Zebra Love

Literally, I've been wanting to draw this for months. I saw it on an album cover when I was fishing through iTunes, except there were bloody slash marks. I also love the boldness of zebra print.

This represents my love life. Initially I thought of that too, yes with the slash marks. As I was doing the preliminary sketch, though, I decided to take the positive route & focus on what I want.

Here's to finding my zebra (just like black & white, my complimentary match).




Medium: BR & 2 Pigma pens

Kitchen, longest ongoing project ever

Does this wall below & above the cabinets look purple to you?

It fricking looks purple to me, when it's supposed to be a shade of grey! Just one though. (pun intended)











Back in July, I painted my kitchen cabinets & walls. Back then, I thought it would be a good idea to modify & paint over the yellow on the walls white. So, after the paint sitting on the counter waiting for me to make the time, I made time a couple weeks ago & painted the walls white.

Still unsatisfied by the stark, too bright, too clean (temporarily) white I thought it'd be a good idea to make it a light grey. That way it'd match the cabinets, but not be so dark. ... Went to the hardware store, picked a swatch, & decided on a color of light grey (Dance Light). I let the color dry on top of the can, so I can see what it'll do. It still looked white. So I dabbed a bit on top of the first coat. Maybe the second would make it look darker. That didn't work.

The hardware store doesn't take back specialized-color paint, so I asked that they look at the difference between the last formula for Dance Light & program in the difference for the Gizmo color, next on the swatch value line. Sounds like a reasonable idea, right?

... Dab of paint on the top of the can. Wait for drying. Looks like the color on the swatch. Great!

... Wait another week, because that's how long it takes me to get around to painting again. Have I mentioned that I don't really like to paint? I put it on the wall. And it looks p-u-r-p-l-e!

I'm going to do the second coat, just for the hell of it & PRAY that it looks grey. :-) This wall already has five layers of paint from me, plus a couple from the previous owner. I'm not sure when it will start to rebel.

Wish me luck!

New Paint Makes Everything Feel So. New.

Then:

You get the picture. Even though the wall is partially covered, you can see that (below) the end result is so fantastic.

My theme music? Loud. Blaring. Insane Clown Posse & Lindsey Stirling. Separately, of course.










& Now:

Clearly, Baker is practicing for his career in modeling. Is it for the paint? The pictures? The projector screen? Who can tell?

The next project: A contraption to hold my projector, & all of it's appendages, on the ceiling. It's going to have to be able to pull back, so that I don't hit my head all the time.


Medium: Satin, Pinot Noir.

Too archaic for the 21st Century?

I designed this CD after making a playlist for a friend.

He laughed, then said he didn't have a Discman any more.

Are CDs really archaic now? They play in laptop computers, people.

Kitchen Cabinets

I've been meaning to do this one for a while too. Thanks to my sister & dad being here, I finally kicked into gear. Tess washed down all of the cabinets, walls & stove. Thanks, sis!!


Before:

After:

The gray has non-sanded grout in it to make it a chalkboard.


I'm contemplating repainting the walls to make them white & leaving the cabinets yellow & gray.






(Warning: Add water to the paint & grout, or just mix what you need! After sitting overnight the left over paint turned to putty. I added a lot of water & took it back to the store to be crazilly shaken, which helped.)

Shower curtain

This was just a tiny sewing project, but it took me months to actually do it! I adore this shower curtain.

Pallet Bench

I've been doing more home improvement things this summer than crafty things. But, I seriously think these count towards being creative, especially when trying to do things cheaply.

This pallet bench on the back porch. Now I have permanent seating for the lake view. It can also be used for so many other things: plants, a grill prop, napping bed...



This was easy to make & cheep (free pallets)!

1) Using a circular saw I cut the pallets in half, saving the middle brace for support.

2) I ended up buying 1x4 pine boards for the top of the bench. Those were just washed with stain before nailing them on. But, after getting a lot of rain, I'm going to coat them with Polyacrylic too.

Crafting

Yesterday was the first time that I've come close to doing something crafty. A friend suggested it for my birthday. We ended up watching a movie instead. I haven't just been negligent of this blog - I haven't been doing art. Well, not in the traditional sense.

The only thing I've been doing is learning the art of running: training schedules, gear, motivation, etc. I started a new blog: http://careyrunsalaska.blogspot.com/. This came about after deciding to take on training for a half marathon & a 15.75 mile run at Lost Lake, Seward, Alaska. Thanks for the jump start, Deanna. While reading this hilarious & non-threatening running book, I am encouraged to write & track my progress. It'll be fun to look back on how far I've come.

So, check out my new blog &, hey, you might feel like making a running goal too. Or at least you should be happy that you have the choice.

April 7 - Tundra Trek 9K (85 min.)

May 5 - 6.35 mi. (60 min.)

May 12 - 7.87 mi. run (90 min.) in NC, 315' elevation gain from 1111'

May 19 - Birthday run @ 10.35 miles (115 min.)

Ceramics (Semester III) Fall 2011

Focus/goals:
1) Finish the 65 pieces required.
(35 isn't bad considering my skill level. That goal was made for the most advanced in the class, who were still hard pressed. I tried everything we were supposed to: mugs with handles, soup bowls, dinner and dessert plates, goblets, and serving bowls.)

2) Finish my set designed with a theme and two unique pieces. (check)

3) Experiment with marbles, texture, copper wire (the green & black on the speckled ivory bowl), and handle shapes.

Pieces Finished: 35

[Yes, I realize those plates look like they have poop smeared on them, and I'm sorry you have to witness it. I made a mistake in color choice. Since, I've smashed one of those plates & the other is a plant pot holder, hiding the poop color. :-)]




Medium: White Clay (premixed), multiple glazes, marbles, copper wire

Ceramics (Semester II) Spring 2011

Focus/goals:
1) Throw bowls only.
2) Trimming funky shapes.
3) Light pieces, a.k.a. aggressive trimming.
4) Neat feet.
5) Taller bowls.

Pieces finished: 24

Medium: Clay (red & white)

Ceramics (Semester I) Fall 2010

Focus/goals:
1) Throw pieces worth keeping from the wheel.
2) Try anything.
3) Learn from others.

Pieces finished: 18?

Medium: White Clay

Baby's Gotta Have Cool Shoes Too

These kimono style baby booties were hand-sewn for my friend Sara-beara. She's due to have a baby girl this month - any day now!


Medium: Cotton fabric, upholstery on the bottom for padding baby's feetsies.


{Excuse the blur.}

Sometimes Dolls Get Lucky 10-15-10

I was trying to learn how to knit (again). My aim was to make different squares to practice varieties of knitting and pearling.

I must have miscounted on some stitches, because this ended up being a trapezoid, not a square. So I decided to fashion it into a doll skirt for my friend's daughter.

Cute! No?


Medium: Cotton yarn

Baker in the Making...

I don't know if I'm ever going to finish this!

The photo that inspired it's beginning.

Face Facts! 03-06-10

If you know me, you know I'm a fan of graphic novels. Though these guys are more comic book like. What I like about drawings like this is it just takes knowing where to put your shading, not being master artist. I love the bold lines and block shading that still gives a three-dimensional look.

You don't know how many times I've giggled, even laughed out loud, at the "confused" guy in the middle!


Medium: Sharpie markers

My Cup Overflowith 12-25-09

To recognize the truth, first recognize that you are the truth.
Happiness is every human being's birthright.

In an attempt to renew my hope in mankind, faith in the unknown, & manifest what I want & deserve, this creation was born. Some of it's hokey now that I read them again - but I needed the "positive" saturation at that time.

The tabs have lots of inspirational sayings, which you may be able to read when zoomed in.

...And some of them open!





Every smile is a direct achievement.
By honoring your words, you are honored.
Self-reliance conquers any difficulty.
It's not life that matters, it's the courage that we bring to it.
The mind is energy: regulate it.
True wealth is the ability to let go of your possessions.
Delight the world with kindness, grace, and compassion.


Medium: Colored pencil, Yogi tea bag tabs

Chinese Wrapper 01-2010

Have you ever gotten the crunchy noodles in a wax paper wrapper from a Chinese food take out place? This picture was on one of those wrappers that I saved, a long time ago.

I started this in 2004 & didn't finish it until January 2010 in Asheville, NC. It sat as the first partial sketch drawing below for y-e-a-r-s: December 2009 according to the stamp on my photo!

My artistic motivation waxes and wanes. What can I say? But now it's finished - mission accomplished.

Medium: Pigma Micron Pens

Yin, Yang Variable 12-06-09

Mayhem

"I am free
in all the ways you
are
not."

"I felt like destroying something beautiful."

Let Go!


Pain would be the one word I'd use to describe the inspiration for this picture. No that's not a halo you see. The tip of the penis is a smoking gun. (I need to doctor that part to blend in more.) The palm of my hand has a heart, if that's not apparent too.

Why did I get to the point of drawing this? Unrequited love. The fact that the emotional stake for women usually far outweighs that for men. Anger at the lack of understanding of why something like this has crossed my path and at the people who I gave my heart, only to have it shot down again. Admittedly, I was also being a brat about some people having better luck than others despite their actions.

It, pain, refines artistic expression; that's all I understand. This is still one of my favorite drawings yet.


Medium: Pencil

Relationships 12-05-09

"It's only after we've lost everything, that we're free to do anything." - F.C.

I was thinking of a heart monitor when I drew this. The people I've shared my heart with and my aspirations for a clean slate (the lines to the right indicating unknown). I was mindful of space in that I wanted the drawing to be 3-dimensional and from a bird's eye view. I also wanted the sense of time to be there - a journey on the path. These were momentary thoughts. I did just let a lot of it flow & this is what happened.

If you notice the flat-line at the end, you're right. This was a flat-line moment in my life. Unfortunately, I can't really explain it on here, because the people involved would be revealed. On the positive side, when flipped sideways, I imagine an upward path. I don't know why I'm always looking for it. ^_^ But, I do.


Medium: Sepia Pigma Micron pens, green marker

Impact 11-08-06

This was started 11-14-04 and picked back up 11-08-06. Sheesh. I'm still not satisfied with it. Really I wish I never added the black & just left it browns & reds. I was mindful of this early on, but, I wanted to make the door look older. I'm finding my way through experimenting with how to go about this whole "art" endeavor. One thing to learn, I guess, is that not every piece can turn out like I imagined & sometimes we make poor choices as an artist.













It may sound like hooey. Though, part of what I was thinking when I started was the idea that a tree, once alive, has one place as being a resource for us. This is why I put the eyes there. Although it has it's place, it's still a sad reality considering the amount of consumerism. Plus, I wanted to practice drawing eyes. I wanted the green to contrast with the reddish browns and the door to look old, like the old style keyhole.

Medium: Colored Pencil

Where are you going? 11-06-04

This was painted the same day as the Siamese cat. Christina had a "how to" watercolor book when we were teaching in Quinhagak. It must have been our second year. In an effort to alleviate boredom we had a craft day.


Medium: Watercolor

Meow 11-06-04

"The Chinese word for cat - mao - is pronounced the same as the word for longevity. For this reason, the cat is a symbol of good luck & long life. Chinese artists often paint these playful, curious creatures interacting with butterflies, which are symbols of love. Chinese painters also believe that each brushstroke of the cat's face & head should reflect the animals mood & personality."


I decided to try this out because I can remember my grandmother having a Siamese cat. And of course, I loved "101 Dalmatians:" "We are Siamese if you please. We are Siamese if you don't please."


Medium: Watercolor

Black Mesa Rock 08-31-02

Kayenta, Arizona

After a short hike to our vantage point of the valley from Black Mesa, Mary & I drew a bit. It was our aim to find a sanctuary with inspiration to draw. This was a big deal for me. I had never attempted to draw much before & had always been self-conscious about it. This is really faint, I realize, but hopefully you can see the subtleties. The light was also behind the rock which is challenging.

We had to leave our post before dark as to avoid cougars. Though, it was nightfall by the time we got to the car. On the Navajo Rez in 2002 there were no street lights on many of the roads. There were, however, pot holes that I could fit half of my car into. We got lost a bit trying to figure out how to get back to the main road, which seemed obvious when we were trying to find a place to start hiking up in the light of day.


Medium: Pencil

I hope you can see the image of those red rocks as a right foot jutting up to the sky. This was behind Kayenta Community School where we did our student teaching. One day Mary & I hiked up there & climbed the "big toe," at least 50' high. It involved some scaling & squeezing. But, the hardest part was climbing back down the smooth rock, which didn't have too many foot holds. On our walk we saw Indian Paintbrush plants. The ashes of an extinguished fire locals would have said were from Skinwalkers.