Saturday, August 27, 2011

In search of the non-monkey mind...

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I can't recall the first time I came across the phrase 'monkey mind', but it certainly had a profound impact on my awareness of how busy my own mind can become. List making, focus on accomplishing tasks, intermixed with dreams, considering my path, my past and future, realities of the day, matters at hand and the recalling of, daydreams, conversations with others, music and its lyrics.... memory spurts of things that remind me of another thing...and on and on. It is next to impossible to even list a fraction of what comes to mind in any given hour, let alone day.    60,000 thoughts per 24 hours  is the amount I am told is an average amount for one person has in any given day.  

And even the thought of escaping, quieting one's mind, whether by listening to the sounds of nature or settling into a meditation,  comes fraught with plans and the execution of same.  

Inspired by the monkey mind phrase, and in part by Laurie Feld amazing paintings, this illustration was my humble attempt to visualize this quietening - a time when life slows down and thoughts turn into whispers of color, our true nature awakens and we visualize the monkey fading into the distance.  It's a departure from the deeper, more colorful pallette I've been entertaining for quite some time...and the softening of the hues seem to mirror a quieter, more peaceful ambience.

Thanks for the visit.  This print will be available for purchase in Etsy sometime early next week. 

"Tuning and Turning In"   8x8 inch digital illustration
Copyright 2011 TwoDressesStudio
All Rights Reserved
Image Credits - several bits and pieces from my own collection of images blended together with lace from C. Rennee.  tree from Finecrafted Design, Tumble Fish Studio (small roses), Iktupilli - two birds, plus monkey, map and body from public domain, brain from Tangie Baxter, face is a composite of three different faces, which I then combined, blended and digitally painted.



Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Drive by Posting....

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It's been a long long time since I've gone more than a week without posting, so I am touching base quickly (on my way to an annual golf tourney), to share eleven new digital illustrations thanks to my creative team work with new offerings of the Tumble Fish Studio, Holliewood Studios,   Crowabout Studio B  and Finecrafted Designs variety..... 


"Moon Seranade" - digital illustration
Copyright 2011 TwoDressesStudio
All Rights Reserved
Image Credits - Tangie Baxter, Holiewood Studios, Tumble Fish Studio



"Let Your Light Shine" - digital illustration
Copyright 2011 TwoDressesStudio
All Rights Reserved
Image Credits -Tumbe Fish Studio






"Can You Hear THIS?" - digital illustration
Copyright 2011 TwoDressesStudio
All Rights Reserved
Image Credits -Tumble Fish Studio and Holiewood Studios (gate and garbage can)





A Magical Life - digital illustration
Copyright 2011 TwoDressesStudio
All Rights Reserved
Image Credits -  Tumble Fish Studio




"Marie's Man Cage" - digital illustration
Copyright 2011 TwoDressesStudio
All Rights Reserved
Image Credits - Finecrafted Designs








Below, is a reworking of an illustration I did a year ago for Tumble Fish Studio which started with the first illlustration.  I edited the shadows and then added the two that followed. 

"Red Shoe Mornings" - digital narrative illustration
Copyright 2011 TwoDressesStudio
All Rights Reserved
Image Credits - Tumble Fish Studio and Holliewood Studios (shoe and bird)




And finally, three "mail art digital illustrations" all from a collaborative effort from both Tumble Fish Studio and CrowAbout StudioB - 



"Crow Stamped Postage"
Copyright 2011 TwoDressesStudio
All Rights Reserved




 
 "Welcome to Philadelphia" digital illustration
Copyright 2011 TwoDressesStudio
All Rights Reserved


 
"Fragile Five" digital illustration
Copyright 2011 TwoDressesStudio
All Rights Reserved



Hope you are all having a wonderful sun-filled August with plenty left over  for September and October!  To the Moms with children or teens returning to school - take a deep breath!  it's almost there!

Monday, August 15, 2011

I can't believe it is already the 15th of August!

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 I am absolutely certain, the calendar is wrong, and it really is only the first of July.  So, starting today, I decided to turn back the calendar to 6 weeks earlier and pull the wool over my own eyes.

I have two new pieces of work to share today.   They are "Makeovers" from masterpieces found through Creative Commons (public domain)  and were created primarily from Tumble Fish Studio's new JOLIE PAPIER set of images with  before and afters for fun.    Both of these illustrations were quite time consuming as I had to extract the design details from the backgrounds.

 After - "Jolie" - digital illustration
Copyright 2011 Two Dresses Studio
All Rights Reserved
Image Credits - TFS Jolie Papier, other selected TFS background images and Holliewood Studios for feather, as well as image noted below













 
After - Portrait of a Woman - digital illustration
Copyright 2011 Two Dresses Studio
All Rights Reserved
Image Credits - see below "Before" and TFS Jolie Papier



Before - Portrait of a Woman - Paola Zacchia


A snapshot of the previews for the Jolie Papier -



Available here

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Before and After - "Sleight of Hand"

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I think the images tell the story of the process of this digital collage - start to finish about 11-12 hours.  If you're interested in joining me by sharing your 'before and afters', regardless of medium, technique, or genre, email me at twodressesstudio@shaw.ca 

Thanks for your visit!


Before 
 -  images selected  (from Tumble Fish Studio - Cartes de Jex and Vive la France, figure - Lewis Hines and feather - Sherrie JD )




Digital Collage - "Sleight of Hand" 
Copyright 2011 TwoDressesStudio
All Rights Reserved

Monday, August 08, 2011

Sunday Postcard Art - Pirates Digital Doodle....plus

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 Sunday Postcard Art - Arg, Argh - digital illustration
Copyright 2011 Two Dresses Studio
All Rights Reserved
Image Credits - Tumble Fish Studio, Holliewood Studios and Tangie Baxter
To play along press the Pieces of Eight Quarter Moon above !  And, a new CT creation for Art by January at Deviant Scrap - Flowers - 

January's Flowers
Copyright 2011 TwoDressesStudio
All Rights Reserved
Image Credits - flowers - Art by January at www.DeviantScrap.com


and, from Holliewood Studios new kit - "Black and White"
Raining Cats and Dogs
Copyrigh 2011 TwoDressesStudio
All Rights Reserved
Image Credits - Holliewood Studios and Tumble Fish Studio (figure-boy)


Friday, August 05, 2011

Creative Team Work featuring New Images from Tumble Fish Studio

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Marsha  of Tumble Fish Studio, has just released two new packages of images over at DeviantScrap

- Vive La France
- 15 Dresses

Below, are my contributions to her Cèst Bon images utilizing several of her new images from the above along with older selections too!  


Composition Study - Line - digital illustration
Copyright 2011 Two Dresses Studio
All Rights Reserved
All images - Tumble Fish Studio




 
 ``When In France...`` Digital Illustration
Copyright 2011 Two Dresses Studio
All Rights Reserved
Image Credits - Tumble Fish Studio





 "I see London, I see France..."  digital illustration
Copyright 2011 TwoDressesStudio
All Rights Reserved
Image Credits - Tumble Fish Studio




Queen of Stars - digital illustration
Copyright 2011 Two Dresses Studio
All Rights Reserved
Image Credits - Tumble Fish Studio



Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Before and Afters - an Invitation to Inspire

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Are you the type of artist who 'gets an image in your mind' and create exactly what you've envisioned?  Or, do you let the process lead you?
Personally, I often  surprise myself  - what I start out with and what I end up with can be and often is,  entirely
different and  unrecognizable from the finished product.  Other times, only a little snippet remains.  Or, the digital image takes on texture and dimension (like this one below) when printed onto cloth and sewn.



  I know I love seeing those "before and "afters".   Whether it is following a painting along from start to finish, a collage as layers and layers are added on top of each other  or a digital composition and which images were incorporated.

So today I thought I'd suggest something, that would be fun for me, and I hope, for those of you reading this.    All that is required as far as planning goes is to take a "BEFORE" snapshot - the early stage of a painting, your first images down on canvas, paper or virtually on the digital screen.

Email your before and afters to me twodressesstudio@shaw.ca  (at a decent  but not ginormous size)  with any relevant insights as to what you lead you from A to B and I'll set up a page to post them  with a link back to your blog.  

Here's a digital example - 


Before  (about 12 or 13 images to start) 
from Finecrafted Designs (VooDoo) and Holliewood Studios - www.DeviantScrap.com





I had no idea this would end up below and be called...
"The Marshmellow Roast" - digital illustration
Copyright 2011 TwoDressesStudio
All Rights Reserved



I'd love to  see where you've been and where you're at!  Will you play?  Hope so!