Monster #6, 7, and Emily's Monster Shop - 12/14/15, 12/28/15

I suppose it is better late than never, but here is a double Monster Monday post (on a Tuesday...I know) that I have been very excited to share. The fact is, I had a bit more to share than just a monster, and I will use the holidays as an excuse for my lack-of-one last week.

For Monday the 28th (which I did start yesterday, by the way) I created a digital illustration of a Beholder from the Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual.

On the fourteenth, I sculpted this little guy. He was the first Monday Monster made from Sculpey. Sculpey was one of my favorite mediums as a child, where I constantly created creatures from my own mind and brought them to "life" through polymer clay. I recently rediscovered my love for this clay and had a happy accident with Amazon...therefore I've begun creating a bunch of these little guys for fun (and as Christmas gifts) and became inspired to finally join Etsy...here is my little Monday Mongrel (he still needs a name!) as well as some of his friends (or enemies) that will soon be available in the Etsy shop once they have a photoshoot.

Many of these monsters were created as Christmas gifts, so now that they have been gifted, I can finally share them! The rest (including this Monday Menace) will be for sale, soon!

My Etsy Shop will feature drawings, sculptures, photographs, and digital illustrations of many whimsical, often creepy, unique creatures and beasts...sometimes not, but mostly it will be of monsters. I am so excited to have a place to sell the fantastical results of my wild imagination. Believe me, this is only the beginning to what I hope will be a successful artistic endavor...and there are more where these critters came from.

xx Emily

Bleak Mid-Week, Mid-December Adventures - 12/16/15

Everything feels off lately, especially with this 50-60 degree weather going on in what is supposed to be a Wisconsin winter. Instead, it more feels like springtime in Seattle. The landscape is brown, wet, colorless, and lifeless...there's not much to look at.

As a creative, it is vital that I do not let the not-aesthetically environment keep me from being uninspired to make work. If anything, I owe it to myself to stay motivated and find something in these conditions...I need to at least try.

At first we tried the river, the water was torrential but there was no good way to get down the steep hill to the riverbank, it was best to let the water move and be mesmerizing over a still capture. The wind was biting, anyways. Continuing to drive through the rural countryside, we found a quaint chapel in the center of a graveyard surrounded by flat farmland. We decided to stop and step foot in this moldy chapel with a charming old pipe organ that no longer worked. We took a few shots here, and decided to call it a day.

We may not have found much, but we found something.

Wauwatosa East Seniors at Papahawk (August 2015)

My immediate family and I go up north near Eagle River and rent a lodge with some relatives and family friends every year. As it worked out, three of my lodge-mates were about to begin their senior year at Wauwatosa East High School and I had my camera along.

Meet Calvin, Quinn, and Bridget. They took a walk with me one evening around sunset and this is what occurred:

Monster #5 - 12/5/15

This frightening beast was created with far too many vector layers on Adobe Illustrator through an 8-hour process (except for naptime).

xx emily

Beatrix & Sylvie - (August 2015)

Looking back to when the planet was green, ripe, and sunny...and we were blessed with longer days, golden dapples of sunlight through the conifers, and blissful smiles. Oftentimes the best is found through simplicity such as walks in the woods with your kindred spirit.

Two sisters remind us all to take a minute and not take anything for granted. Keep your family--by blood or soul--close and treasured, share the moments, share a laugh.

Monster #4 - 11/30/15

I had completely forgotten to blog this past Monday's monster! Oh well, without further ado...here is the creepiest monster yet, again with gel pen in my sketchbook.

xx Emily

Monster #3 - 11/23/15

Gel pen on sketchbook paper

Spontaneous Portraits (Summer 2015)

Sometimes you just need to ask to take pictures of people to stay inspired. It helps when your friends are these people. Here's a look back to that impromptu photoshoot from Late July.

Of course, we ended our day with pizza.