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.