art

[egypturnash]

I've been really mood-swingy for the past couple of days. This was drawn during a low. I'm not so hot on the checkerboard columns, but it's what the Muse said needed to be there, and who am I to argue?


"the stories we tell ourselves"

This whole piece kinda evolved oddly. A scribble turned into a woman wearing a bird mask that covered most of her face, and a hood atop that; a couple pages later I found myself drawing a floating woman with her eyes closed. This went through a couple of iterations until I ended up at this composition, and it looks pretty much like I imagined it turning out.

The text came very close to being "STAY ASLEEP". I don't know what the hell kind of message the back of my head was trying to send me with this.

---

Also, while working on this, I got informed (by the person who did the deed) that one of my pieces got tagged for the "Daily Deviation" selections over on DA. I'm watching the "messages" and "comments" counts increase rather quickly there, the former a lot faster than the latter. It's most interesting to see what other pieces people choose to remember via DA's internal bookmarks system, and to comment upon...

Addendum, next morning: I think I was having a moment of Eerie Synchronicity with Ursula Vernon. I even thought that the background on this was like some of the stuff she does. And the doodles that led up to this one involved a similar bird mask.

Comments

[queenofstripes.livejournal.com]

This is amazingly poignant. If I didn't know better(?), I'd say you've been scanning my subconscious.

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

I think I was feeling pretty disconnected from everything and everyone when I drew that. Though you and Rik and the nasty weather you're stuck in has been lurking in my thoughts, in sharp contrast to the summery sun we're starting to get here in the Bay.

This one might be a flip-side sequel to Rejoice - and it might also be some kind of reversal of toy spider. Pale flesh, closed eyes, bound arms... that thought hit me waking up this morning, and I just had to go "hmmm" at it.

and yeah. When I was drawing Rejoice, the sun was absolutely genderless in my mind. Watching the comments average out is kinda fascinating, in a way that suggests what I really need to do today is turn off the computer and go out to browse around a bookstore or something. *grin*

[queenofstripes.livejournal.com]

Also, it's fascinating that so many of the commenters on the Sun's Return piece assumed that a) the sun was a male and b) that the sun was a lecherous old bastard, when the figure is clearly basking in the touch... It can't just be an intimate, sensual, consensual thing?!

[eselgeist.livejournal.com]

that "sun's return" is one of my favorite pictures of yours ^_^

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

It's just so damn happy. And viscera. YAY SUNLIGHT.

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

er, visceral. "Viscera" is comepletely not the meaning I meant. Eeeew.

"dude, that's totally entrails."

[kamenkyote.livejournal.com]

Though I should know better, I read this figure as male because the breasts are so unpronounced and the lines that I'm thinking are supposed to be shadow between them look like chest hair. Also, topless wearing briefs just seems 'guy' to me, but it's all subjective. The Powerpuff girl legs are an interesting touch that soften the piece. The mist is wonderful. I don't get the bonds as such. A thought-provoker, this. And good luck with the comments from DA!

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

Briefs? Powerpuff girl legs?

Right, this one's not done yet then. That's supposed to be a wide, dual-layered skirt, with the lower layer blending into the bg. I need to think about how to more clearly delineate that.

Here it is with the same cropping and a solid contrast instead of the misty BG:


Sometimes I play a little too fast and loose with what the viewer will assume. Maybe just a ruffle poking out beneath the skirt to define the edge...

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

And I'm not sure what's up with the bonds, either. Something swirly and possibly-etherial. Like the mist. This is really one of those images I don't quite want to try and make sense of.

[ff00ff.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I interpreted it as a skirt the first time I saw it, but now going back to it, like an optical illusion, I can choose to see a pair of bad bellbottoms.

[zeeth_kyrah]

I saw it as pants first, but yeah, now I can go back and forth between 'em.

[uhusted.livejournal.com]

I hadn't seen "Sun's return".. your work always makes me want to be sleek and sophisticated.
mm, warm and pretty.

[sha-monkeybutt.livejournal.com]

I came across your deviant page and noticed that you have a livejournal, your art is really cool :D Adding you :)

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Hope you enjoy weird quotes and geeky philosophy and strange gender adventures, too.