Strange & Pleasant Wishes
Strange & Pleasant wishes
Originally uploaded by Static_EddieI finally did it.
I've completed an original piece of art, had it printed and mailed out cards for the holidays! It's really exciting to see this through!
Strange to say such -since I've seen my artwork animated- that I've never seen my work in print. Unfortunately, I didn't think to include a few blank-backs in my print order, and thus the only people who will receive one of these cards are those who mean a lot to me personally (AND sent me their snailmail addy as requested!). If I've left anybody out, forgive me: we still don't have easy access to the net, and I'm limited to text messages.
In my defense, I have switched cellphones and in doing so, lost a bundle of information on my contacts.
However, If YOU did NOT recieve a card from me -and want one- and YOU can read this filtered friends list, You deserve one! Hurry, I only made 100, sent out at least 75, and I won't be doing reprints (although an 11x17 poster sized version could be available if there's interest).
Send me your snail mail addy in a private comment, and I'll get one out to you! (Plopplopplop, PixieCup, Porphyre, Dishliquid, Chibitoaster, this means YOU specifically!)
It's no secret that I'm an armchair cryptozoologist and have a fondness for all life, be it scientifically provable or not.
As for holidays, I'm not big on celebrating anything at face value or pressing such affairs upon others who feel the same way.
So I wanted to create a card with a little hint of paganism, nature and perhaps some animism as well. Who better to replace Santa than the original wild-man, Sasquatch?
The idea of Kissing under the Mistletoe comes to us from Scandinavia, where it was the plant of peace. "If enemies met by chance beneath it in a forest, they laid down their arms and maintained a truce until the next day." I've also heard that it's a symbol of fertility, but I can't trace that source.
There is a short story behind the squirrel.
I like squirrels.
...but that's not the story.
While I was completing the artwork, I rescued a real squirrel from the fireplace in our home. She had been in there for a few days, but because she was quiet for so long between activity, we assumed she was able to enter and exit without trouble. But I got to thinking, what if she couldn't get out?
I decided that it would be a terrible irony for a squirrel to die in our living room while I sent out holiday tidings boasting a flirty squirrel, an investigated the fireplace. I set a spelunking headlamp in the vent space above the fireplace and using a digital camera to explore, I found the Squirrel, trapped on an outcrop of masonry. I also could see that the flue of the chimney is a ceramic pipe with no exposed brick and therefore no footholds for escape.
On the roof, I built a ladder from plastic netting and twigs, weighted it, and lowered it down the chimney. This however had the opposite effect and encouraged the squirrel to drop down into the fireplace, trapped now behind glass doors. We could see her silhouette, backlit by the headlamp, which she'd knocked down during her dive. While she was trying to get back into the flue, I rigged the door of our pet carrier with twine so it could be closed remotely and crammed it sideways into the open fireplace with the door acting as a ramp.
I placed another headlamp on the topside of the carrier, over the vent holes, and sat out of view, holding the end of the twine. Within ten minutes, she had descended again, and immediately entered the pet carrier... stepping so lightly that I almost didn't realize she was inside. I tugged on the twine, closing the door behind her and pulled the carrier free from the fireplace. She was extremely docile and I was concerned that her imprisonment might have weakened her.
Keeping her in the cage, I checked her out in the light of the kitchen to make certain she was healthy enough to be released. She looked sturdy, full-grown, battle worn and solid. Her right ear was damaged from some old wound, split down the middle, almost to the base. But otherwise she looked fantastic.
After introducing her to The Lady, and snapping a few captive photos of her, I released her into the yard. Notably, as we entered the yard, her demeanor changed and she lunged for the bars of her cage, rattling them and squirking desperately. I carefully unlatched the door and stepped back, upon which she bolted from the cage. She paused only briefly, a few bounds away, looked sidelong at us before darting across the street to a stash beneath a tree.
In honour of our impromptu prisoner, I have dubbed the squirrel character “ASH” and I've joked that, perhaps the card should be entitled "Kiss My Ash!"
Had I not been on deadline to beat the holiday, I would have redrawn her right ear to have the same scar. Expect that in future versions.
Speaking of that, I'm already working on something for Valentine's & Halloween, and have something different planned for Easter/Spring: which reminds me, does anybody know about industrial packaging or a good recipe for "healthy" candies or a place to have them made? I want raspberry & chocolate nuggets...or perhaps chocolate covered carrot bits (gross I know, but it's a Smudge Wumpus thing).