Back In The Saddle Again

2014?

Looks like I missed an entire year. Howdyasupposethathappened?

I’ve had a lotta rough years, but lemme tell ya, 2013 took the cake, the house it was baked in and whatever slender grip I had on cooking up a reasonable existence. If I learned anything, it’s that no matter how low you get, no matter the circumstance beyond your control, you can count on your neighbors to make you feel like a complete piece of shit (on top of the despair you might already be experiencing).

OOPS! Rant over.

Actually, an avalanche of unrelated events beginning Thanksgiving 2012 left me without access to my own computer and art supplies well into the middle of 2013. Not to mention a functional bathroom or eventually a warm place to sleep in the middle of winter. Thankfully, friends to whom I am eternally grateful opened their home to me for months longer than should have ever been necessary.

So needless to say, my already tenuous thread of a relationship with art was pretty well unraveled. I really had no desire, let alone the means to work on anything. Aside from a contract job with a regular client (who I’m sure I pushed beyond the limits of professionalism), art was the last thing I was able to deal with.

I could pack it away and not think about it anymore. Despite the feelings of utter helplessness, disposing of the art part was actually a relief.

In March I stumbled across a childhood friend by accident. He was selling art prints at a comic show in Pittsburgh! A few weeks later he invited me to come along with him to his booth at a huge comics convention in Chicago. I even sold a sketch!

Suddenly, wheels were turning and fires were burning again, but when I returned home I was confronted with the reality of a family home that was literally and figuratively closing in on me. So I let things simmer on the back burner while I tried to figure out how to manage my life.

In September I managed to get out of that house and into a new apartment. I left everything behind. I took only what felt necessary to me (some may find it amusing what I deemed necessary). It won’t be until this weekend that I actually have furniture in the living room. After the crushing claustrophobia of that past life, I’m not even sure how comfortable I am with that. I just needed to strip down and figure out how MY life fills the space. Art was not a concern. Just figuring out how to exist was.

But if there’s one thing I know about my love-hate relationship with art, its that it always comes back like a boomerang. After a few weeks getting used to the place, suddenly I could feel years of heartache and frustration and anger and despair just falling away. I sat down in front of a computer and suddenly art came pouring out night after night!

In one month I produced 9 actual physical pieces of art. I haven’t created a tangible piece of art in over 10 years.

When I started this blog, the intent was to give myself a project to help draw (ha - pun!) my skills back out and reclaim some of my love of doing art. I never really thought I’d get out from Under the Rock.

But I have. And now I want to run in the sun!

…

I thought I’d share the art I did as gifts for my family this Christmas. Each piece was personalized in some way.

For my daughter I recreated a drawing that she made for me years ago. I always loved this drawing!

 

For her husband who likes Deadpool, a dry erase calendar on which he can write a wisecrack every day. (This was made funnier, I think, by the 2 magnets that came along with the board itself!)

 

For my nephews, a character based on an in-joke between Sam and his combat-game-playing buddies, and Marvel's Nova, who is Joey's favorite hero.

 Minnie Mouse for my niece, and a mascot and logo I designed for my sister and brother-in-law's cleaning business.

For my sister Donna and her husband, who both like Tigger, here he is in front of their train shop.

Here's Jo Jo, for my bosses. Jo Jo hangs around the sign shop and eats ANYTHING!

I also made something based on this sketch that my mom likes. I forgot to take a pic before I wrapped it up.

 

OK - I know that was a long winded piece! In the future, I'll keep it short and sweet and let the art speak for itself.

Once again, I hope to share art here on a regular basis, so please come back and enjoy, leave a comment or two!

 

Thanks fer lookin'!