What a week leading up to an even bigger weekend! I don’t know if I made this clear, I only stated in the post comments, that the giveaway winner announcement was extended to today. I crazily planned that to end in the middle of the NESCBWI Conference. I don’t know what I was thinking! Excited beyond reason.
Now onto the winner. Chosen with random number counter, adding in facebook and twitter retweets, our winner is
We are celebrating spring, success, and opening a new shop! Yes I decided to make a shop just for my critters.
To sign up for this giveaway, post a comment below saying which critter you would want. Also to earn more chances for yourself retweet this post making sure to put @CaseyGirard in the tweet so I know you did it. You have a week to sign up, next Sunday I will pick a winner!
(if you don’t see your comment right away don’t worry. I get so much spam I have to use an approval process for comments.)
What a weekend and then week following. Nothing happened this week but, I have felt burnt out and all over the place. Honestly I still feel like I am out of sorts but, it’s time to reign this in and get back to a normal schedule.
What did I do this week? I gardened: prepping my seedlings for life outside, potted some yard violets, and went shopping at Mahoney’s as my Mother’s Day gift to myself. I purchased a plant that I am going to try to bonsai and I got information on how to take care of my venus fly trap; since, it has taken a hit on its new growth.
Then I spent the rest of my time watching How I Met Your Mother and perusing etsy. It has been ridiculous, I didn’t even update my shop! Today that stops. Back on the blog ready to update and get back to work.
Although, one last silly thought, I have gotten from How I Met Your Mother. If you had a tape/cd stuck in your car and it only played one song over and over, what song could you handle that being? I choose Parklife by Blur.
Anyway, Somerville Open Studios went excellently! Thank you to everyone who came by and supported me and Seth! We had a wonderful turn out and many of our items found new homes. In fact to celebrate the success, spring and, being back I am going to do a give away! One of my critters from the drawers will be the item up for grabs. I need to post new pictures of which critters are left; once I have that I will make an official post about the giveaway.
Until then, a fun thing that happened while I sat awaiting visitors last weekend was a I started filling a sketchbook with brush pen drawings of my critters. The style is different from how I have usually draw but, I like that inspiration is coming to my sketchbook from my sculpting. I don’t know that I will take this style to a portfolio level but, I certainly enjoy it and it helps to fuel me creatively for my usual drawing style. There is a part of me that dreams of making a side B to my portfolio filled with items like these.
For those of you coming to my blog from the kidlitart tweet chat last night you remember our discussion was on style, how you develop/find your own style. I agree that it takes years of practice, drawing enough that a consistent look comes out of you. What do you think of this? A totally different technique has sprouted out of me. Do I make side B? If I leave this on the level of my etsy shop, would you prefer me to have a separate shop for my critters verses having them together with my letter and animal paintings? Or as it was mentioned am I too close to myself and don’t see how these relate to my other work? Any thoughts or opinions would be greatly appreciated! Of course these questions are also directed at myself, this is me letting you all in on my current thoughts.
Hope you all enjoy hearing about my silly week, thank you for stopping by!
With just a few days left before open studios I am wrapping up my final preparations. I unfortunately caught a flu; so, I lost out on some work time but, I am catching back up and should be totally well by the weekend.
I will be at 45 Laurel St. Apt #2 Somerville, MA – #69 on the SOS map
Here is a preview of some of the pieces I will be selling this weekend. If you can’t make it anything not sold will be posted to my etsy shop.
Then, another downloadable coloring page. The whole coloring book will be available at SOS.
He is for sale along with the rest of the creatures in my print drawer, current progress
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In other news this past weekend Matt and I went to MoCCA after my friend Marisa invited me to stay with her for the event. It was a wonderful weekend of meeting artists that I have been following online via twitter, their blogs, and etsy and hanging with friends that share my love for art/comics/publishing.
I love being a part of this community. I find all of these people so inspiring and I am so thankful for the time I had getting to chat with each of them. Thank you all for what you share with us I can’t wait to see what you do next!
As talked about Tuesday, my spin on a bouquet for our 4 year anniversary. I had hoped to make at least 8 of these and other elements to fill out the bouquet, however each octopus takes about 3 hours. Coupled with the other work I had to do and eventually getting sick from not sleeping enough, I had to call it quits Wednesday afternoon. Today I am planning to get back to them since I am feeling better and I have been inspired. These drawings rock!
I have been doing a lot of work with sculpey lately, making ornaments. Wanting to change up from making loads of snowmen I decided to sculpt one of my sketches from the summer. These sketches were simplified animals drawn in chalk on our driveway for my son.
Given that I love the less lovable animals I went with the skunk.
I am really happy with how the simplification of his form came out in sculpey. I think I will continue with this and make a series of these.
Since he is still an ornament I adorned him with some Christmas elements. The candy cane was a challenge. As I was saying to some friends last night, red sculpey bleeds to everything and white is the most sensitive to other colors. However, I knew it could be done because I have seen one made by Meredith Dittmar. I figured out the trick! Use the lightweight white sculpey. It has a very different texture from normal white sculpey and as long as you don’t futz with it too much they will roll together well.
I have also decided since last nights conversation to write a blog about using pre colored sculpey. Filled with tips that I have found useful. Look for it Monday.
So, what do you think? Should I make and sell these on etsy? Let’s take a vote! Just for fun. Thanks!
I feel like I started my race two weeks ago. However, I went away and lost track of much that I need to be working on. Tonight I take my mark on all the projects I need to get done and want to get done. One being the sketchbook project. I have decided in between my spread pages I want to draw Matt in one of his power poses. Anyone who has witnessed him scale something they have probably seen him do one of these. Upon finishing a climb or just before he jumps up to climb and he will pause for a moment. Like he is posing for a camera. Matt clearly knows he is staring as the super hero in his own life.
Tonight was a rough drawing night. You can tell in this scan, I ripped my sketchbook trying to erase. Getting back in the swing of things was tough tonight. I have been working during all the time I was away but, mainly in sculpey and InDesign. Your hands and eyes take a minute to remember the other way they are supposed to work. Bringing me back to a work zone, headphones on, shutting out the rest of the world-except for a little twitter, well you know when Cory Godbey is having a FIRE SALE I am paying attention!-with some Gorillaz Demon Days. After struggling to draw a snow mobile for 2 hours I got it! I just don’t really know what those look like, I didn’t grow up in the snow. I still haven’t skied or snowboarded. I hear going on one of these adventures with Matt is dangerous. Come back to hear that story, I mean STORIES!
Hopeful for a productive day tomorrow. I know it ends with my critique group! Woot!
I am not going to post the usual this week. Lucien and I are visiting family in NC.
Until next week! Have a Happy First week of December! If shopping for gifts check out my store, I will be periodically posting new ornaments, the first Partridge in a Pear Tree is up!
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