Thursday Art Walk

 

In Which There is Some Art!

I've had a busy week, and most of my attempts to paint came to naught. I've wasted several sheets of paper, sadly.

That being said, I did have a couple of good GEOMETRIC pieces!

"BLOQZ" digital; 2023 [GEOMETRIC]

"Ellipse"; digital; 2023 [GEOMETRIC]

Now, clearly, "Ellipse" is a much more successful piece. I kind of lost control of the "Bloqz" pallette, but I stuck to 6 colors for "Ellipse". It's actually quite pleasant to look at!

I might throw that one up on the Threadless store...

Anywho, I'm happy with how this turned out. If you have any requests for next week's art (I'll be away from home, but I'll still be able to do a little art!), send me a coffee on Ko-Fi with a message telling me which category (Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, Dedbert, Location, Geometric, Word) and I'll get a picture done for next Thursday!

For now, I'm going to go watch some videos and go to bed lol.

Go Enjoy Something!

FC

Talk About Tuesday

 

In Which I Have Been Busy lol

I say that I'm busy a lot. This week was a little busier than some, and next week will be even busier - in fact you might not see anything up here next week, because I'll be out of town. As it is, this week, I was busy figuring out ways to get some exposure here in town. I took my art down town and gave some paintings to some cool shop owners and also to the library. I also painted on Main Street, sitting in front of a local tavern and dabbing away with my watercolors.

I even printed off some silly little business cards in case anyone had questions about where I had art.

I have started putting my finished pieces in a binder so they're all together, in case someone wants to ask me about a piece's availability. I've gotten a little more active on Instagram. I've written out my Commission pricing & basic guidelines.

I also finished that pouch yesterday and started on something else. Not sure what it'll be yet.

As for writing, I'm afraid I haven't gotten anywhere near what I'd like. Only 440 this week. That's a full 260 words below what I'd prefer.

On the other hand, I did start a new art shop over on Threadless! I've been thinking about switching from Redbubble ever since they announced their new fee structures, and now I've got a shop live. It only has 6 images so far, and I'm not putting any fan art or Dedbert-related art up there (though I'll take commissions for either!), but it's a fairly decent start. Threadless has a few different requirements for file sizes than RB did, but I can and will make it work. It just means me having to make art... bigger.

Aside from crochet, art, and shopbuilding, I also watched the cat this weekend, so that was a handful, especially when she gave me a heart attack when she vomited and there was blood in the vomit. Yeah, that wasn't fun.

Then I realized that the little dingaling just cut her mouth with some of the sharp sawgrass we have in the yard. At least, we call it sawgrass. It sure sliced us up enough to earn the name. Evie was playing at being a sheep for a bit outside, and I guess during a moment of distraction she'd wandered up to a patch of the sharp stuff and gave it a good chomp. The combo of bleeding gum and rough grass was probably what led to her throwing up. She barfed a couple of other times after the pinkish puddles, and those were all clear. Her appetite is back, too, so that's a good sign.

Sorry for the graphic cat tale, but I had to get it off my chest. Again, she's absolutely fine. She even kicked me off of my own bed today because I couldn't hold my position where she was sleeping on me and in her ire, she kept pushing at me until I got up and gave her my seat lol!

What else happened this week?

Oh! I got an early birthday gift from my mom! She got me a Torvi top from Holy Clothing and it's absolutely gorgeous. I can't believe it's mine!

My goals this week are:

make some more art for Thursday

pack everything I need

do as much as I can to have some blog updates while I'm away

I'd also like to read, though I've been very distracted lately. I want to finish Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper and write a review. It's been amazing so far.

I'm pretty tired tonight, though, so I think I'll let y'all go!

Go Enjoy Something!

FC

Fiber Monday

 

In Which I Finished A Whole Project In A Week!

Today I finished working on a pouch I started last week! Do you remember the green yarn I was winding? It's 100% wool, very green, and looks great as a pouch with a bit left over!

It's 25 stitches across by 30 rows on either side

I kind of free-handed the whole thing, to be honest

And I'm really happy with how the loops turned out!

This pouch is designed to be hung from a belt and is big enough to fit a cellphone, a wallet, or even a small paperback book. It wouldn't be too hard to add a strap - just attach said strap to the belt loops, or sew it to the sides!

Would there be any interest in a written pattern for this? I did a few interesting things with front post single crochet, one loop only single crochet, etc.

The button is from an enormous jar of buttons given to me by a friend, and I'm thrilled to be able to use these buttons at last!

This took a while to crochet, but I think I could probably make these for sale (especially if I made them a little smaller or out of a less itchy yarn). If anyone's got any suggestions for what it would be worth, I would love the ideas. If I used a local wool that I trust (from Nash Island Yarns), a skein is about $28, and the heaviest weight my local shop carries is light worsted/DK, where this was a worsted weight. It could be... pricy to recreate unless I took a bus to the mall-wart and bought a $3 skein of their acrylic. That would lose a lot of its character, though.

And yes, that is a new link in the sidebar for commissions - I'm opening art commissions (among other things)! Feel free to take a peak and reach out to me on Twitter or Instagram!

Go Enjoy Something!

FC

COMMISSION ME: ART EDITION!

REQUESTS

• This is the same Request format you've seen me touting every week on Mondays & Tuesdays in preparation for Thursdays.
• Send $3 on Ko-Fi with a message leading with "REQUEST" and telling me which category (Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, Dedbert, Location, Geometric, Word) you'd like to see on my blog the next Thursday
• I post art from that category on the blog!
• This is not a commission, you do not receive the art.

COMMISSIONS (HAIKU)

• Send $3 on Ko-Fi with a message leading with "HAIKU" and telling me what subject you'd like your 5/7/5 Haiku about as well as where to send it (email, Twitter, Instagram)
• I send you a 5/7/5 Haiku based around whatever subject you gave me
• These Haiku will not be posted anywhere else.

SAMPLE HAIKU (PROMPT: MOCHA)
Coffee and cocoa

Warmth and comfort in a cup

Hot liquid breakfast

COMMISSIONS (CAT)

• Send $3 on Ko-Fi with a message leading with "CAT" and where to send the pictures (email, Twitter, Instagram)
• I track down my cat and snap 3 photos of my cat which I then send you.
• These pictures will not be posted anywhere else.

a single sample cat pic

COMMISSIONS (NAME)

• Send a message via email, Twitter, or Instagram with the subject "COMMISSION: NAME" along with the following
• The name in question
• What the person whose name it is likes (hobbies, colors, anything else that would personalize the image)
• The medium
• The size and/or format (if digital, I'll need to know if you want a .png or .jpg or whatnot)
• Where to send it - email (if digital), address (if physical)
• I send you an illustrated name, similar to my Word art
• I will not post this art anywhere else without your permission.

COMMISSIONS (RANDOM)

• Send me a message via email, Twitter, or Instagram with the subject "COMMISSION: RANDOM" along with the following
• A mood
• A color
• the medium
• the size and/or format (if digital)
• Where to send it - email (if digital) or address (if physical)
• I send you a very random artwork - you never know what you're going to get!
• I will not post this art anywhere without your permission

COMMISSIONS (CATEGORY)

• This is essentially a different version of both the Random and the Request options.
• You message me via email, Twitter, or Instagram with the subject "COMMISSIONS: CATEGORY" and then tell me the following
• Which category (Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, Dedbert, Location, Geometric, Word)
• You can be more specific! (e.g.: Animal - cat, Vegetable - pine tree, Mineral - pearl, Dedbert - in a bird bath, Location - graveyard, Geometric - hexagons, Word - whichever word you'd like)
• the medium
• the size and/or format (if digital)
• the mood for the piece (is it a happy image? somber? frantic? silly?)
• the main color
• where to send it - email (if digital) or address (if physical)
• I send you the finished artwork instead of posting it on the blog.
• I will not post this art anywhere without your permission

COMMISSIONS (ART)

To properly commission me, contact me via email, Twitter DM or Instagram DM leading with "COMMISSION: ART"! Then tell me what you would like for me to draw or paint for you, the medium, the size, etc.

All commissions involve me sending a preliminary sketch for your approval, with minor color-blocking if the commission is in color. Once you (the client) have approved, I will then complete the commission.

I cannot and/or will not make art of the following

• Pornography/18+
• Real people
• Children
• Guns/War machines like tanks
• Gundams, Transformers, Iron Man, or other intricate robots/armors
• Violence or Visceral Gore - if you want a vampire that's just fed, I can add a little blood, but I'm not comfortable making a bloodbath or drawing intestines or eye trauma or whatnot.
• Hate Symbols (which really should go without saying but this is the internet)
• Other people's styles
• Closed Species - I'm fine with trying to draw someone's fursona, I just don't feel comfortable engaging with closed species at this time, since I don't have any real connections within the community.
• NO NFTs OR AI TRAINING - Do not ever use my art for these purposes. AI takes money from artists and NFTs are a grift that often use stolen art. If you see my art being used for either purpose it is 100% without my permission

Please be aware that I also do not give permission to anyone who buys my art to then sell products using said art. If you would like to enter a partnership with me, where I would earn a percentage on products sold using my art on top of my commission price, then we can discuss that, but buying a commission from me does not entitle you to using that art to make products for sale. I have no problem with you using said art to print a t-shirt for yourself or to turn into a sticker for yourself, but I'd rather you chat with me honestly about using my art for commercial purposes. (I'm not saying I'd never allow it, I just want to have a say.)

    SIZES AVAILABLE

• SKETCH
• Avery Postcard (4.25"x5.5")
• Pencils $3
• Pencils & Inks $6
• Crayon, Colored Pencil, Gel Pen, or Sharpie $12
• Standard Printer Paper (8.5"x11")
• Pencils $6
• Pencils & Inks $12
• Crayon, Colored Pencil, Gel Pen, or Sharpie $18
• Sketchbook Size 1 (9"x12")
• Pencils $12
• Pencils & Inks $18
• Crayon, Colored Pencil, Gel Pen, or Sharpie $24
• Legal Paper (8.5"x14")
• Pencils $18
• Pencils & Inks $24
• Crayon, Colored Pencil, Gel Pen, or Sharpie $36
• Sketchbook Size 2 (11"x14")
• Pencils $24
• Pencils & Inks $36
• Crayon, Colored Pencil, Gel Pen, or Sharpie $48
• DIGITAL
• $0.25/square inch (sketchy, monochrome)
• $0.50/square inch (lineart or sketchy with colors)
• $0.75/square inch (flat color)
• $1.00/square inch (simple shading)
• WATERCOLOR
• long 3"x7" $20
• postcard 4"x6" $25
• rough texture 5"x7" $35
• light tooth 5.5"x8.5" $45
• hot press 6"x8" $50
• large cold press 11"x15" $165

One of the most successful prompts I've ever been given was "What if Luigi was riding a Bullet Bill through space while eating a hotdog", if that's any indication of what I'm willing to draw for y'all!

I currently cannot physically ship outside the US if the art is any bigger than a postcard, due to the costs. Package shipping to my nearest International neighbor (Canada) starts around $14.

If you are in the US and you see anything I crochet and want to inquire about purchase, please feel free to send me a message and we can talk prices on that, too!

Also, never feel shy about wanting to buy a painting that has already been posted on the blog! The worst I can say is "I'm sorry, that one's not for sale" or "Ah, sorry, that one's already sold!".

I look forward to working with you on your arts desires!

FC

Twitter

Instagram

Thursday Art Walk

 

It's Thursday, and I HAVE ART!!!

I don't just have one piece of art today, I have three! How productive of me!

First up, we have a silly little fanart I did of a Bulbasaur taking a nap in a Venusaur's flower!

"Bulbasnore"; watercolor on 100% rag 300gsm/140lb; 5"x7"; 2023
(ANIMAL, VEGETABLE)

Aren't they cute? I really like how the background got so soft and swirly!

Next up we've got the blog mascot Dedbert sipping at some kind of pink soda! This one was requested via Ko-Fi and was the first of these three to actually be finished.

"Dedbert Drink"; watercolor on 100% rag 300gsm/140lb; 5"x7"; 2023
(DEDBERT, KO-FI REQ)

Finally, we have the Guaranteed category from last week - "WORD". For this one, I drew a d4 with the highest roll, a laurel wreath, and the word "Lucky". Check it out - the U is a horseshoe!!!

"LUCKY"; watercolor on 100% rag 300gsm/140lb; 5"x7"; 2023
(WORD)

I'm pretty pleased with what I came up with this week. I'd love to hear any feedback y'all have. While I do have to moderate my comments, I'm happy to hear back when you leave them.

If you'd like to make a category request via Ko-Fi, send me a coffee with a message telling me which category you'd like (ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, MINERAL, DEDBERT, LOCATION, GEOMETRIC, WORD), and I'll finish your art for next Thursday to post on the blog!

I've got a lot of ideas this week, so we'll see how many paintings, sketches, drawings, or digital works I make next week!

That'll about do it for me today!

Go Enjoy Something!

FC

Talk About Tuesday

 

In Which This Has Been A Week

So, I have to be honest - I'm running out of space to keep my physical art. Sometimes I give art away to friends or family, I've even sold one piece for ten bucks before (which was a physical exchange, so I didn't have to consider shipping), but the pages are starting to collect, and I have finite space. This means I should probably figure out a way to sell this art, right? Would anyone else be interested in that? It'd help me out on multiple levels, to be honest.

I'm just tossing ideas around, but if there's interest, I'd get more serious about it. Maybe I'd introduce a second tier on Ko-Fi where you can pay a flat fee to get either a digital file (if the art is digital) or a hardcopy of the category you request? So if you request an Animal image via Ko-fi, you'd include the category (ANIMAL) and a way to contact you (probably e-mail or Twitter because I don't understand Instagram and I'm not on most other social media), and I'd let you know when the art was done. If it ends up digital, I'd send it to you online. If it ended up being a physical painting, I'd send you a message asking for a mailing address. Most of what I use for paper is fairly small, so it would probably fit pretty easily in a mailbox.

Does that seem like a good idea? Any better ones? I don't currently have the funds to make prints, and clearly my scanner is... not the best for making copies, so I cannot offer prints yet. I do have a Redbubble but with the advent of their new price gouging (they get to keep up to 50% of what was originally my profit), I'm reconsidering letting them have my art, so I haven't uploaded in a while.

I'm also considering having a thing where, if someone asks me via a Ko-Fi donation using "Haiku" instead of an art category (as well as including their email or Twitter handle), I'd write them a random little Haiku and send it to them.

Here's a sample Haiku I'll call "Feline Wakeup Call":

Raspy chirped hello

a warm fuzzy good morning

demands must be met

I don't know, man, I'm just trying to branch out here.

I'm not 100% sure how, but I'd like to start selling crochet projects as I finish them. I'd love advice, because Etsy fees and shipping costs mean that's not a very viable place for me to sell right now, sadly.

Now, all of that aside, I should mention that the haiku was based entirely on the way my cat acted this morning. She greeted me with a raspy little chirp and was doing her best Velcro impression until she fell asleep in a sunbeam.

Hard to believe that it was so pretty this morning when it's drizzly and wet now.

Anywho, that's all some stuff I'm considering.

As for this week, I've got some art to work on! In addition to my guaranteed Word, there's been a Request for a Dedbert! If y'all have any other requests, feel free to step on over to my Ko-Fi and buy me a coffee with a message letting me know which category you'd like to see (Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, Dedbert, Location, Geometric, Word) and I'll make it for Thursday!!!

Next Monday I should have something crocheted, though I'm still a tiny bit lost as to which thing I should make.

Next Tuesday, I'll be back here to blather a bit more.

As for my wordcount, today's was 147 words. This week's total was 1151 words. The document total is now a whopping 16.7k words! I'm pretty pleased with this week's progress despite missing a day or two here or there as exhaustion set in.

On a final and unrelated note, I'm finding myself missing Dungeons & Dragons, a bit. I was really into it in the 00s-10s, but I fell out of it and have fallen far behind all these new editions. I started in 3.5e, and honestly, I'm weirded out by all the ways things have changed since those halcyon days of my idle youth. Stereotypical Grown Up Stuff, I suppose.

I might start looking into writing up a campaign at some point, though, just to clear the rust off.

Alright, I think that will probably do it for me tonight. I'm pretty sleepy and I have a lot of art to finish up tomorrow!

Go Enjoy Something!

FC

Fiber Monday

 

In Which I Have Not Made Much

After finishing the Blue Shawl last week, I took this week off of really working hard on anything. Instead, I decided to finally wind a large hank of worsted wool yarn from Romaxe. This aged skein came from a bag of yarns my grandmother gave me!

As you can see, this is a very old skein

Most of the yarn I got from my grandmother was acrylic or in very small tapestry hanks of around 25-50 yards of cream, teal, or blue yarn. This Romaxe is significantly longer, in better shape, and shockingly soft. I'd say whatever they did to this yarn to make it "Guaranteed Mothproof" worked.

Look at that vintage font!

Man, if only yarn still cost only $1.29/hank! Especially 100% wool!!!

I haven't looked it up yet, but I wonder if the Beacon Supply Co.
still exists in Chelsea, MA?

This color is a slightly cooler, bluer green than my Red Heart Super Saver
in Paddy Green

Yes, all I've really done besides a couple of pokes at thread projects is wind a single ball of yarn and start to swatch it out with a 5.5mm hook. The winding took an entire day and was nowhere near as easy as you'd think for several reasons.

1) I could not use my ball winder because 
2) I do not have a swift, which I needed because
3) wool clings to itself and without a swift, tangling is inevitable.

Seriously, if this skein had been as mistreated as poor Gordon the Gordian Knot, I would've had to slice it to bits.

The wool was very, very clingy, and there was a point about 2/3 of the way through winding it where I had to start pulling from the opposite tail and letting it pool on the floor. This worked out, more or less, leaving me to have to detangle a few obnoxiously knotted sections towards the end. It didn't force me to cut it, though, so this ball of "Meadow Green" "Moth Resistant" wool is now officially wound.

And yes, I have been swatching it with my 5.5mm hook. I tried a 4.5mm hook at first, and it took to the tight stitches well, though it did loose about 80% of its drape. I might try to turn this into some sort of a little bag or purse, because there's only the one ball and I doubt sincerely that 4oz of worsted wool yarn is enough to do much more with. Ah, just looked it up - it's 280 yards or so! That's actually not so bad. Maybe I'll look up some patterns.

It is, of course, the skein of its kind that I received, so anything I make will be monochrome.

That'll about do it for me tonight - totally forgot I had to write the blog lol!

Go Enjoy Something!

FC