Staceart

Gentlemen and Gentlewomen of the Vox Chaotica Council! Welcome back to another installment of your favourite Friday blog post series! Or maybe it's not. Maybe you like other strictly friday posts better–*wipes eyes* no, that's fine... I'm sure I just have a bougainvillea plant in my eye *sniffles*–or your internet just dies on Fridays (Damn you, Generic Internet Service Provider!). But the true true is that this should be your favourite, because everyone involved is AWESOME. Mostly the spotlighted people though. They are six times cooler than your average human.

My friend Stacy is an illustrator. Also a sometimes sculptor (RIGHTEOUS!), writer, graphic novelist and comic creator. Actually, she does a little bit of everything. I mean, not quite everything, but she's one of the most talented visual artists I have ever seen and is passionate about her craft, no matter what medium. She also thoroughly enjoys watching films and TV shows (Parks and Recreation, The Legend of Korra and Steven Universe are among her favourites), and reading.

I've known Stacy for a good while–all the way since middle school. Back then–even when we were all giggly, awkward, gossipy teens–I was in awe of Stacy. She had art NAILED. That link was purely for my own gratification, and is not a work Stacy did or really had anything to do with. What do you mean, "why is it in the post?" It's FUNNY and AWESOME like STACY (+1 Rolling Caps skill)! Her art started as an emotional outlet, but it's grown into so much more through constant exploration and boundary-pushing. She wants to be able to connect with people through her art–I know her art speaks to me.

Anyway, I've spent a lot of time with Stacy, and here's the thing. She describes herself as loyal, curious, empathetic, cautious, emotional, observant, and "uhh..." (a fantastic touch), but I think she's missing a few key things. She is absolutely one of the most kind and generous people I know–always making time for friends, talking stuff out with them, organising group game nights... I've never heard her angry or say basically anything bad about anyone ever. She is one of the most talented artists I know, and I am honoured to be able to call her my friend.

One of her idols is May Ann Licudine–nicknamed MALL–not just because of her art (which is phenomenal), but also because of her story. She had to deal with some medical issues, including a hearing deficiency present since birth, but she's always persevered through and make some of the most striking and beautiful art. Check out the site linked in her name, and her blog.

Also, she often gives her friends personalised pieces for birthdays/celebrations: I own three fabulous pieces of Stacy's and will eternally hang them so I can boast about her art. She also has an amazing taste in film–among her favourites are The Fifth Element, The Fall, and Princess Mononoke (Studio Ghibli makes absolutely amazing films).

Stacy works now as a library page up in her new house-place in Seattle–it's not quite the cabin in the woods she's dreaming of, but I'm sure it's fantastic. And who knows, maybe in a few years she'll be so rich and famous she can just have a cabin built for her (probable chance for this occurrence: 100 million percent). A few random facts: little Stacy was set on being either a zoologist or a marine biologist, she loves the name Star, she wants her artwork to outlast her, she's all about that fresh fruit life, and she is a cousin to Annie Oakley! She likes Stars of the Lid, VNV Nation, The Field, the soothing smell of vanilla, and her three cats: Singer, the fat siamese; Sargent, the cuddly black longhair; Oliver, the bold–but not too smart–gray domestic shorthair. Her favourite drink is a Chai tea latte, hands down. The song I would describe her with would be: What's the Matter? by Yppah.

tl;dr Stacy is an amazing artist all full of talent and determination, generosity and kindness. She illustrates with pencils, pens, watercolors, charcoals, calligraphy pens and probably even like motor oil if you asked nicely enough. What I'm saying is she's probably the most versatile artist I know and everything she does leaves me in awe.