Here's some more doodles, let's make this nice and easy: and the next silkscreen project, this one should be a 6 color print when done. It's going to be fun:
As for the show coming up, kinda nervous but really excited. I just like this feeling of doing art and getting recognized. Maybe this all will pay off but once again, the details for the show are that it's at the House cafe in Dekalb, IL. with a reception on thursday, January 28th at 5pm. Be there or be rhombus.
And I just found out Sondre Lerche is coming through Chicago in Feburary so I am busting out some of his older stuff, remembering how much I love it.
2010 is off to a pretty fast paced start, I begun classes again last week and I already have a ton of doodles to dump. So yeah, here they are: I made this last doodle into a silkscreen for prints and t-shirts. I have an art print show I am in with some other artists as well next week at the House cafe in Dekalb, IL. with a reception on thursday, January 28th at 5pm. Pretty stoked, I got two excellent pieces in it I am proud of :3
Also for the first illustration project I had to sculpt a little monster: I call him Blinky, we're suppose to use him for photo and lighting reference for two illustrations on good and evil environments.
I have more to update about but I'll break up the post over the next few days. Woo, so busy already.
And of course, have some music
In the form of a fun little Korean band called the Black Skirts with an amazing animated video for their song "Dientes."
Passion Pit - Manners I was always a big fan of the postal service and this band seems to capture a lot of the reasons I was into them. Fun electronic music with fun, clever sounds and retro-styled songs that stay endearing instead of annoying. It's got heart and it's cheesy but fuck it's great!
Tanya Morgan - Brooklynati It's been a bit since I found a really good, solid hip hop album since Outkast has been on other projects and MF Doom falls more into the rap genre. These guys have exactly what I've been looking for by having a good balance of witty lyrics, amazing beats and cohesive, well thought out tracks over a great album.
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca It took me a bit to get around to listening to this album since it seemed like every one was creaming their jeans over this and it kept raising my expectations. When I finally did listen to Bitte Orca, it nearly exploded my mind. It was such a smart combination of jangly guitar work, experimental tweaked noises and thoughtful, lucid lyrics and verses that it had me listening to it on repeat, almost over and over again that week I had brought it with me on a trip to Austin. I'm almost sad I didn't get to this album sooner.
Super Furry Animals - Dark Days/Light Years Super Furry Animal's are so constantly wonderful I feel like I barely even need to explain why most every year they release something that it's usually one of my favorites. They know what they're doing and this album shows that off yet again.
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix So like Super Furry Animals, Phoenix doesn't know how to do a bad album. They got a lot of attention this year and they fully deserve it. If you like pop music even in the slightest this album is pure gold.
Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle It's hard to say that an album is simply beautiful but I can confidently say that about Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle. This album is just so aesthetically sound and gorgeous I can't recommend it enough. GET TO IT SON!
And to finish 2009 and a decade at that, let me just say, "FUCK YOU, Lady Gaga!"
So my last regular post for the year. After this I'll be posting my usual best 6 albums of the year. I've been drawing with no clear goal lately and just doing doodles in general. It's not really accomplishing much but it's so enjoyable. Sometimes it's good to get back to the basics.
As for reflecting on this year it's been pretty busy yet fulfilling. I finally have a set date for graduating next spring, I passed Illustration portfolio review, I've been in an art show and I've been working at Altgeld Art Museum for a year now. I feel like I've accomplished a lot for getting where I want to be as an artist but at the same time I have fallen short in a few areas. I wanted to finally finish a small comic/zine to sell at Quimby's and have still put it off a year later. This has to be the year I do that or I might just explode!
As for reflecting on personal things, well, it's a lot! I've come to enjoy where I am with friends and family and just enjoy being myself. I've made a strive to be less lazy and do more constructive things like making music, creating things and posting on this blog more often. I think my biggest hurtle is still apathy and laziness but I am slowly getting through it. There's so much we can do to improve ourselves and others around us I'd hate to look back in another decade and feel like I've been living a wasted life. Something to think about in '10.
Closing the last usual post of the year with some more Passion Pit. Definitely going to be one of the albums in the top 6 for the year.
So my semester has been over for the last week and I've just been lazy getting around to posting here but damn, am I enjoying the break. Not much to say other than how much I love sleeping in till 1pm again :3
Some end of the semester art: My final set of plates for my intaglio class on a split fountain woodcut. I like how it turned out but I wish I had more time to do bigger, individual plates for each one on its own split fountain. Maybe next semester. The title is "Scientist studies" off a deathcab for cutie song I quite like, capturing that familiar feeling of self realization and distance. A rearrangement of tarot cards to represent myself.
And the colored version of this guy SO PIMP
The end of the year is drawing close and I feel myself on a weird edge, realizing it's almost the end of decade again. I guess I am trying to formulate that all into more cohesive thoughts but until then, this song captures some odd combination of emotions I am feeling:
I was in love with this song by Passion Pit but the music video as well captures this cool, energetic atmosphere. I love when pairings turn out so nicely.
Also in review of reading all this text, I'M SO GAAAAAAAY.
Well November was a wonderful month. Kind of sad how fast fall goes, it's my favorite season and I never feel like I get to enjoy it and it's already freezing and just waiting to snow. My brother came up to visit most of the month and he heads back tomorrow, kind of bummed to see him heading out. All the more reason for me to hurry my ass up, graduate and get out to Austin.
Anyways, the art! Finished intaglio plate set. Really happy how it turned out and it's a nice, big size of 30" by 15", I think. My printmaker teacher wants to put it in the school's archives so I am happy but at the same time that means I need to do another edition of it, during finals.
Also been drawing Scott, my little imp guy. I need to get back to working on my comics which is a possibility with break a week away.
And most of all, Crunkodile
As for music, enjoy a cute ass, catchy music video from +/-
See you later fall, you were always my favorite~<3
Finally got a working scanner again. Basically I got a new computer and my last scanner was so old they don't even make software compatible for it with anything Windows vista and up. So uh, it's a little later than I wanted to post for November but I still got that chance to make 2 more post. At least one more.
First off, AAAAAAAAAAART!: Intaglio plate series I am working on. The less said about it, the better, until it is completed :3
A gouache painting for my illustration class. We had to pick a company or business to illustrate so I went with Anti- records. I noticed that most of the artist on their label, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Tabacco and Man Man, all seem to have themes of drug use so I had this idea of a baby and mama robo pill.
Second off, Seeeeeeeeeeeelf looooooooathing! I've been kind of mad at myself for getting all psyched up and starting a new comic again and not getting further into it. I have been good this semester at drawing regularly and struggling to get better but I really want to get back to doing a comic a week. I am busy; I have school full time and work two jobs but fuck, that's an excuse. No matter how busy I do get, my art should be a high priority and I want to do comics and graphic novels one day as well as illustration.
Third off, Grizzzzzzzzzly Beaaaaaaaaaaaaar!:
My love for them, their music videos and their new album only continue to grow like some beautiful melodic tumor :3
