Looking Back at 2011 - Elevation and Quiet

I remember being pretty bummed out at the beginning of this year. A lot of lame things were going on. 2010 was a bad year for jobs for me. I had been unemployed for the first few months since I my graphic design gig fizzled at the end of 2009. I did a temp job and a sales job back to back, before ending up at Wells Fargo as a temp at the end of the year. I wasn't terribly optimistic for 2011 for improvement, I really felt like I was just picking pieces back up and trying to get them in order. 2010 was a miserable rollercoaster at times. I really just wanted to get a sense of stability.

And in 2011 I got it.

I enjoyed my temp job at Wells. I indexed account documents, so I was able to listen to audio books and podcasts like there was no tomorrow. I listened to a little over 50 books I don't think I would have read otherwise. My fellow temps were, and still are, amazing people. It was a chill gig until a contact from last year offered me a position at the casino she works at. Which was an amazing opportunity for which I am still grateful she thought of me.

My art health has been better too. I remember in 2010 having a hard time defining why I draw art when now and then it didn't actually make me happy. I don't think I draw as much now, in 2011, but I'm much happier with what I do draw. I'm happy with my spirituality, and how my work flows through me, however slow or fast it happens to be. I was invited to an art show called RAW, which was an amazing event, and I held a table at Animeland Makiba. I already have plans to do conventions more often this year.

I also feel I've become quieter, artwise and speaking. I think there is a pressure to produce produce produce as an artist. To be prolific, and talk a lot about art. "Maintain a presence," they say. "Post art, post sketches,  be active on forums, do things all the time," they say. Which lead me to set a lot of unrealistic goals for my art, and make a lot of time consuming commitments to maintaining comments on art sites. Even now I'm doing my best to look at every single art on my devwatch on Deviantart (10,000+ pieces!). I feel I've become wiser by letting those things go. I will speak when I am certain I have something I want to say. And I will draw when I feel I need to finish it. My goals are to make art that's important to me, and share it with people that want to see it - pushing art out harder doesn't make it better. Not for me anyway. There are some pieces I never even posted... It's just not necessary anymore to show everyone everything. I will keep some things for myself. :)

2012
I hope to launch a small comic project. I'll have some bigger paintings brought back to the front burner that I left unfinished. And I want to return to writing regularly. I have a story I still haven't decided if I will leave in novel form, or move to the undertaking that is a graphic novel.

I think this year will be a good one.
I sincerely wish everyone a happy new year.

NaNoWriMo 2011

Well, I tried, but I will not be finishing this month. I had wanted to get finished before the last weekend, but I won't have time to squeeze out another 7k before the end of the month with studying for a test for my job.

It's been fun though! 50k words wasn't enough for my endeavor anyway. :) I'll have to continue it outside of this month.

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Convention - Animeland Makiba

A little more than a week ago was Animeland Makiba, a small-ish anime convention local to Las Vegas. It was held at Palace Station on Labor Day weekend and I had an artist alley table there.



Unfortunately, I don't have many pictures of the con. I missed most of Friday because I couldn't get the day off, and was supposed to leave early but couldn't because of an emergency. I was there all of Saturday, but pulled out Sunday morning.

I busted my knee BEFORE the dance on Saturday night. I was so fucking mad because I missed Jinnai's DJ set. :( I was so upset because I had to be babied for almost 3 hours because I couldn't walk on my own. My knee just slid out of place and I fell faster than a sack of potatoes.

I want to thank Ray, Brandon and Treiz for bringing me a bandage, ice and water, helping me limp to and fro, and for staying with while I cried and said "fuck" a lot.


I had a lot of fun at the con. I met up with a few friends I hadn't seen in a very long time, and got to talk to some folks I've seen at other cons but never had a real chance to sit down and talk to. I met lots of cool people. There was a cute auction thing that quickly got silly. And I listened a bit to Midnight Shinigami - kick ass cover band - between drinks at the bar before the dance.

I met up with Jin (Katsuhiko Jinnai), who also DJ's and was a doll helping me watch the table and keeping me entertained  during slow times. I also met up briefly with Mark and Johnny, who host Video Game Masters on Youtube and reviewed the con. (Thanks for the plug in the video guys!)

I had a great time. I definitely want to attend again, and volunteer if they'll have me!

Tumblr and Con

Couple of things going on!

I've been horsing around with Tumblr a lot lately. Seems it got pretty popular among my friends and artists I like. I have two - Sketches, Sometimes Daily which is the art and sketch blog, and a reblog called Thrifan. Sketches, Sometimes Daily recently posted all the stuff I did for the recent Sketchfest (example to the left!).

I've been gearing up for Animeland Makiba on September 2. Kind of frazzled since some stuff I ordered isn't here yet, but then I did order kind of late. Hopefully I'll have everything I need, but, more importantly, I hope I can sell it. :P I have a new sketchbook to publish.

I've also been kicking around the idea of a weekly comic, though time doesn't really allow for that often. I'm trying to bank a few before actually posting, but that's making me realize how slow I am at putting out comics. Or anything for that matter.

There is some new art coming down the pipes. A lot of stuff is in mid-way progress. Hopefully once the con passes, I'll be able to share some.

RAW Las Vegas: Illuminare - Pictures!

In this post are pictures of the event that have my work or me in them. For more pictures of the event as a whole, check out the folder on Flickr.

It was a lot of fun. I met lots of cool people like the other artists, such as Pierre Molangi, director Ross Martin, and Mitzie Vita. Food was really good at Tommy Rocker's, and I can never argue with cheap drinks! Ryan, my other half, bought a painting from Mitzie and some jewelry for me there. I wasn't expecting to sell anything really, but did sell some of my books, a few art cards, and some prints!

It was a really inspiring and exciting night. I won't be showing at the RAW show here this month, but I'll certainly be attending! I'm excited to see what other artists will be there!

RAW Las Vegas: Illuminaire

I'll be in the RAW Las Vegas Showcase: Illuminaire this Thursday. Come by and say hello!

Information about the event and ticket sales is OVER HERE.

Show and Tell Friday: Hammer and Wheat

So, a few weeks ago, I drew this. Then I burned it.

I usually don't take pictures of sacrifices, let alone share them, but I felt like sharing some of what I do to honor my spirituality.

I draw pictures of symbols sacred to the powers I'd like to gain favor with, or show appreciation to. I start the drawings knowing I will be putting them into a fire, so I'm not making something I'd be worried about preserving.

I like watching the art for sacrifice burn. Fire transforms it, taking all the soul of the thing away and putting it into wind and earth. I can think of no better way to send something to another realm of reality. It's leaving my domain and entering the realm to whom I dedicate it to.

I don't feel bad burning art created for this purpose because that is the purpose. It's meant to leave this place and go elsewhere. I feel similarly when I draw for someone else as a gift or a trade. That piece is leaving me - once it's out of my hands, I really don't have any control over its fate. Whether the person cares for it, or loses it, is really out of my hands. The fact I gave them the piece, and the fact they enjoyed it, is what's important to me.

Gifts are important in my spirituality. Friendship isn't about owing someone, or keeping tabs, but... more about building a bond through gifts and support. So to completely and entirely give over a gift in sacrifice... to me, that is the highest way I can honor my Lord and Lady.

From the Gods to the Earth to Us,

From Us to the Earth to the Gods,

A Gift for a Gift