NEW TRICKS, OLD CAT

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This might look like just another 

picture of a lady holding a cat. But to me 

it is a long leap in learning to "draw and paint" 
on my trusty IMac and IPod with a stylus and software. 

My biggest problem? 
It doesn't take many written directions to make my 
eyes cross and my brain stall out. 

Video tutorials are better, but they seldom to 

never cover that moment's difficulty. 

Now you know why I never considered

Law School or (heaven forbid) Medical School. 

I learn best when I have a problem

to solve. Here I wanted to build a scene with

more than a figure and with textures.

Couldn't rely on rulers and templates for straight

lines and smooth shapes. (Yes, Virginia, real 

artists often draw straight lines WITH a ruler).

This unfinished garden is a beginning try at some

computer "magic". I created only one of each flowering

plant then copied it across to repeat the plant.

I could also flip the art for more variation and

changed colors as well. Good fun for Illustrators.

I find my old way of working, preparing a strong 

sketch to work from by layering new

sheets of tracing paper over the old sketch

and re-drawing, refining, altering is too

cumbersome with stylus and screen. 

So I now start with big scribbled shapes

of color and wittle away, add and subtract,

duplicate and continue on, much easier.

I'm concentrating on shapes of color

rather than outlining shapes. Still shapes,

because that's what I see, shapes, color and 

pattern. Apologies if this is more than you

want to know and YOUR eyes are beginning 

to cross.

Learning more each day. Good mental and

creative exercise. And the BEST part?

No mess to clean up and no dirty paint water 
for Cats to steal a (yuck) drink.

Wrote this a while back...just before life took 
some unexpected turns including a new hip.
Picking up where I left off…and moving on.
CC

iMac, iPad, iFred & Me

My gray and white fluffy left arm rest at work.
Notice his opened eye....for the nearby mouse? 

     
   Finishing revised sketches for an 
assignment. 
   Original pencil sketches drawn
by hand, but the computer helps
making requested changes.
   The best part, no mess!
   Finished art will be by hand in pencil, 
watercolor and color pencil.
   
   But the time spent learning to draw 
and paint on my iMac and iPad have 
not been wasted.


PS: Not every gray and white fluffy left 
arm rest will lick your fingers and purr......

Valentine

         

♥♥ 2012 Valentine, Carolyn Croll

       done on my IPAD ♥♥

2012 So Far

 ⓒCarolyn Croll 2012/ Silkworm with 
Mulberry (after Maria Sibylla Merian)

Six days in.
So far: 


Discovered my lovely 
blood-red Bokara, scored 
on sale when Wanamakers 
went out of business years ago,
totaled by wool moths.


Imbibing massive amounts 
of chicken soup, tea w/lemon 
and honey. Gargling through
my annual head cold.


Received an email requesting
permission to use "part" of a 
piece of my sample art from 
the internet, after the requester 
had lifted, altered and used 
it twice. 
Permission denied. 
Property of a client.


Another year begins........ ACHOO!
:~)

HAPPY 2012

   WISHING ALL A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!

                                          Carolyn, Tizzy and Freddie

MyPad

Red Cat, Carolyn Croll ⓒ 2011

One tiny step for cat art, one GIANT step 

for me on my Ipad.

So proud of myself. Did this quickie sketch

of a red cat. 

Marks the first image I made on my Ipad using the SketchPro app

AND then somehow managed to transfer it to my Mac without

quite knowing how I did it. 

If I can figure that out, I intend to do it again.

Stay tuned.......

Dumb Phone

ⓒ 2011 Carolyn Croll

Any day now my ancient NOKIA basic

cell phone may conk out and I may be stuck
having to use a SMART phone.


Don't want a smart phone. 


Don't need it to take pictures, play music, tell me 
where I am, buy things online, play games, brew 
coffee, make a sandwich and other amazing feats 
they perform besides boring old sending and 
receiving phone calls. 


I'll accept taking VOICE messages and stashing 
useful phone numbers.
The charge can last as long as possible. 
The monthly fee can be as low as possible. 
I need a cell phone to call for help, a cab, or to say
I'm on my way, or running late.
And to call my Mom when I'm out shopping
and see something she might like or if they're out of 
what she wants. Otherwise I socialize in person, 
by regular phone, email, and sometimes FaceBook. 
And I LIKE it this way.


Do not assume I am technologically
challenged. I love my MAC and use it to do all 
sorts of stuff on and off line and am always 
learning more. I just don't need a pocket NASA/ 
entertainment system to make or receive infrequent 
ordinary phone calls.


Tried to sign in to ATT's Mobile website a short while
ago to look for the dumbest phone they have.
They couldn't find my account. (No trouble finding my
account when there's a bill).


Dumb phone company. 
Just wish they offered a dumb phone.

A Cautionary Tale

Have no idea what's been happening.

Just thankful that my blog hassle may

be over. Haven't been able to post or 

access the blogs I follow, nor the design

elements for this blog.

Looks like we're back in business.

Ours is not to reason why (though

I sure would like to know what

that was all about).

Think I'll just (cautiously) accept

and be grateful.

ⓒ carolyn croll 2011

                                         

Settlement

In these times that can try one's soul,

so pleasing to report that there are still honest

people in the world as well as on the internet.

October 12, 2011, discovered to my fury that

someone had used one of my illustrations on

a CD cover for sale on a website from India.

Initially, though figuring this a losing proposition 
on top of the theft, I sent a scathing email message 
to the site. Documented the theft with the original 
and stolen (and slightly Photoshopped) images. 

ⓒCarolyn Croll 2011

Expecting no response, imagine my surprise upon

receiving not only a reply, but an apology 
and immediate offer to pay for the art usage, 
remove the CD covers in question and investigate 
the art agency involved.

And only 2 days later, agreement reached.

Payment by PayPal and they have dropped the errant

agency responsible for the entire issue.

http://www.superaudio.in/

In today's world this is such a heartwarming 
and encouraging experience. A conscientious 
online merchant in a faraway jurisdiction.

The Internet providing the means of instant 
communication and solution. 


Remembering when just ordering a book from 

London or Amsterdam required an international 
banker and the better part of a year between
ordering and receiving.

Highway Robbery On The Internet

I just discovered this "cover" art on the website http://www.shopmania.in/music/p-rock-a-bye-baby-lullaby-instrumental-3566128

It is my art that has been cropped and altered slightly by changing the cradle color from pink to green and eliminating elements to fit in type.

I did this piece for a special commission several years ago and posted it as a sample, only, on my agent's website or this blog. The image was STOLEN, used completely without permission nor payment as I own the rights and both my agent's site and my blog clearly state that the art samples are all protected by copyright, so whomever did this knew they were stealing. It appears the thief is possibly in India or thereabouts as that is the location of the website where I found it. Global marketplace, indeed.

STOLEN ART WORK

STOLEN ART WORK

 Below is my original image. No doubt about it! I can also provide
witness to this thievery, the owner of the original piece for whom 
the work was done. He owns the work, but I retain all reproduction rights.

my original art

I have sent a terse message to the website telling them

to remove the stolen image from their website immediately.

In future I plan to display my art in the smallest file possible,

making it useless to the sticky fingered.

Stay tuned for what happens. 

I know I will!!

Goodnight Irene

(click on images to enlarge)

Started the week with an earthquake.
Which struck just as I'd finished downloading
some trial software from Adobe. The IMAC 
started dancing. Weird noises. First thought.
OMG the mother of all VIRUSES! 
Then NPR announced "Earthquake!".

My illustration from WHAT WILL THE WEATHER BE?, by Lynda DeWitt, HarperCollins

Now we are having a Hurricane, named Irene.

(see August 17, 2009 post in archives).

Pounding winds and rain last night.

Meteorologists tracking weather, from WHAT WILL THE WEATHER BE?

More expected this afternoon.

Watching TV. Schuylkill River and 
Manyunk streets flooded. Many trees down.

2 young gents featured rowing a
just purchased raft down a Manyunk St.
Interview over, immediate arrest by
Philadelphia's finest.
The charge (as stated by an officer), 
"No common sense." 
How infinitely more crowded the
jails if that was law.
The Cat Boys and I are on the top floor,

37 stories above all but wind and rain.

A little scary.

More evidence that I've drawn everything in the word at least once (or so it seems). ;~)

                                             

                                         Looking forward to Monday!

(My art for a different, but apropos, project. )

Making A Mark

Doing a bookmark as a self imposed assignment helped
me practice some basics while learning to do my drawing, 
painting, and designing work on the computer. 

Uncle Jace's Pineapple Walnut Biscotti - They Draw & Cook

(click on image to view entire recipe / full spread)

So excited, just received this message from the good folks at TDAC (They Draw And Cook). Guess what?! Uncle Jace's Pineapple Walnut Biscotti recipe is 1 of 6 recipes in the Featured Collection  just posted on the main TDAC jumbotron.  http://www.theydrawandcook.com/

The collection is called "6 Recipes with Pineapples!" and will be featured from April 19 to April 22. After that, the collection can be viewed on our Featured Collection Archive page. Its the 3rd one down. A delightful honor from this very cool website!

New Tricks Cont'd

This might look like just another picture 
of a lady holding a cat,
But to me its a large leap in my learning 
to draw and paint on my trusty IMAC.

click on image to enlarge

Wanting to see if I could bring some pattern and texture

into a scene, using software bells and whistles.

Learning to think and work differently.

I always learn better by giving myself a project rather than

following a written handbook, especially without pictures.

(Its what kept me from thinking about Law school or

Medicine. ;~)  I'd never have made it through the 
dry reading matter.)

Beginning with large simple shapes of "painted" color 

instead of a loose line drawn pencil sketch of my drawing

board days.

No more sheet after sheet of heavy tracing paper

redrawing and refining the elements. Gone are endless
bits of changes on paper scraps, some floating to the
floor to be found only when cleaning up afterwards.

Modeling shapes directly, saving the image at each stage

so I can to return to any without constant redrawing.

In this unfinished garden scene, I created just

one example of each flowering plant, copying and 
pasting more as needed and placing them anywhere. 
Easily building my border. 

Good to shake things up once in a while and learn 

something new. Friends who have been with me from 

the beginning have said that my computer done work, 

still looks like I did it. Very reassuring. ;~)

Best part for me? NO mess to clean up afterwards.

SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS

Nice thing about living on a mountain top

in center city Philadelphia, the view of 

snow covered peaks in the morning after

a blizzard.

Not blogging much lately. Using the time

to practice and learn more about making

digital art. 

Hoping to make it to Carnegie Hall.........

In The Cards

Finished my holiday card, done completely on 
the computer, Good practice.

Only when I finally printed it out did I realize the color 

scheme bore a strong resemblance to a product always 

on hand around here.  

=^..^= =^..^=

Image from the Purina/ Tidy Cat website
http://www.tidycats.com/

CATching Up With The Times

What is Tizzy reading? Click on image to enlarge.

Trick Or Treating, BC

My illustration from THE UNEXPECTED GRANDCHILDREN, by Jane Flory, Houghton Mifflin

Trick or treating from the third 
book I illustrated, written by my 
dear old friend and mentor, 
Jane Flory.

(See November 25, 2008 post 
"All Her Fault")

I put Jane's old house which 
really was 1814 Beech Ave. in 
the illustrations and used her 
wonderful old tuxedo cat, Pious 
in the pictures as well.

Many memories looking at these 
pictures. Lots of knitting and 
crocheting as well as love, not 
only in the story itself, but 
making it all into this book.

Neither one of us could have 
imagined "posting" any of 
this on my "blog" on the

"internet". It all happened **BC. 
**(before computers)

Jane Flory