You know that 3x5 Challenge going 'round? Where you post 3 pieces of art 5 days in a row? Here were two of mine yesterday. I love this Bible verse, and I think I've done about 5 art pieces of it so far (maybe more). these are art marker (Faber-Castell Artist Pens) and gouache and watercolor on Moleskine watercolor paper. Anyway, enjoy! I'm working on new ink pieces, and Magic Bullet 10 comes out soon! Be sure to follow DC Conspiracy on Twitter @MagicBulletDC; it's awesome comics by DC area cartoonists! Check it out! Meanwhile, I'm trying to live by Micah six eight. But I think it's hard to claim the humble part if you have a blog, and Twitter account, and . . . and a PLEASE Like ME PAGE . . . oh what a tangled web . . . I'm trying, anyhow. :) peace, trl
New Year, New Blog
Hey, y'all, Happy New Year, Prospero Año!
I've been on deadlines, sick, cooking, and traveling . . . what have YOU been up to?
ALSO, I've seen some GREAT TV and MOVIES: I highly recommend BOYHOOD, THE IMITATION GAME, and THE COMEBACK, as the most recent stuff I've watched - also I rewatched (because they never get old) ALL of the Christopher Guest mockumentaries I could find: SPINAL TAP, WAITING FOR GUFFMAN, A MIGHTY WIND, BEST IN SHOW, etc.
I'm working on inking my latest submission to MAGIC BULLET, DC's comics newspaper, which we distribute at bookstores and comiccons all across the country.
I am working towards making my blog the most efficient thing it can be, work-wise for me, and communication-wise for you - I have 3800 followers on Pinterest (not really sure how that happened, but glad :) ), and about 2500 as Facebook friends, and about 800 followers on Twitter and a coupla hundred on Instagram, and about 500 LIKERS on my Facebook Laughing Redhead Studio page . . . I'd like to get all connected and . . . oh, also a coupla hundred on ETSY? And my ZAZZLE store, too, that needs to be updated (though there is lotsa good stuff going on in my Zazzle store already, according to my mom, who is my biggest fan!) gotta doublecheck that one. So, my goal this year is to get my site to where I want it to be. I'd like all my art to be in one very navigable place, and I've been so busy with deadlines and holidays that I haven't been posting much here lately. Soooo, you will see some weird reconfigurations and appearances on here - as I try to make sure I'm finding the most efficient designs for my needs as a writer/storyteller/artist. I have enlisted two interns to help me get my work loaded and ready for viewing/sale/discussion/whatev. I'm not a big fan of "buying" followers, or following folks just to get followed, so it's a slow, but genuine build, and I hope you'll be patient with me! I love Twitter and INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST, and I post a lot of pix of works-in-progress, as well as finished work, on all three of those, so if that interests you, check it out! Right now, I'm trying to figure out the best way to publish my horror stories and my "storytalks;" these are short true stories which I've "performed" in NYC at Gotham Comedy Club and the Metropolitan Room. Some have been published by big publishers, but I own them, so I'm thinking of publishing them here, and also printing them up to sell at the trade shows. What say you? Feel free to leave me a PM here, on Facebook, Tweet me, or message me on INSTAGRAM. Whew.
The safest bet is to follow me on Twitter and INSTAGRAM (is that showing up here? It was before I changed "themes"), and to LIKE my Facebook "Laughing Redhead Studio" page. I post there regularly. My TWITTER and my INSTAGRAM are both @LaughingRedhead. You would also probably really like my PINTEREST boards, I'm obsessed with them. Besides drawing and writing every day, the only other thing I do every day (besides drink Diet Coke and wear trifocals) is that I pin to my PINTEREST boards. Every. Single. Day.
I am also working on teaching a good bit of art this spring, summer, and fall, in addition to writing horror short stories and working on two horror/spooky graphic novels. May take up RED BULL.
peace y paz,
trl
PAISLEY
I obsessively design, draw, and doodle paisleys, when I'm not cartooning, and I have for years. I have a fantasy about going to the PAISLEY MUSEUM in Scotland and just spending ridiculous amounts of time staring at paisleys (or IS IT ridiculous? I should make a plan!) This is a piece I'm working on currently - with a new Holbein gouache set I got at New York ComicCon (from Vermont Art Supply/HOLBEIN booth, on the main floor! It's always a great one.) The colors are SO deep and rich! AND the HOLBEIN gouache is smoooooooth. In a word: JUICY. I carry travel paints with me most of the time - a very minimal set, usually black and white plus one other color, usually red (this time blue). This travel set is an AVEDA eyeshadow compact I'm upcycling - it has a magnetic strip in the bottom, and these are beer bottle caps with gouache in them. I've added a tiny travel brush which fits in the case when it's closed. The silver pill bottle can carry a tiny amount of water, which is all I need when working with a limited palette (and it's easily changeable with a water bottle on hand, which I usually have anyway!)You could easily do this with any old compact, which has a metal bottom, by adding magnets to your beer, wine, or soda bottle caps.
In FURTHER other news, I've become obsessed (yes, I've overused that word today) with podcasts, particularly those from Nerdist Chris Hardwick (you might know him as the host of Talking Dead, the WALKING DEAD aftershow?) - they are frickin' hilarious, and great to listen to while I work. Yesterday, though, I had to lift my brush from my work because I was cackling too hard to keep it steady. So, it can be risky . . .
Have a great weekend, y'all. peace, trl
Art Journal pages: Noodle Doodle
INKTOBER DAY 2
BODEGAS OF THE ZOMBPOCALYPSE
FOG OF WORRY: NEW YEAR'S #3
Baltimore ComicCon doodlin' . . . minis
ANGELS FOR SALE: my Etsy shop be open
I have opened my ETSY shop and filled it with drawings and collages of iconic women and angels. More cartoons to come, of course! I'm always doing my cartoon humor . . . but I obsessively draw angels and women, too. (You'll probably see some similarities!)
Here's the link: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LaughingRedhead
Meanwhile, HAPPY MONDAY!!!! (I know, that's not really anything to joke about.)
peace, trl
ART JOURNAL: Angels Watching Over Me
Art Journal (second today) . . . I draw angels A LOT. Here's another. Watercolor pencils (Caran D'Ache) on paper bag (from Chipotle, I think!) and taped into a painted Moleskine Journal page . . . I used Caran D'Ache watersoluble crayons for the scribbly background and pen-and-ink for the lettering, and Faber-Castell (FINE and SUPER-FINE) Artist Pens for the paisley flowers and the angel outlines.
ART JOURNAL: Martha Graham on Creativity
Inspired
Great Wave at Paisley-gawa
Today's art journal post (with apologies to Hokusai!):
Thought note: Today's art journal post is an homage (a modest one, of course!!!) to Katsushika Hokusai's "Great Wave at Kanagawa," which is a gorgeous piece of artwork, which I never, ever get tired of staring at. I dunno if it's because it's such a technically amazing work of woodblock cutting and printing, or because I love the ocean so much, or because there's a picture of it on a ruler I got at The Metropolitan Museum of Art many years ago . . . but I love it. I doodle paisleys sort of obsessively . . . and am working on some acrylic works incorporating designs such as these. Will post when finished with those . . . I plan to start showing them publicly by early fall.
Tech note: Faber-Castell Superfine pen + a Faber-Castell grey brush pen (#272) . . . in my Moleskine notebook (thick pages, 5.5x8.5 each page); if you want to buy the thicker pages and they don't have a sample open at the store, just look at the page count. The ones with a lower page count (which are the same thickness) are the ones with thicker pages. These take watercolor and acrylic and gel medium, and Mod Podge, and collage, and almost everything else I've thrown at them.
Happy Art-making,
trl
Redhead Angel: Psych Book Drawings, Day 16
Psych Book Drawings, Day 15
thought note: i love to draw angels - and iconic women - Anywayz. Yesterday, i buried a little tiny baby bird - outside my studio window, between the daffodils. I found him on our driveway, i think he left the nest a bit too early - and just didn't make it. made me really sad, even though i'd like to be all philosophical and talk like The Lion King "circle of life" stuff (remember when Simba asks, "hey why do we eat our friends, Dad?" - Yep. "Circle of Life." i like to think he's in a better place now (the bird, not Simba), but i don't know how all that works . . .
tech note: Faber-Castell artist pen, "F" (fine)
Psych Book Drawings, Day 13
Thought note - This is a vintage psych book, and the subject of this page is frustrating . . . but there it is. I was thinking of this, driving around in Williamsburg, VA (aka "the obstacle course"), and then listening to politics on radio and TV. Sooooo, this is my response.
Tech note: Faber-Castell brush pens and Copic Sketch pens (brush end only)
Psych Book Drawings . . .
Thought note: I've been drawing and doodling and designing things on the pages of an old psychology textbook I bought a few months ago. You'll see it sometimes in the collages I do, apropos sections of it worked into designs. This week I started taking out a page at a time and doing a random drawing, doodle, or design on it. This is a great way to repurpose an old book which otherwise doesn't have much else to do . . . and a great economical way to find drawing papers. I have for EONS repurposed my calendar/diary pages (many a card company has taken a cartoon submission from me on a dated repurposed page from Filofax!) I bought this big ole textbook at Mermaid Books in Williamsburg, an awesome used book store. The pages fascinate me for different reasons, the subject being one, but truth be told . . . I luh-uh-uv the smooth, toothless pages . . . great for marker art.
Tech note:
This is done on an old textbook page, with Copic Sketch and Faber-Castell brush pens, with shading in with water soluble pencils (Prismacolor and C'aran D'ache) - more to come!
Here's today's Psych Book drawing.
p.s. - HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!
Let Them Eat
Thought Note: In DC our apartment is in Capitol Hill, and I encounter the homeless every single time I leave the apartment. I keep quarters and Sacagawea dollars handy to give out, and I usually greet them. It's so little to do. My son volunteered at a soup kitchen in DC, and spent the whole day with a homeless man who had a Master's degree. I can never thank God enough for this man, and the impression he made on my son; how he sees a homeless person not as someone who "deserves" what they are getting, but as a human, like any of us, who has, for now anyway, hit on some very hard times. How close we can be to that - and how glad I am that I don't think I'll ever hear my son complain about the poor or their neediness.
This is an Art Journal spread I just finished this morning. The first line of the hymn is "Blessed be the man that provideth for the sick and needy;" and the words "Let Them Eat" speak for themselves . . . but remind us of the "Let Them Eat Cake" attitude that many people have - I've got what I need, so screw the rest of the world. It's a heartbreaking thing to see and hear . . . but, I do believe that most people have bigger hearts than that.
Tech Note: the background was made with watersoluble crayon scribbled, then brushed around with water; the dotted pattern is from dipping small-bubble bubble wrap into acrylic paint and using it as a stamp. I made the envelope from Satin Design 100% rag vellum, and then stamped a design on it with acrylic.
"This it is, and nothing more . . . "
I love Poe. I've loved his work since I was a kid, and have been reading a detailed biography of him - and I've done several pieces with Poe and his work as the central theme.
I live near Richmond, where Poe spent some time - and I think the ravens around here are HUMONGOUS - now I know why one plays a very spooky role in a major work of his. They make their presence KNOWN. We have a couple that sit on the peak of our roof and caw loudly when you go outside. Geeez. Creepy. Birds. Whaddya gonna do?
Last October, I visited the Poe Museum and the Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond as part of my birthday celebration (my birthday is October 6 and I love all things Halloween!). I was inspired by the various items from Poe's life, as well as the photos of him from various resources, to create several journal pages - this one was started and finished today.
I used a popular photo image of Poe (the 1848 William S. Hartshorn daguerrotype of Poe) to get the basic likeness, and then started coloring the background with water soluble crayon and pencil. On top of that, I wrote excerpts from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven," in pen-and-ink for the darker background and hair, and white pen for the lighter background. After I had put in the high contrast areas with the water soluble crayons and pencils, I scribbled in the background areas and then smeared water all over with a brush to slightly distress the look and to soften the graphic quality of the image.
I wanted this piece to feel a little bit "haunted," by Lenore and The Raven, so I used the nib form of pen-and-ink for more character in the linework, and then the white pen on the grey background for a wispy ghosty feel. I love the irregularity a pen-and-ink lettering style gives . . . I love the blotches and the spots and personal feel it gives a piece of artwork.
I'm planning to start another Poe piece tomorrow!
I'm including some photos of the phases of this piece.
BTW, are you looking forward to seeing the movie The Raven? John Cusack as a badass Poe? I am.
peace, bubulas
trl
Space Invaders . . . Or, Me Last Friday
I love city life, but I am also a bit of a claustrophobe. Not big into crowds. Don't like that feeling when there are so many people milling around that you get stretch marks just trying to get off the Metro. Also, do NOT get me started on that semi-catatonic walk many sight-seers do. Dear Sight-Seers: I wouldn't mind so much if you didn't hold hands 5-across. And shuffle aimlessly like extras in The Walking Dead. My favorite show, but I wouldn't ride the Metro with the Zed Ones. The Walking Zed!! A new title for my fav show in Canada and Eng-uh-land! You never know when genius will strike. See? But I digress. Saturday was kinda wonky in DC - Cherry Blossom tourists, St. Paddy's Day tourists, and the Rock-n-Roll Marathon tourists. I spent the day in the National Gallery of Art. Me = Happy Puppy.
I live kinda in DC and kinda in Virginia. Long story. Won't bore you with it. BUT, I spend a good amount of time in both places. So, my world is a contrast between sloburbia, full-on country (I find I'm such a swamp-lovuh!!), and full-0n city (my comfort zone). I am a fast walker, and I like to sorta land in my own space. As in, I like to sit and listen to Amos Lee and Jack White and Imelda May and cartoon away awhile slamming water, Diet Coke, or a prissy latté - and I like public places now and then, because I'm a people watcher. These people find their way into my cartoons. hee hee
Last Friday, (why does she go back in time in today's blog? I dunno) I went to Pret A Manger (a coolio little sandwich place - they make everything fresh and give their leftovers each day to the homeless. AND they are inexpensive. I love all those things.) So, I'm sitting there, in an empty section, eating my yummy little half-sandwich, and this woman is hovering behind me, waiting on this nice young man to clean the counter next to me. Then she steps forward and runs her finger across it to see if it's dry enough for her. It isn't. Still no one but me at the counter, facing the window out. She hovers more, then sits. Right next to me. In an empty section. Hmmmm. Then proceeds to stare at everything I do. Everything. What I'm eating. What I'm drawing. When I go to the trashbin . . . So, I used an iPhone evasion tactic. Look at me, whoa, I'm soooo into my music!! I don't even notice your laser stare at my paper and pen and my face, ugh!! think sometimes people think if you draw in public you are asking for observers. Like those plein air painters with the floppy hats who start conversations with strangers about the virtues of cerulean blue and hemp studio wear. I would understand if I were leaving a little hat with change next to me, inviting onlookers, but I'm just mindin' my own biz.
Anyway, it's a little unnerving sometimes. Feels like Space Invaders. Fo reelz.
Then, I went to the movie theatre to see "The Forgiveness of Blood." It's an Albanian movie, very good, btw. If you cannot already tell, I'm VERY comfortable doing stuff alone. The theatre was completely empty when I got there. And then two women came in, separately, and about ten minutes apart. One sat next to me. One sat behind me. Whut the - ?!! REALLY? THREE of us in here. Taking up about 6 square feet of space. Brrrrrr.
Soooooo, here are the cartoons. I only drew ONE of the women in the theatre, because, frankly, I didn't turn around and look at the woman behind me. I just sorta shifted in my seat. THAT burns calories, right?!
peace, trl
p.s. - Are you a fan of The Walking Dead?!! Omigosh, I'm ADDICTED. Must find activities to fill time until Season 3. (she pretends her taxes are done) Perhaps watching Prometheus trailer in an endless loop? I'm a-skeered . . .