I haven't done a post about art in a little while so here we go. I'll keep this short and sweet because the art speaks for itself here, people.
Of the many talented artists I follow on deviatART, another one of my favorites is the digital artist Jon-Lock. Not his real name of course (I'm assuming it's a guy, I really hope I'm right and don't offend), just what he goes by on that site. His original works of art are amazing! No, really, very inspiring stuff.
He did a short series of works that were a different take on fairy tale stories. Instead of the usual damsel in distress, he switched it up and had males playing the lead roles. For example, this piece, which was one of my favorites of the bunch: Sleeping Beauty.
I really enjoy his particular style, bold lines and subtle lighting but the themes in his art is what really draws me in. Small details in facial expressions and color schemes make all the difference when it comes to tugging on my heartstrings. I fall in love with these characters. He just makes it so easy to.
Serious, thoughtful, silly, heart wrenching; each drawing has it's own emotional setting and unique story to tell. Go check out his deviantART account to see more samples of his work. Here's his tumblr account too. He's also creating a comic that I believe he'll be posting later this month. Looking forward to that!
Ah, the month of love. Or the month where people in love go out of their way to make single people feel like crap. However you want to look at it.
I got a new cell phone for Valentine's Day (Yay!) and my husband and I went out to eat at Cheddar's, where I'd never eaten before. The food was good, I love my new toy, and all in all it was a decent Valentine's Day. (I gave my husband a PS4 and two games to go with it. He just about shit bricks when he saw it. He even did a little happy dance.)
I bought myself a box of Whitman's Samplers too and didn't hesitate to wolf those delicious morsels of nirvana-reaching bliss down in a matter of days. Let's just say, I like chocolate.
I've been reading a lot of books this month. No really, a lot. I started off by finishing a manga, Death Note Volume 1. I'd been meaning to read this series for years and finally got around to it. I hope to read the rest pretty soon, there are eleven more volumes and I know I'll enjoy them as much as the first. Next, I finished reading the September/October 2014 volume of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction that my brother subscribed me to as a birthday present last year (thanks Kyle!). It always takes me longer to read a compendium of short stories than it does a full length novel because I like to sit back and dwell on each one for a while before moving on to the next. As with most fantasy and science fiction magazines, I found these short stories to be well written and often containing better plots than full length novels I've read.
I stayed up an entire night earlier this month to read Shadow's Claim by Kresley Cole. It was a great read but honestly, not one of her best. It was hot and steamy, to be sure, but it felt a bit rushed compared to her other works. Her original Immortals After Dark series is better, methinks. On Valentine's Day I finished reading The Walking Dead Compendium 2. Oh, how I love those comics! The drama! The gore! Awesome stuff that I can't get enough of.
And then on the 19th, I read two books in one day. They were pretty short so it was no biggie. I had ordered Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama Volume 6 and it finally came in the mail. This is a manga series I started years ago and adored. I don't often watch shoujo anime but I will read the crap out of a shoujo manga. And as expected, it was wonderful. Funny, cute and heartwarming, just as I expected. The other book I read that day was called Curses and Kisses by Channing Harris. Another sweet, humorous story about Valentine's Day and the poor chick who's cursed to have a horrible one every year. It was pretty short but packed full of steamy fun.
So yeah, lots of reading and the month isn't even over yet. I plan on completing at least two more books before February draws to a close. The shortest month of the year just might be my most productive when it comes to checking books off my to-read list. That says a lot considering I'm also beta reading for someone and editing my own novels pretty much every day. Not to mention those four kids running around raising hell and stealing my heart. I like to keep myself busy!
By the way, I'd recommend every book in this blog to you guys. Check them out!
