Illustration Friday - Pioneer

The Railway Man

This is a little ATC I made today for a lady in Finland who collects cards related to steam trains and the men who work the railroads.  It got me to thinking about how the world was changed by these pioneers of travel and commerce.  Certainly here in the US we attribute the true opening of the West to the railroads.  It is a part of our elementary education.  I have been fascinated by trains, like most people, since childhood.   Cabooses were still in use when I was young, and we would always try to get the "caboose man" to blow his whistle for us as the train passed by.   I miss cabooses.  As a young adult I actually bought myself a miniature passenger train set that I still have some 20 years later.  Did I ever mention that I was something of a tomboy? :)

Illustration Friday - Undone

Digitally altered photo of unfinished glue and acrylic painting

12 x 12 inches

Something very different from me this week.  This is an unfiinshed (undone) non-objective piece that I had started earlier in the summer.  I had set it aside when my focus shifted to....well things like Illustration Friday, folding origami cranes, and artists trading cards.  In this version, some of the color has been undone to give it a stronger focal point. Also for your listening pleasure, here is a link to Duran Duran's Come Undone.  I loved these guys as a teenager in the 80s.  Dang... I just dated myself.

Illustration Friday - Hatch

Hatch Happy

Pen and Ink

Just a quick one this week.  Art teacher that I am, I just had to use the art vocabulary version of this week's word.  I have never had the patience to develop precision hatching technique, but sloppy hatcher that I am, I still enjoy using it to develop values and form.  I thought about a composition with a hand drawing another hand, but I decided the simple hatch marks were more effective.  Happy hatching everyone!

Illustration Friday - Crunchy

Monty Python's Crunchy Frog

colored pencil and gel pen

5.75 x 3.75 inches

OK, I really took it down to the wire this week, but it has been a crazy busy week.  This submission was inspired by a Monty Python scene that I am going to attempt to attach below.  I am not a huge Monty Python fan but I have been known to appreciate quirky British humor when I am so tired that I am no longer thinking straight.  That would be my general state this whole week.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy the illo and the link to the skit.

Crunchy Frog

Not quite what I intended, but the link does work.

The PUT UP A CRANE Project is installed

The PUT UP A CRANE Peace Project is now installed in the atrium of the Lindale High School Foyer.  We surpassed our goal of 1000 cranes and finished with a total of 1160 origami cranes.  To learn more about this community art installation project see my earlier blog post at: http://msartlady.blogspot.com/2009/10/illustration-friday-pattern-or-put-up.html

The entire project took about 2 1/2 months from conception to completion.  And I never could have done it without the support and participation of the Lindale community and my family.  Many teachers, classes, and individuals participated in creating the cranes.  The LHS Key Club helped start the stringing process.  My sweet 14 year old son Todd spent 5 hours after school helping me hang the installation.  He also helped string hundreds of cranes, as did my husband and mother.

Overall I am very please with the experience and the strength of the message that the finished artwork conveys.  Lindale is a wonderful place to teach and make art!