Laura Marsh

Go to Art Improviso for the latest

2010-07-19T10:09:00.001-04:00

Please visit my other art blog for my latest work. Thanks.

artimproviso.blogspot.com

2009-03-23T23:27:00.001-04:00

Don't cry. You know I have another blog, don't you?

True confessions

2009-01-20T22:36:00.011-05:00

I am cheating on you with my
other blog called Art Improviso.

It's not that I don't love you
anymore, but Art Improviso is
new & exciting. So I'll be over
there from time to time.
You're welcome to join me.

Oh. Now. Don't be jealous! We can
still have a meaningful relationship,
but right now I want a blog that
understands my needs.

I'm a hussy. I know.

IF: Contained

2009-01-15T22:48:00.008-05:00

A charlatan

2009-01-04T20:57:00.001-05:00

Shameless self promotion

2009-01-03T22:56:00.004-05:00

Aren't these clever and beautifully illustrated? Of course they are! Written by my cousin, Joyce Fernandez, and illustrated by me, these adorable bilingual children's books are available in Spanish, French, Portuguese, and German. My Second Language books help make learning a second language fun for kids and adults. I invite you to take a look and buy a book.

IF: Resolve

2009-01-03T22:47:00.000-05:00

I resolve to do more art.

I love gouache.

2008-12-02T18:19:00.006-05:00

Buddy Beauchaine

Buddy Beauchaine is a Plott Hound. This is a portrait of him as a puppy. I sketched it from a photograph and then painted it using gouache.

Brainstorming

2008-12-02T18:15:00.003-05:00

(watercolor pencil on paper)

Pier at Oak Island

2008-11-05T14:41:00.004-05:00

May the mighty Cthulhu devour you last!

2008-11-05T13:47:00.006-05:00

Lost at Sea

#7. Mr. John Dirtfellow - a beetler

2008-11-01T16:31:00.001-04:00

#10. Miss "Bronzeface" Millicent Scumly - a frequent surface-traveler

2008-11-01T16:30:00.001-04:00

#113. Monsieur Jean Valjean Valdustbuster - a fugitive

2008-11-01T16:28:00.001-04:00

#238. Mr. Albert Crayfish Crawfish - a Declarationist

2008-10-22T23:05:00.007-04:00

Meet Mr. Albert Crayfish Crawfish. He is #238 in the list of John Hodgman's 700 mole men.

Mr. Crayfish Crawfish is a bayou-dwelling mole man living on and under the soggy soil of Voodoo Town marsh. He's a Libra. He likes escargot, swamp grass, and wearing silly hats with great distinction.

Look at the list and draw your own mole man, or just peruse the gallery. Lots of fun!

IF: Clutter

2008-09-10T18:14:00.006-04:00

The city is cluttered with mice.
How nice.

(Incidentally, this is a draft of a painting I will donate to the Wake County SPCA's Fur Ball. The Fur Ball is an annual event and a great way to support our four-legged friends. Please consider supporting your local SPCA.)

I wish every day were Halloween

2008-09-10T15:01:00.006-04:00

These are some card designs of mine
for my favorite day of the year!

A drought

2008-09-03T19:51:00.007-04:00

I've been in an art drought.
I need to get cracking.
I've promised to donate art
for the SPCA Fur Ball auction.
In the meantime, here is a little bird in a tree.

A bit about Bunny

2008-08-22T11:20:00.005-04:00

This is the latest frame in a cartoon strip that I've been slowly creating called The Adventures of Pig and Bear.

IF: Detach

2008-08-19T21:12:00.005-04:00

IF: Late (aka A True Story)

2008-08-19T21:10:00.003-04:00

I found out too late the truth about the donuts.

IF: Sail

2008-08-12T17:35:00.007-04:00

I brainstorm a lot on paper before beginning any artistic endeavor. Today I was thinking about how to illustrate the I.F. challenge of the week: sail. Above is the third idea I came up with after 1) a mermaid in the bathtub with a toy sail boat, and 2) Cthulhu about to devour a real sail boat (both hastily drawn in ink on post-it notes, like this one). Both had potential, but neither amused me so much as Kramer sailing out a window to catch a bird.

My plan had been to come home from work and create the "real" I.F. drawing on nice paper with a nice pencil and then paint it nicely with nice watercolors. That, I thought, would make a great I.F. contribution! But once I got home and brought out my art supplies, I realized that this is the real drawing. I created it spontaneously and without any expectation of greatness, and I just love it.

I wish art always happened this way.

Nerd Girl color experiment

2008-08-03T21:48:00.004-04:00

I've recently started playing
with digital art software.
The sketch of my lovely Nerd Girl
is pen & ink, but the colors are one
of my first attempts at layers.
I've resisted the urge for a long time
to "get into" digital art, but who knows.
This may be the beginning
of a beautiful friendship.

IF: Poof!

2008-08-03T17:38:00.002-04:00

IF: Canned Can-Can Girl in Cannes

2008-07-29T10:39:00.001-04:00

During a performance in Cannes,

Desiree accidentally kicked a patron in the face.

The can-can dancer was later canned.

Mermaid

2008-07-07T17:56:00.002-04:00

Princess Kiwi: Prettiest Cat in the Land

2008-06-30T12:54:00.003-04:00

Here's a colored pencil sketch of Kiwi. She's not actually blue, but she is blind, as the drawing of her face might lead you to believe.

IF: Fierce

2008-06-29T21:29:00.006-04:00

Though the mice

were not fierce,

she had what

one might call

a phobia.

IF: Hoard

2008-06-23T21:53:00.002-04:00

After days of pillaging, at last Margeaux was alone with her hoard.

F is for Flounder

2008-06-17T13:28:00.001-04:00

Déjà vu

2008-06-15T13:51:00.004-04:00

This is a pencil sketch from a cartooning class I took last month.

Ballerina Star

2008-06-14T22:27:00.006-04:00

This is an intaglio print I made a couple years ago.

IF: Punchline

2008-06-14T19:13:00.002-04:00

IF: Forgotten

2008-06-12T22:58:00.001-04:00

Everything was perfect
until it occurred to Lydia
that she had forgotten to shave.

Grand Odalisque

2008-05-31T11:44:00.003-04:00

I painted this picture for my friend Sarah who shares my birthday. In fact, this painting was a birthday present for her. I used watercolor and pen to create it.

This picture and all other images created by me are copyrighted by me and may not be used without my permission.