May-June.

Hognose Snake!

You'd think a dog called a Rat Terrier would be more inclined to hunt rats.  Not our dog.  Mudd is a Snake Terrier and a few weeks ago he came across a very interesting snake, indeed.

It all started on the river.  We pulled the boat over so I could get out and stretch my legs.  Of course the dog jumped out of the boat, onto the shoreline, and disappeared into the trees with a quickness that can't be registered on a wristwatch.

I ran after the pooch and found him yelping and pawing at a log.  I walked over to grab him and saw a HUGE snake.  The snake saw me and began to puff up in an attempt to look larger.  It was quite a display...hissing followed the puffing and I knew that it would be a dumb idea to get any closer.

I went to the other side of the log to get a look from another angle.  The snake's head periscoped over the log and he made intense eye contact with me, like he wanted to eat me.  Of course, I ran away (dog in my arms) like a scared little baby.

I went home, did some research, and found out that it was a hognose snake.  They're known for their impressive displays but not for being aggressive.  Who knew?

Commissioned Drawing.

"Alison's Pickle." 9 x 13, ink on paper, 2013. Commissioned drawing.

This drawing was defiantly a "pickle."  Talk about an interesting combination of idea.  This is the message I was sent.

how much would it cost for a commissioned painting of an owl made of pickles?
I'm serious on the content.

And I'm serious about giving the customer what they want.  Boom.  Pickle owl. 

Arrowhead hunting in Iowa. May, 2013.

I found this beautiful birdpoint on May 27th.  What a pretty little thing.  It's thin, the knapp marks are complicated, the flint is awesome and I'm a happy rock hunter.

A Commissioned Drawing.

Hugo and Gidget. 11 X 14, ink pen on bristol, 2013.  Commissioned piece.

You wanna talk challenging?  Draw a black dog.  It's pretty Ruff.

New Drawing! Loch Ness Monster, Anyone?

"Nessie" 9 X 12, pen and ink on bristol, 2013.  A commissioned piece for Melissa.

New Painting, 2013.

"untitled at the moment", 13 X 24, gouache on paper, 2013.

Brace Yourself.

Ugh.  It's May 3rd and South Central Iowa just got a three inch snow dump.  It was 80 two days ago and now we have snow.  Will wonders never cease?

Mutant Dandelion!

I was walking the dog through a field of dandelions and found this gigantic mutant amongst the others.  This dandelion has three flower heads!  Insane.  I likened it to a four leaf clover, a strange mutation but nothing too "out there".

When I got home I put the dandelion in the fridge and did some Google-investigations. I found out that the proper term for this kind of growth is "fasciation" or "cresting".  The growth is caused by a mutation in the meristematic cells, by insect or mite attack, or by chemical or mechanical damage (that sentence was stolen from this web address http://www.bloginfrance.com/2012/the-attack-of-the-mutant-dandelions/). 

Eagle Nest, Des Moines River, 2013.

I took this shot as we floated by the nest.  I swear this eagle is making eye contact with my camera.

We passed several eagle nests on the Des Moines river.  The sheer size of each nest is incredible...they're like a Volkswagen beetles parked on tree tops.  Each nest had a pair of eagles.  One eagle sat on the nest and one played sentry.  The sentry took their job seriously.  As we approached each nest, from a safe distance, the giant bird would fly off his/her branch and fly in circles above our heads until we were no longer "threat worthy".  I swear that the eagle made eye contact with me.  It was very intense.

Arrowhead Hunting in Iowa, April 2013. Points, Scrapers, Knifes, Hematite Piece, and more.

April 26th was a pretty excellent day for arrowhead hunting. The Midwest has been dealing with a lot of flooding...which is bad for basements but excellent for artifact/fossil hunters. The rain raises the water levels in small lakes, creeks, ditches, and rivers, the extra water erodes river bank walls and exposes new sand/rocks/dirt.  Here are some of the pieces we found.  Enjoy!

two perfect arrowheads.

Left of Right to bottom:  A beautiful turtle back scraper, a broken long, thin arrowhead, a Madison triangle with a busted tip, and a crude arrowhead.

Left to Right to bottom: A hematite knife or celt (this one is confusing to me, you don't often see hematite pieces, the base of a spear or knife, a scaper, and two knife.

As you can see, it was a very successful day.  The only piece that has me puzzled is the small hematite piece.  It's napped like a knife or scraper but I think it's a small celt.  Who knows?  I'll upload the videos to a youtube account and post the link here later.

Thanks for looking.

Fossil Hunting in Iowa. April, 2013. Brachiopods and Horned Coral.

I pulled more horned coral out of this creek bed in 30 minutes than I have over the course of the entire 2012 fossil hunting season.  Thank you rain.  If it wasn't for you all of these fossils would have been hidden under stagnant dirt and sand for many years.

As you can see, I found a helluva lot of horned coral.  I'm not sure of their various taxonomies but there appear to be three different variations.  I base this off of size, segments, and the appearance of the outside and inside of each specimen (bumpy, smooth, varied?).  But, damn, I'm not a geologist so I'll leave the tedium to those paid poorly for it (always end with a preposition).

As for the brachiopods, there appear to be several of those as well. I believe I have four or five variations. Not to mention a nice piece of branched coral (hanging out above the penny in the bottom photograph). 

As always, happy huntings.  I hope you find something good today.

Arrowhead Hunting in Iowa. April, 2013.

I had a good weekend.  I found a ton of fossils in a creek bed, went to a benefit auction and bought some cool stuff, and found an awesome arrowhead when Kyle and I went hunting on Sunday.

It took me three years to find a perfect arrowhead.  I've found other perfect artifacts...just never a perfect arrowhead and it felt amazing.  My stomach flipped several times when I spotted the piece.  I may have even let out a squeal of joy. (i also found a perfect mano, a broken drill, and a broken birdpoint in this field)

Watch the video.  It'll take a moment to load but should be worth the wait.

Smashed Pennies from the Glen Oak Zoo.

Juice, Barton, and I went to Glen Oak Zoo on Saturday.  It was an eventful trip, I watched a zookeeper feed a mandrill some lettuce.  Whoa.  It was pretty intense.  I also purchased these beautiful smashed pennies and have a new favorite animal : The Red River Hog (So CUTE).

Took the Day off Work. This is What I'm doing.

Sometimes a person just needs a day off. Today I am that person. My day so far? Slept till nine, made coffee, took a walk with the dog, turned on some cartoons, and started painting. I am currently painting...and on my fourth cup of coffee.

Sorry for the semi-crappy photos. This was all done with an iPad. Hooray for technology....also, I edited the photo size by figuring out some basic HTML. I feel so powerful.

Peoria Pop up Shop.

skyler sporting the beautiful "Bat" shirt design.

I received my BFA in 2005 from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois.  A lot of my good friends still live around the area and are doing wonderful things to make the Peoria land area a better place (I could write an entire essay about all the good things my friends are doing, I am very proud).  Many business storefronts remain empty from the recession and entrepreneurial people, like my friends Rishika and Lisa, are trying to make them profitable again.  Hence their plan.

April 5th was first Fridays.  To those unfamiliar, first Fridays happen on (duh) the first Friday of every month.  Galleries have openings and the people of the local community hop from shop to shop, gallery to gallery, drink some free wine, and hopefully enjoy and buy art.  With the help of local store owner, Jessica Bennassi, local writer, Rishika Murthy, and local photographer, Lisa Anderson....we held a flea market of sorts on First Friday.

Our pop up shop had three vendors.  Rishika sold garments and hand bags from India at reasonable prices, Lisa sold her wonderful photographs (I am now the proud owner of two pieces), and I sold t-shirts featuring my designs, drawings, beaded skulls, and paintings.

The show was a tremendous success.  I got to see all sorts of friends (it was a lovely reunion as you can see in the photograph below) and even managed to sell SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS worth of merchandise!  A fellow even bought a beaded deer skull, many bough drawings or prints, and it felt like everyone wanted a t-shirt.  It was amazing and rejuvenating.  I am still glowing from the experience and you know what they say...."if it plays in Peoria."

I'm feeling inspired.  It felt good to see my product sell successfully.

A Commissioned Piece.

A memorial tattoo/drawing for my friend in Milwaukee.

Farm Scene.

I love it when I get to draw at work.  It makes my day.  Today I drew a quick farm scene with help from a sharpie marker and a few pieces of clip art.  Customers love clip art.  What did I discover about farm scenes?  It's really hard to draw a silo and have it not resemble a "member" of the male anatomy.  Next step, this drawing will go to our designer and he will turn it into a t-shirt design for a local farmer.

Beaded Fox Skull.

This is my third installment of beaded fox skull and I do believe I am thoroughly tired of the beading process.  My brain must be healed because I started working on a painting (that has been gathering dust for over two months) yesterday, it felt very natural.  No self loathing, no frustration, no nothing...just me and a paintbrush.  Perfection.

Peewee. A Commissioned Dog Drawing.

Meet handsome Peewee. Peewee is a corgi/red heeler mix and a companion to my friends, Lisa and Skyler. L and S recently asked me if I could create a black and white drawing of their little buddy so, of course, I said yes. I've been plotting this drawing out for a few days and finally had the chance to finish it yesterday.  The exciting part is that I have a few more jobs lined up.  It's pretty satisfying to get paid for doing something you love.  Life is good.

Let's Put Another Echidna on the Barbie.

In the 1960's the Australians made a perfect decision.  They chose to feature their country's amazing wildlife on their currency. here's the list.

• 1 cent = Feather Tailed Glider
• 2 cent = Frill Neck Lizard
• 5 cent = Echidna
• 10 cent = Lyre Bird
• 20 cent = Platypus
• 50 cent = Australian Coat of Arms inc. kangaroo and emu

My buddy randomly found this 5 cent piece while he was searching for vending machine change in his car.  He knew I was a coin nut and showed it to me...I stole it and scanned it.  Ta-Daaaaaa!

Canadian Nickel and a Tulip Time Commemorative Coin.

 

Just some coins I picked up at the Pawn Shop.  Isn't Queen Kathy amazing? 

An Octopus Illustration.

My buddy is passionate about music.  Yesterday, she asked her friends to help her out with an illustration.   I love to draw so I (and a few other folks) said I (we) could help.  Brooke told us the details...half woman/half octopus.  The illustration would be used as the cover of a music compilation for her label Uma Rouge (http://umarougemusic.com/).  So, I went home and worked up an idea...it doesn't completely fit the criteria but I hope she likes the octopus.

Man, I forgot about how much fun it can be to work under pressure.  Not like, "we're all gonna die if this doesn't get done pressure"...but pressure none the less.  The illustration had an overnight turnaround time. 

Beaded Muskrat Skulls.

I had a fabulous weekend.  We visited the Des Moines Art Center and experienced the wonderfully curated show, "Transparencies."  You can check out the show write up at http://www.desmoinesartcenter.org/exhibitions/Transparencies.aspx, if you're in the area you have no excuse not to go.  GO!

We also ate delicious medium rare steak, bought some brewing supplies and mix n' match beer at Beer Crazy (I bought an agave wheat beer, AMAZING), found an awesome art supply store by the Drake Campus (why do I have such expensive tastes in paper?), and ate wonderful sushi at Hoshi Sushi (it was so fresh and delicious...and in Iowa).  It was a lovely, rainy day.

I also finished up these two lovelies.  I'm kind of on a roll with these skulls.  Thanks goodness it's almost spring because I'm running out of skulls to embellish.  A friend recently asked me where I acquire all of these skulls.  Good question.  All of them have been found during arrowhead or fossil hunting ventures.  Yup.  Found them all on the ground.  Nature!

A Beaded Fox Skull.

Well, Folks, I'm at it again.  Iowa has been covered in snow for what feels like forever and I have a mega case of cabin fever.  You know what helps cabin fever?  Compulsive behavior.  This little fox has been encrusted with Swarovski crystals and pearl, gold, clear, red, and turquoise seed beads (one by one, my god). I hope you like him.

Potentates Ball 2013. Des Moines, Iowa.

Ah, yes.  Another successful year of pin collecting at the, always amazing, Potentates Ball.  

I'd give you more details about the event but I'm having trouble recalling them.  Each hospitality room boasted a fancy, specialty shot.  The multitude of specialty shots hung out in my gut, had a party, and made this lady fairly intoxicated.  At least I was punished on Sunday with one of the worst hangovers I've had in years.  Thanks Grape Pucker!  I think I'm too old for you now!

A Need to Bead.

I'm familiar with my artistic patterns.  When I need a mental break from drawing or painting I'll generally do something compulsive and semi-mindless.  My logic? :  When I paint for five hours straight the payoff isn't gigantic...it takes multiple five hour sessions to complete a painting. Sometimes a gal needs immediate gratification.  If I sit down and focus I can bead an entire small skull (fox, raccoon, skunk) in roughly five hours. The whole process is very rewarding.  That fox skull is shiny as fuck and I love it as an object.  I love immediate gratification!

Why are compulsive activities so rewarding?  My guess...compulsive activities reward certain centers of the brain by relieving stress (duh).  Creating something that appears totally complicated but only requires focus has always centered me. So, expect more of these.

The Best Valentines Day Card from a Fabulous Girl.

Hey, Girl.  I hope your Valentines Day is super-duper sexy.

Part of a Larger Project.

1. A raccoon skull I found two years ago.  Bleached and boiled, ready for some gaudiness.

2.  The beads and glass crystals are lovingly (gaudily) applied one by one.

3.  Four hours later!

DOGS ARE DISGUSTING!!!

This just happened!

Mudd jumped on my lap. I was paying attention to a Dick Blick catalog and didn't really notice his presense until I heard a loud burp and smelled a terrible smell. I looked at him, astonished that such a small thing could make such a large scent, and noticed he was chewing. HE BURPED UP A MOUTHFUL OF PARTIALLY DIGESTED KIBBLE AND WAS CHEWING IT ON MY LAP! But wait, it gets worse. A trio of wet kibbles fell from his mouth and onto my Ottumwa Bulldogs hoody AND THEN HE ATE THEM AGAIN!

It was horrible.

Mudd don't care.

No. Sleep. Till Brooklyn...or Peoria, Illinois (in my case).

Wow.  So it's been awhile.  Ten days to be exact.  It was a pretty gnarly weekend...gnarly in a good way so here it goes. 

1. Wake up at 7am.  I have to be in Peoria, Illinois by 1:30pm to meet my friend, Bruce.  Bruce and I are going to perfect the new website we've been working on over the past few months.

2. Hop into the car at 8:30am and drive 3 hours to Galesburg, Illinois where I spend 300 freaking dollars on art supplies.  I leave the store feeling very, very, poor.  I hit the gas, I'm still forty minutes from P-Town and I've got a schedule to keep.

3. I pull up to Bruce's house at exactly 1:30 (and I am completely astonished, I predicted this well), wipe the gunk outta my eyes and get down to the nitty-gritty.  I plug in words, numbers, organize images, and learn how to run my own website.  Bruce is a God.  I feel confidant that the new website will be beautiful...the best part?  I can update everything on my own.  I feel so empowered.

4. Its now almost 4pm and I have a date with Elizabeth.  I haven't seen her in years.  I grab some coffee for our coffee date, go to her house, meet her new cats, we wax nostalgic, and then we hug goodbye (the cool coin is a gift from Elizabeth!).  It was a short visit but a positive one.

5. Wow, it's already 5!  I hustle to the casino in East Peoria where I meet Rik. We (he) gamble for a minute before our STEAK dinner.  The casino rewarded Rik's patronage with free steak!  I ate a Filet Mignon.  That damn piece of meat cost 38 dollars.  Thanks, Rik!  Next time I see you the steak is on me!

6. Oh god!  It's already 7!  I have to drive across town to meet up with my ol' college buddies.  Juice, Steve, Shannon, Rishika, Jessi, Beth, Tony, Steven,  and I sit on the floor of his kitchen and laugh for two hours!  It was so lovely to see everyone.  I miss everyone so much.  It's all about quality time, not quantity time.

7. If it wasn't for the predicted ice storm I would have spent the night.  I left Peoria at 10pm and made it to Iowa by 1:45 where I was greeted by my fella', our dog, and a big ass pot of beef stew.

So, wow.  I can't believe I did all that in less than 24 hours, I managed to do everything on my list and do it exactly on time.  I was so pooped on Sunday that I could barely move.  But I managed to mix business with pleasure and I feel happier because of it...Also, I failed to mention all the cool things I saw while I was driving.

1. four coyotes.  two of them were perhaps courting.  They ran in front of my car and I almost hit them going 60.  Damn were they fluffy and beautiful.
2. A huge bald eagle flew above my car for 1 minute.  It was HUGE.
3. I almost hit a hawk.  The hawk was so close to my windshield I could see it's cloaca.  TMI?  Who gives a fuck?
4. A herd of 40 + whitetail deer.