Set Design

My daughters teacher asked me to come help out with making a tree for their doors for anti-drug week. While I was there, the principal and dance teacher came and kidnapped me when they found out I was an artist. They told me that they needed some backdrops for the upper grades play because their original set painter had left to go to nursing school. They told me they needed 3 of them. In a week. Even though it was finals week for me, I of course happily agreed to do it because it sounded fun and I like a new challenge. I've never painted anything bigger than 18X24. These were at least 7 feet tall and 4 feet wide. One of them I had to do from scratch, and the other ones already had a wall painted on, I just had to add stuff. It was a crazy week, but I had a blast doing it.

The bakers shop. This is the one that is completely my creation.

Cinderellas fireplace. This one had the red wallpaper I added the cracks and everything else.

Jack and Jills house. The background was already painted on, so I added the cracks, chair, and Mae did the candle with some help from me. 

I kept it simple since they are poor...and because I was running out of time. 

So there you have it! My first experience with "set design". It was really fun!

a funky portrait

Just finished up a painting I did on a whim. Lucky for me I have gorgeous sisters, so I get free models. 

This is the first time I've ever painted on board and I LERF it. I don't know why I didn't try it sooner.

The picture that inspired it:

This one has already sold, but you can get your own custom portrait for $250 for an 18x24. thecheekywhale@gmail.com for inquiries.

Who needs Bloomingdales?

I'm on a budget, ya'll. So I have to get creative with my wardrobe.

Do you love this picture? In my ghetto backyard? With a chewed up straw on the ground? Me too. I think it's Vogue worthy. I tried really hard to look totally rad, and I think I accomplished just that.

Tanktop from H&M $3

Color block top from thrift store $3

Polka dot pants were $15 at Walmart.

 Dino necklace came with the earrings I have in my second earring holes for $8 at Target.
Freckles are mine. You can't have.

 Earrings: Vintage store ($1) and Target ($8 with Dino necklace)

Here are some fun pictures from my "photo shoot". 

This is my "I just smelled a fart" face.

This is my "I think I'm still a gymnast" artfully out of focus pose.

I hope you've been inspired. 

Now I'm off to eat a Snickers bar. Modeling is hard work.

Updated

Just updated In My Sketchbook.

Archie and Veronica

A piece I recently finished up of Archie and Veronica.

10 Weeks

For the past 10 weeks (I missed a few classes) I have been attending an open studio for figure drawing. I've never before taken a figure drawing class, and although this was not an actual instructional class with a teacher, I feel like I learned a lot just by being there and drawing. I can definitely see a huge improvement throughout. Yay!
 Here is my work, first to last:

The entire time we only had female models. On our very last night, I was an hour and a half late, and of course, out of all the nights for me to be late we finally had a male model! It was very strange crosshatching a wiener. 

Anyways, it was awesome and I feel like I came a long way over the 10 weeks, and I'm looking for another class, hopefully this time with an instructor. 

House Tour - Front Room

It's been almost a year since we moved into this cute little house, and I still haven't posted any pictures. I keep thinking I will once I'm "done" decorating but I'm never done. There is always something I want to change or add or move around. 

So...here it is. Always a work in progress. The front room:

-The view from the kitchen. Love that floor -

 - An antique that made it's way across the sea with immigrants. I painted it aqua and I'm just in love with it. It's my favorite piece of furniture-

-My art and photography books, and monster posters that we'll frame eventually-

 -Engagement picture, Disney Family Fun magazine article Mae and I were in, family history photos, a lamp that needs some kind of shade.-

 -The kitchen has a small room built off of it that is supposed to be a dining area. It is so awkwardly shaped that our table didn't fit in there, so we chow here and I made the nook my art studio-

 -A photograph I took of my daughter and a drawing I did of my husband, daughter and I.

I need to draw a new one with Sawyer-

 -My sock monkey made for me by my sister and a rad "Lord of the Rings" video disc. Remember those?-

 -The time out chair-

-My grandmothers hutch and a chair I painted in high school. It's an old Wendys chair. -

 -He's not excited that you're about to put your ass on his face.-

 -On top is a Madame Alexander doll my mom passed down to Mae, a chess set from China, my Mickey Mouse ears, and my bridal picture.-

 -I love everything in my hutch. My house has to be filled with things that has a history and sentimental value. I'm a sucker for anything with a story-

 -Vintage cameras, postcards from family, and a Geisha fan. I love Geishas!-

 -Vintage Mark Twain books, reading picture cards, and vintage Yahtzee and Scrabble-

 -My mom and I while she was going through one of her many rounds of chemo-

-Vintage Disney books and Tom Sawyer. An interesting fact about this book: A few years after I had Mae, I just knew that our next kid would be a boy. I also knew that I wanted to name him Ender or Sawyer. I came across this book in a shop and had to buy it. A few years later I got pregnant, it was a boy, and we named him Sawyer. I love having a book with my husbands and my sons name on it.-

-Random knick knacks and an owl candle. It makes the hutch smell so good-

-Crafts that Tom and Mae made at free art museum day-

 -Vintage Mickey Mouse doll, and of course, one of the greatest gifts I've ever received "Little Ballerina"-

-Whale salt shaker. You know how I feel about whales...-

 -Acquire! A tradition in my husband family. Okay, obsession, actually-

 -This is a door. It opens and closes.-

 -A couple of our Disneyland posters. We get one every time we go-

Well, there you have it, folks! This is by far my favorite room in the whole house. 

Next up: Kids room

owl shoes

Just finished up a pair of custom owl shoes! 

Right shoe

Left shoe