Sunday, December 12, 2010

Iris and the Future




This is a watercolor piece I actually did back in the summer. I sold in on my Etsy last month to someone up in Seattle. It excites me how people from all over have found my work and are enjoying it enough to buy a piece :)

Moved into my new place in October and only now do I feel like I'm finally settling in. Sorta.
My life is constantly changing. New beginnings seem to be happening on a regular basis... I wonder when I'll finally settle.

My mind is thinking in different ways, which is surprising me. My approach to everything around me is handled in such a way... I can explain, just yet.
I discovered tumblr a while back and the way it's 'blogs' are laid out seem to work better with my thought processes lately. I feel like I can connect better, as well.

A teaser's been posted but, I'll be officially leaving this Blogger and launching myself through tumblr in the new year.


I hope we can connect there.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Dead and Empty.


So I'm moved into my new place but not much to show for it yet. No furniture, not even a bed yet. :/ Getting there. A few more weeks I expect to be settled in and back to a pattern. 2011 I'm changing face. new image, new art, new goodies. I truly hope I stick to things this time. There's no excuse not too. In the mean time, I still do some contributing over at HILIFELIVIN.COM and Tweet up a storm, mostly art bullshit.

Oh, above image is my Halloween costume. Like?




Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Show Time.


I actually started this piece weeks ago but an ink spill caused me to have to restart.
I started over yesterday and have it about to where I left on on the last. This is the one I'm gearing to submit to TaTa Gala. If I get it done fairly soon I'll probably attempt to submit a couple more works. We'll see what time allows. So Much More Rendering!! D:

I just bought a bunch of neon colored paint for a collection of work that has been building in my head for the last few months. Once I get this show work out of the way I'll have something to show off.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

These Intimacies


Works In Progress

Distractions and New Directions




Story of my life.

Been nothing but confusion and doubt since I had to leave CCAD.
I had a solid plan, a pattern.
I feel like I'm back at the begin yet, a little worse off.

The attempt now is to force the results on my own.

I'm exhausted by all this time wasted.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

The Broken Promises.


Oh I'm working on things alright.
Currently hating this digital camera and the way my computer has been behaving lately.

My focus right now is to not think.

Seriously. I've realized that I think too much and that's what's distracting me from creating the way I used to.
I want to loose my mind.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Afareen.

I realized that I spend most of my time in transit. Hours a day, hours a week. I'm sure days worth through out the months and years. Spending time moving from one place to another.

A to B.

Walking. Everywhere.
To do laundry. To go to 7-11.
Walking to bus stops. Waiting for buses. Riding buses.
Waiting for rides.
Driving.
To Work. To A Friend's. To go out to eat.
Across the country.
Waiting in the airport. Waiting for takeoff clearance. Hours in the air.

I don't know the math but, I believe I spend more than average amounts of my days/most of my life moving around. In transit.

I'd like to spend less of my life constantly moving/waiting/wasting.

Yet, nothing has come into my life to make me feel comfortable enough to settle.
At least it's been a while.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Twigs and Dirt.

I miss drawing from life in a classroom setting. Drawing from photos doesn't cut it.
I also do not like using conte pencils on this paper.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Swirls and Women.

Women are highly sensitive and moody creature. No matter how rough and stable of an impression they give off, they are still just women. Insecurities are something we all have in common. They might varry in subject or degree but, for the most part, all of us have some kind of insecurity. Image, career path, dating, habits....
I vented with a friend the other night about my recent anxiousness about my art and having left CCAD and attempting ASU in the fall. I'm eager to start back schooling but, it still doesn't seem right. Something is off....
My friend didn't say much in response but, a simple few words. Sometimes that's all we need to calm the mind.
Sometimes the ear from a certain person can subdue mental stress.

We still have insecurities and no matter what forces from the outside try and assist with them, it truly all comes down to yourself. Taking command of your own mind and making yourself who you want to truly be.

Monday, June 14, 2010

The Zero Mind.

Sanguine might be my favorite color to draw with. Other than the grey sepia.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Work Doodles and Creating Productivity...




On a particularly slow lunch shift a few weeks ago I doodled these at work.

I got to thinking that I haven't really free sketched in a while. Part of this, I'm aware, is because I'm not surrounded by creative energy like I was in Columbus and at CCAD. I also realized I stopped carrying around a sketchbook. I constantly had one on me during high school and used it regularly and I had a small one I carried in my bag when I lived here in AZ a few years back but nothing really since. I've had a couple small moleskine journals but I mostly used them to jot down ideas that came to me or notes for future projects.
But, why?
Why did I stop using a sketchbook and/or creating are so steadily like I used to? An artist's block is merely another label for distractions. Things like jobs, significant others, the internet, and TV, families, responsibilities as well as laziness.
I need to get productive or at least get moving. I've been feeling kind of down since I've moved out here and I think a big part of it is the lack of art surrounding me.
I have no excuse not to create SOMETHING. Even if it's a simple sketch.
I've seen a group of artists do a sketch a day though their blogs last year and recently a friend just started to do something similar over the summer with drawing something everyday now through august.

I've decided I'm going to carry a sketchbook with me again.
I am also doing to draw/doodle something everyday and/or at least work on the progress of a bigger piece of art.
I will document and post here.
I feel like this will get me productive again and progress toward the progress video blogs I want to make.
On that note I'll leave you with a few art vlog/progress videos from a few artists I admire :)








Friday, May 7, 2010

Visual Art for the Ears.

I went to see my favorite band perform last night at a small venue just a few steps from my apartment here in Tempe. MONO is a instrumental rock/ post-rock band from Tokyo. They don't tour North America often so there was no way I was missing this.
I'm not a photographer and all I own is a small point and shoot camera but here are a few shots I took from the show that I liked.








I'm not one with much knowledge about must but, all this art for the ears got me thinking about all the art that is plastered on musicians' album covers.
I complied this visual list of sweet album covers and links to the artists [if available :/ ]
Ready, Set, Photo Spam!


Aaron Janinski


Mark Ryden


Julie Bell


Alex Pardee He also did The Used's 'In Love and Death' album.


Alex Grey has done a couple of Tool's album covers along with much of their merchandise.




Done by the author of one of my favorite graphic novels, Craig Thompson


Drawn by the band's lead, Gerard Way.


Sanna Annukka


Dan Mumford


Paul Romano


Esao Andrews


Will Sweeney


Marq Spusta




both of the above and all the art direction is by Alan Aldridge. He also did the Beatles Illustrated Lyrics




Takashi Murakami

And I'm sure there are many many more that I can't think of/find at the moment.

Also, since I'm mentioning music I'm going to plug the music review site/blog Klap 4 Music written and maintained by an acquaintance of mine, Rudy Klapper.

What are some of your favorite illustrated album covers? Please Share!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Sketch 4 Sketch

Zerofriends duo, Dave Correia and Alex Pardee set out on a US road tour about a month ago called Sketch4Sketch where the two artists traveled to different locations around the country asking you to trade them a drawing for a sketch from each of them. A brilliant idea, I think. Illustrators as touring rockstars? Oh yes.

Well I caught up with them here in Phoenix at Red Hot Robot.


The table of t-shirts and prints


The line of eager fans waiting to trade




Dave [left] and Alex[right] check out the art you trade them and chat it up while they draw.




I traded the boys a few things including the Pop Surrealism piece I did for ColorCon based off Alex Pardee's work, some buttons, a print of my Venus of TaTa and a Snack Monster print, Matinée Snack.
They loved the snack monster and their quick sketches for me were inspired by my junkfood eating creature.


Zerofriends crew member Sean told us stories while we waited. Stories about the true origins of Batman and how he used to cuddle his pet bunnies and pretend they were unicorns :D

Alex sketching something for me


Dave sketching a pumped up Snack Monster


And these are the result.

Snack Monster on Steroids! :O from Dave Correia


Alex Pardee's Giant Mutant Hot Dog Eating a Snack Monster!! Oh Noes!



Hooray for Traveling Artists and Art Trades!!



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