This is Where the Time has Gone

Honestly I haven't felt much like blogging. The weather has been too intoxicating to be sitting at my computer for hours upon hours (because I do more than just blog when I decide to start up this old thing--the computer, not me). Perhaps it's because I have more personal [good] news than art news and I try not to get too "dear diary" in here. It's not like I haven't been sitting, just not at my computer, haha. My crafting/work table is in front of my living room windows, so I have great lighting, fresh air, etc. Now with the Netflix streaming into the Wii I can have many options of inspiring background noise (two words: DARK SHADOWS)! Also something to help me be more creative/productive is this week (starting yesterday) I will go dry. Not one drop of alcohol. (what was that statement about no "dear diary" entries?) Ironically enough my boyfriend and I went to my favourite bar (Stocks & Blondes) yesterday to inquire if they serve non-alcoholic beer (i.e: O'Douls) but no luck. So we ate dinner there instead :) I hear you're supposed to lose weight when you stop drinking, but I don't think it works if you substitute drinks with food!

So, what is happening in a more art wise way? I had another gallery show at 1901, so I have more paintings to show off. In this show I did more of a creature feature. I did end up repeating "Feed The Birds" merely because it fit into the theme. The two paintings in a previous post, "Austin" & my Untitled Frozen Ghosty, were part of the show. Here are their companions:

Sophisticate

She is a drawing I am constantly working with and have always wanted as a painting. When I first created her she was to be part of an on-going series of illustrations, but I never got around to it. However, I've been told by a couple of people that I should make a cohesive collection of paintings/illustrations with this theme/style.

Untitled Fright

A painting that was first featured in Gothic Art Chicago's Kilter Magazine. And this actually sold at the show to a fellow artist (http://www.judgehydrogen.com/)

Ogre

He's kind of this lab working, child molesting creature. I almost want to keep working on this. Perhaps make the background more dirty and add a few more features to his face.

Cure

Basically an emotive self-portrait (if that's the correct term). I was having trouble with her mouth when my boyfriend suggested having her mouth stapled or sewn shut. Which automatically reminded me of a Tales From the Darkside episode. It featured an obese woman who was trying, to no avail, to lose weight. Her last attempt ended in her hallucinating that food felt pain and were talking/living creatures so she couldn't bear to eat anything. The episode ended in her sewing her mouth shut. However my version of Cure is more of an alcohol statement, as you an see my lady is a bit yellow from liver failure :P

Bride

This is a work in progress, but I featured it anyhow. I also have a couple of other ideas for this particular subject so I think it'll end up being a great series to work on. This is based off a crack in the subway that I took a picture of and this is what my Rorschach interpretation is. Actually, alot of my creature paintings are based off of spots/stains/cracks/wall paper designs where I do a Rorschach-esque analysis and see all of these weird images.

As usual some of these are on sale at my Etsy shop, so by all means check it out. They are also up on Deviant Art if you'd merely like a print. http://eraserhappy.etsy.com/
http://eraserhappy.deviantart.com/

There should be more updates sooner than later. I have a craft faire at The 1901 Gallery/Theatre this Sunday (June 6th) from 3:00pm-8:00pm. (1901 W. Belmont, entrance at Wolcott) I'll be featuring some new products. Jewelry, charms, keychains, buttons, etc.

Comments are always welcome. Take care everyone.

New Paintings

I finished these two paintings the other night. There's a third, but I'm not as excited about it as these two. Both are 5x7 inches and made using acrylic, crafting/distressing paint. They are both based off a series of sketches I had from my monster/creature series. I did these sketches years ago, and this is the first time I've attempted giving them life by adding texture and colour. Rather than just being smudgy graphite drawings from my imagination, and being crowded with other creatures this gives them personalities, stories; reasons they exist. I've included the sketches before the paintings. As you can see their recent incarnations are completely different (at least in my eyes) then their original! Also, if you're interested the prints are available via my Deviant Art page. The links are located in the descriptions underneath the paintings, or you can just head on over to my DA page (link will be at the bottom of this post).



So, this is Austin. For years I never saw him as this brown furry creature, but I have always noticed an intelligence to him. For me he is donning a lab apron--I think knowledge is his best friend (perhaps his only). Not that he isn't a great "guy" but he's quiet, matter of fact, and would rather make time for his scientific endeavours than to hang out at the pub with friends. However, I see him as a sort of bohemian. He can be artist/creative and unconventional. I assume the "feelers" on top his head are receptors--acting as antennae, and this how he's able to absorb and retain his knowledge.
(http://www.deviantart.com/print/11636717/?utm_source=DA&utm_medium=DP&utm_campaign=DA_DP_BuyThisPrint-Bottom_121009&utm_content=BuyThisPrint-Bottom)



Unfortunately this frozen creature hasn't given me a name yet. Perhaps the being encased in layers of ice in a dark tundra has made it difficult to communicate. I've joked how this is an animal self-portrait because I'm cold all the time! I don't actually think that, but I can empathize with this fellow. As far as the transition from sketch to painting goes, I didn't see this creature as frozen, or a ghost, until I prepped the canvas. I originally sketched it on a white canvas, and then painted the background black. That's where the idea of it being a spirit came in. I tried giving it a bit of a glowing aura affect, but that wasn't working for me or for the creature. I was painting it blue and just decided to go from there--adding different hues of white and blue and thus it became frozen. Some day I'll be able to break through that icy exterior and find out who this creature was. (http://www.deviantart.com/print/11636798/?utm_source=DA&utm_medium=DP&utm_campaign=DA_DP_BuyThisPrint-Bottom_121009&utm_content=BuyThisPrint-Bottom)

There is my last couple of days worth of work. I have alot of other canvases to smatter with my mind (and paint). So, expect some more updates sooner rather than later. Today I am excited to go see a chiropractor. Hunched over a table painting all day does not do wonders for my back. If you'd like to take a gander at my Deviant Art Page please visit here: http://eraserhappy.deviantart.com/