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.

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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:


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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:

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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!


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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.

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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.

klaus copy.jpg

I did a doodle while I scanned some things so I scanned the doodle and did some stuff to it.

Illustration Friday: "Farm"

The farm behind him, the road before him.

Alexander & Rex- the old ones

Very old Rex and Alexanders. I actually ran out of paper with Rex there.

Watercolors with ink, 4 or 5 years ago when I first wrote the story. The story has remained mostly intact after a furious edit erasing all the terrible freshmen like errors a few weeks ago.

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Rex feels like a real person to me know.

My lovely little wife.

Illustration Friday: "Safe"

Alexander & Rex

I'd feel safe.