So with my self-imposed commission blackout on the horizon, I've started playing around with some of the stuff I want to experiment with. One of the things I wanna work on is alot of new merch ideas for my tables at comic conventions! My 'NYC BFF' Christy gave some awesome ideas and links to places for really cool jewelry supplies.
Here's some of the stuff I've been working on with that:
There's rings, necklaces, charms for earrings and zipper pulls, magnets, brooches and little tin stash boxes!
I'm still figuring out the process of making everything, but I'm super excited about the rings and stash boxes!! I hope to have a ton made for MoCCA and Heroes Con coming up!
I'm also working on another project where I'm taking these little wooden coffin boxes and I'm going to paint them black, decoupage some artwork on them, add embellishments like beadwork and glue in some red velvet on the inside.
I'm drawing some vampire girls special just for this project!
A mock-up to check the sizing- looking good so far! I'm also going to add artwork to the sides as well!
Finished art!!
Next one I'm doing is a Lady Blacula!
Not sure exactly how much I'm going to charge for these yet. I need to make the first one and judge on that how big of a pain in my ass they are to make and price them accordingly.
Hey! Just wanted to drop a quick line that I'll be at MoCCA Festival, the annual comics convention put on by the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in NYC this year sharing a table with my friend Jared Fletcher of Studio Fantabulous!
As a present I finished TWO freelance projects! YAYZ! 1 more to finish and 2 more to start before my self imposed commission blackout takes effect and I can focus on some selfish art FOR ME!! Muahahaha! ::wrings hands menacingly:: Which mostly just means I'll have more time to work on cooler, more experimental stuff and really take my art to the next level. So it's really all for you lovely people, in the end.
The Rhinestone Follies are a classical burlesque troupe based in NYC featuring (L to R) Hazel Honeysuckle, Beelzebabe Agogo and Kita St. Cyr! They perform regularly at the R Bar on Bowery- I highly suggest checking out one of their shows!
I'm actually not supposed to show this until the actual book comes out this summer. But I figure I can give you an itty bitty peek. My piece is of my fave Mega Man character, Tron Bonne on her Gustaff (robot) with some Servbots (those little Lego-man looking things) in a Big Daddy Roth-type style. Super hoping I get in the book. It's open to artists world wide, and to be included would be super awesome.
I'm also doing a promo piece for Enz's, a super neat rockabilly frock shop in the East Village. I love going there and the lady who runs it is frigging cool as hell. I've talked to her at a few different rockabilly and burlesque events and being a fan of my work, approached me for a new design for a postcard in my retro comic cover style to give out at the upcoming Magic convention in Las Vegas.
Also! Also! I will be featured at Baltimore's Chapter of Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School on Monday May 9th from 7-10pm at the Wind-Up Space for one of their first *ARTSTAR* sessions, where I will be selling my merch as well as modeling! VERY excited!! More info on this as we get closer to the actual date!
I saw Trainspotting in the theater my junior year of high school on a quasi-date with a classmate. It was my choice of activity, and also our only date. I think I scared him. Haha, oh well. The movie blew my 15 year old brain away. Marcus Renton is also who I would be if I was a dude.
#4:
Streets of Fire
The most recent addition to my top movie list, I finally saw Streets of Fire about 2 years ago via Netflix after being curious about the video cover when I worked at Tower Records back in 2001. I love how dramatic it is, especially with half the songs on the soundtrack written by the great Jim Steinman, who also wrote for Meatloaf and Bonnie Tyler. It also has an evilly hot young Willam DaFoe looking amazing with his quiff and vinyl butcher overalls. And also has Lee Ving, lead singer of the 80's hardcore band Fear and Mr. Boddy from the Clue movie.
#3:
True Romance
I didn't see True Romance until about 2006. I had no idea it was written by Quentin Tarantino, and is his more optimistic version of Natural Born Killers (which he wrote later out of frustration that no one was interested in True Romance). Once I finally saw it though I was in love. Clarence and Alabama are just the absolute ideal of two people completely in love with each other. I even plan on getting my own version of the True Romance cupid tattoo on my inner upper left arm with the words 'You're so cool' in the banner eventually.
#2:
Phantom of the Paradise
I saw Phantom of the Paradise in high school and immediately loved it upon first viewing. The music, the visuals, THAT HELMET. I still want to make a 'femme' Phantom costume and make my BFF Fenny be a lady version of Swan. I've already got the helmet, just need the cape, catsuit and voicebox.
#1:
Rock & Rule
What can I say about Rock & Rule that I haven't already said? Haha, well, I'm going to get Angel, the female lead tattooed on my left arm this spring in Sailor Jerry classic pinup style by Cyn Rudzis, one of my new favorite tattooist. And I really need to just get on making some 'I survived the Mok concert' buttons. If not just for myself.
Happy New Year, all!! I'm back from my week and a half in Maryland and Missouri to visit family for the holidays. Felt like I was gone 2 months. Time moves differently outside NYC. Fun to see everyone but I'm so glad to be in my own house among my stuff and my precious furbaby Loki.
Sooooo happy. She purred so loud when we got home we could hear her across the room.
So yeah, my New Year's resolution for 2011 is to take the same amount of energy I expended in 2010 on extroversion and focus on some introversion. While 2010 was a big art/business/public persona year, I think 2011 is going to be a very personal/ introspective year for me. More looking inward to myself, taking 'me' time, focusing on the creation and experimentation of art than just getting it out there. I definitely need to get back on track with some drawing for me. Been stretching myself too thin this 2nd half of the year with all the conventions and my dayjob and just crazy extra curricular projects. I need to get on some drawing for me time hardcore. I look at this blog and it's all pictures from cons and parties the past 6 months, no art! Same with my FB fan page, that poor, neglected thing! Who knows, maybe I'll even get to writing something this year. (Whoa now...)
To flex my creative muscles, I've been taking on a few new projects that are pretty much just for me to dick around with.
One, being The 365 Project, which is when you take and post 1 photo per day for an entire year.
The other being a collaboration with my friend Ida's company Bitchcraft Apparel, of hand decorated lipstick/stash cases featuring my artwork. Each black or brocade case will be unique with sequin trim around both the image on top and the mirror inside, they are big enough to hold 2 lipstick tubes- or something a little more illict maybe? ~__^ They will be available for $20 each at various locations, including my etsy store and convention tables, Girls Drawin Girls' etsy store and convention tables and 9th Life in Baltimore Maryland.
Other than that though I'm working on the last of my commissions before I take the year off and work on some more personal pieces, and I'm also working on a submission to Udon's Mega man tribute book that I'm not allowed to show. (Boo!) No telling if I'll actually make it into the book or not, but if I have a chance to I'm definitely taking it. My submission is going to be a Big Daddy Roth style Tron Bonne in her robot from Marvel Vs Capcom 2.
Hey all! Just wanna make an announcement that I'm not taking on any new commissions this coming year. I need to have some 'draw for me' time. I feel like I've been in the same level of competence for the past couple years and to get better I really need time to experiment. If I already talked to you about a commish then I'll still do that. But no new ones. I need to get back into sketching hardcore, and there's only so many hours in a day. Seeing as how my 2011 is already going to consist of my first out-of-state convention in 7 years, putting together a 2nd artbook, planning at least 2 engagement parties, getting married, a solo art show in Brooklyn and configuring some sort of career path, I'd say my plate's already a bit full to begin with. @__@;;
Some sketches:
Varla (Tura Satana) from Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
I also did a sketch of my 'wedding ensemble' for my upcoming wedding to Phil Balsman on Dia de los Muertos next year in Las Vegas. (He proposed on my 30th birthday.) The dress is going to be from Vivien of Holloway, corset from Louise Black and hair inspired by Patricia Day of the Horrorpops.
