:a slight return:

Peeking back in here for a brief update, as sometimes I can't resist some sort of year in review, or in this case, the later half of 2017, as I went on a blog hiatus mid-year. Why, if you've forgotten? To try to concentrate on the website redesign. Has it happened? Um, no but I'm closer than I was before. 

Taking stock of what I've done aside from that, it appears to me that I've been not as productive as I'd like to be, but never for longer than a week or two at the most. I still always have some sort of camera with me at all times. Instagram still gets a fair amount of those images, but I plan to return to more "real" cameras in the new year. I am hopeful to get a new smartphone as well, based on the camera that it has, of course.

Speaking of real cameras, I realized that my frustration with Polaroid film had to do with the model camera that I was using. Changing to another one produced somewhat better results. As another photographer pointed out to me, how much can you expect from a plastic lens?

I didn't do any more model shoots, alas. Sad to say I was somewhat affected by the lack of use of my  photos by the models, but I need to get over that. It's just one of the curses of social media when you can see the images that they do use instead, despite them saying that they liked mine. I want to get back to more surreal imagery in the new year. The indoor shoots were good practice and I certainly want to do more of those as well, but I need what I do to stand out more.

I still do more photography than illustration, but I did exercise the drawing muscles a few times. I made this to recognize the 30th(!) anniversary of the movie "The Lost Boys." Also saw it shown again in a movie theater, at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, of all places. I drew the lines in ink and colored it on the computer. I'm pleased with it but again I don't like how long it takes me to create just one illustration now.

Opposite of that was participating in Inktober, an ink drawing every day in October. Some hits and misses, of course. I chose not to sketch out beforehand, just straight ink, and I think my mistake ratio was quite low. You can see all of them on the sponge Instagram page. It was good practice, and I really should be sketching every day anyway.

Made more attempts to sell this artwork to people...twice I participated in the now-weekly markets at Mill No. 5 in Lowell, MA. I made enough to pay off the table fees, basically, but I still find that most people are more window-shoppers than art buyers. I tend to feel that way about gallery shows now too. I see that more as a way to get it out to more eyeballs at this point.

I also finally added a lot of artwork for sale to my Etsy page, timing it for "Cyber Monday" in November. But aside from a few initial sales, it's gone cold again. Etsy is not what it used to be. It seems to be anything goes, and not necessarily arts or crafts. Glue a gear onto something and it's somehow instantly Steampunk. I've joined an online community to hopefully get better insight into the selling part of this.

I can't promise that this is a return to the weekly blogging, but once that damn website is finished, I intend to!

:priorities:

I'm proud of the fact that I've been able to write regularly in this blog (once per week for those who don't look at the dates). In truth that discipline has kept me creative so that I actually have something to write about from week to week.

I took a break from writing here last year, partially because I had the regular notion that I'm the sole reader anyway, but also with the intention of completing certain projects, namely the redesign of my website, which is pretty much essential to have as an artist these days. I didn't complete that plan. When I hand out my business card it's with some embarrassment that I have to explain that my site is not quite what it should be.

I took part in an online seminar this past Monday (during work hours so I was multi-tasking as usual) that was mainly about staying focused and getting past such obstacles and just Getting Things Done. One thing that stood out was the need to do one thing at a time. This year I have been doing many projects at once, alternating doing small parts of each one. I think it went well for some time, but to go from photowork to pencils to working on a doll, I think abruptly altered some of the focus for each project. So far the doll is still uncompleted. I guess I'm "lucky" that the gallery that showed some interest in them last JUNE still hasn't gotten back to me about them.

So there was that lesson and the fact I already know, that the website needs to take priority. Which is what I intend to do going forward. That process doesn't make for interesting reading, I don't think, plus this is partially a visual blog, so there's that too. Thus it appears that I'll be on "hiatus" again, unless something catches my (camera) eye that I must share.

Like last Friday, which was my birthday, when I spent a good part of it at Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (free admission on one's birthday, FYI). It was a cold and rainy day, but the central courtyard let in enough light to still make it a wonder to behold.

:and so we return:

So. Did you miss this? Did you miss me? Is this mic on?

I had been faithfully writing this blog weekly for several years now, and I stopped in June, 2016 to hopefully finally finish my website redesign. And, uh, guess what? Still haven't done that. I have no good excuse other than having too many ideas in my brain concerning it and the actual chore of doing it. Tempted to just pay someone to do it, but I need to have as much control over it as possible.

I haven't been lax in other creative ventures, no. So I'll recap those over the next two weeks, making this a year in review. A year that had been dubbed a dumpster fire by others for various other reasons.

When last we met, I was finishing up with working on photos of Theresa from a shoot in May. I didn't do any weird Photoshoppery on these, I was quite pleased with the final results, particularly with the lighting. Unfortunately I don't really know how this model feels, I got no feedback and as far as I can see she hasn't used any of the shots herself. Which is her right, of course, but when I can see other shots used instead, and feel that they really aren't much better than mine, well, I struggle not to take it personally. I was just hoping that I was sought out more for my style rather than just for a paycheck.

I continued work on shots of Jayne that were from October 2015, and again those stood out fine on their own, but I wanted to get back to adding textures and other manipulations, and also try out some new ideas, so I got quite of few of them done, of which here are several. There are also still shots from a quickie shoot that we did after Theresa's, but I don't expect anything elaborate from those, it was more for fun while I still had the lights and backdrop still up.

I continued to try to get into art galleries, and managed to in several places, one was another toy camera show and I got another Holga shot in. I saw some examples of shots from a Diana camera that makes me want to try that. I also got a piece into the last Uforge Gallery show, and once again displayed artwork with two others in a library in Warwick, Rhode Island. Just trying many avenues. I approached a gallery on Newbury Street in Boston about a showing of my Homunculus dolls, and the owner seemed intrigued, but I have yet to get a follow up reply. I need to make more of them anyway.

One particularly unique thing that I participated in was an artist program through a newly-opened flotation therapy establishment. They offered three "floats" in exchange for artwork inspired by them. Well, I did the three floats, to varying results and nothing mystical happening, but I did meet my obligation and created artwork for them, with the final piece printed on metal, to make the colors stand out even more. The swirling colors were from many photographs taken of food coloring dripped into a tub of water and letting it swirl about. It's actually quite relaxing on its own, I recommend it. The piece was on display in the shop and is now currently part of a show in a cafe in Somerville.

More next week!

:mic check:

I've been finishing up and sending the first edits of her photos to Theresa. So far she seems pleased with them. And in other photo-related matters, next week is the deadline for submitting to a toy camera photo show. I have several shots to choose from, but I just sent off another Holga roll of film to be developed. Hopefully it'll return in time for me to see if there are any other choices.

Earlier today I was pondering whether or not I should bother creating an artist page on Facebook, since that's pretty much the last place I haven't at this point. Perhaps if I had done so earlier. But the ever-changing rules and algorithms make it seem pointless now. I've seen some artists have hundreds, even thousands of followers, but they were most likely early adopters. Posing the question for discussion on my feed, most seem to agree, so I will probably not bother after all. I already try to share this blog on as many places as possible to hopefully cast the net out further.

In the past week I had taken part in something called the "Abundant Art Show," which was really a series of lessons in promoting and hopefully selling art online through a site/blog called - wait for it - The Abundant Artist. I've actually been following it for some time, and sadly am behind in reading it (I have the problem of collecting, almost hoarding information with little time to read it, and oh how it piles up), but I thought I'd give it a try. There was actually very little info offered that I didn't already know or was doing already (other than more hashtags to use on Instagram), which further leads me to wonder what else can I be doing?

I'm scattered over several outposts on the web, and I guess I haven't done this inventory in some time.

I now have two Instagram accounts, the first one is primarily random smartphone shots and fun with filters, and the newer one is going to be dedicated to artwork alone. I've been experimenting with hashtags on that one. I still find them annoying but they do get more people to find you.

I've been on deviantArt for 11 years now. Prints and other ephemera are available there.

flickr is for more "candid" photos, not super-artsy, although I have been messing around with the different modes in my point and shoot. I quite like the toy camera one.

FineArtAmerica is another print on demand site. I haven't put much new artwork up there, mainly because I see more of a trend toward more "ordinary" art on there, to judge from the "recent sales" page on there. My (paying) audience is out there somewhere, I'm sure of it.

Etsy still seems geared more towards "crafty" art. Right now I just have my Halloween is My Xmas series on there. I'd like to put more original artwork up there, and would love to attempt to sell the Homunculus dolls through it, but I don't know how they'd survive being shipped through the mail.

Model Mayhem is generally where I post the model-oriented photos, and has been where I've come into contact with models like Theresa up above.

Ello doesn't seem to be the Facebook-killer that it was originally rumored to be, but it does seem more geared towards showing visual art than how Facebook currently is.

And then there's my current albatross, my main website, which has been languishing, waiting for a redesign, as I sit immobilized unable to even begin, it seems. Paralyzed by too many options. So I feel that I need to put other projects aside until I finally get that done. I've been writing this blog faithfully every week for as long as I can recall, and I'd hate to break that cycle, but I need to make this a priority. If I need the extra time to work on it, then I'll have to forgo the blog for that week. Or I could just post a photo or two as an update now and again. You didn't actually read all this, did you?

:instagrammit:

For whatever it's worth, I've created a second Instagram account that will just be dedicated to my artwork and works in progress, pretty similar to this blog, but primarily visual. So what's my original account for? I consider that one more for whatever random things and scenes catch my eye while out and about, using a smartphone's camera.

I had been toying with the idea for some time, but I could no longer find a valid reason why I was waiting and just did it. And I'm even considering giving in and making a Facebork page too. It's still the most used site that I'm aware of, though I do hope something better appears some day. Further down the social media rabbit hole.

One reason for this fire under me, is to hopefully get off my arse concerning certain projects. I noticed that someone I know has a website up and running pretty quickly, and I've been dragging my feet on my redesign for way too long. So, to hold myself accountable, I will state that I aim to be a lot further along, if not fully completed, by the end of May.

One thing I'll need to take care of when posting recent artwork to the new account is censorship, sad to say, as Instagram still has issues with female nudity, even if it's not a sexual depiction. Maybe I should Photoshop male nipples over the real ones and see what they do about that.

On that note, I believe that I'm done working on this photo of Tiffany, and I think it might be the last of the ones from that shoot that I'll be messing around with. For now? I have photos from an October shoot to look through now, and also have a new shoot coming up in early May, although I hope I didn't jinx it by mentioning it here.

I've separated the progression of layers of the photo below.

:layered:

Amongst other things that I have going on, like reducing my apartment clutter bit by bit, and an inexplicable pain in one of my knees, I'm still managing to get some creative time in, which is as it should be. Like the last piece that I created, I once again practiced working on some photos offered for use by someone on deviantArt. I'm finding it to be a different experience working on photos that I didn't take or am emotionally attached to, although I will return to those soon enough.

I'm still drawn to working in layers, making several photographs relate to each other in some way. I was instantly attracted to the skirts in these.

Also like my last piece, I wanted to add a texture over it all, and am torn between the two versions below. I'm sure I'll decide before too long, but once again I welcome any input. Or maybe I just want to see if the comment section actually works on here.

I've also been pondering making another Instagram account just for works in progress, even though that's what this blog is partially for, but there's no denying that that site/app gets more eyeballs than here. I also need to just get off my ass and finish my main website already. I just get frozen by the too many options available. I can always fine tune it later. So if I stick to that plan, I may not be on here as much if it takes up the time that I normally use to write here or create the artwork that I write about. But I also plan to return to the Boston chapter of Dr. Sketchy's this weekend, so I'll probably have work to show from that. Coincidentally it's on Valentine's Day, but I have no reason to celebrate that this year.

:like it, love it:

The last week was spent more working under the hood, as it were, than working on any new artwork. Still trying to chart my path in this silly creative life that I've chosen, or rather that's chosen me, no sense in denying that. But I have been posting my "calendar" photos, so far just on deviantArt, and did so one per day as opposed to all at once.

Sometimes it seems to me that "likes" are replacing actual currency for artwork (although I'm pleased that I have sold a few copies of my Bowie piece), which can be flattering up to a point. On a site like deviantArt, however, you can both see who liked your work and also what other artwork that they'e added to their "collection," and, well, it doesn't always seem like an appreciation for art so much as it is one for women in various state of undress. I suppose beggars can't be choosers regarding who likes your artwork, though, regardless of the reasons.

I still puzzle through finding a way to make my work more desirable, or more accurately sellable, without drastically changing what I create, or why. I honestly don't do what I do with dollar signs in mind, but it is a nice bonus. And of course seeing others succeed makes one think that you can do it as well. I think that's partly what's freezing me on my website redesign, I want to get it just right.

For the time being I still have prints and such available through the afore-mentioned deviantArt, Fine Art America, and a few through Etsy. On the latter site I have available once again my Valentine's Day card design.

:2015 rewind:

Looking back at the past year of entries written here, I saw a lot more artwork done than I originally thought I had before reviewing, although most of it was photography. Not in itself a bad thing, but I don't want to abandon other media. The simple fact is still that it takes less time to take and work on photography than to paint or draw, and sadly an excess of free time is still not a luxury in my current life.

That and other things were repeatedly commented on, like redesigning the website, so I have to make sure that another year doesn't go by without addressing that.

The winter and snow was condensed into nearly one month, and I tried to combat the doldrums by working only in black & white, which was interesting, but there already was an excess of white all around us.

I made up for the gloom in summer, getting to the ocean and sunsets whenever possible. And a spur of the moment trip to Montreal as well.

I did get a few drawings in, from pencil to ink and computer coloring, and I'm pleased with them, but again wish I could complete them quicker. I could never do a monthly comic book at this kind of pace. I do have a graphic novel idea or two still in my brain.

I finished another regular novel for NaNoWriMo again. I haven't revisited it since I finished it in November, but I plan to this weekend. I want to get one of if not both of them published this year. The lack of actual readers last year made me not bother offering it to people this year, but I do need some sort of outside editor to help complete them.

I'm not generally a crafty person, but I painted a few cat banks for my sister in a Dia de Los Muertos style.

There were a few pieces in gallery shows, and I plan to keep on that path. I'm hopeful to make a few more Homunculus dolls and get a show for all of them again.

The nearest I got to being published was being included in a book of artwork of Krampus. It'll do.

I had two fun photoshoots this year, and of course I hope for many more this year, although I'm well aware that I still have room for improvement. I already have ideas for some extra gear. I still wish others would realize that I'm available, or that those who showed initial interest would actually follow through, but I'm probably just going to have to resort to paying for models again.

Last weekend I visited an exhibit on Pixar, at Boston's Museum of Science of all places, and once again it filled me with the desire to somehow find a way to work there. It looks like such a wonderful place to do so, and of course it'd finally be a place to utilize my talents, not like the entirety of my day job history. I've actually applied to them in the past. But I didn't see any current job openings on their website. I know enough from my job hunting research (yes, must escape from that day job, still) that often jobs never even make it to being listed a fair amount of the time. But I need to have something more relevant to show them if I am really to pursue it.

:look at me:

I did some slogging through the website re-planning, and as somewhat expected I became easily overwhelmed by the amount of choices out there. Inquiries sent out into the internet ether brought back vague answers or replies, of the few that bothered to reply at all. I am starting to think that the notion of technologies like "instant" messaging are becoming more and more of a misnomer these days, or perhaps it's just lucky me. I just find it difficult to believe that anyone is really that busy to not be able to send back a quick reply, even just to say that they'll say more later or that they got the message.

In the end again, I have to rely on myself, not a bad thing in itself, but it'd be nice to get some assistance when I need it for a change. I mean before I have to resort to spending money that I really can't spare. I'd like to have an actual network that I can rely on some day.

That said, I'm leaning towards some sort of template, maybe one through Folio websites. If anyone has any experience with them, positive or negative, I'd love to hear it. This blog is set up to allow comments, after all.

I also need to decide what artwork is going to go on the site. The last version had artwork of mine on it from well into the early 90s, it was like a retrospective up to this current point in time. I think I may just choose work from the past ten years, even though there was an awful dry spell in the middle of it. I also need to re-photograph the Homunculi dolls if they're to reappear on it. I'm also overdue for making a new one.

The whole notion of creating artwork and what becomes of it afterward has been on my mind recently. Certainly I create it for my own enjoyment, and then want to share it, but when it gets little to no attention, I still feel a little let down. Not that anybody is obligated to sing its praises, or that I assume it should, but if I'm proud of it, I get frustrated if all I hear are crickets. Once again I'm trying to find the right eyeballs, and this site redesign is part of that.

:code:

As stated last week, I've decided that a primary focus right now is to update my woefully outdated main website. I can't recall when the last update was, but it's definitely been more than ten years. And Google Analytics have not-so-subtly told me that it is definitely not smartphone-friendly right now, so the writing is on the wall.

Coding is not my forte to say the least. I made the previous two versions by cutting and pasting HTML code from site designs that I liked and learned a thing or two about updating them from there, but not enough to be able to make one from scratch. I've made a placeholder for now, but even that took the better part of an evening, and it's still not exactly as I'd like it. I wanted the image to stay in the center of the page. If anybody knows how to fix this, please let me know, even though this is a temporary page.

Part of the problem, with this and other things in my life, is that I'm a collector of information, but soon it piles up and I often don't get to read most of it. My to-read pile of books is crazy, yet I still get drawn into bookstores. I've saved plenty of info about websites, now it's time to sort through it. I'd like to get this done by month's end if possible. I am thinking that I'll probably try and choose a Wordpress design and go from there.

:pencil trails:

So my desktop computer has been returned to me and all is well, so far. I got it upgraded to at least OS X Mountain Lion, as I'm not sure I like what I've seen about Mavericks or especially Yosemite. From what I've been reading and seeing about the latter, it appears to be the Apple equivalent to Vista. No thanks. And iTunes 12 looks like a disaster too, so I'm going to hold onto 11 for as long as I can.

It already seems much speedier, I guess my hard drive was on its way out after all and it wasn't just Chrome that sucked. Good thing I did this before it actually died.

I finished the drawing I was working on last week, but of course had nothing to scan it into. Actually looking at the scans below, a better scanner might be in my future too. A lot of the subtleties of pencil aren't translated too well.

One of my favorite things to draw is hair, so obviously longer styles are a preference to me, it flows like water on the paper from the pencil point.

I copied this as is from a photograph, without adding any distortions or interpretations of my own. Just seeing if I still have the skill at this point. So more credit goes to the original photographer. As I said before, this is one of the infamous Suicide Girls, this one goes by the moniker Idunn. I'm unsure if you'll be able to view much of her page if you're not a member. And also as I've said before, I wouldn't mind a photoshoot with her either.

I consider copying a photograph more of a skill than a talent, so other than using it to keep in practice, it doesn't impress me much personally, but I'm flattered of course if people like the end results. I'll need to get back into adding more of a personal touch or altering parts when I use photos as source material again.

Looking ahead to April, one thing I really must do, and it's long past overdue, is to overhaul my main website. It's not even remotely smartphone-friendly, and that's essential these days. I just get immobilized by too many choices, like many things in life, so I just need to narrow it down and choose something. I really just want a functional online gallery at this point.

:presence:

The winter continues its death grip on us. And, in its own way, on me in some aspects. Nothing for show and tell this week, partly because an attempt to venture out in the Boston area for supplies and such this past weekend failed miserably. The shoddily plowed streets and parking lots and people's sudden amnesia as to how to move in traffic in the winter defied all the errands that I had in mind. This crap can't melt fast enough for my liking.

So I guess I'll do one of these updates of where I'm scattered and squatting on the web. I've actually been wondering lately if less would be better, plus there's also so many more places online to showcase one's work, I wonder if we've reached a saturation point. Then I would read that perennial story about somebody who put up the equivalent of a one-page website, got "discovered," and is somehow a millionaire artist now. So I'm still wondering how to get the attention of the right eyeballs.

Case in point, got an email today from one site I'm on, barely, called SeeMe, saying they'd like to promote my work...if I upgrade to a "Pro" account, of course. I'm not saying they shouldn't make money through their websites, it just seems that there's many who prey on creative people with the promise of success. Cashing in on your dreams.

Well, that said, other places you can find me and my artwork:

DeviantArt - Been on here about ten years now. Artwork available as prints and other ephemera.

Instagram - It's been well-documented on here how quickly I got hooked on this.

Flickr - "normal" photos.

JPG - Best of the "normal" photos

Model Mayhem - photography involving models, which you might guess from the name.

Etsy - right now just postcards available, but I'm going to put more original artwork on there. I'd like to try and sell my dolls through it, but I can't imagine them getting through the mail safely.

MixCloud - I just joined, so there's only one mix up there right now.

Fine Art America - Another print site, that I have yet to figure out how to make work. They regularly show what has sold, and sadly it seems to be mostly "normal" stuff, or worse, paintings and such that are clearly copies of somebody else's photography.

There's a place for me somewhere, I'm sure of it.

:inventory:

Slow week for creativity, namely because of one of those holiday weekends, and one in which one is expected not to do much, work-wise, and I succumbed but of course felt guilty later. And full of too much cookout food. The job search continues, without any success yet; I need to rethink my strategy and soon. I'm taking the next week off from work; alas,  they do not pay me well enough to be able to travel anywhere. One of the plans for the week is hopefully a new photoshoot.

So, in lieu of leaving this blank, here's all the places where I am currently on the sticky web:

:sponge: - my main site, and yes still in need of a redesign. I want to just pick a wordpress design and get it over with. Any suggestions are welcome.

deviantArt - another gallery but you can buy prints, and other ephemera here.

flickr - photos, but generally non-altered ones.

jpg - same deal, although I put what I feel are my "best" ones here.

Instagram - I try to make it arty. No pictures of food need apply.

Etsy - this site seems mostly for crafty stuff, so far I just have postcards, I plan to add framed artworks.

Model Mayhem - as the title may lead you to believe, model-oriented photography.

Fine Art America - more prints for sale.