Noah and the Moon

I took on a last minute project to illustrate a children's book. The client, Katie Romley, had written a book, but was not inclined in visual artistry and wanted it complete in time for a birthday. I was given an empty card board book and a stack of post-its with the story on it.

I read the post-its and did some imagining to make a story board for each page.

Story Board

Her major request was that cover. Noah and the Moon. Written by Katie Romley. Illustrated by Alexandra Ortiz.

Noah and the Moon

The story left plenty of space for my imagination. "One day Noah found the moon. He put it in his pocket." Page one.

Finding the Moon

My favorite page was when Noah took care of the moon. "Noah placed moon in his room. He gave him pillows and blankets. At night he told him funny stories & brought him crackers." Page five.

funny stories

The book was fourteen pages. I wish I could share every page, but I know I gotta leave everyone wanting more. The client (the writer) loves it, and I'm pretty proud of the illustrations I made for this. It was a really good experience.

AIA II: Part Two: Friends With Many Toes

The Foundry had another Art Imitates Art challenge this year. Each artist was given a piece of art made by a child to use as inspiration for a new piece. Artists were instructed to keep the basic shapes from the original in the new piece.

child's painting

I chose this painting to work from because when I first saw it I pictured real faces.

Friends With Many Toes

In the finished painting, Friends With Many Toes, I was trying to keep as close to the shapes and color as possible. It took several tries. I had to study from live models, too. I tried to remember what it was like to be a child just coloring. When I was in kindergarten all of my people always had to have five fingers and five toes. Even if they were stick figures, they always had eyes, noses, fingers and toes. The shapes in the child's painting I was working from didn't include toes, per say, so I drew some in with black paint.

The show Art Imitates Art II opened the First Friday of March, 2013.

For Further Reading:

Dave Devries: Monster Engine

The Foundry

Studies

Okay, I've been thinking of what a blog is. I have come to the conclusion that it doesn't have to be long or eloquent or even a finished thought, even though I wanted it to be. It is late at night and I have the slightest fear of my hands falling off before sunrise, but I think I've had enough coffee to go through with this blog.
So let me start here.

I am participating in an art challenge, called Art Imitates Art, where artists take a child's piece of art as inspiration and make something from that.

Child's Painting

For the idea I have, I first want to improve my portrait skills. In order to do this I did a couple studies of general portraiture. (And if you've read any of my previous blogs, you'll know how much I like studies) These are purely academic. I was trying to figure out things like skin-tone and shading, under a time limit.

The first two were painted from cropped photos from magazines. 

guy

I gave myself an hour for these two.

chick

Next I got a couple models to sit for me. In exchange for an hour of their time I gave each of them the 8x10'' study I made that day. I'm really glad I got to paint them.

Keren

I took closer to an hour and a half for these two.

Flor

Now I have built the canvas the final painting will be on and started painting it. I'm going to make time for it and it will be in The Foundry's Art Imitates Art show soon.

*This blog was brought to you by coffee, insomnia and coffee.

A Better Easel

What began as a chair ended up an easel, and was a spider for a little bit in between.

Chair, Spider, Easel, Better Easel

The original intent was to make something for an art exhibit, Have a Seat for the Arts back in 2011. I made a bar stool then made a spider out of that. When it didn't sell, I decided to piece together the lumber to create an easel, because normally they are relatively expensive and hard to find. The picture on the bottom left was the easel I used and carried around for a while. 

I take my art all over to work on or to show, and don't like to be limited to a small sketchbook. However, in my travels, the old easel hasn't held up so well. Sure it fit in my car, but there weren't enough screws to hold everything together and it kept biting me. Some parts came unattached or fell off as it was lugged around. Designed specifically for a certain canvas, I thought it would work for everything but did not. And besides its ability to hold canvases, the old one didn't look much like an easel.

Easel, holding a 16''x20'' canvas

This is the third time I tried to rebuild this easel. It was still worth it to make my own because this one's custom made. It looks more like an easel now. There are supports on each side and a bigger base on the bottom. I had to cut the supports at a wacky angle to fit the height I already had and the base I wanted. The middle is still a track for the holder to go up and down.

Spider Head

I repainted the whole thing and added some decoration. I painted the new parts yellow and blue to go with the pink. The line designs painted on top ended up changing as I went. Doodles are fun. I also gave the spider head some eyes and teeth.

Back side closeup

 It’s a lot better now that everything is secure. It works for big canvases as well as smaller ones. Carrying it around is easier too because there is a beam on the back to hold on to.

For Further Reading:

Form Follows Function: A Revision

Up-Cycling With What I Got

Don't Panic

Bazaar December

December was about adventures in vending at many Xmas holiday bazaars. Art makes the best gift. When someone buys a piece of art as a holiday gift they are getting a something unique, something made locally, and something from the heart.

In anticipation of the sales created new small items to sell. Baby canvases were created from scrap canvas I had, some cardboard for the base and a magnet on the back. These were fairly easy to make and were quick to paint. The size made it easier to paint what I wanted, like red trees, toast and bacon, ducks and crab. They were such a hit at the events that I made a second batch. I also made prints of my paintings from  Forbidden Forest.

In studio

The first art sale I participated in was the nXmas Art Sale at the nX CoffeeClub ArtHouse. That day I was able to listen to every Christmas/Holiday song Ever Made including my favorites, Donde Esta Santa Clause, the Charlie Brown Christmas song, and Mr. Grinch.

nX CoffeeClub ArtHouse

There were about seven artists in this event who brought a wide variety of things. The art was placed in every open nook and cranny. Even ornaments on the tree were for sale.

SANTA!

 Santa showed up for the middle part and there was So Much Coffee!

The next event I took my art to was First Friday. It has always been near and dear to me since I had first started showing my art in 2009. The connections I've made from that single corner in the Arts District have been highly influential to my career as an artist. It has been a major reason for me to strive to be a better artist and I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world. 

First Friday, too, has grown. More artists art participating in the street vending, the galleries are taking on better and better exhibits and it's being publicized loads more.  I can't wait to see the future of Bakersfield's First Friday holds.

First Friday December

The next place I took my art to was Santa's Sweat Shoppe Art Bazaar a the Empty Space. Every December The Empty Space has a holiday art sale to help raise funds to keep the place going. Inside the lobby they have Art gifts for sale and along with that they have a Bazaar with many artists / vendors. There were nineteen vendors at the Bazaar. I was lucky enough to setup next to some girls selling fudge. I had seen them at the Empty Space Bazaar last year and was glad to see they had grown as a business. 

Santa's Sweat Shoppe Bazaar

My last stop on the holiday sale binge was The Foundry's Christmas Art Bazaar. This happened along with the art exhibit Whimsy and Wanting by Rusty Hatfield, as well as the member art display in the windows. I've been a member of The Foundry since 2010. Since then they have changed locations twice from growth and now have made it to 19th and Eye next door to The Metro. They currently have 84 members of artists and art lovers. A dozen member artists brought tables of small art items. The Foundry did free gift wrapping all day. Artist Mickey Percy won the contest for best table display.

The Foundry: Give the Gift of Art!

What I love about the Arts District if the closeness of the community. Right next door The Metro Gallery had the AIDS Quilts, a collection of quilts made in memory of those  who passed from AIDS, on display for the public. People who were there for the Foundry were able to see the quilts and people who were there for the quilts were able to see the some art.

A Major Award

Also, during the Foundry Member Christmas Party, I received the award for Most Improved Artist of 2012. It did so much work, so many studies, this year and winning this award makes it all worth it.

Other winning Foundry Members were Joel Arvallo was awarded Highest Sales In a Solo Show. Diana Cambel Rice was awarded Most Valuable Member. And Jason Stewart was awarded Highest Sales Outside a Solo Show.

I consider these events a great success. I able to talk to so many great people. The holiday spirit was everywhere. I got an award and I even got a commission. There was so much art!

For Further Reading:

nX CoffeeClub ArtHouse

The Foundry

The Empty Space

First Friday

Donde Esta Santa Clause?

Mr. Grinch

Etsy: Art Adventure Studios