Solo Show

I have just wrapped up my last painting for the show at Rodger LaPelle this coming Friday and I will be picking them up from my framers and delivering them on Wednesday. You can see most of the paintings as well as size and prices on my gallery page. There are 4 more paintings which haven't been posted on the galleries website yet, but they should be up there by Wednesday. I don't think I have ever painted as much or produced more work than in the past 2-3 months as the time to get work ready for the show was really short. Most people have up to a year and I had just a few months. But the upside of painting 12-16 hours a day for several days in a row is that I really get deep into my painting trance.

Judge Parker

The plot as they say, thickens...

Judge Parker

This is the first time I've gotten to draw Sam's partner Steve in the strip since I started drawing Jp almost three years ago.

Final Semester Week 5

Between keeping up with the Judge Parker strip and working hard to finish the last few paintings for my solo show it's been a bust week. Last week was the big Open Studio at school and that kept me pretty bust but I did finish the big snow trolley paintings and have started on another. I think there will be many late nights for at least another week until the last painting is done for the gallery and off to the framer. This pic is a shot of the spray room on the 10th floor at school. If we have to do any sanding or spraying of any fixatives, varnishes etc., we do it here and you can see many people can't resist tagging the place up.

Final Semester Week 3 and 4

I finally caught a bit of a break here so I thought I would catch up on my posting here. It's been really bust the last two weeks at school, culminating with the school-wide Open Studio night last Friday evening at school. It's the annual one-night event where the school is open to anyone who wishes to come in and look into the studios, pull back the curtain as they say and check out what we are all creating in our studios.

Its a huge public event and we also had the monthly Studio 128 opening as well as the Tanner exhibit going on as well. I was told we had about 80o people come through the school that night, which is up from last year.

I had an even better response to my work this year than last year and several inquiries about my paintings, so I feel my show at Rodger LaPelle should have a good bounce. I had a great time talking about my work and meeting so many art fans, collectors, parents and enthusiasts.

In the meantime I am still working as hard as can be on the last few paintings I want to have for the show, I will finish up in another 10 days or so and then begin framing everything.

I also got to start my class with Scott Noel last week, there was finally one spot open in the class. This painting was the usual flat out sprint against the clock, or the sun. The light dramatically changed about half way through, but knowing how Scott has us set up I plan ahead, still these are great practice, win or fail.

This is a shot of Ewa an Lexi's work on their side of the wall in the hallway outside of our studio.

Here you can see a very creative shot of me by Ewa as I sit talking to m buddy Evan as the crowd thinned out and we all kinda' plunked down after he whirl wind stopped. I think everyone was really happy with the turnout and response to our work and the school in general.

Judge Parker

This Sunday was a lot of fun to draw....

Robin Hood Cover Nominated

I am honored that my cover to Robin Hood Arrow of Justice, published by Airship 27 is nominated for the Pulp Factory Cover of the year. The first cover I did for Robin Hood did win the cover of the year last year, so I am honored I that I have my second cover in the running for the award.

Judge Parker

Sam wants to make sure the Judge is safe...

Blast from The Past--First Marvel Job: Transformers

While going through the archives here I came across copies of my pencils for my first Marvel Comics Job circa 1984. It's ironic in a way, that my first job at Marvel would be a robot comic as the first job I was offered at Marvel on my first trip to the offices in 1983 was a comic to be inserted into a toy, but since I was still living in Ann Arbor at the time the editor didn't feel comfortable giving me the job. The next summer I landed a gig helping out on Robotech for DC and this lead me (samples in hand) back to Marvel to try and land work.

I ended up getting an issue of the Transformer to do since the samples were of that type of work, yet I really didn't like the show or want to draw tat stuff. but a job is a job, especially in the beginning so I said yes, then struggled to draw the robots between using the toys ( which I bought) and the model sheets for the show--which really had nothing in common. I had just turned 23 at the time I did this job and had just moved to Philly.

The job was hack inked by just about anybody in the bullpen who could hold a brush, so suffice to say my first job at Marvel left a kinda' bitter taste when it hit the stands. I was happy to have my first job but sad that the job was given the "Marvel Hands" ink treatment. But that was how comics were done then,I was luckier than my buddy Bret Blevins who had his first several jobs ruined by having them inked by Vince Coletta. Comics was a simpler and maybe more fun business then, less pressure to earn a zillion bucks an a lot more opportunity and variety of books for an artist, especially those trying to break in. these days it seems those types of books don't exist at the big two so now you have to go the independent way, maybe an Image book and probably plan on not making much if any money for a while. I've know a few guys who are now at the big two who came in just like that.