NightSquid Studios: 2012

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Dogs, Dogs, Dogs...

My Life is Dogs...

...and I LOVE it.

If I'm ever having a bad day, the dogs immediately bring me out of that sour mood.

This past week I finished three portraits of clients who come to the Doggie Day Care center where I work..

"Baja & Lupe"

4"x6"

Graphite

"Beau & Poppy"

8"x10"

Graphite

"Luke"

5"x7"

Graphite

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Jean Paul

Complete & with satisfied clients!

He is one handsome devil.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

The I Made It Market's are one of my favorite Pittsburgh events to show my artwork. And now I've convinced my mother and sister to join me in my pgh-crafty adventures with the IMI's this Holiday Season!

Be sure to check out NightSquid Studios, Little House Made and Bim Jones at the I Made It for the Holiday's! and the I Made It Scary! Show's!

I Made It Scary
October 20, 2012
2:00pm - 5:00pm
Bakery Square

I Made It for the Holiday's
November 30- December 1
Bakery Square

Been also keeping busy drawing cute furry friends...Commission a portrait before it gets too close to the Holiday's!

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Pet Portraits

(photo taken by Shane Dunlap)

Christmas is coming up, and what better gifts than original fine art of a furry friend!

"Petey"

A wonderful old Beagle, whom I met at Bow-Wow

and shortly passed away after I began working there

at a good old age of 15!

"Milo and Gus-Gus"

These Pugs are a couple of interesting characters, here

Milo (black) is sitting on Gus-Gus and smashing him up against a wall.

"Maggie Smith"

This silver mini Schnauzer is a delight and will stare at you

exactly like this from across the room. Who knows

what she's thinking about you.

"Tyson"

This Black Boxer is perhaps one of my favorites. I sketched

this during an afternoon from a photo on my cell phone. Seemingly

always tired, he is also crazy.

"Huckleberry and Boof"

These two crazy cats once blocked off the bedroom their owners

were sleeping in so my dog could not come in. Fearless

wild, domesticated kitties. I drew this for the owners wedding.

"Family Portrait"

It's just like me to not get a decent picture of a drawing before I hand it off...

This was a commission from a Bow-Wow client, for their wedding day.

Their guests will sign the mat with love and best wishes for the newlyweds.

Congratulations to Jenn and Angela!

(Also to Morgan and Heinz, the pups!)

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Staying Positve

Happy 4th of July

Summer has found me in a funk. Wondering around pissed off about something and/or everything. Now as the clouds are clearing, I realize I'm taking life too seriously again and I actually have quite a lot to be happy about and thankful for. Just trying to start over with a more positive mental attitude (not so easy for me). My inner curmudgeon likes to smother my inner creativity. Sure sometimes sitting on the couch and finding an episode of Avatar sounds wonderful but it doesn't leave me half as satisfied as when I finish a project.

Yesterday, I was able to watch a friend unwrap her squid painting! These are the moments I wait for. I'll be getting a hi-res photo taken of it today, in hopes to make prints of it.

I'm taking on another commission piece, which might just take me the full two months I have to draw it. Been a long time since I've done any people portraits. But I have the confidence that I'll get it the way I want it to be.

Here is where I have problems in planning out projects. A lot of times, I have no idea on how I want the finished product to be. I let it work it's way through as I go. Which, in a lot of ways, is the best way for me (to let the art flow through). The less controlled, the better (most of the time). But with this, I'd like to have a vision and to make it happen.

I recently took on a second job working as a dog walker in the city. Staying as close to home as possible, I should hope. Slowly, I'm working my way towards a career working with dogs. Eventually, I want to be able to take my knowledge about training & ownership and be able to help educate people about the proper ways of both. People get dogs thinking it's an easy deal, and that they can just treat them as human babies in a dog suit. NOT the case. There is such a thing as dog psychology...

The squid painting was done in trade for some interior painting. My house is now a lovely shade of Conqueror Green and Burlywood Brown. Then as a fun project my dearest friend Kali and I painted my trash receptacle using her fun doily and some of the left over burlywood. Next, we need to paint the door leading to the basement with chalkboard paint. Then there will always be space to write my never ending lists of things to get done, buy, wish for, reminders....It feels good to have my home finally becoming my space.