"Artificial Cheer"

Well, this is it.

This is the first piece I've decided to show in public since I was in school.  I thought I had another week to work on it, but I got my dates mixed up (go figure) so I did the whole thing between 11pm and 5am last night. It's not a big show (Motor City Brewing Works 8x8 Anniversary) but it's something I did, hanging out in the open, where people may or may not decide to look at it, or even buy it.  And I think it's only for one night.  So by the time you read this, it may already be down.

But it was up.

And that is a big step for me.

Cheers.

Strolling the Pink Aisle

Turns out, most of my work isn't safe for little children.
Or adults.
Or small farm animals.  (The bigger ones are fine... like cows.  I have a huge dairy farm following, though I'm not sure why.)

Anyway, this point was driven home while visiting some friends over the holidays.  I was asked by their youngest (We'll call her "Little Z") to draw a princess.  This was problematic for a couple of reasons:

1.  I have never drawn a princess.
2.  If I had, I'm sure it would have been a zombie princess riding an undead unicorn that was on fire.

"Little Z" is 3 years old.  Even my poor judgement deemed that inappropriate.  And that's saying something.

So I got out my sketchbook and started turning through it to an empty page, very aware of the little eyes that were looking over my shoulder.  I found myself flipping quickly past drunk muppets and homicidal smurfs.  I guess my own kids have built up a tolerance over the years, and are more annoyed by my drawings than disturbed.  ("Dad, Mario doesn't look like that...sheesh")  But these were innocent youngsters, untainted by the poison sometimes found in donuts.  And I wasn't going to be the one who started them down that path.  At least not today.

So I got to a blank page.  I readied my pencils, pens, and markers.  Then I realized I had no idea what I was doing.  In every toy store, there are a couple aisles that are completely pink.  This is where the princesses, Barbies, and My Little Ponys come from.  I've never dared to venture there...only heard the tales whispered in the failing breaths of crazed fathers, driven to madness by what lay within.

So I winged it.

I figured a mash-up of the only two princess I've ever cared about ought to do the trick.  Peach and Zelda.  I spent most of my youth chasing these ladies, and a good chunk of my adult hood if I'm honest about it.

Mario and Link save the day again.

Problem is, the whole time I was drawing, I was fighting myself.  I wanted to put sewer slime on the dress, or maybe some broken manacles from the last seven times she got herself kidnapped, or an undead unicorn that was on fire.

But little 3-year-old girls don't want that.  They want it pink, and sparkly, and now.

Thank the good Lord for giving me boys.  I can give the pink aisle a wide berth.