Fascinating....

This makes me want to scour the comments on youtube of lovely videos to see what's being said.

My blog is about art- but over all, hopefully, about beauty.

Meago/deviantart

And of course:

"Beauty will save the world." -Dostoevsky (and I STILL have not read that book.)

Steampunk Mary Poppins

What?

Indeed.

Close your mouth... we are not a codfish.

I started this for a steampunk T-shirt contest. I have a bit that has to be done to the file before I can submit it. If I can do that, and if I send it, I will post the link so you can go vote for me!

I think I will also put this on a few items in my zazzle store. Any suggestions? My sister has already said she'd like to have it on a bag.

Cuteness Alert

I love this blog. She. Is. Adorable. Kind of like Ponyo- which I just watched. Made my night so much better!

If you want to die of cuteness, I suggest Ponyo. As well as Howl's Moving Castle. I love Hayao Miyazaki.

More Exciting News!

I was just accepted into the Catholic Illustrators Guild! I feel so.... grown up? Proficient? Blessed? Dexterous? Obliged? Affected? In need of nibbling nourishment? Indeed!
    In short, I was rather beatific at the news this morning when I checked my e-owls.
And yes, I am taking liberties with this post to practice my vocabulary with my mac dictionary. I looked up most of those words....
(anyone catch the Harry Potter reference?)
  And, ahem, a random quote I just received from a friend. 

“Whatever the Way, the master of strategy does not appear fast….Of course, slowness is bad. Really skillful people never get out of time, and are always deliberate, and never appear busy.” 
― Miyamoto Musashi


 If you recall, I posted a quote by him for my first post. He makes me laugh. So, as my friend said, when you are accused of not being busy enough, just calmly mention that you are a master of strategy. 
   Oddly enough, I think I like Mr. Musashi because he reminds me of Jane Austen. He can make a point or insult you to your face, but you will have to pay attention to catch the subtleties. People like them can get away with insults, and get away with style. 


Interesting how one can jump from one subject to another, is it not?


Happy remainder of Hobbit Week.

Gallery Page Update

My Gallery page has been updated- it now has my favorite and most popular works (at least, as far as I've been able to tell). I thought perhaps it might be more convenient than having people leave the website to see a sample or two.

I thought this was adorable...

... and I think you should check it out. :)

Happy Belated Birthday Hobbits!

     And a happy Hobbit Day to the rest of you! Technically, that was yesterday. September 22nd is Mr. Bilbo and master Frodo's birthday, but I didn't realize it until the later morning hours, and didn't have time to draw and post properly the day of. However, I did find a website that said the week containing Sept. 22nd is considered Hobbit Week, so if you haven't had a chance to celebrate properly, you still have almost two days left! I celebrated by watching the Fellowship of the Ring extended version (for fans, there is a HUGE  difference), while drawing these pictures. Can one draw and watch at the same time? You tell me. Did I succeed? To be perfectly and entirely honest, I do think it takes away a bit from the drawing, but, I wanted to do both, and I didn't have time before work to do them separately. I had fun anyway. I think I will have to reread my Tolkien collection soon! There are so many things I have forgotten, and that makes me exceedingly sad.
      I picked out a bit from the "Long Expected Part" chapter of the Fellowship, because I thought that the most fitting.

'You mean to go on with your plan then?
'I do. I made up my mind months ago, and I haven't changed it.'

It is based off this:

Inside Bag End, Bilbo and Gandalf were sitting at the open window of a small room  looking out west on to the garden. The late afternoon was bright and peaceful. The flowers glowed red and golden: snapdragons and sunflowers, and nasturtians trailing  over the turf walls and peeping in at the round windows.
    'How bright your garden looks!' said Gandalf.
    'Yes," said Bilbo. 'I am very fond indeed of it, and of all the dear old Shire; but I think I need a holiday."
     'You mean to go on with your plan then?'
     'I do. I made up my mind months ago, and I haven't changed it.'
     'Very well. It is no good saying any more. Stick to you plan-- your whole plan, mind -- and I hope it will turn out for the best, for you, and for all of us.
     'I hope so. Anyway I mean to enjoy myself on Thursday, and have my little joke.'
     'Who will laugh, I wonder?' said Gandalf, shaking his head.  
    'We shall see,' said Bilbo.


Happy Hobbit Day to you all!

              

 

 

 

Update

My art website (it was marysullivanartwork.com) is no longer in use. I didn't want to pay for it anymore, and I simply wasn't having luck with it, and was losing more money than anything really. Right now, my gallery is deviantart, and I have a zazzle store for prints, and I am currently looking into selling paintings on ebay.

I am thinking about constructing a page on this blog featuring my favorite/best artwork... But for now, I just have deviantart.

BadCatholic Tackles Death Metal.....

... and he's brilliant as ever.  I mean, not to be a fangirl, but yes, I am linking to him again (and probably will again and again). And not to steal anyone's thunder, but I have totally thought what he said is so true! Those goths... they have no idea what dark means. They haven't even thought to imagine it's beautiful depths. You know, really, I mean, dead seriously, everyone longs to be Catholic so bad- they just don't know it yet.
    I know that I personally love darker things, but only darker things that have depth. The artist in me wants to somehow combine love, suffering, sacrifice, even death somehow in art. But as Marc mentions, today, death metal and the like are boring. They lack depth. They lack courage. I apply this to art. Type in "sacrifice" in the deviantart search, you get some model chick, half dressed, with some sort of blood substance somewhere, has too much make up, and is strewn across some decrepit looking structure or other with a pitiful look on her on her pouting lips. Nice. (Side note: not to completely bash deviantart. I use it myself right now, and for better or worse -usually worse- you can find what you want on there, and it does serve as a convenient free gallery for ones use and exposure. For now.)

I sympathize with them. I really do. If I weren't Catholic, had a life, a good family, etc, I would probably be one of them. I pity them.
    For what it's worth, here is what my emo/goth side produces:

Like Great Drops of Blood. Agony in the Garden.

I would like to think there is some difference. But of course, I am always learning. Both as a person and as an artist- while trying to combine the two in my art. Somehow.

Tips and Ideas!

    I read this lovely book called Entwined by Heather Dixon. Miss Dixon was raised with 10 other siblings I believe, and I think her blog is cute, witty, and a nice little place to see some refreshing creativity.

Anyway, on her blog, she is currently discussing the Delsarte method, which I had never heard of before, and I think it is very interesting.

 Here is part 1 of her crash course.

And here is part 2.

If I understand correctly, there will be a part 3 in the future.
Of course, one could always read the book of Delsarte's system of expression, but for now, I am very grateful for Miss Dixons quick, precise presentation. Thanks Heather!

Now, after looking at her blog again, I want to read Mary Poppins myself. Birthday present anyone? My birthday is coming up.

I Have Been Busy Drawing Noses, Working on Commissions......

.... and reading Catholic blogs (a new favorite activity). 

And here is one.

Ugh, my very NAME is MARY and I love the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows and BOTH this year AND last year I MISSED it. I know Our Lady forgives me, and she is probably laughing at my distress now- but it does make me a bit frustrated. Anyway, I have linked to the BadCatholic blog before, and I think you should read the article linked above. Besides, he picked two VERY lovely paintings for the post (all things lead to art/the pictures!.... and Chesterton, Aquinas, Jane Austen, Tolkien, the Passion and Resurrection, and coffee.)

I am also reading The Hunger Games series. It's not bad, but it could be a lot better- I just find the dumbed down YA style and the ever going love triangle annoying. Ugh, I usually can hardly abide love triangles!

I have been working on my anatomy lessons as well. I will share some of them with you, because I think they are cool looking, even if with a touch of creepy- which only makes them cooler in the end.

Did you know your mouth had that many muscles? Fascinating.

The nose.

The Eye! Ugly thing ain't it?

    I also have a lovely friend who commissioned yet another artwork from me. I  have people asking for art fairly often, and this young lady gets me to do stuff for her more than anyone (which, regrettably, still isn't much)! I must love her. 

   Her commission will have one of these:

And one of these (yay!):

   I think that is quite enough links and photos and update for now. Keep a special friend in your prayers. God bless!

This Brings Me Much Joy....

.... and I hope it does for you as well. Absolutely fetching! Beautifully prepossessing! Aesthetically winsome! (ok, enough vocabulary practice.)

Click here! Click here!

Click on "archives" and enjoy. Thanks Emily.

Welllll.... what now?

     Ok, well, I have finished a painting, and I don't really have a project to distract me anymore from, sigh, my anatomy studies. I must resume those. It will be very good for me, but not for you. I'm sure you will be quite bored. I will try to spruce things up once in a while, but for now, I really need to get back to it. I will maybe post interesting links or artworks perhaps. And, who knows, I may do draw something "real" with all it's parts... not just a section of muscle or skeleton.
                      
     In the mean time, Fall is coming, as is St. Therese's feast day AND my birthday (two of my siblings also have a birthday the same week as mine), AND......here is an amazing song from an amazing group.

   I believe this one is fairly new. I can not wait for their next album! God bless!

   P.S. If the Fall colors so inspire this year, I may try a bit of "painting outside" and perhaps have a go at a watercolor Fall painting...... That sounds attractive at the moment. Although I am skeptical of this "painting outside".... sounds a bit tedious and, well, messy. But I've never really done it, so I may be wrong.

Another Artwork Executed

    It is done- my St. Therese painting that I have been so excited about. It was accomplished rather briskly for me, seeing as it is larger than 16 by 20 inches, and I hardly ever paint something even that sizable.

"No One Bothering to Catch It"

     I thought of this painting one night when I was rereading for at least the 15th time a section of The Story of a Soul. I was from chapter five, the chapter about the Christmas that changed everything:

I enjoyed painting this dress!

"As I closed my Missal after Mass one Sunday, a picture of the Crucifixion slipped out a little way, and I could just see one of the wounds in Our Lord's hands, with blood flowing from it. A strange new thrill passed over me. It pierced my heart with sorrow to see His Precious Blood falling, with not one bothering to catch it, and I made up my mind, there and then, to stay in spirit at the foot of the Cross, to gather up the dew of heavenly life and give it to others."
                         -St. Therese <3


It is also roughly based on the idea St. Therese would speak of, about letting fall a shower of roses from heaven. Thus the reason for the blood falling as roses (at least, that was what I was going for.)

Yes. These were a PAIN-lovely as roses are.

     This idea is also in this post from a few months ago, with the blood turning into roses. I almost said "transfigured" into roses, but I don't believe that would be accurate: some might think blood to roses is a change for the better, this is Christ's blood- it is far more beautiful than a garden of roses.
    That was one of those things you don't plan on posting, but just think of sporadically as you are writing. In fact, I hadn't thought of that before, not even when painting these two paintings. Interesting.
   I am going to share a St. Therese quote that I do NOT like. It is something that I find hard, and that I'd rather not be reminded of. I have to fight little, annoying, and slightly vicious thoughts when I read it or here it:

 "If I did not simply suffer from one moment to another, it would be impossible for me to be patient; but I look only at the present moment, forget the past, and I take good care not to forestall the future. When we yield to discouragement or despair it is usually because we give too much thought to the past and to the future. "-St. Therese of Lisieux

A Bit of Nonsense Really

   In the past week there have been reports by one sibling (ONE sibling mind you) that there is mouse in the house. I for one don't mind- we live in an old house, so it's only right and decent to have one if you ask me! Anyway, while no one else, not even Brenna the kitty, has seen a trace of this mouse, it did, erm, inspire me. If this bit of nonsense even deserves the word "inspiration." Funny, I am working on an respectable  painting of monumental proportions, and I feel more accomplished by this mouse balderdash than I do something like my painting.
    Yes, I did use my Mac Dictionary/Thesaurus for a few of those words. But hey, maybe I learn a bit of nomenclature that way.
     In any case, I haven't written any rhymes since I was little- and even then it was no deluging amount. The only things with which I've provided such quantities to this earth are all those horse drawings I did when I was little. Hundreds I tell you! Thousands!
    As it were, so to say, the point is, it has been awhile, and I've not done much- so be merciful. I was rather thrilled when this burst out of me, and I only hope it makes some sense.
    Ahem:

There's a Mouse in the House!

Grab your shoes! Grab your mop!

Cover your feet, don't ever stop!

There's a mouse in the house there's a mouse in the house!

It'll nibble at your toes, and away they goes!

Over the hills, or far away?

You'll never know, 'cause you'll have to stay.

Unable to move, that's how you'll pay, 

For not keeping your little toes at bay!

There you have it. Exceptionally sensational, is it not? I even illustrated it:

   Now, just why the mouse is holding a tack, I am not positive. I just wanted him to have a weapon, and it seemed to me that a mouse might heft a tack.