#i love drawing shiny shiny fabric sm

[satirn]

how bout a dib for that zim ?!?! 💙💙💙

[thepaintedsable]

Uh oh, who let me into a fandom again? Who left the niche within a niche door open??? Y’all should know better.

@sm-baby’s Carnival AU for The Amazing Digital Circus grabbed me by the bootstraps with??? Inspiration??? Not only have I dodged most fandoms and the motivation to draw fanart (not that I don’t want to show support; just no ideas in the noggin), but I genuinely don’t think I’ve sat down and put a non-ironic, genuine OC for a media I like on paper since my Warrior Cats/Creepypasta era. This AU didn’t just get me to sit down and make an OC that fits with the original media, but one that fits with their derivative. I saw other people doing it and it looked like so much fuunnn.

First, have standard TADC version! Either that or a player.

This is Tuus! They’re mainly based on the beanie baby dragon to fit that sweet sweet 90s theme, but generally a mixture of beloved childhood toys I have sitting on my shelf. She’s scruffy, worn, and kinda dirty looking and that’s on purpose. She’s bottom heavy, and I wanted her wings to give off the texture of that basically-plastic shiny fabric you used to see on a lot of toys.

No mouth, but a randomly appearing lizard tongue. For fun.

Tuus deals with the circus by sleeping. A lot. Too much. If you don’t need to sleep, then you don’t need to be awake. If she’s doing to be trapped in a digital hell, she might as well be catching up on her naps. And she will sleep in the worst places. Time for a digital feast? She’s on the table. Caine wants to have an adventure in the lake? Girl is at the bottom. Sleeping with the fishes fr fr. And you need to find her one day? Nowhere to be seen, probably on the roof.

It’s playing on the whole big, lazy, sleeping dragon thing that used to be in a lot of children stories I remember. But also how well loved childhood toys seem to pop up and disappear, there when you aren’t looking but gone when you are. Her name also means “Your” or “Thy.” Your dragon.

BUT AT THE CARNIVAL?

What amusement park is complete without a gift shop? What game doesn’t have a place to buy goofy digital goods? Tuus is the big lady in charge of the gift place of the Carnival! Her room is what should have been a shop of sorts, to buy whatever products that darned company would have tried to push. Cosmetics, virtual toys, digital snacks, whatever. But, uh, I don’t think anyone told them dragons don’t like to…. share. Becoming sentient did wonders for the attitude. You should be just fine if you don’t make too much noise, though! She’s a lazy lizard, and often sleeps sprawled around the place. I imagine the level would be set up like a maze, or a labyrinth. Isles and isles of things, with peaks of a tail or smoke every now and again. Toys, clothing, and even random things that shouldn’t be in there just trash the path. It’s your job not to step on anything! It’s different each time, though (a speed runner’s nightmare). One level you might get lucky and have a straight shot with a sleeping dragon, the next there might be so many things it’s physically impossible to reach any exit at all. Potentially can get out of trouble with some digital coin™, but you’ll have to have found enough hidden in the room to forgive each “damaged item.”

Here she is much, MUCH larger and far cleaner. An oversized display never meant to be bought. A collectors item far too expensive for a child. Think “I used to be a beloved toy and now I’ve been forgotten, even forgetting myself, and this is how I cope” favor VS “I have never known the touch of a person and have been trapped on this shelf only to be abandoned and have the personality of an unsocialized dog” flavor.

She has no mouth, but she bites.

I want to draw more of her :) She’s a goof.

[milkbreadtoast]

what’s your process on rendering hair? i love the way you draw you’ve got gorgeous colors and artstyle plus the way you draw hair is so detailed and natural looking, love it :D

thank you so much!!! that means a lot!!!🥹 i have diff approaches for coloring diff charas hair (eg cedric vs jesse)... but the way i draw hair/hair shines is heavily inspired by cardcaptor sakura(1998 anime)..!! (mentioning bc maybe u could get insp too... ahh it's still so lovely...)

as for my process... most of the time i just do base color + shadows(*often too lazy) + hairshines... and again i learned a lot from studying ccs and yyh...

i color jesse's hair the most detailed i think... i mentioned before that i learned how to color golden hair(for jesse) from looking at these rapunzel screencaps lol... like looking at how the shadows and highlights and colors look... i think these 2 were the most helpful to me bc it shows the same hair in 2 diff lighting conditions (in shadow + stepping into the light)

my fav part of drawing golden hair: going crazy with highlights!!! that rly enhances the shiny golden look...the highlights r the diff btwn the 1st and 2nd pic there^ also tip: darkening under the highlights rly makes hair look shiny! (same for fabric)

a v important thing to keep in mind when coloring hair is the form..!! as u can see from those screencaps the highlights r created from raised areas... like the waves in rapunzel's hair and the top of her head... so keep in mind the shape of the hair..! (same thing for the shadows)

as for black hair... it depends on my lazyness lvl dkfbdm sometimes i create the hairshines with negative space by painting individual brushstrokes in black and other times i just color it like other hair (fill in the black base color and add shines on top)

i learned how to do the former from observing webtoons, manga, other artists etc... ex: (from lilac 200%, yyh)

was this helpful at all... i really do mean it that sm of what i learned abt coloring hair comes from ccs🫡

[linkware]

27, 20, 10 for the art ask meme!!!

For this

10: favorite piece of clothing to draw?

SKIIIIRTS. And hoodies. I love baggy fabric sm its so fun. Hoodies are fun because theyre very fun to simplify into chunky shapes for heavy, cozy hoodies or turn into a block :33 skirts are fun for textures and patterns and FOLDS omg. And more fabric weight stuff!! Stiff velvet skirts or super shiny thin silky skirts. And u can play w color for it too!

I also enjoy a good Big Pants but i usually like to do tighter pants 4 some reason

20. Something everyone else finds hard but you enjoy?

I really cant think of something everyone else finds hard that i like but i really really like to draw shiny reflective stuff like gold and glass and hands :33 hands are like a puzzle to me and i have to challenge myself to not just do THE hand (the two middle fingers together) and adding objects makes it worse and also sometimes hands are longer or shorter or skinnier or pointier or like other number of things :(( and gold is just fun cause layer modes UGH. My beloved. And also sparkles are there . And reflective surfaces i can slap colors on.

27. Do you warm up before getting to the good stuff? If you do, what do you warm up with?

YESSS!! i gotta get my wrists lose and get the weird feeling of watching the screen while my hand moves on my pen tablet (cause it takes me forever to draw anything) so i try to warmup before :33;

I like to do a page like this!! I do loose wiggles first, then some hatching and i do different lines for a bit, then i do circles and triangles and maybe a few cubes if im feeling spicy or if im gonna try a new perspective or pose and need to think about the volume of objects :00

Then i scribble all over it and delete it or erase it and draw over it >:D

Quick phone rendition :33

[dinoace2]

Enter: the Oracle

An introductory piece for my Carnival!Quetz in @sm-baby's incredible The Amazing Digital Carnival au. Much as I'd love to make this a comic, I find that my words tend to come out better (and faster!) than my drawings. This is purely self-indulgent, acting to quite literally write my oc into a narrative someone else made, but i had fun with it. I promise I'll make a post detailing her room design later!

~2k words

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Caine looked at the door in front of him, studying the portrait. The menu labeled this door simply as "the Oracle". The face was still a silhouette, yet to be seen or discovered, but horns were clearly outlined on the character's head.

Bubble chirped, grinning. "The Oracle: a character who- who-...." he paused, his smile fading slightly. "....i...dont know."

Caine's hand hovered over the doorknob, hesitating for a moment. This was a character that wasn't meant to exist. When he looked into the files, most of its code was deleted, and what little remained was well-hidden underneath everything else. Whatever he was about to see wasnt supposed to get past initial production stages, much less final design, and considering what kind of characters he's already seen, it was probably for good reason.

With a cautious sigh and a nod to Bubble, he turned the doorknob and pulled it open.

Sheer purple curtains covering the doorway wasn't necessarily what he expected.

He pushed them aside to reveal a floor of ebony-colored wooden boards, the walkway covered in tapestry and silk fabrics. The entire room looked soft, littered with pillows and cloth of all kind. Most of it was sheer, shiny, and purple. Shades anywhere from pastel lilac to deep wine lined the room wall to wall, all lit by floating candles with impossibly white flames.

Caine stepped into the room, tentative at first, the boards creaking beneath his feet.

The groan of the floorboards alerted whatever was occupying the room, and with an audible whoosh and a light gust of wind in his eyes, the candles went out all at once.

Looking around proved fruitless, as it seemed every source of light in the room had been smothered. The only thing visible to him was whatever the light from the menu hallway reached.

A gentle yet firm voice echoed in the emptiness. "You aren't meant to be here. Do not take another step into this room. Leave, now." Her voice was calm, confident, and laced with authority.

Caine tilted his head, squinting in the darkness to find the character. "Your door unlocked just a minute ago. Who are you?"

"Nobody. Please...get out," The voice responded, her tone never wavering. "For the sake of your own safety, human, I recommend you heed this warning."

"You- uh. You know that im...human?" He paused, chuckling nervously. "The others didn't exactly take it well when they found out...believe it or not you're already much more pleasant than most of the characters I've met so far."

"Call it intuition. I know as much as I need to know about you, and you know as much as you need to know about me. Now get out."

"Oh, but surely-" the Player was cut off when he took a step. The floor clipped out beneath his foot and he fell forward, screaming as he plummeted into the darkness below. He fell endlessly for what felt like forever, but in reality was probably little more than a few seconds.

A cool hand wrapped around his wrist, pulling him to an abrupt stop. He clamped his teeth shut, his entire body tensing. He took a few shaky breaths, his hand over his heart and eyes slowly opening. It was still dark, but he could feel himself moving.

His rescuer let go of his hand and he fell into something soft, with a lot of slack and give to the material.

With another whoosh, the room lit up again. He was hanging in a pink silk hammock, and while most of the room looked the same, the floor was just...gone, replaced with a seemingly endless void. Upon closer inspection, hammocks and netted flooring were all over the place, some hung from the walls and ceiling and others just suspended midair.

Something flew through the middle of it all and perched on a dark wooden beam near the ceiling. An angel? No...not quite. A serpentine beast with blue-green scales and piercing eyes. Raven black hair framed her face and ivory horns adorned her head. Massive silver-gray wings spanned nearly wall-to-wall, truly a sight to behold. An elegant purple gown glittered in the surrounding candlelight, and a velvet choker with a large black stone took its place around her neck.

She sneered, sharp eyes glaring down at Caine. "I told you not to come closer." She fell from the rafters, and Caine gasped, until she spread her wings, swooped around and settled on a netted floor near him.

He stared for a moment, then nodded. "Right...um. sorry, I didn't know...that...was going to happen...what was that about, anyway?"

The character frowned. "To put it simply, I was scrapped. No need to finish the room if the character's been abandoned. The room itself isn't exactly...tangible because of it. The design and textures exist, obviously, but it's all unfinished. that first step in the walkway was as far as they got. Tried to warn you."

He nodded. "...oh. so...why did they decide not to make you? You certainly seem exciting enough for a game like this....and very well-made, too. I like your design! What's your name?" He smiled, swinging a bit in his little hammock.

She paused, not quite anticipating that much enthusiasm. "...my title is the Oracle, but you already knew that. My name during production was Quetz, apparently for a creature that I supposedly share resemblance to."

Caine's hand shot in the air, like a child answering a teacher in a classroom. "Oh! Quetzalcoatl! The Feathered Serpent from Aztec Mythology! God of-" he paused, recognizing her expression of confusion and slight disinterest. "....sorry." he put his hand down.

Quetz nodded slowly. "...right. my intelligence doesn't extend past this game, so I've no choice but to trust you on that. It's not all that significant anyway." She sighed.

"I was intended to be a bit of a...checkpoint, if you will. A place to collect onesself and reflect on the progress players made so far. I would then read their 'fortunes', some sort of cryptic statement, and it would give a random status effect that would last until the end of the next level they played. From then on they'd be able to come back between levels if they wanted, but each time ran the risk of a bad status effect as well. It was meant to be a sort of roulette to offer a unique challenge or adjustment to the other levels. I think it was intended to keep it replayable and 'new' so they'd maintain interest and relevance for longer."

She shrugged. "They couldn't figure out the coding. It was too complicated of a concept, and even if it did work it would've been too easy for players to abuse and cheat with. So they did away with the idea entirely."

Caine nodded. "So...you were...just a minigame, then?"

"...'just'? 'Mini'...?" she paused. "...I suppose so. Seems...belittling to put it that way, though...as if im...less important..." she frowned. "...but considering I never made it past planning, it makes sense..."

"...oh. sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Its fine." She sighed. "You asked for answers, and I gave you what I had. But perhaps you'd indulge me, and allow me to ask a few questions." She waited for a confirming nod, then moved closer to him. "Why are you here, Mister Eden?"

Caine froze, almost stopping mid-swing. "...h-how did you-?"

"I was given the title of 'Oracle', what do you think that means?" She frowned. "I was programmed to know everything about this place, do you truly think I wouldn't notice when an unregistered entity entered the code?"

The Player nodded. "...I suppose that makes sense. Well...I..." he paused. "....dont remember, honestly. I know I came here for something, and I made Bubble to assist me, but once I entered the system I forgot it all."

"No, I understand that. I meant...why are you here? Or rather, how are you here? I never made it to beta testing. Playtesters never got the chance to interact with me. Sure, ive still been here, lingering in the background, but...my door has never unlocked. I've never been accessible to Players. You had to have done something."

Caine shrugged. "I dont know what to tell you. I'd just barely left the Host level, and two doors unlocked. This one happened to be closer to me, not to mention the extra cool and mysterious detail of your face being blocked out."

She nodded. "So...its likely more of an internal issue than your interference, then. Interesting."

She thought for a moment. "...you came here for something. Your intention is to retrieve a missing component, I assume." Caine nodded, following her logic, so she continued. "While I'm incapable of determining what it is you're seeking, nor whether you'll find it...i can at least try to assist."

Caine sat upright, suddenly quite eager to hear what she would say next.

"In everything that I've seen, with near unlimited access to all of the files...I can say with near certainty that you are not the only player avatar in the game right now."

Silence and shock overtook the coder. Was she saying what he thought she was? And if that was true, then...could that be what he's looking for?

"Theres another human here???"

Quetz opened her mouth, but everything stopped suddenly. All the candles went out, plunging them into darkness once more. A light appeared just below her eye level, a crystal ball of sorts that cast shadows over her face with a soft glow. She stared at it with wide eyes, and...was that fear that crept into her expression?

"Sh[$%?]!" She paused for a moment, slightly puzzled by the sprite that covered her mouth and dialogue, but shook her head, turning to Caine. "Eden! Close the hammock. Lay still. And for the love of whatever cruel god designed this place, do. Not. Move. Trust me."

Caine nodded, quickly sinking into the soft fabric.

Quetz took a deep breath, then waved her palm over the crystal ball in front of her, her claws barely grazing the glossy surface. Caine couldn't see what happened, but he could hear it well enough.

A voice echoed around them, bouncing off the walls of the endless void beneath.

"Good evening, my dear Moth."

"Hello, my King...you haven't reached out to me in quite some time...is everything alright?" There was no mistaking the slight tremor in the Oracle's voice.

"Oh, of course! All is well. Ragatha has just informed me that she had an interaction with our newest Player, and I was hoping you could tell me how he's doing?"

Quetz paused. "...from my observations, things are going quite well for him. He's found companionship with the little Jester and has gotten along well with every entity he has interacted with so far. Its likely he's currently making preparations to visit the Storyteller next."

"And where is he now, Quetzal?"

"He- well, I haven't checked in a little while. I'll be sure to let you know once I get a chance to look." She rambled the answer. "Anyway I'm sure you've got a lot to get back to! I'll talk to you again later-"

"Is something bothering you, Moth?"

The Serpent froze. "Eh- no! Not at all! I just. Uh. Oh dear, it...appears Zooble's gloinks have escaped again! I need to catch them before they clip into the Void again. Talk to you later!" She hurriedly crushed the crystal between her palms, scattering glowing particles across the room that relit the candles as they passed.

Caine yelped as the same cold hand from before grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up. Quetz set him down on that first wooden step and pushed the door wide open. "You need to leave."

He sputtered, turning around and grabbing her hands. "Wait! Who were you talking to? What about that other human? What else don't I know? I have more questions, please!"

She frowned. "The Storyteller is a fairly simple task. Follow her instructions to the letter and do your best not to make her upset. You have an advantage because she likes Pomni. Now get out. Please." Her tone was much more pleading on the last word, and she gave his shoulder a firm shove to return him to the hallway. She snapped her fingers, and the door slammed shut.

Caine stood up, dusting himself off. "Hm. That was....interesting. I suppose that...this 'Storyteller' is next. You ready, Bubble?"

~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for reading! :]

Note: okay there's more to this than the scene suggests. She's very afraid of Kinger, and there are reasons that I couldn't elaborate on in this bit. I really really do love this character and I cannot wait to learn more about the other characters so I can better portray her relationships with them!

[fieurissons]

really want to see your interpretation in words on wonhoon love language for eachother so maybe a Drabble on that? lol p.s: happy ww day! ww cares us sm.

have a research fellow wonwoo/cool and hip composition lecturer jihoon on me!

woonhon, 529w, gen.

Wonwoo lost his boyfriend in the crowd of their friends thirty minutes into Seungkwan’s karaoke session, but he’s not surprised to find Jihoon lying on his bed and scrolling away on his phone when Wonwoo retreats into the comfort of his own room.

“God,” Wonwoo collapses beside him, “I feel drained.”

Jihoon puts his phone away mid-text. “What did Minghao get you?”

“A luxury tea set. I think it’s more expensive than my entire wardrobe.”

Judging by the tone of Jihoon’s hum, he agrees. Wonwoo can tell apart his hums now. The mattress dips beneath them as Jihoon moves closer to him.

“Did Jeonghan hyung give out underwear again?”

“Yes,” Wonwoo snickers. “Is that his present to everyone this year?”

He suspects Jeonghan had made the mistake of allowing Junhui to talk him into online shopping again and ordered a dozen boxes instead of a single one. The last time, he bought masks. This time, underwear. The song is as old as time, really.

Jihoon shrugs. “My turn isn’t for another four months, but I suppose we’ll find out then. What about Seungcheol-hyung?”

“Cash,” answers Wonwoo. “Told me to spend it wisely.”

Of course, Wonwoo appreciates the gesture. He loves his job to death, but who knew being a research fellow in one of Seoul’s top research universities doesn’t pay as much as the prestige alludes? The cash is going to his emergency fund, and maybe he can set some aside for his holiday fund. It’d be nice to take Jihoon someplace quiet in December.

“Well.” Jihoon’s voice breaks his reverie. “Better that than secondhand shoes.”

“I’ve only worn them once,” they both mimic Seungcheol simultaneously.

They burst into synchronised laughter; the same song, one pitch apart. Wonwoo leans into him, an unconscious habit developed through muscle memory. Jihoon smells like his fabric softener and the strawberry shortcake he had for dessert.

“Here’s mine,” Jihoon says when he quiets down, pressing a small rectangular object to Wonwoo’s palm.

He looks down, then up again. “I hope this is at least 32GB.”

“Don’t be an ass. There’s a song in there, just listen to it.” Wonwoo straightens up only for Jihoon to tug him back down by the collar of his shirt. “Later, Jesus. When I’m not around.”

Typical. Wonwoo laughs and kisses him, taking his time as Jihoon incrementally relaxes underneath him. His hand goes from a fist to an open palm, sliding across Wonwoo’s nape. The touch is far from possessive, but Wonwoo knows he’s owned.

They part with a quiet sound. Jihoon’s lips are shiny and kissed-red. Wonwoo wants to study him from head to toe. “You can just say these things to my face, you know.”

“Not without stroking out, I can’t.”

“Thank you,” he rests their foreheads together. “I love it.”

“You haven’t even listened to the song.”

“I love it,” Wonwoo repeats, doubling the amount of conviction he lets drip into his tone. “I love you.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

He gasps, feigning offence. “How dare you yeah, yeah me on my birthday!”

Jihoon rolls his eyes but drums his fingers on Wonwoo’s neck. He draws Wonwoo close again. “Me too,” he confesses. “Me too, Jeon-san.”

[stuntgirlatthevampiremansion]

What's a comfort cartoon or show from childhood? Favorite cold drink? The weirdest thing you've seen at the beach? What do you think of your friend's pets? Tell me about boots since we both like them 👀 Favorite art medium? What kind of body wash do you like? What is your favorite pattern to use in clothing? Would you move into a house with a carpeted bathroom? What's a popular candy you've never had? Can I give you a forehead kiss???? 💓

I dodnt watch this when i was little but star wars rebels is my animated home i love it.

Lemonade all the way! im always drinking lemonade im straight up addicted

I think i saw ppl fucking in the water. Like the dude was in the deep part and he tossed his shorts to his gf on the shore and then she took of her top and went with him. I was like 11 and i cant forget it 🤢. That and like dead animals that wash up.

I dont care for them. Except my art crews dogs i love Obi and Playa sm

I am such a hoe for docs. I have the shiny blue/purple ones and some light ones that i painted and i love them sm!! I rlly want the classic white ones bc theyre stunning! Also i saw my friend draw with chalk on her classic black ones and i think thats so cool now i wanna do it! And i also want some glam/70s style platform funky boots so bad!!! Tell me about your favorite boots 👀!

I love ink/pens so much! Also watercolor and acrylics. But im also getting into kinda paste up street art.

I use dr Brunner’s lavander body wash bc it feels minty fresh, makes bobbles. and smells good ☺️

All my favorite patterned jackets look like vintage funky couches lmao make of that what you will. I like to pair one chaotic pattern with cool solids. (The jaket im wearing in my pfp i made with upholstery fabric)

NEVER! Why would someone do that?? Id rather have popcorn ceilings tf

Airheads/nerds (im not sure what theyre called) like im not a fan of candy so i havent tried most that arent chocolate 🤷🏽‍♀️

Yes you are more than welcome to! Honestly lulu youre so great thank you so much for everything 🖤🖤🖤🖤 i appreciate you. And i bet your berry pie was splendid!

[tangcrine]

five times kissed for allison and seb bc duh ily

all five ❤️ i love these two sm ugh its actually unhealthy but also ily and all your muses sooooo here we are. 

morning kisses in the loft

kissing him was electric, it always had been. like small electrodes bursting over every pore on her skin but the kiss that morning after was... different. the kind that made you dizzy, soft yet rough, lazy yet passionate, juxtaposed in a way no one else could replicate. allison had only been with a handful of people, and she held no regrets but it had never been like this. kissing seb was different, and the feeling of soft sheets touching her skin and the cold skin of his cheek against her warm fingertips while her lips pressed on his with the presence of the morning sun peaking in was... perfect.

s.o.s... not (the time she misses him)

treachery was something she did often, and was particularly proud of doing in the first place. maybe he liked that about her too? she knew this wasn’t exactly a great idea but it was an idea and she was too dumb to think a plain ‘i miss you’ text would do the trick so making it seem like it was important was the way to go. she almost cheered when she heard the loud knock on the door, practically skipping over to open it when she saw him, hands immediately flying to either side of his cheeks with a grin as she placed peppered kisses all over his face. “...missed...you.” it was said between giggles and kisses that were about as uncharacteristic of her as could be but she didn’t worry about that now. plush lips landing repeatedly on each of his cheeks before letting them land on his with a tight smile. maybe he’d be upset? but she was just happy he was there.

movie night?

the moving picture in front of her had long lost her attention, eyes flickering over his face instead, from eyes to nose to lips with hazed eyes. he was always so irresistible. more intoxicating than a bottle of tequila, and a lot more alluring than shiny diamonds in a velvet box. he was seb, he was hers, and she couldn’t get enough. lithe fingers on smooth buttons, popping one off the enclosed fabric at a time before thighs straddled both sides of his. this was possibly becoming a routine in her eyes, but it could never get boring. smooth palms down his chest and back up in one swift motion before they found themselves knotted in his hair with her own bottom lips caught between her teeth. the hustle and bustle of the movie becoming white noise when she was like this, nose brushing against his before passionate lips found his because she was sure her entire body was on fire, and the only thing that could help was every single inch of him.

in the middle of the night

it was dark, almost pitch black as allison’s eyes met with the blank ceiling above her. she was bored? that’s not it, but she was definitely not tired. she turned on her side, watching the rise and fall of seb’s chest with the help of the whisper of light that was coming through the curtain. one hand found its way onto his bare chest, drawing figure eights over the exposed skin with a sigh and a smile. how’d she gotten this lucky? she wasn’t sure, but it was probably the first time she’d truly realized how madly in love she was with the other. love. was this what love was supposed to feel like? the fullness that never left her chest, or the never ending fluttering in her stomach? maybe... maybe it was the blanket of safety that came over her body when he was around, no matter the situation. love. she never understood what people meant when they said it was a funny thing, but she thought maybe she was beginning to understand. it was featherlight, a kiss on each eyelid and a fleeting kiss on his sleeping lips. he didn’t have to know, but she did and it was terrifying. it was terrifying because if this was what love felt like she didn’t want to feel it again with anyone else.

sao paulo, brazil

she’d only ever been to sao paulo with her family before, so asking seb to take her was a big step. but this was her happy place, probably one of the only places her mother was too happy to bother her in so she could just be. “thank you...” it was said quietly with arms wrapped around his waist in a tight embrace, the sun hitting them in the hotel balcony as she looked over her second home. god, this was so nice. it was like sharing one of the most intimates parts of herself with one of the only people she actually wanted to share herself with. “i wanted you to be part of one of my favorite places too.” she mused, finally looking away from the view and up at him instead. this was a nice view too. she smiled, eyes meeting his because he was everything and nothing like the person she’d thought he was when they met and that was somehow better. leaning up to place a tender kiss on waiting lips before resting her head back on his chest, mindlessly existing with him because she’d never felt more free.

[otziuk]

From the age of 6 until 10, my Saturday nights were always the same; I would goto my grans for a home made roast chicken dinner, watch Gladiators on the telly, spend the night in the spare room in a huge double bed and listen to my grans cassette tapes full of ‘the oldies’ tunes. I loved staying at my grans house. She had a huge chest full of vintage dress up clothes that I used to play with and prance around the house in. She had a corner in her living room where she made clothes and trinkets for little dolls. She would let me rummage around in that corner like a little magpie. There were boxes and drawers full of shiny fabric, buttons, sequins, lace, everything a little girl dreams of playing with. She was so artistic and creative. I grew up watching my gran paint the most incredible artwork. She would use the tiniest paint brushes and a magnifying glass to paint in the most intricate details, street signs in the distance and collars on dogs. She is self taught, no degree or formal training, just years and years of practice and passion.

Landscape painting by Nora Macdonald

Her paintings went through phases, as most artists do. She once created a series of paintings with all the grandkids and pets in them, I would always rush to find out how she painted me and my sister. She painted a series set in Glasgow; old post war Glasgow streets and more recent works around the West End and in George Square. She preferred to take photos at the location then take her time at home adding all of the details in at her own pace. She told me she used to get weird looks and comments from passers by when she took photos of their dogs!

The whole family have always been in awe of her talent, many of us have been inspired by her creativity and have used it in our lives. She always encouraged us to create; she taught us how to make our own finger puppets, sew our own halloween costumes, draw and shade using charcoal. We had our very own Art attack granny! This is a tradition I have been so excited to continue with my son. Whenever we have free time, we are always making and creating at home, I am hoping this gives him the same creative spark that my gran passed onto me.

Around 10 years ago, my gran stopped painting. Her eyesight began to worsen and it seemed to have affected her confidence. Of course, being far too creative and stubborn to just put her feet up, she concentrated on her gardening. She has now been recognised in her community and has won awards for her amazing garden, people who walk by always stop to comment on how beautiful and lavish it is. Her eyesight deteriorated to the point that she needed surgery, this was an extremely worrying time for all of us. She spent a few days seeming defeated, but as soon as she got home, saw a few stray weeds in the garden, she bounced back! Not long after she recovered from surgery, she started drawing again, to our delight! She was given a Lord of the Rings adult colouring book to mess around with, but being my gran, she took it to the next level. She created the most impressive, diverse and detailed colouring book I have ever seen, what can’t this woman do with a set of basic pencils! You could see my grans confidence growing again. She got back her glow. Next was a visit to the art store, where she bought, for the first time in over 10 years, a canvas and paint set. She rummaged through her drawers of old photos, selected a series of landscape photos that she had from previous trips to the country, and has been unstoppable ever since! Every time we pop up for a cuppa, there she is behind her canvas, magnifying glass in hand, painting individual leaves on the trees.

Pastel drawing of Helena Bonham Carter by Nora Macdonald 1991

A few weeks ago, I took a snap of my gran in the process of painting her newest piece, and posted in onto a local Facebook page for artists, you know, because I just wanted to show off how amazingly talented and great my gran is. The response was overwhelming, hundreds of comments and love for my gran brought me to tears. I had mentioned in my post that a number of my grans paintings were stolen in Glasgow around 20 years ago, and I received replies requesting to elaborate on the mystery of the missing art in the hopes that my grans work might be found again. This idea got my mind racing! Yes, I should try my hardest to find these pieces, even if I find one that would be a miracle, and who better to help me than the wonderful world of the internet!

So, last week I went to visit my gran again, we sat down and I asked her what happened to her paintings. She warned me that her memory of it all is a little hazy, but she will try.  Around 1994, she was put in contact with a man who commissioned paintings for a small art gallery in Bearsden, she handed over a few of her pieces to display in the gallery, so far all was well. Unfortunately the man who owned the gallery passed away some time later. His wife contacted my gran asking her to collect her artwork as the gallery was closing down. She quickly arranged for her paintings to be brought home at which point she thought that the idea of displaying her art again was too much hassle. Soon after she got her work home, she was told that ‘a friend of a friend’ had another gallery in the West End of Glasgow where she could display and sell her pieces. She had never met the person in question but trusted her contact. She asked that one of her paintings, titled ‘Halcyon Days’,  were not to be sold but displayed only, and that prints of this piece that she had made could be sold instead.

Halcyon Days by Nora Macdonald

A few weeks went by, and there was not much communication. My gran asked to contact the new gallery to find out how her paintings were doing, she was told that her ‘Halcyon Days’ painting had been sold. This was extremely upsetting and she had considered bringing all of her work back home again. A number of weeks passed by again, but still no interaction with the new gallery. Her contact then informed her that the gallery had mysteriously closed down and that everything inside had disappeared! No forwarding address or phone number, and no name to follow. This blatant act of crime shattered my grans confidence, her rage and disappointment destroyed her desire to ever show her artwork again. By this point she was too exhausted to try and track down her stolen art, so she took her bad experience, locked it up in a box and never talked about it again. Her paintings from then on were very private and rare to see.

As she told me her story, my gran started flipping through her drawer of photos. She pulled out an album labeled ‘My Paintings’. As we looked through the old photos I began to remember the story behind every painting. Unfortunately the photographs were taken with a bright flash so most of the pictures were blurry and washed out. I assured her I would try my hardest to take them home, scan and correct them as much as I could so members of the public could possibly recognise them if they have spotted them. Below are a few of the paintings that were stolen. All original works are missing, all finished with a single signature ‘Nora’.

Painting of George Square by Nora Macdonald

Photograph of painting by Nora Macdonald

Painting by Nora Macdonald

When she started painting last year, we could all see that spark return. She will never display or sell her paintings again, only painting for family or herself. At the grand age of ** I think she deserves to do something just for herself, she has spent her entire life raising her 5 kids, so many more grandkids, stray cats (which there have been hundreds over the years!) and other passers by. She was always the granny who would take people in, fatten them up, make sure they feel loved and confident enough to go back out into the world a stronger person.

I could rant about my granny until the cats come home, but I am here in the hopes of a miracle. I am hoping that these images will get enough exposure that someone will recognise them and get in touch. Perhaps they are still hiding somewhere in Glasgow, perhaps they are gathering dust in an attic somewhere a lot farther. If you have seen any of these paintings on your travels, you could be reuniting a Glasgow legend with her lost art. Please contact me at otziuk@gmail.com or via my site http://www.mishmallow.co.uk for information or to give me great news! Come on internet, I believe in you!

The Hunt for Glasgows Stolen Paintings. Help us find a local legends artwork. From the age of 6 until 10, my Saturday nights were always the same; I would goto my grans for a home made roast chicken dinner, watch Gladiators on the telly, spend the night in the spare room in a huge double bed and listen to my grans cassette tapes full of 'the oldies' tunes.