Two in Brown and Blue, Inked Art Cards

Two things are preventing more posting:

1. I am making secret things for a secret swap. They are cool! But just in case the intended recipients happen by here, I cannot post them yet. Also,

2. I have a regular full-time office job and things are rather hectic and stressful at the moment. Arrrgh!

However, I would like to post to Paint Party Friday with these  two pen and ink art cards. I like to think they both have a touch of zen to them. Hello, PPF peeps!

Gnome House and Sebastian the Messenger
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

A Gnome Called Figgum lives in this tree in the Spring when his wife goes to stay with her sister. The rest of the year he rents it to small-statured tourists including the occasional exotic-location-wedding guest.

The beaked fellow is Sebastian, who belongs to the Messenger Guild. Most reliable small package delivery on the planet!

Thanks so much for stopping in and I hope everyone has a restful weekend. Unless you’d prefer the more active sort of weekend. If so, good luck and I shall watch from my lawn chair*, sipping tea. ;)

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*I don’t actually have a lawn chair.

Muriel’s Patented Pet Perch and a Motorcycle, Pen & Ink

Muriel’s Patented Pet Perch
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

Endive the Beaked Tamarin was just a wee tomato of a pet when Muriel designed the hat contraption for him. Now that he’s grown, he is a bit more of a (literal) pain in the neck.

And here is a purple motorbike. With a couple of goofy beasts. Made for a silent auction for the Miracle Ride Foundation.

Jethro, Tully and Gertrude
5″ x 7″ Copics, fine liners white gel pen (matted)

Thanks for stopping in! Apologies for erratic posting. I suspect most of you know what that’s like!

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Feline Hat Fanciers, Pen & Ink

Three Feline Hat Fanciers (click to enlarge)
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen
Black background and text added digitally

It’s been a slow art week because my regular job has been busy. Which is not my favorite kind of week! Fancy cats seems to be my fall back position at the moment. I guess I can deal with it though I feel the need to mention (again), that I am in fact a dog person. A dog person who likes cats. Cats are cool. But the world may need more dogs in fancy clothes so I am going to try to switch!

Hello Paint Party Friday, which I am entering quite late.

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Old World Donkey and Goat. Post Number 275 (!)

This is post #275. I find that entirely crazy.

El Burro Fumo and Maynard Chevre
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

A couple of old world European fancy animals: a Spanish donkey and French goat. El Burro is often recognized, as he is the grandson of the donkey from The Bremen Town Musicians. He and Maynard tried to start a little banjo duo at one time, but they determined very quickly that their friendship would not survive the great chasm of their artistic differences. They are still friends. Both continue to play, but not together.

I am making progress with my plan to make a Fancy Animals poster! Here are 20 (which includes four created before the recent fancy animal frenzy.)

Twenty! Fancy Animals
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″, ink and Copic markers

I think the poster should include nameplates. So I have to figure out the best way to do that. (A variety of handdrawn nameplate ribbons? Something digitally created?) Please feel free to make suggestions of this nature!

Happy Paint Party Friday (which was yesterday)! Thanks for stopping in!

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Hoof and Paw, the Fancy Marches On

Julian Jean-Pierre and Jacques Lapinbleu
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

The topic is “Vanity” at Illustration Friday, a word that will occasionally describe both Julian Jean-Pierre and Jacques Lapinbleu (above). I mean, with those kind of names, it’s a little hard to avoid.

The bunny got a bit overdone. Hence the lots of progress pics – many trying to correct problems! Thanks for stopping in!

Jackon’s Haartebeest reference photo.

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Three Cats and a Bontebok, Totally Fancy

Three Cats and a Bontebok
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liner, gel pens

Pierre Gruyere, Ragdoll Prince with Royal Ward, and Duchess Bontebok. I may need to dial back on the ruffs. Sometimes they come out much better than other times! But I do not feel the same about the snood (the hairnet kinda thing on the Duchess). Partly because it’s called a SNOOD. Next time perhaps there’ll be a wimple!

Lots of progress pics! I’ve been asked several times how I do the slideshows. It is a free* WordPress plugin called “Portfolio Slideshow”.  I have been using it for almost two years and I like it. Though I’ve been thinking I should do a video.

(Bontebok reference photo.) Thanks for dropping in!

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*Of course if you find a plugin useful, it sure is nice to give them a donation.

The Princess Violet, Sheep and Songwriter

Princess Violet and Fiona Riona Bologna
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

The Princess Violet was a difficult sheep child, a source of rarely ending exasperation for Fiona, her governess. When feeling particularly cheeky or impatient with her studies, Violet would sing little songs about a wise old fruit seller called Fiona Riona Bologna who sometimes played matchmaker to a succession of curious characters in a small Italian village.

Copic marker art cards for Paint Party Friday. Thanks for dropping in!

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Cats and Dogs and Poofs and Plans, Oh My!

The Princess of Whispers
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, uni PIN pens, Staedtler pens, Uniball Signo

Are we sick of animals in fancy clothes yet? We are not! Or at least, I am not! And I hope you are not! These are all the recent ones:

Fancy Dress Dogs and Cats, the First Eight
Each 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, gel pen on Bristol

So, quite a long time ago (it seems!) I started the Art Card Dogs project. Holy cow I just checked and I haven’t added to it for over a  year. Maybe this summer I can finally get it together and make a poster/bath sheet/bedspread/shower curtain/car seats (or who knows!) out of some of these art card collections. Unfortunately, summertime is busy time at my job (construction industry), but as my life keep reminding me, I am not getting younger!

Thanks so much for dropping in! All suggestions regarding merchandising are most welcome!

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Lord Stinkeye Chihuahua, Pen and Ink

Lord Stinkeye
2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, white gel pen

A fine person called Sarah (The WonderStrumpet!) posted a pic of her dog Tigi in a discussion about fancy clothes, so it seemed clear she was hoping he would end up in some. And so he  has. (Though his nose is too big in my version, arrrgh.)

Side-by-Side Chihuahuas
Two photos by Sarah, with Lord Stinkeye between
(Also, I cropped the photos.) :)

Not too bad! He doesn’t look like a Stinkeye, but perhaps he was more ornery in a misspent youth. (And to be fair, she didn’t say he WAS a stink eye. Only that he gave her one. And who hasn’t given a stink eye or two?)

Hello to Paint Party Friday! And one more thing. I made a Flickr set of fancy clothes (human and beast) Woo!

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