I'm caught up in a storm that I don't need no shelter from

The new semester has been going pretty well. I just got back from a trip out to Austin to go to the GDC since I've been doing concept art for my bros company, Red Fly Studios. Each time I visit Austin I seem to find something new I love about it. I am crossing my fingers when that grad school application goes through in January.

As for my mental state, it's been in a weird state between melancholy and content. I'm getting work done, drawing a lot and enjoying myself but I feel like somethings a bit vacant about myself lately. Maybe it's just adjusting to the usual work load again but I just find myself thinking back to stupid things that don't matter. Maybe one day my brain will start working together as a cognitive whole.

Here's that suicide woodblock I finally finished. It's a nice 20" and 16" and took FOREVER.

I was trying to capture that state of mind I've been in for the last year or two but put a positive twist on it with a nice little Posada style theme and colors. I could go deeper into the piece but I really like leaving it up to the viewer to decide the meaning. It's title is "Something bad inside me went away (those to come)" after a delightful Shins song I thought inspired/captured the mood.

and some doodles, the last one being a prelim sketch for a bigger water color painting I am going to do for an illustration project.




and some music of course.

Finally got around to listening to this new Dirty Projectors album and it's fantastic as everyone has been saying. It's a good balance of weird, sensiable and catchy with gorgeously deep lyrics. The odd cheerful tone mixed with a sense of depression in this song is definitely appealing to me lately.

Yup, back in school still means huge blog post for me. Oh well, better than nothing.

Yep

School has started for me again and I am quite enjoying the classes. Got photography, Spanish, intermediate Illustration and Intaglio printmaking this semester. They all seem pretty enjoyable and I am hoping this helps me pump out some more art (and post here) these next few months.

I've also been made president of the other art club at NIU, Ars Nova. So I'll be busy with that as well but hopefully it'll get me in the mood to be more productive art-wise. I even get my own little office at school since it's an official SA club. Usually that access to a little extra privacy can be helpful to get me drawing.

I am kind of bummed I didn't get more art done this summer or further into the comic I am working on. I had a really great summer otherwise, getting to hang with friends, go to Georgia and enjoy some concerts and that pitchfork music festival. I am still trying to figure out that perfect balance of getting art done and getting out. It sometimes feels like I have to shut myself in for a few days to get anything done.

Working on still life and figure drawing again, one of those areas I got to sharpen up technique wise.

Should have some wood block prints and comics within the next week or two.

Also I've been on a blur kick again, mainly listening to Think Tank on repeat. They've been one of my favorites for awhile and also one of the first bands I ever really got into. They always tend to bring up nostalgic memories of my earlier teen years.

Nostalgia is going to kill me one day.

We are the robots

So I am making more than two post this month, hopefully I can make twice as many in August. Considering school's starting and a lot of stuff is up and coming, shouldn't be a problem.

I had to recently sign the NDA with red fly studios for the game concept art I am doing so sorry guys, no art until late on that! None the less it's got me feeling PUMPED.

As for now, I CAN'T STOP LISTENING TO KRAFTWERK!

Why must it all be so catchy? It never leaves my brain. I recently got their album Radioactivity on vinyl and it's been on repeat quite a few days now.

Bustin' out the new lay out

Liking the colors and new header. If anyone feels otherwise, let me know because I am not a good judge of such things sometimes.

In case things go poorly and I not return

So I have returned from all my vacationing and music going and general dumbassery with some drawings and comics. Most of them are ideas and sketchs so I am only posting two:



I started typing up this post wanting to write something deep and nice about the recent comic and idea I am working on but I am so tired of talking shit up I just want to get more pages done and feel half way decent about finishing an idea. I am such a huge gay nerd baby who loves run on sentences jeeeeesh.

I am going to see about readjusting and making this blog look a little better within this week but for now here is the usual music I am going to post that people should take a gander at with their ears:

Seriously fantastic song, Bill Callahan has made the best album this year so far and he has a beard in this link. Work that beard Billy, work it like you mean it!

Now I go out alone if I go out at all

Going to to the Atlanta Suburbs, returning with lots of art and comics. Take this if needed:

Toodles!

We're not old, old at all. Just too old.

Been getting back on track with doing art daily and painting and such. Here's some watercolors and doodles I did for some friends.




I've started scripting and drawing out the rough sketches for the comics I want to do and actually print myself. I am still a little iffy on a few of the ideas but I'm hammering them out and feeling pretty confident all around with how it'll turn up.

Some of them are a bit personal too and I don't know if I am comfortable enough to do them or even if I should. Doubling that up with the usual self doubt of an artist, I'm wondering if I should even do a rough sketch of them. Fuck if I know.

Life is pretty confusing in general lately but it's a nice kind of confusion. Tomorrow I am heading off to Chicago to check out the new modern wing at the art institute of Chicago which will hopefully be very inspiring and if not, there's always the stop at Rotofugi's to help with that. Beats sitting at home and watching Docotr Who, which is sadly what I've been doing most of this week :[

And for the usual music I seem to post at the end of each entry, I've really been in to the Antlers lately. This track, Bear, is so wonderful:

Albums called hospice and it's a really good companion along with Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest. I think it captures that word's feeling in a morbidly beautiful way, cover art included.