Tag Archives: daily blog

Arting for 365 Day 71: Pinks and Oranges

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Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

I happily dug into my stash of Sierra Nevada paper coasters, again, to create day 71’s work. To begin the piece, I taped the coasters together, similar to day 48. I’m a fan of this process for a few reasons:

1. When you lay the finished squares together, you see a larger work

2. Each individual square is its own little work of art

3. I really, for some odd reason, like the leftover marks from where I pull the tape off.

This coaster making go-round, I opted for a bright pink and orange color palette. Using my trusty ink pen I drew some foliage, and added a smidge of green to complete the piece. I really dig the work and think beer pints are going to feel right at home on these bold little guys.

On a somewhat separate note, I found out that coating the coasters with varnish is a great way to make them last. So I am making a bunch of new sets, which I’ll have to share when I get finished. I’m also starting to make prints of the originals. The slideshow has an example of one of the prints on a ceramic coaster tile – although it’s a wee bit hard to see w/the glass on top of it…

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Original piece available for sale at https://www.etsy.com/listing/103992812/pinks-and-oranges-mixed-media-originals

Coasters using prints of this design also available https://www.etsy.com/listing/103999594/pinks-and-oranges-printed-coasters

Arting for 365 Day 69: Out of Place

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18 x 22″ Ink on paper

He was a farm horse with dreams of the big top.

A perfected routine of balancing balls, jumping through hoops, and standing atop a small pedestal – all in full feathered regalia – proved a huge hit in the corral. He often wondered, though, if he would find such praise under the red and white stripes of the real thing.

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This piece available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/103820514/out-of-place-original-ink-drawing

I’m also working on getting prints made of a bunch of my other work. If you are interested in anything, please let me know.

Arting for 365 Day 64: Sunrise Flower Abstraction

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Day 64 (6/30/12): Sunrise Flower Abstraction

4.75 x 4.75 Ink & watercolor on paper

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

Orbs of morning dew coalesce on petals, leaves and mountain tops, as the sun wakes – slowly stretching its arms.

Rays of color emerge from the shadows.

It is morning.

This piece available for purchase at or by emailing micah@azzlsoft.com

Arting for 365 Day 61: Buyer’s Remorse

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20 x 7.75″ Ink on Paper

The saleswoman had assured him that this floral headpiece was all the rage for hunting season. “It will do just the trick,” she had proclaimed. Furthermore, he looked “absolutely stunning” in it. “I can throw in the unicycle for an extra $20,” she’d said.

At the time he was certain he was lucky to have come across such an incredible deal. But now, as he sat atop the unicycle with a giant bouquet on his head, he suddenly realized that he had been duped. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

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This original piece available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/103263728/buyers-remorse-original-ink-drawing or by emailing micah@azzlsoft.com

Prints of this piece are soon to come and will also be available on etsy.

Arting for 365 Day 60: Bird and Nest

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Day 60 6/28/12): Bird and Nest

8 x 10″ Ink on Paper

Goal: To create one work of art each day for 365 consecutive days

High temps, fires and crazy smoke are, sadly, all the rage in Colorado right now. -Scary stuff for a lot of folks. I realize I have no place to complain, but on a purely selfish level, I hate the fires and temps because they have really put a damper on my getting outdoors to enjoy nature – one of my favorite things to do.

So last weekend, when I was able to get out in non-burning Encampment, Wyoming, I really soaked it up. I’m pretty certain this may be the reason for the sudden onslaught of nature based stuff I’ve been creating.

Day 60’s piece is a combination of a neat birdhouse my parents had hanging down at their place, and a drawing of a pheasant inspired by a photo I spotted on Canadian Hiking Photography’s blog. I’m pretty darned pleased with this one. I love the more realistic style of the bird juxtaposed to the simpler abstracted branches and nest.

Original piece available at https://www.etsy.com/listing/103179476/bird-and-nest-ink-drawing-original or by emailing me at micah@azzlsoft.com

Prints available at https://www.etsy.com/listing/103179903/bird-and-nest-ink-drawing-print or by emailing me at micah@azzlsoft.com

Arting for 365 Day 58: Field and Stream Page 67

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Day 58 (6/25/12): Field & Stream Page 67Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

Yesterday I pulled out an old, October 1954 issue of Field and Stream. As I flipped through the magazine, I came upon page 67. The red/orange illustrations that went along with the article were fantastic and I really wanted to incorporate them for day 58.

I started the piece by crossing out part of the text in the article – keeping at least one word per line. The result is abstracted images to accompany a relatively non-sensical article. Below is the “new” article.

When you cover the spot by making the center of your search your bird, often it takes only a smoldering fire. So shred all matches and build. For it takes a long, long time.

Water also leaves its normal tang. One probably doesn’t improve but feels better.

High in the upland, charges just as powerful deliver the plate. When you swing and let drive without being kicked under your hat.

Like life, too good a trip spots the happy days. –A store of pleasant memories.

Here’s a stringer by Albert Zanelli: Cut the toothbrush to a point. Stout around the middle – the other end a plastic pocket – will accommodate fish.

This piece available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/103020430/field-stream-page-67-mixed-media or by emailing micah@azzlsoft.com

Arting for 365 Day 57: Birder

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Day 57 (6/24/12): Bird GirlGoal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

She’d really taken a liking to the birds. In fact over the past year or two she’d begun studying up on them – working to identify each little beauty by sound and sight. Of course she knew the easy ones, like the robin and hummingbird. But she could also recognize the finches, sparrows and egrets with ease. At times she even went so far as to call herself a birder.

Now though, as she sat perched on this branch, she realized she had taken her hobby too far.

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This original piece or prints available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/102962770/bird-girl-mixed-media-original or by emailing

Arting for 365 Day 56: Foliage in Albany

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Day 56 (6/23/12): Foliage in AlbanyGoal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

The last four days have been spent traveling around to small towns in Nebraska and Wyoming to visit family. Not only do I love seeing my family, I love the tiny towns. They have character and, in the case of the towns I visited in Wyoming, they are beautiful!

Over the course of 2 days we saw hummingbirds – along with their tiny nests and eggs- and a ton of other birds (of which I don’t know the name of.) We saw a deer and two little fawn and some great wildflowers as well.

Day 56’s project is my take on the cool little flower I found, and, what I think were willow reeds. I’ve also included a few pics of the hummingbird and nest below. Enjoy!  aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

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This piece available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/102889264/foliage-in-albany-ink-drawing or by emailing me at micah@azzlsoft.com

Arting for 365 Day 46: Eggs in One Basket

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Day 46 (6/13/12): Eggs in One Basket

24 x 36″ Ink and acrylic on canvas

Goal: To create one work of art each day for 365 consecutive days

Some of you avid followers may recall that I made a piece titled Subtleties on day 30 in which I experimented with painting using only light colors. That piece has been hanging out on my easel, wondering what to do with itself ever since. Subtleties, it seemed, just did not fit in at this house. It lacked any sort of personality and longed to be given attention. So yesterday, I did just that.

With the wise old saying, “Don’t put your eggs all in one basket” on my mind, I created the work for day 46. As I did so, I realized that while the saying is really quite true, sometimes it’s worth the risk to load up the basket and hope for the best.

This piece available for purchase at http://etsy.me/NlXCQI or by emailing me at micah@azzlsoft.com

Arting for 365 Day 45: Attachment

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Day 45 (6/12/12): Attachment

~5.5″ cirmcumfrence x 3″ Mixed Media: Seeds, egg shell, ink, paper and lid

It’s funny, the things we get attached to. A lovely blue water bottle whose lid sometimes leaks or an old shirt with holes here and there may seem average, but they are anything but. We worry about them if they are misplaced and are quick to defend their value.

I think for most of us it is not so much the “thing” we get attached to as the memories and feelings we get that are associated with the thing. This, I realize, is why I seem to have become a bit attached to the little seeds I collected weeks ago.

Each time I pull them out to work with I am reminded of the jog we were on when we picked them off the ground. I remember feeling so excited about the prospect of making something from the found little treasures. When I create using the little seeds, I always feel very calm and at ease – enjoying the simple act of building up form.

The seeds are now dwindling. I’ll be able to eke out one more piece if I’m lucky. After that, I’ll have to wait in anticipation for another year to roll around so I can once again collect them.

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This piece available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/102046424/attachment-found-object-sculpture or by emailing me at micah@azzlsoft.com