Owlcats, Pumpkin Heads, & Cute Stabby Mushrooms

Hey, you know what your day needs?

This:

Squeeeeeeeeeee

Kartoniq is the self-proclaimed "Owlcat Lady" who combines two of my favorite things: OWLS AND CATS.

And it's so hard to pick a favorite!

omigosh omigosh omigosh

I've especially loved barn owls since Labyrinth, so it delights me to no end to imagine Jareth the Owlcat chasing around crystal balls, scratching up the goblins' favorite armor, and slowly sliding their drinks off tables without breaking eye contact:

Kartoniq if you write a comic about Jareth the owlcat I will love you forever.

Kartoniq doesn't ONLY paint owlcats, btw. Sometimes she paints just cats:

"I've brought you... A GIFT." (It's too late now I have Labyrinth on the brain.)

Tragically I can't find an online shop for us to purchase these beauties, but definitely follow Kartoniq Art on Instagram to get that fluffy owlcat goodness in your feed.

*****

I know I'm not the only one who enjoys a little Halloween spoop year 'round, so buckle your witch shoes, ghouls and boos:

LeeAnn Kress of Charmed Confections makes the most vivid eye candy creatures, and I can't get enough of her retro Halloween style:

This pumpkin head is a shaker wand: it rattles when you shake it!

I don't know how I would even display it, and yet, WANT.

Then there are LeeAnn's drool-worthy poison apples:

::grabby hands::

....which she also makes heart versions of!

All the different color combos! Her shading on these is so good, and dig that metallic gleam.

Head over to the Charmed Confections website to shop and browse more of LeeAnn's designs.

*****

 Maia Zeidan is a 2D digital artist with a knack for making me want to hug all of her characters:

Aw, guess it's not just me. :)

The title of this next one is "Never Too Cute To Fight" and it is a MOOD I feel in my BONES:

When you spend your life workin' that cute glowy aesthetic but also you're a protective badger wielding stabby things.


There are only 3 prints in Maia's webstore right now, but one of them is this one:

EEP

...so it's worth a click over!

*****

Izzy Art Designs has the most eclectic art account I've ever seen, with styles and mediums ranging from sweet story book prints to terrifying zombie baby dolls to miniature dioramas. She has less than 300 followers, so I suspect she's just finding her "thing" - but I found plenty of gems worth your follow:

Her 2D layered prints under glass are my absolute favorite things she makes, look how magical!

I had this one in my cart - I can't believe it's still available! - until I saw the cost of shipping from Austria, ouch. So one of you who live closer go grab it, k?

A few more of my favorites from her:

Sparkly fairy door! I love that glitter fade.

And then the coolest little piggy sculpt:

This could be a character in Coraline, right? Really has that stop-motion feel to it, with all the intricate details.

Head to the IzzyArtDesign's Etsy shop to browse her wide array of creations; there's a little something for everyone.

*****

And finally, here's a new-to-me take on needle felting by the incredibly talented Kiichigonomori:

How clever is this? They combine their 3d felted creatures with embroidered backdrops. This lets them create an incredible sense of motion and gravity-defying poses:

They also felt plenty of stand-alone creatures, which Kiichigonomori sometimes embellishes with delicate beadwork or florals:

They sell their pieces on this Japanese auction site, but I'm not sure if it's possible to purchase from outside the country, so you'll have to do a little research. And of course, be sure to follow them on Instagram!

I often forget to mention it, but many/most of the artists I feature in these roundups have relatively small accounts. Kartoniq the owlcat lady has just 330 followers on IG - and Izzy Art has even less. Two others here have between 2-3k. So if you have an extra minute please go spread some love to your favorites: give 'em a like, share with a friend. Let's be that weird internet group that floods indie artists with appreciation and support, because we need them, gang. We need the beauty and passion they create in this world. If anything I featured here today make you smile, pass it on.

Ah, but before you go: Let's give away some art!

All of today's picks I've purchased myself at past conventions, and I've made bundles again to try to get through my art stash a little faster. (Even without going to any cons for over a year, I still have SO MUCH.)

Here come your choices!

First, a trio of 4X6 Pixar-themed prints by the amazing (and super sweet) Ben Byrd:

Next, a signed Star Wars 4-pack by Edbot5000 (no relation):

These are printed on a heavy glossy cardstock, very cool. 

And finally, my favorite, the Borderlands Moxxie/Claptrap pack:

The burlesque Claptrap - which cracks me up so much, omigosh - is also be Edbot5000, Moxxi is by Chris Butler, and the robot dressed as Moxxi is a OOAK original we commissioned from Randall Smith. I'm counting on this group to have a fellow Borderlands fan to give these a good home, y'all!

I've featured all of these give-away artists before, but be sure to explore their accounts to see their latest works, too, because DANG. They're all so good.

Now, the moment of truth: Tell me in the comments which of these three sets is your favorite, because there can be only one. I'll choose three of you at random, and announce the winners in my very next post.

Happy commenting!

UPDATE: The give-away has ended!

The winner of the Pixar print set is MadWild

The winner of the Star Wars set is Degera

And the winner of the Borderlands set is the appropriately named Pandora

Congrats, you three, and please e-mail me your mailing addresses!