tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47547619137911118032024-03-14T04:37:21.329-04:00Christina Hess'sSTUDY HALLAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.comBlogger195125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-30556169985727203952016-10-24T17:21:00.002-04:002016-10-24T17:31:08.278-04:00Go Learn SomethingThere is an extreme benefit to continuous learning that I cannot stress enough. This isn't a pitch because I teach. I'm saying this because I consider myself a constant student. No matter where we are in life we can learn more.<br />
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The day to day routine can play havoc with the fluidity of creation. In the past I have explored numerous illustration events to learn how to interpret my position in the world of illustration. I've taken workshops, attended conferences and exhibited at conventions. Every situation informed my work in a positive way. Each experience shook the stagnant fog out of my head. Education, no matter how you get it, is the cornerstone of every new skill and technique. It is the foundation to a stronger body of work.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMae-Kjo-0JDSdDrlKm2Tpch7ANoQZ1mnI8DYlHVrtt1XeGE9Xkxv7Xa0_6szEGoXTVCb4Zqjcwp5GBL5JiFkL72yePrg6aab924u9WY2jAsoPXvLd5dn848ZamEPfnQ9lWDqQp5gCiI/s1600/Honey+Cargo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibMae-Kjo-0JDSdDrlKm2Tpch7ANoQZ1mnI8DYlHVrtt1XeGE9Xkxv7Xa0_6szEGoXTVCb4Zqjcwp5GBL5JiFkL72yePrg6aab924u9WY2jAsoPXvLd5dn848ZamEPfnQ9lWDqQp5gCiI/s400/Honey+Cargo.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honey Cargo wip.</td></tr>
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One year ago I had a great opportunity to create <i><a href="http://christinahess.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-nutcracker.html" target="_blank">The Nutcracker</a></i>, a children's book. That experience opened up new doors that challenged my skill set and preliminary processes. After the completion of the project I started researching classes. I needed to be a student again and be immersed in the learning process. I needed answers to the questions I had recently discovered.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqW9Sk9l5xHXt5PtCQ2Z6cvG_6hVql-wgfh_TmGcg6NYB-p-pFBjIjGPLM-sFO-dtX-ZjYZYGcmoKluEUlh2mk668Xz8h4Fwol5A6Il2mUq58HnQRmdGmaxrr_TH4v6yMVCt-sZHuXQCY/s1600/Sirens+Final+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqW9Sk9l5xHXt5PtCQ2Z6cvG_6hVql-wgfh_TmGcg6NYB-p-pFBjIjGPLM-sFO-dtX-ZjYZYGcmoKluEUlh2mk668Xz8h4Fwol5A6Il2mUq58HnQRmdGmaxrr_TH4v6yMVCt-sZHuXQCY/s400/Sirens+Final+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sirens wip</td></tr>
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Listening to Paper Wings, Stories Unbound and Escape from Art Jail podcasts by the <a href="http://oatleyacademy.com/" target="_blank">Oatley Academy</a> introduced me to new learning possibilities. There were a slew of classes available through the site so I dug in and found <a href="http://chrisoatley.com/painting-drama-p1/" target="_blank">Painting Drama</a>. Painting narrative scenes while focusing on creating drama in visual storytelling. Perfect!<br />
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During the summer the class met on Thursdays at Noon EST in a digital classroom. Chris Oatley guided the class with the assistance of the effervescent Erika Casab. As determined as I thought I was there were some mighty impressive dedication from my classmates. Several people were taking this class at 2am in Australia and a sprinkling of other times in Iceland, Israel, Mexico, Hungary, the UK and the list goes on. I was immediately impressed and humbled by my new colleagues and thier undying dedication.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cutie Pie wip</td></tr>
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The prompts were open and flexible and the studies were invaluable to the development of strong compositional skills. Abstract solutions to fine tuned values were part of the experience. Opening the doors between representational art and abstract art was one small sliver of the whole process.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSjpNpuh6_wP6J4NbDSXmAaoD_WhxcChYv2xPIcNz8EkE1enIhTNOGfK6fSCyxRM0qrltR7cyNVQZOWHYU75BlOVCQzkn7RvRwPMLEP5bifzTxetB4PU9SHTEkk_3twpW7gvM5hfQ178/s1600/28961742072_372e5d8429_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSjpNpuh6_wP6J4NbDSXmAaoD_WhxcChYv2xPIcNz8EkE1enIhTNOGfK6fSCyxRM0qrltR7cyNVQZOWHYU75BlOVCQzkn7RvRwPMLEP5bifzTxetB4PU9SHTEkk_3twpW7gvM5hfQ178/s320/28961742072_372e5d8429_b.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abstract studies to build exciting unexpected compositions. These were some of the 150 studies my partner, Rachel and I shared.</td></tr>
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Chris offered refreshing approaches to shaking up the excitement of a composition while focusing on analytical compositional decisions. How revitalizing this was to me as both an artist and an instructor.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqC29u-NKGnEL3ggp50LmRhl8Pl7s62gRpjBN-iB4tw3K9sjgIMo1SdFIGNHECn45Nktl5wKskGAjxToKgPX3B09anDAD-feHs7j1hj792Ew9mjCREskXklx3tC29iTxnBd9LdWam59E/s1600/Example+Studies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqC29u-NKGnEL3ggp50LmRhl8Pl7s62gRpjBN-iB4tw3K9sjgIMo1SdFIGNHECn45Nktl5wKskGAjxToKgPX3B09anDAD-feHs7j1hj792Ew9mjCREskXklx3tC29iTxnBd9LdWam59E/s320/Example+Studies.jpg" width="218" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black and White Master copies helped identify important compositional decisions</td></tr>
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There were numerous things about this course that I found invaluable. I'm not going to give their secrets away so I'll leave it at this.... If your interested in learning the visual language of creating a strong narrative piece in a clear and concise manner with informed and analytical methods then this is the class you should consider. It's intense. It's inspiring. It's super fun.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIL5K_8AcI85gb2q380MRvlOC4Pz0V5FDA-8B7jrSI_Cx-28MZOBDFenjn_AApP5a9AvqjTMOayputwNTeV7xbCGY8uQLGCAaxAFqgDt8XBQGqWDkJ1g4hK-iXcfJisRt9Tj26Y0Dth58/s1600/Inner+Beauty.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIL5K_8AcI85gb2q380MRvlOC4Pz0V5FDA-8B7jrSI_Cx-28MZOBDFenjn_AApP5a9AvqjTMOayputwNTeV7xbCGY8uQLGCAaxAFqgDt8XBQGqWDkJ1g4hK-iXcfJisRt9Tj26Y0Dth58/s400/Inner+Beauty.png" width="302" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inner Beauty</td></tr>
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Thanks to Chris and The Oatley Academy for the opportunity to learn from your expertise and thanks to my fellow classmates for the constant inspiration and dedication you all have. Being part of a like minded group striving to be the best they can be is a satisfaction that in incomparable.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-404942270154051302016-09-28T17:00:00.000-04:002016-09-28T17:00:06.706-04:00The Nutcracker<div style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
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This is a mistake. </div>
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That's what I kept saying throughout the creation of this book. But when you give yourself no choice it's amazing what your able to accomplish.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRMw_Hw_41QC7sYAlxj2gIyudBsxTaFkoSLPbsqEASvsM9h1jZjxpZe60leu_JkxGusut7J0Wswx50e6f2JBi8PcoeF8kXNmJBRXGSmtO-4rR-qyJwzkHjOmE-cOEs-JZJYRZGZBluKE/s1600/Cover_Christina+Hess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRMw_Hw_41QC7sYAlxj2gIyudBsxTaFkoSLPbsqEASvsM9h1jZjxpZe60leu_JkxGusut7J0Wswx50e6f2JBi8PcoeF8kXNmJBRXGSmtO-4rR-qyJwzkHjOmE-cOEs-JZJYRZGZBluKE/s400/Cover_Christina+Hess.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">Hardback copy. This was the first illustration completed for the book. Often publishers need the cover before the book is complete so they can feature it in their catalog.</span></td></tr>
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It was March 2015 when I sat in The Palm with John discussing The Nutcracker. The more we spoke the more impossible it seemed. The more sips of wine I had the more I was talking myself out of it. The holiday release schedule coupled with my full freelance schedule was only one hurdle to consider. That alone was a very tall hurdle.</div>
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As I left the building the thought of attempting to complete this 64 page behemoth in the next nine months was terrifing. I'm a notoriously slow painter. I like creating detail and it doesn't matter if I'm working digitally or in oils. I'm simply ... just ... slow. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptpJLWTkw8A8CZsVGZ-k60Ts7cZDS8tXPigVPvmWPC9ZI3YDIEAs2Lf9wSjALdrolqzhOB4TBDvrFuJjAKg1xUDwVkQaKZfi-j1o8tYU7iR6nPn5U6wsepbQA2-AQA1w435omDd5AYKA/s1600/IMG_2954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptpJLWTkw8A8CZsVGZ-k60Ts7cZDS8tXPigVPvmWPC9ZI3YDIEAs2Lf9wSjALdrolqzhOB4TBDvrFuJjAKg1xUDwVkQaKZfi-j1o8tYU7iR6nPn5U6wsepbQA2-AQA1w435omDd5AYKA/s400/IMG_2954.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">The second completed illustration. This is a four page gatefold featured at the end of the book. This image alone took over 30 days to illustrate.</span></td></tr>
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I wanted to do it. It was a perfect combination of narrative, history, fantasy, animals, humans and decorative elements. It was everything I loved to illustrate....and all the mice! Yes! </div>
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However, I was afraid to commit.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhgkytPuPB1j-enDS4yYXcrQpvlcgs3BfW7D0a7IfuxxnUzfsMr0nF9yh6kX08vnLi33nbWVwNCCPvDP1UGb5_b914mGLtDtJ5uLFuzQSekHpOactlyg7HI_6Bh_uA94MFwO7CcB7Cqw/s1600/IMG_2896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFhgkytPuPB1j-enDS4yYXcrQpvlcgs3BfW7D0a7IfuxxnUzfsMr0nF9yh6kX08vnLi33nbWVwNCCPvDP1UGb5_b914mGLtDtJ5uLFuzQSekHpOactlyg7HI_6Bh_uA94MFwO7CcB7Cqw/s400/IMG_2896.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">Detail of mice coming out of the floorboards.</span></td></tr>
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Maybe it was the crisp Spring air promising warmth or maybe it was the fog in my head from the last semester of an overloaded teaching schedule because I eventually said yes. Yes, I'll take on a 64 page children's book in 9 months. Yes, I'll complete over 35 paintings...in under...nine...months.</div>
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I gave myself no choice. And I wasn't going to pass up a dream job because of fear and uncertainty.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRzCb8wbVeZArvWCKyVC8j4dOJiraJug1K8mHu63AdI4Gb-itOwcTp-z23ZfZHmRKVm_yTzdzswlvDNveLFhdneh7BFa4S1_QJWiw2yRsuAyoTxt_iKpdM88meFOXtaM8Mjmm_4Klxvs/s1600/IMG_2983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIRzCb8wbVeZArvWCKyVC8j4dOJiraJug1K8mHu63AdI4Gb-itOwcTp-z23ZfZHmRKVm_yTzdzswlvDNveLFhdneh7BFa4S1_QJWiw2yRsuAyoTxt_iKpdM88meFOXtaM8Mjmm_4Klxvs/s400/IMG_2983.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">I always wanted to paint a castle. Check!</span></td></tr>
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I won't go into the angsty details of doubt, hair pulling and constant anxiety but I will say that it was a long several months. Although there were many all nighters and countless paint filled weekends I was covering new ground. I was finding inventive ways to tackle fresh challenges. This process was invigorating. I was riding the Yin Yang Rollercoaster that my colleagues know so well. (I know your nodding)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDAnLduXysf5f0kB6aN0NBlvJQfM7-zoq8F9QlMXQZiV_1HRcPaXrT-UxAbOfu9mGqc8lQIsYV4ngTAM0uTiMTCJsOGF_ezhJznenLT6Kiy9cdOy9qbUqX6FfYHNFjml6WEABKzNnVMs/s1600/IMG_2973.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDAnLduXysf5f0kB6aN0NBlvJQfM7-zoq8F9QlMXQZiV_1HRcPaXrT-UxAbOfu9mGqc8lQIsYV4ngTAM0uTiMTCJsOGF_ezhJznenLT6Kiy9cdOy9qbUqX6FfYHNFjml6WEABKzNnVMs/s400/IMG_2973.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">Queen Mouserinks makes her entrance.</span></td></tr>
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Always seeking to educate myself and take away new information that I can add to my arsenal of skill sets this project quadrupled my abilities. Environments, text/design marriage, multiple figure scenes were some of the new elements I encountered. It wasn't a surprise that as a constant student I had more questions at the end of the project than I did at the beginning. But that explanation belongs in a separate post. ;)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">Don't scare the children. My initial sketch was a bit scary so I redrew the mice eating sugar plums as they fought.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8GSIzxxsyHwnoKtD-kg7DpTjijgMYYT0LDX4yRyHTsTKTSGK6krRSsVjt9Da8wmKXzuU1t_VCup6Ctkq_b5I4s-bafKyFvCMZyzLIotGXNeg6nWBlFvGLJ11eo2hrAP222lnJWDivHSU/s1600/IMG_2985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8GSIzxxsyHwnoKtD-kg7DpTjijgMYYT0LDX4yRyHTsTKTSGK6krRSsVjt9Da8wmKXzuU1t_VCup6Ctkq_b5I4s-bafKyFvCMZyzLIotGXNeg6nWBlFvGLJ11eo2hrAP222lnJWDivHSU/s400/IMG_2985.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">My original text placement was alright but Ali from Tango Media made it fantastic.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;">Big wooden castle was super fun to create.</span></td></tr>
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<br />Working on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Nutcracker-Classic-E-T-Hoffman/dp/1604336307/ref=sr_1_22?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475083338&sr=1-22&keywords=the+nutcracker" target="_blank">The Nutcracker</a> catapulted me into another world of possibilities which focused my attention on new goals for the future. And wow...do I have new goals!</div>
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My final take on this project? Taking on this job was one of the best decisions I have ever made. </div>
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<i><b><span style="color: purple;">* A super big thank you to John Whalen and Alexandra Lewis for being such great publishers at <a href="http://www.cidermillpress.com/" target="_blank">Cider Mill Press</a>. And Ali Freile at <a href="http://www.tangomedia.com.au/" target="_blank">Tango Media </a>for being great to work with (as she always is) and doing a spectacular job on the design of the book. </span></b></i></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Visit ChristinaHess.com<a href="http://christinahess.com/" target="_blank">christinahess.com</a> for more</span><br /><div style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-54537603112668697022015-07-28T10:30:00.000-04:002015-07-28T10:30:01.217-04:00Tick Tock You Don't Stop<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Before I go on I would like to acknowledge that I used lyrics from a cheesy early 90's song as inspiration for the title. I'm deeply sorry for the ear worm that now plagues you.</i></div>
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This is <a href="http://www.christinahess.com/clockwork-sparrow.html" target="_blank">Clockwork Sparrow</a>. Beautiful and deadly. </div>
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In my last post on <a href="http://christinahess.blogspot.com/2015/07/kimmy-watson-process-illustrator.html" target="_blank">Kimmy Watson</a> I showed how to build up different elements of an image using different programs. I am keeping up with the <a href="http://www.onehitkillgame.com/" target="_blank">One Hit Kill</a> theme but showing a little less of the step by step process. It's not because I put less time into the illustration...that most certainly was not the case. It's just that some pieces are more complex than others. This particular piece was what I like to call a "discover as you go" piece.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTgFlhYwFosaduvqXOIpVpZS2t5t4JxIHE2jvmFmWwkidjOMsIO_63oOwoLiElBZMOPcsVrFvlDUZaqSNoxQNUidlj0HNopPSSRY3hKu5MP12QU6WCjf36Va0BW9zXf6StsUJGiWW_8I/s1600/Clockwork+Sparrow_Christina+Hess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsTgFlhYwFosaduvqXOIpVpZS2t5t4JxIHE2jvmFmWwkidjOMsIO_63oOwoLiElBZMOPcsVrFvlDUZaqSNoxQNUidlj0HNopPSSRY3hKu5MP12QU6WCjf36Va0BW9zXf6StsUJGiWW_8I/s320/Clockwork+Sparrow_Christina+Hess.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lot of the small parts are derivatives of other small parts. In Kimmy all the badges, for example, were their own imagery. </td></tr>
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You'll notice in the process gif below that the piece went through many small changes. The original sketch of the bird changed position and posture. As I started to flesh out the bird I realized that she (definitely a she) looked disjointed. Smoother wings allowed for a more natural look.</div>
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I also played around with the color scheme a bit. Not too much but enough to change the mood from a bright fun day to a more overcast day. When I sent the client my progress shot he mentioned that he preferred a more "London sky over a Phoenix sky". This gave me a keen sense of the mood he was going for.</div>
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I allowed myself to play around with softer vs harder edged backgrounds, shifts in color, changes in saturation as well as adding and subtracting little glowy bits. I needed to keep a strong silhouette so clear separation of temperature and value was key. Warm bird cool background. It's easy for me to get caught up in the details so shrinking the image down really small and adding a saturation layer with 0 saturation allowed me to see the overall impact of the image. </div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">No matter what changes you make during the process always remember that the sketch and final achieve the same goal. As a teacher I often combat the practice of completely changing an idea without communication. If you get a sketch approved that's the image you need to complete. Don't change the approved image because you came up with something better. Bad idea. Make sure you stick to the plan. People don't like big surprises. </span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-31992838564087760932015-07-21T15:44:00.000-04:002015-07-21T15:47:45.613-04:00Kimmy Watson Process - Illustrator, Photoshop and Painter, oh my.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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Recently I was called upon to create six images for a card game called <a href="http://www.onehitkillgame.com/" target="_blank">"One Hit Kill"</a> created by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0041864/" target="_blank">John August</a>. There are some super fun cards and I had the pleasure of creating a handful of them. This particular card I'm featuring was one of my favorites to work on. Basically it's a badass scout ready to take on the world and kick some butt. Images of a sweet girl in uniform yielding a baseball bat, hunting knife and a black and blue eye immediately entered my head. </div>
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Stop. Reign it in. This has to have a softer approach than that plus it needs to remain kid friendly. So let's think magical or smart and sassy tough girl. Let's give the client a choice.</div>
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<i>FYI: I was netflixing Buffy the Vampire Slayer while working on this piece. Super girl power infused inspiration right there.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWbfg-6O9ZHFYQ5cciwQZTyf5qStFCJGsv6QbKH9QyfdY8FvCub6XN1GflSHZjj9plYgfZMDuG5rphXo4kcLtGz690v2pL22Do0Uordp6mGjj0tyWzsPx8crKnfEXwo_UDIKT8anTWO4/s1600/sketches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWbfg-6O9ZHFYQ5cciwQZTyf5qStFCJGsv6QbKH9QyfdY8FvCub6XN1GflSHZjj9plYgfZMDuG5rphXo4kcLtGz690v2pL22Do0Uordp6mGjj0tyWzsPx8crKnfEXwo_UDIKT8anTWO4/s400/sketches.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original Graphite Sketches. She needed to be a sassy scout with attitude. I thought pink brass knuckles would be a fun addition. I also thought that a magical cookie box could hold a lot of power. After all they don't ever last very long in the cupboard...constantly calling out my name. Pretty powerful cookies if you ask my bathroom scale.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDdI0qQg7qf0-8_ELQ3d9-b_BqH-pTEgQxtlaW94bm56aUZcy8p3zHx-YpQYWKOsW71UbOE-asEtIcq0_0AUgaAr0LhJCbvg-8PsUwIPCJMIhvpxeePFi5d6CqpCgr5BofI_ziiXEzQs/s1600/Girl+Scout+Sketches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDdI0qQg7qf0-8_ELQ3d9-b_BqH-pTEgQxtlaW94bm56aUZcy8p3zHx-YpQYWKOsW71UbOE-asEtIcq0_0AUgaAr0LhJCbvg-8PsUwIPCJMIhvpxeePFi5d6CqpCgr5BofI_ziiXEzQs/s400/Girl+Scout+Sketches.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Value Comps done in Photoshop. Here I decided to add a bit more to the cookie box by showing magical flying thin mints. The brass knuckles were chosen by the client and I was off and running. It was time to get started on the base. Below I have excerpts of the illustration. At the end of the post there is a gif that shows a step by step process from sketch to finish.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8eHJLb8n5lGD5K_nDrP_jgRv9B5G9hZzm5vJ_DPw7HNseBZ9lDm0Wk_bHrTOLpO3o95X6JUikEjuc39BxoBYAWVdLOSZ44Nf-yGVVAdFHdrDlJlGDch7dCNC1oBaTj5UzmyzTJVmvSug/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-07-21+at+12.13.58+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8eHJLb8n5lGD5K_nDrP_jgRv9B5G9hZzm5vJ_DPw7HNseBZ9lDm0Wk_bHrTOLpO3o95X6JUikEjuc39BxoBYAWVdLOSZ44Nf-yGVVAdFHdrDlJlGDch7dCNC1oBaTj5UzmyzTJVmvSug/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-07-21+at+12.13.58+PM.png" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adventure Scout Badges in Adobe Illustrator. Although they play a small part in the whole illustration I'm a sucker for detail and it's important to keep them clear and obvious. This is where vector art helps me not to fall into the "I want to get super detailed on these little things that no one will see once it's reproduced into a tiny card". Illustrator becomes a great time management tool.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yiEcjpJddyxIU9RwT5q4-KCqFmC_ZJ2n08eSqpDXFca05dIE01K47z2W6QgtL4uxUdLa5M6otZ0RW6_o6XQqjjcRGMBCJwuCY9sbsyECJg9akK6hG7jErcJamhlrJ0pBM8Hzyod6VZo/s1600/Kimmy+Detail+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yiEcjpJddyxIU9RwT5q4-KCqFmC_ZJ2n08eSqpDXFca05dIE01K47z2W6QgtL4uxUdLa5M6otZ0RW6_o6XQqjjcRGMBCJwuCY9sbsyECJg9akK6hG7jErcJamhlrJ0pBM8Hzyod6VZo/s320/Kimmy+Detail+2.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I then copy and paste them into Photoshop. I added stitching and textures in Corel Painter and then again in Photoshop. Because I originally had the icons figured out in Illustrator I could concentrate on just the detailing in the raster file. Because I worked this way I easily cut my time in half if not more. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wanted a round cookie motif in the background so I designed the initial base in Illustrator using the polar grid and basic shape tools. Oh, and the almighty pen tool. Don't hate the pen tool. Love it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the copy and paste into Photoshop I then added additional lighting detail in Corel Painter. And then additional texture in Photoshop. It turns out that I really like the way the cookies look. I may decide to create a pattern of them somewhere down the line and upload them to my Spoonflower store. Cookie fabric. Yeah. That could work.<br />
Sidenote: The texture is a scanned rice paper I bought in the wee days of college. I love the way it interacts with the paint.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgS5HTwoT1-5ymGfelczEbrLp9AW1qjfmoovwTQvprXThk7dnU0uoFzyR1rrrzhtD-ThGvWJciHyKvPWZOA2DUyzcUtQ9bvbwXreEaUJJeAi4f1O2zqd-JPi09WdalH1rjHiM4FUDJDY/s1600/Badges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgS5HTwoT1-5ymGfelczEbrLp9AW1qjfmoovwTQvprXThk7dnU0uoFzyR1rrrzhtD-ThGvWJciHyKvPWZOA2DUyzcUtQ9bvbwXreEaUJJeAi4f1O2zqd-JPi09WdalH1rjHiM4FUDJDY/s320/Badges.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cookie pin lapel was originally created as a vector and then rendered in Painter to add volume. But hold up! I had to change the trefoil cookie for trademark reasons. Nobody needs to get a cease and desist letter from a bunch of angry girl scouts. That could be frightning. Instead the client and I decided on an AS logo indicating "Adventure Scout".</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71h0y0CdlQ3FZsY4jF7PF3We2bKcrGfC4r_aJuNmzybaLnk9Q7pqD_p8evZjoxoewJ93WwcfRwiCiUNF_FjD_Ja-RWQ1fpOVrHYsY9gOoBxGeQkp8DCGG8FxsvklWDjy74ddJfE8m8Jk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-07-21+at+12.14.41+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71h0y0CdlQ3FZsY4jF7PF3We2bKcrGfC4r_aJuNmzybaLnk9Q7pqD_p8evZjoxoewJ93WwcfRwiCiUNF_FjD_Ja-RWQ1fpOVrHYsY9gOoBxGeQkp8DCGG8FxsvklWDjy74ddJfE8m8Jk/s320/Screen+Shot+2015-07-21+at+12.14.41+PM.png" width="219" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some more badges. I knew most of these would be covered by her arm and pink brass knuckles but I still needed them drawn out. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXIEMjwRws4L2bl6v4C5vNgytSd4fJmJ1svSuX288iWQv339_qI9faTICX_v5UYOKxphfzCw9hg1QLGtYVkt7MsoKUur1GAHZvyWc84Tm97XgugcVMw2u2wIWWVjSgYVdbSXUtxfNbhmU/s1600/Kimmy+Watson_Christina+Hess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXIEMjwRws4L2bl6v4C5vNgytSd4fJmJ1svSuX288iWQv339_qI9faTICX_v5UYOKxphfzCw9hg1QLGtYVkt7MsoKUur1GAHZvyWc84Tm97XgugcVMw2u2wIWWVjSgYVdbSXUtxfNbhmU/s400/Kimmy+Watson_Christina+Hess.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the final before the cookie correction. Below is a step by step process of the piece which includes the final cookie correction. It's about 10 seconds so it shouldn't bore you too fast.</td></tr>
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Up Next...Clockwork Sparrow.</div>
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Thanks for visiting!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-82852693076186361652014-08-26T17:54:00.001-04:002014-08-26T17:57:21.049-04:00A Beast Named JuryShould you enter competitions? If so which ones? It's a tough decision when your trying to watch your spending. Trite but true...you have to spend money to make money. Entering competitions are rarely free and can add up to a hefty sum so it's important to pick and choose your competition. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituJQv5Gnnp75esTdQk01LifCSJsGZ_a-aOnqRjxpEatZ52Egvwq8XLhmZCmYB7qKw-A83teURkDm2lkAz1mjuQ0tL8lc97RIrLKS3plMHBZ6oS4tNxHt5kOtDOK_kf6V1n08QFQWkKlY/s1600/Napoleon-Boneaparte-Christina-Hess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituJQv5Gnnp75esTdQk01LifCSJsGZ_a-aOnqRjxpEatZ52Egvwq8XLhmZCmYB7qKw-A83teURkDm2lkAz1mjuQ0tL8lc97RIrLKS3plMHBZ6oS4tNxHt5kOtDOK_kf6V1n08QFQWkKlY/s1600/Napoleon-Boneaparte-Christina-Hess.jpg" height="400" width="342" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Napoleon Boneaparte <br />
One of my Five <a href="http://www.animalsfromhistory.com/" target="_blank">"Animals From History"</a> pieces accepted into 3x3's Picture Book Competition</td></tr>
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This summer I was extremely fortunate to get an email from Charles Hivey saying that five of my pieces got into 3x3's Picture Book Competition. This was the same gaggle I entered into the Spectrum Call for Entries and the Society of Illustrators NY Annual show however I did not get accepted into either of the latter.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifE_PrFVEvUFCSfPenGWYdx_qdmHSqNRmts5I8eiC5hLxFRJHf2zgKiLwK2lb6C3-WaZhj7-E9m_i_InQGw9TkisyuWLoks7O1IM7PTg3Xa7vpwwfTkdihfOcAcDh6PxnAK1fpqZKtiv8/s1600/Elvis-Christina-Hess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifE_PrFVEvUFCSfPenGWYdx_qdmHSqNRmts5I8eiC5hLxFRJHf2zgKiLwK2lb6C3-WaZhj7-E9m_i_InQGw9TkisyuWLoks7O1IM7PTg3Xa7vpwwfTkdihfOcAcDh6PxnAK1fpqZKtiv8/s1600/Elvis-Christina-Hess.jpg" height="400" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elvis Petme</td></tr>
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I don't take it personally if my work doesn't get chosen. Every competition is juried. All juries are different. The work might not be chosen with one jury yet another may choose several pieces. It's the nature of the beast named jury.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgiLZShI13bZozZOnkR5Yly50RcOQxjg0fJPjdpjFgBpuLxphCO5fvy7cQOJEayc-uBwO8SUNWyZ8CfFKnr42E8kNC7Kp9ya_44VO6-3wd-3GDD7w-99fOHZu7FGCgo9VAT-eqP11BCA/s1600/Miguel-Dog-Cervantes-Christina-Hess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgiLZShI13bZozZOnkR5Yly50RcOQxjg0fJPjdpjFgBpuLxphCO5fvy7cQOJEayc-uBwO8SUNWyZ8CfFKnr42E8kNC7Kp9ya_44VO6-3wd-3GDD7w-99fOHZu7FGCgo9VAT-eqP11BCA/s1600/Miguel-Dog-Cervantes-Christina-Hess.jpg" height="321" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Migrowl De Cervantes</td></tr>
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Research who uses the outcome of the competition. Make an educated decision if it's worth taking the risk to enter. If there is a handful of companies you have had your eye on that depend on the outcome, whether it be a show, site or publication, then it's worth taking that risk. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrucAKpr4tO2JsfG6PyFcvllV6zRccAzfJIvaxntSEYzd-UQzEzDoJrH1ph09misZOITY2NPkpj5qd3YWqP6BwHOWdVaPszUtM7LEZor2u9USStcAAmqa5wCWws4FBfeucj6KMQtqcCVg/s1600/Jizo_ChristinaHess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrucAKpr4tO2JsfG6PyFcvllV6zRccAzfJIvaxntSEYzd-UQzEzDoJrH1ph09misZOITY2NPkpj5qd3YWqP6BwHOWdVaPszUtM7LEZor2u9USStcAAmqa5wCWws4FBfeucj6KMQtqcCVg/s1600/Jizo_ChristinaHess.jpg" height="400" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jizo Bodhissatva</td></tr>
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If you get into a competition then chart your activity to see what it is doing for you. If your obtaining new contacts, seeing spikes in your webstats, noticing more active email and social media requests then it's worth entering again. The same goes for promotions, shows and conventions. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLywelpSGlBBNNtFVE-Km-VCpP-UbZQyegmH7AYmhpnD1NnGETvva88upVIgm9wGtTm9SLd5ASNAmRblfPiweApyCRTfvSK6zpf6HoFYAwZMmm3PxA8hVdfdF4ZPfM7VixteRmn4bDdzY/s1600/The+Fitzgeralds+Christina+Hess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLywelpSGlBBNNtFVE-Km-VCpP-UbZQyegmH7AYmhpnD1NnGETvva88upVIgm9wGtTm9SLd5ASNAmRblfPiweApyCRTfvSK6zpf6HoFYAwZMmm3PxA8hVdfdF4ZPfM7VixteRmn4bDdzY/s1600/The+Fitzgeralds+Christina+Hess.jpg" height="400" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">S. Leopard & Snowzelda Fitzgerald</td></tr>
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If your unsure what competitions to choose then try several different ones. See if you get any bites. This method can be extremely enlightening if your unsure of what path to take in the industry. <br />
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You never know until you try and remember....an acceptance is so much sweeter when you have a pile of rejections in your wake.<br />
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<a href="http://christinahess.com/">ChristinaHess.com</a> & <a href="http://animalsfromhistory.com/">AnimalsFromHistory.com</a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-15057091638026516552014-05-16T13:37:00.000-04:002014-05-16T13:37:25.070-04:00SFAL: Why Do You Bother? You Don't Paint Like Them.<br />Recently I exhibited at Spectrum Fantastic Art Live in Kansas City MO. If you are unfamiliar with SFAL I'll give you an extremely brief overview. <br />
<br />It is a convention that features the best of fantasy illustration. <br />
<br />There are some major industry hitters that exhibit, attend and lecture. Many illustrators attend to connect with new art directors. Many arrive planning to sell originals and/or reproductions to the hordes of fantasy / sci fi fans. Some just go for the camaraderie among the many professionals in the industry. All of these are definitive goals that are good for business as well as inspiration. <br />
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When it comes to the art most work shows a certain level of high action, figurative genius, fantastical elemental worlds and narrations of swashbuckling significance.<br />
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And then there's me. <br /><br />
Although I may have a microscopic bit of some of these things in my portfolio it's most definietly NOT what I'm aiming for at the moment. So why do I bother attending a convention the focuses on something that, well, isn't me?<br />
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"Nobody puts kitty in a corner"</div>
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<br />I really like to attempt to be organized so here is a list as to why I did it...<br />
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1. It's located in middle Amercia and the organizers of SFAL have been marketing to the locals. I paint animals in people's clothes. Glorified pet portraits, I guess. Yeah....simple. Not rocket science. People like it. Not only did my sales significantly rise from my first SFAL two years ago but I continue to get sales via my online stores. <i>Total Score.</i><br />
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2. My work is different from the majority, therefore it stands out. Don't get me wrong...a lot of ADs, fans and illustrators who attend this convention are looking for grandiose images of figures, action and heavy narrative. I'm not going to grab their attention. But I am going to grab their friend's / child's / partner's attention. Those small conversations I have with "the other people" go a long way in a short time. During the first SFAL it led to my biggest backer in my kickstarter campaign hence the whole Animals From History book. <i>I'm a square peg and I like it.</i><br />
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3. Although it's a fantasy and sci/fi convention the location is Hallmark territory. It's like my perfect storm. Many people that I spoke with have an interest in both fantasy and licensing. These conversations led to other ideas on how to market my work. <i>The collected research alone was worth it.</i><br />
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4. SFAL is accepting of many different mediums and styles. The focus is on the strength of the image. It's all encompassing, which is very good for my goals, and that breeds positivity among people in the industry. <br />
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The traditional vs digital snobbery scale at SFAL is at a low which is why the inspiration and camaraderie meters are so much higher.<br />
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5. And let's not forget the obvious. BBQ. No. I'm not kidding. Dom and I rarely go on vacation so to be able to walk around a new city, sample the local fair and interact with the people is a great way to escape my own head. This down time allows my mind to run wild and take in things around me. Anything from the cuisine to the architecture. In turn it sparks my creative juices and gets my mind working on the next image or story. Kansas City is a beautiful city with a whole lot to experience. <i>It's a win/win.</i><br />
<br />SFAL has a direct focus that doesn't scream my name but at the same time the convention embraces those who think differently. I'm happy to take that bull's horns and run.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-15996636293462550012014-05-04T07:00:00.000-04:002014-05-04T07:00:02.482-04:00Spectrum Live III<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Next Friday begins the creative inspiration fest that is Spectrum Live III. If you can make it to Kansas City MO you'll find a plethora of over 200 wonderful artists and their wares...not to mention world famous BBQ and mechanical bulls. I mean seriously. You can't go wrong. <a href="https://spectrumfantasticartlive.com/">Here's the link to the convention.</a> It's only May 9-11!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnW2nS6BLPfaStBGr48PVOleI8UR_3gQVqj8aEz6YIwiyBgy4HevwXdmlMcJDBaVT0YSFWFwcK3jsjldJ65CQzgksIyjA40k4-C4xlQ0u8yZZAfx9GWnCevi4QreGenF_kgHqdo-9Pno8/s1600/Distelfink-Girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnW2nS6BLPfaStBGr48PVOleI8UR_3gQVqj8aEz6YIwiyBgy4HevwXdmlMcJDBaVT0YSFWFwcK3jsjldJ65CQzgksIyjA40k4-C4xlQ0u8yZZAfx9GWnCevi4QreGenF_kgHqdo-9Pno8/s1600/Distelfink-Girl.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>"Distelfink Girl" 8"x8" oil and gold leaf on cradeled masonite</i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">My booth number is 602 / 703 so stop on by and say hello! In addition to numerous 11x14 prints priced lower than my normal $25 etsy prices, low cost drawings, studies and mini paintings I will also be selling six framed oil paintings, three of which are from my "Animals From History" book. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUwzCc8OO_ozGN7vKdUZ1mY5ghN49rWghc-dzjFlcTaUmPGYtoJKSlmbciEUERmAxJ2FzUaZjTmHWtzB0Glca58q4sgmpwlPiFLAKwB9pZM4T_A2WKEI2ggG6QPO7wMCLOFePhQdIcRM/s1600/Cleo-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUwzCc8OO_ozGN7vKdUZ1mY5ghN49rWghc-dzjFlcTaUmPGYtoJKSlmbciEUERmAxJ2FzUaZjTmHWtzB0Glca58q4sgmpwlPiFLAKwB9pZM4T_A2WKEI2ggG6QPO7wMCLOFePhQdIcRM/s1600/Cleo-2.jpg" height="400" width="310" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>Cleo is 11x14 oil and leafing on masonite</i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I realize that I haven't posted in a good long while so the <i>Animals From History</i> journey might be new to you. I'll build a little anticipation and save that story for a later post. All I'm saying right now is I'm working with a literary agent and I'm thinking podcasts for the fall. Chew on that for awhile!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh50P_40b_zxEIp4GZvJ3VlLZPtfnGinP01HNENJxDuCVYhgG2RrwvGIw8uQhjI6nUNHzL5zCE4tunYbnLBqJwg4Tp7JAjsETC85LTaQjKt1_JgeKLVdXc_uhe3N9abZQHL3KIU0yyskOs/s1600/Fitz-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh50P_40b_zxEIp4GZvJ3VlLZPtfnGinP01HNENJxDuCVYhgG2RrwvGIw8uQhjI6nUNHzL5zCE4tunYbnLBqJwg4Tp7JAjsETC85LTaQjKt1_JgeKLVdXc_uhe3N9abZQHL3KIU0yyskOs/s1600/Fitz-2.jpg" height="400" width="313" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>The Fitzgeralds are 16x20 with a big silver leafed frame (not shown). </i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>Oils, acrylics, leafing and collage.</i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Oh, but that's not all!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwP0XoDQ0PR9f6vAOs4KZDs9B0vW9o_Ym7CJpKEcwSQm4V-smjTSW5m2jU6vf8CDMEOlQJkqxQLyW9QJmW4CAbQmxbNJhck98J7glnJFeiWSQnIpfZdh6MLuy-8rtQ48NAoKGdQ3nsKU/s1600/book-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidwP0XoDQ0PR9f6vAOs4KZDs9B0vW9o_Ym7CJpKEcwSQm4V-smjTSW5m2jU6vf8CDMEOlQJkqxQLyW9QJmW4CAbQmxbNJhck98J7glnJFeiWSQnIpfZdh6MLuy-8rtQ48NAoKGdQ3nsKU/s1600/book-1.jpg" height="400" width="297" /></a></div>
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<i> Napoleon Boneaparte gracing the cover of my </i></div>
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<i>Animals From History teaser booklet</i></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">I'll also have this little number featuring 10 of my animals along with brief teaser stories. These are only $5.00 and I have a limited supply so be sure to get them while they are hot! I will not be reprinting or selling them anywhere else so it's a Spectrum only thing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_npdlMyM0E1BGS_90KwkoJW0dDJUys425Jp1nA9xjYNcubMXaj0r9Rz3nxvXCEOld6Pv1FYSYEgkFUN-fMI1twSt4rRHTDICz23BsqZntQLQIObfVoGYo4t91qpB09Lrc8cvcaz5EB2U/s1600/book-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_npdlMyM0E1BGS_90KwkoJW0dDJUys425Jp1nA9xjYNcubMXaj0r9Rz3nxvXCEOld6Pv1FYSYEgkFUN-fMI1twSt4rRHTDICz23BsqZntQLQIObfVoGYo4t91qpB09Lrc8cvcaz5EB2U/s1600/book-2.jpg" height="323" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>A little Blue Suade Paws perhaps....</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWC9RMK28U-gvkvLou9Nf9QWqetZUctXhitCgI66jSxEpHFVohMzN1myDwNMCK7tQ0TxFdWKPbsX04_JjL00z49MEgfx-wIPi8W7kJ1HvdxB0F3M27yeAc15hhw6eyM4l22qKYJQiY0yw/s1600/book-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWC9RMK28U-gvkvLou9Nf9QWqetZUctXhitCgI66jSxEpHFVohMzN1myDwNMCK7tQ0TxFdWKPbsX04_JjL00z49MEgfx-wIPi8W7kJ1HvdxB0F3M27yeAc15hhw6eyM4l22qKYJQiY0yw/s1600/book-3.jpg" height="318" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>Or a saucy little feline queen? </i></span></div>
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Ok. So you have read this far which is only one reason as to why you are fabulous. Because you have dragged yourself through my rambling I'm going to offer you a deal. If you want to buy a print from me at Spectrum I'll give you $5.00 off but it comes with a catch. When your ready to cash out with me say the phrase "Napoleon Boneaparte is a sassy mongrel." If you want to switch out the last word to spice up the moment, knock yourself out. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MAH6RnC_dO2cSbxrFgj0BX44Scp2pC21BoS3Zr1A3z_ckb4-SfI4-bimDTnTKK63eMKVx2La4OV0vhoQER4dIQKEVNyxZCjBntUmpagL2zBlUcSOs2hy5vbBE1kJYH9npui-yp-gfdA/s1600/ML-Jobs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2MAH6RnC_dO2cSbxrFgj0BX44Scp2pC21BoS3Zr1A3z_ckb4-SfI4-bimDTnTKK63eMKVx2La4OV0vhoQER4dIQKEVNyxZCjBntUmpagL2zBlUcSOs2hy5vbBE1kJYH9npui-yp-gfdA/s1600/ML-Jobs.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>M.L. Jobs looking annoyed....and super shiny. 11x14 oils.</i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But remember.....his name is pronounced <b>BONE-a-part.</b> </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><i><b>See you in Kansas City!!</b></i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-43792415332083748312013-06-17T12:26:00.001-04:002013-06-17T12:26:19.117-04:00Threadless T-shirt ContestCAUTION: Shameless self-promotion ahead......<br />
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My cat shirt is rated number 4 out of 190 designs on Threadless.com. The contest ends this Friday (the 21st) and I need as many votes as I can get to rise to the number one spot. If you have a second to vote for me (press #5) I would appreciate it! I think the girl would look sweet on a tank and onesie. Plus, there is a cash prize and many other spoils that is helpful as well ;) <a href="http://www.threadless.com/supercats/cat-queen/">Click here to vote.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibjs4_mBFWObt1EPFjyrbdAUsfAdOuQUUnIRRvJclDbUFvq08jTXUVYlmQA22hrl-VdcvGcd5sCZaDwr_6DeDHi3Q4d5lK-LN7MFlKnE6coQV-vK50yXKebMWGgXRCdkbgxljVBPbVNj0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-06-17+at+12.13.26+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibjs4_mBFWObt1EPFjyrbdAUsfAdOuQUUnIRRvJclDbUFvq08jTXUVYlmQA22hrl-VdcvGcd5sCZaDwr_6DeDHi3Q4d5lK-LN7MFlKnE6coQV-vK50yXKebMWGgXRCdkbgxljVBPbVNj0/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-06-17+at+12.13.26+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2l6Ckdpc5oX6BbAdSMaTSnGVl6yeBsPzTHl3GZWPICmd_IRw0nHVqwC-vyfVdwM7pyUZ0SrI7ELMbrdTvRLtrFvorSVGxvL9PN5WsIZ65vCZJKwJfTH6t0vwv59JFYvo6fxAfY5x0Ns8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-06-17+at+12.23.18+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2l6Ckdpc5oX6BbAdSMaTSnGVl6yeBsPzTHl3GZWPICmd_IRw0nHVqwC-vyfVdwM7pyUZ0SrI7ELMbrdTvRLtrFvorSVGxvL9PN5WsIZ65vCZJKwJfTH6t0vwv59JFYvo6fxAfY5x0Ns8/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-06-17+at+12.23.18+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>A onesie....yeah....that's right</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRp93do4YNChGcovPHMK_D7s4XygASQsP-bveO0OpbejImGJAWjulgBpDkP0bs2n5XtpHlS4aQOpnKnh6Fsr3irESwvGTZ4e3___9rupnbGlLVRsVRJvXQUoCn1OnyJCh4XPvnjb05Oa0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-06-17+at+12.23.26+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRp93do4YNChGcovPHMK_D7s4XygASQsP-bveO0OpbejImGJAWjulgBpDkP0bs2n5XtpHlS4aQOpnKnh6Fsr3irESwvGTZ4e3___9rupnbGlLVRsVRJvXQUoCn1OnyJCh4XPvnjb05Oa0/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-06-17+at+12.23.26+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Thanks for your support and keep an eye out for my "Animals" update coming soon.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-89220492973723378602013-05-24T12:27:00.000-04:002013-05-24T14:21:13.769-04:00Diversity in Gardening - ProcessI'm currently painting a lot for my "Animals" book but I wanted to take a moment and post my process on another piece. In April I spoke to two illustration groups at Marywood U and Pennsylvania College of A&D. I got a lot of great feedback regarding the process portion of my lecture so I wanted to take the opportunity to share it with you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtoz9h1gzdl70gsIAgVliCX5ZRo618A3BMVGJpCd2dT6zFpsFiKg7CF1vUCT9rBcy5zKGFXgjlphRGdRs_nExLykdcNAIvs37kx0YQla4L__xvy1y5NOLwiCJozWWj4quDEhJ7KtMmZqw/s1600/ChristinaHess+DiversityInGardening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtoz9h1gzdl70gsIAgVliCX5ZRo618A3BMVGJpCd2dT6zFpsFiKg7CF1vUCT9rBcy5zKGFXgjlphRGdRs_nExLykdcNAIvs37kx0YQla4L__xvy1y5NOLwiCJozWWj4quDEhJ7KtMmZqw/s400/ChristinaHess+DiversityInGardening.jpg" width="330" /></a></div>
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This was created for the summer cover of <a href="http://www.greenprints.com/">GreenPrints magazine.</a> The only perimeters were the dimensions of the cover and it had to be about summer gardening. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd99rRdRh5m-Q2ZwWf0iQyVZv_Do14ubBXD4iTXIX5Uic5jp2MxvrE_jgSAAYkPx_Z6myr4ocgactK7WAl2_s1wU-rtvXPrYhW6ZujOq8rGPxVCgHvw8IzGT6GvpTz5wzoR92uw5dL0Gk/s1600/Cover+Sketches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd99rRdRh5m-Q2ZwWf0iQyVZv_Do14ubBXD4iTXIX5Uic5jp2MxvrE_jgSAAYkPx_Z6myr4ocgactK7WAl2_s1wU-rtvXPrYhW6ZujOq8rGPxVCgHvw8IzGT6GvpTz5wzoR92uw5dL0Gk/s400/Cover+Sketches.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Above are the rough sketches. I usually don't add color but considering that GP is a black and white magazine with ONE color image I feel it's worthy to take the extra time. <br />
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I wanted to get the warm summer feeling across and felt the first one showed more about gardening than the others. Pat, the AD, agreed and he decided to go with the nesting dolls. <i>On another note, he posted these comps online for reader feedback and the butterfly was first choice. What does that mean? It means that I may want to revisit the idea again but with more emphasis on the gardening aspect and not the end product of a garden. (Many ideas are already churning in this head)</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14AQYYJKangiuM6UluhyE6d0anX5i-dbcNSd9hWdwvzjDq4W7rm_KBkn_h9NpzhKrtS7ZcOZAfu03Vx67ruk7-rTrZnb9aJrCtZANs6n_9c7_5vUoItVu8LzsFLZVYrHYqjj9_h3DpJc/s1600/comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14AQYYJKangiuM6UluhyE6d0anX5i-dbcNSd9hWdwvzjDq4W7rm_KBkn_h9NpzhKrtS7ZcOZAfu03Vx67ruk7-rTrZnb9aJrCtZANs6n_9c7_5vUoItVu8LzsFLZVYrHYqjj9_h3DpJc/s320/comp.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>
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I used nesting dolls because I felt they keep on giving, similar to a summer garden in the height of abundance. In addition I wanted to add numerous people of all kinds. This was a way to incorporate the human diversity as well as the garden diversity. Pat also read it as a connectivity among gardeners which works perfectly with the message he likes to get across to his readership. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvf2vLb7vdvAtMniB2uYH7SQJt6yd8L_wPZ05w083WjcQOjIb1or89rG8B7YSm_Zgv7NZbtGZ1D_qwNlH26hmolPlMJdcGNf1ix4QkAsd3XnCwVETlkv5I1G73m3fbSXwwC_Jt89EnEM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-05-24+at+11.15.06+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvf2vLb7vdvAtMniB2uYH7SQJt6yd8L_wPZ05w083WjcQOjIb1or89rG8B7YSm_Zgv7NZbtGZ1D_qwNlH26hmolPlMJdcGNf1ix4QkAsd3XnCwVETlkv5I1G73m3fbSXwwC_Jt89EnEM/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-05-24+at+11.15.06+AM.png" width="264" /></a></div>
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I started with scanning the sketch and dropping it into Adobe Illustrator. I created vector flat shapes in order to figure out basic color and placement. I then transferred it into Corel Painter where I started to add the features of the main character. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKplVa8OwRQH5FA483i1KaDYeW2F7gkdpjWfLZpr0Bz-fvRcY8H8nVRIG4oCRPKejUucYxgWlPtHYJLgLuIrVAM1FmV8T0my4CYQEuoauNULGgPXjY4x8dbGiEr3N_BXjv2u_vYezW-TM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-05-24+at+11.12.49+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKplVa8OwRQH5FA483i1KaDYeW2F7gkdpjWfLZpr0Bz-fvRcY8H8nVRIG4oCRPKejUucYxgWlPtHYJLgLuIrVAM1FmV8T0my4CYQEuoauNULGgPXjY4x8dbGiEr3N_BXjv2u_vYezW-TM/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-05-24+at+11.12.49+AM.png" width="264" /></a></div>
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I then had a lot of fun painting flowers and textures. I sometimes extract a flower like the dahlias and poppies so I can use them in product design on <a href="http://society6.com/ChristinaHess/Dahlia-Pattern_Print">Society6</a> or sell them as pendants on <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/clhess?page=1">Etsy</a>. I'm all about using the illustration to it's full potential and creating several avenues of income from one image.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUA2DAODDOrInJsq52Z5NnrOhVP3Iu6QEi3ii3NjFR-BjTGL7EYUe7FTAh0ZePlX01nroFe5UHbsbHjr0aJo8KzwLSI6_HsyYMKuNXPFmEWhGKmhmV05YIJa2K4Jds3BSSctzctMwbjAE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-05-24+at+11.12.02+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUA2DAODDOrInJsq52Z5NnrOhVP3Iu6QEi3ii3NjFR-BjTGL7EYUe7FTAh0ZePlX01nroFe5UHbsbHjr0aJo8KzwLSI6_HsyYMKuNXPFmEWhGKmhmV05YIJa2K4Jds3BSSctzctMwbjAE/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-05-24+at+11.12.02+AM.png" width="263" /></a></div>
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At the end I added rays but was unsure if I really needed them. I added directionals in some prior pieces and liked what they did but didn't want all my pieces to depend on that element. So I sent both off to Pat and let him choose. He couldn't decide so he posted them on Facebook so he could get some feedback from his readers. It was almost a tie but he chose to go without the rays. Some of the comments mentioned that the rays added the additional summer element of sun while other comments pointed out that the focus became more on the spade and not the gardeners as a whole. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmptqvwgVf367SSWYytejBczQQBxcq8hORTjwfjo2kGNmz2NoN5P1DKVRo7cOUR9W1VWlpLRuoChQFHPkO9xRQpkeiRtxyxz_A-YTQDB6z6WFzovSqrBIl1uZBZba6YN4QP6OePcF6cA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-05-24+at+11.11.50+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmptqvwgVf367SSWYytejBczQQBxcq8hORTjwfjo2kGNmz2NoN5P1DKVRo7cOUR9W1VWlpLRuoChQFHPkO9xRQpkeiRtxyxz_A-YTQDB6z6WFzovSqrBIl1uZBZba6YN4QP6OePcF6cA/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-05-24+at+11.11.50+AM.png" width="263" /></a></div>
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Neither is right or wrong.....just depends on what you want the focus to be on. Considering that Pat wanted to showcase connectivity and diversity it was best to choose the version without rays.<br />
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Below is a time lapse of the process showing my files from 00-12. Thanks for reading and enjoy!<br />
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Visit my new shop on <a href="http://society6.com/ChristinaHess">Society6!</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-58407154003009274672013-04-25T18:45:00.001-04:002013-04-25T18:45:37.343-04:00The Loss of My Muse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfiE5yDPHgbjlnCuY-aRuUkIKDzH77N0tcDXva6sIFWRRodkw5lRppgsk9wn1N_CrUN-7yA2h4gzNoAm_rO0XguVQsDw_twzVyRGpWvCQX3kf9cazYzVFoZSZIy5E0dCfa6sPIRzhCCA/s1600/Roscoe+Window.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfiE5yDPHgbjlnCuY-aRuUkIKDzH77N0tcDXva6sIFWRRodkw5lRppgsk9wn1N_CrUN-7yA2h4gzNoAm_rO0XguVQsDw_twzVyRGpWvCQX3kf9cazYzVFoZSZIy5E0dCfa6sPIRzhCCA/s400/Roscoe+Window.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Roscoe P. Coltrane 2000-2013</i></div>
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As a freelancer you take comfort in those who understand you. You live a life of hermitage hunkered over your work all hours, morning, noon and night, sometimes not interacting with people for days on end. Those who support your lifestyle and goals become immensely valuable. If your lucky you have someone to share that with on the home front. A companion to walk through the lonely stretches of time in a one person studio. Dominick and I are fortunate to have each other and we were blessed to have another to be with us during these past 13 years.<br />
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<i>Roscoe, Dominick and I at the <a href="http://www.tristatebassets.org/info/display?PageID=13309">Annual Boardwaddle</a> Ocean City, NJ</i></div>
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<i>Roscoe perfected the art of infiltrating photo shoots</i></div>
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<i>"Helping" me pack artwork in the studio</i></div>
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For 13 years Roscoe, our basset hound, was our companion and fur child. He lived a long spoiled life and was my sole inspiration and muse for many illustrations. If it wasn't for him I never would have attempted to create a book based on animals. He gave me so much pure inspiration and sparked a part of my imagination that I wouldn't have found on my own.<br />
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<i>Playing dress up with Grandma</i></div>
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<i>Our "Laptime" during morning coffee</i></div>
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This past month has been challenging with his newly diagnosed diabetes. It was alot of trial with medications, scheduling and timing. Leading up to the diagnosis was care giving to an unknown illness which took a toll on both his and our sleep. Last Saturday morning he showed great signs of improvement with the new dosage and was back to his old self again. For the first time in a long while he mustered enough energy to bark at the mailman so we knew we were on the right track with our administrations.<br />
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<i>New Year's day in his new cardigan</i></div>
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<i>His on going battle with our pesky laptop</i></div>
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We didn't expect to be traveling to the ER 6 hours later. It was brutally fast. I had done research on the breed and knew that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastric_dilatation_volvulus">"bloat"</a> was a killer for bassets and was aware that it worked with extreme speed. He was going into shock while Dom was driving and I knew this was going to be the end. However, nothing can prepare you for the moment that every pet owner dreads. <br />
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<i>Showing his saucy demeanor and spunky personality</i></div>
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<i>His bone that he use to "accidentally" drop down the stairs as we tried to watch movies.</i></div>
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In the end I ran my finger up and down his age whitened snout as he always liked. He use to close his eyes, head on my lap, and I would lull him to sleep this way until the sound of his snores forced us to turn up the TV. This time the halting of breath replaced the snores. Instead of lulling him to sleep I was lulling him into the unknown, letting him know that we were there and always would be there with him. <br />
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<i>Roscoe and I napping</i></div>
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<i>Visiting the farm he loved so much</i></div>
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Only time will be able to turn the feeling of monstrosity and guilt for making "that call" into fond memories of lap time and paw shaking. It will be awhile until I can walk down the stairs and not expect him to be there on his bed. It will be many months until we will open the front door and not habitually crane our necks to see over the sofa to find his sleepy eyes greeting us.<br />
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<i>"Snooping" on the sofa with Dominick</i></div>
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<i>Trolling through the Sunflowers and Blueberry bushes at Marshall's Farm Market</i></div>
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At the farm he would run down a hill into this green grassy mini valley and tear around like a little maniac. It is a comfort to know that he now rests on the crest of that hill overlooking Dom's parent's house and that valley he loved so much. His grave holds a yellow lily, irises and forget-me-nots along with a wooden cross kindly made by the Marshall's worker. We surronded him with stones and placed a cairn on top of his grave.<br />
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<i>His last paw print given to us by UPenn Vet Hospital on the night he passed away</i></div>
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<i>Final resting place at the farm</i></div>
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Rest in peace my little man. You will always be with us....behind our studio chairs, on the couch during morning coffee and waiting in the kitchen while we cook. You will never leave us and the inspiration and unconditional love you gave us will remain lit forever. We will miss you greatly.<br />
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<i>Obi Wan Coltrain</i></div>
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<i>For more pictures of our boy visit Dom's <a href="https://www.icloud.com/photostream/#A1532ODWDZF1w">gallery</a> and <a href="http://saponaro.blogspot.com/">blog</a>.</i></div>
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<i>Our Buddy</i></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-29954725787763369302013-04-03T12:46:00.000-04:002013-04-03T12:46:11.026-04:00Mother Earth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEoL-KAiuLa28QZQZZ7BN9ucpq6qmSOyl4vU_C175_4SFJhIIGBoSR6NuCem2aRpEZkcw7d9TFZVt2Zm9Y1mJELe0wnD0ynGfpNfcpK-aShyphenhyphenTHNiGcNIa3gTpOa5jvrJuNHReX9E5apB0/s1600/earth+day+christina+hess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEoL-KAiuLa28QZQZZ7BN9ucpq6qmSOyl4vU_C175_4SFJhIIGBoSR6NuCem2aRpEZkcw7d9TFZVt2Zm9Y1mJELe0wnD0ynGfpNfcpK-aShyphenhyphenTHNiGcNIa3gTpOa5jvrJuNHReX9E5apB0/s320/earth+day+christina+hess.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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You can see a <a href="http://christinahess.com/mother-earth-large.html">larger version here</a>.</div>
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I recently created an illustration for a charity event being held by <a href="http://www.nonameartgroup.org/no-name-projects/2013-earth-day/">(no name) Art Group</a> here in Philly. It is in honor of earth day and the proceeds will be going to charity:water which is a non profit that provides clean drinking water to people in developing countries. The event will be held on April 20 at B Square Gallery in Philly. All artwork has been printed and will be available for inserts into a reusable water bottle. Great fun for a great cause.<br />
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For my piece I wanted to focus on Mother Nature as a figure who is nurturing with an element of attitude. I decided to incorporate a side kick of sorts and placed an otter on her shoulder. I wanted him to hold something significant for Earth Day and thought of a wind turbine. But it wasn't working so I decided to transform the turbine into a 3 spoke pinwheel. Below are some of the stages that I went through and the final product that Sherry posted on the (no name) website.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_B8txX59NZAcYnnn2iC_RPs41XGzfa5rA4UsCEQy2CW5FzIM3SU1Yo1NlZaHVNCjEgyiO8ONWkPDPQwvtf2KYrVXSC50Va4Q5qKOOq5_ELsq-v3kjo4-T1_XcF3D3f90S5qu5M3far8/s1600/earthday+thumbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_B8txX59NZAcYnnn2iC_RPs41XGzfa5rA4UsCEQy2CW5FzIM3SU1Yo1NlZaHVNCjEgyiO8ONWkPDPQwvtf2KYrVXSC50Va4Q5qKOOq5_ELsq-v3kjo4-T1_XcF3D3f90S5qu5M3far8/s320/earthday+thumbs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thumbnails to hash out some basic ideas. This batch was just for me so it's more rough than what I would show an AD.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiir9WaMBxdTOCh96ah_jLdi_Obq1NeVYySjWfhE-6YnW6jM8mO76pFQMVjnmR1eZpkXpNeS1uAnszNpPxmhKyLooTkdNoXphX5ntv1yFzZeoqay7TSchso3He-1aH2yMZnU6rJs-EdUIo/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-02-13+at+12.54.26+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiir9WaMBxdTOCh96ah_jLdi_Obq1NeVYySjWfhE-6YnW6jM8mO76pFQMVjnmR1eZpkXpNeS1uAnszNpPxmhKyLooTkdNoXphX5ntv1yFzZeoqay7TSchso3He-1aH2yMZnU6rJs-EdUIo/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-02-13+at+12.54.26+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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When deciding where to put the spokes of the pinwheel I found it helpful to paint all the lines that have been created from positioning. This allowed me to see that the lines were converging on the otter and I wanted more direction heading towards the Mother's face. The spokes of the pinwheel helped with that. In addition I found that at the end the otter was getting lost in comparison to Mother's face. Enter the rose colored monocle! I always compare creating an illustration to dancing. A constant back and forth until it creates a consistent harmony.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5w1sPnmMBatZALpszcNDyfws_1aBUfMZ5v6YXPUcKLPOGD9ctTN_5B5IgGsDsYP29C3GYkEHiqp8TCr51RLMHZJcApoOtnySaY5pwtaWcze0BDqXGmBi0zJkdOqpIrIl_2zfp91qEbI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-03-06+at+12.55.19+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5w1sPnmMBatZALpszcNDyfws_1aBUfMZ5v6YXPUcKLPOGD9ctTN_5B5IgGsDsYP29C3GYkEHiqp8TCr51RLMHZJcApoOtnySaY5pwtaWcze0BDqXGmBi0zJkdOqpIrIl_2zfp91qEbI/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-03-06+at+12.55.19+PM.png" width="223" /></a></div>
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After I sent off my jpg and dropped my print off to Sherry at (no name) I was tickled to see that she chose my piece to represent the event! Learned lesson.....when in doubt add a monocle!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-45437156833774728582013-02-12T18:56:00.000-05:002013-02-12T18:56:05.106-05:00Shame on MeIt's been over 2 months since my last post which is .... well ... silly. I have been doing a lot and my blog has taken a backseat. I have updated my website, started a newsletter (you can sign up for it in the panel on the right----->), been working on freelance, teaching college classes and working on my "Animals" book. It's been a great year so far and I hope the greatness grows. Here are some images I have been working on just so you realize I'm not a liar!<br />
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Drawing in Graphite</div>
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Mixed Media on 16x20 Masonite</div>
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Digital Color Studies</div>
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Drawing in Graphite</div>
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Drawing in Graphite</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdR9HdulMKj3psGTN_L0Afli7xghEUrLWRU5weYhfJuPGqe0gXLCo-WbOYVHh7-DtNljhoYQelVn1dH0hoYV0AX3FejGAqJx5XEsxgOx9sdO2otlPC1IKlxkwC8Ar6ODY3MkFzGyuZkQ0/s1600/Florence+Nightengale+Christina+Hess+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdR9HdulMKj3psGTN_L0Afli7xghEUrLWRU5weYhfJuPGqe0gXLCo-WbOYVHh7-DtNljhoYQelVn1dH0hoYV0AX3FejGAqJx5XEsxgOx9sdO2otlPC1IKlxkwC8Ar6ODY3MkFzGyuZkQ0/s400/Florence+Nightengale+Christina+Hess+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Drawing in Graphite</div>
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The above images are for my "Animals From History" book which is being featured on my kickstarter page. I have been posting my backers' sponsored animals and some stories that go along with them on <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866239165/animals-from-history/posts">my updates page</a>. I have made some incredible connections with this project and feel that my sponsors' participation keep growing. The images from Top to Bottom are as follows:</div>
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-Mr. Phox as Shakespeare <i>(backer's drawing)</i></div>
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-The San Diego Zoo Snow Leopards as F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald <i>(original will be on sale at -Spectrum Live in May)</i></div>
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-Fenris as Jizo <i>(color studies for backer's painting)</i></div>
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-Mocha as Audrey Hepburn <i>(original will be on sale at Spectrum Live in May)</i></div>
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-Teddy as Kublai Khan <i>(backer's drawing)</i></div>
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-Trixie as Florence Nightengale <i>(backer's drawing)</i></div>
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There are MANY more that are complete, in progress and still in preliminary stages. I'll try and keep you updated! As always, thank you everyone for your interest and support!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-7425370156030728262012-11-25T13:19:00.001-05:002012-11-25T13:19:37.141-05:00Quarterly Email, Holiday Sale and Ornaments...Oh My!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXf0Tc5Q1WeKcBU96FoiKEYeYiVECA1amI1YVtdVnJJ3hGDQeNVNoQALY3ZQYeYKf6gDR7vJpoK7VRe8s8qV4CvyuXYwi20U9kj7FbhnmtBd39azgAS4s1Mi3imW3DWD7PRe8HZ6AeYXw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-11-25+at+1.07.35+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXf0Tc5Q1WeKcBU96FoiKEYeYiVECA1amI1YVtdVnJJ3hGDQeNVNoQALY3ZQYeYKf6gDR7vJpoK7VRe8s8qV4CvyuXYwi20U9kj7FbhnmtBd39azgAS4s1Mi3imW3DWD7PRe8HZ6AeYXw/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-11-25+at+1.07.35+PM.png" width="248" /></a></div>
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I hope everyone is recovering from the Thanksgiving gluttony and are looking forward to decorating for the holidays. I'm excited to be taking place in <a href="http://blupenny.com/hm-holiday-ornament-ex/">Cindy Ann Ganaden's Holiday Ornament Exchange</a> and will be posting my craftiness in a few weeks. <a href="http://christinahess.blogspot.com/2009/12/ornaments.html">Here are some of my past ornaments</a>. Many wonderful things happening here but I wanted to give you a heads up on two things.<br />
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No. 1 - I will be sending out my quarterly email this week so if you would like to be included on the email list just sign up to the right!-----------------------------------------------------------------------------><br />
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No. 2 - I'm running a 25% off sale on my etsy store. It ends on Cyber Monday night so get your presents while you can! Just plug in code HOLIDAYSALE upon check out to receive 25% off your order. Click <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/clhess?ref=si_shop">here</a> for my works.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-32224594841896284942012-10-16T15:44:00.000-04:002012-10-16T15:44:15.230-04:00WIP - Animals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIW5v887H4OY4ieEuhRjFfgyxpobNtnt1Xm0eUPfkkn9-ZD0WiyUdKqvSUjygcMmifbuPe_H3uEAq0O2g2uCOyGOrCMBR3ZPXCUUNnbSqY79SCcCFFqhCmEy_HmuOWfj9IP9ZrmQGCIrU/s1600/ChristinaHessCopyright2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIW5v887H4OY4ieEuhRjFfgyxpobNtnt1Xm0eUPfkkn9-ZD0WiyUdKqvSUjygcMmifbuPe_H3uEAq0O2g2uCOyGOrCMBR3ZPXCUUNnbSqY79SCcCFFqhCmEy_HmuOWfj9IP9ZrmQGCIrU/s400/ChristinaHessCopyright2012.jpg" width="336" /></a></div>
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This is a work in progress for "Animals". I'll be tossing some unfinished images up on my blog here and there to keep everyone informed to my progress. This will be digitally under painted and mixed media overpainted. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-58661194862828774852012-09-11T14:58:00.000-04:002012-09-11T14:58:33.911-04:00Animals Update - ML Jobs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCS7gJfRwtlh4BqvERQeH1yglvX6LRdBTPWbBtpStr3SwkxxU0j2ApGhM1IapU7f9t4_uXz7VE2ybuMd68yDUD2vbYBS9FTZigqw_RRdIPh6YSOowZE_zJKQVbYbOuqIl01-_clvieZQ/s1600/ML+Jobs+Christina+Hess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCS7gJfRwtlh4BqvERQeH1yglvX6LRdBTPWbBtpStr3SwkxxU0j2ApGhM1IapU7f9t4_uXz7VE2ybuMd68yDUD2vbYBS9FTZigqw_RRdIPh6YSOowZE_zJKQVbYbOuqIl01-_clvieZQ/s400/ML+Jobs+Christina+Hess.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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ML Jobs</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZUAyaHY2u7w4JeHjmKTq_6v2NiMaXYqm9yv2MbMbC-rFQ6WGl-VdnnxosDUpjm6pZgCtXopU0R3CpzYFEyrWldLu9EmYVokKFwnj8-j8-UXnlx-_VdVSL-ihSngBYDVMPGEz8q7tGQw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-09-11+at+2.55.59+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZUAyaHY2u7w4JeHjmKTq_6v2NiMaXYqm9yv2MbMbC-rFQ6WGl-VdnnxosDUpjm6pZgCtXopU0R3CpzYFEyrWldLu9EmYVokKFwnj8-j8-UXnlx-_VdVSL-ihSngBYDVMPGEz8q7tGQw/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-09-11+at+2.55.59+PM.png" width="377" /></a></div>
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Detail</div>
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Here's an "Animals" update for you! ML Jobs. I still have a bit more to do but will not be revisiting this one until the final weeks of the project. For more information on "Animals" you can visit my <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866239165/animals-from-history/posts">kickstarter update page</a>.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-85308332425969027762012-08-20T11:11:00.000-04:002012-08-20T11:11:30.742-04:00Last of Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6Mkbt_jkBWhiUF_Vmahj4vJHQq-FTbXirpKGXhMUlXpZj9OY51a00eOer3yfQFX8-HV11U3hmvgpCOIihVgDZU9UAoZUSFxDJPrQGGJCP60XvMhnrQBPLqZcH8KYX2yiUKl95gW0SDY/s1600/Last-of-Summer-Christina-Hess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6Mkbt_jkBWhiUF_Vmahj4vJHQq-FTbXirpKGXhMUlXpZj9OY51a00eOer3yfQFX8-HV11U3hmvgpCOIihVgDZU9UAoZUSFxDJPrQGGJCP60XvMhnrQBPLqZcH8KYX2yiUKl95gW0SDY/s400/Last-of-Summer-Christina-Hess.jpg" width="326" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmSnm2nWgRLBKbgglW0jdfQar6SV5lzzVMKduB8bkSMMZou5ejCLtD6sm004J7EYjTDzWfSbsuFdh4tmoE_5lx0F3t26yjFA0nTsAOu8QaqidW-rbwdvrwKRTW9QUGTnnP_WvQvYLUSM/s1600/Detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBmSnm2nWgRLBKbgglW0jdfQar6SV5lzzVMKduB8bkSMMZou5ejCLtD6sm004J7EYjTDzWfSbsuFdh4tmoE_5lx0F3t26yjFA0nTsAOu8QaqidW-rbwdvrwKRTW9QUGTnnP_WvQvYLUSM/s320/Detail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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"Last of Summer" GreenPrints Autumn Cover 2012</div>
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I have been so engrossed in creating sketches for <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866239165/animals-from-history">"Animals"</a> that I forgot to post my most recent work for GreenPrints! This is a cover I did several weeks ago for the Autumn issue. I enjoyed working on this painting and had a great time creating the indian corn and cabbage fingers. Both items were the most time consuming but I feel it paid off in the long run. </div>
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The <a href="http://www.greenprints.com/">issue has been released</a> and I have started receiving emails from gardeners interested in prints. I posted a mini print for the budget conscious on my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/107319520/mini-last-of-summer">etsy store</a> and will be posting larger sizes in a day or so. Enjoy the last of summer everyone!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-54697246882339268792012-08-13T14:01:00.000-04:002012-08-13T15:27:03.471-04:00Animals from History - The Beginning<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguI78h6yl3O0N3EYOMPpnwgOWrduDmYY1pNbMLkub7RfzKu0-cV6ISUPG9JQ6d1voSdbhGOSjfPGvQwYtmBKQoHjAzwlASd56CtIZ6zR0Fbqm9BHyLDE4OANg7zbB7xJAZS9MCC5aAmTg/s1600/Teddy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguI78h6yl3O0N3EYOMPpnwgOWrduDmYY1pNbMLkub7RfzKu0-cV6ISUPG9JQ6d1voSdbhGOSjfPGvQwYtmBKQoHjAzwlASd56CtIZ6zR0Fbqm9BHyLDE4OANg7zbB7xJAZS9MCC5aAmTg/s400/Teddy.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Meet Seymour as Teddy Roosevelt (detail)</div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">123 backers and original goal exceeded I have begun the process of creating <i>"Animals From History"</i>! The last few weeks I have been taking care of the business end of things. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievYAKEC1iLfhdNMR6JPm3yCeYgBYrCd5yLApUK99gwFMeu9o9onAOysC3BJ0O5VnkpmmUoFl6qUlIKMJPAzopcs0mvcRfb5tiwP7L5qRWuXSrGn8dP_twfOJyq3ZohlfoxXci_V8zrXw/s1600/Florence+Nightengale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEievYAKEC1iLfhdNMR6JPm3yCeYgBYrCd5yLApUK99gwFMeu9o9onAOysC3BJ0O5VnkpmmUoFl6qUlIKMJPAzopcs0mvcRfb5tiwP7L5qRWuXSrGn8dP_twfOJyq3ZohlfoxXci_V8zrXw/s400/Florence+Nightengale.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Meet Trixie as Florence Nightengale</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">What's been happening...</span></div>
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•Big Cat Rescue received my donation check of 2600.00 last week! That's 25% of the proceeds from the kickstarter campaign. <br />
•I have priced out (again) all materials and printing costs. I have also been researching calendar printing sites. Once I surpassed my original goal I added a stretch goal that was met. All pledges of $15.00 or over receive a calendar. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHGdw7Da-zwCmQuDssMLQXMeI6rKjsK1p2uRwDY0u4VAZyAUVx07pp1B6w6rkTC5xCoMP4mmoFfjWBsZiMJGRRFKZlG78YxCZrTj-dSuqXx7cTjDGUgHU8pErA_DjCcMWiLJNS1nZqAg/s1600/Shakespeare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHGdw7Da-zwCmQuDssMLQXMeI6rKjsK1p2uRwDY0u4VAZyAUVx07pp1B6w6rkTC5xCoMP4mmoFfjWBsZiMJGRRFKZlG78YxCZrTj-dSuqXx7cTjDGUgHU8pErA_DjCcMWiLJNS1nZqAg/s400/Shakespeare.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Meet Mr. Phoxhead as Shakespeare</div>
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•Planning out the next year.....when due dates for drawings and paintings will be. When due dates for purchasing and designing. <br />
•Researching ebooks so I know just how to layout the story properly. This involves and ebook reader I recently purchased.<br />
•Copyrighting via the governement<br />
•Drawing, drawing and more drawing! <br />
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The drawings you see are in progress. I will be continuing to refine them throughout the year. This way I can be sure that they are cohesive with one another for the final book.<br />
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<b>Stay tuned for updates here or visit my <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866239165/animals-from-history/posts/286445">kickstarter page</a>.</b><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-50974306767371686832012-07-21T15:08:00.000-04:002012-07-21T15:08:46.186-04:00CleoCatra and The Final Stretch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fHLGYxkG1ONDDWctIPgGTx-HQmb-brU424uCDhuCQliARFArZF0b0_n0s4CAxx7AzcvrPQ0sVasgDYfugEPoOAwS-i1Rv6rLV5i6MEF3suMi8-4G27TqGxSmPg1-AMeKYg8NQ4EmB3I/s1600/Cleocatra-Christina-Hess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fHLGYxkG1ONDDWctIPgGTx-HQmb-brU424uCDhuCQliARFArZF0b0_n0s4CAxx7AzcvrPQ0sVasgDYfugEPoOAwS-i1Rv6rLV5i6MEF3suMi8-4G27TqGxSmPg1-AMeKYg8NQ4EmB3I/s400/Cleocatra-Christina-Hess.jpg" width="335" /></a></div>
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CleoCatra</div>
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Cleocatra was the final sketch incentive and was snatched up pretty quickly. With only 9 hours to go on my kickstarter campaign I am very happy to say that I am currently over my funding goal and have reaching my first stretch goal of 8400. So now everyone who pledges $15 or more will receive a calendar in addition to the rewards. </div>
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I have instituted a second stretch goal. If the funding reaches 10,000 by midnight EST then one backer will be raffled an original final painting from the book. All backers will be eligible for the raffle. </div>
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Thank you to everyone who showed support!</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Please visit and share my</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> </span><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866239165/animals-from-history?ref=email" style="color: #3d81ee; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">kickstarter</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">with your ebook lovin' friends!</span></b></i></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-63369153389853951492012-07-19T20:33:00.000-04:002012-07-19T20:33:01.422-04:00Survey Says...UPDATE July 19 8:30PM<br />
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<b>Only 51 Hours to Pledge!! I'm down by $968.00 with 100 backers!!</b></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">The survey will be up until July 23 so be sure to stop by and vote for your favorites! </span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQq7im3zpKcoEZL1_IfNDiC9TDQASCDm7vjKuzcUxLYZtxWQU3BRB_ClRSXHtCmc-gIPQMMw8FnxkZg6TcvAxWxzdMqWCUY5DHzIsMOs0rmFFCnEco0kDYO4cnt_SPpQOhDWpPzksM_0/s1600/Animals-July-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQq7im3zpKcoEZL1_IfNDiC9TDQASCDm7vjKuzcUxLYZtxWQU3BRB_ClRSXHtCmc-gIPQMMw8FnxkZg6TcvAxWxzdMqWCUY5DHzIsMOs0rmFFCnEco0kDYO4cnt_SPpQOhDWpPzksM_0/s640/Animals-July-19.jpg" width="432" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><i><a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Z6SGG9J" target="_blank">Click here</a></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"> to visit the survey. I will be updating this blog with results so be sure to check back.</span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMJMetwB8WKtI3c4Yz2tLBpTp0YD-2Ai0f-eCf9j8NhIKLwhYfhyphenhyphenrDeYq5x9OEuJPBW_499em5mdMLuIiolQV8vR1w1F4-yWo3cq4fVwjUgza4ecLn_uy4WPRd2w_YqeWPirEqq4fyZM/s1600/History-July-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMJMetwB8WKtI3c4Yz2tLBpTp0YD-2Ai0f-eCf9j8NhIKLwhYfhyphenhyphenrDeYq5x9OEuJPBW_499em5mdMLuIiolQV8vR1w1F4-yWo3cq4fVwjUgza4ecLn_uy4WPRd2w_YqeWPirEqq4fyZM/s640/History-July-19.jpg" width="361" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><i>Vote for as many characters and animals as you want and feel free to add your own suggestions under the "other" category. </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><i><b>Please visit and share my <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866239165/animals-from-history?ref=email" target="_blank">kickstarter</a> with your ebook lovin' friends!</b></i></span></h3>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have 105 responses to this survey. Here are some of the suggestions under the "other" category. </span></i></b></h3>
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<i>Animals:</i></div>
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<i>2 for fox, hare, coyote, siamese cat, binturong, bushbaby, anteater, turtle/tortoise, honey badger, manatee, dolphin, kangaroo, platypus (my personal favorite), otter, boston terrier, 2 for black panther, Rufus the Bobcat (correct spelling....sorry about that....I'm a terrible typist!), border collie, sea horse (wow! Sea Horse!), tiger, 2 for pembroke welsh corgi, tasmanian devil, 2 for tuxedo cat aka Patches, ants, elephant, zebra, jackle, owl, stag, japanese bobtail, serval, raven, english cream retriever, aka Lily, wombat, dinosaur, chinchilla, african gray parrot (good call!), lion, egyptian may, short hair, labradoodle, bat, panda, shark, red corgi, cuttlefish</i></div>
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<i>Historical Figures:</i></div>
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<i>Isaac Newton, 2 for Rasputin, Gurdjieff, Colette, Anais Nin, King Arthur, Amelia Earhart, JFK, Martin Luther King, Marilyn Monroe, 2 for Winston Churchill, Charles Darwin,<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">King Solomon, King David, Harriet Tubman, John Lennon, Al Capone, Isadora Duncan, Manfred Von Richtofen, King Tut, Leonidas, John Adams, Knight of the Round Table, Vlad the Impaler or Elizabeth Bathory (these could be for the children's version......), Stan Lee, Charles Dickens, Guy Fawkes, Madam Butterfly</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Combo Suggestions: </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>English Cream Retriever as Noah</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Border Collie as a Scientist</i></span></div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-15277106834658009972012-07-18T15:19:00.000-04:002012-07-18T15:20:07.965-04:00Three Days to Go!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2XhDLAXY6Y5m8pISwwm2mOUFD-UValbseMOcmyLU6p7TJz7JgJnmb_NaLjQVSkQSvVCsj1yqla6reg2Zw0Bd7wNqAxYFLqTObJp7KQ8UstQTglS6L40dBJNr7jD1HvTQv3qWOVqbFY0/s1600/Phounding-Phather-Christina-Hess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2XhDLAXY6Y5m8pISwwm2mOUFD-UValbseMOcmyLU6p7TJz7JgJnmb_NaLjQVSkQSvVCsj1yqla6reg2Zw0Bd7wNqAxYFLqTObJp7KQ8UstQTglS6L40dBJNr7jD1HvTQv3qWOVqbFY0/s400/Phounding-Phather-Christina-Hess.jpg" width="305" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;">Our Phounding Phather</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;">HISTORY! Pledge $176.76 and you receive this sketch, 2 boxes of your choice of Tastykakes and the 100 awards. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;">The infamous Philly Phanatic as one of our founding fathers. In 1776 our declaration of independence was signed which declared our freedom from the British. As a child I had a Philly Phanatic stuffed animal that was my best friend. To this day I still giggle like a kid when I see the Phanatic at games and events. By the way, he's not originally from Philly. He was born in the Galapagos Islands.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;">Visit the</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866239165/animals-from-history/posts" style="color: #3d81ee; text-decoration: none;">updates section of my kickstarter</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">to visit the Phanatic.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Please visit and share my</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> </span><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866239165/animals-from-history?ref=email" style="color: #3d81ee; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">kickstarter</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">with your ebook lovin' friends!</span></b></i></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-80723359443308460432012-07-17T12:31:00.001-04:002012-07-17T12:32:13.754-04:00Four Days to Go!Four more days to go on my <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866239165/animals-from-history?ref=email">kickstarter campaign</a>. Please consider pledging and sharing the project. For $15 you will receive the ebook, $20 a post card pack, $35 both ebook and post card pack. Pledge higher for your choice of pet/animal as a historical figure along with the original painting or drawing!<br />
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This next incentive for anyone who pledges $250 or over will be first come first serve. Mary Shelley as a skunk. I find skunks to be beautiful creatures. Except when they would spray my dogs! Anyway, the black and white fur markings remind me of the bride of Frankenstein. Hence, Mary as a skunk.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzBLCfEp7gZD5d4xbK-pCD2LGqHYzSh9ngiuMhVGdWPBB7ts5cBeLsxEZOzMN4oN8OtYpwQ_hWungmIMTjpDHAfQkFjcuOGmq5kthviRFXWlYBFqTxi9YOTW6o7mFl3T2e-9SpprdDkQ/s1600/Mary-Shelley-Christina-Hess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzBLCfEp7gZD5d4xbK-pCD2LGqHYzSh9ngiuMhVGdWPBB7ts5cBeLsxEZOzMN4oN8OtYpwQ_hWungmIMTjpDHAfQkFjcuOGmq5kthviRFXWlYBFqTxi9YOTW6o7mFl3T2e-9SpprdDkQ/s640/Mary-Shelley-Christina-Hess.jpg" width="361" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Be the first to pledge 250 or over and choose from any one of my incentives. Visit the</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866239165/animals-from-history/posts" style="color: #3d81ee; text-decoration: none;">updates section of my kickstarter</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">to pick your sketch, Mary Shelley included.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Please visit and share my</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> </span><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866239165/animals-from-history?ref=email" style="color: #3d81ee; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">kickstarter</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">with your ebook lovin' friends!</span></b></i></span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-33070610630634250192012-07-16T14:30:00.000-04:002012-07-16T14:37:51.285-04:00Five Days to Go!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTumfUay8gGJrrVKxN06ZtjjGPJPpo1aHDFrbiEz_OZ5ktG5L0qbR2J_qFAhCtiCcw4lth8l-YGSOKb2E8B97yJ4Hi-2KzTvBKbQdM_zsyEXEtBZ2q56jYK3fmy7kQsoJXFDsdzL8yeU/s1600/Everett+and+Anna+Fitzgerald-Christina-Hess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTumfUay8gGJrrVKxN06ZtjjGPJPpo1aHDFrbiEz_OZ5ktG5L0qbR2J_qFAhCtiCcw4lth8l-YGSOKb2E8B97yJ4Hi-2KzTvBKbQdM_zsyEXEtBZ2q56jYK3fmy7kQsoJXFDsdzL8yeU/s400/Everett+and+Anna+Fitzgerald-Christina-Hess.jpg" width="307" /></a></div>
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Everett and Anna Fitzgerald</div>
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Star Crossed Lovers from the San Diego Zoo</div>
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Snow leopards are truly majestic creatures. They are solitary cats that rarely live together so when the San Diego Zoo paired Everett and Anna they had their fingers crossed that they would get along and mate. It was a amazing. The two not only loved one another but they were almost inseparable. They would get nervous when parted. They even ate together in harmony which is a rarity. </div>
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The good news was they were mating. The bad news was the Everett could not conceive. </div>
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They were separated and a new male was put in Everett's place. </div>
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F Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald were a couple very much in love and very much plagued by turmoil. Considering F. Scott used his life as a base for his famous novel "The Great Gatsby", among other works, I thought this was a fair parallel in historical couples. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Be the first to pledge 250 or over and choose from any one of my incentives. Visit the <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866239165/animals-from-history/posts" style="text-decoration: none;">updates section of my kickstarter</a> to pick your sketch, The Fitzgeralds included.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; line-height: 20px;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Please visit and share my</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> </span><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866239165/animals-from-history?ref=email" style="color: #3d81ee; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">kickstarter</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">with your ebook lovin' friends!</span></b></i></span></span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-82214883684640848882012-07-14T18:48:00.003-04:002012-07-18T15:20:34.860-04:00Seven Days to Go!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnz6Cf94rM2KD6L_i_D1muidwQmd5_wksDvBj6Md_5ETAWtsBtNBRyiPgeGGc3xnG9eQcvxTAp6zaFU7x8OMBhveu3Cuq-ju4Uf1oTrl06oqGG4vhuirpO0gqKOBRoqd8UKxo1ZKXWjTQ/s1600/ML-Jobs-Christina-Hess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnz6Cf94rM2KD6L_i_D1muidwQmd5_wksDvBj6Md_5ETAWtsBtNBRyiPgeGGc3xnG9eQcvxTAp6zaFU7x8OMBhveu3Cuq-ju4Uf1oTrl06oqGG4vhuirpO0gqKOBRoqd8UKxo1ZKXWjTQ/s400/ML-Jobs-Christina-Hess.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Meet Mac - as ML Jobs</div>
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I wanted to create a portrait of Steve Jobs to honor his memory. He was a brilliant inventor and his work changed the way I illustrate. If it wasn't for Steve Jobs and his creation of the mac I would not be here typing today. <br />
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For those who are PC users Apple names all of their operating systems after wild cats. I originally wanted to create him as a snow leopard but I felt it only right to portray him as the newest release in mac software...the mountain lion. <br />
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While searching for reference I found a gorgeous image on Big Cat Rescue's Facebook page of a mountain lion and when I saw this guys name I laughed out loud. <a href="http://bigcatrescue.org/2011/mac">Mac</a>. How appropriate. I guess it must be fate.<br />
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Pledge 250 or over and choose from any one of my incentives. Visit the <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866239165/animals-from-history/posts">updates section of my kickstarter</a> to pick your sketch, ML Jobs included.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Please visit and share my</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> </span><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866239165/animals-from-history?ref=email" style="color: #3d81ee; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">kickstarter</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">with your ebook lovin' friends!</span></b></i></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-19872092739534436152012-07-13T19:24:00.001-04:002012-07-13T19:26:03.351-04:00Eight Days To Go!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">This is <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-lafontaine/for-lennox-barnes_b_1668978.html">Lennox</a>. He was taken from his home, imprisoned for two years and then put to death. The only reason for the execution was because he looked like a pit bull. Roscoe (my basset hound) has gotten into many of tussles at the dog park but the only ones that made him bleed or harmed him were the dogs that were smaller than him. Every pit we have run across, which has been a lot, were completely amicable. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">So for wrongful persecution I have decided to portray him as a saint. Not a particular saint. Just a saint.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></b></i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MbrZtgLp93T82iIXVXeNNUWq5skcslVMDZdwAMvddQF8QJvTIE5RDaczdMuCuHyfheroNVzF636eT97lnbH8-SNeIVlpabfCqugMftErazNiEraFZG7HabpEuzPFnXiTlADZswzvdGA/s1600/Saint-Lennox-Christina-Hess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MbrZtgLp93T82iIXVXeNNUWq5skcslVMDZdwAMvddQF8QJvTIE5RDaczdMuCuHyfheroNVzF636eT97lnbH8-SNeIVlpabfCqugMftErazNiEraFZG7HabpEuzPFnXiTlADZswzvdGA/s400/Saint-Lennox-Christina-Hess.jpg" width="323" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Saint Lennox Barnes</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></b></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Please visit and share my</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> </span><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866239165/animals-from-history?ref=email" style="color: #3d81ee; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">kickstarter</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">with your ebook lovin' friends!</span></b></i></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4754761913791111803.post-91122104244173305862012-07-12T17:10:00.003-04:002012-07-12T17:10:42.761-04:00Nine Days to Go!For the next few days I will be offering incentives for my kickstarter project. Right now I'm 65% funded and hope to get full funding with in the 9 day time frame. So back my project if you love animals! Even if it's a buck or two. Every dollar counts. Below are two incentives that I posted today. Frida Kalhocelot went within 10 minutes of posting so I drew another. If you are the first to pledge 250 or more you get the Rufus and Skip Wright sketch in addition to your rewards!<br />
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Happy pledging and help spread the word by sharing on Facebook!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplqtBpELYkBQ7oWA1KGncIe-s6-IPVK1iM3fO4vkcm7qRSJyRS0fMda1u_01ok8OgCk4UqNbwiGm0SYCAC87PrS46z_c2tioZUxI8vFvv8jRoBcmipChKJ5-Gs982SnlckV_QyN3qlf8/s1600/Frida-Kalhocelot-Christina-Hess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplqtBpELYkBQ7oWA1KGncIe-s6-IPVK1iM3fO4vkcm7qRSJyRS0fMda1u_01ok8OgCk4UqNbwiGm0SYCAC87PrS46z_c2tioZUxI8vFvv8jRoBcmipChKJ5-Gs982SnlckV_QyN3qlf8/s400/Frida-Kalhocelot-Christina-Hess.jpg" width="312" /></a></div>
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Frida Kalhocelot</div>
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<i>I used Amazing Grace from Big Cat Rescue as inspiration for Frida</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufS7z8nWfCzTtRj7RtVq9UN9aDCDKsrrSpGmqPTP1CZi1Rz7JXFVAlWK5GWXSaYgxH3Fk7OBdjG1B4xWTpY7pjOF58L57vdrA9sRW5uhZhRu8czfaYei5zJ-h_8XaniChFz1tJ2Y3tcE/s1600/Wright-Brothers-Christina-Hess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufS7z8nWfCzTtRj7RtVq9UN9aDCDKsrrSpGmqPTP1CZi1Rz7JXFVAlWK5GWXSaYgxH3Fk7OBdjG1B4xWTpY7pjOF58L57vdrA9sRW5uhZhRu8czfaYei5zJ-h_8XaniChFz1tJ2Y3tcE/s400/Wright-Brothers-Christina-Hess.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Wright Brothers - Rufus and Skip</div>
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<i>I used Rufus and Skip from Big Cat Rescue as inspiration for the Wright Brothers</i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Please visit and share my</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> </span><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1866239165/animals-from-history?ref=email" style="color: #3d81ee; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">kickstarter</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">with your ebook lovin' friends!</span></b></i></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15383705604901064939noreply@blogger.com0