I Sew Too!

Not only do I make traditional artwork, I sew too! The other day, I made a yoga mat bag in about an hour or so. I found the tutorial here, and original credit goes there. I fudged the measurements just a bit so I could use the imperial system since hers are in metric. It all worked out quite well!

I had just enough of this fabric for the whole bag and a few scrap pieces left over for a future project. Isn't it beautiful?

You can see my modified pattern below. I simply traced a roll of tape that was about the right size since I am currently without a working compass.

The piece for the bag has been cut and the loop for the drawstring is pinned in place!

I folded over the edges at a slight angle so the finished product wouldn't have fraying seams.

Here is the strap piece all cut out and pinned.

My very first attempt at sewing a circle bottom to a tube. Rather difficult, but it turned out just fine!

Ta-da! The bottom edge of the strap was in on that circle above.

Add random drawstring and sew top end of the strap in place.

Simple, yet excellent! It turned out to be a little longer than anticipated so there is extra space in the bag above the mat. That just translates to room for accessories like hand weights or a yoga strap!

I hope you were at least mildly entertained by my simple sewing adventure.  Until next time!
Namaste

Pierce the Heavens, Gurren Lagann

Another commission! My path towards arthood is well underway.

A friend of mine asked me to paint a picture of the drill from an anime titled Gurren Lagann. I have not watched this anime, but I've heard a lot about it. I also did a little research into the storyline and significance of the drill. The show takes place in a future Earth with some people living in subterranean villages. Some of these people are diggers that use drills to expand the living spaces underground. The main character, Simon, unearths a drill-key to a mecha and joins his brothers gang to one day reach the surface world.  There is much more to the show and you can find more information on the wikipedia page. 

Anyway, I created the painting based on other images of the drill and the dark to light represents the drill traveling from the isolated, subterranean world into the light of the surface world.  The spiraling clouds and dirt represent the divide between the two.  

I hope I've done the image justice with this painting. It is acrylic paint on canvas panel, size 11'' x 16''. (I think)

Drawing Challenge: Level Medium

A few years ago I completed a thirty day drawing challenge that was fun and most of the drawings ended up really cute. This year I decided one challenge wasn't challenging enough. I've decided to combine two different drawing challenges into one drawing per two days. I'm changing it to two days per drawing to allow for more detail in my drawings, cuz I need the practice.  Here are the two challenges, hopefully big enough for you to read. I combine the corresponding days in a creative and (hopefully) humorous manner. The original creators of the challenges are in the photos, don't go thinking I came up with them on my own. That comes on challenge 30.

So the first challenge is a self portrait and someone or something experiencing flight. The result is a picture of a couple on a hot air balloon ride. To give credit where it's due, the drawing was first inspired by the book The Kraken King by Meljean Brook. It's a steampunk romance, so I was wary at first. Too much romance makes me want to vomit. I'm not a chick-flick kind of girl. It was mostly steampunk adventure with a little romance, so that was nice. I enjoyed the book and recommend it to others. (No, I wasn't paid to say that.) Anyway, I decided to call it a self-portrait because the female lead and I have similar features, (pale, not-stereotype-pretty, pointy features, small) so I thought close enough. 

Also, forgive the anatomy mistakes and poor man-drawing. This is the first male character I've drawn that didn't look like a morbid concoction of a two-year-old. So here it is, the first step to a medium level drawing challenge! 

Wish me luck. 

PS: If you think of a clever idea for one of the challenge combinations, don't be afraid to let me know! All ideas are helpful! 

Love Wins

Congratulations to all those happy couples that can finally be married! I've always thought love between two consenting adults should never be hindered by the government. Now they have the right to become one being in two bodies with all the rights and privileges of traditional marriages.

This is a drawing I did a few years back for a friend that had come out and it wasn't always easy. Here he is, just as sparkly as ever with his fabulous lizard.

#LoveWins

Farm Pictures

Second post, doing well. Okay, so here it goes. Last night I tore my middle fingernail of my right (dominant) hand three-quarters of the way across about a quarter way into the living tissue. Needless to say there was a bit of pain, a spot of blood, and a long lasting inconvenience. I plan on posting some drawings soon, so don't lose hope.

Yesterday I went to the parent's farm and took some pictures while I was there. I know I'm not a photographer, but I enjoy taking the pictures and they are fun to look at. Who doesn't love animals, right?

Anyway, our GOS sow had piglets about a week ago and they are so tiny and so adorable! She is a great mommy and lets me just sit in the pen with her and her nine little ones. Her name is Lillian and she will literally roll over to let me rub her belly. I've added a few more pictures of the babies for good measure.

Lillian and her nine piglets. 

Then, we had to move a t-post and we found a spider living on it, so of course I had to take pictures of the terrifying beast. She posed rather well while I took the pictures. Then the noise of the skid loader mixed with us moving the post around made her attempt to hide in her little web nest. 

Humans are scary. I must hide. 

Also, our llama got her annual haircut. Taking pictures of the animals is so much fun. I never know when I'm going to get a great shot and who is going to be friendly and stand still that day. If you want to know more about my parent's farm, I run there website and you can check it out here! 

Cria, the llama that doesn't understand personal space.

Chloe, the guardian dog. She guards the cows.

I have returned!

Hello to anyone who follows this blog, which I'm assuming is nobody since I haven't posted in two years. I started this blog for a social media class I took in college and just never deleted it. I recently created a Patreon account to help support my dream of being able to pay my bills by creating art. What is she, crazy? I am.

One of the hints to a successful Patreon is to have a blog, so I thought "Hey, I have one already, I'll just add on to it!" We'll see how up-to-date I can keep you all.

By the way, Patreon is a site for content creators such as artists, musicians, designers, etc. I am a visual artists that creates mostly drawings and paintings, but I also dabble in graphic design and some jewelry and keychains.

Like this little leather bound journal keychain I made! Fully functional and easily transported!


Oh! I'm so terrible at introductions! I create under the name of Owl Eyrie (owl air-ee) on most of my sites. I have a few that are under older urls because, as a starving artist, I can't pay to change them (facebook.com/MyWayDesigns and my-way13.deviantArt.com).

You already know I have a Patreon, but I also have an Etsy store in which I sell some of my jewelry and I can easily create and sell custom artwork and jewelry for anyone! I accept credit cards, gift cards, and Paypal. I am sometimes on Twitter, I still don't quite understand the hashtags and whatnot. I'm young, but old fashioned. Ha.

I've been drawing a lot of koi fish lately, but they are so fun and free! The watercolor above is one of my favorites. My most recent commissioned painting is called Hope In Darkness and is in acrylic on masonite board. It's approximately 3' x 1.5' unframed, and sold for $160.

I guess that's a pretty decent update. I will attempt to post at least once a week on how my art endeavors are moving forward rather then backward like they sometimes feel.

Thank you for reading and I hope to gain your support!

-Owl Eyrie

Tim Burton's Imagination

Enter into the fantastical horror filled mind of Tim Burton. He is probably the first artist to inspire me, besides my Mother. My brother and I used to rent A Nightmare Before Christmas (produced by Burton), over and over again from the local video rental store. There was a gap in time when I had forgotten about the movie, and when I re-watched it, I couldn't believe that I hadn't been scared of the characters. They were fabulously terrifying, yet welcoming.  Over the years, I've been enthralled with his artwork. Not only his movies and short films, but also his drawings and other personal art. 

Tim Burton

Timothy Walter Burton was born in Burbank, California on August 25, 1958. He grew up being inspired by horror films of Roger Corman, many featuring the well known on-screen villain Vincent Price. He enrolled in the California Institute of Arts, majoring in animation. He graduated in 1980. He worked for Walt Disney Studios for less than a year and stuck out on his own. In 1982 he released his award winning short, Vincent, which was a tribute to his childhood idol. Burton currently resides in London with Helena Bonham Carter and their two children.

Victor and Sparky

His second popular short was entitled Frankenweenie, a twist on the classic Frankenstein. Frankenweenie  is now a full length movie, released in 2012. After he left Disney, Warner Brothers Pictures decided to have him direct Pee-Wee's Big Adventure.  Burton went on to other well known films such as Beetlejuice (1988), Edward Scissorhands (1990), and Batman (1989). 

Beetlejuice with an upset stomach.

He's had a tremendous amount of success in many of his movies. He also tends to work with some of the same people in many of his works. Not because he is using favorites, but because their skills fit with Burton's works at the time. Danny Elfman, an American composer, has music in many of Burton's films. Helena Bonham Carter is also the chosen actress in several films. Probably the most associated actor in Burton's films is Johnny Depp. Although some people criticize him for the recurring actors and composer, I feel that it works well for his work.

Teenager: an awkward period of life.

His website  begins with his character, Stain Boy, in which you use the arrow keys to explore the site. He has a public gallery of works as well as a private gallery. To access the private gallery, one must enter an email address to receive updates.

Stain Boy

Throughout his artwork there is a deep sense of horror and fantasy. The sketchy quality of his works on paper makes them childlike. He was known to convey that people only stop being artists when they start expecting something. His instructors at the Institute told him that "if you like to draw, just draw." This is something I can relate to, since I've been drawing since I could hold a crayon. Even if your stuff doesn't turn out the way you wanted, or you hate it when it's done, the point is to do what you like to do.

Burton has also written a handful of poems, the most famous one entitled Victor, which is about a little boy named Victor Malloy whom wishes to be like Vincent Price. He has turned it into an animated short narrated by Vincent Price, himself. Be has also has several books published, one being

Time Burton married a German artist in 1989 named Lena Gieseke. They split shortly after the filming of Batman Returns. He was then left her for Lisa Marie whom he dated for a few years and placed in four of his films. During the production of Planet of the Apes, he met Helena Bonham Carter. Burton resides in London with Bonham Carter and their two children. They have been involved since 2001, and their son and daughter were born in 2003 and 2007, respectively.

Helena Bonham Carter, Nell Burton, Billy Raymond Burton, Tim Burton

To keep an updated tab on Tim Burton and his works. you can find most of it on the Tim Burton Collective.

*I do NOT own any of the above images*

Gublernation!

Matthew Gray Gubler is on my list of people I would love to meet. He is well known for acting as Dr. Spencer Reid in the CBS television show Criminal Minds. He was born on March 9, 1980 in Las Vegas, Nevada to an attorney father and a rancher/politician mother. He attended the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts where he majored in drama. He never imagined he would end up with a career in acting, he simply thought it was fun and that it would help him succeed in other areas, especially public speaking. 

Right after graduating New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, he was approached by a modeling agent on the street. According to Gubler, the agent only saw potential because of the emaciated looking male models in fashion magazines. He accepted and quickly became one of the most sought after male models in New York City. He noted posing for ads and participating in runway shows for designers such as Marc Jacobs, Lois Vuitton, and Tommie Hilfiger. 

Gubler was always focused on making films, and in 2004 he took an internship with Wes Anderson. He was then cast in The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou as Intern #1 and right after, he was cast as Dr. Spencer Reid, whom is a genius FBI BAU (Federal Bureau of Investigation Behavioral Analysis Unit) agent with three Ph.D. degrees in his twenties. Gubler has also had several other movie roles.

Matthew Gray Gubler has also directed multiple episodes of Criminal Minds, including Mosley Lane, Heathridge Manor, and The Lesson. He has also directed and written Claude: A Symphony of Horror, The Cactus That Looked Just Like a Man, and MGG: The Unauthorized Documentary. Many of these and a few more can be found on his YouTube channel.
 

The "Gub" as he is sometimes called, has stated that he shares a few things with his character Dr. Reid. He is quick-witted, slightly OCD, and interested in odd things, but Gub doesn't have the eidetic memory of Dr. Reid.

Why would I write about an actor in an arts blog? Not only is a model, actor, writer, and director, he also draws. Mostly caricatures and self-portraits, but also some monsters.

He has a multilayered website entitled Gublerland, which is the universe in which his creations reside. It is packed with doodles and drawings and fun things to do. Urban Dictionary describes Gublerland as the "all-amazing, fascinating land where you, an intense fan of MGG can live your wonderful all-around-Mr. Gubler life."

In this wonderful land, one can get their own passport to be a well rounded citizen of Gublerland and explore all its wonders. You can write letters in which Geeselund the Mail Monster of Gublerland may respond to you per The Gub's request since he is a busy, busy man. From here you can access his photographs, finger puppets/small creations, and his art on his webpage. In which has an audio of him reciting Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poe.

Kermit and Vincent Price by MGG

Matthew Gray Gubler has a magic touch with a magic smile. I am enchanted each time I see his picture, not just because of his dashing good looks, but the genuineness behind them. He has many talents and his thankful for them and his fans.

The mustache isn't so bad.

*all images were taken from the internet. I DO NOT own any of them*

Food, Sleep, Sex, and Revenge

“There are four basic human needs; food, sleep, sex and revenge.”

― Banksy

Banksy is one of the most famous, or infamous depending on your outlook, artists in Britain today. He is a hidden identity, although many rumors of who he really is have surfaced. He earned his fame after graffiti-ing, or tagging, Bristol, England in the 1990's. Some call him an artist, as I do, others consider him a vandal, but one thing everyone agrees on; he is controversial and makes people think.

Banksy is an anonymous graffiti activist in Britain and around the world. His website, features his artwork and some information. He also provides images for his fans to use to create merchendise for themselves, but he points out that it's not okay to sell anything. Born in Bristol in 1974, he started as a free-hand vandal when he was 14. He later switched to stencils because he claims he wasn't very good at free-hand and it was too slow.

Banksy first appeared in Bristol, England in the early 1990's as part of a larger underground scene with Inkie, 3D, and others. He eventually spread around the world and has been noted in London, Vienna, San Francisco, Barcelona, Detroit, Paris, and Israel. His work has sold for thousands of dollars at auctions, including Ruined Lansdcape for $385,000. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are among the many owners of Banksy works.

In 2006, an exhibition in Los Angeles was centered around an 8,000 pound elephant covered in red paint and fleur-de-lis patterns. Needless to say, animals rights activists were not so happy and they were ordered to wash the elephant. Flyers were handed out in the crowd and read something to mean "There's an elephant in the room...20 billion people live below the poverty line."

Much of his artwork has a message behind it and inspires many to think about their government and social stance. It is also rather hard to explain at times, and is much easier understood just by looking at the work. Banksy is an activist and self titled "art terrorist" and therefore creates more of an impact to society. If people don't know who he is, they look more into the artwork for meaning. Humans have a need for knowledge, and this causes people to remember his artwork since they have no real identity to pair with it.

“Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”

― Banksy

His anonymity is part of who he is, and he runs his own narrative always keeping his identity hidden. He conducts interviews through both, but when he meets with someone face to face, he wears a creative paper bag to hide his identity. He uses the organization, Pest Control, to authenticate real Banksy work from imposters. Even the few that do know who he his will deny it, time after time, to keep the secret.

Here is a website with a series of GIFs created from Banksy work, including the following.






Banksy has also made a film in 2010, called Exit Through the Gift Shop. It is a documentary (Banksy style) about the creation and making of street art. The New York Times commented that is strongly comparable to his best work. The film was even on a list for on Oscar in the documentary category in 2010.

Banksy seems to have a heart for animals. They often stand in for humans, especially the rats. They appear in many of Banksy's pieces seeming to be fighting a war against an unseen enemy.

Banksy does not have a Twitter or Facebook account.

The entity that is Banksy is not just an anonymous artist, but is a force towards change. 

“People who get up early in the morning cause war, death and famine.”

― Banksy, Banging Your Head Against a Brick Wall   

For more images click here. This is a site with over 100 Banksy originals.

*I do NOT own any of the above images*

Pardee and his Monsters

Alex Pardee is one of my personal favorite artists. He was born in Antioch, California on February 5, 1976. (According to Wikipedia, anyway) The first piece of his artwork I saw was the artwork for THE USED's album, "In Love and Death," they also happen to be my favorite band. I adored the art and looked into the artist and as I browsed more of his art, I fell in love. My favorite band + my favorite artist = my heaven.

"In Love and Death" by The Used; Art by Alex Pardee

He spent years fighting depression and anxiety, but dominated it with his love for art and creation. He also writes and loves to watch movies. His main medium is pen and ink, but also used markers, watercolors, and much more. In many of the interviews, bio's, and 'about me' sections, he says he loves you. Very much. That makes me glad because I love his art, and him too. He sounds awesome.

Owlex by Pardee

He has also done more album art for THE USED, as well as AIDEN, IN FLAMES, STREET DRUM CORP, and others. His experience expands to include music videos, comics, calendars, and art for Warner Bros' motion picture SUCKER PUNCH. He has worked for Hurley International and Twenty Twenty Skateboards. He also worked on the WB's web series "Chadam," where there are ten webisodes. Chadam was also featured on THE USED's album "Lies for the Liars."

Concept art for Sucker Punch by Pardee

Pardee's concept  and figurine

Pardee is listed as a freelance artist, clothing designer, and comics creator. He claims to have been artistically influenced by The Maxx, The Garbage Pail Kids, Spawn, and Tales from the Crypt, while being overly influenced by 80's horror flicks, pop art, graffiti, and gangster rap.

live action Chadam and friends, by Pardee

He has his own art and clothing label called Zerofriends, which includes a couple other artists and a store in Oakland, CA. If I ever visit Cali, that's the first place I'll go...maybe only place. I won't have any money left after I leave the building.

Monster Urkel by Pardee

Alex Pardee's blog, EyeSuckInk, where he talks about his stuff, stuff he likes, and random stuff. It's full of neat stuff. Once in a while he'll mention his girlfriend, Chloe Rice, whom also has a blog. It's like everyone has a blog these days, sheesh.

Pardee has a small series of drawings and toys called Bunnywith. They consist of bunnies with something attached, wrong, controlling, or otherwise disturbing about them.

Bunnywith Intro 

One of the Bunnywith plushies

Pardee also creates parodies of characters, (the Urkel image above), along with many, many, many original monsters. It has been difficult to write this because I keep getting distracted looking at the art and learning about him. It's been hard to choose what goes into this blog, I think it's all so fantastic and inspiring.

Here is a wonderful interview between Lloyd Harvey and Alex Pardee that I was fond of and needed to share.

**The links may not be the official site, but it is further referencing the art or music.**
**I do NOT own any of the above images**