A rant on the color red.

I seem to always have funny little oddities happen when I least expect anything to happen...isn't that the way of it? Now what could happen with red as in paint? I had a Siamese cat walk through a paint pan and leave his foot prints all over the house; I mean from the back porch through the kitchen and front room. Laughable and fixable.

One of the properties of red paint is that it takes longer to dry than other colors. Just something about the pigment. Now a wise woman would remember this, right. You might wonder why the subject; lets just say I wasn't wise for a moment and it only takes a moment for red to wander all over. Red is such a sociable color. Loves everything and attaches quite well to anything kind of like a magnet to metal filings.

The Honor Flight Gourd was coming along great. The eagle portrait almost looks as though you could pull it out of the gourd, the flying eagle so free and then the red stripes were added. Did I mention how red likes to travel and hug every thing....keep in mind that I let it 'dry' before adding the sky. As I turned the gourd to apply the blue something very disturbing began to happen; I was seeing pink ( I don't much care for pink) all over the the white stripes. Hmmm, check out the fingers. WHAT.....RED. That isn't pink its red finger prints. I ruined my gourd, no, no, NOOOO. Did you know that you can erase on a gourd with a razor blade. Works real good. Made a real interesting effect on the feathers. Thus I learned again red takes a long time to dry.

Following my self

Refer to my Techi I'm Not blog.... How did I follow my self. Can't get rid of it so.. Hey, HELP!

Well, gee, it is kind of funny. So laugh with me.

More Mike Poster is coming this week end. I am gourding and doing my Christmas thing this week. I believe I will be the After Christmas Elf. Again.

We'll just call this a mini blog from a frustrated artist. I do love technology but sometimes it just gets me and so there you are.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Mike the Headless Chicken poster 'Muscles'

Creating Mike is quite a process. It is pretty much completed in my mind before it ever goes to paper. Just the way I process.

Here we have Mike and Henrietta all sketched out for their new 80's look. Its really good to start with the easy part first that's why I did the legs now. Not that it is that much easier but it was a quick way to get it going. Doesn't look like much now but just wait!

After I lay in the base for his world class bod each feather gets to be added. What was I thinking! Was I..... momentary panic set in... going to be able to do this? How to make feathers on an old rooster ( sorry Mike, but you are older than I am) and still have it look like a body builder's body?

Each feather needs to follow the contour of the muscles to create that wonderful form of strength. You should be able to see the shading underneath the feathers. This is my guide for his fabulous shape. As the illustration develops more shading will be added with a cool blue color and the detail of the feathers will also help the illusion of muscle.
There is much to do on Mike and more is done than you see here. But this will give you an idea of how it is going but maybe not where it is going.

I think that Henrietta will be focused on for the next post. She is a cutie. Will she be wearing 1980's style make up? That was a trip. As for big hair, well she just has big hair.

Your comments are welcomed. I also have a fan page on facebook SEDG with my 'Moon Maiden' logo where you can see some of my work and a few things on Zazzel.com/SEDG_Art if you are interested in seeing other things I do.

Well I need to go pluck feathers. Deadline you know.

Mike The Headless Chicken - Its all about the 80's

You followed me while The Little Gourd was created. I think you enjoyed it. I did! So we, Mike the Headless Chicken, Henrietta and I decided to share our process. Mike will link my blog so that his fans can follow too.

I start out with a sketch book and put on paper the ideas that have been mulling around in my head. The Sketches that follow are enlargements of the above sketch.

This year the theme is 'Lets get physical' based on how into exercise we were in the 80's. That decade was sooooooo...........well I feel like I missed it but I didn't.

Arnold was big into body building not politics. I think Mike would like a body like his so I have done the best I can to give it to him. The next step will be on a good velum paper or illustration board with the muscles all sketched in with no head, then put feathers and a tail on him with his great rooster legs.

Henrietta (my twin sister Susan named her) is depicted in the two lady sketches. I will decide which type I like best, put feathers on her and use the other one in the background along with some other chicks.

Leg warmers and hens feet. Gotta love it.

Keep in mind that these are just rough sketches and the finished product; well you'll see.

Gym equipment, mats... the ideas are endless.

Keep watching this blog or my Facebook fan page, SEDG and be sure to visit Mike on Facebook or his website. www.miketheheadlesschicken.org
Till next time. SEDG

Pink Flamingos Dancing In The Yard

I have a friend who bought a house and the day they closed and moved in found out that it was a meth house......long story short they had to live in an RV. So being an enterprising young woman she decorated appropriately with humor. When she found out that I did gourds she wanted a pink flamingo gourd. Oh this was fun. Flamingos are so graceful and beautiful with such a bad rap for the decorations they provide. It is not their fault that pink plastic replicas are placed in yards of all types. I myself have summer iced tea glasses with pink flamingos on them. The whimsy is great. So I say to you Where is your sense of humor? Flamingos rock! Okay, I could not resist putting a trailer with two plastic pink flamingos out front. Enjoy!


I think this is called a swan gourd. If not well its a flamingo gourd. How they can stand on one leg and not topple over is a wonder in and of its self.

I have some Tennessee Spinners.....Gourds!!! I was so jazzed when I saw them. You will be amazed at their size!

The Cat Gourd

Those of you who have had or now have cats will recognise the antics of these guys. This gourd is based on every cat that I have had and there have been many that gave me joy and laughter. You do realize some of their 'fun' was not mine. but for the most part.....lots of laughter.

I am with out any pets at this point in my journey but maybe in the future. This gourd is in my special selection, you know the 'artists property'. Can not put it up for sale but some have gone to other homes where I hope they are enjoyed. They take such a long time to do. Hours and hours of detailing, listening to the muse, hopefully getting right. Oh you don't see my not so great ones. Maybe someday when I am feeling brave there will be a blog about wish I hadn't done that, how I fixed it or where it lives till the fix is figured out. Till next time! And it will be soon.

The unnamed cat gourd

I started this gourd several weeks ago. It just had the little orange cat on the left and no foliage just cat on gourd. So now there are several more, like six having fun in the sunshine. They are just doing what cats do. Make me laugh.

Puppies are cute and cuddly and very loving. Cats on the other hand are funny. The tippy toe kitten with arched back and fizzed tail over nothing, or the leap to the ceiling over some perceived fright are well worth at least a belly laugh.

I don't recall seeing a dog hiding in a paperbag or box that is too small..... they do other things and usually when they are bigger. We had an 80 pound Boxer/German short-hair named Durango, she decided one time that it would be fun to run between my legs. She tipped me totally over; I swear she was laughing. Then there was the time she got a basket ball stuck in her teeth and the air was hissing out. Yeah that was funny cuz she couldn't run fast enough to get away from it. She has been gone now for about 3 years; I sure miss her she was love on four feet. I never could get her to stop kissing. But dogs are another time and maybe a gourd who knows.

When I finish I will upload the total gourd. It has been fun trying to capture cat ways.