Showing posts with label My Art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label My Art. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Adventures in Art

Manny The Mantella
Adventures in Art: A brief look into my experiences as I wrap my mind around the visual arts. 

Manny The Mantella (Frog) Gallery Wrap Canvas
Manny The Mantella (Frog) Gallery Wrap Canvas by Lace9lives

See Manny the Mantella Oil painting from start to finish on the Hand-Drawn Facebook page here

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Enter for a Chance to Win a Sheet of Hand Drawn Stickers and other great prizes!

Bri over at Bri's Bargain Blog is holding a "25 Days of Christmas" giveaway contest. Hand Drawn has donated a sheet of Full Colour Claddagh stickers. They're the large, 3" ones, so the details of the design come through great!

The Claddagh (Full Colour) sticker
There are also 29 other great prizes up for grabs, and entering couldn't be easier.
Here's the details on how...
Go to Bri's 25 Days of Christmas Giveaway

You'll find 29 one-time chances for entering, and they're super simple. Just like one of the Facebook pages of the sponsors, or follow them on Twitter. You can enter up to 29 times by completing one of the 29 different actions.

There are also three daily entry options that you can use every day. The more you enter, the more likely you are to win. There are 22 days left to enter.

Thanks to Bri for the opportunity to help sponsor this great contest. You can find her at Bri's Bargain Blog on Facebook as well.

Have a great holiday season and good luck with the giveaway!

Friday, November 25, 2011

Zazzle print from Hand-Drawn: Three Little Kittens

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Three Little Kittens Inspired by the classic nursery rhyme: Three Little Kittens This pencil sketch has been digitally coloured to give it a beautiful vintage look. Making it a great gift for children and adults alike.
Three Little Kittens
Three Little Kittens by Lace9lives
Find more at Zazzle.
Order This
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At Zazzle you can:
Shop billions of unique custom products.
Create t-shirts, business cards, invitations, custom gifts, and more.
Sell products and make $$$.

Top searches this week:
baby boy postage stamps, facebook like stickers zazzle, special ed t-shirt teachers do it in the least restrictive environment zazzle, tiger shoes, grandma aprons, chinese calligraphy jewelry, cystic fibrosis pin zazzle, clean and dirty dishwasher magnets zazzle, this bag contains a gun, custom picture mouse pads zazzle


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Shadow

 

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Zazzle invitation from Lace9lives: Boneyard Mutt Halloween Invites

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CREATE  |  APPAREL  |  MUGS  |  POSTAGE  |  CARDS  |  POSTERS  |  GIFTS  |  ALL     
Check it out!

As you can see Boneyard Mutt needs some feeding up, but don't worry he has a great appetite & will happily devour almost anything you put in front of him - as long as it's dripping with blood that is.
Boneyard Mutt Invites
Boneyard Mutt Invites by Lace9lives
Find more at Zazzle.
Order This
Share This! |  Facebook   Twitter   Wordpress   Blogger
At Zazzle you can:
Shop billions of unique custom products.
Create t-shirts, business cards, invitations, custom gifts, and more.
Sell products and make $$$.

Top searches this week:
make pin buttons, 2012 graduation pins zazzle, coffee cup design zazzle, super daddy tshirts, 40th wedding anniversary invites, honey do shower invites, miss me yet gifts, your what hurts zazzle, catholics vs convicts tshirts, 80's gifts


Zazzle, the Zazzle logo, Zazzle Custom Stamps, and Zazzle Profile Cards are registered trademarks or trademarks of Zazzle Inc. in the United States and other countries.
Your trust means the world to us. Check out our Privacy Policy and User Agreement. Forgot your password?
Need help or have any questions? Visit us at our Help Center
© 2011 Zazzle Inc. All Rights Reserved. Zazzle Inc, 1900 Seaport Blvd. Redwood City, CA 94063

Click to verify BBB accreditation and to see a BBB report. Paypal Logo DigiCert
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Friday, September 16, 2011

Time To Share Another Old Poem Of Mine.

Took awhile to dig this one out on my computer but as it is a personal favourite I'm hoping you'll agree it was worth it.
I'll not bother with an explanation as I think this piece pretty much speaks for itself both in title & content. Enjoy...

Sin


Sin is wicked. Sin is wrong.
Sin sees, when we, don’t feel strong.
Sin lives in us, Sin lives long.
Expert, of how to string along.
Sin corrupts us. Sin tells lies.
Deceives the foolish and the wise.
Sin abandons. Sins disgrace.
Some will sin to save good face.
Sin’s not picky. Sins not proud.
It hops about and yells out loud.
Sins so pretty, Sins well styled.
As awaited, has reviled.
Sin is selfish. Sin is spite.
So swiftly we forget what’s right
Sin has power. Sin has might.
Sin robs the seeing of their sight.
Sin is weakness, Sin is pain.
The best do sin without refrain.
Sin’s delicious. Sin tastes great.
Fattened sorrows on a plate.
Sin says nibble. Sin says taste.
Knowing you’ll lap up with haste.
Sins delight, for Sin is luscious.
To many, Sin is something precious.
Sin for seconds, Sin for hours.
While you’re chewing, it devours.
Sin is tempting, Sin is nice.
Brings to life, that ‘added spice’.
Sin is loyal, Sin is yours.
Those sins that helped; you be adored.
Sins prepared. Sins good to go.
Sit back and watch Sin steal the show.
Sin’s protection, Sin’s defence.
Sweetest distraction, when you’re tense.
Sin’s minute and Sin’s immense.
Many sins make lots of sense.
Sin: Our captor. Sin: Our friend.
With us till the bitter end.
Sins to thrill us. Sins to tease.
Sin proves, that we, succumb with ease.
Sin lying down. Sin on your knees.
Once in those woods, behind the trees.
Sin over here. Sin over there.
To say you don’t, you wouldn’t dare.
Sin’s for all. Sin’s to share.
Give to others… Bah… Who cares!
Sin is action. Sin is not.
Compassion that you haven’t got.
Sin is stupid. Sin is Daft.
Steps off, the straight and narrow path.
Sin’s within us. Or Sin’s without.
Truth is there can be no doubt.
Sin knows your name. Sin stays in touch.
Sin says it loves you very much.
Sin’s in me and Sins in you.
Sin’s a thing you know you do.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Celebrating The Pin Up

A pin-up girl, also known as a pin-up model, is a model whose mass-produced pictures see wide appeal as popular culture. Pin-ups are intended for informal display, e.g. meant to be "pinned-up" on a wall. Pin-up girls may be glamor models, fashion models, and actresses.(source: Wikipedia)

Grable's famous pin-up.
Many pin-ups were photographs of celebrities considered to be sex symbols. A prime example being Betty Grable - Whose legs were famously insured by her studio for $1,000,000 with Lloyds of London, and whose iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era with her poster "Pinned up" in the lockers of many a G.I. It was later included in the LIFE magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World"

Other pin-ups were artwork, often depicting idealized versions of what some thought a particularly beautiful or attractive woman should look like. Provocative images, particularly used in advertising, trod a thin line between sex and commerce; drawing on figures like Marilyn Monroe who created a sensation when featured centerfold in a 1953 Playboy.

Additionally, there are several contemporary artists such as John Kacere - The subject of his Photorealistic paintings were exclusively the mid section of the female body. Although in the early 1980s he did branch away from this theme and included the entire body of a female in lingerie, only to then return to his original mid-section of the female body in 1988.


Playboy magazine December 1972 cover featuring
the last illustration work of Haddon Sundblom
Perhaps more importantly there was also Haddon Sundblom - If anyone was responsible for the explosion of vibrant beautiful pitchwomen, it was this Chicago artist. Whose lush oil technique influenced a roster of important pin-up artists.
The most famous being Gil Elvgren, who worked at Sundblom's Stevens-Gross advertising agency along with such notable artisans as Al Buell, Harry Ekman, Bill Medcalf and Joyce Ballantyne. Their technique of using thick layers of paint to achieve a warmth and glow was dubbed 'the mayonnaise school'.

Until the Monroe/Playboy sensation, it was mostly Esquire who provided opportunities for a generation of pin-up artists; although they had presented photographic pinups previously, these had never contained overt nudity. Then in 1970 Penthouse introduced the world to pubic hair.
pretty soon the introduction of explicit men's magazines made the saucy depictions of 'the mayonnaise school' seem quaint and old-fashioned, as further advances in Photographic technology brought quicker easier means of satisfying the pressures of monthly deadlines.

Among the thousands of talented artists working hard to bring good art to the masses, many are still making time to pay homage to the natural beauty of the female form with some truly stunning art.

And thanks to zazzles cutting edge print technology many of these beauties are now available on a wider range of products than ever before. You can now own beautiful pin up's on anything from Key-chains, to Bumper stickers, to Keds sneakers, or go all out: to show off the true splendour of these works with zazzle Posters; made with premium UV-resistant archival ink, and available on seven different media, from basic poster paper to canvas.

My own original art is all handdrawn in pencil & because I love the effect of the contrast I generally only colour the clothing on my Sexy Ladies as well as offering the raw sketches themselves on products.



However Zazzle is a marketplace of astounding capacity and with a quick search you can find a fantastic selection of anything you're looking for. This results in quite the collection of "Pin-Up" art created in many different ways. Below is an example from a store that is a personal favourite of mine.


Sexy Black Lingerie Pin-up Girl Art by Al Rio print
Sexy Black Lingerie Pin-up Girl Art by Al Rio by AlRioArt


If you enjoyed this post & would like to see Sexy Art from a larger selection some of my favourite sexy zazzle you'll find these & more on My Website
Alternatively if you're interested in learning more about Pin Up girls & nudity in art you can visit my squidoo lens Pin-Ups Through History  Adults only I'm afraid so you'll have to login or sign up (it's free!)

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Why Sketch The Claddagh

Origins Of The Claddagh

Irish tradition holds that the Claddagh ring orginated with an Irish youth, Richard Joyce, who was kidnapped by Mediterranean pirates while en route to the West Indies.

Sold into slavery, he eventually came to be owned by a skilled Moorish goldsmith.  During his lengthy servitude, Joyce learned the skills necessary to be a master metalsmith himself.  In 1689, Joyce's freedom was secured by no less than King William the Third.  Joyce rejected his former master's offer of marriage to his daughter, as well as the hefty dowry she would have brought with her. Joyce returned to Galway, where his true love had been faithfully awaiting his return, never giving up hope.  Upon their reunion, Joyce presented his beloved with what was to become an everlasting symbol of fidelity and love, the Claddagh.  The two clasped hands were a motif of friendship reaching back to the days of the Roman Empire.  The heart symbolized romantic love and affection, while the crown honored the King who had made their reunion possible and stands for loyalty.



How much truth there is in the tale, the Claddah has still come to symbolize these qualities, and has become a common romantic symbol, especially of those of Irish descent.  Depending on the attitude of the giver and wearer, and the orientation of the ring when worn, a Claddagh can symbolize many different relationships.  In its most common form, the Claddah is worn on the right ring finger, with the point of the heart towards the wearer, it suggests romantic involvement.  When reversed, with the heart pointing away, the wearer is unattached.  When worn on the left ring finger in the style of a traditional wedding ring, the Claddagh is a symbol of marriage or engagement.  The Claddagh ring has existed since the 18th century, but it wasn't until the middle of the 19th century that the term Claddagh came into usage.

The Claddagh (Gold) necklace



What The Claddagh Means To Me


With an Irish Da, who came from a large Irish family, I have a habit of slipping into a fairly convincing Irish accent. Something which I'm sure can be disconcerting to some on a young Black British woman (Mother was Jamaican, so I'm pretty good at that accent too). Obviously I love both sides of my family but it's fair to say I always knew the Irish relatives better. As children me and my siblings spent much more time in their care and more than one of my Irish aunt's has good cause to claim they had a big hand in raising us.
Ireland was the first country I travelled to from England and some of my fondest memories are of spending time there with relatives in in my youth. Probably the reason I still consider it one of my favourite places on earth, even now that I've visited so many other fine places, and still think regularly of returning even though I've now settled in the US. People can tell you what a beautiful country Ireland is but the truth is it really is a beauty, which needs to be seen to be understood.
My Claddagh sketch is but a small tribute to my Irish family, and the happy childhood memories they aided me in creating. To the aunt's, uncles and cousins who made me smile over the years. It's a way of keeping even those who are no longer among us, a part of my waking memory because they were always so important to me.



Browse other personalized gifts from Zazzle.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Some of my old Blood+ Sketches

When I first started doing hand drawn pencil art, these were some of the first sketches I did.  I am a huge fan of the anime Blood+, and that inspired these drawings of scenes from the series.  I've been going through some older sketches and thought I'd put these up here.


I did these because I love the characters and how well drawn the show is, and wanted to have a go myself.


Collage featuring Saya and Diva, Saya decapitating a Chiropterans, the show logo, and a leaping Chiropteran.

Solomon and Saya, Solomon and Hagi fighting, Solomon defending Saya, Blood+ Logo

Haji, the Chevalier sworn to protect Saya.  He sooo pretty.....

Kai, Saya's adoptive brother, being very irresponsible with a firearm. ;-)

Saya brandishing her sword.