Author: mosslike

  • Things I made for Drawlloween 2024

    Things I made for Drawlloween 2024

    I enjoyed participating in Mab’s Drawlloween Club once again this year. It’s an annual event that provides drawing prompts for each day in October, hosted by Mab Graves. I also tried to do most of the art in ink so I could use the Inktober hastag as well. Here’s a sort of summary of what I made 8)))

    Day 1 | If I Were a Shapeshifter…

    🖤 I drew my version of Mo’o – A Hawaiian lizard-like spirit who can shapeshift from beautiful maiden to water dragon or even house gecko. They are often found lurking in local pools and waterways. I like to imagine this Mo’o in a flower filled plunge pool at the bottom of a waterfall.

    Day 2 | (Young) Frankenstein

    Day 3 | Vampire

    You guys … I lost the likeness of this #Vampire so badly … This one was a struggle…

    Day 4 | Faun (Mr. Tumnus)

    Another little 5″x7″ ink art 🖤 I’m happy for prompts so I don’t have to waste time thinking about who/what/why to draw

    Day 5 | (Worst) Witch

    I painted a little Worst Witch aka Fairuza Balk 🖤🖤🖤 I’m pretty proud of how it came out! This movie was one of my FAVES growing up along with everything else she was in. Tim Curry bonus!

    Day 6 | (Aloha) Bones

    Day 7 | Alien

    I chose to draw this Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle for today’s Alien prompt. CRB are alien to our Hawaiian islands, damaging swaths of coconut trees, leaving death in their wake. I made it look cute tho cuz bugs are rad where they belong 😉

    Day 8 | Grimm

    I chose to draw the tall oak that held ‘the MOON’ before everyone gets greedy in this Grimm tale.

    Day 9 | Goblin

    It’s Gizmo! and Stripe! and 3 random faces from the Museum app that are definitely NOT goblins. Is a gremlin even a goblin? Time to go be a beach goblin 👹

    Day 10 | Black Lagoon

    Day 11 | Siren

    Stay a while and listen.

    Day 12 | Reaper

    Made a fun little digital guy today! 🖤💀🖤 He looks happy to be out collecting for the Halloween season 🎃

    Day 13 | Yokai (Ninmenju in bloom)

    Ninmenju is a strange old tree that bears flowers and fruits that resemble human heads.

    Day 14 | Undead

    This Undead Cutie isn’t quite finished but my time is up … for drawing today 💀 Perhaps I’ll add even more undead to it another time 🥀 Also we don’t have to talk about why the one leg hasn’t decomposed… /shrug

    Day 15 | Haunted Forest

    I really like looking at everyone’s drawings of haunted/enchanted forests. I yearn to be able to create a really dreamy, misty feel in my arts. Not there yet 😞 Have to practice more. But, I will say that this mixed media piece is better than the forests I’ve drawn before so I guess I’m getting somewhere 👻

    I think that’s my favorite bit about the October drawing challenges – it forces me to work on things I wish I was better at.

    Day 16  | Moon 🌙

    Also included Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)

    Day 20 | Cat Creature

    Tatzelwurm

    Day 21 | Green Lady

    One of my favorite places is the Wahiawa Botanical Gardens. So much shade and color!

    There is a rumor that the Green Lady haunts this Garden, looking for children to steal. Not gonna lie, the bridge there freaks me out and we’ve heard strange drums echoing from down the stairs in the deeper parts.

    We still take the kids there all the time and tell creepy stories 👍🏼🤣😀

    Day 22 | Botanical Beast

    🖤 One version of a Hawaiian legend describes the volcano goddess Pele’s love for a great warrior named ‘Ohi’a. But, ‘Ohi’a was in love with Lehua, and refused Pele’s offer of marriage. Pele was furious and turned the handsome warrior into a twisted tree. The gods take pity on a heartbroken Lehua, and return her to ‘Ohi’a as a flower. The legend says that if you pick a Lehua blossom from an ‘Ohi’a tree, it will rain. The separated lovers are crying once again.💔🖤

    Day 24 | Goth Moth

    I was trying to make black lace – it’s got sort of a paisley bandana feel to it. I still like it.

    Day 28 | Dragon

    My daughter was born in the year of the Black Water Dragon. These are a fave to imagine and draw. 🖤

    Day 30 | Ghost

  • Maneki Neko with  Orchids | Set of 5 Nesting Dolls

    Maneki Neko with Orchids | Set of 5 Nesting Dolls

    Maneki Neko with Orchids Nesting Dolls

    Maneki Neko with Orchids – Set of 5 Nesting Dolls created for Maneki Neko 2024 @ Fishcake through 15 Dec 2024

    Each neko has a collar with a golden orb attached. The golden orbs represent the Koban, or golden coin, and also a bell. You can see the orchids featured behind each neko like Phalaenopsis, Honohono & Epidendrum.

    The tiniest doll features golden orbs like the ones held on each neko’s neck. Yet here, they float through the clouds above and try to beckon at enlightenment.

    The fabric seen behind the dolls above is also available @ Fishcake in quilt form.

    Enjoy this reveal video my daughter made for me where we ‘unbox’ the Nesting Dolls. Her hands are so much nicer than mine and I love that she can do the editing for me too.


    Subscribe to my email list to be the first to know when I have a new set of Nesting Dolls for sale.


    MANEKI NEKO @ FISHCAKE

    17 October – 14 December 2024

    More about Maneki Neko

    The Maneki Neko, which translates literally to “the beckoning cat” in Japanese. The lucky cat is a famous figure and symbol in Japan and is commonly an upright bobtail calico figurine displayed at the entrance of stores and businesses. It will bring you good luck. Maneki Neko raising the right paw beckons prosperity, while the left paw beckons people and customers.  Though its origins are in Japan, the maneki neko is widely recognized by multi-ethnic, locally owned mom and pop shops across the Hawaiian islands. Culturally significant and visually iconic, we celebrate the feline’s hard work in bringing us good fortune and new opportunities. 

  • Quilting with Maneki Neko: An Art Show Preview

    Quilting with Maneki Neko: An Art Show Preview

    Hi everyone! I’m making quilts now! LOL this is new to me, but I’m loving it. This quilt features Maneki Neko, or lucky cats as they’re popularly called.

    42″ x 36″ MANEKI NEKO baby quilt

    100% cotton fabric & batting | cotton & nylon threads

    fabrics on both sides and edges are designed by me and available through this link @ Spoonflower

    The little Maneki Neko characters featured in my baby quilt design are actually nesting dolls. There’s a Richard Scarry in there as well as a Kit Cat Klock. You can even find the Nekomata nesting doll that I sold at a previous Fishcake Maneki Neko show (shown below).

    The piece of fabric used for the quilt was originally printed to test the colors of the new Maneki Neko design. Also, to see if the seamless clouds worked. I used the Spoonflower Fill-A-Yard tool since it allowed me to print a bunch of designs on one yard in a seamless way. That way, I could use it for handbags and other projects. When the printed yard showed up, I became inspired to make it into a quilt, which I’ve never done before. You can see the raw fabric in the background of the photos below.

    I want to keep this finished quilt – but I really need to have items available to sell at the show… So, I’ve already started another. Maybe I’ll try and sell both just to see if anyone else likes them as much as I do. Before printing the new yardage, I updated the pattern to be non-directional and added a purple variation. I can’t wait to see the finished result!

    Working on this and more for an upcoming art show! As always, I’d love your feedback – so hit me up in the comments!