Arting for 365 Day 39: Compartmentalized

Day 39 (6/6/12): Compartmentalized

6 x 6″ Ink on paper

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

I learned or reaffirmed four things yesterday:

1. If I feel groggy, have my short sleeves rolled up and am sweating, it might be time to turn on the AC.

2. Completing a smaller scale project (day 39’s piece) after spending hours on a multi-day project is a good challenge – not only for my brain but in reaching my goal.

3. Think twice before throwing any “trash” away. I nearly tossed the Ace discount card holder before realizing it would make a good stencil.

4. Many of the sound effects you hear during sporting events are designed. Check it out.

This piece available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/101607292/compartmentalized-ink-drawing or by emailing me at micah@azzlsoft.com

Arting for 365 Day 37: Winged

Day 36: WingedGoal: To create one work of art each day for 365 consecutive days

I brought my seed things with me to my parent’s house this last weekend, thinking they’d be a good out of town project to work on. I felt proud for remembering to pack them since typically I am really good at forgetting things. My pride quickly vanished as I realized that I had forgotten the acrylic coat that keeps the little guys preserved (or at least that’s my hope). But bringing them still ended up being a good thing. I found out that the plastic bread bag I keep the non-coated seeds in is not, in fact, the best way to store them. Turns out they had begun to get dry and brittle. Shocking, I know. I thought for sure this is how all museums store their artifacts. So yesterday I coated a big chunk of them and worked on day 36’s project.

Day 36: Winged Left WingDay 36: Winged 2Day 36: Right WingI knew that I wanted to do some more drawing on and stacking of the seeds, but wasn’t quite sure what I had in mind. I began laying out the seeds, gluing them down and then pulling them off. I glued a few more down and realized this thing was screaming to be a moth – which I like.

I became interested in moths a few years back when I learned about how one species in Britain had evolved to adapt to its polluted environment. The one I created is so content with itself; I don’t see it evolving anytime soon.

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3 x 7” Seeds & ink on lid

This work available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/101434913/winged-mixed-media-3d or email me at micah@azzlsoft.com

Arting for 365 Day 34: A Place to Rest Your Beer

Day 34 (6/1/12): A Place to Rest Your BeerGoal: To create one work of art each day for 365 consecutive days

Friday’s may become my official coaster creation days. It seems the perfect day for it. My brain is working its way toward weekend mode  – thinking about the time I will get to spend with family or friends, time spent outdoors, with perhaps a summer beverage thrown in for good measure.  Basically, I typically feel like creating something fun.

Day 34 was filled with simple, bold designs using bright colors and cut up envelopes. I once again used old Sierra Nevada paper coasters to build on. When finished, I did my due diligence, ensuring that they work by testing them out with a glass of beer!

Day 34: A Place to Rest YOur Beer Detail 1Day 34: A Place to Rest Your Beer Detail 2Day 34: A Place to Rest Your Beer Beer Detail

Work available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/101166161/handmade-acrylic-and-envelope-beer or by emailing me at micah@azzlsoft.com

Arting for 365 Day 30: Subtleties

Goal: To create one work of art each day for 365 consecutive days Day 30 (5/28/12): Subtleties

Typically the work I create is high contrast, high color, or both. Much like some of the colorful outfits I wear while running, there is little which is subtle. (Probably a fact: Wearing a minimum of three completely different colors while running makes you faster.) So yesterday I thought it would be a good challenge to take a stroll down a more muted path in creating my project.

Using pencil, I began by drawing a geometric design. I was oh-so-tempted to pull out my trusty ink pen to bring contrast to the shapes, but I stuck to pencil. I applied variations of tinted white acrylics to the canvas all while telling myself to embrace and enjoy this subtle approach.

By the time I was finished, I had come to really enjoy this break from my norm. I feel like it was probably good for my brain to approach a project in such a different way. But I also have to say I don’t see myself doing too much of it again soon.

The image below was taken at a different time of day- which goes to show how much this work reflects and reacts to the light. Day 30: Subtleties (later in the day)

24 x 36″  Work available for purchase at http://www.etsy.com/shop/OriginalsByMicah or by emailing me at micah@azzlsoft.com

Arting for 365 Day 28: Geometry in Orange & Black

Goal: To create one work of art each day for 365 consecutive daysDay 28: Rich's Tryptic

There are days when it is nice to just draw. -To enjoy the act of creating shapes, lines and color for the soul purpose of creating. Yesterday was one of those days.

Work available for purchase at http://www.etsy.com/shop/OriginalsByMicah or by emailing me at micah@azzlsoft.com

Arting for 365 Day 25: Trajectory

Day 25 (5/24/12): TrajectoryGoal: To create one work of art each day for 365 consecutive days

A trajectory through life, years in the making, that is both organic and planned. Flying around on virtual paths that intertwine and intersect. Ideas brought to fruition. Ideas come to pass. Ideas released from from a low flying plane.

20 x 9.5″ Ink on paper (click on pics for better images)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 25:Trajectory Detail 2Day 25: Trajectory Detail Eggs

Work available for purchase at http://www.etsy.com/shop/OriginalsByMicah or by emailing me at micah@azzlsoft.com

Arting for 365 Day 22: Topographic Trash

Day 22 (5/21/12): Topographic TrashGoal: To create one work of art each day for 365 consecutive days

As I picked up yesterday’s art material from off of the ground I wondered how smart of a move it was. It was ragged, torn and initially, just looked a bit unsanitary. But upon closer inspection, I realized it – which seems to be some sort of paper- had just been weathered by the recent rain.

I glued my newly found trash-treasure to an 8 x 10” oil board and applied paint to the grooves and mountains of the tattered, island shaped paper. Breaking up the space surrounding it, I painted lines and shapes that made their way onto the weathered surface. I thought that perhaps I could make a beautiful piece from this worn paper but as I worked with it, I realized it had a personality all its own. No matter how much paint I applied, it was going to stay worn and ragged. There was no “prettying” it up. And for some reason, I am perfectly content with that.

Work available for purchase at http://www.etsy.com/shop/OriginalsByMicah or by emailing me at micah@azzlsoft.com

Arting for 365 Day 21: Long Neck

Day 21 (5/19/12): Long NeckGoal: To create one work of art each day for 365 consecutive days.

Recently I’ve had a hankering to create a giraffe. Why is really unknown to me. I don’t have a particular love of giraffes and yet here I was planning this large endeavor.

The ink 29 x 12″ drawing took a few days to complete. I once again explored geometric patterning to create the creature.

Fun fact: Symbolically giraffes represent the ability to look into the future and also symbolize intuition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Work available for purchase at http://www.etsy.com/shop/OriginalsByMicah or by emailing me at micah@azzlsoft.com

Arting for 365 Day 16: Cellular Kaleidoscope

Day 16: Cellular KaleidoscopeGoal: To create one work of art each day for 365 consecutive days

It is always so fantastic to come across work that you absolutely fall in love with. Yesterday I did just that as I looked at Chris Marley’s pieces on Design Milk . Marley uses bugs, insects, butterflies, etc. to create his work. I think bugs are really amazing – especially beetles – so I love this. I also really appreciated the clean, geometric manner in which he laid out his designs. Marley’s work, along with my recent thoughts on cells and my urge to really dive into a big ink project is what inspired day 16’s piece.

I began the work by drawing out circles, which I thought of as individual “cells” onto my 12” x 25” paper. I tried to allow each cell to work independently as its own design, but to also interact with those around it. Lines and shapes in one circle often carried over into another creating a kaleidoscope-like image.

Day 16: Cellular Kaleidoscope Detail 3Cellular Kaleidoscope Detail 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work available for purchase at http://www.etsy.com/shop/OriginalsByMicah or by emailing me at micah@azzlsoft.com

Arting for 365 Day 15: Envelope Geometry

Day 15: Envelope GeometryGoal: To create one work of art each day for 365 consecutive days

I like business envelopes. They are boring on the outside but have really fun, often red or blue, patterning within. Yesterday, at the end of a full, full day, I began cutting shapes from old envelopes I had collected and laying them out on a page. Once I settled on a something I liked, I added geometric ink design and broke up the space using line and color. Day 14’s resulting image, like many of my others, plays with the juxtaposition of geometric and organics shapes.