Student Interview

Recently, a student asked me to answer some questions for her class about being a local artist here in Austin. I thought I'd share the questions and answers. It was fun!

1. What is it like being an artist in Austin, where is there an abundance of great artists? Do they inspire you or create competition? I have been in Austin for a little over ten years and was a very shy person at first. I didn't really share with many that I loved art and that I have been drawing ever since I was little. I was afraid of the judgement, or critique, rather. However, being here has introduced to me many creative and wonderful people that have inspired me along the way to really embrace being who I am. Being an artist here has really been life changing. 

I am not sure if there is a right or wrong to answer the question of where to go about finding an abundance of great artists. I say this because, really, they're all around! We live in a city of artists of many mediums and I find them all to be incredibly inspiring. I don't think of competition when I meet any artists - quite the opposite, actually. They're a part of your community as an artist and you can benefit from learning from them and vise-versa. Networking and being present amongst the art community is an important aspect of being an artist. 

2. How did you first begin to develop your style? I have always been inspired by old fairy tale illustrations and ornate book covers. I have a love for drawing and line that was able to be expressed when I learned intaglio printmaking. More specifically, engraving. There is a beauty to the feel of pushing a tool through metal to create fine, undulating lines that is reminiscent old illustrated fairy tales. Indeed, many old illustrations were created by either etching or engraving. Although I have not engraved or etched in a while - whether it be ink or pencil -I still create work that is inspired by the line quality of intalgio. 

As far as content goes, I grew up watching an abundance of Jim Henson and horror movies. As a child, I gravitated to the dark, fantastical allegorical tales of the Brothers Grimm. There is a strong belief by both Maurice Sendak and Jim Henson (and many others like, Edward Gorey) that children should not shielded from macabre or horror in writing or art. It is a forever present fact of life. Why sugar-coat it? The Brother's Grimm stories are a good example of this. To end my mini rant, I can just say that I am happy that these images and stories weren't hidden from me as a child because of their deep impact on how I work and dream.

3. Where did you find your artistic voice? Hm, that's a tough one. Although one feels that they've had their artistic voice since day one of life, I can delve deeper and say that printmaking had a lot to do with it. I was in a place of being unsure if what I did was considered art. I went through many periods of having people tell me what I did wasn't art. Hearing that at the time was a bit shattering to me until I took a printmaking class. There was something all-encompassing about the print community that shook me out of feeling alienated. Defining art is such a broad and bumpy road sometimes; it is, in a way, in a constant state of change with no bounds. You have to remember to let whatever is coming out of you be your own voice, and not what everyone else says it should be. It took a medium to coax it out of me.

4. What inspires you? What does your art mean to you? I am inspired daily by many things! I may go on a tangent here and list many things! However, to be more specific, as mentioned in a previous answer, oddities, old books - even the smell of old books, nightmares, old ghost stories, children's books, a crackly record playing in the background, The Twilight Zone, nursery rhymes, cold weather, old scientific illustration ... so many things. More importantly, David Bowie (the many phases of him) and Jim Henson were a huge inspiration growing up. They still are.

I feel that without my art, I'd be even more of a socially awkward person. It frees my brain of my beautiful chaos and overflow of dreamy nonsense. I get to channel all these things into characters, worlds and little narratives. 

5. What element of your art do you feel is most important? Line. Line is king to me. There is nothing more entrancing when making (and looking) at art than lines done "right". The variations of widths, lengths and curves is very alluring to me. You can feel a sense of energy with line work. It can be really powerful.

Post East Austin Studio Tour Update!

I will start out by say that my first experience participating in the East Austin Studio Tour was absolutely wonderful. I was nervous as hell but it was well worth it. Having that volume of people see your work is both nerve wracking, yet rewarding. It was a good crowd.

Some work from my area of the studio

More from my little slice!

Neeka Allsup's mesmerizing wall.

Allison Geneser's gorgeous wall.

I finished every single work in progress that I had going, including the illustrations for the story written by Neeka Allsup, The Bear and His Catch.  Neeka and I framed them with the text as a preview during the second weekend of East. I feel we generated good reactions and feedback. I am excited to have it printed in the near future. Stay tuned for more information on that!

So, this is the first time in - well, I don't know how long - that I can start something without having a piece lingering in the background. I can start fresh. New. Take a breath. Try a few things. A different medium even. I would really like to give oil painting a chance again, and there is no time better than now, right?

All In

It's only a few more weeks until East. I am getting that nervous feeling of not having things done in time, but I would get that feeling no matter how much I had done. I notice that I have been having some sort of weird creative block lately. When you begin to feel behind, you (or is it just me?) tend to push things rather than let them come to you. I imagine that sentence could only make sense to some. I find it hard to articulate what I feel when I am having a sort of creative crisis. I guess that would make sense, though, huh?

It is like my brain is trying to do too many things at once and I am not capable of putting it on paper. That really sucks, but it happens. This is probably the same old song with all artists and may be a bore to read about, but, as always, it helps to write about it.

I still feel the need to express what I have discussed in previous posts, but it is almost as if every mark I make is forced and awful. I erase, erase, erase, erase .... and then erase some more. Today, however, I woke up telling myself, "Don't you erase a single thing today. Enhance it. Make it yours." And I did. I didn't take start over and over and over again. I just let myself finish the idea. I mean, it's not finished yet, but it's coming along nicely. You just have to take a breath for a moment and feel what you're doing.

Before I end this brief entry, I will share with you the idea behind this particular piece I am discussing. When I say that I want to do a tarot deck, it definitely does add to the list of the million projects I have envisioned. On the other hand, it is totally doable if I have one going all the time - even in between other things. Is that a bad idea? I don't know. Maybe. I want to do it anyway, so I started with "The Moon". I haven't drawn in all the components, so it is definitely still a work in progress. It may not look like much now, but here are some progress photos.

See, now, I have only written a few paragraphs and I already feel better about my direction. Always stay focused. Even if it frustrates the shit out of you.

Then, smile because you're making art.

Focus and Variety

Time ticks and the hours collect in your pocket as a reminder to get work done. You take them out, you count them and you see how much has been wasted instead of spent making art. Hey, that's life and life happens, right? You have grab those hours ahead and store them in your bank to cash out for what you love. Precious time. Art = time. Time = art. What? Yep. Curse you, pain meds!

Pain medication nonsense aside. Time is always something I think and talk about. I have always thought the one thing I would really, really miss when I die is making art and that still rings true. I don't necessarily think about death all the time, but I do think about conquering all the ideas and creating all the wonderful lines that I can, when I can. I spent a good chunk of last week drawing and jotting down ideas and I loved every minute of it. This week has been sort of a miss for me since I have been sulking in bed recovering from dental surgery. However, I am determined to do some mark-making even if it comes out completely awful. And yeah, again, I am on some pain medication, so I don't expect to make anything spectacular, but that's okay.

I have come so close to finishing the drawing I had shown in my previous post and have even started a few others. I didn't get a chance to take great photos of them, but they're still in the works anyway. So, so close to being done with the twins, though! Adding more ink, pastels and a few more details and it's off to being framed after that.

I have been told a couple times that maybe I should stop making so many masked/beaked figures, but I say nope. I will stop making them when they stop coming to me. "Aren't you afraid of all your work looking the same for a while?" Well, no, not really. Not only do I enjoy my time when I make the art that I want, but I also enjoy being able to think more expansively about the "theme" or "symbols" (for lack of better words) that I have in me during a certain period of time. I want to explore my work in graphite more, so I am. I want to dig deeper into the imagery that I have used quite a bit in my life, so I am. I want to explore the way the body moves, contorts and the ways in which I can exaggerate and distort it, so I am. I want to keep doing what I'm doing. So I am.

For me, building on my work lends to change on its own. Art does that. It naturally changes and flexes not only within influences of your outside world and art around you but also with your psyche. Sometimes, yes, I do think to myself, "oh, I will do a series of such and such" but that does not mean it did not come to me in a natural sort of way or sprouted from an existing idea. When I force myself to change the way I do things or force an idea that's not in me, then it usually turns to shit anyway. Moral of this story? It's not a bad thing to work in a series or to explore an idea(s) - it is not repetitive. It allows me to investigate and explore something in a variety of perspectives. This is sort of related to what I wrote about in the previous post, but it is an ongoing thought within me ... and probably most artists. 

So, once again, here is this guy. He's been redone a few times. I can't stop thinking of this image and became sort of obsessed to get it the way I want it. I think I am liking this version more than any others. He always seemed so regal, so the wreath framing and the crown seems fitting. I also noticed that the shading and the shape of the flowers on the wreath are reminiscent of the hair on the twin piece. Maybe I needed to complete that piece before this came to me? I don't know really, but I like where it's going. I want to write a little story about him. 

As for this doodle here in my sketchbook, this is an idea that happened at the most wonderful time. Quiet time. As you can kind of tell, I was in bed. Sitting and drawing in sweet silence after a lovely hot bath. It was awesome. My mind was at ease and the thoughts flowed like smooth waves from my fingers through my pencil. Magic. This is what I intend to do this evening while I am posted up in bed. I can't speak, but my hands can. 

Have a happy Saturday, all. 

Inside and Outside

Hello, friends. I thought I'd take some time to have a little looksie into what has been going on in my art world lately. Seeing how it's been rather difficult for me to keep up on the happenings, I may skip around a bit. Let's see ....

 Oh, hey! Look! It's a photo of Nudge Collective's studio. I am not the best at using the panorama feature on my phone, but it'll do for now. It's such a great space (Canopy in Austin, TX), and I have enjoyed my time when I work there. It is quite a different experience working from your home and working in your own studio. I feel as if I get a whole lot more done without all the distractions that being at home can have. There's no, "Hm, I should clean this or rearrange that." or "I'm just going to read this for a few minutes and thennn I will get to work!" None of that. I am happy to be a part of this space. I feel productive and inspired by the wonderful women with whom I share it with.

I really wanted to share more about the book Neeka and I are working on, but I have decided that I want to save that for much later when we're closer to finishing. We are getting so incredibly close!

I have been working on some personal work as well. I have had a recent fascination with the idea of twins or mirror-like images and, of course, masks. The idea behind the masked or beaked creatures are usually an aesthetic of which to hide behind, or social anxiety, rather. In a way - well, in many ways - it is about me and my personal struggles and triumphs within (the piece in progress below would represent the struggle). The twins, however, are somewhat representational to the battle of certain aspects of myself. Alike, but subtly different. Dualities. For lack of better words, they are perhaps seeking a balance of my introverted self and a social/extraverted self. This may seem a bit cliché, but the drawings flow rather naturally and usually without the conscious intention to make such statements. As art usually does, it just happens, and you look inside yourself to see and make sense of why. I find myself doing this more and more than I used to. By doing this, I feel more at ease with myself and therefore, more infused with creative juices. I suppose you could say ... my cup runneth over?

The most recent twin piece that I finished felt more triumphant. The beaked creatures face one another. Eye-to-eye. Feathers afloat. Yet, still awkward and strange. Happily acknowledging the imperfections, as if to fly with them. Hence, the title, As A Bird.

As a Bird, Graphite and Ink, 2015

The more I have thought about my work, even the child-like illustrations have ties to the idea of the battle of living inwards and outwards. I feel that this is something most of us face and is nothing new, but it is important to the individual. It always is. Digging deeper inside of one's self is always important, and often times, we fight some sort of inner battle. No matter how common something is to think and feel, it is a part of the individual being. It is to experience life. That being said, one side is not necessarily better than the other. The anxiety will happen. Some good, some bad. To me, transcending that anxiety into art is the key. Sometimes, as an artist, you are giving yourself therapy without even knowing it. Or perhaps it is always that way and it is only sometimes that we are cognizant of it.

Whatever it is that I am trying to say on my little tangent here, I know that art places me in touch with concentrated doses of missing intrinsic qualities of self and mind. It sets and restores a balance. 

And there you have it. 

Good night, friends!

Night Rant

With my body feeling as tired as ever and my mind racing faster than I keep up with, I felt inspired to write an entry. And hey, as usual, it has been a while. I am terrible at keeping up with this lately, but life tends to get a bit whirly. It happens.

I cannot possibly note all that I have to tell this evening due to my weary eyes, but I will do my best to talk about all things (and people) amazing, beautiful, strange, awesome ... well, art.

As noted in the previous entry, I have some wonderful ladies in my life whom I currently share a studio with. Have I mentioned the studio? If I haven't, it's a great space. More on that later - most likely in another post when I feel more collected.

Current projects include the book Neeka Allsup and I are still working on (and that I am still very, very excited about), work for the East Austin Studio Tour, and hopefully, if time allows, some things for the Blue Genie Art Bazaar which occurs each year around the holidays. I am overwhelmed in a wonderful way. I love it. If I could do art nonstop, I would. However, there is a balance I need to remind myself to keep. Work, life and art. Art is life. Life is art. Am I making sense? Probably not. I feel very absent-minded today. All I want to do is curl up in bed and read for a while until I drift off into a nice, solid slumber. Wake. Feel clear.

Sleep and all around rest tends to slip away when I need it the most, but teaching one's self to delegate time in a way that brings a bit of equilibrium is something I am working on. I have always had a hard time doing this, but the fact that I recognize this feels as if I am headed in the right direction.

If it appears as if I am complaining, I am not. I am only ranting freely. I really have some beautiful people in my life right now who make every second of the madness worth it. I only wish I could keep up with everyone at the moment. It will happen. I am in a good place and my never ending faith in art consumes my brain with happy thoughts and extraordinarily wonderful feelings. I may feel exhausted a lot, but I feel whole. I feel happy.

Next time, I will share all things and art in-progress and less tired nonsense. If I have missed any typos or made a lot of strange sentences ... well, you get it.

Good night, all.

The Bear and His Catch

 I haven't been able to update for a while, but I can say I have a good excuse or two. Recently, I have had the pleasure of reuniting with a friend and meeting new ones. So many awesome things are taking place and I could not be happier at the moment.

One of the people I have met is also a fellow artist and writer, Neeka Allsup (http://neekaallsup.com/home.html). Her brain has very similar workings of mine, and it has been fantastic to work with her on a current book project I am going to share a little bit about with you all titled, The Bear and His Catch.

I used to be really hesitant on collaborating with others. I felt that I would clash too much with someone else's vision or maybe even just the way they went about it. This isn't an alien feeling, though. I think many of us feel this way. On the other hand, when you find someone who meshes well with you, it is well worth diving in and taking the opportunity. I feel very lucky to have made such a connection and I can say that it has been a really enjoyable experience.

Her story is a beautifully haunting allegorical tale that I feel explores emotional dualities and the nature of ownership. It is so wonderfully written and multidimensional that it is relatable not only for children, but readers of all ages. What is love and what is abuse? It would seem as though this is an easy question to answer, but often it isn't. It can be verbal, psychological, emotional, physical and so forth. What is addressed in this story, is that we can all become enraptured in the stronghold of something disguised as love and endure harmful relationships. It is, however, important to begin to distinguish the two and recognize our self-worth and intrinsic value as an individual. Although easier said than done in some cases, it is equally important to draw the line and cut ties with such toxic associations. I think that her story is an excellent parable of those relationships - knowing and recognizing the nature of abuse and walking away. Like many great stories, it holds a moral and lesson that one can only discern through their personal experiences and relationships. It will surely be a treasure to have once it is completed.

It has been really wonderful to work alongside Neeka, and I cannot wait to share more as this project comes to a close in the future. Please refer to the link above to see her work. You definitely will not regret it :)

And now, I leave you with a sneak peek at the progress of one of the pages we have worked on:

Self-Doubt and The Pursuit of Art (or something like that)

It's been a while since I first had the thought to send my work to a publisher. On Tuesday, I will finally be sending my first packet off to one. I have sent many to publishers that accept portfolios via email, (of which there aren't many of) but this would be my first time to send a packet out. I can't say that I am not nervous, but really, (besides a bit of cash from the prints) what have I got to lose? Again, worst case scenario is that I either hear nothing and/or get turned down. 

I read this short article the other day from Juxtapoz Magazine's site by Michael Sieben that came along at the most perfect time. Not that long ago, I was having the thoughts of "I need a "real" job." and, "I'm not making any money and no one cares about my art, so what's the point?" And so on. But the truth of the matter is, is that those thoughts are bullshit. I am an artist. I cannot think of anything else that I would ever want to do. Sure, I'll work a part-time gig to keep me afloat, but I will never just quit being an artist. Honestly, that'd be pretty impossible. My pencils and inks are like my right arm. My heart. My soul. All of me. Come to think of it, those fleeting, yet defeatist-type of thoughts are just silly now. 

I think that perhaps my age was getting to me. Being 31 and feeling a bit like a late bloomer in life. Looking around to see your peers having their careers and whatnot. All that "grass is greener" nonsense. It all sort of gets to you when you're feeling a little down and out. It can sometimes jeopardize your goals when you let it take hold of you. Anxieties fly high and then, poof! - you're thinking of quitting. Let me tell you something. It takes too much out of you to bring yourself out of that type of funk. I can say pretty confidently that I am out of that mindset, but man, it was not a fun experience. 

Moving along to my point (if I have one). There are some notable quotes from Sieben's article that I'd like to share. 

"Now, I know that feedback probably sounds almost dismissive and/or naive. And I know that the underlying question is more, "How do I make money as an artist?" But the answer remains the same. If you're going to be a player in the art game, at some point, you have to realize that there's no coach." Yep. So true. No matter how much advice I get from other artists (of whom have been very helpful), the ultimate truth is that every artist's career path is different. How they got there and all. No one is going to hold your hand and point the way. You just have to make your own way. You have to survive getting rejected. You have to take some risks. You get the idea, and may be thinking that this is nothing new. It's not anything new, but it is new if you don't apply these things in real life. You can hear all the advice in the world, but nothing comes from it if you store it and let it fade.

"You're going to have to do a lot of unpaid work before somebody hires you for a paying gig. That being said, when you honestly feel like your apprenticeship is over and your dues have been paid, you're most likely still going to have to (metaphorically) pull yourself up by your bootstraps in order to get noticed. If no galleries want to represent you, stage your own art shows to get your work in front of people." I feel like this is where I am at. I mean, I cannot say if anyone else would consider my dues paid, but there's no better time than now to start pursuing what I want more aggressively. Let go of those anxieties and uncertainties. Just go with it, but lead the way.

"Self publish, self promote, self start - if you sit around and wait for somebody to start your career, you're going to be waiting for a long time. Like, till you're dead, dude." Not much to elaborate on here. It's just plain true. I could have probably been doing much more with art by now had I not been waiting for the internet world to save me. Don't get me wrong - the internet is a powerful tool and putting your work on the web is great. I definitely do it. However, that alone (for most of us at least) just won't cut it. You're going to have to really take charge on your own. Go out and mingle with your art community. Be around like-minded people. Network face-to-face. Be present outside of your comfort zone. No one else is going to to go out of their way to move your career along but you. 

"Every successful artist or commercial artist that I know has a backstory that entails a lot of penniless years with blind faith as their prevailing guide. The only common denominator is relentless perseverance and optimism. So if you want to know where to start, the only real answer is not stopping." Penniless years - yep, still there! Blind faith - check! Relentless perseverance and optimism - well, I can't say that my optimism has been on par all the time, but lately, I can say it has. You have to count every good moment, no matter how big or small, as a victory. If you think of them as nothing because you're not "there" yet, then, believe me, it gets really rough. Lastly, perseverance. Yep. Keep going. I cannot really elaborate much on that. That's it. Don't stop. Draw or paint or whatever it is you love - do it every single day. Aggressively. 

I am not just taking and/or dishing out this advice. I am living it. I am doing it. I am sending my work to my first "big" publisher with skin as thick as ever. I am saying "yes" to things I would have shied away from previously. I am putting myself out there. Rejection? Yeah, I have gotten it more times than I can count. What other people are doing with their lives? I am happy they're doing what they do, but it's not my concern. And age? I don't care about that so much anymore either. Was my so-called "falling out" a good learning experience? Was it eye-opening? Sure it was. Would I recommend going through that? Maybe? I don't know. I suppose it depends on what it takes to know what and who you are. 

Now, what I can recommend, is this article by Michael Sieben. Although I have quoted a good chunk of it, it's worth a read. 

http://www.juxtapoz.com/current/sieben-on-life-start-right-now

Stan The Pajama Man

Stan The Pajama Man

Stan, Stan the pajama man,

drifts into his dreams 

whenever he can.

He slips away on his flying catamaran,

to far away places.

Sometimes Iceland.

Sometimes Japan.

And sometimes Neverland.

He can be the captain

of a walking frying pan.

"Onwards!" He'll demand.

"Onwards across the purple sand!"

"Onwards to that castle-cave 

that looks so grand!"

Stan, Stan the pajama man,

wakes from his dreams 

with drool on his pillow sham.

He waits 'til the night falls

to tumble into his magical slumber

all over again.

Lyla of the Leaves

Lyla of the Leaves

Lyla of the leaves, 

dance as you please.
Hang from the branches

and twirl around the trees.

Pirouette with the bees -

But don't be late for your afternoon tea.

Here's To Not Giving Up

Sometimes I feel as if I am being a defeatist. I have a thought in my mind that since nothing is happening as rapidly as I would like, then I must be failing at this artist thing. Then, I dust myself off - albeit sometimes at a slower pace than I would like - and get focused again. I feel good again. Resilient.

It is a career and life path that comes with obstacles and often penniless times. However, there are also these small, but precious moments of satisfaction that your work has affected someone. Perhaps not emotionally, but in some way it has. Although at times when I find myself in depths of defeat, and maybe even a bit hopeless, the small triumphant gems are tremendously fulfilling and make all the struggle worth it - money or not. Those are moments when you know that you are doing what you love and that no matter how slow, you are doing something right.

Have I gotten too sappy? Well, it's been another strange week, but when is it not? Ha!

Annnnd moving on.

On this joyous Friday, I bring you my newest character that is also in line to completed soon. She is without a name at the moment, but both my pajamaed man and this sweet little lass will be revealed as final drawings rather soon.

A Work in Progress

It's been quite a month. I finished the cover illustration I had been working on, so I feel accomplished in that aspect. On the other hand, I have been absolutely neglecting my own personal work. I started a drawing a couple weeks ago and I just kept staring at it - or rather, it kept staring at me. I have messed with it a little bit more today, so there's that. Also, I cannot believe I haven't even touched my sketchbook in a little over a week! That is just crazy for me. I usually carry it wherever I go because I always feel the absolute need to doodle or write at random parts of the day. I just haven't been getting those "needs" lately. Perhaps my mind is just distracted right now. Anyway, I am happy to have made some progress in this drawing and getting closer to being finished. I feel sort of incomplete if I haven't done any drawing for this long.

Anyway, without further ado, I shall present you with my progress of my current drawing. I had some accidental ink drips on various areas but I'll clean those up later as I finish.

Also, as the drawing develops, so does his story. Stay tuned, guys and gals.

Peculiar Blossom

I have been catching up on work since my hand decided to rage against me. Of all the years I have been making art, I have never had an "overuse" injury - until now. I must say that I did cheat a bit when I wasn't supposed to be using it. I had a brace on, so that's okay, right? Ha, probably not. No matter, though. I have been cleared by the doc to use it again. So, without going into great detail about my medical woes, let's just say it's been a strange few weeks. With that said, let us move on.

I spent a weekend randomly doodling on some extra paper scraps and took a liking to a particular drawing. I decided to go ahead and ink it. Here is the progression and final piece and a little rhyme from it.

Peculiar Blossom

Blossom woke this day,

with hair in disarray.

Curls of blue that wouldn't obey.

They couldn't be tamed.

No, not even with hairspray.

Branches and flowers grew and splay.

That is to say,

it went astray.

What a peculiar way

to get a bouquet.

Strange Fruit

In this story of the strange old fruit,

it wasn't even old, 

but definitely a mute.

"Hello?" called the feather-coat man.

But it couldn't say word or even shake his hand.

It was not an apple, a peach or even a plum.

What did it taste like? Where was it from?

The fruit gave a wiggle, a shake and a nod

And then disappeared with a quickness

that deserved applause.

In this case of the strange little fruit,

well - 

I don't know.

The story is moot.

Telly

Telly was always a reluctant one. She was a tiptoer and always looked thrice before coming out of her room. She sat near the fish pond one day wondering why she wore a fool's horn. She certainly wasn't a fool. No one ever told her why she was to look this way, and she was, of course, too shy to ask. One day, reluctant little Telly became brave and tugged the horn off. Alas! She no longer had a face. And that, my friends, is why she wears a horn. Poor Telly. 

Time and Honey

I believe it has been over a week since I have written a thing here. I would give the whole rundown of my many excuses, but I'll spare you. We all have hiccups here and there.

Hiccups. Yes. They do get in the way of the oh-so perfectly planned schedule I made for myself. Write at this time, do work at that time, read sometime, draw every time. Time. Time. Time. I do need to grab that wily rascal by its furry little ears and catch up with it. Furry? Yeah, in my head, it's furry. And yes, I have had sleep. And no, I have not lost my mind. It's right here.

Moving on.

Speaking of time, this recent illustration gig has taught me a lesson or two. Nothing terrible, of course. I felt as though my time management was impeccable. I wake early, have my coffee or tea and check my calendar for my daily duties - with drawing being a part of every single day. When I say drawing, I mean both for non-personal work and for personal work. If I don't draw at least once during the day, I can't seem to focus on anything else. Yet, my ideas stop flowing and begin to drip as slow as honey and I still push myself. I try and squeeze all that I can out of my imagination. This is great, right? Well, sure it is, but I have become somewhat obsessive with it. For instance, I started a book and a new comic series back in January and haven't made it even halfway through either one. Not a big deal you say? No, it is not. A lot of people do that, but that is just a small slice of other things that I neglect. I don't get out much and that, my friends, is fuel for creativity. Getting out. Experiencing the world outside of my studio. That slow honey will crystallize if I don't buzz like a free little bee.

So, this week, I am going to go smell the air outside. Get these legs a-movin'. The moral of the story is, you can't have a balanced (creative) mind without wandering about and being in the world. I mean, I suppose you could, but it wouldn't be as colorful without it.

I have had so many ideas for stories that began as little drawings for a very, very long time. I think a break from my desk is just what I need to get them trotting along.

Oh,

What have I been working on?

I have a few little fellas that I'd like to share, but they will be posted in a few hours. For now, it's time for more coffee.

"The Brothers Gruesome"

This post is starting a bit later than I intended. Had a bit of a hiccup this week with getting some personal things done, but you don't wanna hear all that now, do ya?

So, a few months back I stumbled across a children's book in the random heap of books in at a local thrift store. I immediately went for it because of the amazing illustration on the cover. The style was in a way like mine. It looked like pen and ink with some cross-hatching on it. I had to have it. It was only a dollar, but I would have paid more, of course. What was this book? Welp, I'm about to tell you all about it. Keep in mind that I am in no way a book reviewer nor do I know how to do such a thing. I'll try my best, though.

Book title: The Brothers Gruesome
Author: Susan Elgar
Illustrator: Drahos Zak
Published by: Houghton Mifflin Company
Released in 2000
Printed by: Sino Publishing House in Hong Kong

The basic synopsis of the book is that these three brothers go about committing utter destruction by eating and stuffing their face with all that lay in their path. This includes their mother, gardens, trees, shoes, pots and pans, bats - well you get the idea. Everything. I love that it's not a typical cutesie (is that a proper word to use?) type of children's book. It's a bit different. The word "gruesome" in the title explains it well, because they are in fact just that. It's pretty great.

Here is one of my favorite lines with the illustration from the book:

"In the town of their birth they were loathed and feared,
But in the depths of hell they were worshipped and cheered."

 

 

The little devils are just the coolest with their sharp, pointy noses and flickering black snake-like tongues. I also really admire the colors used in these illustrations. The coloring also varies in some pages which also makes it very appealing to me. There is a page in which the gruesome three are traipsing about a forest on their quest to devour all that they can. I enjoy the blues and how the brothers are left to be illustrated only a sepia color with the bright moon lighting the way. It's just really wonderful - and look at that face peering through the left! I just love it.

 

 

 



 

I shouldn't go too far into the story since you should just find it and give it a looksee for yourself. This little book really does inspire me to work harder. The in-rhyme style even makes me want to write and illustrate my own book since it is related to something I would write. I see books like this from time to time and I always fall in love with them. In a way, it makes me think of Edward Gorey and his style of writing. It even reminds me of Grimm's Fairy Tales a bit as well, albeit less gruesome.

People often think of children's books as being only about learning the morals, tying shoes or taking ol' Spot out on a doggy adventure - and there's nothing wrong with those - but there's a whole world of different types of children's books that people don't know about. Having said that, the moral of this story is likely greed, but a fun way to go about it nonetheless.That is what has always drawn me to children's books. The imagination is boundless and the possibilities are endless. Did I mention that they don't necessarily have to exclusively for children? Of course not! There are no rules to reading and no one should limit their child-like wonder to their age. That's just no fun.

Remember at the beginning when I said that I wasn't a professional book reviewer of any kind? Now you see.

I should end this with links to buy this incredible book if you're interested. So, here is what I found on the information superhighway:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Brothers-Gruesome-Susan-Elgar/dp/0618005153

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/brothers-gruesome-drahos-zak/1003581060?ean=9780618005154

Till next time.

Nudging My Way Into the World of Illustration

It is 9:41am and my coffee is brewing. Good morning. I'd like to ramble about my goals and what I have been learning lately as I have been trying to achieve them. Let's get straight to the point here - I really want to make a living as an illustrator. I mean, I sort of do now, but I mean, I want to work for a publisher(s), to do editorials, to illustrate my own book - I want to drown in work and love what I do (doesn't everyone?). So, I have been slowly nudging my way into that world.

I have been drawing nonstop ever since I graduated. Yep, art degree. I hear it all the time, "what are you going to do with that?" I used to think to myself that I'd probably work some random job and do art on the side - which I wouldn't have any problems with at all. I just know how I am and how my brain works. I'd get too comfortable with the routine and slowly but surely get out of the my drawing habits. Or maybe not. I don't know. I do get that itch to pick my pencil a lot, so maybe that would never go away. Here I go rambling again, sorry.

Anyway, I am in no way bashing my education, but as I am trying to make my way into the business of illustration, I am also teaching myself so many things that I wish I had the opportunity to learn while I was in college. For example, writing up a contract, copyright, usage, the ethics of charging and pricing for work. Oh and a tear sheet? What the hell is that? I know these things now of course, but topics like that were definitely never discussed or offered in any class available to art students. I really think that should change. No matter what "type" of artist you become, that sort of information is really important to have. I just have these moments every now and then when I am submitting things or just curiously reading about other artists where I am saying to myself, "I had no idea I needed to do that." or, "Damnit, I should have done that." No, I am not whining about not knowing. It happens. That's how we learn - from mistakes. I am just consuming as much information as I can to get things rolling a bit faster. There is nothing more that gives me such great anxiety as not being prepared.

Despite the hurdles and the let downs that have happened in my journey, I am making some headway. Recently, as I may have mentioned in a previous post, I was hired by an author to illustrator their book covers for a series. I joined the SCBWI and now have a portfolio up in their site. I applied for a grant in order to afford packets to send to publishers. I have submitted to a few magazines. I have typed-up my own contract. I built a new website. And hey, I am keeping up with a blog for once! Things are happening and I am excited about what's to come no matter how long it takes me. I mean, hey, I didn't rack up a crazy student debt for nothing ;)

It's now 10:08am. Pause for coffee refill.

Moving on ....

Next time, I think I am going to talk about this children's book I snagged at a thrift store a few months back called, The Brothers Gruesome by Susan Elgar and illustrated by Drahos Zak. It's by far one of the best things I have found lately. More about that next time, though.

For now, as per usual, I leave with you a sketch in progress from the ol' sketchbook. This is one of the many that I wish I would have started on good paper since I really want to add some ink washes.

Sleepy Super Sunday

Perfect day for rain. Well, it's always a perfect day for rain for me, but today was even better. I'll tell you why.

Welp, so, I have failed to mention this so far, but I have been hired by an author to illustrate the covers for her upcoming book series. It's my first job doing book illustrations of any sort, so it is extra exciting for me. I have always wanted to work with books. Illustrating them or writing them. Or both.

So, aside from spending small portion of the day getting things done - like grocery shopping and the like - I've been scanning some sketchbook pages and working on ideas for the book cover. I won't share any of the cover ideas quite yet because I'd like to keep that between the author and I for now. 

I also joined the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators yesterday afternoon, so that is pretty damn cool to me considering I really need to make connections with others and need to gain more knowledge about the industry (aside from reading their book). 

Upon becoming a member of SCBWI, I decided to go ahead and apply for an illustration grant that would help me fund sending examples of my work to publishers. I've been talking about doing this forever it seems, but I need to stop procrastinating and just take the plunge. What's the worst thing that could happen? They say no or nothing at all. Then, on to the next, right? The only other thing that has been holding me back is the money to produce packets to send them - and yes, most publishers I have read about only accept these things by snail mail. Today was the first day to be able to apply for the grant and I didn't waste a second. Again, the worst thing that could happen is that I get turned down, but ohhhh man, the money from the grant would surely help - tremendously.

I've been rambling on and on, but the point is, is um ... well, none I guess. Just a perfect rainy day.

And now, since this blog is also for drawings, I'll end this with some random, freshly scanned sketchbook pages. 

Character idea I had for a book. I may revisit this one day.

I haven't been able to update in a few days because of this crazy busy week. Among a few other things, I have been changing websites/transferring domains and it is a pain. I had fun redoing the site, but I think I'm good on that for a while. It definitely ate up a lot of my time and I'm still not quite done with it. A few more tweaks should do it. I also got hired to illustrate a book series, which is extra exciting for me seeing how that has been one of the things I have really wanted to do. I will disclose more information about that later on.

You'll have to excuse my brief entry today. My eyelids feel like a sack of weights and I can't really get to all of what I want to say at this moment without spacing out. Perhaps later. For now, I am just going to post a recently scanned page from my current sketchbook.