The Art-O-Mat is relatively older re-invention that I've only just heard about because we got one in town a month or two back.  Didn't even realize they were twenty years old until I was given the token coin which is celebrating their 20th Anniversary.  

I participated in this a few years ago and decided to again this year.  My friend from the UK was doing it and that's how it reminded me, "Oh yeah.. I know what this is... I'll do it to!"  It wasn't until the second giveaway day (on the 10th) that I realized that this was a UK thing.  The giveaways were of UK based companies with winners only from the UK (or else had to pay shipping).  No, not even the U in Day 01's prompt of FavoUrite tipped me off as that's how I also spell the word.

Not a problem as most were building tools for your business which I'm not that serious about (plus The Sister and I no longer have an Etsy store and that was one prize, something to fancy it up and get you more business).  It was still fun to participate and to see mainly non-Americans posting their stuff.  Or how for Day 26 (self-care) a lot of photo's were of teas in or out of doors.  Adorable.  That's not something you'll find from an American really.

But for this post I'll show you my personal journey through the month.

Back in November four of my girls (& ultimately me) were in our first ever art show; The Hattiesburg Arts Council 2018 Emerging Artists Exhibit, which was held at the Hattiesburg Cultural Center (our former library built in the late twenties).

The New York Academy of Medicine apparently hosts the Colour our Collections event for several years now.  I only just found out about it yesterday from a book site that I follow.  Museums and libraries from all over the world participate, putting up images from their collections.  Though the event is over (running only between 04 February to 08 February); meaning for you to share your coloured image with a hashtag, you can still access all of the colouring books from over one hundred different institutions.

I looked through every single entry that is posted.  There's a lot of cool stuff, some repetitions (though few), a lot of local only things which are fascinating, and a lot of weird stuff as well.  

Though I saved several books and screen captured single images that I would like to colour at some point, I did not save everything, but I found everything interesting.  I already knew humans were weird, because I've seen art from the Medieval ages, and some of the things in these collections do not disappoint.  

Like the image above that I like to call, "Wife Moon Face tells Husband Sun Face, 'Look, it's a chicken...'" because honestly there's not anything unweird about that above piece.  It's a long title, but it makes me laugh.  There's also the skinned humans in poses of "Oh, God why!?!", the skeletons just posing by things like ya do, there's even one child-like skeleton, skipping down the road with an adult leg bone.  Lots of horrible beasts that people once imagined roamed the lands and seas. Lots of crazy, and also at the same time hilarious drawings from long, long ago.   

But there are lots of things for anyone to enjoy looking through or colouring.  Things for children or the young at heart, botanical illustrations, early 20th century yearbook drawings, scientific renderings of fauna, historical, old political cartoons, old advertisements and newspaper/magazine covers.  There's also photographs turned negative, which I don't much care for, but one of you might.  

I suggest giving it a look through.  There's good stuff here for your children, a classroom, a library group, yourself and your friends.

So I imagine that the zodiological signs are female, that they are goddesses of the sky and that they are all sisters; and at the end of last year I decided to illustrate all of them.

I have a few projects and photos here needing to be shown, starting with last April.  There's not a lot and they're all various types of art ending with the most recent which is photography.

So, this is some of what I've been doing, crafty/artistically for the last year.

My childhood church hosts an Irish Italian Festival for St. Patrick's Day.  It started in the early 2000's, with the initial idea being an Irish festival, but the lone Italian family wanted to be included, so hence why it's the Irish Italian Festival.  I'm not even certain if that Italian family is even part of the church anymore, but I digress.  

It started out small with some bagpipe players and Irish Stew and wine and Spaghetti.  Now there's a parade in the morning and mass said in Gaelic in the afternoon with the festival starting directly after.  There are alters to each patron saint, where food is donated for the poor.  Tons of various food and drinks to purchase, with the only thing Irish or Italian being offered is still the Irish Stew and then pizza from Little Caesar's.  There's a bake sale and cotton candy and popcorn.  There's a silent auction and an art show.  There are still bagpipe players and then a band jamming out tunes late into the evening.  It's a really huge affair now, it's kind of crazy.

So, last year The Sister and I were invited to have some art in the art show, which we did, and were invited again this year, which is this post.

I am currently participating in a four week art e-course via @ghostkittenart on Instagram.  You can follow along by searching #ArtMakerCircle or following me @Peruvian.Pink.Arts

We're just in week 1, but I came out of my shell and actually pursued drawing something that I love and am interested in, but before felt that I couldn't accomplish.  I'm pretty pleased.

​Also, if you are interested then it's not too late to start.  The first project isn't due until Monday 22. January.  

Behind the cut contains all entries.  I actually only made it to week three of the four week course.  

Sometimes it's fun and amusing to draw what you know, as in yourself.  So, I have done a bit of that over the years.  Everything to my name meaning, my likes, childhood dreams to various stages of my real life and myself if I were an alien being.