CreativeSprint Challenge October 2016

And the Theme is Reptiles

Day 1

Start Small: Mail Serpents

"Make something that fits in the palm of your hand using only the materials in your immediate environment"

Copperhead vs. Cottonmouth

It's Creative Sprint Challenge Time again! 

I was going to use insects as my theme again, because I love them so, but when I read a BBC article about a woman in Arkansas who filmed some strange snake behavior, I was inspired to switch gears and try reptiles as my theme.

The snakes in question are the copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus), which were engaged in ritualistic combat. It is strange because this combat usually occurs with two individuals from the same species. They fight for dominance, not death, to win territory and females.

My desk is unusually clean, but my immediate surroundings did provide some junk mail, which is what these two are made of. The colors and patterning were already printed on the junk mail, all I did was cut out snakes and add eyeballs.

Oh - and then I made a silly pun because the snakes are Male of course.

(October 1, 2016)

Day 2

Name Game: Sidewinder

"Use your name as inspiration for what you create"

A sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes) spells out SAG in the sand.

Micron pen and colored pencils on sketch paper

(October 2, 2016)

Day 3

Kid's Stuff: Don't Tease the Alligators

"Use a nursery rhyme or other children's song as your source material today"

I couldn't think of any reptile related children's rhymes, so I asked my sister since she's an elementary school teacher. She knew one!

"5 little monkeys swinging in a tree

teasing Mr. Alligator,

'Can't catch me!'

SNAP!

...4 little monkeys swinging in a tree..."

This is a mini diorama (everyone's favorite school project) made from origami paper, a mini jewelry box bottom, a pen, and glue.

I hate monkeys, so a nursery rhyme about monkeys getting eaten by an alligator was perfect.

(October 3, 2016)

Day 4
The Forecast: Raptors and Rain

"Make something inspired by the weather outside today"

I got rained on at Lake Hart today during my field work.

I don't know if I can count a raptor as a reptile, evolutionarily speaking, but in the tradition of pop culture, sure I can.

This is made only of origami paper and a metal wire. The stormy background is an image on my laptop, and the "ground" is a wood calligraphy box.

(October 4, 2016)

Hurricane Matthew

I'll have to post the 5th (and possibly 6th) project(s) later. The impending Matthew requires some preparations...

Day 5 - Camo Chameleon

"Camouflage something"

My chameleon easily disappears into any background.

Acetate film, acrylic paint, & sharpie marker.

(October 5, 2016)

Day 6 - Cheerio!

"Deliver a message to someone in an unusual way"

In case you all didn't know.

I've been fretting over my lapse in project completion over the last few days, but my friend AS gave me the wonderful advice to treat them as "hurricane days" and make them up at the end as you would make up days in school. Excellent! That is just what I'll do.

Entering warp zone: skip levels 7, 8, and 9...

(October 6, 2016)

Day 10 - Start Something

"Start something and have someone else finish it for you. Bonus: work with another sprinter to accomplish this"

I started with this mud turtle pencil drawing.

My fellow sprinter, AS will finish it.

AS added the marvelous color and texture.

I love all the gold dots!

In her own words:

"The attempt was made to add subtle texture to [the] sketch. Turtle's shell is comprised of many tiny star-like symbolic turtles (the One made up of many) as a nod to his sacred role in some cultures and creation myths."

Her theme for CS is the celestial.

(October 10, 2016)

Day 11 - Hot Mess

"Make something intentionally messy"

We'll just call this Chaos, Day 11, shall we?

It turns out making a hot mess with watercolors is a good way to de-stress.

(October 11, 2016)

Day 12 - Boxed In

"Make something inside of a box"

Well damn. Didn't I already do this on Day 3?

This is a Belcher's sea snake - thought to be the most venemous snake on earth.

It is also very docile.

The box was made with cardstock, glue, origami paper, acetate, sharpie marker and acrylic paint.

Round like a window on your submersible.

(October 12, 2016)

Day 13 - Copycat

"Recreate a famous work of art in your own way"

"Lizard Happy Dance"

Based on Matisse's "La Danse II"

I'm actually not a big fan of Matisse, but for some reason it popped into my head when I read "famous work of art"

And who doesn't delight at the thought of dancing lizards?

This is acrylic paint on Bristol. 2.5" x 3.5"

I got behind on projects again...I'll be working on that today.

(October 15, 2016)

Day 14 - The Fusion Technique

"Combine two things that you don't usually find together"

Snakes do not usually cooperate when you want to combine them with fruit.

Colored pencils.

(October 16, 2016)

Day 15 - The Resilient Tortoise

"Make something inspired by an important teacher in your life"

I struggled with this prompt. There have been many important teachers in my life (how to represent them all?) The greatest lesson I've been taught is perseverance in the face of adversity. The well-known story of The Tortoise and the Hare represents but one facet of this important lesson, and so I depict the tortoise plodding along...slowly but surely.

(October 16, 2016)

Day 16: A Word for That

"Invent a new word and illustrate or demonstrate its meaning"

"PETASUSAURUS"

Noun. A lizard, preferably a chameleon, that is placed on the head to control bothersome mosquitoes. From the Latin, petasus, meaning "hat" and the Greek, sauros. meaning "lizard;" 

or literally, a "lizard hat."

Modern usage: "Hey man, nice petasusaurus!"

(I haven't drawn in anime style for ages!)

(October 17, 2016)

Update: I've been corrected, "Hey (wo)man, nice petasusaurus!"

Thanks, AS

Day 17: Green is My Favorite Color

"Green is the color of so many different things. 

Use it as your inspiration today."

The keeled scales of the rough green snake. 

I love green.

(watercolor and ink)

[October 17, 2016]

Day 18: Fresh Air

"Take a walk outdoors and create something using exclusively 

the materials you find along the way."

Lizard made exclusively of pine cone scales.

I've seen another artist's work of a snake rendered in similar material, so when I saw the abundant pine cones, I picked them up. I did, however, have to use glue, not found outside, to get the scales to stay put.

(October 18, 2016)

Day 19: Snake Nerd Guessing Game

"Invent a game for two or more people to play. Bonus: Get someone to play it with you."

To play this exciting board game, each player picks a colored crystal game piece and places it on the tail. Play a quick round of "not it" to determine the first "speaker". After a first speaker is chosen, thereafter everyone takes a turn being the speaker in counterclockwise fashion.

The speaker will draw a card from the deck and read the description aloud and the rest of the players guess which snake it is, using either its common or scientific name. The first player to blurt out the correct name first wins the round and advances a color band on the coral snake board with their crystal game piece.

The first one to reach the head wins and is declared the 

World's Biggest Snake Nerd, with all the rights and privileges thereunto appertaining.

(October 19, 2016)

Day 21: A Gecko in the Kitchen

"Create using only materials you can find in a kitchen"

Leopard gecko made of rice and a variety (now forgotten) of hand-rolled Chinese green tea.

(October 20, 2016)

Day 21: Fancy!

"Take something boring and make it really fancy"

When I hear "fancy" I think of evening wear and cocktail parties...

...and so this perfectly good photo of a brown basilisk running for its life on the water's surface 

 became this lovely enchantress in her evening gown, 

running because she is late to the cocktail party.

(printout of photo, origami paper, gold ink, micron pen, glue)

(October 21, 2016)

Day 22: Topsy Turvey Mobile

"Do something backwards, upside down, or inside out"

The lizards are upside down.

Totally counts.

origami and bristol paper, glue, string, sticks

(October 22, 2016)

Day 23: Amber

"Interpret your favorite song lyrics"

It's not my favorite (who can pick one song?), but the crested gecko was 

inspired by a couple lines from the 311 song "Amber":

"Amber is the color of your energy,

shades of gold displayed naturally"

"Rainstorm, take me away from the norm"

I wanted the gecko to glow against the storm, but for the sake of getting this done, 

I used colored pencils. Maybe watercolors next time.

(October 23, 2016)

Day 24: Varanus Suddenly Smells Carrion...

"Make something that incorporates or is inspired by a smell"

...and flicks its tongue to collect molecules of death and stench
which tickle its vomeronasal cavity to strict attention.

--In an effort not to fall behind, here is a quick sketch--

(October 24, 2016)

Day 25: Broken up

"Break something, and make something new with the parts"

Sea turtle from broken CDs

(October 25, 2016)

Day 26: Frilled Lizard has the Right Idea

"Create something you can wear on your body. 

Bonus: get a picture of yourself wearing it in public"

I feel the same way as this frilled lizard about the public.

Perhaps the pin will encourage folks to bugger off?

Pin made from shrink plastic, sharpie marker, colored pencils, glue, pinback, and a wee bit of hostility (yay!)

(October 26, 2016)

Day 27: Thorns

"Make something inspired by another Creative Sprinter"

This pencil sketch was inspired by the lovely sea thorn earrings made by fellow sprinter, AS. 

The thorniness reminded me of this personable and bizarre lizard,
the thorny devil (Moloch horridus).

(October 27, 2016)

Day 28: Monster

"Make a monster for Monstober!"

First, may I cringe at the word mashup?

Next, I have created this wereodile finger puppet monster out of paper.

(Wereodile inspired by the Venture Brothers)

(October 28, 2016)

Day 7: Local

Well I got way behind last week - so, I've decided to complete the Hurricane Make-up Days first, and then I will finish Days 29 & 30, and then I will have at least done better on this challenge time-wise than the last go-around.

"Make something that represents the Town, City, State, or Country you call home"

Florida is for the Gators.

I drew this during lunchtime at work.

(Supposed to be October 7, 2016)

Day 8 - Waste Not

"Come up with a new use for something you normally would discard"

A cat toy made from a scrap of material.

Stuffed with catnip.

The gaboon viper provided just the right short and fat silhouette I was looking for.

Test Subject Okie:

I'd call that a success

(Supposed to be October 8, 2016)

Day 9: Alligator Snapper's Secret

"Share a secret or make something inspired by a secret"

(Supposed to be October 9, 2016)

And thus completes Hurricane Make-up Days, Hurrah!