Project Preview

These sketches are a preview to a new project I'm working on for a new micro-brewery in San Francisco called Danger Betty. I am creating a "pin-up" look for the beer labels, very much in the vain of the Lengendary Pin up work of Vargas. As you can see its only in the beginning stages but I'm really excited about it! I need to do a Blonde, Brunette and Red Haired pin up to go along with the Blonde beer, Mysterious Dark, and Red IPA flavors. I have recently been doing more packaging and I really enjoy it, I love all the little details that go into it.I will keep posting as the project progresses...

color study-still life

This is a still life study I did recently that now, after gazing at it in my studio, I am thinking of doing a series of.. . . .but maybe adding some more elements. . . actually i was thinking of mice, or rats but in a cute way, like "Ratatouille" kind of way, Also incorporating some 3d elements, like cork and wood... I seem to have an endless supply or corks from wine bottles, I ' ve just held onto them, no reason why... and some scraps of wood, maybe to make a frame...

horsies!

I really like horses. A a child my sister and I used to go to long island to horseback ride. I remember being really afraid to get on the beast, and getting on a beast of such gargantuan stature, I thought I'd never be able to do it, let alone ride. Horses are such graceful animals, despite their size.And also very peaceful. ..and mischevious believe it or not. I remember on one occasion, and I wasn't that young, I was riding on a trail with several other people and their horses and my horse was completely aloof to the fact that we need to stay on this trail. It was a heavily wooded area and if we veered off, we would surly be lost. Well, needless to say my horse did not care, he was determined to take us down a ravine and lap up some water. At this point he had already managed to get a few mouthfuls of leaves, but he was apparently on a mission. So off we went, trotting down into the ravine! I was terrified. The angle at which we were at,was so steep that the saddle started to slide forward towards the horses neck, but he continued. I cried out "no! stop" I tried to get off, and one of my legs was flailing in the air, as on hand was grasping the saddle and the other was clinging to the horse's neck. I held on like a helpless baby cub, hoping that the horse would be affected by my distress. Still nothing...he might as well had been whistling dixie....Finally the trail leader found us and pulled my horse's reins to get us out of the ravine. It was quite a while before I got back on a horse after that but I am still very fond of them. I did these sketches this past week and was thinking of doing some more studies of horses....

New sketches

Here are some new sketches that I created last night. I am going back to my roots. Its amazing how the creative process can go full circle - these drawings are similar to works i did 15 years ago and is reminiscent of a style I was once more familiar with... I miss this stuff and things like this, it inspires me to get back into hand lettering too....

More conspiracy. .YAY!

For all of you that can't get enough of governmental MKultra mind control, operation midnight climax, and the other scandals surrounding the use LSD by the govt, here you go. . . 

http://www.erowid.org/psychoactives/war/mkultra/mkultra_article1.shtml

reflection

Since I was let go from my job-a job I utterly loathed and despised- the thought of ever being at such a dreadful place, or situation as this again, makes me reflect on my career, and the relativity of personal perspective. . . sometimes you can work really hard for something and seemingly, never achieve it, others just fall in your path and it comes as such a surprise. It is definitely hard to define what success is. I guess it is different things to different people. As I was reading a blog by Heather Bailey, a craft genius, she had sited a great quote by  Ralph Waldo Emerson, that I think can really keep things in perspective if you tend to toil over what is personal success and failure:

"To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one's self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived - this is to have succeeded."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Fangoria Show Deck

This is a deck that I did for the Fangoria Magazine, "Night of the Living Decks" show. This is kind of a crappy picture and I am working getting some slides of it.I'm pretty happy with the results otherwise, i might re do the lettering. . .. but anyway. .  I took some of my drawings of nosferatu and cut stencils of them. Working with stencils is new for me and this whole experience, painting on a deck, really made me want to run out and get an air brush and compressor. But spray paint was a pretty decent substitute. I got two decks for the show and only completed one-now I am certain that I am suffering from burnout. But I have faith that it wont last too long and  I plan on replenishing my creative juices through some heavy meditation. They are hosting some shows in the near future show I am excitied bout preparing for that.