Checkered Wolf Studios

Hello and welcome to the Checkered Realm! My name is Lauren Smallidge and I'm an art student at the Art Institute of California - Orange County. I'm a first year, first quarter student and I'm working towards a double major in both Game Art and Design and Media Arts and Animation. Obviously I have a full work load and it isn't easy all the time, but it's a lot of fun!

Anyways, this site is mostly devoted to the selling of my art. It's not an "amazing" page by any means, just something basic to pitch my sales and showcase what I have to offer. Right now my prices are fairly cheap and reasonable and I'm always negotiable on any of them so if you like what you see and you want to make me an offer, I'll consider it and get back to you!

So go ahead and browse around, take a look at what I have up and have a good time while you're at it. If you want to get to know me better, you can always send me an email at: checkewolf@hotmail.com and remember, I'm also at: http://whisper-of-shadows.deviantart.com so if you're a member, feel free to watch me there too!

Also, as a side note: I'm a parent friendly artist, so kids, if you want a commission, and your parents are wary of trusting information to strangers, tell them to get in touch with me. I'm always ready and willing to talk directly to your parents and reassure them that I'm not some creepy "40 year old man living in his mother's basement trying to lure young children in" like most protective parents assume of internet strangers. Don't worry, I've dealt with it before. Kids, if your parents say no, just respect their decision. I'll be around so when you're older you can always come back and get one then. :)

ATTENTION! Some of you may know of my situation and some of you may not. I'll restate it for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about. I need to raise $300-$400 before the 16th of August so I can afford a plane ticket out to Chicago so I can go to the Navy's Boot Camp Graduation. Currently I have a boyfriend who's completing the training, and I need to get out there to see him. I don't have a job or any way of getting money besides commissions and those only come at irregular intervals, so there's no way to predict when I'll get one. Plus, the amounts I rake in aren't high at all so when I get the money, it usually goes towards paying for gas so I can get to school. But I digress. The Graduation is on the 1st of September, but I need to book my flight by the middle of this month, perhaps a bit later, so that I can get a better deal on airfare. I'm also trying to help out my boyfriend's mom, Jaena, with her airfare if I can. She's an amazing woman who works two jobs, goes to college and still manages to raise her kids. I don't know how she does it, but it's mindboggling. She and maybe her son Chandler will be flying out to Chicago as well and they're in a bind as far as cash goes as well. (Jaena told me that even if she had to rob a bank, she'd find someway to get the money.) So, even if I can't get out there myself, I want her to be able to go. I know it'd mean the world to Colin if I could see him graduate, but if I can't, I want his own Mom to be out there at the very least.

Colin is an amazing guy and I love him so much. I send letters to him when I can, but he hasn't gotten any of them...It's so downhearting, but I keep sending them, hoping he'll get at least one of them. I hate us being apart but that's the way it has to be for now. "Distance makes the love grow fonder, time will make the love grow stronger."