I'm sleepy... I've been having to get up at 5:30 am to drive my dad into town to meet his ride to work. Then I come home and go back to bed, but it's hard to fall asleep because of the morning radio show that I like to listen to XP

I finished a commission today. Maybe I'll reward myself by coloring some fanart :D

Bug the kitten says hi! (Tika is scowling/purring, so I don't know what she's saying XP)

Pics of him from a couple weeks ago:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y2.....662651c719.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y2.....a5576ce717.jpg

I hate turkeys D:

My dad bought a ton of baby ones this year and now they are big and ugly and smelly and I have to feed/water them while he's at work. The only cool thing about them is that some are this kind: http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/...../BRKSlate.html
and some are this kind: http://www.plainviewpoultry.com/ima.....ourbon_red.jpg

We're going to keep a couple to breed next year. At least they're cute when they're really little! <3

---

Bug is doing good :D He's still kind of bug-eyed, but he's pretty much doubled in size over the last few weeks. He's very healthy and happy. I love him!

---

http://forums.furaffinity.net/showthread.php?t=53558
Cheap artists to commission are listed there. Pretty handy, and the list is growing fairly quickly.

That's all, I guess.

Rofl, just read this one on MyLifeIsAverage.com, a site I just found out about this week:

"Today, I got back my English paper on a popular persuasive speech. Most people did inspirational, serious things like "I Have A Dream." I did Rafiki persuading Simba to go back to Pride Rock in Lion King. I got not only full credit but a smiley-face sticker. Always knew my teacher was awesome. MLIA."

Still prefer FML but that was a nice one XD

I'm on a South Park kick right now. It's a mark of how dull life is for me lately. I'm going to put a few job applications in this week. I reallyyyyyy need a job :(

So, Bug is doing really well! He's a total sweetheart and playful, and Tika likes him now. Well, she shows as much affection towards him as she does anything else, and they wrestle playfully now. She's careful not to hurt him or bite him too hard, but whenever she stops, he tries to tackle her and she's just like WTF is this little munchkin XD

Also, she brings mice to him while they're still alive so he can play with them. I think she's adopted him rofl. Still gross, though.

Argh, still working on a BG for a commish... It's looking good, but... plants and rocks can only be so interesting to draw.

...was really awesome last night. I mean, James Earl Jones was in it, along with the original trio (Foreman, Chase, and Cameron) and a pretty interesting conflict.

I loved the subplot with House annoying Wilson's neighbor, and how it was resolved. It was a glimpse at the old House, who would have done anything to prove he was right, and solve the problem. I'm really glad he's already starting to revert back to his old self, because everyone knows it's boring when he's behaving XD It's like when he got the surgery to fix his leg - you're glad in the beginning because he's got some relief, but you know it's not the same without the cane.

Foreman is annoying the crap out of me. Seriously.

Honestly, Chase never seemed hotter to me than when he was telling Foreman about what he did, at the end. That was a really amazing scene. I usually didn't care for Chase because he was always just a pretty face. Nice to look at, but not really interesting. It's weird how after so long without him having a significant role, he's gained a bit of a personality. I'm interested to see what consequences there are for the choices he made.

"Oh my god...it's 3 years ago. Does that mean I'm still crazy?" -- Loved that line!

Edit: Bug likes House too XD

Just had a bit of a letdown on the job front. I can't say I mind not having to work there, but I went through all the interviewing, actually got the job, and then they randomly withdrew their recommendation. I'm trying pretty hard not to say some really low, offensive things about them. It's just frustrating.

Oh well. I'll find something else, with more hours and less nastiness. Despite being crapped on, at least it's a bit more interviewing experience I can use in the future.

AGHJKFGHJK I'm going to go eat ice cream then exercise. Then I will be too tired and bloated to feel bitter disappointment XD

I didn't know about this:

http://superwailingbonus.com/farank/?page=1

According to this I've gotten almost 100 watchers since August 15th. Pretty cool, eh?

Also, I just got my 400th watcher on TLKFAA. Awesome =D

~::We're keeping Bug!::~

My dad saw him and liked him, so that was pretty much the end of it.

He's so cute. And our other cat Tika is starting to warm up to him. I think she'll be pretty fond of him eventually. For now she mostly just sniffs, then ignores. Though if he cries for attention she comes running to see what's wrong :)

My sister and I had a funny conversation about cats the other day:

Her: Hey... do cats have sex?
Me: Um, yeah. What'd you think they did to have babies?
Her: Oh, I just kinda thought they sprayed each other.
Me: *OMGWTFROFL*

;;;;

I'm doing some art today. Determinedly. I've had a small art block, but I want to finish some stuff before I start my new jorb. Sorry for any delays.

I've been calling him Bug, because of his bulging eyes XP

So, I had to take a drug test for my new job the other day. I didn't expect to come home with a kitten.

I found him in the hospital parking lot, looking very lost. He kept darting away from the cars, and me and a couple of other people tried to get him. Finally he came running, and when I picked him up, he was purring. =D

My mom was mad because he might have belonged to someone, but I don't care. If they let him run around in such a dangerous place, they probably don't really care about him and don't deserve a pet. I know sometimes pets sneak out, but I just couldn't leave him there, even if he did have an owner. Not to mention I had just seen a kitten lying dead in the road on the way there...

Considering the amount of kittens that need homes these days, I wouldn't be surprised if he'd been dumped. God, I wish more people spayed their cats :(

My other cat, Tika, hates him now. Hopefully she'll start to at least tolerate him soon. She doesn't mind him as much when they're outside, where they're on neutral ground, but put them together in a room and she gets pissed at him AND me. Growling, hissing, the works.

It's still not set in stone that we're keeping him, but I'm hoping the fact that I now have a job will allow me to pay for him.

He's black and white and I don't know what to name him! He's such a love, he won't stop purring and trying to get me to pet him :DDDD

I don't know how long this ice pop was in the freezer but I'm eating it.

Hurray :D

It's only part time for now, but it's better than nothing. At least I'll still have time for art this way, though I'll still be looking for another part time job to supplement.

It's progress. Life's been too stagnant for the past year. Thanks to all the people who commented with helpful thoughts, it really meant a lot to me ^^

I'm totally out of it tonight. I am not built for late night chatting XD I'm one of those people who, if I lack sleep one night, I'm useless until I make up the hours. Like, I have to average 8 hours or I'm miserable.

The good news, tomorrow I have NOTHING to do. So I'm going to work on commissions. There's one that I want to finish this week, then I owe a couple of sketches. I've closed commissions (full color, anyway) until either I finish this batch... or October.

I want to finish them quickly, though, so I can work on some of my own stuff :) I don't want to get burnt out.

Also, I had my second interview today for the job I discussed a few journals ago, and I'm pretty sure they'll hire me. Whether or not that's a good thing remains to be seen...

So, tonight, I'm just going to read (Persistance of Memory by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes =) and sleep and tomorrow... art!

So, I know most of my gallery is made up of Lion King stuff, and unless I'm mistaken, it's the biggest reason people watch my art. But I was wondering, what else would you like to see me do?

Like, I've been thinking of drawing more anthro characters and scenes. I mean, technically, Lion King characters are anthro because they talk and think like humans. I just want to try the more human-like anatomy.

So, a challenge: In between working on commissions, does anyone have any bright ideas that they'd like to see drawn? Maybe you'll inspire me ^^

I got a second interview for that job I posted about last night. It's not as steady a position as I was hoping for, but at this point, I'll take anything. Shouldn't be too bad, and it'll all be evening work, so I'll still be able to lounge around and be lazy during the day :P

So, yay!

I have a job interview tomorrow. I'm going to have to wake up early, put on my nice clothes and new shoes, apply make-up in a non half-assed fashion, and actually DO MY HAIR.

<insert horrific movie scream soundclip>

I don't know if I actually have a real chance at getting this job. I don't have any documented experience for this sort of thing -- namely, caregiving -- but I know I am patient and nurturing and hardworking. Hell, I helped raise/ put up with my three sisters, so I can't be too bad at it. I just have to convince the interviewer of that, right?

If I got this job, though... It would be amazing. I feel like I've been mooching off my family too much, and I'm starting to feel really pathetic.

I know we've all got our hopes up too much, but... I can't help it. After such a bad year, my family could use a little added security, and I'll latch onto every last glimpse of a hope I can. If things go badly, I can deal with it, and move on, but for now, tomorrow is The Big Day.

Wish me luck :)

So, I'm still working away at commissions and stuff. All of them are in varying stages of completion, some sketched, some partially colored, and one just about finished :)

Yes, even the trades/ requests.

I've also made some progress on the "real" job hunt. I at least got an interview, even if it does involve looking after mentally challenged peepz XP No, seriously, it's something I'd enjoy doing. ^^

So, yeah, sorry if anyone's waiting on stuff from me. I'm a bit chaotic in my work schedule, but hopefully I'll be finishing things soon.

Lol, after we went out and bought all that fish stuff, all the goldfish we won at the fair died... I can't say I'm surprised, and it actually worked out well, because my betta, Dora, got to move up from a 5 gallon to the new 10... She's LOVING the new log decoration and spends a lot of time just poking her head out like an eel XP It's oddly fun to spoil fish.

And when other people are like WTF bettas can survive in a tiny bowl, I'll be like "Not MY betta, she is a princess."

I wonder if there are any other fish who can live with a female betta?

In other news:

My sister is leaving for college on Tuesday. I'm sad...

...but I won't miss her constant bitching!

Just some musings aloud, feel free to ignore XP

I've been thinking lately about the patterns I've been falling into as an artist. For being self-taught, I consider myself pretty competent at basic techniques, and overall most of the feedback for my art is positive.

One thing I notice is that fanart gets more feedback and faves than original stuff, which is pretty much common knowledge and not surprising. People know the characters, so they can instantly relate to you wanting to make art about them. Simple.

That's probably why I got so obsessed with TLK. I still love it, and plan to continue drawing fanart for it. But there comes a point when I don't feel I'm learning anymore, and my art has become too formulaic. Disney is a great style, but I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who see it and instantly hit the back button. Breaking out of that style is tough. I've gotten used to drawing things in that one recognizable way, and now I'm trying to incorporate what I know about that into a more personalized style. I feel I'm making good progress.

One of the hardest things is to find the line between original artist and fanartist. I gained quite a few fans for my Lion King work, and now that I'm starting to try new things, I wonder if those people will lose interest.

I don't believe you should sacrifice your own growth as an artist. You may lose watchers, but if you keep working at it, you might gain them back. I take comfort in the fact that I'll have pretty much my whole life to improve.

There's also a whole other thing to consider: On the Lion King fanart gallery there's an Artist of the Month feature. At one point, I'll admit, I was dying to win it. But then I realized that several of the artists who got it quit the archive soon after, probably because they felt there was nothing more for them to achieve there. I'm now quite glad I haven't gotten it, because it keeps giving me something to aspire to. I can't say it's worth it to win an award and then lose all inspiration for something I once loved because of it.

I don't know. I still have ideas for fanart :) I just have to get some of my more important commitments out of the way first. But I hope I don't ever become one of those artists who has no other time for their own creations.
Feel free to punch, pinch, kick, and otherwise pulverize me if I ever do XP

(!!!!)
Yay :D I never thought my sketch sale on the forums would be so successful, but now I declare it officially over! (Thank goodness!)

Now I can finally turn to those full color ones. I feel bad for making those people wait, but as long as they're still interested, I'm already working on their sketches. I also have a couple of old requests I need to get to, whenever inspiration decides to strike :)



...Also, yay, 150 watchers!!!

Go check out the amazing  Vani!!!

She's opening up some sketch commissions, and she's a really awesome artist. She needs to pick up her kittens, but could use some help to cover costs to care for them. Kittunnnnzzz XP

Her journal is here, if you're
interested --> http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/884620/

I repeat, KITTUNNNZZ.

My sisters and I won some goldfish at the fair the other day. We're totally SPO for doing that, but we've got all four in a 10 gallon tank for now, and they seem to be doing pretty well.

I'll probably end up getting another 10 gallon (or maybe even 20) when I have the funds. They're fine for now, though. My two are Sugar and Ponyo XP

I felt bad seeing all the people get goldfish who probably have nothing to put them in and will stuff them in a bowl with no filter for their whole lives.

There was one little girl who had one and was pinching it whenever it swam into the corner of the baggie. Then she got upset about something and began shaking it violently, while her mother rattled on about being nice to the fishy, to absolutely no effect. Finally she took the fish away and stuck it in the back of their stroller, at which point the little girl went insane. A moment later I heard the mother mention to her friend that they could just stick the fish in "with the betta."

Has anyone had fair goldfish that lasted more than a few days? My sister had one that lived for about 3 years. His name was Gilbert.

:D

Meant to have a couple more of those sketches finished by now, but I had some computer trouble. It's fixed now so I plan to churn out several by tomorrow.

I should make a progress list so you all know how I'm doing, eh?

Prices:

Icons -- $10
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y2.....aliKittyBS.png
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6270683

Sketch -- $10 (+$5 for extra characters)
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3271082/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2647434
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2646545
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2610759

Simple character shot w/o BG -- $20 (+$5 for extra characters)
Examples: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3277256
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3236820
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2010622/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3788382
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3432781

Full digital work -- $30 + $5 per additional char. Includes background.
Examples: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2387105
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2921680/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2456414
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/2256616
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3260314
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3819804

Would anyone be interested in commissioning me? (I can do things other than Lion King fanart, you know!) Even if you don't have money right now, I'd love to know what you'd like to see me draw! Any suggestions (possibly requests) so I can build more of a diverse portfolio on this site would be appreciated.

This is my first journal entry by the way :)