Fun with Logos

Knocked out a lil logo for my coworker's business.  She's in school for wedding planning, so I was happy to help her out and create something for the hell of it.

On a technical note, I love the update Adobe Creative Cloud recently had for Illustrator.  When selecting an ending anchor point, a lil circle pops up and gives you the option to smooth the curve.  Excuse my basic explanation, I have no clue what the tool is called but I know it was very helpful. :D

Have you ever worked with a word for so long, you trick your mind into thinking it's misspelled?  I swear, every time I look at "forward" I'm convinced I spelled the word incorrectly.  It was nice to zone out for awhile, took me 2.5 hours.

Some Random Dude Said This

No, really.  Some Random Dude has some good things to say.  This tip is my favorite:

"Design everything you do".  I've had this in my head before, but I don't practice it as nearly often as I should.  I do worry quite a bit on how I am perceived.  Sometimes I care enough to execute this concept, and sometimes I don't.  

In a professional setting, I have no trouble abiding by this tip.  Attention to detail is something I take pride in, professionally.  In a personal setting is where I lack.  As I sit at Starbucks typing this away, I'm people watching.  I'm looking at how people are dressed, and admiring the men and women that are well put together.  Some are on break from work, most are just enjoying the day and still looking their best for their coffee run.  Meanwhile, I'm in a booth with jeans, a tshirt, flip flops, and no makeup.  Thank goodness my toenails are painted...

My physical appearance is probably the biggest opportunity to work on.  If I want attention all I have to do is look/dress the part, and the compliments come flying in.  However, I don't usually want the attention on a daily basis, only when I think it's necessary to obtain something or when the occassion calls for it.  Otherwise, I'll do the minimum when it comes to makeup on my face, and the clothes I wear.

Working in a salon really taught me the importance of physical appearance and beauty.  Like it or not, you are judged by anyone and everyone, so put your best forward at all times.  It's something I still struggle with, but that tip above really caught my attention.

Yet another way for me to refine myself :)

Sculptures Completed!

Yay! The monsters from Phone Case of the Month are done :)

From left to right, we have Anita Beer, Tommy Gun, Astronot, Fred, Chris Cross, and Dr. Hanky.

They look kinda rough, and still have my finger prints on them. But I am satisfied with the final result. Acrylic paint was used, which I love working with. I ran out of white though, so I substituted with gouache white (what a pain in my ass). Must remember to get more acrylic white!

Anita Beer was the easiest, Fred and Tommy Gun came out the best in my opinion.  Astronot was the most difficult, followed by Dr. Hanky.  Astronot's feet are supposed to be small and cute, but there was no way I could support his big head with such small feet as the base.  So I took some artistic license and gave him bigger feet (hope you don't mind +Andria Smith :).  Dr. Hanky was fun to do, especially his tongue (that sounds so weird, lol) but his glasses kicked my ass from start to finish!  His coloring came out a little too saturated also, but I gave in.

I really dig sculpting, I get so lost in it. I'll have to do it more often as a hobby/therapy.

Check out the home of these lil monsters at http://www.phonecaseofthemonth.com :D

Sculpting: 2nd Session

Anita Beer and Dr. Hanky are formed! Fred is no longer lonely :)

The process was much faster this time. However, I fought with wire and super sculpey trying to make Dr. Hanky's glasses. I lost :p So I'll try again tomorrow.

November Appreciation: Days 11-17

Shit happens.  This is a good time to reflect and appreciate.

Day 11:  Support

I'm blessed to have support from family and friends.  These great people have always been around when some crap was going on, through the idiotic temper tantrums I throw to the serious nitty gritty stuff.  Whether I wanted the support at the time or not, it was given to me regardless.  For that, I am truly thankful.  Because even if I didn't want it at the time, when I look back I'm glad it was still offered.

Day 12:  My Brother

My oldest brother is such a jerk, and that's why I love him so :)  He's taught me so much, and he's the perfect protective older brother because he keeps an eye on me without me knowing it.  He shows love through sarcasm, and picking on me :p  I'm very fond of him, I worry about him a lot, and I'm quite happy to have him so close.  We're 16 years apart, so even though my mom says he loved me so much when I was small, I'm pretty sure I've pissed him off enough.  I may be responsible for his premature hair loss!  But when I finally stopped being the annoying little sister and was old enough to understand, I could see just how much he loves me.  If he read this, I'm sure he'd deny it ;)

Day 13:  My Niece

My brother's daughter is such a riot, she's always making me crack a smile or sending me into giggle fits.  I'm only 10 years her senior, so I consider her a sister more than a niece.  She doesn't call me aunt, per my request.  I've had the opportunity to witness her grow up, and for all the entertainment and life lessons she's taught me through experience, I'm thankful to have my lil (18 year old) pickleworm around :)

Day 14:  My Dogs

I am such a dog person!  I like cats too, but dogs are better in my opinion :)  My first pet was a white cat when I was 5, but I consider my first dog as the true first pet.  His name was Kibbles, and we grew up together.  He was a Valentines gift from my mom when I was 8, and he lived until I turned 21.  Ever since he passed I always thought I'd get a Sheltie Collie when I get my own house.  The two dogs I have now are Siberian Huskies, and these brothers are quite the pair.  Steel is the older one at 12, our beautiful purebred rescue.  Inuki is the happy-go-lucky younger one at 9, and he's mixed with Golden Retriever.  So I may be losing a dear friend soon, when Steel passes.  It's so sad but at least I know he's lived a full life.  I'm always giving these two hello and goodbyes as I come and go, they really brighten up my days.

Day 15:  The Human Will

It's not something everyone has readily available.  Resilience is a trait I desire, and yet I only exercise it half the time.  There have been difficult situations that I have dealt with and bounced back from with little effort.  And there are other harsh situations that I failed miserably at keeping it together. So whenever I see someone that shows resilience time and time again, I have great admiration for their indomitable spirit.  Their sheer will validates my hopes, my beliefs and feeds my optimism in life.  These people inspire me to believe that anything is truly possible.  This thankful post refers to a man that has continually bounced back from terminal illness, someone that I hold dear and close.  Keep fighting the good fight, and thank you for everything you've taught me.

Day 16:  Movies

A night at the movies is a getaway for me.  There are very few movies that have disappointed me (for I am a simple pleasures kind of girl).  I've only walked out on one movie, and fell asleep in one as well.  All others have been enough to capture my attention for that time being.  I am thankful for the silver screen, because I get absorbed in the story and sympathize with the characters.

Day 17:  Reading

I am a bookworm, that I am :)  I love to read for the same reason I love movies, they take me away from reality to so many different places.  There's nothing like curling up on the couch with a good book and a cup of tea.  I mostly read Fiction or Science Fiction, I also enjoy Fantasy or Travel books as well.  And of course, I love manga (Japanese comics) and comic books in general.  As for magazines, I'll read anything.  My favorites include the girly magazines, and the Smithsonian, but I'll pick up GQ and have fun reading it.  I didn't become part of the digital age right away, I just recently acquired my Kindle this year.  All my physical books still remain, most of them in bookcases, and a few still in boxes.  Thanks for taking me away, little words.

To be continued.

Sculpting

I enjoy sculpting and painting for one reason only:  zoning out.  I get completely wrapped up in the piece, and it feels good to do some artwork for myself.

The problem with that... I am extremely inefficient in that state.  I'm a slow-poke naturally, but I cause myself to spend a ridiculous amount of time with these projects.  I'll obsess over small details, and not pay attention to the time.  So I guess that's what turns me off from sculpting or painting.  I'm not particularly good with those mediums, but I keep at it for the therapeutic value.

Case in point: this lil guy took me 5 hours to do, and I havent even finished him yet!

Meet Fred, one of the cute lil monsters from Phone Case of the Month !  He took me so long because I screwed up on the proportions, and I was obsessing over his mouth and teeth.  Still needs work, but I'm done for the night.  I've got to walk away and come back to it before I screw it up worse.  After that is the baking and painting.

This was so much fun though!  I'd like to make a couple more and gift them to the creators of Phone Case of the Month :)  I just hope I can get it to them before Christmas! :D

November Appreciation: Days 8-10

So it continues, my attempts to show what I am thankful for.

Day 8:  Co-workers

Let me paint the picture for you.  Most of my time is spent at work, my job.  I work over 40 hours a week almost always.  This rings true for most people working for the sake of money, at a job, not their chosen career.  It's not so bad, but what helps me get through the same ol' stuff are my co-workers.  I already spend so much time here, it's natural to form bonds with the people around you at work.  They keep me laughing, they offer great conversation, and they listen to me bitch (a lot).  So thanks to my lovely co-workers, work husband and work wife ;)

Day 9:  Pet Names

I love pet names, they make me feel special, cute, and cuddly!  I'm 29 years old and my father still calls me "princess" or "child" (my alltime favorites).  My mom has so many pet names for me it's pointless to list, but I'll respond to them all.  Among the favorites from my mom are "corazón", "muñeca" or the simple/classic "niña".  The funniest ones refer to my halfbreed status, when my cousin calls me "Casper" (because I'm his only white cousin) or "burrito" (beaner on the inside, white on the outside).  Sounds kind of mean, but that's how we show our love.  If you've ever given me a special pet name, thanks for making me feel loved!

Day 10:  Music

Who isn't thankful for this?  It's such a broad subject, so I'm refering to the music I listen to.  I suppose I'll get more specific and mention other aspects of music as the month goes by.  There's so many genres that I like, I love paying attention to lyrics, and I like the different emotions music evokes.  I listen to it in the car, at work, at home, set it as background noise, or sing along to it.  Lately, I've been stuck on the band "Keane" :)  Music is definitely something I try not to take for granted.

I'm digging on this train of thoughts.  As I walk around, I'm more aware of what I'm thankful for, and I decide what I'll be writing about for the day.  I have yet to post the sketches, but I'll go back and do so soon.