Starrydance Art : White Stag Studios

Ugghh Depression >_

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:40:29 GMT

So unfortunatly I lied, Im SO omg depressed right now.

So Im thinking even tho Lazy dragon is still 3 weeks away, Im not sure Ill have any new artwork. Ill just have artwork reprinted, fix any small errors in them - try the two new products out, call it good.

And get everything up on Etsy, even if it does take weeks! First major depression of the year, and it hurts because I was sorta hoping Id be over it but I should know better.

Heres to keep my head above water.....

A Change in the Wind!

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:31:16 GMT

Im really doing so much better, finally.

Quick list!

1. I lost 2.7 lbs this week! GO ME! <3
2. Were really taking to this diet, and doing a great job eating well, finding alternatives, and eating as fresh as I think we can till we ease into cooking more.
3. Were steadily cleaning the house happily and cheerfully - aiming at having it neat and clean for the next con so we can have two! houseguests.
4. Art week starts this week with some new goals.
5. Were cleaning the studio and taking pictures of all products right now, so everythings going up on Etsy this week. I cant sell it if its not online, and even if it doesnt do well - well! Ill get there. I need to stop worrying about maybes and just go for it!

My offical art lists will be started tomorrow too, but I want to do some spontaneous arts more as well. I really need to start breaking the habit of doing art in blocks and in a rotation. Finish all sketches, finish all inking, finish all paintings, restart cycle.

I really think, as my bestest friend says, this is my year. Year of the Starry! Its time to take that in both hands and go with it, I think. I can do it, and Im the only one holding back - so no more!

Rawr~! <3

Diet Adventures and Cute Akon Phot <3

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:13:49 GMT

Ok well this is gonna sound strange, some of this, so just bear with me. Check in the cut for a picture of my Purple Sparkly Castle Booth and A-kon and my Maleficent Cosplay! <3

I went back on Weight Watchers on Sunday, why? Because I wasnt eating enough - again. Now I know that sounds nuts, Starry! Youre overweight! What do you mean not eating enough?

Well, Im really, REALLY bad about basically just eating dinner, and then later eating dessert. And usually we have fast food for dinner, so you can imagine what my poor body was feeling about it. Not only was I essentially eating once a day, I was just flat out eating junk!

So, tired of being depressed and down about it I said No more! And noticed Weight Watchers had a 1 week free trial and gave it a whirl, this time signing up for their ONLINE version (no meetings, thanks) and trying to come at it from a different perspective.

Ive only had two diets that really sort of worked for me, The 3 hour diet and Sort of Weight watchers. The 3 Hour diet is pretty good but semi difficult to manage - and - for whatever reason they think that your 'two snacks a day' its ok to eat FOUR 100 calorie packs EACH TIME. I did that last time, and it was so much junk food I just felt like crap >_<

Last time on Weight Watchers I really over-saved my points. I do that a lot, over budget! Id end up after dinner still having half my points left! So I decided to merge Weight Watchers and the ideals from the 3 Hour Diet that did work and now, more or less, I eat this:

Breakfast:
1) One Packet of Quaker Oats Weight Control Brown Sugar / Cinnamon Oatmeal. (Id like to make real oatmeal but man, in the morning, Im a ZOMBIE! so Ive 'processed food' this one because otherwise I know I wont eat!)
2) One serving Fresh Fruit. So far this week Ive tried fresh strawberries (aah, first of the crop is total <3) and I tried Figs for the first time! They are really good, although they need to be slightly squishy to really taste good.
3) One 15.2 Naked Fruit Smoothie. These are 100% fruit and SO good and about 2/3 servings of fruit in a variety of flavors. I like Gold Machine, Berry Blash, and Strawberry Kiwi Kick.

Snack:

1) 100 Calorie pack of Wholly Guacamole. Ive never really HAD guacamole before but everyone talks lovingly of it, so I tried a dash of it at Freebirds and found I liked it! Of course I do, its a fruit >_

And, for your enjoyment, my booth at A-kon with me dressed up in my Maleficent Cosplay! <3

Post Akon Update! <3

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:53:54 GMT

Hello everyone! Akon was this weekend and it was such a blast! <3

I was really anxious about this convention - it was my first of the year, its HUGE! and I made a lot of fairly big artistic decisions that I werent sure were going to, well, work!

I decided to go almost purely on critters and animals and one 'person' artwork and then on top of that only a handful of fan art - which is mostly what people tend to buy at the Artist Alleys. Last convention my Cosplay Kitties didnt really sell, and while I did ok I really felt that not doing 'People art' AND fan art? I coulda been totally hosed.

Also, I made a really NEAT display that people would have either laughed their butts off about or, well, loved it......

And you know me! Im a little miss anxious head! So what happened, what happened you say!

I rocked Akon! <3

By Saturday morning I had made more at Akon than I had made all last year with art sales!

I had SUCH a blast, my display was magnificent - I did my first cosplay (Maleficent!), everyone loved it and me! Everyone (well ok, not really the guys!) stopped and cooed at my artwork, squealed over it, and bought stuff! Buttons and Badges were my most popular sales, but people really loved the bookmarks, mirrors, and the stationary was sorta popular for looking but only sold a few. Stickers and magnets, and Cameos, not so much!

Ill be bringing the same setup + things (only with 5x7s this time) to Lazy Dragon Con, but dont think Ill bring the stickers and magnets to Animefest - and thats ok! <3

Im going to go sleep and relax for today, and then upload some product shots of things you guys havent even gotten to see yet! ^_^

Last 5 Sketches for A-kon! woooo! <3

Thu, 22 May 2008 18:12:08 GMT

This is it! The Final Five! <3

The Great Lion (Aslan! *squeals)

Lucky Cat

Pegasus

White Tailed Buck

Unicorn (This acutally has had a redraw but Im too lazy to rescan it.. its better now! <3)

New Arts! <3

Wed, 21 May 2008 16:47:02 GMT

Heres my new arts!

Sea Turtle 5x7

Polar Bear 5x7

Penguin 5x7

Kerani the Otter Friend 5x7

Bookwyrm 8x10

In other news, A-kon is in just a few days. o.O Next Friday!

I still have some art Im working on, and making products so Ill be scarce! =D

WIP Pile

Wed, 14 May 2008 16:41:20 GMT

Little peeks of whats on the painting table!

Bookwyrm 8x10

Kerani the Otter Friend 5x7

Penguin Critter 5x7

Polar Bear Critter 5x7

Sea Turtle Critter 5x7

Magical Phoenix Egg 5x7

Akon Countdown: 3 Weeks to GO!

Mon, 12 May 2008 06:19:22 GMT

Yet another Busy week as we head towards A-Kon!

Ive had to narrow down my output again, I didnt expect how long stuff will take but thats ok! I hope by midweek Ill have painted:

5x7s:
1) Kerani the Otter Friend
2) Magical Phoenix Egg
:3) Penguin Critter
4) Polar Bear Critter
5) Sea Turtle Critter

8x10:

1) Dragon Day (Renamed Bookwyrm!)

These will be made into: 5x7s, Badges, 1" Buttons, Stationary, Stickers, Magnets, Cameos, and bookmarks!

*Passes out*

Ill have them all printed up by Thursday night, and hopefully the new sketches for this work week that I had hoped to have painted but they'll have to be painted next week while I draw that weeks and then turn around and paint that stuff! Wheeeeeee! :boing:

Thursday night we run to Houston again to finish my Display / hang out / and make lots of products!

Then come back and finish the last bits of artworks and turn around and make a lot more product -- but I have the whole week-before-Akon set aside just to make product! ^_^

Im only about a day or so behind at this point, so just a few good days and Im caught up! <3

Artworks to be Sketched this week:

Button Designs (Maybe, these arent cooperating )

5x7s:

1) Hummingbird Fairy
2) Moon Kitty Fairy
3) Totem Animal
4) Critter Kraken
5) Critter Raven

8x10:

The Marauders Repaint! <3

Yay Meme for ME!

Fri, 09 May 2008 20:06:18 GMT

Leave me a comment and:

1. I'll tell you why I added you to my f-list.
2. I'll tell you what I most associate with you.
3. I'll tell you what I like about you.
4. I'll state a favorite memory of you.
5. I will tell you about a character or a pairing that is similar to you.
6. I'll ask you a question about you that I've always wanted to know.
7. I'll tell you which of your user pics I like the best.
8. In return, post this meme on your journal.

Last Pre-Redraw. Really >.>

Fri, 09 May 2008 02:59:48 GMT

Ive been working on this for a few days (along with some critters and buttons, but I find those easy).

This is the REALLY LAST redraw for this!

If anyone has any last minute Crits for me Ill take it - Ill redraw her once more than then ink her tomorrow night. <3

Already to do for the redraw:

-- Double check her face. Again >.>
-- Smooth out her body, add the other arm in.
-- Bubbles! Bubbles!
-- Little more detail in the background so I know what Im doing. =3

Weekly update <3

Mon, 05 May 2008 05:34:57 GMT

Well this was a busy week for me - and it was also very short by our weekend trip to Houston! But! I got some stuff done, Im feeling really over all able to start down my art path and Im very, very happy!

Now I had a very interesting revelation today that Im going to stand by for myself for at least through the summer. I dont think I 'can' draw Fan Art! Something in my brain just freaks out! If I draw it like the character looks like, well, thats basically tracing. And if I struggle to draw it on my own style --- well --- it doesnt really look like them! Ive taken weeks trying to draw some Fan Art Badges and while my sketches really going so smoothly and while slightly frusterating while I struggle with learning antamoy - there is defintete growth and yes, beauty! But these fan art sketches I tell you they just REFUSE!

So, today I decided that Im done with it! If they dont want to come out of my pencil, then I will just enjoy watching and buying others fan art and create my own characters that are already in there trying to break out! <3

I will have some fan art buttons that are critters/sidekicks animals (hopefully! =p) because those seem to roll out quite happily. I cant explain why the animals do and the peoples dont - but Im not going to argue. Weeks of blocks and NO I DONT WANNA, Im convinced. Im going back to fantasy land, and I will be successful! ^_^

So what did I get done:

- Im about halfway through my sketches to 2nd stage. I know that doesnt sounds like much but human anatomy is way harder! Ill be showing some button, critter, and other works in progress this week so it wont all be edits of the same girls youve been seein! <3

- Bought all the base supplies for my display of WOOOOOOOOHOOO at the conventions this summer (minus a few additional ones but still, mostly there!)

- Sewed with mom to get about half of the fabrics bits done for the display - shes gonna finish them up in the next/two weeks and were coming back down in two week to complete my display!

To do this week:

- Finish up the first round of Button/5x7 Sketches so I can get inking / painting by mid week and then continue to draw while I let paint dry. Gonna be a busy art week!

- Get the rest of my products pictured and put up on Etsy!

- Work on the few repaints of things from last year, and make a final list of art that Id like to get finished for Akon! <3

Just drawing and painting and uploading this week, so be forewarned of the great spam I will be bringing! <3

Huge Sketch Update! Lots of Images <3

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 04:26:40 GMT

The Sketches! They rain from the sky! You have been warned!

These were all done for StudioMMO.com Daily Sketch Thread (the I run!) They are all about 30mins-60 mins, most with pose reference! I plan on finishing a few of them soon! <3

I'm doing some Fan art buttons and Badges here too, but they are still way too rough. Im finding them very resistant to me for some reason - I want to draw them, I have plans to draw them - I think maybe its that the characters/poses are so ingrained in my mind Im struggling with making them 'mine'. Well doesnt matter because you'll see them soon! =3

Peacock Mask:

Mermaid Noble:

Dragon Day!

Hummingbird Fairy!

Hogwarts Character

Mistress of the Hunt

Totem Animal

Weekly ToDo List for 4/20/08

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:01:23 GMT

Accomplished So Far:

All Print Files completed! That took most of the week, but thats ok! That was a HUGE Hurdle I had to get over before I could get going, and its finished!

Business Card Designed! <3 Lots of help on this one, final design is:

Buttons, Cameos, Stationary, Badges all Printed!

Got my Akon table Assigned! FRONT ROW! Gotta get stuff ready for it! Omg! WOOOOOOOO!

Week of 4/20/08

Daily Sketch Thread everyday! Still horridly behind, but it will be a wonderful start to art week! <3

I still want to pick two Daily Sketches Ive finished and quick paint them to work with pencil outlines, salt, and other techniques. This is the first thing under the paint this week!

One ACEO! Really! =p

Sketches, Ink, and Paint for Buttons & Badges! Have my ideas ready to go! <3

Sketch, Ink, and Paint one 5x7 thats original and another thats a repaint. I have a few Im repainting for this year! <3

Work on the StudioMMO Challenge! This will be 'finished late' (its supposed to be finished at the end of the month) but I still wanna get it done!

Make products that Ive printed! <3 Get it photographed and uploaded to DA so I can start putting them on Etsy! ^_^

If I do a great job knocking out my todo list this week? Im getting myself The Super Amazing Deluxe Hardcover Edition of The Last Unicorn SIGNED! http://www.conlanpress.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=LU-HC

*spins around happily*

Business card Design! <3

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 21:40:03 GMT

Yay! I did something! This is my business card design! <3

Ill take any feedback!

Art Day is now FOREVER! <3

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:38:08 GMT

My friend tehloch and I have this thing where we call our available days to do art ART DAYS!

Well, today is my last day of busy work to get Starrydance Art up and running!

So tomorrow, Art day is on - FOREVER! I have to admit that today Im excited and hopeful.

Thank you, everyone, for all the kind words of encouragement and well wishes. I think all the fears, worries, and nervousness just pounced on me - but today I believe that I can do it!

All I can do is draw, paint, and try to share with all of you who I am. I really hope you like what I will have coming, and share in my fantasy world of Faeries, Witches, Mermaids, Unicorns, Dragons, and other magical and sparkly things! <3

Art Day is now FOREVER ^_^

Im terrified of white paper!

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:14:29 GMT

Im terrified of white paper! Im sitting here looking at a long art todo list and Im just ....... terrified.

Why you ask? Because this is it. This is the DREAM. What if I draw all this fan art and faeries and witches and unicorns and ......

Still ..... nothing?

Im pretty much a wallflower in real life. I've always felt like even tho I can join a community and have fun, Im not really someone you remember when Im not there. Ive never really figured that out how to ....... go past that but heres the kicker.

If I draw everything thats in my heart, in my soul, all that is REALLY ME and ..... still no one really notices? Im terrified of that. Im in a panic that if I do all this and dont make it at it. I dont have high goals for my art business at the moment, but they are still goals.

I cant even imagine what to do with my life if I cant be an artist. I dont need to be one of the 'ubers', I dont need to be a brand name or a well known name. I've seen so many of my friends go from beginner to AWESOME - Im so scared I cant do the same, so I just dont draw those things.

If I dont DRAW it yet, if I dont Paint fairies, if Im not a fantasy artist *YET* I havent failed it!

Even tho, yes, I know if I dont try I cant succeed too - in my life I havent accomplished much. So I find more reasons to not do it yet, to not try today.

So today Im finishing up all the little things left before I can art. All the print files, all the little busywork, and tomorrows it. The first art day of my fantasy career, mixed in with the fan art for my conventions!

Im so scared of tomorrow. Ideas and lists are one thing, but the actual reality of it.....

I believe in faeries, I suppose its time to believe in me, too.

Weekly ToDo List for 4/13/08

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 01:47:40 GMT

:thumb64252582:
..| U p d a t e s |..

Ok Week Two of this! I didnt necessarily do a fantastic job last week, but thats the whole point of this is to get into the routine! <3

Week of 4/13/08

-- Daily Sketch Thread everyday! Im behind again in the actual sketches, bad me! Catch up day is Monday!

-- I still want to pick two Daily Sketches Ive finished and quick paint them to work with pencil outlines, salt, and other techniques. This is the first thing under the paint this week!

-- One ACEO! Really! =p

-- Sketches, Ink(Pencil), and Paint for Buttons! Didnt get to this last week, so more to be done. Thats ok! These should go very smoothly, and Im excited about them =3

-- Sketch, Ink, and Paint one 5x7 thats original and another thats a repaint. I have a few Im repainting for this year! <3

-- Finish up Print Files. Finished 2 whole sets! My goodness they take forever! Should finish up one set a day this week, will be faster with the bigger products!

-- Make products that Ive printed! <3 Get it photographed and uploaded to DA so I can start putting them on Etsy! ^_^

Still a tiny bit behind, but not so bad that I cant catch up with a few good days.

Daily Sketches! <3

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 01:43:54 GMT

I really love doing these - theres no pressure with them and if they turn out really wonderful, I can color them. I plan on picking one or two a week to just color for practice, not necessarily for prints or sale - just you know - FUN! Remember that? =3

Corset Day (of my Night Elf Druid)

Magical Egg (Of a Phoenix!)

Lost Thicket

Reference Used: http://gaiastock.deviantart.com/art/Garden-Stock-6-82091980

Lute of the Howler:

The Perfect Pet (A Fairy Unicorn, of course!)

Weekly To Do List! <3

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:02:18 GMT

Resurrecting an older tradition that really helped me. Ill be a lot more spammy here soon so be warned! <3

Week of 4/7/08

Daily Sketch Thread everyday! Yay! Im a few days behind, but Im going to catch up today and tomorrow.
Paint one, or two, Daily Sketches from Last week. Aalyve came up with this wonderful selection and I love it! <3
One ACEO!
Sketches, Ink(Pencil), and Paint for Buttons!
Print Files for all my new products
Print + Product Make over the weekend, so my Etsy and Ebay stores can open next week! Yay!

Its a bit of catch-up to play, Ive further behind than I would have liked but I can catch up this week! Im pretty hoping the buttons go smoothly, because next week its Badges!

Heartbroken =[

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 01:23:07 GMT

I never got a chance to tell most of you, but yesterday afternoon my husband surprised me with 'Yay, its puppy time!'. Weve wanted a second dogm and playmate for Kupo!, for a year or more now but didnt have the money / time / etc.

So since I was coming home, he figured, nows the perfect time to get a puppy! We went to the SPCA, after looking at some more pure breds online and finding most of them were puppy mills - and found the sweetest Aussie-mix breed, all black and sweet and happy.

She would just lean on you and sigh, so terribly sweet! So we brought her home, and had a fun night of exploring and running around. She was a little slow, but we were figuring she was just stressed from the pound - who wouldnt be!

Then early this morning she started getting sick in her kennel, and we called the SPCA for a checkup after the second sick up, and she spiraled down to barely able to walk by the time it was time for her appointment.

Long story short, there they told us she had such a bad, advanced case of Parvo that her chances of survival were basically nil. Since she was a puppy, a black and tan dog, and had had kennel cough and it weakened her up - it just .. well.

So, poor Vivi didnt get to come home with us. Weve cleaned up the best we could, and will continue to clean - the Parvo is very scary and gets everywhere. My husband has promised we will get a puppy for Halloween (the germs can last at least 5 months).

Even tho we only had her one night, we are quite heartbroken. She was such a *good dog*, so loving and sweet and figured out 'what to do' so fast. We'll miss our little Vivi. =[

I am now a full time artist!

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:50:45 GMT

I am now OFFICIALLY a full time fantasy artist! OMG! Gonna take tomorrow to clean up my studio, Thursday to set up my watercolors and get some sketches worked on! Im out of town this weekend, most likely, but that might change!

I hope to get some product files made up, but Im not sure Ill have a chance till next week, but products are gonna start rolling off the Starry-line!

Glee

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 00:49:12 GMT

Well, we did our Taxes today and were getting .... ahh... quite a bit back! We never get tax money back! A majority of it was my part time job at Barnes and Nobles and White Stag Studios write offs / slow sales.

Then, I was doing the math and figured out at my current hours (15 hours a week) it was almost 8 months of paycheck!

So, I was talking to hubby and we decided it was time for me to leave my part time job, and come home and be serious about White Stag Studios / Starrydance.com

Now, this is a HUGE leap for us. Sure, Ive been randomly working on art for a few years but never really much beyond 'hobby' and the conventions sure helped me kick it up a notch. I was hoping to go home and 'do more art' sometime this year but was REALLY nervous about the ability to 'cover' my paycheck with art sales.

Long story short, Ill be working there till the end of the Month and then coming home and Art, art, art, art! Ill have basically the rest of the year to try to make a serious go at it, with 3 conventions to do. Ill have to do 'some' fan art for the conventions, but the rest can be commissions, fantasy, and all things I <3.

So heres for Uncle Sam!

Today...

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:07:46 GMT

I am happy.

For no good reason!

How bizarre.

I cant think of a SINGLE THING to complain about. I wonder if Im going insane! *laughs*

Akon + Weekend Recap. <3!

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 22:35:22 GMT

What a busy weekend weve had!

On Saturday, we ran all of our errands : Grocery Shopping (3 stops! GAH!), Went the Bank, Finalized our Budget, Made sure all my new art product supplies were right, put AWAY all the Groceries - made a tasty, tasty dinner, and if that wasnt enough cleaned the whole Media Room! Its so clean now!

Today? Well, just in case we werent tired enough - we got up early to clean up the front yard. The bushes were all crazy and the flowerbeds were all weedy. We opened the garage (which is our biggest clutter spot in the house ; wink and we saw some evidence that a mouse had been in there! EEK! I wasnt too freaked out, but hubby was like NOPE! THE GARAGE IS GETTING CLEANED! So we cleaned it all out, and now the car can fit in there again! Yay! We had a lot of garage-sale-stuff in there, and gave it mostly away to our neighbors.

Then we cleaned the flowerbeds, trimmed the bushes down to non-crazy and its almost dinner time! Still gotta do some laundry and get ready for work tomorrow! WHEW! I figured Id be exhausted, but actually we feel pretty good and accomplished! I dont think I want to do it every weekend - but it was nice to get some HUGE! things off the todo list!

<3!

And, we have a table at the BEST anime convetion -- AKON! Over the summer, my bestest friend has her own too! Congrats Lochy! SO the arts gotta start rolling on out, because its ART TIME!

-- The $1 SALE! --

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 23:45:47 GMT

Here it is, finally, the ONE DOLLAR SALE!

For a full and easy to use list, please see my Deviant Art Journal: http://starrydance.deviantart.com/journal/16931308

Everythings $1! Oh my!

Up first we have TWO for ONE Dollar BUTTONS!

They are 1.5" round, shiney, and awesome!
Two for $1 !

Then we have bookmarks, they are about 3x4" and in a soft vinyl sleeve, with a coordinating tassel!
$1 Each!

And BADGES! I love badges, these are around 2.5x3.5" and come with a badge clip, or a tassel to make a bookmark!
$1 Each!

All images in my Gallery are available at in a 5x7 Print, Also for $1! I couldnt really take a picture that didnt look totally ugh - so note me with any questions if you have any!

Remember $1 for everything, and buttons are 2 for $1! Email me, Or comment here to order!

Paypal only, $2 for Shipping! Thanks for looking and any support! <3