Big THINGS on the horizon

Well hey there sports fans, Al here with the latest:

Boo, sorry to see you go man.

Since the show, SCRATCHING THE SURFACE for the Slingshot Lounge is now done and officially I have no art shows to plan for really maybe except 2 that are a ways away one dealing with the Brothers Grimm and the always BIG 500 at the end of the year.

The Brother's Grimm art show (a.k.a. Grimm's Fairy Tales) here in PDX will be a different kinda group show for the kid. In years past I've had a tendency to only deal with one group of art organizers and though there is nothing wrong with them, it occurred to me that it might be time to look at dealing with other people. From what has been told to me this would be a great way for me to be seen in other venues showing that I can work on more than just Richard Parker or Robot Monster. 
I know I'm a great illustrator its just other people don't know it yet!

Seven Ravens

But what to fill in the gaps in between?

COMMISSIONS!
 
Big things are on the horizon and that means big art work. I actually mean physically BIG like 18" x24"! And a triptych to boot!

The crazy thing is that it won't be a Richard Parker piece. However Richard Parker had started it.
Let me give you some background information on this rise to fame.
Picture if you will a middle aged artist sitting a bar hunched on his stool with a beer nearby. In hands under a hanging dimmed halogen light trying to etch a illustration for a group show. 
During my show and previous at the Sling as I had mentioned that I had sold a Richard Parker piece about 3 years ago and had sold a current piece to the same buyer, This is great to have a returning buyer as well. 

So after the purchase piece was bought they hit me up for a commission piece - a large triptych and a spaced themed one too! 

Very cool!  

So I have making a game plan to make. The most interesting thing about working on this triptych is that it is broken into a comic book form. That tells a small story.
Each18" x24" piece of board is separated into two distinct images when linked to each other tells a story. 

Spaceship designs for my triptych commission. 

I had been going through a ton of old video Sic-fi shows to look at similar space vehicles to NASA desings being used currently. Space:1999 was the big winner in this department. Kudos to Gerry Anderson and 21 Centry

igns 

AND NOW FINALLY THE COMICS!
As time would have it I have mangaed to get the problem resolved for the comic books with the online publisher KaBlam Publishsing.  
Please checkout the comix here from Black Box Comix and Black Box Visual Arts. There will be two more enteries soon. 
 
I was reminded by Facebook that Corrax

has been up for sometime but hasn't been printed up national distribution like all the rest of the Johnny Vega and Corpse Cop books. 
Speaking of Corpse Cop currently the third book is being held up because after taking some time to look at it and read it I realized that there were some parts of the story that need to be over hauled to make it easier to read. This means that a few more pages and panels need to be added to make the transition from page to page should be smoother and give the reader a lot more to look at for the cost of the book. 

And I think that is about it for the kid.

New Year, New Show.

Hey there sports fans, Al here with the latest news:

As of this posting the "SCRATCHING the SURFACE" art show will be underway. I'm kinda a little scared really because I feel that I'm not hitting this show with everything I could to make it successful (tee shirts, books, prints) because there is no easy way to control and sell that work. 
But over the last year which was only a couple of days ago btw, things have continued to surprise me about how well my work is received. I have so many great friends supporting me I'm always amazed.
I guess really I shouldn't be surprised by this but a lot of my shows have been in non kid friendly spots. Of course I would love to have my friends with children be able to attend but its adult that I'm glad to see not necessarily their child. 
Sorry guys just being honest about that and being a bit selfish because the show is really about me and my art.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1198445836849369/
One of the drawbacks for the show were out fitting a framed mat with a new great image of Sasquatch. "Down by the Creek" is a great piece and resonates with people here in the Northwest.  
 And I had a pre cut mat and frame that I had. I was thinking that I could pull the older image out AND replace it with Bigfoot.
But in the process in pulling the mat out of the frame I broke the pane of glass doing it. I was a little bummed by the this but the biggest thing is Richard Parker will be in attendance to represent. So I think that there is a potential BIG FOOT series in the works.

"Major Tom" is still holding out for someone to love. 
After looking at some other scratchboard illustrators on Etsy I found that a lot of them are copying directly from photos and then doing the transfer to scratchboard. The issue that I have with this is they all are seemly to "cutesey" for their own good. 

It 's almost like they are saying to the general public "Look at me, aren't I cute."  And these illustrators get into big shows whereas Major Tom says "Look at me, I'm on fuckin' fire!"
 
Forgive me, I digress.

https://www.facebook.com/help/396404120401278/list
This guy is gone! "Walking with Richard Parker" is now going to a new home with Eric Iverson. 

This will be the second piece that he and his wife have purchased from me over the last couple of years.  There were pretty cool about about this and I am so glad that they bought it. Not because of the monetary value of the work but because they have another Richard Parker piece from my One Man Show from late 2013. 

The work has improved a lot since I started down this path back then. They have watched the progression from watching me sit bar at the Slingshot working on the small 8"x8" images for the BIG 100 and onward over a beer or 2.

They had told me that they appreciated the diligence and hard work I was putting into my work.  

There will be also non Richard Parker pieces as well but work has changed a lot and I think it might be time to look at doing larger detailed pieces to make a visual impact on people. 

OTHER NEWS:
As I have been working on ways to figure out how and especially where to show my work I was told that I should look for artists with a sim a similar style and follow their trends.
I hadn't really thought about that because I was so focused on getting my artwork out there for people to see. 
I realized that I had done something like this before years ago when I was living in Eugene.

At the time I was working with my friend Chad trying to secure a art grant from the City of Eugene to help cover the printing cost of our meager comic book.
After spending some time going through applicants you were successful in their pitch I pulled the best ideas from each of them and wrote out my submission. And sure enough we got the grant.
Flash forward to today of actually finding a website that deals specifically scratchboard and specificly a similar . Now I'm looking at these other scratchboarders and where they have shown so I might make my own template for submitting work.

So begins the looking of other scratchboard illustrators and their websites.

With as many things going on there are s also commissions going on. I have been contracted to work on a triptych for Eric Iverson and his company Rose City Sound. On the 23rd of this month I will be meeting up with him and looking at the space where these framed pieces with be at. The theme however will be much different than Richard Parker, Deep Sea Diver.
The theme this time - Astronauts.

So with that I am looking forward to a different kind of adventurer to render. These are images are from inktober of last year. A lot of the images that I had posted from that time frame had been really well received on instagram. Now mind you these were quick down and dirty image that were completed in a days time.

So these give you an idea of what might go up for the commission that I had been asked about so we'll see what's up.

COLOR STUFF:
As you know I had stepped away from a lot of color work from the comics I had worked on but every once in a while I will sit down when there hasn't been any creative illustration going on to colorize one of the scratchboard pieces.

I had resisted the need for color in my work as I felt (and still do to this day) that if the black and white is solid it doesn't need any color. But there is that strange population that really won't look at any black and white because it is in black and white.
 But the response has been very positive to the work which surprises me. But now there are people asking about prints in color and I really was only messing around with HI res jeps to see I could do it.
It might be time to look into cranking out color prints.

MORE RICHARD PARKER:
As this year had begun I had really wanted to focus on getting a Richard Parker book put together but it has been a long way going because I had explored different avenues in which to write the story but every time I tried to write the story just got very convoluted by the end of it and the story got bogged down in it's own self deception.  So I held onto those ideas and kept them for later and just focused on the adventure at hand for Richard Parker.

His story keeps growing with two major points of interest with a undersea battle with a octopus a other battle with the mermaid. Of Course these have always been part of the over all story of Richard Parker. I can't wait to see how this all comes together. And it is coming together. 

OTHER THINGS: 

I am hoping to see how well I did at the BIG 500 from last year. This would really help me figure out how well I did with my work. It will be a gauge for me because with the way I am thinking, its a very good possibility that I might be able to start cutting back on my hours at my regular 9-5 job in order to make more art work and show.

CURRENTLY I am looking at others and their web sites to see where they are selling and for how much. This has been a very useful for me. But part of this you already know.

AND OTHER OTHER THINGS:

So after last year with we'll see how things come out.

And as always there are places for you to check out as well.
Etsy

Big Cartel 

Storenvy

And of course I still have my comics that I have worked on here at Indyplanet.  I am still currently working on getting this link fix.

HOWEVER there are these books that I still need to add to the archive for Black Box Comix. And mind you there is website
and the facebook page 

The Website also has some new stuff added for the comic books featuring Corpse Cop.

 

 

 And that's it for the kid for now and I am outta of here.

posted from Bloggeroid

A YEAR IN REVIEW FOR 2015

Hey there sports fans, Al here with the latest:
Well my friends here we are again looking at the year previously. 

A number of momentous occasions have taken place this year along with several "Awakens " an realizations as well. 

We'll do a countdown month by month with an overall overview.

JANUARY: Only one entry here outlaying the next few months of shows to attend and hopefully be a part of.

FEBRUARY: Only a major move of location here in PDX from place to another. 
Lots of plans laid down for this year.

MARCH: Lots of talk about Richard Parker and a story for him being laid out.
Another  issue was getting a new smart phone for the business. Everything really depended on moble phone for both emails and running the Square apt. A third to half of my business this year has been due to Square.

APRIL: First disappointment of the year but not the last either not being able to get into the Line work NW show. Still not accepting that my work wasn't enough for them. I still BS on this but their loss because I know how good my work is.
The only thing to come out of the Line work show was a noticig that a number of individuals had most of their books bound as a hardbound. This made rethink how was going to compete with that with only individual issues? Rethinking the whole damn comic book thing and graphic novelization.
The name "Nostalgic Bad Ass" coined as a phrase to describe the work I do.
Prepping for DIVE IN art show.

MAY: Making first series of prints for Crypticon 2015.
Show was a let down even though everything else one preparation was spot on for sales.
A lot if pros and cons for this show.
A serious emphasis on  "Cry"in Crypticon. Making that nail in the show coffin that I might never do another retail show like that again.

JUNE: Last Monster on EARTH! Being worked not only as a staff alone piece but the continued stories of the Ro-Man being retooled like a Frankenstein Monster. And working on the 88 STRONG art show.
Only four out of the 8 completed due a loss in the family.

JULY: Blank month for the kid.

AUGUST: Final preparation for the DIVE IN art show at NWIPA. Finishing touches being placed and show details being worked out with Curator.

SEPTEMBER: DIVE IN art show begins but official opening not till two weeks later. Scheduling issues with previous artist and commitment. 
ABSOLUTELY THE BEST AND MOST SUCCESSFUL SHOW.  I can't say anymore than that. It would drive me to make the best I could do for The BIG 500.

OCTOBER: Setting up new line of products for mass production -tee shirts!

NOVEMBER: EUCON show. Another great and successful show for the kid and a triumphant return home. Many friends to see and re connect with. So fun.

DECEMBER: BIG 500. New approach to prints and work. A surprise to see how quickly art disappeared at show. And what was a worry about new technique being used to make work affirms itself that I can do better and not stress about the end of the year show.
Some small issues with commissions. 

So over all things learned and accomplished:
Themed shows are still hit and miss for me. You still can't tell what going to work for you and what won't but I will still continue to a few year. I will still continue to make comics but not to the point where I was at say 15 years ago. Square is the way to go and keep up on the technology that is within your grasp. 
Diversify your work into different groups. You don't have to sell an original all the time and value your work and your time.
Commissions need to be spelled out clearly especially when dealing with friend. 
Now onto the next year and a new show where a lot of things began for the kid.

And that's it for the kid till next year.

One Show down, One Show to go

Hey there sports fans, Al here with the latest:

Well the BIG 500 show opened with a huge explosion of both creativity and innovation as well as the public turning out to buy and purchase a huge amount of work.

It was unlike anything I had seen before. Normally there are three galleries that are involved in selling this work and as art is bought and dwindles on the walls the work is collected and condensed into one galley by the end of the night. 

But the gathering of work was shrunk into one gallery 3 hours before the show closed!

Now that might not sound like a big deal but I can say this that has never happened before in all the time I have been part of the show. A lot of my art buddies who were also showing said the same thing. 

It was a tell sign that the economy is doing better to me. A good gauge. I hope and keep my fingers crossed that this will carry over into the new year.

Because there is a solo show coming up for the kid! 

SCRATCHING THE SURFACE art show!

First Slingshot Show 2013

Second Slingshot Lounge Show for 2016

Now as I might have mentioned before this will be like traveling full circle for me since the Slingshot Lounge was my very first solo art show back in late 2013 in October. Before then I had always been part of a group show in one fashion or another. But since then I have had a couple solo show at least one solo show a year.

One Man Show Slingshot Lounge 2013

I count myself lucky. But now I find that the work that I am doing far better work than a have before. And a bit more expensive as well prints are new and that has changed the way I work these days. I have found that some my best work sells as a reproduction of the original. The originals still sell mind you but market of buying art work hasn't gotten to a point where everyone wants a original piece of art. 
But as we speak of original art work did I mention..

NEXT YEAR ART SHOWS: THE SCRATCHING THE SURFACE!  
(At least that is what I'm gonna call it!)

Things are speed up real quick and no rest for the the wicked as say. I know I ain't that wicked but that should have applied to artists as well. You can never do enough work when you are getting out there showcasing your work. 
After watching my girlfriend go through the motions of self promotion and production of her work, she is one of the hardest working artists out there. She has taught me quiet a bit of marketing that I don't think I would have learned easily. If there is one person I'm thankful for, it would be her.

Day 2 of the poster design

ON TOP OF THAT-

There are a number of other things that I need to do. Namely get the comic books done and get tee shirts moving. And prints! Never forget the prints.


COMMISSIONS:

Now months ago I was commissioned by a couple I know here in PDX for two very different kind of images one of Bela Lugosi as Dracula and the other was a image of a Full Moon. What makes these different than other commissions of the past is that it was done on spec. 

Now in the past I've been pretty much forward that I won't start a project without some kind of compensation to cover the cost of the materials. But it seems so freakin' hard to get people to pony up cash in something unseen.
So normally I won't do the work. But sometimes friends and circumstances push you as a artist to take on the project(s). Holidays are part of the issue. 



But now that you have a piece done what do you charge? Its that age old question "what do I charge for this? I don't wanta rake ' em over the coals for the piece but...".
I'm sure if you're an artist you have had to deal with this. If anything you can always justify it by saying that you're giving them a "friend discount". 

Again this was brought up recently with my girlfriend about setting that price and size for the piece ahead because you don't want to alienate someone because you wanted to make something bigger and better in your mind.

SO I GUESS word to the wise -set a price and and size so you both are clear about the work.

THE COMIX!
Well this is slightly embarrassing and just a tad obnoxious that the printing company that had been printing my comic books has yet to place Black Box Visual Arts and it's satellite company Black Box Comix up on their online store. It's kinda bugging me a bit because I have been waiting since Thanksgiving to get this stuff up and running. And it hasn't even got off the starting blocks yet. This is the frustrating part about printing. So nothing has been done to fix this and I know there are people who want the work.

Besides that there are a number of "new" books that have never been made available that I'm looking at printing. Corrax the Seeker is one of them. Corpse Cop is another.

As you can see there is really a lot for me to do an print. There are two other characters that need to be addressed Robot Monster and Richard Parker. And of course there is my adaptations of War of the Worlds 1938 radio broadcast and a musical song from Led Zeppelin "Kashmir".
The last one is a bit strange but after seeing the late great illustrator Gene Day illustrated the Rolling Stones " Sympathy for the Devil"in Heavy Metal.
After reading that I knew I wanted to do this and it's now that I can do this right.

But back to the story board for Richard Parker.


And as always there are places for you to check out as well.
Etsy

Big Cartel 

Storenvy

And of course I still have my comics that I have worked on here at Indyplanet.  I am still currently working on getting this link fix.

HOWEVER there are these books that I still need to add to the archive for Black Box Comix. And mind you there is website
and the facebook page 

The Website also has some new stuff added for the comic books featuring Corpse Cop.

 

 

 And that's it for the kid for now and I am outta of here.

posted from Bloggeroid