Thursday, February 23, 2017

Artist Spotlight : Silly Panda's Artblog

While we've recently had the pleasure of seeing a variety of types of art featured in our spotlight, this week we're moving back to the more recognized art medium of hand drawn art by exploring art created by Silly Panda's Artblog. You can see more of her work on facebook or on instagram, @sillypanda3991, or on deviantart.

Many people recognize hand drawings as art. And many of them recognize that there are a number of different styles of art that are created by hand drawing. Humans have been drawing since the beginning of time, and the talent has only developed complexity as time marched on. Children frequently start out with the basic stick figure artwork, and progress overtime. Some get better, finding that art is a field that they enjoy. While some decide art isn't a field for them.


The artist behind Silly Panda's Artblog is Brenda Long. She draws a variety of different cartoon like characters and styles, although she admits on her facebook page that she doesn't enjoy drawing buildings or cars. You can't really blame her for that. Every artist has their specialities. She enjoys the anime style chibi's and other cartoon like creatures. She also finds nature as an art detail appealing.

The image you see on the right is actually one of her newer pieces that she's called Princess Ai. Personally I think this cute drawing shows off a practiced hand at drawing the ruffles and folds necessary to create the lovely dress the character wears here. I also find the coloring choices to be light and refreshing. Some people who create anime images color them very dark, and the more pastel shades are refreshing to see.



She does on occasion darken up her palette choices, as you can see here in her Aiyumi piece. There are darker colors utilized, yes but they're not darkened to a point that it distracts the viewer from her line work.

What I find interesting about her pieces is that even though they can be viewed by some as being simplistic(chibi's are often simplified versions of a character), they still have details giving them depth. You see their shoes, and in this case there's a tiny flower tucked into the bow of Ayumi's obi.

She really seems to have a good handle on a variety of kimono details, which she makes good use of in a number of her drawings. The different sleeve lengths as well as the skirt pleats are nice to see. I know that there's plenty of art to see, but sometimes it's nice to enjoy the small details that aren't always pointed out.


But let's not limit our examination to simply what the characters wear. There are other important details in her work that help give them character. Princess Sakura(to the right) has a wonderful expression. She looks to be irritated, or like she is giving someone a piece of her mind.

Why is this something notable? Expressions are something important to people. They help to give context to speech, a companion to tone, which is important to human communication. This is what we understand, poses, facial expressions help create visuals that we can interpret.

Some emotions are easier to express through art than others, so I think it's amusing that this piece can be interpreted with more than one. But art is created often to help an artist express an idea or an emotion. Yet at other times pieces may be created in response to something that the artist enjoys.


Which is what the fourth piece we're sharing with you exemplifies. The piece to the left is a fan art piece showing characters from The Last Unicorn. Many artists like to create pieces inspired by characters that they like. This is one of Brenda Long's favorite pieces that she's done, even though she feels that it is incomplete. So who knows in the future we may see another version by her.

Yet that shouldn't be the end, because this piece is interesting. Not only is this one of her favorite pieces so far, this is an example of where she draws her inspiration from. As an artist she was drawn to the anime style, the characters and music of the pieces inspiring her. A diligent artist, she'll sometimes spend hours planning out her piece in the hopes of getting the results that she can see in her mind. This determination to meet her own expectations is admirable.

When Brenda Long, the artist behind Silly Panda's Artblog, was asked what her advice would be to someone who is hoping to create pieces similar to her own, she responded in a manner similar to some of the other artists we have spotlighted. It's her belief that practice makes perfect, so one shouldn't give up easily. After all, every talent needs to be cultivated.

Well, thank you for joining us for this artist spotlight! Remember you can check out Silly Panda's Artblog on facebook , instagram @sillypanda3991, as well as on deviantart. Feel free to contact her about commissions, as we've been learning, artists love the challenge!

Monday, February 20, 2017

Music Monday : Today... a Holiday

Today is presidents day, and I've got to say I feel slightly guilty. I had a great eventful weekend, but I haven't had a chance to get everything written up yet. So that means that you are probably going to be hearing some interesting things from me this week.

But it's monday! Which means it's a music day! Time for music ^_^

Bea Miller - Enemy Fire

Bonnie Mckee - A Voice That Carries

Florence & The Machine - Howl

Soyou - I Miss You

Switchfoot - Who We Are

Monday, February 13, 2017

Music Monday : Valentine's Day is Tomorrow

I don't know if I should be feeling happy or disgusted about it. Stupid holiday confuses me to no end. But unlike what some of you might be expecting, we're not going to be picking out romantic songs. I think that if you love someone it shouldn't really be reserved to just one day a year. But many people find it to be useful for having a special day together. I'm almost jealous.

Meh, anyway so for today I've selected a few songs that I've added to my work playlist over the weekend, I hope they help perk you up over the coming days and that you have a lot of fun.

Little Mix - Shout Out To My Ex

Comic Book Heroes - Catch Me If You Can

Sabrina Carpenter - Thumbs

Max - Gibberish (with Hoodie Allen)

Zendaya - Neverland

Stay Magical and have a GREAT week!

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

February is the Second Month

Which means there's really only 10 months until the holidays are back again. A cringe worthy idea considering it feels as though we've only just finished them. But it also means that it's time to stop feeling so miserable, winter will be coming to an end soon enough. We will have some warm weather for a bit afterwards, and then eventually fall will be back again.

So I will admit that I've started my Christmas shopping already. My plan is to more or less repeat last year, and have most of the shopping finished around the end of August. Why start so early? Well, there's a few reasons. By starting my shopping this early, I can take advantage of the various sales that will happen through the coming months. It gives me a multitude of opportunities to find special things to delight my friends and family, while hopefully staying within my budget.

Christmas shopping is only part of it though, there are birthdays to consider! So many birthdays... it's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's a thing that I have to consider. But we're only 2 months into 2017 and these really sound like superficial concerns. But they're concerns to me. I have many family members, and a group of close friends that I adore and I don't want them to feel disappointed or unloved. Although, I suppose presents don't really do either of those things, but it's the thought that counts. I want them to know that they're well thought of.

As far as personal discoveries, our local walmart now has a section with underpants for 88 cents a pair! I know it may sound stupid to be excited about this, but underpants can get to be expensive, and they aren't something that is usually easy for me to replace. I had been content buying single pairs, for around $3 a piece. But this new section has offered me a chance to pick up a few more pairs so I don;t have to feel bad if...well.. you know, girl stuff happens. So as someone who doesn't own a lot of cute pairs, having some basic comfy ones that were affordable as an option, is almost like something out of a fiction story.

Hrmmm... Oh! My mom found me a pair of Everbrite pinking shears, complete with pink box that's stamped Japan on the back. I love the vintage packaging, even though it's pink it's refreshing to have something that's not neon. And while I haven't been doing a lot of projects of late that require pinking, they may well be very useful in the not so distant future. It never hurts to be prepared of course. I also picked up a cute Melissa and Doug tote at the thrift store that I've transferred some of my sewing and crafting stuff into. It's actually proving to be a nice size for what I do in a general sense.

For valentines day I'm making my boyfriend some microwavable heat packs. I found some cute flannel in the remnant bin at Joann's and picked it up. It came to around $1.60, but it's got a video game character all over it. It's also just enough to make 2 large heat packs, a medium size pack, and 2 pocket size packs. I'm figuring to use the basic rice recipe, but the hand stitching of them is proving to be a slow process. I just hope that they will hold up to the wear and tear of daily life (which they should). He seems to be ok with the idea that I'm making him something. I was worried that he might feel offended, that I'm making him a present instead of buying one.

And if you want to know why this is written in the middle of the day, am home sick. But hey, we can't have everything. If I'm lucky I'll feel better soon... If I'm not it's going to be a long day... being home isn't any fun ~_~




Monday, February 6, 2017

Music Monday : What day is it?

Yeah, I'm not even sure what day it is today. It honestly feels like 2017 is flying by, but given everything that's going on in the world around us, that's a good thing. So because I'm feeling a little out of it today, I'm going to keep Music Monday simple. If you missed the Superbowl Halftime show yesterday, well, you missed a great showin my opinion. So that's what we're going to listen to today.

One file, an interesting song mix. See ya later, maybe I'll do another music update this week, we'll see.


Friday, February 3, 2017

Artist Spotlight : Hada Pixie Designs

Every artist has the ability to delve into a variety of fields, exploring creative realms is not a crime after all. Some of them find that they enjoy more than one type of art field. Hada Pixie is one of these artists. She has a start on etsy, after having done modeling, and working as a photographer as well, you can access and view a variety of examples of her work on her website. But today we're going to be focusing on checking out her jewelry designs.

 Many people often take their talents for granted. They utilize them off and on, creating pieces for themselves and their friends, not always thinking past those initial stages. Hada Pixie had been making pieces to accent her own look, as well as those of the people in her life for years. But Hada Pixie opened her etsy shop in 2015, after her boyfriend offered her the serious suggestion of sharing her work with others.

Brimstone Rosary available on Etsy
So what kind of pieces does she make? Well she has a variety of styles on her etsy, but the best way to explain some of them is the rosary style. This is a format in which a pattern is created that can be used in meditation, prayer, or relaxation exercises.

To the left is an example that is called Brimstone. It actually features a symbol that in alchemy is called brimstone or sulphur. It is also referred to as the satanic cross. This is a symbol that some people may not have seen before, or might find rare to find.  She offers it with both red and yellow choices for the howlite skull beads as well, meaning you can select a more personal looking piece.


Tantric Black Flame Rosary available on Etsy
Her Tantric Black Flame rosary is also unique. It's a  limited edition piece which she made utilizing pendants from Venus Aeon. She's only making 25 of these. Venus Aeon is a production label associated with underground music, much of which is associated with darker underground music, some of which has occult themes. I was intrigued by the symbol, and the way they defined it made it even more interesting.

Their website states :
This Venus Aeon logo pendant represents the Tantric Black Flame. The two 'V' shapes represent Male and Female principles much like the Hindu Shiva and Shakti. The Black Flame is seen within the 'V' shapes and is the Creative Principle or dynamic 'seed'. This represents the Promethean Flame as well as the Resurrected Gods (always the son of the God and Goddess) of ancient mythology. This can also be seen as creative spark of the Universe or Consciousness and has also been represented as a "Luciferian Principle" by some. In this context Venus is both the Queen of Heaven and the Morningstar. The Aeon is the new aeon beginning December 22nd, 2012 when the Mayan long count ended its cycle.
Which gives the piece more depth. many people enjoy adding layers of symbolism to their wardrobe. Sometimes it's worth learning what a symbol means, because not only can it mean something to the person who wears it, it can mean something very different to people observing them. With the Tantric Black Flame pieces, she also offers customization just in case you wanted something a little different.

Sulfur Necklace available on Etsy
Unlike the Brimstone piece, Sulphur actually features a piece of sulphur stone. It features a wire wrapped pendant by Exotic Goddess Designs. I feel that this piece, as well as the Tantric Black Flame, are wonderful examples of Hada Pixies ability to work well with others. She uses her design choices, which combined with her networking skill becomes the ability to create something new and unique.

This piece isn't a rosary, but would be excellent if you like to layer pieces. As someone who loves to have more than one thing on at any given time. The black beads make it a piece that is flexible with what you can pair with it, and the yellow howlite pop in their bright yellow set to match and compliment the wire wrapped sulphur. Great for both male and female wear.

Vampyre Rosary available on Etsy

The last piece we're going to look at today is one of my favorites. I was honestly torn between showing you this one, and the Isis piece. But given the heated climate currently, we're going with the safer of the two. This rosary is called Vampyre. If you know much about symbolism, I'm sure you'll find the pendant drop as interesting as I do.

Why do I find it interesting? It looks very similar to an ankh. The ornate detailing makes it a wonderful example of a piece you can wear for fun, or in a more formal setting. Many of us, get attached to our jewelry in one way or another. So knowing what your pieces can mean to other people can be important.

This piece though was made to accompany a book. The book has the same name, Vampyre, and is by Ted Carter. This makes it unique in that it has more than one purpose. Sort of like all the Harry Potter merchandise people collect. Meaning is created by the consumer. Which is awesome.

I asked Hada Pixie a few questions that I have a habit of asking different artists. It's fun to see what they're answers are. Hada Pixie had a marvelous answer when I asked her what helps to inspire her pieces. She said that she likes to create pieces that she would be willing to wear herself, as well as to work with customers to create custom pieces. To me this is a sign of dedication to her work. She knows it's good, and she's willing to work with others to create pieces that they will wear and cherish.

As to what she would recommend to anyone interested in exploring jewelry design, she recommends that they have fun. But Hada followed that up with the honest addition, that you shouldn't quit your day job. This is realistic because it's not an easy field to get into, and while it is a lot of fun to create things for yourself and others, there may not necessarily be enough happening to keep you busy on a day to day basis. So I suppose it means to do it as long as it makes you happy, but don't make it your sole purpose.

If your interest has been sparked but you're not sure about any of the pieces seen here today, please head on over to etsy to peruse Hada Pixie Designs other offerings. You can also explore her photo shoots through her website. Remember if there's something you're interested in personalizing Hada Pixie is willing to work with you. Artists often love the challenge. Especially if it means their work will be loved.

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

What's on Screen? : Tales of Halloween

I had a blast a few weekends back watching movies and working on character creation for a tabletop rpg. I am amused to say that it seems like we're not the only ones to have watched Tales of Halloween that weekend. It seems a lot of my friends think alike.  Which is both a positive surprise, and something I couldn't have planned. We've been watching mostly anime there, so it was a nice change to watch something new.


When me and my friends get together we have a tendency to pick out horror movies, or horror comedies to watch. That is if there's not some cartoon we've yet to see on the chart as being of interest. We only recently found out a newer member of our circle has a problem with zombies. Which might explain their aversion to horror films.


All in all, Tales of Halloween, is a cute film. It has some amusing scenarios, unbelievable mostly, but still interesting enough to keep the audience's attention. I must admit that I do think the number of stories made it drag a bit, as well as proved distracting. It was fun to try and see the places where the stories would overlap. Yet 11 stories in one movie, proves to have short stories, and limits the amount of depth the parts received.

If you're interested in a movie that has similarities to Tales from the Crypt, and other horror shows this will meet your expectations. There's a little bit of language. But it's not so gory that you couldn't watch it with older children (figure 11 and up). The costuming is fun, and even the computer animation was amusing. Watch closely and you'll see how the stories are woven together, lots of fun when you spot these things.

Have fun and don't scare yourself. Let someone else do that for you.