ArtRock! 2011

Just over one week away from ArtRock!, this show has a special place in my heart. Not only is it created by my dear friend and super-cool-awesome-girl, Amanda Linton, it was my first art fair, and that was only just last year. This was the show that infected me with inspiration to start showing my work and get serious about illustrations. This year, I'll be joined by Little Lina and she has some exciting new pieces to show. She's threatening that she'll be painting live!

Floridians, come by and see some awesome local artists at ArtRock! next Saturday, May 7th!!!



I would also like to announce couple of new shows I'll be attending. I'm getting out of comfort-zone of Florida and exploring Atlanta. Grateful for being able to visit one of my best friends, an Atlantian, I've been able to check out their art scene last couple of years. I will be doing Indie Craft Experience (ICE) in June, and the big whammer-jammer of a comic con, DragonCon (September)!

What happened to spring?

Here in Florida, it's already summer temperatures and rising... March and April just flew by. Some ups and downs - death in the family, caught the flu... twice, awesome comic book convention, and couple of super art shows.

Megacon was fantastic and I caught the fever! I want to do more! I saw and met wonderful artists and somehow felt like I was in the right place in the center of all things geek. I submitted for DragonCon in Atlanta. Just waiting for the jury rounds to be completed to see if I got in. If not, I'll stick with smaller cons and try out again next year.



I also finished couple of paintings.


This one was a massive piece for me at 18x24. It took few months to complete, not because it was overly complex but because I did so many smaller (faster) works during it and kept putting it to the sidelines.


One of those smaller works, "Swing" was a fun piece. I tried to paint loose and expressive. And really fast. Not sure if this is "me", but I enjoyed the process.

Coming up in a couple of weeks is ArtRock put on by amazing Amanda Linton. I will be sharing the booth again with my pARTner in crime, Little Lina. Hope to see you there!

February Re-cap

The second month of the year blew by like it's the shortest month of the year! Oh wait...

Couple new pieces were completed for the monthly art shows - Howley's and The Lounge. Both themes were Valentine-based so I did companion pieces - "Roses are Red" & "Violets are Blue".





These were painted on very soft wood panels. I learned a few things about painting on wood. If you don't have the wood sealed, because acrylic is water-based medium, it will make the grain of the wood more rough. I found an excellent sealer called "Sanding Sealer" by FolkArt found at a craft store. I only needed to sand lightly to get rid of the fibers and it kept the wood smooth no matter how much medium I was using.

I am still experimenting with painting on gold and silver leaf. I have one tip about applying the adhesive. Make sure you brush it on smooth and leave no beading or texture. You will be able to see every rough brush stroke when you apply the leaves. I have been painting on it with acrylics by applying 2 thick layers of matte medium for the surface. And I have also tried water-soluable oils. But I think it's time to bring out the real oils.

Now my attention shifts to March and what it will bring at the end of it - MegaCon! New pieces are in process. Prints, banner, travel plans... lots to do.