I’ve chosen to do ephemeral art. My first one I did, I wanted it to reflect a beginning, something new/fresh… To me Spring is the new beginning, I love to start things in the spring! With all of these freezing cold temperatures, I wanted to create something that would remind me of spring. So what I did for my first piece was simplistic – but from my photography background – beautiful. I chose a shamrock bloom and carefully placed it in my favorite (crab apple) tree in our yard near some of the naturally fallen snow and waited for the sun to be as a background.

The Redstarts (Warblers) on a Hemlock branch was done to THE GOAT RODEO SESSIONS, Yo Yo Ma…a goat rodeo is when “multiple conflicting elements all must be choreographed and aligned to avoid a chaotic result.” For this context, those elements are the branch design, needle placement, position of the birds, the male and female reproductive parts of the Hemlock, color, ink. I recognize the process is gaining strength. In this third piece, I felt less hesitant in the overall approach to design and balance. However, I’m finding it difficult to adhere to the 3 hr./day rule and tend to work longer most days. This, of course, has it’s consequences. Overall, I’m pleased with the effort and see improvement.

This is a very exciting month! Evolve!, the game that I’ve devoted my 100-Day Project to illustrating, did very well in the Champaign-Urbana Design Organization’s yearly game design contest. This resource and evolution game took first place in the Education category for its scientifically accurate content and modeling, and second in the Innovation of Game Play category. My husband, Keith, and I together make up the Chimeric Creations game design team that created Evolve! With this success under our belts, we hope to Kick-Start Evolve! in the coming year. Here’s a picture of the prototype we entered in the competition.

30 Days and 30 unique sock puppets, actually more because I counted the aliens as 1. From day 31 on, I will be group the puppets and writing magnetic poetry to build the plot line of the story of the missing socks. The biggest obstacle is the limitation of the magnetic poetry words. I really have to stretch my brain to find a way to say what I want to say with a limited number of words. Below is one of the characters from days 21 through 30: The Diva.

The100DayProject

“Something wicked this way comes…”
18″ x 24″
Medium: Pen & Ink / Watercolor

The 100 Day Project will be a view of what I am doing in my Studio and without over a 100 day period.
As I create my works I will also attempt beginning an Arts Organization here in my hometown of Republic, Michigan.

DAY #35

I complete the hoody with some simple stippling to create folds and creases on the hooded jacket.
I then brush on a simple wash over it. Later when I will take an eraser and apply some softer tones simply by removing some of the wash to create highlights.
I then apply some very fine, soft stippling detail on the moon to create distant craters and shadow on the surface.
I then brush a very soft wash of yellow just barely visible.
And then I use a Xacto knife and begin scratching in very small distant stars onto the night sky and even a shooting star.

I have selected my photo of a water lily and plan to render this in 100 different methods. Surprising how much I’m loving this process. Revisiting techniques I haven’t used in years.

I am going through all the plastic Cuttlebug folders that I might use with jewelry. I can see using bits or all of particular designs.

More play!! Have so many ideas filling my head, each ones brings links to another idea

I’ve decided to continue with sketching/painting the neo-tropical wood warblers for this 100-Day Project series. By staying with the warbler form, I’ve noticed improvements in both the sketch and the watercolor. I’m using my own photographs and Jim Flynn’s from Chris G. Earley’s , WARBLERS OF CANADA. I also consult Field Guides, such as SIBLEY and old Brooks and Fuertes illustrations. Creating a life-like pose has been a challenge. I’ve been sketching/painting to music, which I cannot do when I write. The first sketch of Blackburnian Warblers was to Zoe Keating (cellist) INTO THE TREES. This second work of male and female Bay-breasted Warblers was done to Nadia Sirota’s (violist), BAROQUE. The repetitious pen/ink detail required for the work is well suited to the sounds created by these artists (No lyrics).