Turns out, the more you draw, the more you want to draw. I think that rule also holds firm for exercise, or so I've heard. Or maybe it's just the season. I don't want to do much else other than sit at my desk in the warmest clothes possible with a cup of tea, just sketching. Like I used to spend all my time doing, in the days before the internet.

Other than that, nothing of note. Been writing a bit, for the magazine, for myself. Have a new column in the works, so I'm busy with that, and homeschooling, and baking. Lots of baking. There's lemon cupcakes in the oven as I type this.

Is spring here yet?

A lunar eclipse on the solstice? That's some strong magic right there. And discovering I had a year's Premium Membership granted to me by... someone! That's serious business. I am immensely grateful to the anonymous benefactor, and excited to have all kinds of new features to play around with.

I also joined my first ever dA group, Word. It's been fun seeing all the different art coming out of those ladies and throwing my own into the mix. I'm feeling good about this business. More inspired.

Happy holidays to everyone- solstice and all- and I look forward to the next year.

You shall see darnkess."

Introducing, hypocrisy.

For four years all I want is to have autumn again, autumn in my bones, under my feet, the smell of it. So why, someone tell me, why is it that all I can do is remark about how EFFING COLD I AM all the time and how I don't own ANY SLIPPERS or SWEATERS?

It's calling for snow. We have entered cold and flu season. You know what this means? A hell of a lot of time spent at my desk wrapped in a blanket with a cup of tea, which means a lot of writing, and a lot of drawing.

So, hang on to your DevWatch, kids. Conditions are perfect.

I finally found a place in my room to set up my tablet. I say this because since the last time I updated, I moved from Arizona back home to New York and am rocking it studio apartment style in my mother's house. Sharing a desk with my husband is kind of ridiculous, but I found a way to squeeze myself between the foot of our bed and his illustrious monitor of doom.

Because of all of this, not only have I fallen remarkably behind on commissions which I am most assuredly going to hell for, but I also have fallen remarkably behind on drawing anything in general. I'm happy to be trying my hand at it once more, obviously still with nothing to draw besides effing Panderbrook and her cohorts.

Hey, whatever keeps me active. Atrophy is the freakin' worst.

Also, my kid turned three a few weeks ago. She says hey.

As you can see, I'm much more motivated lately. Faaaantastic.
_____________________________

Stuff that doesn't fit in the profile below:

My current digital camera is a Casio Exilim EX-Z1050. It gets the job done. When taking on somewhat serious photography, I use a Pentax K-1000.

I work primarily in Adobe Photoshop using a Wacom Graphire 4 6x8 tablet. Off-screen I use Prismacolor markers & colored pencils, Winsor & Newton watercolor paints, and Sakura Micron pens.

My little sister was born nine days ago, on the day after my daughter's second birthday.

Welcome to Madelyn Elizabeth, my first blood sibling!

Happy birthday Aurora Llane, I love you, my best Beanshine!

Crazy.

*

In other news, I'm really sorry I don't draw much anymore. Life is pretty hectic with a two year old in tow. You know how it goes. I know a certain someone (LILITH!) is on my ass like white on rice to get shit done. I'M WORKING ON IT. I SWEAR.

Gary Gygax, founder of Dungeons & Dragons, died today.
That's worse on the old muse than leaving WoW is.

Sheesh.

I canceled my WoW account.

Looking back, it provided me with inspiration I hadn't been privy to since back in the day when I RPed with Steve. For the past year, all I've drawn has been WoW characters and since the guild disbanded and I stopped roleplaying on the server, I haven't had much interest to draw anything.

It leaves me wondering where my muse will pop out of, next. Another MMO? Our tabletop games? Old stories I wrote with friends that I've been reading?

I wish I could force myself to draw one thing from an unlikely inspiration every day.

Maybe I should.

EDITED ON Jan 21 TO ADD:  And somehow I'm still drawing WoW art anyway... I CAN'T STOP. IT'S A DISEASE.

It's easy, being surrounded by so many talented artists who wouldn't even acknowledge you if you paid them, to feel like you're just not up to snuff, in the art world. It's only second nature to push yourself to the point of exhaustion trying to figure out the cleanest coloring techniques, the simplest ways to mask layers and color lines, the best ways to ink, the only ways to come across professionally. Just when you think you've got cel shading figured out (which I don't,) suddenly vectors are flying in the face of all that is right and holy. (Vectors. How the hell am I supposed to learn that shit?) And the whole time I keep hearing my father's voice telling me I need to tighten my rendering, which is indeed the most ridiculous thing of all.

Push yourself harder.
It's all you can do.

I can has squooshy wrist pillow for tablet? PLZ?
QQ  eet huuuurts.  Queue queue.

The tablet arrives tomorrow.
And then?
DOMINION!
(...Mother Russia?)

I had long since abandoned this account.
I thought it time for a change;
For much has changed.

I hope I'm welcome again.
/salute

I think that's everything. I was so surprised to be getting comments before I even had everything uploaded. O_o; Sheesh! I feel so loved. Thanks for the support, guys!Well, there it is.