Lots of weird art stuffs🎃

Today I gave my students a quick presentation on some of the basic considerations for composition, which I am now sharing with you! I’ve given them separate talks about color and tonal value/contrast, which are also super important compositional concerns. (I’ll be sharing those presentations too once I properly format them)

I personally love learning about different compositional techniques. It’s fun to think about the ways that the brain views & sorts images, and how we can trick it into feeling a certain way or looking at certain aspects of an image first! It’s easy to fall into compositional ruts (which I am also guilty of) because a lot of art gets by with mediocre, though serviceable, compositions. If you can generally understand what’s happening in an image then it’s generally fine. However, it’s the truly great compositions, where everything in the whole image has been considered and ‘clicks’ together, that bump up an illustration to a visual slam dunk. NC Wyeth is one of my favorite artists for this reason: his compositions are rock solid, varied based on the image’s intent, and always enhance the mood or action he is depicting.

For extra reading, some online compositional resources that I’ve found helpful or interesting include: Creative Illustration by Andrew Loomis (download it for FREE. Such a great book all-around.) Gurney Journey (check out the “Composition” tag, but really everything he posts is great) The Schweitzer guide to spotting tangents Cinemosaic (a blog by Lou Romano with some truly WONDERFUL compositions captured from various films) Where to Put the Cow by Anita Griffin

b) What the actual fuck did I just watch.

c) I’m always here for little old ladies curbstomping malevolent supernatural entities.

I’m not seeing anything about this on social media. Certainly I don’t expect to see it covered by the mass media. This is truly something we need to fight back against. Even if you don’t have Comcast\Xfinity, please let your voice be heard.

Amidst a pandemic when we’re all trapped at home, when we’re working from home, schooling from home, and our only entertainment outlets are online, this is cruel and unacceptable. 1.2 terabytes might not be bad for an individual, but if you’re a household of 3 or more, this will be terrible for you.

Make some noise about this please!

Boys ✨

Boys ✨

I was busy dreaming ‘bout boys ✨

Boys ✨

Boys ✨  

Head is spinning thinking ‘bout boys ✨

Boys ✨

Boys ✨

Antagonism.

In October I was finally diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (pcos) after what was essentially a nine year battle with doctors. This last year has been an exhausting slog of endless blood tests, ultrasounds, mri’s and feeling like a broken record having to constantly validate my pain to doctors.

I still hold anger over being endlessly reminded my wellbeing is only relevant in respects to giving someone children.

I’m unable to take the usual treatment for pcos (the contraceptive pill) and had other complications on the mini pill. I was recommended to try a Mirena iud which would either regulate my cycle or stop my periods entirely. Either was preferable to having unpredictable hormones and periods.

My doctors however hadn’t considered the possibility of me also having endometriosis, which can be further aggravated by an iud.

I’ve always had painful periods and incessant cramping, but the pain has gotten worse, and whereas before I would normally be able to tough it out it has now affected my ability to function. At its worst my sleep is broken and I can’t get the rest I need in order to be productive, I’m left feeling paralysed with no energy to get up. I waste days away mentally exhausted in and out of sleep. Sometimes the pain hits like truck and all I want to do is keel over but that’s a hard thing to do when you still have commitments, responsibilities and places to be.

I’m now waiting to hear back if I’ve been approved to see a gynaecologist to test for endometriosis. If I don’t get approved it’s back to square one, back to my gp and filling dairies extensively with each time I’m in pain.

Some days if I could just rip my uterus out and throw it into the ocean I’d do so with vigour.

I’m tired of feeling antagonised by my own body.

Isaac Clarke

decided to try something new with this cutie.