DISNEYLAND! DELICIOUS TREATS! ENAMEL PINS! These are a few of my favorite things! 🎵

My good pal (and phenomenal Dungeon Master) Nikki Ward has taken all of these wonderful things and wrapped them into a fun Kickstarter project! Nikki ADORES Disneyland and visits more than most people I know (she and her husband even got married there). While I have yet to visit, I can’t help but me enamored by these adorable characters she’s created based on her favorite Park treats.

Nikki is a professional illustrator located here in Austin, TX and draws some of the most adorable fanart I’ve ever seen. She travels a lot for shows that she exhibits at and her style is all her own. While she’s known for her Disney work, she also does fanart of Overwatch, Critical Role, and much more – you can find prints and other products on her Society6 page. Nikki is also the founder of Geek Fire Labs where she makes bath and body products that SMELL AMAZING. From where I’m currently sitting, I can see three of her products in my bedroom: a kodama forest wax melt, my Droid Please lip balm, and my favorite Cthulhu perfume. Seriously, her stuff is so great.

As you can see, Nikki is a very skilled and experienced artist and maker. She’s made enamel pins before (I have her gorgeous Sailor Moon magical girl pin) but this is the first time she’s using Kickstarter as a platform for them. I’d love to see these Disney treat pins become a reality because they’re not only a personal passion of hers, they’re also just dang cute.

So please head over and pledge to the Park Treat Sweeties Hard Enamel Pins project.

Sometimes you come across an artist whose work just takes your breath away. That’s what happened when I was introduced to the paintings of Gregory Thielker. And yes, these are paintings. Probably the most realistic oil paintings I have ever seen. The detail is just incredible.

Gregory Thielker is an artist currently located in New York City.

The road acts as a physical and philosophical guide for many of our experiences within the world. In the United States, nostalgia for landscape created and fueled by Manifest Destiny has perpetuated a desire for freedom and newness with each journey in the car. We are encouraged through automobile advertisement to believe in the transformative power of driving and motion to transport us beyond our everyday circumstances towards a better life, or at least a way to literally leave the past in the dust. ~G. Thielker

MORE PLACES TO FIND GREGORY THIELKER

• website
• instagram

Creature Spot

Quick update! I just needed to tell you all about my absolute new favorite blog: Creature Spot. It’s basically a blog for a bunch of different concept artists to come together and share their sketches and creations and I am in LOVE with it. Amazing work and extremely inspiring to someone who once dreamed of joining Weta Workshop as a concept artist (I have no given up on that dream – someday it will happen!).

Anyway… a few favorites:

• The Explorer’s Guide to Drawing Fantasy Creatures by Emily Fiegenschuh
• WoW: TCG Cards by LD Austin
• Talisman: The Dragons by Christopher Burdett
• Dog Women, Fish Men, Cat Monkeys and Ox Horses by Ryan Firchau

Go check them out and much more over at Creature Spot!

For those of you who know me, you know that I am a huge animal lover and I’m very passionate about the many animals that are in my life. Combine that with my love of art and you’ve got the perfect mix for today’s article: a showcase of three incredibly talented pet artists. These three woman create beautiful pieces of artwork in very different styles that bring to life beloved dogs and cats a like (and horses and goldfish and what have you). They all have a passion for animals as well and it can plainly be seen in the love and detail they put into every single painting. Enjoy!

Chelsea Conlin

FIND CHELSEA AT:

• http://paper-nautilus.com
• http://twitter.com/cacodaemonia

Rachael Rossman

FIND RACHAEL AT:

• http://rachaelrossman.com
• http://twitter.com/rachaelrossman

Kristin Bowen

FIND KRISTIN AT:

• http://doghousepetportraits.com
• http://www.twitter.com/doghousepetart

I stumbled upon illustrator Rory Doona on accident. I was looking up fanart of Where the Wild Things Are and ran across a speed painting he did of Max. I ended back up at his blog and was blown away by the amazing artwork he has showcased. I cannot even begin to tell you what a treasure I’ve found.

Rory is a manga-style illustrator and animator based in Bristol, UK. He says, “My illustration work is often motivated by a need to create a sense of space and beauty, I also enjoy creating stories and one day hope to be in a position where I can publish these ideas.” His work has been published on local flyers, advertisements in magazines, and used in the well-known publisher TOKYOPOP.

At first glance, it’s easy to mistake Rory’s illustrations for those of animation genius (and personal icon) Hayao Miyazaki. The bright, bold, colors, the seamless linework, the fascinating and whimsical characters: the work demands your attention and your eyes are drawn to every use of light and shadow. I am in love with this other-worldly style he has captured. I want to be in these paintings and experience the worlds he has created. It is easy to see that every piece has a story behind it. Rory says on his facebook page, “My art is for everyone, I draw and design things that inspire me in someway and I hope by sharing them with others I can inspire them too.” I think it’s safe to say that he has certainly inspired me.

Find out more about Rory here:
RoryDoona.com
Rory Doona Blog & Gallery
DeviantArt page
Facebook page
OSnap Prints

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