kristina jane millar

I am currently suffering from some kind of flu virus and feel absolutely awful.

I actually sketched this last night but couldn’t find the energy to post it until today.

I added the cervical vertebrae and the cartilage of the throat to the skull that I sketched the other day.

Pencil.

For the past month or so I have been doing a sketch of an animal just about every day to sharpen up my drawing skills. I am really easily bored so I have assigned myself a new challenge.

When I was in school I absolutely loved drawing people and anatomy class was one of my favourites. I even thought about becoming an anatomical illustrator for awhile. I had a deep love of science growing up and our bodies fascinate me – they really are wonderous machines.

So, to mix things up a little and to continue with my personal challenge to continue to improve my drawing skills, I have challenged myself to drawing a body part a day. I can only spend an hour on each one and after that hour I have to stop. (another part of my goal is to stop being so precious about my drawings).

Today’s entry: Skull.

Pencil.

For this piece I was thinking about what it means to share what you have with the ones you love. Something that came to mind was the saying “the shirt off his back”. What if you don’t have a shirt? Maybe you could give your feathers instead?

Pencil, ink, watercolour on watercolour paper.

My little sister is terrified of clowns so I made her a special drawing of one with a unicorn horn to try and demonstrate how nice clowns are and help her get over her fear.

Now she is also afraid of unicorns.

Pencil.

We are absolutely covered in mosquitoes right now. Ugh.

Poor fellas. They’ve been working so hard to get me ready for tomorrow.

Finally, after 6 months of hard work, 2 restarts (one from the beginning with a new theme) I’m done!

We are heading down tomorrow morning to hang all of the work – the show opens on July 2 and runs until September 24 at the EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts.

In this series I am exploring the relationship between the observer and the observed, the possible outcome of animals living among us as equals, and whether the anthropomorphic stereotypes we apply to them would hold true.

Using pencil, ink, watercolour and acrylic paint on paper I produce illustrations that invite the viewer to pause and consider a world where we share the stage with bears, are ogled by pigs in suits and wait at the bus stop with walruses.

The exhibition includes seven framed illustrations (pen, ink, watercolour, acrylic and pencil) depicting humans and animals engaging in activities ranging from the every day to the unexpected.

A Fishy Friend

Let Us Entertain You

Monkey Suits

Playboy Human

Someone, Somewhere Thinks You Are Beautiful

What A Pig

The Tortoise and the Hair

Some things that I know are true now that I am 36:

• Backfat is a real thing. I laughed it off when I was told about it in my 20s but it is very, very real.
• Pretty much everything my parents ever told me about life is true.
• Hangovers do get worse as you get older.
• Assuming that everyone has the best of intentions is a bad idea. The trick is to have them yourself and let other people prove that they have them too.
• Everything that is going on right now in your life, whether good or bad, won’t matter to you in 5 years so don’t stress out about it.
• My Dad was right – the music I was listening to when I was 13 WAS awful. But at the time it was amazing.
• Not taking risks and doing what you love is a waste. You only have a limited time here, why do things that you hate and that make you miserable?

I don’t really know why, but I am having a wonderful time drawing fish lately.

Ink & pencil.

Puffer Fish!

Pencil.