Monster Monday: xoxo Nessie - 6/13/16

Happy Monday from myself, the Singular Fortean Society, and Miss Nessie!


xx emily

Monster Monday: SASSquatch - 5/30/16

Today's digital illustration is taken from a sketch I had for a merchandise idea. Bringing it to life in Adobe Illustrator was the first step in order to making this happen. Doesn't this bigfoot babe have a lot of sass? She's got it goin' on! ;-) (Wow...I can't believe I just wrote that).

As far as Emily's Monster Shop goes, I have put the shop on hold for the time being. Before you ask, I have NO intention of shutting the shop down. I am in the slow and steady process of turning it into a merchandise shop for my own brand as well as Singular Fortean's monsters. I want to put monster designs on shirts, phone cases, mugs, patches, art prints, totes, and more! This of course requires a lot of research and overhead in order to make this happen, but once production begins, we will be accomplishing a really unique and fun goal that will be great for both brands! Patience grasshoppers, keep your eyes peeled. The shop allows me to let my super-imaginative, whimsical creations live on perfectly marketable products!

I plan on creating monster sculptures for custom orders only for some time as I shift the focus of the shop for the time being.

Happy Monster Monday,

xx emily

Social Media and the Art Community - 4/7/16

It's crazy how much social media has taken over our world. I watch older shows from my lifetime on Netflix, and in the 28 (almost 29) years I've been alive, so much with technology and society has changed, especially how they interact with each other. My first cell phone could probably be in a museum. Beepers are now fossils. I've been in Madison for 6 years now and in that time there were several years where I straight up did not want a smart phone. Now, it is almost considered strange not to have one.

Even though I am a part of a generation that embraces social media, and I've taken online seminars on it...I feel as though I still have a lot to learn. It's such a great marketing tool, and I'm learning that dismissing one platform for any reason is dismissing a potential voice for myself as an artist.

Anyways, one of the things I would like to focus on with my brand and social media is speaking for art as a community. Not only do I want to share my art, I wand to show what a large, creative world there is that we can all be a part of and benefit from each other. I want to see YOUR art.

I have two weekly campaigns that I participate in on social media (occasionally three), and here's what they are and how YOU can be a part of them!

#MonsterMonday

I started #MonsterMonday as a way to start up my idea of creating Emily's Monster Shop. I've always had a love of imagining strange creatures and I wanted to make it a regular part of my art-making. It started with a few sketches, and eventually I rediscovered my childhood love for Sculpey as well as revisiting an old medium (Prismacolors) that I find I have a knack for. This idea is still growing, and I plan on doing so much more with the shop beyond what there is. Of course, these things take time and I know I should at least count on myself to never stop creating. My goal is to make a monster every monday, even if it is a small sketch on a napkin--you never know what can come from your sketches. Above is an example of one of the very first Monday Monsters that I rendered digitally for this past Monday. See how a sketch can evolve? Who knows what's next for this little guy. Ideas are best utilized if at least sketched or written down. You never know when you might revisit that idea for something else later on.

How can you participate in #MonsterMonday? Draw or make your own monsters! I want to see them! OR you can suggest ideas of monsters to me on Twitter or the other platforms of social media my art is on (I'll list them at the end of this post). Just make sure you hashtag your questions, comments, or creations with #MonsterMonday so I can see them!

#SketchbookSaturday

Sticking somewhat with the idea of sketching, writing, and making a creative efforts on the daily, I decided to start #SketchbookSaturday this past weekend as a way to hold myself responsible for sketching at least once a week, and to share said sketches on Saturday. A lot of other artists have done this (I see #SketchbookSunday too) and it's really cool to tap/click the hashtag and see what other people have drawn. This topic of course is more generalized, and no media or subject matter is restricted--no rules, draw whatever you want! The main point of Sketchbook Saturdays is that you are creating something and making an effort. Doodle on a napkin, who cares. You can make time for it, and we all should.

How can you participate in #SketchbookSaturday? Sketch at least ONE thing once-a-week (you don't have to do it ON Saturday) and then share the image on Instagram (or Facebook, or Twitter) with the hashtag #SketchbookSaturday and we can all see what you made, and you can see all of our sketches as well. I don't know about other people, but sketchbook pages are one of my favorite things to see on instagram. If you love sketchbooks, check out the Sketchbook Project. Anyone can participate, and this awesome project is on my to-do list as well!
PS: If any of you are serious about the sketchbook project and want to work on it in-tandem, let me know! I'd consider it, and we can hold each other accountable for filling pages! (Let's not overload ourselves, though. That's a struggle I have as a creative)

#ThrowbackThursday

We all know about #ThrowbackThursday or #TBT as it is now famously-known. I decided to include this one on here because I've often used it to specifically share old artwork (and the occasional childhood photo....because, duh). It's interesting to go through photos of my old work and share it to laugh at, remember an old project I was fond of, and remember that we all start somewhere. I know there are warnings of sharing old work, especially in a portfolio...but it is quite harmless to give a friendly share and get a laugh out of what you once created. It's the same as sharing a photo of yourself in that horrible outfit in high school...we all start somewhere.

How can you participate in #ThrowbackThursday? It's simple, old photos or artwork tagged with #ThrowbackThursday or #TBT on Instagram or Social media. If you want to keep it specific like I do and share old artwork, awesome! I'd love to see it! I don't know if that needs to be more specific or not...*shrug*


Okay, here's my shameless plug for my social media accounts. You may realize that some of them are my name backwards as my name is not terribly uncommon in this country (and clearly, I live to confuse you all...kindding):

• FACEBOOK: facebook.com/emilybartosart 
• INSTAGRAM: @emily_bartos
• TWITTER: @ylime_sotrab
• SNAPCHAT: ylimesotrab

I share all my artwork, specials, and services on these to reach an audience. Warning: I recently used my Snapchat story to share my geeking out over making cold-brewed coffee...occasionally stuff like that will appear on there...#sorrynotsorry ;-)
So follow me, I'll try to follow you back, we'll have fun with it! If you don't feel like participating, at least you have a way to check out some awesome art from myself and others to help you pass the time!

I'll leave you with this #powerpuffyourself I did of myself....for whatever dumb reason. Whatever, I had fun with it. We all need goofy avatars of ourselves to put off doing things like...cleaning, right? ;-p

Monster #14 - 2/15/16

This monster is the third in a set of "real-life" monsters illustrated with Prismacolor pencils (my favorite). Who could forget Bigfoot?

Also commonly known as Sasquatches, these creatures have been debated as hoaxes, myth, and hopeful reality. They are the beloved subject of popular culture such as the television series Harry and the Hendersons, as well as many other shows, movies, games, books, and more. I recently saw a Bigfoot Ale in the beer section of the grocery store. Clearly, as a population, we are mystified by the possibility of mysterious, giant ape-like creatures roaming our forests.

There is a certain lack of evidence of Bigfoot to where most scientists rule all film evidence and footprint casts as hoaxes. It's easy to say that we've dressed our best friend up in a gorilla suit and had him saunter around in front of the camera when there's never been a solid discovery of this monster. Believers argue that these creatures are somewhat endangered, and intelligent to a point that they know they can hide in solitude and be somewhat unknown. I try to think of the first captured bigfoot, and what a parade it would be...and for the captive bigfoot being on display and prodded by scientific instruments--that is no way to live. Perhaps they know better to stay away, and remain out of sight.

If they are real, I can't blame their decision to lay low.

Monster #13 - 2/8/16

Everyone has heard of the Loch Ness Monster, or otherwise lovingly and famously known as "Nessie." Loch Ness is a lake in the Scottish highlands and it's alleged beastly inhabitant could be a hoax, a surviving plesiosaur, a glitch on Apple Maps, or something else entirely. This urband legend of the mystical creature has not entirely been debunked.

As for me, I odon't know what I believe. The lake is supposedly pretty murky, so really, there could be anything in there. I know for certain I would not mind a surviving dinosaur on this planet.

This "Nessie" was created with use of Prismacolor colored pencils on Arches paper.

Happy Monday,
xx emily

Monster #12 - 2/1/16

Happy Monday (or, uh, Wednesday)! For the month of February I am focusing on drawing with Prismacolors--one of my longtime favorite mediums that I have not explored in a long time. I also have decided to depict traditional monsters this month.

This first February monster is the famously known yeti. I decided a notorious snow monster was an appropriate subject as we are still in the thick of a bitter, cold winter here in Wisconsin.

Yeti are a Bigfoot-type monster or "abominable snowman" that are rumored  to wander the Himalayas of Tibet. The yeti that were of reported sightings are similar in appearance to Bigfoot: reddish-brown in color and standing upright. I decided to go with a more "snowy" looking version of this creature that is often depicted white in the media and popular culture.

Hopefully I'll get next week's monster done on time 😊 I underestimated how long these drawings take. Oh well, live and learn I suppose.

xx emily

Behind the Scenes (Making a Monster)

I'm not going to bore you with a play-by-play narration of how I create my monsters. No one wants to read that. But, I can show you what happens when I have Sculpey polymer clay in my hand and cook it for 12 minutes in my oven at home at 275 degrees.

For the record, I still have not named my bear of terror, but these are his origins.

Monster #11 -1/25/16

For this Monday's monster, I polled my friends on social media to figure out what I was going to make. I had several great ideas thrown at me, but two that stuck out to me were "a winged hellhound" and a "purple gargoyle with glasses." I had decided I was going to combine these two options and create a purple, winged, hellhound gargoyle. I decided to not include the glasses for my lack of wire in my supply kit (I've come to realize I really need some) but I'm quite pleased with the results.

There is however, one problem.

He doesn't have a name.

Please feel free to comment on this post, email me at ylimesotrab@gmail.com, or #MonsterMonday on Instagram with your name ideas. I will choose the name that best suits this creature.

xx emily

Monster #10 - (1/18/16)

I always begin planning a creature for Monster Monday a week in advance. Despite the growing list of ideas I had for these monsters, I felt compelled to ask my boyfriend what kind of monster I should make. A teddy bear possessed by the soul of a serial killer was one of these ideas.

Regardless, this little bear turned out pretty frightening. I don't know if he's possessed or demonic, but he is a savage terror bear.

As pictured above, this piece is not yet glazed and he does not yet have a name. Follow me on Facebook or Instagram for a post later this week that will also feature this monster. Maybe he will have a name by then.

Monsters in the Shop this Week! (1/11-1/15, 2016)

Happy Friday!

Starting with this Monday, I FINALLY got a bunch of Monsters into the shop! Although, if you have been following me on social media, you may have noticed my spamming your feeds promoting my monstrosities...(Sorry, not sorry) but I thought I would take the opportunity to summarize what little creatures are for sale in my Etsy Shop.

You may notice that many of these creatures are "Thumbeasts." I came up with this species on my own as my original creation. They are simple "pinch-pots" that I can come up with quickly and be the main body of the stock available in the shop as well as be a trademark of the products I have available. Thumbeast refers to how many of these are not much bigger than many people's thumbs and were created mostly by molding the polymer clay with just my fingertips.

I have a pretty cool monster planned for this coming Monday as well as many more I have ready to glaze and go into the shop. I plan on creating an abundance of these little guys for as long as my Sculpey supply will hold up and for the rest of the month of January. This way, I have a good body of work to get started and have an abundance of ideas that I plan on continuing with sparatically. I would like to see how these sell before adding too many more and purchasing more clay as well.

There are some awesome ideas I have in mind for February. I have some Monster Valentine's ideas planned and am using that month to focus on Illustration to get a good leg up on that category of the shop.

Thank you all for the awesome feedback and support as these monsters have only been in the shop for a few days. Hopefully I sell something soon, but I'm really happy to have rediscovered a style of art that I've loved for so long and worked with as a young girl. Pictured below are the monsters that are currently in the shop. I have many more that need to be glazed and photographed, so stay tuned for everything!

Emily's Monster shop can be found at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/EmilysMonsterShop

xxx emily

Monster #9 - 1/11/16

This Monday, I am ecstatic to share what I consider to be the best monster I've made yet!

This is my own take on a Wereshark (it doesn't have a name yet) which is a lycanthrope most commonly associated with the Dungeons and Dragons series. They aren't as common as other lycan beings such as werewolves, but they've appeared in some fantasy novels, tabletop roleplaying, and in popular culture in tv shows such as the 90's Street Sharks.

Once I figure out a name for this terrible beast, he will be available for sale in my Etsy shop!

Monster #8 - 1/4/16

This week I decided that the first monster of 2016 should be one that pays tribute to a beast that we are all familiar with...well, at least one that most Wisconsinites are.

Have you ever heard of a Hodag?

Hodags are a folkloric monster from Wisconsin, primarily in Rhinelander (which is the city mascot). They appear in several Paul Bunyan stories and newspapers reported a "discovery" which ended up being a hoax in 1893. The alleged capture had occurred in Rhinelander by a land surveyor and timberman named Eugene Shepherd. He had the event photographed as well as the created corpse on display at the county fair. Despite the discovery, capture, and evidence being completely fictitious, the Hodag remains a prominent symbol of Rhinelander and the folklore is still celebrated for its fantasy as any mystical, mythical monster should be.

The above Hodag made from Sculpey will lovingly be named Heinrich and will appear for sale in the Etsy shop soon.

Happy New Year,
xx emily

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