SO there sports fans, Al here with the latest:
It’s been a dog’s life my friends but rest assured, I’ve been working on many different things and real life got in the way of creativity. And for that I am sorry. Website changes, moving, new 9-5 jobs to deal with have been throwing me a lot of things to deal with but I am getting better about dealing with it.
That and a new computer on top of that.
SHOWS:
Now this year has been sorely missing many shows to be a part of because of everything else being so chaotic but I am planning on getting into the BIG 500 this year. There has been a lot speculation that might not be another due to the ever changing landscape of Portland’s art scene.
But I am not worried about that.
Even if there wasn’t another show l would still be turning out work for other places that I have been showing work for the last several years.
So there is that.
COMMISSIONS:
This is also something that has been lacking in my world of late but now I have a piece that is nearly completed for a client at my new work place. And of course it is of a nautical nature. A tugboat. Now unlike my other ocean going adventures (like Richard Parker) this is a real tugboat so there is a certain amount realism that needs to be depicted in this image.
But I will have to say that it is looking very good and very close to completion. And that makes me very happy.
RICHARD PARKER and his GRAND ADVENTURE.
Of course there will always be Richard Parker. And it continues to grow into a very long and laborious project with fantastic end to the story. The funny thing was friends of mine who were asking about the story and how it was progressing and eventual end gave me some insights into how I was going to end the book.
Lets just use the Hollywood pitch “Jules Vern meets Jacob’s Ladder (the movie)”.
And there you go.
There have been a number of new images that have been generated for Parker as in a total of 9 new images and 4 that are being contemplated over. Each new 9”x12” scratchboard continues to become so more complex than the last that I might have to re-render some of the older images to keep everything up to speed visually.
I do know that could be a death knell of a project but I think that when I am done with the work and most if not all the work is completed and scanned in (perhaps with a few tweaks) but when it’s done you’ll understand the effort of putting this together in my part time.
And I know the images that keep posting are always all over the board but it is actually there to keep me interested in what I am creating and it keeps it fresh for me at the same time so I don’t become complacent with my own work.
I mean seriously for the longest time Parker had no face just a helmet.
ANGER BEAST OR THE LAST MONSTER ON EARTH!:
To off set the work with Parker and keep a practiced hand at traditional penciling and inking in comic book vein I’ve settled on the public domain character of Robot Monster to work on. And doing so keeps the art fun to produce.
But the hardest thing to keep in mind is making this book and it’s story fun for me to work on. In way I think I can understand how other more famous creators can get bored with their own work and wrote themselves into a corner. At least I have felt that this has happened to a couple good story arcs like Xenozoic Tales, American Flagg!, Dreadstar.
And with that I am out here.