Illustration Friday Theme: Plain (Socks)

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Illustration Friday Theme: Plain
Artist: Debra Woolard Bender
Title: Socks
Medium: Digital
Materials: Paint Shop Pro; painted using mouse
Category: Painterly (Style: expressionism)

chill morning—
we all go to dancing
on the roof of Hell

DW Bender
haiku, January 2008
alludes to a haiku by Kobayashi Issa (1763 -1827):

世の中は地獄の上の花見哉
yo [no] naka wa jigoku no ue no hanami kana

in this world
over Hell, we promenade,
gazing at flowers

Issa
(translation version, mine)

2 versions:


Note: It's now midweek, and judging by the number of comments, I doubt these sport and business socks are running a race for 'Most Popular Submission' on this week's Illustration Friday theme of "Plain." Socks as subject matter did give me the incentive, however, to open a separate blogsite for my IF image posts. And the socks helped to inspire a name for it, too: As of next week, MONKEY SOX will be the repository and avatar for my IF creations. 'My Hermitude' blog will now be used for postings on printmaking.

Illustration Friday: Stitch (21st Century DesignSpeak)

SEW WHAT?! Stitch Trivia—in tbe realm of textile design, there is a little-known embroidery technique called the balloon stitch. While the decorative threadwork has never actually been known to embellish fashionable lighter-than-air circus poodles or inflated latex birthday hats, we think it pops.

Illustration Friday Theme: Stitch
Artist: Debra Woolard Bender
Title: 21st Century DesignSpeak
Medium: Digital
Materials: Paint Shop Pro; Drawn with mouse; Fonts: Mistral and Bauhaus
Category: Cartoon

mother says
something's wrong with my poetry—
perhaps it's me

DW Bender
untitled senryu

rev. 18/01/08

Illustration Friday: Horizon (Wonder)

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Illustration Friday Theme: Horizon
Title: Wonder
Artist: Debra Woolard Bender
Medium: Digital art painting & font using Paint Shop Pro
(vector and texture filters, stencilling technique; mouse as stylus )
Category: Other

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Prosperous New Year to everyone.

DW Bender (Debi)

Illustration Friday: Little Things (L'ellifant Rainbow)

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Illustration Friday Theme: Little Things
Title: L'ellifant Rainbow
Media: Digital art painting; stencilling technique with texture filters.
Category: Children's Art

This will be my very first entry to Illustration Friday, an image for the topic, "Little Things" ... one of my older digital paintings of L'ellifant, a baby elephant, playing in water...how a tiny droplet of H20 is ultimately an essential little thing which is integrally related to a much greater body. The drop has the potential to merge and grow and become bigger and bigger and bigger things. As does play. As does the potential and miracle of one little life. Saying that reminds me of the Harry Nillson song, Think About Your Troubles from The Point!, which was an animated ABC Movie of the Week in 1971. Click on the hyperlink to watch the song clip on YouTube. The illustration and animation of The Point was very creative and innovative in its day.

So anyways, having browsed Illustration Friday over the past few years, I've finally decided to subscribe and participate whenever I can. Maybe it will help jumpstart my creative impulses. The digital painting is one of several personal works created on the L'ellifant theme.

I've also recently subscribed to Baren Forum for woodblock printmakers, as an artist aspiring to develop skills in that media.

...the L'ellifant paintings were done using a paint and stylus software program I used to have in the 90's, which I no longer have nor remember the name of. Usually when I paint and draw digitally, I use the mouse as my "stylus" with PSP, but I've not done any digital artwork for a few years. And I should take time to learn to use the PSP version I have now, although I want to concentrate on woodblock, drawing and painting...traditional media. - Debi

P.S. Click here to listen to The Moonbeam Song by Harry Nillson (on YouTube).