Movember: One Girl's Dream

I'm happy to report a great time was had at the Northwest Majors! I promise to post a bit about it once we get around to uploading some of the photos (most likely tomorrow).

Today I submitted an illustration to CreatureMag's Movember challenge the 'Mustache Illustration Awards'. Movember is a great UK tradition our boys in the states took up a few years back, when men do not shave all month to raise awareness and funds for men's health issues.

I spend most of Movember seething in jealousy. It's a excellent cause, that's not the trouble. My teeth are gritted because I have been wanting a mustache of my own since I can remember. And not the wispy pathetic whiskers that sometimes plague women, I'm talking full on Teddy Roosevelt. Something I can grow out long and proud and grab the handles of to steer my own head down the street and onto GLORY!

So when I saw CreatureMag's competition, I was thrilled. FINALLY I can participate in my own small way beyond sponsoring my luckier testosterone sporting pals. Here's what I sent in:

I call it "Where Did Daddy's Mustache Go?" The idea behind it is a child imagining all the adventures their father's newly shaved stache is having now that it's faceless and fancy free.

It's actually a digital blend of three separate illustrations I did roughly a year ago. My father was very determined that I should learn Photoshop when I was young. He had me practicing blends and layers when I was in ninth grade (1996) and my teenage summers were spent grumbling over stacks of negatives he would have me scan and touch up the way other kids were made to do the dishes. Boy, am I ever grateful now though! I have friends who have paid good money to poorer teachers to learn that program. My Dad really did me a favor.

Here are the individual illustrations:

I wanted to create a children's book of the same name, but put it on pause over the summer when mustaches took off (hundreds of them helicoptering through the sky) and I felt perhaps mustaches had been played out. Not for me. Never for me, but maybe for everyone else. Movember is going strong this year however, so perhaps not yet!

I leave you with the multiple mustached photographs of me that exist. A girl can dream.

Photostache

A stick on stache.

Asparastache

A gift from my friend Kyle.

I like how my sister has just learned to tune me out.

Milkstache

Meatstache and Shrimpocle.

Fingerstache (pen).

Napkinstache

Yes that is a wooden mustache on a chain.
Yes I did pay money for it.

Sometimes I beard it up, too.