Health Update!

    Thems, Hers, Hims, and Theys, I hope life is treating you kind, though I know for many of us things could be worse, but also quite a lot better! lol 

     This is just me formally mentioning that for the last couple years my artistic work has slown down due to a cancer diagnosis. As I have focused on my health I have continued to create, and support other creators, when and where I can. This primarily means personal projects of gratitude, celebration, and support. 

     As I continue to focus on my health I intend to pursue new more public artistic endeavors when and where I can as ability and health allows!  In the coming months I am taking on a hand painted skateboard design project and handmade earring endeavor I shall be posting more about, and perhaps I shall post a little of the projects of gratitude, celebration, and support!

     I can’t know what the future holds, but I fully intend to seize my opportunities and hope you’ll join me on the journey! lol 

     Hearts and Farts!!

     💖💨

     Laura

New Design: FARTICORN!!!

 I’m delighted to share with you my newest piece, available in my shop !!! 

FAUX POCKETS Are Here!!!!!

 I am so excited and proud to present my latest work, specially tailored for tees!!! HOLIDAY FAUX POCKETS are fun-sized cheeky little travel buddies ideal for toting around and providing a smile!

A while back I created several pocket animal designs, henceforth to be known as FAUX PAWKETS, for family members that I have since been working to evolve into a collection.  As the holidays have turned up, the opportunity has presented itself to unveil the inaugural collection designs to celebrate the season.  I hope bunches get adopted and named and cared for!

I present to you now, immediately available in my shop, laurabmakesart.threadless.com : 

HOLIDAY FAUX POCKETS!!!!!

In the Interim..

 

There are various sundry projects I have been working on while sorting out the challenges of my immediate impending project, but before I post about any of that I’d like to take a quick moment to cover a few of the in-betweens.

I’m interested in exploring food art so I attempted a visual recipe of The Toledo Bowl, a cereal combo promoted and developed by a treatsmith I stumbled upon on a visit to a newer local restaurant: Saturday Morning Vibes Cereal Bar. (Bonus: tried oat milk with it and they made it chocolate- SO DELICIOUS.)

I produced several pieces as daily records of interactions with art.. none have been discovered to date.

I also attempted new techniques for partially transforming graphite pencil sketches into digital color images as exampled by my portrait work whilst watching the movie musical 1776, explored avenues of fictional self-portraiture, reworked TREAT HOUSE on request to isolate the two jack-o-lanterns whom I’ve since christened BOOGITY and BOO, and practiced my digital coloring skills on several brilliant line drawings still viewable through my Instagram and Facebook accounts!

NOW.. Stay Tuned!!!!!

GAME OF SHROOMS IS LIVE!!!

Game of Shrooms is an annual global mushroom-themed art scavenger hunt giveaway event and it’s Today!!! If you’d like to find and keep a piece of mine or others’ mushroom themed art, check https://yumfactory.com/gameofshrooms/ for details and a map of participating artists/locales!!! Happy Game of Shrooms and may the spores be ever in your favor!!!

*Also, here’s a clue video if you’re interested:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtTsjSlAUlU/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

LOVE WELL Audio Time Lapse

 Here’s a recitation of my poem Love Well which i just paired with a time lapse of the illustration process of my new piece LOVE WELL!  It goes nicely with the end of Claude Debussy’s Claire de Lune. :)

New Illustration: LOVE WELL!!!!!

Big News, Folks!!!
Announcing my latest design, LOVE WELL!!!!!

From my laurabmakesart.threadless.com shop:

This colorful, Pride inspired, 80s-cartoon-nodding illustration featuring the words 'Love Well', in script, is decked with clouds, a rainbow, diamond-shaped twinkles and a heart or two.  I created it in the hopes that it may inspire and remind in a direct, light, yet poignant, manner to not only love, but LOVE WELL.

The concept has been on my mind for some time and manifested in this piece as well as in the following poem:

'Love Well'

Love.

But Love Well.

Love imperfectly.

Be scared and love anyway.

Love with passion.

Love with your whole self.

With wisdom

And empathy

And equity.

Love with curiosity and creativity.

Love with vulnerability.

Love with ferocious tenderness

And enduring patience.

Grow in love,

And nurture it.

Strive to understand ALL that love is,

And ALL that love is not.

Love, but LOVE WELL.

 

As a visualized message, i really enjoy the idea of 'Love' being portrayed as a color explosion of hearts and glitter and big fluffy radiance.  But unto itself, that expression seems flat and un-nuanced and a disservice to what i consider to be many intrinsic hallmarks of the nature of Love.

To avoid getting mired in the voluminous definitions of Love, for me, it's important to allow for a certain degree of personal definition.  There are, of course, at least several definitions often attributed to Love that may cloud it's true understanding.  Therefore, while ever-evolving, determining for myself the delineation between all of the sundry things called Love, and what i personally consider Loving Well is of the utmost importance.

It's with this in mind that 'LOVE WELL', the image (and 'Love Well' the poem), was born.  In qualifying 'Love' by adding 'Well' i'm attempting to subvert the blanket idea of perpetuating the two-dimensional encouragement to Love no matter what or how, and proselytize instead the imperative to first consider with a critical eye what Love is for one's self, and then pursue the development and practice of one's best version of it. This, hopefully leads collectively to a rainbow of unique interpretations not wholly unlike those rainbows symbolizing LGBTQ+ Pride and the many varieties of gender and sexuality they represent.  As i explore and strive to understand the shades and tints of how we define and realize ourselves, and how expansive those parameters may truly extend, Loving Well, and all it's facets, may be a connection we can all share inclusive of our innumerable differences, strengthening understanding of and care for one another.

By including the qualifier 'Well' in the happy and vibrant visualized message of 'Love' i aim to strike a balance between provoking consideration of the concept of what it is to Love Well and celebrating the vast totality of all that may be derived from it's application.  I also just really like the aesthetic. 

Please enjoy, and please Love Well.

Schmollops ‘IV’ Drops!

 Here’s the piece i did called ‘IV’ for the Aeqai art magazine annual silent auction ‘eight BUY eight’ at Pendleton’s The Annex Gallery about a month ago. It’s the fourth in a series of pieces revolving around schmeared dollops i call schmollops. Top left is ’I’ and themed around circus peanuts, middle left is ‘II’ and themed around watergate/green jello salad, and bottom left is ‘III’ and themed around sugared blueberry muffins with lemon zest. IV utilizes extra schmollops from II and III with the addition of a shiny translucent deep blue variety and a warm red background. There’s a wealth of possibilities for future additions so keep an eye.

The three smaller panels are 5x5” and the larger is 8x8”. The schmollops are roughly one half to three quarters inch wide and made of acrylic medium: often light molding paste or high solid gel and created with a large, round tipped icing piping bag. They are prepared on sheets of non-stick paper and, once dry, selected and arranged for application.

Animated Paintings and a Design Release: LACY HEART!!!

A while back I painted a piece for a group show I was a part of.  The work consists of 5 source colors, 2 source colors per canvas, on 10 canvases.  Each combination uniquely paired.  It's called 5, 2, 10 Sequence (Poof!) as it sequentially depicts a disc being expelled through a cloud.

It was only recently, however, that I photographed each canvas and edited it for animation!

On a separate front, just in time for Valentine's Day, I am happy to announce the drop of a new design at laurabmakesart.threadless.com from an illustration I completed last year called LACY HEART.

With roughly similar size and location as one's own heart, you can wear your heart on your chest or hang it on your wall!!

I’ll also include the timelapse of the heartwork so you can hear the lil song i wrote to promote it. It’s called A Little Lace.

Etti The Yeti!!!

      Santa’s Surprise Book by Joan Potter Elwart with illustrations by Florence Sarah Winship from 1966 is a chief source of inspiration for my new illustration of a character I’ve dubbed Etti the Yeti.  Other sources such as James P. Sullivan from Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. have also provided influence on her design.  This work was also my first solid opportunity to utilize a custom brush I created in Procreate Pocket now dubbed ‘cottonsandy’ for it’s sandy movement and similarity to cotton candy. This was the primary tool I used to paint Etti. 

     Seeing how well the music I used to promote TREAT HOUSE went over, I thought it might be worth exploring and developing a little song for Etti. The song evolved alongside the development of the character and I’ve now decided that Etti was born Elizabeth, and through a cycle of Bess, Bet, and Betty stayed there a while til she tried spaghetti for the first time immediately falling in love.  She then became Bettie Spaghetti which was shortened to Betti Sketti and finally landed on Etti.  Here are the lyrics set to, and heavily influenced by, James Taylor's Jelly Man Kelly.

Here’s a story bout Etti the Yeti.

She loves ‘sketti the most.
Yeah, but most of all
Etti the Yeti loves her ‘sketti with sauce.

So, Etti, putchur ‘sketti on
Getchur sauce ready
Getta strawberry milkshake for the side.

That yeti ‘sketti ready?

Fetta betta then a chedda,

But a parm’ll take it up another notch.

Ohhhhh, getchur ‘sketti ready, Etti,
Getchur ‘sketti ready, Etti,
Witchur sauce.

Yes’m,

Ohhhhh, getchur ‘sketti ready, Etti,
Witchur strawbbleberry milkshake

Like a boss.

The strawberry milkshake came from a discussion I'd had with a friend about having desserts along side a meal and I also thought perhaps yeti's may be more inclined to cozy up with something cold to drink over something warm.  Following is the time-lapse of the creation of Etti wherein I was able to use, for the first time, my own custom designed brush in Procreate Pocket that I named cottonsandy- sandy for how it moves and the fact it looks like cotton candy.  Etti herself was painted almost entirely with it!  Also, while it was rather hastily done, the music, originally utilized for a shorter WIP (work in progress) posted over a week ago on Instagram and Facebook, has been polished a bit- tweaking/finishing up the lyrics and sung in three part harmony by yours truly.

  The design is now available for purchase on about 30 products in my shop at laurabmakesart.threadless.com.

Here We Come A-Scaroling

 To say nothing for my skill, or lack thereof, in musical notation and my limited understanding of it, several years back I was inspired in concept by my brother-in-law Tony’s, and I believe my sister Libby’s, concept of scaroling. (Scaroling being the holiday of Halloween’s version of caroling.) This in conjunction with an affinity with the idea of penning a carol and sending it to loved ones as a seasonal greeting a la Alfred Burt goosed me into taking an existing carol, Here We Come A-Caroling aka The Wassail Song, shifting it to a minor key, and setting new, holiday-appropriate lyrics to it for distribution to friends and family.

Sadly, it hasn’t ever been performed.. until now! It occurred to me recently it would be remiss to let it continue languishing when it may still be of some value. So I strapped on my performer/producer suspenders, such that they are, and went about knocking out a recording. I doubled all four voices for a fuller sound and raised the bass line up to accommodate my range. I also added some echoiness to punch up the spooky factor. 

Here is the original final I delivered to folks.

And here is a hard copy I rewrote with revisions for recording. There are at least several flaws in both.

To listen for yourself on Soundcloud click HERE.

I hope you enjoy the results. I’m fairly pleased myself.

New Shop Merch!!!

 This just in: WE GOT NEW MERCH!!!!!!!!!!

Just a smattering of the new merch available at laurabmakesart.threadless.com .

We got BROOMSQUATTERS, SKULLBERRY, BOOBERRY, and SLURPASAURUS REX!

Check out the various items wearing these images:

TREAT HOUSE De-but!!!

 Here it is!  The moment you’ve all been waiting for!! From early sketch to full render time-lapse video and final work, here is my newest, latest, hot-off-the-presses pitcher-ooni!!!!! I give you:  TREAT HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Now available for purchase through laurabmakesart.threadless.com !!!

 I wanted to make an image that expressed the joy I get celebrating the place where the divine magical mysterious meets the profane.  It’s one of my favorite yearly experiences and a fabulous opportunity to express creativity and share it with loved ones and a variety of communities.  

I hope my picture conjures at least a bubbling of that same joy for you! 🎃💀✨

The DECKED Event, A New Work Announcement, and Some Lil Animations!!!

 Such excitement!!! 

On top of the DECKED event being a success:

found some scapes by Nathaniel Flanagan!

the signed ‘thank-you deck’ for Tony Hawk

‘Ollie Pops’ on the wall

live painting past the velvet rope entrance

some beautiful work

the exterior DECKED chalk signage

great gallery space with artist Tony Lipps! making an appearance, and a band in back

skaters doing trick work out front

checking out my favorite discovery in the show: fiber art chucks ^__^

… the DECKED show’s been extended through the 9th to be on display during the fall/Halloween festival, Operation Pumpkin, taking place just outside on High St. that weekend!

In addition I’ve just released my celebratory holiday work in my threadless shop: laurabmakesart.threadless.com !

It’s called TREAT HOUSE and is an expression of some of what i love about Halloween.  Pictures to follow in the next post!

Also made a celebratory lil animation to ring in the season with (a minored version of ‘The Wassail Song/ Here We Come A-Caroling’) ‘Here We Come A-Scaroling’ hummed over top, and a Who-Dey gif to celebrate the first win of the season and promote the COOL CAT design!

OLLIE POPS

This is it!  This design for DECKED is my submission printed on a 8 1/4" popsicle deck and currently on display as of TODAY through the 1st of October at Hamilton, Ohio's The Strauss Gallery.  This work is a riff off skate terminology, specifically the popsicle board shape and ollie trick. Its title, OLLIE POPS, is the punch line to the joke on the popsicle's stick. Very straightforward. The concept and outcome just appeal to me.

Do You Like Skate Arts?

 Here it is!  The deets for DECKED- The Strauss Gallery's largest show to date!  It's an art exhibition centered around skate culture in which I have the pleasure to participate with SO MANY talented artists, showing my specially designed board inspired by skate lingo.

I'll share more on the board next post, but for now please feel free to check out The Strauss Gallery's Facebook Page for all up-to-date show information!

EDGY Skate Decks!

 Hey, folks!  Just gettin pumped up for the DECKED show at Strauss Gallery in Hamilton, OH coming up soon, which I'll be posting more on shortly, and thought it'd be a great time to share the custom skate deck designs from my EDGY collection at https://laurabmakesart.threadless.com/accessories/skateboard/complete-pro.  

Each design was tweaked to best suit the format of these popsicle-style boards.  The decks come either by themselves, with hanging gear, or with a selection of trucks/wheels.

To quote the shop: 

'Built with 7-ply Canadian maple, available in four widths.  Decks can vary from 31-32" in length.  Includes Independent Stage 11 139mm Polished Skateboard Trucks, Spitfire F4 101D 53mm Skateboard Wheels, Bones Reds Skateboard Bearings & Black Griptape.'

Ummmmm.. Shower Curtains

 That is all!

Made A Lil Time Lapse Collection Shirt Promo!

 

A Trove of Treasure!

 Just a couple images of some of the color-rich treasure offered in my new EDGY collection!!!