JuliaLeighF - Art and Thoughts

Writer, artist. It's okay to laugh at me instead of with me.

[julialeighf]

A little doodle of my brother's dog making a friend

[julialeighf]

Really struggled making art today. Some days are better than others. This is the only one I feel like sharing. It's a marker sketch of Snow White

[julialeighf]

Wednesday Addams themed art

Went to a themed life drawing class today to draw Wednesday Addams! So much fun. I got into flow mode for the long pose.

It's weird though. I can't actually decide if I like the Netflix series Wednesday. I watch it, and I enjoy the act of watching it, but I think that's because I usually watch it when I'm all alone and having a self-care night. But do I think it's a good series? I think that's a totally different question

Admittedly, I do find some of the thematic exploration fascinating. (Spoilers ahead)

The series engages with the historical legacy of witch hunts in America, using it as a vehicle to explore the idea of history itself and how it can be used as a tool of oppression to marginalized people. But I also cringe a little bit when I see media grappling with "wokeness." On the one hand, I think it's really important that the impact of historical racism be addressed. On the other hand, I feel like the media titans know that "wokeness" makes money. So, is the series exploring these themes because the creators thought it was important, or because the studio thought it would be profitable?

I think my conclusion is that I need to actually finish watching the show before I spout more opinions on it.

[julialeighf]

Why you won't see my Lensa magic avatars

It’s the latest trend - for a few dollars, you can turn your selfies into a “magic avatar.” They look like illustrations, but there’s no human artist. And I’m not buying it.

[More on the blog below]

Why you won't see my Lensa

[julialeighf]

Bringing Bird Hats Back

Imagine if people could live 200 years and we could look back on photographs from the Victorian era of us wearing a full ass bird on our head and be like "what was I WEARING?"

This week's prompt is "Victorian," so I wanted to draw a fancy Victorian lady. But I was also watching this video by Abby Cox, and I realized that she HAD to be wearing a crazy bird hat:

Apparently, part of why we don't wear hats anymore is that we were LITERALLY KILLING ALL THE BIRDS TO DECORATE OUR HEADS.

Pretty nuts, right? So here's my art:

And here's a collection of pictures I found online of crazy bird-related historical fashion:

And of course, this lil guy.

[julialeighf]

Reading about how AI art works is like reading tech-infused mad libs word salad.

"Stable Diffusion is a latent diffusion model, a variety of deep generative neural network." (from the Wikipedia page for Stable Diffusion)

I know what each of those words means in isolation. At least I think I do. But put them together...and...

I'm very confused.

If I were to sit here and write an explanation of my own artistic process, would it be just as confusing? How is a person's artistic process different from a computer?

I don't know. It's just what I'm thinking about today.

[julialeighf]

It's supposed to be a forest lol it only took me 2 hours to scribble this out 🤦‍♀️ #art #inktober52 #inktober52wood #inkdrawing #drawing #artistsoninstagram #artistsofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/ChZgzXNOIZT/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[julialeighf]

The princess leaned out the window of her tower room, waving as the procession made its way to the palace gate. The smile she wore on her face hid the worry lurking in her heart. #playingwithmykidstoys #princess #toys https://www.instagram.com/p/CXe4WfnsXa6/?utm_medium=tumblr

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[julialeighf]

"Value, therefore, does not stalk about with a label describing what it is. It is value, rather, that converts every product into a social hieroglyphic. [...] for to stamp an object of utility as a value, is just as much a social product as language."

[julialeighf]

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[julialeighf]

on facing a friend leaving my life

[julialeighf]

be like the river

[julialeighf]

Poppy

on fragrant breeze the petals dance and lull me into drunken trance. back and forth, the blossoms sway; they hypnotize, scent intoxicates. it calms my mind and dulls my pain; i might never be awake again. the witch that cast this magic spell by my struggle profits well.

[julialeighf]

Regrets

They cut deep, these ruts in springtime soil - Haphazard gashes slashed in fragile flesh. Why tires - uncaring, tearing - should destroy My small forgotten garden, leaving such mess... Well...I can only guess. I know the type Too well. I picture them, so furious, fast, spinning donuts, making figure eights - High On laughter, drunk on each other. Splash Of mud and flash of thigh - I wonder if They'd remember the morning after. I've lived that life before. Like them, I've Ruined roots without regard for future flower With hope neglected ground can bloom again If once more tended by loving hand.