Fashioning My Cyber Microcosm: A Secret Code Carved.

The past week was a strange mixture of elation and a touch of melancholy; I spent the last 10 days accompanying my husband on one of his training workshops out of town which was held in Phoenix AZ, in an attempt to allow myself to "get out more" for the new year. I was listening obsessively to Pagan Poetry by Björk that it turned into my unofficial theme song.

I took the opportunity to plan the weekend with one of my friends I met while living in Holbrook; we packed as much into the weekend as humanly possible-- we took a tour at Taliesin West, watched a piano duel, tasted a cheese platter, went to the zoo, rode a camel, fed giraffes, experienced a "4D" theater, shopped at the mall, and I tasted sushi for the very first time. Actually, there were a lot of firsts this past weekend, now that I think about it... You see how tiny the rock I lived under was? It gets even smaller, trust me.

The spider rolls were my favorite

That's right, up until the past weekend I had never tasted sushi or anything like it at all. To be frank, the idea of sushi sounded repulsive-- raw fish? Kinda crazy, I thought. However, seeing as I am forcing myself out of the proverbial box, I said to hell with regression.
I have never been so totally wrong about something in my entire life; it was, without a shadow of a doubt, the single most exquisite dining experience I have ever had. The explosion of flavors and sensations were borderline intoxicating.
And I used chopsticks... awkward, but certainly new and refreshing for me!
It's funny to have such an experience in a place that was slightly commercial, heh. Regardless, I certainly can't wait for the next time I have sushi again!

At the zoo, I took the opportunity to get up and close to the large animals; again, up until that point I have never even seen a horse up close.

So, they were offering camel rides... I heard the familiar voice that told me that they're all dangerous, and that's why I've never tried going up to animals unless there was several hundred feet or reinforced glass between us. I ignored that voice again and rode the camel. It was surreal.

The giraffes were ready for snack time, so we did that too; I would have never guessed that a giraffe's tongue is almost dry-ish and spiky, like a cats. I was guessing it was more similar to a dogs, slobbery and slimy. It took several snacks to get a few good shots because it kept nabbing it from my hands rather quickly, hah-- what a tongue!

After the weekend with my friend, I settled into the next hotel with my husband and that is when I found out Bowie had past; it set a rather melancholy mood for the next couple days, as he was an inspiration to us all. I stewed a bit in that gloom and grabbed my sketch pad, and began to draw...

There are few things that inspire art like loss does... it sounds like such a cruel reality. I'd like to think it is through the creation of art after loss that we as artists carry the memory of those we respected and appreciated during their life.
In one of his last videos, Blackstar, there was a scene of the floating headless skeleton drifting towards an eclipsed star-- I kept thinking, and thinking about it after the news.

I don't know why I decided to reattach the head... I simply felt like I needed to after the news. Progress stopped Wednesday after deciding I needed to give it an india ink and watercolor wash for the background, while adding the finishing touch to it-- all which required masking fluid, which I didn't/don't have a designated brush for yet...
I do have plans to finally go shopping for more supplies tomorrow-- I'll need it all for the watercolor class I signed up for coming up the week after next, heh.

There is definitive change coming in 2016, and it is felt indirectly through the passing of some of our greatest and most beloved icons. Though is saddens me to see them go under the nemesis cancer, it is a reminder to continue living life with little apprehension, and a surplus of passion. Death doesn't care about tomorrow's and some other times.

Mortem's Tricks or Treats: Fade Into Style

Ok, so I could've saved this post-- but fate looked kindly upon this project.

I've been inspired by bleach art for many years, but just didn't have the bravery to attempt it!
To be honest, the group Artisan Crafts @ Deviantart.com was having a monthly challenge with this as its theme-- I was debating contributing, and while acquiring the bleach from a neighbor I accidentally spilled a drop onto a black shirt I was wearing. I know I know, never wear black when handling bleach!
And suddenly I had a reason to try it, hehe.

The drop landed at such an awkward spot, right near my belly button. Luckily it didn't take long to decide what I was going to do, because I wanted two designs into shirts that allowed the spot to be hidden well.

One was a rib cage (that I have a shirt I will do this with soon), and the other a bird skull. I opted for the bird skull since many of the examples in the Journal page of the group were showing rib cages as examples.

I used a bird skull I own as a reference-- it was all free handed from that point.






I used chalk to sketch out the initial design over the stain. I inserted a piece of cardboard and taped down the area I was to draw on, so the fabric wouldn't scrunch as much as I drew.

Then it was a simple task of pouring some bleach into a cup, and loading the brush to paint along the lines.

I used a lavender scented no name bleach from walmart so I did not have to dilute it to darken lines; if you're using a stronger bleach I suggest diluting it  so it doesn't bleach as strongly.

Loading the brush thinly so it is not dripping or soaked allowed me to produce fine and dark lines; when I soaked the brush it gave me thick and strong bright lines. Never load the brush so that it drips-- it might screw up a design with a drop, unless that is what you were intending.
Also, if you are planing on a multi-shade piece, I suggest letting the design dry before the next applications, so that you gauge how much more brightening it'll need.

Remember, more layers equals brighter color.

Another interesting thing I noted is the color synthetic blend shirts give compared to the colors 100% cotton result with.
Synthetic blends give a more redish bronze with obvious whites. Cottons give ivory with yellows.


I totally urge anyone to try this-- it's fun, easy and completely inexpensive. Useful, too, if you don't want to give that stained black shirt away, hehe.