New WIP

 Who could this be currently on the drawing board?

Tiny Graphite Powder Art on Ampersand Claybord

 

I’ve always been most comfortable creating my art with pencils or ink pens. I think mainly because of the kind of control I can have with making marks with a pencil or an ink pen. Or perhaps it is just an illusion of control. Sometimes my pencil and pen marks have a way of creating images I hadn’t thought of, or going in a direction that was not my original intent. But for the most part, they kind of do what I want. I feel like this is the most chaotic part of my creations, when the marks go in their own direction. However, I’m not one who is most comfortable with the thought of losing control over my mark making. I tend to panic and feel like I’ve “ruined” the piece. 

This is probably why I am hesitant to try graphite powder on Ampersand Claybord. I’ve seen other artists do this, specifically the artist Allen Williams. I’ve bought a few 5x7 and 6x6 Claybords but was always intimidated to work with them. The thought of doing a piece over and over again to get better leaves me feeling very anxious, mainly because I don’t think I can ever tell if I “got better.” The creations just always come out looking awful to me. 

Lately, I’ve been looking at my process for my recent pencil pieces. I noticed that I thoroughly enjoy blocking out an entire piece of paper with darkness and carving out the lighter values that I wanted. This process can be time consuming the larger the piece, even for something like an 8x10, working with just a pencil. Even though I enjoy “painting” my paper with the pencil until I achieve the darkest value that pleases me, I do recognize this can take a long time to finish a piece, especially if I want to work on larger pieces. I’m beginning to think, maybe working with the Claybord might suit my artistic style a lot better than I imagine. The Claybord can be covered quickly with a middle value. The darkest and lightest values are added afterward to achieve the balance of the image.

To get over my anxiousness of working with Ampersand Claybord, I decided to work on really tiny pieces, around 1x2 and 2x2 inches. So far I’ve got a few very small Claybord pieces going with the graphite powder application. The images on these pieces will mostly be abstract shapes. If you have been following me, you know my abstracts are not true abstract in the purest definition of an abstract, but more like chaos that has been whipped and tamed to almost becoming “something” the longer you look and examine it.

I can’t wait to share more with you as I experiment with these tiny pieces. Stayed tuned.

Baltimore CC, MD 8-10 Sep 2023

 

Hey everyone! It is time for Baltimore Comic-Con 2023, at the Baltimore Convention Center, September 8-10. I will be in the Artist Alley, Table F27. Come see the new personal art totems, MDF version. And Many other prints and original artwork created by me. 

Ticket link: https://checkout.growtix.com/eh/Baltimore_Comic_Con_2023

For more info, go to https://baltimorecomiccon.com

If you are on Facebook, go to https://www.facebook.com/baltimorecomics to join their event for the convention

WIP of new art

 

WIP currently on the drawing board. Did I said I was never going to make another large picture? … I guess never say “never” ….

New Art: “Eyes In the Forest”

 This piece started out as an assignment for a VAP art animation class. I was able to finish the assignment at the end of the class, but did not finish the art to my own satisfaction. It took a while but it is finally finish. Not sure what I’m going to do with it yet. 

  I’m heading down to the Richmond International Raceway for VA ComiCon on Saturday, 19 Aug 2023. Might take this new piece with me. Join the fun and take a look at my latest art products mounted on medium density wood. 

New Convention: Monkey Con

Hi folks! Come join me at the newest one day comic convention in Maryland, Sunday 6 August 2023. Go to https://www.monkeycon.org for more information, ticket purchase and the list of exhibitors. I will be at Table number 43

 

The Evolution of My Art Pencil Usage

 

I’ve used quite a few different types of pencil over the years and this video illustrates the evolution of my pencil usage. Enjoy.

Patreon Article and Video

Sharp Point

Sometime you just got to make a sharp point … on your pencil.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/sharp-point-85023431

Awesome Con 2023

 

Hey Guys! It is almost time for Awesome Con 2023 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C., from 16-18 June. This year I will be in the Artist Alley Area, at corner table E07. Come and join the awesome fun! Drop by my table to say hi. Here is the link to my page on the Awesome Con website: chaotic-abstraction

Struggling With My Two Selves

 

Along my journey through Art and Imagination, I struggle with the 2 artists within me. 

Patreon Musing Post

Waterfront Art Festival at the Bladensburg Waterfront Park, MD

 

I totally forgot to mention earlier this week that I’m going to be at the Waterfront Art Festival, Bladensburg Waterfront Park in Maryland, this Saturday, 20 May, from noon until 5pm. Lots of very creative local artists will be on the scene to dazzle you with their creations. Fun for the whole family with a kids’ creative zone, free river boat tours, tasty food, treats, and more! Featuring live performances from Sharon Thomas, and The Wild Anacostias! Stop by booth space #7 and say Hi.

Art Spotlight 2 - Totems: Awaiting, Rain, Heart, Flamingos

 

The second Art Totem article in the series of Patreon articles to spotlight some arts for owning.

Visit my Big Cartel art store to view my artwork for owning. For the totems that are currently listed as “Sold Out”, I am in the process of creating more and will update my store as soon as they are available. Articles for the 2 original artwork mentioned can be found at these links:

Beneath the Crying Moon

Awaiting Dawn

City of Bowie Arts Committee Spring Arts & Crafts Market

 

The City of Bowie Arts Committee is having their annual Spring Arts and Crafts Market, here in Bowie, Maryland. I have not been able to participate in past years due to conflicting schedules with other shows and weather related cancellations. I am very excited and looking forward to the market. The event will take place on Saturday, 15 April, from 9am to 2pm, at the Bowie Senior Center, 149000 Health Center Dr, Bowie, MD 20716. If you’re in the area, come by, enjoy the fun and celebrate Spring. If you already are planning to attend, come by table #21 and say hi. 

Bowie Arts Festival 2023

 

Convention and Festival season has started for me for this year, and it is going to be a busy few weeks. This coming up weekend I will be at a local Arts Festival, sponsored by the Bowie Center for the Performing Arts. It is their first annual Arts Festival. If you are in the local area, come by and join the fun and festivities. The event is located in Bowie, in the parking lot between the Bowie High School and the Bowie Library. There will be several performing arts groups inside the Center and hands-on activities for the kids presented by the City of Bowie Green Team and MNCPPC. The event will be on Saturday, 1 April, from 11am til 4pm.

GalaxyCon Richmond 2023

 Hello! I am excited I will be at Galaxy Con on 24 - 26 March 2023. Galaxy Con will be at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia. This will be my first participation at this convention and it is their first in person convention since the COVID pandemic. Come join the fun. If you are in the area, come by and say hi. Perhaps pick up an origami gift during my Patreon sign up campaign I will be running during the convention. I will have lots of printed art that I sealed and mounted myself, all ready for displaying anyway you like. 

Art Spotlight 1 - Totems: Seasons

 

The first in the series of Patreon articles to spotlight some arts for owning. 

Visit my Big Cartel art store at https://journeyofimagination.bigcartel.com to view my artwork. I love selling my art mostly in person to convention and Arts Festivals attendees. If you love to attend conventions and festivals, give my Blog a follow and be notified when I post about where I will be heading next.

Ideas and Mark Making

 

In this Patreon video post, I talked about how I get my ideas and my art creation process from ideas to finish. Enjoy

Patreon Article and Video about Ideas

Art Inspiration Through My Art Collection

Hello. Happy New Year to all of you and also Happy Luna New Year. I want to start this year with something a bit more personal and continue throughout the year with sharing more of my perspective about art and art creation through my art journey.

Patreon Article and Video about my Art Collection

Photos and videos in this article are taken of artwork I own, or had permission to take photos. Please do not share individual images and videos outside of this article. 

Here are Instagram handles to the artists I mentioned or shown images of in the video that I’m able to find. From their Instagram profiles, you can link to their websites or other social media and shops.

I unfortunately do not have info for the artist I met in Amsterdam.

Sean A, Murray IG: @seanandrewmurray

Stephanie Law IG: @spmlaw

Allen Williams IG: @i_justdraw

Ania Mohrbacher IG: @aniamohrbacher

Nigel Cox IG: @nigelcox1

Dan May IG: @danmayart

Elisa Urbinati IG: @elisa_urbinati_illu

Nen Chang IG: @retromortis

Stella Im Hultberg IG: @stellaimhultberg

Iotu Ciprian IG:  @iotuciprian