Illustration Friday: Ripple

This week's Illustration Friday prompt really means a lot to me. Since I live in an area that is greatly impacted by the recent oil spill in the Gulf, I understand how much help is needed to restore the waters, wildlife, and communities back to their former glory. I live in Mississippi, in a city about an hour and thirty minutes from the coast. We know of many who are concerned about their jobs. We've had friends visit Orange Beach and comment on the oil. We've talked to restaurant workers at places where seafood is their biggest source of income. And, we've seen footage of helpless animals unable to survive this tragedy. It is incredibly heartbreaking.

But every bit of help will make a difference. Not immediately. But eventually.

My submission this week is a mermaid of the Gulf doing her part to save the animals. She has rescued a poor baby fish and is carrying him to cleaner waters. Others have seen her efforts and are encouraged to do their part.

Kelly Light started the Ripple Blog as a way for illustrators to band together and support clean-up efforts of the oil spill. Here's what she says about this week's prompt:

"It's hard to make ripples in oil soaked water. But throw enough stones and you will! It's not about the politics or the corporation. It's about the animals. It's about not feeling helpless in the face of an overwhelming disaster. We're illustrators. We don't lose touch with that kid inside who marvels at the creatures who swim below or fly above the sea. We draw them. We are inspired by them. We need to help them. The Ripple blog was started on th 45th day of the Deepwater Horizon Catastrophe. The oil spill in the Gulf is now over 50 days old with no sign of stopping. We may be too small as individuals to do some grand gesture, but together our small gestures can be grand."

Artists from around the world have donated a 2.5x3.5-inch sketch card. Each sketch card featured on the blog is for sale for $10.00. The $10.00 is a donation to help the animal victims of the Deep Water Horizon Gulf Oil Spill. Every penny is donated. The two Non-Profits that are benefiting are The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies and The International Bird Rescue Research Center.

For more information and to view cards for sale, check out the Ripple blog here.

We don't have to feel helpless. We can help. Our small actions together will ripple outward.

Illustration Friday: Trail

This week's prompt at Illustration Friday is "trail."

“The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. Travel too fast and you miss all you are traveling for.” ~unknown

This petit doll has been on many trails. She travels from city to city looking for her next adventure. Her pants are worn out, her face full of dirt smudges, and her suitcase full of patches. But she does not fret, for her adventures are great. She collects a feather for each adventure, hoping to have her entire hat covered one day. When you see her, you had better speak then because in the blink of an eye she'll be off on another trail.

(My scanner is still messed up. Sorry.)

Illustration Friday: Slither

Here's my drawing for this week's Illustration Friday prompt, slither. I immediately thought of snakes, and since I've been re-reading Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton my mind immediately turned to Medusa. I've been working on petit dolls for my Suzi Blu class, so I wanted to create a Medusa petit doll. My petit dolls are not ugly, though, so this Medusa isn't extremely horrid.

My scanner is on the fritz, I think it might be his final days. RIP. Since I couldn't scan the image, I photographed it. It really looks so much better in person. The photograph makes the lines and coloring look a little harsh.

I really love how her hair turned out. I loved drawing and coloring the individual snakes. And, I decided to match her skin to the snakes. At first I didn't, but she looked *too* pretty. She needed something to make her a little more horrifying, though this depiction of her isn't horrifying at all.

Thanks for visiting!

Artist spotlight: Danita

There are a few artists that I absolutely love, and Danita is one of them. Her mixed media paintings are breathtaking. So fun and lively; a perfect representation of someone who lives somewhere as colorful as Mexico.

I remember seeing Danita's work in Somerset Studio. After that first article, I instantly recognized her work. She has somehow created a style that is uniquely her own. No one else can come close to recreating Danita's style. I love how whimsical her little people are. Even though their faces are often solemn, I am immediately drawn to them, wanting to know more.

Danita also translates her style into jewelry, combining pendants and beads with her unique images. You are truly wearing a piece of art when you don one of her creations. And, these are not mass-produced either. Danita isn't selling her jewelry through some other manufacturer or distributor. These are handmade pieces.

To purchase prints, originals, and jewelry, visit Danita's etsy shop here.

Read Danita's blog here.

Inside my art journal

Here's a peek into how I made my art journal:

Watch video below | Watch on YouTube

You can find the Zutter Bind-it-All here and at Hobby Lobby. I have the original version. It's a little expensive, but it is worth it. I use mine a lot. If you are near a Hobby Lobby, I would wait until it is on sale or use a coupon.

Utilizing local sales papers and coupons

Check out my latest article on Examiner.com on how you can make the most of budget crafting by utilizing local sales papers and coupons.

More Petit Dolls

I've finally uploaded some dolls that I am working on for Suzi Blu's "Petit Dolls for Beginners" class that I'm taking online. I'm not sure which want I want to work on for my final project.

Here are my options.

The bride who is deeply saddened because she broke her grandmother's beloved pearls.

The devilish pixie fairie, inspired by the mischievous fairies in Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely.

The angry Egyptian queen who finds ruling a country to be quite a difficult task.

The happy mermaid who enjoys life under the sea.



My take on Alice in Wonderland, combining the elements of Alice, the Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare and the Queen of Hearts.

Which one do you like the most?