Tag Archives: pastel drawing

“This Is Some Bullshit!” a Tribute to Harry Vanderspeigle by Artist Living Dead Girl Nicole

1
Posted on by

I’m not sure if it’s due to my enduring fascination with aliens, being an “out of this world” Aquarius, or simply the sheer delight I feel whenever I tune into an episode of Resident Alien, but Alan Tudyk’s portrayal of Harry Vanderspeigle fills my soul with joy. If that isn’t motivation enough to reach for my drawing pencils, I don’t know what is.

My husband and I have been watching Resident Alien since it first aired on SyFy. It’s one of our “happy place” shows. This means that no matter what is going on in life we can escape to it each week when it airs and laugh our cares away. Not to mention getting to hear Harry’s viewpoint from observing humans can be quite eye opening, and I wholeheartedly can’t imagine anyone that could fill his skin the way Alan does.

When I first laid eyes on Harry in alien form I was mesmerized and immediately put him on my art bucket list. I knew drawing this one would be a fun challenge for me and season after season it kept calling to me. So I decided to move it up to the top of the list and got to work. With the color it’s taken me a little longer to complete it, but I have to admit every time I picked it up to work on it I would get a cheesy grin on my face just like I do when I watch the show. So needless to say, I am pretty thrilled to share the completed split face portrait I call “This Is Some Bullshit!” done in pencil, chalk pastels, and colored pencil…

Now my goal is to to travel galaxies so I can gift the original to Alan Tudyk and tell him how much light he brings into our world as Harry!

For those of you that are also fans of Dr. Vanderspeigle, I have made-to-order* prints and t-shirts listed in my Etsy shop. Apply coupon code PIZZAPIE to your order at check out and get 10% off either!

Prints will also be made available to purchase in store at Closet Collectibles in Crete, IL as soon as I make my next art drop off.

Be sure to check out the other portraits I have masterminded on the Spitting Image page of my portfolio website!

Stay Spooky & Magical!
LDG Nicole

* None of my artistic creations are ever mass produced

“Y? Because I Gotta!” a Tribute to Stanley Ipkiss by Artist Living Dead Girl Nicole

2
Posted on by

As many of you know, being a kid in the 80’s and a teen in the 90’s has had a huge influence on the pop culture art I create. What you may not know, is that it was inspiring me back then as well. For instance this is a drawing I did in 8th grade.

Childhood art done of Jim Carrey in the Mast by artist Living Dead Girl Nicole when she was in 8th grade

Our jr. high art teacher had given us a template of a simplistic face and we had to transform it into whatever we wanted to. The Mask had just came out in 1994, and I couldn’t get enough of it. My art teacher chose to feature it at an art gallery show that took place at our local mall. Unfortunately as you can see from the photo, the artwork experienced some damage due to a basement flood, but for the most part I was able to save what I could.

For some time now, I have been contemplating the idea of recreating or putting my adult spin on some of the art pieces and subject matters that inspired me when I was younger. This one in particular has been on my art bucket list for years, but I had yet to do it. I was at a point that I wanted to work on my next portrait piece and the idea of it popped up in mind again, but so did the plethora of ideas I have saved in my (art bucket list) journal. Debating what to work on next, the universe made the decision for me. I kept getting random signs whenever I would contemplate the idea of starting anything. As someone who always takes a moment to acknowledges when the universe sends her signs, I naturally would point them out to my husband and he even agreed it was meant for me to focus on this piece. I jokingly say that Loki was calling to me and I am so glad that he did!

So with all that, I present to you my latest split face portrait I am calling “Y? Because I Gotta!” A spin on the quote from the movie as well as my intuition telling me it was time to pick up the drawing pencils, chalk pastels, and colored pencils.

Artist Living Dead Girl Nicole's "Y? Because I Gotta" Split Face Portrait art of Jim Carrey as Stanley Impkiss Loki in the 90s movie The Mask

Maybe one day I will get to P-A-R-T-Y (or just be lucky to enough cross paths) with the real Stanley Ipkiss aka Jim Carrey so I can gift him the original art piece and tell him what an impact his films have had on me over the years, the inspiration he has had on me as an artist (both as a 13 year old and 43 year old), and most of all the smiles he has put on my face (especially when I needed it most). Until then I hope the universe will lead him to stumble across this post and in turn it puts a smile on his.

Does Jim keep you smiling as well? Does this art piece speak to you? I have made-to-order* prints and t-shirts listed in my Etsy shop. Apply coupon code SMOKIN to your order at check out and get 10% off either!

Prints will also be made available to purchase in store at Closet Collectibles in Crete, IL as soon as I make my next art drop off.

Be sure to check out this drawing as well as the other portraits I have masterminded on the Spitting Image page of my portfolio website!

Stay Spooky & Magical!
LDG Nicole

* None of my artistic creations are ever mass produced

“I Am The Somebody. I’m The Fire.” a Tribute to Daisy Jones by Artist Living Dead Girl Nicole

2
Posted on by

When invited to go to a 60’s/70’s themed birthday party I didn’t just show up in the requested themed attire, but in the usual Nicole fashion I took it a step further and jumped at the opportunity to show up dressed as my fairy goddess mother (that’s what I call her)… Stevie Nicks. So needless to say I am a big fan of Fleetwood Mac and when I heard Amazon was making a tv show based partially on Fleetwood Mac fan fiction by writer Taylor Jenkins Reid my interest was highly peaked.

I actually counted down the days until Daisy Jones & The Six was streaming on Prime and when the episodes were released I made my husband watch “my rock and roll soap opera” with me every Friday. I’m glad I did because I fell in love with everything about it. The writer’s backstory of the musical influences that inspired the storyline was intriguing (which was much more than Fleetwood Mac and brought me back to the days of helping manage my husband’s band). The talented actors were perfectly casted and incredibly talented (did you know they had to learn how to play music as well as performing together as a band during the pandemic). The fashion was what my 70’s dreams are made of (I love me some bell bottoms, fur edged jackets, and flowing kimonos) and I still can’t stop playing the Aurora album on repeat (they used some heavy hitter song writers to make it as authentic as possible) or singing and humming the songs around the house (my neighbors either love me or hate me at this point). Let Me Down Easy is actually playing on my Mac right now as I type this.

I was excited and sad at the same time the week of the final episode. I wanted to know how they would end it but didn’t want it to end at the same time. To say I have been in engulfed in Daisy Jones & The Six would be an understatement and I am not ashamed to admit it.

Although I loved all the characters in the show I was very fascinated by Daisy Jone herself. Played by Riley Keough (granddaughter of Elvis Presley) I could not help but fall in love with her feisty character. Her struggle to believe in herself after being raised by a family who didn’t support her and her determination to follow her dreams and find true happiness pulled at my heart strings but also motivated me. I picked up my drawing pencils and put all my other projects on hold as soon as the inspiration struck and have been working on this piece ever since.

I call it “I Am The Somebody. I’m The Fire.” inspired by two different Daisy quotes that I feel sum up her journey. It was done in pencil and chalk pastels and I used references from various scenes and photo shoots Riley had done during her career but focused mainly on her look from the Aurora photo shoot episode (above).

I hope one day I will be graced with Riley’s presence and can gift her the original art piece and show her how much her talent has inspired my own. And although Daisy didn’t want to be anyones muse, I will never deny that she was indeed the “inspiration for my next big idea” and I could not be happier with the way it turned out.

If you are a Riley and Daisy fan, I have prints and made-to-order t-shirts featuring this art piece for sale in my online Etsy and Amazon shops and will also have prints available to purchase in store at Closet Collectibles in Crete, IL as soon as I do my next art drop off.

Want to see more of my portrait drawings? You can find them on the Spitting Image page of my portfolio website!

Stay Spooky & Magical!
LDG Nicole

“Insect Politics” a Tribute to Seth Brundlefly by Artist Living Dead Girl Nicole

1
Posted on by

Did you ever have a movie that sort of freaked you out enough that it has stuck with you over the years? No pun intended, but as a kid in the 80’s, David Cronenberg’s remake of The Fly was one of those movies for me. Not only were the special effects both impressive and grotesque, but the empath in me can’t help but feel all the feels when Seth tells Ronnie she can never come back due to “Insect Politics”. Top that off with that precious baboon hug and that shot gun blast and yah.. it sticks with ya.

None of this changes for me no matter how many times I watch the film and being a big fan of Jeff Goldblum this art piece has been on my art bucket list for many years. I knew I wanted to do one of my split face portraits and try to utilize the “Brundlefly” phase that was more obviously insect. I also wanted to utilize that soft, smokey, eerie green glow that I love so much in 80’s movies and is very prominent in the film and it’s branding.

For many months I have been working on this piece on and off. One because I had to figure out a way to make the insect mesh with Seth’s face and two, I have been trying to take more time when working on my art pieces. No rushing. Just letting things flow. Ironically whenever I had not worked on the piece for awhile I would get what I would refer to as “Goldblum Signs” that would inspire me to take time to work on it. This was happening so randomly and timely that even my husband would see Jeff Goldblum on something, point it out and say “it’s a sign… time to get working on your portrait”. Well needless to say, I finally completed it using pencil, charcoal and pastels and of corpse decided to call it “Insect Politics”.

I dream to one day cross paths and meet the legend that is Jeff Goldblum and gift him the original art piece. Are you listening universe? I am putting it out there and would love to manifest this moment that would stick 🪰 with me all of my life.. just like the film does.

Are any of my Freaky Fanatics a fan of this film or Jeff? I have prints and made-to-order t-shirts for sale in my Etsy and Amazon shops. Prints will also be made available to purchase in store at Closet Collectibles in Crete, IL as soon as I do my next art drop off.

Want to see more of my portrait drawings? You can find them on the Spitting Image page of my portfolio website!

Stay Spooky & Magical!
LDG Nicole