Fun Size! and the Grim Manor Gallery

Fun Size! Group Show @ Sally Centigrade Gallery thru the month of August (2017)

Update time!!

Hey all.  Decided to wait a week or two before updating again.  Anyway, I've got two new paintings to share this week.  The first is for a show opening in Lakewood, Colorado on August 3rd, 2017.  The second is from a show that's already passed that took place in Austin, Texas.

First up, the upcoming show!

I'll have my newest little piece, entitled "Bite Sized", on display over at the Sally Centigrade Gallery in Lakewood, Colorado thru the month of August.  If you're in the area and can make it out to the opening, the show opens Thursday, August 3rd from 5pm to 9:30pm.  It's got a super amazing list of artist and I'm truly honored to have been asked by the curator, Sarah Banks (also known online as Pink Sugar Fueled), to take part in the show.  I wish I could be there for the opening, but work takes all my fun away sometimes.

Anyway, I brought one of the Sushi Gremlins back for "Bite Sized".  I was told I could do whatever I wanted and I thought it would be good to get an idea I've had in my head out onto paper.  I've been wanting to find ways to kinda do crossovers of a bunch of my characters, so as you can see I took my Candy Corn, from my Devious Desserts line, and had them attack on of the Sushi Gremlins.  I'd love to do more of these little cross over type paintings in the future, but for now this little guy will have to do.  FYI, he's wearing a Ben Cooper devil mask that I really liked.

"Bite Sized"; 4"x4" Gouache; 2017

Penny for scale/size reference.

If you're in the Lakewood, CO area, swing by Sally Centigrade Gallery thru the month of August to pay this little Gremlin a visit!

Official Event Flier

The second new painting was a tad experimental and from the now passed Grim Manor Gallery show.

The show was another Haunted Mansion tribute show, only this one was supposed to be darker and creepier.  Unfortunately, I had a million ideas, but as usual, they were all charming and cute.  I didn't feel right doing any of those other pieces because they didn't really go with the show's theme and the guilt was kinda giving me 'painter's block'.

After racking my brain for a couple weeks, and having a mini melt down, my husband suggested I do a free flowing, train of consciousness type thing.  You know, just sit down and see what comes out.  I don't do those very often because gouache can be a pain in the rear for me, but this time I got out my Acrylic Gouaches from Holbien and just gave it a go.

I tried playing with dry brush techniques a little (which this particular gouache is great for) and mostly just tried to have FUN.  I'm relatively happy with how the little doodle turned out.  I'm particularly fond of the gradient and the way the faces transition in the back ground.  It's busy, but I learned a few things and had that fun my husband told me to go have.

"Untitled"; 4"x6" Gouache; 2017

Next Up: I'll be taking part a show called "Phobia" in October and it will be curated by the Flipside Art Fest people.  I've got a few ideas I'm tossing around, all pretty detailed.  So, if you're a fan of watching me pull my hair out because I got way too lost in the pretty, be sure to follow my work in progress images by following me over on Instagram or keep up with me on my Facebook page!

The Pink Parlour Festival is Coming

Greetings and salutations boils and ghouls!!

Well, as I stated back at the beginning of the year, 2014 is my year to try going out in public and vending at events more.  Since my first outing last Bats Day I'm becoming a little more relaxed and accustomed to being in public representing myself.  I'm not saying that the week before an event I don't freak out. . . cause I do, but I am saying that it's becoming easier every time.  That is due, in part, to all of the wonderful people I encounter at the events.  I really enjoy meeting people who actually turn out to meet me and see what I have to offer in the flesh.

Anyway, that being said, I'll be vending at another event in the very near future!  A couple years ago I was invited to participate at the Pink Parlour Festival that takes place at the Santa Anita Race Track in Arcadia, CA every year.  At the time I hadn't gone out in public before and was intimated by the idea of going, but when they asked this year, I was like, "What the hell! Why not."

Event info:  The Pink Parlour Festival; Sunday, June 22nd, 2014 11pm-7pm at the Santa Anita Race Track in Arcadia, CA.  There is an entry fee and tickets can be purchased ahead of time here:

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/667924

So here's the low down and dirty of what to expect from me at the Pink Parlour Festival.  If you've been to one of my previous vending events I'll have a majority of the same stuff with me.  All the Prints, necklaces, earrings, hair clips and original mini paintings I have in the shop right now, and yes, that does include the coin purses and cosmetic bags you've grown to love (or hate, to accommodate negative Nancys), BUT I'm also trying to have a new sticker debut at the Pink Parlour Festival.  Prudence, the Boogervampire's older sister, had such a positive reception after the reveal of "Little Leota's Fortune Telling Kit for Beginners" that I decided to give her her own sticker!  You can see the rough of the sticker here in this post and I'll post the finished sticker (hopefully) before the event on Sunday, June 22nd, 2014.

This week is a short update, which I'm sure you're grateful for, since my two favorite things apparently are painting and rambling on and on over here on the good old bloggy, blog.  One last thing before I go today, though.  Have you been over to Boogervampire.com lately?  I recently switched from my chicken scratch, home made website to a Wordpress template.  It's more streamlined and modern looking.  I'm still fiddling with it and adding new images (and trying to figure out a bug that apparently I only have) but check it out when you have a chance!

Later!

2nd Annual Spook Show and a Little Demon

2nd Annual Spook Show; February 8th, 2014;  Halloween Club La Mirada, CA; 7-10pm

For 2014 I made a resolution to try to get out in public with my art work more often.  As many of my friends and family already know, I'm exceptionally shy and am happiest at home hiding from the world.  Unfortunately I think that over 60% of being successful as an artist now-a-days is getting out and being seen with your art, so, my days of hiding and hoping that my art will do all the work for me are now numbered.  (I know.  That's a little snarky and my math is off, but I'm also a cynical introvert with a mean sense of humor . . . so yeah.)  I did okay last year at Bats Day, emotionally.  I discovered that if I have a table between me and strangers I can be more relaxed and friendly (and the midori sour my non-drinking butt had didn't hurt either).  At the end, Bats Day 2014 was a very rewarding experience and I hope to do it again this year, BUT while I'm waiting for that, I am also making myself go out and do at least 3, if not 4, OTHER events this year.  One for every season.  :)

The first event, and we'll call it the 'winter' one is coming up February 8th, 2014 in La Mirada, CA.  I'll have a small table set up at the 2nd Annual Spook Show hosted by the Halloween Club.  Apparently it will be Zombie/Circus themed so feel free to dress up!  Since things at the 'day job' have been INSANE lately I won't have time to make anything new that's Zombie/Circus themed, but I'll be bringing my Bats Day set up with me so I'll have plenty of my sugar skull jewelry, prints, and original artwork with me, plus some of my newer items (cosmetic bags, coin purses and what cell phone cases I have left on hand).    Most importantly, or should I say, what I'm most excited about, is that I will have my last 6 sets of Devious Desserts Classroom Valentine's with me!!  So, if you missed out last year or you want to get another set, swing by and get them before they're gone.

the Boogervampire's Devious Dessert Valentines.  28 cards and envelopes featuring 4 different designs for $10

Check the Halloween Club's event page on Facebook for more details.  I'm sincerely hoping that the hearse car club turns out again this year.  I missed out on this event last year cause I had the awesome opportunity to attend a puppet construction workshop and I REALLY wanted to see all the old hearses.

This little guy will be at the Spook Show in addition to the Mothra Painting.  It's 2"x3" gouache.

In boring, artsy fartsy exploration news, I tried a new brand of gouache out over the weekend.  Well, new to me, anyway.  As I've mentioned in a couple of previous posts, I picked up some neon colored gouaches a couple of years ago.  I don't get to use them very often, but when I do I get SUPER excited.  Well, I noticed that when I'd go to use them with my Windsor Newton gouache and mix them the same way that I was taught to prepare my Windsor Newton gouache, it would get this strange white film at the top.  I tried not to think too much of it, but I noticed it seemed really thinned down and when the palette dried up it looked fine, but it just didn't set well with me.  So a couple months back, when I was at the local art store, I took one of the brand's fliers home with me and found out that this particular brand of gouache (Holbien, if you're curious) is actually an ACRYLIC based gouache.  I didn't need to add the water I'd been taught to add.  In fact, I didn't need to add the Ox Gall either, unless I wanted a higher viscosity!!  So I picked up a basic mixing set and sat down to doodle with them this weekend.  The durpey heart/bat/demon thing you see above was the result of that doodle session.  The paint truly does function like an acrylic.  It's thicker, and if you add ox gall it helps the paint flow, and even though it seems like its going to have crazy brush strokes, once it dries it's pretty darn flat.  Both the texture of the paint and the finish!  Pretty impressed.  Supposedly the color you mix is the color that dries and it's supposed to be a bit more durable with less bleeding than regular gouache.  I'm not sure if I'll be a total convert to the Acrylia Gouache by Holbien, but I'm definitely going to fiddle with it more once I'm on my next break from work.

So, to wrap this wordy and very art thin post up, if you live in Southern Cali, specifically Orange County, come get your dose of Halloween early on February 8th from 12-7pm!  While you're there, if you think of it, come see your pal the Boogervampire.  If you're lucky, I might even be having a panic attack and my husband will be applying Jam to my nose. (Yeah, that's an Alice in Wonderland/Disney reference.  So what!)

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.

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.

30 Day Monster Girl Challenge: Part 2

Day 10: Succubus
Do you have any idea how hard it is to draw a child succubus with out making it look like pedophile fodder?

So, I managed to make it thru my first full week.  There's something refreshing about drawing something I enjoy at night before I go to sleep.  Sadly, it doesn't help me sleep well though.

Day 8: Octomaid
Octomaid was fun, her head reminded me of Queen Elizabeth I

Day 6: Spider Girl
Spider girl is quite intent on learning to Knit.

Day 4: Naga
Hadn't heard of a Naga before this exercise.  The Wiki said that Naga in Hindi culture were usually cobras.  Although the male king cobra is the one with the hood, I really wanted to put one on my little naga girl.

Day 7: Plant Girl
I tried busting out my Tria markers for this.  It's been way too long and I was a heck of a lot rustier than I thought I'd be.

Day 5: Mermaid
Top mermaid was second and I wanted to try an angler fish inspired mermaid.  I admit I'm happier with the first, but glad I tried the second.

Day 9: Demon
Little Demon girls love AC/DC.

What you see here is this week's batch.  Only bummer about this week's batch is that I didn't have time to do a really developed color illustration on the computer.  I did get to look up a new monster I hadn't heard of yet AND I had the pleasure of trying to figure out how to make a 'cute' and pedophile detracting succubus (I'm sure this one's still probably sexy enough to attract some but I'll leave the sexually exploitative 'tween drawings to everyone else).

This last weekend I took part in a beginning puppet construction workshop put on by Lori Lane from Chatterbox Puppets.  Although I took a puppet building and performance class when I was in college, I figured it would be good to brush up on things and see how someone else approaches the idea.  I had a ton of fun and realized I had absolutely no idea what I was doing before.  You can see Todd (or Toddy Wiseass) the Anti-Lovebug below.  My husband and I did make a puppet video torturing our cat Loki with Todd but . . . I'm probably not going to post it any time soon.  Don't worry, it's not anything kinky or strange.  Just your typical "torture the pet" video.  Only with a puppet.

Todd the Anti-Lovebug made at the Chatterbox Puppets beginning puppet construction workshop.

So, big announcement for me.  I'm delving into the of realms of booth running.  I'm going to try to keep my agoraphobia in check and run my first physical booth at a convention/craft fair type experience this Bats Day Weekend (May 3rd-5th, 2013, see their Website for more details).  Since I will be having at least one new painting in the Gallery999 art show that same weekend (also part of the festivities) I figured it would only be logical to also have a booth.  More Bat's Day posts in the future, so be on the look out.

Next week: 30 Day Monster Girl Challenge Part 3