Northwest Art

An idea for a new mermaid piece - for a 4 year old

in , , , , , ,

 Hey there sports fans, Al here with the latest;

An idea for a new mermaid piece.

I need a not creepy piece of mermaid artwork with earrings and a necklace and a tail and white that has rainbows. I'll see how well I can do that with a piece of black and white or work.

So now the "Say it ain't so show" has been going on for about three weeks now. In that time, I have sold five pieces of artwork. One original black and white of Richard Parker "Cargo Hold of the Deep" four small mounted prints. It's been reasonably successful for me showing people the artwork with them commenting about it. I've had other questions about the work. As you could tell by the beginning part of this blog, I was approached by my coworker. She wanted to have a piece of artwork done for her daughter, who happens to be four years old. Her description of what she likes about mermaids are as follows - "probably with not as long a tail and not and make it not as "creepy. " This made me laugh out loud. Which is four-year-old speak means to make the eyebrows not so pointed and jaggy, and it has to have rainbows.

Please refer to the piece of artwork "Spell Upon Richard Parker."

I might be able to do that. But right now, I'm in the process of working on three new big 18 x 24 pieces of artwork that have already been drawn out they've already been transferred over. It's a matter of just starting to work on it. I need to finish the last the let the previous three, and then start planning for number seven, the apocalyptic forecast. It'll be a 9 x 12, but I need to design that one out.

UPDATE: 8-29-21

Currently, I am looking over some aspects of looking for an artist's agent to help me find other venues to showcase my art. It has been pointed out that I might have to change my subject matter to attain a higher status with more "conservative tastes."

This is a personal choice for me. I can do such pieces (and who knows, I might actually do it just because), but I am not about to just change course on what I have set for myself. I've already changed course in trying to finish Richard Parker, and look where that has gotten me. Closer to being finished, but what does that really mean?

Anyway, heady thoughts for long-term stuff.

And I am outta here.

11836812_893402700730833_6745497225802251925_n.jpg

Focus. Stay on Target.

in , , , , ,

Hey there Sports Fans, Al here with the latest:

What is a creative issue that prevents work from being done?

Fear is usually the first one that comes to mind. Real or imagined can cripple the creative spark within all of us.

Misdirection is another. This one is tricky because real life doesn't always run parallel with the creative flow. In fact, sometimes I have found myself falling into this problem because you don't want something to end other times you fall for ... wait for it...

lack of enthusiasm for a project.

I think that this happens all the time to creative people. Probably the best well-known person is Geroge R.R. Martin and the "Game of Thrones" books. It has been shown that he has been busy writing other stories and scripts for tv and buying a ton of stuff that most nerdy collectors would kill for. But he can't bring himself to finish the books. But down deep in the heart of the creative when you are bored of working on a project. Like you would be working at a restaurant in the dish pit and you are doing the same job over and over again your body just goes through the motions and your mind shuts down. It's like that returning to any art project.

HOWEVER, there are times when a renewed vigor comes in like a long-awaited tide to cover the rough edges that you had so many issues with, and then you are left with a self-question "why did I stop doing this?"

What has this to do with anything? Well, funny you should ask the metaphorical question. In my case when I was cranking out a bunch of Richard Parker stuff before the Pandemic lockdown I had a major hard-on for getting my Robot Monster story completed and written and drawn. At the time I wanted to prove to myself that I still could make a regular comic book that I would be into as a kid. And when the lockdown happened I had remarked to my girlfriend at the time, "Well at least now I can finish Robot Monster."

But what of Parker? He rolled out to sea like the morning tide. But with so many things in life like the lockdown, the civil unrest, the break-up from a long relationship, a move, a wildfire threat, rehired, move again, "Last Monster on Earth!" finished and sent off to my editor, and the recent election Parker rolled back in.

And as I had mentioned before - FOCUS.

A large explosion of creativity burst forth - where do I need to fill in the visual gaps to make sense to the reader? If I were picking this up for the first time would it make sense? I will admit that sometimes the burden to see things through is tough because you do sit down at an art table day after day using the same techniques to flesh out a character or general idea. But focus to sit down just to start is a good beginning. And unlike those dishes being stacked there is an end to the story.

Focus.

Late Blog for 9/13/2020

in

Is this it?

Are these last days?

Are they nigh?

Nay, I say.

I am staying as positive as I can that even though to most these days are looking bleak and Grey like the smoke that hangs like a sparely lit specter of doom overhead. And you have say “NOPE! That’s not gonna happen.”

With so many people complaining about this and that I have to wonder if the world and Mother Nature decided that the stupid kids in control of the world need to be spanked. With all the social issues that we have She in her infinite wisdom said “That’s it!”

Now really what does this odd amount of insight have to do with an artistic blog?

Well, I’m glad that you asked. It actually has everything to do with this blog and this artist.

Think about it. I’m an artist living in America in the State of Oregon and which also happens to be one of the centers of major civil unrest – the City of Portland.

Before St. Patrick’s Day earlier this year, everything was going well art was moving forward, stories were being written down, I was living comfortably with my girlfriend. I was getting paid well, bills were under control, new licenses for advancement were being learned, and earned- overall financial plans were being planned for the future.

BUT then a dreaded Novel Virus Named COVID-19 burst out of the Middle Kingdom and decided to put the breaks on everything that made the world go round. Entertainment was the first to spiral out of control and everyone in their “so-called” right minds were canceling each other at the drop of a pin. Politics – always a dead-end when looking for an answer to anything. And the police stepped over the line and the nation exploded with more civil unrest than I think the 1960s did when I was l born.

A breakup happened, a physical moving a living situation within a pandemic and civil unrest going on at the same time. No job. And like Chicken Little is the sky falling now? I keep hearing about asteroids flying by.

“WOW!” was the only thing that I could even think of like this all happen as I slide into the second half of my life. I’m 53 now and mind, you this on the downward slope.

Well as a sole individual illustrator of the comic medium I started thinking how would one cope with all the chaotic turmoil going on around locally as well as worldly? Make a story that chronicles the dealing of a comic artist and his dealings with the antics of the world in a humorous way. It would be an over the top character.

In fact, that’s what story would be called “Over the Top”. And it’s subtitle- A comic book creators survival guide to the modern-day apocalypse.

Now does this have anything to do with Richard Parker? No, not really but that is continuing as well.

Unfortunately, depending on how the wildfires are going south of the Middle Kingdom I may not have the physical artwork but I would have scanned copies on an external hard drive that I could access. At least I would have that.

But now how I would I market that?

Anyway, you can read that my mind is in a unique place right now as I wait for the rain to fall.

This kid is out of here and having to plan the next move.

A Week of Material

in , , ,
A Week of Material

Hey, there sports fans, Al here with the latest:

The Watery Adventure of Richard Parker - as it stands has gone through another set of edits and additions to complete the wordless graphic novel.
While working on this project that has spanned years makes me wonder if Lynd Ward thought the same kind of thing when plotting out his wordless graphic novels back in the 30’ and ’40s? I can’t believe that he would have knocked it out of the park the very first time out.
This project is no different than a writer having numerous rewrites and edits on work before publishing.
Doing art is like that too. Lots of refinements and so on.


Well what I thought

Was the manna from heaven turned out to be a red herring - of a sort.
In between moving, art projects things got separated from each other so I had to go and dig in storage to find what I was looking for. But it came up short on a few topics.
Luckily for me, I left enough threads either written or visual to be able to make a brand new list of panels that are needed for Richard Parker and it's wordless graphic novel format. However, the biggest bonus on this was uncovering many images that were ready to be transferred were already set up for scratchboard. For me, this makes a huge improvement over what I already have. Once I have spent time working on the new list and have everything set up for what new images need to be completed, then Richard Parker can move into the final phases of being done.

Both illustrated, varnished, and framed.
Framing is going to be (I think) the most costly on my end.
Also, prints being made.

WHICH BRINGS me to another point, prints.

Now mind you, this is strictly my opinion for the following but humor me and follow the logic of it.
Since the worldwide pandemic spread like wildfire across the globe, having an art show seemed like, I dunno, a waste of time. I think that most people out there would think that because the buying public does not have the disposable income that they once had. At least as far as buying artwork goes anyway.
Artwork unlike food is a commodity, not a necessity. And with a lot of people out of work, there is no money coming in from showing and selling off art. Currently that I know of from galleries. But there is time for artists to work on their portfolios and build up work for some of those places that have opened up. Showing artwork at these establishments might require a physical place to show the work for longer periods of time since the foot traffic isn’t as heavy as it once was. Thank social distancing for this. This would be something that I think presenters need to be aware of any type of gallery situation.

ANYWAY
At least that is was I am thinking. But I do know this. With the cost being high showcasing originals showing prints might hook art buyers into buying framed pieces rather than the original. I know a lot of contemporaries might not agree with this stance but I'm being realistic (including how hard it is to sell artwork in the first place). Portland has been notorious for being a place where buyers like the artwork but can’t afford to buy the originals. But I think for the most part this is being realistic.
But this all the speculation on my part is based upon what I am seeing coming around. I do know that there have been more online sales of late than there has been in the past. So this is a hopeful sign that people are still buying art. There is a little more research that needs to go into this. And I am not the final say in anything outside of my scope of influence.

But as I said this was my opinion.

But today (23rd) was another break in the amount of preparation that has been done for Richard Parker. Seriously, that is no lie.

In one day after getting all the panels printed on edit sheets, I could see where I was lacking story bits that needed to be inserted into the visual story to make sense sequentially.

Now this is the second go-round on this and I am sure that this won’t be the last time either but I am sure that I can get the rest of the images needed to be jotted down to round out the story as it is.

In this process, other items will be needed to bring things into focus on the project. The remaining scratchboards need to be bought, the tools needed, matting for framing, and the printing of prints.

That takes money and time when you are doing it by your self and coordinating it all.

But in the end, all of it is yours. And that is what makes it worthwhile.

And I am outta here.

Read More

A July Statement

in , , ,
A July Statement

Hey there sports fans, Al here with the latest:
Now as you have noticed that blogging has been excidedantly sporadic over the last year. 
Several factors have added to this least of all as far a blog and a website tied together. Atop that like I have talked about at the other Tales for the Scratchpad at Blogger.com real life gets in the way. No more true of that than changing jobs, moving out and in. All of it. 
But there has been definite image being produced for Black Box Visual Arts. 
There has been some push back from people who want a real cheep illustration. 
With an emphatic "NOPE!" That wasn't going to happen. 
As much as doing commissions for cash helps get things done and out of the way for debt, debasing myself from the years of doing illustration and getting screwed in the process of the work does not set well for me. 
Nor the the experience or this word which come up recently that is becoming one of the words I HATE.

The word is "EXPOSURE".


I think that a lot of people who use that word use it like bait. Now NOT all people use that word for ill but mean it for well intention young artists whom are starting out. BUT for the those practiced individuals who have been around the block a few times selling artwork the term exposure becomes a slap in the face so you can take advantage of a artist's talent that they have honing for years and in some cases decades to be where they are at - to save a buck.
If you want OK art work you pay mediocre, if you want kick ass, you pay high. 
Of course these are not always the norm but generally they are.
So, thank you. I got that off my chest!
There are a couple of images that I wanted to post about The Corpse Cop scratchboard comic book project. It of course like every other art project that I do takes a long time to work on. Just look at the time that "The Watery Adventure of Richard Parker" has been being worked on.
Anyway there you have it and I hope you enjoy it.
And.

I am outta here.

Read More