• Inktober #2 – Scurry – 2022

    The second Inktober prompt is “scurry”. This was an easy prompt to come up with a horror movie. Several movies came to mind of eerie little critters scurrying around. Gremlins, Critters, They, Graveyard Shift… the list goes on. The one I settled on for my sketch was “Don’t be Afraid of the Dark”.

    There is the original from 1973 that I had watched as a child and the remake from 2010 that I watched as an adult. They had few similarities but were both great movies. For some reason little monsters have always creeped me out more than big monsters. I don’t really know why. Maybe it’s the fact that you can find a small space to hide from the big ones and they can’t get you but the little monsters are the ones hiding in the small spaces and will get you wherever you go!

    For my sketch, I drew both versions of the creatures. In the 2010 version, they are called Homunculi or tooth fairies. I’m not quite sure if they had a name in the 1973 version other than humanoid creatures but as you can see they are quite different from each other yet equally menacing.

    I will say that the remake is a more “hardcore” horror than the original so if you are looking for something a little easier to watch, I would go for the original. If you are a calloused horror fan then the remake is a lot more gruesome of a movie.

    Have you seen these movies? Which one was your favorite? What did you think of the remake? Share your opinion in the comments below. Check back tomorrow for the next Inktober prompt, bat.

    Thanks for stopping by free spirits! Now scurry along!

  • Inktober 2021 #22 – Open

    I instantly knew what I was going to do for the prompt Open. I have a picture on my wall in my studio of my dad and I participating in my 4-H groups Open Fun Show.

    My 4-H group put on an Open Fun Show every year. It was called an Open Show because anyone was allowed to participate, not just 4-H’ers. It was called a Fun Show because it had classes that were fun and quirky. One class you had to balance an egg on a spoon while on horseback. Another class was called Ribbon Pleasure where you had a partner that you rode your horse next to, each of you holding the end of the same ribbon. Whoever was the last duo riding without tearing or letting go of the ribbon won!

    The class that I did with my dad was called Lead Line. It was a class that got the parents involved. The kids would lead there parent atop their horse, walking, trotting, whatever the announcer said. Then half way through, they would switch places and the parents would lead the kids.

    My horse was named Phoenix. He was technically a horse but he was only one inch taller than a pony’s height. So my dude was still pretty short. Plus, he was a lazy little horse. He never wanted to do anything but graze and sleep.

    My dad was 6’2 and not a small man. Phoenix wasn’t thrilled about having to carry my dad around. I think he would have rathered my mom on board but she had recently hurt her ankle so she wouldn’t have been able to lead me around the arena, trotting along. So my dad it was, sorry Phoenix. He had this look like, Great, lucky me.

    He was a trooper and hauled my dad’s heavy ars around the arena. Luckily he only had to do a few laps around so it wasn’t long before he had me back in the saddle. He would much rather deal with a little girl than a full grown man.

    It was the only class I ever did with my dad and we took 3rd place. Good job Phoenix! I guess we got marked down because they saw Phoenix rolling his eyes. 🙄 Just kidding! 😜

    I hope you enjoyed today’s story and sketch. Check back soon for more Inktober sketches!

    Have some fun, free spirits!

  • Inktober 2021 #7 – Fan

    It was no surprise that I was my dad’s biggest fan and he was mine. I wanted to do everything he did. We were “pals” and we had called each other that since before I can remember. We had a secret handshake and everything. I felt cool when I was with my dad. Maybe it was because I got to do “boy” things with him. I was never into girlie things. I wanted to be outside, getting dirty, playing in the barn, working in the garage. I didn’t want to wear dresses and cute shoes, I wanted to wear jeans and boots. Whatever my dad was doing, I wanted to do it too! He showed me how to fish, change a tire, use power tools and all that good stuff.

    Through his own actions and encouragement, my dad taught me I could be or do whatever I wanted. It was okay if I would rather do “guy” stuff. He showed me equality and gave me the confidence to pursue my interests. He taught me a lot of powerful lessons and he didn’t have to say a word. He showed me. I don’t even know if he truly knew the values he taught me just by existing. Even though I can’t see him anymore, he is still teaching me. The more I think about him, the more I remember what it means to be a good person. I will forever be your #1 Fan!

    Be inspired, free spirits!

    ***For the record….my mom taught me a lot of those lessons too and I love her just the same! 😚***

  • Spring is Being a Tees!

    Spring is Being a Tees!

    Warm weather is on it’s way! We made it folks. We survived another Winter! Although, I don’t know about everyone else but this was one of the most mild Winters we have had in a long time. We had maybe two good snowstorms but other than that just rain and wind. Now it’s already getting into the high 50’s and low 60’s; I live in upstate New York! That’s insane!

    So it’s time to put away the hoodies and get some new spring tees out. Let your skin soak up the sunshine and sport one of my awesome tees that I have available on Teepublic. I never formally announced my arrival to Teepublic but I now have a store through going on a few months now. I just ordered one of my tees before starting this entry so I am very excited to get that in the mail! This is the one I ordered:

    I love the color! It matches my mandala beautifully! There are so many colors to choose from and I have a bunch more designs in my shop so check it out and let me know what your favorite one is!

    Thanks for stopping by! I hope you had a great season! Sending warm wishes and happy Spring vibes your way! Check back soon for more artwork and awesome merch!

    Spring forward, free spirits!

  • Animal Oddity – Cardinal Duality

    Animal Oddity – Cardinal Duality

    I am always on the look out for the newest biological discovery. I love cryptozoology and I find it fascinating when scientists discover things about animals and nature that seemed improbable or maybe even impossible. The weird, the strange, the oddities of nature. Long story short, I came across an article that inspired my latest piece.

    The article was explaining the rare occurence of a hermaphrodite cardinal. Half of the bird is female and the other half is male. When this occurs it is called a bilateral gynandromorph. Gynandromorph comes from the greek words “gyne” (female), “andro” (male) and “morph” (form or shape). There are several species known to have hermaphrodites such as reptiles, crustaceans, and even butterflies! Scientists believe that all birds are capable of producing gynandromorph offspring but it has only been noticed in birds that vary in color between males and females, such as the cardinal.

    Mostly cardinals have been spotted perfectly split down the middle with a vibrant red on one side and a calm yellow on the other. When I saw the image of one, taken by a Pennsylvania couple at their backyard feeder, I was amazed by the beauty of it’s plumage. I immediately added this animal oddity to my list and couldn’t wait to get started!

    I have always wanted to create a piece based on duality. It was interesting to create two sides that are similar to each other but at the same time exact opposites. The female side is done with circles where as the male side I used a square pattern. The colors are also opposing yet the shadowing and vibrance is the same.

    I’m very happy with how the cardinal turned out. I never intended to create as many bird drawings as I have, it just kind of happened. I just love feathers and their patterns and colors! I am naturally drawn to birds so therefore they are naturally drawn by me! See what I did there! 😉 I used Arteza water color pencils and Prismacolor art markers along with a micron pen to get the thin black lines. I can only hope that maybe one day I will see one of these beauty’s with my own two eyes!

    Have you ever seen a hermaphrodite cardinal or maybe another species in the wild? The butterflies would be really cool to come across too! Share your story in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by this week! Check back soon as I will discuss the symbolism of having cardinal as a totem!

    Stay vibrant, free spirits!

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    I have “Cardinal Duality” prints and other cool stuff available in my shop!

    Check them out here!

  • Inktober 2019 #7 – Plague

    Inktober 2019 #7 – Plague

  • Inktober 2019 #6 – Guard

    Inktober 2019 #6 – Guard

  • Inktober 2019 #5 – Sacrifice

    Inktober 2019 #5 – Sacrifice