Thursday, January 20, 2011

A rough year & a new beginning.


So I love having a blog. But I'm pretty awful at posting regularly. So awful in fact that it's been 8 months since I posted anything. I'm not really even sure if anyone reads this. For me it's a strange thing trying to talk about myself. But since I've been told many times, that if I want to make any kind of living at being an artist I have to be able to talk myself up and network with strangers and market myself like a pro. So since It's still the first month of a new year and I've already blow my first resolution (to eat healthier and exercise), I've decided to try to start posting entries more often. Even if no-one reads this or cares about what I have to say or show, it still helps me to get my thoughts and ideas out of my head and onto something tangible.

This year really marks the beginning of something new for me. I'm starting over in many respects. Last year was one of the hardest years I've had, It was the end of a 7 year relationship that saw its share of ups and a few too many downs. And now for the first time in 31 years I'm living alone. Well, not completely alone, I've got my four legged buddy Chloe, but basically It's the first time I havn't lived with family, friends, roommates or a significant other so it's been a bit strange. I have since met an amazing girl who I really click with and can see a future with, but for now I'm living on my own. Which isn't such a bad thing as long as I get some regular visitors.

As for my the various art projects I've done in the past 8 months, I've been busy. Last year the Gainesville Roller Rebels, a roller derby team from central Florida had me do a handful of their bout posters. They seemed to really love what I did and even did a photo calendar with the teams girls loosely re-enacting my posters. Great stuff. So this season the team asked me to come back and do ALL of their bout posters for the 2011 season. Something I'm really excited and pumped about doing. The first poster with the theme "Big Bruisers, Big Sisters" was started this week and should be finished soon. Check out the inked art below.
Also at the end of 2010 I was asked by my good friend and childhood artistic cohort Joe Kuzma to collaborate and do the colors for the comic Allied Forces that's being published by Earthbound Comics that he is doing the art for. Written by Sebastian Piccione, with art by Joe Kuzma, and Colors by me and Norman Wong. With a cover done by comic book veteran Karl Moline who has worked on many comics including Amazing Spider-Man & Rouge for Marvel along with Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Fray which he co-created with Joss Whedon (who created Buffy, Serenity and is directing next summers Avengers movie) for Dark Horse. The comic is premiering at the Orlando Megacon in March. Along with the colors for half the book, I did a pinup piece that will be included in the book. Check it out below as well as the sample of my digital coloring work with Joe's art that you already saw back at the top.

It looks like 2011 is going to be a crazy year and I'm excited to see what great new things happen.