aloha aloha!

So you may have noticed the lack of updates for a week or two, and that is because I was in Hawaii for two weeks! But now I am back, with a tan and lots of beautiful pictures! At least a thousand pictures... some of the best of which I will share here on the blog. Also later I will post up the drawings I did while away.



A beautiful flower near a waterfall in Maui. Called a "Torch Ginger" They have large 5 foot stems

Wild rooster! There were lots of wild chickens and roosters on the island... Apparently they got loose and just thrived. Called a "Jungle fowl cock" these animals really have no predators, not even people, as they are apparently very tough and not of a good quality for eating.

This is a adolescent version of the "common myna" bird... these guys were everywhere... trying to swindle food out of tourists, and squawking loudly. This little guy didn't seem to know much better and so I got pretty close to him as he stared inquisitively at me. So cute

There were lots of wild cats on the islands too! this little fella was just sitting out in a state park... mewing loudly, looking for the rest of his clan. He didn't run away from me, but he wouldn't let me get close to him.

The smallest little lizard I saw at a botanical garden. There are lots of little geckos all over the islands, and seeing them in considered good luck. This is a very zoomed in photo, the little guy was about the size of my whole thumb!

A Mongoose! I was out eating lunch next to this little waterfall, and a couple of these guys were scurrying around in the grasses nearby. I managed to coax him out with a bit of bread off of my sandwich, and snagged a couple of photos of him. I first thought these guys were some sort of wild ferret, but I was incorrect.


The birds on the islands were very cute, they had these great patterns on them. This is the "spotted dove" and was quite common on both islands I stayed on.


Thats all for now, but I will have some more photos later of some of the beautiful scenery, and then normal posting will return.

Illustration Friday: Foggy

My first Illustration Friday Submission... Just something I drew up real quick. Hopefully these weekly drawings will help me improve.

Weekly art post: Drawings

Weekly art post!


"Sleep" Drawing that I did last semester at school.... full view and a close up. Mechanical pencil.

Drawing in progress... I still have to finish the background, the full thing will be posted then. Mechanical pencil.

Another school assignment, Never finished this, as a circus scene it needs a background of a crowd etc. I may redo this if I find the time. Charcoal

Mixed media collage, ink gouche and tissue paper
Simple drawing I did at a party. markers and colored pencil.


Thats it for this week, more coming next week, and keep an eye out, I think I'm going to start posting for Illustration Friday

Criticism and critique always welcome

Weekly Art Post

Here are some of the things I've been making lately~


I've been making some cute polymer clay jewelery mock ups for a class I'm going to be teaching in my town at a pottery shop.



Bear earrings and necklace

Strawberry earrings, cell phone strap, and necklace

Several pairs of the strawberry earrings are up for sale at my ETSY SHOP

Kids summer craft

So... school is almost done and that means kids at home looking for fun things to do. And since there are an awful lot of rainy days, it's good to have some plans to keep them entertained that don't involve letting them glue themselves to the TV. I used to run a day craft camp for kids, and they really enjoy creating. Here are some links to things to help entertain.




EASY AND SAFE PUFF PAINT

She lists it as a holiday craft, but I think that it's perfect for slower summer days.
















RAINBOW JELLOW

Add a exciting new twist to jellow! Kids love cutting out shapes with cookie cutters, playing with them and then eating them. Prepare this ahead of time to surprise them with, or have them help.










PAPER ORNAMENTS

Making paper crafts out of construction paper is fun and easy. Things from paper chain links, and these pretty paper ornaments. They could be made to decorate a room, or a makeshift tent in the living room. As long as the adult handles any sharp tool.

April Fools Food

Happy april fools day! I hope you've managed to go through the day without getting pranked, and have pulled off a few pranks yourself.

Searching around today, I found a great post about how to make sweet dessert sushi
Which is an extremely cute prank to pull on someone. Pretend that you've gotten sushi for dinner, but TADA it's actually a sweet dessert/snack. It works if the person you're pranking loves sushi, or even if they hate it.
The making of this treat is reasonably complicated, and involves a good deal of time, planning and supplies, But if you want to pull off a devilishly sweet April fool's food prank, it's worth it. It's definitely one of the nicer and sweeter pranks that will be pulled today.

(image from browniepointsblog.com)

Art on the go

I find that having A little journal everywhere I go to be essential. To catch my ideas and things that Inspire me when I am struck with them. Living in the city I spend a lot of time on trains and on the subway, and I can't always lug around a larger sketchbook (my current one is 15 in. by 11 in.) Having a small on-the-go sketchbook is wonderful. I can jot down ideas, things that inspire me, projects that I want to do, and just draw from life.

It's a great thing to have, especially if you're like me and can go a little stir-crazy when you are hit with an idea and have nothing to draw on. So, for example, I present to you my current little journal, with a little art to go along with it.

I got so overly excited when I found it, because it's a really nice little sketchbook, with a leathery-ish cover (I have no idea what it's actually made out of) with nice paper and a small little folder-pocket in the back. Best part; it was three dollars. Here is the company website if you were curious.
My boyfriend is always pushing the moleskine ones on me, as he is a great lover of those, but I can't afford a little notebook that is 12$, I do not have the dough. Of course if you do, then it's a good notebook itself, they have heavier covers and are a little more sturdy. This little red beauty of course, fits my needs perfectly.



A little art I did on the Train recently.

A Few drawings from the journal I just finished










Along with my journal, I have a little set of tiny markers that I bought at a book store (used to draw the faces above), and through the times the package that they came in broke, so I sewed a little felt back for them to stay together in my purse. If you come across a little set, it's a nice addition. It all fits nicely in my purse.


I hope this inspires you to get your own little book, if you have any links to your own work in relation to this post, please share!