St Mark's Lion

The Lion in front of St. Mark's Church on 12th St, early July

This image was the first in a long time that people came up to compliment me on (last time I got that was early last June).  I ended up adding color when I returned, but it was gratifying in a sense that at least the black and white could hold its own as well, even in its incomplete state.

There was one fellow who came up specifically and started chatting.  He apparently works the night shift... somewhere, and was meeting a friend of his in the square to plan a walking tour of the area.  He wished to compliment me on my sketch, and he showed me a tattoo on his upper right arm of a lion (rampant?): a big-cat enthusiast.  We discussed briefly the nature of lion statues, and if you keep your eyes out while you walk, lions are everywhere: over portals, guarding the steps of residential buildings, in front of official buildings, portrayed in reliefs that pan across second and third story levels of older buildings...

Chicago 2: Frankenstein

Frankenstein with Cumberbatch and Miller!  (Somehow I missed the showings in June and hadn't found a venue since to go see the darn thing... still hitting myself over the head for that).  Finally got to see it in Chicago with Marz and a Friend (who is an absolutely Lovely Person -- thank you so much for being friends with me too)!  The entire car-trip back to Marz's was partially in-depth analysis and mostly unadulterated fan-girling.

Sketches afterwards:

July 21-25th, 2012

The Bean Cafe

When I go to cafes or otherwise, I always order something like a coffee or pastry to avoid being evicted before my drawing is finished.  Although, sometimes it really is a close call sitting at a table and the waitress walks by every few minutes with a decidedly irritated glint in her eye.

The Bean, 9th St. x 2nd Ave (or 3rd?)

At the rate I now visit coffee shops I'll become both addicted to caffeine (like most of the world) and increase in pants size.

Egg Cream?

SG came to visit (two weeks ago, now).  She had an interview for a couple jobs (which seemed to go relatively well: I will be very surprised if she doesn't get hired by both companies).  One interview was in Brooklyn, and, being both ahead of schedule and angry that the bookstore we wanted to wait in did not exist, we stepped into the nearby diner.  I ordered a Cappuccino (still not as good as the Italian's), and SG got an Egg Cream.

What in the world is an egg cream?

According to Wikipedia: "An egg cream is a beverage consisting of chocolate syrup, milk, and soda water, probably dating from the late 19th century, and is especially associated with Brooklyn, home of its alleged inventor, candy store owner Louis Auster. Modern versions of the drink contain neither eggs nor cream, although earlier versions did include eggs in the ingredients."

It was one of the least appealing things I have had the misfortune to consume at table (including my mother's Blue Cauliflower Casserole, circa July 2009)

Donny Darko

Thursdays are free movie night in Tompkins Sq Park:  a couple of weeks ago they were showing Donny Darko.  I've never seen it and EC really likes it, so we made an evening of it.  They opened the event with this brass jazz band (they were good, but I never caught their name...)

The green was really crowded and we had trouble finding a spot that wasn't behind a tree or next to pot-heads, etc.  We set up camp behind a couple of girls who spent the entire time not watching the film on their iphones.

Chicago 1: Marina and Not Being in NYC

So, I went to Chicago to visit a friend.  It happened while all my roommates had gone on family business for the next few days.  Being unemployed and hunting, I spend all my time inside the apartment.  All day, everyday.  Waiting for the heat to go away.  For four weeks.  Needless to say, I had a bad case of Stir Crazy.

So Thursday, all alone, drinking my roommate's beer, checking Facebook (because what else are you going to do in NYC?).  Oh HEY! A message: "Why aren't you here to see Marina and the Diamonds with me? -- <3 Marz"

Long message short, I bought a plane ticket to Chicago.

MSMR who opened for Marina:

Travel doodles (honestly, we didn't give ourselves enough time to just sit around: concerts, plays, renaissance fairs, art museums, beach, dinners, meeting people, walking-outdoors-and-getting-sunburned...):

July 21-25th, 2012

Another trip to the Cloisters

Went back sometime in July.  It's really a beautiful place, especially along the when it's not sweltering.

Hudson (from memory, truthfully):

One of my college roommates (SG) was visiting, so a bunch of us decided to meet up to go (EC, MB, and myself).  It was frustratingly hectic: she came in at 34th and we were going to meet underground on the A Line at a certain time (to prevent us from waiting forever for someone forever only to find out they were on the other end of the platform, we would just meet at the Cloisters after that particular time).  EC and I left MB behind at the L Line (my fault), and then she didn't think we were meeting below ground at 34th, so we had to go up and fetch her.  Then we waited for SG, hoping she would find us before the departure time: she was wandering up and down the opposite side of the track and we called across to get her attention.  The last bit of misadventure was forty minutes down the drain spent waiting for the right train to arrive.  We got there eventually.

ICON7 in Providence

ICON is the big Illustration Conference that happens every two years (if you didn't know that, it's ok: I didn't know what it was until after I turned in my volunteer application).  Everyone who is Anyone is usually there.  People like Linda Barry, Matt Groening, Jillian Tamaki, Yuko Shimizu, Sam Webber, the people from Etsy, Victio Ngai, Soojin Buzelli, etc... BIG NAMES I HOPE THIS WILL BE MY FUTURE FAINT WITH NO DECORUM.

I was a volunteer (which means I didn't get to hear most of the talks because we were worked like the cheap-and-willing-student-slave-labor that we happen to desperately be).  But I did help with Fred Lynch's sketching workshop, and got to listen to a few other lectures (while I wasn't cutting out giant letters and posters, moving boxes, manning tables, and other things I can't remember).

Jillian Tamaki:

Sam Webber, Irene Gallo, Greg Manchess, Jon Foster:

P.S. I had no idea that Jon Foster was a RISD graduate...

Killer Project

In my final semester at RISD I took Mary Jane Begin's Portfolio class: it focused on the creation of a homogenous portfolio geared towards your industry of interest (gaming, publishing, licensing, editorial, design, etc...).  I'm interested in publishing, and I chose to illustrate a favorite young adult book: Sabriel by Garth Nix.  I planned on making black and white spot illustrations for all the chapters and wrap it all up by illustrating a cover (NOT that I don't love Leo and Diane Dillon's illustrations, it's just with any publications you do both inside and outside art... good practice and yada yada ya).

I didn't realize how long it would take to do over THIRTY 4x6" illustrations... it nearly killed me, AND I didn't even finish.  I think I got about half-way through.  Thumbnail sketches:

 

If I find the time (which will probably be within the next few weeks), I would like to finish them. You can find the finished spots on my Weebly.

Gone over to the Dark Side

I did it. I got a Tumblr... watch my life go down the drain.

It's supposed to be a supplemental sort of thing to this blog... more people, less places, etc...

Seriously, if it becomes totally overblown crap, you're welcome to send me a scathing message or two: "where the hell is your art, numbskull!?" "shameless" "integrity = zilch" "mouthwash has better taste than you do"
Etc...

http://adistantroar.tumblr.com

I won't talk as much over there... good thing/bad thing?