Author: racheladmas

I try to make pretty things and to make humans happier.

There are a lot of images of the solar eclipse of 2017. Images of massive celestial bodies roaring through the vacuum of space and happening to align briefly in such a immensely spectacular way that our ancestors fell to their knees and knew the gods were coming to destroy all they controlled. Images that one could describe as: jaw-dropping or awe-inspiring or breath-taking or otherworldly.

I present to you my own image of that eclipse.

I think one could describe it as: adorable.

Just some space pals passing through

This was the view when I watched it through some supremely fashionable eclipse glasses. Put the glasses on my camera to see what would happen, and wound up with this shot of the just the sweetest, most unassuming lil eclipse.

COMPUTER, ENHANCE.

Being able to see a (partial) solar eclipse was absolutely incredible. Nature knocked it out of the park when it came up with that idea. Thanks, nature.

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Quick ink sketch

Huge thanks to Shaun Jex, who has some great insights about Pigeon Milk. I tried to capture your description. Please let me know if I got anything wrong. Going to submit this drawing to the bird encyclopedia to make sure the udders are accurately represented in the scientific literature.

Bird are hard to draw. Someone teach me how to draw a bird.

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Pen + ink sketch and found midterm exam

Another from my sketchbook. Pen and pencil sketch on the left. On the right is a midterm exam from an old notebook I found. If anyone could please “Define, explain, or comment briefly but adequately” on Pigeon’s milk (number 30) for me that would be amazing. I really need to know more about Pigeon’s milk. Please advise. For science.

Y’ALL FOR REAL WHAT’S UP WITH PIGEON MILK.

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Handmade holiday cards

I know it’s September, but here’s a merry reindeer for you. On the left is the final design for the front of the cards. On the right is some inspiration for it. Hand-drew a few of these cards to give to folks for the holidays. And had a lot of fun messing around with the lettering.

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Photo I took at Grand Prismatic in Yellowstone National Park

$4 Stickers! / Prints from $23

I recently spent a few days camping in Yellowstone in Wyoming. So many buffalo encounters and such alien, gorgeous scenery. It was amazing being in the park after most people had left. Being able to see Ol Faithful erupt while sitting on the porch of the lodge with one or two other people around. Being stuck behind a buffalo in my car by myself, the two of us just hanging out. It’s a surreal part of the world.

Oh and, only the healthiest snacks while living in the woods.

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Bits of maps I made while exploring Madrid

Whenever I travel to a new place and am exploring a new part of town, I scrawl little maps to carry with me in case I get turned around. Here’s about ten of them I made while exploring new neighborhoods in Madrid and trying to figure out metro stops for the two months I spent there. Always nice to have a scrap of paper in your pocket from past-you when current-you gets lost.

Cuando viajo a partes nuevos y exploro un parte nuevo de la ciudad, dibujo mapas pequeños en caso de que me pierdo. Aquí están como diez mapas que hice cuando explorando barrios nuevos en Madrid y tratando de entender el Metro por los dos meses que pasé en la ciudad. Qué bueno tener una hoja de papel en el bolsillo por tú-pasado cuando tú-presente se pierde.

¿Ayuda me a mejorar mi Español?

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I was lucky enough to be able to walk El Camino de Santiago from St Jean Pied de Port a while back with my parents. This is a sketch from night one hanging out behind the albergue with some sheep friends. Daily routine was to walk all day, shower, wash your clothes, hang them out to dry, eat dinner, then one of the following: 1) write in a journal, 2) do a sketch, 3) go grocery shopping, 4) get a beer with a friend, 5) baby your aching feet, then go to bed.

An absolutely amazing and challenging as hell time. Having body parts that work well enough to carry me across a country is pretty amazing and I’m grateful for them and everyone who was kind to us and needed kindness along the way. Anywho, that’s a quick sketch from the first night – the last night I had time to spend on drawing Things rather than rubbing my sore feet and getting cleaned up. Buen Camino, peregrinos. Take your time and enjoy the fact that we are lucky enough to exist.

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It sprang out of a light bulb and was ready to eat. Mixed media on a very large piece of paper.

$4 Stickers! / Prints from $25

Technology is pretty neat and scary. Lots of magazine clippings, acrylics, and plastic shell over the light bulb to give it some reflection and weird texture.

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Made with acrylics as led by Bob Ross

It snowed like crazy this winter in Seattle, which is super uncommon, so of course snow plows were few and far between on most streets. We were stuck at home and in between shoveling our sidewalk and adding more wood to the fire, we decided what better snow day (week? month?) activity than to paint along with Bob Ross to an episode called “Perfect Winter Day.” The roommates and I gathered around in the living room, got our paints out, and followed along. It was a blast. Highly recommend Bob Ross-ing if you want something fun and goofy to entertain – it’s super easy to follow (assuming you have the pause button ready) and all of our paintings turned out a lot better than we expected.

Crow in the snow, where do you go to find something you can eat?

Obligatory crow in the snow shot from the same winter. I feed crows and Stellar’s Jays out of my window sill, and they were very appreciative in the cold. Normally his beak was covered in frost, but I figured I’d share one of his more glamorous shots.

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Mannequins left in the attic of an second hand shop – taken with my Rebel K2 (film)

I like thrift stores and second hand stores. Someone loved a Thing then stopped loving the Thing then sold the Thing for money then someone else came to own the Thing in hopes that someone else will love the Thing and decide to own the Thing.

Or maybe the Thing will just gather dust and mold and decay in an attic until it’s forgotten forever.

Humans and Things are neat.

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Acrylics on a giant piece of wood + scraps from some of my favorite poems by him

Of course, there were a lot of good people sleeping in the streets. They weren’t fools, they just didn’t fit into the needed machinery of the moment.

Pulp, Charles Bukowski, 1994

Nothing better than Charles Bukowski to help get you through some years of angst and inner turmoil.

Since this blog has absolutely zero shame, I present an excerpt from the angsty diary of 14 year old me, who copied down loads of his poems because hey someone else’s brain sucked, too, and it felt good to make his words come out of my hands. And ya know, at that age NO ONE COULD POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND ME AND MY FEELINGS, MAN.

14-year-old-Rachel and anyone reading this who might struggling, it gets better. Make your art and listen to your music and talk to humans you love. And please give me a shout if you need someone to talk to – I’m here.

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Interior of the asylum outside of Tuscaloosa, Alabama I took with my Rebel K2 on film.

Being devious teenagers way back when, we broke the law and snuck in to what is sometimes called Old Bryce, but officially named the Alabama Insane Hospital, to explore. Had to park in a far away lot to avoid suspicion and hike through brush and briars to reach it. Also had to sneak our way back out when we saw cop cars pull up. Fascinating and dark history behind this place that was shut down due to concerns about the way patients were being treated.

By 1970, however, the concept of patients remaining in the hospital for long periods of time while at the same time working productively became a subject of public concern, especially as many citizens felt that patients were retained by the hospital as a source of free labor.

http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1564

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