APRIL Art ROUNDUP! Woohoo!
I’m going to start posting these art round-ups, or monthly newsletter/ audits, I got the idea in part by Jerzy Drozd who I support on Patreon as well as a member of the Lean into Art Discord Channel. Hell, my beloved patrons might be interested and deserve to see all the art I throw myself at. Oh my I’ve been busy, and then beat myself up for not being busy enough. There have been long days.
Speaking of lean into art it was fun to get in on one of their labs and meet some other folks there this month. It’s nice not to feel so isolated.
This coming month I’ll be putting this list together as things happen, but this month I’m cobbling it together after the fact and trying to remember all the stuff.
First some parenting “art”. Bedtime reading to the kids, we are working our way through the Chronicles of Narnia (Collier colored cover editions!). This month we Finished The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and should finish up The Silver Chair by the beginning of May. I try to record as many as possible and cast the readings live on IGTV for the whole world to see (usually one or two people lol) but it keeps me accountable and I absolutely read to the kids more frequently when I cast. I am also more patient when I read. This is also some fun voice practice and I feel like my willingness to let go into the theatre of it all is growing.
Speaking of IGTV my son and I recorded the 10 minute break blues during his ten minute break between classes at zoom school.
I deliberated on keeping my website on the squarespace platform. Ultimately I kept it because I just do not have time to build a new website, but I'm still really not happy with their lack of responding to newer code that allows you to do more with embedding. Specifically to make a better reading experience for putting comics up. Much else is janky in comparison with other platforms that I've looked into.
A bunch of creature art was finished up. I got into the rhythm of working on the sketches mostly at night ( background watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer series for the first time) and then editing them Via computer by day.
Some of those were really a stretch of my skill, really challenging, the briefs were difficult - I hope it doesn't show.
Teaching online has been getting -not easier- but at least better, I’ve been building homework assignments through Clip studio and relying on clip studio more and more for Demo’s etc. It’s easy to see and I think it’s more fun and the students seem to respond better to it than typewritten instructions. I like using the overhead camera for demonstrations too, but it’s just too fiddly and unimpressive how much I have to mess with things to get the lights and focus right. Of course these images are to remind the points of the supporting live demonstrations. These are just the ones I did in April. I have a backlog going back to last summer. Maybe I will put them out as a book someday.
Easily the hardest thing I did in April was this:
(Don’t know how much I can talk about it)
(Also worked up a logo for it)
Tested an animation idea for another project
And built an asset for that
Also built a collection of Blood of the Vampire Tokens
Also Caravan Assets, Caravans, wagon, cart and Tokens and maps! These are all being used for the game I’m running through the community college this term.
Also my art is going to be featured on the back of a bottle of New Belgium Brew!
A Shipwreck + Beach maps of different tides.
And a kobold Cave
Soon to be released on Patreon I hope - I’d like to make some tokens or bits and pieces for it.
Also I am working on/ and planning a project for Kephera Publishing. I have tried to get some art done for that. A bunch of character portraits, but nothing I’m sure I can show or feel comfortable showing at this time. I hope I can get more time for that. It is a superhero project.
https://kheperapublishing.com/khepera-publishing-home/godsend-agenda/
I was also interviewed in March and had a page about my art come out mid month in the local advert rag that comes out locally. I’m so grateful, t was super nice and I had a good time doing the interview.
And finally I put the Twisted empire flower in a show:
https://www.valleyart.org/events/event/pretty-petals-exhibit-opens/
I think that is all for April.
