:sponge:

:insert coin:

2012-02-08T22:10:00.002-05:00

For the past week I've been pondering new employment, as there are changes ahead where I work that I don't think I'll be cool with. They aren't happening immediately, thankfully. I've often said about this job that I wasn't planning to stay there forever, but I can't wait for the perfect moment to leave, so I'm starting my search.

Unfortunately the best I've done so far as describing what I think my "dream job" is is one that's "creative," so I need to get more specific than that. I know from others who've been there that an ad agency is not for me. I've considered video games, so I'm seeking more information about that. What I already know is that there's computer programs that I need to learn, in particular 3D ones.

I used to play them a LOT when I was younger, and here's where I date myself, I'm of the Atari generation and the coin-op arcades. The most recent platform I have is the Nintendo DS, and I hardly use that lately. My computer is a Mac, so insert joke about the lack of games for it, though it isn't as bad as it used to be. I need to find a controller for it, some games are near impossible with a mouse and keyboard. I haven't finished "Portal" yet because of this, even though I know what I need to do.

The last games I was really into were the "Doom" and "Quake" series, although after completing them, I found that I spent more time exploring the castles and dungeons, and downloaded as many maps as I could find. Unfortunately they don't work with the current OS, or at least I haven't figured out how to convert them. I'd be the wrong person to to play Tour of Duty with, I'd probably be distracted by some interesting architecture.

I tend to like unique and out of the ordinary games, which is one reason why I got the DS. What I've seen and read about one called "Shadow of the Colossus" almost makes me want to get a Playstation just to try it. And to try and think up something similar on my own.

Oh yeah, Valentine's Day next week. Here's a Gorey Valentine for you.

:lions and dragons:

2012-02-01T22:09:00.001-05:00

Something I've doing since I finally got weekends off from work (no such thing in retail) is attending the Lunar New Year celebrations in Chinatown. The lions (I used to call them dragons, oops) are so vividly colored and I tend to overlook that's there's people inside and treat it like photographing on safari. I wanted to attempt to visit another city's Chinatown this year, but I couldn't find an exact date for NYC's celebration, so, here we are in Boston again.

One goal for this year is to get a "real" digital camera, but I think I do pretty good with my little point and shoot.

Lots more pics on my flickr page.

:boneless:

2012-01-25T21:37:00.002-05:00

A bad week mentally and physically. I hope this will not be a trend for 2012. Have another jellyfishy.

:darkness:

2012-01-18T22:56:00.001-05:00

Wish I could say I was posting nothing today as a way of participating in the Internet Blackout, but no, another bad week. I did blackout a few pics on my flickr page. Here's some jellyfishy that I didn't.

:home is in your head:

2012-01-11T21:38:00.000-05:00

I was prepared tonight to go on about how I wasn't very creative in the past week, and so far not meeting my goal of at least sketching every day. It has to do, as it often does, with my living situation and some anxiety kept me from creating. I still need to find a new place, and I must do it this year. Any leads on quiet apartments or artist studios are welcome as ever.

But this evening something came to mind and I scribbled it down, and who knows, it could become something more by the end of the month.

And yes, more spaniel abuse.

:annus novus:

2012-01-04T22:04:00.000-05:00

New year, new hopes, the largest one of all is to not have them crushed. I start out as ambitious as ever, but the amount of plans I have versus time and resources gets overwhelming at times. So it's best to start small. I have been dismayed at my lack of creative output over the past few years, some of it due to outside issues, but ultimately it's my fault. So I'm going to attempt to sketch at least a page a day in my sketchbook, and try to make one major piece a month. If I end the year with twelve new works, that'll be better than the past few years combined, sad to say.

A lot of it depends on my environment, of course, so the search goes on, but I have to learn to be creative in spite of it.

It starts out with the blank page/screen but something comes out eventually. As ever I don't know if it will evolve beyond this into something bigger.

Oh yeah, I'm still doing horrible things to the spaniels, thanks for asking.

:flush:

2011-12-29T21:01:00.002-05:00

I didn't post yesterday as I was busy DJing at Temple. Sometimes it feels like I lead not a double but a triple life, and I try to remember this whenever I think my life is uninteresting. Of course I wish the balance was more towards the lives I prefer, but what else is new. Something to aim for in the new year.

Ah yes, the turn of another calendar year, with all the hopes for a better one, and it's easy for me to say "good riddance" to the last one. While it did feel at times like a boot on my neck, good things did happen, specifically because I made them happen, which I need to continue in the new year.

I didn't create as much as I'd like, but I did do more than in 2010, and several artworks were also in galleries, and they sold as well. I started to save up for a "real" camera. I still desperately need a better apartment/studio to create, and that will remain a priority in the new year. I went to a voiceover class, as I'd like to do voices for cartoons, but that will require more practice, and, again, a better place to do so in.

Maybe you believe in astrology, I am mostly a skeptic, but somebody who's better versed in it than I did my chart and said that after so many bad ones, 2012 will be "my year." I sure hope so, but I have to remember not to sit back and wait for it to be so.

:saw no evil:

2011-12-21T20:39:00.001-05:00

I continue to deal with physical & mental problems, which again get in the way of creativity. This time it's my eyes. I've been nearsighted since grade school, when I found that I couldn't read the chalkboard. I've worn contacts since high school. I've looked into Lasik, but of course it's out of my price range, and not covered by insurance.

I got a new prescription this past weekend, my eyes have been amazingly the same for a couple of years, but now the right one is a just a bit weaker. I've only had these new ones in for a few days but I've had issues with them. For faraway objects they're great, but sometimes, more than before, I am having a real hard time viewing and reading close objects. That's with them in, of course. I am fine reading without them, but then I won't be able to read things like traffic signs. Going back Friday to see if they can fix this mess. I don't want to have to wear both contacts and glasses, or just glasses. Call it vanity. I find it both amusing and annoying that kids today actually WANT to wear them. Damn you, Harry Potter.

Without our senses we are nothing. Wouldn't want to lose either my sight or hearing.

:twist my arm:

2011-12-14T21:43:00.000-05:00

Just trying to get back in the swing of things creatively. I shouldn't have to force it, but other things keep getting in the way, time-wise, physical and mental. I miss the days of youth when there was so much free time. Going to be the fogey and say now that "youth is wasted on the young." But truthfully what I need to do is organize my time better. I do my best but the internet is such a time-suck. Even when I'm actually doing constructive thing son it, one link leads me further astray. And don't get me started on Facebook. For somebody like, who hates to feel like he's missing something, it can be insidious.

Just some doodling. I need to get back up to a page a day. Even on a large page I tend to fill it up with thumbnails.

:inbetween days:

2011-12-07T21:22:00.001-05:00

The Krampus art opening went pretty well on Saturday, and of course Krampus made an appearance, twice. People seemed to like my piece, a few actually calling it the best in show, of which I disagree, but flattered nonetheless. I still tend to think I made a bit too scary to be wall-worthy, but we shall see. I was surprised by my previous sales, after all.

My brain and body have been too mushy for much creativity this week. Time to think of another major work, and to get going, finally, on the website redesign. For now, here's a zen seagull.

:he knows:

2011-11-29T21:47:00.001-05:00

I won't be around tomorrow night for my usual Wednesday night posting, so here I am now. Finished this last week, delivered it to the Fools Mansion, the opening party will be this Saturday night if you find yourself in Salem and not in a shotgun shack.

I'm too wiped out from either my headaches or the medicine I'm taking for them to write much else. Here's hoping the TMJ people find what's up with me and FIX it.

:naughty and nice:

2011-11-23T21:32:00.001-05:00

The Krampus piece should be done and ready for delivery to the show by this weekend. Once again I won't show you the whole thing until the show starts, nyahh. I may associate this one with pain, as I've been plagued with headaches the past few weeks and had to skip a few nights from working on this. I think it has to do with my jaw, I will be going to somebody about it soon. I've been clenching and grinding my teeth in my sleep for who knows how long, I've lost two teeth as a result of it, and the newest mouthguard I got made things worse. It's like my body is trying to sabotage me in my sleep. But enough about that.

I did this piece in charcoal, something I haven't used in awhile, and like pencils, it came back to me nearly instantly. It's like painting to me, of which I am not very good at, at least not with oils.

The whole Krampus thing gets more and more fascinating to me. I found a book about it, but it arrived long after I had already begun the artwork. Krampus cards were a big deal in Europe before WW I. Most of the art depicts naughty children being carted off or flogged by St. Nicholas' helper, but sometimes it's adults, and the women don't seem too displeased by his appearance. Inneresting.

The spaniels are still showing up in my sketchbooks. The theme seems to be, "what awful things can I do to them next?" Awful things that I can't show you right now, that's what.

:Santa's little helper:

2011-11-16T22:29:00.001-05:00

Working on my piece for the Krampus show. I'd have gotten more done if not for time and raging headaches and neck aches. One reason for a new apartment will hopefully be a better creative space. This one is just not cutting it. Nor is my bed, another reason for those aches. Sigh.

Working in charcoal this time. I usually used it for figure drawing, I've forgotten how easily it flows. I should be able to finish this in time for the show.

:krrrampus:

2011-11-09T22:55:00.000-05:00

It's time once again for the Krampus show in Salem, and I'm trying to come up with something for it. The piece I made last year actually sold, so there's some pressure in my head to outdo it. Right now I'm not sure if I'm going for horrific realism or somewhat whimsical. I've seen my share of both in my research. It's a pretty big deal in some parts of Europe. With a little push we can bring Krampus to these shores, why not.

:el dia de los muertos:

2011-11-02T22:46:00.001-04:00

So of course this past weekend was Halloween (well, Monday, but even though I partied then, most choose the weekend), and I was more focused on that than other things., even with a freakish amount of snow on Saturday. I wore Day of the Dead makeup and made an outfit as best I could from what I have. Tried to find a mariachi outfit but all I could find was a rental and I'm not paying that much just for a day or two.

(I've no idea who she is but I had to get a photo with her)

As far as I know there's no Mexican blood in my family, but I'm fascinated by the celebration of Dia De Los Muertos, quite the opposite of how death is viewed up here in America. I even went to Mexico City one year in the hopes of witnessing such, but truthfully saw very little. Either I was looking in the wrong places or it isn't a "big city" thing down there. Maybe again some day. I still enjoyed myself. I really should be traveling the globe, but, no money, so what's new. Somebody pay my way and I'll take so many photos to make up for it!

I've wanted to make some elaborate costume for years, like an alien or giant insect, but it's never come to fruition. Plus it'd have to be something I can stand to be in for an extended time. Even a simple mask is too much after awhile for me.

So begins November, one of my least favorite months; the comedown after Halloween, getting darker and colder, Thanksgiving - which only means time off from work for me, and the intrusion of all things Xmess. Yayyyy. Thank goodness for Krampus. Well, maybe goodness has very little to do with that.

:trick or trout:

2011-10-26T22:38:00.000-04:00

I just tried messing around with the new Blogger template editor but so far it's been very user-unfriendly for me. Changes I made would disappear when I went to a different editor. Maybe some other time.

I'm pleased to report that the "cactus" piece I made for a show in Salem, MA was recently sold! So somebody likes what I do enough to pay for it!

Most of what I'm doing this week has been planning out the makeup for my Halloween costume. Let's just say it's related to the above piece in a way.

And also the spaniels are finding their way into my sketchbooks again. It seems that they are serving the purpose of what I think they did in the past, of a way of getting my aggressions or "unfriendly" ideas out somehow? In any case I don't think that it's something I can share just yet, don't want people thinking I have issues that aren't really there. Right now they are just creatures that exist to eat, breed, and die. In many inventive and grisly ways.

:this is halloween:

2011-10-19T20:37:00.000-04:00

In 1998 I started an artwork series called "Halloween is my Xmas." Actually the first one was for a flier for a Halloween party that I hosted, now I still use it for "thank you" cards.

I kept doing another one each year until 2007. The original intention was as promotional cards; I saw and read that other illustrators sent out promotional cards to clients and prospective clients, usually on the obvious holiday. Well, Halloween has always been my favorite, so why not avoid the Xmas mail glut as well? I did try it as promotion, made a list from various sources like the Artists Market ( do they still publish that? ), but didn't get *any* nibbles. I doubt that direct mail even works any more these days. Marketing is obviously a weak point with me.

Why did I stop doing these in 2007? One reason was that I ran out of ideas, or had ones that were too similar to the Nightmare Before Xmas, which also often fused the two holidays.

I've been meaning to print these to sell as cards (they can work for both holidays!). I printed a small run for Fool's Mansion in Salem, MA, an obvious place to sell them. When I was there recently there were only four left. Wish I could've afforded to print more. Another Kickstarter possibility?

:click and crack:

2011-10-12T22:12:00.000-04:00

I'm recovering from a root canal tonight. For the sensation of somebody excavating within your jaw, I heartily recommend it. Here's hoping the tooth will be saved, I can't afford another implant, but neither do I want a gap in my mouth.

Sketching when I can but nothing worthy to show you. I find I'm still doing more photography, glad that I take my point and shoot everywhere, you never know what you'll run into. Although I really need a digital SLR camera, if only for more control over the pictures, like depth of field. I try to use what I have, though. I think I get pretty damn good results for what is available to me. I still feel pangs of jealousy when I see tourists with fancy cameras (or TWO) taking pictures of buildings. Once we had shoeboxes full of photos that no one will ever see, now we have hard drives full of them. Although I try to get my photos out there as much as possible (see my flickr page).

I look at the prices for such cameras and wonder how "ordinary" people can afford them. Trying to figure out a way to get one. Kickstarter? Would people give me money to buy a camera? I need to investigate further. Even used prices are several hundred dollars out of my range and I need to save money more for my eventual move.

:iCloudy:

2011-10-05T21:45:00.000-04:00

Nothing new this week, the last week has been mostly anxiety-ridden, something I hope I can fix, it's really crippling me at times.

Just heard the news this past hour that Steve Jobs has died. I wouldn't be typing this now or have created half of what I have in the past two decades without something he had a hand in creating. Yes, I've used PCs, I'm no Apple worshipper, but it's definitely a preference for creative types, still. RIP.

The gallery opening that the piece I created is in was this past Saturday. Nearly every spot on the wall was filled, delightful to see with the Halloween theme.

Here's a seagull to send off Summer with.

:cactus:

2011-09-28T22:32:00.000-04:00

...and here she is. If it confuses you, it's inspired by the Pixies' song "Cactus:"

Bloody your hands on a cactus tree
Wipe it on your dress and send it to me

It's an idea I've had kicking around for some time, I finally did it for an upcoming Halloween show (I consider Dia de Los Muertos as part of Halloween :-P )

I seem to be sticking to using just pencils lately. No real reason why. Avoiding learning the drawing tablet, perhaps? Or seeing if I can still draw without digital trickery? I can tell you this much, I'd have preferred scanning in a cactus than drawing every last spine like I did.

She'll be on display and for sale at the Fools Mansion Halloween show, Oct. 2 - 31.

:otro lado:

2011-09-21T23:09:00.000-04:00

I completely changed direction from last week. This is an idea I've had on a list (one of many lists), but I think it'll apply to Halloween. Or Dia de Los Muertos, at least. I'm glad I got this much done tonight, as for some reason this week I've been feeling more anxiety while at the apartment than usual. I may need to seek medical help finally. But I've found it helped to just get started and keep my head down. It's just that it's difficult (for me) to stay in the zone when somebody in the building goes BANG BANG THUMP THUMP or does something that makes the whole building shake. Guess I'm "weird" in that this bothers me. :-P

:spookytime:

2011-09-14T22:21:00.000-04:00

There's a Halloween art show coming up that I'd like to make something new for. Not entirely sure what yet. I could either go the full horror route or go whimsical.

:reboot:

2011-09-07T21:59:00.001-04:00

I can't speak for other artists, but often in my case artwork is never really finished, it's just done "enough," or in danger of too much re-working. I can recall a comic I did called "Bleed for Me" that I re-did several times. Still not sure if the end result was the best. But it's either redo it again or go on to other things from there.

Case in point, I find myself still thinking about or re-reading those awful dog stories I went over in a previous entry. Partially because it's like a different person did them and I am trying to recall the state of mind I was in when I did them...besides being young and confused (as opposed to older and confused like I am now). Also looking at the art and writing and wondering if it were done better, could it work now? Even though at the very core it's about dogs being killed in many ways. Alien dogs, okay, but dogs drawn in an intentionally cartoony way.

One thing on my eternal list is a manga-style series, I just need a story, perhaps this could be it. I've seen some good horror manga and also some surreal humor ones (I LOVE FLCL!). Could be, could be...

Anyways the spaniels keep finding their way into my sketchbooks lately. One of their aspects is that they breed like rabbits, so I offer both apologies and none for the following:

:puzzled:

2011-08-31T22:01:00.000-04:00

Nothing for show and tell this week other than some very rough sketches that I don't know whether or not if they'll turn into something better. Plotting in my head, as per usual, that path I should be taking, which will rocket off once I get the better apartment that I deserve by now. Looking into getting into more galleries. I've been in a fair share of group shows, no solo shows yet, although the closest one was a three person show at Space 242 a few years ago.

One of the biggest obstacles, curiously enough, is that whole "artist statement" thing that usually accompanies exhibits. I've sure you're read a few. Or maybe not, maybe only gallery owners read these things. In any case, they often read to me as overblown descriptions of the artwork and process. I just create from what's in my head, I can't always explain why or where it comes from. "Beauty & decay" is the best description I've come up with, which just might be the title of my website, once I finally re-design the damn thing.

I'll make the pieces fit somehow.

:summertime rolls:

2011-08-24T21:22:00.000-04:00

August is turning out to be a very non-productive month for me, due to work and home issues, I'm sure. I'm making a point of making time for sketching, though again it's sad that I have to both find the time and force myself to. Redundant, but this will all be fixed by a better apartment. Yep, still looking.

I saw this blog about creepy dolls and just had to add mine to the bottom of it.

:sisterhood:

2011-08-17T21:47:00.000-04:00

I swear this wasn't planned; I just hang up my latest artwork on the wall, it just happens to be next to a doll with tentacles.

Here's a closer look a Goddess of the Hallway if you've never seen her before.

:poopin:

2011-08-10T23:22:00.000-04:00

Busy this week getting back into the wretched day-job schedule, plus a DJ gig Monday, and other things, leave very little time this week for creativity. It's very sad. So here's a picture of a seagull marking his territory.

:breathe:

2011-08-03T22:29:00.000-04:00

After spending so much time working on one piece, there is some downtime, at least as of late, since I spend so long on them as opposed to knocking them out in a day or two. Although that was probably in the years of more free time...when was that??

The gallery opening was excellent, as all Fool's Mansion shindigs tend to be. I did not sell the piece on opening night like I did last time, but I wasn't really expecting to. People liked it. Hopefully some time over the next month somebody will like it enough to buy it.

I'm also on "vacation," although not able to afford to really go anywhere for it, but I am spending as much time outside as possible, not just because it's summer, but there's still apartment issues. Two neighbors have moved out, which is good, but it appears I have a new one next door already, which could be bad, given my track record, and may lead to panic attacks again. Ramping up the apartment search again. So tired of this.

In the midst of this I don't know what my next piece will be. Scouring through the sketchbooks, surprised at some of the things I came up with.

:sheggoth:

2011-07-25T22:22:00.001-04:00

I finished this last week! It will be on display and for sale in the the show "From Beyond," an art show inspired by the works of HP Lovecraft, at Fool's Mansion, 127 Essex St, Salem MA 01970. The opening is this Saturday night at 8 PM, and trust me when I say that their art openings are like no other that I've attended.

I pretty much stuck to the final sketch. I tried drawing large tentacled beasties, but none of it was working for me, so I tried for the terror within.

The original plan was to create it with Corel Painter, but it was acting dodgy. A victim of my finally upgrading to OS X Snow Leopard? I won't be upgrading to Lion anytime soon. To their credit, Corel customer support quickly supplied fixes, but I had wasted enough time as it is, so I went back to pencils.

I had meant to leave the top part of her face out, as I think the focal point of this piece is pretty obvious, but after I bought a frame, I found a lot of leftover space, so I added the rest of her face. There's at least three references I used for that, but mostly from my puny mind.

Then I got to work on the tentacles, which was really fun for some reason, probably because they weren't based too much on reality and so I couldn't screw them up too much. After they were done, I had to go over the rest with darker pencils so that the tentacles didn't stand out THAT much.

I'm really happy with how this turned out. I wish I had more hours in the day for this. Oh for a pile of money or a rent-free living situation.

:flowing:

2011-07-20T22:28:00.000-04:00

I'm almost done with this piece, some more shading, then I'll sleep on it (not literally) and see if I need to do anything more to it tomorrow night. If not, then I'll pack it into the frame and it's off to Salem on Saturday.

I've really enjoyed drawing these tentacles the past two nights, they just flowed out of me, so to speak. I find it somewhat easier to draw things that are not based in reality, you don't have to worry so much about whether or not they look "right," unlike, say, a person's eyes.

I'll publish the final piece next week, along with the steps I took to make it.

:tease:

2011-07-13T23:14:00.000-04:00

I have had very little free time this week to work on this piece, I will probably be finishing it right up until the deadline. Insert lament about work vs. my time here. I'd like to show more, but truthfully I don't want to until it's finished and hanging up on the gallery wall.

:burning inside:

2011-07-06T22:10:00.000-04:00

After that winter, I dare not complain about the heat, but woo it's a scorcher tonight. Even with the AC and a fan on I don't feel like moving around too much, and thus, not getting much done tonight. The general idea for the art show piece is there; I just need to finalize it, maybe need some photo reference for aspects of it. Next week will be busy time for sure.

For some reason I keep going back and reading and looking at the spaniel stories I talked about here. I can't really say why, as they are so crude in idea and visuals. I guess I'm trying to figure how my mind came up with such things, especially at such a young age. Maybe I was striking out at my "enemies" or frustrations through cartoon violence. There were some sexual aspects to some of the stories too, which is amusing to me now as I certainly didn't have any experiences of the sort at the time. Late bloomer to say the least. I don't know, maybe since my life is so frustrating right now, maybe I'm trying to relearn how I dealt with and maybe it'll show itself in creative ways. There are times when you don't want to be an adult anymore, though.

:the screaming game:

2011-06-29T21:31:00.002-04:00

I seem to be leaning towards the idea of of a woman sprouting tentacles for this piece, even if it's not terribly Lovecraftian. Now if I can just keep it from looking like tentacle porn...

:creeping terror:

2011-06-22T21:53:00.000-04:00

Still trying to come up with an idea for a show next month: I will say that it is Lovecraft-themed, and I'm trying not to do anything obvious, although I keep fixating on tentacles, but there's nothing inherently scary about just tentacles. I seem to be going between horror within, as in within the body, and horror without, but I'm having trouble conveying something that is so immense. At least in sketches, so far.

:tentacular:

2011-06-16T21:58:00.000-04:00

Got tentacles on the mind. Can't say why yet, and no, it's not a hentai thing.

:zen:

2011-06-08T23:13:00.000-04:00

:braaains:

2011-06-01T22:41:00.001-04:00

No new artwork this week, unless you count photography, which I do. This past Saturday was the annual Zombie March in Boston, and it keeps getting bigger each year. As ever, part of the fun is the reactions of people not expecting a zombie horde. Besides taking pictures, I also used a Brain On A Stick (tm) to lead around a few zombies here and there.

To see more, see the whole set on my flickr page.

In other news, I'm going to be taking the month of June off from Facebook, to hopefully regain some of the timesuck it's become in my life. Stay tuned.

:dog days:

2011-05-24T22:14:00.002-04:00

As threatened/promised last week, I'm going to talk about these wicked little stories I created when I was younger that I recently thought of and managed to unearth. Lucky for me (?) I kept damn near everything I've drawn and written, no matter how embarrassing it may look now.

A good part of my youth was spent making my own comics, one was a major one that I started after seeing "Star Wars," in which I borrowed from nearly everything I read and saw, comics, movies, and TV shows, one reason why it'll never be published. It was also never finished - high school got in the way, and then college, and then real life - but I know how it ends in my head, at least. They do get an ending. I'll go over that comic some other time.

But around the same time, I'd say when I was 13 or so, I started writing and illustrating these vicious little stories in which these little dogs which I called spaniels, even though they were really crudely drawn at first, that met many bloody and gruesome ends. It seems that I even kept meticulous notes on it, thinking that some day somebody would be interested. Hell, I had all these plans for several volumes of stories, and animated movies, I even chose songs for the soundtrack, and designed video games based on them. Quite the dreamer I was.

The nearest I can tell about the genesis for this was my being a cat person, and at the time there were these "humorous" books out about "101 uses for a dead cat," which I guess offended me enough to retaliate against the obvious. I made these dogs SO stupid that they almost invited death. They would get frozen with fear, whine and sweat (not something dogs normally do, but it made sense in a cartoon sense). But killing off cute little doggies is a bit of a hard sell, I'll admit, so a weird sort of mythology developed around them.

Turns out these are not normal dogs, but alien ones dropped off on our planet, from a planet called Strax where they were bioengineered, but they soon overpopulated (they have two day long gestation periods and breed like rabbits - the males are horny little bastards) and threatened their planet with deforestation (they were herbivores, although in some stories I had them degenerate into cannibalism of their own kind). Which gave (I thought) valid reason for the slaughter of them. The original stories were about the different kinds, due to wherever they were dropped off and "too stupid to leave." Tree, arctic, cave, city and, for some reason, English spaniels.

Looking at these now I cringe at the bad writing and crude drawings, but hell, I was only 13! But I did see improvement as I went on. The city spaniel story, meant to be the last one of the "first" volume, was pretty well-written, I thought. The second volume, which was meant to be about the final "death hunts," never got written, they were more storyboards for imagined animated movies. Seeing both "Watership Down" and "Heavy Metal" clearly inspired me. The third volume was supposed to take place on their home planet of Strax. I only got one story done, basically sketched out but never fully illustrated, but I read it now and the black humor in it still makes me laugh.

It's called "Friendship," and I even found the original story idea, written on the back of some school vocabulary test:

1 - two pups are separated in woods

2 - both find the same female a year later

3 - they fight over female for two days

4 - pups are born, and they apologize

5 - bomb destroys them all

I don't know, something in me really liked building it up to a sappy ending only to yank it away in the end. There is foreshadowing in the final one so that the bomb doesn't literally come out of nowhere.

I also gave them foul little mouths, it seems. I've no idea why I drew it on such crappy paper, though. I guess this was meant to be a rough draft. I have other pages pacing out the story better, but they're even sketchier, pencil-wise. Oh so many unfinished projects in my life.

So who needs subtlety?

Like I said last week, I'm lucky no authority figures or parents saw these back then, they'd probably put me away. Then again, the stuff that kids today can see accidentally online pales in comparison, I suppose.

:SCIENCE:

2011-05-18T22:32:00.001-04:00

Nothing new art-wise this week, but I did take a lot of photos at MIT's FASTlight this past weekend - a celebration of MIT's 150th anniversary involving a lot of installations combining art & science. Every time I get to wander around MIT I wish I had been smart enough to go there, it seems like an inspiring place, and with places like the famous Media Lab, there's places for artists there, too. Maybe if I had learned about making video games back in the 80s rather than playing them...

More pics from this event on my flickr page.

edit: I was editing this post and stupidly posted it as new post. This one should be dated 5/11/11.

:not disney:

2011-05-18T22:24:00.000-04:00

It's gotten later than I thought tonight and there's not enough time to write what I wanted to. So, instead, a peek of what I was going to write about and hopefully next week...some rather bizarre comics and stories that I wrote in my misguided youth, which, looking at them now, I am lucky that no authority figures saw at the time. Surely a disturbed young boy, they'd think. Best to put him away.

:birthday suit:

2011-05-04T21:49:00.000-04:00

There was a time when I was going to figure drawing sessions regularly; I really should get back into that. There's no shortage of such in the Boston area.

I first started at art school - I don't know if any high schools are or ever were progressive enough to have live modeling. Often the first thing people asked me about art school was "you get to draw nekkid people, don'tcha?" And I had to explain that, yes, but we aren't usually talking supermodels here, or even always female models for that matter.

Then I would try to explain that after awhile, you are concentrating more on shapes and shadows and then the model "disappears" if you are actually focused on what you are doing. Sometimes I did a drawing of nothing but the shadows.

And since drawing people was the "last frontier" for me when I started drawing oh so many years ago (hey, it's my birthday tomorrow!), it's good to keep in practice, especially to remember that not all bodies look the same. I already feel that the faces that I draw are too similar.

:vamos:

2011-04-27T22:39:00.001-04:00

I'm determined to have something new up here each Wednesday, so tonight I dabbled in Painter with the Wacom tablet, still learning. SO many brushes and styles to choose from! I tend to stick to one for too long. I like how the rose came out more than anything in this. This is copied from a photo, but I do have an idea in mind involving Dia los Muertos.

:sponsor:

2011-04-20T21:47:00.000-04:00

Nothing new to show this week, so I'll guess I'll post the many ways you can get artwork of mine, if you're so inclined or reclined or Patsy Cline.

deviantArt

fine art america

fotki

I have an Etsy page too, but it's closed for now, the fees were a bit much for something that wasn't working, sales-wise. It's also more of a crafty place than one that people will buy prints from, at least in my experience.

I can also make some pretty decent prints on my home printer if there are pieces on my website that aren't available through the above options.

:doodle doodle dee:

2011-04-13T22:08:00.000-04:00

I really want to write in this thing more regularly, creative slump or not, so let's shoot for Wednesdays, hokay?

I've learned over the years to always have some sort of sketchbook with me, even though I also used whatever scraps I could find. This was frowned upon at some shit jobs I've had. Better you do the retail oxymoron of "looking busy" rather than anything creative, or god forbid, look *relaxed* while on the job. Sorry, was I screaming again? Anyways...

I have larger sketchbooks but also smaller ones to carry around. I noticed that the last few were a combination of sketches and notes and shopping lists, and not enough of the former, so I have two separate pads for that. And those of you who know me wonder why I still lug a messenger bag around.

I'm doing my best to sketch more. Some may became major pieces some day, some are already on that way. It's still a pity I have to find the time to do it, or it takes a long time to spark it. Non-creative environments at home and at work aren't helping. Maybe I'll go into the laptop jungle that coffee shops are now and draw there, but truthfully, that's not my scene. And I don't drink coffee.

:something anything:

2011-03-08T22:40:00.000-05:00

Nothing much to report - an ambition of mine is to at least get a weekly post of substance on here - but I *did* get a photo included in a local gallery show:

Capturing Time
A juried photo show

March 10 - April 6, 2011

Time Warner Gallery, LynnArts
25 Exchange St. Lynn, MA 01901
www.lynnarts.org

opening reception Saturday, March 12 2-4 PM
with live music by Guys and Dahl

Galleries are open:
Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri 10 AM - 4 PM
Thurs, 10 AM - 8 PM
Sat, 11AM - 4 PM

This is the photo that got accepted:

:repeating loop:

2011-02-23T21:45:00.000-05:00

This is getting ridiculous. I need a new place or I shall never be able to create on a regular basis. I feel like I'm living in a college dorm at times, though the people here are allegedly adults. I wouldn't care if I didn't hear them, but the walls and floors here are way too thin for this many people to be living this close together.

ANY leads on a quiet place in the Boston area (I'm having no luck with craigslist) would be greatly appreciated. I just don't know where to look. Too many bad realtor websites online (if I could design websites that'd be my market, they need HELP), scant few listings in papers, where else can I look??

:i've got idea man:

2011-01-17T22:00:00.000-05:00

Getting a strange surge of ideas lately, hoping to ride this wave and create most if not all this year; like I said in a previous post, last year's "productivity" was pathetic. If I can get at least one new piece a month (January's half over, we'll see, excuses excuses), I'll know I'm on the right track.

Just going to note them down here for my own purposes. It probably won't make any sense to you.

- cactus
- angler
- pause
- Kali
- waitress
- H Girl
- Siamese twins
- Goreyphone

:new year new hopes:

2011-01-09T21:25:00.000-05:00

Guess I'll start off the first post of 2011 by informing you that six of the Homunculi (spooky dolls) are now on display AND for sale at Bewitched in Salem, should you find yourself in Salem, MA. Here are a few in the front window:

So: the new year usually means resolutions, and while I don't usually share mine publicly, the creativity issue is an important one and one reason for the existence of this blog. I only created three major art pieces last year. THREE. That's my worst year yet, even though two of them ended up being sold. This cannot stand. I know it's still because of my living situation, so the search for a better place still continues. But I can't sit and wait until that happens and just let my creativity die. Still need to: finish learning Adobe CS3, almost done learning Photoshop. Practice more on the drawing tablet. Learn more about photography, somehow get a digital SLR camera and dare I hope, a studio. Just have to stay f o c u s e d. I've already started drawing on one of work breaks instead of reading. Just a 15 minute brain dump. Who knows what will come out. Stay tuned?

:krampus:

2010-11-27T21:32:00.003-05:00

Here's the latest artwork I've done - it's for an upcoming art show in Salem (details below), and was done entirely in Painter and with a Wacom tablet, which is still new to me, and I feel that I am improving with each piece. I decided to keep it in just black and white this time. With all the snow, it kinda made sense to me.

Update: this piece was bought at opening night!!

- -

It's that time of year again!

Join us for the opening night of our 2nd annual KRAMPUS Group Art Show! One fearsome, furry theme - many talented artists! Saturday December 4th from 8-10 PM. Meet the artists behind the artwork! Delight in the musical talents of DJ Zombi! Who knows --Krampus might even make an apperance!!

Not familiar with the legend of Krampus? Go to the following link to find out more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus

Can't make it to the opening night shindig? Don't fret! The artwork will be available for viewing all month in our Red Room Gallery.

Fool's Mansion
127 Essex Street
Salem, MA 01970

:sluggish:

2010-11-14T20:54:00.000-05:00

A long time between posts, a sure sign that I've fallen in productivity again, despite October being a month of much exposure, and the piece that I showed the creation of in a previous post, "Blood Memory," was actually sold! I wonder if it was the price that was part of it (a lot lower than the rest of the art on display), and if it's time to raise them a bit for next time. I was also concerned that the piece in question wasn't finished, but apparently whoever bought it didn't feel that way.

I also had a doll on display this past weekend, good exposure if not a sale. Gotta look for more shows to enter into.

Also visited an open studios event, which still gives me mixed emotions, mainly how I can't manage to find such a space for myself, and to be blunt, I often wonder how some of the people who do have studios manage to get them. More have been offered by the BRA, again listed as "affordable," but if they're only for sale or if the rent is over $1000, it's not affordable in my (check) book.

There's another art show opening in Salem next month. There's absolutely no reason why I can't make something by then.

:Art-tober:

2010-09-29T22:42:00.003-04:00

As hinted elsewhere, October is shaping up to be a good month for me even before it starts, art-wise:

- artwork in the show "Trick or Treat" at Fool's Mansion in Salem, MA, Oct. 2 - 31, opening this Saturday night.

- spooky doll "Ostia" will be on display in the Inside Out Gallery, which is what they're calling that front window of CVS in Davis Square, Somerville, MA, Oct. 1 - 31.

- I will be showing and selling artwork at "Jaded" in Lowell, MA on Oct. 9th. Come see me at Ceremony this Monday night (when I'm not in the DJ booth, naturally), I have passes for $2 off admission.

- I also have two photos in an exhibit of employee art where I work, but I doubt any of you can see that unless you suddenly start working there.

:the process:

2010-09-28T21:39:00.004-04:00

I recently completed new artwork for a Halloween show at Fool's Mansion, and kept track of the process (click on pictures for larger views).

I started by drawing in my sketchbooks, for some reason this woman with bloody hands and mouth came to mind. Don't ask me to explain why, I'm just glad that ANY images come out some days. I had originally planned to do it digitally, but the fastly-approaching deadline and lack of confidence with a digital tablet made me decide to do it in pencils, which I have not done in years, so it'd be interesitng to see if I still could.

First the basic outline in pencil, then shading in the flesh and hair. I use pencils the way I imagine I would use paint if I was any good with it, in layers, with H pencils first then getting darker with B pencils.

Then the clothes and starting in on the blood. I used some reference to make sure the blood looked "right," but I soon got a feel for it without depending on other pics for too long.

Then the bloody hands and clothes, and overall darkening, though I don't think you can see the subtle changes in these shots.

And the final result. At least I'm considering it such for now, I'm not sure of a background or even if it needs one. I'll decide after it comes home from the show after Halloween. I'm not sure of her story yet either, other than she's done something awful but can't quite recall what, which I hope I got across with her expression. Earlier ideas were less subtle, with spectres all around her or a victim beneath her. I'd like people to think up some ideas of their own, perhaps.

:now showing:

2010-09-09T20:56:00.003-04:00

Just a quick note on two upcoming "events:"

I'll be taking part in this year's Windows Arts Malden, and will also be displaying and selling artwork at "Jaded" on October 9th.

Part of me is dismayed that neither of these will feature new artwork (although I still have time before the October one), but part of me is just trying to get my artwork SEEN; while none of it is new to me, there are plenty of people who have never seen it, so you never know...

:bubbling under:

2010-08-19T22:24:00.003-04:00

You can make plans all you want, but then things happen to screw things up...

I've been waylaid from the creative path again, some new reasons, some old, the obvious one being atmosphere. Still the apartment/studio search is dragging. The fact that searching for an apartment or a job (and I'm seriously leaning towards looking for a new one, my current one is no good for my physical and mental health, I know this after returning from a week's vacation and the aches and pains returned almost all on the first day) is a second job itself does not make me eager to do it. Started to visit some realtors, but finding either too many places closed (on a Saturday??) or nothing I can afford. It's a paradox that I'm seeking a place closer to work when I don't plan on staying there anyways. And after a day full of disappointment, it takes a lot for me to keep slogging away at it.

That said, there are two upcoming events where I'll be showing artwork. Details closer to their times.

Most of my creativity seems to be going towards using my camera. It's basically a point and shoot digital, but there's enough control with it so I can tweak the results. I try not to use flash ever, for one thing. I post the best ones on my flickr page.

:click:

2010-07-22T22:06:00.003-04:00

Hrm, nothing new to show since last time, although I am doing better at getting ideas and sketches down. I have a sketchbook with me at all times. I'm going to try to use one of my breaks at work to sketch instead of read like I normally do.

In other news, I hopefully have at least two photoshoots coming up before summer's end, one with somebody I've worked with before, another one that's new. I have ideas for a third, but I need to find an indoor space for it, and for her schedule to open up.

I still take a camera with me everywhere, and have gotten some good candid shots, of summer skies and recent flooding in the area. I tend to post all such shots on my flickr page.

Going to attempt to sell artwork at this event in Salem, MA tomorrow night.

:still here:

2010-07-07T21:32:00.003-04:00

Boy, it's a sure sign of my need for better discipline if I can't write in here regularly, huh? Let's catch up. I did not accomplish as much as I hoped in the past month. I see each new month as a new beginning, so I guess I have 12 New Year's resolutions per year that way. Gotta get cracking on the books and programs, but summer doesn't inspire that sort of behavior, especially with the scorching weather we've had the past few days. And no, no sign of a better place to live yet, thanks for asking.

But! I DID complete a new artwork! Did most of it with the Wacom tablet. Well, all of it actually, but the legs I had to draw on paper and then trace on the tablet. No idea why it's a chore, I've done more detailed work with a mouse in the past. I think it's because the tablet is set up so that a point on it corresponds to a relative point on the screen. If the stylus leaves the surface, you lose your place.

This was for a show called "From the Depths" held in a store called Fool's Mansion in Salem, MA. The deadline helped in this case, I finished it all 2 days before it was due. I've tried giving myself "fake" deadlines to get my ass in gear, but I can't fool myself. Of course, with an actual deadline, I then tend to see things I could've done if Only I Had More Time!

:nothing but time:

2010-06-02T00:13:00.002-04:00

Where does the time go? When it's governed by whatever you do to ensure you're not homeless, ie The Dayjob, it's very precious indeed. Before I know it, it's time for my enforced bedtime, that is if I don't want to fall asleep on my way to work or gawd forbid at work itself. Why haven't we evolved beyond needing sleep, while I'm at it?

New month, new chance to get back on the path, as I try to see it. I was messing around with my criminally underutilized Wacom tablet tonight. The act of drawing on it while looking at a screen takes a little getting used to. That and using pressure on the stylus without fearing that I'll break it.

So, tutorials for that, and a Photoshop CS3 book to get through. I intend to learn the entire CS3 creative suite. I know CS5 is due out any day now, but, fuck it. I could afford a new car before I could afford that. But having the shiniest and newest doesn't necessarily equal skill. I still get camera envy, but, I intend to master the cameras that I DO have before getting a new one - I have a book for that as well - but will try to keep one eye out for a bargain if one appears. All this while trying to find a new apartment, one where I can create in peace.

:just dood it:

2010-05-17T23:09:00.002-04:00

As I continue to crawl out from my creative doldrums, I ponder how I got there in the first place (aside from bad jobs, roommates and neighbors distracting me from the creative process). Of course I didn't need to force myself to create when I was younger, and not even when I moved to Boston, though that was when it started to get more difficult to find enough time to do it in. I think it somehow centers around whenever I started caring more about "fame and fortune" than the act of creativity itself. And since I've only gotten small amounts of either, maybe I started to believe what I create was worthless, if people don't "want" it. Well, this has to stop.

I still need to find a better place to create in, but I can't just stop what I should be doing until that happens. I'm unfortunately wearing headphones pretty much the whole time I am home now, but better to hear music I like than slamming doors or screaming grandchildren.

I've been reading a book called "Living the Creative Life" that's helping to inspire me. A lot of it is obvious stuff, and a lot of the artists interviewed seem to do folksy craftsy stuff (nothing wrong with that but I can't relate - I know my subject matter tends not to be mainstream), but the process is often the same. And one of the more important things is to Just DO Something, even if there's no project or Big Idea. One way I'm trying to do this is by drawing in my sketchbook more, to fill a page a day. Even though they are generally for my eyes only, I tend to obsess a bit too much on what should be rough ideas and drawings. Just DRAW.

I also have books and tutorials to get through, on the many programs I should know by now, and better knowledge of my cameras. I sometimes get camera envy, seeing yokels with a big digital SLR around their necks, taking pictures of nothing, but I know it's not the camera, it's the photographer. I know I've gotten some damn good shots with my little point and shoot. I'd just like a bit more "power," I guess. And it'd be tough to be taken seriously with a little camera whenever I get back to doing photoshoots.

Back at it.

:forward into the past 14:

2010-05-09T20:18:00.002-04:00

...then came The Computer.

When I was in art school, They couldn't afford Macs, so they used...Amigas. Which would've been great if I was going to look for work in Europe at the time. Alas, it didn't do me much good job-wise in the States. Still trying to catch up, due to the expense of Adobe programs, which are pretty much required for any creative jobs. I'm just starting on CS3...CS5 is due out any day now. Sigh.

That said, I definitely found all the new things I could do fascinating. Can't believe my hand survived drawing with the mouse, and only now am I attempting to convert to a drawing tablet.

My work from here on is pretty much on my main website, but I shall continue to dig for older work...providing they aren't too embarrassing to show.

:forward into the past 13:

2010-04-14T20:56:00.002-04:00

I often entertained thoughts of making art for people instead of buying gifts; sometimes I actually managed to do it in time for birthdays or Xmas. For Xmas 1996 I actually made a different card for each person. I can't imagine doing that now, and that's quite distressing.

This is a scan of a photocopy of a colored pencil drawing, so I'd say a fair amount of detail is lost here.

:forward into the past 12:

2010-04-07T21:08:00.002-04:00

I spent most of my formative years drawing a lot, but very little of it involved humans for some odd reason. I think I'm still getting the hang of it. I try to get to figure drawing sessions when I can, but drawing from my head, I sometimes feel like I'm drawing the same person or face or eyes.

This was from 1991, for some gallery show about Muses. This was supposed to be Melpomene, Muse of tragedy.

:forward into the past 11:

2010-03-31T21:48:00.004-04:00

I went to a LOT of concerts in the 90s. I also did my best at photographing at many of them, often using the photos as the basis for drawings that went along with my show reviews in 'zines. This was from a Julee Cruise show, which of course happened at the height of the "Twin peaks" craze. Even without the TV show, I loved the album "Floating into the Night." I wore out my original cassette of it.

This is scratchboard based on a photo I took at the show.

:forward into the past 10:

2010-03-24T21:09:00.003-04:00

Here's what I put on top of my graduation cap (gulp, 20 freakin' years ago), using just cut paper. At least I wasn't an architecture student, they had buildings balancing on their heads.

:forward into the past 9:

2010-03-11T21:36:00.003-05:00

I did a fair amount of illustrations for 'zines (you know, what we had before the Web) in the early 90s. This one was on the cover of one from Worcester called "SPUN." (Instead of "SPIN," geddit?) It's entitled "the Last Swimsuit Issue."

:forward into the past 8:

2010-03-03T21:37:00.002-05:00

The best thing about art school for me was getting to try many different media. Some worked for me, some not so much. Loved photography, didn't enjoy developing so much - mainly because I had to find time around classes to do it and when the labs were available. Liked silk screening, but usually my prints devolved beyond the first one, so so much for multiple editions.

:forward into the past 7:

2010-02-08T21:05:00.003-05:00

This was a linoleum block print that I worked a LONG time on. I can't imagine how people who did woodcuts back in the past managed to keep good use of their hands.

:forward into the past 6:

2010-02-03T20:46:00.005-05:00

From 1986 - 1996 I did something I called "visual cacophony," in which I kept a month-long list of the first image or word in my head when I woke up, then I would try to create a single picture from it, and try to use a different medium each year. I stopped doing it partially because I was running out of new mediums to try, and partially because I was taking longer to finish them: 1995 & 1996 were completed in 1998.

This one is from 1989.

:forward into the past 5:

2010-02-02T20:29:00.003-05:00

A drawing that caused some concern for my mother, since the tombstone being broken in question was a cross. She wondered if this reflected my views on religion. Not at the time, no. I just thought it looked cool. Although all I can see now is a terrible grasp of basic anatomy.

:forward into the past 4:

2010-01-28T21:33:00.001-05:00

Some people tried to get me into Dungeons & Dragons when I was younger, it never took hold - I couldn't get past that we were just rolling DICE. But I was certainly interested in the many creatures that populated it.

:forward into the past 3:

2010-01-27T19:54:00.001-05:00

I would usually draw on whatever paper I could get my hands on, not much of it is terribly archival, especially crappy note paper from school.

I have no idea what it means either, but it was noticed by the math teacher when I was drawing it instead of learning algebra. Thankfully he didn't make an example of me or anything like that.

:forward into the past 2:

2010-01-26T19:11:00.001-05:00

For whatever reason, I was really into Pegasus when I was young (even pretended my bike was able to turn into him), and so drew him quite a bit. I think I tend to add wings to many things that I draw as a result.

This was a linoleum block print.

:forward into the past:

2010-01-25T22:06:00.002-05:00

Since I seem to be stuck in the present, I thought I'd look into my past artwork and see if that doesn't guide me somewhere.

I've definitely been drawing my entire life, and it was definitely encouraged. I taught myself how to hold a pencil, unfortunately it isn't the correct way and I tended to get the whole side of my hand covered in graphite.

Animals and strange creatures were the main focus of my early years, often drawing them along with other kids in class. We often shared and altered each other's creations. I couldn't tell you now if this is completely an original of mine or how much of it is somebody else's.

:lessons:

2010-01-03T11:41:00.001-05:00

Okay, my first photography book is "officially" out of print now. I sold a whopping 6 copies. Lessons learned from this:

- will probably not work with blurb.com again. Their bases prices are too high in my opinion, and to make any profit, you have to add on to that amount. I know they're not going to print for free, but my book was only 30 pages long. There should be a range of prices based on page length. They are also very strict about orders, if you make a mistake, like enter a discount code wrong, tough shit, they won't cancel ANY orders.

- maybe ask models if they want to use a psuedonym to possibly avoid some of the problems I had in publishing this time.

But all this just means I'll have to make better photos now to make a better book to make up for all this. It's a new year, and I'm not usually one to write down resolutions, the first of every month is a chance to change for me. But goals for this year are of course to finally get that place where I can finally do my artwork in peace, and hopefully enough room for indoor photography. I will also need to perfect my photography skills, and learn Adobe CS3 and my drawing tablet. So the proper place is essential for this. It WILL happen.

:discount:

2009-12-09T21:11:00.001-05:00

For a book preview and to order, go to: clicky
--
So of course after I post about this everywhere, blurb.com announces a $10 discount on all books over $29.95 if you use the codes below. If the prices were holding you back (I had no control over them, the website sets them), hopefully that's not the case now. Be sure to "apply" the code on the order page, they do not void orders even if you make a mistake, as I found out the hard way.

Just share the codes below, which are based on location and currency (the promo code must match currency used).

Orders from the US (using US $): GREATGIFT

Orders from UK (using UK £): GREATGIFT2

Orders from EU (using EU €): GREATGIFT3

Orders from AU (using AUD $): GREATGIFT4

:progress:

2009-12-01T20:33:00.000-05:00

So I end my first NaNoWriMo with 13,045 words, far short of the 50,000 required. I feel I did okay, despite me not having a whole hell of a lot of free time, and after typing all day at work, not able to type all night. I plan to finish my story, but I don't think it needs 50,000 words to be told. I had to over-describe things just to keep the word count up.

Next year I shall either somehow get a laptop or write it freehand, so I'm not restricted to writing it just at home.

My book will also be available only until the end of this year.

I'm determined to get a new place where I can create better in. All hinges on this, I'm afraid. I'm regressed to wearing headphones when I'm home, even though the noise isn't as bad as in previous places, but I don't want to fall back on this crutch. I'm really thinking I'm neurotic about it now.

:scribble:

2009-11-07T00:07:00.001-05:00

Boy, so much for writing in this daily, huh? Well, I wanted it to be mainly about creative ventures. I'm attempting NaNoWriMo in November to get some sort of creative spark alive.

There is also a session Sunday of the Boston Dr. Sketchy's, but I've been less than enthused by some of their choice of models. Call me shallow, but I'd prefer to draw actual women and not drag queens.

:a gorey end:

2009-10-26T22:11:00.001-04:00

I finally made it out to the Edward Gorey House, a museum made out of his former residence on Cape Cod after he died in 2000. Filled with the sort of whimsy and dark humor that his drawings had. Interesting to think of one's house becoming a museum after your death. I hope I can at least manage the "house" part some day.

:genesis:

2009-10-15T22:41:00.000-04:00

I am unsure if I need yet another web thingy to distract me, although I am hoping to use this to aid me, namely in my creative endeavors, which as of late have been sorely lacking. If I can get it to the point where I am posting something of a creative nature almost daily, then I'll know I've succeeded.

I'll start with my most recent project, which is a book of my photography that I have available through blurb.com.