Monster Girl Challenge 2: Days 21 thru 24

"Rainbow Layer Cake (Yellow)"; 5"x7" Acrylic on Canvas; 2013

. . . And a piece of cake to Celebrate!!

We'll start with the Cake and work our way towards monster girls.  I have aquired a very sweet Patron up in Vancouver, BC who (I'm very excited to say) loves my Devious Desserts line as much as I do!!  You'll recall back in May I did a Rainbow Layer Cake mini painting for Bats Day.  I made a deal with her that if it sold I would do a larger scale acrylic painting to match the rest of the series she's collected. Prints of "Rainbow Layer Cake (Yellow)" will be available when I reopen the Crypt of DOOM for the holidays on October 1st.

That's right, OCTOBER 1st.  I'd previous said a couple of months ago that I wouldn't be reopening my shop til November, but I think I'll be rested enough to open a month earlier than I anticipated.

Now on to Monster Girls!!  Sadly, this is taking a lot longer than 30 days, but for the most part I'm very happy with the monsters I've created this round and I look forward to doing a more developed piece with Medusa for a show in November.  I think I'm developing an unhealthy obsession with Gorgons. These 4 are in order, just to state that.

Day 21: Boogeyman type Girl

Day 22: Lagoon Creature

Day 23: Kami

Day 24: Lunatic Girl (She's suffering from a case of Princess Burnout.)

I'll be working on two paintings simutaniously for the next couple of weeks, so prepare for a few work-in-progress shots here on the blog.  For a more comprehensive "behind the scenes" on these two paintings, be sure to follow me on Instagram.

Monster Girl Challenge 2 - Days 12 thru 20

Day 13: Sphinx

Well, this challenge's days are not matching up anymore, but I'm still truckin' along.  I WILL finish all 30 of the challenges even if it takes me 45 days instead of 30.

Day 15: Will-o-Wisp

In this batch, we have some fun ones:  a sphinx, a creepy gargoyle and a cameo by by the Boogervampire (in no particular order).  Enjoy!

Day 16: Gargoyle Girl

Day 12: Maenad

Day 14: Djinn

 

Day 17: Tengu

Day 18: Troll Girl

Day 19: Oger Girl

Day 20: Vampire Girl

So happy to say that in two days I wrap up on season 8 of American Dad, which means, it's HIATUS TIME!!!  This year's hiatus is not nearly as long as last year's, but looks like it will be a month longer than I had expected so I'm going to announce here first that I'll be reopening my Etsy shop, the Crypt of DOOM, a month earlier than originally anticipated.  So, I'll be reopening the Crypt of DOOM for the Holiday season on October 1st, 2013.

Boogervampire Mini-Painting and Another Monster Girl Challenge

"Snotty Big Slurp"; 4"x6" Gouache; 2013

 Greetings all!  It appears that I let half of July slip away from me again.  I recently looked back at all the posts from 2006 and back then I updated like CRAZY!!!  Now I'm lucky if I remember once a month.  So sad.  Of course, every time I start to think about how I'm not updating my blog I remind myself that it's been over a year since I've truly updated my website and then that makes me feel better about the blog.

Technically the 13th color comp was the charm.

Anyway.  So remember that "Boogervampire Mini-Painting" I did some color comps for a month or so ago?  I FINALLY had the opportunity to get back to that!  I wound up sitting down and doing one last color comp.  I truly wanted to do a purple and green background and although the other backgrounds were great and fun, at the end of the day it just wasn't what I wanted.  So I figured out how to make it work.  Why was I so dead set on the purple and green color scheme?  Well I'd like to use this little guy to help with website promotions (#1) and I've had a frame floating around the house for over a year that I wanted to use really bad.  And it was lime green.  Wanna see?

Lime green frames are always awesome.

July 1st, at 12:01am I closed the Crypt of DOOM down for an extended hiatus.  Since then I've already been up to all sorts of creepy cute fun stuff.  Specifically, I decided to take on the second round of the 30 Day Monster Girl Challenge.  I had so much fun back in February, that I wanted to see if I could challenge myself to do it again!

Day 1: Nymph

Day 2: Werewolf Girl

Day 3:  Yeti Girl

Day 4: Minotaur Girl

Day 6: Gorgon Girl

Day 6: Golum

Day 7: Selkie

Day 8: Witch

Day 9: Ghoul Girl

Day 10: Reaper Girl

Day 11: Banshee

Sadly, I've been slipping up on my dates, but I'm trying to get on track.  Here you'll find the first 11.  I'm hoping to catchup in the next week or so.  There have already been three I'd love to take the time to render digitally.  I'm thinking when I go on hiatus from my day job in August I might try teaching myself (or, take a class on) how to paint in photoshop.  As times change and evolve, I need to start adapting as well.  BUT, I'm never gonna stop painting for real.  I HAVE to disconnect from the computer or I'll go nuts.

So what's next?  Let's see. . . I still have to finish the wedding thank you card, which as I said previously, I'll spare you the in-progress shots of; trying to learn how to paint in photoshop; and possibly starting a Macross themed art piece for a Macross convention in August.

Godzilla's Paper Cranes: Part 3 and Wrap-up

"Little 'Zilla's Wish"; 6x6 inch Gouache on watercolor paper; 2013

 So, as a way of practicing for future show's where I may be contractually obligated to wait to post images of my paintings until the opening, I thought I'd practice on "Little 'Zilla's Wish".  He was soooo fun to work on, as I'm sure you gathered from the other two posts.  What started as a smart ass, sarcastic  conversation to a friend turned into something truly endearing and fun.

Details!!  if you look super close at the shoreline you'll see some white squiggles.
Yeah, they're actually seagulls.  I got a little lost in the pretty.

I actually saw someone comment on tumblr (yes, I have one of those too) that if they thought my piece had anything to do with the non-fiction kid's book "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes" they were going to start balling.  I can honestly say, I wish my imagination was capable of something so moving.  The idea of everyone in the world, including Godzilla, trying to help that little girl finish her quest to make 1000 paper cranes after her death is indeed touching and would make me cry too.  Sadly, as I stated in the last post, it's just because he doesn't like humans and wants them to go away so he doesn't have to resort to violence.  Considering how many Godzilla movies there have been, I think we all know he didn't finish his 1000 cranes.

The other pile of cranes.  He's a long way from hitting that 1000 mark.

So, yeah.  The last few pictures of this and then we'll move on to other, boring, projects.  Namely finally getting the thank you card made for my wedding which was nearly a year ago.  According to the etiquette guides I still have time. :P  Unfortunately, according to my conscience I'm about 4 months over due.  Don't worry, I won't post that one up til it's finished.  No one really wants to see more Halloween themed wedding crap, do they?  Exactly.

Not the best pic, but here's all the pieces on the wall.  Wonderful show!!

My dear friend Natasha Kline's piece "Bean's Beach Bungalow" turned out beautifully!

Oscar Rosales' Bleenkies pieces always bring a smile to my face.  The little book below is now part of our collection.  Carlos couldn't resist a little piece of kid's art called "Mr. Poo Poo's trip to Vegas. 

Even more of the artwork.  The random hand is pointing to Jason Leung's Moby Dick inspired piece.

Look!  There's the painting!  Monkeyhouse Shows are always so diverse.

So lastly,  I'm taking an extended break from my Etsy Shop the Crypt of DOOM!  I've basically taken too much on for one person to manage and something's gotta go.  Right now it's the Etsy Shop.  I'm hoping, if things go well, to have the shop open again in time for the holidays (probably around November 1st, 2013).  The plus side of closing is that #1) my husband won't feel so neglected anymore, #2) I can focus 100% of my daytime attention to my day job, which I'm very lucky to have and #3) I'll be able to focus more on my painting when I'm not focusing on numbers 1 and 2.  I have a million ideas in my head right now and I need to get some of them out cause they're eating at me.

Til the next update. . . later ghoulies!!

Godzilla's Paper Cranes: Part 2

Well, for the first time ever I'm done with a painting two weeks before the deadline.  I think somewhere hell might be freezing over a bit.

This is probably the closest I've gotten to my color comps yet.

Had way too much fun with the paper cranes.  Was overjoyed to use my Neon colors again. 

Saved the shoreline rocks for last (before Godzilla that is).  even tried to get a bit of a reflection in the water.

If you've been following me on Instagram the last week or so you've undoubtably been bombarded by images of the new painting.  Not a full image though, just little close ups.  I've decided to wait until the day after the show opening to post an picture of the whole thing (uninterrupted).  Above, and below, you'll see a recap of the Instagram images.  If you have Instagram and you're not following me yet, you are more than welcome to.  Be forewarned, lately (in addition to work in progress images) I've been posting a lot of images of my cats and my Jem Doll collection.

The piece is finished, but this is all you get to see until opening night, June 29th, 2013.

Although I'm not going to post an image of the final piece yet, I will tell you the details!  I think I've decided to call the piece "Little 'Zilla's Wish" and he's 6"x6" square.  He's been framed in a white 8"x8" frame with a double mat of white and a custom inner mat with real origami paper.  I'm most proud of the matt, is that strange?  I've been cutting my own mats now for about 3 years and this is not only the first time I've tried gluing a texture/color paper to the mat to make it unique, but it's also the first time I've actually cut the mat square!

Anyway, if you live in Southern Cali, the Paper Trail opening is June 29th from 5-8pm at Monkeyhouse Toys in Silverlake, CA.

Also, closing June 28th is the "Pagan Spring" show over at ELEU Salon in Burbank, CA.  I've had my three Medusa paintings on display there for the last two months.  I've heard thru the grapevine that the two smaller one's have found new homes.  I'm slightly sad, but very happy that they're going to make someone's home a little more entertaining.

Godzilla's Paper Cranes: Part 1

WIP Color comp of new yet to be named Godzilla piece.

 Well, unfortunately things have been crazy busy in the work arena and I haven't been able to get back to the Boogervampire painting.  Probably won't be getting to it until my NEXT three day weekend (which is the 4th of July).  BUT this is the reason why, I actually have a work in progress post for a new painting!

Instagram post of the final sketch.

Little Godzilla, before he got soooo frustrated as an adult that he destroyed Tokyo multiple times, really doesn't care for humans very much.  He's taken to making 1000 paper cranes in hopes that once he completes all 1000 of them humans might disappear.  So yeah, sketch that I posted over on the Instagram and this color comp.

The show will be called "Paper Trail" and will open over at Monkeyhouse Toys in Silverlake, CA on June 29th.  Stay tuned for updates on the completed piece!

From the Kubrick Exhibit (left to right): Directors slates from  2001, A Clockwork Orange, the Shining, Full Metal Jacket, and Eyes Wide Shut; Storyboards from Spartacus; the iconic blue dresses of the little girls in the Shining, costume designs from 2001; and a matte painting from Spartacus.

In closing this week, I'd like to add, I finally made it to the Stanley Kubrick exhibit at LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art)! Simply wonderful show and tons of great stuff to satisfy the movie buff in me as well as the artist. What you don't see in the photo's above is examples of his photography which I found to be truly gorgeous. I don't know why I was so surprised to see that they were so lovely.

If you live in the LA area and haven 't been to the exhibit yet it's totally worth the $20 entrance fee, or at least I thought it was.

Boogervampire Mini-Painting Part 1

All 12 of the color comps for what will be a tiny 4x6 inch painting.  (9a is probably going to be the winner, FYI)

Greetings all!  Well, it's long over due, but I figured it was time to do a mini-painting featuring the Boogervampire himself.  As you can see, he's pretty tiny and kinda cute. :P  I've been having troubles figuring out a color combo for the painting.  I don't know that I've ever done so many color comps before, but I was having issues.  As you can see in many of the comps, it was difficult to find a combo that didn't cause his head or body to get lost in the background.  Thankfully #9 finally hit the mark and I think I'll be ACTUALLY be able to start the painting for REAL this week.

The Boogervampire loves his "Snotty Big Slurps" as much as I love my Super Big Gulps. 

I was recently invited to take part in a new paper themed art show in June, so you'll probably start seeing bits and pieces of in progress work for that piece soon.  Good news is it'll feature the bestest of friends, Frannie and the Creature from the Pink Lagoon again!  I'm excited because I'll have an opportunity to show what Frannie's bedroom looks like.

Check in next week for (hopefully) part two of the Boogervampire Mini-Painting.

Bats Day™ Wrap Up and Photo Dump

My wonderful husband, and "booth babe", Carlos making a funny face.  We never take serious pictures.  this is also the best pic we could get of the full spread.  You can JUST BARELY see the banner.  It is beautiful, btw.

Well, words can not properly express how wonderful my first Bats Day Black Market and Gallery999 experience was.  I'm still reeling from my first public outing as the Boogervampire. . . well as openly billing myself the Boogervampire.  We had such a wonderful time that we're contemplating doing it again next year and maybe even the holiday one if they should choose to have it again this year.

Take a gander at these horrible cell phone pics:

A detailed shot of the prints and original artwork I brought with me.  Yes, if you're wondering, I am super anal when it comes to presentation so my pricing signs matched my banner.  A lot of people thought the original of "He's So Dreamy!" was a framed print.  The museum glass I invested in makes it look SO NICE!!

Next to the prints and original artwork was my jewelry spread.  I totally forgot a price sheet for the necklaces.  Carlos helped build the stacked coffin display stand, and Natasha set it up because I was so nervous I kept knocking my own displays over.

Next to the jewelry display and at the very end of the table was the Bats Day™ Exclusive display and the brand new Mini Buttons!  The Mini Buttons were a hit, of course.  Especially the Kissing Bats and the Angler Fish.

After two hours I started getting an anxiety attack (first hour was tame, second hour things picked up) so my awesome friend and assistant for the day,  Tashi, went and got me a Midori Sour. . . Yes, even the drinks I drink are lime green.

Once I was relaxed (I'm a light weight, it only took half that midori sour) I went and visited other booths.  I picked up this ADORABLE Bats Day Exclusive ZOMs Zombie from Rick over at ZOMs.com.

Here's Tashi doing what she does best, modeling my wears and drawing.  She bought one of my very rare Spider Web aprons back a couple of years ago and was super stoked to have a place to finally wear it. 

Everyone of the people who stopped by my booth was a pleasure to meet and the flow of traffic was so steady that every time I ducked under the table to organize the mess down there someone new showed up and Carlos had to smack me in the back of the head so I'd come up from under the table.

Some of the more rewarding experiences:  A gentleman came by early on in the day and bought one of my monster kid prints and wound up coming back 6 hours later to buy another because he said he couldn't get it out of his head and that he needed it.  He also proceeded to tell me that whatever I was doing keep going it because he thought my paintings were great.  Then, I also got to meet in person a friend of a mutual friend and his significant other/friend who actually recognized my husband (because I'm elusive and don't post too many real photos of myself).  They bought some hair clips and once they got home realized that they had also purchased a print of my Gallery999 Star Wars piece.  Another awesome experience was (as I stated in one of the photo captions) when someone asked how big the original of "He's So Dreamy!" was and they were standing right in front of it.  They totally thought the painting was a framed print and lost it when they realized it wasn't.  I guess they assumed with the amount of detail I packed in there the painting must have been 4 times the size it was.  And finally, I got cornered by a drunk lady after the whole thing wrapped up for the night.  She was very friendly and her friend had come and bought one of the "He's So Dreamy!" prints earlier in the day.  I think she would have loved for us to stay and chat longer than we did, but we hadn't eaten in over 12 hours and were starving to death.  I could go on, but I don't want to bore you. . . but there is one last one.

Lastly, and deserving of it's own paragraph, I was happy to find out that my "Haunted Mansion Meets Star Wars" Tribute show piece sold.  I was lucky enough to go walk thru the gallery a couple of times when I'd take a bathroom break and I was so happy to see people's reaction to it.  More than once I saw women pulling their significant other's over to it impatiently to show it to them.  Overall I think most of them found it pretty funny.  It was so well received that Noah K. told me before set up that morning that people at the COSTUME PARTY the night before were already buying prints of it and trying to figure out where to stash it safely in their costumes.

As we entered the park for our last time in God knows how long.

 Needless to say, Natasha (Tashi) and I were totally exhausted.  In the weeks leading up to Bats Day™ the two of us burnt the midnight oil at a ridiculous pace.  I stayed up til 2am most nights and got up early for work the next day.  I know that's no new or strange experience.  Most other people who participate in these things do it too, but since I haven't done late hours in a while, it totally took it's toll.  How, you might ask?  Well, the day after the Black Market and Gallery999 festivities is the actual Bats Day in the Fun Park™ experience and the three of us just couldn't do it.  We were lucky we got out of bed in time to check out of the hotel.  We discussed things and decided it was best to go home and rest during the day since we had to work the next day, but to return to the park in the evening and hopefully get in some fun before the park closed.  See, the three of us just HAD to try to get some park time in, as  it was our last day before our passes expired.  :(

We did have a lot of fun.  Not as many people looked at us strangely this year, but I think that's because more and more people are starting to become aware of Bats Day.  That, and I'm what I call a "Lazy Bat". . . monster t-shirts, zombie hoodie and black chucks paired with comfortable, baggy jeans and occasionally died hair.  Besides, who would notice my dark side when wearing a hat like this?

Would you take me seriously in a hat like this?  No I didn't think so.

Hopefully next post I'll be further on my new painting featuring the actual Boogervampire, my avatar if you will.  I posted a sketch of him over on my Instagram a couple of weeks ago and I'm itching to get started on the painting.  Until then, thanks again for coming out to see me, being so wonderful and supportive, and most of all, reading all my rambling.

***ONE MORE THING***

A wonderful crafting blog blogged about me and showed my business card.  A Little Known Craft has a fun blog worth checking out if you're a crafter.