Tues. Feb 28: Opening/Artist Talk at UMass Lowell

If you are in the area, please stop by the art galleries at the University of Massachusetts Lowell to see a wonderful show celebrating graphic novelists!  

I'll be showing some original pages from Pirates of Mars volume 1 and a scene from the upcoming issue 1 of Frankenstein.  

These pages are in excellent company - the other 5 artists are Liz Prince, James Sturm, Lynda Barry, Gareth Hinds, and Matt Phelan. (cool!)

Liz Prince, Gareth Hinds + I will be speaking about our respective works for a little bit during the opening.  Hope you'll have a look!

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| February 27 - March 23 | 

A Picture’s Worth: 

Contemporary Graphic Novel Artists

Curated by UML professor Karen E. Roehr with Susan Kirtley, Ph.D 

| Read Press Release |

Artist Talk / Reception: February 28, 3 - 5pm

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Carrie Moyer + Comic Art - Reviving Inspirations

The Carrie Moyer show at the Worcester Art Museum is incredibly inspiring!

After looking at her works, my right cerebral cortex feels so revived!  

I'd kind of hit a creative slump this month, nothing I'm sketching really "sings" to me, but her work is like a rope ladder, and I can climb out of this.

Kind of reminded me of these vintage Christmas decorations I saw at an auction

Sketching in the Galleries

sketching the Ron Rosenstock photography exhibition

The photo show at WAM is so great - really amazing collection!  And the curation is great too, the pieces really flow well.  {Joyce, have you seen it yet??}

Stone Circle at Sheeffry, County Mayo, Ireland, 2010, Infrared pigment print | © Ron Rosenstock

It's really great reference for Frankenstein pages!  More on that artwork soon.  A lot of things in life slowed my progress on that comic, but it's back on track now.

More sketching in the galleries

In other news ...

I got some new hair :)

inspired by this pic 

It feels so nice!  I haven't had my hair this short in 14 years, since I was 13!

Old ideas for paintings

While I was cleaning and reorganizing my studio, I came across old sketches that were never realized.

I think it's a common thing, you start a sketch, but then projects come in so you put it aside.  Or you don't think it has much potential at the time, only to realize it really does!

I have some client projects that are more important right now, but as soon as some time can be freed up, definitely going to tackle these.

Other things from the week:

Saw the most beautiful rainbow the other day, 

didn't have my nice camera to really capture it...

I really like this graphic design, so I snapped a cell pic of it for future reference

I love the ridiculous forest-animal glassware that pops up at thrift shops

Micro Brew Label illustration

final treatment

I work on the digital coloring for the center, or whatever the subject is, then in Photoshop I "unsee" the color layer and focus on the trim (below)

It even looks kind of pretty just like this, I think

Trying to add a subtle rainbow to the piece by Color Dodging the hops and grains with red at the top and purple at the bottom.  Can't decide if I like this one (more gold tones) or the top one (more red tones) ... ? hmm ...

original drawing 

{ SOLD  |  graphite on 9x12 Bristol }

Finished this piece this week, for the Armsby Abbey / ArtsWorcester "POUR" collaboration. In this case, the artists make something and then the brewers create a microbrew inspired by it. I'm excited to taste what they make for this label!

More info on that event later - but I don't think it's until September - so - wow, a tad far away!

Do you guys drink beer?

I don't have a taste for it myself, maybe every 6 months or so I have one?

As far as alcohol goes, I'm a whiskey-sour girl myself.

Random bits

Hey everyone,

Hope you're all doing well, it's Friday which still makes me happy even though my work week is actually more like Tuesday - Saturday.

Having a tough time with a painting that needs to be in the mail yesterday - so at some point I'm going to have to stop messing with it and just let it go.

Sometimes I overwork a piece and think "Argh, this is why I wish I could hit UNDO 56 times" but that's impossible.  

渋東映画館　｜「借りぐらしのアリエッチ」｜１０月２０１０年

I'm excited that, finally, "The Borrower Arrietty" is opening in the US.  I went back through my archives to find this picture we took in Shibuya, 2010.  

We didn't end up seeing it, too much to do, but maybe next time we'll catch something at a cinema.

Even though Arrietty was in Japanese theaters during our October visit, it had already been out since July 2010!  Whoa!  

The last time I could remember a film sticking around theaters so long, was way back in 1997 when Titanic was in theaters for like, 9 months!

Trying to find a theater showing it with subtitles, but that's turning out to be tough.

making lemonade out of lemons 

saving the rinds for zest 

I love this old Nutella glass - it has all kinds of Italian artists all over it

Matters of the heart

We had a great Valentine's dinner last night.  Made some fish poached in sesame seed oil, grilled bell peppers, shoyu + ginger dipping sauce and fresh spinach salad.

And of course, strawberry cupcakes.

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With the death of Antoine, an art student I adored very much, old bad habits resurfaced.  Out of anxiety and stress I started to eat like crazy again, using food to bury what was really bothering me.

But with the help of wonderfully supportive friends and family, things are back on track.

Healthy, happy living is the best way to cope with anything, I think.

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Painted Cassie during a "warm/cool" demonstration for my Painting Intensive class.

I think the students really enjoyed using the neon kid's tempura

My wonderful husband got me a bonsai for Valentine's.  He's the best ~

Enjoying the best publication since Upper/Lowercase Magazine - Mother's News

Okay friends, time to get ready to teach again;  "Drawing for Illustrator's" class pretty soon!

An Emo Valentine

illustration for the Boston Phoenix  |  Feb 10, 2012

print your own to give to your darling

Happy Valentine's Day!

Antoine

“We meet but briefly in life, if we touch each other with stardust 

– that is everything.”

"A man's dying is more the survivors' affair than his own."  ~ Thomas Mann

The Constant Tea Drinker

doodling on found paper

peanut butter + english muffins, my favorite breakfast lately (already ate half here)

sesame ak-mak, albacore tuna, arugula + sweet bell pepper salad

spinach, arugula, carrots, fat free raspberry vinaigrette, + dried cherries

I'm loving blueberry honey this year

Working on lots of projects here in the studio - will be back to posting more art this week!

This week in cell pics

Noted

"Olde Tyme Stuffe" auction, Ed Hyder's Mediterranean Market, Worcester Art Museum gift shop, Sprinkler Factory gallery opening, portrait of Claire for Painting Intensive class, Charlton Flea Markets

On Clean Eating

Can't tell you how much I appreciate the kind feedback from my "On Clean Living" post, definitely very kind of you all ~

Been keeping a photolog of what I've been eating.  Below is a typical day, but it doesn't include incidentals such as the occasional donut, 1/2 chocolate bar or whathaveyou. 

I eat this every morning before running or yoga

albacore on wheat crackers with chive + spinach salad

I love Dahlicious lassis

emerald nuts tropical mix, clementines + green tea

unsweetened almond milk + strawberry smoothie, 1/2 cantaloupe for evening snack

It feels so good that I'm not forcing myself to eat this stuff, I genuinely like it!

Before I used to dread it when my husband made or brought home fatty foods like fried chicken or buffalo wings.   But now, I just fix a small plate, load up on veggies and stop freaking out!  Way less stressful. 

Some things I've learned :

• eat slow, let my brain have time to drop some leptin knowledge
• stop eating the second I feel full
• don't have to eat stuff I don't want  - no one will force me to have more wings
• 3 cups of green tea today = nice skin tomorrow
• seasonal fruit makes for culinary variety and glorious flavors
• breakfast is the most wonderful meal of the day
• healthy substitutions don't have to be nasty and bland

Goals that changed :

• don't aspire to be skinny, aspire to be fit & healthy
• losing inches are more important than pounds
• long-term, slow weight-loss, not desperate crash-dieting
• working out is a fun challenge, not a horrendous torture session

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Thanks for reading guys, stay healthy & happy!

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