Cynthia Sheppard - Carly Mazur

Portrait of Carly Janine Mazur

2-28-2013, The Final Challenge.

I first met Carly at the Illustration Master Class in 2011. I never told her then, but when I happened to walk by her easel I became enamored with (and maybe a little jealous of) the color studies she was working on for her painting- they were gorgeous, and made me think I should do more of those kinds of studies. She was otherwise mysterious and quiet, so we didn't get a chance to talk until the next IMC and IlluXCon, where I got to know her a little better as a passionate and determined artist.

I used Carly's own Web of Love piece from this blog as inspiration and went a bit outside my usual approach to sketches and portraits. I hope you like it (especially you, Carly!), and I hope everyone had an amazing experience this month.

The <3 doesn't end today,

-Cynthia

Marc Scheff - Love Song Shuffle

As I shuffled through my library, I kept thinking about one song that always touches me in its simple, bare, emotion.

"At my most beautiful, I count your eyelashes."

I also really love R.E.M. so that's me counting young Michael Stipe's eyelashes.

Proof that I love them, below.

Challenge #11 for Thursday Feb. 28th

Our very special final challenge will be courtesy of the whole team.

 The subject is:  "I love you guys".  

Narciso Espiritu - Love Song Shuffle

Tegan and Sara - Back in Your Head

Scott Murphy - Shuffle Love Song

Knowing that my musical collection isn't the most "love song" inclusive I was curious to see just what would pop up. Sure, I have various Justin Timberlake (shut up) and Björk songs that I know are love themed, but I also know those would be few and far between amongst nearly 3500 songs. So I set the whole thing to shuffle and eventually, 236 songs in, I came across the first song that had anything to do with love, sort of (though there was one song about a lost love by The Cure...but it was far too depressing).

Not so much of a "fat" bottom...just nice and shapely.

"Fat Bottomed Girls" - By Queen

It also happens to be one of my favorite songs ever!

Alice Stanne - Love Song Shuffle

My shuffle landed on Next to the Last Romantic by Josh Ritter. It's got a great old western feel.

Jeffrey Alan Love - Jon Snow & Ghost

I loved the books in George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series so much that I refused to watch the HBO show until after the most recent book had come out - I didn't want their vision of the world and its characters to intrude on the one I had created in my mind while reading the books since they had started.  Two of my favorite characters in the books are Jon Snow and his albino direwolf Ghost.

Sarah Gay - Love song shuffle

My love-song shuffle landed on "Underwear" by the Magnetic Fields off their 69 Love Songs album :)

One of my favorites

Jeanine Henderson—Love Song Shuffle

The first love-themed song that came on my shuffle this morning on my way to work was Nina Simone's "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair" (the funky Verve-remixed version). So when I got home tonight, I let myself unwind with a pen, a sketchbook and one of my favorite things to draw: hair!

Carly Janine Mazur - Love Song Shuffle

On the way to and from work I had my good 'ole Zune on shuffle, and Rammstein's Pussy came on. That's a love song, right?.... Right?!

Tim Paul - Love Song Shuffle

Such a Little Thing Makes Such a Big Difference (Morrissey)

While maybe not strictly a love song, after hitting random 20 some times, this seemed like the closest I was going to get to a love song, or at least something love related.

It's not the size of the meat, it's the motion of the ocean, they say.

Ricardo Lopez Ortiz- Love Song Shuffle

 The song that came up for me was Fools Rush In by Elvis Presley. When I heard the line "When we met, I felt my life begin" the first thing that popped into my head was a seed sprouting. So I went with that :)

Cynthia Sheppard - Love Song Shuffle

My current playlist is “Slow Sexy Art Mix,” and I’d probably be listening to it even if it wasn’t the Month of Love, because I like it. The first track that played when randomized was “Casualty” by Snake River Conspiracy, which lyrically may be more of a melodramatic revenge track, but the groove is definitely love-ly:

http://youtu.be/rb-jHdNs9sY

The image I chose to go with is kinda creepy as hell, but the idea was that relationships are sometimes built on the bones of the last ones: the casualties.

Jeffrey Alan Love - Black Hair

"Black Hair" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds was the first love song that popped up today on my shuffle. 

Sarah Gay - Loves baths

Tara Jacoby - Mating Rituals

Catching up on the challenges I missed tonight! Sorry so tardy!

Carly Janine Mazur - Love Wizard

Haven't used pigment liners in a while!

Jeanine Henderson—Love Potion No. 9

Sorry to "cheat" tonight, but very little time between the office & freelance work! This is part of a personal project I started over the weekend—an illustrated cocktail recipe for "Love Potion No 9" ( a delicious concoction of ice cream, strawberries and vodka—yum!) Something I'd been thinking about for a promotional piece around Valentine's Day, but only getting the time to get into now. Since it's fits with the blog theme, figured it was fair game to share :)

Alice Stanne - For the Love of Books

One of my greatest loves is books. Beautiful, real, paper and bindings books. I love reading them, smelling them, owning them. If I shop for something I really don't need more of, it's books. I drew the spines of a few of my favorite books I read repeatedly while I was growing up.

From left to right: Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum, Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie, The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, Froggie Went A'Courting illustrated by Chris Conover, The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, This Is For You by Rob Ryan, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, One Times One (1 x 1) by E.E.Cummings and Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy Collins.

Marc Scheff - Anything, but that

My values and integrity. I am a pretty flexible guy, but it will take a lot more than love to make me change thosef.

Challenge #10 for Tuesday Feb. 26th

Our 10th Challenge  comes courtesy of Kristina Carroll

 The subject is:  "Love Song Shuffle".  Put your entire music playlist on shuffle. The first love song that you hear is the inspiration for your next piece.

Jeffrey Alan Love - Moby Dick

"And this is what ye have shipped for, men! to chase that white whale on both sides of land, and over all sides of earth, till he spouts black blood and rolls fin out."

Scott Murphy - Freeform Sunday

Here's a quick sketch of a character i'm working on for a painting.

Scott Murphy - I'd Do Anything For Love But I Won't Do That

Sorry, a crazy weekend put me off a day!

I'd do anything for love, but I won't have my wife executed in order to get with another woman.

Narciso Espiritu - Power Rangers

I used to love Power Rangers as a kid growing up in the 90s. Sometimes I still do.

Just some quick helmets. Trying to catch up.

Narciso Espiritu - I'd Do Anything for Love, But I Won't Do That

I think I wouldn't lie to myself or to another person about liking them/ loving them just because.

I mean, if you're not ready, you're not ready. I feel like it's wrong to take advantage of that.

Kristina Carroll - Freestyle Sunday

I got home in time to catch the tail end of the Oscars, so I tried to do a little "life" sketching.

I thought they were a bit puny, so here are a couple more random sketchbook pages:

Chris O'Neill - I would do anything for love....

....But I won't shave my beard or put on a polo shirt. I look about 8 years old without facial hair.

- CHRIS

Narciso Espiritu - Odd Couple

Has anyone else watched House of Cards on Netflix? The American version? Don't you love Kevin Spacey and Kate Mara? 

Narciso Espiritu - Mating Ritual

Was helping out a friend on Friday night. Banged it out in my sketchbook.

Sarah Gay - I would do anything for love...but I won't do that...

I would do anything for love...But I won't hangout with bros in a sports bar.

Carly Janine Mazur - Freestyle Sunday

Working on a painting for a Sandy Hook benefit that is very appropriately cut into the shape of a heart :)

Chris O'Neill - Mating Ritual

I just realized that I inadvertently drew the EXACT OPPOSITE of the "mating ritual" that Sarah's image represents. Weird!

On a side note, since I went to the Art Institute of Boston literally two blocks from Fenway, this piece was kind of cathartic for me....

- CHRIS

Tim Paul - Free-form Sunday

Sir Porpingjeybell and Constable Humperton of Scotland Yard.

A little character design for Sunday. 

Jeanine Henderson—Freestyle Sunday Funday

I spent all day at a super fun letterpress workshop. I haven't done letterpress for a few years, so it was awesome to get reacquainted with it! Mostly was an introductory/experimental workshop—so just played around with type, and this is one of the outcomes. Cannot wait to get back in there to print some real projects!

Sarah Gay - Mating Rituals

Nuff said.

Scott Brundage- Freestyle Sundays

Some colored inks and acrylic. Seeing how colorful I can make something without getting too garish.

Jeffrey Alan Love - Musashi

Eiji Yoshikawa's book "Musashi" may be my favorite book of all time - it's not only an epic adventure story, but in many ways a manual on how to live a worthwhile life.  On Sundays I often take a few minutes to reset and think about what I will spend my time on in the coming week, and the lessons I learned from "Musashi" often help guide my thoughts.

Carly Janine Mazur - I Would Do Anything for Love

Buuuuuuut I won't do that...

Ricardo Lopez Ortiz- Anything for Love, But I Won't Do That!

I would NEVER!