Thursday Art Walk

 

In Which I Have Finished The Big One

I sometimes bite off more than I can chew. In the case of my supposed "Thanksgiving" artwork... well, y'all can maybe tell it took longer than I wanted.

I'm pretty damn proud of it, though.

This has to be the largest amount of characters I've drawn in a scene in my life. I showed the sketches a couple weeks ago, and I've actually been working on this since then. My first two attempts failed because I was trying to sketch straight with colored pencil instead of regular pencil. Also, you'd think sketchbook paper would hold up better to erasing than it does...

So it's instead on my big watercolor paper.

The 11"x15" (27,9 x 38,1 cm) 140lb/300g stuff.

So yeah. It's pretty freakin huge lol!

"Anyone For Dessert?"; Colored Pencil on watercolor paper; 2021

Oh my god the detail I put into this made my hands and eyes ache but I'm very proud of myself! Each critter has their own personality, and there are some... references within (plus one very silly in-joke between my boyfriend and I, since I made this for him!).

Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat (detail); 2021

Here we see a Very Done wombat who deeply regrets asking an owl to bring dessert to a Friendsgiving with primarily herbivores. He's not surprised, not at all, but he is quite disappointed. In himself.

Groundhog (detail); 2021

Did I base this groundhog off of Chunk the Groundhog? Yes, of course I did. I love that little guy! I drew him with his trademark open-mouthed horror and butterfingers. The tomato will, of course, get scooped up momentarily. Five second rule and all that...

Beaver (detail); 2021

Nothing like nibbling on a twig and then finding out your friend has brought a horror show for dessert, eh, Mr. Beaver? He's knocked over his log chair in surprise!

Sea Otter (detail); 2021

If you know me, you know I've spent the bulk of the panini watching the livestreams of Joey the orphaned otter pup growing up. I've rendered him in watercolor pencil, cautiously stashing a clam in his shirt pocket as he wonders what this dessert thing is all about.

Lop-Eared Rabbit (detail); 2021

A few years ago, I started following Insta-famous bunny "Tato" (short for "Worried Potato") and fell in love with his floopiness. How could I resist putting an homage to the first bunny-blogger I ever followed?! Obviously, a bunny will be nervous around an owl, but now they're 100% convinced they'll be the main course next time! Don't worry, lil buddy, Dedbert's got two bunnies as adoptive brothers. You're safe!

Dedbert (detail); 2021

Here's my boy, proudly showing off the Chocolate Mouse he made. He has no idea what the fuss is about. Wait, what do you mean there's a second S? Why are you guys freaking out? This is good stuff! He hunted all night for those mice!!!

All in all, I am insanely proud of this piece, and I cannot believe how well it came out. Are there things I'd change? Yeah, of course, but being an artist always means stopping before it's "done" or you'll never finish anything.

This won't be the last time you see any of these critters, by the way. I have... plans for this month. Starting in 10 days, in fact.

Do with this information what you will.

But for now, I am exhausted and my hands smell like watercolor and wood. Good night folks!

Go Enjoy Something!

FC

Wednesdaymania 250: Wintermania week 2

In Which I Discuss Silly Winter Wrestling

Once upon a time, there was a gentleman by the name of Glenn Jacobs. Glenn wanted to be a professional wrestler, so he got trained and tried out and got hired. All normal stuff so far. He had it all - immense height, strong shoulders, and that All-American Meathead look, so the world should've been his oyster.

He struggled to find his gimmick, however. It's hard to stand out in a world of Macho Men and Hulks Hogan and the like. Eventually, he wrestled as a sadistic dentist, but early on, he went by the same name as one of my state's Senators, and then Christmas rolled around...

It was 1992. Glenn was working for the USWA at the time, and they had a Christmas show to run, but they needed a wrestler to wear a costume. Thus, Glenn Jacobs, sometimes called Unabomb (yikes) and sometimes known as Doomsday (much cooler), donned a colorful suit and became known, for a very short moment, as The Christmas Creature!

Yes. This is actually him.
Yes, this is actually what he wore.
Yes. He wrestled in this.

Now, if something about the name Glenn Jacobs has been bothering you this whole time, perhaps you know him as the mayor of Knox County, TN.

Or maybe you know him as his much more successful in-ring gimmick, which he wrestles in to this day...

You might just know him as...

KANE!

So there you are, kids - the story of how a man fought and scrabbled his way in to almost accidental fame despite horrible gimmicks to become a world famous pro-wrestler and a politician. Do I quite understand how one goes from a Unabomber gimmick to the beast which slew Superman to a Hobby Lobby Monster to a generic tough guy to a sadistic dentist before ending up as a literal Demon? Not in the least, but it's amazing.

Never give up kids.

You may be the Christmas Creature today, but tomorrow, you may be world famous.

Keep crackin!

Go Enjoy Something
FC