Challenge #12: Cnidaria vs Cephalopoda

Alas, this weekend I was at my parent's house, enjoying many a family dinner, and far far away from anything resembling photoshop or a scanner. But I have done an ink doodle, and found a kinkos, so here is my entry for the week:



At my folk's house there happened to be a lovely book by Jacques-Yves Cousteau that helped me out a bit ^_^

Challenge #12: Cnidaria Versus Cephalopoda (Fala)

Just barely squeaking in on time!



Behold the Blue-Ringed Octopus and the Box Jellyfish. Both of them are included on the list of the top ten most venomous creatures on Earth. The box jelly tops the list with a sting which can kill a person in under four minutes. The tentacles of the box jelly are typically about six feet long and can actually shoot tiny, poisonous barbs on contact. Additionally, whilst most poisonous animals' toxins are specialised (targetting the nervous system, the heart, eating flesh, et cetera), this Cnidarian's venom is a triple threat; Its sting is neurotoxic, cardiotoxic and dermatonacrotic (in other words, all of the above). Additionally, they are unique among jellyfish, being in the possession of true eyes, complete with lenses, retinae and pupils. Though they, like all jellyfish, lack a brain, it has been proven that they can, in fact, process colour, light and movement and they actively pursue prey, rather than simply drifting about and waiting for something to brush up against them. Box jellies are native to Australia and have killed nearly 100 people in the past century.

As poisonous as the above Octopus is (also Australian and having claimed 60-some victims), Jellyboy's got him beat. And judging by the look on Blue's face up there, he knows it ^_^

Challenge #12: Cephalopoda versus Cnidaria

Move over, Pirate-Versus-Ninja debate! You're getting really old . . . Go collect your pension, already.

This week's challenge iiiiis . . . Cephalopoda vs. Cnidaria

Wiki/Google it, you lazy Norberts. Suffice it to say, my crittergeekery has been running particularly rampant as of late. As always, this could go one of several ways. You can compare and contrast the two, you can draw your depiction of whom you think would win/lose, or you can illustrate the very heat of the epic battle! Either way, I think that this one's going to be great fun. I hope you'll find the same ^_^

. . . And yes, I realise I used class and phylum respectively, whereas class and class or phylum and phylum would have been more appropriate. But I'm a sucker for alliteration, so there you are.

YOU LOT: But it doesn't alliterate if you say it out loud. "Cephalopod" uses a soft 'c' and 'Cnidaria" uses a hard 'c."

Yes, but . . . OH, LOOK AT THAT INTERESTING THING OVER THERE! ::runs away::


Challenge posted by: Fala

Due: 2nd May, 2010 (Sunday)

Challenge #11: Snow (Sara)

Oh dear! A bit late, sorry about that!


One day, when I am where it snows this much once more, I will do this. I will make snow angels in my underpants.

Challenge #11: Snow (Fala)

Avast, alas and alack the day, I have been very much lacking in time, energy and imagination this week. So you get a speed-doodled snow leopard.

Challenge #11: Snow

Speaking of the various places we're all spread out in now, know what we've all had a bit of this winter? Snow! Yes, it did actually snow a bit in Orlando, and a fair bit more the closer you get to Georgia.

Recall a snowy memory, snow cones in the heat of summer, anything you like!

Challenge posted by: Sara

Due: 25th April 2010 (Sunday)

Challenge #10: City Features (Sara)

I quite enjoyed this challenge, it gave me push to go ahead and sketch & photograph a few sites around Sarasota that I've meant to sketch for quite a while. Then I wound up going with only two of them.

One is a tree. Just a tree. I pass it every time I go to the beach and it always puts me in mind of the truffula trees out of 'The Lorax'.

The other is the squat little horned critter that sits under the Opera House sign. I love that little guy. Thought he could use a change of scenery for a short bit. He probably isn't enjoying it much, though. From there most of what he's going to see is Tamiami Trail.

Challenge #10: City Features (Fala)

It is cheating to strike a friendly compromise betwixt two birds with one metaphorical stone, asks the vegan?

Probably, Fala. Probably, is the answer.

I wanted to do this for work anyway, so I hope that is all right . . . Otto and Anna feed a meter in historic Downtown Annapolis. You'll notice that there is no car in the parking space . . . Well, there is an explanation for that. Annapolis has come to be called 'ticket town' in some circles. Meter men/maids have been know to literally wait by cars wherein the meter has only a short time left, and slap a ticket on the windshield with half of a second of the meter's expiry.

Often when I drive downtown, I find myself upon the serendipity of a good parking space with a substantial amount of time left on the meter from the previous occupant. Thus, if I have a bit of change in my pocket and I notice another promising space awaiting a guest, I like to pay it forward (and yes, I do know this will be utilised because this is a major tourist point and people are constantly coming and going.)



And if you want to watch me paint it, I actually filmed it like the utter hobgeeklin that I am.

Challenge #9: Hands (Fala)

Just barely getting thing in by midnight, so I'll keep it brief. Palmistry! A scene from my novel! Zekiel Arcenaux! Aveline Archer! The man who lost his brother tragically! The medium who can help him!



HAVE A NICE DAY! HAVE A NICE MIDNIGHT!

Challenge #9: Hands (Sara)

A long, long time ago, way back in high school, I took a bronze casting class. And in that class, I made a little bronze sculpture that I loved dearly. It was a giant hand with two long spindly legs sticking out of its wrist. Then, a few years later, some damn kids broke into my parent's house and stole it. They took a lot of other things as well, but I miss my bronze hand!

Anyhow, these hand headed people look sorta, but not really, like that sculpture from long long ago. I'm afraid I really don't have more of an explanation for why these two business people have giant hands for heads.

Challenge #9: Hands

Levez les mains and wave 'em like you just don't care, mates! This challenge is, simply put 'hands.' You can interperet this several different ways; Naturally, you can literally draw hands. If hands present a challenge for you, maybe sketch out a few studies. You could also take this mean the hands of a clock. You could venture further still and illustrate what it means to lend a helping hand, or refer to a bad or good hand in poker. Further still, there is the unit of measure used to dictate the height of a horse, a style of writing, a worker on a ship . . . heck, there's even a character in Treasure Island called Mr. Hands! So you see, the possibilities are through the roof.

Get to it! After all, we're art-people. And guess what we work with?

Due: 11th April, 2010 (Sunday)

Challenge Posted By: Fala

Challenge #8: Eggs (Sara)

Make sure you find all your hidden eggs this year, or they shall be back to haunt you. And they will be stinky.



No where near as amazing and friggin' ADORABLE as Fala's, but there you go!

Challenge #8: Eggs (Fala)

Happy Easter, all!

I made this wee statuette in reference to the story of the Goddess, Eostre. It is often said that today's Easter holiday owes a great deal to this Pagan Goddess of Spring, who saved an injured bird by changing it into a rabbit. Every year round spring, however, the rabbit would then remember that it was a bird, and it would lay eggs. Hence, we get the Easter Bunny and Easter eggs.

Now, this story is a topic of debate, just about everyone I've heard it from/asked about it has told me something different. Either way, it's a fun idea and so we get . . .



BUNNYGRIFFS! . . . Come to think on it, I want to declare my responsibility for coining that term right now. I can not be certain the concept is my own to claim, but I'm going slap my hands down on this tabletop and say 'Bunnygriffs in name, copyright Fala Lee Hayes, 2010". Hurrah! . . . Or would it be more cute spelt 'Bunnigriffs'? Arararararrr.

And lastly, a wee doodle which is sort of Re: The Last Post. One person will get this. For those who don't . . . er, tant pis pourtoit . . .? HOY, IT'S STILL EGGS.

Challenge #8: Eggs

There, something a little festive for the occasion! Now, if you'll excuse me, those Cadbury's are a calling my name...

Due: 4 April 2010 (Sunday)


Challenge posted by: Sara

Challenge #7: Zodiac (Sara)

Hoo! Yeah, quite late this week, and with not much but another sketch to show for it. I'll have to start on the next one earlier in the week.

Anyhow! I went with the Chinese Zodiac. There's me, the water Boar, and a certain someone else, the fiery Tiger ;)

Challenge #7: Zodiac (Fala)

Hoo boy, we suck, do we not? And me in particular . . . I keep finding myself having to jot these off last minute, but this week, I am late, in addition to that. FOR SHAME.

Anyhoo, this is a throwback to the old zodiac chart I made a few years ago, at Ringling. It's still one of my faves.

. . . I can't get Photobucket to upload this any larger. Again, FOR SHAME. And poo.



I await yours (and the next challenge) quite eagerly, Sara-mate!

Challenge #7: Zodiac

Oh my stars and garters! . . . Well, the stars part, anyway. Though I suppose as a joke, you could add garters to Orion's belt- Oh wait, no you could not! Because Orion is a constellation and not a zodiac! Too bad, ha ha :P

At any rate, this week's challenge is zodiacs. Western or Chinese, as long as it refers back to the star signs or the twelve animals, it goes. So quit dragon it out and get started, already! We haven't got all day or starry night! The last challenge nearly taurus apart, but if we get a good early start on this one, we'll each come up with a real gem(ini). Goat to it, then!

Due: 28th March, 2010 (Sunday)

Challenge posted by: Fala

Challenge #6: Coffee and Tea (Fala)

. . . Or rather "Tea and Coffee."

Aaaaarrrrrrgh, I only had one evening to do this one, aaaaaaarghhh . . .



Coffee always makes me think of coffee shops with bad lighting, worse poetry and people wearing berets and roll-neck jumpers performing it. Tea has a more clean, regal and sophisticated bent to it.

. . . Shush, bias, nobody asked you!

Aaaaaaargh, I wish I had had more time to work on this as the subject matter is so very, very abreast with my interests ^_^;

Challenge #6: Coffee and Tea (Sara)

As artsy-fart-tastic as painting with coffee is, it does have a lovely color. So, that's what I did. A quick little sketch of my coffee supplies, for the morning ritual of making coffee is as satisfying as drinking it. Also, bagels. Bagels are delicious.

Challenge #6: Coffee and Tea

Or, if you like, coffee and/or tea. Do a piece involving either, or use coffee and/or tea as your media!

Due: 21 March 2010 (Sunday)


Challenge posted by: Sara

Challenge #5: Blue (Fala)

A scene from my novel in the works. That's it, really. See? I told you this challenge was simple!

Challenge #5: Blue (Sara)

For this week I have a very messy, and very sketchy gouache offering. The word blue led me to the phrase 'into the wild blue yonder', which then had me picturing some strange creature and/or superhero going by the name of 'Wild Blue Yonder'. With the furry things growing out of his shoulders, he might be a relative of the Creeper.

Challenge #5: Blue

. . . Do I really need to expound upon that? Right.

Due: 14th March, 2010

Challenge posted by: Fala

Challenge #4: Cute and Terrifying (Fala)

Sara said 'animal, vegetable, mineral', and I decided that I wanted to do all three.







The inspiration for the 'terrifying' half of this challenge is partially owed to a wee bird known as a shrike. The shrike's feet are so weak that it can not hold its prey in order to eat it, so it has taken to impaling its meals upon thorns and tucking in from there. In case of poisonous prey, the shrike has been known to leave said prey stuck into the thorns for days at a time so that the sun will dry up the toxins and make it safe to eat. Vlad would be proud.

Well. There it is. [/emporer from Amadeus]

Challenge #4: Cute and Terrifying (Sara)

This is my tribute to the possum that comes by my back porch every so often to sniff through my recycling bin. The little bugger has the most adorable face and wobbly gait, but those teeth are still quite scary.

Challenge #4: Cute and Terrifying

This week we shall take anything: animal, vegetable or mineral, and produce two versions of it. One as cute and sweet as can be, and the other horrible and grotesque. That might be a bit hard to do with minerals, come to think of it.

Cute and Terrifying can be incredibly subjective, and an attempt to pull off one can result in the other. So let us proceed with care!

Due: 7 March 2010 (Sunday)


Challenge posted by: Sara

Challenge #3: X (Fala)

People (namely, me) said I was predictable. So I proved them. Here we have . . . An X-Men VS. Brotherhood tic-tac-toe board (see that? I did I two-fer. Bow before my boundless cleverousity!).



Arrrr. Suffice it to say, this project started out fun, but wound up a headache and a half toward the very end owing to printing technicalities. Because we are SUCH good friends and I care so deeply for you lot, I shall spare you the toil and drudgery of the epic odyssey of FAIL I underwent toward the end of this, and simply say that in the end, the only inkjet printer available to me was running low on the C, the Y, and the K, hence why the pieces are all grossly M(agenta)-y.





The pieces are made of shrinky-dink plastic with the images printed on, and the little X's and O's on the back are made of felt. The X-men are the X's and the Brotherhood are the O's, naturellement.

And just so this post doesn't look like it is made of complete and utter fail, here's the original artwork, so you can see how the pieces were SUPPOSED to look.







And now, time is running out. This has been another episode of Exercises In Near Futility. Thank you, and good night.

Challenge #3: X (Sara)

I do believe the tic-tac-toe suggestion influenced me on a subconscious level. Up until tonight when I reread the challenge, I'd totally forgotten that the game was mentioned!



Instead I started out simply wanting to do something with a train after seeing a sign for a railway crossing... and that morphed into this sweet and simple image. Mmm, I miss riding in trains. And doodling in condensation.

So! Onto the next challenge!

Challenge #3: X

Just what it says on the tin; The challenge this week is "X". This can be interpreted just about any way you please . . . 'X' marks the spot, x + y = z, an 'x-wife' (oh ho ho, I made a funny), or something which, visually, looks like an 'X'. You can approach it like Sue Grafton and say " 'X' is for . . ." or design a tic-tac-toe board . . . The sky is the limit. It could even be, dare I say it? X-MEN FANART.

. . . What was that? I want to think I heard an accusation that I was 'predictable.' Because if I did, in fact, hear what I THOUGHT I heard at first, then that would have been very rude indeed.

AT ANY RATE, there's the next challenge. WHOO! X-stuffs!

::teleports away::

Due: 28th February, 2010 (Sunday)

Challenge posted by: Fala

Challenge #2: Silent Films (Sara)

Once again, just under the wire for mine!



Let's say this is one of the many silent films of old that are now lost to the ages, or sat, decomposing, in someone's attic. No one knows what the movie itself was like, but from its promotional materials it seems to have been about an epic battle between a growing city and the untouched, natural land it's replacing. Exciting! It's just a sketch for now, but I think I'll develop this into a poster later.

I've been revisiting a few of my old favorite silent flicks this week, and checking out a few I hadn't seen before (youtube's been wonderful for them). All the fantastic movies that have survived make me sad for the ones that haven't, like Theda Bara's Cleopatra. But there are still all those fantastic shots of her in costume.

Challenge #2: Silent Films (Fala)

Sara demanded silent films, Sara gets silent films! . . . Er, film.



I've loved all of the film reincarnations of Notre-Dame De Paris, so this was, for me, kind of an obvious choice. My first experience with this story in film format was the Charles Laughton version, but this particular picture, of course, refers to the 1923 silent film starring Leonidas "Lon" Chaney. As much as I love the Laughton film, I couldn't think of a more perfect match to play Quasimodo. Chaney's parents were both deaf-mutes. Not only did he have the experience to put toward this role, but he had the empathy for this character.

. . . Though, admittedly, I was totally listening to the soundtrack for the Disney film when I drew most of this :P

Challenge #2: Silent Films

Inspired in part by the last challenge, this week it's:

Silent Films

This can involve a specific movie or actor, play around with the aesthetics associated with silent movies, with their drastic lights and darks , or the science behind early film making. Perhaps explore the various devices used to view moving pictures before projections for large audiences became the norm. Anything revolving around movies before sound became common place.

Due: 21th February, 2010 (Sunday)

Challenge posted by Sara

And to get us in the mood, here are a few clips from Thomas Edison's studio:

Challenge #1 Oscar Wilde (Sara)

And here is my end of the challenge, in just under the wire!



It didn't take long for my mind to go to Salome's Last Dance after being given the prompt. Based off of Oscar Wilde's play, Salome, Last Dance is one of my favorite cult movies. So here is Salome herself, as she appears in the movie.

Challenge #1: Oscar Wilde (Fala)

Here be my responce the first challenge!



. . . Pretty much speaks for itself, I think. Buuut, I'll post this Oscarism along with it;

"There are only two tragedies in life; One is not getting what you want. The other is getting it."

Challenge #1: Oscar Wilde

In honour of the title of this blog, I declare that our very first challenge be . . .

OSCAR WILDE

It can be a picture of Oscar himself, it can be something inspired by one of his works. Bosie, Constance, or (Heaven Forbid) Lord Queensberry can come along for the ride . . . And it doesn't even have to be a drawing/painting. It can be a poem, a photograph or a drabble of prose. As long as it hinges upon Mr. Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde, it's all good, love!

Due: 14th February, 2010 (Sunday) . . . Hoy, that's St. Valentine's day, innit? Yes. Yes, it is.

"No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist."
- Oscar Wilde

Challenge posed by Fala