting or after the paint's are dry.


I'm finding that I really like the look of a colored line....so maybe the ink will stay with black n white drawings only...I'd like to make more of a mess too, with my inks. I need to get sloppier.






So I completed a small handful of paintings for an auction for charity at my girlfriend's workplace. Some people who are handy around a camera or knitting needles make things for the auction, and they asked me to toss some things in too. So, since it's an environmental, earthy kinda theme...I painted the following mountain ranges....


There's the Blue Mountains, Belcher Mountains, Mosquito Range, and Superstition Mountains.
I was looking through a list of ranges in North America and these put silly ideas into my head... 

I also re-did a rendition of a word/phrase that's been stuck in my head for a while. Hot Dog Stand. I painted another version, this one with color linework...and not on crappy sketchbook paper....

I enjoyed how the new one turned out. And to end this, here's some doodles that have been finding their way on and off my table...and also some FW Acrylic inks I found at Blicks for HALF PRICE! 

Some things of note.

Just some updates and things of note.

1. I keep letting the redesign of this space go by the wayside, but there's more important things that take up my time (work/school) that come before art stuff, and then this layout is at the bottom of the art barrel itself. So, we'll see how that whole new look goes, or doesn't go...

2. I've been relentlessly thinking and making small adjustments to a particular style that I've enjoyed exploring. I think it's good to go, and as far as most of anything that will get posted here or on Etsy, it's going to be simple, bold, and accessible to any age range.

3. A neat little thing is happening at the girlfriend's workplace. Their office has this charity auction each year, or a couple times a year, or something like that...and they have people offer a thing or two to get placed into a handful of gift basket type things. Some people put in their hobby photography and such, or cross stitch things, etc. So I was asked (which is odd because I'm usually volunteered or called upon without question, heh) if I would like to contribute.

The theme is nature-y things and environmental stuff, so I gave it a thought or two, and finally decided on something.

There's a lot of silly or funny names for mountain ranges in the world. Some of them here in the US. So I took a few that made me giggle, and I'm painting little pictures of them. It's fun, and I'm getting a kick out of illustrating them.

I think Friday after a couple of errands/appts I'll make a big push to at least rearrange the stuff in this blog a bit. There's some widgets I'd like to try out.

Ta ta for now,
-Blake