Eeesh, falling behind...

...in my bloggery! January is finding me very busy, with older projects, new ones popping up, and personal pieces screaming to find release. I should be a very wealthy woman, for all the work on my plate. But that just isn't the way, for us creatives, is it? Sad but true.

Despite my lack of posts, I have been working. Proof, you say? Here are a few digitally painted images that have made it through the bowels of my imagination to 'publication' (many other covers were photomanips but that's not really what this blog is about.)



Detail:



But wait! There's more!



And another detail:



Looking back at these, I find the experience a blend of "Hey, aspects of these paintings are pretty darned cool!" and "Ugh, Christine, you're such a hack." (But there again, isn't this just the way with us creative types? Annnnyway, back to my self-loathing...) There's this easy, air-brushed banality to my recent paintings that has left me a bit, well, empty. Okay, a LOT empty. Everything has become over-simplified and buffed to appeal to the idealization of the romance/erotic genre. I remember, back in early college, I used to pause by ramshackle abandoned buildings and marvel at their texture, their complexity, their ennui. I love things in distress. The more holey and faded my jeans, the better I like 'em. (Same goes for my men, but that's a tale for another time. Heh.) I don't want my world shiny and new! I want grit and nuance and dark-underbellies. I live in Suburbia; I get White Picket Fence every stinkin' day. But it's not where my muse lies; it's where practicality dwells. (I should give my muse a name someday, as much as I refer to him. Yeah, I've decided it's a 'him'.)

Okay, enough yakkity. Got work to do. But if it's any consolation, I appreciate you being here to share my woe, dear reader! Since you've made it this far, you deserve my sincerest, heartfelt commiseration. And distress.

Bookcoverpaloooooza!

A very cool author contacted me a while ago, and we collaborated on two covers for his self-published e-book. I was jazzed to do some other genres. So cruising through Amazon.com, I found one of 'em:

http://www.amazon.com/CRO-MAGNON-ebook/dp/B0048ELM2Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1291854744&sr=1-2

Robert Stimson kindly threw my name in there too. Nice guy! Sounds like a good read. If an archaeological technothriller is up your alley, give it a whirl. Seacrest out.

Stupid art blog with no stupid art! How...stupid...

Yeah, so maybe I should stop whining so much and do art, eh? There are still too few hours in a day, and too few dollars in the pocket, but we create because we must. There's just no other way to put it. I want to write, I want to paint, I want to bring characters to life. That being said, I also want to be more organized, make better use of my time, and get some damn thing accomplished! Guh, whining again. Must be part of the package. Maybe I should swap that whine for wine. Hmmm...now there's a fruitful thought...

And on the note of more art/less whine, a steampunky cover I did for an e-publisher: (clickity) It was a fun, fast bit of work. Now, for that wine. The good sort of wine. Cheers!

Wee Updatery

Nothing earth-shaking to report. I've started a day job out of necessity and it's kicking my butt. I forgot how exhausting it is, dealing with the public-at-large. What this means is I'm not taking commissions in the foreseeable future (with a couple of exceptions; you know who you are!), in order to finish up the ones I have out:

~portrait for Ren
~Interiors for David at HeroBane
~portraits for Ellen 'The Goddess' Million
~covers for Loose Id
~Fantasy Flight Games, one card
~traditional paintings for a local gallery show

So fear not, patient patrons! I remember you, and I'll be working for you as quickly as I can. This week also has the Griffins hosting house guests, doubly filling my days. Just a little update for anyone interested.

Continue having a great summer, my babies...see you in the fall! I hope... :XD:

No more doom-n-gloom, dernit!

Okay, I'm quite done with Sister Depresso. Such a poisonous, insidious vibe, this depression is. Though it helped me really examine my drive (or lack thereof), my motivations, and what's best for me, my fam, and my life.

It's a complicated thing, being an artist. You're constantly torn between the desire to follow your muse, make money, give the client what he wants, be a critical success with your peers...man, it's nearly impossible to juggle all those things with any fair balance! I listen to all the art-related podcasts I can get my hands on, in a vain attempt to make sense of it all. But it doesn't help. Everyone has their own idea of what works, what doesn't. Each artist's goal is different. I've come to the conclusion I really have to shove all that crap aside and fabricate my own path to happiness. And it begins with establishing a hierarchy of importance for myself.

I turned 46 this year...egads. Solidly into middle-age. (And I don't act a day over 16!) If I don't shoot for my dreams NOW, they're never going to happen. I always thought I wanted to join the ranks of Todd Lockwood, Donato Giancola, Dan Dos Santos...those incredibly talented scifi/fantasy cover artists who make us all look like hacks. But no matter how fast I run, I feel like a hamster on a wheel, getting no where. The schools are spitting out kids with incredible digital acumen and skills, photography is still threatening the power of hand-drawn illustration, I can't afford to attend the conventions and workshops where I might network with art directors and the aforementioned artists, we're hella broke (which eliminates SO many opportunities), and between my life demands as a mother and the creative demands of a working artist, it's all getting partial attention and therefore, meager success. Something's gotta give.

So this year, I'm dedicating the remainder of 2010 to reassessing my goals, reassigning weight, and attaining a better work/life balance. I'm really such a social creature, the solitary life of a freelance illustrator is making me a tad nutty. But just a tad, mind you. And internet relationships just don't cut it, even though I have to acknowledge they're an incredible resource to add to your repertoire. So with this in mind, here's ya olde Bucket List:

~Maintain pocket change via my few favorite clients.
~PAINT, dammit! Make stuff to flash at local galleries!
~Write every day, whether I want to or not. I've got a story to tell...
~Respect the (new) non-art-related dayjob. It puts food on the table, provides health insurance, and gives my muse a break. Clearly, she's running on fumes.
~Focus, focus, focus. Weed out those things that don't support the Bucket List, but allow for time to get exercise and recharge the battery.
~Travel. See new things, even if it's just down the road an hour. Get out of the effin' house.

Sounds easy, huh? *COUGH COUGH* But now it's in print. It's real. And I hope you guys will help me keep on task. Love y'all. *le smooooch*


PS...OH! Before I sign off, I've included a little art teaser of one of the covers I'm supplying to one of my "few favorite clients", Loose Id Publishers (www.loose-id.com). I really dig the way the face turned out. Have a great weekend, gang.

Monday Morning Mash-up

Take high-fashion, add in a liberal dose of Luke Kopycinski , try to work with texture (which is tough for me, as I hate to 'flaw' creamy complexions), and this is what flops out. (I wanted to get the whiny rant off the top post too. Boooooring!)

PS7, but mostly Painter 9, two sporatic hours, ref used.

Later, taters...

Compare and despair...BIG TIME

I am SO frustrated right now. And tired because it's 2 a.m., but I've gotta rant. About myself, so turn back now if you're not in the mood for abject self-loathing.

Right. Still here? Brave soul. So I decided to try Jon Schindehette's 'Discovering a Muse' Challenge (I've plugged it before in this blog.) http://artorder.blogspot.com/2010/03/discovering-muse.html Great cause, great inspiration. But I must've been smoking crack when I got the notion I'd do a half-way decent job. It effing sucked. Oh, sure, when I was painting it I thought I was da man...who da man? YOU da man! Then I saw the other entries. And I saw my sh*tty digital photo of a VERY yellow oil painting. And I wanted to chisel out my own eyeballs with a palette knife.

I feel clueless. Like my favorite big red rubber ball is slowly deflating and I'm lost as to how to stop it. I have all the imagination, skill and charm of a half-baked potato.

Ain't it great to be an artist? I should've chucked it all in years ago. I don't have the time or commitment or finances to get good. Good enough to make a decent living, anyway. But I can't solve for 'x'. This is all I know how to do: be a mom/housewife, and do artstuffs. I'm 45. 46 in a month. It's a little late to reinvent myself now, so guess I'll soldier on. Things will look brighter in the morning; they always do. And on that cheery note, I'd best be taking my sorry ass to bed. Oh, wait, I have to pack lunches and set out clothes for the kids. Great. 'Night all...