Shrinky Dink Wiseman

Before...

... and after!

I was introduced to the magical world of Shrinky Dinks about a year ago - and my life will never be the same. For the uninitiated, these are plastic sheets you can draw and paint on, then you bake them in the oven, and they shrink to 1/3 of their original size! Since I got a Christmas tree of my very own for the very first time in 2010, I thought I'd try my hand at some Christmas tree ornaments.

Here is a Wiseman I drew with Prismacolors. He kind of stuck together in the oven, necessitating an emergency rescue mission with forks, but he's (mostly) okay now.

So yeah, Shrinky Dinks, check 'em out! Who knew playing with polymer molecules could be so fun??

Doodles vs. Drawings

So, these were done without models or other reference besides memory and imagination. Benefits of drawing from imagination: this is where ideas and characters are born. And, of course, it's FUN!


These were done on the sly, mostly in church, and are based on actual people I was looking at. Benefits: drawing from life can aid in gaining a good understanding of the structure of the head, giving you something to 'draw' from when models aren't so handy. Also, because people don't ordinarily sit still for too long, you have to draw fast, which helps keep the life and energy in your drawings. The real challenge, though, is not getting caught staring at your subject!

Conclusion: I like both of these kinds of drawings and consider both of them necessary for my artistic development. What do you think? Leave a comment, and don't forget to vote for your favorite doodle or drawing.

Cat Lady

Like her cats, she may be a little worse for wear and even a little on the crazy side, but Cat Lady, with her warm heart and tuna-stocked pantry, has so much to give. She's patched up the holes in her life with the only materials at hand and reinforced the seam of her broken heart. Her love will not go unrequited anymore.

Originally drawn a a Valentine to some friends and as a way of poking fun at myself during a semi-bitter stage of my singlehood (which, thankfully, I got over), three years later this concept still makes me smile.

Floating heads collaboration

What is it about floating heads that's so darn compelling? Well, you'd have to ask Ben Dougal, super-talented artsy friend of mine, because this is his drawing... which I painted (hence, the 'collaboration'). This was actually really fun, and extremely refreshing to do a painting without photo reference or color studies - the painting equivalent of doodling, almost. Useful, as well - if you're stuck in a rut and low on creativity, collaboration can get the gears going. Incidentally, this also marks a major milestone for me: the first mustache I've ever painted. I have a feeling it won't be the last.

Friend Magazine Illustration

This is an illustration for the November issue of the Friend for a pumpkin cookie recipe. It was pretty exciting to do an illo. for a magazine I actually read as a child. Hopefully more will follow!

Idaho International Dance and Music Festival

This was the image I did for their poster and brochure this year. Their faces still look goofy to me. *Sigh*

Ballet Frog

Finally, another portfolio piece!

So, you know how it is sitting all by yourself painting for hour on end, and you get to a point where you can't really tell whether something stinks or not? That's how I feel about this painting, and it's weirding me out! So, how do you think it holds up, quality-wise compared with the rest of my portfolio? What would make it better?

Otherwise, this was pretty fun. Frogs in tuxes and evening gowns just proved to be irresistible subject matter.