Fun Art Friday: The Art of Insects

Okay, technically, I guess this isn't an FAF proper. It's more like a "wow, those are fucking cool and I want to paint them" post.

An inspiration post, you could say. Because that's my next thing (for now)...Big Bug Paintings.

I mean, c'mon... how can you not find some inspiration in these? They're cool. They're pretty. Humans would be so much cooler if we came in ALL KINDS OF COLORS AND PATTERNS. Maybe if we had *more* color we'd be less obsessed *with* color.

But nope, we humans are stuck with varying shades of brown. (and yes, I consider caucasian/"white" to be a shade of brown. Just reallllly light brown) Of course, this loveliness below is "just" brown, and she manages to rock it. So maybe I need to add "and if we had multiple fold-out appendages" to my list of how humans could be cooler.

It's actually kind of funny. Not "Ha-ha funny," but funny. I'd already been planning on doing a bug series, but then I got a commission request for a large-ish (about 4ft) painting of a cockroach (working on it now) so it seems like a kick in the ass from the universe to get started on the series, as opposed to just planning it out for some unspecified future.

Of course, my artistic A.D.D. had me working on a vintage gay porn collage/painting combo yesterday. So who knows what the future holds. Some upcoming posts may not necessarily be SFW. Just so ya know.

• Random Other Things:
• This week our annual Beltaine gathering starts. Today, actually. Not sure I'll be attending that much of it this year. We're dog-sitting several dogs...5 left for a rescue in New England this morning, but there's still 4 at the house, which means I need to be home 2-3 times a day, minimum. Plus, there's going to be 600 or more crazy queers at the gathering for 9 days, and....well, that's just a lot of people for my hermit-self.
• Charlie leaves for India Sunday for 2-3 weeks for work stuff. I'm a little envious of the "paid for by someone else" trip to Inda, but not too much. Mumbai is crowded (see last part of earlier Random Thing) and for the most part he's going to be stuck in an office 8-10 hours a day. Thankfully, he's going right before my birthday, so I'm guessing I'll get some Cool Indian Stuff as presents.
• Speaking of birthdays....turning 40 on May 13th. How the hell did that happen? I sure don't feel 40. I'm currently alternating between feeling a little freaked out by it, and not freaked out by it at all. (and presents are welcomed, by the way... just let me know if you need my address)
• Leaving for Phoenix, Arizona in about a month, probably. Kind of looking forward to it, as it's an area I'm completely unfamiliar with, and I have a fondness for desert areas.
• Speaking of Arizona and insects, did you know that Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is a potentially deadly disease, and is the most severe and most frequently reported rickettsial illness in the United States? And that it's spread by ticks? And that it's apparently increased by 530% this year? (yes, 530%) And guess where it's happening the most. Yup, Arizona. Woot, nature!