What Do You Need?

What do you need?
Originally uploaded by chicken widget

Not to be confused with it's sister painting, "What do you want?"

Good to be a bee

Good to be a bee, originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Or so I imagine it would be. Zooming around, rolling around on flowers, getting all pollen-y. Good stuff.

The Daily Photo Project Marches On! Celebrating 100 photos!!

Last night, I posted what turned out to be the 100th Daily Photo! Hooray! That's almost a THIRD of a year. Sort of a big deal for me. It has been very tricky...sticking with a daily type project, remembering to actually do the daily type project... It's getting done, but very imperfectly. The part of that last sentance I am focusing on is the "it's getting done" part. There are ups and downs- parts where it ceases being fun, and other parts where it suddenly is fun again. It's good to know that it can swing back around like that! Here are a few picks from the last week:

Daily photo 8.27.07
Originally uploaded by chicken widget

This one's from yesterday. A brand new softie in a koala track suit perches on my ancient sewing machine.

Daily Photo? 8.26.07 A
Originally uploaded by chicken widget

I couldn't choose which one of these would be the Daily Photo, so I just had A and B parts. (It's not her dinner- it's her treat jar. And yes, she got a treat immediatley after I shot the photo.)

Daily Photo? 8.26.07 B
Originally uploaded by chicken widget

As always, click on the pictures to see a larger version.
p.s.: Softies Central featured my Sammy in San Francisco photo!

Illustration Friday- Visitors

Opening the Gate, originally uploaded by chicken widget.

An example of the kind of visitor you don't want.The fox in a lamb suit strikes again! Another painting with my new favorite fox.

Bits. Also, bobs.

Here's a little peek at what yesterday was like:

Daily Photo 8.22.07
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

(click to see a larger version)
I tried something new-ish: painting on little blocks chopped from 2 x 4s. Super cute robots seemed like the best subject matter.
Here's a close up on the Chick Bot block.

Chick Bot
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Manic/ Depressive bracelet set
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

And, here's something I made a few weeks ago but am only getting around to photographing now: Mental Disorder Bracelets. This is the only one I intended to sell as a 'set'. Other bracelets: OCD, Germaphobe, Paranoid, Procrastinator...Once you get started, it's quite difficult to stop making them. This is my last stab at making jewelry (at least for now).

Absolute Press!

Missing
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

A few of my pieces are currently at a show in Miami called diy:mia. Well, the show's been getting a little bit of press, and I got singled out a little bit, too.
I got a wee mention in the Miami New Times which you can read here.
Yay! Quasi-positive mention by a tiny paper! Huzzah!
(Upon reading this for the first time, my head got all hot. Really. Just like the Pedro.)

So...about the show...

Sheep's Clothing
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Well...it wasn't a success in the traditional sense of the word...(you know, as far as selling stuff goes)
But! It was a lot of fun. I met some great local artists. I manned my table next to Cinder the first day. He makes some great science fictiony paintings. I also met two Jens- One of Wisteria Forest and one of Indie Galore.(Thank you for the lovely write up, Jenn!) Both very nice and talented. Ryanne of Hipee Baby was there, and also the folks from Asbestos Press. And there was one other lady selling some great jewerly...and I'm afraid her name has completley slipped my mind. (I'm sorry!!)
Also, you can now visit my work in person at the Cool Cat Gallery. And hopefully take it home, too!
(About the painting: I know foxes don't eat sheep. That's not what it's about. He's only going to steal them.)

Hello from the midtown boutique district sidewalk sale!

I am at the sidewalk sale and kicking myself for not bringing a project to work on. Pestering you all is the next best thing!

Enough is too much

Blue Owl Softies Portrait
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

I find myself operating from a state of near constent overwhem, a human perpetual motion machine. I am going to be making some adjustments soon...right after the show. This weekend, if you are in the Sacramento area, all the little boutiques along J street are having sidewalk sales. I'll be there too, in front of a gallery. Go forth and buy things.
Anyway: here is a link to something neat: The Low Information Diet. Here's a quote from the .PDF: "What information consumes is rather obvious:
it consumes the attention of its recipients.
Hence, a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention
and a need to allocate that attention efficiently
among the overabundance of information sources
that might consume it."
-Herbert Simon
Yeah. I need to make a few changes.

Thanks Cuteable!

Someone at Cuteable likes my softies!

And they put together some great photo mosaics of my creatures, too!
Have a look!

In love...

lamby lamby
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Something new for me- pen and ink. Real ink, real pen nibs. I love it- it gives me the line quality I've been looking for for so long! Why did I not try this sooner?
I drew up a few of these little cards yesterday...oh my goodness do I love to draw. I haven't had much time to sit down and focus lately- this was such a treat!

A tale of two desks

Daily Photo 8.10.07
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

This is part of my day job desk. Clear of clutter, distractions, work, life.
If you scroll to the post immediately below this one, you'll see my home desk. (well, one of them) Full of clutter, distractions, work, life.
This is my life.

Chaos? Frustration? Overwhelmed? Must be show time again...

Daily Photo 8.08.07
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Hey, yeah, it is! I'll be at the Midtown Boutique Sidewalk Sales next weekend in front of Cool Cat Gallery. (Sacramento)
I'll also be at Handmade Parade in October.
Anyway, all the crazyness is making me question something. And that question is "Do I really still need to make jewelry?" I came to this question after a particularly frustrating piece had me nearly banging my head on the table. Not that I actually was. All the head banging would mess up all the tiny beads lined up just so.
A brisk walk after this little meltdown got me thinking. Do I actually enjoy creating jewelry any more?
The answer came almost instantly, and it wasn't all driven by frustration, "NO." I'd rather be painting, or creating a little plushie. Those things (mostly) calm me down and make me happy.
Why not just leave the jewelry making to the people who actually enjoy making the jewelry?
The funny thing is, I used to really enjoy making jewelry. My first stab towards an artsy-craftsy business was making jewelry. I'm not sure what changed, and it's certainly not a slight to all the fantastic jewlery makers out there, but it's just not for me anymore.
It's time to clean off my work table.

Thanks, Monday Artday!

I won the Weekly Challenge award at Monday Artday this week. The Weekly Challenge was:"Come up with next week's Weekly Challenge". My suggestion was that we create a toy/plushie out of an illustration that we've done.
Now is a really good time to check the site out too, because in addition to the Weekly Challenge I suggested, the other Weekly Challenge (they always have two) is "No Pants".

With weather this nice...

Sammy visits San Francisco
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

it's awfully hard to focus on anything!
Best to just get outside and enjoy it while it lasts.
Happy summer, everyone!

Psst...Indie Fixx is having a contest!

And they're offering some very cool stuff for the grand prize! Though I say it myself.
Click here to go check it out!

Who is that masked chicken?

I had so much fun creating the Chickenpants painting that I just had to make one for another favorite softie:

Who is that masked chicken?
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Two chicken bandits? That's just asking for trouble. They'll egg each other on, and before you know it, you won't have any valuables left at all. They will have sold them all for grain based alcohol.
(sorry...that's the end of the bad puns for this post, I promise!)

Chicken Bandit painting
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Think you can handle them?

Hey good lookin'

Inspired by the lovely Curster, I made a painting of one of my softies.

Hey good lookin'
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Nice pants, buster!

Chickenpants!
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Here's the actual painting. It was so much fun doing this. I have been dwelling almost exclusively in Plush Land for a while now...it was great to break out the paints again. Thanks for the idea, Curster! More to come soon, no doubt!
p.s.: chickenpants- the set!

Plush who?

What's that in the bushes?
Originally uploaded by chicken widget.

Guess who's on Plush You today?

Wow...and Softies Central too! My plush cup runneth over.

Illustration Friday- Moon

Brought to you by the giant fox in the moon.
Acrylic, canvas, and so on.