THE BIG TOP (and other stuff)

HEY THERE SPORTS FANS, Al HERE WITH THE LATEST:

So what's new with the box (Visual Arts)?
That's a good question since I haven't been posting as regularly as I would like to because there's been a lot of things that have been taking place both in my personal life and professional life.

Since I have shifted to doing commissions and secular individual pieces of art  for group and solo shows, the question that might be asked "what's next?"

Easy answer, self promotion.

And that is not a shameless thing either mind you.

So that means here in the 21 Century that you got to use the technology and tools set before you and swallow YOUR fear of putting work out there and put your foot down and make the statement that best reflects you. In my case it's selling the work everywhere I can.

Taking a page (nearly literally) out of Adam Watson's play book for selling his comics (www.darkslinger.com) I have been adapting what he does and with the insistence of my beautiful girlfriend Beth (also a great artist in her own right at www.urbanretrospectives.com), to get the work out there because at least it's out there for people to see.

SO in that regard I have three on line store fronts show casing and selling the work. It takes a lot of time out of the day to interlink these sites. Of course this kind of work does take away from the actual creation of new and interesting work but it a balancing act always has been always will be.

So check out these three sites for art prints and gilcees.

Etsy

Big Cartel 

Storenvy

And of course I still have my comics that I have worked on.  At comixpress and
Indyplanet.
As of this writing I have found that comixpress is a thing of the past!  The Citadel - the very first comic I every printed up is no longer around.  Who knew?  I sure the hell didn't. But that's okay, older work always gets overlooked. You will find that Black Box will also have a imprint from Dan Barton and his BIG ASS SWORD comic.  Dan and I had been working on Pandora's Garage 1 through 5 for a few years and he he has focused on working his comics while I have began working and focusing on the prints and secular pieces. He had asked me if I would have any problem with this? No I said because it doesn't directly effect the work I'm doing currently.

ON THAT NOTE OF CHANGE,  NEW THINGS- THE BIG 500!

As with the last couple years past I have been part of this cool group show I have tried to put in 10 New pieces every year. Now have I sold every single one of them, no, but that's the goal.
 But the work I put in last year I wasn't really putting forth my best effort for the work. I just tried to put in 10 pieces.
I know that there are times when you are under a deadline and you have to crank crap just to meet it.
Well what I came away from that show "Well what did you learn about rushing stuff?"
You can't fool the Observer.  If you are not into your work people will see it.  The opposite is also true. "Down with the Weirdness" was like that and that one sold!
You can take a look at these few BIG shows and see the difference in the art as it progressed over the years.

Now true sometimes there is the unexplainable of why a piece of art connects with a customer and  that you can't fathom why even though you still know it's a good piece.

Alchemy is the only thing I can think of that explains this.

Anyway, I have been working my ass off to make these new pieces the best images possible. I think that this effort shows a real confidence and mastery of the medium of scratchboard. Check it out some of these images and you'll see what I am talking about. Pretty cool I think.

AL'S SOAP BOX:

So how do you sell work and not sell your soul for the fast buck?

The answer (in my opinion) is you can't .

I know a lot of my friends who will not agree with me on this but I bet there isn't a moment when you collect money on a piece of work that you think to yourself “Dude,that was such a good piece of work and ya sold it like a baby on the black market! What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

There will always be a bit of your integrity that gets lost in the process. It feels to me like that when I am selling a new piece of work especially like the commission work that I finished on for N.W.I.P.A. It is one of the hardest things to come to grips with. I think that a lot of really good people just never want to throw themselves into that arena. And I get it, I really, really do. It's not fun looking outside of your comfort zone and sipping on a flavorful latte at a local coffee shop and working on a great illustration and realize that when you look up that's your work on a poster of something that been up for over a month! 

There is a difference in the way I am producing these works however and it goes to a conversation that I had with another artist at the bar as I was picking up a special batch of beer that was being released by Firestone Brewing.

I had asked simply if he had sold anymore images or paintings in his time since he had a show just before mine when it up earlier this year at N.W.I.P.A. here in Portland.

He had said no because that wasn't what he was at for selling work for. And then he went on further to say (to paraphrase) that he has been in that arena before hiking up his metaphorical jean skirt down on the street to just to make a buck.

But now he was just doing his paintings for himself.

And I understood where he was coming from on that. I had said that I had been switching gears from doing my illustrative comic work to doing the secular pieces in both group and solo shows around PDX. He had said that he wasn't actively looking for places to show case his work even though he could do it. But he did add that he could see how I could branch the gap by doing the illustation commission work and still manage to turn out good work for solo shows.

He complemented me on my work (which was cool to hear from another artist). He was being sincere in his response to me and had no other vested interest in what I was doing. There wasn't a sense of someone blowing smoke up my ass.

So again, there is a balancing act going on here and I will do my best not to fall off that trapeze as it get hosted higher and higher as time goes on under the Big Top!

And that is about it for the kid here but onto the physical artwork to complete for the BIG 500.
ALSO please check out the website

GUESS WHAT, SIZE DOES MATTER

HEY THERE SPORTS FANS, AL HERE WITH THE LATEST:

Funny as that may sound for some nothing is more true or accurate than that when it comes to producing original artwork. 
How did I come to this grand realization? 
Over that last few months as I have been going over and talking about making postcards and prints for sale on Etsy and Big Cartel.  I started cranking out a bunch of 5"x7" scratchboards like I always had in the past thinking that no problem man.  I'll crank these little bastard out fast and I'll be rolling in it!
Well as it turns out I was rolling in it - a lot of scratching poo! 

In the comparison "Graveyard" I noticed something that really bothered me-  where was the detail that makes my scratchboard rock?

 Nowhere.


This is a problem for me as a part of what makes my scratchboard illustration stand out from other scratchboard illustrators is the variations in tone (grays) AND the sharp details for a price.  The 5"x7" weren't allowing me to do that.  And the amount of time being placed highly detailed 5"x7" just isn't worth it these days. At least not to me these days.
So in observation before final product goes out Make the Original BIGGER!
For me this means 9"x12" scratchboards from pretty here on out.
Keep your fingers crossed for new stuff out on Etsy and Big Cartel.

DREAMS OF ELYSIUM NEWS:

Still moving forward pretty good with all the stuff that has been going on.
But building a masterpiece takes time.  And story moves finally from the drawing plans and marker comps of action of fighting beasts on the beach to a softer more "romantic" scene.  Of course this the love scene I need to place in the book to show the ever growing affection and passion between characters.   Not an easy task but it will get done And I am sure someone will have an issue with it because it will depict nudity and sex.  That's part of the game plan anyway.

THE OTHER BOOK(s)
 that are needing to be made are Corpse Cop. "Inhuman Torch" is still needing to be edited.  Though the artwork is completed it is taking the time to get around to work on it. Life as I have said before has a way of throwing curve balls that you would never have seen coming.

GALLERY SHOWS:

Of course there are shows coming up and this is no different. I have one gallery show for the BIG 500. Again this is a show that I have been part of for the last four/ five years. I has been pretty cool being part of this show as it has given me the chance to really learn to value the work and price it though I believe that I think now by being part of the show I am de-vauling the work a little bit but public has never been quick to embrace what the artist wants to sell work for.
But on the other hand I have been asked back subsequently every year to participate in the shows and have always really been up to the task to show what I can do this time around.


Again 10 pieces will be entered this year and they will all be pretty cool when I am done BUT with on exception I hope to make prints of these images and postcards as well.
At least that's the idea I am thinking.



COMMISSIONS:

Now one major commission is done for NWIPA for their Halloween Tap Takeover by Evil Twin Brewery.
This is a big baby too.  2'x3'.  I love it!  I don't think any of my artwork is close to being this size.
 Another is in the wings for a 5”x7” of Spider-man for a Christmas Present. As I have said already I am trying to get away from working on these small pieces and work on larger -like the Richard Parker pieces @ a 9”x12” size. We will see how that works out.


Well I got to get back to it. I've been busy for the last several Sundays but work has been and is being produced at a high rate.

ODDITIES:

Not at the moment- unless I look in a mirror.

LAST MINUTE THING:
I had received an email from the Crypticon Show people now after several months actually letting the dust and distaste evopreate from my mouth actually doing the right thing by offering a table free of charge for next years show.
  To me this is a great chance to make it a better show than this last year and potentially kick total ass on sales with a huge amount of new product.  Things are working out now.  We (meaning my table bud George Leon of Custom Comics Shop) will have a table #27.
Check out the floor layout.

OTHER NOTE WORTHY THINGS :

If your wanting to look at some of the older blog for Black Box Comix you can check them out here. Black Box Comix Blog.

There is also Twitter https://twitter.com/blackbox13 to follow and Tumbler The Other Scratchpad

blackbox13.tumblr.com/   as well 

Or if you're interested in purchasing something that catches your eye  check out here on the Big Cartel web site.  Big Cartel.

And of course is always the backlog of comics here at Indyplanet.
And last but not least is checking out the website for other artwork that isn't featured here on the blog @ www.blackboxvisualarts.com

And the kid is out of here!

ROSE CITY 3 THE AFTERMATH

HEY THERE SPORTS FANS, AL HERE WITH THE LATEST:
Well the Show has come and gone and now it's time to take a look at what I learned from the experience and what could be done to make it better.
BUT FIRSTLY I WOULD LIKE to thank my friend Jason Z. Pott of NEö Trash Comix for having me table with him and allowing me to show and sell some my work there. No conflicts and always great banter and humor and laughter.
Thanks again dude, you rock.
NOW ON TO THE SHOW
PROS
In all the show was and seemed bigger to me in its scale and scope. But the cool part was it didn't seemed cramped to me.  Even with the large groups of cos players walking around and many photo ops there never seemed to be an issue with the flow of traffic cursing and perusing the table for that golden nugget of something cool.
The air conditioning.  Now this may seem like a no brained but times past the heating/cooling has been up and down at the Convention Center but no so this time.  Of course it was kinda funny to watch some of the cos players sweating in their costumes saying "Man, its hot in here. I wish they would turn on the air conditioning."
Maybe if you weren't walking around all day in a 40 pound costume of latex rubber and fake fur you might find it comfortable.
THE PA System was in great working order and not over the top like some other events I've been to. The announcements were clear and concise. Which was needed for a big event like this.
The guests were great.  And by that I mean that comic book guests.  I got to meet some of the guys who worked Sabertooth Swordsman. Very cool bunch. 
The CONS
Y'know there's really nothing I can say bad about this show like I have in the past.  No drama, no hassle, no problem.
Sales were not the greatest this year but that is okay but then I didn't have a table for myself either so it it's still a win win situation for me.

FURTHER ADVENTURES Along with the Dreams of Elysium.

It has been a while since I have busted out the black sketchbook to work on any of the pages. But it felt right to do so yesterday and after a small conversation with my friend Jason when we talking about Corpse Cop he said something that stuck with me about the work I had done on the scratchboard 16 page story. To paraphrase he said that I had sweated over that book and should get everything out of it that I put into it.
And following my passion and the aforementioned scratchboard I want to get this book done and had started thinking about how to render the broken/fragility of dealing with something that is outside of your control. In that regard I think about my dealing with the Clackamas Town center Shooting being there witnessing the mass fear that overtook so many people and having to make tough choices.
It might be time to exercise some of those personal feelings about that.



All NEW SHOW ADDENDUMS
As I had already said I was going to go to a friends art show I have to forgo doing a show with my friends this Thursday. Oh well I can do it again down the road.  October.  It's season of change.  And this month is no different.
  I this case I have been tasked to create a new image ever day for the next month and post it. To me that sounded way to easy but how could I not take it?
  SO here is the first one and a second should be on it's way.

COMMISSION WORK:
Not much has been mentioned about this other than a few people who have inquired about the possibility of work - no money has changed hands. "Money talks, Bullshit walks." is that old attage though crass as it is it is also true.  I know a lot of other artist who have been in the business don't work on speculation.  There's no money (seriously) in it.  Anybody who tells you that has swamp land to sell to you in Arizona.

Now I am getting closer to finishing the piece for NWIPA for the Halloween Poster design and I touched base with my friend Aron former front man of the Fallmen. It was some issues dealing with the choices of names for his new music project but he assured me that he wants me involved with the project. No worries on my end.

But now everything is on for cranking out work so this blog has to come to an end this evening – for now.

ODDITIES:

Not at the moment- unless I look in a mirror.

More of this info can be found at  and at Ratchet Raven Productions.

OTHER NOTE WORTHY THINGS :

If your wanting to look at some of the older blog for Black Box Comix you can check them out here. Black Box Comix Blog.

There is also Twitter https://twitter.com/blackbox13 to follow and Tumbler The Other Scratchpad

blackbox13.tumblr.com/   as well 

Or if you're interested in purchasing something that catches your eye  check out here on the Big Cartel web site.  Big Cartel.

ETSY IS SET UP NOW!  Though there may be a small shop there prints are available there. At https://www.etsy.com/shop/BlackBoxShopBox
YAY team!

And of course is always the backlog of comics here at Indyplanet.

And the kid is out of here!

ART COMES DOWN AND ART GOES UP.

Hey there sports fans Al here with the latest:



Well The "SCRATCH AND BURN" art show comes down this week and I'll be picking up whats left of the artwork.  From what I can tell there are a lot of original pieces still up with no sale tag on them but that's okay because what I have heard recently through the grapevine is that some of the prints have sold!
That's great news for me as this months focus begin towards group show "ICON" and the 3rd Rose City Comic Book Show.

Now with the ICON Art show only a few weeks away as well as the the idea of art and the postcard comes together. Nothing else quiet like it. I feel that I have more or less stumbled into a small arena where a small image can be big.
What I mean by that is that a small image can have a big impact on a person. When I look at the new images that are coming out from this group of pictures I am sure that there is something there that is worth watching let along pay for.
I am currently onto the second card image currently and hope to have it done fairly soon. The card set I would like to have done before Halloween roles around but I know that my work can sometimes be tedious and a trial for moi.
Always plan for more. You can never tell whats gonna move and sell.


And that's why I am working on POSTCARDS right now.

 I had been wanting to work on a Richard Parker show for a while since "Deep Sea Calamari" was bought and traded like a stock on the NY Stoke Exchange back for the O.M.S. back in October of last year.  But the idea of working on a Old School Deep Sea Diver kinda got me and then I started to really work around the idea of this guy and then I got a name from a movie that I liked and everything began to really take place.
I never expected to see Richard Parker really take off as a series of work but what do I know, I'm just the artist.
And of course I thought that I could have a show based around this icon figure but a friend of mine this evening suggested that I get a hold of a few maritime places along the coast.

 Man, I had never even thought about that before but what a great idea regardless.

NOW comes the push for commissions and cards.  Halloween is coming fast and I have a number of images that I have to have ready for the BIG 500 art show coming up later this year.

ON TOP OF THAT... BEFORE YOU KNOW IT-
ROSE CITY COMIC SHOW takes place this next weekend.  I am hoping that I might be able to turn a little of coin to alleviate some of issues. At least that is my hope.
If anything I'll take a break from the regular grind of selling art materials and sell artwork in it's place.

,

FURTHER ADVENTURES WITH RICHARD PARKER....
Truth be told I'm having a wonderful time working on these images for post cards and prints.  And if anything else I'll have artwork ready to show for next year's NWIPA art show in September. Plus the original poster design that I am making them for this Halloween Tap Take Over from Evil Twin Brewing.
It should be a fun show.
All NEW SHOW ADDENDUMS
As the month of SEPTEMBER beings it's march to the end my co workers hit upon the idea of a Last Thursday Art Vending show in North East Alberta on the 25th. To me this would be another way of getting my work out to the public And into that area of town. Since I already have postcards and prints done I might as well take advantage of the show and the work.
COMMISSION WORK:
Not much has been mentioned about this other than a few people who have inquired about the possibility of work - no money has changed hands. "Money talks, Bullshit walks." is that old adage though crass as it is it is also true.  I know a lot of other artist who have been in the business don't work on speculation.  There's no money (seriously) in it.  Anybody who tells you that has swamp land to sell to you in Arizona.

BUT the fine people of NWIPA have asked me again to make another poster design for them for Halloween. Now really I jumped at the chance to do this because I LOVE HALLOWEEN.

Personally I think that it should be a recognized holiday like any other but I know that is not being realistic as much as I would jump for joy.  On top of that, Dan had asked me to incorporate a little H.P. Lovecraft into the work.  For that was awesome since I have been reading up on that author recently. Fun and creepy stuff.  Now I know there is so many people that are attracted to the work like King, Wrightson and Mingola. 

And with the high praises of the work at the bar of NWIPA saying that work that I have been doing reminds him, Matt, of Wrightson I am blessed.

If you are not knowing who Bernie Wrightson is then please do yourself a favor and look at his artwork here .  I can say that I have  met the man a few times in my life and he is one nicest and genuine illustrative master I have ever met - with the exception of Micheal W. Kaluta.  Here is an example of his fine work and here for his website.

I can only hope that one day (hopefully soon that I could gain the recognition that these two artists have.  I think that I am getting there.

LAST MONSTER ON EARTH!
Now it has been a while since any of my comic book work has been mentioned or anything else for that matter so I thought that I should add a few images that this character is still going strong - though I am currently thinking about how to bring him into the comic Universe that I have created.  
The easiest way I can do that is using Corrax the Seeker (NEWER VERSION) and launch a new WEIRD ATOMIC TALES book including those characters.  Here is some of the images that I have been working on.

,

 Comics are never far from my mind so I try to keep myself busy by envisioning a new work.  Corpse Cop again is another example of a book and character that I would love to see out there.  Rose City was supposed to the unveiling of two Corpse Cop books but life got in the way of that but they are still out there.

 

ODDITIES:

Not at the moment- unless I look in a mirror.

More of this info can be found at  www.thevelvetcoffin.co.

and at Ratchet Raven Productions.

OTHER NOTE WORTHY THINGS :

If your wanting to look at some of the older blog for Black Box Comix you can check them out here. Black Box Comix Blog.

There is also Twitter https://twitter.com/blackbox13 to follow and Tumbler The Other Scratchpad

blackbox13.tumblr.com/   as well 

Or if you're interested in purchasing something that catches your eye  check out here on the Big Cartel web site.  Big Cartel.

And of course is always the backlog of comics here at Indyplanet.

And the kid is out of here!

The Future of Fall

HEY THERE SPORTS FANS, AL HERE WITH THE LATEST:

Within the week the “SCRATCH AND BURN” ART SHOW

will be no more than a memory on a calendar. And really that is okay by me because this will mark the third time I have had a solo one man show going on and still cranking out lots of new artwork to be looking at. And man it has been a somewhat turbulent summer. But with Fall just around the corner it's time to crank out more work than I ever have before.

I've just got this feeling that I need to bust it out both in shows around town (both group shows and solo shows) as well as my Independence graphics and illustrative work. And nothing is more true than the work I have coming up for the “ICON” group art show this month of September.

Now you already know that I had posted a rough idea of what that image is going to look like and I am pretty close to being done with the work as we stand. Now one of the things about “All Laid Out” is the way it is being framed this time around.

After talking to another artist friend/customer at the art retail store I work at part time here in PDX, he suggested another way of presentation. Velcro.

Now I know that may sound strange but it does have a couple of advantages that other framing doesn't.

1. Cost. Velcro doesn't cost that much on top of a frame. There are the IKEA framing that a lot of people will use in a pinch and that isn't bad but it should only be a temporary measure. And truly a lot of artists can't afford really nice framing – it just sucks.

2. Group Shows. You can get away with almost anything. Most of the group shows that I have been apart of for the last couple years the farming has been almost been looked upon as a oversight like “Oh yeah, I should probably put a frame around that shouldn't I?” So a lot of people have a tenancy to make it look cheap. This also makes the work look DE-valued in the public eye because the framing is done to the work is permanent. So there is no way to present the work better even if a buyer wanted to buy it. Thing is about the Velcro in a frame it can be taken out and re-framed.
3. And it can be reused for other pieces. For example if you had a piece that sold as in a cash and carry situation but only the piece sells (Congrats on selling the work woowhoo!) but what do you now? You've got a blank space on the wall with a blank frame. Put another work up. This shows that you do have other work out there and there is a quick turn around for your work. Perception of your work is great.
4. So there you go in a nutshell how I am looking at this Velcro thing. Now it's time to see if it'll work. Always experimenting with the things.

COMMISSIONS:

Now I thing that I may have mentioned that I had talked to Shane of Sixpoint Brewery in Brooklyn NY about the possible chance of doing a commissioned t-shirt design well after about a week the realization is that I can't meet his deadline for the beer festival that he and his brewery are going to be a part of. That really is to bad 'cause I do really like the guy and he's nice but also... it's NEW YORK!

How many people can say that they live here on the west coast and sell artwork in the east? Not a lot of people I know that represent themselves.

But there is factor of the turn around time as well. Unfortunately there just wasn't enough set up time to create three different pencil roughs get approval on one and then etch out the final on scratchboard for a t-shirt design.

I'm fast but I'm not that fast! So I had to say no to the work.

HOWEVER when commission fades from view another popped up in the form of former front man of the Fallmen - Aron Christensen.

Aron was the very first “real” commission I had gotten when I started working on commissions on a regular basis here in Portland about three years ago. The first that was designed was three head Cerberus Wolf. That was a fun t-shirt to design then there was there first album that they recorded “Life is Pain” (available on iTunes) 
  It is fun to think of working with him again.  Though it sounded like this image that I would be working on for him would be a straight up black and white illustration. 
THERE IS ALSO A POSSIBILITY that NWIPA

might be looking for a Halloween poster done in scratchboard.  The Poster designs that I have done for them in the past have always been pretty cool and very detailed.  Something a little more than they would be thinking. But we'll see how this works out.

AL'S SOAPBOX

I have over the years gone to several galleries either during openings or First Thursday's/ Friday's to look at the new work and what I am presented with as a viewer is the same old stuff.

This to me personally (so really this is only my opinion so don't get bent out of shape) strikes me as falling back on old work to either get rid of OR laziness/ didn't have the time.

Now again I do really understand this point of view better than anyone AND I wouldn't suggest that if you had a brand new venue that you crank out a whole brand new batch of work and just store your old (though if you could you must be the most talented artist in the world OR high on crack).

I guess what I am trying to say is this .... MAKE AN EFFORT.  People want to see new work and know that you as the artist are not being lazy.
ODDITIES:

Not at the moment- unless I look in a mirror.

More of this info can be found at  www.thevelvetcoffin.co.

and at Ratchet Raven Productions.

OTHER NOTE WORTHY THINGS :

If your wanting to look at some of the older blog for Black Box Comix you can check them out here. Black Box Comix Blog.

There is also Twitter https://twitter.com/blackbox13 to follow and Tumbler The Other Scratchpad

blackbox13.tumblr.com/   as well 

Or if you're interested in purchasing something that catches your eye  check out here on the Big Cartel web site.  Big Cartel.

And of course is always the backlog of comics here at Indyplanet.

And the kid is out of here!