Irregularity

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I’m not going to wax poetic about my lack of time. This is, after all, a blog. Blog activity ebbs and flows. We all know that. Instead, I’ll talk a little bit about what’s going on.

I’m packing up my life. The plan is to move in with my girlfriend sometime very soon. I’m doing what I can as I can. Sometimes it’s just not fast enough though.

For 2012 artwork, there are a few paintings I’d like to do, but it simply can’t be at the pace of 2011. I may force myself to do more smaller works just to keep the juices flowing. But first I have to finish a long lingering oil painting for a friend. Finding a block of time to focus on that, however, is not panning out. The good news is that I may be able to work with a second photographer for derby source material.

I started up a tumblr blog in order to easily share some of my work with the derby world. I get a few likes and reblogs from derby girls on tumblr. I think it’s a good way to bolster the sharing of my images and maybe start making a name here and there. I think I’m still one of the few doing actual paintings and not pin-up girls in a derby theme. stmykal.tumblr.com

School is still on-going. My 3-D class is doing well enough. I really enjoy the 3-D work, I just wish the class had more of a formal structure. Right now it’s a lot of playing around with settings, experimenting and dabbling. I don’t think anyone has that much time, honestly.

Finally, myself and some friends are hoping to shoot a low-budget movie this summer. It’s really turning into a lot of work, which is also taking time away from everything. Hooray!

Number Twelve

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I did it. And I didn’t think I would. I painted one (or more) painting for every month of the year of 2011.

You see, I was balancing finishing up the semester, releasing some software, and dealing with the holidays. I looked at the canvas I had started at the beginning of the month and thought “There’s no fucking way.” I’d almost thought of just saying that it was good enough. I’d done eleven and that was decent.

I sucked it up and did this in two hours. I want to do this with oils. I think white will be the color for 2012.

Eleven Down

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I started 2010 with the resolution to complete one painting per month. I also wanted to explore oils and more representational painting. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of following through with my resolutions.

Completing twelve paintings has been tough (and I still have one more to do). I admit that a few really didn’t work. But I’ve had many more successes than disappointments. There are some paintings that leave me unable to replicate the technique. My own work is a mystery.

Plenty of times I was unable to start a piece until the last few days of the month. Imagine what I could do if I could really take some time with the paintings. My first and favorite oil painting was done in the span of thirty hours over the course of two weeks.

I’ve tried my hand at some self promotion and have put up a store. So far, absolutely nothing has happened on that front. I think that will be my goal for 2012 – to sell something.

Anything.

It’d also be grand to see one of my paintings on a derby poster. I think 2012 will be the year of the action paintings.

SpongeBob

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I started one of my very few commissions this month. A co-worker asked me to do a painting of SpongeBob for his daughter. He didn’t want anything fancy but I’d be damned if I wasn’t going to do something serious. So far it’s going well.

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Really

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I’d love some free time.

I’m hard at work on developing art for my video game design class, as well as doing some card art for a fellow student and their capstone (below). I need to pay attention to my painting though.

Work In Progress: Ogre Brute. Digital Painting

The ad went down well enough at the WFTDA NC Regionals, with one of the skaters whom I had painted giving me a very nice compliment. That, in a way, was payment enough, ya know? Website traffic spiked and people at least looked at my work. But I was hoping for maybe one or two poster sales. It’d probably help to actually have a table or something.

Here’s to trying. I’m going to have to keep doing that.