Samuel E kirkman

The K-Jewel Show was a BLAST!

2011-10-08T13:18:00.000-07:00

I can't thank Karl Kallmann enough for the invitation which came, about a year ago, to be in this past weeks art hop gallery show at the K-Jewel studios in down town Fresno. This was my first show ever, and I am flabbergasted at the response to my work! What have I been waiting on? As a creative person who longs to actually be an artist for a living, there is a rational fear, an apprehension, that your work my not hit the mark with a viewing audience. That your hopes will be dashed, that you dreams will be squelched. We perhaps place too much of our worth as an individual in the validation of our work. That fear of failure perhaps is what has stymied me all these years. But for what ever reason, I am finally out of the creative closet!

When Karl emailed me and asked if I'd seen the Fresno Bee yet I was absolutely blown away! My piece made it on to the front page of the life section with a header piece on the front page! Totally unexpected! Thursday night, a couple who attended the opening told me that they came because of the article, specifically to see that piece. Boy did that make my evening! I've also been contacted by others interested in acquiring a print based on the news paper article.

And MAN was the show busy! I regretfully, had never attended an Art hop in Down town Fresno and had no idea what to expect. It was so stimulating to see so many people take an interest in my work. and meeting the other artists was just incredible! 10 years ago when we first moved out here to the west coast, I found the work of Leonard Filgate in one of the many galleries along the central coast.

His warm and whimsical Characters from the Children's book series Rip Squeak, written by his charming wife susan, simply captivated me. We purchased a copy online for our son, never dreaming that one day we would be able to have them both sign it. And the thought of my work being hung in a gallery with his... I think 9 is the number of the cloud I'm on! I also had the pleasure of meeting Doug Hansen a Wonderful illustrator and an instructor at Fresno State University.

We had the BEST conversation! Never let it be underestimated that when two creative minds start talking, the world can indeed be changed! We is sure feel like it can, and He has invited me to come speak to his class in November! I think I can help most by presenting my story as a "Why it is important to have direction early in your life" kind of way. If just one of his students can avoid the pitfalls of retail I will have won the world! I've got so much that I want to share with them.

And I also had the wonderful pleasure of chatting with Kathryn Pendroza

a remarkable illustrator. She is a friendly, warm and open person. We talked about the SCBWI and critique groups, universal travails of life as a creative and again, just so wonderful to be around like minded and friendly people.

I hope that this isn't my first and LAST gallery show. I so want to do this again, but even still, just having discovered a facet of my community that I never knew to be a vibrant as it is is such a win for me and my family. Thank you Karl Kallmann and the K-Jewel staff for being the gem you are in the cultural crown of our community.

the APE experiance

2011-10-04T12:46:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I had one of the best art times in my life. Not because we sold out of books, because we didn't, and not because we all ended up with publishing contracts because we didn't. But we did revel in each others company. As artists, we struggle with balancing our passions as we speak with others. In the end, our friends and families, although supportive, lack the depth of interest in what we love to talk about, and after the fiftieth time we share our work with them they get a little bored with us. Getting with fellow artists and WoW! We just can't stop talking! We see things through similar filters and feel things in similar ways. That's the number one take away from this weekend for me.
We really didn't do half bad when it came to sales, yet in the long run, we're simply hoping for a self sustaining venture at present. Self publishing events are showing up all over the place, and as they do, our chances of this becoming something more improve dramatically.

Thank you again;

Charlotte Cheng Denver Wagner and Michelle Kondrich for being so AWESOME to hang with!

We will have to do it again!

DARK MISCHIEF Kickstarter campaign

2011-09-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

Well, it is official. The Kickstarter campaign is open for pledges!
My story, Two White Horses was accepted for inclusion in this anthology of dark tales. I'm hoping mostly playful or low impact, haven't seen much of the other stories yet, but the artists involved in this project are simply AWESOME! I'm so excited to have my work along side theirs! Dani Jones, Kim Holm, Sarah Turner, Mark Rudolph, AP (Tony) Fortado, Mich Byrd, Dave Flora, Dirk Manning, Cayetano Garza Jr., Pam Harrison, Wane Spencer, Kenny Durkin, Thomas Florimante Jr., Jenni and Barry Gregory,
Even though this is a step beyond where I usually tread, I have high hopes that it will bring me one step closer to being a full time story teller. Getting in on this Kickstarter campaign is one way that you could help. Jenni has put together some awesome incentives. Take a look and see if any might appeal to you. Just contributing a dollar will put your name in the book as a contributor, and if the word is spread by everyone and we meet our funding goals, all of the contributing artists will receive payment for our efforts! I MIGHT REALLY GET PAID! YEA!!! Just being part of this project is cool enough, but man, a bit a moola would be nice too. One thing that is great about contributing to projects like this is that all creators retain 100% of their rights and can do what ever they wish with their stories. Two White Horses will be available as a 20 page standard comic soon as well, and as a Digital down load from the new Indiplanet Digital site.
Thank you in advance for any support that you can share and I hope that you will enjoy the stories in Dark Mischief

Preparation for a busy month

2011-09-25T21:17:00.000-07:00

Well, Here comes October!
Every year for the last, oh, I don't know, SEVERAL years, I've been saying I'm gonna leave the Day job buy October. We I can't say with any certainty that that will be so, but I am about to take a couple of major steps in a direction that may make all my Artin around more legitimate. Hopefully profitable.
fist, I hit my goal and then some in finishing my 20 pager for Jenni Gregory's Dark Mischief Two White Horses, (my contribution to this anthology) marks a mile stone for me personally. Stepped way out of my comfort zone and I think I think of all my books this one will attract a much wider audience.
Second, APE the Alternative Press Exposition is this next weekend. I will be tabling with Denver Wagner, Michelle Kondrich an Charlotte Cheng I'm hoping for a BIG weekend of connections and fun interacting with folks who come to the show.

and Thirdly, on October 6th I have my first Gallery Show ever. Here in downtown Fresno, at the K-Jewel Gallery I'm very excited. I thought that I would be nervous, but I'm really not! I feel like it's just time. Time I started to let people see what I've been trying to do in ernest since 2005. Here are the pieces I'm putting in;

TRUST

Trust is like my Masterpiece. the Show is for illustrators, but I hope to demonstrate that the visual artist should not be limited by an imposition of labels. We do think deeply about our contributions. they are quite personal and hopefully thought provoking. I slip it in to the category of editorial illustration, but it is to me a work of fine art.

And other pieces will include;

Adrift

GREW

The Mayor's Wife

the final page of For the Public Good.

I had a large print made through Zazzle 24x36

plus My KnickKnack the Kat story all framed in sequence.

It's really hard to decided which pieces to include. I might try to work in a couple of the Priest from GREW, but at any rate, being my first show I can't wait to see how my work is received. I do hope that this last big push to get my work out there is met with a positive response. Either way I plan to learn as much as I can from the experience and grow from there.

There's a new podcast in town!

2011-09-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

Just a short note. The Illopond Creative Collective has put together a new podcast for all you creative types to stick in your ear while you work.

http://www.illopond.com/podcast/

On our first episode we have interviews with two of our ponders, Denver Wagner

and Paul Cageggi of the Process Diary and his web comic Pandiea

and a very special guest, Eisner award winning author/artist

David Petersen

Mouseguard.net

I'm really proud of how it turned out and I hope that you will help spread the word about the show.

If you get a chance to listen, please leave us a comment! I'd love to hear what you think.

What I've been working on

2011-09-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

September comes, and I'm sure will go with head spinning swiftness. Not only do I have my first Gallery show coming up the first week of October, the 6th to be exact, But October 1st is my deadline for my newest graphic short story. it is called Two White Horses. This is derived from what I believe to be an old Appalachian folk tale. Years ago when in I was in collage at UT Austin, I caught a PBS special, Storytellers. On that show was the most captivating storyteller I had ever heard. Her name was Jackie Torrance. this is 26+ years ago! The story she told has been with me ever since. I've wanted to put this story into comic form for some time but was waiting for my abilities to grow to do it justice. The opportunity came for me to put this to pen only a few weeks ago. I hope that it will be included in an anthology that Barry and Jenni Gregory of Ka-Blam! are putting together called Dark Mischief. The other artists on this book are SO incredible! Among them Dani Jones, Mark Rudolph, Kim Holm, Mitch Byrd AP Futado, Dave Flora, I mean really exceptional talent. I am so flattered to be included, and hopefully this story will be. Not only that, but APE is on the 1st & 2nd og Oct. AHHH! anyway, like I say September is going to fly by and when it has I hope to be in a better place in my professional Art carrier. Here are the first 10 pages of Two White Horses to Whet your appetite for what i hope will be one of my best works yet.

To get the rest of the story, be sure to watch for the availability of Dark Mischief, soon from Indyplanet.com

I hope it makes it in and even if it doesn't, I'm a thinking I will make it available other wise. Thanks for having a look!

Importance Of Empathy In The Life & Work Of An Artist.

2011-07-25T09:18:00.000-07:00

As a boy, the episode of Star Trek; "The Empath" (pictured above,) made a deep impression on my way of thinking. It has always been one of my favorite episodes because of what it helped me to realize. Empathy is the capacity, the quality, the ability that makes us most human. With out it we are selfish beasts, capable of the most egregious and inhuman acts. The thing about empathy is that it is sadly, such a fleeting quality. I think because it costs us so much. To take the pain of another into our own heart hurts us, and since we naturally avoid pain it takes a self sacrificing, conscious effort to do so.
Artists, like everyone, need to cultivate this quality. We need to feel what our characters feel. We need to anticipate what our audiences will perceive, and we need to deepen our appreciation for those willing to take the journey with us. If we care about our audience we will make every effort to bring to them something of an emotional value. We must be willing to give of ourselves. Just a thought I wanted share.

What is a "MASTERPIECE", What is ART?

2011-05-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

The art that I am drawn too shows a high regard for the fundamentals. Above all draftsmanship, composition and use of color. it is evident, even in an abstract expressionist piece whether these fundamentals are in place or not. If an artists can use these "tools", and in the end result, accomplish something that also resinates emotionally with the audience, then something masterful has been achieved.
Pablo Picaso, at as early as 5 years of age, received specialized training in the arts at various academies in Barcelona. The painting at left, First Communion, was painted by Picaso in 1896 when he was twenty and His Girl Before a Mirror in 1932 when he was arguably nearing the peak of his artistic expression. It is unavoidable that what he achieved was built upon the firm foundation of his elementary training.

When though, does an artists work become masterful? There is this intangible shift at some point where the audience takes over. When the underlying emotional and intellectual weight is perceived and the viewer "GETS IT," then I think a work has become masterful.
There are times though, when the perception of the public builds up the greatness of a work, not necessarily out of the merits of the work itself. The gag of Picaso doodling on a napkin in a cafe and the owner making a million from it illustrates my point. I doubt that the artist himself would feel that such a doodle would constitute a master piece, but the perception of the public makes it so.
There are some though, who are out right delusional or knowingly charlatans, that in my opinion, profane the arts.
      Tracy Emin
   Art education is indispensable. Strict and early application of the basic disciplines inescapable.
"It's Art because I say it's Art." is a vacuous statement that disregards all of the passion, pain, and sincerity of all who have truly devoted there lives to their work.  Any one can hold a brush, make a mark, and call it art. I can hold a scalpel and say I'm a brain surgeon, but you would be ill advised to trust my hand with your life.

Our First review is in!

2011-05-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

Doctor Q

Doctor Quincy Erasmus Quartermain of the Steampunk Chronicle has kindly offered us his honest opinion of our first 8 A Steampunk Anthology. Such feed back is essential if we are to continue to improve our efforts. We truly wish to produce the highest quality independent work we can in whatever genera we are working in. I had suspected that a few of our stories would raise a steamers brow. All of us are neophytes to the genera and this is something that was made evident by his review, but even though his thoughts were not glowing on all entries, I feel his over all opinion was quite favorable.

And those of us with the Illopond.com are extremely grateful for his supportive remarks in regards to our efforts.

you can read the review in its entirety here;

Doctor Qs review of 8 A Stempunk Anthology

Thank you Doctor! you are a gentleman and a scholar.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!!! May 7th 2011

2011-04-14T16:20:00.000-07:00

So what are you doing for Free Comic Book day?
http://www.freecomicbookday.com/
There is so much buzz today about comics gaining the acceptance of Educators and Librarians as an effective introduction to reading. In school class rooms and libraries across the country, comic books and graphic novels are gaining a foot hold in teachers curriculums. In panel discussions of the topic, over the last three years, it has become evident that Comics aimed at a younger audience are still rather few and far between. Noted examples of course are Bone by Jeff Smith , Cursed Pirate Girl by Jeramy Bastion, the epic Mouseguard by David Petersen and many others, but with eager young minds, and boundless imaginations populating school rooms, there is a great need for more. Have you got a title that fits the bill? Free Comic Book Day is an excellent opportunity for you get you work into the hands of kids and teachers alike. It is also a marvelous way for creators to show their support for their local comic retailers. They are championing some treacherous waters these days as a Paradigm shift occurs in the market. It is a way to show your support for the medium as a whole by getting involved locally.

The year, I will be offering free copies of my 8 page full color comic For The Public Good, as well as black & white copies of my kids Comic Ouwangalaymah! The "Tail" of the Names of the Tree #2 at Heros of Fresno 110 E. Shaw here in Fresno. I wont be able to join the festivities until 3:00 pm after the day job, but if you are in the area, please come by. And where ever you are, find a participating Comic Book Retailer and check it out!

Free Comic Book Day! May 7th 2011 YEA!!!!

WonderCon 2011 Report

2011-04-08T17:43:00.000-07:00

Well gang, Wondercon 2011 was truly an incredible step forward for me as an artist.I want to thank everyone who stopped by the table to say hey, and to everyone who bought a book, I LOVE YOU! :-)

I really hope you enjoy our Steampunk anthology and hope you will pick up Strampunk #2 once we've completed it.

What I'd like to share with everyone I think will be useful to anyone preparing for, and getting the most out of a convention like WondeCon.

1st, The mundane things to learn about tabling at a comic book convention.

1. Take a cushion! OUIe veY! the seats must have been stolen from a kindergarten, the little plastic butt bucket kind. So I stood a lot. :o)

2. It really takes two! I'm so glad to have had my son with me. He sat with me for a good portion of the day on friday & went in early to help me set up. came to my rescue for a potty break every now & then, but we really need to have two at the table, especially when it's busy.

3. Bring a table covering. Fortunately I thought of that. they provided a table cover and table drape in the small press area, but you need something to cover up the goods when the day is done so as not to load & store everything everyday.

4. Bring plenty of STUFF to sell & talk about! I was amazed at the shier lack of stuff at some of the booths. They spent $300 bucks to display a few ashcans, post cards and few cheepy magnets to sell WHA? Dude! I mean not even a finished book to sell. Be-leave me, We had PLENTY!

2nd. Presenting yourself. I am a very gregarious guy. (my family would say hyper. :o) but this is important so here is a few observations I made of where some folks went wrong.

Don't just sit there sketching all day, and DONT BARK!

People will first walk by and glance at the table. if you look at them, smile & just say hi, that puts most of them at ease and they continue looking.

if you get too forward, "HI there! come see my stuff! don't you like stuff? well this is really good stuff! Come on! Have a look at my stuff!" you will run them off.

I would often be posting to twitter, just glance up and say hi or just smile & they would keep looking. Some folks are just too shy. they do not want to be pressured to converse with you, so just try to let them know they are welcome to come up and look. You can tell when they want you to make the first move and say something by making those quick & fleeting glances at you. so I would just say "Are you enjoying the con?" and we would then have a nice conversation. if they had a portfolio in hand, "are you an artist yourself?" If a family with kids walked by, "Hey there, kind of hard to find family friendly stuff isn't it?" Then Sunday I learned a VALUABLE secret. "I'll get to that later. :o)

so don't hide from & don't bark at the people!!!

And of course all the, "Take a shower nightly, use deodorant and floss kind of thing too. :o)

3. Take the time to get to know those tabling near you.

http://www.trinarobbins.com/Trina_Robbins/Welcome.html Trina Robins was my next door neighbor across the way Dani Dixon with toumblecreekpress.com I mean you never know how a connection will help in the long run and you just might need them to watch the table for a quick potty break. :o)

Now to the last important thing I learned. "LETS MAKE A DEAL!" Sunday Archaia started selling books at buy two, get THREE FREE! FIVE BOOKS for the price of TWO!!! WoW! This got me thinking. My B&W economy comics weren't selling so taking their lead I got smart. As a family would walk by almost all would stop & try to pronounce the name. I DISCOVERED MY GIMMICK! My hook! my, "I remember that guy!" kind of thing! If the kidos would make an effort to pronounce the name I would sign & give them a free copy! ZING!!! this brought one of the key elements in the story out in the presentation and into the memory of the audience! You should have seen the smiles in those kids faces, and in their parents faces. Here in the middle of all this questionable & not so family friendly fare was someone taking an interest in their kids and having a bit of fun with them. There are now 50, maybe 60 families out there reading my work & getting there kidos involved in reading!!!

Got some amazing feedback. Here was a BIG one, Joe Ferrara Owner ofhttp://atlantisfantasyworld.com/ out of Santa Cruz stopped at the table. he has owned and run this shop since 1976, won the Eisner "Spirit of Comics" Retailer Award. He KNOWS his stuff. (I know he knows because his wife kindly told me after he left to listen to him He gave me the name of a distributor who can get our books into Diamond. He said local comic book shops are looking for this very thing. Suggested I go see Dave who owns our local shop. "I know He will want to see this." And he did! Thanks Dave Allread of HEROES 110 E. Shaw Ave. Fresno Ca. For the first time anywhere my kids comics and our Anthologies are available for purchase by the general public at a Brick & mortar store!

A Special word of Thanks to the folks at Ka-Blam! Digital printing Guys, there is no way I can thank you enough. The anthology came the day we left for San Francisco. I was so elated! I Can only say that I truly wish you guys continued success and my you GROW and expand and find you some good people to add to the crew. You guys need to get some sleep every once & awhile you know?

And to the folks at GOTPRINT.com We were loaded up, had picked up my sons friends and what do you know? The banner for the anthology arrived just in time!!! Every thing fell into place just like it was meant to be. you gotta go gotprint.com for all your promotional printing needs! WoW Sounds like a commercial. :o)

The week before

2011-03-22T17:10:00.000-07:00

WonderCon here I come!

WonderCon is a little over one week away and I think I'm ready. One thing I wanted to share is the importance of doing a test set up to make sure the presentation will work.

Now my kitchen table isn't quite 8 ft wide, so I will have a bit more room to spread things out a bit, but I think the basic plan will work. Doing this test set up also lead to me ordering a banner for the Steampunk anthology. Another 3x4 to hang beside my one for Ouwangalaymah! I hesitated, because I don't even have my copies yet( AHHHH!) but my faith is in Ka-Blam!

and in UPS. they are Scheduled to ship out thursday from Florida. You just watch, the UPS guy will drive up just as I'm driving off! But at least I'll have this Banner for future cons too.
Now that the programming has been announced, I'm feeling a bit sad. There are some super programs that I would LOVE to attend this year. At 4:30 on Friday the topic "Indy Comics Marketing 101" is the subject. Perhaps I will be able to bribe my son to watch the table for me for that one. Plus all the other Screening and events going on this year Check it out!

http://www.comic-con.org/wc/wc_prog.php

All in all, I couldn't be more excited. Nervous and anxious, but optimistic! I will try to share as much from the show as I can via my Droid phone & such. I'll take along my HD camcorder as well. (Perhaps another bribe will encourage my son to record the stuff I gotta miss.)

Stay tuned, Check back. I hope that my sharing the experience be of use to those who are considering this insane course of action!

Con Preparation 101

2011-03-17T05:14:00.000-07:00

The Farmer In The Dell

and other

Special Prints for WonderCon 2011

There is so much to consider when preparing for tabling at a convention. Listen to me talk, like I've done this before, but there is, and I thought I'd share with you things that I have found to be helpful.

#1. Podcasts. Especially Art & Story #124 The Big Convention Field Guide

in this episode, Jerzy Drozed & Mark Rudolph spell it out. all you need to know as well as a link to a very helpful spread sheet that details the costs you might expect.

#2 Ka-Blam.com No point in having a table if you have now wares to sell.

There is no better POD service for comics in the world. and as long as you get all your files right, your books will arrive perfect and on time if you send them early

enough. I would recommend a minimum of two months lead time on a new book. they

now have a 10 day turn around for reprints so that is good news, but on new titles, the

bigger the window the better.

#3 GotPrint.com for SWAG. Post Cards Business cards, Flyers & such

you have to invest generously in free stuff! Every one loves Free stuff. Convention Swag is a tradition and one of the best ways to get your message across to attendees with a hope for future business. Also Banners! you gotta have Banners and GorPrint.com is the BEST source for all this, and FAST!!! It is usually just a 4-5 day turn around for me. 500 post cards 3.5x5.5 run around $12.00 bucks! with full color front & Black & white Back. a 4'x5' Banner in the neighborhood of $34. Full color glossy reinforced vinyl!

#4 MORE STUFF! Buttons, Magnets, Coffee mugs, Etc.

For this I gotta sing Zazzles praises! Keep watch on their 4 hour specials. I've takes advantage of a 50% off mug sale, and a 50%off Magnet sale. Excellent quality. and making a 50% profit aint bad either. You just need to be diligent and watch for the specials.

For buttons I'm trying Busy Beaver Buttons. Reasonable prices and I've heard good quality.

It always helps to have tie ins to your books and why not take advantage of these?

#5 All the other stuff.

You will need:

❶ A cash box... with cash for change.

❷ Receipt book. I'm taking a couple with carbonized pages. Important for record keeping!

❸ Display materials. I purchased clear lucite 8x11 displayers from Office Max for $7.99 each.

this will allow you to display your wares vertically, perhaps setting on a pile of the sale copies.

❹ A folding dolly. I got a great one called a Magna cart for $21.98 at Sam's Club.

❺ A way to display your Banners. I'm experimenting with a rather inexpensive PVC pipe

system. (Working at a hardware store these things come to you.) It is lite, CHEEP! and

very portable. Hope it works.

❻ All the other stuff your bound to forget.

#6 self run prints, limited, exclusive editions, signed by you the artist.

This is something that I hope works out. Provided that you get good results from your printer.I have a wide format hp office jet K8600. I can print up to 13"x19" border-less prints. A pack of 20, 13x19 high gloss photo paper from office max ran $34@ and many prints this size go for

around $20-$40 at these cons, so if you pick a few of your BEST work to print out & personalize for potential patrons, and smaller 8x10's for $5.00 you might just have a little more revenue to make up for your expenses. Think of doing a special design that you will limit and sell only at said event. WonderCon special. Just might get some attention.

At any rate, these are just a few of the things that I have taken into consideration in my preparing for this event. If you are planning on attending WonderCon 2011 I do hope you will stop by Small Press area #14 and say hello!

See you at the show!

Steampunk Anthology Trailer

2011-03-07T19:20:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to share the trailer for our Steampunk anthology. you can view it

Here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R0Bp3H8LAc

30 copies available at WonderCon

2011-03-05T05:39:00.000-08:00

Folks, we are down to the wire, the files are in, the order has been placed, and now the waiting begins. With expedited service at Ka-Blam! we should have 30 copies available of our 8 A Steampunk Anthology. I'll be on pins & needles until that package arrives!

Now that our second collaborative project is wrapping up, Life on the Illopond is starting to really sing! new members, a new look, a more easily navigated and intuitive user experience.

Here is a sort of mission statement designed by our own Lee Wiley that sums up what te pond is all about.

The Travails of a Sky Captain

2011-02-20T08:43:00.000-08:00

It has been quite a while since my last post. The duties of a sky captain prohibit much of the activities outside ones responsibilities, but none the less, an up date on our progress as a group is in order.

We have past the first deadline of February 1st, missed the second of the 16th, and now we are careening headlong into our third extension for the end of the month. We began this excursion some five months ago,

Sept 26th at 9:13 am the call went out for artists to join in the development of or second Illopond creative collective project, "8 A Steampunk Anthology".

The project was embraced immediately with enthusiasm and an amazing battalion of artists joined forces to tackle this mountain. As the "Captain" of the project it has been my duty to steer the ship, to keep it on course, and to rally the troops into fighting. Alas, as captain, I also bare full responsibility for the troops in my lead. The going has been quite difficult. Two of our brave young lads feel by the wayside. Many have had the economics and unforeseen troubles of this life beat them down. However. WE ARE NOT OUT! WE HAVE NOT GIVEN IN!! WE WILL PREVAIL!!!

I am looking at the turnaround time at Ka-Blam! and I suddenly have the shock and horror a true Captain of war must feel when it looks as if the battle is lost. Like Luke in the trenches of the Death Star we hear the voice of our mentor saying, "Stay on target!"

Sure it is going to cost. I knew that at the very inception of this project. But we must carry on. I have responsibilities to my troops.

And I urge them to carry on! I can't emphasize enough the opportunity that my representing our efforts at WonderCon will present to our Cadre, our group. To my men who have valiantly faced the enemy, fought the fine fight, and have the laurel of victory in their hands I salute you with all due appreciation, respect and admiration. To those who have fallen, your captain is here for you. you will not be left behind. all I ask is that you complete you assignment with all due dispatch and haste. I am PRUOD of my troops, and will remain so till the end.

it is FINNISHED!

2010-11-23T20:59:00.000-08:00

I have finished the 8 page prolog to GREW entitled, For The Public Good. I must sing the praises of my fellow Anthologists involved with the SteamPunk project we have going over at the Illopond.com They have done MAGNIFICENT work! If you haven't been introduced, please let me now do so.

Paul Caggegi of the Process Diary podcast He dose magnificent work in a 3D program called Blender his podcast centers on tutorials in Blender and are SEAMLESS! perfectly conducted to Whet the Appetite of any creative interested in trying their hand at 3D rendering.

Pauls contribution to the project is a Magnificent Asmiovian sci fi Chiller of a man transformed into an immortal, bound to the ship which has taken him to the end of the solar system.

DATA POINT take a peak at his process.

Mark Harmon of Harmon Illustration is a talent bound for greatness, and a great guy of which I am proud to associate with. His contribution is a comic Romp of a tale.

PEST CONTROL His Characters Conrad & Trigger provide a bit of light hearted Levity to the heaver segments of our book.

Lee Wiley of http://www.wileyillustration.com/ Strings an emotional and action packed story of young mans dream to find a world beyond the post apocalyptic dregs of an existence and find a purpose, a greater reason to his being. Thwarted, but never defeated in his quest.

EXODUS

Clint Sutton of http://www.clintsuttonart.com/ adds another Light hearted comic to the mix with his witty and warm hearted STARJUNKERS Clint hales from South Africa! What an experience to meet and work with such a talented brother. I hope for much more to come from our efforts here.

Zach Bosteel of http://zachbosteel.com/ brings some comic adventure to us through his story THOROUGHBRED When a Brilliant, if somewhat bungling inventor and impetuous daughter wrangle with the mishaps of his invention, a Steam Locomotive that is able to lay it's own tracks.

Warren Belfeild http://www.warrenbelfield.com/ shares with us a story of a Mans Duty to his family and country. A history of sacrifice in the name of liberty and it's all to human costs.

DECISIVE MOMENTS is a humanly heavy piece that will move you to question the cost of war.

Carsten Bradley has joined us to round out our 8 story anthology. his story;

Tamerlaine Waller & the Tentative Temporal Time Thief is a warm hearted tale of a Sleuthing Hamster named Tamerlaine Waller. His Arch nemesis, an evil Owl named Galbraith is not all what he appears to be.

Be sure to watch for a podcast interview posted to the Process Diary this week end.

five of us discuss what we are doing and why. I hope you listen in and even more, get involved in a project over at the Illopond.com

Process & Tutorials

2010-10-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

I'm still so new to digital art. I've been pounding away at it for almost three years, but I am FAR from concurring the beast! But when I learn something new, I've got to share how I put it to use.
Not long ago, I learned how to make an Image Hose in Painter 11 here Image Hose Tutorial
Now this is a risky tool. It can ruin a piece if overused, and I hope this will offer an example of proper usage.

For the latest page of my Steampunk Anthology piece, I needed to picture plants growing over buildings, being poisoned by men in safety suits. It started with this photo I took a couple of years ago on a trip to New York City. After a little noodling in Painter, I had this;

Then came the fun Part! Making up the image hose.
Years ago I pressed some flowers in a poetry book. I fond them awhile back
and decided to scan them into the computer, and this is what I had.

Following the directions in the tutorial, I made an image hose from all, and while playing around with it found it to be the answer to my plant problems in this piece. The Aged, weathered & warn appearance of these pressed flowers from long ago worked perfectly along with some fall leaves processed in the same manner.

All the other elements worked up and combined, I think It worked out perfectly for the effect I was going for in this page.

Having trouble with the text tool in painter. My just be the font I've chosen, but I may need to use Pages to reassemble the page and fix the problem, but all in all I was really happy with the new process I discovered, and I think It worked out really well for this piece.

How collaboration brings about Progress

2010-10-12T19:57:00.000-07:00

Some times in the solitude of the artistic life, you find yourself wondering if you have made any progress what soever. Locked in the fervent battle of line, value, composition and color, hours pass unnoticed, and when you come up for air, your mind can be so muddled that you can't make that distinction. I have concluded that it must be a rare individual that can subsist on their own with out the vantage point of an exterior view. I indeed wonder if such an individual exists. A truly successful individual that is. So I must give pause to praise those who give of themselves in an effort to lend their eyes, ears and voices, both literal and metaphorical to the encouragement and betterment of their fellow artists.
YES! Praise to the collaborative effort! To my Art buddies over at the http://Illopond.com
Just to demonstrate how you can benefit from the constructive criticism of other artists, here are a couple of pages from my contribution to "8 A SteamPunk Anthology" a "Before and After"
if you will, of how listening to the comments can motivate you to reach the next level in your creative life.

TA DAAA! Hows that?

Well, I hope there have been improvements any way. Perhaps my muddled brain wishes, but I feel that it is a vast improvement in paneling as well as in the execution if the visuals. The befores were done a little over a year ago, and the afters I just finished up tonight.

I think this highlights also the importance of letting go of the precious, realizing that even your best work, in your mind, can be made better if you are willing to do so. Case in point, I tried to cut corners and fidge with the boys illustration in panel one and using it in panel four, COUGHT! thanks Mark! Ill hammer out another one. So I'm still not done with this one. Nice to know that even

completely rejected concepts, are beneficial in what you learn from their execution, so nothing is waste.

You know, I think this is true not only as far as our artistic endeavors, but also for our growth as human beings. We have to learn from each other and trust each other. Everyone has a perspective that is different from our own, and from that perspective we can find much which can be used to better ourselves.

What lies Ahead

2010-10-08T20:26:00.000-07:00

Our Steam Punk anthology project is moving right along, and it is affording me opportunity to rethink and retool some rejected concepts for GREW.

This 8 page story will serve as a prequel to GREW and I hope will properly set the mood for the major work to follow. All of my book-mates have very strong projects in process, and I cant wait to show it all to the world! Our goal is to have the anthology wrapped up and at the printers by the end of February 2011, affording me opportunity to take along issues to Wondercon in San Francisco in April. All booth space in Artist Alley and in small press are full. I've submitted an application to get us on the waiting list. I just hope there are cancelations so we can represent.

So we look hopefully to the future, and in the mean time breath life in to what is shaping up to be a stunning Project.

New Steam Punk Prequel

2010-10-05T21:48:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about my latest side project. I am working again with the best group imaginable!
Mark Harmon, Chris Tupa, Lee Wiley, Clint Sutton, Zack Bosteel, Myself, and a newbe to the group Jeremy Wilson, and perhaps a BIG surprise contributor (Hopefully more on that later) are producing
yet another Anthology 8 project. 8 A Steam Punk Anthology. Geared for a mid to older teen audience this one promises to be one incredible book! Here is a sneak peak!

Check out our first offering 8 a Kids Anthology it turned out So nice!

And don't forget to check out my first all ages comic available for the first time anywhere over at Indyplanet.com

So excited about it. Please tell everyone you know!

and come join in all the fun over at the Illopond.com Lots of Collaborating going on!!!
http://illopond.com

Some thing new on the horizon

2010-09-27T21:43:00.000-07:00

from and independent collaboration, Steamer 8, an Anthology of Tales.

There is something new on the horizon. Something so compelling to artists that I think we would all do well to have a look. It's actually been germinating and growing right before us for some time now. I allude to the internet and the social networks that are transforming the way the world communicates. For artists, the line between consumer and producer is blurring. Established professionals can now communicate directly, instantly with their fans and friends making our circle an intimate one. The fact that it is global in scope seems oxymoronic doesn't it? An intimate global community of creators. For those of us who's dream has been to share our musings with someone other than our friends siblings or spouse, is enormously significant. It is as if the doors long barred to the unknown, unrepresented and unpublished is perceptibly dissolving. More and more independently produced properties of startling resonance are being discovered by an insatiable audience. Evidence of this is in the increase of conferences, book fairs and self publishing events nation wide. Even at the major media events such as Wondercon in San Francisco, areas designated for exhibiting independent artists and publishers are filling up earlier than ever. last year space was available up until November of 2009, this year, all available space is already booked! APE the Alternative Press Exposition also in San Francisco,
is now twice the size it was just the year before! Independent Publisher offerings now command close to 20% of the industries annual product. Yes! This is something new! Something that all artists with a vision need to take notice of and get involved.

The Anthology Project

2010-09-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

Folks its official!

Soon, this incredible little 64 page book will be available for purchase from

Indyplanet.com

Book mark it because round about November it will be up.

Significant because, one, it has turned out to be an amazing kids book,

and two, it shows what is possible when the creators are in control of their own project.

7 other author/artists and I found each other on the web, banded together, and for the sheer

love of laughter and story hammered out this little puppy.

My hat is off to Mr Christopher Tupa ! He was the instigator of the whole incident and took charge of our layout and file prep.

and to Mr Ben Powis who provided the scene for the crime.

Imagine! creators from all over the globe banding together to accomplish such a feat.

Imagine too that you could be a part of it! The welcome matt is out to any creatives interested in developing similar projects. To get involved, start by taking a dip over at the;

Illopond.com

See how our cadre formed and worked collectively to critique and edit each others work.

Further nods to;

Mark Harmon http://harmonillustration.blogspot.com/ for his cover design and killer story Robo 6

Denver Wagner http://denverwagner.blogspot.com/ for designing our table of contents, And phenomenal The Call of Tooth Head

Michelle Kondrich http://www.michellekondrich.com/ for her wacky Pand In The Pantry and for preparing our press release.

Craig Pirrall http://craigpirrall.com/ for his Funny Go Froggy Go! and layout of our Bio Pages.

Lei Wiley http://www.wileyillustration.com/ For his creative and colorful Bradley's Crayons

Collaboration is nothing new, but in the way our little project has been accomplished, something new has been achieved. I really think we have stumbled on to something. Not that by our efforts we are trying to circumvent the Guardians at the Gates, (One of the reasons we all became involved in such a project was to hopefully gain their attention.) but perhaps we've helped lighten their load, so to speak. Like many out there minding the muse, our main objective is to bring smiles to as many faces as possible.

So keep a watch for our lil Anthology project, and stay tuned, because we enjoyed this so much we have plans to do it all again!

Messages and meanings

2010-08-15T19:39:00.000-07:00

What do you think?

Should an artist concentrate on entertaining,

or should they strive to inform, to enlighten, to
move an audience in some way?

Art, to which I am personally drawn, must have some
meaning, Some moral good or ethical truth that motivates
and inspires me to better myself.

We are always encouraged to speak from our hearts,

to pull from our own personal experiences.

Risky business.

We all know the sting of an open heart, slapped by

the palm of indifference or rejection.

Charlotte

Meet a new character from GREW.

Her name is Charlotte, inspired by a literal Charlotte, Charlotte Gerson of the Gerson Institute. Charlotte's selfless efforts in promoting the work of her father Max Gerson in the face of ardent opposition by the modern medical community are, (in my opinion) an artistic expression in the truest sense. A Beautiful Truth, Perhaps not with brush, paint, pen or ink, but with nutrition. With fresh, raw, organically grown produce and vegetable juices. With a vegan diet free from food additives, artificial colorings and preservatives. Things with which the Food Industry continues to envenom the public and which the American Food & Drug Administration continue to claim to be safe and non toxic. This in spite of the mounting evidence to the contrary.

What dose all this have to do with GREW?

We are integrally tied to our environment. It is an extension of our very being, not a place where we live. The importance of our paying attention to what we eat, to what we drink, and to the air we breathe can not be avoided or ignored. GREW will explore a world which has all but eliminated it's natural environment, replacing it with a panoply of man made marvels to "improve" upon what fools in their ignorance have eradicated from the earth. More importantly, it will shed light on the ability of the environment to cleanse itself from such cancerous incursions. Like the human body, freed from toxic impediments, which can dissolve a malignant tumor.

Through seeming absence, progress is made.

2010-05-26T05:12:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since my last post, I apologize, but I have been very busy.
Vacation is coming, which will mean a trip back home to Texas, so I will be
absent again. Meanwhile, I hope this new page from GREW will be of
interest. Please leave any comments and I wish you a happy productive day.

What art is, and what it can do.

2010-04-16T21:39:00.000-07:00

Close to five years ago I was moved to execute this piece. Five years later, and the specter of its muse still haunts. I will reveal to you only that it's subject can easily be discovered in the morning paper and what spurred it's birth is an issue of great controversy, great sadness, great loss. Loss of innocence, loss of trust. An abhorrent deformation of human conduct and character that must not be overlooked, excused or dismissed.

I've always tried to bring something relevant to my work, convinced that as artists, no, as human beings, we have a responsibility to reveal what lay hidden in the imperfect mortal heart. By doing so, perhaps, we can expel, exorcise, eradicate such lesions in behavior so that no child should ever be so wickedly betrayed agin.

TRUST

It is perhaps only stained glass, wood and florescent light, but if it is anything more, I suppose that that will be decided by those who view it.

Please leave a comment and share this post with others.

Sorry for the delay, let us press on!

2010-04-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

Spring is always one of the most difficult times of the year for me creatively. I'm burning inside to work on my properties, but the Physical and mental demands of the day job, saps every ounce of strength left at the end of the day. I have since just before Wondercon, finished a couple of pages to share. Hope you approve, and that you find yourself able to press on in spite of what life throws in your way.

Illustration Friday Brave

2010-03-08T18:08:00.001-08:00

Thought this one worked well for the topic this week.

Development of Character, or what is happening in my brain.

2010-03-06T18:37:00.000-08:00

To future, not in the applied style of the story.

This Guy's more like it!

How the minister came to be.

I thought it might be of interest to some to lay bare a bit of my processes since method differs so much from artist to artist.

Like most, I do a lot of exploratory work in the beginning.

trying out different techniques in this faze and learning much

about these new digital tools in the process.
Once the character has been discovered, I then work in gradual steps to refine the visuals.

First a rough sketch which used to be done in pencil and then scanned into the machine.

Now I find it much more expedient to work directly from my Wacom Pad in Corel painter 11.

I still use the pencil brush tool in the rough sketch faze, usually with a burnt umber-ish color.

I then Refine the rough sketch further using the blending tool. my workhorse blender is the smooth tool. By playing with the bleed, re-saturation and opacity sliders, I push the pixels laid down in the initial sketch to a more finished point. Then I raise the drawing to a water color layer. I can then start to explore the color of the piece with a mid or half tones approximating local color.
I then pull out of my box of tricks, the old burn & dodge tools. these two tools not only allow the variation of value & tonal qualities, but they also do wonderful & unexpected things with color leading to all the happy accidents that I love. Then, more noodling with the blending tools to refine even further. To finnish, I then raise this stage to a water color layer and with a grayed, complementary color, plot out the shadows and refine those again with the smooth blending tool. add finishing details and then the piece is ready to incorporate into the panel, and then finally into the page.
Lulled into a vision, our protagonist is about to be rudely brought back into the real world.
More to come on both story development as well as GREW itself.

Perspective I.F.

2010-02-27T18:50:00.001-08:00

A piece inspired by the music of Ian Narcisi of Ianmusic.com

The song is Burning. You can give it a listen to at his site by checking out the link above.

please do, he is incredibly talented.

I.F. Propagate

2010-02-22T21:16:00.000-08:00

The Farmer in the dell,

High ho, the merry Oh,...

The Graphic Novelist Network is growing!!!

2010-02-22T05:07:00.000-08:00

almost a year ago I tried to start an online private critique group for people interested in sequential art. Poor little site didn't see much action until last week when Chris Oatley at Chrisoatley.com posted his Classic Monster, Classic Lit Mash up assignment.

head on over to the site to check it out. It was loads of fun to participate.

I extended and invitation for those who participated to join and so far several of them have.

Thanks to:

Denver Wagner of http://denverwagner.com/

Christopher Tupa of http://tupa2008.blogspot.com/

fido & tim at http://www.fidoandtim.com/

Jose Gonzalez of http://jaglab.wordpress.com/

Marty Qatani of http://www.martytoons.com/

Scott Serkland of http://www.serkworks.com/

Stevan Wells of http://basement61.com/

Michael Yates of http://www.michaelyates.daportfolio.com/

Zach Bosteel of http://zachbosteel.com/

Thanks to all of you for Joining the GNN!

I hope you will benefit and enjoy being a part of the group as much as I will!

YOU GUY's ROCK!

Please check out their sites, There work is AWESOME!

Adrift, Illustration Friday 02/13/2010

2010-02-13T22:34:00.000-08:00

a little added color
Adrift, without a care, for there is peace... everywhere.

IF Muddy

2010-02-07T17:43:00.001-08:00

Making our challenge useful.

Illustration Friday Focused

2010-01-29T12:07:00.001-08:00

From a simple sketch at work to a finished illustration. This weeks challenge affords me an excellent opportunity to do just that, FOCUS my efforts to attain my goals.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The New GREW

2010-01-23T18:31:00.000-08:00

I've been feverishly working to a polish a new view of my book GREW.

I hope to have a good bit ready to show at Wondercon this April in San Francisco.

Yes... I know, it is quite different than my All ages Graphic Novel OUWANGALAYMAH!

yet both works live in me in tandem. One vie ing for attention from the other.

GREW is now getting the lions share of my time.

Perhaps I may be a bit premature in revealing the new look of a work I started not quite one year ago, but being terribly predisposed to a lack of patience, and quite prone to, as they say, jumping the gun, I can't help myself. so here, for your paroosel, I give you

GREW

More is on the way.

Sneak peak At OUWANGALAYMAH! part 2

2009-12-31T22:20:00.001-08:00

2010, Well. What will this year bring. Better yet, What will I bring to this new year.

For sure I will finnish Ouwangalaymah! all four issues and at the end, a compilation of the work for my first completed Graphic Novel for all ages. Here is a sneak peak at Issue #2 which I hope to finnish ASAP.

If 2010 is to be the year for me to break away from the day job at LOWE'S and enable myself to work full time in my creative endeavors, then I need to get busy. Its almost midnight! The new year is upon us! WHAT ARE WE WAITNG FOR! GET DRAWING!

Good night! Did he die or somthin?

2009-12-13T10:29:00.000-08:00

Well it has been a while since my last post. Much has happened. And though the worst of it is over, I still have to collect my thoughts. Ever since going totally digital, I've been reveling in the positives of this new medium. New to me that is, and I really haven't given much thought to the downsides. Having come perilously close to losing a years worth of work, the down side has loomed over me as big as an elephants backside. Have I made the right choice in mediums?

It is frightening to realize that all the work and time one has put into a project could so easily and preeminently vaporize. No. Not even that, because a vapor has substance. Total oblivion. Gone. Wooosh!

Think of all that exists on the web. Gone with the simple pulling of a plug.

At any rate we press on. Having chosen a course we must stick to it if we are to ever get anywhere. So, I would like to announce that the first issue of OUWANGALAYMAH! is done!

Submitted to Ka-blam.com for printing, I await the first hard copy. revisions I'm sure will come, but at least I am one step closer to pulling something more permanent out of the either.

EFII Response; Working outside your chosen medium

2009-11-05T18:01:00.000-08:00

My name is Samuel Kirkman. I’m 47 years old, husband of one beautiful woman and father of two incredible boys. In collage, I studied fine art and was perusing a degree in Studio Art. Life happened and I dropped out, having become disillusioned with the fine art world. Since then I've worked in small market television stations as an audio operator, as a self employed Janitor, and for the last 13 years as a Nursery Sales Specialist for a home improvement center (LOWES). While paying the mortgage and doing the responsible thing, I've desperately tried to keep alive the creative being inside me. As a janitor I'd vacuum Patterns into the carpet, I saw intriguing shapes in the wet splotches on the floors as I mopped, and now I find myself surrounded by all sorts of materials that inspire my creativity.

Most recently I've been hammering away at an idea involving travertine tile, and my new found love for sequential art. Ever tried drawing with a Grinder? When it comes together I'll post the results, but for now, here are a few, "Out side" my usual medium examples.I hope you enjoy them!

This piece is Stained Glass entitled, "TRUST". It is a visual commentary on the abuse of children at the hands of the clergy.

Flotsam

Yes I've even worked in Seaweed. Dried of course.

And my most recent affliction, Digital media in the production of my Graphic Novels for all ages, "OUWANGALAYMAH! The Tail of The Name Of The Tree" and "GREW" both of which are presented on my web site while in production. I hope to have Ouwanaga #1 finished and printed for Wondercon in San Francisco this next april.

There are wonderful things happening on line. Not the least of which is the site

http://escapefromillustrationisland.com/welcome/

Thomas James, a working illustrator him self is really rocking the creative podcast world with his in-depth and very well produced podcast interviews with seasoned professionals.

His latest interview with graphic artist Stephan Bucher Is a great listen and spurred this post.

the community growing around Thomas's podcasts & Site is exciting and I encourage everyone to become a part of the EFII community.

Thank you Thomas for all the hard work you are doing to build such a stimulating, diverse, and talented group of people. Yea Escapees!

AAAAA!!!!!!

2009-11-04T17:24:00.001-08:00

Kernel Panic!!!! I just learned, almost the hard way, what a Kernel Panic is. It's what you don't want to happen before you've backed up all your work! And folks, DO IT! DO IT NOW before you do anything else. The Mac has been acting up lately. Painter closing up on me right in the middle of a brush stroke, Trouble pulling up the internet, Things like that. Bought an external Hard drive Monday & backed evrything up that night. THANK GOODNESS! because tuesday morning it was KERNAL PANIC! Any way, Long story short, BACK UP YOUR INFO!

Thanks to Fellow Twitterer Ryan Anthony Davis @radillustrator on twitter he shared this link to an online back up service you might want to look into. Any way, anyhow just do it!

http://www.backblaze.com/

First illustration Friday post! Frzen

2009-10-20T20:09:00.001-07:00

FROZEN with Fear, the elephant shivered & Shrieked!

Just wanted to do a loose, open sketch.

Nevr posted to IF yet so thought I would.

Thumb nails so far

2009-10-10T04:37:00.000-07:00

Before I go any further with Ouwangalaymah, I'm putting everything that I've done so far, down in thumb nail form. I don't know why I have such a hard time doing thumbs, but after all the help I've received through the podcasts I listen to, (Big Illustration Party Time, Chris Oatley's Artcast, Ninja Mountain, Art & Story, Escape from Illustration Island, and the process Diary. all of which you can subscribe to for free through Itunes) I realize the importance of it.

Seeing it this way helps me see just how much work I've done so far. I can get a feel for the visual flow and rhythm as well. I hope this is good for a working stiff with a full time grunt job a Home Improvement Center. The more I get done, the more encouraged I become. I got started on this version of the story right after Comic Con. So what you see represents about two and a half months part time work.

It's meant getting up at 5:30 AM on my days off (That's sleeping in! I'm up by 4:30 usually to go to work at 6:00) and plugging away at it. I can get quite a bit of work done before the family gets up. And then getting as much done as I can when I get home from work. That is as long as I'm not totally wasted from the day job. I am so grateful to my family for being so understanding and supportive during this initial transition stage in what I do. One day, I hope to be with them all day as I continue to develop my intellectual properties at home, free from the shackles of the day job. I guess that's a testament to finding what one really loves to do and sticking with it no matter what. I am sharing all this in the hopes that it will encourage someone else like myself to stick with it! With what ever you do. With what ever it is that gets you out of bed in the morning. Keep plugging away at it and in doing so, trust that you will succeed.

Working in layers and the life of Trees

2009-09-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

I wonder if anyone other than our fellow artists realize the time spent on bringing what we do to life. In an effort to save some of the time I need to devote to other things I've begun braving the pencilless sketch. Well not completely. My first Initial work up is with the pencil tool in painter with a medium grey tone that I then go over with the scratch board tool in black. Bypassing the pencil to paper, then scanning it in saves a lot of time.

My inking can take a few hours to a few days worth of noodling on it. I probably Spent a total of 12 hours inking this tree for OUWANGALAYMAH! My goal is to develop a few deeply detailed views of the tree to use in bits & pieces throughout the different scenes in which it is involved.

I then lift the layer to a watercolor layer and play with shadows using the oil pastel tool with a med grey. this is just to get an idea of what I want to do with form. Just a quick rough in really.

Then a quick test of color. Since the first scene in which the tree really makes an appearance is

at twilight, I've given my self quite a challenge, so again this is just to get an idea of what it will look like, not a finished piece by no means, but just a color test. I'm finding that the more I save each stage of development, I can make adjustments much more easily. But because of this, I sense an external hard drive in my very near future. Any way, More reasons to love digital media. It saves so much time over the struggles I have with physical media.

More Later! Thanks again for having a look!

found a new source of inspiration!

2009-09-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

Just to show the benefit of Twittering, from a tweet by the great Bobby Chiu I found chris Oatley's site. what a great source of information and experience! I like to listen to something as I'm scribbling along, and so when I come across these podcasts by artists in the biz I like to glean what I can from what they've shared. So just passing along a like to Chris's site and hoping you find his podcasts as helpful as I am!

http://www.chrisoatley.com/CHRISOATLEY.COM/podcast/podcast.html

Be sure to check out all he's got available there on his site. great links as well to others with the same sharing outlook.

What the world needs.

2009-09-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

Ouwangalaymah! the "Tail" of the Name of the Tree

Some times it's a kick in the pants. Sometimes it's an act of kindness, so seldom seen.

And Sometimes, an act of kindness is what it takes to get a needed kick in your pants.

Thanks to my fellow Blogerian Cynthia Narsisi.

For almost a year now, Cynthia has been a tireless Cheerleader, urging me on to accomplish my dreams of telling stories to everyone who'll listen. She blew me away today with an out of the blue blog post about yours truly! I can't believe! Wow! and then I figure she must have been at a loss for something to post about. :o)

But truthfully, I am so stunned and Honored! And so from this kind deed, I was Spurred to spruce up the ole Web site, and share Ouwangalaymah! The Graphic Novel (So far) with the world. Just when you start thinking, nobody is listening a ray of sunshine enters the window.

And along with this most unexpected boost to the morale I have to thank Aja Wells who is also assisting me with her perspective on the stories. How does anybody do this in the dark?

I can't imagine trying to forge ahead without the support of my friends in our Lil critique group. Thank all of you for being who you are!

Continuing the New look of Ouwangalaymah!

2009-08-30T09:51:00.000-07:00

I hope to be able to work faster as I refine my process, but I'm encouraged by what I'm getting so far. I've had a very rough week on the day job. I believe FIRMLY on sticking it out, don't quit it until you can safely break free, especially if you have a family. But some times the stress can be so great that your health my be in danger. Be wise, get a check up, and if it gets too bad get a new day job. Or go part time if you can. At any rate, work smart! I'll be posting an interview with David Petersen soon so be sure to check back later this week!

WOW a Scribbler! thanks penny!

2009-08-10T20:26:00.001-07:00

Penny Webber just gave me a scribbler! thanks Penny.http://pennyweber.blogspot.com/

I'm not sure what this means, but It's nice to be thought of. Thanks again Penny! your awesome!

Here's the rules for the award- Each Superior Scribbler must, in turn, pass the Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy buds.Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, andlink to this post, which explains The Award.Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the

Mr. Linky Listat the Scholastic-Scribe's blog. That way, we'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives this prestigious honor!Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

Silly things and why we do them.

2009-08-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

How do we become storytellers and why?

It all begins with being a little listener. When we were

young, we would hang on every word that followed,

"Once upon a time..." We loved the story so much

that we would make it our own, and tell it to any who

would listen, and many who wouldn't. You keep doing

that long enough, and Poof!

you become a story teller. The secret is...

Never grow up! Never let go of the felling of wonder. Let

yourself be carried away to a Himalayan mountain top where

the Yeti cries. Fly with a caped crusader as he vanquishes the

forces of evil. Take a dare and walk the ridge of a roof top.

From a galaxy far, far away... To seek out new life

and new civilizations... where ever the story goes, you go.

Then write it all down and share it with the world.

Can you imagine a world with out stories?

A world where the wonder has gone?

Shudder to think of it.

Hopping back and forth.

2009-08-02T20:18:00.000-07:00

After the Con I'm so fired up that I just cant stand it! There isn't enough time during the day, nor patience in my psyche to bare the things that keep me from my craft. Yet, duty calls.

I've penciled eight pages, finished two and inked one and a half this past week. How fast you work depends on many things I guess, but no matter how much I accomplish it just doesn't seem like it's ever enough. My impatience is showing again, but with the help of my critique group I'm learning to organize what I accomplish much more effectively. I will completely finnish inking OUWANGALAYMAH! before I start painting it. This is almost sure to alleviate the problems plaguing GREW. If anyone has any other suggestions or experience in accomplishing the most with the least amount of time please share.

The results are in!

2009-07-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

I've renamed the event. It is now and forever to be know as exhausti-con.

157,000 people shoulder to shoulder for four & a half days.

SO much to share so I'll try to boil it down.

David Peterson... Winner! He is very serious and I felt that his input on my work was sincere and honest. He didn't want to just give kudos, but knew I wanted something to chew on. I'm so glad I showed it to him before approaching publishers. In the not so back of my mind I knew my putting the cart before the horse was showing and he saw it. He thought my line was very strong, and that juxtaposing it against the tooled photos that I've done was jarring. He is so right. I was trying to cut corners, hating to draw buildings as I do. He saw the stretched photo elements in the dinner scene "It distracts from your work," so he suggested light boxing it to get my line into all the elements to unify the work. He mentioned the nuts & bolts of my presentation. Make sure the gutters & margin are uniform, make sure the text is a uniform size throughout from page to page. He mentioned that the digital mottling in my text boxes was a little over done. tone it down. Something he said made me feel that there may be some prejudice against digital paint."Nice digital painting." was like saying, "Nice toupee." I wonder how wide spread that feeling is among the pros. although all his coloring is done digitally, he said, "I try to make it look like physical media," and so I see that as the golden standard. Make it look true.

in spite of all the work that needs to be done he said he thought that I was "further along than most," which really made my day.

Mark McDonell was of coarse his wonderful encouraging self. He loved the sketch book Jill made for him.

He went through my portfolio & gave me some really good pointers. label each page, what it's from, which page its from. He is such a great guy. And Lill crit group don't worry, he said he's got some more really detailed critiques ready & will be sharing them soon.

Got great feed back from Andy Schmidt a senior editor with IDW publishing. He was part of a great panel discussion on how to write Graphic Novels. I picked up his book at their booth and Highly recommend it. The first impression he had was that it was something new to the table which he said was very important. He said that it was a nice presentation overall and thought it vert imaginative.

Spoke with Phil Foglio of Girl Genius. He did say nice art. I handed him a GNN card and asked him for an interview in the future & tried to explain the group. He asked me "What's in it for you?" and his skepticism kind of put me off. I said, "Input and encouragement for my own work." and kind of left it at that. We'll see. Some people must have had bad experiences.

Saw Jeff Smith demonstrate how he works and found out why I see so many blue penciled sketches. after inking, when it's scanned in or photographed, the blue drops out. no need to erase the sketch. Perty Cool!

Placed some cards I made up on the free swag table & they were all gone by the next day!

Left a stack of GNN invite cards with Doug Neff Of Toucan Publishing. He gives a really good program about motivation for creative types. Maybe some picked them up & we'll hear from them. I hope so.

Last, probably the most encouraging thing after a panel on thursday. A twelve year old boy got up before a group of distinguished veterans and asked a very mature question. "Sometimes when I'm working on a book I kind of loose interest. I'll go on to something else and try to come back to it later, but I can't seem to finnish anything, How do I break through that barrier"

I was so impressed that some one so young was so serious about his craft. and too, how universal our creative struggles can be. I got the same problem. :o) After the panel I approached his mother and asked if it was alright for me to invite him to join our group. When I handed him the card and one of my Grew character cards, his face lit up so bright. That made my convention. If for no other reason than to know I've encouraged a bright young mind, the whole trip was worth it! I do hope he emails me for am invite.

So...

I've decided to put GREW up for a little while so I can develop OWANGALAYMAH! into a graphic Novel for Kids. It's a need to fill and the story is finished and sound. So With San Diego in the rearview mirror and Wondercon Before me in February, my goals are set. Nose to the Drawing board!

Comic-con 2009 Here I Come!

2009-07-21T16:49:00.001-07:00

Well we've come to the moment of truth. Will Comic-con Be all I hope it will be?

If there is one thing I've learned over these past few months of podcasts & blog surfing is that it is all up to me. I'n not going to expect anything to be handed to me, I'm not going to panic & freeze, Not going to loose my confidence. I don't know exactly what will happen but rest assured I will make something happen! More after the con!

Suffering the day job. The importance of keeping a journal

2009-07-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

The Summer of my junior year in high school, I was blessed with the privilege of taking a school sponsored trip through Europe. Today, my mother sent in the post this journal that I kept. I had no recollection of doing so! Silly sketches that I had done on site, Buckingham Palace, Notre Dame, The Hay Market in Florence... I cant wait to read it! I am surprised at how much I wrote! Just reading the first few passages brought so many details to life again after having slept for over thirty years! It brought to mind the importance of our keeping journals & sketchbooks, not only as chronicles of our lives, but source materials and measures of how far we've come as artists.

I've also taken to heart the advice from all that I have interviewed, follow on twitter & Facebook & bloger, and that is to always Have a sketchbook handy. And through this I've come to terms with the Day job. Everyone out there who, because of the structure of this world, find them selves tied to the Life wasting grind stone. Paying mortgages and bills but not feeling uplifted or inspired, Listen... Every moment of your life is a moment spent. You wont ever get it back, so spend it well. I'll spend two or three hours watering trees & plants & pots, stocking shelves and taking inventories. I'll be interrupted continuously in the process by customers needs and wants. I'll spend four hours on a forklift loading stone or soil or mulch. If I forget what these moments mean, What they cost, I run the risk of wasting those moments. So creatively speaking, I use this time to take a journey through the worlds I'm trying to invent. I give birth to scenes and plot elements, I flesh out the characters, give them form, substance, and a face. I have eureka moments where I have to stop and make a sketch or jot down a few notes. When I think I just can't take it anymore, I remember that I am the master of my attitude. If I think negatively Thats exactly what my day will be. Negative. And it is sometimes, but really its my fault for not thinking clearly, positively. So I will not give up, I will not give in.

And one day the world will come to know just how worlds are formed. In those moments of time we could otherwise waste as failure fodder.

Keep it real, Keep it alive, and KEEP A SKETCH BOOK!

and in the mean time... Keep the day job.

Now that's what I call ART!

2009-06-27T20:32:00.000-07:00

I'm such a proud Papa! It is so important to involve our little ones in the arts as early as posable, and see in them the potential for greatness. We spend our lives as adult artists fighting to develop our technique, our style, our vision. But what we need most is to remember the fun, the wonder, the joy of it all. Picasso found it. I think thats why he lived so long.

James is four years old. NO. I'm not saying this is genius! I'm not running out to contact a gallery & promote my son as the next visual arts prodigy. I just love watching him create things.

Fresno Fine Arts had a family day at the museum on Saturday. We eased our way through the quiet and unfortunately empty galleries. We Oood and Ahh-d at the beauty hung there, and tried to see what the artist saw. and then it was time for a little hands on. James is as left handed as his daddy. I marveled at the way he meticulously chose his color and brush and slowly & deliberately executed this piece. Most kids his age make a muddy mess. A lot pay no attention to staying in the lines of a coloring book, yet my little guy shows a propensity for the arts that I remember having myself early on. I couldn't be prouder.

My Minnie Me.

Stephan Silver

2009-06-20T21:54:00.001-07:00

My video podcast with Stephan Silver is posted on my site and ready for viewing. I have decided that any future interviews that I do will be in support of a new group that wish to form for Graphic Novelists. I will be browsing the web on the lookout for individuals that I think will benefit from from such a group, and from whom I think I can trust to help myself grow as an artist. If you are reading this and you are seriously interested in developing a Graphic Novel, drop me an email with a link to examples of your work so I can review it for consideration.

Meanwhile, please enjoy this sneak peek at July's Podcast interview with Stephan Silver,

Force of Nature.

http://web.me.com/samuelkirkman/Site/Stephan_Silver.html

What comes playing around. We learn.

2009-06-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

I have been really concentrating on sketching more, always carrying around a pen or pencil and anything to draw on. I sat down a few days ago and gave birth to several Sketches.

I was trying to ink with the classic india and pen. I just couldn't get the control I was after.

So I sat down at the Wacom, and with the scratch pen brush went after my first sketch of the wife. Loved the way this turned out, and may play around with doing a few line pieces. My reading BONE may have something to do with that. Jeff Smith is a genius.

Now that she is finished I feel a renewed confidence that I can truly figure this thing out.

It is amazing How comfortable I feel in the midst of such chaos. The way I am working is so completely unorthodox. I truly try to write the story down, but until I see the new scene visualized, my mind won't budge. It's like watching a movie in slow motion. I have to see it in order to bring it into being.

I need Character!

2009-06-12T21:04:00.001-07:00

I've been working on GREW pretty intensively since March. Two & a half months into it and I realize that I have to bring more character interaction, dialog ,and Drama into it. Shan Tan spent four years of his life on The Arrival and It shows. Realizing that I'm only two months into this makes me feel better. I want to rush myself, make it happen NOW! Trouble is what ever gets rushed usually looks it.
So why do quick one minute or faster character sketches? Well... the reason is to catch a moment of time. a whiff of inspiration and go with it. I'll spend MUCH time refining them in Painter later, right now they've got to breathe, "let us out!" they shout!

We'll see what comes.

Two new pages done

2009-06-10T15:35:00.001-07:00

I've got two more days left of vacation time this week. Hope to finnish at least one page a day,

but with the challenges getting more & more intense I'm not sure if I can or not. We'll see.

Got to get as much done before Comicon as I can.

Time off for family camping.

2009-06-09T21:57:00.001-07:00

Took the advise of all the successful people I've been listening to and I took the sketchbook on vacation. we went camping at San Simeon state park sunday & monday night. Tried sketching the family.
James and his toasted marshmallows , quick 30 sec sketches, not real accurate but close enough for quickies.
even got the teenager to sit for me. actually he didn't realize it. another 30+ sec sketch.

I think I caught his "coolness" don't you?
other campers walking the dog, birds picking the campsite clean of breadcrumbs, trees around the site. The ancient cypress trees there are amazing. Took some video too. hope to put a short piece together to share. had a good time, but now back to business! I hope to work into the next section of GREW before the week I have off is out.

Mac's interview is up and ready to view!

2009-06-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

Well it's finally June and my interview with Mark McDonnell is posted on my web site.

Check it out by clicking on the link bellow. It turned out good I think. I still would like to figure out a way to record his inbound audio better. It is recorded in Garageband Via Skype

and the audio is picked up by the built in mic. Sure would like to find out how to record the incoming audio from skype direct & not through the mic.

Anyway check it out! hope you find it encouraging!

Mac's Interview

intensity developing

2009-05-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

To demonstrate the value of a good critique group. As individuals, we can just so much. With the aid of several sets of eyes and various aesthetics, we can really start to see changes that will make a difference in our work.
The closer I get to Comicon in july, the more intense and hopefully numerous my posts will get. It would be great if I could have this thing finished By then, but I can't rush it either. Creativity ebbs and flows. I know there will be other dry spells. I hope to take a couple of weeks as a leave of absence to try and get closer to completion. I just hope a dry spell doesn't come during, so that that needed time isn't wasted. It's just something you can't predict or do much to control. Just go with it and try to muscle through if it does happen. Anyway, the story is getting better.

The Wretched Wife of the Mayor of GREW

2009-05-25T21:48:00.001-07:00

It is such an intriguing thing to create a world and the characters that inhabit it. You can quite literally have anything happen. What is important is finding the sequence of events that will lead an audience to empathize with and identify with those involved. You want the audience to follow you on this journey and sometimes it is a struggle within to keep it interesting. I've found more and more that the story has to grow as the illustrations progress. Different directions can be taken, but in order to get a clear direction you have got to stop and think, STORY! STORY! STORY! Taking the time to work on the text has given new life to my illustrations. It's weird how intertwined they have become. I've decided that this work has to be done in such a way that neither can exist independent of each other. You can't understand the story with out the pictures, and vise-versa. So this is the renewed direction to produce a unified whole and not a collection on disembodied chunks of creativity. This is the challenge!

podcast interviews

2009-05-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

If you haven't checked out the podcast interview page on my web site, I encourage you to do so.

David Colman is an Emmy award winning character designer who has worked with many of the best in the field of animation. From Sony pictures to Disney and practically everyone in between. He was gracious enough to agree to an interview for us to post through the VSS web site. His book is truly worth picking up. The Art Of Animal Character Design.

As it turns out, David's Friend Mark Mcdonnell Who is an artist working with Disney caught Davids interview and well, one thing leads to another, and My interview with Mac will be posted for June. Needless to say I do hope this could lead to interest in my own work.

Im having a blast in doing them. I'm getting to ask questions of professionals in the field that I have always wanted to ask. I find for myself that nuts and bolts questions about how to break into the field, present your work, and just how to "Hang in there," are the most helpful. If you have any questions that you would like me to ask Mac drop me a response to this post and we'll see what we can do. Stay tuned! this could get interesting!

Grew is growing slowly

2009-05-05T13:38:00.001-07:00

There are not enough hours in the day.

This one illustration has take me almost three weeks to complete. Built up from 32 layers.

All this time though has allowed the story to develop and mature in my mind. I can only imagine how it might seem from what's been posted so far but there is a story here.

The main premise of GREW is; The Inevitability of Paradise. No matter what mankind has done to the Earth, it will heal in time.

Flew from Grew

2009-04-09T21:41:00.001-07:00

I only wish I had more time to spend on this project. It just screams at me during the day for attention, but the necessary day job drains away the life in me. You know you are in the wrong profession when at the end of the day you are left with only frustration. As this piece grows and takes form I feel an excitement and an energy the builds with in and it renews my spirit, so I know this is what I was meant to do. Hopefully the day will come, and soon, When I can break free from the monotony and frustrations, irritations and aggravations of the day job and devote my time to what I'm meant to accomplish. Take a look Or that is a listen to an interview I did with David Colman. I hope you find it encouraging. I know I did.

new page four

2009-04-03T04:59:00.001-07:00

Taadaa! this (with a few tweaks to come) is the new page 5 for now. Will I ever truly leave anything alone? Probably not.
Adding Drama to the scene.
I can never seem to feel completely satisfied with any thing. Every time I look at something I've supposedly finished, I see something that will make it better. I just hope that I can "finnish" enough to have something to show at Comicon this July. We'll see!

the new page four as it stands right now. a few modifications are coming.

with a click

2009-04-01T05:15:00.001-07:00

Things are finally flowing well and I hope to continue work on GREW for a finished, or at least presentable level of completion by july. I would love to show it at Comicon and get some interest built up in it. We'll see. please check out my interview with artist Joe Weatherly posted to the VSS interview site Joe Weatherly Interview and check back. I will be interviewing artist David Colman next and hope to have it posted as a podcast.

progress is slow but sure still.

2009-03-29T20:22:00.000-07:00

Keeping in touch with any following the progress so far. I was hoping to finnish this panel and send it off with my portfolio tomorrow, Oh well, Only so much is humanly possible. I will try to work on it more on Tuesday.

what comes next?

2009-03-23T05:26:00.001-07:00

page 2 of grew. the little one winged birds will be a feature in the story as it develops.

So much going on all at once, Working on this graphic novel, working up a resume and cover letter to apply at Pixar, trying to survive the spring. Work right now is really killing me. I use to love the spring. It was my favorite time of year. Matter' O fact I need to go now. Oh well, once more unto the breach my friends!

New directions

2009-03-15T09:02:00.001-07:00

after the discussion of the evolution of the Graphic Novel, and the discovery of Shaun Tan and his absolutely brilliant work in The Arrival, The lost Thing, The Red Tree, and Tales From Outer Suburbia, I've decided to embark on a new path. This is a sampling. A germ of an idea I'm calling GREW for the time being. I've always loved the fantastic, the enigmatic. I'm drawn to works that invite personal interpretation, and after reading Shaun's posts, his view on his work, I have developed an affinity for what he has done.
riding on the wings of influence, I need to leave the animal book for a while. A fresh look later can only help it get better. and I really feel the need to press on. Expand, de-stagnate, de-compress. We'll see what happens!

Future of the Graphic novel

2009-03-03T16:27:00.000-08:00

On Sunday morning there was a great session dedicated to a discussion of Comics and literature for children in general. The panel was made up of Traci Tod from VIZ, Randal C. Jarell with Oni Press, Ted Naifeh (Polly and the Pirates, Courtney Crumrin) Alyson Matthews (contra Costa Public Library). The discussion opened with Graphic novels and there place in modern literary culture. I listened intently because as they discussed this emerging phenomenon in literature, I realized where my work fit in. Finally! They discussed the difficulty of convincing parents and teachers of their validity as worthwhile literature.

Mr. Jarell brought out the fear that many have, "our attention span is becoming that of a fruit fly..." and while that my be true, it simply reflects the changes in the way we take in information.

Its not necessarily a degradation in our culture, simply a change in the way we take in and utilize information. Ms Tod did mention that Graphic novels were starting to see a fair amount of acceptance with in the larger community and that G.Ns. were becoming a sort of bridge between picture books for younger children to works of Prose as they grew older.

Ms Matthews saw them as a Hybrid of the two. picture books and prose, adding that as a Librarian, she hoped to see there eventual acceptance in to what is considered to be worthy literature. Giving the example of BONE as an example of what is evolving as the Graphic novel. As a mater of fact the whole panel seemed to site bone as the first true, worthy of notice example of a good graphic novel, setting the mark for what might come later.

I am so out of it. I keep being reminded of just how far behind I am in my knowledge of the currant literary market. I Had No Idea that Manga was read right to left. The panel brought out how popular it has become, but felt that Manga was somewhat culturally biased. I reflects it's Japanese origins so distinctly, that they felt it was a phenomenon, a bobble the will soon burst because of this limiting nature of Manga. They, however, did not see the rise of the graphic novel as a phenomenon, as a bobble the will burst. They saw it rather as an evolution of what is considered literature, and that much still lies ahead for what this genre has to offer. Getting me all excited. I have found direction in the structure of Ouwangalaymah! and I hope to work to that end.

Wondercon 2009

2009-03-02T19:50:00.001-08:00

With These Promo pieces and portfolio in hand I hit the exhibition hall at Wondercon in San Francisco this weekend. For me, this is the hardest step of all. I am a wretched self promoter. Even though this was not the ideal venue to be searching for contacts I made a few. But not after many hours of walking around the hall, searching for artists whose work I admired and felt an affinity with. I found Three Wonderful artists. Joe Weatherly, David Colman and Bobby Chiu. You have to check out there sites. They are all incredibly talented artists. And all of them have self published books.
All have graciously agreed to do interviews with me for the VSS. Their experiences will be so helpful to the group and to our visitors who might enjoy there responses. I am very grateful to them for being so open and sharing with us and I hope to have their interviews done soon.

My first born

2009-02-19T21:18:00.001-08:00

The joy of being a father. How proud I am to have such a talented, loving, thoughtful person for a son. during his baby days, which flew by far to quickly to savor, I worried so much about his adolescence. so many sweet kids seem to self destruct after puberty. Not my Ethan.

We've lived in California for a little over nine years now. Ethan just turned 18. and we couldn't feel more at home. I worried about my decision to uproot and move a thousand miles away from home. I worried how Ethan would develop, what kid of person he would grow into. I should never have worried. My boys. The pride, the joy of my life. How fortunate our little James is to have such a wonderful big brother.
This is what it's all about!

What children leave behind

2009-02-16T18:31:00.000-08:00

I love the central coast, from Montana De Oro just south of loss Osos, up to Cambria and San Simeon. I always find the most curious things that children leave behind after their visits to the beach.

From flotsam left by the tide,

To forts constructed of Drift wood. I love to explore what they've left behind and think what wonderful adventures they must have had.
It's a marvelous thing to see how they explore nature. I hope they feel the awe the I do every time I come here.
I often look for the things I've found when I return to this place, but the old is always replaced by the new, and I marvel all over again at what another child has done.
Do they know I've come to admire there work? Do they leave them realizing how much I appreciate it? I know they are children because only children have the patience to play so closely with nature. It's no wonder that as an artist, I long to regain, to keep alive that little boy in me who loves to leave what's left behind on the sand.

Leave it to Lemurs

2009-02-12T19:50:00.000-08:00

I guess it is inevitable that our characters reflect aspects of our own personality, and that of those who are close to us. And so it is with Yafti, the main character of Ouwangalaymah. Part me, part my son James.

If A.D.D. had been recognized when I was young, I'm sure that's what I would have been labeled. Actually I hate Labels, but we all seem to navigate through life in spite them. For myself, and my son James, Mom is the stabilizer in our lives.

Mothers are a force of Nature. They have to be. What with the prevailing winds of the world and all. And the imperfections that make each of us what we are. I see utter exhaustion in my wife's eyes after a long day with our son, but that undying strength that is Mommieness shines in them too.
Yep! That's My inspiration alright! I just hope that I can craft a story that can help young ones like myself, like my son James, who though being well meaning, sometimes do and say things they probably shouldn't.
Leave it to the Lemurs of our lives to inspire us, to encourage us to create.

In the beginning...

2009-02-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

There is a first time for everything and this would be my time to blog.

If you find yourself offended by the funny, the encouraging, the wonderful things children say and do and love, then please move along. You will find nothing of use to you here. But if you Love to make children laugh, if you delight in there wrapped attention to a storyteller, I hope you'll stay awhile. And so to begin with, an example of just what I mean.