Mail Goodness - Part III (Pay It Forward)

Awhile back, the lovely abstract painter Angela Wales Rockett posted a blog entry about Paying It Forward....

I was lucky enough to be one of her first three posters, and as a result, she sent me this gorgeous little painting (which I had admired previously on her small arts blog - shown here being approved of by Studio Cat). In exchange I am very belatedly getting to my part of the Pay-It-Forward process.

The official rules:

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

When you leave your comment, please also do one of two things: leave your post address or e-mail it to me.

Let the Goodness continue!

Mail Goodness - Part II (Scottish Delights)

I received a package via Royal Mail today from the lovely Lindsay (aka, The Border Tart)
It was full of tiny, brightly colored and mysterious packages -

-that were filled with chickeny goodness and get-well wishes. :-)

Also included was a brochure to her newly renovated rental cottage, known as The Old Tearoom, there in the border country.... How I wish I was recouping there! It looks wonderful.

Mail Goodness - Part I (Art Books)

I got a gift certificate to Amazon and decided to use it on this gorgeous hunk of bookiliciousness:

This overview of the art of Iain McCaig is gorgeously done - large, heavy, thick, glossy paper stock...

It's filled with sketches and concept art -

Mmmmmm......

As well as instructional booklets! (how cool is that?), pen and ink, watercolor sketches and finished work.

So much amazing work. So much talent.

Sometimes I wonder why I bother....?

An outing ....

I'm supposed to be increasing my activity level every day - so I went on an outing yesterday. My daughter drove us downtown Bellevue to a spiffy new theater to see a matinee of Star Trek.

(One advantage to living in the Seattle area is the preponderance of Chihuly glass sculptures scattered about the area -this one right outside the theater).

The theater was lovely- wide, reclining leather seats (that I still found uncomfortable to sit on. Dratted lingering surgery side-effects!), incredibly entertaining movie. Fun company.

To further the fun, we drove a few blocks to the old downtown to scope out a couple of treat shops -

The first stop was Fran's Chocolates - lots of homemade, dark chocolatey goodness. The Laundry Faerie gave me a box of them awhile back and I've been craving their sea salt caramels ever since.

We then walked another couple of blocks down to the cute little French bakery - full of luscious pastries, chocolates and gelato. So many choices! Ack!

I came home with a small stash of deliciousness and promptly crashed. That was more than I apparently had the stamina for, but... did I mention sea salt caramels!? Worth it.

Steampunky Goodness

I continue to convalesce. Getting bored, but have relatively little energy to do anything much about it. Haven't been up to drawing again yet, however I have been able to do some online research for the steampunk Oz piece I need to get cracking on.



I remembered an article on a steampunk exhibit by Irene Gallo on amazing artist Eric Freitas who makes these to-die-for organic-looking brass clocks. Completely by hand.

You must go look at his gallery and see samples and close-ups of his pieces, which are mind-blowing.

Since I will never ever be able to afford one of his actual clocks, I consoled myself with a purchase of this set of cards - with photos of views of his mechanical clock #6 clock on the fronts and drawings on the backs, along with a card describing his painstaking, highly detailed creative process. It really is too gorgeous to be believed.

Ah, all in the name of research. :-)

But on an Art Note -

I have finally updated my Children's Illustrator portfolio page...

The wonder that is office supply stores -

Even though I'm not creating art this week, I still can be completely seduced by office supplies that come in pretty pretty colors....


(found this via Vickie's blog)


And this related video is an oldie, but a goodie. The very best usage of pop-song turned commercial theme song. Evar.

Garden update -

Since I'm still too wiped to actually go out and *work* in the garden, I'm having to content myself with watching my mom whip it into shape,

and in photographing the current state of growing things in the pre-twilight light....

There are things coming up in all the beds-

-the raspberries are filling in nicely.

(For the chickens, hope springs eternal that if you are outside, then maybe they can be also? They spring hopefully to the top of their feed can and chide you for their incarceration.)

Microgreens.

Mounds of chives, getting ready to blossom.

The lilacs are full out.

And my young quince tree is absolutely covered this year!

Oh gardens, I will think loving and wistful thoughts in your direction until I can return to you....

A week out -

I am one week post-surgery today. I've had funner weeks. I believe I am recovering well, although I tire very quickly. And I'm apparently not up to drawing yet - so nothing new to report or post - so I'm treating you to a very decorative woodpile (thanks to my sister).

Here's to lots of rest and more recovery. And hopefully to more art soon.

Baba Yaga - WIP (more color)

Previous WIP posts are here and here.

After working a bit more on the Chinese-white coated versions, I have abandoned them - too heavy of a coating made all the subsequent layers chalky and blotchy-

So I started yet *another* one on hot press, with a much lighter initial coat of Chinese white -

(ah - the misleading nature of photo-flash...) - Here is the new one - which does look more 'done' in person- although I still have about 25% left to go...

And this one is direct painting onto hot press - which after another 25% I will then go on to the oil-wash stage.

I hope to be able to make more progress on her variations, but the next 4 fairy-horse books start up shortly and I also need to do some serious work on the IMC sketch.

I also will be off line and not working much for the next little while (I go in to have some surgery tomorrow morning). See you when I am once again coherent.

Concept Sketches -

We've received our assignment list to choose from for the IMC next month.
There are three that I am interested in at least some preliminary exploration -

The first one is The Lady of the Lake (from the King Arthur mythology cycle)

That could be fun - Celtic knotwork in the border, hand lettering, lots of floaty hair...

The second one that appealed to me was a "far futuristic high-tech 0r steam-punk alt-version of the Wizard of Oz". No high tech for me, but steam punk would be fun. Mechanized flying monkeys anyone?

The last was a children's manuscript, written by the esteemed Jane Yolen of a toothfairy story - where the 'manager' had to make the nightly tooth run. Given all the steampunk outfits I was looking at, I thought it'd be fun to make him that sort of guy as well,

Now to pick one and develop further...

Mayfest - Part I

Spent a lovely afternoon back down at Camlann Medieval Village for their May Day Festival.

Got to watch sheep shearing -

-and black smithing-

-and May Day garlands made by hand with natural materials-

-Archery contests-

- and dancing around the May Pole.

There were many festive spectators...

-who couldn't be cuter. :-)

Mayfest - Part II

There were various aspects of "Village Life" being demonstrated or out for viewing -

The sheep awaiting shearing -

The resulting wool hanks ready for dying (all with natural, 14th century materials of course)-

And the end-results of of dying.

The new, in-process blacksmith's building, now wattled, but awaiting daubing -

And the Bors Hede Inne (restaurant) where we ended up at the end of the day...

Mayfest - Part III

I got to go today with Catherine Somerlot - lovely, young, photo and graphic artist, relatively new to Seattle, (whom I've become acquainted with via Twitter of all things.)

We had a fabulous time talking about all things medieval - and chatting with the various in-character villagers.

When the festivities of the day came to an end, and the rains once again began to pour, we headed for the Bors Hede and stayed for the May Feast -

(I especially enjoyed the QUALYS ROSTYD with SWETE MUSTARD and the JACK-O-THE-GREEN CAKES - which were cardamon cookies decorated like Green Men.)

'Lovely way to spend an afternoon.

Life Drawing -

Amazing how quickly I feel rusty. It's been 3 weeks since my last session (feels like I'm making a formal confession here) -

It was 'long pose' day - but I got tired of this view, so I thought I'd try a less straightforward one.

The foreshortening in this pose totally kicked my butt though. It took me over 20 minutes just to get it blocked in - and even then, not really correctly. Challenge is good, right?