SlugLady's Sketch-Log

NEW SITE OPEN! Welcome to Sluglady Studio

2019-02-28T23:13:00.001-07:00

Hey, y'all! I'm back! And I've got a new website! Just the blog for the site is open. I will explain more tomorrow and show some new art! (there's been an emergency I had to focus on today)

Until then, please check out the new site right here!

Sluglady Plays The Unavowed Ep 1- Army Of The Dead

2018-09-17T15:01:00.001-06:00

It`s Unavowed! The latest horror/mystery game from Wadjet Eye Games! In the first episode, I pick my character and...get my face eaten. A lot.

Warning that there will be spoilers to the Blackwell Series, another Wadjet eye game series

Want to get Unavowed? Buy the game here: http://www.wadjeteyegames.com/games/unavowed/

Wanna support me? Donate at my Kofi page: https://ko-fi.com/A141IJA
And check out my art channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLzbN8Rbjgvfg_x3w8CtAGQ
And my main website ArtSlug at: http://artslug.blogspot.ca/
For news and updates, check out my twitter: https://twitter.com/tegandumpleton

Sluglady Plays Blackwell Epiphany Ep7: Swears & Tears- Ending

2018-08-09T18:02:00.001-06:00

For the final episode, I try to keep myself together long enough to reach the conclusion of one of my favorite games.

Due to the dark nature of some of the events in this game, I've decided to add these helplines below. Remember, you are important, and you are not alone.

Suicide Prevention Lines
Canada: +1 416-408-4357, +1 514-723-4000
US: 1-800-784-2433, 1-800-273-8255, 1-866-4-U-TREVOR
UK: +44 (0) 8457 90 90 90, +44 (0) 8457 90 91 92
International List: https://bit.ly/Ka8gdC

Wanna support me? Donate at my Kofi page: https://ko-fi.com/A141IJA
And check out my art channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLzbN8Rbjgvfg_x3w8CtAGQ
And my main website ArtSlug at: http://artslug.blogspot.ca/
For news and updates, check out my twitter: https://twitter.com/tegandumpleton

Want the game?
Check it out at Wadjet Eye Games: http://www.wadjeteyegames.com/
Or check out the steam page right here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/236930/Blackwell_Epiphany/

Sluglady Plays Blackwell Epiphany Ep6: MUST. FIND. ALL. DIALOGUE.

2018-08-08T20:34:00.000-06:00

Sluglady Plays Blackwell Epiphany Ep 4 & 5: LATE NIGHT DOUBLE UPDATE!

2018-08-06T23:36:00.002-06:00

We're edging closer to the release of Unavowed, so here's 2 episodes to make up for the lost time!

Due to the dark nature of some of the events in this game, I've decided to add these helplines below. Remember, you are important, and you are not alone.

Suicide Prevention Lines

Canada: +1 416-408-4357, +1 514-723-4000

US: 1-800-784-2433, 1-800-273-8255, 1-866-4-U-TREVOR

UK: +44 (0) 8457 90 90 90, +44 (0) 8457 90 91 92

International List: https://bit.ly/Ka8gdC

Wanna support me? Donate at my Kofi page: https://ko-fi.com/A141IJA

And check out my art channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLzbN8Rbjgvfg_x3w8CtAGQ

And my main website ArtSlug at: http://artslug.blogspot.ca/

For news and updates, check out my twitter: https://twitter.com/tegandumpleton

Want the game?

Check it out at Wadjet Eye Games: http://www.wadjeteyegames.com/

Or check out the steam page right here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/236930/Blackwell_Epiphany/

Sluglady Plays Blackwell Epiphany Ep3: Operation-Save Kendra

2018-08-05T09:59:00.001-06:00

Sluglady Plays Blackwell Epiphany Ep 2: I'm not crying! YOU'RE CRYING!

2018-08-02T14:03:00.000-06:00

Things get upsetting. And then it gets WORSE.

Due to the dark nature of some of the events in this game, I've decided to add these helplines below. Remember, you are important, and you are not alone.

Suicide Prevention Lines
Canada: +1 416-408-4357, +1 514-723-4000
US: 1-800-784-2433, 1-800-273-8255, 1-866-4-U-TREVOR
UK: +44 (0) 8457 90 90 90, +44 (0) 8457 90 91 92
International List: https://bit.ly/Ka8gdC

Wanna support me? Donate at my Kofi page: https://ko-fi.com/A141IJA
And check out my art channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLzbN8Rbjgvfg_x3w8CtAGQ
And my main website ArtSlug at: http://artslug.blogspot.ca/

Want the game?
Check it out at Wadjet Eye Games: http://www.wadjeteyegames.com/
Or check out the steam page right here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/236930/Blackwell_Epiphany/

Sluglady Plays Blackwell Epiphany Ep 1: Consummate Professionals

2018-08-01T11:54:00.000-06:00

While everything else is still in edits, enjoy a new letsplay!

We're here! The penultimate and final Blackwell game!

Due to the dark nature of some of the events in this game, I've decided to add these helplines below. Remember, you are important, and you are not alone.

Suicide Prevention Lines
Canada: +1 416-408-4357, +1 514-723-4000
US: 1-800-784-2433, 1-800-273-8255, 1-866-4-U-TREVOR
UK: +44 (0) 8457 90 90 90, +44 (0) 8457 90 91 92
International List: https://bit.ly/Ka8gdC

Wanna support me? Donate at my Kofi page: https://ko-fi.com/A141IJA
And check out my art channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLzbN8Rbjgvfg_x3w8CtAGQ
And my main website ArtSlug at: http://artslug.blogspot.ca/

Want the game?
Check it out at Wadjet Eye Games: http://www.wadjeteyegames.com/
Or check out the steam page right here:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/236930/Blackwell_Epiphany/

July Update!

2018-07-08T17:51:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone! It's July, I'm back, and I've got an update! Also, I am sick. Boo. Good news is that I've had two days off from my day job (plus one more tomorrow), so my throat feels much better, though a bit gravelly

First up, I HAVE A NEW WEBSITE! slugladystudio.com! Sadly, Artslug was already bought (by someone willing to sell it for several hundred dollars. Boo.) I've mostly been messing with the look and slowly moving everything from this website onto the new one, but it feels good to have a professional sounding website.

Also, Slug At Work has a new website too! slugatworkcomic.com It's also under construction, and I'll start posting chapter 1 onto the site after some much-needed polishing. Once everything is up on the new site, the Tumblr site will be closed. But don't worry, it's gonna be a bit before that.

As for Art Slug and Sluglady's sketch-log... I haven't really decided what to do with them. I won't close the site but I might just keep them as an archive.

So, what about new updates, huh?

Well, you might have noticed that I posted my first review in ages a week ago! And more updates are coming. I have one big illustrating job to do first! So, Slug at work is still on hiatus. But once that's done, Slug at work will be back, along lets plays, reviews, the whole shebang!

Also, I have been holding back on Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr regarding this last week of Steven Universe episodes. Starting Monday though? I'm going full-on spoilers including short videos up on Youtube

This is the Sluglady, Signing off!

Steven Universe Theories! Spoilers for a Single Pale Rose

2018-07-02T19:57:00.005-06:00

Hello everyone! This is the Sluglady! I'm baaaack! And just in time for some quick steven universe theories before I go back into my cave of work! And before the start of tonights next Steven Bomb "The Heart of the Crystal Gems"

Now I could have waited and turned this into a video, but seriously, the episode is literally tonight and if my theories are right, I totally get bragging rights.

...

What? I never get bragging rights!

SPOILERS FOR STEVEN UNIVERSE AND THE EPISODE "SINGLE PALE ROSE"!

My plans for July and THE EDMONTON PRIDE PARADE! YAY!

2018-06-09T00:00:00.001-06:00

Hey all! First up, thank you to everyone that sent me support after that last post.

As for me, I`m kinda back. Slug At Work and all my other projects are still on hiatus (only on the internet, I`m still working on things IRL). But I`m breaking the "radio silence" I mentioned. Mainly because tomorrow is a very important day, and I'm one in a few voices that need to speak tomorrow. More on that at the end of the post.

I honestly don't want to talk about what happened and why I have chosen to go on hiatus for the next month. But I'll still be on twitter and facebook, where is the best place to go for any updates.

However, while I'm taking care of myself, I am still working on things. I will say that one thing I am upset about is that May... didn't really go as planned. I promised big things for may and didn't really have anything to show for it. So, I'm hoping July will be different.

At the moment, I make no money off of my art, and if I want to put out things on a regular basis, I need to start. One reason for the hiatus is that I need money. And when I focus on my day job, my art suffers because of it.

My goal for July is to finally have a business up and running. That means a new, professional website for slug at work, a book cover I'm currently doing for a family member, a patreon, opening commisions and--- because I've been asked for it--- an actual STORE where you can buy prints of my work. And, with any luck, Slug At Work Chapter 1.

These are my goals. Cross your fingers, cause I'm gonna need it.

Now, about WHY I'm going to be very vocal on social media tomorrow.

IT'S THE PRIDE PARADE IN EDMONTON!

And, I'm not sure I've mentioned this, but I am Asexual. Or, Grey Ace, is the proper term. It means that I do not have the sexual drive or even the same amount of interest in sex as other people. Like, at all. People that are purely asexual don't want anything to do with sex. And we aren't really known that well in the LGBTQ+ community. In fact, some people in the LGBTQ+ community don't even think we're real (ironic, huh?).

And as far as I can tell, there is one (maybe) official Asexual facebook group for Edmonton, but it's not very active, and there is definitely not a float in the parade. Oh, we are out there, THAT I know for sure. Because SOMEONE has been buying up all the asexual flags around town and it's not me.
(That said, I'm probably just really bad at looking. Socially awkward, remember)

So tomorrow, I'm going to do the scariest thing I have ever done. I'm going to turn myself into a giant asexual signal flare. That's right. ME. The socially awkward, socially inept basement artist, is going to try to attract other asexuals out of the crowds of people at the pride tomorrow.

How I am I going to do this? Well, along with wearing the colors of the asexual flag (black, grey, white, and purple), I'm also going to be carrying a BOUQUET OF ACE OF SPADE BALLOONS, during the parade. I'm not gonna be walking in the parade, but I can at least do this much.

I'll also be posting Asexual related videos on my twitter tomorrow (sorry facebook).

So, yeah, if you're at the Edmonton pride parade tomorrow, and you see me come to say hi! Especially if you're Asexual! Let's see how many of us can find each other tomorrow!

Oh lord, I can't believe I'm doing this. My therapist is gonna do cartwheels when she finds out.

Emergency Hiatus until July- more info below

2018-06-02T22:52:00.002-06:00

Hey guys. Sorry to do this, but something personal has come up and I`m basically going to be away for the rest of June. No art, no lets plays, no reviews. You'll see me favorite or retweet some stuff like i always do, but other than that, I`m basically going radio silent right now. I won`t get into what`s going on. Just know that I am okay, but I need the next couple of weeks. Pride is this weekend so maybe you might see some photos from that.

Till then,
This is the Sluglady, signing off.

Sluglady Plays Blackwell Deception Ep7: The Bond (Ending)

2018-05-27T20:21:00.001-06:00

It's time to come face to face with the Gavin himself!

Wanna support me? Donate at my Kofi page: https://ko-fi.com/A141IJA

And check out my art channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLzbN8Rbjgvfg_x3w8CtAGQ

And my main website ArtSlug at: http://artslug.blogspot.ca/

Want the game?

Check it out at Wadjet Eye Games: http://www.wadjeteyegames.com/

Or check out the steam page right here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/80360/Blackwell_Deception/

Sluglady Plays Blackwell Deception Ep6: I Ship It!

2018-05-23T18:55:00.001-06:00

I'm back and we get to talk to my favorite character in the whole game! What shipping name works best? Jomie? Or Jamey?

Wanna support me? Donate at my Kofi page: https://ko-fi.com/A141IJA

And check out my art channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLzbN8Rbjgvfg_x3w8CtAGQ

And my main website ArtSlug at: http://artslug.blogspot.ca/

Want the game?

Check it out at Wadjet Eye Games: http://www.wadjeteyegames.com/

Or check out the steam page right here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/80360/Blackwell_Deception/

Mental Health Week-- My disorders, What happens & What I do about it

2018-05-13T23:51:00.000-06:00

Hey all! So... it happened again. There’s been a delay and I could only post one thing this week. I know I promised some sketches, but as you can see, that didn't happen. And the start of chapter 2 of my webcomic, Slug At Work, won't actually start until Tuesday. This is both because it's not ready, aaaaand Tuesday just makes more sense because of my work schedule.

But because it is the last day (ten minutes) of Mental Health Awareness Week, I thought I would instead take this time to talk about my multiple health disorders, what they do, and the steps I have or are currently, taking to fight them. Because it's not just one disorder I have, It’s several. And boy, do they just LOVE making each other worse.

For those of you new to this site, there are times when my mental health gets... in the way... of my work. It's why I take medication and why I was in group therapy from November to January. It's why I decided to have a loose schedule, as I try to take the advice I got in group therapy and go forward with my art and my day job. But the thing about mental health? It's not that easy. And usually what ends up happening with me, is that all of my plans—whether it’s personal things like movies I want to see or important things like classes I want to take, and projects I promise to publish online--- end up falling through.

It makes me feel embarrassed and unreliable. And I usually give some kind of lame excuse because... well? I don’t want people to think that I’m faking it, or using my disorders and disabilities as a crutch. And sometimes... I feel like I am.

However, if there is one thing I can take away from all the group therapy I just went through, it’s that guilt is an emotion we feel in order to cover up another feeling we don’t wish to admit we feel. In my case, it’s a lot of sadness, but also a lot of anger and self-hate. That was something that honestly surprised me. And it’s not an easy thing to just stop doing with the snap of my fingers. In fact, it’s much more healthy to express these feeling then deny them. I SHOULD get angry. I SHOULD express that... I... hate myself. Because that’s the only way to start getting over it. Admitting and expressing how I feel, even if it’s seen as a “negative emotion”, is one of the first steps to change.

The real first step is realizing that something is wrong.

And this week is a great example. It’s very easy for people to say things like “fight through it" or just keep going till your over the hump. So that’s what I tried. I ignored the signs and fought through it all so I could finish problems. But, ironically, if I had given in to the signs my body was showing me earlier in the week (that I was having a huge depression spike and was in desperate need of self-care to deal with it), I probably would have had the energy to get a lot more done by today. Put a pin in that for later.

That said, here are my health problems in order from least annoying, to... most annoyingly crippling:

1) Reading and Writing Disability: This one was a little easier to deal with, once I was diagnosed. In college, after I was diagnosed, I would get extended time on tests, in a private room, because I would have to read things multiple times over to understand it, and then apply it to questions. And then write my answer and then going over what I wrote again several times to make sure it could be understood. I’m doing that right now, with this post. I remember so many failed assignments where I didn't follow the assignment correctly, simply because I misunderstood what I read or heard. Yes, heard. Because this disorder loves work with Disorder number 2.

2) Attention Deficit Disorder (Inattentive type): someone once said to me that ADD doesn't exist. They were told this by a friend that works in some kind of medical profession. It was right then that I told him that I have ADD and that it, and it's counterpart, ADHD are VERY VERY REAL. If it wasn't, then I would need to have a long talk with my brain about how much it screwed me over during tests.

I explained to him how, because of my ADD, I literally have to use every muscle in my body to keep not only focused on what's in front of me but also consciously aware of my surroundings. If I don't, my mind will do one of two things. It will either start a reel of random thoughts at lightning speed that keeps me from focusing on someone literally talking in my face, or I will do something my therapist called "hyper-focus", where I am focused on one thought so strongly, that it's hard for me to switch gears and notice anything else going around me, including, again, someone talking directly in my face. Combine that with my Reading and Writing disabilities and you've got a whole slew of misunderstandings and awkward silences.

However, that was back at school. Today I have a pretty good hold on my ADD and the R/W disability. Some people do need medication. I, however, did not. Or rather, I tried but they all had nasty effects on me. Instead, I have meditations, do mind teasers and focusing exercises to help me deal with both of these disorders every day. The biggest problem I still have is that my ears still tend to pick up background noise more easily than, say it with me now, someone talking directly in my face. So it’s mostly all about concentration

3) Generalize Anxiety Disorder: The best way to describe this disorder is that ANYTHING can set it off. I DO have specific triggers, but usually, it takes literally nothing to set it off. One moment, I'll be listening to music, and the next I'll feel this rush of confusion and fear run through me that shortens my breath and I have to remind myself to breathe and that I am safe. My brain will run over the things that happened today that could have set it off, and can't come up with anything. And If I don’t do something about it fast, I’m going to have an anxiety attack.

Luckily for me, I take medication every day for this, and at the moment, I don’t get those surprise full-on anxiety attacks. without it, I would literally be a jittery mess all day. I even have an emergency pill to take if I do get an anxiety attack. But that doesn't happen very often. My anxiety, like my ADD, feels much more under control since I started things like therapy and medication. Again, the solution will be different for everybody. Oh, and I have stress toys.

A LOT of stress toys.

But it’s the last two that are the big problems.

4) Delayed sleep phase type: I have a saying: Fish swim, birds fly, and Tegan is ALWAYS tired.

When I tell people I have a sleep disorder, people usually assume that I have sleep apnea. "No no, it's not that at all" I would say, and then give them the proper name "It basically means that when I'm asleep, I'm not really sleeping." To which the response is very confused faces. The thing is, DSPT is pretty complicated when you try to read about it, having a long list of frustrating and exhausting (har har) list of symptoms. Instead of calming down, my brain keeps working and thinking, even while asleep, meaning I wake up feeling exhausted. But the real problem with DSPT is that I do not have the physical capability to have a normal sleep schedule. I will be sleep deprived but can't fall asleep until 1 AM. I can sleep for 12 hours and still feel exhausted. I take a nap right after coming home from work at 7pm just to recharge myself enough to eat supper. And though it's not technically a symptom, I also get horrible night terrors. It's the one disorder I can't find a steady medication for. Most of them will work for the first couple months before I either need to change the amount or the medication completely. It never works for very long. This is because every medication I take always make one of my OTHER disorders worse. Especially my depression. One way to cope with DSPT is to just, well, give in. Be a night owl. Go to bed late, and wake up in the afternoon. Unfortunately, our world isn't built like that. And until 24-hour shops like Shoppers Drug Mart starts selling Copic markers and aquarium supplies, that’s not an option for me.

In THIS case, I have a few things in place to help. I have a Daylight Lamp. It’s a light that gives off similar rays to the sun, giving me not only a bright wake-up call, but an extra dose of Vitamin D. I also take a vitamin d pill for the morning, and current medication to help me fall asleep. Lavender works pretty well too. Right now I’m trying a new medication to help me stay away during the day. I’m lucky enough that my family helps remind me, and, of course, I have my fish. 4 little lives that rely on me to get out of bed and feed them, clean up after them, and keep their water from drying up

But it’s still very difficult, and I’m currently at the point that even if I wake up and go to sleep on time, I still need one or two good naps to get through the day. So in layman's terms: I don't sleep. At all.

And yet, this still isn't' the worst...

5) Depression: Okay. Now we come to the big one. The one that is the root of the majority of problems in my daily life. Because no matter what's happening to me, whether it's an anxiety attack or sleeping problems, you can always find Depression has played some kinda part in it. My sleep disorder for instance. DSPT creates a chemical called Melatonin. Its polar opposite is Serotonin, the chemical basically keeps you from getting depressed. More Melatonin means less serotonin, which means on top of feeling tired, I can also wake up with a hard wave of crippling depression. (without my medication, that is)

I've heard of the "black dog" metaphor. But for me, depression feels more like a dark swamp trying to suck me down, like the Swamp of Sadness from the Never-Ending Story. My body and mind literally want me to give up and put me in a state of sadness and self-hate that tries to pull me down. That said, I'm lucky enough that I've never felt the urge to commit suicide. Not in the traditional sense. No, my depression wants me to give up in another way--- by laying in bed, cocooning myself in blankets. My mind tells me I'm useless, and that I'm better off here in my safe bed, where nothing can hurt me, and I'll be out of everyone's way.

That's what my depression does to me. And it's still one of the most difficult to deal with because my depression can hit me without warning. Or at least, it feels that way. In truth, a person can get a lot of signs that depression is about to hit them in a bad way. It's recognizing those signs that are hard. One sign? Say you have a really good evening with your friends. You're having the time of your life. Then it's time to go home. You lay down to sleep... and bam. That wave hits you in the face, hard. It makes no sense right? But everyone I know with depression gets this. After having a great time, as soon as it's over, and that wave of euphoria stops, depression takes its place. So you learn the signs and prepare for them...

However, the signs are ever-changing

When I first got diagnosed, it was the same year I was going to Europe with my family. I was terrified. But after 3 months of working with my doctor, taking therapy, and doing exercises, me and my family put together an emergency list for me to use if I get hit with crippling depression, or an anxiety attack. It had my medication list, a few of my favourite meditations, and I kept a second case of my medication in another bag, (Airports need everything to be labelled properly, so I reused the old medication bottles with the correct prescription on them). I also had some stress toys and music, along with a few meditation recordings too. Which worked out great, seeing as during the last week of the trip, I lost my backpack on the bus, which contained not only some of my medication, but my wallet, my passport, and pretty much everything else I would need to get through another night. If it wasn't for my family being prepared as well, I might not have made it through the night without a trip to the hospital. (We got back my bag the next morning too)

And over the next few months, and a few tweaks to my medication, I was feeling really good. Until about next year, when EVERYTHING stopped working almost at once. My meditations, my medication, everything. Even the signs of my depression had changed. It was like my depression had gone to the gym for the past year, jumped back in the ring for round two, and sucker punched me in the face when I wasn't looking. It made no sense.

I felt like I was back at square one. I had to learn new ways of dealing with my depression. Try out new medication, and learn the new signs of my rising depression. And, well, that's what I'm going through right now. I had thought I had gotten some hold on my depression, when it happens, how to deal with it, the medication amount. One thing I figured out was that I will be hit with a wave of depression a week before my period, timed almost perfectly. But... it's been a few weeks from that. And just like before, all my medications have to be examined and altered because of it.

That is the problem with depression, and many other mental disorders out there. It would be too easy and too simple if you could find every a single solution that work's forever. When you find something that works, it's wonderful. But eventually, after enough time, a single medication loses its impact on your body. It's just how our immune systems work.

So with that, all said, what can I, and you do about these disorders? Honestly, there are lots of things you can do that I've already mentioned. Get regular therapy, talk to your doctor (one that actually believes mental disorders are real), and just try different activities, meditations, breathing exercises.

But Most of all, take care of YOURSELF. Practice self-care. Sometimes that's the hardest thing to do. Especially for women. It’s been long known in the medical community that women usually put others before themselves. But treating yourself well even in little ways makes a big difference. Try something new! When I’m in a depression funk, I find doing things I normally like doesn’t help. This can work for some people but not me. Sometimes picking an activity I don’t usually do works much better.

And congratulate yourself. You got out of bed today? Congratulations! You got out of bed ON TIME? Congratulations! You ate today? Congratulations! You did something wrong at work and had to have a talk with your boss? CONGRATULATIONS. Because even if you did something wrong, you DID something and you can LEARN from it!

Also, reevaluate whats going on in your life and who is in it. One reason My depression and anxiety held me back for so long was that I had a very uncaring, toxic boss. Once she was out of my life, I felt more confident and happier.

There's also another thing to watch out for: Falling into bad habits when a disability or disorder hits you hard. For me, when depression hits, I tend to spend money on things I THINK will make me happy. But never does. You need to make sure that the things you are doing for yourself are HEALTHY as well. No drugs (except maybe weed) or anything that would cause you physical or mental harm.

Here's something I did.

Recently, I watched this video:

And it inspired me to put together a "depression emergency bag" and fill it with ridiculous, random, childish things. A build your own straw kit. Play-dough. A colouring book and pencil crayons. my favorite expensive candy and soft drinks. I tried it out for the first time this week, and it did help a little. I also still have an ever-changing playlist on my phone for the downs. And I love-- LOVE to watch lets plays of Bayonetta, a video game character that embodies all the confidence, intimidation and body positivity I so badly want to feel in myself. And then I packed it all away in my closet for when I needed it.

So if things you like doing aren’t helping you, do something silly, something new, something spontaneous! Put on a silly hat. Scream into a pillow. Watch your pet fish swim. You never know what might help, so try everything (that's healthy).

So with all that said, what did I do this week to help me fight my depression? Well, first I had to admit that my depression had spiked, probably because I had such a fun and energetic weekend. Saturday, free comic book day, started out amazing. I managed to get to three comic book stores, and my favourite art store. Where I bought specific colours of inks and markers for upcoming projects. I finished the final drafts for the new comic. I was doing colour studies and testing out new and old techniques. And then...Wednesday came and I just... crashed. It wasn’t until Friday that I stopped being stubborn and allow myself to admit that something was wrong, and then tell myself that it’s okay. I opened up my Emergency depression kit it. Had a kinder chocolate bar. Drank vanilla coke through a silly straw put together myself. Read "Fuck That" my favourite self-help book, and watched Bayonetta kill an evil angel by what I think was salsa dancing? Maybe if I just let myself relax and did this sooner, I would have been in better spirits sooner? Who knows?

So yeah, that's basically a... lot of stuff about my mental health, all laid out for you. Honestly, I’m still a little terrified of posting this. But I’m gonna do it. And then I’m going to congratulate myself for doing it. Probably with some cool YouTube videos.

Till next time,

Tegan Dumpleton aka The Sluglady

Sluglady Plays Blackwell Deception Ep5: MY GREATEST FEAR

2018-05-11T15:20:00.001-06:00

We get to the root of Tiffany`s death and have a talk with Durkin about MY GREATEST FEAR EVER!

Wanna support me? Donate at my Kofi page: https://ko-fi.com/A141IJA

And check out my art channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLzbN8Rbjgvfg_x3w8CtAGQ

And my main website ArtSlug at: http://artslug.blogspot.ca/

Want the game?

Check it out at Wadjet Eye Games: http://www.wadjeteyegames.com/

Or check out the steam page right here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/80360/Blackwell_Deception/

Sluglady Plays Blackwell Deception Ep4: Danny? Is that you?

2018-04-27T23:13:00.001-06:00

Double Update! After a ranty review, how about a dose of Blackwell?

Calgary Showcase pt4: Power In Pictures- The exhibit that deserved more respect then it got- A Review

2018-04-27T22:22:00.000-06:00

Where has the week gone? Apparently, my stomach flu ate it.

Soooo, remember when I said that the next set of Calgary pictures would be my last? Well, I forgot about one more thing. An exhibit that I can't even review because of how little time I got with it. And by how badly handled it was by the Glenbow. But before I get into that, let's see some photos, shall we? Because the Exhibit itself is actually really awesome!

Power In Pictures: The Outside Circle and the Impact of the Graphic Novel

Calgary Showcase pt3: The Black Gold Tapestry, Frida Kahlo: Her Photos, and The Artist's Mirror: Self portraits- A Review

2018-04-23T15:01:00.002-06:00

So I was planning for this to be the last set of pictures from Calgary. But... well, I started writing about the exhibits I was not allowed to take pictures in. And before I knew it, I had 3 mini reviews on my hands! So we'll save the other exhibits for another post.

Check out the Glenbow Museum to see the list of Exhibits!

The Black Gold Tapestry

by Sandra Sawatzky

Sandra Sawatzky- a sample of The Black Gold Tapestry

So you know the Bayeux Tapestry? Well, Sawatzky embroidered a more modern version, showing the history of oil, from it's creation by the death of the dinosaurs, to the creation of Greek fire, to our modern ideas on the future of Oil.

THIS. THING. IS. HUGE.

67 meters huge. The Glenbow needed over 5 walls to show the whole tapestry and I wish I could have spent more time going over every detail. I'm not an embroiderer in any sense, but HO---LY CRAP was this amazing to look at. It gives you the sense that you're looking at some ancient piece of history, much like the Bayeux Tapestry. With so many details and colors, I probably could have spent hours there, slowly going over every little detail. Oh, how I wish I could have a miniature version for my room, to go over in my leisure.

Mythical creatures that framed the Bayeux Tapestry were replaced with the very real dinosaurs that created oil in the first place. And each one stuck a different pose or interacted with each other, or even the tapestry itself. Invisible gods and angels watched over, blowing winds and watching the mortals below. And the simplistic human figures made it easy to understand what was going on, even without reading the captions embroidered throughout the tapestry. Sawatzky wanted to create something that people hundreds of years from now could understand, and I believe she succeeded.

This exhibit runs until May 21

Frida Kahlo: Her Photos

Lola Alvarex Bravo, Frida Kahlo

If you've never heard of Frida Kahlo, check out a little history video right here,

Also, some of you may recognize her from Pixar's Coco.

I love Frida's work for their surrealist look, the taboo symbolism, and her unique and instantly recognizable self-portraits. But I love her most for her overwhelming passion.

It's no secret that when physical or mental emergencies happen to me, I tend to disappear for a while and have trouble doing any kind of art, something I've never been proud of.

But Frida, through all she suffered, she never stopped painting. Painting was her friend; her way of expressing her pain and her passion. Even at the point of being so bedridden, she could not even sit up---she never stopped. Her paintings are surreal, dark, gory, sometimes political, but always blunt in their honesty. Be warned, her paintings are not for the faint of heart.

For me, the mere image of her painting with her custom easel is not only upsetting, as you see how injured she was, but has become a sort of motivational poster for me.

Frida painting in her bed, Anonymous

Which brings us to the Exhibit.

The Glenbow's Exhibit shows another, lesser known side of Frida's work: Photography. Pictures she had taken, and pictures of her taken by others. Her father was a photographer and would bring young Frida with him on assignments. The photos not only showed Frida's life, from child to adult, but also explained how she learned about composition and framing. Ones from later in her life have little anecdotes on the back, or a lipstick kiss mark on the front, something she was known to do to some photos.

It's not very often we get to see so many photos related to a painter. Especially ones that are so thorough about showing an artist's life. And Frida had a very interesting, though very pain-filled life.

It's on until May 21st! Seriously, check her out!

The Artist's Mirror: Self Portraits

James Hill, Self-Portrait as a Snail

Whoo boy. Where to start here?

The Artist's mirror is a selection of various self-portraits done by older or modern Canadian artists. It featured sketches, paintings, photographs, sculptures, and even one video.

And it's probably the least interesting exhibit.

The photo above is by James Hill and was used to advertise the exhibit. One look at this strange, surreal portrait made me excited to see everything else! But then I went into the exhibit and... wasn't very impressed.

That's not to say the exhibit is bad. There were a few pieces that caught my eye for the use of color, or composition. James Hill's portrait is related to a funny in-joke from his peers. I loved Floyd Kuptana's sculptures and Alma Duncan's Self-Portrait With Braids caught my eye for reasons I'm still trying to understand.

Alma Duncan- Self-Portrait With Braids

Maybe it's the childlike outfit versus the blank expression. Maybe it's the bright red of the bows contrasting the rest of the pallet. I'm not too sure.

But most of the works were just... faces. I didn't think they really said anything about the artist or grab my attention.

But that could just be my taste. I believe a self-portrait should be more than just a replica of a face, no matter how masterfully done. Heck, I just finished talking about how I love Frida's work, which is 99 percent self-portraits. But every self-portrait says something about Frida. About her pain, her loves, and her interests.

But there is one potrait in paticular that I need to talk about. This self-portrait of Emily Carr, that you see as soon as you walk in:

Emily Carr, Self-Portrait

I can appreciate the fine detail of light and shadow in the picture... but overall? It's incredibly dull.

Unlike this Emily Carr self-portrait, which was not in the exhibit:

Emily Carr, Self-Portrait

It's more interesting and stimulating to look at. There's variety of color and brush strokes. It makes me wonder about Carr's expression and why she decided to use white to highlight her face the way she did. It's better insight into Carr and her style.

And now that I'm done talking about portraits, there's something ELSE that the sketch above brought up for me: The over-reliance on famous established artists.

I might go deeper into this another day but I almost groaned in frustration when I read the statement beside the drawing: The statement was not a quote from Carr about the portrait, but the thoughts of art historians. APPARENTLY, it is suspected that a) the image was a simple school assignment, 2) it's Carr's head on someone else's body because Carr never posed nude in any other piece. or 3) that it's not ACTUALLY Emily Carr or was even drawn by her!

Seriously, there's a whole article about it. Click Here.

In other words, this portrait may have NOTHING to do with Carr, and if it did, it might not even be important to her. So it really has no business even being in the exhibit. Which makes me suspect that the drawing made it in because "it's Emily Carr, and she's famous, so there."

This is something I see a lot in Canada. I admit that I get tired of hearing about established artists like Emily Carr and, especially, the Group of Seven. It has nothing to do with their work. If I grew up in Italy, I'd probably get sick of hearing about Michelangelo's David really fast.

Maybe it's because all I have to do is take one walk down Kensington in Calgary or Whyte Avenue here in Edmonton, and I am instantly struck with all the variety of art that is out there TODAY. Again, I'm not dissing our famous artists. Many modern artists today were inspired by our past masters. But I notice the problem comes mainly from the audience, (or a few certain stubborn artists), that do not even bother to attempt an interest in today's artists because it's not like "enter famous artist from 100 years ago here"

I guess my point is that it's okay to have pride in one's past, but just don't be so focused on it that you miss the future art masters directly in front of you.

Okay, that's it for now. Next time, photos from the rest of the exhibits.

Seeya!

The SlugLady aka Tegan Dumpleton

Slug At Work Chapter 2 comining soon! And other news!

2018-04-10T20:41:00.001-06:00

Hey guys! Just wanted to give an update on future events to come.

So, first off, I am going on vacation this week! This week I will be only posting the last speed draw for Slug At Work, as I will be out of town and away from my scanner. (my phone is having trouble posting anything, even if it's ready to go.) Where am I going?

TO NIGHTVALE!

Well, okay, I'm going to a Nightvale live show in Calgary, but close enough. It's the final performance of their show "All Hail", and they've come to Canada! It's the last chance to see it, so if you're a Canadian Nightvale fan, head over and get some tickets!

Next up, Slug At Work Chapter 2 is coming... *drum roll* IN MAY!

Okay, okay, I know I've been keeping you guys waiting. But there are some BIG things happening in May in Edmonton, and if I wanna be ready to participate, I'm going to need the next three weeks to get the comic and everything ELSE, ready to go! What big things? Well, I'm going to keep that a secret for now.

It's gonna be one hell of a month ;)

So I'll see you soon!

Tegan Dumpleton aka The SlugLady

Sluglady Plays Blackwell Deception Ep2: Why Did You Do It?

2018-03-29T12:53:00.001-06:00

A new episode of Blackwell Deception is up!

We meet Jeremy and a very familiar voice. Also, what's up with Joey?

ALL BLACKWELL GAMES ARE ON SALE AT STEAM TILL APRIL 2ND! If you don't have the games yet, then what are you waiting for? Blow this popsicle stand and go buy them!
http://store.steampowered.com/bundle/6377/The_Blackwell_Bundle/

Wanna support me? Donate at my Kofi page: https://ko-fi.com/A141IJA
And check out my art channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLzbN8Rbjgvfg_x3w8CtAGQ
And my main website ArtSlug at: http://artslug.blogspot.ca/

Want the game?
Check it out at Wadjet Eye Games: http://www.wadjeteyegames.com/
Or check out the steam page right here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/80360/Blackwell_Deception/

Helloween Tribute-- Old Art

2018-03-28T16:12:00.001-06:00

Many many years ago, during my college days, I was looking for some new letsplays to watch. And that's when I came across Helloween4545. What letsplay was it that got my hooked? His American Mcgee's Alice letsplay? Maybe his Silent Hill 3 letsplay? Call of Chuthulu? Amnesia? I honestly can't remember.

But I do remember absolutely loving his humor and gameplay commentary so much that I instantly started digging through every playlist of games he had at the time. Whether it was his conversations with "Helloween number 2 and 3" or his Skeletor impressions, or just his general commentary in each game he played, Helloween always kept me laughing. He introduced me to games I never thought I'd enjoy. And to games that I hated, but watched anyway because his commentary was just so much fun.

This picture, for instance? I drew years ago while watching a few episodes of his Alan Wake letsplay, back in 2012. I found it while going through some old sketches, and realized I never posted it. And since Helloween just celebrated his 10 year anniversary, I figured this was a good time to show this old bit of nostalgia. Nothing has been changed since I first drew it, except making the dialogue more legible. Hopefully everyone can see it okay, since I don't have my usual programs to clean it up

If you love letsplays, expecially horror ones, but never heard of Helloween4545, what are you waiting for?! Prepare the Mr. Shottys, and start watching!

HAPPY 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY HELLOWEEN!

Sincerely,

Tegan Dumpleton aka The Sluglady

Art Slug: Achievement unlocked: Substitute computer

2018-03-27T19:01:00.001-06:00

Art Slug: Achievement unlocked: Substitute computer: Alright! We're back! Sorta. My computer is currently in the shop for a week being repaired. But I'm not going to let a little th...

Computer on fritz. New updates on hold

2018-03-24T23:35:00.001-06:00

SO, who has a computer the wont work due to Microsoft screwing up? THIS GAL!!

Ugh.

Sorry everyone. Literally today i finished getting all my photage for the Blackwell letsplay AND was getting the next bonus comic ready. And then Microsoft stepped in and made a mess, i tried to fix it and now i cant get to my files at all.

hopefully i can fix it soon but just in case, all the things i promised, like speed draws, new art and comics and letsplays are on hold. again.

Ever get that feeling the universe is out to get you?

Tegan Dumpleton aka
The Sluglady

Sluglady Plays Blackwell Deception Ep1: He SHOT me!

2018-03-23T14:25:00.001-06:00

Rosa and Joey are at it again in the 4th Blackwell Game! Time for a boat ride!

Wanna support me? Donate at my Kofi page: https://ko-fi.com/A141IJA

And check out my art channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLzbN8Rbjgvfg_x3w8CtAGQ

And my main website ArtSlug at: http://artslug.blogspot.ca/

Want the game?

Check it out at Wadjet Eye Games: http://www.wadjeteyegames.com/

Or check out the steam page right here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/80360/Blackwell_Deception/