Illustration Master Class 2014 Edition

Post-IMC is not so much a case of con crud, but rather a multi-day hangover from excessive consumption of awesome! Now that I've been home for a few days since getting back on Monday, I'm finally rested enough to not feel the urge to just lie down on the couch.

This year I decided to work on a personal piece: a painting for The Dark Woods show coming up next month at Krab Jab in Seattle. The painting is my take on a Japanese kodama, spirits that inhabit old sugi trees. I was originally going to take on the Dragon Rider assignment, even going so far as spending two weeks working on reference compiling and having a final sketch to show for it, but two days before heading up to Amherst, I, in Carly fashion, decided to kill two birds with one stone and work on one of the three pieces I needed to get done for gallery shows coming up in July, and get a good critique on my own personal work. So, in two days I went from zero to sketch, ready for first-day critique.

Sketch Pre-Critique

My focus group was comprised of Rebecca Guay, Greg Manchess, Scott Fischer, Mike Mignola, and Iain McCaig. I couldn't have asked for or picked a more perfect group! Of course they offered great critique, leading me to have the figure hug the curve of the tree to help reinforce the flow of the piece. It wasn't until the end of the week, but Greg brought to my attention how much of a swastika the original pose was... Whoops!

My critique in action!

Day two, Tuesday, I spent the whole day coming up with and finalizing her new pose--primarily sussing out what to do with her arms and hands. The end result on day two was what I ended up transferring onto board and began to paint by Wednesday!

Thursday's in progress photo...

I kind of got too wrapped up in painting and socializing to take more progress pictures, but I at least got this one! Since this picture was taken I changed the pose of her right arm to a much more believable and elegant configuration. Now that I'm home I've worked on it since, and thanks to the slow-drying nature of titanium white, it will take a few more days to finish this than anticipated, but I'm pleased with how it's coming along and am very excited to get it finished! Once it's done it will be of course posted up here on the blog, so look out!

I told myself that this was going to be my last year, because it's terribly difficult for me to afford attending, but it's so hard to say no year after year... Soo many good things came out of this year, potential job gigs and private sales, and seeing friends I wouldn't get a chance to see any other time. I'm going to try my hardest at being able to go back for 2015, so the next few months I'm going to work my ass off! Here's to another brilliant year of the Illustration Master Class!

How could I say no to a week of shenanigans?!

Field Guide to Hiveland

8"x10" oil and acrylic on board

Name: Domus Apidae

Realm: Forest of Zzub

Special Skill: Crystal Honey - Domus Apidae oozes honey from

her bark, creating a hard crystalline shell offering extra protection against damage.

Short Story: Born a dryad in the Forest of Zzub, the young sprite befriended its buzzing inhabitants after admiring the bee's dedication to the Queen. Wanting to offer help in her own way, the dryad grew tall and strong to offer herself as a walking shelter to protect her friends from harm.

Honey Power - 20

Dance Moves - 10

Pollen Processing - 10

Wing Potential - 5

Sting Power - 20

Exoskeleton - 35

Be sure to check out this piece at The Hive Gallery on Field Guide to Hiveland on its opening night in Los Angeles April 5th!

Hive Tarot!

I did the Nine of Pentacles for this year's collaboration.The show will be up until the end of January for your viewing pleasure. Check it out!

Nine of Pentacles

11" x14" oil, acrylic, and gold leaf on board

Hello everyone! I'm excited to say that I'm participating in The Hive Gallery's 5th annual 2014 Tarot Show! Two tarot pieces in 2013, how apropos... 

The opening is in Los Angeles on January 4th at 8:30. I won't be able to be in attendance, but if you're in California you should go!

New Piece: Threads

"Threads" 16" x 20" oil and acrylic on board

This is a new piece I just finished for Forest to Shore Gallery's 2nd Anniversary show! I had a lot of fun with this, I got to experiment with an old grungy brush that's been around since I don't even know when!

Wh4t5 Ur G4m3r T4g?: The Art of Gaming

Tonight was the opening for Wh4t5 Ur G4m3r T4g?: The art of Gaming show at Plan 9 Tattoo. It was an absolute blast, as can be seen from this awesome cake someone made to be consumed by all!

I actually hadn't documented this show at all here, so I shall in this post. I was notified about the show on February 5th, and had a week and 2 days to come up with ideas, and complete at least one piece for the show, which the drop-off date was February 14th, the show opening to be on the 16th. I set to work, spending one night honing in on which games that would be fun to illustrate, and then coming up with ideas for a piece after I had decided upon a game.

I ended up choosing The Neverhood and ICO, and spent the weekend and subsequent days during and following the nasty blizzard that hit us here painting away to get them done. Both were done, and varnished in the wee hours of the morning on Valentine's Day, leaving me praying they'd be dry by noon to be framed and delivered. I checked my email before heading to bed to see what time to drop them off and found out that the show had been postponed for 2 weeks due to the snowstorm.

Despite dealing with the stress of having to get the pieces done so fast and so soon, it all worked out in the end. The weekend of the original opening I wasn't going to be able to make it due to going up to Boskone. But, because of the rescheduling, I was able to go to Boskone and the opening for the show, and on top of that, able to get Aedan into the show as well! Excellent!

Here are some glimpses of the opening I was able to get in between nerdy discussions about games and movies:

My ICO piece

My Neverhood piece

Month of Love: Day 10/Klaymen Buddy

Decided to dedicate the day to working on one of two pieces I'm submitting to a show this weekend, well, Thursday. This is Klaymen from The Neverhood. I have a lot to do the next few days!

A Kick Ass Art Show!

Wooooooooooow it's been a hectic past few weeks. Christmas and New Years is over, day job has resumed now that school is back in session, and lots of painting done and preparation to be done for the upcoming show. Here's a video we all did for it, done by the awesome Mike Falzone!

I've been chronicling some of my latest pieces here, but am going to wait to upload them until after the opening, which is January 26th. If you are in the area, or are able to take a train in Forest to Shore Gallery is located just steps away from the Stratford, Connecticut train station! Hope to see you there!

Painted Sleds

The opening for the Painted Sleds show at Forest to Shore Gallery was tonight! None short of fun, and packed with surprises! About all the people in this photo are mine or John's family. I loved seeing everyone!

There was a wall everyone was welcome to paint on throughout the course of the night. I left my mark with some random lady. Amanda painted Patchy (pink hat) and John did Groose.

As I said, the night was hella fun. I'm exhausted after being there for a good 4 hours, but it was totally worth being asked to take part in a three-man show later this year! So soon, I'll have to work my ass off to get enough work ready for then, but I'm excited!

Deck Progress

Here is how I spent my Fourth of July: painting all day, watching Red vs. Blue while John finished playing Metroid Prime. Heard the fireworks outside that the neighbors were setting off. Good enough for me!

Funny how the curvature of the board distorts her face and foot and makes it look all terrible in the photograph. Trust me, it doesn't actually look that anatomically weird in person.

Plans from here is to render the skin, the folds on the cloth, and once it's done being painted to add in a gold leaf halo around her head and into the yellow areas of the roses.

What the Deck: Resolved!

And here is what I came up with! Black dress, red roses, gold leaf. Surrounding the figure I will let the wood grain show through. Waiting on this for a few more hours, it looks so weird to me now because it's such a curved, long shape...

What the Deck?!

Picked this up today from Forest to Shore to paint for their upcoming skateboard deck show in August. Ah, yeah... no true idea what to really paint on this! I have some idea; naked ladies, flowers... stuff. Any ideas?

The format is what's really messing with me, it's way longer than what I remember skate decks to be, it's about 3' long by 10" wide looking at it right now ('cause, it could totally change shape while I'm not looking). I'll fiddle around with it in my head, but if anyone has anything to suggest I'm all ears :)

Come See!!

If you're in the Boston area next weekend you should come and see...

I... You... We... ROBOT!
@ Space 242

I have a piece in a the show and will be there at the opening as well. Remember: Friday the 29th from 6-8!

90% Robot

Space 242 is soon having a show featuring robots and today was the deadline for submissions. I've framed the Rust piece I did for Edlund a year ago and will be submitting that, as well as a new painting.
There's something about the Rust piece I still enjoy, and it's a robot so I thought I might as well. I bought a floating frame--love 'em!--and covered the frame in copper and oxidized it. It's pretty ballin'.

This painting has been in planning for a month, and of course I didn't finalize composition and details until Saturday. So I started this yesterday, and got it about 90%, enough so that when I fix it up later this week when it's dry it won't be dramatically different, just better ;)
I hate not having access to a photo set-up when I need it most. Ah well...

Hello, Chelsea

So, had a fun day romping around Chelsea with Lou today! Our first stop was to the Levine Gallery to see Audrey Kawasaki's show--which was wonderful by the way, to see some of her work in person (magazine prints just don't cut it). Following we meandered around to the other galleries in the area and met up with a sleepy fat tabby cat and a trio of happy pugs. To top it all off, it was a beautiful day :)
After we got our art fix we headed down to St. Mark's to window shop Toy Tokyo and eat at the most flamboyant Indian restaurant I have ever seen:
Again, infamous cell phone picture, but the motion blur sort of puts this place in perspective... If you are taller than me (a modest 5'2" and change) you would have to duck to walk underneath the smörgåsbord of Christmas lights, pepper lights, balloons, foil decorations, streamers and beach balls hanging from the ceiling. The walls were lined with the most garish floral upholstery fabric, which was further accented by multi-colored holographic sheets of paper, topped off with a myriad of metallic banners celebrating Christmas, New Years, Halloween, and, if it is, your birthday. The final touch? Bollywood techno. The food was damn good.
Afterwards I introduced Lou to bubble tea (lots of people I've talked to lately who have never even heard of the stuff, amazing) and called it a night, took the 6 uptown, and parted ways.

I have been rendered fat and happy :)