Illustration Friday: "Peace"

from the third book in my five book series:
The Blue Goblet, book III: The King in the Mountain

pretty peaceful to wake up to.

highlights

in prog.

and another!

the thumbnail of it.

the watercolor this time.

2 posts in one day? I've been so busy doing real work that I haven't had the time to do anything for real for myself.

Well. There was this project that I just finished and I printed out the entire book to check over everything, all 30-odd pages of it, all the artwork.

The printer took, no kidding, like 20 minutes between each print. So, I had all the time inbetween (which was all day just about) to do a piece for myself.

And this Mountain King one is one I've been wanting to get to for a while.

Glad to be here.

Mountain King

work in prog. pencil of the Mountain King

blue goblet III

This afternoon I finished up the rough draft of the third Blue Goblet story.

description written by Stephanie Young for the Fall 2006 Portland Studios mailer.

And here, I publish, for the first time, the prologue to The Blue Goblet, book III: The King in the Mountain

Prologue:

A loose end is a loose end. To fix it, you must tie it up. A tied up loose end is good and a well tied up loose end is even better.

But no matter how well you tie it, a loose end is still, as always, a loose end.

And even a well tied up loose end has a peculiar way of unraveling itself.
It would almost lead one to think that maybe tying it up is not enough....

Sometimes you must deal with a loose end.

Illustration Friday: "Might"

The thumbnail of it.

The painting of it.

The drawing of it.

I dragged the kitchen table into our living room, set up shop, and watercolored. Somewhere between the first episode of Lost (2nd season) and the fourth, I finished this. It's a gift for a very good friend of mine who is about to have a baby. Well, not him, his wife.

---

Might be a good idea to give this to him. His new baby girl is around 3 weeks old now.

like an iPod back from the dead:

I live.

Which is an understatement. Work and life both have been very busy and full and those two nouns just aren't conducive to maintaining a blog. Thanks to any that have kept up to date with the post-less blog. Like a good metamucil I'll keep this more regular.

I've been through a long project that (I think) the light at the end is there. The art for "The Ballad of Matthew's Begats" is done and awaits client approval. That is one of many jobs and that I've been working on.

A story:

In highschool, I was a shotgun student. Was I a student of firearms? No, I just hit and miss working hard. It's like shooting a shotgun. It's just sort of fires and you hope you hit something. I think that describes a lot of highschoolers.

In anycase, I was in a US Government class. The class was at 8 AM, MWF and I had a handful of good friends in that class. The teacher was a reserved man and wore gray and brown if I recall, and he showed us a lot of political cartoons on the overhead projector.

One day, I brought a Waldo book to class, the yellow one. I pulled the classic "put-the-comic-book-behind-the-math-book" trick. Only it was a Waldo book. And it looked like this:


Needless to say it did not take long for it to not end well.

That being said, I'm back.

Abandoned By The Sea

A new blog that is actually updated by Justin.

Justin Gerard works here in the Luxury Wing of Portland Studios and spends most of his time being amazing.

Blog and site built by the indominable H. Benjamin Kammer.

CEDAR LEIDIGH

Cedar Leidigh is the most interesting person I know. Not only that, in the event of an atomic bomb attack and all civilization as we know it is wiped out, he is the one person who will know what to do. Cedar has survival skills. He also draws scary stuff.

He is one of my all time favorite people. We met in school and have had many adventures since. Cedar and I have metal-detected in playgrounds and found sand and bullets, we have built things, we have drawn things, painted things, watched weird movies and the like.

Cedar now has a MySpace page and blog--

I could try and describe to you Cedar but I am not that good. His words will have to speak for himself:

"Yes, as promiced here is the first of many adventures, most never shared with the world befor, now cast into cyberspace.

When I was nine I got a Barlow knife form my Grandpa, (Tom Sawers knife, I proudly told all who would listen) My parents thought it was cool, so I caried that thing around in my pocket for the next few years. I cut my self badly, many times, but that is all part of growing up and good ol Mom would just tape my wounds closed and send me on my way. I cut bows and swords and cleaned countless fish with my knife. It now lies gathering dust in a drawer some were back home. With that knife I carved a sword from a stick of wood and then walked miles away from home at all times of year, with only that and my knife as portection. Now I see children who are that age(9-10) and think, good gravy, what was I doing out wandering at that size? The first bear that came along could have had me for dinner. But I rember thinking at the time that if I did run into a bear I would kick its butt. I was confident that I could kill anything with a wooden sword and a pen knife. Sadly my over confidece has only grown stronger with age."

Visit early and often. You can bet I will.

Illustration Friday: "Smoke"

* * *

a thumbnail of a page of a [inproduction] graphic novel (written by a friend) about a very unlucky man, who, at this juncture in life has just hit a bees nest only to have a plane fall on him.

SBL: the CD itself

As a few of the faithful may remember, I worked on album art for a children's album of a prominent singer/songwriter from Nashville. At the artist's (singer/songwriter artist, that is... it's confusing) I posted a good bit of the in progress/ finished pieces of the interior album art as well as work for the cover.

The project has been finished/on hold/back burner for a while now (on my end anyway) but just the other day I did the art for the CD itself. I'm not sure if it will be printed with the image cut-away from the CD [i.e the shiny CD showing through--I hope not] and whatever around it, or will it be printed like regular, and not reversed. I only hope not just because it's hard to see, atleast for my brain to process things reversed is difficult. Well. Not difficult. I just don't like to see it.

Without further, he's one of the characters that pop up in a couple songs, and the front of the CD, the Zorbian:



To see more of the album art, dig around in the July 2006 archives.

pumpkins [update]

Here it is-- all I could manage to get was a crude picture off my phone before it rotted and died. The pumpkin, not my phone.

Erin works at a architectural design firm downtown, called Design Strategies.

Needless to say these folks know how to draw and and you cane see by the one pumpkin next to mine, there were some cool pumpkins. We were not expecting to win, due to the awesome nature with which these folks design, (I mean come on! They make buildings-- geez!) however, the grand prize was named and the Horrible Goblet Thieving Beast of the Mountain, won. $300.

And Erin, you can the top of her pumpkin just below mine, also won a $20 prize. Her pumpkin had kittys on it.

**********************

Did some pumpkin carving last night in preperation for a contest at the office (this afternoon) where my wife works.

I've always had this affinity for pumpkins and I really don't know why. One of my earliest memories as a little boy is being made to eat a piece of pumpkin pie in kindergarten (k-4) by my teacher and throwing up. You would think that would've kind of pushed me off.

Illustration Friday: "Wind"

Landon Snow 3 & 4

Currently reading the third book in the Landon Snow series, Landon Snow and the Island of Arcanum and I am enjoying it. I don't get a manuscript when I illustrate it, I just get a request for a spot, or I get an idea for the cover from the author and publisher so it's fun to finally be able to hold the book, see the whole project come together finally, and actually read it.

What I'm enjoying in this story, in the beginning here, is how the story sets you up to think that certain events are going to take place like in book 1 and book 2, but they don't... not at first, and not in the way you'd expect.

This was probably my favorite cover to do. I did it around this time last year when a terrific ice strom hit Greenville. Power was out at the studio, so I worked from home (somehow my roommate and I had power.)

The head shot of Landon for book 3, I think has turned out to be the best of them:


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

And, since I just saw it on Amazon.com, Landon Snow 4 is coming, so I figured it'd be ok to post something here:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
links to Amazon.com to pick up your very own copy of the Landon Snow titles:

Book One: Landon Snow and Auctor's Riddle
Book Two: Landon Snow and Shadows of Malus Quidam
Book Three: Landon Snow and the Island of Arcanum
Book Four: Landon Snow and Igneus Forest (not yet released)

print store update, II

Hey folks, the store is not up today and for that I apologize (cause I said it would be and it's not), however, in a fantastic development:

Benjamin Young is creating the site for me.
He is a good friend and brilliant haberdasher.

Illustration Friday: "Ghost"

cat & the fiddle/ out of work

Illustration Friday: "Smitten"

rather than flowers or kissy faces this friday morning, we all need to be... SMITTEN!


****************************************************************************
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1)

smit‧ten  /ˈsmɪtn/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[smit-n]

–adjective

1.	struck, as with a hard blow.

2.	grievously or disastrously stricken or afflicted.

3.	very much in love.

–verb

4.	a pp. of smite.

---

[Origin: 1200–50; ME; see smite, -en³]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

print store update:

Things are moving ahead and we hope to be able to get something going as early as the middle of next week and definately by the 23rd.

October is...

"No Drama Month" here in the luxury wing of Portland Studios. Nothing will be dealt with until November.



this PSA brought to you by Justin, the other member of the luxury wing of Portland Studios.

the idea

* * * NOTICE * * *

To any and all of my favorite people who look at my blog:

This is the idea I mentioned yesterday and I’m testing the waters with this question:

what would the response be if I offered hand titled, numbered, and signed prints of certain pieces of my work?

I recently had some prints made and I marveled at the loveliness of the print quality, timeliness of the getting printed, and the cost effectiveness of it all.

I thought to myself, “This is maverlous, this is fantastic.” Then I forgot about it for a day.

But as I mowed the yard on Saturday it all came back to me: Prints.

* * *

I’ve got several pages of notes and plans writtnen out and a starting set of pieces lined up but here is where I need your help:

Just a simple response of interest or not interest would help me decide my next course of action.

Prints would be $20 + $1 for shipping supplies. (The dollar wouldn’t cover everything but it would help off set the packaging supplies.)

Digital woodcuts (if you’ve been around my blog for a while you probably know what I mean) would be $10 + $2 for shipping (they’re usually a little bigger and require printing on 11 x 17 paper and that means more expense in shipping supplies.)

This is all in a state of working out, but this is how I have things planned at this point.

I’ve got an initial starting series of 10-15 pieces lined up with more becoming available. So give me some feedback!

Thank you all!

[edit: I have a number in my head of responses I'm looking for before I decide if this is truly a worthwhile venture for everyone involved; namely, you and me.]

just leave me a yea or nay comment:

pumpkins and an idea

It's the time of the year to get pumpkins. I have one on my desk and we have three on our porch at home. It is also the time of year to get terrific ideas which I got one over the weekend. I'll be posting more on this terrific idea later this week.

Meanwhile, enjoy the pumpkins, elephants, or whatever else you find inside.

Illustration Friday: "Trouble"

Trouble? or not.

Illustration Friday: "Quiet"

detail

* * *

Above is the painting and the drawing of a piece that's been long in the planning, about a year in fact.

Below is a doodle I did about a year ago for a piece that I wanted to do but after a few false-starts, never made it. I shelved it and pulled the idea out about a week ago. I'm pleased with where things are headed with this.


The idea started about a year ago, and so I checked the archive of September 2005 to see what I had said about it just in case there was something incredibly insightful that must needs be repeated. But there was nothing. However, September 2005 was a fantastic month for blogging: many watercolors and other treasures, as well as some birds.

Check it out: September 2005 Archive

Also, my entry for S.I. 48 last year, which was full of birds as well and sadly, rejected.
Click on the picture below to go to a page of details and explanations.

the painted giraffe,

The thumbnail of it.

The painting of it.

The drawing of it.

I dragged the kitchen table into our living room, set up shop, and watercolored. Somewhere between the first episode of Lost (2nd season) and the fourth, I finished this. It's a gift for a very good friend of mine who is about to have a baby. Well, not him, his wife.

Illustration Friday: "Phobia"

beating Aviophobia.

a giraffe and a plane

a doodle composed while Erin did some reading last night.

Bird-man

I'm waiting for comments back from a couple different projects, hence the afternoon spent on this bird-man.

4 8 15 16 23 42

Erin and I just watched the whole first and second season of LOST on DVD in about a week. No really, we did. We did 10 episodes in one day once. I loved it (I had only seen the first season) got her hooked, and well, here we are. Waiting. For season 3. We bought rabbit ears for my old TV.

The new season premieres on Wednesday, October 4 @ 9/8c.

For those who are into the really, really crazy conspiracies about what's going on in LOST, check out this idea written a guy named Andrew Smith. Almost convincing:

The Seventh Seal Theory

The work from this weekend...

This is the finished version, see the previous post for the thumbnail.

______________________________________________

Queen Julia and Paul, from The Blue Goblet, book II: The Many Troubles of Paul

A fine weekend. Erin and I met my Gramma and Grandpa for Chinese food at the Super Dragon King Oriental Express Buffet. Or something like that. I don't think it was called that. Probably just two or three of those words. Anyway, wonderful time, and hello Gramma, I'm sure you are reading this.

I think Erin and I have a new cat. In addition to our illustrious Harrell, we have a cat that has been hanging around the porch. We fed her and gave her a box to sleep in. She shows no signs of leaving, so I think we have a new cat.

lucky no. 13... I mean 747

a thumbnail of a page of a [inproduction] graphic novel (written by a friend) about a very unlucky man, who, at this juncture in life has just hit a bees nest only to have a plane fall on him.