The Contest Inspiration

As a life-long arachnophobic, spiders have always seemed ugly to me. No matter how big they are, or how far away, the sight of these creepy, eight-legged critters has terrified me for as long as I can remember. I don't even remember when it all started because I never actually feared them for myself-- I simply picked up on my mother's phobia.

In the Corner

Worry multiplies
with each black, scraggly leg -
irrational fear.

That's why I wrote the above haiku, and that is why I've made a commitment to myself to overcome this fear starting now. After all, spiders are just another beautiful part of nature and are nothing to be feared. Because I inherited my fear from my mother, I refuse to pass on my irrational paranoias to my own children. Now that I am a mother, there is simply no time to waste! And thus, I present you with the Ugly/Beautiful Contest.

I've made the decision to get a tattoo that will grace the inner side of my left arm. It will serve as a constant reminder of my commitment to overcome this fear and later as a life-long celebration of my success. But I don't want just any tattoo, it has got to be original! So, I turn to the amazing talent pool here on DeviantArt for help.


The Rules



Your entry for the contest must be based on the above deviation. This is a visual arts contest (my apologies to my comrades in the literature community). You are asked to interpret the above design and incorporate it into one that fits the theme of the contest. Here are the rules:

1) You may interpret the image in any way you choose, but the base image MUST remain (ie. the two black dots).
2) Your image must fit within the dotted lines in equal proportion (my arm is only so big!), but the dotted lines themselves are not part of your image.
3) You must at least incorporate a spider into your image, showing that it can be beautiful too by incorporating some other symbol of beauty.
4) Your image can be in any style.
5) There can be no more than three basic colours in your image (but the two black dots must remain black).
6) Your entry is due by Friday, August 15, 2008 at 10pm EST.

I want you to have fun with this, but also remember that this is art. I want an image that is professional looking and polished; my arm is canvas, not a doodle book. Please bear this in mind and only submit to the contest if you are serious about the subject matter.

Judging/Prizes

I will be judging this contest alone as only I should be the only one to decide what graces my arm for the rest of my life. There also can only be one winner. As far as prizes are concerned, I am willing to pay, but I refuse to use programs like paypal, etc, where I need to first register to use it. So your payment will need to come in another form. Perhaps you would like a print? Or a subscription? Or is there something on a website outside dA you've been eyeing but couldn't get? As long as I don't need to register for it, I am happy, assuming the price is reasonable!

We'll talk; I'm flexible.

Got a question? Just note me! Also, the details of this contest will continue to be available here which will also contain any updates (as news articles cannot be updated).