Introducing...

This is a page from my book that I thought might make a cool cover. All the white space is intentional; I am a fan of some old books which really play with the white of the page as it relates to the composition. I think it makes the book more dramatic as the vibrant colors and linework juxtapose with the stark flat white. Not sure I'm quite there yet but I gotta start somewhere! I have about 3 1/2 page-spreads completely done so far but I still have a long way to go!

Sidenote: I'm now wondering if Lizzie's position here is too much like her cousin in the preceding entry's illustration. Might have to work on that.

Sneak Peek at a W.I.P.

I've been working like a dog on this children's book that's been in progress for about a year now. Here's a little smidge of 1/2 of a spread. This scene happens towards the end, which I've just re-written as of last week. The girl is Lizzie's cousin, Sarah. Behind her on the opposite page will be Lizzie running from the woods, joyfully carrying her pet fox, Rennie, on her head (his favorite spot).

Fake Concert Tour Announcement!

Wow this thing was NOT FUN to scan in, as it had to be done in 5 different parts and still my scanner broke during the last few. Some sections I had to re-do with the Wacom. I like it though. Used a bunch textures on my computer to add a little pizzaz to it. Will add to the site some other time.

Arcade Fire poster

Idea for a poster that just popped into my head the other night. I am in the process of scanning/digitally coloring the finished piece at the moment. This piece was not commissioned by the band, but a girl can dream right?

NEW WEBSITE GOES LIVE!

Hi everybody!!
I am pleased to announce that after many strenuous yet enlightening hours of trial and error, the new website is now live! I began working from the old one and eventually got good enough to type my own html. I am pretty pleased with this.

I decided to change the website for a few reasons. One being that I am just a very indecisive person and my tastes change hourly. Also because after viewing so many other artists' sites I felt that a more streamlined approach (i.e. more focused on the pieces and less on the site design/colors) would be better. I wanted more neutral colors and a bit more serious yet playful look. The other reason (about 50 percent of the reason!) is that I really just wanted to see if I could do it. I needed someone to do the last one for me and always hated relying on others for any little change or update. Now I feel confident I can maintain this site with very little reliance on anyone else. (Although major thanks to Paul for building the first one and Sachin for always helping me update it!)

And with that, I believe it is time for me to watch some Monday night shows and have a snack before bed. Early day repairing some stained glass windows (my other current job) tomorrow!

Freaky City

Howdy from Pennsylvania.
Moving has forced me to really clean out some stuff and I came across an old portfolio. Here is a pair of paintings (acrylic and ink on paper) I did a few years ago with the concept of a landscape in color & the same in black and white. It's supposed to look sort of alienesque and futuristic. I thought it might be one of the first instances of my work evolving to where it is today and believe it fits in nicely with the rest of my online portfolio. It also reminded me I'd like to go back to experimenting with paint on paper more in my imagery.

Whether I'll actually add it to my website is still up for debate.

Now that I'm more settled in at my new residence, I have a lot of new projects in store and a few old ones that I'd like to resurrect and rework. Some upcoming:

1. Finishing my children's book Lizzie and the Fox (working title)
2. Playing with more hypothetical indie band paraphernalia (like posters)
3. Revisiting a fractured fairy tale I wrote a few years ago and perhaps turning that into a book
4. I'd like to redesign/update the design of my website and make it more modern looking, perhaps filter my portfolio into categories as it's getting rather big all in one clump like that.

So there you have it. Hopefully I can overcome this writer's block and think of a better ending for #1 and get moving on some color illustration spreads. I'm looking into self-publishing that one. If so, I will definitely be blogging about my experiences with self-publishing as I'm sure it will prove to be a very rewarding learning experience at least, and hopefully a successful one too. But first, to finish writing it!

Moving, Broken.

Hello one and all,
I apologize for not having updated in so long! I have been entirely involved in relocating from Richmond, VA where I have lived for 5 1/2 years, to my hometown in Pennsylvania. Hopefully I will still find people who are looking for my type of art up here!

In other news, I broke my foot not 48 hours after arriving in PA and am now getting around with a super fashionable velcro shoe and a pair of shiny new crutches. That has also put a damper on things (namely, job searches) but the plus side is I will have endless time to sit around drawing. Now where did I put the boxes with my art supplies?

More to come once I find a pen and paper.