Cal

@calmakesart.bsky.social

310 Followers 948 Following

Artist who likes birds. (they/them) I stream on Twitch at https://www.twitch.tv/calmakesart and have an online store at calmakesart.com

The teeny tiniest young monarch caterpillar peeking out from under a common milkweed leaf, which has an attractive flat and broad leaf shape. The caterpillar has already begun snacking, evidenced by the nearby hole in the leaf.
Photo of my tabby cat, Lina, napping on a cardboard scratcher/bed under a window. The light from the window is casting rainbow light on her.
Photo of a stack of small zines arranged in a circle with one on top in the middle. The zine is titled "Fun Critters They Live In My Yard" and has a drawing of myself in a cartoony style with a bug on my finger.
A photo of four stickers on brown paper framed by leaves. The top left one is of an illustrated chipmunk. It has full cheeks and its eyes are shining happily. Text below reads "Never Too Many Snacks". The top right sticker is of an illustrated screech owl who looks grumpy and has heavy bags under its eyes. Text around it in a circle reads "Gimme Coffee". There are coffee beans scattered on either side. The bottom left sticker has a yellow smiley face with flowers on each side. Text around it reads "Be Kind, Rewild". The bottom right sticker is of an illustrated bumblebee. The text on it reads "Bee Kind.".
Photo of a Virginia Bluebell in flower from my garden. The leaves are wide, smooth, and a vivid green with a slight blue hue. The flowers a purplish blue and are tubular with a bell shaped opening. There are a few pink buds.
Digital drawing of an eastern screech owl's face in a somewhat cartoony style. It is rendered with painterly techniques using digital gouache brushes. It looks grumpy with bags under it's big yellow eyes. Brown hand drawn text above it says GIMME and the bottom text reads COFFEE. There are coffee beans drawn on either side of the owl.
Photo of a bright golden moon low over Lake Ontario. The water is pink with pale blue sheets of ice, with the gold light of the moon shining in bright reflection. The sky is not yet dark and is a pastel blue and pink gradient. 🏳️‍⚧️ It's not the highest quality photo but still pretty.
A digital illustration of a springtime meadow with flowers, a monarch butterfly, a bumble bee, an American Robin, and ice melting in some puddles. There is text in gold that says “Spring will come”.
A sketchbook page with character exploration doodles. The first is a portrait of Clair, who is bald and square jawed. She wears a headband and looks confident as expedition leader. Next is another bald dwarf with a long beard and moustache. His name is Doc, as he is the chief medical dwarf. He is also the bookkeeper and manager. Another doodle had him wearing a cowboy hat saying "Yep, this 'uns a gusher." To the lower left is the next dwarf holding a pink. She had double braids looped in front and connected at the ends. This is Silver and she is lead miner, stonecarver, and engraver. To the bottom right is Beetle. She's wiping away sweat from her brow as she takes a break from the furnace. She is the best armor and weapon smith.
Photo of a sketchbook page with pencil drawings of a dwarf character. She is bald and there are different expressions and outfits sketched out. The sketches are very messy.
Screenshot from the game Dwarf Fortress. It shows a pixel portrait of a round, white, fluffy creature with small floppy ears, dot eyes, and a dot nose. It is named a Fluffy wambler and the description reads: "A fluffy, pudge-filled being, known for its warm heart and stumble bumblings."
Digital illustration of two figures lying in the grass among pink flowers. Mari is laying on his back and gazing up at Jolly, placing a hand on Jolly's cheek. Mari has aqua hair and eyes, and scales on his skin. Jolly has blonde hair, hazel eyes, and a large strong build. Jolly is holding a flower to place in Mari's hair to match his own.
Gouache painting of a Tufted Titmouse perched on a branch with colorful fall foliage. It is a small gray and white bird with a wash of warm cream-orange under its wing. It has a pointed crest and small beak. It's eyes are large and shining.
Short video of a painting of a gray bird with colorful fall foliage. The painting was done initially on watercolor paper and gouache then mounted to a wooden panel with thick cradled edges. Then a layer of wax was added on top, creating a lightly hazy sheen. The edges were then painted with encaustic wax paint to extend the image all around the edges.
A gouache painting of a Tufted Titmouse perched on a branch surrounded by colorful fall foliage. The bird is small, has a pointed tuft on the top of it's head. It's feathers are tones of gray and a warm orange-brown wash under its wings. It's eyes are big and shining. The beak is tiny and cute. A large bright red leaf is behind it.
A caterpillar with very fluffy white fur and long black strands that look like antenna along it's back.
Photo of a large orange butterfly with white and black markings. It sits on a purple coneflower.
A yellow waterlily on the surface of calm green-blue water. The flower is round and cupped.
A Great Blue Heron standing with legs stick straight, head looking forward to the left. It is standing on a small mound of dirt in the water of the creek.
ad with coupon for Squeezit drinks. Plastic bottles of highly artificially dyed juice that brags about having 10% fruit juice. The bottles have silly faces with goofy expressions.
The VTuber Pride PaRaid logo designed by Mephisto. The letters are white with a rainbow echo of the letters evocative of summer fun.
This year we’ll be raising money for the Rainbow Railroad. “In countries around the world, LGBTQI+ people face violence and oppression simply because of who they love or who they are. We help them get to safety.”
Each stream is restricted to 1-2 hours depending on availability, scope, and need. Each streamer is encouraged to fill their timeslot with content celebrating their identity or the larger community as a whole! This could be playing a meaningful game with queer themes, singing karaoke comprised of songs that helped you through the ordeal of coming into your own identity, informational seminars on any number of topics relating to lgbtqia+ topics, or really anything as long as it is on theme!
HELLO(pal) VTUBERS! It is once again that time of year again, time to plan for the 2025 edition of the CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED and HIDDEN GEM: SMALL VTUBER NOMINATED event, The Vtuber Pride PaRaid! This multi-day, many streamer event is all about getting eyes on lgbtqia+ vtubers and raising money for a good cause! How does it work? The Vtuber Pride PaRaid is essentially a baton pass event where each stream raids into another on a set ‘paraid path’, as if a parade were really traveling stream to stream accumulating viewers and participants along the way!
The VTuber Pride PaRaid logo - the letters are white with a rainbow of the same letters below them, giving them depth.
HELLO(pal) VTUBERS! It is once again that time of year again, time to plan for the 2025 edition of the CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED and HIDDEN GEM: SMALL VTUBER NOMINATED event, The Vtuber Pride PaRaid! This multi-day, many streamer event is all about getting eyes on lgbtqia+ vtubers and raising money for a good cause! How does it work? The Vtuber Pride PaRaid is essentially a baton pass event where each stream raids into another on a set ‘paraid path’, as if a parade were really traveling stream to stream accumulating viewers and participants along the way! Each stream is restricted to 1-2 hours depending on availability, scope, and need. Each streamer is encouraged to fill their timeslot with content celebrating their identity or the larger community as a whole! This could be playing a meaningful game with queer themes, singing karaoke comprised of songs that helped you through the ordeal of coming into your own identity, informational seminars on any number of topics relating to lgbtqia+ topics, or really anything as long as it is on theme! This year we’ll be raising money for the Rainbow Railroad. “In countries around the world, LGBTQI+ people face violence and oppression simply because of who they love or who they are. We help them get to safety.”
Screenshot from online personality quiz results showing a bunch of characters that are iconic for being very autistic coded including Coop from Twin Peaks, N from Pokemon, and Mob from Mob Psycho 100, and Rei from Neon Genesis Evangelion. The text below reads "Your Result: undiagnosed autism - this is pretty self-explanatory. i know what you are etc etc"
Photo of my tabby cat sleeping on comfy blankets.
Photo of a Trillium flower from the U.S. Forest service website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/beauty/trilliums/about.shtml. It is a white flower with three large petals and three smaller green ones underneath those. It has three very large broad leaves and a tall slender stem.
Screenshot from On Cinema At the Cinema of Time Heidecker drinking from a plastic gallon jug filled with suspicious brown liquid. There is a text splash on the bottom reading: Hei Ranch Update! Miracle water discovered on Hei Ranch rich in many life c hanging minerals.
Photo of my tabby cat Lina curled up in a blanket nest. Her tail is wrapped around her, making a perfect oval shape.
Sketchbook page. Top reads “GCH Day 14, 2/12/15” in a banner. Comic is drawn with blue pencil then inked over with black. The first drawing is a massive round wave, with me gesturing in alarm. Text reads “It feels like so many marginalized people have seen this tidal wave coming for so long.” Middle of the page has text on the left that reads “Warning everyone who could prepare and mitigate damage. To deaf ears.” To the right of the text is a drawing of me looking angry, holding my phone that shows I’m typing “Dear Rep X…” while watching a figure on the tv say “Rep X says we have no majority to do anything…”. The bottom shows me floating in water, bubbles floating up from my mouth. The text says “Now the tidal wave is here. And we’re on our own not to drown.”
Pencil comic. Top reads “A Gentle Comic Habit, Day 5, 1/30/25”. First drawing is a portrait of myself, looking a bit uneasy, with the text “Tomorrow is my birthday. Until recently I’ve been dreading it.” Another portrait, where I look kind of defeated and thoughtful. Text reads “because it feels like any chance to do things I want is past.” A thought bubble comes from my head that reads “What do I have to show for my 39 years?” Text continues “But! My friends wanted to spend time with me and raise money for the PCRF. And now my heart is full.” The comic ends with me smiling and holding a heart close to my chest.
Digital illustration of a smiling cartoon character with fluffy purple-gray hair and long goat-like ears.
Clip from my stream of Pokémon Legends: Arceus. The professor ponders how best to get wild Pokémon to allow the trainer to approach. It goes to a timelapse as he ponders the question as the clock ticks. I laugh harder and harder the longer it goes. Then he has a breakthrough! His solution is to throw food at the Pokémon, which causes me to breakdown in hysterics over the idea that it took him that much deep thought to think of the concept of throwing food at Pokémon.
Digitial illustration of my character in grayscale.
Illustration of a Modron, a type of being from D&D that is mechanical, orb shaped, with a large eye in the center, and has mechanical wings. This one is writing on a scroll with a large feather pen.
Digital illustration in a nostalgic style of a character smiling happily and sitting on a large mushroom. They have fluffy purple-gray hair, long goat-like ears, a pink nose, and a unicorn like tail. They are wearing a cloak over a purple shirt, olive pants, and big boots. They also have teal green and gold earrings. A butterfly, snail, and ladybug are hanging out in the scene.
Stevonnie from Steven Universe
Frodo from the live action Lord of the Rings movies
Screenshot of Ursula from Kiki's Delivery Service. She is sitting on her roof sketching birds that are hanging out around her comfortably.
Screenshot from the animated movie The Last Unicorn. The unicorn is white with purple eyes, hooves, and horn. A pink symbol is on her forehead around the base of the horn. It is a nighttime scene, depicted in blues.
One panel digital comic in black and white. The top left caption says 11 pm - 12 am. The drawing is of me and Lina, my cat, snug on the bed. The caption on the top right says "Goodnight Hourly comics day!" and the caption on the bottom right says "Relax, think about how fun birthday and today were, and go to sleep."
One panel digital comic drawn in black and white. It's a drawing of myself drawing. The screen is half the drawing program and half a twitch tv window. Caption at bottom right says "Caught up on hourlies"
Digital one panel comic drawn in black and white. The top left caption says 7 pm. The drawing shows me in the middle with black tank top that says "Protect trans kids". I have buffalo print pajama pants and croc sandals. There is a caption beside a croc that reads "New crocs with fuzzy insides. Lots of Pokemon charms" with a drawing of Eevee. The left side of the comic has a caption that says: Also played chase with Lina. Below is a silly drawing of Lina in a energetic pose. The bottom caption reads "Got home and get comfy".
One panel comic drawn digitally in black and white. The caption reads: 4 pm 6pm, Watched Nosferatu w/ pizza. The drawing shows me and my friend eating pizza while watching the movie. The screen shows the heroine against stark black backdrop with a shadowy hand going upwards to her face.
One panel digital comic drawn in black and white. The drawing shows the birthday gifts I got from my friend. Girl Scout cookies, Chemex coffee filters, and a 2025 Audubon calendar.
One panel digital comic drawn in black and white. The top caption says 2 pm. The drawing is my friend on the left holding a bag of apples and me on the right holding a bell pepper. I'm saying "I think I wanna make chili". The bottom caption says Groceries!
One panel comic drawn digitally in black and white. The top caption says 1 pm. The drawing is me and my friend on elliptical workout machines. I am on the left, with a "?!" above my head. My friend leans towards me on the right, saying "They're playing You've Got Mail!". One of the tvs have a poorly drawn Tom Hanks.
Two panel drawn digitally in black and white. The top caption says 12:00 pm. The first panel on the left is a drawing of me brushing off snow from a car, snowflakes everywhere. The caption reads "Brush snow off of car - there's a lot lol". The second panel is a bakery shelf with baked goods. The caption says "Pick up cupcakes from awesome bakery."
Single panel comic drawn digitally in black lines over white. The caption reads 11 am, Tidy up and get ready to head out. The drawing is of me making my bed.
Two panel digitally drawn comic in black lines on white background. The top caption reads 10 am. The first panel on the left is a drawing of me sitting at my computer sipping coffee with my therapy lamp turned on. It sits on a window sill. The caption below reads "Birdie game and therapy light". The second panel is a drawing of me making a protein smoothie with the caption "Protein smoothie time" below.