Obsessive Creative

Whisper

2013-02-24T17:43:00.005-08:00

She is Art

Abstract Collage

The Bluefelds Futurist

Excerpt from an illustrated science fiction novel by Kerry Schofield

Stefan Rudakov hunched over the edge of his bed. With elbows on knees, he held his sunken head in the palms of his hands. In the transitory period between night and day, Rudakov's brain reeled from a barrage of voices and images that had entered his conscious sleep. After dawn, when the still slumbering earth waited for the day's first sunny rays, the alien whispers of his dreams had faded. The visions seemed all but normal, as if they had always been a part of him and all living things in the world. This was Rudakov's childhood, a time when ...

Pretty pattern for wool design

2013-02-15T13:45:00.002-08:00

Collage / Mixed Media

The Lyra Constellation

2012-09-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

Vultures

The Lyra constellation is bordered by the much larger constellation Cygnus, the swan. Lyra's main star, Vega, sits on a corner of the Summer Triangle. It is one of the brightest stars in the sky. A number of exoplanets (planets outside the solar system) have been discovered in Lyra. Lyra has often been depicted on star maps as a vulture carrying a lyre in its wings or beak. It is called Vultur Cadens (falling vulture).

I love repeats

2012-09-16T15:27:00.003-07:00

Paper Weave

Surface Pattern Design

Ah ... I've been away for awhile, but I'm back now with renewed vigor -- for Art! In my absence I've been writing and playing, and I've been working on a number of pattern designs, which I will post over the next few weeks.

I've also updated my blog banner. I see over the past few months that Illustration Friday has revamped its Website. This is my first submission under their new design. Do you like their new site better than the old one?

I found a new online UK magazine, MOYO Magazine, devoted to surface pattern design. They've just launched their first issue. Check it out!

The Big Bang and other such things

2012-05-19T16:08:00.001-07:00

Mind Explosion

Collage

If you're like me, you may feel some days as though your head is going to bust open from too many thoughts, ideas, images and the like. Or, maybe you can't get a favorite tune out of your head; it just keeps playing over and over again in your mind. I had a lot of fun making this "journal" collage. I think I captured the idea behind a "racing mind."

Heckle and Jeckle

2012-03-30T18:37:00.000-07:00

Heckle and Jeckle

Marker

Heckle and Jeckle were a couple of magpie cartoon characters created in the late 1940s by Paul Terry. I drew this marker rendering a while back in time. This one in particular could be Heckle or it could be Jeckle.

Just like either Heckle or Jeckle, all artists must rise to their imagination and flights of fantasy to create such characters. We must return to the reality of the real world every now and again. What a shame. I guess for some artists, it's hard to return; after all, we have to reach for the unseen and untouched and it's a tough journey back.

This week's theme is a difficult one. When I think of "return," I think of returning home or going back in time. I remember one such time growing up as a child in England during the 1960s. I'd walk down to the small village newsstand (it was safe enough to do so back then) and buy two or three of my favorite comic books. And yes, it was usually cold, rainy and wet. But I didn't mind, I was a kid. I'd come back home and sit with my grandmother by the old furnace fire, have "tea" and a strawberry tart, read to my heart's content and marvel at the colorful and fun books! Such delight! I still like the old cartoon characters of yesteryear and a return to old memories. And, I still love to read comic books! But don't tell anyone as they'll probably say I'm "too old" for that stuff. Never!

Flower of the Swamp

2012-03-27T09:43:00.002-07:00

Flower of the Swamp

Collage

"Flower of the Swamp" is my version of "Lily of the Valley." Living in Florida now for many, many years, I can say that I know a little something about swamps. Although there are alligators and snakes swimming in swamps, there are also pretty and unusual flowers and plants that grow around them. Beautiful and graceful egrets, herons and wood storks wade in swamps as well as hundreds of dragonflies that hover over them. And, hawks, vultures and birds of prey such as owls frequent the swamps for a "meal."

Illustration Friday: Shades

2012-03-17T20:36:00.000-07:00

Dancing Dog

Mixed Media

Tulu the dancing doggy is rehashed from an earlier collage. She gets a new pair of "shades" this time around.

Illustration Friday: Yield

2012-03-11T17:49:00.002-07:00

The Extra-Terrestrials

Marker/Digital

I must admit that my aliens turned out a little creepy looking to say the least, a bit like Edvard Munch's "The Scream." The aliens are from a pencil sketch colored in with markers. But, Photoshop filters added a more sinister look to the ETs!

Hacked

2012-01-20T18:45:00.000-08:00

My Twitter account has been hacked. Please disregard any messages from my Twitter account. I have reported the abuse to Twitter support.

Update ... my Twitter account has been restored! Sorry for any erroneous messages that were sent out. Hopefully, I can get an illustration up soon ... stay tuned.

Illustration Friday: Stripes

2011-11-06T19:15:00.000-08:00

CyberMan

Mixed media, collage assemblage

Happy Veterans Day! Here's a little abstraction for your stripes.

This guy was a doodle I did many moons ago. The artwork is all cut from hand-painted paper and then layered on top of a painted board.

Homme is French for "great man."

Illustration Friday: Fuel

2011-10-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

Vulture

Collage assemblage

Some economists and political cartoonists equate the vulture with fuel, portraying our appetite for energy and consumption. I think the vulture has gotten a bad wrap, however, even though it eats dead meat.

A few years ago, I used to live next to a nature preserve that bordered a county facility. Hundreds of turkey vultures made this site their home. They perched on the rooftops of the few buildings that were available, on trees and near big power lines. Hundreds sat quietly, pruning and standing around, waiting and resting. It was a sight to see really, all those big birds with red heads. They wobbled across the roof tops with their big claw legs and occasionally, they'd take off in flight.

Well, it is the time of year when we're allowed to celebrate the darker aspects of nature, whether it be vultures, ghouls or witches chanting spells ... BOO!

Illustration Friday: Mesmerizing

2011-09-19T13:28:00.000-07:00

Sea Snake

Mixed media, collage assemblage

I was Inspired by William Blake's watercolor painting for Illustration Friday's theme, "mesmerizing." Blake painted the snake to accompany The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, "A Memorable Fancy" from his Illuminated Books. Below is Blake's watercolor. I have used hand-painted papers then cut, collage and assembled.

William Blake, 1790

Sea Snake

Mixed media, collage assemblage

Illustration Friday: Swell

2011-08-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

Collage Assemblage

SuperGator

There are many tales and accounts of fire-breathing dragons all over the world. But in Florida where I live, there's an urban legend of a fire-breathing alligator. This Super Gator is reportedly 50 feet long! Can you believe it? Obviously, such a creature would be a man-eater (or woman-eater for that matter). If anyone has seen one, please let me know. I'd be very interested your hearing the story.

The most time-consuming and intricate part of making this collage was cutting out all those teeth! Each one is cut from a vintage paper lamp shade that had faded over the years.

VWS: 231

Illustration Friday: Imperfect

2011-08-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

Mixed Media, Collage Assemblage

Feline Mania

The spotted black and white stray cat scurried up the stairs to the second story flat. It stood on tall, lanky legs that supported a boney frame. Its face was scruffy and one eye blinked smaller than the other. By the outside door, two large potted plants hid water and food. It bowed down by the pretty yellow bowl with painted fish and crunched away hungrily at the dry meal.

In a perfect world, all the stray neighborhood cats would have homes to live in when it's cold and raining and plenty of food to eat and water to drink.

This is an original pencil drawing, which is "colored" with collaged tissue and hand-painted papers. The cats are cut from original pencil sketches and collaged with various papers.

Illustration Friday: Perennial

2011-07-23T20:10:00.000-07:00

Collage Assemblage

Tropical Lily

I decided to create a literal interpretation for this week's Illustration Friday theme. This collage is from one of my original botanical sketches. All those petals, leaves and stems are individually cut from snippets of hand painted paper.

But of course we have perennials in Florida; likewise, this one is subtropical with its bright pinks and reds. We also have a lot of bugs, snakes, lizards, alligators, tropical birds, armadillos and much more wildlife that makes this state special in its own regard.

Illustration Friday: Swept

2011-06-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

Collage Vintage Remix

Red Hat

Matilda resolved to keep her red hat hunkered down against the swirling wind and ensuing storm. She would not be deterred, however, as she marched out the front door to meet nature's fury. Her hair braided and suit buttoned up, she swept up her little black purse to meet the day head on, inclement weather or not.

Illustration Friday: Safari

2011-05-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

"Beautiful World"

Collage Remix from 1940s - 1960s vintage and contemporary magazines, books

The natural world of flowers, clay, birds and butterflies -- what a beautiful world!

I found this image in a vintage magazine and have been wanting to use it for sometime. I love this photograph of an African girl with her beautiful smile. It seemed fitting to surround her with bright flowers and fauna.

You may also like this collage I did a few weeks ago for Illustration Friday:

http://obsessivecreativeus.blogspot.com/2011/04/illustration-friday-duet.html

Illustration Friday: Beginner

2011-05-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

"City Walk"

Collage Remix from 1940s - 1960s vintage magazines, books

The beginning of a walk is always the best part.

Talking about beginners, I have finally got up my very first website, www.obsessivecreative.us. I designed it using HTML and CSS coding only. I spend hours and hours learning the code and working on it. I took a web publishing class this last semester at USF and completed the class last week.

I need to iron out a few wrinkles and make some refinements to the site over the summer months, but basically it's up and running!

Whew ... "that was easy," Not! Some of you may remember the front page artwork from Illustration Friday's "Stir" submission:

http://obsessivecreativeus.blogspot.com/2011/03/illustration-friday-stir.html

Illustration Friday: Bottle

2011-04-10T11:38:00.000-07:00

"Birdie on a Bottle"

Collage Remix from 1940s - 1960s vintage magazines and books, digital

This little birdie is a canary, which I have always wanted to have as a pet. But with cats, that's out of the question. When I was around 11 or 12 years of age, an English neighbor across the street had a beautiful canary and a large aviary filled with many finches.

We used to visit her and chat for a while over some tea. She loved her birds and took great care with them! That little canary used to sing up a storm. This little guy reminds me of just that same one along with my favorite soda, ginger ale.

Illustration Friday: Duet

2011-04-03T18:45:00.000-07:00

"Giraffe Love"

Collage Remix from 1940s - 1960s vintage magazines and mixed media

Duet: the music of love!

Illustration Friday: Stir

2011-03-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

"Art Boulevard"
Collage Remix from 1940s - 1960s vintage magazines and mixed media

Louise is stirring up the pavement with her bicycle wheels!

This is a sneak preview of the banner for my new art website. I'm taking a Web publishing class at the University of South Florida. This is part of the background art. I still need to build the digital logo and create a prototype design in Photoshop for the web layout.

Illustration Friday: Swarm

2011-02-26T11:48:00.000-08:00

"Danse Maman Bébé"

(Dancing Baby Mama)

Collage Remix from 1940s - 1960s vintage magazines

28.1 x 39.2 cm

Swarm: An aggregation of persons or animals, especially when in turmoil or moving in mass.

The American Heritage Dictionary, Fourth Edition

Dancing stick babies, a dead rabbit and a tomato-head babe; all make for a "swarm" of babies.

Illustration Friday: Sweater

2011-02-12T18:26:00.000-08:00

"Sweater"

Collage Remix from 1940s - 1960s vintage magazines

22.9 x 30.4 cm

When I think of a sweater, I think of lamb's wool. This collage is an interpretation of the sweater in a not-so-direct way. I added the hearts for Valentine's Day.

Illustration Friday: Surrender

2011-01-30T08:15:00.000-08:00

Surrender to Your Funny Side

Feather and food collage

17.7 x 25.5

I was inspired by John Waters for this week's post for Illustration Friday. I went to see John Waters' live performance at the University of South Florida this past week. Well, it was quite funny to say the least. John Waters is the American filmmaker of Hairspray and Pink Flamingos among others. He is also a journalist, photographer and visual artist.

The theater was packed as hundreds showed up for the show. Waters did not disappoint. He pokes fun at himself and those like him and was really very funny.

This collage uses images from 1940s and 1960s vintage magazines.