Arting for 365 Day 78: High on the Hog

Day 78 (7/15/12): High on the HogGoal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

The other day I heard a news report that is pretty common. It regarded big banks (which to me equals a bunch of super rich men and perhaps a few women) who were acting like jack asses with other people’s money. The amount of money these banks had played with and lost was astonishing.

Shortly after that, another report came on talking about Mitt Romney and some out of touch thing he had said regarding money.

Both of these reports got me thinking about the old saying “high on the hog.” Years ago, I imagine saying such a thing meant someone was doing well for themselves – they bought a new car or house or took a big vacation. But what in the heck does it mean today? Instead of one new car, perhaps a few new jets? Instead of a house a block of buildings?  To be high on the hog these days, the hog has got to be sitting pretty high.

P.S. If you don’t want to think of this adorable pig as social commentary, just think of it as “Babe – Pig in the City.” That’s what the boyfriend says it reminds him of anyway.

Original and print available for purchase.

Arting for 365 Day 75: Roll With It

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

Technically it is called a sphere, but I prefer ball. Either way, the object is such a lovely little thing. It has no top or bottom nor front or back. It presents itself equally to all and – due to its natural form – easily rolls with the punches. A lovely little thing, indeed.

Coasters, both original and as printed versions, will be available shortly on etsy. Until then, if you are interested in them, please email me at micah@azzlsoft.com

Arting for 365 Day 72: Emu

Day 72 (7/9/12): Emu

11 x 14″ Acrylic on crazy thick paper

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

I’ve been enjoying personifying animals in my work lately.  The images make me laugh and tackling human ideas and emotions via a four footed or winged friend is something I’ve really enjoyed. It puts things in perspective – which keeps me from taking things too seriously.

For day 72 I wanted to explore the emu. This little guy is a study for a larger piece I have in mind in which I plan to personify Mr. Emu.

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Original and prints of this piece are available for purchase

Arting for 365 Day 71: Pinks and Oranges

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 70: Serious Business

4 x 5″ Ink on Paper

Yesterday I decided to draw a self-portrait to replace my avatar. I sat in front of the mirror and held still as my pencil moved across the paper. I worked and worked, but I just wasn’t feeling it. Original idea nixed. Cat character idea adopted.

The goal in drawing the character was to capture a cat’s no-nonsense personality using human characteristics. Most cats- our cat, Box included- seem to take every endeavor quite seriously. From getting in the middle of whatever project we are working on to chasing string, it is all done with complete focus. The cat is all business, while we laugh at his ridiculousness.

Box is such an inspiration!

This original piece available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/103904640/serious-business-original-ink-drawing

Prints available too! https://www.etsy.com/listing/103904722/serious-business-cat-character-print

Arting for 365 Day 69: Out of Place

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 68: Lone Ball

Day 68 (7/5/12): Lone BallGoal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

The ball definitely sat all alone, but somehow it did not feel lonely. Perfectly content with its rounded self, it reflected the evening light as the sun moved down the horizon.

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

Arting for 365 Day 67: Not Just Any Fruit

Day 67 (7/4/12): Not Just Any Fruit

4 x 5.5″ Greeting card. Watercolor.

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

Most fruits are enjoyable enough. They are sweet and refreshing – leaving you feeling pretty good about eating your daily quota. For the most part, you enjoy them, but they aren’t something you’d yell about from the rooftop. Now and again, though, at the peak of a season, you come upon a fruit that is beyond delectable.

Its juices run down your hand as you slurp madly to catch every last bit. Bright reds, oranges, purples and greens hint at the goodness inside. Your salivary glands work overtime just imagining the next bite. This is not just any fruit. This fruit deserves a place on a pedestal.

This piece available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/103687979/not-just-any-fruit-original-watercolor or by emailing micah@azzlsoft.com

Arting for 365 Day 66: Aglet

Day 66 (7/3/12): AgletGoal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

Everyone else appeared to manipulate their shoelaces to produce an elegant and secure bow with ease. Her botched attempts though, brought a mess of tangles and knots. The aglets at the end of the laces mocked her efforts, wielding their way out of her amateur hands to present a challenge she had never before encountered.

Try after try she could not wrangle the shoestring. “I’ll give it one more go,” she told herself over and over again.

Suddenly, her fingers became nimble to the loops, twists and pulls. –Success.

 

This greeting card available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/103687489/aglet-original-ink-drawing-on-greeting or by emailing micah@azzlsoft.com

Arting for 365 Day 65: Foliage and Dew Abstraction

Day 65 (7/2/12): Foliage and Dew Abstraction

14 x 42″ Acrylic on canvas

Since this whole, making art every day for a year thing started, I’ve barely put brush to canvas. For day 65’s work though, I pulled out the acrylics with an aim to create a large scale abstracted piece.Two things in particular inspired the work:

1. I recently sold one of my favorite pieces. I LOVE that this happened, but the bare wall where it once hung seems, well, really bare. I was missing the work a wee bit and so it felt good to create something with a repeated circle pattern:

2. I really liked day 64’s delicate little piece. There was something about the stippling-esque approach that appealed to me. I wanted to explore something similar, on a larger scale.

I gotta say, I am super happy with the way this puppy turned out. It combines both painterly and drawerly (made up word) approaches.

Side Note: Some of you have wondered if I actually get these big pieces done in one day. The answer is sometimes. I started this one late Sunday afternoon, worked on it all day yesterday and put finishing touches on it this a.m. I create smaller pieces as well on those days to use as my daily work.

This piece available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/listing/103540907/foliage-and-dew-abstraction-acrylic or by contacting micah@azzlsoft.com