:borrowing:

In this new year thus far, I'm finding myself staying in more on weekend nights rather than wandering about as is my usual habit, although winter and the early sunsets tend to make it easier to stay in. Yet we did have a few nice ones this past weekend.

Part of the need to stay in is that I'm neither going to improve my art nor make the art itself if I'm not here to do it. Ideally I'd be going off to some separate, quiet studio to do this art, but if wishes were horses...I'd probably be mucking out the stables.

Speaking of the new year, it's now the Chinese New Year, and Year of the Monkey at that. Thanks to my birthdate I'm a monkey too, so one hopes that this is "my year" in some way. My flickr name is cuttingmonkey for that reason. I haven't yet decided if I'm going to chase the lions with my camera in Chinatown like I've done nearly every year. I believe it's on Feb. 14th this year, and I'm not yet sure of my other possible plans. None of which so far involve the other reason people celebrate that day. That said, plug plug plug for my Valentine Card on Etsy.

One thing deviantArt is known for is a large amount of stock photos and textures that people allow for use, and I can't recall the last time when I've used anyone else's artwork to any great extent, so recently I downloaded some just for something different.

I chose a few shots of and by a model/dancer who goes by the name of Mahafsoun, and I've certainly seen her photos pop up before. I wouldn't mind her in front of my own camera some day, but this'll have to do for now.

I'm trying to get back into layers and textures this year, so I used this as some practice. Nothing too complex, just combined the photos into one, to make a triple goddess of some sort, and I named this after Hecate, who I believe fits that description.

I went through my various own photos for a background, and a texture to go over it. I've gone back and forth over which version I prefer, leaning more towards the top one. What do you think?