Phones are helpful when you need to check the time, but when I'm at home, I still rely on the wall clock. Whose dial started falling apart a couple of weeks ago. Soon, part of it was torn and hanging off the surface, which made all three hands stop at that point even though the battery was still working.
So when I took the dial off, I decided to replace it with something slightly more creative than the regular digits on a clock. Not that I didn't have more pressing work to do, but drawing on a wall clock is probably the next best thing to drawing on a wall, and who doesn't want to do that? Also, I'm surprisingly focused with stuff like this, especially when there are more important things to be done. Anyway, this is what it looks like now.
Most of it is easy to figure out, but I do tend to have outlandish ideas sometimes, so maybe this might make more sense with an explanation. Not that anyone really needs to know what my clock looks like, but it's another of my attempts to "make good art", so here goes:
1. Unicorn (or unihorn, as I like to call it)
Simple enough to understand, I'm sure. Unicorn = one horn. Could have used a rhino if I'd wanted it to be more representative of where I come from, but anyway...
Also, unicorns are unique. One of a kind.
2. Yin and Yang
Also pretty obvious, the two main balancing forces of the universe and all that jazz.
3. The Fates
There's the one who spins the thread, the one who measures it, and the one who cuts, so here's the spindle, a measuring tape, and scissors. And the thread of life, of course.
A combination of two things that come in fours: seasons - summer (sun), spring (leaf), monsoon (water drops. Maybe a dry leaf if you're from a place with autumn instead), and winter (snowflakes. We don't have snow - or proper winter, really - in most parts of the country, but I like drawing snowflakes). Also, the human heart has four chambers. Seasons + heart = awesome Rent song.
5. Pentagram = Elements
Representation of the five elements in harmony. Not sure how harmonious mine are with the pentagram being that wonky, but life isn't perfect anyway.
Most people would probably relate sixes with abs or beer or cricket, but for some reason, the only thing I could think of was how when you die, you're put six feet under. A coffin seemed too morbid to draw on a clock. It would be like an ominous voice going "Your time is up! Muhahahaha!"
I love Terry Pratchett, so Death it is. Also, this looks a lot cooler than a can of beer although the latter would have been easier to draw.
7. Music + Rainbow
Another combination: a treble clef (which isn't really a musical note, but it conveys the idea) and what appears to be blank music sheets with extra lines but is supposed to be the seven colours of the rainbow. The dial was supposed to be multicoloured. In my defence, all the colours combined give you white, so there.
8. Octopus
Pretty obvious, with the eight tentacles.
9. Cat
Nine lives. Again, simple and obvious.
10. Bowling Pins
The most boring one of the lot, in my opinion, but I couldn't think of anything else. Funny, considering how I seem to round things to the nearest ten so often while counting.
A much cooler idea would have been numbers, but the whole point of doing this was to avoid using digits.
11. Football + Movie
Eleven people on a football team, as you know. But the thing I immediately associated with "eleven" was "Ocean's", i.e. the movie. So there you have what is supposed to be an ocean wave. I'm cheesy, I know. But at least I didn't draw George Clooney.
12. Zodiac Signs
There are twelve signs in all, but I only drew the one that's generally considered the twelfth. Also, it's my sign, so I had no scruples about choosing it over the others.
Not bad for an accidental project, right? So, to paraphrase Gaiman, whenever things fall apart or there's too much stuff you don't want to do that needs to be done, (or even when everything in your life is absolutely lovely) here's the best thing you can do: make good art.
Or at least make, and hopefully it'll be art, and good.