Countdown to PIZZA!

But first:
Here is a Xmas Cthuhlu (or Cute-thuhlu, thanks to artist Shraya Shetty for being far more clever at naming images then I)that I drew for my little cousin. Someday Ill stick to doing one kind of thing and actually get someplace, but for now I think Im going to enjoy my life and draw whatever the hell I feel like and continue to chase my tail.



The time comes in every creative professional's life when they must make some hard, very grown up decisions. How the hell can I convince someone to build me an art portfolio site? Do I put my tattoos and illustrations stuff on the website? or do I struggle to maintain two separate sites?

I just don't know!

Anyway, I am definitely going to be working on content for another, more grown up blog, where I don't curse and ramble on about nothing as though nobody else can see. I'm getting to the point in my 'career' where the whole point is to get people's attention and try to hold onto it.

New blog will have process stuff for sure, but Ill probably hold out until the project is finished and post them in sequence instead of scattered all over. Also, I wont wait until after events happen to let my imaginary blog readers know that I had some part in them. Ill post things that I find interesting about other artists and art related news and such... you know, like real professionals do.

So,Pizza.

Next weekend my husband and I are returning to our 'beloved' home town of Boston Ma, to eat our weight in pizza, meatball subs and Adams' Family holiday fare.

While in Boston, my husband's band Koward is playing a few shows and doing some recording, so Ill be wandering around on my own catching up with some friends.

Hopefully, Ill get a chance to hang out with my new nephew, assuming the stork gets around to dropping him off in time.

That's how that works right? A stork in a mailman's uniform carrying a clean smiling tiny person. I read it in a book. It had pictures...

I also want to try and make it to a few of my favorite places. Museum of Fine Arts, The New England MuthaFukkin Aquarium, maybe the commons...

I haven't had a chance to do any oil painting this week and I probably wont have much time next week. I just have too many other projects on my plate.

I'm working on another record cover for Boston based band 'Fast Death' . I did a full color cover for their 7" a few years ago. This is going to be a CD cover (I think) and less extravagant, but it should be fun. Then I get to hang out with them in Boston next week!

Also been workin' on a few other projects that I cant really talk about as well.... SO here are some pages from my sketchbook. Most of them are on my FB page as well, but I hate FB.

My friend grant playing Poker. This is funny because he is the kind of guy who is always smiling and laughing. A gentleman of good humor and enabler of drunken hilarity. But late night poker games have a way of bringing out laser eyed mutant in all of us.


Also, as it turns out, he is not from Fondulac at all. I had miss remembered a past conversation.

Some old Irish guy I found in a National Geographic.


An idea for a character in some comic I doubt ill ever get around to writing.

Dancer Drawing

I was bored one afternoon sitting in a coffee shop someplace and I began drawing this from a tiny little picture I found someplace of a belly dancer with blue hair. About half way through the drawing I had to leave and I managed to lose the picture I was working from and had to improvise the rest, including the face & hair.



It was intended to keep me from dying of boredom, but I'm kinda surprised and intrigued how it came out. Its much higher key then I usually work, There is no real 'dark' areas, and I didnt go too crazy over rendering or messing up the back ground.

Unfortunately the scanner didnt pick up any of the detail in the light areas, so it looks wicked washed out. Ill f* with it a little in photoshop tomorrow at work and see if I cant get it closer to the way it looks in person.



Because it was just for entertainment, I reverted back to my comfort zone media-wise, its watercolor and colored pencil on hot press watercolor paper, 10x14".

Watching Paint Dry & Buttons

So, I was a totally dumb ass and forgot to mix some cobalt dryer into a lot of the white oil paint I had used last week, so Im going to have to skip working on it for another week. But this is what it is looking like at the moment (minus the spot where I poked it and smudged paint everywhere cuz I was pretty dure it would be dry by now).




So Im going to work on something else tonight or a little while. I have a few other pieces I have kind of abandoned in favor of this series. Ill try to post some shots of that later tonight.

Saturday I got my buttons from the "Hot 1" Action" button show last weekend! That was pretty cool. They sent me 20 buttons to do with as I please so, Ive given a few away already but Ive still got a bunch.



They invited me to participate in some trading card show next year, so I'll keep an eye out for that/ It could be fun.

More soon.

Falconer Painting Week 2

So I got a couple of hours or so in last night on this painting. Its one of my very first oil paintings and I'm really struggling with it, but Im excited so thats keeping me from setting it on fire.

Here is where I left if around 5am this morning.





I intend to get a few more hours into it today somewhere in between the time I finish my actual work and the time my husband gets bored playing 'call of duty' and starts interrupting me.



After work last night I spent a few hours with a small group of Portland illustrators, and got some really good insight into the world beyond my little spider inhabited cave (as well as a little bit of a hangover).

I knew there were some amazing artists here in PDX, but I had now idea how amazing some of them could be as people. It was such a relief to meet some mega nerds in real life and just get a chance to hang out and talk nerd shit without having to maintain some sort of 'cool facade'. Everyone was just psyched for a chance to get out of their studios and blow off some steam around other human beings and they had no problem with letting me just walk in and sit down with them.

Some had to get back to work, but others stayed to close out the bar around 2am, sharing some hilarious art & nerd stories as well as fascinating information (namely some suggestions on where to get a decent slice of pizza in this town!).

I had a great time and I look forward to the next hang out!

Falconer Painting

I started sketching this idea out in like May, but I finally got around to actually painting it last week.
The Drawing


Timidly attempting to add some value


Getting a little bolder (Drunker actually) and remembered I was going to try and make it an oil painting, so I could make the under painting as dark as I wanted.



Im trying to figure out a good system for oil painting for me and I see a lot of oil painters start their pieces with a mid tone. I do most of my drawings that way, so it kind of made sense, but Im so used to using watercolor and ink that I think I was a little afraid at first.

If I get all my work done tonight I want to start with oil paints tomorrow (yeah, right. Pig'll be flying through my studio).

Closing 'Dia de los Muertos' Show at Screaming Sky Gallery

So, Ive been pretty much completely absent from the internet for the last two months, but I promise Ive been really busy doing cool shit. Mostly tattooing, but Ive been painting as well.

The 'Dia De Los Muertos' show is over this week so I can probably post some photos that now.

The piece I had hanging:



This was one of the progress shots



The gallery opening was amazing. Im still waiting on my favorite photos from that one but for now you can check them out on fb, or:

GalleryPage


Ive also been working on a few oil paintings that Ive had kicking around for a few months




and this week (like an asshole) I started yet another one, but Ill save those for other posts.

A Rare Day off

So, i decided that I wasnt going to do anything work or art related today, I was just going to hang out with my husband and watch crappy tv.

That lasted about two minutes.

I wish I could sit still for more than three seconds at a time.

Anyway, This Thursday is the opening for the 'Dia De Los Muertos' group show at Screaming Sky Gallery on NE Alberta st. Im wicked stoked! I have one piece hanging in the show, its small but I started at the new shop right around the same time I agreed to submit work so I didnt want to get into my usual 'bit off more than I can chew' situation.

Ive been drawing like crazy the last few weeks, but Ive got nothing really to show off, its all been for tattoos. Ill sort through my shit this week and pull out some images to post.

Art Fail but its ok

I suck at keeping up with the internet. August was amazing here at the tattoo shop, but I didnt get much artwork done. My inlaws came out to visit and I tattooed my mother in law and that was a f*&%in trip.



Husband was not pleased.

I havent been to figure drawing since June, that sucks because it really makes my life so much easier when I have the sharp eye and confidence that I get from doing that every week. I did go to Dr Sketchey's last month though and that was fun, I got a couple ok drawings out of that one.

The on illustration I have been working on was supposed to be hanging up at the 'Dia De Los Muertos' group show at The Screaming Sky Gallery' here on Alberta st in Portland, but alas I missed the deadline due to this sweeeet Alice in Wonderland sleeve I started working on. I figured everyone would be doing sugar skulls and Catrinas with skull faces so I did a little research ( very little) into the pre-Spanish aspect of it. Its actually a really cool holiday and I can definitely see myself coming back to the ideas I came up with. Maybe next year though.

Here is a progress shot. Its pretty much finished, except I forgot her face paint when I was rendering her face, so now Ive got to go back and add that in.

Watercolor and colored pencil. Ill 'prolly add the face paint in colored pencil or acrylic.



More soon.

Figure Drawing Stuff

Ive been putting off posting new stuff for a while, Ive just been really busy at the tattoo shop. I figured Id put up some figure drawing stuff that I hadnt posted yet.

I havent been to a real figure drawing session since June, so from the Dr Sketchey's August thing. Most of them are on facebook I think, but I havent had a chance to scan some of the shit in my sketchbook either.








Ill try to post something more interesting tomorrow.

Tough Week

I disappeared last week rather suddenly and I wanted to apologize to anyone I was supposed to be working or planning something with.

I got a call last Monday morning from one of my (many) aunts letting me know that my mother had just been rushed to the ICU.

With the help of my amazing aunts and uncles who chipped in whatever they could to get me on a plane, as well as the support of my incredible husband, I arrived not 12 hours later in Boston Ma.

So thats where Ive been for the last week, trying to do family stuff that I really dont think I am qualified to be doing, but I am the oldest so I have to give it my best shot.

I am back in Portland Or now, just got in tonight, so I'm going to take the next couple of days to try and catch up on projects that Ive fallen behind on and clear my head before I start booking tattoo appointments for this weekend.

The trip wasnt all bad times though, it was also an amazing week long family reunion of sorts and I got a chance to see some people I really truly missed.

I will make sure to post some of those stories and photos when I can, but Ive been up for almost 30 hours at this point so I should probably go to bed.



Me n' my mum

Cover for Arctic Flowers Finished

Despite a few hiccups on both sides the new cover for 'Arctic Flowers' Reveries album is done and posted. Ive been bugging the poor guys all day trying to find out when I get my copy, but Ill post more once I figure out when they'll be available.




order it through Inimical Records in Seattle, email: mike@inimical.com

They are only pressing 500 copies so be sure to grab one!

Inimical Records

You can hear them here as well as on facebook

Arctic Flowers

Slow Progress and Shows

This summer is going to be busy for me. I'm excited and nervous.

This Thursday, June 30th is the "Beauty and the Beast" art show at Optic Nerve on NE Alberta St which should be amazing! There are some really incredible artists hanging work in this small space, it will totally be worth elbowing your way through the 'Last Thursday' bullshit to get there.



Im waiting to hear back as to weather I can sneak in a piece or two before the start hanging work up, Its my own fault for waiting so long to submit work. I was going to then chickened out earlier in the spring, I then suddenly grew a pair after being encouraged by a fellow tattooer.

Friday, July 1st 8:00pm - 11:30pm There is a benefit art show for 'Carlos the dog' at 'Side Door' in SE Portland. I haven't had the heart to ask for the details of the story, but something awful happened to this little guy and his people need help with the vet bills. Im going to have a few really small, affordable pieces hanging there so go buy them, Its a benefit after all.



Sunday July 3rd, 4-7pm is some drawing thing at 'The Lovecraft' down in SE Portland. Its the first event there of its kind so I'm going to go down and check it out if I can, its right in the middle of my workday though, so I dunno if I'm really going to make it.

Friday July 8th is the Closing reception for the Dennis Dread's 'Cut & Pasted, Burned & Wasted' show and Im stoked on that! I want to go back in and get a few good photos before they break it down, its way wicked awesome.



Friday, July 29th is the opening for my 2nd annual solo show at 'The Know' on NE Alberta. I'm waiting on final confirmation on the three bands playing the reception then Ill have fliers out for that. It should be a really good time, most of the artwork is band or music related and everything is brand new - never been displayed anywhere before. If I can get my finances figured out in time, Ill have prints available for sale at the opening and throughout the show.

Ill leave it at that for now.

Figuring some shit out...

K. so my big dilemma lately (more for the last two years) has been not being able to figure out what the f%#* I want to do... Not like, this thing or that thing, more like; coming to the point in my life where decisions have to be made and directions have to be taken. If Im going to be a killer custom tattoo artist I have to make a reputation in something or Im doomed to remain floating around in ambiguity for the rest of my career.

This is terrifying. I love drawing things! Everything!

Well, funny story...

I had the good fortune to run into someone last month who is far more established than I in their creative endeavors. She and her husband have been successfully running a fine art studio here in Portland OR for about 5 years or so now and over a few Miller highlife's I finally broke down and asked her;

"HOW THE HELL DID YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO?"

She basically said "if something awful happened, and you could no longer do the things you loved anymore, what would hurt the most? What is the one thing you cant live without?"

...So in about two seconds this stranger (albeit a very nice and generous one) held up a mirror and let me know Ive had the answer all along.

Im a fucking idiot.

So, I think Im going back to the beginning. When I was a little kid I drew bugs and monsters. When other artists used to ask me what I 'did' I always say (with no hesitation) 'I draw bugs and monsters'.

So, thats what Im going to be doing more of. I love LOVE tattooing, why the hell am I so worried about learning to paint in oil? If I aim to do solid, awesome art and tattoos that Im interested in (and better at) and show that work off, then (in theory) people begin to recognize me as someone who is good at the things I like to do. Right?

Yeah, I can do other things too, but only when they're too awesome to refuse, but in the mean time...

Cut & Pasted, Burned & Wasted, Show Opening June 2nd!!!

HEY! I've got work hanging in Dennis Dread's Show! Opening is June 2nd, With Bi-Marks and Weregoat.



Curated by Dennis Dread, featuring a whole bunch or INCREDIBLE artists, both local and international. Im wicked wicked excited for the show, not to mention super flattered to have three pieces hanging along side some of the most amazing underground artists around! I almost feel like a grownup.

What a funny week its been. My husband's band left for their Mexico tour, so Ive really had a chance to get lost in work.

The Stumptown Comics Fest was last weekend, I unfortunately had to be at the tattoo shop, so I missed out on that.

I did make it to the 'Dark Horse Presents' launch party, ate a few cupcakes and had a free beer, realized i was in a comic book store with a wad of cash in my pocket and promptly had to leave in order to prevent some misappropriation of the electric bill money.

I signed a new agreement with Paxton Gate for BoneFetish. They will be carrying my bone jewelry for the summer at their Portland location on Mississippi St. Thats awesome.



Also trying to keep up with commissions, NOT working on that oil painting I promised myself I would have finished by now. Though considering all that Ive managed to accomplish this week, Im not going to be too hard on myself.

last night was the Dr Sketchy's Comics edition, I had a blast drawing the two models dressed as 'The Wasp' and 'Black Widow'.






The very nice gentleman sitting next to me for the evening was super generous with his suspiciously vast wealth of drawing knowledge. Grateful as I was, I didnt think much of it at the time, since I had seen him at previous Shetchys and had actually gotten a great tip on a figure drawing book from him earlier this year.

We spent the breaks between models chatting about whatever came up, spiders, carpel tunnel, comics, long pose figure drawing, the ruins of his family castle in germany, tattoos. Turns out he is related to a rather famous tattoo machine maker Dan Dringenberg, the name sounded WICKED familiar so I grabbed a pencil so I could look it up later, he was impressed I spelled it correctly and I told him I knew I knew the name and I would feel like such a dummy as soon as I was looking at something...

Eventually one of the other regulars, another guy I had spoken to about comics in the past, came up and asked to see what we had been drawing, so I finally peeked over to check out his sketch pad and I definitely shit my pants a little.

It was Mike muthafukkin Dringenberg.



Four hours sitting next to the guy and talking about art and I totally didn't put it together, then, it took me about two seconds looking at his drawings to figure out why the name was so SO familiar... Its on half of the books I own.

Dummy.

Zombies, Whine and Cheese

So, here are zombies (with extra cheese)



7x5" Acrylic on CP Illustration Board.

Ive been trying to expand my understanding of colors and pigments, so Ive been challenging myself to try out colors that make me want to vomit and shield my eyes.

Since Ive had these two huge tubes of Napthol Red that Ive been hauling around for the last two years, I figured that would be a great, pain in the ass exercise to get me started for my work week.

Im really glad I made myself try them out because, I learned that you can make a whole lot of gross looking colors out of this orangy-red.

In this painting I combined it with Pthalo turquoise, Green Gold and a little bit of Unbleached Titanium. I really wish I had these colors in oil, cuz I bet they would be unbelievable.

Someday...


And now the 'Whine'

Ive been spending a whole lot of time over the past few months trying to figure out what the hell I want to do when I 'grow up'.

Obviously I LOVE tattooing, but I'm stuck in Oregon for the next two years, so Im going to work my ass off trying to make it happen, but its like many of my tattooing heroes have said "If you want to be a serious tattoo artist, why the $&^@# would you move to Portland?"

So, while waiting for some hipster to try to decide which issue of High fructose style bunny with a human heart she wants that week, Im going to keep working on illustration.

Goat heat Im tattooing on Jason this week:



But what kind?

I enjoy doing murals, but I have neither the equipment, nor the time to spent a week on site. The same goes for faux finishing, sign painting and auto/bike detailing. Unless I can bring it to my studio, I cant really make it happen with any regularity.

I would really really LOVE to paint bikes.

Im in a place right now where my drawing skills have almost caught up to my imagination and while I still have a long LONG way to go, I will make better progress if I choose a direction and stick to it for a while.

So what then? Record Covers? Comics? Book covers? Concept Art?

My problem has traditionally been that Im interested in absolutely EVERYTHING.

I know I love fantasy and horror- things that are both beautiful and make people cringe... I know I love drawing and drawing a whole lot. I love the stories you can tell with a good image, i love that it can give you goosebumps, or make you get all misty eyed...

Do I get back into Comics? Do I have the anatomy, design and storytelling skills required to do that?

Do I spend the next year+ learning digital techniques and become a concept artist? The fast pace and tight deadlines would enable me to crank out the shit that my head is absolutely overflowing with. At the rate that I work now, I could never ever be able to keep up with my own ideas, but if Im conditioning myself to work that quickly, maybe I could record more of them...

Ive also recently been playing with oil paint and I'm in love with that already! Do I maybe want to start aiming to do book covers along the vein of Donato Giancola, or Dan Dos Santos? (yeah right, in like 15 years maybe).

Do I go to art school? Maybe I should teach, I love teaching...

Oh, what to do...

Snow Painting Update

Alright, so Ive gone ahead and taken a couple photos of the in progress stages Ive dont so far. Im going to post this and tomorrow I'm hoping to get a chance to start painting.

Here is all the clutter Ive got on the drawing table. Thumbnail in the top left, wicked rough value study top right and then the quick drawing on a huge gessoed board. The photo cam out wicked dark, I apologize for that.


I never used to do thumbnails like this before, I don't know why, probably because I'm so impatient to get to the fun part, but from now on I do because they are really helpful. Same with the value studies, I kept them really rough, kind of more like a map you draw on a napkin at a bar for the cab driver getting your drunk ass friend home. Now I have that to look back at if I forget where I'm going while I'm painting.

Here are a couple quick studies of the main characters.



I really cant wait to get going, I wish I wasnt stuck at work today, as usual, Sunday appointment canceled. Stupid drunk Portland.

I'm really excited about this piece, mostly because its going to be my first real oil painting. An ambitious first perhaps... But Ive been doing a whole lot of reading on oil painting, and Ive been asking lots and lots of questions... I think Im ready. Lets see if I can make it happen.

Figure Drawing Sessions!

So, I had initially planned to continue that last train of thought with that ugly painting I posted last time. Ive been working steadily on it for the last week.

But, I forgot my camera at work the other day. So, Im posting a few images of some of the figure drawings Ive been doing over the last two months.

I've always been a fan of Dr Sketchey's so Ive got a couple of those, but I gave most of them to the models, so they're not my favorites.







Then, Ive also been going to Hip Bone Studio figure drawing sessions on Wednesdays.









Doing all this figure drawing has been really, REALLY helpful, Although it was incredibly frustrating the first two months, Ive been good about making myself go every week, and I cant believe how much easier its been to keep up, not just at the sessions, but for drawing in general. Ive never had the chance to do it before and I cant believe what a difference its been making.

I feel so much more confident now when I have to draw from imagination. You always hear that drawing from life is vital to growing as an artist, well now I understand how true that is!

Next post Ill put up those photos of the progress Im making on that snow painting. Im pretty happy with how its going so far.

Some New Stuff & About Kicking My Own Ass

So, here I am again attempting to be a responsible adult and maintaining a blog. Im going to make it stick this time.

I don't have much news that I can mention yet, I have plenty that I am eagerly waiting on, but for now here are a few things I've finished up this past week.



Quick Acrylic painting I did, Ive been doing tons of face studies lately and was in the mood to play with color. 8x10" on canvas. Its hanging up in the tattoo shop now.



This one is acrylic ink on HP watercolor paper. Was supposed to be for a handbill style ad for the shop, that's why the letters look funny. I had to add them way after the rest of the image was finished. The actual handbill is going to have some digital elements to it (in theory anyway, lets see if they print it ever).

So, about kicking my own ass...

Ive been working on a couple of paintings in between other projects, the problem with doing large, involved paintings in between other things is that it takes forever so by the time its this far along it looks wicked inconsistent. Im still working obsessively to better both my technical and storytelling abilities, so these two pieces are great examples of me condemning myself to devastating failure, by outrunning myself.

Both were started almost a year ago, and right now my abilities and technique are changing so rapidly, they look like some sort of frankenstein nightmare.






My plan to remedy this; stop doing this to myself.

I cant use either of these for anything, including my portfolio because neither are finished, or any longer relevant.

If I'm going to work on a large, detailed, portfolio piece in between other things, I'm going to treat it with the same process i use on real jobs. The theory here is that Ill actually finish these things in a timely manner, on an actual deadline. Im hoping this will enable me to be able to use them in my portfolio use them in my portfolio, instead of just contributing to the huge reject pile in my basement.