“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”
Margaret Atwood, Bluebeard’s Egg
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Flamingo WIP + Updates
Happy Monday everyone! Was your Monday as blah as mine was? Sometimes, days are just like that. Rain doesn’t help those days either. You just want to curl up on the couch and watch a movie until you pass out. Any how, I survived the Monday blues long enough to write my post tonight. There are a couple updates I wanted to share.
First of all, I have added more color to my Flamingo Totem. It’s becoming very bright and I’m excited to finish it! I have always avoided pink in the past since it was far from my favorite color. Lately, I have had more of an open mind with my work and have used it for my Flying Squirrel Totem and now flamingo. It’s nice to change things up every once and a while. Plus, I have always put limits on myself and my work, unintentionally. I use to “make rules” or guidelines to my art that I wasn’t allowed to teeter from. Like I was forced to stay within a certain style of art or subject. I have no idea how I picked up this terrible habit but I am proud to say I have kicked it and now create whatever I want, whenever I want, however I want. My art has improved greatly because of it! I’m even going to pick up painting again, which I am excited for. I just need to get some more supplies, first.
Secondly, I wanted to share that I’m back to my full time job as a landscaper. I’m going to have to make some changes to my future content. As you can guess, Spring and Summer are the busiest months for a landscaper! Last year, I tried to keep up with my Totem Animal posts the best I could. I always shoot for one post a week but it can be difficult keeping up with everything. Not only do I need to create the drawing itself but I put a lot of time and energy into the research for each totem. Then when I have an understanding of it, I need to type it out for my blog. This is done in between my landscaping job, family responsibilities, social obligations, appointments and every once and a while….sleep. Not to mention any other efforts that need to be put into my business as an artist such as marketing and social media, editing my work for products and uploading it to my online shops (Redbubble and Society6) and how about just talking and connecting with people! I always tend to lose my mind a bit when Spring comes around! I have to lighten the load.
I do not want my artwork to suffer and obviously I can not take time away from my family or my job that is currently paying the bills. Therefore, I am going to halt new Totem Animal symbolism posts. I will continue to create the drawings like I have been but I won’t be able to go over each one in detail about their symbolism. The art is more important than the writing and I don’t want to become discouraged because I can’t keep up with both! Don’t worry, I will still continue to keep my blog. I just won’t be able to write such lengthy posts for a little while!
I hope you like the Flamingo Totem so far. Let me know what you think in the comments below! Thanks for stopping by this week.
Happy Spring, free spirits!
Flamingo WIP
My next totem that I am working on is the flamingo! They are a very bright colored bird and have odd proportions. The weather is finally starting to get warm and act like spring so I thought a nice tropical creature could help get us in the mood! It’s going to be beach season soon! Beach or not, I just want to be outside!
Here is the completed ink for flamingo. The entire animal is done in tangles unlike my recent horse and orca totems. I can’t help but use zentangle when creating feathers! They are too perfect for the occasion.
I will also be incorporating the legs but have decided a new and fun approach. I am drawing the flamingo on three different sheets of paper. Then, when I scan them into the computer, I can piece them together making one long print! It’s going to be cool! I like trying something new with each piece that I do so let’s see how it turns out!
Thanks for stopping by this week! Check back next week to see the finished flamingo in all it’s florescent feathers!
Stay flashy, free spirits!
Totem Animal: Horse
I am happy with how his piece turned out. The mane was a lot of fun to draw. It resembles fire which is funny because I have always struggled with drawing fire, yet this came easily for me. Now that I have this concept in mind, I will have to experiment with fire again. I had to change my perspective a little to figure it out.
Like the orca, I did not add any tangles to this totem. I don’t know why. I easily could have but I just wanted to play around with the fading colors and the shape of the mane. I wanted the mane to be the focus of the entire piece. It’s wild and free just like the horse, which will lead us to our symbolism.
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HORSE SYMBOLISM
The horse has been an amazing companion throughout the history of mankind. No other animal has made a bigger impact in the lives of humans than the horse. They’ve aided us with traveling long distances, they’ve carried men through wars, provided the power needed for agriculture and entertained us with racing and horse shows. Horses have been by our side since cavemen. If you have horse for a totem, consider yourself extremely lucky.
The horse is a symbol of travel. They have always carried us where we need to go, making travel between cities and families easier. They also were used to deliver goods and news from place to place. They were the first to show us what it is like to have wings. If the horse has crossed your path, it may be time for you to take a trip. Are you stressed? Do you need to get away for a while? Let the horse take you away and show you what it’s like to fly. They will show you what it’s like to feel free again.
I loved riding my horse, Skyler, through the open fields by my childhood house. Once they have the open space, they will run as fast as their thundering hooves can carry them! The tears streak from your eyes! It’s a rush. The horse is a strong symbol of freedom. Remember to keep this spirit with you always. Do not stay tied down, no matter how domesticated you feel. Even domestic horses let go and let the wind guide them, their manes flowing wildly. Use this energy in your own journey to freedom. Live a little.
Horses are the greatest symbol of power. Each color of the horse represents an individual strength. The black horse rules dreams and the dark. They will guide you and show you how to find the light. The chestnut shows us the power of remaining playful and remembering the joys of life. They show us how to have fun. The palomino shows us the power of teaching others and sharing our enlightenment. It is important to help others when we can and guide them to find their own strength. Finally we have the white, or gray, horse. They are the unity of all the powers and your mount to and from the spirit realm. The white horse teaches wisdom and that wisdom cannot be obtained if power is abused. Keep all this in mind as you trot down your path in life. It will take you far!
Last but not least, the horse represents sexuality. The stallion is a strong representation of this. The stud. Need I say more. Strut your stuff, honey! You look mighty fine. Just don’t get too cocky. Wouldn’t want to take a kick to the face.
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I hope you enjoyed this week’s totem. It has been a long time coming. Horses are my favorite animal and have played a huge role in my life. They have truly changed my outlook on life. Do you have any great horse tales? Share your story in the comments below! Thanks for stopping by!
Stay wild, free spirits!
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401!
I just realized I’ve written over 400 posts here on my blog! This is 401, baby! That’s pretty insane. I have been keeping my blog for just over three years! It has been a great experience. The reason I started my blog was to keep myself more focused with my artwork. It was the only way I could hold myself to a schedule. It forced me to take time out of my day for my art when otherwise it would get overshadowed by other things happening in my life. Doodling once or twice a week just wasn’t cutting it. My blog has helped me with my time management and also my confidence in my work.
I have always been a quiet, modest person. It was always difficult for me to show off my work even though I knew I needed to be in the public eye to make it as a full time artist. Being on here, I have been able to build relationships with other bloggers and force myself to ignore self-doubt. I’ve met a lot of amazing people on here; a lot of them are just like me! It’s nice to have people to relate to! It helped build my confidence and made me more comfortable with just being myself. I don’t feel the need to “put on a face”. This is all Meg, baby, open for all the world to see! I’m not “afraid” to be me anymore. It’s a great feeling.
In all of this, my work has improved immensely! Not only because I’m obviously dedicating more time to it but also because I’m not afraid of how my work is going to turn out anymore. I use to waste so much time, stressing over my work, thinking it’s never “good enough”. It became difficult to stay motivated, not wanting to start a new piece until the current one was finished. Though, I never wanted to finished the current one because I was avoiding it, doubting my talent. These past couple years I’ve been able to get away from this way of thinking. Now, my ongoing goal is to just keep drawing, keep creating, just be. That’s it! Do what feels right and for god’s sake stop thinking your work is crap! It’s just work. It’s just art. It just is. Good? Bad? It’s a matter of opinion. All I can do is just make it. It is what it is. Once I accepted that, my art became carefree and easy going. The finished pieces come out so awesome and I’m more proud of my work than I have ever been. You can’t force perfection nor can you expect to work like a machine. It’s cliché, I know, but it’s the flaws that make things interesting. It’s the imperfections that attract attention.
So, long story short, I really enjoy blogging and it has done wonders for my work as an artist. What made you want to start a blog? Share your story in the comments below! Thanks for checking out my 401st post! I’ll have to do something super special for the big 500! Until then…
Just be, free spirits!
Horse WIP
I am surprised it has taken me this long to do my favorite animal as a totem. I’ve been wanting to tackle it for a while now but it kept getting put off. I finally made time for it and present you with the ink for the horse totem. I know I say this for every drawing but I am really enjoying this one. The mane has been fun to play around with. I can’t wait to get the color done. Once again, I did not add any tangles to the animal. It just didn’t call for it I guess. I wanted the mane to be the “wild” part about this piece. What do you think?
Check back next Monday to learn about the symbolism the majestic horse holds! Thanks for stopping by!
Stay wild, free spirits!
Twitterpated
Spring has finally arrived! The weather is trying to make the shift from cold and frigid to into warm and inviting. I can hear the birds throughout the day. It was silent during the winter then one day, it seemed all the birds came out at once to sing their songs! I love it! I always think of the scene from the movie Bambi when the owl explains that all the birds are twitterpated! Twitterpated? Yes.
“Nearly everybody gets twitterpated in the springtime. For example, you’re walking along minding your own business, you’re looking neither to the left, nor to the right, when all of the sudden, you run smack into a pretty face. WHOO-WHOO! You begin to get weak in the knees, your head’s in a whirl! And then you feel light as feather, and before you know it you’re walking on air! And then you know what? You’re knocked for a loop! And you completely lose your head!” -Friend Owl
It makes me laugh every time I think about it. So in honor of springtime and a great movie here are is a collection of all the avian totems I have drawn so far.
There are still quite a few I need to cover but it’s a pretty great collection to start. I have the flamingo in the works right now. It’s going to be fun playing around with the different shades of pink. For now though, we have these beauties! You can read about each birds symbolism by clicking the links below.
You can also find prints and other cool products with these images @Redbubble and @Society6!
Which drawing is your favorite? Is there a bird not pictured here that you would like to see? Drop a suggestion in the comments below! Thanks for stopping by today!
Fly high, free spirits!
Animal Patterns
I’ve been having some fun in photoshop lately. I like to make patterns and come up with cool designs using my traditional drawings. It opens a whole new world of creativity! Here are some of my patterns I’ve created so far.
It’s really cool watching them unfold and seeing what comes from the original drawing. They also look awesome on my products @Redbubble. I can’t wait to see what other designs I can come up with! I am currently working on horse for my next piece! I’m really excited to share it! Check back later this week to see my work in progress post.
Which pattern did you like best? Anything you hope to see in the future? Leave a comment below! I’d love to hear from you! Thanks for stopping by!
Stay edgy, free spirits!
Totem Animal: Orca
I had so much fun creating this piece. I always have an idea in mind but as I draw I let the piece create itself. My original thought was to have each orca resemble each half of a yin yang symbol. They originally were going to be done in zentangle and one porpoise would be black, the other white. The more I worked on it, my entire idea changed. The orcas’ skin is so smooth and shiny, I didn’t want to take away from that by adding patterns. I thought, instead, it would be a fun opportunity to play with the value scale and get some nice blue hues in replace of the orcas’ natural black. To fill in the space between, I created a neat design to represent the waves of water splashing around them. It’s a very calming piece. I feel like I can hear the water splashing when I look at it.
The orca has always fascinated me, ever since I was a child. They are my favorite marine animal and they have a lot to boast. So let’s dive on in and learn about their symbolism! (…see what I did there…)
Orca Symbolism
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First of all, lets get this out of the way so there is no confusion. Orcas are also known as killer whales. They are not actually whales, however. They are the largest porpoise (like dolphins) species in existence.
Orcas are highly intelligent creatures. They have the second largest brain in the ocean and can figure out any dilemma they come across. Have you ever seen those videos on youtube of the killer whales hunting? Pretty crazy stuff! Their ability to work together and problem solve is remarkable. This is a key point we should take from the orca. If they have swam into your consciousness, it may be time to start using that big brain of yours. Keep yourself mentally active and healthy. The better you take care of yourself, the better you can take on any obstacle in life!
Orcas are a strong symbol of family. They live in huge “pods” sometimes of 40 family members! The females lead the pod, passing it down from generation to generation. They have great respect towards their grandmothers and mothers. We, too, should remember to respect our own family members who have cared for us and taught us what they know.
It is also important to work together. Killer whales know they can accomplish more when they are together. They are phenomenal hunters. Orcas have often been referred to as the wolves of the water because of the way they work as a pack to catch their prey. Make sure you are being a good team player. Help each other to obtain a common goal. The success rate is higher when you work together. It is much easier to make waves with many whales than it is with one. Imagine what you can do if everyone is in tune with each other. Communication helps with this.
Orcas are very vocal and rely heavily on sound. They use echolocation to navigate the world around them. Plus their songs are beautiful and melodious. If you hear the call of the orca, remember to use your own voice. Communicate with others to achieve harmony. Sing your song and enjoy the music of others. A calming tone can do wonders!
Some Native Americans believed that each orca was a reincarnation of a loved one. They showed a great respect for the animal and never hunted them. They were a sign from the spirit realm that a love one that has passed is still with you, watching over you. If you have lost someone recently, perhaps they have come to comfort you in the form of orca.
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The orca is such a powerful totem and they represent so much more than what I covered here. Make sure to check out other sources to get a full interpretation of your totem. Thanks for stopping by this week! Say hi in the comments below and let me know what you think of the orca totem!
Make a splash, free spirit!
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Orca WIP
I recently held a poll to choose which totem animal I would draw next. It was a close vote but the orca won! I’m pretty excited too because the orca is my favorite marine animal. I have always admired them, ever since I was a kid. My original idea for this piece was to do a yin yang style with the orcas but the more I worked on it, the more it unfolded into something else. I will come up with another idea to use the yin yang. I didn’t want to add any tangles to the orcas because I want their skin to stay smooth. I’ll be shading it with colored pencils to get a really nice value scale. I can’t wait to share the finished piece with you! Stop by next week to check it out and to learn about orca symbolism!
Just keep swimming, free spirits!
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~Totem Animal art by Free Spirit Meg~
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