And so here we go...

I get up at 5:30 AM tomorrow, pick up my traveling buddy, and cruise to NY to be wed.
And it will be blissful.

heralding book the second... [update]

And more painting... still, as always, playing.

* * *

in the burgeoning Blue Goblet series...

"No sooner had she done with that when she looked behind her and saw, as it shook it’s terrible horns, a great and hulking brute sitting on a dune, sobbing."

Illustration Friday: "Dance"

Two moleskine drawings from two seperate car trips.
Illinoise and Colorado, respectively.

!!achtung!!~

this is cool, I just got on a German photoshop website, http://screenz.de/ or something like that. I took two years of German in college but... oh well. Guten tag! you're it.

olaf delievers

Olaf is the hero.

drawings in the car

Click here for moleskine drawings from the ride back.

digital woodcuts

I've posted these before but it never hurt anyone to post them again [that I know of...]

Illustration Friday: "Jungle"

"Queen Julia, as adept as she was in most areas, was not so in the art of air travel and she was forced a crash landing in the woods of a small neighboring country.

This disturbed her not and she carried on."

A selection from The Blue Goblet

The REVENGE of the Cardboard Sarcophagus

After a distress signal coupled with a furious and complicated [and yet unresolved] issue of upset stomach, my iPod became vegetative.

So back into the Cardboard Sarcophagus.

the distress signal that showed on the screen...

and a bright light...

BJERK-folio

"Child" by John Bjerk

Longtime friend and all around superman and photoshop mentor, John Bjerk, has an online portfolio showcasing his amazing work in various venues. I worked with John at the BJU Press for several years during my highschool career and most of college.

This piece of his here, I can point to as changing the course of my artwork.

the 35,000

just crossed the 35,000 visitor line today-- thanks to everyone who comes, thanks to everyone who comments, and just thanks!

Illustration Friday: "Potrait"

Here's someone mostly everyone who is mostly familiar with my blog is mostly familiar with: Landon Snow.

Here's the "portrait" for book one as well as the cover.

My Portland Kitchen

A sizeable area of the Portland Studios kitchen is now under my direct influence.

A certain amount of materials have been displaced by the recent construction in the front of the studio and the kitchen space bears most of the weight of it.

My aim is to make fantasic use of this space for my work today.

Blue Mino + gouache

weird minotaur painting that suffered during the scan.

magic quills + gas powered chain-saws

Ha! Check this out. I'm so totally featured.
My thanks to you, Brandelion.com

sneak sneak SHEEP!... [round 2]

"bleet bleet," go the sheep.

And they were as popcorn in the sight of that great beast.

May 29, 2006: Memorial Day

Jasper Johns. Flag (1954 -55) Encaustic, oil, and collage on fabric mounted on plywood.
The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

"No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve. This is no time for ceremony. The questing before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.

Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.

I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House. Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne! In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free-- if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending--if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained--we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!

They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable--and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace-- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have?

Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God.

I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death."

-Patrick Henry
March 23, 1775

The Photoshop Experiment

Here it goes. This afternoon I broke down this quick piece, basically step-by-step and have logged it all here, on what I hope to be the first of many.

The Photoshop Experiment

Illustration Friday: "Cake"

An old, old one from sometime in college. It's not quite up there where I'd want it, (old art is like looking at old highschool pictures) but I post it becaue I always liked the idea of doing a picture book to go along with The Beatles, All Together Now but this, other than some misc. doodles, was the only finished thing I did.

And I assume there's some cake in there. He looks a cakely trollfriend.

font font font... [update]

anybunny got any idea what font this is? I tried the "What The Font" on myfonts.com to no avail.
Ideas or defininte knowledge very welcome.

Thank you to Jon. In the end I have found a "Bolton" on 1001 Free Fonts that seemed to my liking and so I went with. Not exactly it, but much better than paying $150 for Hightower. Geez.

Quoth

A thumbnail of a corner of a cover that I worked on today.
I just like that bird.

|d|r|a|w|i|n|g|s|

I think it took the back seat of a long car ride to make me remember how much I enjoy just drawing.

Illustration Friday: "Sorry"

"sorry..."

"...sorry i didn't do this sooner! ha ha!"

For about a ton more drawings along these lines from the ride back, click here.
As always, click on the top banner to visit the rest of my blog.

the ride back from the BJERK-FINK WEDDING

12 hour car ride or something like that. From Riverton, Illinoise back to Greenville, SC in a little red VW bug. And in the back seat. It made for some cramped space and for some drawings. Here is a selection of a few of those drawings in some kind of order.




photos by Annie.

BJERK-FINK WEDDING

Bjerk-Fink Wedding. A beautiful event all around. If you're someone like Gwen who would like to see the 200+ pictures (from Annie's camera) just email me :-O