Day 5: What artists do you seek out for inspiration? Create a small something based on your source.

I had to think for awhile on this one, and while I likely most often seek out other bloggers and crafty business owners for inspiration for sewn things, I thought I'd taken this more literally and pick an artist in the painting sense that I love. I'm a sucker for Gustav Klimt --I have a good few of the prints hung up in my apartment. Something about his style of patterns and spirals and colours and subjects is really appealing to me.

Here are a few of my favourite pieces of his:

source

I had a framed print of this on my desk at my old job--people kept asking me if I painted it--does no one go to museums any more?

source

source

I've actually done a project similar to the tree of life before (painted plate for my sister's wedding --she's still "getting" me a photo of it a year later hehe)  but given that I'm pretty much always inspired to draw things involving spirals and I'm couch-bound feeling not so great today alternating with cleaning, I figured I'd amuse myself and draw up a rendition of the tree of life Craftzilla style.

Here's what I came up with--I'm not feeling doing the inking today (too much cleaning to do) so sorry for the quality of the pics (note: it's super hard to take pictures of pencil/pen drawings...else I just need to practice doing so a bit!)

Here's a close-up of the bee, as I find him adorable :)

♥ Craftzilla

Day 4: Do some doodling... share it and write about it!

I'm not much of a doodler anymore (except for during meetings at work) I think just largely because I don't write on paper a lot anymore, which is sort of a tragic thing now that I think about it, since I used to write in journals a lot, and now I rarely do. Anyways amidst other things going on, it took me awhile to get to doodling as an activity (sad, I know) and to actually take pictures of the doodles:) Eventually I did break out my little notebook and did a few doodles, of which I have a few go-to things I usually doodle, like puppies and hearts and spirally things.

Oh and cute robots--here's my robot family, complete with robo-pup! I always leave these on notes for the boy demanding asking him to clean up stuff.

♥ Craftzilla

Happy Trails and Sidewalk chalk

We went on a sunny walk with the pooch tonight, and were out enjoying the nice weather

We were enjoying the new stretch through Guelph of the TransCanada trail that's still being worked on. Is a nice walk through the park and

Oh, and I was wearing my fancy new brooch today that I won in a giveaway from PunkrawkPurl and Restless Hearts Crafts! Look how purty!

Also, gaze upon the loveliness of my fancy lace shawl that I finished awhile ago! It's from a Needful yarns pattern, and knitted in 3 different colourways of Needful Geranium (which sadly seems to be discontinued)

We also ran across some ridiculously cute and amusing chalk drawings! I miss those days when I used to graffiti things around downtown TO with my roommate  use chalk to draw hopscotch boards when I was a kid.

In case you can't read this, it says "I may look innocent now, but as son as we are along I will EAT YOU!" Du dun DAHH!"

Eventually, we have to come home again. All of us are not that pleased by this--some of us wanted to stay and play allll day.

♥ Craftzilla

Things I made and Saw

Here's a little doodle I did when trying out some new alphabet stamps my fancy friend Kim got me for an early birthday prezzie

 
Here's a tasty chocolate tart that the boy made for our friends last week...I had some smaller ones but I ate them before photos could be taken (let's be honest, I ate them before they even cooled off and molten chocolate burned by mouth, but it was SO worth it)

 Here's Jesse the super pup, after a much needed haircut took place

Some mighty tasty manicotti I made for a potluck yesterday in my new thrifted Pyrex baking dish --It's blue! So awesome!

Despite all the evil rain here of late, there have been some beautiful moments

This is Zentron, a friendly house robot who has recently undergone some mandatory repairs that have left him as good as new

 The seeds! They grow!! Finally!

 And, in conclusion, Buddha and Martian Manhunter just do NOT get along -- any tips on how to make them be friends again?

More bugs and poems and drawings OH MY!

So craft night has also returned to my apartment with a vengeance. My roommate devised a fabulous craft for us awhile back, which has been keeping us busy ever since.

The concept:

Start with a line or a few lines of a poem

Draw a picture which represents these lines in some way

Include the lines on the picture if you would like

She came up with this idea basically as an excuse to create some art to fill up this blank space in the hallway, and really to have something of ourselves that greets people as they enter our humble abode:

I think the placement will be good though, once both of us finish and we get our pictures framed and hung, since we both chose poems that are sort of self defining, it's a little like the pictures will welcome guests to our place, and tell them a little bit about us before they even get their coats off.

In case you can't really see (my handwriting and printing is notoriously bad) the lines I chose are from TS Eliot's The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock:

"And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin, When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall,
Then how should I begin To spit out all the butt-ends of my days and ways? And how should I presume?"

Picture in progress (almost completed!) :