Lol I’m super proud of this video that I edited on the desktop version of CapCut – James doesn’t like to show his face which actually presented a fun challenge for me to put an emoji on his face while motion tracking it. Mind you, I’ve never really played with CapCut (only on my phone for Tiktok) but it was such a pain to edit on my phone so luckily CapCut offers a desktop version of their mobile app.
Anyways, if you’d like to follow my 2 British Shorthair cats’ Instagram it’s @mika_miriya_bsh
I gotta say, this was fun to make. I started doing this because I hated how things looked on TikTok – the white outlines around text BUGS me, like nothing is pleasing to look at on there.
Initially, I used the Rotoscoping Brush in After Effects, but it didn’t work. So I started rotoscoping it manually. Rotoscoping is the fancy term in After Effects that “cuts” the person out of the background. It’s painstaking to do it frame by frame, that’s why they have the Rotoscoping Brush tool.
The downside of rotoscoping this manually? I experienced tennis elbow. My right elbow, arms and hand all became stiff and it hurt to move it for a few days. Luckily, some electrical stimulation and Aleve helped me recover quickly.
Should I blame it on getting old or just overdoing it with this project? I probably overextended myself. Either way, I feel as if my body can’t do fun things anymore because I’m getting old. Like I have to watch what I’m doing now, like working on something for too long and injuring myself…
so lame.
I must’ve drawn this 5 years ago. I usually date my drawings but for this one, I didn’t.
Halloween last year was pretty non existent. I still look forward to it even though I don’t even dress up or actually do anything for Halloween.
I think it’s just mostly the vibe for me – the darkness, the fog, spooky atmosphere, horror movies, Samhain, etc. Just like how I like the design of the main Sanrio characters enough to get it tattooed on me but not be an actual collector of those items (unless it’s Badtz Maru). Ok, I’m rambling.
I live in my head, I live in the world of ideas. It must be the combo of my Fire and Air signs (Sag and Aquarius).
I’m missing my cat. I’m missing Roxy. This drawing was pulled from a 2016 folder of photos and both Tabby & Roxy were in there. She had an art show so we made a spontaneous trip to Las Vegas and texted her when we were already there. She was so stoked.
I’m also reminded that she passed 11 days before Halloween. First year anniversary on top of the pandemic was hard. This year is already flying by quickly. The years are just flying by as I get older, period.
And yes, I made a bigass file size, looping gif of my cat Tabby so I can look upon her sweet face until this blog is gone.
I just really love how this gif came out (it was a gif, but made it into an mp4 to make the file size smaller). I could probably create a million more versions of this, and I most definitely will.
This is a photo that I took of my Butterfly Witch painting. I setup my Aura Quartz crystal skull in front of the painting among other Quartz crystals and took the photo. I then took it into Photoshop and cut out parts of the background. I then brought it into After Effects. I can’t remember the rest of the steps from there, but I’m using the Tunnel effect that you can probably search YouTube for the After Effects tutorial.
As soon as I hit “post”, I fixed up another version that I will make into a bigass gif just like this one š
Some apps along with my personal calendars say the moon is in Sagittarius, others in Capricorn. Shrug if I know BUT I always tend to feel more energized & motivated when the moon is in Sagittarius since it’s my Sun; determined and ‘into my work’ when the moon is in Capricorn (my Mercury).
I don’t have anything to say, as you can see I’ve gone ghost on nearly all my IG accounts or simply deactivated them. It takes so much energy and effort to be on there; I don’t know when I’ll feel motivated to pick up my side projects again.
Introverts gonna introvert I guess…
I just wanted to post this meme as it was buried in my Instagram saves. Credit: @thatcatbobbie
I hope you’re doing well. I’m just here lurking and being on the internets and pondering the next stage of adulthood: do I want a house, or do I want to retire with lots of money? I constantly go between wanting everything and wanting nothing. It’s hard to decide when you’re a Libra moon!
My life is pretty boring these days. I’m still trying to think of how to work less while making the same amount of money or even more and I still want to take a year off work. But I’m super thankful to have this creature in my life. Her name is Mika and she’s a black tortie British Shorthair. You can follow her on IG @mikatortiecat. I couldn’t decide which pic I liked better so I made both into a gif.
What’s life like for me right now? Well I still can’t afford to buy a home in Los Angeles but at least I live where I want to live and it’s close to work so that’s a tradeoff I suppose. If you want to be in LA, you simply can’t have it all unless you’re rich AF.
I can hear my mom saying that I should’ve bought a home in 2003. Knowing myself at that time I was still hella irresponsible though and just wanted to paint and do whatever the fuck I wanted to do. I mean, why do parents project their dreams unto their children? She made me feel like THAT was supposed to be my ultimate goal in life.
Also it takes me a long fucking time to grasp real estate terms and concepts. I’m in my mid-40’s and I’m just barely starting to understand it. Sheesh.
And maybe I’m okay with living where I live WHILE not owning the place. Maybe we can normalize that homeownership is not as attainable as it used to be. Besides, we entered this world with nothing and we’re going to leave with nothing but our souls. So why even put myself through all that?
The so called American dream is dead and your life doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s.
It’s strange, isn’t it? The things we’ve spent time building up crumbles eventually as soon as people start to make fun of it.
Perhaps I’m too overly concerned…sensitive…about what people think but at the same time, you also have to put your feelers out there to see what people actually think.
It can be a downer on your energy for sure and it makes you want to hide (at least for me).
For example – my crystal shop. A few months ago on Reddit, I put up a photo of crystals for sale – some were natural while some were aura treated. It was then reposted in a subreddit forum called Mineral Gore. The purpose of the subreddit is to post unnatural, manmade or enhanced mineral specimens so people can comment at how ugly and atrocious they are.
One man’s treasure is another man’s trash. Again, to each their own.
But still, it personally affected me and I never wanted to post again.
The point of this post is that people ARE out there…UNCONSCIOUSLY making you feel bad for the things that you personally love. And when somebody shares their opinion that you don’t necessarily agree with regarding that thing you love, you’re most likely going to feel like shit and you’re going to want to hide.
Just understand that most people aren’t doing it on purpose or personally attacking you, they’re just sharing their opinion and preference.
But it still comes off harsh.
Reddit is a strange place…well, all social media in general. It feels good to have your posts or comments “liked” or “upvoted”, it feels awful to have them “downvoted” or when people leave shitty comments.
It’s hard to not take things personally, but I’ll keep on working on it.
(Yes, that’s me in the background with my husband taking a photo of this claw machine filled with kawaii stuffed animals).
I didn’t realize how much digital stuff I’ve created over the years until I had to organize it this week.
This one’s super cute. I like creating cute things, remember? I made everything except for the baby chick. Unfortunately I don’t have all the time in the world to create everything from scratch so often times I gotta cheat.
Here’s one I did for work using the same concepts from
Photoshop Tutorial: How to Make DAT ASS Shake!?
Just literally two frames repeating over and over again.
I struggle with using the actual animation timeline in Photoshop so it seems easier to just animate things frame by frame. Also the file size needs to be small.
I’ve not been in a Halloween mood even though I’m glad it’s this time of the year and all. It’s been 2 years since Roxy left and I’m not feeling festive.
I’m posting this video because I want to save it here. I also want to talk about Chiron for some reason. What do the two have in common? Horses – being that Chiron is a centaur in Greek mythology.
More importantly (at least for me) is that in my birth chart, Chiron is in my third house in Taurus.
If the third house represents communication, it means that I have trouble talking, or speaking or saying things outloud. This is true, as I am an introvert to the core. I’m not very talkative.
Chiron represents the Wounded Healer in astrology, meaning everyone has a Chiron in their chart; everyone has a deep wound that they carry with them in this life that they have to work on healing.
I just discovered this recently which makes a whole lot of sense now, a breakthrough actually:
Copied and pasted from Tea & Rosemary’s blog regarding Chiron in Taurus:
The person with Chiron in Taurus will be afraid of losing something, whether it be safety, money, possessions, abundance, or love. The typical Chiron in Taurus will go to any lengths to avoid losing their home, their routine, the people close to them, their favorite possessions, their money, etc. Even if everything seems very permanent in their life, they will always be scared of some unexpected loss.
This resonates with me So.Damn.Much. Without going into too much detail, even though I have worked for other people most of my life I have always dreamt of being financially independent, like free from a job. I wanted to freelance; didn’t last very long. I wanted to tattoo; that didn’t happen. I wanted to have a small business; I’m barely even making it.
I can’t seem to do the things no matter how much effort I put into it. Not to say this is always true, but I try and fail A LOT it seems.
So yeah, that is my wound. I am afraid to not have resources and so I stay working. I’ve learned to work with this wound by accepting that I am meant to be working where I work. It is not creatively stimulating 24/7 but I am good at it; it has also given me the resources to be the provider and to live a life that is good. I’m also able to give to others freely. That is all I can ask for.
On the upside, I have found that learning astrology has been really good for me. This time though, I’m not trying to be an astrologer or be anything to anyone anymore…like that time I was trying to be a healer. Looking back I feel silly about it now tbh but for one reason or another, IT HAD to be expressed. That was the quality of that time period, where everyone and their mom wanted to be a healer including myself.
To be fair and not be so harsh on myself, my friend did pass away in Oct 2019.
Then 2020 came along and said ‘nope’! Being of service to others is not for me, not this year.
Then 2021 came and my cat had to be put to sleep.
I’m just learning for myself for once. And there is A LOT to learn and my Aquarius ascendant really likes it.
As a matter of fact, I’m learning so much by practice ā interpreting people’s chart aspects on Reddit. So many people have questions and post their charts daily…
it’s almost as if getting suspended on Twitter led me to this, a blessing in disguise.
Anyways here is an old, rough drawing of a centaur, which I must’ve drawn when I had green hair. I’ve drawn centaurs a few times because me = Sagittarius.
Some of you might remember that I posted this interview years ago on October, 1st 2012 when my website was still under SHERMGRAFIK dot com. Well oddly enough, FB sent me a memory that I posted this interview 8 years ago today. Here it is again because I’m really missing her heavy right now. I’m having a hard time feeling excited for Halloween, as her transition anniversary is the 20th. Her and I would start drawing around this time for Inktober on Instagram then fall tf off after a week or so because life happens. I can feel my body grieving and my spirit wandering, not wanting to be present.????
Hi Roxy! Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. You know I’m a HUGE fan of your work. Can you tell us a little about who you are, where you live and what you do?
I grew up in Hawaii, but currently live in Las Vegas. I came out here right after I graduated high school to attend the Art Institute because Hawaii didnāt have art schools at the time. While in school I met my husband, got married, had two boys, and weāve been in Vegas ever since where I work as a fine artist, graphic designer, and instructor at IADT.
I have always known you to be a creative individual. How did you get into art?
I always felt the need to get images out of my head when I was little and kept a lot of journals that Iād write and doodle in. My sister and I have an 8-year age gap, so that being said we never had anything in common so I had to play on my own and keep myself occupied. I wrote a lot of stories and illustrated them. Kind of like imaginary friends on paper, but none of them were human. They were all magical little animals. I still prefer to paint animals to this day. I think they are much more interesting than humans.
Since I know you personally, I also know that you are a graphic designer and also an instructor! How did you get into that? Do you prefer one over the other?
Iāve always wanted to teach! But what I didnāt expect was to be teaching at a college, I always told myself maybe high school? Or maybe even a Jr. high art class, but college never really crossed my mind. A good friend of mine got hired as the program chair at IADT and wanted to build a solid team of new instructors and asked if I was interested. Before interviewing I sat in one of her classes to see if it was for me, and I fell in love. The rest is history and Iāve been there for 3 years now and love what I do. I love school because Iām a huge nerd. If I werenāt an instructor, Iād probably be a student.
Also, I donāt think I prefer one to the other because I teach what I love to do.
Do you gravitate towards a certain style of painting, designing, overall creating?
I think Iām still and will forever be trying to find my style. I am inspired and love so many different art movements, artists, and styles, that itās only natural to include a little bit of everything in certain art pieces. I also love to experiment. But when it comes down to it, the core of my fine artwork has a strong Pop-Surrealism background and influence.
Design work is a bit trickier since I work for clients, but one thing I am a fan of is fresh and clean work. That will NEVER go out of style. I like to keep up with design trends and incorporate them when I can to keep my work up to date and marketable.
On the topic of instruction – what is the constant question that your students ask, or a topic or concept that they tend to struggle with?
Funny you should ask, but believe it or not, a reoccurring question I get at least once a quarter is āHow much should I charge for my work?ā This is such a broad question and I donāt give any solid answers, but instead try to give some advice on finding their worth. I also let them know that some of my best portfolio pieces were done for free, but the experience and exposure were priceless. It gives them a lot to think about and it has them view the graphic design and art world in a whole other perspective.
When you start a painting, do you have a routine or way of doing things? Does it have to be quiet or do you have tv or music on?
When I start a painting, itās always intense! I feel like a surgeon about to perform heart surgery. I need all of my tools ready and laid out perfectly. I need all of my tools, cleaned, and I need to be focused. Once I sit down I am NOT getting up unless the house is on fire (because there is nothing more frustrating than having your concentration interrupted!) After I triple check my work area to make sure everything I need is there (including coffee and extra water,) I put on my painting playlist and slip on my earphones. Everyone knows not to bother or talk to me till Iām done.
I notice that you paint bunnies A LOT. Why bunnies? Is there a meaning behind it, your spirit animal perhaps?
Besides being cuddly and cute, Iāve always had rabbits growing up. Iāve read that rabbits represent creativity and fear and always felt that was an interesting combinationā¦.
Where do you get your inspiration from? What motivates you to create?
I love and collect antique childrenās books. I love any nostalgic imagery and the books I have are filled with amazing illustrations. My favorite illustrator is Richard Scarry.
This is a random question but what are your pet peeves?
When people are late. Biggest pet peeve ever.
Honorable mentions: Bad parenting (like parents who bring their kids to R rated movies!) people who misspell ātheyāre,ā assholes who take up two parking spaces, stupid baby names, people who go shopping during peak hours and use a bazillion coupons, dirty keyboards.
Ok so now, the opposite of that question – what do you love, admire, obsess about?
Typography, Radiohead, alchemy and symbolism, analogous color pallets, blood, thick cuts of fatty marbled meat, pictures of ice cream, cholas, silly tattoos, sushi, human anatomy, vintage children books, hello kitty, my kids, my husband, and my best friends.
What goes on in that brain of yours? Do you have deep thoughts about life’s greatest mysteries, or do you get paranoid about the government watching your every move?
I am always thinking of my purpose, because I think everyone in this universe has a purpose.
Any guilty pleasures?
Food porn, silly pictures of animals on the internet and making up captions to what they would say and how they would sound like out loud, vampire shows, reading Teen Vogue instead of adult Vogue. Ugh, Iāve already said too much.
Jesus or Satan?
One of my favorite movies of all time is Constantine, and Iām always daydreaming of being the female version of him. How rad would that be? Anyway, team Jesus all the way. WWJDOMGFTW.
If God (or aliens) decided to destroy us and it was up to you to represent us, what would you say are the redeeming qualities of the human race?
Despite our imperfections and capacity of evil and greed (letās forget about all of that for a quick second,) humans will never stop fighting for what they believe in. Weāre the only species that keeps advancing; weāve built pyramids, been to the moon and cured diseases. Regardless of some of our actions, which can be ugly, we have the ability create beautiful things.
What do you think about art on the Internet and the amount of copying people do (whether it’s intentional or not)?
I think itās more common than not, especially with young artists just starting out. Itās a cycle. We all get inspired and subconsciously (or not) weāve āborrowedā elements or techniques weāve admired and included them within our own artwork. Now, if someone reproduces your work, and continues to do so, thatās a problem. But there is nothing wrong with being inspired and openly letting people know where the original idea came from, for the sake of not looking like a douche. The idea behind this is to eventually find yourself and your own style. There is a difference between being a reproduction artist vs. someone completely original and known for his or her own unique style.
Speaking of the internets, what websites do you frequent?
The usuals. For design I like to check out what the people at Behance or Dribbble are up to. I have a handful of artists I like to follow, including Shermgrafik.com. Then of course guilty pleasures like Facebook, Pinterest and Allrecipes.com (because I love to cook.) And if I remember, I visit Postsecret on Sundays.
Are you a lover or a hater?
I wasnāt sure so I googled āLover or Hater Quiz.ā I took it and it said I was 50/50. It also gave me some advice: āI know you mean well, but you should be more open minded, and socialize more.ā After taking the quiz, I feel slightly more hater than not.
Any advice or words of wisdom to those who are just starting out in the creative world?
Read āSteal Like an Artistā by Austin Kleon. Also, try to give back when you can. Not every gig has to be a paying one. Paint a mural for your community or design a logo for a charity out of the goodness of your heart (I love doing benefit shows and knowing my piece will help towards a good cause.) You were given a talent; never stop being thankful for that. Like any good thing in this world, nourish it and appreciate it. Keep evolving and even when youāre satisfied with a piece of art or design, start brainstorming how the next one will be 10 times better. Know there will always be someone better than you. Stay humble.
Is there anything else you’d like to say or let people know about yourself?
No animals were harmed during the making of this interview.Ā
Roxy on Instagram ???? Roxy’s website
Her most recent illustrations are at @xactoknife
