Threadless

In my spare time I've found a place to list my illustrations. Threadless is an online community forum where you may list designs and let others 'judge' your designs and tell you how to make them better. If your design is chosen, they will sell it as a t-shirt and send you some quick cash. It's just one more way of online networking in the design world and a great source of inspiration if you're running into a little designer-block. I will list my current designs on the right side-bar under the DoodleTrain link, so you can just click there to see them (and vote if you wish). Or, check it out here. This week, I submitted an illustration for a contest they were having with the theme of 'kids' and the great thing about it is Threadless will donate $2000 to any school the contest winner chooses! Pretty cool.
Happy Weekend!

No Comment?

I hate politics. I do 'my part' to vote, but don't get involved, don't protest, don't sign petitions...some people are called to those things, I think that's great. I'm not one of those people. Fox News makes me want to pull my ears off my head 90% of the time, but 10% of it I love. I tend to vote republican, but am not straight ticket. I get annoyed when people try to talk to to me about politics, especially when they're not from America, and pretend to know what they're talking about because they listened to some biased radio show. I stick to the sidelines of most issues, love God, love others is my calling, plain and simple. We're told to respect the authority God has granted the position to, and I feel that includes honoring decisions and not bad-mouthing that same authority. However, all this said, I also am 'for the people' so to speak. I'm for fighting at any cost to grant freedom to people (why I appreciate 'gasp' what's happening in Egypt, why I was for us invading Iraq, why I wish we would have gone into WW2 much sooner than we had, why I wish we would have gone into Rwanda, why I wish we would go into Sudan...of course all of these things will have drastic effects which we cannot control, but we can control injustice of a people-group, it's the duty of humanity).

Gotham City

Michigan Bat.

Gotham City has many meanings....

In England, "Gotham"-a homestead where goats are kept.

In Australia,  "Gotham City"-a 6-star brothel in Melbourne.

In America, "Gotham City"-a nickname for NYC

From 1939 forward, the most prominent definition is the fictional historical term, "Gotham City"-the home of Batman. 

No, it's not the crime, the dark nights or the cold. It's not the gangs or corruption, (at least I hope not) or the many business men who look eerily similar to Bruce Wayne. 

It is the Gotham bat signal in the sky. 

Here in Brisbane, it is literal. 

Not a giant spotlight, rather literal bats that litter the sky on a nightly basis. These are not just any old bat. These are megabats. (I'm not making that term up either) Gigantic, megabats with wingspans measuring over three feet! Wikipedia said they run around 4.9 feet, and because we all know that is always a reliable source, let's go with that! Either way, 3-4.9 feet of bat wing earns it's title of 'megabat.' 

um, hello! Is this a freakin' creature from Jurassic Park? 

I'm not afraid of bats, I think they're cute actually. Maybe it's the many memories of the annual 'bat-in-the-cabin' routine with my grandparent's cabin in Ontario. We would all try to get it out. Some of us were brutal, using badminton rackets, convincing us all we would wither and die from rabies if it wasn't destroyed immediately. Some of us were more environmental, trying to lure it out the door with kind words. Some of us were in-between and tried to capture it in a box or bag to let it fly free. It very, very much looked like the Dwight Shrute bat run-in from 'The Office.'  hehe

Watch the clip here.

 It was always fun, lots of screams and laughter and helmets and coats found from the 1600s when the cabin was probably built. So, yes, I think bats are cute.

Is it ok to say maybe 'megabats' don't fall into the 'cute bat' category? Alright, so they're not ugly, they just appear to be fictional characters to me and I don't really know what category to place them in. 

I will admit Australia does seem to be the land of fictional characters anyway, I mean, have you seen a platypus? 

Australian Bat. 

So where do these giant bats that look like dogs or foxes or rodents with wings go during the day? I actually don't have a clue. They eat fruit and nectar, which is not quite so intimidating, although, at that massive size, I was really hoping they would feast on the poisonous giant spiders roaming around that make goose-bumps rise on my neck every time I think of them. (shudder) It's quite another world, driving down the highway at dusk, or even sitting on our balcony, they come swarming. Think 'Ace Ventura' but on a nightly basis. Giant winged creatures come swarming in the night, is that not the strangest thing ever? 

Clip.

Maybe it's not strange at all, maybe it's totally normal, I'm comparing it to itty-bitty bats in Michigan where you might see one or two. So it's all new to me! 

Here is a more realistic video of what we experience nightly. It's taken in Sydney, but it looks identical to Brisbane's 'night life.' 

What they really look like.

Here's my illustration of a 'cute bat' and the real picture of what is swarming my head at night. At least we know we'll always have a superhero not far off if we're in trouble! 

Nif-Tee

So, we've been busy. Still no word on our next move...SURPRISE! So we have to plan accordingly to knowing exactly nothing. Lots of packing, organizing and cleaning. It's never ending really. We did enjoy a long week in the mountains for one last experience, pictures to follow...eventually. The movers come on Friday to move our stuff to semi-permanent storage in Marshall, MI. Ben and I will move to a small apt in Ft. Sask. until further notice of his job. I'll be heading home next week to enjoy time with my family. I'm so excited to spend a week at Camp Barakel volunteering with Grandma Fish for 'His-ability' week. Such a special place for me as that's where I met my wonderful husband and where I found God. To complete my summer-of-a-lifetime package, I now get to enjoy it with my grandmother. So exciting! I'm also in the midst of planning our high-school reunion. Yep, ten years have flown by. Just hoping the weather holds as it's a picnic-style campground gathering. Here are some of the designs that I worked on for the t-shirts. The 'final' design is omitted, so it will be a surprise. :)

Coloring Book Imagination

The other day a friend of mine showed me an artist who occasionally depicts children's drawings into more completed ideas. I thought this was a great idea and decided to give it a shot myself. I have a couple of drawings from my adorable nephew, Levi, that I decided to work with. Once completed, I began wondering if Levi pictured this when he originally drew a picture of me for Easter! Either way, it was a fun project to work with and I'll look forward to continuing in the future as long as I still get these magnificent pictures in the mail. Sometimes we need to take a break and open a coloring book to remind us of how using your creativity can really relieve stress. If your coloring book outlines were drawn by a 3 year old as mine were, than your imagination is limitless and new worlds abound just beyond the page. Don't forget to have fun with life, it's vital to your health.
Happy coloring~