Sad but also just a little funny...

click on the link below: 

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/elderly-woman-ruins-19th-century-fresco-restoration-attempt-191155838--abc-news-topstories.html

Solo Show - Totally Awesome!

A solo show of my portrait paintings is currently on display at Victory Theater in San Diego, CA.  Pretty cool.

On My Way...

I am on my way to pick up some fresh new canvases, liquin and yarn.  I can't wait to start painting again!  And the yarn is for my various crochet projects.  I have learned how to crochet scarfs, beanies and have started to make socks/slippers.  I am also working steadily on my illustrative work.  I now have a blog for my Illustrations.  You should check it out.  It's also linked to my professional Illustration Blog.  Followers would be amazing.  I am also on Twitter as well. 

http://lisaspennedpals.blogspot.com/

This is one of my newly added characters:  

A Better Look....

I am re-posting my three political paintings - my version of a political Mad Hatter Tea Party.  This will be my next political sticker.  The line-up is a little better on this one as compared to my previously posted version.

Note To Self...

I was responding to a young artist who was frustrated or hurt that approval was not forth coming from someone in her sphere.  I had first wrote that she needs to become her biggest fan and f*^k the rest of the world; after all that's what makes the great artists great-putting faith in themselves.  She replied back...easier said than done. 

So I wrote back (and this is the note to self part): You are right, it's not easy - just years of experience talking - rejections, disapproval and hard work to often no avail, but I still put paint to canvas, pencil to paper, hands to clay, I create my work and someday the rest of the world will catch up.

Seeking Representation...

As posted earlier, I have been working on a collaborative project, a children's book.  Along with that project, we, my bf and I, have been sending out query letters and tear sheets to different publishing houses looking for representation for me as an illustrator.  We have received "no thank yous" for the most part, but we did receive one encouraging "no." You might think to yourself how can any "no" be encouraging?  Well the answer is when you get a nice answer back stating that many of your examples are very promising and would be a good fit, but they currently have illustrators with a similar style.  Although people in the "business" might be laughing at my naivete and say, "well that's just a nice way to let you down, we do it all the time."  and that's fine with me, but I have also received nasty, cold and rather bitchy responses as well.  So if it is just nice fluff to let me down easy, I'll take it.  It only takes one "yes" in a sea of nos to turn things around.  

Children's Book in Process...

I have embarked on illustrating and co-writing a children's book.  We, my bf and I have completed one book and have another in the works.  I have to now start working on illustrations for the second book, but for now here is a sample of an illustration for our first book:

Hand-drawn to Vector.

I am in the process of taking my hand drawn illustrations and changing them over to vector.  This allows me to manipulate the size and colors more efficiently, but the process does take some time.  I am recreating the drawing all over again in Illustrator.  This is Dan D. Bear now vectorized.

All packed away...but still working.

Well all of my art supplies are pretty much packed away and not easily accessible, so I have been working on some line drawings. These are influenced by Rat Fink and other artists of the Hot Rod clan.

Cleaning Up.

Well it is the end of my time at ASU.  I am in the process of rolling up the large paintings, cleaning my palette and taking ALL of my supplies home.  A long journey is almost at an end.  The keys to the studio will be turned in on the 23rd.  I will paint again, and I will post more in the near future. 

Geisha Tree

This is an imaginative tree project.  This work is pen on paper and will have color elements added.  This piece will also be cut out and placed on a black background. 

Political - Mad Hatter's Tea Party

This is a mock-up triptych of my version of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party with a political theme.  The paintings line up much better, but for the sake of providing a visual concept of my idea, I put the three images together.  I will try and have pictures with them all lined up, so that you can see how they truly look, but for now, this will do.  There are small collage elements in each painting. 

Silenced I

This is the first in a series of "white" paintings I am working on.  I am developing these paintings to have a sense of an all over white appearance, but in actuality, there are a myriad of colors subtly ensconced within the palette.  I am currently working on the second of this series.  I am shooting for three but there may be more to follow.

The Dance

This is an acrylic painting on watercolor paper.  It is part of a diptych.  The other half of the diptych is a drawing of the two same items but in a more realistic/empirical format. 

 

In The Moment

Here it is completed and for now titled, In The Moment.  I am very pleased with this painting.