2 Months?!

Have two months really passed since I took a moment to collect the thoughts running around the art? Insane.

May was absolutely PACKED between freelancing and inventory building.
I was able to finish the inventory of Florid Findings and Heartworks and I fleshed out my display options for the Flatrock Festival on May 28th. A friend lent me his wooden walls to hang some orginal art, I borrowed a couple of 3'x3' tables and finally bought a little EZ tent for my very own. Being an outdoor event the tent was a necessity, as the husband and I are very, very sensitive to the sun. Unfortunately I didn't even think about the sun peeking around the sides, as it in the photo below, and we kept trying to escape it as the day wore on. Husband was burnt on his left side since he didn't hide as well as I, but I'll bring something to hide with next time.



Getting the inventory was a torrent of activity for about a week combining freelance, craftiness and trying to keep the husband from feeling too ignored. I was able to make many things at once since I've honed the steps to make certain items into an art.

Below are the uber-complex work stations for Heartworks. To the left is the cutting board with the various impliments I use to manipulate the clay into my little beauties. It's a portable station that I usually set up on the couch with Hobbit so we can at least be within the same space while I work.
To the right is the painting set up I use to paint and gloss numerous paintings and keep them seperated. It succeeds as long as Mr Copper, our cat, doesn't get too possessive and claim them as his toys.








I slowly built up the stock of fabric flowers over the past few months since those took the most time to create for the Florid Finding pendants. Once I had about 50 sewn I started collecting the shiney findings, jewelry bits and assembling the pendants.



Currently I'm chugging on with freelance projects and sketching new ideas for upcoming shows. I have a new series in the works and wanted to include one piece in the 20th anniversary show for Untitled on July 22nd and then in it's entirety in two group shows in August, "Saratoga's Revenge" Aug. 13th and "Let Them Art" Aug. 27th. I'll be posting sketch previews and production steps along the process. I'm severely excited about these pieces because they have traditional roots in subjects that artists reach into when creating fine art stuffs. At least, I'm consciously using those roots to draw inspiration instead of unconsciously.

Exciting stuff. Especially since this marks midway through 2011 and it's vow to get my art up, alive and earn a living from it. I haven't been able to work at CF in a while and my finances haven't suffered from it...which feels absolutely wonderful on my little art brain.

April Showers?

Lately April has been full of art and some pretty severe storms here in the South. Luckily my area of TN has been saved the worst of it all, but I did have to work about 3-4 hours in candlelight last Monday after our power went out for a while. It was interesting, but only minimally slowed things down. I had to put all the design work on hold, but started the final piece of the Twins for the Untitled Spring show (yes, yes, drop off for that show was only two days after the storm...but I've been busy with freelancing!)



So above we have the ancient original sketch and the recent study (in purple) above the current larger version in gray. At 16"x20" this version of Twins was the largest squiggle to date, so while working by candlelight I laid in the basic shape and position of the heads, the ribcage, spine and a few major drips and stretches. You might still be able to see some of those original pencil marks.

After I was happy with the basic shape, I started shading in the larger basic areas very lightly with a Bic Ballpoint. Those are probably the only pens I can achieve this level of shading with, and would just cry if they were pulled from the market.
I try not to even think about what I'm shading if it's not a vital section, like the head/torso/spine, because the more I think about shading the area, the less organic it becomes.

Every once in a while I set the drawing across the room and seriously just cock my head to the sides and stare at the piece, judging the shaded areas and comparing them visually with what will become the highlights. Pretty much just weighing the visual balance.
After my little brain is happy with the shading process I then attack the highlight areas with a white colored pencil, when go back into a few places to push the darkest areas even darker.

Most squiggles will also get a background treatment of colored pencil a shade or two off from the paper, but I was really digging the monochromatic image and smooth texture of the paper, so I let it be.

Not only is this method a little theraputic with it's slightly brainless execution, but I really enjoy people looking up close and HARD trying to discern what instrument I used. Twins was really well recieved at the Untitled show, and even if the title block reflected the wrong piece, people got a kick out of the figures. A new art friend even claims he was struck by inspiration through the figures, which is a higher compliment than money in my little brain.

I really enjoyed socializing and making new art friends this time around, so I honestly can't wait to get out there & do it again. The Untitled meeting tomorrow will start the ball rolling on plans for the 20th Anniversary Show in July, so I expect more hard work will be put into it, too.
Below is a before/after photo of set-up...though I did forget to take a Really Before photo without the walls. You just get Ryan and Joe hanging pieces, and then the first visitor to the same area the night of the show. Maybe someone else has a photo of me hauling around those panels or being a short little She-Ra...but if not, there's always a chance to photo those moments in the next install.

Wait, it's Spring?!

:blinks:
Well, the past two months just flew by in a haze of art [thankfully.]

Lately I'm trying to be more involved with the Untitled Artists Group, but so far I've missed a few meetings due to back-logged work...this week I'll be able to get more info about the Spring Show in April, which I made a squiggle for my own poster design. Once the date/venue is posted I'll update it, but for now, enjoy my ink!



I also did a smaller squiggle study for the piece I plan on entering in this show. The idea came from an old sketch from sometime between 2002-2004, which was revived due to my desire to revamp the idea, and Hobbit-husband's love of the original. I might try to draw one similar to the original just for him, but I like the squiggled-version as well. Behold.
Original: Twins 031311:


I sold a BUNCH of items at the Hellblinki/Joe Black show in mid-February. Boa Clothing is keeping me on my toes with restocking and special orders on the crafty items. And honestly, I really need to get back to restocking my own inventory for the large festival at the end of May, not to mention really getting down to stocking the Esty site. So...random fascinators/accessories/necklaces are a success. I suppose they could be my "hobby" when people ask what I do in my free time. (Hobbit-husband would laugh at the phrase "free time" though, cause it doens't really exist)

I've gotten a little more freelance work under the belt, and one regular client that is helping build the dream of "earn a living with my skills alone." I still do a little part-time as-needed mockup work at the local design company, but lately I've been too busy, which is a half blessing cause I miss working with those people.
Hopefully I'll be able to upgrade my website to allow 500 images, cause I'm at the limit and Really want to just add instead of rotate new projects in my current 30 image limit.

I was asked to design a friend's baby shower invitation and am so happy with how it is coming out. I'll post the images from it after delivery, as I want the mom-to-be to see it before the interwebs. I still have production to do, trimming out embellishments, putting them all together, but doing things like that are fulfilling in their own way. Soon I'll be holding a stack of 40 cute and complex-looking invitations and can say "I made it all, minus the actual paper." Maybe one day I'll have the space to Actually make the paper, or at least recycle paper into home-recycled stuffs.

Anyway...That's mainly what this design-junky has been up to the past few months. It's not everything, but the coffee is finally kicking in and there's a meeting I need to get to....which time has totally snuck up on me! Must run!

Also!

If you ever need some custom designs or freelance work from me, head over to my profile at Thumbtack. For all you designers out there, this is actually a great place to make connections and find new clients. I've gotten a few good hits this week, so check it out!

More steps in the right direction.

Just made an account on Thumbtack.com that focuses on all those Heartworks and Facinators I've been churning out lately. I already have one for the Illustrations & Designs & think this will be a great addition to the web "presence" I've been trying to build up. (and the best part is the price tag of free :)

Pop on over for a full selection of my little twisted creations and details on how you can order your own wearable art!

Locomotive Thinking

9 days after the previous post and I'm still working at fulfilling 2011's goals. I can haz cookie?

I've been trying to flesh out a new series of illustrations based on my vision of Neil Gaimen's "Family of the Endless" from "The Sandman" comics, but they're a little hard to fully form. I'm still stuck on which medium to use, mainly based on time, which is putting a big wrench in my cogs as far as design. Today's sketches yeilded the idea of approaching the portraits like the Bible Series pieces or even the Skinny Puppy portrait, with text interwoven through the illustration, grittily colored and slightly garishly fleshed on the board. My initial idea was a simple vector line illustration because of a slight time constraint/number of images ratio, but the first attempt yeilded a bit of an...underwhelming portrait. I planned on casting close friends as each character, listed as so (in case you're familiar with either side of the list or just curious)

Destiny-Hobbit Husband
Dream-Hobbit Brother-in-Law (first attempt complete)
Death-Myself
Desire-Chris (girl-chris, though the androgony of the name lends well to the character)
Despair-unknown
Delirium-Hobbit BiL's girlfriend, Rachel
Destruction-Hobbit Husband or friend Gerald (Gerald is honestly a perfect match to the character, but Husband is a quick model if need be.)

There is an art gallery in the Hickory Hollow Mall having a comic/anime art show on the 29th of this month that at least 5 of these would fit into. The problem lies within that small amount of time to do these portraits....But we will see how well I spend my off time from the day-job, yes? Maybe seven amazing pieces will just leap from my fingers as easily as five did last spring?

I'm also eyeballing at least three other shows in the coming months, all insisting I revamp my inventory and bulk up the "new art" list.


The best news, or newest news, is that last week I was accepted by a local shop to sell my necklaces, notecards, hair facinators and other random art on consignment! Now my items don't have to sit away in storage til an art or craft show, they can be lovingly drooled over by locals and bought up! (my little dream)
The shop is Boa Clothing located at 4902 Charolette Ave. in Nashville TN and I swear the owner/operator Sam is one of the most awesome chicks you'll ever meet. Her shop is one of the best places to burn through a paycheck for your horror/goth/punk/vintage desires and she is severely dedicated to local artisians.

As it's nearly 4am in The Shire I'm going to wrap up the package designs I was working on trying to get sleepy and crawl in bed with my poor sick Hobbit Husband. I don't plan on sleeping in too much, though. There's just too much to do in too little time :D

In the year 2011....

...things will happen.

I know that January fills the interwebs with postings bursting with resolutions, goals and grand ideas, and there's no reason to change that trend here.
2010 was the year that essentially boiled down to my wedding, something grand that needed much time to be dedicated to planning, creating and sorting for. I tried to set time aside for art shows and such, but by September I was just burnt out, and decided to dedicate wholly to the wedding "art project" and leave the rest on hiatus til January.

Wedding day came and went off beautifully and was kindof the begining of the great bomb that is known as "Family Holiday Season." The honeymoon was a week later, Thanksgiving the week after that, and essentially I literally didn't stop until New Year's Eve. Well...more specifically New Year's Day as I was battling the annual hangover (on a much smaller scale than usual) combined with a cold (of a much larger version than usual.) After the hangover burned itself out I was still left mostly immoble with an insanely stuffy head and chest leaving me time to sketch. Bringing us to day 4 of 2011.

I applied and interviewed for an intership in the end of 2010, which I didn't get, but the process pushed me into a more motivated way of thinking which I hope to keep up with. I need to push myself. I need to utilize the skills I have, the books I have, and build the professional Book I know I can create. I'm trying to sketch something substantial everyday, no matter the style or subject, no matter if it's on paper or digitally.
Since I'm still rocking an amazing headache from the cold, I'll cut this short with a couple of b/w sketches.

b/w digital sketch of my Hobbit Husband and I.

b/w digital sketch with minimal color, illustrating the pain sometimes behind inspiration and ideas.

Cheers!