In progress // Snake Charmer

Working on a piece for Space 242's upcoming "Freak Show" - an exhibition featuring all artwork based on circus side-shows and occult things of that nature.  Opens in Boston next month!

This is one of two pieces, the other being twins connected at the side. 

I almost can't help but draw beautiful things, no matter what the project, so the conjoined twins piece will be a leap for me.  Should be awesome!

............................................... spring❀..............................................

 

Yuka & I in Cambridge last week ❀

We had a great time at Tapeo on Newbury St. in Boston. If you are in the area, you should absolutely go! But only for the $5 tapas at the bar.  {A $100 meal cost us $25}

I ate way, way too many of these Funfetti cupcakes.

They didn't end up looking like little hearts at all - 

they just turned into sugary, amorphous blobs

Decided!

Thank you very much for all your awesome input, and yes.   I'm getting a Mac.

But not that one.

Thanks to Corey Lee, a little light bulb went off in my head - the larger monitor size is important to me for digital illustration.  So I realized, why buy something that isn't right for me just because it's on sale?

So I'm not!  Instead, my real love is this one:

MacBookPro 15"

                         • 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
                         • 4GB of 1066MHz DDR3 memory

                         • 320GB hard drive

                         • FireWire 800 port, SD card slot, + two USB 2.0 ports

Isn't she lovely? It's literally twice as much as the 13" MacBook on sale. 

And if it never goes on sale, that's okay- at least I know I want it and will love it long time.

♥  Thanks again - you were all a huge help  ♥

Your Opinion Matters to Us

No, really, it does

{Andy is going to laugh at me and say "Oh Geezus, just make a decision!" but with the wedding and whatnot, I'm hesitant to spend anything I don't really have to.} I'm having a super hard time trying to decide if I should switch to a Mac in light of a great new deal.  Can you help me?

IN THIS CORNAH
Weighing in at under 2lbs, bought only a year ago on Friday the 13th, my all white PC laptop

SONY VAIO VGN-nr260e!

SPECS //
- 1.6GHz 
- Intel Pentium Dual-Core Mobile T2330
- 2GB DDR2, 200GB, DVDRW
- Windows Vista Premium
- 15.4" LCD

PROS // Never had a single infection 
               if I sell it now it will get a good price
CONS // No webcam or mic
               Isn't picking up the net outside the apt.






 
AAAAAND in THIS CORNAH ...
Too cool for school, ultra sleek, suddenly on sale for $799

APPLE MacBook MC207LL/A!

SPECS //
- Intel® Core 2 Duo Processor 2.26GHz
- 2GB DDR3-1066 SDRAM
- 250GB 5,400RPM Hard Drive
- Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
- 13.3"
- Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard

PROS // It's freaking AWESOME
CONS // Should I really switch OS right now if my 
               laptop is in great shape?

Anyway, I know it's border-line insane to obsess about this, but I thought I'd ask you guys!  

I have experience with Macs, so wouldn't be a shock switching, but will it really make me more productive? 
Or should I put this money into freelance self-promotion over the summer?  Thanks!

Maiko whispering

study for new painting

Well, I've successfully killed another plant in my attempts to bring an early spring to our apartment.  Cabin fever is hitting me pretty hard lately, I probably don't help the situation by watching lots of No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain episodes or picking up travel agent pamphlets.  

But I'm more excited about getting married! (Wow, never thought I'd say that)  I think about it every time I look at my engagement ring, which of course, is the hand I hold the drawing paper with, and that amounts to like a bajillion times a day.

In an attempt to become more feminine, I've recently taken up fan dancing! 

Recently commissioned shoes, by one of my favorite patrons

♫ I've been getting back into the Beta Band lately - if you haven't heard them, you should immediately stop what you are doing, run out to where ever it is you buy CDs anymore, and get all their records.  Here is a sampling for you ...

Cupid shoots first and asks questions later

✩ HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEXA! ✩

Meanwhile ... Comics + Cupcakes

How was your Valentine's Day?  Andy and I got some great Thai food and basically worked in the studio all day. (woo)  But we did swap homemade cards and cookies!   We don't really do the classic love-y stuff, like heart-shaped boxes or chocolates or balloons, but we do love to make cupcakes together.  Speaking of which...
 

Me & Yuka went to Cambridge a few weeks ago

Sweet was all decked out, love-style  

In art-related news ...

Working on penciling JJ's new graphic novel.  Plugging away at 96 pages day by day!  

........................................................................................................................

Patrons and old friends Evan + Jess asked me to be a part of a great gallery show at Davis this month. If you are in Central Mass, come check it out!  It'll be just comic art from all kinds of awesome people:

Meanwhile ...

Opening: Thurs, Feb. 25, 2010 5-7pm
Davis Gallery @ Printers Bldg
44 Portland St 3rd fl Worcester, MA

Unfortunately I can't attend, I am teaching a portfolio class at the museum - Have fun for me! 

........................................................................................................................

★ Speaking of comics, how cool is this?! ★

BATMAN cardigan!  It's probably jacked from the new animated series design, so it's not as cool as if it was an Adam West one, but hey! whatever.  If I didn't have awful luck with Zipia, I'd definitely order this. Sadly everything I've ever bought from them has been itchier than wearing steel wool.

Lovely Love

Happy Valentine's Day!

Inky Bits

ABOVE : inking demonstrations from the adult "Pen & Ink" class recently 
BELOW : demonstration for teen "Drawing Darkly" class at the museum

\\ ART RANT //

Some people are under the misconception that artistic talent is something you have to be born with - and if you don't have it you're a terrible artist and will never be good.  That's a crazy excuse!

You can become good at anything you put time and effort into.  Right out of college, I was intimidated by everybody in the professional world. I thought in order to be successful, I had to walk the same career path as artists I admired.

I thought things like : "I didn't win a Society of Illustrators Gold when I was 20, so I'm a failure"  WHAT?!  How silly! {click to hear} My teen students will put down a single line on paper and say "*tsk* I RUINED IT."  Here I was, fresh out of college at 21, and basically acting the same way!

I was putting up my own barriers - and it hurt my progress!  I realized I was at my happiest and most productive when I didn't worry about if what I was doing was genius.  We have to recognize our accomplishments and be happy at how we've grown creatively.  I think this applies to any field!

♥ If you have ever felt like you'll never be good enough at something - stop that nonsense right now!

Talking Knitting Eating Sketching

Jessica opening sugar cubes box

I had lamented previously about being a hermit in order to commit myself to freelance illustration.  Well sometimes life picks you up, gives you a good glove-slap and says, "Stop this silly nonsense!"
{Life is apparently an English gentlemen}

After a long day, Andy and I were getting some Italian food when my friend Jess called. She invited me to a painting/sketchbook session at her place, and it ended up being a great night of home-made Indian paneer, absinthe tasting and laughing until our eyes were teary. It was the first time we had hung out in 11 {ELEVEN, count 'em} 11 YEARS!

I've been so lucky this month to have dinner with two people I grew up with.  Two people who represent a different chapter of my early child life - it's strangely harmonizing to see both of them so well traveled and mature.

Nate's sister is knitting

Sadie, the biggest dog I've ever seen + artist hands

So I'm sitting here trying to think of the appropriate bridge between internet annoniminininity and dinner with old friends .... but I can't ... so here, for your consideration!

ASK ME ANYTHING

............................................

I haven't publicized this yet only because I wasn't exactly sure what I'd do with it - but if you like to ask me something anonymously, you can do just that, and I promise no one with judge you for it.  Well, I may judge you for it - but no much.

Have a good week!

 

peppermint tea in handmade Sri Lankan mug! {Thanks, Faith!}

Flora in Winter

It's been a long week of working in the studio on various projects, and I'm pretty sure I'm making my eyesight worse from putting my face too close to the paper.  Blast you, myopia!

We should all be happy our job isn't getting man-handled by a bunch of guys in top hats, asking if we saw our shadow this year.  Poor Punxsatawney Phil!  I'm pretty sure he sees his shadow because of all your cameras, media!  They even made you tweet on a Blackberry this year!

Andy and I are fortunate to work in a place like the Museum.  It's easy to take it for granted since we are there almost everyday, but when their annual Flora in Winter show passed through, it really put some sun in our week!  Or, some Esperanza I should say.

The Worcester Art Museum lobby 
(can you find what I was sketching? you kids get a gold star)

.............................................................................................................

★ SECRET TO SUCCESS #1 : self confidence ★

And lastly, - because it made me laugh this morning - here is helpful tip for you.  Apply it to your life!  

Okay, I was really trying to figure out how I should share this baby with you.

...........................................................................

Alright, Winter.  That is quite enough.  I am ready for spring.

Bits & Pieces

 

a not-so-recent sketch found under a book 

I'm returning to my hermit life in the studio again.  Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's hard.  Like having to miss both the gallery opening at Space 242 and Alex + Dante's birthday parties in Boston.   : (   {Sorry Lindsay and Alex, we love you guys}  Part of not making both those awesome events is living 45 minutes outside of the city.  Andy and I are hoping to move this year. 

But we're not totally going Greta Garbo - we were able to have dinner with one of my dear childhood friends this week.  It's a great feeling to know you may pass in and out of people's lives many years apart at a time - but whenever you meet again you're back to talking like old times.

On that note - ♪

Andy's brother and sister-in-law are currently living in Nagoya, Japan.  This Christmas they asked me if I wanted anything special, and of course, it was asking for these sweat bath salts that delayed shipping the package out - so we just got it this week.  I think I ate most of the chocolate - sorry, Andy.  Al & Tomoko are two of my favorite people - they are kind and extremely genuine.  Read Al's cult movie blog!  He's hilarious! (Al, if you're reading this, stop working 13 hour days and update with more terrible B flicks)

  

 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ありがと~ あるこ + ともこ~ 懐かしむ. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

back to the studio with lovely, lovely Land-O-Lakes hazelnut hot cocoa

... aaaaaand about a half pound of mini marshmallows ...

but the cat insists I stop working and love on him