Monday Artday: hidden message

This week’s challenge at Monday Artday is “hidden message“. Harry Houdini, in addition to being one of the world’s greatest magicians, spent a portion of his life exposing fraudulent psychics and bogus clairvoyants. Houdini showed that psychics were using tricks that he, himself, used in his magic act. This practice eventually broke up his friendship …

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IF: tales and legends

The challenge from Illustration Friday this week is “tales and legends“. Beginning in early 1888, several violent attacks and brutal murders, mainly prostitutes, occurred in rapid succession in and around the Whitechapel area of London. A number of the murders featured extremely gruesome acts, such as mutilation and evisceration. Rumors that the murders were connected …

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from my sketchbook: louis armstrong

Louis Armstrong was one of the most charismatic and innovative performers of the 20th century. His inspired and improvised soloing was the main influence for a fundamental change in jazz. Most famous as a cornet player, then as a trumpet player, toward the end of his career he was best known as a vocalist and …

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Monday Artday: most embarrassing moment

The Monday Artday challenge this week is “most embarrassing moment“. When I was a kid, a short time after my mom bumped off my dad by feeding him meatloaf stuffed with thumbtacks, I came home early from school and quietly walked into the kitchen. I caught my mom pouring Drano into the pot of tomato …

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IF: soar

The challenge word this week on Illustration Friday is “soar“. Hank Soar played nine seasons for the New York Giants and caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the 1938 NFL Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers at the Polo Grounds. He coached the Providence Steamrollers in the Basketball Association of America (the forerunner to …

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Monday Artday: children’s book

The challenge on Monday Artday this week is an unusual one. It’s “children’s book“, with the actual challenge being “illustrate a page out of a childrens book you plan to make! If you do not plan to, just make an imaginary one!” I chose “Zombie Jack and Jill”, a story I may write in the …

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DCS: clara blandick

In the 1930s, Hollywood placed many actresses on the “goddess” pedestal. There was Barbara Stanwyck, Carole Lombard, Betty Grable, Jean Harlow, Lana Turner and many others. There were other actresses, appearing in hundreds of movies, who never achieved “goddess” status. Clara Blandick falls into this category. Clara was born in 1876 on a ship, captained …

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SFG: goblins, ghouls and ghosts

In honor of Hallowe’en, the sugarfrostedgoodness.com challenge this week is “goblins, ghouls and ghosts“. There have been headline-making serial killers over the years. Names like Ted Bundy, Ed Gein, Alferd Packer and Albert Fish…. all men. Very few women have entered the ranks of serial killers. The majority of women serial killers used subdued methods …

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SFG: blue

The theme for this week’s illustration on sugarfrostedgoodness.com is “blue” Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Clito Ruiz y Picasso is one of the most recognized figures in 20th century art. He is best known as the co-founder, along with Georges Braque, of cubism. …

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