12. Potato Stamp

Letter A print

Close-up on ant print

Carved potato ant stamp

Today I decided to carve out an ant potato stamp. Yes, a stamp made out of a real potato. I then used a blue ink pad to place some ink on the stamp and formed a letter A print using the ant-shaped stamp multiple times.

For Fun: College Ant Project

Final piece re-created at a larger scale.

35 Ants

I've decided to share with you (and may regret this...) the original ant project from my early college days. We were able to choose a subject from a list the professor provided and were given the task to come up with 35 creative ways to represent that subject. I, of course, chose ants.

Here are the descriptions of each ant box:

Row 1 (left to right):  Fine tip Sharpe with pink highlighter background, Globe ant in marker, Circus ant in marker, Stipple ant in marker,  Queen ant in marker.

Row 2 (left to right): Air brush markers ant, Ant head made using make-up, Dismembered ant in marker, Ant made by drawing parallel lines only in marker.

Row 3 (left to right): Ant made with type character stickers, Worker ant in marker, Photo of an Escher piece that includes ants, Ant made with glitter, Lines inside of lines ant in fine tip Sharpe.

Row 4 (left to right): Ant in Crayon, Psychadelic ant in marker, "ANT" written with tiny ants,  Grid ant, Ant made with yarn.

Row 5 (left to right): Ant drawing in pencil, Ant made with wrapping paper and shiny, metallic string, Ant collage, Inverted black and white ant, Farmer ant (with too many legs..ha!).

Row 6 (left to right): Ants around the world, Squished ant, Ant head in acrylic, Ant maze, Sad ant in watercolor.

Row 7 (left to right): Ant in nail polish, Regular ant, Ant larva, Red flying ant, Ant close-up in embossing powder.

11. Drop Cap

As a Graphic Designer by trade, I decided to use my skills to create a drop cap A for Ant. I also have recently found a new interest in typography and wanted an excuse to experiment.

10. Perler Beads Ant

This ant made of Perler Beads (aka - Melty Beads) was a special contribution to this collection by my good friend Meghan. It made the journey, unharmed, all the way from Columbus, OH to Hudson, MA!

Thanks so much Meghan, I love this ant!

9. Yellow Wax Ant

This ant was shaped using the wax coating that came on my Mini Babybel Cheese snack and is stuck on the side of my glass.

8. York Peppermint Patties Ant

Tonight, my husband and I attended a lovely, anual event that our church puts on called The Sweetheart Banquet. Knowing I hadn't done an ant yet, I searched for what I could use. Then, my husband suggested I use the York Peppermint Patties that were scattered around the tables. What a great idea!

Above is the picture of my York Peppermint Patties Ant and one of the chocolate mice that were made for the event favors. The mouse was cute and my friend suggested I add it in the photo :)

Speaking of my friend, Christine Crowell wanted in on the ant action... Look what she came up with!

Fabulous ant created by my best and very creative friend, Christine Crowell.

After I was satisfied with the photographs for York Ant for day #8, my husband and I... ate it..... yuuum!

7. Seed Bead Ant

Made using 91 black seed beads and 32 gauge wire.

6. Chandelier Reflection Ant

As I was sitting on my couch this evening, trying to think of what I could come up with for Ant #6, I looked through the doorway into the dining room and there it was on the ceiling! I couldn't believe how clear of a reflection that my dining room chandelier projected onto the ceiling of the basic, rough shape of an ant's three main body sections and the antennae.
The image on the left is simply a photo of the reflection; no enhancements. The photo on the right, is enhanced to help you see the ant that I was seeing :)
Do you see the ant the same way that I saw it?

5. Watercolor Colored Pencil Ant on Skin

Ant artwork on the arm of my very patient husband. Made with watercolor colored pencils.
Think he should have it permanently tattooed? ;)

4. Aluminum Foil Ant

Toothpicks holding together the crinkled aluminum foil that makes up the ant's body and legs.

3. Paper Towel Ant

 

Body made using torn paper towels and twisted paper towels for the legs and antenna.

2. Colored Toothpick Ant

Toothpicks cut using wire cutters and glued together with craft glue to form this ant shape.

1. Button Thumbtack Ant

Buttons hot-glued onto thumbtacks are positioned on a cork board to form the shape of an ant.

Feel free to leave feedback, comments, opinions...  This is going to be fun! Thanks for looking!

The Ant a Day Project Begins...

Have you ever just sat down on the ground on a warm summer day and just watched the ants crawl around you?

I have done this on a few occasions and have always been fascinated, amused and even inspired by ants.... yes, ants.

Their life is made up of performing their given tasks over and over again, working together day-in and day-out for the sole purpose of keeping their queen ant and ultimately their colony surviving. No complaining, no lunch breaks, no chats at the water cooler, they just keep moving... they are determined and dedicated to the task. Finding food and water, making tunnels, fighting off enemies are a few of the tasks they undertake to ultimately protecting their future ant colony generation.

I am in no way saying that I'd like to go around performing mind numbing tasks over and over again each day, but I do find the ant's determination and work ethic to get the job done and ultimately complete their purpose for their lifetime quite inspiring.

Perhaps my perspective on the ant's life has been romanticized but this is my view and why I have chosen Ants to focus on during my 365 day "Ant-a-Day" project. It is also inspired by Noah Scalin's project Skull-A-Day.

I do have to say that it appears that others also have a fondness for ants and it's not just me :)

Some examples (feel free to add more below if you think of any):

• A Bugs Life - One of my absolutely favorite animated films. The main character, Flik, is an ant.
• Antz - Another animated film using ants as characters
• Ant Farms - No, I don't have one... I believe that gets into the "harming ants" category and remember "no ants will be harmed in the making of this blog"

I hope you will find what I create each day interesting at the least and potentially cause you to gain a new perspective on this insect we call the ant.

*I love to be inspired by outside sources as well, so please feel free to post thoughts or ideas for me to try out!