Some process photos from these past couple of weeks.  All glittering, eyeless fragments via Instagram.

If an artist palette is any looking glass into an artist’s mind, it would be clear that I’ve got a lot rattling around up there and no where to put it.   Granted, my working process is not as orderly and sensible as I would like it to be, but really this is the worst I’ve seen in a while - but now that I look at it, this palette is a microcosm of my surroundings, half my house is packed up in boxes, and my small creature comforts are slowly being packed away.  Now that I’ve finished these pieces, my drafting table and art supplies can be packed away too - putting the final nail in the coffin for moving out of this place.  My roommate and I found a lovely new place that I’m really excited to move into, a post-art school, having-nice-things, not-owned-by-a-drunk-slumlord  apartment, and I’m excited to change up the surroundings on a blank slate.  I’d just like to fast forward 2 weeks and have it be over with already.

I couldn’t be happier with how these pieces turned out.  Somehow, finding the right material to work on really set me off (in this case, maple) and having the additional drive of having a place to show these put a fire under my ass to start painting again.  Expect to see more pieces on wood, it’s easy to pencil on, it’s absorbent, and the ghostly way the paint overlays that beautiful woodgrain is really killing me.   I think it’s high time to dust off my skillz and put them to good use.  I’ll post more photos soon, but in the meantime they will be on view until May 10th here.

(Bonus round:  tiny-self portrait in palette photo.)

Chicago has been so unseasonably warm, spring restlessness has had an early onset this year. These months are moving fast and I’m welcoming all the change - the impending doom of moving out of my beautiful apartment of 3 years is a great excuse to do a massive purge and change up the scenery.  Spring on it’s own has the effect of renewal and new growth and I fully intend on using it to my full advantage!  I can’t tell you how great it feels to have the windows open, use the bike, wear some shorts and lay around outside.  This is one of the greatest cities in the Spring!  

For anyone who is in Chicago this next month, I will have all new work in this show at Oh No! Doom - appropriately on Friday the 13th.  I’ll be posting some process shots soon, it’s nice to be doing some personal work and this show’s theme is right down my alley.  If you’re nearby, come check it out:

Some (finished) highlights from the last two weeks.  

This couldn’t have been more natural for me! It’s nice to feel my own hand come through in tattooing - and I’m always in my element working with snarling mammals of any kind.    There’s a certain way that black and grey lays in the skin that really mimics graphite and the tooth of paper, but that’s also in the technique and speed in how you lay down your shading.  Good to know that this technique is working.  (Note crutches in background.)   

(I’d like to just mention that “Simplicity and clarity should be your theme in dress” is more “incredibly dry life advice” than “mystic fortune”.  If this whole art thing never pans out, I know that I would have some talent as a fortune cookie writer.)

At any rate, the more hectic my job gets, the more hectic my sketchbook work becomes.  Sometimes the only way I can unwind after work is grabbing a drink at a bar and frenetically doodling, while enduring the socialite wildlife and overhearing terrible first dates.   Although I do most of my art-work at home, sometimes the couch sucks me in an Netflix (or more recently, a modded Wii, thx MW) takes over and I’m checked out for the night - so taking a rest stop with my sketchbook can be a good way to unwind from how stressful my job-work can get.   

Working through some designs and some half-assed ideas for bigger paintings.  Constantly wishing I had a better hand for script & calligraphy  (have you seen this guy’s work? Impeccable!) , although I’m getting much better at it.  So on and so forth.

I think I hinted at the fact that the warm weather brings in more work, and I have not been disappointed so far.  Pieces like this give me a hint into how I like to design, tattoo, and do work that I love that the client also loves.  It’s true of any client-based work, learning how to balance your work as something you truly love, versus something that is paying your rent, while keeping your soul intact by any means possible.

Regardless, I’m looking forward to more projects like this.  Linework as texture and contour is something I’m always working with.

*Sorry for the duplicate post, I’m busy wrestling with CSS on this rainy day!  

More from the everyday.  Instagram: feralcatbox

Very rarely in the tattooing business do I get to revisit any of my pieces since most of my work walks out the door, never to be seen again.   I don’t know where these one-shot tattoos go, how they heal, or who they see - so they must be done efficiently and thoroughly since usually there’s no second chance.  And who knows?  It’s out there in the world with your name on it.

Multiple sessions are a blessing.  Granted wrap around pieces like this have to be done in steps, but as someone who is pretty green to tattooing, having the experience of learning from your piece every time it comes back to see you is totally invaluable.  It gives you the opportunity to see how your work heals
(incredibly important!), and gives you the chance to layer color and revisit areas that may have reached their limit before.  That’s the thing with tattooing, there are limits to how much work you can put into skin - much like watercolor paper, with too much work your surface will start to deteriorate.    

It doesn’t hurt that my client Heidi is nothing short of wonderful, so spending a few hours on with her is no chore (also doesn’t hurt that she’s a chef, and brings me snacks…).  She essentially gave me her calf and let me do my thing, which it would seem that following my instincts is serving me well.   It’s completely my drawing, with the same figures and duality that would serve me in my artwork, and doesn’t ignore the 3rd dimension.   I couldn’t be happier with how it came together, but I can enjoy this for a minute and take what I learned and move on.   Being trusted some no-strings-attached skin doesn’t happen often!  But hopefully I can get some more projects like this in the future.  Things have been picking up at the shop after the seasonal winter slump and things are moving & happening.  Hopefully this momentum will be an indication of the coming spring…

Process shots: one, two.

Even if an unfortunate construction mishap put my tattoo shop out of operation for a couple of days, at least I got to spend it doing some sketchbook therapy.  I go through these phases of colors - very rarely do I pull more than three tubes of gouache for a painting, but this new coral red is totally electric!

It’s also been quite a while since I did a self portrait, too bad this one looks so damn smug.