Last art of 2016

Oi, where did 2016 go?  My side job has fizzled after over 7 years.  I haven't had any side work for over 2 months, so I'm trying to figure out where my time went.  I did work over a weekend for my regular job in which I received comp time, which I used when I caught a cold.  Awesome - must be my fastest recovery ever.  I never liked coloring books when I was a kid.  Life is so much more fun when you don't stay to the lines.    But I was missing art, so I got a little one dollar 4in x 6in coloring book.

I had a cheap set of felt tip pens.  They didn't even last one page, I threw it away.  So I tried sharpies.  But sharpies bleed through and they smell, and I only have 12 colors.  I tried water soluble Neocolors.  The paper is thick, so it didn't warp with water, but it's hard to start & stop at the lines --- those damn lines!  I must break free.

 OMG, I've had prisma colored pencils for ages.  They were never any good to me for anything because I don't have the patience to burnish or blend with these things.   But OOO, they're great in adult coloring books.

 So that's what I've been up to.  Colored pencils in a coloring book. 

Other than that, my house is falling apart, so that's where my time and money have been going.  I had a leak in a fire sprinkler.  That happened on a Friday night, so I had to pay the weekend emergency price to fix it.  Luckily no water damage to the house.  Still got a hole in the ceiling to fix.  Then I couldn't turn on the heater when it got cold because the thermostat died a horrible death.  18 year old batteries corroded in the unit.  I didn't even know it ran on batteries.  So it got updated :)

Nothing new in a month

That's not to say I haven't been creating.  I'm gathering materials to make my own camera.  Why?  Why do I draw when I can just take a picture?  Because I can and because it's fun and I hope to learn something from it.  Then I'm going make my own enclosure with my 3d pen.

Meanwhile, I've been creating short videos, aka vlogs.  The content is private & emo, so they'll probably never be shared.  This is how I'm learning the technical side of editing video and audio.  I thought I'd have to wait until I made my own camera, but I was counting all the retired cameras in the house which are capable of video: 4 Canon ELPH point-n-shoot, Canon 50, GoPro 3, Polaroid Cube, iPhone, iPad, 2 laptops.  Maybe capable, but not necessarily practical.  Then I discovered that I already had Movie Maker on my Win10 laptop and I have iMovie on my iPad.  I didn't have to buy anything to get started.

Now I want to go somewhere, but I've sent away my passport for renewal.

I haven't been keeping up

What is it?

 

  The magnetic latch on the screen door doesn't always hold.  This is more reliable.

 

They used to sell a clip for iphones to redirect sound off the speaker.  I can't find it, so I made one, but this goes over my plastic case, too.  Custom fit.

 

These are flexible filament feathers.  I'm going to use them as book marks in my sketchbooks.

 

So Mom was still finding a way to screw up the TV by mashing random buttons.  I had to cover more buttons.

 

Here it is on the remote.  It goes on and off easily so that I can access the menus.

Another box

So the first box was Mom's birthday present, only about 6 weeks late.  This is her mother's day present, only a couple weeks late, LOL.  She really loved the other one.  She said she likes this one too, but I told her she has to say that because she's my mother. This is looser than I intended but I was limited by my brushes.  My finest brush was still too thick for this scale  (the box is 9in X 3.5IN x 3.5in). 

I painted a box

Not the finest art, more like crafty art.  So I've been busy reorganizing my office/art space.  I put my monitors up on a dual stand to get all the cables off my desk and make room to do stuff.  I was trying to clear under my desk...that didn't work out so well, I've just got different stuff under my desk now and the art supplies that were under my desk is now up on new wire shelves.  What the reorganization did was 1) clear my desk top for projects and 2) clear the French doors behind my desk so that I can swing them open now.  I've got to wait til Sunday night to throw out more empty boxes or else they'll find their way back into the house.

Then Mom was sitting at my desk, snooping around, and she found these wooden pencil boxes I'd bought with the intention to color with oil pencils and she wanted them.  I lost interest in the oil pencils after one flower.  But they weren't empty!  Oh yea, I found my first set of printmaking paints and the linocut tool.  I totally lost them, so I'd bought another tool and more paints.  And I found my Dremel Tool bits, DOH!

I was almost ready to donate my old acrylic paints because I haven't touched them in over a year.  A couple of them (browns) are like gel now, but they were going that way years ago.  But this was fun.  I still have peacock feathers on my brain, so I'm going to do some kind of abstract peacock pattern on the other box before giving it to Mom.  And I'm going to keep my paints, they're still fun. 

Flexible camera case

I wasn't satisfied with the purple camera case, so I solved a few problems:

1. Mom kept finding another way to put the camera in that it wasn't meant to go, which meant she forced it.  I don't see damage to the camera or the case, but it hasn't been in use for very long.
2. I didn't like how the camera rattled inside the case, it was a hard case.  Rattling means friction or impact, however minor.  At least you couldn't sit on it and damage the screen.
3. Camera retention is less secure, but the point is to cushion the camera while it's bouncing around in a bag.  The damage to Mom's previous cameras were on the screens from bouncing around in her bag.  Anyway, I'm taking advantage of the flexibility of the material.  I have an opening on the end and rely on the plastic to spring back to its closed position on its own.
4. I was wondering how I was going to use up a pound of flexible filament.  This material is better suited to covering electronics like cameras & phones. 

Headphone hanger

I've been hanging my headphones from a twisted paperclip.  Can't buy this anywhere because this cubicle system is outdated.  The company probably bought these walls on craigslist or ebay.  So the cubicle walls have slots that you can hook onto, if you can fit it in the slot.  That's how the bookshelf hangs.  Anything else, you have to pin to the cloth or use little magnets, neither of which is strong enough to hold the headphones.  It's probably been in use for 2 weeks now.  I forgot to take a picture before bringing it to work.

 



 

3rd time's the charm

Finally happy with the peacock feather. Happy with the eye, happy with the pattern of the individual tines (right word?)  1st one is on the right, 2nd try is middle, 3rd attempt is on the left.  I'm bringing #3 to work.  I'm really liking how springy it's turned out with the bit of PLA down the spine.  Only takes 30 minutes each!

Peacock feather

I was testing out a concept.  Using flexible filament for the peacock feather.  I did have to use PLA on the back of the stem because it was too floppy.  This will go to one of my home pens, then I'm going to give it another shot when I get some time.  I think I can improve on the "eye."  Really happy with it, though.

Running again

My pen is working again.  While I was waiting for parts, I got the bright idea to get a heat gun.  You've seen my practice snitch before, now it's truly a golden snitch.

I've shown my practice rose before.  I still can't get a good picture of it, even though the heat gun helped make it rounder.  At least I found a purpose for it, it's now a pen topper, too.

Not pictured well (in the back), a stand-alone spool holder.  I was previously in the middle of this project when the pen broke, so I was able to finish it.  Getting back to my feathers, that black one (left) came out really nice, but this style was supposed to be with the clear filament to be a "Sugar Quill" so I re-did it (middle).  Not that you can tell from this picture, the black one came out better.  But now I don't have enough black filament to do the style that was supposed to be black!  I've shown the golden feather before.  It is awesome, except it was supposed to be red.  I ran out of red (sigh).  Good thing I have lots of pens.  I still have to stick the clear one onto a pen.

Charms

(From Harry Potter) Deathly Hallow charms.  They're a little over an inch in any dimension.  I didn't think my lines were that straight.  Maybe I'm looking at them too closely, doesn't look too bad after setting them aside for 3 days.  I either need to attach them to a pin or earring hooks.  Don't know where I'm going with this yet.

I made another set of trash bag holders, a button cover for the TV's power button, and (I nearly forgot) I fixed the banana hanger!  The hole for the hook is stripped but this keeps it from falling out.

The TV power button cover was a fail in functionality.  I'm trying to keep Mom from touching the TV because she's always putting it in weird modes or running up the volume to crazy levels, I want her to only use the remote control.  But apparently any button turns on the TV and you can only turn it off with the power button (or remote.)

I was a couple hours into another project when my 3D pen broke.  OH NO!!!!!!!  3D Scribbler's customer service is awesome, I'm waiting for a new nozzle.  But it's got me thinking about making my own version of a 3D pen--yes I have the electronics & mechanical skills and tools.  But if I could do that, I could make my own printer for not much more.  But if I wanted a printer, I could buy one for just a bit more than that. Damn, another rabbit hole.

What is it?

 

This is one of the reasons I went with a 3D pen rather than a 3D printer.  In order to do this on a printer, you have to either use support material then melt it away or you build it up with break away support and you have to cut it away, then finish with filing and sanding.  It's also thin by 3D printing standards.  I used two layers to keep its flexibility.  But if I'd used three layers, it'd be much stronger.  For my use, it'll be strong enough.

There it is.  It hold the handles of the grocery store bags in the trash can.  My dad actually used to bend wire hangers to do this, so I didn't invent it.  But I did it in a new way!

Golden Feather

Ever since I read the manufacturer's recommendation to run clear filament after metallic, I'm done using the clear for practice.  I got a spool of gold filament to work with, as I had several ideas that I wanted in gold and a few more where it doesn't matter.  Stay tuned, I've got a few more feather shapes in mind.

Red Feather

Testing out a concept  for a series of feather toppers for my gel pens. This was done with the sample of red that was included in the 3D Scribbler box, lovely color--but not enough.  I'd intended to make it much longer and curvier, that's why I started so wide but then I could feel I was running out.  You can see at the tip, the last bit of purple I had left from the camera case project, then I had to resort to clear on the back of the feather

Camera Case

Purple camera case.  Two layers of purple, though I used clear for the first layer of the cover because I could see that I was going to run out of purple.  Entombed the knot of the elastic string to hold it closed. 

 

It fits really snuggly, so it only goes in one way.   

 

It's pretty strong,  It'll protect the camera from scratches and bumps in a handbag or if it were hanging around the photographer's neck but I really don't think a hard case will necessarily keep the screen safe from a fall, it's already a camera with a metal body.

 

I used the narrowest drinking straw I could find for the hinge, which comes from a drink box

3D pen creations

1)  Started with the rose, petal by petal until I had enough to stick together.  I think I should have gotten white instead of clear for practice.  Sometimes I can't see the last line of plastic I put down until it cools.

 

2)  Then I did the Snitch.  I made a breakthrough in control when I did a wing--then I was able to repeat it for the other.  I've been a printing machine ever since.

 

3)  Next is the button cover for the universal remote.  Mom just doesn't get it.  She was mashing buttons at random and reprogramming the TV, cable box, and the remote itself.  I had a paper card version of this previously which she was pushing through.  The cover does fit snuggly in place but I can slide it right off, too.  No problems with the electronics ever since, though my TV is still stuck on the Spanish menu.

4)  Hanger for my 3D pen:  Same color as the pen.  It hangs on the side of my wooden art caddy (which I've since culled--removed the paint brushes I haven't used in a while.)

5)  Hanger for a spool of filament.  It also hangs on the art caddy.  Can't find anything like that anywhere, eh?  Other picture is with a spool loaded.  Fits snuggly without having to modify the caddy with a hole or anything.

January doodle

Found a few minutes to doodle on my desk calendar last week.  Oil pastels on approx. 17x11 inch.

The planet fitness sticker was from checking out their new gym around the corner.  It's cheap and even more convenient than the gym I have now but I would still have the same #problemchild issues that's keeping me from the gym now.

New Years resoulutions 2016

OMG, what a crazy 2015 I had taking care of Mom and Dad.  I had a plan early in the year, put in an offer on a house but then Mom lost her memory of the deal.  I didn't pursue it any further, just as well for all the problems that came up the rest of the year.

So I've gained a bunch of weight in the past couple years and I'm asking the doctor for advice.  She looks at my chart, "oh, you hit a speed bump called menopause.  We're doing everything, all that's left is diet & exercise."  Well, crap, even at my most fit time in life, I was working out 6 days a week and just maintaining weight.  So goal #1 is to get back to where I was 3 years ago.  It's still heavy but I was able to maintain that weight since I was 18.  That involves daily tai chi.

Goal #2 is to reduce more stuff in the house. Last year I did good with my room.  There's more I can do there, then the kitchen. Trivial things are going start disappearing quietly, blame it on memory.

Goal #3 is to get some art in every day, even if it's just a doodle.  Doesn't have to be shareable.