An Art Storm Approaches

Wow, I got a ton done on the art-front over the past day and night. With two cups of potently strong (and yummy!) coffee along with an ipod loaded with some fresh tunes, I was on fire last night finishing up paintings and getting new surfaces prepped for yet more works. Woo! Go me!

I finally completed that large piece I had hinted at a while back for my dear friend, Rachel. It's a biggun' for me at 11x14" with a good amount of detail. The worn and cracked ballerina statue is based from one over in Salzburg and is just beginning to come to life in this piece. I'm *so* happy with it (and Rachel, I hope you are too!). And unlike the last time I worked on a large piece, this time I took progress photos so you can sorta see how it came together, which is always a bit fun.
This morning it was varnished up, framed, and is currently resting until it gets to go to its new home. :)

Also, a bit unrelated, but I thought it would be kinda fun to do a bit of a sketch-unload sale every Friday. Here's how it works. I have oodles of old books which I use the pages from in some of my paintings. However, I can't use 'em up fast enough. I'm drowning in papers. So, once a week, I'll do an ink/paint sketch on a random book page and throw it in the shop on Friday for someone to snatch-up. Every sketch will be a staggering low price of only $15 (hence the name of the Friday sketch-unloading event: "Friday 15") so that anyone can have a chance at some fresh original art, regardless of their pocketbook.

We'll see how it goes. I may only do two or three and decide it's just not working, but I think it'll be really fun. And unlike my finished paintings, which are typically pretty detail-ridden and polished, my sketches are always far more experimental and loose.

So, here's this week's Friday 15 sketch, dubbed "He Wasn't As Strong As He Thought":
And you can find it over yonder for sale. *UPDATE: It's now sold. Thank you!*

That's all from my neck of the woods, gang! Once these new paintings get started, I'll show you all some snippets. But for now, I'll just tell you that one very tiny piece involves a walrus and another piece will showcase something very...slimy.

Cheerio!

Please Stay Seated During Your Flight

Well, the concert was a-mazing. Gosh, I'm still pretty taken aback by the whole thing (fabulous audience, wonderfully intimate setting, the band sounded great and it was obvious they were enjoying themselves immensely). And I was less than 6 feet away from the stage {insert girlish squeaky-noise here}. It's so cool when a band you've followed and admired for many, many years is every bit as good live as you imagined they'd be. And my fellow Death Cab fans, you may rest assured. The new album coming out next month sounds *awesome*. Utterly awesome.

And after much tinkering, the Bearded Lady is now available in print form over yonder.

My scanner just about keeled over and died from having to scan the gold leafing on this painting. It did not like the gold leafing at all. But with a kick and a punch and a "you WILL like this...or else!" I was able to get everything lookin' good, the result being a lovely and very richly-toned print. I do love gold leaf but my goodness it can be a bit of a pain in the rear for reproductions.

On a completely unrelated side note, I was cleaning out old computer files earlier and came across this scan I made years ago from a flight safety card I *ahem* "borrowed" from a plane that I thought you'd all enjoy."DO NOT jump out of plane into flames of doom.

DO NOT jump out of plane onto sharp pointy rocks.

DO jump out of plane when the coast is clear."

It's a weird quirk, but I love flight safety cards. Is it strange that flipping through them is my favorite part about flying? I just love how every flight has their own uniquely illustrated safety card version. And sometimes, you get really hilarious illustrations (like the one above). I'm fairly easily amused, as you can plainly see.

Happy Wednesday, kids!

Celebrate

It's such a rainy day here today, but the frogs love it--they never stopped croaking all night long. My neighbors have a pond about 25 feet from my bedroom window and I swear, there's at least 20 frogs living in it. Which can be slightly...irritating...at 3am. Ah well.
This little painting was completed earlier this week in-between various other large paintings I'm working on at the moment. I'm madly in-love with this antique frame. It's one that I picked up at an antique store a couple months ago and haven't done anything with, for fear of not doing it justice. And then a week ago I painted a very similar simple-graphic bird scene on a plate at the ceramic studio and knew instantly what would be going in the frame. Yep--it's in the shop as I type.

That handsome little party hat makes me so happy...

And speaking of handsome...I must leave you all to get myself ready to see these fine lads.

I hope you all have fabulous weekends!

And The Winner Is...

swirlyarts!

And since Blogger is a strange, strange beast that doesn't let me email you in any shape or form, I'll let you contact me at eggmanstudios@hotmail.com with your print choice and mailing addy so I can send out your new print! Yay and congrats!


In case any of you guys decide to hold your own giveaway drawing, I used this site to get a random number. Pretty cool. I need to do this more often...

I really enjoyed reading everyone's favorite lesser-popular animals. Glad to hear that so many of you like snails and/or slugs. Me too. :) And Karlyn, you cracked me up with your Jaguar Shark comment. Sometimes, I really wish there were Crayon Ponyfishes and Fluorescent Snapper in the sea. Ah well.

I've also just listed some new wee circus painted brooches in the shop.

They're small and super sweet and look so nice when pinned to a jacket (tested and approved *cough*). There's currently only 3 left though 2 now left, so do hurry if you see one you like (the one pictured above is on its way to a lovely dear in France--though I do wish it were me going instead!).My current sketchbook is nearly full and I'm *dying* to start on a new one. I usually get so excited to start a new book by this point that I just abandon the old one and start in a fresh sketchbook. But I will be good and finish this one--every last page. Yes. I will.

Here's a quickie spread I did in it from last month when we had our last snowfall.

And I'll leave you now with a sleepy-eyed kitty that's warming up a spot for me in bed. :)


Happy trails, loves.

PS: Oh, I nearly forgot to tell you all! I'm going to a Death Cab concert this Friday night! It's the opening gig for their Spring/Summer tour, at a small venue in Bremerton WA, was sold out in the presale, and is only 40 mins. from my house. Yes, I'm paying out the nose to go, but I'm beyond excited--and even more pumped that I get to go with my wonderful friend, Rachel. *Happy dance*!

Happiness Part V: Strange Fossils...& A GIVEAWAY!

After cleaning out my studio, I recently stumbled upon this trilobite fossil I bought in Arizona (...or was it New Mexico?...) a few years back. I love weird little things like that. It's resting on my desk alongside an elephant teapot and my Mac. A strange and happy little family, indeed.

Anyway, I thought I'd do a little giveaway! *eyes and ears perk up*

Just leave a comment to this post, perhaps about your favorite lesser-popular animal (slug? nudibranch? camel? moth? bat? horseshoe crab?....), and in one week, at midnight on Monday April 14th, I'll draw a winner using one of those random-number-generator doo-hickeys. Anyone and everyone is more than welcome to play!

The prize?

A print of your choosing mailed straight to your letterbox!
This one?
Maybe this one?
...Or this?

Any print from the shop is fair game!

I'm doing this 'cause a) I love you guys, b) it's been a good long while since I did a drawing, and c) I really love hearing about every one's favorite "unpopular" animals.

And hey, if you really just like elephants or tigers, that's cool too. There shall be no animal-discrimination here. :)

I hope all's well in your neck of the woods! I'll be back on the 14th to declare the winner.

Cheerio!

Happiness Part IV : Time For Spring I Say!

This past week, we really have seen every bit of weather imaginable where I live. Snow one minute, sleet the next, hail, rain, sun...and I couldn't help but picture a great battle between Spring and Winter, duking it out in full-force to try and gain a few extra days of cold or blossoming trees.



This little gem is without a doubt one of my most favorite cartoons ever. I used to have it on VHS ages and ages ago, and my brother and I would watch it two, sometimes three times in row. It makes me so happy to have stumbled upon it again!

Here's to Spring, my loves!