BLECH! I'm a crappy blog designer...

So I'll distract you with a new speedpaint. Well, it started as a speedie but I'm incapable of calling it quits, even though I should be working on paying gigs. I TOLD you I was a bad multi-tasker! *scoff* (Painter9, ref used)

What is it about me and storms?

I just realized the last two pieces of art I worked on were very storm-themed. Could it be something wicked this way coming? Or just a reflection of Ohio's lovely weather? Bah. Either way, seems I'm only happy when it rains these days...


(The above is my entry for ArtOrder's 'Fantasy Pin-up' Challenge. She's a genasi. Anyone know how that's pronounced? Jen-ah-see? Jen-ah-sigh?)

And here's something I just submitted to DeviantArt for the club FantasyHunk's May project:



And now, I'm out of town to sneak a little surprise gardening in for my Ma's 70th birthday while she's in Atlantic City *teehee!* Oooh, hope it DOESN'T rain this weekend, come to think of it!

Discover a Muse!

Jon Schindehette, Senior Creative Art Director for Dungeons & Dragons® and host of the blog Art Order has masterminded a wonderful opportunity for artists to get some press and give to charity!

In cooperation with the lovely model/entrepreneur Veronika Kotlajic, they've created 'Discover a Muse'.



I'm going to do an original oil painting for this (dammit, yes, I'm gonna do it!) and I hope you will too. Great cause, great networking. And let's face it, we feel fantastic when we take a stand and help those who need it, specifically Childrens' Hospitals. Happy Humpday, lovely lurkers!

Conundrum...

Not sure where else to post this; I only have a handful of followers, so I may not get the feedback I'm fishing for, but what the heck! We'll see what shakes out here.

The past year or so I've been struggling with myself, wondering what I should do, and how I should do it. Sounds pretty vague, eh? Okay, to fine tune my 'visionquest': I really want to do gallery (fine) art, but I'm leery to quit the commercial clients I've worked with for years. They're such good folk. And money, well, money is god-awful important. The e-book covers, mid-level collectible card games, the odd fantasy illustration or three...they've put change in my pocket for quite some time. It scares me to let them fall away. But if I don't, I won't ever have the focus to pull together a series of paintings to (hopefully!) peddle to a gallery. And I seem to have hit a plateau. I'm not improving the way I see my compatriots doing. Why? Dunno. Maybe it's lack of incentive. Maybe it's me, recognizing I need to head off in a different direction. Kinda scary starting from scratch again, though.

Has anyone out there done this? Scrapped your commercial biz in favor of fine arts and lived to tell about it? If so, I'd love to hear from you. Happy Monday, kids.

~C

Back to business!

Had a GREAT time at ConGlomeration! Met up with old friends. Did pretty darned well in the art show even though it's a small con (no awards, but best sales to date!) Didn't lose a kid. Ate great Indian food. Steve Belledin was informative and I'll tell ya, it's always a perk to see paintings, in-person. The colors are so much richer than over the monitor. I'm not sure he knew what to make of me, though. I seemed to make him uncomfortable. Maybe it's the gray hair! Scary stuff. :D

Anywho, win-win, all around! But now it's back to the ol' grind. It really has sealed my notion that while it's vital to be digitally-literate, traditional media is SUPER important to an artist's arsenal. It gives your career breadth and longevity.

I still love cranking out my bookcovers and doing the odd digi-illustration, but gallery arts are where I want to be. It's decided. Time to seriously shift gears, no ifs, and or buts. Stayed tuned for the further adventures of "Dream-on, Alice"!

Hamster

Long time, no post!

I've been doing a ton of e-covers lately and little else. Boo. (Not "Boo, covers" but "Boo, no time for practice and self-indulgent artstuffs".) Gotta steal a few minutes to get prints and framing together for a con this weekend, though. So here's a recent cover, sans text, to keep this poor blog alive and kicking. Handsome feller, eh? Oh, and Happy Egg Day, peeps. (HAR!)