shaunasketches.net

Artist, Tea-drinker, & devourer of fine chocolates.

Hi there

Since I last posted, there have been a few changes in my life. I’ve moved into a new apartment, found that I enjoy running, quit my job as a DJ & music director, and have fallen in love with painting again. 

My boyfriend and I decided not to hook our new place up with the internet. That has helped me re-learn how to focus on one thing at a time. (I’m also back to reading books like a FIEND… Oh, hey Wheel of Time, what are you doing later? *eyebrow wiggle*) Multitasking certainly has its uses, but I don’t think it should be the default setting whenever I hit the start button on my brain.

I’m paying attention to the world and feeling inspired again. Updates will come soon. Stayed tuned. 

I miss D&D. I even miss my obnoxious camel… 

I miss D&D. I even miss my obnoxious camel… 

My boyfriend got Alina Pete (of the webcomics Weregeek and Moosehead Stew, check them out!) to draw my D&D character for me for Valentine’s Day.  aghalskdglsdkhglaskhglsdkhgfjsdlfkjalsdjkf All of our holidays are nerdy holidays. 

My boyfriend got Alina Pete (of the webcomics Weregeek and Moosehead Stew, check them out!) to draw my D&D character for me for Valentine’s Day. 

aghalskdglsdkhglaskhglsdkhgfjsdlfkjalsdjkf

All of our holidays are nerdy holidays. 

Another rainy day in southern California. I took the day off work due to feeling generally awful at 5:45 this morning. Sleep deprivation is no fun, kids.  Bleh.  What are you all up to?

Another rainy day in southern California. I took the day off work due to feeling generally awful at 5:45 this morning. Sleep deprivation is no fun, kids. 

Bleh. 

What are you all up to?

GUESS WHO BOUGHT PHOTOSHOP WITH HER TAX REFUND MONEY TODAY.  Here’s a quick doodle to express my excitement, and now… off to work… 

GUESS WHO BOUGHT PHOTOSHOP WITH HER TAX REFUND MONEY TODAY. 

Here’s a quick doodle to express my excitement, and now… off to work… 

How are you inside my head, Matt Kohr? How? 

On a related note, I love this concept art prompt generator by commenter MPodolak. Sure, it’s sparse, but it puts you in the shoes of the Concept Art Genie, who leads a grueling existence of fulfilling anyone and everyone’s concept art demands. So much fun!

 My first command? 

“Hey, I need you to do a MINISCULE, GAUNTLET for a UNDERSEA RACE OF CHITINOUS, WOULD-BE AQUARIANS .”

I’M ON IT. Fear not seahorsemen (and women), your gloveless days are over!

Jewelry Making, Session 2  or “I get to use fire on the SECOND DAY?!”  Annealing is a process in jewelry making by which a metal is made more workable. In my class’s case, we took our shiny new silver coins and torched them until they glowed red hot. At that point, we quenched the poor things and used a huge set of metal rollers to stretch and thin them out while they were still malleable.  Now my coin is scarred and dull. You can barely see the beautiful carvings that once rested on its surface. Just about the only thing that remains is its birthday engraving, “1974”.  But what use did it have before? It was just a piece of silver with an ever changing price tag, lazing about on a shelf in some dusty back room. Sometimes you need to go through fire and pressure in order to change.  It’s worth it. You’ll see. 

Jewelry Making, Session 2 

or “I get to use fire on the SECOND DAY?!” 

Annealing is a process in jewelry making by which a metal is made more workable. In my class’s case, we took our shiny new silver coins and torched them until they glowed red hot.

At that point, we quenched the poor things and used a huge set of metal rollers to stretch and thin them out while they were still malleable. 

Now my coin is scarred and dull. You can barely see the beautiful carvings that once rested on its surface. Just about the only thing that remains is its birthday engraving, “1974”. 

But what use did it have before? It was just a piece of silver with an ever changing price tag, lazing about on a shelf in some dusty back room. Sometimes you need to go through fire and pressure in order to change. 

It’s worth it. You’ll see. 

One of my lovely San Diego friends gifted me with a jewelry making class for my birthday this year! I’m not sure how I manage to attract the kindest people on the planet, but it is one of my unfailing talents. And so I bring you the chronicle of our adventures! Jewelry Making Class, Session 1 or “What the hell is a bezel, anyways?”  At the info session for the class, our teacher gave us a 3x5 index card to fill out with our name, phone number, and any previous experience we have working with our hands. As I scribbled “drawing, knitting, making simple beaded jewelry, working with clay, painting” on my card (feeling a bit overconfident), the teacher began a two and a half hour ramble on the “basics” of jewelry making.  I didn’t understand half of the words she used. By the end of the talk, my brain was stuffed to the brim with words like “bezel”, “cushion cut”, “ring shank”, etc. She sent the dozen of us off with three sheets of reference material, supplier contact info, and the instructions to come back with raw silver and a stone or gem.  This class is going to be intense, but I’m looking forward to learning something completely new. I’ve never done anything like this before. 

One of my lovely San Diego friends gifted me with a jewelry making class for my birthday this year! I’m not sure how I manage to attract the kindest people on the planet, but it is one of my unfailing talents. And so I bring you the chronicle of our adventures!

Jewelry Making Class, Session 1

or “What the hell is a bezel, anyways?” 

At the info session for the class, our teacher gave us a 3x5 index card to fill out with our name, phone number, and any previous experience we have working with our hands. As I scribbled “drawing, knitting, making simple beaded jewelry, working with clay, painting” on my card (feeling a bit overconfident), the teacher began a two and a half hour ramble on the “basics” of jewelry making. 

I didn’t understand half of the words she used. By the end of the talk, my brain was stuffed to the brim with words like “bezel”, “cushion cut”, “ring shank”, etc. She sent the dozen of us off with three sheets of reference material, supplier contact info, and the instructions to come back with raw silver and a stone or gem. 

This class is going to be intense, but I’m looking forward to learning something completely new. I’ve never done anything like this before. 

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
Ephixa

—Turret Error

Turret Error | Ephixa

I will transcend my usually preferred genres of music as long as I can hear an ocarina song electronified or some Portal turrets trying to lock on and laserfry my brain. Nerdy videogames will always be my weakness. 

Now back to playing console games vicariously through Zero Punctuation reviews— I MEAN PREPARING MY PLAYLIST FOR TOMORROW. Yes, doing work, that’s what I’m ALL ABOUT. 

samspratt: SOPA is not good for artists This bill seems like overkill from where I stand. The “If one of you does something wrong, you’re all in trouble” mentality belongs in poorly-taught kindergarten classrooms, not in an attempt to stop online piracy. Instead of sinking a few ships, they’re trying to drain the ocean.

samspratt:

SOPA is not good for artists

This bill seems like overkill from where I stand. The “If one of you does something wrong, you’re all in trouble” mentality belongs in poorly-taught kindergarten classrooms, not in an attempt to stop online piracy.

Instead of sinking a few ships, they’re trying to drain the ocean.

(via rosewong)

Over the winter break, I went back to New Hampshire (my home state of 20+ years) for the first time in 6 months. Obviously the first thing I had to do was introduce my 10 year-old sister and cousin to Dungeons & Dragons.  Since we were gaming with such young players (as well as my other sister who is 19 and has Down’s Syndrome), my boyfriend and I came up with a simplified version of the game that wouldn’t boggle their minds too badly. We tried to focus on the creative “Yes, you ARE able to do whatever you want” aspect of the game without getting too caught up in the mechanics of it.  It was so much fun to see them reacting to all of the things that were going on, and they got such a kick out of rolling D20s.  Highlights:  - my little cousin being a BOSS at rolling knowledge checks (due to bard skillz)  - my younger sister (our druid) walking out of a restaurant because they refused to serve her wolf companion at the table In a word: ADORABLE.  Anyways, this is a page that I doodled in my sketchbook while my little hobbit rogue character, Minn Underhill, tried to steal things and had many a fireball launched at her.  

Over the winter break, I went back to New Hampshire (my home state of 20+ years) for the first time in 6 months. Obviously the first thing I had to do was introduce my 10 year-old sister and cousin to Dungeons & Dragons. 

Since we were gaming with such young players (as well as my other sister who is 19 and has Down’s Syndrome), my boyfriend and I came up with a simplified version of the game that wouldn’t boggle their minds too badly. We tried to focus on the creative “Yes, you ARE able to do whatever you want” aspect of the game without getting too caught up in the mechanics of it. 

It was so much fun to see them reacting to all of the things that were going on, and they got such a kick out of rolling D20s. 

Highlights: 

- my little cousin being a BOSS at rolling knowledge checks (due to bard skillz) 

- my younger sister (our druid) walking out of a restaurant because they refused to serve her wolf companion at the table

In a word: ADORABLE. 

Anyways, this is a page that I doodled in my sketchbook while my little hobbit rogue character, Minn Underhill, tried to steal things and had many a fireball launched at her.  

Taken on the Massachusetts coastline.  It’s about time for a new year. I’m glad this one came along when it did. 

Taken on the Massachusetts coastline. 

It’s about time for a new year. I’m glad this one came along when it did.