PoisonPencil

Watching

2007-11-18T11:35:00.000-08:00

The Flying Spaghetti Monster is STILL watching you...

Pastafarians

:-D

Update

2007-08-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

Gotta keep this blog active, so here is a sentence...

PoisonPencil is alive but needs more time.

:-)

Morgana

2006-10-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !!!

:-)

Standing Stone

2006-09-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

The challenge this week from Illustration Friday is 'Quiet'.

And here is an airbrush illo that I did long ago showing nature 'Quietly' going about its business. The aged look is always a classic. Enjoy.

:-)

Blemish Gnome

2006-09-22T07:39:00.000-07:00

The challenge this week from Illustration Friday is the word 'Phobia'.

Eeeeeeek !!!

Nobody likes Zits and Boils. Ever wonder where those skin discolorations and pus filled lumps come from ? Well guess who I glimpsed a year or so ago lurking in my backyard near the acorn tree and black-berry bushes.

The Blemish Gnome. Looks like a kinda dour fellow, but once you get to know him, you get ta realize that having acne is usually a sign of youthful skin. Once pimples disappear ya gotta watch out for Crows Feet, and I haven't seen the Crows Feet Goblin yet...although I've heard rumors she also lurks in Kalamazoo...
:-)

Planet Fall

2006-09-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

This week the theme from Illustration Friday is "Safe".

As with every Space Shuttle mission, I sure hope they get there and back again 'safe' and sound. We begin construction on the Space Station Alpha in just a few more days. I'm looking forward to some hope for the human race, we sure could use some...

:-)

Tom Cruise Legend

2006-08-25T07:17:00.000-07:00

This weeks challenge from Illustration Friday is 'Run'.

Now think back, what movie did Cruise star in with Tim Curry ? It was in the 80's.
Think hard.

Now 'RUN' to the mall and try to get one of these t-shirts !
And if they are not available, then someone should make some !
:-D

I rilly should stop eating in restaurants all the time...
:-D

StraWars

2006-08-11T07:56:00.000-07:00

The challenge this week from Illustration Friday is 'Play'.

I remember doing this as a kid. Do you remember doing this too ?
I'll bet you do !
:-D

Spanking Sprite

2006-08-04T07:50:00.000-07:00

This weeks Illustration Friday theme is 'Capture', and look who just got caught !

Yow ! That's gotta sting !
I'm next !
:-D

Air Head

2006-07-21T07:17:00.000-07:00

This week, Illustration Friday has chosen 'Opposites' as the current theme.

Well, here ya go. When two forces of opposite power meet, the outcome can get...loud.
This is a quickie. Have a grin and a nice day.
:-)

Alien Sacrifice

2006-07-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

This week's Illustration Fridays word is 'Sacrifice'.

This lil' sketch turned out kinda nice, even though I'm not that great at mechanical illustrations. I originally called it 'Determination', but seeing as the topic this week was 'Sacrifice' I renamed it and presented it for your viewing pleasure.

Looks like she is willing to 'sacrifice' her leg in the pursuit of the rampaging monster...
Game over man !!!
:-D

Doo Doo

2006-06-30T05:49:00.000-07:00

This week's Illustration Friday challenge is 'Sticky'.

OK.
Here is The Doo Doo Dunnie. She (or he, we can't rilly tell...) is a pretty sticky sprite. Usually found near cow patties and puppy poo, The Doo Doo Dunnie is closely tied to, well, organic fanny effluvia. As a very beneficial fairy, The Doo Doo Dunnie (who claims to hail from Australia) has a high status in the Seelie Court, but tends to rarely recieve invitations to High Tea.

That's gratitude for ya.
:-D

After The Rain

2006-06-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

This time the challenge from Illustration Friday is 'Rain'.
And ya know what ? Following after almost every significant rain shower, I find all types of mushrooms and toadstools growing amongst my lawn. The Faeries go nutz, the Grigs dance a jig, and the Pixies...well the Pixies are just plain naughty.

What you see here is 'Delicious Lactarious' that I used for freelance artwork many many years ago, back when I had more hair on my head.
Just so that ya know...
=^_^=

Fancy Footwork

2006-06-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

This weeks Illustration Friday challenge is 'Dance'.
A few weeks back while shopping at Meijer supermarket in Kalamazoo, I saw the most difficult and adorable two step ever. Two little girls had put on an oversized tee-shirt and were trying to walk down the cashier aisle much to the bemusement of their mother.

For a moment, everyone in the vicinity who could see it suddenly forgot all about their worries and troubles, smiles were on shoppers faces.
I luv moments like that.
Have a smile on me, it won't cost you a single penny...
:-)

Panda

2006-06-09T07:42:00.000-07:00

It's a jungle out there. And ya need a good nap to deal with it. So just curl up, get comfy, and drift off to the Dreamlands where Buopoths lumber and Zoogs scamper. Visit Ulthar or just follow the river sylphs ( they'll provide enjoyable company and gossip ).

Sweet dreams...
=^_^=

Howard Phillips Lovecraft

2006-06-03T07:37:00.000-07:00

This weeks topic for Illustration Friday is 'Portrait', so I did a portrait of Howard Phillips Lovecraft.

Born 1890 and passing away (we think) in 1937, Lovecraft was (is ?) the master of weird horror stories. From 'The Call of Cthulhu' to 'At The Mountains of Madness' his work influenced most horror writers and movie makes since.

He was a scholar and a gentleman, liked ice cream and cats, and had a wicked sense of humor. Most of his stories were based on vivid nightmares that he suffered from, and he did a damn good job of telling those stories !

If you want to try his books, they tend to be anthologies of short stories, the best to start off with might be short but creepy 'The Shadow Over Innsmouth' or the lengthy but ghoulish 'The Case of Charles Dexter Ward'.

The Necronomicon is closely tied to Lovecraft...
:-)

Cheese Cake

2006-05-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

Even though the challenge from Illustration Friday is 'Cake' I decided to tweak it a little bit and make it 'CheeseCake'.

Just for fun...
=^_^=

Counting Paws

2006-05-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

This postcard is courtesy from Janey at Janey's Journey.
You go grrrl !
:-)

Sympathy

2006-05-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

This week's Illustration Friday challenge is 'Sorry'. Now, the original title of this cartoon was 'Sympathy' , but sorry and sympathy are pretty close so I'm making a judgement call in favor of the home team. :-D

You would think that with all the super technology we have, cars would be quieter. Nope. Between shoddy mufflers and booming stereos and muttering motors we have a noise pollution problem from our vehicles. Some of it is based on a lack of funds from the car owners to repair chronic noises, that's understandable if you are a starving artist or some such.

But there are a lotta new cars and trucks that almost make your ears bleed from the racket they make. So please, next time you are near a school or hospital or nursing home, turn down the base speakers and slow the growling engine. Do the same in front of my house, too.

Thank you.
:-)

Monsters and Angels

2006-05-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

" There Is Sugar
And There Is Salt
There Is Ice
And There Is Fire
In Every Single Heart
There Are Monsters And Angels "

-Voice Of The Beehive

I know that this weeks Illustration Friday challenge is 'Angels and Devils' but I just had to use the song title 'Monsters and Angels' from the kewl band 'Voice of the Beehive'. Seems fitting for this subject. It's awesome music for an awesome Illo Friday, thank you Penelope !

I've been itching to use these sketches for years !
=^_^=

Y'golonac

2006-05-05T07:57:00.000-07:00

Today's Illustration Friday challenge is 'Fat'.

For those of you who are aware of the Cthulhu mythos, you have undoubtedly recognized Y'golonac, the Great Old One mentioned infamously in the horrid Revelations of Glaaki volume 12. He is large and in charge. Here is just one quote from this dark book:

"...for even the minions of Cthulhu dare not speak of Y'golonac; yet the time will come when Y'golonac strides forth from the loneliness of Aeons to walk once more among men..."

I found this photo in a National Geographic book many years ago.

Then I drew this sketch.

After which I used tracing paper to combine the two.
Neat huh !
Oh, just before you go...here is another quote (I have several more but they are too long to type at this moment) from the dreaded Revelations of Glaaki volume 12:

"When he who passes in Darkness comes again, the wall shall shake. The illusion shall crumble and man, cringing in terror, shall destroy himself rather than face the gods in battle."

Sweet dreams !

Corner 48

2006-05-02T14:47:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm. Wait. Stop. Think.

I've been here before.
I've had a bad day.
How do I stop this madness once and for all...?

Merman

2006-04-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

This week's Illustration Friday subject is 'Under the Sea'.
Is it just me or has there been several references to the ocean/water over the past year from Illo Friday ?

Sounds fishy to me...
:-D

Corner 47

2006-04-25T15:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long, here'z your Corner fix...

Front and Back

2006-04-23T09:45:00.001-07:00

These are from last year. They are respecively part of the front, and the back yard.
Sometime soon I'll take some fresh pictures of the current year and post them too.

Stay tooned...

Mech Fly

2006-04-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

This is a pretty good choice of subject for Illustration Friday. The theme is 'Robot' suggested by Dan Santat. Thanx Dan !

Shoo Fly !
Shoo !

:-)

Werewolf Spotted

2006-04-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

There you are.
I see you now.
You sure are quiet, but I've located you.

Spotted in the moonlight !

Those darn Shadow Lord Garou have been trying to toilet paper my house for the last few days. Luckily I have some nifty wards around my home and they always trigger the protective circles.
Shadow Lords luv to play pranks on sorcerers like me.

If I catch one of them, I'll take a willow switch and lift his/her tail and...
Well, let's just say that sitting down will be uncomfortable for the brats.

=^_^=

Speed

2006-04-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

ZOOOOOM !!!

Wow ! Did you see that ?

WHOOOSH !!!

Gosh that was fast !

Casey the Boxer should never have been allowed to order weird stuff from Wiley Coyote's Acme Cartoon Surplus company...
:-D

BOOOOOOM !!!

Spring

2006-03-31T07:23:00.000-08:00

I've decided to go with an Art Nouveau image that I posted long-long ago to work with this weeks Illustration Friday theme. "Spring" is the topic this time, and a simple leafy branch should do the job for this challenge.

Sorry, no monsters to show today. I could have shown a 'spring board' or a 'metal spring', but it was time to do a lil' mainstream old school on ya.

The monsters could come back next week, though...
:-)

s.

Monster

2006-03-24T08:13:00.000-08:00

Thank you Gina at Illustration Friday for suggesting this subject matter!
I've been itching to post this fellow for a while.

This is a RedCap. They are named for their practice of staining their caps in enemy blood. They can and will eat anything- flesh, bone, bricks, wooden doors, tax returns, religious nuts...
They are the stuff of nightmares and bad attitudes.

Show some manners, or one of these 'Monsters' will pop out of your dreams and make you live to regret it (if you survive the encounter)...

s.

Feet

2006-03-17T08:24:00.000-08:00

Huh ?
'FEET' ?

This is an odd choice for Illustration Friday to go with.
I just don't 'SEE' the point.
Time ta 'WALK' my sweet fanny outta here...
Peace !

Acorn Pixie

2006-03-10T09:32:00.000-08:00

Just a few days ago a blog buddy and fellow artist, Jennifer showed up out of nowhere to let me know she was still around and kicking.

This is an illustration I did recently, and since I know Jennifer luvs this stuff, this is for her.

P.S. here'z her online diary, give her some support and she might just contribute to it really soon...

=^_^=

Harvey the Ghoul

2006-03-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

This week's Illustration Friday challenge is 'Tattoo'.
So, going back many years I remembered an illustration I did. A woman (her name was Cynzia) saw me photocopying it and wanted a copy to take to a tattoo parlour.

I don't know what it is that makes attractive women want to permanently tattoo my artwork to their bodies, but I guess I shouldn't complain. At least I'm getting free gallery displays everytime a gal goes to the beach...

:-D

Insect

2006-03-03T07:15:00.000-08:00

Jeepers Creepers, Where'd Ya Get Those Peepers...

Illustration Friday, 'Insect', nuff said.
:-D

Corner46

2006-02-28T12:48:00.000-08:00

ZOOM !!!
:-O

Liquid Sun

2006-02-28T12:40:00.000-08:00

Just so all you lurkers out there don't think that I am neglecting my blog...
Here'z a lil' experiment in Photoshop I just did.

If ya can't wrap your mind around the concept, don't worry, I'll forgive ya...
:-D

And no, this is not for Illustration Friday. The subject 'Tea' just didn't tickle my fancy.
:-/
:-)

Corner45

2006-02-20T14:46:00.000-08:00

BLAM !!!

EeeeeeEEEEeeeeekkk !!!
:-D

Song

2006-02-17T09:22:00.000-08:00

"They told us all they wanted was 'a sound that could kill someone.' "
-Kate Bush, 'Experiment IV'

Live hard, die with your music on.
Illustration Friday.
=^_^=

Hugs and Kisses

2006-02-14T11:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone !
:-D

Now go make someone feel special...
Move !
:-)

Simple

2006-02-10T08:55:00.000-08:00

The email this morning from Illustration Friday said 'Simple' by Von Glitschka.
Who is Von Glitschka ? I don't recall seeing that name on Illo Friday.
Very odd...

Anyway, here is a simple zigzag fer ya ta looky at.
:-)

Chair

2006-02-03T08:57:00.000-08:00

Don't you hate losing at Musical Chairs !

This Illustration Friday challenge is 'Chair' by Blaine.
Put some magic in your heart !
:-)

Hands

2006-02-01T09:17:00.000-08:00

This is a shout out to Janey who recently sent me a post card hinting on the back that I post more of my drawings. So, what did I do ?

Other than wait a lil' too long in posting...here'z a second hand that just walked up to pose under Janey's neato keen sign language 'draw'.

:-)

Glamour

2006-01-27T07:52:00.000-08:00

This week's Illustration Friday's challenge is 'Glamour' by Stephanie Colle. One definition of this word is 'romantic and exciting attractiveness'. But so is 'an enchantment, to cover with illusion'.

I think I'll show both. This is a re-post from a year ago, but never seen on Illo Friday.
;-)

Cats

2006-01-20T07:51:00.000-08:00

Ooooo. That Stare !

"Cats" suggested by Carla. Illustration Friday.
'Nuff said.

=^_^=

Excuse

2006-01-13T07:52:00.000-08:00

Illustration Friday has 'E' mailed me the challenge...

"E is for..." suggested by Duncan Lee.

Well...
E is for Excuse. An Excuse to look out the window.
Now here is Cookie Monster and Big Bird with your stock market tips of the day...

:-D

Corner 44

2006-01-11T15:39:00.000-08:00

Better cover your ears...

:-)

Pirate

2006-01-06T08:04:00.000-08:00

The word 'SEA' is the Illustration Friday selection this week. How about a dashing and half dressed swashbuckler to come to your rescue this time ? This was a lil' throwback to my beginings in art and dynamic human form ( thanx Hogarth !)

It feels good to do some old fashioned beefy muscle structure again...
=^_^=

Corner43

2006-01-02T13:42:00.000-08:00

Chew...
* INHALE *

Grin

2005-12-27T08:49:00.000-08:00

I found this at random on the web. I thought it was funny. I will now share it with you...

:-D

Christmas Riff

2005-12-21T09:47:00.000-08:00

Now the final installment in my specialty Chistmas card trek. This one is for my pal Kevin (DiseasedWits) who I went to high school with. He has the disease of being interested in attractive ladies, can't say I blame him, I seem to have a similiar ailment.

Anyway, here it is dude, if you haven't got it in the mail yet, here'z a sneak peek...

:-D

Merry Christmas to of all you lurkers !

s.

Almost Christmas

2005-12-19T08:18:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is the scan I did of the card that I mailed off to my cousin Johnny Lauck.
Years back he owned a comic book store here in KALAMAZOO, and he hired some of us artists to make comic books for him. He's an awesome person and this is an ongoing homage to his most infamous character: CAPTAIN ALMOST !

Y'see, Captain Almost can...
Almost catch the bank robber
Almost rescue the kitty in a tree
Almost put out the tire dump fire
Almost save the day

He currently runs a roleplaying figurines ecompany called Mega Miniatures (I think...)

Anyway, if you want to order copies of some of the comic books we did (Legion of Stupid Heroes, Kalamazoo Comics, Dark Ages) try email- MegaMinis

Or write a letter to the dude:

Johnny Lauck
2376 W. Michigan Ave
Battle Creek, Mi 49017
( USA )

Be sure to include a RETURN ADDRESS, otherwise he won't know how to get back in touch with you. I can't guarantee that all the issues are available, but he might be able to sell some to ya if you are a rabid fan...

(P.S. The Legion of Stupid Heroes will work for food, as their welfare checks are late again this month...)
:-D

Christmas Bunny

2005-12-17T09:50:00.000-08:00

This is the Christmas card that I'm sending through snail mail to Janey today. Hope she likes it !

I'll be posting my other cards here over the next several days, so stay tooned...

:-D

Mess

2005-12-16T08:03:00.000-08:00

Illustration Friday:

"IMAGINE"

What a mess...

:-D

Corner 42

2005-12-14T17:39:00.000-08:00

* CHEW *
* CHEW *

Suprise

2005-12-09T10:34:00.000-08:00

SURPRISE !!!

And that is the word for this week's Illustration Friday...
:-D

Corner41

2005-12-07T08:55:00.000-08:00

Yum !
:-D

Blue

2005-12-02T07:48:00.000-08:00

This is just a quickie photoshop & mouse experiment. I wanted to try paint particles ( a la Georges Seurat : A SUNDAY ON LA GRANDE JATTE- 1884) to create texture for ice and snow. What better to use as a test subject than a 'Blue' sno cone.

The cone itself was just a filter I've wanted to fool around with. Nothing fancy here, only my clumsy attempts to mess around with photoshop.

That and a few doses of Gaussian blur and the burn tool...

Bluuuuuuuuuuuuuuueeeeee !
:-D

Moovie Maadness

2005-11-28T13:07:00.000-08:00

So I'll ask again...

What turkey of a movie would you remake with a better budget and talent ?
Janey has already stepped up to the podium. How about you ?

:-)

Coworkers

2005-11-25T12:41:00.000-08:00

Hilarious !

Little Dragon

2005-11-25T12:31:00.000-08:00

This week in Illustration Friday, the word is 'Small'.

There.
I think that is the right size...
:-D

Fun stupid movies

2005-11-23T09:58:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I had a blast from the past.

The 80's poduced a movie that was both silly and fun. It had a low budget and bad cinematography. But it also had funny moments and a sense of imagination.
It even had John Lithgow and Christopher Lloyd...

It was called Buckaroo Banzai.

I actually luved this movie. Not because it was good. But because it was bad. Don't get me wrong, it did have some redeeming factors:
Some of the women were yummy looking
Some of the men were yummy looking (which is rare)
Some of the alien artifacts looked kinda cool
The story was ambitious
And the ending theme song was light hearted and catchy !

Now, here'z the reason I'm posting this blog article-

I want Hollywood to remake this dinosaur with a big budget and unknown talent. I want a decent director and loyalty to the original intent (meaning fun and stupid, not dark and dreary like most movies are nowadays) !

What about the rest of you ? What bad movie would you like to see remade into an impressive offering of hard work and brilliance ?

I know there'z a turkey (!) of a movie lurking in the backs of all your minds...
Cough 'em up and leave a comment or two!

:-)

Mysterious ways

2005-11-23T09:48:00.000-08:00

The Flying Spaghetti Monster is watching you...

:-D

Corner 40

2005-11-21T15:31:00.000-08:00

Hmmmm...
> Sluuuurrrrrrp !!! <

Rain Drop Fairy

2005-11-18T11:21:00.000-08:00

Ah, to float along in the upper atmosphere. To see the stars without any filters of pollution. To drift on the curving horizon and bask in the panorama of the living planet below.

Free. Free to see the whole world...
This is the existence of the Rain Drop Fairy. To never be bound by the chains of gravity. Unfettered by ground and banality. She is the harbinger of downpours and the giver of Rainbows. Raise your head to her gesturing hand, and she will cover you with wet kisses of purified water.

Drip Drip Drip

:-D
This week's Illustration Friday's word is 'FREE'

Twilight

2005-11-04T08:34:00.000-08:00

This is a Sun & Moon motif that I did a lil' while ago. I did another one a long time ago for a female client who wanted a Sun & Moon image to take to a tattoo parlour for her butt cheek.

As a result, my art won't get a lot of display time, but it will get the occasional viewing from discriminating select (art) lovers. Not to mention that the eventual canvas had a delightful shape for exhibition...

This is my contribution for Illustration Friday's 'Night' challenge. If any future clients would like this transferred to their derrie're ( fanny ) for high class mooning, drop me a line and we'll talk rates. I also do original requests, let's do business!
:-D

s.

Allegan Fair

2005-10-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

Last month I took my parents to the Allegan county fair, it's about 45 minutes from Kalamazoo. This place is huge, we go each year. You can see the giant chicken statue in the top left photo that is at the entry-way to the fair.

Other than the rides and animal barns and food / game booths, this fair also has several large vendor pavilons and a neat historical village including an industrial museum. I won a yellow teddy bear for mom. In one of the photo's you will see the famous 'Worlds Largest Puzzle'. I don't know if that is a true claim, but the thing it pretty darn big. I didn't take pictures of the 'Worlds Largest Hog' nor the 'Worlds Smallest Pony' neither the 'Worlds Biggest Alligator'...

I figured the Puzzle would be entertainment enough for ya.
:-D

Halloween

2005-10-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

Halloween is closing in fast and the veil between worlds is gonna end up 'broken' on October (or Octogre for you Piers Anthony fans out there) 31st. This ToolGhoul tends to show up on that night roaring around on mag wheels and a nasty sense o' humor. Kalamazoo is krazy on Halloween and he definitly adds to the festivities.

So the next time you hear a loud and evil sounding motor rev-ving up and the smell of candle wax is pervasive on Halloween in Kalamazoo...you are probably gonna get chased for a while...unless you got some candy to use as a bribe!

BOO !!!
:-D

Corner39

2005-10-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

What the...!
Litter Bugs !

FrankenBolt

2005-10-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

This week's Illustration Friday's word is 'Remote'. This word was submitted by my buddy Kevin (K's DiseasedWits) several months ago. His old blog is gone, but his new one (see previous parentheses) has his current work. He doesn't have comments turned on, but you can still email him your thoughts and good wishes- kevin@umamidesign.com.

As for me, my old blog here is still kickin', and now I present my submission for this week. Not only is he on 'remote' control, my FrankenBolt was also done a remote time ago (about 5 years past). And oldie, but a goodie, this scribble was quite fun to put down as I recall.

:-)

Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

2005-10-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

I'm not making this up...

There rilly is a Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster here and if you go there you will see a website proposing a THIRD theory of existence. The first two are EVOLUTION and INTELLIGENT DESIGN. The 'Pastafarians' are spreading the word about the FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER, who apparently created the whole universe- including mountains, trees, and midgets.

Many people are converting to this religion, some of the reasons are:
1. Flimsy moral standards
2. Every Friday is a religious holiday
3. Flying Spaghetti Monster heaven includes a beer volcano and a stipper factory
4. Adherents end prayers with 'RAMEN' not 'AMEN'

They have several written accounts of a Flying Spaghetti Monster creating the universe. They have t-shirts. They have a chart showing global warming average temperatures vs the number of pirates over the past 200 years.

In conclusion I would like to say, WWFSMD( What Would Flying Spaghetti Monster Do )?

Ramen.
:-D

Marilith

2005-10-14T08:55:00.000-07:00

Looks like you're getting the cold shoulder there...
You might wanna start apologizing to her REAL fast, before there'z trouble!
:-)

Yes, it's me. I'm back bugging all of you on Illustration Friday.
Boo !!!
:-D

Janey Tagged Me

2005-10-11T16:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've been tagged. Janey has decided to encourage me to play the 'I've been tagged and you're next' game. This means that I gotta post 20 random facts about myself.

Just watch this nonsense...

1. I have a faint beauty mark on my right cheekbone (a mole to the layperson)
2. I luv pepperoni and black olive pizza
3. Green is my favorite color
4. I can do basic animation (moving cartoons) in addition to static art
5. I'm slender but kinda wiry
6. I'm 5' 10' and my legs reach ALLLL the way to the ground
7. I'm kinda shy
8. I used to ride a motorcycle (Kawasaki 100 Enduro off/on road)
9. I voted for Gore...then I voted for Kerry
10. I'm a member of the Planetary Society
11. I'm bisexual
12. I'm transgendered
13. I am scared to death of roller coasters, but oddly enough I love videos showing flights over mountains

14. I have an odd sense of humor
15. I luv dark chocolate
16. I watch the news a lot
17. I think spanking is sexy (both active and passive) :-)
18. I don't drink, don't smoke, don't use drugs
19. I'm not ticklish :-(
20. Yes, I rilly do live in Kalamazoo...

PARTY SLUAGH

2005-10-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

Here she is, the one you have been looking for. Your perfect Halloween party planner, the Party Sluagh!

She rides in a Hearse straight from the Unseelie Court and through the Shadowlands to assist you in your ghoulish activities that you have planned this October 31st. With cobwebs and creaky beds, spooky sounds and pumpkins round, she'll whip your creepy ideas into a frenzy of creativity and nightmare!

And she makes a killer Deviled Egg appetizer...
:-D

Dryad

2005-09-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

Here she is, 'FRESH' as the morning dew itself, Kalamazoo's very own DEW DROP DRYAD. She's quicksilver fast, and slippery as a minnow. Her decoration of dewy morning spider webs are magnificent. And her kisses are sweet and cool (not to mention a lil' bit sloppy).

She didn't stop by for long because her workload is rather demanding, but she posed long enough for me to get this image made of her in Photoshop, no sketching prior to this was done (no time!).

She's a darling lil' thing with a quick mind and a taste for Earl Gray Tea and shaved ice. Don't worry about the tea getting cold nor the ice melting before she gets there, odds are...she's already visited you and is busy checking you off her magical list.

Kalamazoo is Kewl...
:-)

Corner 38

2005-09-19T11:13:00.000-07:00

You crazy one eyed plant...!
Grrrrrrr !!!

Corner37

2005-09-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

Wheee !!!
Look at all the pretty stars !
* * * * * * *
:-)

Vampire

2005-09-16T08:31:00.000-07:00

QUICK ! GET DOWN !

...shhhhhhhh !!!
...don't talk.
...just listen.

hear that ?
Creepy Alexander Crenshaw has 'escaped' from his graveyard crypt again. It seems like no matter how many times we drive a stake through his heart, throw holy water on him, spread purified salt around his coffin, or even leaving silver mirrors and hanging garlic inside his tomb...he always finds a way to come back and chase the residents around.

I still say we gotta decapitate him, burn the body, and spread the ashes over the Kalamazoo river. But NOOOOOOO. The priests don't wanna desicrate a human body. Pfffft !!!
Those silly knuckleheads just get in the way.
*sigh*

I need more sleep. Now what was that quote...?

"...the nethermost caverns are not for the fathoming of eyes that see; for their marvels are strange and terrific. Cursed the ground where dead thoughts live new and oddly bodied, and evil the mind that is held by no head. Wisely did Ibn Schacabao say, that happy is the town where no Wizard hath lain, and happy the town at night whose Wizards are all ashes. For it is of old rumour that the soul of the Devil-bought hastes not from his Charnel Clay, but Fats and instructs The Very Worm That Gnaws; till out of corruption horrid Life springs, and the dull scavengers of Earth wax crafty to vex it and swell monstrous to plague it.

Great holes secretly are digged where Earth's pores ought to suffice, and things have learnt to Walk that ought to Crawl..."

NECRONOMICON -from the Olaus Wormius Latin translation of Alhazred's AL-AZIF
:-)

Jungle Dragon

2005-09-09T06:20:00.000-07:00

This week's Illustration Friday's topic is 'Depth'. So after some pondering, I went with traveling into the 'depths' of the deepest darkest heart of a jungle to find an elusive mythical creature.

If you look closely into the murky 'depths' of this illustration you might glimpse the Yellow Eyed Purple Skinned Insect Eating Jungle Dragon. And it's about to make breakfast of that tropical red dragon fly buzzing in the foreground. Oh, and be careful where you step, the 'depths' of the jungle floor are unpredictable and hard to see...

Y'see, the sun rarely peeks through to this 'depth', and even when it does- it only lasts for a few moments. As a result, the darkness is rather pervasive and all encompassing.

Did you just hear that growling...?
:-)

MizzKyttie is Back !

2005-09-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

New articles and inspired links.
Get on over there and see what she's uncovered about the corruption of America and it's leaders. This is important stuff, what you normally WON'T see on news/talk shows and radio. This Katrina disaster has the potential to be a bad onion, each layer you peel away reveals another more rotten layer underneath. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll roll up your sleeves.

Please check it out, you need to know this !

s.

Corner 36

2005-09-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

The old bed-sheet prison break idea, it's a classic!
Eyeflower had better start running...
:-o

Roots

2005-09-02T06:36:00.000-07:00

This guy has taken Illustration Friday just a lil' bit too seriously!

Hurry Hurry Hurry !!!
Gather round and see for yourself the bizarre and stupendous 8th wonder of the world ! Come one come all ! Right here in Kalamazoo is revealed the walking fungus amongus, the toadstool teetotaler, the cellar seller...

MUSHROOMAN !!!

If you have a backyard filled with Fairy Rings, or you simply have a Yeast Infection, then Mushrooman has probably slipped in and taken 'root'. Don't worry, he wont stay for long and after the Elves have finished dancing ( or the itching is treated with some antibiotic ) he'll take his magic to the next lucky (?) location and start over again...

:-D

Hurricane Assistance

2005-09-02T06:24:00.000-07:00

Be careful when you recieve solicitations from the American Red Cross.

Some of them may be the work of scam artists (not to be confused with cartoon artists). Beware of emails containing links that take you to fake Red Cross web sites, leaving your personal information there could lead to identity theft.

If you want to donate money to help with the Katrina Disaster, go to the actual Red Cross web site:

www.redcross.org
(I didn't create an actual link, I want you to type it in yourself, that way you know it's legit)

Or you can call:

(800) HELP-NOW

s.

Corner35

2005-08-31T17:17:00.000-07:00

Free !!!
Time for a Snoopy Dance !

:-D

Cold Shiver Nixie

2005-08-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

Yet another magical creature has come out of hiding to request my artistic skills this week. And since this Illustration Fridays subject is 'Dreams', the Cold Shiver Nixie is a perfect fit !

Have you ever been daydreaming during an idle moment and had a quick vision of flying like an eagle over a snow covered mountain range ? Or had a vision of plunging feet first into a cold and pristine forest stream ? Or even a vision of a midnight outing to dance naked under the moon ?

Bet you got some goose bumps, didn't ya ?
That means you were probably visited by Kalamazoo's very own Cold Shiver Nixie! She will sneak up behind you while you are daydreaming, and she will tickle you with her cold fingers up and down your back.

Brrrrrrrrrr !!!
:-D

Corner34

2005-08-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

Suck that belly in to fit through...

Valusian Infiltration

2005-08-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

The Serpent People are awakening from their eons long slumber. They still remember the human race that they battled with for supremacy over the continent of Hyperborea. Their plan to hibernate for a few hundred years deep within their underground city of Valusia ( or as we call it 'Irem-city of pillars' which is but ruins aboveground ) in the Arabian desert, failed to work properly. Far more time has passed than they anticipated.

But, the humans have largely forgotten about this race of Ophideans, and that will be what the Serpent People wanted. Now they can recite ancient spells of Illusion and drink potions of eldrich alchemy to cover themselves in a deception. This deception will allow them to walk among us, to seem like they are humans, to live as our neighbors.

This glamour will be nearly perfect. It will fool our eyes and we will see only what we want to see...just another human. Not a 5 foot tall bipedal intelligent scaly Snake, but a filthy stinking primate (Human). Only one flaw exists besides the odor of reptile, and that is the shadow. For while the Valusians can don the likeness of our appearance, their shadows remain true to their heritage as the children of the Ancient One called YIG -father of serpents. By this shall ye know them.

"They walked lithely and sinously erect on pre-mammalian members, their pied and hairless bodies bending with great suppleness. There was a loud hissing of formulae as they went to and fro." Clark Ashton Smith, 'The Seven Geases'.

Don't believe the 'reflection' of your own species, it could lead to your sorrow...

Illustration Friday, August 19, 2005.
:-)

The DooDoo Dunnie

2005-08-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

Another fey creature native to Kalamazoo has come forward to be illustrated and displayed for all the world to see. This is the DooDoo Dunnie. Dunnies are known for being guardians of children and endangered animals. They are also known as tricksters and pranksters. Some are horse-like, others are...er...well...less welcome in appearance.

I had to breathe through my mouth to avoid inhaling a noseful of poop fumes. He (she ?) seemed rather nice, if odorous, and carried on a rather pleasant conversation with me concerning the rather bad year we are having with peach trees. We had a late frost and that ruined most of the peach buds on the branches.
It's rilly too bad, I luv peaches, especially fresh from the orchards. Fertilizer helps immensely...

:-D

Does E-mail Make You Dumber ?

2005-08-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

-Originally printed in Discover magazine, Anne Casselman, August 2005, page 8.

If you feel like a zombie at work, perhaps you're suffering from infomania, the term the Hewlett-Packard affiliate in Britain coined for people addicted to e-mail, instant messaging, and text messages.
A recent study for the company found that British workers' IQ test scores drop temporarily by an average of 10 points when juggling phones, e-mails, and other electronic messages-more of an IQ drop than occurs after smoking marijuana or losing a night's sleep. "This is a very real and widespread phenomenon," said Glenn Wilson of the Institute of Psychiatry at the University of London, who conducted the tests on some 1,100 volunteers. Just how long it takes to recover in unclear.

The study found that modern-day communications have become addictive: Sixty-two percent of adults check work messages after office hours and on vacation. Half of those surveyed reply to an e-mail immediately or within 60 minutes. About 20 percent were "happy" to interrupt a business or social meeting to respond to a telephone or e-mail message. Yet 89 percent of those surveyed found it rude for colleagues to do so.
Whether infomaniacs are less intelligent is another question. "It didn't affect their IQ at all; it affected their performance on an IQ test," says Bob Stickgold, a cognitive neuroscientist at Harvard University. "When you're taking an IQ test, you probably want to be really focused. That's the antithesis of the state you get into when you do a lot of multitasking."

The human brain has evolved different modes for concentrating on a single thing versus jumping from one thing to another. "The reason we have these systems that quickly shift between each other is because what's right for you now might not be right later," Stickgold says. "There are basic brain-stem mechanisms that will cause you to shift and focus your attention on a change in stimulus."

Whether that change is a saber-toothed tiger popping out of the woods or a phone ringing suddenly, the consequences are the same. "The switch signal comes fast and powerfully. This system knows at a moment like this that what's important is to shift your state quickly, and damn the cost. And the cost is that it takes several minutes to shift back," says Stickgold. "That's the way we're wired."

** The rest of this post is by PoisonPencil **

Turn off your computer, cell phone, pager, and television.
(1) Go outside.
(2) Breathe deep.
(3) Exhale.
(4) Smile.
(5) Go back and repeat actions 2-4. At least a few times more.

:-D

Corner33

2005-08-10T17:17:00.000-07:00

Oh, look...a window.

Window !!!

Scenic View

2005-08-08T17:38:00.000-07:00

Just some more experimenting and fooling around in Photoshop. No pre-sketching or scanning. Only a Photoshop window and my painting skills.
It didn't turn out too badly...

I'm gonna keep plugging away and see what happens.
:-)

Ganzir

2005-08-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

You've studied hard. You've delved into books of forbidden knowledge. You've gathered the exotic and nearly impossible to get ingredients. You've chanted all evening and night. You've made sure that the STARS ARE RIGHT.
So you cast the spell and open the gate.

Oops.

Instead of a properly working hyperdimensional gate, you now have a gate of GANZIR. That's right, you screwed up royally, and this DARK PORTAL is bad news. Now you've gotta fight off THE HOUNDS OF TINDALOS and avoid getting sucked into that EMPTY void between universes.

Oh, yeah. Don't forget asking YOG SOTHOTH to kindly put things back to normal.

Illustration Friday has proposed the word 'EMPTY' and this is my take on it. I gotta go back and consult my copy of the NECRONOMICON to see where this gate went wrong...

* sigh *

"Remember always to copy each of the formulae as I have put it down, and not to change it by one line or dot, not so much as a hair's breadth, lest it be rendered valueless, or worse: a broken line provides entrance for Those Outside, for a broken star is the Gate Of GANZIR, the Gate of Death, the Gate of The Shadows."
- Alhazred, the mad arab...

* sigh...again *

Book Meme

2005-08-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, here is my Book Meme contribution:

NUMBER OF BOOKS ON SHELF ?

Uh, which one ? The biggest one has about 240 ( Not including maps...)

LAST BOOK PURCHASED ?

Brand new or used ? Mmmm. New would be Eragon (by Christopher Paolini). Used would be Swords and Deviltry, Swords Against Death, Swords In The Mist, The Swords of Lankhmar, and Farewell to Lankhmar ( I already had Swords' Masters ) - All of these written by Fritz Leiber.

BOOK I'M READING RIGHT NOW ?

Swords In The Mist ( Fritz Leiber ) #3 in the series about Fafrhd and the Gray Mouser.

LAST FIVE BOOKS READ ?

5. Queen of the Demonweb Pits - PAUL KIDD (second or third time, luv this series)
4. Crossroads of Twilight - ROBERT JORDAN
3. The Doctor Who Technical Manual - MARK HARRIS
2. Swords and Deviltry - FRITZ LEIBER
1. Swords Against Death - FRITZ LEIBER

IF ANYONE WANTS TO PARTICIPATE JUST REPEAT WHAT QUESTIONS APPEARED HERE AND SUPPLY YOUR OWN BOOKS / AUTHORS...

^_^

The Blemish Gnome

2005-08-02T08:29:00.000-07:00

This is another denizen of the hidden Fey Kingdom of Kalamazoo...The Blemish Gnome.

I'm sure you've heard of him. Or at least encountered his work. Whenever your skin is blotchy and discolored, whether from mysterious bruises or puffiness in the morning, you will know that The Blemish Gnome has been hard at work.
He heard about the lil' Elm Tree Sprite who posed for my posting request from JenniferVintageByButtons, and just had to be next in line for a blog picture. He smells faintly of Calamine lotion and used bed covers. And he likes to tell off-color jokes about celebrities and famous historical artifacts. I don't remember much about his jokes other than one involving Baba Yaga's Dancing Hut and a man who suffered from terminal dandruff.

Maybe it's best if I don't remember too much...
:-D

Space shuttle

2005-07-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

Looks like space shuttle Discovery is all right and can return safely to earth a lil' over a week from now. And even the whole foam shrapnel problem is being dealt with, possibly allowing the September launch of ( I think ) space shuttle Atlantis.

Now Atlantis is the important misson launch. Discovery was just for resupplying the ISS and testing flight safety procedures. When Atlantis goes into space, it will be carrying new sections of the unfinished space station that are long overdue. I'm excited ! This station is a huge step into space.

NASA is already working on pushing further into our solar system, leaving the earth orbit work to future private enterprise. This means that the Federal government is lessening it's grip on travel off planet. Potentially this might allow entreprenours to ply their ideas and breakthroughs for getting into low/middle/upper earth orbit and beyond. And since this is business based on eventual profits rather than a beaurocratic behemoth like NASA which isn't based on accountable profit making, we could see some REAL innovations! Private enterprise tends to be more productive than Federal agencies.

Possible private experiments could include Solar Sails, Improved satalight telecommunications, compounds developed in near zero-g environments, Biomedical tests, Plasma rockets, and even a few tantalizing theories postulated by Robert Winglee. Not to mention the prospect of mining asteroids in deep space for rare or even previously unknown substances ! Like I said, I'm excited !

Of course, this will start slow. Just tourists briefly hopping into low earth orbit, then after that will be resorts for longer stays. Eventually multiple deep space stations for permanent residents both scientific and otherwise. What we rilly need right now is a major breakthrough on artificial gravity that is economical, functional, and reliable. Well, that and extending the human lifespan (hopefully indefinitly) !

Live long and prosper, dude.

Dreadnautical

2005-07-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

Just messing around here in photoshop. No sketching. Only PS as a medium. Something quick and simple. I hate illustrating large bodies of water so I consider this to be good practice for bigger and better things in the future.

I'll try some more water based themes eventually.
That's a tentative promise...

Corner32

2005-07-29T08:57:00.000-07:00

D'OH !!!

Time to formulate a plan. Or scratch yer butt.
One of those options will take place...
:-D

Mnemosyn

2005-07-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

...just put your lips together and blow. You do remember how to whistle, don't you...?

This week's Illustration Friday's topic is 'Aging' and I decided to go with a Horror based theme for my submission. Just imagine if you had been dead for so long that after all these decades (or centuries) that you have forgotten things. Important things. Even silly things.
Like how to whistle.
Aging is a terrible disease, and I hope that there will be a cure for it some day soon. That way I will have someone to talk to thousands of years from now.

Hey, I get lonely sometimes. It's good to hear a familiar voice occasionaly.
Just try to remeber my name after I have it changed, ok...
:-)

New links

2005-07-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

I've added the groovy artists Isay, and Gingerpixels to my Summoning links.
Give these talented ladies a hello and a hug from me.

Also a belated Apple computer link in my Brain Food section.

'later gator...

Corner 31

2005-07-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

Ooooooo. Viscious Circle !

Sorry for the lack of updates in terms of posts and comments, blogger is messing with the software again and more than half the time when I try to post or comment blogger won't let me. I keep getting blank pages or notifications that my Javascript or Cookies is turned off on my computer.
Well, for bloggers information, my imac's javascript and cookies are on and working fine and have been since I started using blogger. But since I own a mac, blogger has repeatedly screwed over mac users with their new software, which is not very bright. After all, if your software isn't backward compatable, then you will always shut out quite a few people no matter what !

That is bad customer service. Even Chacha-Vision is having trouble with her blogger account, and I don't think she uses a Mac. She has trouble with adding comments, and posting new articles and I'll bet she's not the only one. And as some of you may have noticed, blogger also tends to gobble up the occassional comment and makes it disappear forever.

I hope blogger fixes this series of problems. When I started using blogger back in around February none of these problems occured. I enjoyed several months of blogging bliss. Now I seem to bash my head against a programmers wall instead of being part of an internet communication system.

Blah !!!
:-(

Lazy Kitty

2005-07-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

It's Illustration Friday again !!!
This week's word is 'Tranquility', not a bad choice of subject matter, I must say. So I decided that a napping tabby is just the right fit for this topic, y'know...full belly, tired from chasing butterflies outside, saving the universe...those sort of things can tire you out pretty quick. As a result, just flop down and relax on the floor, maybe in the doorway to annoy anyone trying to walk in.
^_^

Oh, yeah...
Meeeeeeoooooooowwwww !!!
^_^