Elephant on the Roof

Katniss

2012-01-27T20:01:00.001-08:00

Have just been doing some sketching as of late. Nothing solid yet. An inspiration has come to me in the form of a book series I have nearly completed. I am sure most of you are familiar with the Hunger Games. If not, it is a definite read. I am currently on the third book. The colored sketch is that of the lead character, Katniss Everdeen.

Watercolor Come-back

2011-10-24T21:16:00.000-07:00

I have been bored and going crazy trying to find work. So as of late I decided to get back to some of my roots and head for my watercolors and paint brushes. So far this is what I have come up with.
I am thinking about selling these so anyone interested please drop me a line!
If I don't hear anything here in a few days, I am definitely putting the top one up in my etsy store.

Store is UP!

2011-08-25T23:20:00.000-07:00

My Etsy Shop is up and running once again!

There are a bunch of new items now available, and more on their way through this weekend. Please go and check out my creations, you'll be glad you did! Simply click HERE and have fun exploring. Let me know what you think and if you have a request for a special design you didn't see! I will be sure to let you all know how things go. Happy shopping and thank you to everyone for supporting me and giving me the drive and desire to create!!!

SNEAK PEEK

2011-08-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

So I have been working hard to get some merchandise made and, too excited to wait for the release in my etsy shop, I am showing off a sneak peek at a couple of different things that have been brewing. Take a look, and let me know what you think!

Plus, I would like to thank a fellow artist, Leilani Joy, for indirectly inspiring me to go forward and try to do this stuff for my etsy. Through seeing what she has accomplished and keeps doing, I don't loose hope for myself! THANK YOU Leilani!

Coming soon...

2011-08-10T16:52:00.000-07:00

Hi there. If you've been by my etsy shop lately you will have noticed that it is empty. Sadly I haven't really been inspired to do much over there. But I have turned things around and am currently in the process of creating, not only new original art pieces to put up for sale, but **MERCHANDISE** !!! Yes, now you too could own perhaps a favorite piece of my art that you can show off to friends, family and frenemies! "All are welcome, children. All are welcome." (Poltergeist quote, hahaha). So save up your hard earned cash, and soon I will be putting this fun merch up for grabs in my store. I will keep you posted on the details.

Plus if you already have a favorite piece of mine in mind that you would love to see made into merch let me know a title and/or description of the piece and I will make sure to include it in my shop! Special orders are always accepted, whether it is a greeting card, print, or totally original piece of art.

Again, I will keep you posted!
-Ashly

BBF-Best Blunts Forever

2011-07-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. I haven't posted in a really long time, but now I have something to show you. I have entered a design contest and I am asking for your support. So go HERE now and vote for my design called "BBF-Best Blunts Forever". Me, Jay and Silent Bob thank you! Smootchie Boochies!

CUSTOM Anniversary Card

2011-04-04T13:47:00.000-07:00

I recently finished up a custom Anniversary card for a devoted etsian that I just love doing cards for (she always has fun and creative ideas). The inside says "I love you more than food itself. Happy 1st Anniversary" Here is the results:

BLOCK

2011-04-04T13:37:00.000-07:00

I don't have a project going right now, and I thought "Perfect! Time to create some of my own art and put it in my store," and then it hit: BLOCK. I am totally artistically blocked! Ugg. Been looking at favorite websites favorite books and a bunch of blogs to try to get an ounce of inspiration. I have started to just doing life sketches (practice makes better), but still no solid ideas. I really want to paint, that's all I know for sure at this time. I want to do something that is just going to make me happy right now, but I am not sure what that entails. So I am dropping a line out to anyone out there that has suggestions for fun themes or ideas.

On the other side of things, this block is hitting me on the greeting card front too. Easter and other important dates are sneaking up, and I have no cards in my store for these particular days. This mental block is really getting me down...inspiration come hither!

Well, we'll see what happens.

Custom order-complete!!

2011-03-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

So I just finished up a custom order.
It is a series of five pieces, paper-cut, abstract.
Each piece represents pages from a book in different genres of literature.

The above is Poetry.

The above is drama...a play. Thinking along the lines of Shakespear's Romeo and Juliet.

The above piece is children's book...picture book. So instead of squares and rectangles, I used circles and dots to make the picture part.

The above piece is HORROR!

The piece above is ficiton...I was thinking Science-Fiction.

My personal favorite is HORROR! I love the colors, and just the dabs of sparkly red, as blood! He he he. Any faves? I hope the customer likes it!

OWL LOVE YOU!

2011-02-01T12:56:00.000-08:00

New post in my Etsy store...come by and take a look! In time for Valentine's day, or any day that you just want to tell that special someone that you care!

Weiner of your heart.

2011-01-29T12:27:00.000-08:00

Valentines day is coming, so here is a card to help celebrate. It is now available for purchase at my Etsy store. Enjoy!

Handmade with love with paper, felt and a googly eye ;)

Hedge

2010-12-30T16:00:00.001-08:00

Just for fun and doodling...I came up with him:

More Red

2010-12-12T21:41:00.001-08:00

I don't know why, but apparently I am liking the color red? At least when I am sketching, any way, because here is another digital doodle I did up that ended up being black, red and white! She was going to to be a zombie, but I think she turned out to be a vampire. All dressed up for the holiday season.
Happy Holidays everyone!

Oh, Christmas Tree?

2010-12-03T14:45:00.000-08:00

A favorite customer of mine requested a holiday card! Her only directions: The tree is a giraffe and an elephant decorating it.
Ha! LOVE IT!
My mind was spinning with ideas on how to put this together, and the result...
Well, need I say more! One of the best cards I ever put together! Felt, plastic lights, ribbon and a dash of the wonderful "Joey" fabric (see post below). Another fun one!

Joey T. Bat

2010-12-03T14:20:00.000-08:00

I recently finished up an art commission piece! The client has a cute stuffed bat named Joey ( Joey The Bat), that travels all around the world. Joey takes pictures of all his adventures and travels. As a tribute to everywhere the bat has been, Christopher, Joey's human friend, has put together artists' renditions of Joey, and has shown the work in several art shows and galleries.
I am now pleased to be part of the growing art collection! From some fabulous oils to incredible multimedia pieces (one of my fave is a bat made from clock pieces). Any way, without any further ado, I present my contribution to the art show!
Joey is made from a soft fabric and includes a real zipper and velcro. The background is paper-cut and the whale thing is semi-dimensional and double matted. It was way fun to do this piece, as it was completely up to me to figure out what the design and picture would be. I was given free reign to do whatever, as long as it featured Joey! I was given inspiration via one hundred pictures of Joey and his adventures.
This was actually my second attempt (I was given plenty of time to do it) and I think I made the right choice in my design (my first lacked a completeness and story for me).
Like I said before, this was a blast to do, and I am so happy that I was able to contribute!

Redd

2010-11-13T19:32:00.000-08:00

Was bored and wanted to fool around on illustrator for a while...this is what I came up with:

The Panda and the Blond

2010-10-22T16:48:00.000-07:00

Just finished another custom order, friends! It was fun to do something that wasn't paper cutting. Don't get me wrong, I love paper cutting, but a break from it was good too! I got to just draw.

The request was for a set of cards with a panda and a blond. So I made a little blond girl with a stuffed panda bear. The customer loved the design so much she added on a request for an 8x10 of the design. That made me so happy, that she liked the drawing so much she wanted a copy to frame! Well anywho, the completed pieces are as follows.

Each one was individually handmade with pen and ink, and colored with marker.

Some more rest

2010-09-24T01:56:00.000-07:00

Needed some more time away from the cutting mat and decided to do some sketching. It led to this:
It's Daphne, the Tomboy!

2011 Honda Crosstour

2010-09-23T18:51:00.000-07:00

Another checked off. Just finished off another car!

It's a Honda Crosstour. Made for the customer's husband, "Just Because". This is his favorite car right now (plus he works at a dealership). She said that it would be perfect to frame and hang in his office. Awesome. I hope you all enjoy it too!

My First Portrait!!!

2010-09-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, yeah, I am excited. I wasn't sure if it would come out, but it did!

I got to make a paper cut portrait! It was such a blast. In the process of doing this I discovered new techniques to add charm and was soo very pleased with the out come that I almost didn't want to give up the piece! I shipped it out today, and from the customer's response on the pictures I send her, she is loves it!

I used quality papers and embellishments, along with thinking on my toes to create this finished piece. I hope you all like it!

Digi-Sketch

2010-09-18T23:47:00.000-07:00

Just sketching...loosening up. I needed a break from the paper-cutting and made this little thing.

Arrg, Pirates!

2010-09-06T20:56:00.000-07:00

So here is my first Halloween custom order. ( I say first, anticipating and hoping for more!)
The Story:
The customer wanted a Halloween card for a friend that always does up his lawn with skeleton pirates every year. He calls it "The Pirates of North Court" (apparently the street he lives). Outside of the card features the jolly and drunk dead pirates, while the inside reads "Happy Halloween".
It was really fun to make, and I got to use a new paper I was itching to try: real wood paper. Yep, paper that is WOOD. It cuts like a dream and is so much fun! The chest and peg leg are made of it, and it rocks!

Navy Embellishment

2010-08-25T17:15:00.000-07:00

Just finished up another custom made piece in my store. This was an order for a Navy Logo Embellishment for the customer's scrap book. It is 4" and made of quality paper, chain, and twine. It was fun to make, as well as a little bit of a challenge. Enjoy! More to come...working on two wedding cards!

RUSH Birthday Card!

2010-08-18T15:48:00.000-07:00

I got another order, rush, and I did. I got this done in record speed, but didn't skimp on quality, which I was afraid might have to happen. I posted the pictures for the customer, and she loved it! I am so happy! She even said she would be coming back to my store! Awesome! So enough from me, here is the custom card I made just for her. It's of her cousin reading the paper and drinking his coffee, with the desired sentiment written on the inside.

Witch Hat?

2010-08-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

Halloween is coming and I am preparing my shop. First up today is a Halloween card! Yay...

Some Custom Cards!!!

2010-08-08T23:22:00.000-07:00

So this past week I have been busting my chops filling two custom creations on Etsy. Here they are for you to see! If you want something, I hope you know where to go...but just as a reminder: Click here and be on your way to my store!

The first is made for the customer's friend which had broke their foot. It is created with various kinds of paper, colorful duct tape, cotton and foam. Really very fun to make.

This second one is made for the customer's boyfriend who is a big fan of the "MahnaMahna" song. So here is MahnaMahna and Slowths puppet characters come to life in Birthday Card form. The card is created with quality paper, feathers, foam, felt, googly eyes, and a pom pom nose! The inside is hand inked by me. "Happy Birthday...MahnaMahna" If you never heard of this song, please youtube it! Not only is it hilarious, but it sticks with you for days (and days and days.)

NEW ITEMS UP FOR GRABS!

2010-07-31T20:30:00.001-07:00

Hey, y'all! Wondering what I've been up to lately? Well take a look...
I have just put up new items on my Etsy shop for purchase. They are all handmade and fully customizable for you!

This cute bunny duet was originally created as a Mother's Day card, but is now blank. You can have me customize it, or keep it blank and write up your own sentiment once you get it home!
This next cutie was a Father's Day card, but the same deal has been laid out for him as with the bunny and babe card.
Lastly is the super cute Octopus card. The outside reads: "Here is to a day full of hugs" while the inside reads: " I just hope that eight arms are enough!" Originally created as a Valentine's Day card, but can be given to anyone at anytime to show love, support, or to just brighten someone's day!

Custom Shovelhead

2010-06-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

Here is another paper cut I finished up recently. It is now framed and hanging happily in a home! It's a Shovelhead Harley Davidson Motorcycle. It was so much fun to make, and I know the person who got it loved it!

Vintage Firebird Paper-Cut

2010-06-08T13:52:00.000-07:00

So I have been working on this really fun project of a vintage 68' Firebird. The progress photos and finished follow, but let me say it was so much fun, I just hope my customer likes it! Actually, it took a lot less time than I thought, because it was so much fun to do. The finish is a card and envelope, blank inside (how the customer asked). Yay!

Derby Girls: Finished piece with close ups!!!

2010-03-26T13:22:00.000-07:00

Here is the finished piece along with some close ups! I hope you like it! It will soon be up for grabs on my Etsy store!

Derby Girls: In Progress....

2010-03-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

Here are the works in progress of a tough piece I was working on recently....The final images of the complete piece coming up next!

Check out my Etsy, Kids!

2010-03-24T00:31:00.000-07:00

Check out my Etsy store, everyone, and see what I have for sale. You will love it. Take home an original Picazo! (okay being a little cheesy, but I am allowed every once and a while!) There are a couple of Alice's (of the Wonderland fame) and an action heroine (of the Vamp persuasion). So take a look! Tell your friends, your family and buy buy buy!

New Stuff Up!

2010-03-13T16:02:00.000-08:00

You all should check out my website right now. It has been re-organized and there have been a whole batch of new pieces added! It is really crammed with fun new stuff. I will give you a preview here, but to get the full effect, you HAVE TO check out the website!

Here we have Fang-enstien. She is acrylic on wood, for the most part.

Next we have Alice thru the Glass. She is a framed paper-cut. FANG! I mean: FUN!
Last is Wonder Vamp. Another piece to add to my paper-cut collection, not as yet framed.
Well that was a taste for the website. Get a full meal at my website!

Aa is for Anteater

2009-09-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, 'A' is complete...woo-hoo!

B is for Bird

2009-09-12T23:28:00.000-07:00

Working on the ABCs...here is B. A is still in the finishing stages.

Halloween Already?

2009-08-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

I'm already getting ready for Halloween! After all, the stores are starting to put out all their merchandise.
Another fun little ditty I put together today.

Pork

2009-08-23T00:22:00.000-07:00

Just felt like doodling on the computer and came up with this little guy. Bacon anybody?

Hipster in the House

2009-08-21T01:10:00.000-07:00

Here is another small dose of the fun stuff I am working at while I try to find a job out there in the world of illustration. Hope you all like her! Take care and keep on keep on.

Ladies, Do Your Thing...

2009-08-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

I noticed that my posting has been rather sluggish. I have been creating new work, though, just had not taken the time to put it on display. So here we go with about four of my most recent pieces. I hope you all like them and enjoy-I had fun creating them!

A simple something...

2009-07-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot going on since graduation. Mostly just moving stuff and I haven't been able to do much art. I finally got a chance to sit and relax for a few hours with a sketchbook and my computer. So I came up with this little guy. I hope you all enjoy it!

2009-04-22T21:47:00.000-07:00

Poor little cookies....

2009-04-17T23:13:00.000-07:00

Hey, still feeling hungry after all that butter and toast? Well here is something for your sweet tooth! Enjoy.

Hungry anyone?

2009-04-07T04:23:00.000-07:00

Think twice before you have breakfast or a quick snack...

Orange Tropics

2009-04-01T14:58:00.000-07:00

Here's another little ditty I put together last night. Enjoy and Happy April Fools...

"DANCE" and "Bakini Girl"

2009-03-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

Hey all you bloggers out there. I have been busy. Not only with class, but just in general, working on personal art projects too. The following are more of that. The problem I am running into, which has always been a problem of mine, is that I can never figure out what to do with the background. I need to figure something out. Maybe for the next few pieces will be strictly backgrounds. Gosh how I hate them, but I want to see how my figures and people that I am coming up with would look among real backrounds and enviornments, so it's something I just have to do. Well, anyway that's what's happening here...what's happening in your neck of the woods? Enjoy!

"Spider" and "Hot Pants"

2009-02-27T17:45:00.000-08:00

So I haven't posted for a while and decided to put up these new illustrations I just did. These are just for fun, and I hope you all enjoy!

Just for you!

2008-11-24T02:27:00.001-08:00

A blog exclusive...This is just a fun little bit I cooked up early this morning (like 2:00am) and thought that I would share only with my blogger friends! Yay. It's called "Buggy" because the background reminded me of a lady bug...but I can't help think Target at the same time, or even Christmas, because of the eyes. IDK. Call it what you like...she kind of looks like a grown up version of Buttercup! Hahaha. I wasn't even thinking about her when I was doing it either! LOL.

Just a little something...

2008-11-18T16:15:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of pieces I put together while exploring the new style I am working with. I am loving this! Enjoy.

Green Music

Grape Bar

2008-11-03T18:55:00.000-08:00

Hey, haven't posted in a while, been kind of busy. But I found a moment to spare to create something just for the heck of it. I hope you all enjoy!

LONG TIME...

2008-09-09T13:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I haven't updated in forever, but it has been a nice summer break. That is until the very last day when my computer committed suicide and I was left with nothing. Thanks to my family I have been able to rally and scrounge up some past files that were saved in other places and I was able to miraculously find files that were actually backed-up properly. I thought that seeing a friend go through something similar would have showed me the lesson so I wouldn't have to go through it myself, but I was wrong. I am going strong now, and have learned my lesson (a very tough lesson to learn). I will be posting new art as soon as I can come up with the stuff and get my computer back in an efficient working order. But until then, learn from my bad experience, and make sure to back-up your junk, and do it the right way...xoxo

One Inch Tall

2008-05-14T01:51:00.000-07:00

This is the last piece I created for Illustration 3. It is fun and brightly colored to give a hallucinatory feel to it. It's a double page spread for a line in one of Shel Silvertien's poems titled "One Inch Tall", and it was created in Illustrator. Sigh, now I just need to finish up my watercolor final and I am good to go!

Working on it

2008-05-10T21:42:00.000-07:00

I just want to put up a quick sketch that I did since I haven't posted in a while. This is a watercolor piece, and me trying to figure out how to make watercolor my own. One of the biggest influences I have is the artist Brian Froud, and I am starting to really studdy his work and try to bring to my work, the style I enjoy seeing in his work. Well, I hope you like! I will post more latter, but as many of you know, finals can really take a lot out of you, and right now, I am just trying to push through.

2008-04-09T22:01:00.000-07:00

This is a couple of pieces that I have done, just for fun. I am quickly liking digital stuff, and making it my own. ENJOY!

rose...

2008-03-29T18:26:00.000-07:00

Colorful!

2008-03-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

This next set are some digital figure drawings that I have done after doing rougher versions with pastel in figure drawing class. I like them, and may make changes to some of them, like I did with the one with the striped shirt. There is a previous post of this one, with the skin color as grey. I decided I didn't like that look, and went for what you see now.

Fine Art

2008-03-29T17:12:00.000-07:00

These are a few oil paintings I did last semester. Some are in class paintings and some are completed homework projects. I like them all for what they are, and hope you like them too!

Ele Family

2008-03-18T23:17:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite illustrations I have done. This piece is a couple years old, and I still love revisiting it. I think you know when a painting is truly successful, is when each time you look at it, it evokes an emotion that enhances your experince with the piece. The only time this isn't true is when the emotion is to the tune of "God! I hate this piece of crap! Uhg! I want to burn it!" But even in that situation, I just toss it aside and hide it in the closet somewhere.

sketchbook

2008-03-13T23:21:00.000-07:00

So here we have random sketchbook pages, and one drawing I did in clothed figure class. All of these were the ones I decided to put in my midpoint review. After doing so I noticed something...no guys. I can't help it though, I just don't draw them well. The guy you see in this set, though, was the drawing from in class. I didn't include it...hmmm, now that I think about it, maybe I should have! Hahahaha, oh well! Enjoy.

watercolor

2008-03-13T23:07:00.000-07:00

I think I like watercolor. I heart you!

A few more

2008-03-09T01:02:00.000-08:00

The first is watercolor, and the last two are digital.

Marking Love

2008-02-23T00:44:00.000-08:00

Just a little something for all you lovers out there...
My original sketch was done on Valentine's Day, and then I did this digital finished piece, hope you like!

2008-02-06T17:09:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of random pieces. The girl was once a roommate of mine...a long long time ago.

2008-02-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

So I am starting at the beginning with very early work I did. So this was my first year at the AAU.

New to the scene

2008-02-04T19:42:00.000-08:00

After seeing so many of my classmates' blogs, I have decided that I will join in on the fun. Not only to be a part of the blog community, but as a launching pad for my art. As this being the first post, I will basically just say hello to you all, and let you know that soon there will be art up. I hope to additionally add sketchbook stuff because I like seeing how others work in their sketchbooks, so I want to put that out there too! Well until next time...