Art Blog

The Drawing Club with Bob Kato

Just finished scanning from tonights fantastic life-drawing workshop : 5 and 15 minute poses - i walked around the model with my sketchbook and markers.

Its once a week, with Bob Kato at http://www.thedrawingclub.com/

I must go again. Loved watching the amazing people there drawing.

Coloring book progress – Tired but happy

Finished the new front and back cover for my coloring book, Creatures Of Legend. It will now go through the approval process, and once its done, I will order my next proof - once its good - it will be ready for purchase!! Time for bed - good night.

Update On The Coloring Books

As some of you may know, creating a brand for my children's coloring books and activity books was necessary before moving onto publishing the "Creatures Of Legend" Coloring book. I am happy to tell you I am closer and closer to a finished product.

Here are some sketches as I kept refining Arty, the character who will represent that brand. (Just keep scrolling down) He is soon on his way to the trademark office for a long process of waiting. However, before I use the "registered" symbol, I am free to us "TM" as I get the publishings going.

I will post as soon as I get the 2nd proof for my coloring book. Thank you for your patience!

Happy New Year at Mammoth Mountain!

To explain my recent radio silence: Mammoth Mountain in California was taking up all my attention. Here are some photos from the adventure! Surprisingly, not much snow fell, but the lifts were open and the runs were GREAT fun. Another fantastic feature of little snowfall was beautiful hikes with patches of snow, crisp skies and chill winds.

A new years wish

Thank you so much for all your support this year. The magic of the Internet and how wonderfully we can share images, interests, and beautiful things brings me daily joy. This year it has been especially inspiring. Counting my blessings has been overwhelming. The largest ones I feel compelled to share, right now, with you.

I am grateful for my friends, their patience with my schedule, and their forgiveness for my lack of a verbal filter.

Thank you to my family. I love you. The support you give me is unmeasurable. I wish you all peace.

All who read my blog: thank you. There are days where the energy to post, or draw, or do anything is gone. And then the thought comes: "But what about those few who read...and comment...what if I disappoint them because I haven't made anything.." and then I make something, draw, or write. Sometimes it doesn't get posted but the most important thing has happened: progress. You made that happen for me...right now you who are reading this, I thank you. Progress is, and always will be, my greatest challenge. This year I made progress but did not have the speed and satisfaction I hoped for.

I published my first experimental graphic novel, but still working on the book signing party. I had my first set of limited edition prints made, but dealing with production issues to make sure all packaging is beautiful. I applied to Comicon for the first time ever, but didn't score my own booth. I made art, but not as much as I wanted. I will keep making, keep working, and keep fighting for time.

But nothing prepared me for the thrill of encouragement coming from the expanse of the internet.

Happy new year to you. Thank you so much for reading. You help me more than you know. I look forward to this next year being as or more productive and exciting as this last one. You all have been good to me, and I hope to share more art with you.

Blessings, and draw on!

SNOWBIRD: a graphic novel by Erin Wilson

I love stories.

Sometimes, only 5 pages of one makes me tear up at work...I hate tearing up. Yet I wanted to know more about what was happening past the 5 pages of this graphic novel, so I consider this share-worthy. Its an overwhelming thing: to see art that looks as therapeutic to the artist as it does for the viewer. I also consider this brave of the artist to share art that feels so personal. I encourage you to check out, and support, SNOWBIRD, a graphic novel by Erin Wilson. Adorable, touching. Charm and beauty in the face of fear and pain is very special.

This is her Kickstarter page, where you can pledge to support her as she completes this graphic novel.

This is her Website

And this is where she answered Kickstarter's question with a comic.

A Very Chipmunk Holiday

I also have this chipmunk in my store as a FREE DOWNLOAD Holiday Card if you want to print out, fold, and give to someone special this season. Enjoy

Early Morning Light Drawing

After a wonderful bar crawl Saturday night, ending with Denny's waffles - I could not fall asleep. So, I went out and took some photos.  It was one of those nights when the beauty of the world fills me so much I'm bursting at the seams...and having too many coffee-tequilas. Inspiration decided to drive me to one of my favorite trail-heads to take some rising sun photos of the valley below. Upon arriving at said trailhead...at 5 in the morning....I realized that hiking by myself to the top of a mountain in the dark, hauling a tripod, might not be a good idea. So, I think that will be for another time. Here I share some funny and some pretty photos of what happens after a night of dancing, drinking, and waffles - then going for a neighborhood stroll and being the creep with the camera at 4 AM. After this post, I ust might get some shut-eye.   PS: Happy 21st BDAY AURELIA!  

Skydoll by Barbucci & Canepa Just Arrived

Skydoll Vol.1 by Barbucci & Canepa just arrived and I am so excited to read it! Just flipping through it, the colors and faces are beautiful. The panels are stunning. I plan on tracing a lot from this. "Tracing! Krisztianna, isn't that cheating?" HA! NOPE! Only if you claim it as your own. I LOVE tracing beautiful drawings - its actually quite a wonderful exercise. <dances with tracing paper>

Now, a funny thing....in this American reprint I have received...the nipples were removed from the cover. I wonder what that room is like, where they make these decisions. On the outside, the group is all "hmmm, America will not like this unless we remove the nipples, despite it being an adult novel, and despite our hypersexualization of tons of other things for the youth- the REST OF THE WORLD can handle it - but us Americans, NO TO NIPPLES!" Its just odd to me. If they hadn't removed them, I wouldn't have brought it up - but now that they asked someone to Photoshop those nipples out, here I am talking about them. The very act of hiding them has brought it into conversation. <shakes head>

Anyhow! I'm excited for some tea, some pajamas, some tracing paper, and some kitties sitting on my hand as I try to draw and read.

Here's the french one - the original I assume:

An Open Letter To Sam Wolfe Connelly

This is his  twitter, tumblr, and this is his facebook fanpage

And now, as I do for sources of inspiration, my letter to him, as if he would actually read it.

Dear Mr. Sam Wolf Connelly,

You are one of those artists who I am ashamed of not knowing about earlier...as in....when you first started putting your art on the web. The subtlety of your line, light sources, and lucid imagery show years of excellence that I obviously missed out on. I have been following your work a few months on your site, on your fanpage, and on your tumblr. Its been amazing to see the world recognize your beautiful visual storytelling. In the age of the impersonal nature of the internet, where its easy to forget the person behind the art, especially when its so beautiful, your images of Captain America and Iorek Byrnison show much sensitivity to the stories of others, and translates into something  personal.

I look forward to one day seeing one of your shows, and to own a print on my wall.

Encore!

Krisztianna