Finger Chess Board

So my Boyfriend and I had a great idea, I don't entirely know who came up with it first but we decided to make a finger chess set much like the one that Salvador Dali made.

I am a big fan of Dali and his surrealist work. The name of my blog comes from a famous Dali painting: The persistence of time (the one with all the droopy clocks). We made a few changes to the design of the chess pieces. We decided that each finger (and one big toe) would be a different piece. 

Pawn = Pinky finger

Rook = Big toes

Bishop = Index finger

Knight = Thumb

King = Middle finger

Queen = Ring Finger

I initially wanted them to be color coordinated to our favorite colors - his being blue and mine being green, or is it the other way around... I think it might be the other way around. But we decided on blue and pink.

 It was a long process to get the pieces the way they are. I didn't entirely know where to start. He took a good design leap and suggested that the fingers should be standing on something. We decided to go to our local dollar store, we picked up some plastic poker chips. Really awesome idea on his part. We first took molds of our fingers and toes. Then we glued the fingers to the bases. Step three had us making molds of the fingers on their bases. Step four had us mixing the plastic and pouring them into the molds. 

This whole process took a few months to do. Both of us having very busy schedules - we did as much as we could together. My boyfriend was able to find acrylic - plastic in the colors we needed for the board and he got them cut as well (by a professional so they're a bit more exact). We also decided that to distinguish the king and queen we would get rings - as crowns.

We got the rings from ebay, the down side is that we had to wait for what felt like 2 months for them to come. But it's finally finished!!! 

Till next time!

Leftover Canvas

I was thinking about what to do with my left over canvas. I, like many other artists reuse the wooden frames of old canvases. Stretch new canvas where that old painted canvas stood. There are other ways, however where one could just paint over the old stretched canvas. It takes a sander to get rid of all the bumpy paint and a some gesso to cover everything. But what if you wanted to start completely new? What happens to that extra canvas that you've essentially de-boned? I know it's a gruesome way of putting it. You wouldn't be able to stretch it again on to a new frame.

You could just use it as a palette for more paint and then call it an abstraction. But then again I already have a really good palette. One that can save the colors you're working with so you'll be able to use it next time. This way it would dry up too fast.

You could possibly create a really strong paper mache sculpture, with out the paper. But then again it would take a lot of glue and a lot of time. None of which I have right now.

I have a huge stack (well it's not really a stack more like a pile) okay a pile of old canvases, and I don't know what to do with them.

We live in a recycling community, the renewing, reusing, and complete inability to throw out anything. I feel bad just throwing anything out. I have never thrown out any old canvas paintings, even the ones that aren't mine. I have bought old paintings that were on stretched canvas just so I could take the frame. It saves me money and the money goes to a good place. Usually going to a club at the university.

But then I sit here with this:

a bunch of used staples and used canvases. Possibly still good, probably. But then again there's only so far I can stretch a canvas.

Till next time.

Year In Review

So I've decided  to look into my old post that I made almost a year ago about new years resolutions. And I'm a bit happy that I did accomplish most of them, not all mind you, but most.

Lets take a look at the list:

1. Work in different mediums when doing stuff in my sketchbook. 

I was able to accomplish this I did put in more water color sketches, but my classes did push me to try new things. 

2. Get some bookmarks done. 

I was able to do more on this, but the document hasn't been printed yet... so no merchandise yet. I did have another great idea. Which I will point out in my New Years Resolution area/page.

3. Get some key-chains done.

I accomplished this!!! YAY! I say this because it has now become something that people just keep wanting at my store. And I plan to make different characters. 

4. Put more stuff on sale on the web-site

I was able to put up a print for sale, I know it's not a big improvement but I plan to do more. I have a couple more paintings that I want to make into prints and I will probably go to the same place that I went to before to get the printing done. Which for the record is Grand&Toy, for the record they are a bit expensive, but I can't argue with the quality that does come out from it. 

5. Attend more Conventions.

I was hoping it would be more than 4, but I can't go to everything I want. I think that's where the balance comes from. I think the next year will be the same. I might find more mini conventions that I could go to.

- MTAC

- Anime North

- Mini con at my University

- Naru2U

6. Go to Sweden!

No dice on Sweden, but then again I'm always hoping I'd be able to go. 

7. Make the blog posts more regular.

I still wasn't on the greatest schedule... just as the year was starting I was full of hope and through the middle I think I gave up. I'm going to try harder next year to make the blog posts a little more regular. 

8. Start an online comic. 

Not started yet. I just should, instead of just putting off. 

Next post... the New Years Resolutions

And just for good measure... here's a drawing :)

As most of you already know, I'm a bit of a Harry Potter fanatic... I'm on pottermore, and I've been sorted into Slytherin and I'm very happy about it. 

Till next time!

Abstract Painting

I've been taking a long hiatus from this blog just hoping that I would be able to get a spark of something new to do, and school happened and I was able to do art. I think I just need some motivation. I always want to try something new with my art projects, something that takes some time but I never see them through to their full completion. It reminds me of Leonardo da Vinci in a way, by no means am I comparing my self to him just the way he would work. He was some what of a flake in many of his art projects, sometimes he wouldn't complete them because he got distracted by something else like math problems or that cool water formation that he saw a few days ago. I feel that way about the internet, I find my self distracted by it and intrigued by its ever changing quality, it's never the same internet. There's always something new to look at, and something else to do. I guess to the easily distracted this is paradise.

I digress... back to showing you some art:

I have an abstract painting class this semester and I'm not too worried about it. I have a great teacher and I've been keeping up with the course load. In one word: Easy. First, the project starts with us getting an unprimed canvas (3ft by 8ft), laying it on the floor and splashing paint onto it. We then had to cut the whole thing up and sow/glue/staple it back together making something else entirely. 

This is what I started with:

The prof explained that it might be better for me if it had a bit more variation in the color. This is what came next:

Now at this point the painting was very wet and I had used a lot of paint that was water down. The logical thing would have been just to let it dry in it's place, but I was told that there was going to be another class later that day and they needed the work space as well so I had to move it. Unfortunately when I picked up the canvas (all 3ft by 8ft of it) all the colors began to run into each other and I was left with a muddle of pink and purple. Luckily for me the prof came to my rescue and told me to relax and that I would be able to play with the back side of the canvas as well to created some contrast. 

Now the cutting, I had an elaborate plan to make a hanging 3D structure that would come down from the ceiling and look a lot like a Christmas tree with various triangles. Good thing: the prof nixed it. Bad thing: I had already started cutting the triangles. This is what I ended up with. I grabbed my hot glue gun and started gluing the pieces together, folding and layering until I ran out of glue sticks for the glue gun. I then grabbed the needle and thread, which of course isn't as fun because it took a long time to do anything and the fabric was too thick... so yay for blistered fingers. 

All in all the prof actually liked it. It taught me a new way of processing art. 

Till next time!

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 7

Day 7 - Favorite Animated Character

Schnitzel! <3

From the Cartoon Network show Chowder! I feel so giddy talking about him. He's so adorable with all his grumpy glory. He only says one word 'Rada' and he is absolutely awesome. I saw him two years ago when I was in Sweden while I was watching the television with my cousins, and I got completely hooked on the show.  

Day 8 - Favorite T.V. Show

Till next time!

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 6

Day 6 - Favorite Movie

Finding Nemo!  

I watched this move four times when it first came out and I still crack up when Dori speaks whale. I can't tell you how many times I've actually seen it because honestly I've lost count. And I know I'd probably watch it again with fresh new eyes completely enthralled in the story. 

Day 7 - Favorite Animated character

Till next time!

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 5

Day 5 - Favorite Book(s)

From J.K. Rowling and Margaret Atwood. I've read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire about 6-7 times. And my favorite chapter is the 'First Task'. I didn't think the movie did it justice. It's just a lot more awesome in my head. :P 

I recommend Oryx and Crake to any one interested in post-apocalyptic stories. I think I'm on my 4th read of the book. I've lent it out to one of my boy friend's brothers. I love the commentary on the stuff we put in our body. 

Tomorrow - Day 6 - Favorite movie

Till next time!