ANNOUNCEMENT!

Dear Blog followers,

This week, instead of a challenge, we have an announcement:
We have recently been swamped with our work on the side, and feel it best to postpone challenges until we can devote more time to them. In the meantime we will be posting our personal work and projects, and continuing the feedback system that way!

Stay tuned for the exciting re-direction!

Jen and Holly

Holly reveals challenge # 13- Osculate

Dear Jen and Blog people,

I'm sorry for the late completion of this challenge, but alas I don't intend to disappoint!

The word I chose for this challenge is Osculate. The dictionary defines it as, kiss. I laughed when I verbalized the word out loud, to me it doesn't represent passion as the sound has an academic substance. At first I was tempted to illustrate an awkward couple attempting a weird kiss, but last minute changed the image to it's literal meaning. The reasoning for the twisted necks is the second meaning/ definition. Osculate, (of a curve or surface) Touch (another curve or surface) so as to have a common tangent at the point of contact.

I'm pleased with myself... mostly for taking pictures of the process. This is something I've never done. While looking through the photos I realized that the piece could be slightly overworked, especially in the woman's face. Overall I'm content with the illustration, but the final piece is incomplete, I would still like to take advantage of fixing the man's left eye.

Thank you again Jen for yet another great challenge :)

Holly

Challenge #13: What does that mean?

Dear Holly,

This week I challenge you to find the most uncommon, unknown, word you can find in the dictionary, and illustrate it! You can either use the definition as inspiration for the content of the image, or make up your own definition based on how the word makes you feel! But the title of your image will be the word you have chosen.

Can't wait! Good luck!

Jen

Challenge # 12: Object Love the reveal

Dear Holly,

I have chosen to answer your challenge by illustrating the material object I love most! I reveal to you: Pandy.

Pandy is my favorite childhood toy. He has more personality then most people, and triggers many happy memories of intense playtime with my sister Lauren.

I tried to capture how alive he is to me... you know when you're acting with toys and you make them move, he's very mobile and when i think of him i think of something that can't sit still. his head has this way of stretching really high, making him look like he's in a different mood. and his body is so expressive. Hence the wild ink lines.

....omg i sound crazy.

I'll stop lol.

Thanks Holly, this was so fun.

-Jen

thanks for the fun theme!

Challenge #12- Object love

Jen,

This week's challenge is inspired by a personal frustration which I struggle with on a daily basis, the love humans have with physical objects. I've wanted to do an illustration like this for months now, but never got around to it. I challenge you to capture this concept anyway you choose. As an example I might consider, a man obsessively stroking his i phone, while staring at it with pure infatuation. There's a lot of ways you could visually go about this challenge, but when it's complete I want to powerfully read an affectionate emotion within your piece. Good luck, and like always I'm excited to see what you come up with!

-Holly

Holly reveals challenge # 11- Secret Wish

I know this is early, but I've been excited to complete this challenge, I can finally paint!! The past three weeks have been hard, and realizing I didn't have the ability to illustrate made my situation worse. I felt very blue and pathetic and I may have started a few arguments that weren't necessary. I never realized that drawing and painting had control of my positive mental health. I know my temporary disability wasn't even close to those who loose their limbs and never get back full mobilization, I truly feel for them!

As for my challenge- The secret wish. I had three weeks to contemplate how I was going to solve this. Without giving away my secret wish, it's something I've obsessed about for the past year!! I can't get it out of my head as my mind doesn't focus anywhere else. Hint- It has nothing to do with fish! Any guesses?? I did my usual watered down acrylics, watercolour pencils and purchased an expensive illustration board. I worked big- approximately 16x20 because my fingers cant work small at the moment.

Thank you Jen... this was a beautiful challenge to celebrate the mobility of my hand!! Loved the concept and am happy with the final reveal :)

-Holly

Open challenge: "Get Well Holly" results

Dear blog friends,

Thank you so much to those who participated in our first ever open challenge! All of the entries were fun and thoughtful and your time and interest is greatly appreciated!

drum role............

by Kyle Dumas. challenge accepted ;)

By John-Michael Goertz, lol... yes Holly count your blessings!! love the dark humor JM.

By Georges, 8 years old and so talented!

By Andrew Foerster, website for more cowboys and robots and monsters: http://rewfoe.com/. check out his sculptures, they're adorable!

By Peter Goertz, facebook to more awesome 'around the world' works of art: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=98432&id=507190646

Peter you make me appreciate Microsoft Paint like never before.
This is Peter at Holly's grandma's house. Is that Holly passed out on the ground?! Are you not helping her?? ! lol. The nurse hat on the sun is brilliant. For those of you who havn't seen Peter's work, the sun gives the clue to the theme/ location of each image.

and lastly, a flash animation by ivan ha, apparently the original file of the girl running had much less clothing. Ivan had to reconstruct clothes for every frame! you're welcome holly :D

http://www.ivanha.com/hollycard.html

thankyou everyone!! looking forward to our next open challenge!!