evan jensen's artworking

Trying out a Cintiq

2012-01-27T12:20:00.000-05:00

I haven't had ~~much~~ any opportunity to try the Cintiqs, so I just snatched the one left behind by a departing graphic designer this morning. 21UX, for the tech minded, and it's BULKY. Huge thing, but got it connected and doodled a little to get the feel.

Gotta say, I do like it a lot, even if it's weird to use Photoshop as yet.

12 Days of Christmas Out on iPad!

2012-01-24T15:35:00.001-05:00

So the fun of the holidays (and the likewise chaotic evil scheduling) have finally let go over the past few weeks, and I can make the awesome that I've got my first tablet-based book out! It's only on the iPad at the moment, but maybe one day the publisher will release for Android, too?

The app (and publisher) is FlyingBooks, and if you download the app (free), you can buy whatever books catch your fancy (not free). They're a children's e-book publisher, and they have some really nice books available.

Back in December, I super-rush adapted The 12 Days of Christmas for them, from a modern standpoint, in a small, urban apartment. Go see! 12 Days of Christmas! You've seen the chickens and the sneak peeks, and the whole book is definitely available. : )

If you're like me, and don't have an iPad, we can mope sadly together, with bedraggled pigeons.

I got a chance to see the 12 Days on a friend's iPad, and it looks so goooood. Really happy with how it transferred from traditional media to digital display.

How to travel in the finest Imperial fashion

2011-12-21T14:09:00.000-05:00

Well... I found some sketches! How did I never post these? I think this was intended to be an ArtOrder Challenge submission, but I never got around to finishing it. Anyway, here you go!

Sometimes, you just gotta ride the fish.

Barreleye Messenger Model C3

Greater Reef Guard, Royal Issue

The fun part of finding stuff sitting in your sketchbook is realizing that I still want to make these into a painting. I mean, BIOMECHANICAL FISH BIKE; what's not awesome about that?

Initial Sketches

Nigh doth they twinkle

2011-12-15T15:17:00.000-05:00

There's a terrible thing coming. It's known by various names, across time, across nations. Often, you can hear it creeping nearer when the right season comes, even sometimes seeing its baleful glow in the darkness.

I'm talking about those seizure-inducing light displays that are put up by certain tasteless neighbors. Who clearly have something against neural function; or maybe they only hate the idea of a warm white glow.

The Horror!

Some number of Gaulish fowl

2011-12-12T22:56:00.001-05:00

Some of those ever-present French hens that you see promenading along the quay this time of year.
Peek in at the book I'm engaged in right now.

The Nixies of Spa Creek

2011-08-23T12:49:00.001-04:00

A quick doodle done the other day in my big moleskin, while waiting on the IT folks to install Snow Leopard on my work box.

Spa Creek Nixie

I love the creepy, duckweed-trailing river faeries of myth vastly more than the singing, sunbathing merfolk of most people's imaginations. Jenny Greenteeth for the win.

Based the setting on the grass-choked estuary near our house. There are nutria there, we discovered.

2011-08-18T12:42:00.001-04:00

The other day I got Awesome News(TM):

Broken Time Blues has officially launched! The great, great anthology of set-in-the-Prohibition Era SF/F stories. This is full of superb authors & will be available in ebook formats soon, but is now available as a print edition on Amazon. If you're one of the lucky folks to be at WorldCon in Reno this week, the official launch party is @ 2pm on Saturday, August 20th.

Authors & stories what might be in this book:

The Sharing by James L. Sutter
Chickadee by Frank Ard
Semele’s Daughter by John Nakamura Remy
The Automatic City By Morgan Dempsey
Button Up Your Overcoat by Barbara Krasnoff
Nor the Moonlight by Andrew Penn Romine
Jack and the Wise Birds by Lucia Starkey
Madonna and Child, In Jade by Amanda C. Davis
Der Graue Engel by Jack Graham
The Purloined Ledger by Ari Marmell
Fight Night by Ryan McFadden
A Drink for Teddy Ford by Robert Jackson Bennett

And my personal delight are the illustrations I did for stories by Robert Jackson Bennett, Jack Graham, Lucia Starkey, Morgan Dempsey, Frank Ard, and James L. Sutter. Pen and ink deliciousness, just for you wonderful readers. ...and we hope the authors like their pictures, too.

The cover by Galen Dara is pret-ty snazzy; your bookshelf with undoubtedly seem bare and backwoods without it. Don't be that dude.

Cover Sketches for Fantastique Unfettered 3

2011-07-27T11:41:00.001-04:00

Back in April I finally finished the cover for Issue Three (Prolefeed) of Fantastique Unfettered, an excellent print magazine of SF&F stories. It was an awesome project, and I did a bunch of sketches before the editor finally settled on one for on the cover. Brandon is a great editor to work with, too; he had some neat ideas and is real easy going.

These sketches I did that weren't chosen... I still like a lot of them. I'd love to pursue some as finished paintings, even though they won't be printed in the magazine.

The final cover is a few posts down on the Fantastique Unfettered site. The issue should come out on or around August 31st! What a neat birthday present!

Broken Time Blues Announcement!

2011-07-08T22:21:00.003-04:00

So Broken Time Blues is officially slated to release at Worldcon (Renovation) in August! Awesome publishing of art and stories. The stories, they rock. As an illustrator thereof, I can safely say that. Also, I can safely say that the artwork is sub-par, rife with allusion of the roughest sort, and probably a mortal sin.

I heard tell it releases for sale August 1st, but if Worldcon is the release party of the year for EDGE Publishing & Absolute XPress... well, get it online before, or buy it there in person if you're so lucky as to be attending.

For listening to me ramble excitedly, here's a ~~cookie~~ quick peek:

Interiors from 1920s anthology

2011-05-30T19:40:00.002-04:00

The anthology ~~'20Spec~~ Broken Time Blues, a collection of SF stories set in the 1920s, had me illustrating six of their many tales for the past few months. These are some really great stories, and hopefully they'll only read better with some black and white artwork to accompany.

Here are two of the first pictures I did for the book. You should all buy the book when it comes out and see which tales they're for. The book will be published by EDGE Publications sometime later this year. More info to come as I have it!

Beholders

2011-03-07T20:13:00.003-05:00

Some new sketches for the ArtOrder stuff coming up on the 19th.

D&D geekery for the win.

Human fighter in the woods with a beholder, armed with a longsword.

Katablépō!

2011-03-02T21:04:00.001-05:00

Catoblepas for The Alphabeastiary. I'll probably keep posting these mythological critters pretty often. I've started using the biweekly challenges to do color/style experiments that I normally wouldn't be allowed to do in client work. Art Directors generally expect to get what they see from your portfolio (except when you're really lucky with a crazy AD). Not, yanno, some wacked-out, lurid neon digital painting over a pencil sketch from your moleskine that could send children into 70's discotech hallucinations.

So, enjoy your trip over the course of the alphabet.

Catoblepas at Sunset

One of creatures of myth I learned about earliest, when I must've been 6 or so. Had this awesome book that introduced me to a whole slew of fantastic animals from legends around the world (though to be fair, it was 80% Pliny's Histories source material). The Catoblepas always seems to be pictured as some sort of shaggy, depressed cow..

Black Dog That Isn't

2011-02-28T14:00:00.025-05:00

The Alphabeastiary has posted the digital coloring of the Hellhound image I did the other day for their Letter H! Glad to finally have contributed to that most awesome of blog challenges. It's a hoot, and they have some supremely talented folks doodling away at it every couple weeks.

I started on an image for the Catoblepas back on Letter C, but never did get around to finishing the watercolors in the meantime. But I will! Soon!

For now, this entry is brought to you by the Letter H, the Numbers 42, 12, and 86^5, and the Color Chartreuse.

Emergence Art Show: Opens March 12th

2011-02-28T10:00:00.001-05:00

Including work by Lisa and myself. Initially, it was the Talespinning paintings, but now it's hedgehogs. Lisa's is monsters.

If you can make it to Baltimore between the opening and closing, go take a gander. And when you're in B'more, eat brunch, lunch, or dinner at Woodberry Kitchen in Hampden. It's hands down the best food I've ever eaten. And I've done my share of diner chow to haute cuisine. This is comfort food, farm-to-table. And mind bogglingly awesome.

Hellhound

2011-02-25T01:11:00.001-05:00

Working this large moleskine sketch up for The Alphabeastiary Challenge's newest topic - H. Gonna color it tomorrow.

New Work

2011-02-11T06:11:00.001-05:00

The final (pending minor tweaks... whendoIstopworkingonit?) Elephants General. Definitely the longest span of time I've left between starting and finishing a piece. Six months of downtime when I didn't touch it at all, though it was hanging in a show for two months back in June.

I feel like I needed the interwoven practice I got between when I set this aside and a week ago when I finished the watercolor part, in order to really do it properly. The scan didn't turn out fantastically, so when I have some money, I'm going to get it properly done by a fine art imaging studio. And because of that, it was 6 hours of digital work on top of the painting to bring the vibrancy and colors somewhat back to life. It seems to be my usual way of working, though I keep fighting the intermarriage of watercolor with digital overlay... despite being a huge fan of Justin Gerard's work in that very mode.

The model for our green-skinned potentate is the superb Natalie Paquette. The elephants belong only to themselves and nature photographers everywhere. The hands are mine, my mate's, and probably someone else's, too. ...So. Many. Hands.

The Elephants General

The Horror! The Beastliness!

2011-02-10T13:42:00.010-05:00

This is some big news: I'm finally able to sell prints of the Evolutionary Diversion paintings I did for 826DC's Museum of Unnatural History! So if you've been wanting a Warty Koala of your very own, or maybe you know someone special who'd enjoy the company of the Andean Rotor Penguin, then now it's possible. See the Etsy Store for prints. Further works from the 826DC Catalog of Evolutionary Diversions by Lisa Grabenstetter, Katie Schuler, and Oliver Uberti.

Spooky Hare

Andean Rotor Penguin

Insatiable Squid

Speigal's Hooved Marmoset

Warty, or Snaggle-tooth Koala

I think everyone needs nature's mutants.

Jaques James Tissot

2011-02-05T14:28:00.000-05:00

What an amazing painting by JJ Tissot. Values are amazing.

Via The Vintage Dress

Sketchery and Hello!

2011-01-27T22:20:00.007-05:00

After working all weekend on it, yesterday I finally finished the painting of the Elephants' General that I put away for six months. Since I've yet to get the finished painting scanned, have some sketches from 2008. These were interior work for Leading Edge SF/F Journal.

Been sketching some more random stuff, which I'll share if I get around to scanning it anytime soon. : )

Lots has happened in the month or more since I last posted, but really... I twitter more these days than I ever blogged, so if you're on there, come on by. Lots of great creative folks huddling about the 140-character bonfire these days. One really awesome commission was working on a pair of matched, custom SF/F bookplates for a fellow in Australia. It was such great fun, and so glad he and his friend (for whom one of the pair was a gift) were happy with the final run... of 100 hand-pulled prints.

Worked on laying out my folio tonight; will probably send out some mailers in the morning. There was also a horrendous experiment with a recipe for pumpkin spice latte in a crockpot, but no more will be said on that score...

Lisa Blogs About the Mural

2010-11-11T07:09:00.001-05:00

So my mate got to it before I did:
Blogging about the three-week mural-painting-bender we went on in September, from a Distinguished Bird.

Me, I just blog about the trip and the cool shops in SF. Seattle notes to come, if I feel so inclined. Or mayhaps my thoughts on the Rally to Restore Sanity (which was awesomefuntime). But you see, I haven't slept yet and sleep is tempting.

In the sere deserts of Somewhere Nextdoor...

2010-11-02T23:13:00.006-04:00

Back from our trip, and three weeks since we worked on the mural at 826DC (They have a new website! Snazzy!) but we have yet to go check out the publicly-open storefront! Alas!

On the other hand, we did get to go see the original 826 Valencia storefront in San Francisco while we were out West. They have had 8 more years to get their store in prime shape... and let me just say, it's veritably ship-shape in perfection. Signage in epic numbers, beautiful props and furniture. It's a really awesome place. If you're in SF, please check it out. You'll be glad you did. It's only a couple shops down from Paxton's Gate:

The whole place is rife with mounted animals. It's a bit morbid, but if you dig archaic display cabinets and beautifully mounted insects, this is it. They also have a greenhouse and floral shop in the back. It goes surprisingly well with the "natural history museum" front space. Some great local metal artists on display here, too. And classes on all sorts of related things.

And now that I'm back, I want to share with you what we were working on for 826 prior to murals and vacations-cum-home-browsing. This is the first whole look at one of the final illustrations for the Catalog of Evolutionary Diversions anyone gets (unless you've been to 826DC since it opened, of course).

Zebu Constrictor. Dangerous. Starving. Watch out.

Been a while, but news!

2010-10-26T12:21:00.001-04:00

Hey, so StarShipSofa Stories Vol. II is for sale! That's the anthology with an illustration of mine accompanying Tides, a Tobias Buckell story.

You can go buy it here. Or there's always watching the book trailer.

Really enjoyed working with these folks, and creating the artwork they commissioned. Superb fellows.

I'm back from our vacation in Seattle and SF now, so hopefully more posts will follow.

Art for StarShipSofa Stories Volume II

2010-09-25T16:11:00.002-04:00

So I did an illustration back in May for StarShipSofa Stories Volume II. These guys have a Hugo Award-winning spec fic podcast every week, and they issue anthologies like the one linked above every year or so? I guess? Anyway, they have two now. Composed of new illustrations and reprint stories from some amazing authors (Neil Gaiman, China Miéville, Tobias Buckell, Pat Cadigan, etc.)

Well, they're revealed a new promo video for the book, and it has some neat music accompanying a nice "vast depths of extrasolar space" animation by Dee Cunniffe.

The art I did for the book was for Tobias Buckell's story, Tides.

Brief glimpse of the Unnatural History Museum

2010-09-23T14:02:00.001-04:00

So this blog had someone come by and snap some cool photos of the space where we're painting the mural in DC: http://tiny.cc/uwq6j (via @newcolumbiahts)

I have to say though, it may look horselike... but that is far more bizarre than a horse. Just wait till the skeleton is complete and everything put together!

The mural wall is to the left of the skeleton and ladder in that first picture they have.

He Who Shall Not Be Named 2012

2010-09-19T21:08:00.001-04:00

I got to be Lord Voldemort for a while today. I was tasked with getting into Voldy's head, scriptorium-like, and doing some calligraphy in whatever his style should be. This was a "thank you" letter. It'll be mailed to Brent Spiner. But it's not me thanking Data. It's He Who Shall Not Be Named. On behalf of the Palin/Voldemort 2012 ticket.

And yes, it was in green ink on parchment. With a serpent sigil in green wax.

...I have a really weird job, sometimes.

Stuff that does the goings on in the what.

2010-09-10T23:34:00.002-04:00

Or, what Evan has on his plate pending upcoming and about-to-occur.

So, with the 826DC images handed off to our AD, and Lisa's latest commission winding to a close, we find ourselves at the mercy of Looking for More Work. The great part is, we still have work to do between now and the future when we have more work to... do... well, you get the point.

Personally, I have to put the finishing touches on the Elephants' General, now that it's been back with me for a while.
Then, there's some more final touches to a couple other pieces waiting for their last dabs.
And of course, Illustration Friday's topic is "Proverb" this week. Maybe I'll actually DO it on time. : )
Maga Design might hand me more work next week at my new REALLY WELL PAYING rate. Might, though.
Our onsite design contract has us in, on and off, all month.
826DC is going to have Lisa and I paint some of our animals into their museum mural in a week or so. Woo!
I should do another Steampunk Hedgehog painting and plot out a decent story arc to write up and make them into a book. Shop it around.
Probably need to work on some more Etsy Shop bookplate designs when I have a sketching moment.
My participation in the Sketchbook Project is also needed... I've got a few pages in, now, thanks to 826DC.
I'd really like to find some new work and do that, too. 'Cause I'm a masochist of scheduling. Seriously, though--deadlines keep me working, and force me to actually get shit done instead of procrastinating... or doing laundry... or taking a walk... or browsing the interwebs.

And of course, in October, Lisa and I are heading out to SF and Seattle for 11 days... so much needs doing before then.

Though in terms of having relax-time, we went to a really nice going away party for a friend last night in Georgetown. She'll be in Chapel Hill, NC for 6 months and we will miss her. Speaking of, if you know anyone renting down there... here housing fell through, and she could really use a place to sublet or rent. Contact me if you have any info!

Prepare for ...

2010-09-07T14:19:00.000-04:00

The awesome opossum book Lisa and Katie and I were working on for 826DC is more or less wrapped up from our end! Final art handed over to Oliver, and fancy-schmancy scans to come back from the high fallutin' imaging studio he's using. They'll be far and above the nicest scans I've ever been able to get short of giclée printing.

While 826DC doesn't want me to show the full artwork until after the Museum of Unnatural History opens in October, I have some quick and dirty teaser scans for ya. : ) Anyone who can't get to DC to see the books in person, don't fear! I will share the art on here as soon as I am able (though I hear they might do a digital version for non-locals to see). And maybe eventually they'll have copies for sale? I do hope so.

In the suddenly-free time I thought I had, I've been redoing my resume and thinking about a new look for the website. In a week or so, we'll probably be painting some of the creatures we did for the book into the mural installation at the 826DC space itself, however... so free time is fleeting, but painting wins out in the end!

826 DC Painting preview no. 1

2010-08-28T18:59:00.000-04:00

So you've all heard by now about the copious arting I've been up to on behalf of 826DC, and you've probably decided that until I pony up something besides a few sketches, you'll think it's some sort of algebraic math nonsense from that whole "science thing".

Well, disparage no more! Here you have the first in the series of 7 I'm doing:

Speigal's Hooved Marmoset

Buggish blighted beasties

2010-08-26T22:16:00.006-04:00

As mentioned a few times before... the fine folks at 826DC have contracted my wife, our friend, a NatGeo designer, and myself to illustrate some of the exhibition paraphernalia for their soon-to-open Museum of Unnatural History, in Columbia Heights, Washington, DC. Well, we were really stoked about this project despite the short deadline (September 1st!). And now, some views of the final sketches for my set of creatures:

The best part of the project is that I get to paint weird and freaky creatures fer s'rius biznuss. I LOVE doing that!

And like me, Lisa's keeping updates about her end of things on her blog (see link above).

Lisa is King of the Studio

2010-08-25T21:39:00.004-04:00

Man, I'm so happy for Lisa, she gets the coolest jobs ever! Lucky duck has been tacked by Catherynne M. Valente to illustrate some promotional images for Valente's newest book, Habitation of the Blessed: a Dirge for Prester John. Think they're going to be print promo and on the book's website. Which book, by the way, shall have a new cover come release time. Not sure who by. Ignore the one there on NSB's website.

Go, Lisa, Go!

And of course, Lisa's working with us on 826DC's awesome Museum of Unnatural History catalog. Sketches from this to follow!

DAMN THE MAN: SAVE THE KINGDOM - A Letter For Prester John

2010-08-23T14:35:00.000-04:00

DAMN THE MAN: SAVE THE KINGDOM - A Letter For Prester John

If you know Cat Valente's writing (and if you don't, you should), this is a must-read. It's a sad fact of the genre publishing industry (and maybe the industry as a whole) that these things happen.

Go support Valente's work for its greatness and repudiate Night Shade Books for their poor Art Direction.

Potential Nifties

2010-08-20T01:11:00.003-04:00

Tonight Lisa and I met a rarity: Annapolis fantasy illustrators, at Art Things' Annapolis Art Walk event. The talented Beth Trott and Lindsay Fisk. Awesome & unexpected. Learnt about figure drawing open sessions!! Yes. It needs two exclamatories. They seem like keen critters, those two. And they get super respect for introducing us to Maryland Hall's figure drawing model sessions. Hard to find that around here.

Art Things is a superb store, in case I haven't sung its praises before. It's one of those incredibly well-stocked local supply shops that has exactly the weird thing you're seeking, and if they don't, they order it for you. We have a Michaels here in town, and there's an AC Moore 20 minutes away, but they pale in comparison. Except for nice cheap frames. Michaels has good frame prices with their constant sales.

Anyhow, here's a sample of Beth's work:

And here is Lindsay's:

Making Monsters with Friends

2010-08-18T18:56:00.001-04:00

So Lisa Grabenstetter, Katie Schuler, and I had the most energizing meeting yesterday, with a design editor from National Geographic, Oliver Uberti, who is also one of 826DC's artistic gurus. That's right, David Eggers' 826. So we will be donating our time and artwork to the newest chapter of 826, DC's Museum of Unnatural History. How. Cool. Is. That.

We're makin' creatures. 'Cause that's what we do.

I didn't know anything about the 826 project, but man, is it nifty. They're creative writing centers for highschool-aged folks looking to push their writing and maybe delve into something new. Free, non-profit, national. DC's will be location eight, and each one is fronted by a shop that caters to specific needs. San Francisco has a Pirate Supply Shop. New York's is a Superhero Supply. There's a list here.

DC's is a Victorian (un)Naturalist's Society. There's examples of the sorts of cool stuff there on 826DC's blog. It's aiming to open September 24th in Columbia Heights.

If you need an explanation of why I adore the neoVictorian Museum Aesthetic, you've been sleeping. Making an imaginary museum/laboratory was my university thesis.

I cannot wait to get started on these paintings.

Lisa and I doing the Gadget Dance

2010-08-08T19:59:00.003-04:00

So back in April, my wife Lisa and I collaborated on the cover for Crossed Genres Issue 19, Gadgets & Artifacts. Wasn't allowed to show you all until the magazine came out in June, and then I just got distracted by nothing. Forgot to put the cover up anywhere I hang out online! Shameful of me, really. Go grab the issue from them, in epub, pdf, or print formats. It's some good storystuff, it is.

While someone might've been put off by this delay, I hope the rest of you can forgive me. Maybe the actual art will help. So have Artefacts, and don't stab me?

We passed this one back and forth, from sketch to final. It was the first time we'd really gotten the chance to collab on something. Was a lot of fun, really. Hopefully do it again soon.

In the meantime, I just handed over final art for issue 22 of Crossed Genres, coming out in September.

Printmakin'...

2010-06-10T05:31:00.004-04:00

...all the dark night long... *sings something twangy*

Finished cleaning up around midnight, after day two of printing the run for a bookplate commission I received back in ...March? Godsbother, it's been a hectic three months. I normally hate running projects that long, since I always feel best when I can wrap stuff up efficiently and deliver people their artwork sooner. Makes them happy, and I like making folks happy, generally speaking.

So here's a glimpse of the result of two nights' printing.

Lotsa false starts and working out the kinks of a print run go on during the first day's studio push/attempt/draft-run after the block carving is finalized.

Once the plate/block inks properly, the ink amount is calibrated, the pressure of the press is figured out, and the registration jig is fine-tuned for the paper... well, if you start late, you're pretty much done the prep work for the serious printing grind. I'm not averse to overnight print parties, but I really love sleeping. So the real printing happens the next day.

The Trader Joe's peaberry coffee in an Odin mug is there for scale. And for pure viking strength. Or artistic rune magic; not sure which.

Moo Printed Cards

2010-06-04T11:01:00.003-04:00

These beautiful new business cards arrived the other day from Moo.com. It was my first time using them, and I have to say I am REALLY happy with the quality. GREAT stock, good print quality and color. And they're a green business, or try to be. That's awesome and beyond cool that they're now in the States and don't have to ship from the UK. I might drive to Rhode Island just to hug their printers.

New work to see. Not New York. But that'd be cool, too.

2010-05-31T06:07:00.008-04:00

The time has come! I have new work! And more, that I can't show you yet. Bothersome! But, as for the days going by... good news on the continuance of I and Lisa's show at Sova: three more pieces sold while it's been up. : ) *jangly dance*

This piece was newly done for the show, but isn't what sold:

We do so like when people like the work we do. Sold were two of the pieces I'll post up here in a moment, and also the ever-popular Hedgehog Fighting Dragon Pterodactyls on an Airship with a Steampunk Blunderbuss:

I'm really happy I'm doing another couple pieces for different clients in the next month or two... or I'd be short on work for our next show. Next Lisa/Evan joint show, details coming soon.

These are the thumbs for my cover at Crossed Genres' Bildungsroman issue, though the one actually chosen isn't shown here:

And of course, we have the other pieces I did 'specially for the show, that we finally went up and scanned today... getting thoroughly in everyone's way and making a racket.

Blogging to resume soon, as the CG cover and my final art for StarShipSofa Stories are both due soon! I won't be quite so busy... though I did join ChildrensIllustrators.com the other day, so hopefully that turns into more work; I'd love to pick up some new projects.

The recovery

2010-05-10T12:10:00.001-04:00

You may have heard Lisa and I had an opening party for our joint show at Sova in DC last Saturday. Well, I have to say it went smashingly. Easily 100 people came through and Lisa sold 6 pieces at the opening alone, and the artwork will be up for 6 more weeks, if you're in town and want to visit the best new up & coming area in the District. You can even get liquor, coffee and food at Sova. It's got wifi and everything you need except a bed.

Actually, we're thinking seriously about moving to the H Street, NE neighborhood this year. It's that damn snazzy.

We'll have photos up soon, and you can see the opening fun and be mildly jealous, if you like.

3rd knock at the door.

2010-04-26T14:45:00.005-04:00

Hey fine feathered and fecund friendlies:

That's enough of that.

Are you in the Washington, DC area? Can you make it to the DC area? If the answer is yes, or you just discovered astral projection, come see art by Lisa Grabenstetter and myself at SOVA - Espresso & Wine on Sat. May 8th. The opening night of 3rd knock on the door. is bound to be a strange evening with music by Baltimore plucker James Von Lenz and fine foods & drinks available from the bar 'til 2 am.

From 6:00-9:00pm will run the opening, with a DJ set following for the rest of the evening. Artwork will be up for 6 weeks if you happen to miss it and be in the neighborhood later. The new H St NE corridor is a funky place just by the Palace of Wonders and the Rock & Roll Hotel. It's a good place to spend a Saturday night, if I say so myself.

Here's the event page on Facebook.
And here it is on myspace.

May 8th at SOVA come join a strange crowd where Perchta and the Salamander envoys mingle over tea, street peddlers call out cantrips, and bluegrass pickers discuss Hegel with Krampus.

3rd knock on the door is the opening night of SOVA's newest exhibition featuring DC area illustrators Lisa Grabenstetter and Evan Jensen. Accompanying music provided from 6-9:00 by Baltimore musician James von Lenz, while drinks, food & espresso will be available from the bar.

Come early and stay late! SOVA has a chill vibe and there'll be a DJ set from 9:00 onward with the bar remaining open 'til 2.

SOVA - Espresso & Wine
1359 H Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 397-3080‎

Tossed About

2010-04-13T20:50:00.004-04:00

It's been a month since I last posted! ...and that is explicitly not acceptable. I promise to at least make an attempt to blog regularly and without the gaps I've thus far been leaving in between.

Today I spent 5 hours STRUCTURING AN AI FILE. Seriously. That's what I did for the dayjob today. Don't say I never told you about it. : ) ...Not to say I don't do more fun stuff for the dayjob, but that was today's requirement.

In the first moments after dropping Lisa off at work, and buckling down to the drastic and infinitesimally precise songs of Adobe Illustrator, I was privy to a lovely article on PhysOrg.com where I learned about the most amazing conjoining of awesome things next to the International Squid Calculator. Mushrooms. Mushrooms and LIGHTNING. Apparently, electricity shooting along the surface of the earth will make fungus multiply. Once again, science gives credence to the folk wisdom garnered through long observation. Not always, of course, but it happens often enough that I just wish scientists would set out to test as much folklore as possible for demonstrable results.

Some people might recall I mentioned a set of deadlines coming up over the the next 3 months! I can tell you all what they are now, and show you some sketches, though not specify which were chosen for final artwork in a few cases (NDAs are common in this business). The first project is the soon-to-be-delivered woodcut ex libris for a fellow down in Virginia, final sketch below:

The second project is for StarShipSofa Stories, a print collection by the fine folks at StarShipSofa Podcasts. The sketches I submitted below are for an interior illustration (hence, b&w) to accompany Tides by Tobias Buckell. I really enjoy Tobias' work, and this short story is a really cool one that I hope you all enjoy as much as I did when I read it. Not sure when this comes out in print.

Sadly, I missed the deadline for this latest ArtOrder challenge, though here are the sketches I had done for it (before I got swamped with stuff and couldn't do the final art). Oddly enough, in composing a wolf/rat/snake, I didn't realize how much Eastern dragons are based on similar animals, and it was turning out too close to one of those. So no wolf/rat/snake for me. A mantis shrimp/wombat was another idea but I couldn't get it to look right. In the end, I was going to go with the fungitoad in some sort of guard-dog position at a town gate/city docks, and I'll probably do that myself when I have a moment, since I really l like the image. : ) The small child gestures are from a day spent downtown watching people frolic in the sun.

And that's what I've been up to. I have more for you later, but this is enough for today, methinks. : ) Enjoy your evening! It's raining nicely here!

On freelancing variability

2010-03-12T05:37:00.000-05:00

It's been a hectic, and rapaciously busy month, February has. That, and we got snowed in like the Winter Jack had taken an liking to the East Coast. After spending most of January sorta-working dead weeks at the dayjob, suddenly the work picked up again and I was locked in front of Adobe for most days. Funny, how working as much as you're paid to actually uses your time. I rather liked being on call without the actual calling... but yanno, responsibilities.

So I've had to put off finishing the Elephants' General painting. It's sitting in a more complete state than I last posted on here, but it's not finished yet, sadly. I have however, picked up four new projects I am contracted to do. One due in April, one in May, one in July. Woo! I'll let you in on a secret... the May one is absurdly amazing. I am agog with how awesome it is. The July is my first cover gig since working for ScrollQuest. More info as I get OKed to release it.

And the fourth is one whose sketches I just emailed off tonight. This particular commission is a custom bookplate! A personal ex libris for a fellow who found E.M. Jensen's Ex Libris Etc. on Etsy and wanted a series hand printed. This is just really nifty to have finally be hired to do a custom ex libris for a stranger. I've sold a few existing design sets, but custom work is the fun stuff! And, the shop is updated with some new items. Nothing you all haven't seen before if you follow me, but there's prints of "Plucking the Night Orchard" and the Arctic Explorer: Hogarth Merricule painting is up there.

Sometime in the last month I found time to join the SCBWI as well. I feel professional and snazzy, being a member of an organization... strange things happening. Speaking of professions, Lisa and I really want to go to IlluxCon in November. We'd love advice, anecdotes, horror stories, whatever, if you've been there.

The Gearwork Nest: A catalogue of recent personal events.

2010-02-16T21:00:00.000-05:00

My mate Lisa crafts blogging goodness:

The Gearwork Nest: A catalogue of recent personal events.

Catherynne Valente on Valentines Day as told by Chaucer

2010-02-13T17:47:00.000-05:00

Miss Valente has a really awesome post about the benefits of rituals, holidays, and Valentines Day in particular. This makes me re-examine my lack of fondness for the day.

One of my favorite bits:

Valentine's Day, boys and girls, entered the Western mind in Chaucer's Parlement of Foules, fully-realized as a day to celebrate love via an obscure saint, with red hearts and everything. Yes, celebrated in an allegorical bird-nation, but guess what? That makes it even more awesome. I will take a holiday my buddy Geoff invented over almost any other. If I had my way, we'd start exchanging bird-themed gifts and ditch Cupid.

This is a great holiday. It's pure physical, sensual pleasure, divorced from any dogma at this point. Saint whatever. Pass the sex and food.

That definitely makes it more awesome. Exponentially.

WIP - Elephants

2010-02-04T21:25:00.004-05:00

So it knows I'm alive and working.

2010-02-01T12:43:00.001-05:00

Big painting in the works. Not ready to show it yet. Be assured, you'll all see it soon. : )

I'm alive, just busy and been kinda bleh lately.

BLAST!

2010-01-12T00:05:00.003-05:00

I had a great idea. It was an epiphany of artistic endeavor...

I was going to transfer the drawing from the previous post to the 20x13 Canson paper for painting with my archaic OVERHEAD PROJECTOR that I kept from my thesis installation. It was going to be put to USE. It was AN AWESOME IDEA.

...yep, not gonna work. Projector won't focus closely enough to keep it in size. If I needed a 36"-or-greater-width painting, it could do it, easy. But this is too small. Blast it all, I am at a relative loss for how to do this transfer. I usually don't do such a time-consuming sketch and instead work out the details on the WC paper itself... but I don't want to redraw the whole thing after spending all this time on working out the sketch...

Bugger. I need an opaque projector. Or a really big Epson printer.

The Elephants' General

2010-01-08T23:48:00.003-05:00

Value study for new watercolor. Nothin' else doin'. Reference courtesy of the ever-kind Natalie Paquette, and a dozen photos of pachyderms.

Awesomeness of the Printmakery Sort

2010-01-07T03:27:00.004-05:00

So if you follow me on twitter, you may have noticed me tweeting a lot about letterpress recently. If you follow closely, you might've heard mention that on Dec. 28th, Lisa and I became the accidental owners of our own Baltimore[an] 6x8 tabletop platen press. This is beyond amazing. It's an astounding little device that hasn't been manufactured since the first half of the last century, though other companies continued making presses like this till the 70s. So if yer nay on twitter-world, now you might learn about my latest obsession (though really it's just resurfaced... I wanted one of these in college).

The press is so, so pretty. And heavy-- 128 lbs. And dirty-- inkstained (as it damn well ought to be). Though you might need to be an odd one to appreciate antique cast iron that needs a cleaning as "pretty", I dunno. Not sure when this particular press was cast, as the maker's mark is really hard to read... but an interesting tidbit of history: H.L. Mencken, Baltimore's famous journalist, learned to print on one of these that his father bought him during highschool. I'll find the link to that article shortly, if I can.

So... accidental ownership. This is 'cause I made an absurdly low bid on an eBay auction for this press, completely not expecting to win (check out ebay's press listings... they sell between 800 and 1800 dollars). So... I bid... and no one countered me. I was working on a design project and then suddenly saw the email notifier ping me with "You have won..." but the only thing I was bidding on was something impossible. Or so I thought! Ecstatic joy and amazement when I realized I'd actually got the dang thing.

After a couple days of communication with the seller, (who lived in Pittsburgh, thank the fates) Lisa and I drove out to western PA to pick up the iron beast. Shipping is iffy on cast iron. Tends to crack. And it costs more than gas did to just drive out and get it. ; )

It blizzarded on us during the 5 hour trip out and the longer night drive home, though. Appalachians, you are so awesome, but you pick the damnedest times to drop snow.

And, photos, since it DID happen:

After a week of this in its packing box, we finally sat down the other night and did the onerous "packing peanut shuffle" and set the press free, dusted it off, and checked out the parts to all be there and workin'. Which they are! I kept finding lead type among the peanuts, which was odd, considering the type it came with was in another box altogether. Um, that's the other thing: it came with a huge amount of type, photoplates and leading. 2 chases, a set of quoins and keys, and 4 rollers that need serious replacement, which thankfully, can be made new for cheap-ish.

I cannot WAIT to start printing!

Sketchies!

2009-12-30T05:38:00.003-05:00

New sketch sampling from December. Notice a trend in weird animals? I'm thinking the goat and the lions are ideas for blockprints, while the portraits are oil or WC ideas. For portraits. 'Cause I haven't done enough of those.

Art Directors a-knockin?

2009-12-30T05:34:00.000-05:00

Ye gods, querying art directors and submitting portfolio links take a long time when you sit down to do... *counting spreadsheet cells* ... 19 of them at once. Because you can't sleep. Because you drank hot cocoa too late. And you're stressed out over deadlines. As well as over cashflow.

So, you do something productive. It takes 2 hours to properly execute and doublecheck requirements and send out emails and copy down addresses. Anyway. Done! Thank tea I got the website cleaned up over this last month.

Now, during NORMAL hours, I'll do my dayjob work and then put together tearsheet packets for mail-in-requirement art departments. Maybe my spreadsheet will be all checked off before New Years? That'd rock. Then I just haveta be nervous while I awaits replieses.

Oh! And we might be getting a kitten to keep our roomie's cat company. If our friend's cat is pregnant after all. If not... might have to adopt.

The defilement of a respected tradition

2009-12-20T20:53:00.006-05:00

So I got me an etsy shop, finally. It was a very long time coming, especially in these days when it seems every crafter and artisan in the universe has one. Took a few hours yesterday, when we were snowed in, and built the store:

And that's mostly what's there now: my ex libris/bookplate designs that are usable. I take on one of the bibliophile's most treasured traditions and make it as weird, freakish, or appropriate as I wish.

Or whatever strange disasters and arcane imagery YOU wish, even. Since I take custom ex libris orders as well as sell the array of personalizable designs. And of course, in the way of bookplates, any commissioned ex libris designs will never be sold to anyone besides the patron.

If you like books, or art, or both, you can't go wrong with bookplates in your library.

Glorying in icy grasses

2009-12-14T00:45:00.001-05:00

Here again, after a weekend in colonial Williamsburg, VA. Sister-in-law's graduation attended, fife-and-drum redcoat marching seen. Cold endured.

And, it's been on my (newly retouched) website and dA since just before I left, but for anyone who doesn't trawl the muck of my web presence (and serious, there's a lot of it... I understand), here's the newest painting off my drafting table. Part two in the Tailspinning series, in a different mood than the first:

Harlequin Romance Sucks Something Else Entirely, or why you can't pay to play.

2009-11-23T11:47:00.001-05:00

Harlequin Romance and their publishing house have taken the short step into the worst of the vanity presses, scamming aspiring authors out of money and pretending to provide a service.

One which Lulu.com has provided on equitable terms for years, I might add.

Post over on Seanan McGuire's LJ about this travesty.

Thankfully the RWA, SFWA, and MWA have all come out against this shite with fervor.

Crossed Genres for YOU.

2009-11-19T17:02:00.001-05:00

This is a great speculative fiction magazine, and it needs help. Go support Crossed Genres if you have $1.59 to spare. Preorder an anthology. Or just buy a few issues. $1.59 an issue, in pdf form.

It will be good for you. And print issues are cheap, and make great gifts for someone who needs some culture.

Blog post about CG:
http://sandykidd.livejournal.com/345174.html

Crossed Genres:
http://crossedgenres.com/

A: Popple / B: Not a Popple

2009-11-11T00:23:00.002-05:00

Hey, guess what? I'm not a Popple. Our roomie's cat, on the other hand... as yet undecided.

The past few weeks have been filled with book reading, feeling sick with seasonal colds, and being sorta bleh about things. I've been doing dayjob work, and thinking a lot about this painting (read: stressed about this painting). But you saw the sketch, if you follow this blog... it's been a while since that part was done, and today was the first serious day of watercoloring after staring at a light wash for a week. In celebration of my (about time, you slacker!) diving in, I'm uploading the first photo of it in progress.

...I mean me celebrating, you can feel whatever you like about this moment.

Squidlingtime

2009-11-02T14:39:00.002-05:00

Squid entered in VanderMeer's contest over at RevolutionSF.

Yupo paper. Weird stuff.

Happy Hallowe'en!

2009-10-31T19:52:00.000-04:00

May your evening be full of ghoulish grandeur.

Hedgehogs on Moleskines! Best gift ever.

2009-10-30T02:05:00.003-04:00

Hey, I just realized Modofly still has a small selection of my steampunk hedgies on journals for sale! My hedgehog series, on a nice 5x8" moleskine? That's a lovely, lovely thing, trust me! I've seen them and they are astounding.

Just GO HERE AND TAKE A LOOK at the images and all the other awesome artists who're participating in Modofly's neat idea.

Available are the three images below, on a shiny, sturdy moleskiney sketchbook. So have a gander, and if you need a quick, original gift for someone... well, who doesn't like blank notebooks? I don't trust that sort.

Steampunk!

2009-10-29T04:07:00.003-04:00

Squid to come soon.

I'll let you suppose what this entails. Or doesn't.

I'm sure you all are aware the Tor.com theme for October has been/is the wonders of all that iswasmightbe Steampunk. Now, this concept has been around since the late 80s (in the 1800s it was simply science fiction). But I wasn't even aware of it until 2005. In 2005, I discovered the welcoming, open-hearted, zeppelin-strewn skies of this odd little subculture/genre. Handmade craft! Dapper couture! Bizarre music! If you missed out on Tor's awesome columns and guest bloggers, and well... the event of the season, and you're interested even vaguely in this clanky, smoky mess that is Steampunkery, I'd suggest the following sites:

BrassGoggles
The Steampunk Workshop
The Clockwork Cabaret (Rather neat radio show/podcast of SP music and hilarity)
Dieselpunks
Steampunk Magazine
Make: Technology on Your Time (Steampunk and Maker culture overlap heavily)

Personally, I got into Steampunk through an odd coincidence of interests back in '05. I started looking heavily into handmade/renewable stuff like Instructables.com and at the same time, rereading Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, getting more disgusted with our cold sense of industrial design these days, and probably a slew of other catalysts I'm not remembering. The zeitgeist grabbed me hard and all these little aesthetic things that were floating around in my head coagulated like a chilled cup of pudding. Tasty, tasty aesthetic pudding.

I think I discovered BrassGoggles first, the Steampunk Workshop second, and it snowballed from there. I would guess I made my first Steampunk art in 2006 for work (greatest excuse). It was this custom dunny, given away as a prize in our local treasure hunt at Project A-kon 17 in Dallas, TX. I have since done t-shirts, art exhibits, vignettes from the Lively Adventures of Hogarth Merricule III, and of course... the 19th century outfit for my wedding last October.

In honor of the winding down of Tor's Steampunk Month, I would like to dedicate this entry to that end. In case this wasn't apparent enough already.

------------------------
Today's drastic timewaster: Twitter
Today's soundtrack: Regina Spektor & Luminescent Orchestrii
Today's projects: squid in the morning, digital graphics at night

*I keep capitalizing Steampunk because I've recently seen it used as a form of personal description, viz. "steampunk/s". So, to differentiate genre from practitioners.

Slide

2009-10-27T16:29:00.000-04:00

Have you ever really and wholeheartedly loved a season so much that it competes with your sense of self?

That's how I feel about autumn.

be on twitter. peas.

GUD Magazine's excellent monster quiz.

2009-10-26T17:30:00.000-04:00

"Any euchoi around here?" monster: You're the Hadez daemon from A Song, a Prayer, an Empty Space by Darja Malcolm-Clarke in Issue 3. You click mechanically, devour prayers, and you'll destroy the connection to God in anyone who gets too close.
What GUD Monster are you? Find out at GUD Magazine!

Artist of the Day Special

2009-10-25T03:38:00.000-04:00

I have to say, I discovered the most astounding artist by the name of Koren Shadmi. Go look at the work; it blows my mindballoon. I'd seen some here and there before, but seeing it all in one place and knowing it was all the same illustrator was keen.

A friend of mine who runs an art gallery in DC linked him on Twitter, and I'm quite stoked by the images. Want. Paint.

Tomorrow: get printed copy of new sketch so transferral to watercolor paper might occur.

Vitriolic Words

2009-10-24T02:03:00.000-04:00

I spent the entirety of today (meaning from noon 'til one ante meridian) working on the second out of three digital vector illustrations for a government contractor for whom I'm on retainer. Thirteen hours! Of Adobe Illustrator. Augh. The memory hogging of AI is legendary, and I can't even run it after a while. My laptop has 4GB of RAM. Four. And it still chokes up on Illustrator more than thrice a day. Bloody astounding, the heaviness of that particular aspect of Creative Suite 3. Photoshop never does this. Acrobat, gods forbid. The few times I've had to use InDesign on my home computer, it's been fine. The only other CS program that's ever come close to this level of asshattery is Flash. WTF Adobe? AI is entirely MATH. There's not even pixel mapping.

I'm really not a pleased creature when it comes to AI, but that may be a combination of the above-stated and the fact that I'm just not as comfortable in AI as I am in any other program. I just don't think in vectors, and I have trouble conceptualizing what I need to do to achieve desired results, so I tend to wing it. Which probably takes longer than it should? I have no idea, really, since I've never sat and watched another designer or artist using it.

And in the end, 13 hours later, the files sent to my client... I'd like to start drawing. Mayhaps I will.

On the up side, I sent out a few inquiry letters to small press publishers today and yesterday! Here's finger's crossed. I need to finish the above painting to I feel comfortable about m'portfolio and then send it off to HarperCollins, Candlewick and the rest of them. I did enter the Illustrators 52 contest over at the Society of Illustrators. Am nervous.

Tailspinning Sketch 2 Final

2009-10-20T03:51:00.002-04:00

Here's the final sketch for my new watercolor. Finally got a change to do some reference searches and finish up the ziggurat and the backpack.

So... trees to remain pale, graphic shapes against industrial darkness? Or perhaps trees to become dark, graphic shapes against a lighter background? Hrm.

The art, the work... a month in.

2009-10-17T20:53:00.002-04:00

Eventually you wrap up a painting. So here's it all wrapped up. : ) Except no bows and ribbons.

Anyone following this knows I've been working on and off this painting since early/mid September, and it's nearly a month in doing. Sometimes I wish life would leave me alone so I could paint... and then I remember that I am addicted to the internets. Oh dear.

Art Update: Tailspinning Story Sketch 2

2009-10-16T01:03:00.001-04:00

Just for you, fine Jo(e) Public, a preview of the next picture in the universe of the glowing pear.

Will be watercolor, with the tree limbs and foreground the darkest portions against a lighter, happy industrial ziggurat dystopia. Or some of that, at least.

Un sketch:

Art Update: Glowy Pear Goodness

2009-10-12T17:46:00.002-04:00

More dragons and pear-carrying kids. It's probably finished, here. A high quality scan to follow as soon as I can find a place to do it.

Anyone know somewhere in the DC area that does large-format digitizing/photographing of artwork?

And I'd be joyous if people chimed in with their opinions of the painting, if you have any.

Thoughts on the books, though late!

2009-10-12T17:06:00.000-04:00

It's an awesome little post that magneticcrow makes over GUD Magazine's website about Banned Books Week!

Give it a read.

Maybe guilds would be a better system?

2009-10-10T22:50:00.000-04:00

GREAT post on the attitudes of clients toward freelance artists. Sometimes.

Text copied here:

"Every day, there are more and more Craigs List posts seeking "artists" for everything from auto graphics to comic books to corporate logo designs. More people are finding themselves in need of some form of illustrative service.

But what they're NOT doing, unfortunately, is realizing how rare someone with these particular talents can be.

To those who are "seeking artists", let me ask you; How many people do you know, personally, with the talent and skill to perform the services you need? A dozen? Five? One? …none?

More than likely, you don't know any. Otherwise, you wouldn't be posting on craigslist to find them.
And this is not really a surprise.

In this country, there are almost twice as many neurosurgeons as there are professional illustrators. There are eleven times as many certified mechanics. There are SEVENTY times as many people in the IT field.

So, given that they are less rare, and therefore less in demand, would it make sense to ask your mechanic to work on your car for free? Would you look him in the eye, with a straight face, and tell him that his compensation would be the ability to have his work shown to others as you drive down the street?

Would you offer a neurosurgeon the "opportunity" to add your name to his resume as payment for removing that pesky tumor? (Maybe you could offer him "a few bucks" for "materials". What a deal!)

Would you be able to seriously even CONSIDER offering your web hosting service the chance to have people see their work, by viewing your website, as their payment for hosting you?

If you answered "yes" to ANY of the above, you're obviously insane. If you answered "no", then kudos to you for living in the real world.

But then tell me… why would you think it is okay to live out the same, delusional, ridiculous fantasy when seeking someone whose abilities are even less in supply than these folks?

Graphic artists, illustrators, painters, etc., are skilled tradesmen. As such, to consider them as, or deal with them as, anything less than professionals fully deserving of your respect is both insulting and a bad reflection on you as a sane, reasonable person. In short, it makes you look like a twit.

A few things you need to know;

1. It is not a "great opportunity" for an artist to have his work seen on your car/'zine/website/bedroom wall, etc. It IS a "great opportunity" for YOU to have their work there.

2. It is not clever to seek a "student" or "beginner" in an attempt to get work for free. It's ignorant and insulting. They may be "students", but that does not mean they don't deserve to be paid for their hard work. You were a "student" once, too. Would you have taken that job at McDonalds with no pay, because you were learning essential job skills for the real world? Yes, your proposition is JUST as stupid.

3. The chance to have their name on something that is going to be seen by other people, whether it's one or one million, is NOT a valid enticement. Neither is the right to add that work to their "portfolio". They get to do those things ANYWAY, after being paid as they should. It's not compensation. It's their right, and it's a given.

4. Stop thinking that you're giving them some great chance to work. Once they skip over your silly ad, as they should, the next ad is usually for someone who lives in the real world, and as such, will pay them. There are far more jobs needing these skills than there are people who possess these skills.

5. Students DO need "experience". But they do NOT need to get it by giving their work away. In fact, this does not even offer them the experience they need. Anyone who will not/can not pay them is obviously the type of person or business they should be ashamed to have on their resume anyway. Do you think professional contractors list the "experience" they got while nailing down a loose step at their grandmother's house when they were seventeen?

If you your company or gig was worth listing as desired experience, it would be able to pay for the services it received. The only experience they will get doing free work for you is a lesson learned in what kinds of scrubs they should not lower themselves to deal with.

6. (This one is FOR the artists out there, please pay attention.) Some will ask you to "submit work for consideration". They may even be posing as some sort of "contest". These are almost always scams. They will take the work submitted by many artists seeking to win the "contest", or be "chosen" for the gig, and find what they like most. They will then usually have someone who works for them, or someone who works incredibly cheap because they have no originality or talent of their own, reproduce that same work, or even just make slight modifications to it, and claim it as their own. You will NOT be paid, you will NOT win the contest. The only people who win, here, are the underhanded folks who run these ads. This is speculative, or "spec", work. It's risky at best, and a complete scam at worst. I urge you to avoid it, completely. For more information on this subject, please visit [link].

So to artists/designers/illustrators looking for work, do everyone a favor, ESPECIALLY yourselves, and avoid people who do not intend to pay you. Whether they are "spec" gigs, or just some guy who wants a free mural on his living room walls. They need you. You do NOT need them.

And for those who are looking for someone to do work for free… please wake up and join the real world. The only thing you're accomplishing is to insult those with the skills you need. Get a clue.

If you do need portfolio padding, use your skills for a good cause - design a poster for a non-profit organization. Make a website for your local community theater. There are so many opportunities for pro bono work that will actually benefit someone.

Pass this on to every artistically-inclined person you know! Copy the text or just send them the link to the original post."

That Kid and His Pear

2009-10-01T23:43:00.000-04:00

Another lovely day spent with procrastination, pumpkin, and paints. I'm hereby offering this work-in-progress part iii, for any who keep up with this. I'm nearly done, now. This stage is from around 6 pm.

SOZD

2009-10-01T13:32:00.010-04:00

We would like to celebrate the glorious Support Our 'Zines Day by offering some fine publications you may not know about but should. I've had the honor of working with some of these fine people before, or MagneticCrow has likewise, and we are damned glad they keep putting such effort into fine editing. Without further ado:

'Zines To Watch Out For:*

GUD Magazine
Shimmer
ClarkesWorld
Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet
Fantasy Magazine
Crossed Genres
Leading Edge
Electric Velocipede
Strange Horizons
Steampunk Magazine

And there are many more. There are podcast webzines, fanzines, pro and semipro books. Go find them. Your local indy bookstore will carry some. If they don't, they're full of fail. Tell them they should carry some of these fine selections of literature. Support the 'zines!

PS- Here's a small list of audio-podcasty-type-zines:

StarShipSofa
EscapePod
PseudoPod
PodCastle

Go support spec fic literature, and your hardworking 'zine creators.
More about SOZD: Damien Walter

*Apologies to Alison Bechdel, of the wonderful Dykes To Watch Out For

AHAHAAHAAHA!

2009-10-01T00:44:00.001-04:00

So first we have this generous offer from our own resident Banana Guy and that bastion of self-righteousness, Kirk Cameron:

And then there's the counter response here:

My initial thought was that I simply MUST find out the location of the nearest "Top College" out of their 50 count. I want as many copies as they'll let me have!

*snrk* Sometimes, they just dig their own holes.

via Leigh's Art and Musings

Death and Literature

2009-09-26T05:30:00.004-04:00

Been a bit. What, a week you say? Exactly? Hot dandy, that's about what happens when life tosses you a Sad Puppy(TM). These are the sort of unexpected and debilitating moments you knew were out there somewhere, but hadn't happened by for tea and scones yet.

On the night between Tuesday and Monday, my grandmother Margaret Jensen passed away, leaving the mortal coil for something new. Likely somewhere with a brass band and gin drinks. This came as little surprise to the family, as Grammy'd been losing the battle to cancer and Alzheimer's for a few years now. But yanno... death. Even if you don't think of it as an End, it's sad that you won't get to talk to this distinct intellect who's shone you love and support for years. At least in two-way communication. Whether you think it's an End or not, it's at least a change. And change is usually terrifying to our little primate selves. That's ok, though, I like to think that change is a comfortable continuity in itself.

I've been working to completion on that watercolor I posted updates about, in between paying work and putting together submission packets for different publishing venues. Painting's pretty darned near finished. You'll see it soon, ye wanderers of the night lands.

Otherwise, I've pretty much been reading. A lot, by comparison to recent trends. In the last two weeks (or one?) I finished:

KJ Parker's Purple and Black (cute novella. like the emperor a lot.)

Sean William's The Crooked Letter (the concepts are nifty, the prose is great, the protagonists took some getting used to and are still kinda whiny, imo)

Liz Williams' The Shadow Pavilion (not as smooth a tale as her earlier Inspector Chen books, but quite a romp)

Robert J Sawyer's www : wake (16 yr old narrator... sometimes overly pedagogal, but ends feeling fulfilled)

Octavia Bulter's Parable of the Sower (brilliant book. read it.)

Now onto Tim Power's Earthquake Weather. As you may notice, I'm doing a roundabout survey of the judges and teachers at the Writers and Illustrators of the Future workshop I was priviledged to attend in August. I have a KD Wentworth story on my laptop and would like to find a Nina Hoffman book at the library. Did I mention? These are all from the library. Damn fine institution.

And to end on a light note, from this interview:

"Nothing a writer says surprises me anymore, not even if Jeff VanderMeer told me he did his first drafts while dangling naked upside from a coconut palm, writing in squid ink through the hollowed fingerbone of William S. Burroughs. (I've seen his handwriting, this might actually be true.)" - Jay Lake

Tee hee.

Art update second go.

2009-09-19T07:03:00.002-04:00

Much more color going into the scene here, though I haven't had as much time to work on it as I'd like. You know... eating, sleeping, working for pay. Those sorts of nonsense pastimes.

You wouldn't know how many times I've had to tell the Gnome King that I can't come to her BBQ because of needing to do my real job. Sadly, she said I wouldn't be getting a Christmas Present this year... *sniff*

More to come, more to come. These Yarka St. Petersburg watercolors are quite nice, though it's weird to use pans rather than liquid WC tubes. I'd gotten so used to the somewhat overly vivid Sakura Koi colors, and these are much earthier.

Yar! I be seein' ye next time, me hardies. Aye, by the twelfth bell, fer sure. More rum!

Sense and Sensibility and Seamonsters

2009-09-13T02:19:00.004-04:00

So I just posted a book trailer for WOTF XXV, and you probably don't want to watch another video, let alone another book trailer. Trust me, though! This one is well worth the time. It's wonderfully amusing and full of amateur pluck.

Art update on the table

2009-09-13T01:49:00.009-04:00

Update on the watercolor. See? See? It's a watercolor. With a dragon, and a glowing pear. Like I said... because... yeah.

So, we're past the washes-and-messy stage... and I'm terrified at this point. Every time I embark on a painting, I mean REALLY worried I'll bollocks it all to heck and back. But, you go ahead and do it anyway.

So... weird light sources are a go:

Our BOOK TRAILER. ...Really?

2009-09-10T02:42:00.007-04:00

Her's the trailer for the "Writers of the Future XXV" anthology. We saw it play on a giant screen at the awards ceremony... it's a bit overly dramatic for a book anthology, but then again it's a trailer. For a book. So, who know what the criteria are for that sort of thing. Supermusicvideotrailerexcitement!

From: Gra Linnaea

Writers and Illustrators of the Present

2009-09-09T07:33:00.010-04:00

Here's what you all are looking for on the shelves if you want to see the imagery I had scribbled down for Mr. Mike Wood, author of "Risqueman" and the fine folks at Galaxy Press. I think my work is on page 256. Or somesuch.

Everyone's art is awesome. Go check it out. Thanks to Josh Stewart for the image of the book. But don't you dare just look at the pretty pictures...

The stories are grand, and you can read the first reviews I've seen here.

John did a bang-up job going through each story in the anthology and giving them all equal attention, along with the art. One can forgive him for not waxing lyrical on the artwork, as his forte is literature after all. : )

Cat's being noisy again. Have to bury him in the yard.

Final note: Inking's done on the new large watercolor I mentioned in post previous.

Networthiness

2009-09-08T23:02:00.003-04:00

I just registered evanmjensen.com though the hosting hasn't gone through yet. I'm not sure why it took me this long to get my own name as a URL, but it did... and so there ya have it. My name. As a link. It'll forward right to fathomlessbox.com. Or vice versa. Either way, they'll be a pair that all goes to the same place. Same with evanjensenart.com.

So, back to inking! More fun than DNS linkage.

Art update and your daily cookie

2009-09-06T00:51:00.012-04:00

Frankly, I'm not sure what havin' a new blog will accomplish, as I'd all but abandoned the old one in lieu of Twitter and Facebook, but perhaps the shift in connotation (demiadolescence to grownup 2.0) will rejuvenate my webloggery habits.

Thankless day of too much heat, not enough breezes, and far too many amorphous gaggles of bar people around the city docks tonight. Lisa and I took a 4 mile meander broken by a frappe-and-cookie moment at Hard Bean Booksellers. The joyous moment was quickly erased by noisy vehicles, smelly smokers gathered against facades, etcetera.

Quite lovely however, was the last night of full Luna on the bright surface of an airliner contrail. That makes a good sight to follow home, no?

Squarely into inking the newest watercolor I've got taped down to board right now. Kid with glowing sphere and angled birds-eye view at night. It also has a dragon. Because night scenes with odd light sources need that extra fantasy trope. And something about a serpent guarding some golden pears. The kid's based on a very solemn boy who I drew at BWI two weeks ago. He was messing with a gameboy like it was life or death in his hands.

Comp thumbnails and the airport kid above. Sorry about the huge signature... I was in rush need of business cards a week ago in LA, and figured I'd just make color copies of him.

so thursday arrives with bloated spunk

2009-09-02T23:50:00.003-04:00

The dramatization of Evan's life begins anew here. Look for it soon.

2007-10-31T07:25:00.000-04:00

Transcopsican Magnates rule decisively within the runnelling betrothed of giants' flung-asunder headpans. Crumpled fringe elements, Borium and Elysium, captive to the gravitative marches, harbor no ill will toward florrid spirals of mote-matter. Instead, I fickley and incisively mush meander the priority boats. Their sails weft of gloam and their line wound with turpentine, strangely resilient to the eaves and dips of a torpid sea. Coughing tremulously and breathing the beating of a monstrous pump, one occurence of this nature could fashion lovely putrescence from the filament-thin fronds littering your psychotributary floors, up to maybe level twelve.

Once, I said things of elegiac and arcane mathematics bringing peace to a riddled and effluviate mind... but that was incorrect in the strictest thaumaturgic sense. Turgid, note, the yearly incline behooves more than a passing Grace. And frolicking exhuberant through limpid daylight, most scattering corneae denote the beauteous callouses covering a wicked and wonderful denouement.

Scalloped from the edges of the Material Sea, my islands float in fecundity, straining their mooring pins and aching in the soft hoots of a lost dreamstyle for pla(n/c)es copied in the mode of Rembrandt Van Rijn. This, I tell you, this plurial motif is what I point to conceive and thread the needle Thought with when sewn from my Id to yours, or oftentimes to the empty aether. Mockingly? No. Insidiously? Doubtful. Perchance a hint and whiff of trawling oils, but used exclusive to the blind drummers hidden behind our ear canals. I forebore a while past to yeomen of dubious nature, simply for the gift of upstart mechanics and Cunning Misanthropes to contain my elation. Ecstacy and Innocence, Wickedness and Experiential Remembrances, given up in ghosting juts of muddy steam, grafted in terrestrial surgeries to the warm and surging magma flows that birthed their forefathers. It was a sight, let me tell you!

Since, sounding each meter for the empty casket stained in amber oils, it's part of all that is left to dwell on in the herebefore. The chronic, alembic locus shivering in grimy quarters, in ancient wish-tenements somewhere the conscious guard doesn't even recognize as jurisdiction. When slips the yawning firemaw from the sky, and the blue harkens back to fathomless depths, your pitiless glassine eyes flick from corner to edge to scaffold to lobes frontal and rectal, massive or minute. Inquiries innocent of malice but terrific none the less; horrid curiosity boiling fragrant and thick in the crystalline betweens of idea. Or maybe it's ides and the climax reached once will remain truant forever more, drifting motes my only solace in the creaking empty.

Pish and fiddle, moribund and useless drivel, mostly. Rictine faces, fawning and sedated in troubling numbers massage an ego worn to grains so fine as to immitate antimatter splurge on the harbinger, knowing he knows the simple secrets they don't need to subsume, chronicling their scintillation evolutions. Sparks. Sparks so grand and sparks sucking light so fiercely they might almost craft darkness from their simple existence, otherness gently excreted for absolute NECESSITY. These are what I want to dream of. To dream and survive. Yet, I'm awake.

The first memetic induction

2007-10-26T19:24:00.000-04:00

A blogging and scientific experiment.

There are a set of questions below that are all of the form, "The best [subgenre] [medium] in [genre] is ...".

Copy the questions, and before answering them, you may modify them in a limited way, carrying out no more than two of these operations:

*You can leave them exactly as is.

*You can delete any one question.

*You can mutate either the genre, medium, or subgenre of any one question. For instance, you could change "The best time travel novel in SF/Fantasy is..." to "The best time travel novel in Westerns is...", or "The best time travel movie in SF/Fantasy is...:, or "The best romance novel in SF/Fantasy is...".

*You can add a completely new question of your choice to the end of the list, as long as it is still in the form "The best [subgenre] [medium] in [genre] is...”.

*You must have at least one question in your set, or you’ve gone extinct, and you must be able to answer it yourself, or you’re not viable.

Then answer your possibly mutant set of questions. Please do include a link back to the "parent" blog you got them from, e.g. Spurious Phantasies to simplify tracing the ancestry, and include these instructions.

Finally, pass it along to any number of your fellow bloggers. Remember, though, your success as a Darwinian replicator is going to be measured by the propagation of your variants, which is going to be a function of both the interest your well-honed questions generate and the number of successful attempts at reproducing them.
---------

My grandparent is The Meming of Life
My parent is The Flying Trilobite

The best romantic book in scientific dystopia is: Perdido Street Station (China Mieville).

The best sexy song in electronica is: "Penumbra" by Telesma.

The best satirical movie in comedy is: Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990).

The best hot tea in beverages is: Spiced Indian Chai.

I call on the following people to propagate this meme:

Frank Fradella
Lisa Grabenstetter
Aileen
Jessica Cox
Aubrey O'Fallon
Tozetre

Have fun. : ) And lemme know if the nip from this meme involves you answering even if I didn't call you out.

I'm off.

my useless new toy

2007-03-13T07:13:00.000-04:00

Isn't it great, I spent hours setting up a blog I might or might not use.

Ah, I'm sure some day I'll have a use for it. ; )