Scutigeleton

I was doodling with a paintbrush last night and created this mixture between a rip cage with backbone and a the spiny scutigera.

Now the scutigera is a formidable creature - of the ilk that you wouldn't wish to meet down a dark alley on a full moon... My son and I love watching Deadly 60 - a kids' nature programme featuring, well... you must have guessed it by now - some pretty mean creatures.

The scutigera isn't some man-eating spider or serial killer snake or big-toothed beast. It is a mere insect of the centipede variety. It does come in a number of different varieties though - and the giant ones that live in caves in Borneo could hospitalise you with a bite. Nice.

Doodles on Doodles...

and whiskers on kittens...

Just playing in my journal and letting the paint take its own direction and map out the story.

This one speaks to me of adventures in Arabia.

When she arrives at Paint Party Friday she will have tales to tell of secrets in the sand, ancient treasures and mystic stones.

Twas brillig

Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Lewis Carroll

When you wish to paint creatures of the imagination, I think it helps to let loose yours. A Jabberwock sounds a fearful spiny creature that creeps into nightmares to wreck havoc. I was too scared to paint one so I let it paint itself. I dripped and closed the book with a slam then ran... Look what slithered and slid onto the page while my back was turned. Long may it stay there ... I'm off to sketch a vorpal sword...

For Inspiration Avenue's Poetry challenge (and some experimental art homework).

Makes you wonder how Mr Carroll 'experimented' when he wrote Through the Looking Glass...?

ood elddood

Creating

Confusing

Challenging

Above all I am experimenting!

Limbering up excercises for Experimental Art which starts on Monday and conveniently matches this week's Tic Tocc prompt to doodle.

I have experimented thus:

Pour yourself a chilled glass of Sauvignan Blanc (don't stop to see how to spell it because that wastes valuable time).

Grab a magazine and a sketch book and put on some very cool music. My choice being Classic Chilled Ibiza Mix. Have a slurp of wine and flick through glossy pages until something grabs you.

Draw it with your 'not usual' hand and sort of flow along with the tunes... sipping more wine is a good idea...

Let inspiration drift through your pen. The music was rubbing my senses, the wine soothed them and the lyrics spoke to me... so I wrote them down ...  backwards, with my left hand and back to front. I switched pens. Why make this easy? A calligraphy pen that needs to be regularly dipped in a pot of ink is clearly more of a challenge.

Then, I took what I'd learned and applied it to this half-finished sketchy doodle lady for shading and hair[?]. Can you read it?

Sharing for Sunday Sketches too.

One of my many prepared backgrounds in my sketchbook came in very handy!

Candy Floss Slippers

There's a story to go with this. I am sure it has something to do with the people of Ooggley Baloobley, but I can't be sure since I haven't written it yet. I think it might refer to the way they design their footwear. They put cartridge paper outside their back doors at night to collect the custard and jelly drips. In the morning they venture out to see what patterns have formed. It's then a simple matter of looking for designs in the splotches and splatters. Of course, it helps if you're an Ooglie because they are shape shifters so frankly can fit any mis-shapen shoe - even the one that looks like a vodka martini. Lucky them!

If you think I've lost my marbles, then perhaps you should refer back to Monday's post and look for them there, for this art follows a similar theme.

Alternatively, you can just blame The Three Muses and their 'shoe' challenge.

Grumpy scribbles

OK, I'm warning you now, I'm in a foul mood so continue reading at your peril. At this stage I have no idea if writing is going to create a positive or negative aura around me. You have been warned!

The cause of said grump is just being plain tired. I was up all night with a poorly child who now is right as rain and full of beans, while poor old Mumma is moping and suffering with a black cloud hovvering menacingly overhead threatening further storms. The thunderous weather system is growling and sparking - I'd stay well away if I was you!

I tried escaping to the countryside but it was too hot and muggy. I tried art but didn't come up with much. I went to the supermarket (necessity rather than choice I must stress), but that just raised the temperature even more. Shall I have a glass of wine? I may just knock the day on the head and begin again in the morning.

Anyway, enough of this grump. I thought I might as well post to Sunday Sketches the results of my little doodles and my regular foray into The Drawing Lab. Today I scribbled, then tried to make sense of the tangle. I thoughtfully saved my pre-sense-making, thinking that maybe it would be cool for you to print out and let your imaginations loose on my chaos - there's even a couple of bonus ones! I'd love to see how others interpret. Frankly I'm surprised mine didn't end up as dark as my mood, so perhaps a spot of art was soothing after all. Go on, have a go and post a link to your pieces so I can have a lookie-see!