Stranger Things

I am on a art site for fans of Anthropomorphic art called FurAfinity and this is one of the "commissions" I got from there. This persons character is a strange mix with allot of details and idiosyncrasies. This is a 3 x 5 name badge done on red mat board. my 32nd picture of the year. Done in Acrylics and Prisma Color. (I still haven't heard from the person it is for to see what he thinks of it.

Words to Live By!

(My friend Ryan posted this on his LJ and I normally don't post this sort of thing but it fits my philosophy and I just had to spread it)

Paradoxical Commandments

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today, will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help, but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

(And while I am breaking my own rule, watch this! I also feel it is VERY important!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNiqfRyoAyA&eurl=http%3A%2F%2F

Look Into My Eyes...

I did this because I wanted to make the eyes the focus and I had a nice photo reference to base it on. It is on black paper in Prisma color (a type of colored pencil for those who may not know). I did add a little Acrylic (the brightest white and the reddest red). I wish it were my vampyre Valentene, but it doesn't look like him :(

"Night Eyes", I think it was smaller than 8 1/2 x 11.

Better Late Than Never

I have had a few pictures that got started, were done to a point and then just stoped. I still have a couple that I love what I have done on them so far but that have sat for years unfinished. I really want to finish them but no matter how much I try they just are not ready to be done yet.

This was one of those pictures. I started it, had an idea what I was doing, loved what was done so far but just could not go any further. Finally after 3 years or more of it being partly done I dug it out and finished it. I had most of the mountains and the sky with a dragon done but I had to redo the dragon totally as it just was not fitting the quality of the mountains. By this time I had NO idea what I had originally planed for the picture and had to figure out what I wanted to do with this. "Ice Dragon; Blue Flame" is the end result and I am very pleased with it. The subtleties of the colors in the mountains and flame as well as all the colors (most you just don't notice) in the Dragon is some of my best work. 16 x 20 on Canson board done in Acrylic, watercolor colored pencil and Prisma colors.

Wrong Time

Time stamp is off again on this thing and I have NO idea how to fix it. I looked where it was changed before and it says the right time. But it is now 1:47 pm

(of course NOW it says it's right)

A Keeper

I have maybe 5 pictures after a life time of work that I keep for myself, this is one of them. The Coyote pup elf boy both appeal to me and I fell in love with the whole thing once I had finished it. I actually added to it slightly to fit the frame I wanted to put it in. It has a band of the landscape continuing on either side with a matt that makes it look like the whole thing is one long picture. "Wild Brothers", 11 x 11 (before the additions) Acrylic and watercolor colored pencil on Canson board.

Thank God... OK maybe not this one

This weekend I went to Balticon, a large SciFi convention in the Baltimore area (we commute to it since we live only about an hour away from the hotel it is held at. I Did pretty good, sold several picture (nothing for huge amounts but still, sold stuff). I did better last year, but I can't complain about how things went this year. I got a commission for a nice price and that helps too. This picture is NOT one I took to the con, I wanted to, but since I did 31 pictures this year, I had so much new stuff I had to not take something.

I did this last year and I love the piece (ya, I know, I love to many of my pictures). I hope someone buys it this year, but we will see. It is large 16 x 23 (how I came up with that size for a picture I have no clue...maybe it was to fit the frame.) It is the God Hern (or Hurn), one of my favorite Celtic Gods. He is both hunter and hunted in his legends and here I have him as a bit of both. There are wolves on the shore and I have no idea if they are hunting him or he is hunting them, or what. "Hurn/Hunt" Acrylic and watercolor colored pencil on Canson board.

Painting Odd Gods

This is my first commission from someone on FurAfinity. It is the Egyptian God Set. He is an undetermined animal (they give several possible animals he could be based on, or all of them combined). I think he looks a little Kangaroo like. I researched the background, hieroglyphics and vase.I loved doing the veil/curtain. "Set, Shrouded Power", 8 1/2 x 11, Acrylic and watercolor colored pencil on Canson board. Picture 31 of 2009.

If You Can Read This...

I did this many years ago and I still like it allot. The Gryffon is real (I own it, it is an antique hood ornament I inherited from my father). The background is Atlantis rising and is some of my better buildings (not something I think I do well). The writing is in Atilantiss (a language I made up in high school for a book I was writing) it is an Atlantian prophesy from my book that talks about Atlantis Rising. This was done on Canson board in Acrylics, I am not sure if I used watercolor colored pencil or not and I cannot remember the size. "Atlantis Rising"

Still Posting...

I am still trying to post daily. Here is my 30th picture this year "AcroBat" inspired by the works of Erte (there should be an accent mark over the last "e" but I don't know how to do that). This is not a copy or even based on anything of his directly, it is all mine (well, except the clouds). The scan unfortunately losses some of the contrast on the body (his white markings show up much better in the original). I was very please with the drawing and love the color finished picture. 9 x 12, Acrylic, Pigma pen, Pro White on Bristol paper.

Colorful Fairy Stuff

I did this near the end of 2008 and I love the pose and the leaves but I am still unsure of how I feel about the background. Trying to be more colorful and "light" I may have overdone it. I guess if this does not sale soon it might get a repaint (just the background). "Little Leaf Rider", 8 1/2 x 11 Acrylic, Pigma pen and watercolor colored pencil on illustration board.

I Ain't Lion

Well, FurAfinity and it's anamalistic art is influencing my work. Here is my latest picture. "Horny Hunter", 8 1/2 x 11 Acrylic, watercolor colored pencil and Pro White on Canson board. Picture 39. I really like the pose and the details in the log.

Akira Shima

I did this picture of the alter ego of my friend Theddy (posted on my comments as AkiraShima). This character has 8 wings, a double/split tale, gem stones at the Chakra points etc etc. It is an interesting piece but I will have to try again as I don't think I capture Akira quite yet. 9 x 14 on Bristol paper in Acrylic, ink, watercolor colored pencil. Picture 38.

Mouse 2

I just did this one, it is my 37th picture done this year. It is approx. 3 1/2 x 5 inches Acrylic and Pro White on Canson board. I think he is cute. He is an Egyptian Spiny Mouse.

Sealkie and Son

Way back when, small name tags/badges were popular in general fandom (I think name tags/badges are still popular with furs). This was done in that mode (though never used as one), it is 3 x 5 at the largest. I love Sealkies and this is a Sealkie Mother and her Son (in his human form) basking on some rocks. Acrylic on watercolor paper.

Missed a Day Already

Well, I didn't post anything yesterday so I will post 2 things today. The first is "Hern in the River of Time" this is a large painting on canvas (30 x 40) and the photo is not the best. There is flash glare in the upper left corner as you look at the picture, but this is the best I have been able to get. I enjoyed doing the details in this one, like the foam in the water and the details on the rocks and the drips on his body. For some reason all my Herns have vines on them and until recently, every one has had the same antlers (a 10 point set my father got when he killed a deer with his bow).

Another Pip Post

I did a second picture of "Pip" (created because of FurAfinity). I like the picture and it did have a a lesson in it. I started it and the hand was just wrong. I drew it several times and still was not happy with it. I settled for a hand that seemed ok, but it wasn't. As I got almost finished with the picture I just couldn't stand the hand so I painted it out. I added the gauntlet (which I was very pleased with) and it gave the picture a focus. 8 1/2 x 11 Acrylic, watercolor colored pencil and Prisma color on Canson board. "Pip's New Toy" picture 36

Discipline

OK, I will be trying to post something at least once a day, just so this thing doesn't go dead totally.

5 days without a posting

Well, I have not posted anything at all on here for 5 days...wonder if anyone still even looks at it? I have been posting things on FurAfinity a site for artists and fans of Furry art (anthropomorphic stuff). Here is a picture/character I did inspired by stuff I saw on FA (FurAfinity). "Pip", 8 1/2 x 11 Acrylic and watercolor colored pencil on Canson board. I may be becoming a furry!! ARRGGHHH!! Picture 35.

Hmmmm

I used to get comments...wonder what happened? Maybe I should just rely on FurAfinity, they seem to like commenting over there.

Spring Question

Odd pictures inspire interesting things. A child looking up at the camera turns into a flying/hovering fairy. I think he is so cute and I LOVE the expression. "Are You A Flower?" I think this is 9 x 12, on Canson board, Acrylic and watercolor colored pencil. The frame it is in is weird but fits it well, it has a normal size glass area surrounded by lattice work.

On The Diamond

I have done a few pictures oriented like this. The idea came from another artist whose work I am not that fond of but this idea was a good one. I love working on the diamond, it makes you think differently and makes everything a bit more dramatic. The biggest problem is finding square frames. "King of the High Snows", 11 x 11 (I think), Acrylic and watercolor colored pencil on Canson board. (the blue background is not part of the original, it is just filler for the scan.

Rainbow Messenger

Looking at things to post from my past works, I came across this. It is one of my all time favorite images. The glow from the Lilly and the overall colors just worked perfect for me. I did this as one of our Christmas cards several years ago. This was back before I could print real professional looking cards myself or through others. I could print color copies and that is how these cards were done. A color copy was printed, cut out and then glued to a card stock card. I still own the original and doubt I would sell it. "Rainbow Messenger", Acrylics on Canson paper. Aproximatly 5 x 8.

The Shield

This is a real wooden shield, I was commissioned to do this by a friend (who is also like a son). I designed the heraldry and painted this for him. It is on curved wood, approx. 25 x 32, blue and silver latex paint. He is currently working to get this registered as his device in the SCA. Picture 34 done in 2009.

Happy May Day!

I remember walking home from school when I was in first and second grade on May Day and picking flowers to put in my May basket (we made them in class). I always loved it, maybe a throw back to past lives or maybe just Spring!

I used to do TONS of black and white art (I love it but color is faster and sells better). I Love color as well and someday will do another color version of this ( know I did one at some point but can't find a copy). The tradition of the may Pole that has been turned into a sappy "G" rated celebration with girls in pastel colored dresses dancing around a striped pole is based on the original May Day celebrations that were NOT "G" rated. The real may Pole is a phallus! So here is one of my more "correct" May Pole pictures. "Pan, May Pole", 8 1/2 x 5 on Bristol paper in ink.