Two weeks into Drawcember and I’ve only missed two days, but for very good reason! My mother came up to visit last weekend, so I was both playing hostess and performing in a very fun burlesque show at The Rio Theatre.

No coincidence, then, that some of this week’s drawings were inspired by burlesque performances. The first one was loosely based on yours truly, although I took some liberties with the costume (i.e., in real life, I was wearing one!).

Day 9. Sundown

The performance took place at the historic Rio Theatre with a glorious red velvet curtain as the backdrop. For this drawing, I imagined a more natural setting, one that’s very close to my heart… English Bay. Every summer, Vancouver’s iconic seawall and its many beaches are my near-daily destination for roller skating, sunbathing and picnics at sunset.

While I’ve never danced naked on the shore, I have done the “polar dip” to ring in the New Year, which is a very Vancouver tradition for crazy people. The water temperature here is barely tolerable even in the hottest days of summer, so why not strip down (to a bathing suit, let’s be real) and dip into the ice-cold (though never frozen) waters of English Bay in the dead of winter?

I’ve only done it a couple of times, mind you... at the behest of a very insistent friend. Purposely freezing my ass off is not my idea of fun.

Day 10. Moondance

Tuesday’s drawing was inspired by another burlesque show I did last spring, dancing to The Doors’ “Waiting for the Sun.” We dressed as sunbeams personified, in shades of gold with shimmering veils. In keeping with the winter vibe, I reimagined it as an homage to the moon.

But my commitment to a winter theme could only be sustained so long. By mid-week, I was recalling hot summer days lounging by the water… or maybe on the banks of the River Styx.

Day 11. HellBabe

This was a fun one, inspired by a day of hiking, sunbathing and floating at a local lake in the mountains a couple of summers ago. I’m not a huge fan of hiking, but give me a reward at the end like a beautiful place to swim or at least a majestic waterfall and I can sometimes be tempted into the woods.

Day 12. Water Spirit

This one is pretty self-explanatory, but the interesting thing for me was playing with a totally different perspective. I’m looking forward to revisiting this concept again in the future, with a larger “canvas” and more time.

That’s true of several of these drawings, actually, especially the next one…

Day 13. Flower Face

This is a bit of a different, decidedly tropical, take on the Celtic myth of Blodeuwedd, or Flower Face. I’ve drawn and written about her at length before… not to mention designing and crafting an entire costume, complete with cape and mask, and sending my mother down the runway as my model.

Read my previous blog post all about that version of Blodeuwedd.

I would love to revisit this concept in a much larger scale piece… maybe even with actual paints on canvas. It turns out I really enjoy drawing flowers, and will be a perfect addition to the coloring book I’m planning to create from all my black and white drawings. I’ll keep you posted on that project in the new year!

In the meantime, Drawcember continues… Check out my week one blog post in case you missed it.

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