50 Canvases in 2014: Text Challenge

This week was my son's last week of middle school.  An organized mother would have had teacher gifts and photo shoots, or at the minimum, a crystal clear understanding of where the boy needed to be - and when - and with what (a cello, a tie, a toga, a bottle labeled "Nectar" for his Midsummer Night's Dream performance, whatever).  Alas, I am not an organized mother.  Let's just pretend that people who make life look easy are dull and unfulfilled, okay?

On to the art!  Earlier in the week, for a blog entry on wonderstrange, I created this background, which I ultimately thought of as a sort of whimsical storybook cover.  And who better to add to a storybook than Red Riding Hood, freshly rescued from her ordeal with the wolf?  I laid down the text to meet the text challenge from 50 Canvases in 2014 on wonderstrange.

I don't know if you can see the text in the pics, but it is faintly visible in places.  I am kind of ridiculously excited to have used red as a shadow color.  That's the type of thing I tend to like in other people's work but don't include in my own.

50 Canvases in 2014: Miracle Ride Canvas

A few weeks back, I was feeling all kinds of down and out about the tremendous suffering in the world, and more specifically, my total inability to do anything about it.  I posted an open note on Facebook, telling my friends that even though I'm not the most talented artist in the world, I will always, always donate work to fundraising events for causes I support.  Within an hour of posting that, I am delighted to report that I had a PM about the silent auction held during the annual Miracle Ride, a big motorcycle charity event here in Central Indiana that raises money for Riley Hospital for Children.  It's hard to think of a better cause than helping sick kids and their families!

Better still, several of my friends decided to join with me in creating art for the auction.  I'll post shots of all the work next week (some of it is still en route to my house), but meanwhile, here are progress shots of my canvas, which is a 9x12 made in the hope that it will appeal to a woman who rides!

50 Canvases in 2014: A Long Time Ago, in a Kitchen Far, Far Away

This week, I spent most of my time designing a new amigurumi crochet pattern for the Corpse Bride - as in, the title character from the Tim Burton film - and it was HARD, man! 

Corpse Bride in progress

It was so hard, in fact, that I'm still not finished - which is why my "canvas" for this week is a non-traditional one.

More specifically, my canvas this week is the front of a kitchen canister, which I am working on for my shop, and which I decided to paint up with a Star Wars theme.

 

When it's finished, the top strip will read "Hot Cross Buns" in a Star Wars-inspired font, because let's face it.  She is hot.  She is not very happy.  And she practically defines sidebuns.

50 Canvases in 2014: Word Up!

This week has been nuttier than an Almond-Pecan torte!  After my friend Nancy left, my BFF and business partner Sarah arrived, and I think it took me two full days to recover from all of the late nights and the extra glasses of wine.  (Incidentally, I am perfectly happy with the entire aging process except for that part.  What do you mean, four hours of sleep will turn me into a zombie?!  I'm indestructible!  I'm indefatigable!  I'm . . . oh, wait.  I'm 42.  Never mind.  Totally destructible.)

I did manage to do a canvas while Sarah was here, and it was the "word" challenge on wonderstrange - namely, to create a canvas inspired by a word that isn't "hope," "believe," "faith," or any other word you can find on scores of other work.

My word was "both," because that's something I really need to work on.  I can have a day that is BOTH productive AND frustrating.  I can have an experience that is BOTH rewarding AND disappointing.  I do not have to pick one or the other.  I can embrace both.