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Thursday, June 28, 2007

three fer the road

For a Watercolor ATC swap over at Nervousness:


Watercolor background with blown ink; ink and watercolor figures collaged to surface.

I found some old ATCs with ink blown over a watercolor background, then I drew and watercolored the figures and collaged them to the surface.





Tomorrow after work I meet with Kit, my new landlady, to exchange money for keys to the new pad! I'll do some measuring to see where things can fit and look around once more.

I need a name for this space. I mean, it's not really an apartment in the hotel-style apartments that are what we think of when we say 'apartment'. I would sound pretentious to say it's a 'flat' because in the States we don't say that. It's sort of a house, but it's one portion of their house converted into...an apartment.

One thing I know, it already feels like Home.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Open Source inblot 11

You can check out, download and mess about with Stefan Bucher's latest Open Source Inkblot by clicking here. And gander at the latest and greatest offerings from monster fans in the field! Here's my rendering:



Heh heh. Photoshop is fun.

I'll probably only ride up this mountain seven or so more times. By next weekend, I'll be riding the flatlands to my new home. Back down by the river!! YAAAAAAY!!!

bedhead

Kind of a rugged week! Some kind of stomach buggy, coupled with allergies I guess, and it's a recipe for looking like this when I wake up. Now, then -- don't you feel better about yourself?

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I'm moving next sunday!!!



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Thursday, June 21, 2007

boing, boing, boing



These two finally meet! Remember the first panel?

I called my new landlady today, since she didn't call me on sunday. I left a message. I hope she calls me back soon. I hope she's just super busy/hormone-induced daft and something hasn't gone horribly wrong on her end. I dislike the noncommunicativeness. A lot. For whatever reason.

I was up at 5:30 this morning. I don't know why. Long day. Time to get horizontal. Nighters.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Denis Charmot's Patchwork



Denis Charmot's Patchwork Project as originally galleried can be seen by clicking on the link. He invited another passel of artists to participate in another patchwork, me included. Click here and here to see this next work in progress. Pretty cool stuff! I like that Denis listed the artist's websites. More art goodness to browse, and contacts to make. Thanks, Denis!

boy howdy



Remember this/these guys/things?

And I always wanted one of those bouncy ball things you could ride. I don't really remember....I don't think I had one, but a neighbor kid did. God I loved it! I still want one! And a pogo stick. And a Big Wheel. Big-kid-sized, of course.

My new landlady said she'd call me on sunday. Last sunday. To let me know when I could move in. I think all three of her rentals became available at once, and she's painting and doing stuff, so she's a busy gal. But I am feeling a little sketched out that I haven't heard from her and it's almost three days later.

I am feeling antsy to get off this godforsaken mountain. And you know how when you want something really really really bad, you can get really really really freaked out that you three times really won't get it after all? I thrice really hate feeling that kind of freaky. Yick. That is why it is easier to not want anything super bad.

No matter what, though, I will NOT spend the winter on Mount Gloom. No fucking way. If I have to sell three quarters of my stuff and live in a (many-windowed) cracker box, then that is what I will do. Anywhere but here. Because I was becoming really a frillion times really depressed thinking about it. (I think the overarching state of the world - that state being pretty fooked up - also adds to the unbearable weightness of being at this point in human 'evolution')

So good. That's decided. Worse case scenario, my new landlady gets abducted by aliens, I can't move in......or they both turn out to be some cult fanatics and try to turn me to The Dark Side......I have a backup plan. I'm willing to sacrifice a lot at this point to live elsewhere (not my soul though, that stays with me).

I think tonight might be the night that I finally start watching (the new) Battlestar Galactica. I haven't even seen the first season, but I've been wanting to for months now.

refraction




Last week sometime, between rain showers, the sun peeked out. I happened to be near the back door, which I keep open now that it's warming up...and I saw sunlight through drops of water hanging from the underside of the porch railing. Pretty amazing.

A bit more impressive if you click to enlarge.

beauty and the beast

Yesterday afternoon I went for a bike ride along the river (I spied some volunteer cherry trees, too -- I think I need to avail myself of their bounty today when I go out again). I stopped at Allan Bros. (cafe) and sat out in the SUN, reading, filming, and playing with the digital macro lens on the camera:





Dear god! My leg!!!

Okay well I really don't think of this scar as a wicked monster but it's fun to make big sharp teeth in things. I still don't understand why, after putting stitches in me, the scar spread out like I never had any stitches. It's a gaping mouth, that is for sure. (It was a mole - abnormal cells, but benign, at least when the doc cut it out) (sniff....I miss that mole, it was a cutie)

Monday, June 18, 2007

swoosh

Hey I didn't post one of my favorites over here! Did this one when my computer was away getting new parts that work properly. After I drew and painted this, I watched Miyazaki's Porco Rosso, about seaplane pirates and one is a pig. Sounds weird? Well......not really. It's an absolutely charming and gorgeous animated film by one of the world's greatest animated filmmakers.

....and I can still walk.

Yesterday the girls and I went up the McKenzie (river) into the mountains, and hiked around Sahalie Falls and Clear Lake. It was Jacque's brilliant idea. I mean it. Brilliant idea, J! We all felt SO good getting out into The Nature. Oh my god and it smelled soooo good up there too.

We were all pretty pooped out by the end there. It was over six miles round trip and while none of us are layabouts, we weren't really thinking to go on such a long walk. As Jacque pointed out, mental preparation was absent.

Sahalie Falls is about sixty miles out, a beautiful drive along the McKenzie. We brought lots of fruit (mmmm fiber!) and snacks but we were SO hungry by the time we were finished. Thank god Sy's Pizza was open when we rolled back into town around ten o'clock.

There are pictures!

And video clips!

howdy doody





...well, I ain't no Banksy, that is for sure.

I have no spray paint, so I sponged the stencil with some cheap acrylic paint instead. I like that effect but I think the image could be stronger somehow.

Maybe I need to narrow those eyes.

I did some altered pages, too, last week. I was feeling good to be doing art and just messing around even though the stuff I'm doing the last few days doesn't really excite me the way some of my other art does. There's a lack of zing, which maybe I'm willing to sacrifice in the name of messing about, spontenaiety, and experimentation:





This was a fun idea to try and carry off:



"Listen to me!"

In the States we have a saying, 'like talking to a brick wall'.

Hand carved stamps, markers, on a 6x4" piece of cardboard.


I sure don't FEEL zingless! I'm happy as a clam at high tide, as the saying goes. You know that saying. Yeah well, getting off this godforsaken mountain is going to totally rock my world.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

it's a funky chicken!

Wishing the guy who gave me my awesome name and genes a really great day! Happy Father's Day, Dad!



Yes, I did the didge

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!

Hello? Yes, it's me. Not a ghost in the machine. Macaroon is fixed and purring along beautifully.

And I found a new place to live!!!!!!!!!!!!

YES!!!!!!

I am so fanfuckingfastically happy about this I cannot even begin to express it.

Okay well yes I can:





The videos should be available soon - I think YouTube is undergoing some maintenance. So go make some popcorn already. Bring me some Mike 'n Ike's too. Please.


I am so happy, I can make a fool of myself and feel happier. And, I found an awesome radio station that plays "the best of the 80s, 90s, and whatever". It totally rocks! I've been listening to local radio, which is fine, okay good. NPR, okay, I am a morally responsible citizin. But damn.

See I haven't really listened to radio music for years and years. I move in here, and all of a sudden I am all about jazz and shit. New music for my new pad.

Well phoo. Bring me some old Bryan Adams, Bangles, Sting and Bananorama!! A little Thomas Dolby! Pet Shop Boys!!

My new place is sooooooooOOOOOOOOOOoooo great. The garden takes up half the state. I live in one side of this couple's house, that they remodeled into an apartment. Downstairs, the living room and kitchen are flanked by windows east, south, and west. Upstairs sports a bathroom (with a window!!!! thank god!!) and more windows east, south, and west. AND a pretty large deck outside the bedroom door. With a fig tree that will be generously donating much fruit in a few months.

Oh my god. I can't believe how much better I feel. I have been so blue since moving.

Hey, and the rent is cheaper there too.

Okay well I gotta get packing.

Thursday, June 07, 2007

zooma zoom zoom




did this last night...computer is away at boarding school so my posts will be sporadic for a week+ - coming at you live from Da Liberary this evening! And my lunch hour is mostly over.

Looking at a little rental next monday. I talked to the lady, she seems real cool and the place is attached to their house so I'm only sharing one wall...plus there is a huge deck on the upstairs adjacent to the bedroom, and the bedroom has windows facing (get this) south, west, and east. Sounds dreamy. We shall see. I'll do the happy jig (or not) after I actually see the place.

Did I mention, there is a huge garden, and fruit trees? Oh yes.

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

World's Tallest Monster

I did my second segment for Stefan Bucher's World's Tallest Monster. He originated it and invited any-and-everyone to play. You can too! The first time, I printed out the template and drew the segment by hand and sent it to Stefan via USPS. This time, I drew stuff and imported to Photoshop and did some other stuff in Photoshop, working with his template on the computer and emailed it to him. Hey for me, this is a giant leap :^)

I need to take my Mac in this afternoon, so I'll be offline for about a week probably. Of course if time allows I can hook in from the library. Right off the bat this morning, after I powered up this baby, it shut itself down while I was in the loo. Nothing more has happened this morning yet though. If all goes well, the AppleCare will cover whatever is going on (probably hardware) and it'll be a simple switch out of somethingorother.

I'll just....hang on...oof....strap it to my bike and be on my way. Nahhhh..the Mac Store is only four blocks from the bus station. I can probably carry it that far. Borrow some punk's skateboard and use that for a moving platform.

God! One damn thing after another. I'm already going through stupid withdrawals. Maybe it'll be good for me. Being computerless for a week or so.

oh the horror

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

when it rains.....

.....yes, definitely. I am SO glad that my extra weekend day was hot and sunny (remember the 85 degree day?? it was real). Today it is sixty measly degrees, and raining. There was a small break, so I hauled on my biking clothes and shot out the door. I covered 3/4 of my ride before it started pouring down. Not bad!

The weather is like a menopausal woman. Hot cold hot cold. I'm wishing for one long hot flash, awright?!

The coons are at it again. All that testosterone, screaming and clawing at each other. I hope it's not a cat they've got hold of. Fuck.

I spent much minutes today trying to figure out Flash, and watching tutorials, and all I think I suceeded in doing was frying my brain out. I am positively dumb today.

And remember how I said everything was going down the shitter, but as long as my computer and bike held fast, I was okay with the rest? Well my computer is shutting down unexpectedly all of a sudden, as unexpectedness often happens. For no apparent reason. It's not hot, I don't know what the hell is going on. I did a big search, and emailed myself files of forums, and.....guess we'll see what happens. Fuck.

Trials of the modern-day living, yah? Geeeeez. Ridiculous.

Back to the basics:



more fun with homemade stamps!

postcard sized, 4x6"

Open Book




This is a good one to enlarge by clicking


Tonight I:







The gal next door is sooooo ready to be unpregnant. She's overdue, but only by a day. So any second now. I bet she is so ready. I hope that little punter is a happy baby, for all our sakes. Did I already write that? I don't relish the idea of a squalling child.

I am feeling a little sour today.

Milk and cookies, anyone?

Sunday, June 03, 2007

LA LA LA!!!!



Everybody has something to say, sing, or something!!

And I'm sayin' I'm so happy it is sunny and warm!

Went for another bike ride and coffee trip this afternoon. And I'm heading out to meet the girls for some Sy's Pizza. Yeah baby.

Saturday, June 02, 2007

glory glory



experimenting a bit with more pencil and not as much ink....hmmmm....could be stronger but I like how this evolved. Started out as something pretty much completely different.




This is a little something I whipped up (ha! like I just pulled it out of my....hat!). It's for Stefan Bucher's project. He invites everyone to play...he's the originator of Monster A Day, where he blows ink around and then films himself drawing a monster off it. Great fun. Check it out!

For this particular piece, I used his 'open source inkblot'. It's the tenth one he's made available. He makes a blowey ink blottey, and you can download it, print it out, send it to him, or dink around in Photoshop and email it back to him after you've made your own monster incorporating the ink blot. I drew some stuff in pen, imported it, and used his ink blot as wings. This monster is mighty hungry and pretty stoked about finding an all-night diner.

Photoshop. A steep learning curve, but as addictive as any video game....love it!

Absolutely gorgeous here the last few days. Today I went out and about on my bike, rode along the river, and stopped at Paul's Bicycle to ask if they'd look at my wobbly wheel. Was like...I was riding on a grooved surface. They were able to give me an estimate and do the needful work on it right away - they rock. So, instead of me buying insurance for my car, I bought a new rear wheel, and new bearings for the front, and now it's a dream ride :) I always feel so good about spending money on my bike. I always do it grudgingly when it's my car.

While I waited for the gal to fix my bike, I read more Squee:



by Jhonen Vasquez


While sitting in the SUN SUN SUN SUN. I've never laughed, chortled, snickered and wheezed so much. He's an amazing artist and a kick-ass storyteller. I was sooooooo hungry, I actually treated myself to a muffin, with a free coffee, which I iced up and put lots of cream and sugar in. Whoah it was so good I will be thinking about it forever.

Wish I wasn't so damn tired, there is so much fun yet to be had. I guess it'll wait 'til tomorrow.

oh yeah I did this earlier too:



Yer basic postcard size....4x6", Sharpie®, markers, hand-made stamps.

Rent is Due!



Yesterday was the first of the month, you know what that means....

Burp Da Baby!!