3.10.26
Studio Vibes
Watching: Top Chef: Season 22 and Majora’s Mask playthroughs
Reading: The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin and Where Rivers Go to Die by Dilman Dila
Listening: Play by MISAMO and Skin by Flume
I may sound like a 90-year-old smoker from Jersey named Betty, but this past weekend was absolutely delightful. Blerdcon was an amazing, albeit tiring, time. It was a nice break from current events, and I was able to connect with my family. I don’t necessarily feel physically re-energized, but emotionally and mentally, I do.
In Progress
I definitely took a bit of a hiatus from working on Deheading (the current series). It’s not that I don’t want to work on it or that I dislike it (both are valid reasons), but the amount of time I need to work on this series is just something I did not have time for in February/early March. Now that things have slowed down, I want to take my free time and work on these paintings. Next time I decide to do a series with collage, I think I’ll go with ready-made collage materials, instead of creating my own (that’s a lie).
While I didn’t necessarily work on my paintings, I did continue to work on drawing portraits. I have a Pinterest board that has a bunch of portraits saved to it. I try to avoid heavily edited portraits (e.g, something from a beauty advertisement) because then I get to practice drawing features like wrinkles, freckles, moles, gummy smiles, etc. Those features make the portraits way more interesting, and it’s fun! I also try to save a variety of poses to keep practicing different angles (front-facing, side profile, etc.). Whenever I feel burned out, I try to work on portraits and small watercolors. It keeps my hand in practice, but it’s low stakes and less pressure.
Some recent portraits I’ve worked on.
Towards the end of this month, I’m planning on hosting a little outdoor creative day with some friends. I want to do some plein air watercolor painting since the weather will be nicer. Also, the cherry blossoms will be in bloom, so even getting them before peak bloom will be lovely.
Creative Endeavors
Blerdcon 2026 was this past weekend, and it was an amazing time! I was 100% con-crunching the week leading up to it, but it was worth it. I only made one cosplay; the other two were made from things I already owned, purchased, or a small crafting session. While more people recognized me when I was DeeDee or Bubbles, I’m super proud of how my Sailor Cosmos costume came out (even the staff)!
(Left) Top photo: My cousin and I dressed as DeeDee from Batman Beyond: Return of the Joke and Justice League: The Animated Series
Middle photo: My cousin, dressed as Regency Sailor Mercury, and I, dressed as Sailor Cosmos
(Right) Bottom photo: The three of us dressed as the Powerpuff Girls (but make it TLC)
The dress itself, I sewed incredibly fast - it took me about a day, a day and a half. I used the 044: Anime Club pattern from CUT/SEW (without the bows or hip rolls). It was my first time working with that much stretch fabric, but it was easier than I thought it was going to be. Originally, the skirt was going to be a polyester satin, but it did not flow the way I wanted. I ended up redoing the skirt in the spandex, and it was perfect. I didn’t get the sleeves fully finished (they didn’t have structure), but I wasn’t entering the cosplay contest, so it was good enough for me!
My staff, which I thought looked bad, actually got a ton of compliments. Most people found my solution of using a clear Christmas ornament as the main orb brilliant (I was also proud of myself on that). The staff survived the magical girl photoshoot and the magical girl photoshoot only. I also made an Octi purse for my Bubbles cosplay. That took me 30 minutes, and I used to hold my badge for photos.
(Left) Top photo: An in-progress shot of my staff.
(Right) Bottom photo: Octi before I sewed him (and he got way too small).
I’m not sure what my next creative endeavor will be, other than working on my art, but I’m okay with that. I’m fine with putting more energy into painting at the moment.
Other Shenanigans
At the end of February, I made a very quick trip up to Philadelphia for the TWICE concert. Something I love about living on the East Coast, especially in the DMV, is how easy it is for me to get to other major cities on the East Coast. I left DC at 6:20 am and got to Philadelphia by 8:30 am. New York City is a four-hour train ride away. I can hop on a plane to get to Boston or Buffalo within two hours. I love living up here so much.
The TWICE concert was phenomenal, even with two of the members missing due to being sick. Jihyo and Momo always give it their all, and I loved being able to hang out with my friend for like 36 hours in Philly.
(Left) Top photo: TWICE concert in Philadelphia
(Right) Bottom photo: Chinatown in Philadelphia
Then later that week, I went down to my dad’s for his birthday. It was a mini-Carty reunion, and it was so much fun being able to spend time with my dad, brothers, niece, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Plus, we had some amazing food made by my dad’s brother-in-law. Despite the hecticness of that week, it was really nice to connect with so many people in my life.
Okay, now I will be returning to my original schedule of posting every two weeks (instead of every three weeks), so see you in like a week and a half.