Happy Holidays-ish

This sketch was sitting in my sketchbook for a while. Then it sat for about three weeks on my laptop. I've been meaning to get it up but there have been a lot of things happening in life lately. (Isn't that always my story?) I know, it's a redundant theme in my life but it's true. It's been an emotional roller coaster for me the last few months. I did manage to get it on our yearly Christmas card, so I feel I've accomplished something. 

Oddly enough I think my subconscious is trying to get me back to my inner-child/immature self or something like that. I have four more illustrations I have done in my sketchbook that are all goofy and child-like. Not that my 'doodles' aren't normally goofy, but recently they have a little innocence about them. I had some downtime tonight and happen to bring my laptop with me, so I decided to finally get out some holiday message to all few of my devoted and frequently returning followers. You know who you are. 

So without further ado, please excuse my semi-boring attitude, and go out and enjoy the holiday season. Watch a little It's a Wonderful Life. That does the trick for me all the time.

KC AIGA Reach Out and Read Poster Contest

Kansas City AIGA hosted a call for entries in a poster to support Reach Out and Read® Kansas City. The theme was based off the idea of early reading to help reduce illiteracy and help build early child development. Working with one of the copywriters at my work, Doug Salva, we put our heads together and submitted a few ideas. Like old fashion I had so much going on that I waited until the last day/minute to submit our work. 

Of course the results won't be in until February, but I was still excited to take part. It was a really fun experience and a nice change of pace from the very commercial work I've been doing lately.

You can read more about it here.

I love awesome people...

A little over a year ago, some GREAT friends of mine hired me to do some quick sketches of them for their business cards. These awesome friends are from REACTOR design studio. These guys, Chase and Clifton, are awesome. No, scratch that, they are EPIC. To my surprise, the business cards received some mention on the AIGA site for their A6 awards. What pleased me was that they included me in the mention, and it totally made my day. I have to say that being a part (even if it was an incredibly small part) of their project was great.

So, I proceeded to parade around for five minutes cheering for myself, and I shall spend much longer continuously cheering for the guys over at REACTOR. Congrats to them for being so mind-blowingly awesome at making sure print is indeed not dead, and for being such awesome people to work with.

A Taste...

of what I've been working on lately....

Illustratin'

Having Technical Difficulties...

Becoming a Free Agent

It's been a long while since I've been here. 
To be quite honest, I believe it's been too long.

I'm not going to apologize. I learned once that you never apologize for being busy. In fact I'm embracing it. Lately, in my life I've been too busy; too busy to keep up with ALL my projects, and too busy to worry about it. If some of you out there have been frequent followers, I'm sure you will be able to recall me saying I had three jobs. Not for much longer. I've been working around the clock to achieve freedom from one thing or another. Soon it's going to happen. There are big things on my horizon, and it's so close I can almost touch it. 

A taste of what I've been working on lately ...

... and a taste of some of my personal projects. 

To keep up with my 365 Photographic odyssey, please check out my FLICKR account.

I've been backlogged so much it would be insanity to post here.

i{art}u! No really I do....

Please check out the link below! I know I've been aloof, but I am thinking this might make up for my MIA shenanigans by pointing you to this super cool photographer's dream giveaway below.

i art u: tuesday feature :: four corner store (GIVEAWAY)

i art u blog is pretty sweet. I've been checking it out for a few weeks now, and it's nice to see someone who is as hooked on taking pictures as I am right now. At least I know if I went to lomography rehab, I'd know someone there. That is if I ever went, but why on earth would I!?!?!?

As for me being a bit out of sorts, I'd like to leave you with some parting words of wisdom from a sweet friend of mine, "I miss you like a fat kid misses cake."

Not quite the correct phrase, but the message is clear. My response? I miss you (Jayna) too, like a sixth grade science class. Why? because there is sooooo much chemistry!

The Loch Ness of Summer Colds - I caught it.

Again, I've been home sick. I'm not normally one of those people who reverts to an infant when they develop something as simple a sniffle. I normally like to put on the brave face and take it. This 'virus' as the doctor calls it, is quite possibly one of the most painfully debilitating illnesses I've encountered that has only involved a runny nose, and a cough. Who knew all those little things that can get screwed up due to your nose draining the wrong way!? I've been out of commission for literally days now. I'm trapped in my apartment. I tried going to the pharmacy earlier just to 'get out' (and re-stock), and holy moly was that a mistake. I thought I might have to call my Jim to come get me.

So, what have I been doing since Friday evening when this evil virus struck? I've been sitting on the couch. I've been watching movies and sleeping. I've been wiping my nose raw, and eating cough drops like candy. Seems like a lot of waste right? Well there is a window of time after taking my medicine that I actually feel (somewhat) decent. During one of these few moments of clarity I must have had the TV set to some mythical creature show, and I began to get this goofy idea. I've spent the last two and a half days throughout my intermittent moments to throw it together.

Pardon the bizarre posts while Abby is heavily surfing the cold medicine wave.

She really can't help it.

APO Weeks 18-21, Play Catch-Up & Recap

So, I've been sort of out of the loop for a month. With the launch of my business site, and my freelance getting busier I have been out of it.  To top it all off, yesterday I caught a virus, and now I'm pretty much restricted to the couch for the rest of the weekend. This is me playing catch up and trying to get back into the swing of things.

4.30.10

5.1.10

5.2.10

5.3.10

5.4.10

5.5.10

5.6.10

5.7.10

5.8.10

5.9.10

5.10.10

5.11.10

5.12.10

5.13.10

5.14.10

5.15.10

5.16.10

5.17.10

5.18.10

5.19.10

5.20.10

5.21.10

5.22.10

5.23.10

5.24.10

5.25.10

5.26.10

5.27.10

A Cowboy is Born - UPDATE

Finally got him inked, scanned and colored. Next on to the background.

A Cowboy is Born

So, I've been working on an illustration very recently. It is actually for something, but I can't divulge as to what exactly. However, I have been feeling neglectful of my followers to tend to fancy the hand work over my photos. I've gotten some feed back lately and the consensus I've gathered is that most of you feel the same as I do.... Where the blazes are your other talents!? Honestly, they've been abused, and have refused to come out to play for some time; with the help of some R & R and possibly some 'candy' I coaxed the sucker out of hiding, and I put myself to work!

I began with the idea, and did a rough sketch. Having not worked with transfer paper in a while. I decided to try it again and forgo the whole scanning digital rigmarole. 

It really only took me about 20 minutes, and then the inking on top of that took about another hour. All in all it seemed like a pretty quick process. Oh, and yes, in the picture above, that is my nail polish in "Juicy Tomato" and a container of dental floss. I often floss and paint my toe nails when I'm blocked. Don't ask me why, but it helps. At least I feel better once I've done one of the two.

There you have it. Some pretty rough pics of my short process of getting back into the swing of things. I can assure all of you that this cowboy has a name, a story and one hell of an attitude. He's being created for a very special person who should take good care of him, and probably not feed him after midnight unless he demands it. Now I've gone and said too much. Updates on the cowboy soon.

2010 APO Week Sixteen-Seventeen

Delivering as promised, my photo recap of the past two weeks. 

4.16.10

4.17.10

4.18.10

4.19.10

4.20.10

4.21.10

4.22.10

4.23.10

4.24.10

4.25.10

4.26.10

4.27.10

4.28.10

4.29.10