wattsalot

Buncha new illustrations!

2012-03-02T09:12:00.001-08:00

Here is a pile of new work that I have done over the past few months that I haven't shared yet. I also have another post to share some new pattern work, and a mailer that I created to send to Chronicle Books. That will be later! It's funny, now that I work for myself I spend waaay more time working. But, it is what I want to be doing with my time now. I am obsessed!! I love it.

Here are two new fashion pieces that I pitched to Chronicle as a notecard series of girls and their designer dogs. I had a great response from them, we'll see if they move forward with this idea! If not I can license these babies at Surtex.

New children's work! I have been developing a body of younger work to beef up my children's book look. There will be more where this came from!

The seals play when the bears sleep

Scene from Thumbelina

This is a baby board book that Abi(my agent) is shopping around to publishers, she wrote it! It will be a series of books of Hippo saying friendly words and greetings in different languages. It's so weird to see my work so young! I had fun with this. Abi is awesome.

This is a commission I did for a woman here in Atlanta. Her grandmother wrote this poem and she wanted it illustrated, so I did that for her and I had such a good time doing a piece that is so personal.

Here is the Cavendish Cover that I talked about in the last post. Woohoo! I looove doing creepy stuff!

Lastly, here is me dressed in Steam punk attire for a convention that I never ended up going to. Haha! We got there and realized it wasn't right for the money, so we are saving these outfits for DragonCon this year!! Hopefully some of the Firefly cast will be there this year again, I might nerd out.

Spray painted toy gun, yuss.

Cover Reveal: The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls!

2012-02-28T08:54:00.000-08:00

I recently had the privilege to illustrate a MG novel called The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, written by Claire Legrand. This was such an amazing project!! Claire, is a super inspiring person that works like crazy and is hilarious. She also fluffs my ego making me feel like a princess:D Lucy Ruth Cummins was the Art Director that I worked with and she rocks. I had so much fun. Lucy had some awesome ideas for the finishing on this, I can't wait to see the cover in person. It will be out in August this year. I am geeking out today!!

Go check out the big cover reveal at The Story Siren. There is an awesome giveaway, and you get to read an interview with Claire!

I will post again later with interiors and the finish when I can. Thanks for reading;)

quick DIY: creepy storybook animal

2012-02-21T07:42:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be fun to share one of my morphing projects. When I was a kid my dad taught us to take something that is sort of cool and make it awesome. I thought this rabbit had such a great silhouette but was a little too sweet for my home decor. So I made him creepy in about 15 minutes. Spray paint it black, paint its eyes a random cool color, and tie a bow tie around its neck. You can find neat statues of animals at hole in the wall junk stores, and the same with the bow ties. Go make a creepy animal, your kids are sure to love it;)

Also, I have two inspiration Tumblr's floating out in the internet realm.

One is called The Dusty Skull: a catalogue of dusty treasures in my house and in my world using instagram earlybird.

The other is Ghastly Manor: the imaginary haunted estate of Sarah Watts. Follow them! I am so inspired this year I could puke. ;)

New Prints in Shop

2012-02-13T07:14:00.000-08:00

Hi there, I just wanted to share the new prints I have in my shop for your house! each are 11x14, a standard frame size.

A bunch of us down here are beer lovers and I refer to it as beer snobbery sometimes, so I thought that would make a good print! Atlanta has massive beer lists and many local breweries, I will never be able to try all of them. A lot of my good pals from Ringling share this love with me too.

The cornbread piece is inspired by that movie Life(my favorite), and also it is what everyone says when they eat all of their cornbread and there is none left.

Then the Atlanta piece is for those fancy southern people who love Atl... ;)

I always forget to update my Etsy since most of my sales are local, but I think I need to reach a wider audience so it's time to try harder!! Haha. Oh, and there is a masculine/feminine version of the beer snob print.

always learning and practicing

2012-02-07T22:39:00.000-08:00

I will always draw in my sketchbook. Something valuable that I learned in college at Ringling: Always draw, always keep improving. I want to forever be a student of life. Why should the awesomeness of college stop when you leave? Like Steve Jobs said, "Stay hungry, stay foolish."

So, for fun, learning, and enjoying life, here is some sketchbook stuff, embroidery and pictures of my life lately, some from the awesome Instagram, now that my phone is fixed. I've also been taking classes for sewing and everything between through the Atlanta Institute of Stitches and Crafts. Those girls rock. I love love the art of taking time out of the psycho internet realm (that I adore) to do something old school that involves a special craft. There is a lot to be said for stuff that takes a lot of time to finish. With the product and surface design world that I am in, things are always going with trends and needed fast. It's nice to slow down. Last Sunday was one of the best days ever, because we all sat in a sweet lit up loft space, embroidering my drawings and having a good conversation. Anyway, here are some random pictures and scans.

Pretty people from the fields.

Dmv, Having kids is haunting, pattern ideas.

Embroidery practice from Stitches and Crafts.

From my sketchbook while in Costa Rica. Flippin' love that country. Scott and I saw all this and more. I think I discovered my naivety again in Costa Rica, which was really nice.

More embroidery. This is going to be a larger piece.

This sparkling wine comes in a can with a sippy draw. Awesome.

These girls embroidered my drawings too. They were smart youngsters.

One of my biggest inspirations: Scott. No matter what happens to him he pops back up and keeps moving and making and doing. I love it so much.

One of the girls stitches my skull in a cage- from my Murder by Death poster.

This tower is part of our apartment complex Pretty neat. Shot from the rooftop.

My current sketchbook cover.

Sam and Emily, fiddling at the embroidery get together. This loft space was sick.

Feather N Stitch stationery

2012-01-30T07:01:00.000-08:00

I have some really neat news! Blend licensed my Feather N Stitch collection to use for a stationery and bag line. It was pretty surreal to go and take pics of it at the recent AmericasMart here in Atlanta. The collection will be traveling to the National Stationery show in New York and some other conventions to shop to buyers. I can't wait to see it out in stores. I am using swear words of happiness in my head right now;) This, the the fabric collection and wanting to show at Surtex are the series of events that prompted me to quit my job last March. The non-compete clauses can be tough to work with if you have a full time gig in the same industry as your personal work. I knew I wanted freelance in the long run, and these events sort of made the decision easier. Luckily I had just enough work to do it.

As you can tell I am all over the place with what I like to do with my art. Creepy illustrations and friendly stationery all in one brain, haha. Whatever tickles your fancy, right? You don't have to be cornered into one area, as long as it feels like one person created it! Anyway, thank you to Anna Griffin and the others that worked on this line. I am pretty excited. I loved the vintage elements in the display, right up my alley.

Full display:

Journal close up:

I dig this little heart diecut that shows the pages inside:

Sticky note pads:

travelin' man

2012-01-25T09:54:00.000-08:00

This is a commission that I just finished up for a guy named Dan. Dan is a traveling man. He is a TV show producer that Scott and I met about six months ago. He asked me to make a piece about him and his life for his office. Part of Dan's personality is that he moves a lot, sort of a wanderlust, and he seems to be making a circle around the country hitting up all the big cities. His next stop is either Miami or Austin. It's a neat lifestyle because his TV shows flies him out to the location and his home base is more of a pit stop for relaxing and meeting new people when he's not on set. The show he's producing next is Hardcore Pawn, haha, I am a sucker for those kind of shows. Anyway, I am grateful to have met the nomadic Dan, and my art will go with him to each new destination. This piece is about 4 feet wide and will be a giclee print framed in weathered wood, I'll get him to send me the finish later so I can share. Pretty epic. There are little hidden icons based on parts of his personality. Dan and Scott also compete each week for a Golden Tee championship trophy at the bar next to our place. It seems to be what they live for. I love Atlanta and it's array of people. We are a fast growing film city, so we meet a lot of those types. Most of my friends are video and photo folk. It's an awesome mix to have.

Some zooms:

new fuzzy work

2012-01-18T05:50:00.000-08:00

A few new pieces that I am hoping kick off a new narrative series for me. For kids(chicken nuggets) and such. I need to build my younger selection. You would think that after 3 years of working on kids apparel I'd have that covered by now! Haha. I prefer more sophisticated or subdued color when it comes to kid's stuff. Hopefully they don't get bored. I hear babies like black and white visually. I need to tap into that realm.

The tree animal pieces are from my sketchbook when I went to Costa Rica for my honeymoon with Scott. It was so awesome to see those animals in real life! And the steam punk fox is for a group promo project for Red Fox Literary. Hope you dig. More to come soon!

White-Faced or Capuchin Monkey: Lives in packs, smart, uses tools, not completely vegetarian, cute.

Three Toed Sloth: Only poops once a week in a hole and buries it(modest young fellow), green tint is from algae in it's hair, has slow metabolism, not laziness(yeah right), cute.

Steampunk Fox: Um, likes to follow underground trend of a surreal universe consisting of cowboys and the future mashed together. Likes to watch Firefly over and over again with his friend Mouseface, pulls out broken pocket watch periodically to pick up women.

Brodieeee(book cover for Penguin UK)

2012-01-02T21:30:00.000-08:00

I wanted to start the new year with good news. I got the okay to show this pre-production. I was so stoked to get an email from Penguin UK. I love the Essentials collection they put out, which had some of my favorite illustrators featured, and they contacted me to do a cover for the next batch! Nuts I say, nuts. So after a couple months of working with the awesome Lee Motley, I present to you the cover for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark, a classic novel revamp. It was a dream job for me. Do whatever I think is best to fit the story well, using my fashion inspired work, and hand letter the type. Miss Jean Brodie is awesome, she was a revolution. The writing was witty and fun. The movie made based on this book is great too! Maggie Smith was exceptional;) Here is the Wikipedia entry that tells what the story is about if you are interested.

Final image(I will share with you the final with the logo and added text when it is printed):

Sketches and some of the reference I pulled(we went with the first sketch but with a more slender dress):

A good way to start the year. Hope you enjoy!

I made some stuff

2011-12-19T08:34:00.000-08:00

Hey readers. This past week I finally got to make some stuff out of my Feather N Stitch collection that I wanted to share with you.

Owl lamp! Whoa!! Here is the link to the demo with a fox if you want to make your own:
http://matsutakeblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/electrified-fox-lamp-tutorial-and.html

And a stuffed fish. Haha, me is fish.

Also if you want to buy the fabric, here are a few links on where you can purchase:

Hawthorne Threads

Fabric Worm

Fabric.com

new drawing

2011-12-15T06:47:00.000-08:00

I've been playing with adding little quips to drawings. Trying to bring back my Sunday Funnies in my current work. Hope everyone is having a good holiday season!

Bag designs and Pop-Up Shop

2011-12-01T05:51:00.001-08:00

This year the awesome people at I.C.E. are teaming up with Criminal Records for their holiday Pop Up shop. I was lucky to be commissioned to design the tote bags this year. Originally it was just going to be one design, but then they had the brilliant idea to have a girl and guy version. So here are my designs, and the info for the show. The first 100 people there get one of these bags! Come support everyone's favorite local record shop in Atlanta and buy handmade awesomeness for gifts! My prints will be there too.

BEST BEST two week trip ever (and I'm married now:D)

2011-11-21T18:56:00.001-08:00

Okay, it would take about 20 pages of a post to explain how amazingly awesome the two week vacation I just came back from was. It was one of those time where everything got planned at the same time by accident/happenstance. I decided to create a run-on sentence of it's amazingness starting now:

It started when I went to Quilt Market to see my fabric collection Feather N Stitch launch with Blend Fabrics which was super freaking cool and I met a ton of awesome people there and want to go back every year now then I came home form that and flew to Las Vegas the next day to see my best bud get married which was awesome crazy lights and love later I got to see an old friend I haven't seen in a long time and got so inspired by all the grandeur THEN while in Vegas Scott and I spontaneously got married and that was super cool we finally after 9 years together summed it up with a nice eloping that was insanely fun and crazy and wore cowboy and cowgirl outfits and it was stress-free and I was so friggen happy and I cried and we laughed and then we drove to Florida and I went to Ringling to do Trustee work with the Board of Trustees and a presentation for the Illustration department and I got super inspired by all the students and how much I missed my teachers and I also saw a bunch of old friends then Scott and I went and celebrated our wedding with both families and that was amazing and then we went on a honeymoon in Costa Rica that was the best trip of my life because Scott and I went through a lot to stay together with school and long distance and craziness and that trip was the best summary of what we have built together and what is to come. Costa Rica is awesome!

That was the two week trip in a nut shell. All my close ones heard the extended version. Mind blowing life altering awesomeness and I feel so happy now. Costa Rica will be a post on it's own, I just need to get the pics together.

Feather N Stitch

eloping attire:D

page from sketchbook during the madness

As far as current life, it is time for me to get back to work and get cranking. I have a lot of work to do to go to Surtex next year and start some new projects. What a good refresher before a few months of working in the bat cave nonstop, lol. Hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving!

Feather-N-Stitch release this month

2011-10-19T06:13:00.000-07:00

I was excited to get these promo photos in from Anna Griffin showing my fabric collection! I will be going to the Quilt Market at the end of the month in Houston to see it's release with some good friends that have fabric there too. So, this is what I do aside from drawing skulls, ha!

If you are interested in buying wholesale, just email me and I can direct you to the right people.

New patterns

2011-10-17T06:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a new little collection I did this weekend. I am slowly preparing for my show at Surtex in May next year. I need to come up with a name for this one. I envision it on kitchen accessories, so maybe I need to add a few more designs with utensils.

Tea Time with Tick Man

2011-10-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

I went to Netherworld this weekend with some friends and I was so inspired by the insane costumes and animatronics(and spookiness). This image popped in my head after seeing one of the beasts, so I had to draw it. Halloween time is when people get to be who or whatever they want without anyone questioning it.

The Uninvited Guests

2011-10-08T06:37:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to try a spinoff piece of the mad hatter tea party. I did this earlier this year and just never shared it. Probably because I couldn't figure out how to finish it, since color just wasn't working. I found it today and figured I would just leave it as a drawing.

So here is "Alice's Tea Party, The Uninvited Guests." Haha. The mad hatter is inspired by this homeless guy that use to walk around our neighborhood when I lived in Florida. He seemed overly happy all the time. Given the circumstances, it made his madness more obvious. Then for the guests you got a pig who is a picky eater, the bear who hogs the honey, and so on.

I hope everyone has started wearing their costumes for the month;)

Bearrsss (and contest winners)

2011-10-05T05:45:00.000-07:00

I love bears. I have a few more bear drawings I have going. I wish I had the guts to get another tattoo, it would be a bear. This week has been fun. Scott and I have been filming a studio tour video, I get to read one of my best bud's YA manuscript, and I'm working on the Cavendish story that I love so much. Yeah!!

Anyway I also wanted to share the winners of my giveaway that I announced Monday.

The winners were Stephanie Fay Bodden, Starr Hoffman and April Solberg. Congrats! I will be sending those art prints out at the end of the week. Thanks for everyone who participated!!

The Snake Queen-Art Print GIVEAWAY

2011-09-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

Hello readers!

As a thank you to all the people that enjoy Wattsalot, I am holding a giveaway of my Snake Queen Print. But not just one, three prints will go out!

All you have to do is "Like" my new Facebook Fan page. So flippin' simple you could do it drunk on your laptop while hyenas are after you. My fan page will be a place for me to share my inspiration, updates and other things TBD.

If you have already liked my page, your name will automatically be entered. I will put all the names in a randomizer, and pick three. I will be picking these three on October 3rd, that is one week from today! I will then ask for your address, and send the print, signed, to your house. The print is 11x17 and I sell them on my Etsy for $20 so you get that for free if you win;) I will be doing this more often, so if you don't win, don't be sad.

A little background on The Snake Queen: I chose the snake queen to giveaway because in the past it has been one of my most popular prints in local shops and online. The story behind it is a childhood fantasy I use to have. When I was little I had a pet snake, an iguana, and a weird black lizard that changed colors. I would carry them around and pretend that I could communicate with all reptiles. I wore the snake around my neck like a boa, and that is where the inspiration stemmed from! True story. Haha.

Blend Fabrics press release

2011-09-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

I meant to post this sooner but here is the press release for the new division of Anna Griffin that I have been working with for my fabric collections. October the Blend team and designers, including myself, will be at the fall 2011 International Quilt Market in Houston launching our collections and the company will be launching as well. They have been such a great team to work with and I look forward to hangin' and meeting everyone.

(click image to read)

Cavendish and Ice

2011-09-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

Good morning Friday! I just wanted to share a couple of things before the weekend. I can officially announce that I will be illustrating the middle grade novel called The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls written by Claire Legrand. It will be published by Simon and Schuster in Fall 2012. The story is awesome, and it is a creepy one!! I love it, and the characters are really great. I can't wait to share it next year. If you are on Twitter, follow @ClaireLegrand. She holds contests, is really funny, and has an inspiration Tumblr account that I really like.

Also, the image above is for I.C.E. Atlanta's second anunal Pop-Up Shop. They commissioned me to design their bag. Since I am on a knitting crush again this winter, I went with that theme.

finished Vegas suite

2011-09-05T07:29:00.000-07:00

Hello! I wanted to share the finished wedding suite that my best bud Angela hired me to do for her and Grif's wedding in Vegas this year. It was a joy to work on this since Angela and I have a lot for the same tastes. Her and Grif are awesome. I will be going to their wedding, and it's going to get crazy!

Invite:

Save the Date(also in a previous post):

Two options for the RSVP:

New drawings

2011-08-25T04:37:00.000-07:00

So all of my work starts as a black and white drawing, and I often just want to leave it at that. The show I had last year had some black and white work in it, which seemed to go over better with the crowd than the paintings. I suppose it is just preference. Anyway, here are some recent drawings I did for myself for fun. Also, hope you enjoyed the website update from the other day, and Scott's kick ass photos.

Food Trucks, new website updates

2011-08-23T07:10:00.000-07:00

Finally! Scott and I were on the same time schedule yesterday where he could photograph my Food Trucks while it was still daylight. We wanted to use natural light with a touch of his other lighting.

He did a beautiful job, and I now have him promised to take photos of other things that I have coming to my website, haha. I will definitely take advantage of being with a photographer.

About the Food Trucks: I was commissioned by Teenspeed Press, an imprint of Random House, to illustrate the maps for this book. This was by far the most challenging project I have had, and very rewarding. I was given google maps, photos, and other info, and from that I basically created scenes that we did not have photos of, and did the lettering which I always love. It was really cool to see them come together. The ones that were just arial view maps weren't as tough. This was really neat and now I can draw any kind of Food Truck from memory, haha. I think I counted on my computer that originally there were around 40 mini truck drawings done, but they were edited out for space sake.

Betsy Stromberg was the designer/art director. And Heather Shouse wrote it. The photos were mostly taken from Heather's adventures compiling this book together. I hope she makes a second one. It was so neat because when I went to Austin I went to one of the trucks in this book.

Well anyway, if you would like to buy this book you can find it on the Random House site, Amazon, and they are also in major bookstores and some Urban Outfitters. My friend found a display of them at UO in Manhattan.

Betsy added color to the images to tie it together with the color palette. I think it looks really cool.

And I just wanted to share this picture Scott took of The Tilting House book and the pic for the front page to my website. I updated a few sections on my site with new pics. There are some in the book section, the wedding section, and pattern. I 'm really happy with them, thanks Scoot:D

Photo courtesies: Scott Cormack

Timber and Leaf teaser

2011-08-16T05:33:00.000-07:00

Here is a little teaser of my fabric collection named Timber&Leaf that will be coming out Spring 2012 through Blend Fabrics, a new company launching this fall by Anna Griffin. My next collection I think is going to be a creepy one. But one step at a time Sarah, haha. Anyway, in October we will be making a grand appearance at the International Quilt Market. Quilting is a division of sewing that I have not tried yet. It just might be my winter hobby this year. Last year and the year before it was knitting. Knitting to metal music and drinking peppermint coffee. That's how I roll, and will continue that until I'm elderly.

Attack zombie cats? and other news

2011-08-12T06:30:00.000-07:00

Found this little gem in my computer today and thought I would share it. I think I was working on this for halloween last year and never finished it. When I find things like this in my computer, I sometimes wonder what is going on in my head, haha.

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of excitement and strange things happening. I have had the honor of working with two new clients, American Greetings and Penguin UK. I can't share what I did for American Greetings until next year, and for Penguin I'm not quite sure when I can share that. Very exciting things! A thank you to my friend Emily Dove who put me in contact with the nice people at AG. I also learned last week that my Feather and Stitch fabric collection will be turned into a line of stationery products for Blend. I can't wait for the company's launch in October.

My internet went out for 4 days in the height of deadline time this week. I am so grateful that it's back, since Iphone file sending is not my favorite cup of tea, haha. I feel like now that I am full time freelance, that is similar to my car breaking down as a delivery driver. It's like, crap! I guess I will have to borrow a bike or something.

Madeline's fantasy room

2011-07-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

Oh...I just realized how risque that title could sound. Anyway, good morning Thursday! I am in a good mood today.

Soooo, below is a mock up of what Madeline would look like in my fantasy version of a room with my work on different surfaces. When my fabric comes out I want to make curtains, pillows, etc. But man, it would be so cool to have this on real bedding that comes in a giant plastic reusable zipper bag.. I am going to visualize my dream jobs, even by making them into visuals. I've been meaning to do it for a while, so now is good. Maybe they will turn real one day! (like magic) I need my friend Megan Ingram to pose in this picture. (Red head with good style choices) I mean, I think those frames could be wall decals too. Okay, I need to go find some contacts at Urban Outfitters or something. A large chunk of the industry is going to find this too edgy. Tim Burton ought to open a home goods company.

love pies

2011-07-27T05:34:00.001-07:00

This was a commissioned piece for an anniversary gift. It was a lot of fun to work on! I thought the idea was really sweet.

grandfather clocks

2011-07-25T07:02:00.000-07:00

New pattern for Monday. I am off to a later start than usual today, but oh well. Here's a new pattern of grandfather clocks. I think I'm subconsciously working on a halloween collection without letting myself realize it. The reason being that I would get too excited about the halloween thing and then shut down. So this way I can do a little at a time and then recolor them to work together:D Haha

Have a good Monday.

schmowls

2011-07-22T07:55:00.000-07:00

A new pattern using old elements I had in my computer, need to fix a few little holes:

Hope you dig.. I spent the last two days working in house at Carter's helping with their Fall 2012 collection. It was super fun and I will be going back for more! I can't share anything I'm working on for them, so if it get's in the line you shall have to wait till next year! I have been full time self employed for 3.5 months now. I'm finding that getting out of the house a few times a week is important to staying fresh and inspired. So, get out!! Now I gotta go get my passport for an adventure later this year. Something that many of my close friends will be happy I'm finally doing. Lol.

Madeline..in pattern form!

2011-07-19T10:54:00.002-07:00

I've been wanting to take the Madeline Ma'am illustration I did and turning it into a pattern collection. What do ya' think? Oh, I guess I'm posting more often now that I have more time for it. We'll see how that goes. The larger pattern was a pain to put in repeat, mainly because there was a fly away pattern fill within the fill, ha. Darn!

vampire fans

2011-07-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

Scott and I love True Blood. It's a guilty pleasure. I may have possibly maybe read the Twilight series too......maybe. Haha, anyway I thought it would be fun to make a vampire fan art piece:D It's for sale in my Etsy shop, which I have updated with other things. It was nice to tend to my dark side today, it has missed me

woodland fabric

2011-07-17T08:27:00.000-07:00

Remember those little woodland critters I was going to use in my next fabric collection for Blend? Here are some printouts of a few of those new patterns. I'm working on a slightly darker color palette. I will share the rest of the patterns when they are produced early next year:D OH, I updated the Gocco thing, I sold it on Friday. I was sad/happy to see it go.

summer news

2011-07-14T05:53:00.000-07:00

Moving is so fun! Bleh, haha. But the new space will be a nice change. That's our dog, Buffy. She looks like a rat-bear hybrid, but a very cute one.

Also, I wanted to share some cool news. I have been asked to be the Alumni Trustee for one year at Ringling College of Art and Design. So I will be visiting the school 3 times over the next year to attend meetings and help the Trustees from an alumni perspective. I feel very honored and want to thank the school for inviting me! So if any fellow Ringling grads have anything that they think I can bring up, just let me know!

gocco anyone? update: sold!

2011-07-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

I am selling my gocco! If you would like to purchase it drop me a line. I might lower the price at a random time in the middle of the night on a mysterious day if it doesn't sell soon. Click here to view:D

Red Fox Literary

2011-06-24T06:07:00.000-07:00

Hello world, just wanted to pop in to share that I will now be represented by Red Fox Literary for children's books and other young reading material. Red fox is a super sweet agency that just launched by editor Abi Samoun and agent Karen Grencik. Read about it here in Publisher's Weekly(thanks Erin:) I am very excited about this new venture. Abi bought some art from me a while back, then we worked together on The Tilting House and we've been keeping in touch ever since. I was honored that they hired me to illustrate their masthead and logo for the site, the red fox himself. Illustrate a fox? Yes please, I like forest critters. There is a shop and will later have studio tours of all the artists. I think I may have a nice beer tonight in the honor of the launch. Cheers!

back from Austin

2011-06-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

Austin kicked ass and I was able to see some of my good college friends. I rarely try to share a trip on my blog, because it always seems too epic to get in a post. That's how I felt about the recent mountains with Scott and Milwaukee with Spange. But here's an attempt with Austin. Some awesome key elements: Frankiln's BBQ, live music everywhere every night, Vietnamese coffee(first time and loved it), cocktails, prohibition style dining, food trucks, happy hour, biking and bats under a cave. My friend Jane was a great host and we really sucked the life out of all Austin has to offer.

My kind of place, skulls for sale;)

Gotta love a good creep out antique shop.

Below: cocktail night-from left: Orlando, Francis, Adam, Jane, Drew, Erin and myself. I also had my first Sazerac on this trip, an awesome brut of a drink that snuck up on me quick, lol.

Below: This lovely lady was sitting outside the East Side King, which was featured in the Food Trucks book I illustrated. Badass curry buns, oh my gosh they were good. I think we all wished that we ordered more than two.

I was excited to see the Food Truck book in a local bookstore. I will post more about it when I get Scott to photograph it.

I love the Alamo Drafthouse, they have a great style for a theater and hilarious sense of humor. Scott showed me that the Alamo made from an angry caller that was kicked out for
texting.

Another favorite was the fruity salsas and cayenne pepper in coffee. Oh man, a great city to visit. I feel honored to have such talented friends. We didn't get to have everyone out, but I guess that's what happens when we are all in different regions these days.

depart

2011-06-15T03:52:00.000-07:00

Going to Austin to see some close college friends! I shall return sometime next week. Enjoy a sketch in the mean time;) As I was saying on Twitter yesterday, seems like all my deadlines hit right up until the moment I leave for vacation. My good friend Jules said, if you ever want to get work just book a bunch of trips. Haha

Summer I.C.E.!

2011-06-11T04:54:00.000-07:00

Hey lads and gents. I will be exhibiting at I.C.E. this weekend at Booth #79, details below. I will be selling lots of prints as well as originals and cards. Some of the originals I have never showed online before, so come on out! Plus King of Pops will be there. What, handmade popsicles when it's hot as hell outside? Yep.

Fabric!

2011-05-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

This fall a new fabric company will be launching called Blend Fabrics, started by the awesome Anna Griffin. I am lucky to be one of the artists that will be working with them, and I will have a collection of fabric coming out! I can't wait to share photos of the product. The picture below shows the art before the color changes. It's called "Feather N Stitch" and will be available in three color palettes. I thought it was neat that I did the main pattern and a couple of the supporting patterns in college, and years later revisited it and turned it into something applicable. I attached some pictures I found of the tactile swatch book I made of the patterns so you can see how it started back then to being a full collection now.

Below these ink critters will be part of the next collection that I will be making with an "Alice in the Woodland's" theme. This is a really neat gig because Anna wants my works as I see it, so it is a unique experience to be able to do whatever theme/art I come up with! I will share more progress soon;) Starting the freelance career is crazy, and I love it. If you do this, be prepared to be nerve racked and excited as shit all the time, haha. It has been a serious mental overhaul. Rock on. Hopefully I will start posting more often.

Save the Dates

2011-05-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

I've been working on custom wedding stationery as a new offer on my website. These two clients wanted very different looks but still in Wattsalot style. Both are 5x7 postcard format. The first is a one sided full color print and postage info will go on back. The second was printed as a one color letter press and slipped into an envelope. Each have a mix of hand lettering and existing fonts. Pretty fun stuff!

featured: PrintPattern

2011-04-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

Yay!!! I was excited this morning to see that I was featured on the Print Pattern blog this morning. After waking up late and dumping coffee on my clean outfit, this was surely a mood lifter. For those who are in different realms or are curious, a lot of us go to this blog for inspiration or to see trends since it is a constantly updated blog on pattern design. Bowie, the writer, is in the UK and also has a book out on the blog. I admire ultra bloggers that keep up with it like her.

baby world

2011-04-10T09:03:00.000-07:00

Hello! I just wanted to share some art that I did for clothing at Carter's while I was working there that is in stores now. You can buy them off their website or at their store. I attached two pictures but there are a couple others that are linked. I had a lot of fun doing them and was excited that they requested ink drawn stuff while I was there. The giraffe has glitter on it and the dog has real bows that are tug proof and both are screen printed. So if you have any little ladies that these would look good on then swipe one up!
Giraffe PJ's
Dog Tee
Bike PJ's
Waffle PJ's

Also! I finished up the pattern section on my website if you are interested. Keep it real and enjoy the springtime.

New Start

2011-04-03T23:01:00.000-07:00

Greetings internet drifters! I have a little announcement! After learning and experiencing a ton of cool stuff at Carter's and then International Greetings, I find my yearn for freelance is too strong. So I am working my last days at I.G. and then merging into open seas. I am surely going to miss it. I have some stuff lined up that has forced the decision sooner that I expected, and if sleep is a requirement then this is it. Wish me luck! To add to that I have been working on my new website. There are some things that need to be added still, but here it is: wattsalot.com

Inman Park no go poster

2011-03-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I find it fun to enter some sort of art competition if the reward is awesome or the assignment is super fun. This one had a great award and the art would be plastered all over the city. I don't think they are using it, but oh well, a good folio piece. I will take out the type and put "I love red dresses" or something else instead....In other news I am building a new website, hopefully it will be up and running shortly. Can wait for the damn Spring time. Winter is awesome at first and then it turns into this big mopy sasquatch that won't leave your yard.

The Mariner's Revenge

2011-03-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

This is a personal piece inspired by The Mariner's Revenge Song by The Decemberists. One of my favorite memories back in college was when this song was played at a coffee house by one of the student's and everyone went crazy banging their hands and feet to the beat of the song. Soon I am going to get my Etsy shop back up but in the mean time this piece and anything else on my website can be purchased as a high quality archival print. Just drop me an email!

Madeline Ma'am

2011-02-27T22:58:00.000-08:00

Here's a new illustration, Madeline Ma'am. Playing with shape and line instead of mostly line. Working the day job has forced a quickness in personal work, but it is nice doing more simple stuff. I'd like to think that it is making me better at paying attention to shapes and color placement. Anyway, lots of things in the works lately. I am working on a southern-style wedding invitation suite and a fabric collection! More details later.

Also, Check out this giant Vogue mirror! Scott got it for me as an early b-day present at the antique shop down the road. It is rare when you find something while junking that sings to you. This is staying with me forever.

St. Val at Dr. Sketchy's

2011-02-14T22:07:00.000-08:00

Valentine's day was rockin, Scott sent me tulips and chocolate to work and I got as mushy as a woman reading Harlequin romances. We also went to a petting zoo yesterday which was awesome. It is pretty wicked feeding a bufffalo, they are like hairy dinosaurs. Then V-day ended in a prohibition style St. Valentine's Massacre at Dr. Sketchy's. It was in a loft in an industrial area of lower west side. Pretty darn cool, Caterisano and I had fun. I think we were the only two people who weren't sharing a bottle of whiskey, sadly, because of work. Anyway, it is important to feed your creative critter (the one who sits on your shoulder and urges you to create) so he will visit you more often. I have to feed him with a good dose of darkness and costumes, haha......enjoy!

new surface designs/graphics

2011-01-25T05:27:00.000-08:00

Working on building a surface design section on my site. Blending my work with repeats and more conscious color. Enjoy!

dualing dragons

2011-01-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a while. The truth is this new job at International Greetings I've been at this year is quite time consuming, but awesome. I've been working on a lot of Target stuff with them and hope I can share it soon, otherwise it will have to wait until it comes out. Anyway, because of this I find myself working faster on personal work/freelance and doing more loose or simple stuff, or using Illustrator. I did these two quickies from the same reference using vector on one and ink on the other, I thought it would be neat to see the variations. I love both mediums and will one day figure out a way to embrace both of them in my personal work on a more regular basis. I have a load of art in Illustrator that needs a home, and I'm tossing around the idea of combining it all on one site or making a different one to let each look have it's own voice. I am likely going to combine. But when I get time, I guess the slow season at IG is for two months, haha. ahah Hope you have a good new year! I made no resolutions. Less pressure that way:)

reference found on Lulu Guiness Blog

Done in Illustrator. Haha, Sassy

Ink drawing.

The Dress from the Attic

2010-12-06T18:28:00.000-08:00

Here's a new piece I did for a show, but I ended up liking it too much to sell. Mainly because it was sort of a personal breakthrough for me for various reasons. It's called "The Dress from the Attic" and is ink and gouache. I was super pumped to do some flat colors after buying my Rene Gruau book finally. The piece is pretty tall, I think the frame is about 2.5 ft tall. Hope you enjoy. Atlanta is cold and inspiring right now. I honestly feel a rebirth in my brain. I love it. I can't wait to share pics of our new house, I attached a few of the living room to show some. The wall were originally super bland white. We had no living room furniture at first and hunted through craigslist like crazy until we found a good deal on this set. We were going for sort of a vintage parlour theme with greens, golds and browns. The pillows were a gift from Angela and the coffee table and mirror were thrift finds. This painting hangs on another wall in the space. The other pic is of my M. Ward poster and a Johnny Cash screen print I picked up at ICE last year. It has been a big inspiration to live here for the extra space and it's inherited creepiness. We have worked really hard to afford more room, and it's here.

Whiskey print finished, finally

2010-11-29T21:35:00.000-08:00

I finally got to finish the Whiskey print that I had posted in progress a little ways back. Melissa, me and her hub sat down one night and thought of all the good reasons one might drink Whiskey so we could fill them in the background. You can purchase the print from our Kilroy and Maw Etsy! Here is the link. I am really excited to see this one done. If you have time, read a few of the excuses! We are running a deal on Etsy for the season, 3 flat prints for $25. Take a gander and see if there are any you could give out for presents, or just like to see!

absent

2010-11-15T22:24:00.000-08:00

The last four month have been insane. A roller coaster of personal/family issues as well as great memories, working hard, and moving into a new place. I haven't posted in almost two months, ha! Anyway, I am excited to say that Kilroy and Maw are rekindling after a year of hibernation(planning and not), and we will be at the Atlanta ICE show this weekend as well as their pop-up shop running for a month up till Christmas time. Here is a new Atlanta Lover piece that Melissa concepted and I drew. We will be selling it at the show! Come out and get some sick Christmas gifts.

Enjoy!

*Just added this progress shot. I think it's neat to see how something changes as it goes.

western pulp

2010-09-21T22:18:00.000-07:00

I was asked to submit a piece for the Illest of Ill 5th annual's show book around the theme Pulp Fictiton. I went with a western comic theme. Illest was a big student-run illustration show that a giant group of us started in college at Ringling. We are all happy to see it still rocking out.

coffins and coffee

2010-09-12T20:48:00.000-07:00

It has been insanely busy around here. Just returned from a sweet and refreshing trip to Milwaukee to visit one of my best friends, Angela. Scott will be graduating next Friday! I am so proud of him, here is his website if you want to check it out: scott cormack studio I am currently working on another book for Tenspeed Press, an imprint of Random House. Along with that, I need to figure out what I am going to paint/paste/draw on this coffin for Young Blood Gallery's annual Day of the Dead show. Wish me luck! Halloween is my favorite holiday, I don't understand why we don't get it off for work.

Show Photos!

2010-08-17T21:38:00.000-07:00

It took me a while to get these up but here's a link to the pictures from The Harlequin and the Hare show! And here is Young Blood's photo galleries with pictures from the show as well. We wanted to get more during the show but we had a little too much to drink after a while. I was a great night. I sold paintings and got to see a lot of friends. It was great to meet Ruth for the first time, the girl that I had the show with. She was awesome! The gallery did a great job of pairing us up! I will have the scanned images up later that will eventually be sold as prints.

Enjoy the hot ass summer, I am for the most part.

Here are a few teaser pictures from the show. Scott, thank you for taking these pictures:):) Thank you to Young Blood and Ruth Marks!

below: some of Ruth's sculptures

Show Opening tonight!

2010-08-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

Don't forget, if you are in the area come out to Young Blood to see The Harlequin and the Hare show featuring new work from myself and Ruth Marks. Terrapin is sponsoring too!

See post below for more details!

Gallery show: The Harlequin and the Hare

2010-07-02T05:06:00.000-07:00

Cool stuff to share: I have been working on several new paintings for about a year now for a duo show that I am in with the super cool sculptor Ruth Marks! The theme of the show is sort of a vintage circus with emphasis on fashion/costume so it should be really neat. It's at the Youngblood Gallery on N. Highland on August 7th. I guess like the poster says, hehe. Anyway, if you can make it, awesome! We were able to get Terrapin Brewery to sponsor, King of Pops will be there with his gourmet popsicles, and live music from a band yet to be determined. I will be having a few drinks to celebrate the that I survived creating new paintings outside my job without dying. I am use to working mostly digital, which is a little faster for me, so this has been quite different. It made me love painting again, and hopefully I'll raise money for our wedding!

Teaser pieces below!

A poster I made for the show-

"Gypsy Whisper" gouache, watercolor, ink

"The Bunny Pirade" Gouache, watercolor, pastel

The Tilting House

2010-06-02T22:01:00.000-07:00

Wow, so I have in my possession the first book I illustrated! It is very surreal getting the copies in the mail and seeing the real thing physical after all the work that went into it. There is even a little bio about me in the jacket which was really unexpected. This whole thing took place starting a few months after I graduated....It is for Tricycle Press which is an imprint of Random House. This was such a neat experience! I must admit it was very hard to juggle this and a full time job, but that is all part of the illustration journey, right? The end result is so worth it! The story, (about a creepy tilted house) was very much up my alley. I could not have asked for better subject matter. It was a flashback to an old haunted house I lived in as a kid. Anyway, the book available for pre-order on the Random House site. Then the book will be sold in bookstores all around! Hopefully I will get the interior illustrations posted to my website soon-there were 16 total in B+W. I am too excited! Thank you so much to Abi, Betsy and Tom for the experience!

Cover illustration before type:

Jacket design:

Some of the interior header samples.

Operation Bangers and Cash

2010-05-27T03:44:00.000-07:00

SO, Scott and his team at school won a DandAD award for these videos! The award is a really big honor. I am so proud of him. Scott filmed the video and helped concept as his part. The coolest thing is that they were invited to the ceremony to accept their award in June, in London!! So, we had a passport shipped out quick and they are now raising money to get everyone to go. Isn't that so cool? Below is the viral video they made for their website, Operation Bangers and Cash, to raise the money. They only had a month's time to do so, but it's that way every year and the teams make it happen. So, here is their website where they are raising the money. If you would like to donate, go for it! If not at least enjoy their videos or pass it on!

Operation: Bangers & Cash from Joel Lugar on Vimeo.

sketches & whiskey

2010-05-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

It has been crazy lately. Starting a new job has been completely blissful. The excitement of learning a whole new world aside from kids clothing has been really eye opening, and also seems to make more since in my mind. It all feel strangely familiar even though it's new. My commute to work is longer now and I ride the train. I like riding the train, I see people in the city I never knew existed and even eavesdrop in their conversations just to learn about them. I also walk a good 15 mins from the stop to work, which is a very green and woody walk. It has been really different. I have also been extremely tired. It's one of those times that I am slower at making my own art, but I suppose transitions in life sort of call for that.

Anyway, Below are some sketches from the train and other places. I have been on a big pencil kick. I'm pretty sure I have once sworn off pencils, too. It just goes to show how much a person can change just with age or coming back to something with a different perspective. Even the fashion stuff I have been doing. It's not like a lifelong goal I had, it is just something I am really into right now. Who knows where all of it will go, it's all about the ride! Anyway, I also have the newest Kilroy and Maw print up which I have been slow to send the file to Melissa for production. Soon it will be for sale on our Etsy. The cornbread sketch is a process drawing for another print in the works. Rock on.

Dexter:)

A little whiskey to wash your sorrows away.

Project Diversities! and other news

2010-05-09T20:28:00.000-07:00

"The Ruler"

"The Character"

I have been pretty excited to share this project. I was recently invited to an online exhibition/promotion from Off the Rakk where 14 fashion illustrators/designers from around the world were asked to contribute a piece of art that was based around the same model. We all got a packet of 16 photos of different personas and were to interpret whichever one or two we felt connected with, ending with several illustrations to complete the project. There are some great fashion illustrators that were invited including Sandra Suy and Coco who has a line of scarves that are really cool. Anyway, I am really honored to be a part of this and I hope you enjoy my contribution. The photos that my pieces were interpreted from are on their site as well.

Here is a direct link to the illustrations. This is a preview before the official launch so they have some minor adjustments to make to the site. The best way to navigate is to pull the lower right corner like a magazine. From there just click that page to continue through. There may even be a gallery exhibition of this in Paris but that is still yet to be told. Many thanks to Jacy Varisha and the rest of the Off the Rakk crew!

In other news, I no longer work at Carter's. It was time for me to try something new and learn more. I was hired at International Greetings here in Atlanta as a Designer. There I will be designing gift wrap, cards, bags, and some licensed products and other things. I always had an interest in the paper world so this will be a good experience.

grasshopper

2010-04-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

A sketch for a painting...It's the mustached grasshopper? Anyway, a lot of crazy things going on lately. Last night I met a fine gentleman named Greg Theakston on my friends porch...how random? Turns out he moved across the street recently. We shared a six pack and he show us all of his original art, it was nuts. It was a good flashback of being a student and learning about the masters. I am not really familiar with the comic book scene but I was definitely able to appreciate the insane amount of awesome that this guy has put out over the years. The link doesn't do him justice.

Magpie

2010-04-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

Here is the poster I designed for the Murder by Death show this Tuesday at the Masquerade. They will either be for sale at the show or on their site, along with Kilroy and Maw's Etsy very soon. This was done in illustrator with the typeface Phaeton, which Melissa and I are in love with. (Thanks Franci;)

If you haven't heard of the band, their name sounds really metal scary but they are actually more folk than anything else. Here is a link to one of my favorite songs of theirs. There's a girl cello player who sounds beautiful.

turtley awesome

2010-04-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

This is a poster I did for Terrapin Beer's 8 year anniversary party through Kilroy and Maw, they will be sold at the event and afterwards on our Etsy. Terrapin is a local brewery in Athen's, and they have some very tasty beer. Melissa and I collabed on the concept for this one-basically a big cluster of little icons that represent the more limited released beers that they have come out with in the past year. The "Hopsecutioner" is my fav. They also have part of the poster art on their site. Enjoy! And if you get a beer from Terrapin any time soon, I love their Sunray.

rice and beans

2010-04-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

Hello! I haven't posted in a bit-life has been really busy/crazy/fun/sleepy. I feel like crap today but decided I need to pull it together and make a blog post and get outside. Yesterday it finally got warm and I am so excited! Cold weather is lame if there is no snow. It has no purpose other than to make you feel gloomy. Anyway! Here are some drawings I did in Illustrator. I have been digging the vector magic lately, which is weird because I have also been painting. I have a couple of exciting projects that I want to share soon too, one which involves painting. I just need to scan them!

Oh, and to update on my new years resolutions, I have fulfilled most of them but still need to eat healthier, write more stories, find a new put-put place, and travel. Haha, I will try to do these but no pressure. I think new years resolutions are lame if you just stress about them. Technically I don't have to do any of this, haha.

some Dexter love

2010-03-11T07:43:00.000-08:00

Last night Scott and I sat down and made some Dexter art! The top two photos Scott took and then I did an illustration of Dexter and I. We are lame, I know, haha.....we love that little doggie!

I love that left picture, he is smiling a little:D:D

I think I'm going to put this in the Etsy shop soon.

new print in town

2010-03-09T20:29:00.000-08:00

I listed a new piece in my Etsy shop called "Happy Birthday to Me." I realize after I drew it that my birthday is coming up, but that isn't the inspiration. Maybe it was subconciously. Anyway, It's for people to buy for their own birthday, or because they just like the image, haha. I've been playing around in Illustrator drawing stuff and then throwing some texture in. Wanted to see what people thought of it!

Anna Bu

2010-03-04T07:15:00.000-08:00

Here are some drawings I did for the model Anna Bu. This was really fun since I was able to just draw from any of her photos on her blog. I went with some of her more personal fashion shoots of her own wardrobe. I thought those would be fun to interpret. Her professional work is super cool too, I especially like these photos... Hope you enjoy!

"Cycle Through" bike show

2010-03-01T19:27:00.000-08:00

Below is a painting I did for the "Cycle Through" gallery opening at Youngblood this Saturday, March 6th at 7pm. It's a group show celebrating bikes! There are a bunch of Ringling people participating which was a pleasant surprise to me. I have other cool news about Youngblood that I will share soon! Hope to see you at the show Saturday

"Wendy Wheels" will be for sale at Youngblood this Saturday!

Prints will be for sale on my Etsy afterwards...

Ink,Gouache,Pencil 11"x 14"

Memory#5

2010-02-24T08:54:00.000-08:00

Here is the latest memory I illustrated for Ella. It's about a funny memory she had of a time when she was in an airplane and freaked out because she saw a mountain poking through the clouds and thought that they were too close to the ground for flying. Hope you enjoy!

pondering

2010-02-23T07:17:00.000-08:00

Is it just me or does an idea become less interesting once you tell people about it? I was thinking about Jooperwits, and other little ventures I have tested, and I realize that I lose interest in things once I share it with others. It's like the idea isn't a little treasure in my mind anymore, but something that everyone knows about and has lost it's flare. I was obsessed with making little comics for Jooperwits and then when it went public it felt....not so cool. I think the only time a side project works for me when shared is when there is someone else involved and the momentum keeps rolling. It seems like it is the same for a lot of things though. Like if I clean my house on a whim it is much more successful and likely to happen than if I plan it and tell people about it all day. Haha. Just a thought! Hope everyone is enjoying their day. :)

photo from The Sartorialist

2010-02-17T14:06:00.000-08:00

I had to share this picture taken from the Sartorialist blog. That pop of red in the dreary weather color scheme is to die for. It's little visual moments like this that you see in everyday life and quickly look around to see if anyone else got to witness it. Such a beautiful minimal palette and silhouette!

shrine

2010-02-15T06:36:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I hate coming up with a subject for posts. Haha. Here's the latest poster I did for Kilroy and Maw for the King Khan and the Shrines show coming up. When it's screened the PBR logo and ticket info will come off so it will be more pretty. K&M is kinda neat because I can do other styles without worrying about consistency. Oh, is that a Catdragon?! Yes.

figure drawing

2010-02-09T17:58:00.000-08:00

Here are some 20 minute poses I did from Dr. Sketchy's last night. I am definitely enjoying figure drawing now as oppose to school. I use to struggle with it a lot and I think it was because of the pressure I felt in school. I like taking what I learned then and being able to apply it at my own pace without worrying about a grade. Hope you enjoy.

Oh, and if you have a Dr. Sketchy's in your city, you should totally go. I have been going to the one in Atlanta held at the classy Clermont hotel and it is awesome. The models dress in burlesque and other costumes and you get to meet other artists in your area. I also attended one in Kansas when I went to visit Jane and Trey, I think that got me hooked.

welcome to earth

2010-02-09T06:34:00.000-08:00

I had a busy weekend, finally went out with friends the whole time! Actual human interaction apart from work! I think it's hard to balance the life of an artist with actually having a life. Art is such an obsession for us and it's easy to forget to live!! I'm pretty sure people can relate when you realize that it's been a month since you cleaned your space and you are getting a full beard with creatures growing in it(I don't have beard) and maybe even some sort of no sunlight disease. Scott has even been forgetting to eat lately because of his new venture with video. Anyway, so back to hanging out with people. We went and had Peruvian food which is amazing, it was my first time. It also gave the whole group deadly burps for the whole day. It was hilarious! Also, my friend Angela introduced me to scones. Oh my gosh, scones. Since then I have had a cranberry one, a ginger one and a vanilla one. Awesome. That's all. I might post some stuff from figure drawing tomorrow, if I feel like it.

artist: Rene Gruau

2010-02-05T07:29:00.000-08:00

Rene Gruau-I never remember how to spell this guys last name when I go to drool over his work. He is one of the classic fashion illustrators that helped shape the industry. He has a gorgeous sense of shape. The detail that he chooses to leave out is what does it for me, so simple. I cannot for the life of me find a book of his work for less than like $300 so I have to get my fix from the net. Here are a couple more links to his goods:

A poem I wrote

2010-02-04T06:37:00.000-08:00

I forgot to mention that I will be posting stuff a lot more often. I have so much I want to share so I'm going to! I might even go a week without updating! Haha. Anyway, here is a poem I wrote. Writing is something I have never prided myself on. But I love telling stories, so why not try it out? I mean what the worst that can happen, someone needs to edit it? There are actually a few of these poems and one story that I have always been a little hesitant to share. Here is Yamyak soup, inspired by the drawing below that I drew in 2008.

Yamyak Soup-version 2 unedited

yamyak soup is a meal that's great to share

but I hear when you eat it it makes you grow lots of hair

tell me my friend, what's in yamyak soup?

what are the ingredients that makes hair grow in groups?

well it's three eyeballs, two old shoes,

three blades of grass and mucus from a moose

then you mix it all up, ferment it for a month

add a few mice, and sweat from a nun

put it on a fire, simmer for two days

serve it to your friends, and watch their hair grow away

it is surely a great party snack

and you don't even need yams or a yak

artist: Stuart Kolakovic

2010-02-03T07:18:00.000-08:00

Stuart Kolakovic is pretty awesome. I really enjoyed his way of using of type, pattern, and color. I love how he uses symbolic little images to tell stories in his work. Everything he does would look sweet on some kind of packaging or product. Right now he's taking a break from illustration to write his first full length comic called "Lichen."

artist: Rory Kurtz

2010-02-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

Here is the first artist I want to share! Rory Kurtz. I found a piece of his in the most recent Creative Quarterly. I think he has a gorgeous way of "designing" his illustrations. I also love how he blends pattern into his work. Enjoy!

reset button

2010-02-01T17:17:00.000-08:00

So I am getting pretty bored of my blog. I want to switch it up a bit and make it more personal. I'd like to be more "me" and not so much blogging about my art for promo purposes. Part of that plan is to share other artists work that I like and other things on the internet or at home. I will share more experimental art too. I also want to be a little more honest. Not that I was dishonest, but a little more real. Like for example, a few minutes ago I dumped my koolaid all over all of my computer wires and plug ins. Luckily nothing was damaged....but it scared the crap out of me. What I am trying to get at is that I am tired of feeling like there is a certain way to be on the net. I look at blogs endlessly that seem so perfect. Like the artist is living a perfect life and it puts a certain degree of pressure on me whether it means to or not. I am not perfect! I cuss like a sailor, I worry excessively, and I am constantly going through ups and downs with my art. I want to break that personal barrier that I put up and just be a little more "real" for lack of a better word. I know I do post some personal stuff already, but I hope to just share more cool stuff or whatever comes to mind. I also changed my artists statement to the right to included that I won't own the copyrights to any other artists work that I post but mine. Let's see how this goes!

P.S. Part of the inspiration of this is my friends Jessica and Michelle. They both have gorgeous blogs, and they decided to post a picture of themselves of what they look like while freelancing at home, it's great!! Here's Jessica's post and Michelle's post.

I want to start by sharing my studio. After nearly 2 years of being in Atlanta, I finally feel like my space is what I want to work in. I sucked it up and got a nice computer chair, and really made an effort to create a little space for my work. This is part of my bedroom, since an actual studio is out of the question right now. Later I will share some new paintings I'm working on along with some art books I recently purchased that are the shiznit! Stay tuned...

Above: The space...I got my screenprint from Raquel up there, she is awesome.

Above is an illustration I found of Annie Oakley while I was junking in Kansas City and some other tacky knick knacks.

Above: A couple of old fashion silhouettes my friend Angela got me. I am a sucker for those romantic pouffy dresses.

Above: I got some gouache, and for the first time since college I am creating a series of paintings...Will post progress soon.

Look, you can see the stupid glass of koolaid. That elementary school chair on the left was the chair I use to work in, it's better for looks, haha.

CQ #17

2010-01-24T17:49:00.000-08:00

I just got the issue of Creative Quarterly that my Seamonsters piece was featured in! They are in bookstores now, go check it out. For the artist readers, the magazine has managed to keep submission prices to $10 so you should totally submit!

Anita Kunz is to the left, crazy!!

They also had the artists submit a portrait of themselves for the inside and a picture of what inspires them. I thought that was a neat addition. Thanks to the people at Creative Quarterly for putting it together.

inspiring music

2010-01-19T20:50:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share some music videos that I've been obsessing over!

Florence and the Machine-Drumming Song Beautiful singer and her videos are so creative. I also loove her hair.

I think she does sexy tastefully.

Florence and the Machine-Rabbit Heart I especially love the beginning of this song.

Bat for lashes-Pearls Dream

This video is neat-reminds me of a Boris Valejo painting meeting a cheesy 80's music video.

I love the way she looks when she is contorting her body with that jacket on. Awesome!

Bat for lashes-Daniel So weird!

west palm decal

2010-01-11T19:31:00.000-08:00

I was recently contacted to work on a job for American Express. The assignment was an illustration for a window decal for business windows in West Palm Beach. I can't say much else other than it was a great experience. Enjoy!

Oh and I finally put a client list on my about me section of my website if you're interested. Hope everyone is staying warm!

haha

2010-01-05T21:47:00.000-08:00

A drawin' I had to share....

Miss Ludella and a new year

2010-01-02T22:15:00.000-08:00

Here is a piece I did with a different process that my norm. It is mostly in photoshop with just a little ink drawing. Usually it is the opposite. And below this are some thoughts about the new year if you want to read...

Miss Ludella tickling her mutt, lol.

So, 2009 was a tough year for a lot of people. It seemed like everywhere I looked there was someone losing a job or someone having sicknesses or financial troubles. I learned some good stuff when I went home for Christmas this year. I was reminded of what it was like to enjoy life with two things-love and friendship. My mom has been out of a job for 8 months or so now, and her knees are going out with no insurance to fix them. But my mom is awesome-her undying joy for the people she loves always keeps her lifted. She was in pain when I visited but was so happy because I was home, and that felt so good. Also, hardly anyone had money for the week Scott and I were there, or anything to do(Port Richey is pretty lame) but I had an awesome time just enjoying the company of people I care for. That is how I want to live this year. I feel like being an adult has clouded my beliefs. Bills, money, work, making art, promoting, work-I get caught up in silly ruts of stupid thinking and forget how to enjoy life. I don't want to be like that. I want to enjoy all of it. Anyway, with that here are some of my resolutions.

2010 resolutions.....

I want to:

-stop caring about the stupid details and just relax!

-take my time when I need it.

-always be thankful for what I have.

-live in the current time only and just occasionally glimpse in the future.

-appreciate those who are there for me and pay them calls and visits.

-go to more concerts.

-travel more this year.

-maintain my weight and try to eat healthy (so cliche! haha)

-find a new put-put place with Scott.

-try new stuff with art! Switch it up.

-write more stories.

-do some things I never wanted to do.

I always think how silly it is to write these down, like they should be easy to remember, but when the year gets going I can easily forget and get into a cycle of thinking that isn't what I want...I think writing it makes it real and more likely to happen. So here's to a new year that will be bright, and for those who are struggling-keep on truckin.' Thats all you can do, and it is so worth it.

merry times

2009-12-21T08:03:00.000-08:00

Enjoy this amazing compilation of creepy Santa Clauses-Sketchy Santas.

Above is a quick drawing of my sketchy santa. I hope everyone has a great Holiday. I will be going to Florida to see family and friends. See you on the flip side in 2010.

wintery updates

2009-12-06T19:58:00.000-08:00

So I.C.E. went really well this year selling the prints with Melissa for Kilroy and Maw. We still have them on sale online so if you are interested in the prints from the previous post or others please visit the Etsy site! AND, most of the prints are around $10-we are big on offering affordable art right now so go check them out.

In other recent history I finally finished a book cover and chapter header illustrations for a young adult story for Tricycle Press. I am so excited about this book, it will be available in Summer of 2010! I will update with more info when it becomes available.

I hope everyone is digging their winter. I am finding myself missing friends and making new ones at the same time. Winter time always makes me a bit nostalgic. I am also really loving pumpkin pie and scarves, and sometimes miss the warm weather. I recently went with Scott and my brother to visit family in Michigan and it was super cold! We had an awesome time and I am glad we got to see family. Here are some pictures I took from the Henry Ford Museum that Scott's mom took us to...

Love this ad.

Vintage airplane used for air tricks.

Cool ads.

An old hearse.

This car was made for a dwarf couple! I need one.

Cool label.

Trains are so creepy!

Gyspy Wagon.

That museum was pretty insane. They also had the car the Kennedy was assassinated in as well as Lincoln's chair and the Rosa Parks bus. I learned a lot and got really inspired from the imagery.

Till the next random jumble post. Keep warm with some nice tart apple cider (or whiskey)

poster dump

2009-11-15T20:37:00.000-08:00

I've been excited to share some poster work I've been making for K&M for the craft show this Saturday. There is also a poster for Califone's show here in Atlanta that was cancelled (bummer) but the prints are still for sale and they will reschedule. Melissa came up with the idea behind the pig piece as well as the Califone frame idea. She also knew all of the cheeses off the top of her head which I thought was rad. Anyhoo, this was a true exercise in lettering and it gave me a good chance to sharpen up on it. These will be on my site soon. K&M will be selling these at ICE, so if you want some for Chistmas presents be there Saturday!

Above: An Atlanta lover print and cheese lover print.

Above: A print for pork lovers (this one was fun to draw) and one that celebrates singing in the shower!

Above: This poster is inspired by Califone's recent soundtrack for the film "All My Friends are Funeral Singers." I really enjoyed drawing this one.

Above: A music-related print for the house. Hope you digg.

yay!

2009-11-14T10:06:00.000-08:00

Today marks 7 years that Scott and I have been together. We are still goin stong! Even after 4 years of long distance through college, I don't know how we did it. woot!

This is us circa 1883.

wow

2009-11-10T06:31:00.000-08:00

This is so inspiring! Just wanted to share.

drawings from KC

2009-11-07T13:28:00.000-08:00

About two or three weeks ago I took a trip to see my friends Jane and Trey in Kansas City, MO. Andrew, Robyn and Edward were visiting at the same time. We went to a brewery, got to visit with some of my old Academy instructors, saw Mark Englishes studio, museums, toured Hallmark and so on. It was nuts! It took some time to get readjusted when I returned to Atlanta. Like most trips, when you return reality slaps you back in the face. So I am just now scanning some of the drawings I did while I was there.
Here is some sketchbook work. Something I loved about Kansas City was the old typefaces. A lot of the buildings were preserved so there was a lot of vintage charm there. And trains and creeking wood floors.

The above one might be an illustration one day. I can feel it brewing.

The above are of the model Rosa, she was awesome.

And here are some figure drawing from life. I actually haven't drawn from life in such a long time. I honestly didn't enjoy it that much in school. I think the reason is that I had a difficult time making a connection with it relating to my work. So it was really neat this time around because I still learned while drawing from life, but I drew them in a way that felt like my own. Like some of the faces, haha. My no-neck hallow-eyed people, haha.....Anyway.

The cats weren't really there, hehe.

Now I am in one of those strange points in my personal work where I feel almost lost, not sure what direction to go in next. Maybe that's normal. Haha, I am just going to enjoy life and see what happens.

happy halloween

2009-10-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a drawing I did for a gallery show we had at work. I won some really cool spider shaped salt and pepper shakers for it, haha. They let us out early today too, it's like a serious holiday there.

"Don't Step on the Grave"

Halloween is my favorite. It's the day that everyone feels the most comfortable being themselves. I hope everyone have fun tomorrow night! I'll be back soon with sketches from my recent trip to Kansas City.

memory#4

2009-10-09T20:28:00.000-07:00

The 4th Memory of Ella's commission. Her funny recollection of the first time she had to pee in the woods. I decided to go a more subtle route.

AND, my Etsy shop will be closed for a week or two. I am moving this weekend finally! Also going to visit some close friends in Kansas City for a week on Wednesday, weee!

fisherman and hairdresser

2009-09-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

I did a little drawing of two people making a living in different ways. I may explore the theme more.

Also, here is a really pretty song.

I am currently packing for a move closer in the city. It's nice to be diggin through all my old junk. Most of it is junk, but I call it treasures. Nothing like going into a thrift store and finding that one little knick knack that calls to you. You walk over, and shriek. "This is so awesome" you say to yourself. Your friend questions your taste out loud. You buy it anyway. For years it sits on the shelf. When you walk by it, you know its your little treasure.

Till next time home skillets.

sketches n stuff

2009-09-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! So for you guys on Twitter, you must follow Shitymydadsays, it has made my life 5% better overall.

And some cool news- I recently found out The Seamonsters piece got into the Creative Quarterly Issue#17, due out in stores this winter. Also, the Pisces piece got onto their web portfolio.

And here are some drawings...

Keep on keepin' on!

gushiness

2009-09-09T22:01:00.000-07:00

I was asked to contribute a piece to this year's Illest of Ill Artist Book over at Ringling. The theme was "Conversations: as told by Cornwell." Here is my contribution "Goodnight Kiss." Inspired by his night palettes and conversational work with an old romance film feel. Thanks Kelly, you guys are all really great.

And below is a piece I did for a friend's birthday who is a "Team Jacob" chick, she's awesome. I am sure that there are some other guilty Twilight readers, I am one, and I loved it. Haha. I still have not read Potter though, yep it's true.

I guess I am a sucker for romantic stuff.

pixies

2009-09-07T19:20:00.000-07:00

This piece is called Pixie. Watercolor, ink, and 7 digital dots, haha. Will be in shop hizzle soon.

Some cool things going on lately. I am part of a group show at Uppercase Gallery in Calgary,AB Canada in the show And, the Typeface. A while back I was asked to contribute to the project by Margot Harrington. A bunch of artists including myself were asked to draw an ampersand for a website and other goodies-the end product being an illustrated "&" alphabet. I'd show the piece I did, but it may be a surprise. I'll post it when I can though! Anyway, if you happen to be there, go check it out. It runs through the month of September.

Also Scott brought home six awards from his student award show at the Creative Circus, so awesome!! He got a gold, two silvers and three bronze. I'm so proud, rock on Scott!

ANd here's a cool story: Last week we were out at a bar for Scott's birthday and we met the guy that sings the Free Credit Report.com commercials. Haha! SO crazy. My friend Mike got his autograph for me, he drew a flower on it. That's all for now.

I won't be so far from my blog again. It has been very busy here in Atown.

yip yip yup

2009-08-11T18:46:00.000-07:00

My Etsy shop is back open! Yay! I was busy and crazy headed, but now things are settled.

This is one of my fav drawings I've done in a while, not anything to brag about but hey. I imagine there is an entire army of these little guys, and this one happens to drive a yupyup truck.....inspired by this-I'm sure you guys remember these dudes. They have been stuck in my head for weeks! I can't answer anything with out saying yip yip yip, or yup yup yup. What great shows we grew up with. My brain still pretty much operates the same.

sleepless

2009-08-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

This is a little watercolor I did on crappy paper called "Nightmares." I have a lot of them. It's kinda neat that artists can create an interpretation of their worst fears. It gives a sense of control over those emotions-then other people can relate as well.