Volpe

"So instead of calling me 'Dragon' in your tongue, you'll call me 'Dragon' in some other tongue?"

Yes, I know.

Calling a fox based doll by a word that means fox in another language is very lazy naming. 

But I don't care, I like the way it sounds.

Volpe is in my Etsy store right now.

My Fox Tattoo

So, last week the Husband, the Sprog, and I went down to my hometown of Timaru for my Mum's birthday.
(It was an Important Birthday).

The Birthday Girl and her Grand-imps-kids

While down there, I took the opportunity to get a new tattoo.

ow!ow!ow!ow!ow!

 As I mentioned a few posts back, my Dad is a tattooist - and he was more than happy to do it for me.

I was OK for the most part, but when he went over the Ulnar Styloid (the pokey-out bone on the outside of the wrist) I almost fainted/puked. It was weird - came on super fast, and lasted about 5 minutes (Dad went and had a smoke while waiting for me to come right). Other than that, it didn't really hurt.

The design

Just line work for now...

Much ADO about stuff.

Recently ADO - Art Dolls Only advertised for new members. (Go on - poke around their blog - it's awesome!)
Their membership is closed to new members for most of the year, and I managed to finagle a place during the latest (very short) open period.
I'm extremely excited to be part of this group of amazing artists. And I expect it to be very good for me.

You see - despite doing arty things for my hobbies and sanity projects, (and my Day-Job), for pretty much my entire life - I don't always feel like I have a right to call myself an artist. Sometimes I feel like a big fraud.

Now, I know that this is my Depression/Anxiety talking. I know that.

I'm a skilled draughtsperson, and I have a good eye for colour, composition and whatnot. I sculpt well, and I can sew, and knit, and I can paint and I've taught life-drawing classes and ALL KINDS OF STUFF. I'm good enough at some of these things that I am paid to show other people how to do them.

But still, there's a voice in my head that whispers "Fraud". Sometimes it yells.

I've been thinking about this a lot recently. The Day-Job involves teaching aspiring artists, and the single biggest problem that the students I work with have to overcome isn't how to draw well. Drawing is easy.
It's believing that the work you are producing is worth showing people. That your worth as a person isn't tied up with how people receive the things you make. It's why students who have done almost all the required work miss deadlines. Or don't show their Tutor. Or don't submit stuff for group critiques.

It's why I have a drawer full of incomplete dolls, and why it takes me ages to work up the courage to list finished ones for sale. (My Etsy store sat empty for almost two years after I opened it.) It's why I go weeks without updating this blog (and avoiding it because I feel guilty about not updating only makes things worse).
Why, if I get a nice comment about my dolls I crash emotionally - I often end up in tears later in the day.

I know not to do this - that is restrictive and not good for me. I advise students about how to deal with and stop this behaviour all the time.
But still...

Now, the above isn't a whiny "lavish attention on and love meeeee", I'm just getting so sick of letting my stupid malfunctioning brain chemicals get the upper-hand on my behaviour. Joining ADO is something that I think will help force me to face these issues far more definitively.
It's all been a bit heavy - sorry.

So, um yeah.
~OH NO! what's that over there?!?~
^ That's what we in the business call a smoooooth deflection.

Here's a colourful dragon sketch I did on Monday:

I used every colour of watercolour-pencil I have!

And some paperdolls that I made in February. (See what I mean? My gods, FEBRUARY. Why have I not shown them?)

Steampunky!              Sassy!                Stroppy!

Gosh, I do go on.

I'll have to try to be a bit more concise and up-lifting tomorrow. :D

My Poor Neglected Blog, Elves, Dragons, and a Bishie*

Well, I've been a bit slack with the blogging recently.
Partly due to my computer being a stupid-head and dying, and partly due to dealing with a depressive period. Which sucks - and isn't a very good excuse - but there you go.

I have been busy whilst hiding from the world though:

Two of the Elves are finished - and will be posted on Etsy along with the Floofy pink lady, as soon as I've taken decent photos.

 And the third Elf is waiting to be dressed.

I've sculpted a scarred "pirate" elf who will have a hook-hand, and also needs a costume. And a body too, while I'm at it...

The paperclay "dollhouse" BJDs have been giving me a real hard time with their fiddly little arms/hands - so I'm cheating and making them out of polyclay. (no photos - boo!)

DRAGON!
Who will be getting painted this weekend, and then I have to find a small plaque to hang him off.

I've been working on a commissioned BJD too (secret - no pics)

And dug out a very old half done full figure sculpt and am attempting to salvage it.

I've started altering a "My Scene" Barbie that I brought early last decade, that then got chewed on by a cat, and stolen by the Sprog (who told me could have the broken doll back if I wanted - generous kid). I've wiped off her face paint and chopped off the chewed-up hand - I'm debating trying a re-root, or just giving her a wig, as her hair is really ratty. Also no photos. :)

I have also started another BJD - this time a "mature tiny" - or a 1/6 scale doll.
For a change, it's a he. *A bishōnen or "pretty boy".

At the Sprog's request - I've made a "Zuko" head for him, but this won't be his "official" head if I get him to the point of saleabilty. Fanart is fun - but it's a bit iffy to make it for sale due to copyright issues.

So, that's what I've been up to in the - gosh - 66 days since my last blog post...

OOAK Doll is Done

And she's floofy.
And pink.

OOAK Kitty

The paperclay kitty is done.

She has 11 joints (not jointed at wrists or ankles), and stands unassisted. 

I have to decide on a name and "story" for her, then she'll be going on Etsy.

"It's a rubber chicken with a pulley in the middle."

Hey look!
I finished him, and can't stop giggling at ridiculous he looks.