048

Something I've been poking at in between other projects. Still a work in progress.

UPS Brokerage Fees

So I received the first of 2 packages for the contest I won for the Kidrobot contest: Link, and had to pay a $112.25 UPS Brokerage fee. I've already contacted Kidrobot about why I had to pay a fee on a prize and hopefully this issue will be resolved soon. But I hope they get back to me before the next package arrives because I'm not sure what to do about it. I might have to refuse the fees and have it sent back to them.

I'm sure this is all one big misunderstanding and someone just forgot to put a checkmark in some box on some form. But it sure ruins the feeling of winning a contest when you have to pay fees you can't afford. 

I should be excited about winning and getting my stuff.....but right now it's sitting on my bed and I'm feeling ripped off.

I really hate UPS.

Do you speak pottery?

I decided I wanted to figure out the pottery mark on the bottom of this bowl I found awhile ago, but I'm having trouble figuring it out. Not sure which direction is right or if part of it broke off....etc. I took a look at this site to try and find it, but I think my brain glazed over looking through all the markings. For all I know it could be something recent, counterfeit, or someones' school project. But if anyone is interested in researching the marking or already knows what it is....let me know.

047

For the first time in a while, I felt like sketching.

046

So I decided to quickly animate something for a contest at the last minute. No time for editing or retakes.... just add snow and away it goes. Next time I want to do something like this I really need to give myself more time.

But now I have a light box I can use to take some slightly better lit photographs of my projects.


EDIT: So my animation was chosen as the winner for the contest! Now I'll have more than enough Munny's to design for years to come!....Or maybe just another year. It has been announced to the site but it looks like they just used my dropbox link instead of uploading it to another service, so I'll have to send them my blogspot link when I confirm the package has arrived. And I'll post pictures of my prize when it arrives.

045

This is a little project I've been working on for awhile. I haven't finished it yet but I'm busy at the moment working on other project deadlines. Also I'm not sure how to approach painting it. I want it to look like a stone sculpture with jade armour....but I'm not very confident in my traditional painting skills, so I'm going to experiment a bit on something else before I attempt painting this one. I'll post the finished piece at some point in the future.

I was also meaning to post this one earlier. After my cat passed away I wanted to make something to remember her by, and I didn't want it just to be a framed photograph. So I made a shadow box to display her coller and a small stone box (sanded gray sculpey) with a bit of her ashes in it. It was my first time making a shadow box and it was a lot of fun to do. It also helped me to get over her death.  I might try making more shadow boxes in the future.

And it's way past halloween, but I carved 2 pumpkins this year and wanted to show them off.

044

So I put my cat down on October. 5, 2012 and picked up her ashes from the animal hospital on Oct. 9th. The same day I picked up her ashes I was also laid off from my part time job. So needless to say I'm not in the brightest of moods right now.

Ironically I'm now in an artsy/drawing mood. I guess I really do work better when I'm horribly depressed. Go figure.

043

I participated in the Steveston Grand Prix of Art again this year and this is the final result of my time at the event. Completely created in Copic Marker..... not watercolour (much to everyones amazement).

I think it turned out better then what I produced last year...even though I haven't really been creating much art outside of work for awhile. I look back on this picture and see a few little things I wish I could've touched up, but the final whistle had gone and I ran out of time... for 3hrs this was pretty good though. I've never been very good with titles so the piece is called "Heringers" after the shop in the picture.

This piece was bought by Heringers Meats in Steveston Village (the shop in the picture) and will now reside with the rest of their collection from past competitions. So if you would like to see it in person (and maybe pick up something for dinner...) head on over to Heringers.

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I was also the person in charge of artist registration this year... which was a learning experience and a hell of a lot of work when my registration duties evolved into more than just registration duties + other shop work, customers, etc. But it seems like registration went a little more smoothly this year, so alls well that ends well I guess. Though I'm not sure I'd be interested in doing this duty again....unless I had a dedicated helper maybe.

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And on a sad note, my cats health has deteriorated further as the cancer progresses. I will have to make a decision in the next few days or weeks, of when to put her down. It's been something I've been trying not to think about, but when you visit the Animal hospital almost once a week and everybody knows your name... you know it's about time. This will be one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make, but I know in my heart it's the right thing to do for her.

042

I recently created a map for the Richmond Sharing Farm Society , which was a lot of fun to create and reminded me of all the maps I used to make during high school for various projects. You can like and share the map on Facebook.

Lately I've gotten a bit behind on my contract illustration work which means less time to do my own projects, and my responsibilities at my part-time job have picked up. I am in charge of the registration (and some of the organization) for the 2012 Steveston Grand Prix of Art . Last year I participated in the event for the first time, and this year I'm helping other artists and volunteers register. Though I'll still be painting at the event, I'll have to go back to work afterwards lol. You can read more about the event and register 'here' if you like.

And on a sad note, my cat of 15yrs has been diagnosed with cancer and only has a few more months to live. I've made many trips to the animal hospital over the past 2 months (at least once a week) and my cat has also had 2 surgeries during this time. But the cancer was just confirmed last week. I don't think my brain accepts the fact that she is dying. So right now I just feel emotionally stunned about the whole thing and I'm sure at some point (probably when she has passed away) it'll hit me hard. Until then I'll just spend as much time as I can with her and go about life as I would before knowing about it.

041

Hey something new: http://bone-fish14.deviantart.com/#/d58roap

Mini Comi 2012

I will being selling again in the artist ally at Mini Comi July 7th: [link] So if you live in BC or are visiting around July 7th, feel free to drop by and say hi :) Table D5. I will selling fan art and hobby work only - examples: [link] Anyways hope to see some of you there.


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Also I realize I haven't updated my blog for a month and a bit.... June just got really busy. I ended up working on some projects for potential jobs that will hopefully snow ball into something bigger. Finding work is still a problem for me but it seems to slowly be getting better. I signed a contract with a company that I will start doing some illustration work for, and I'm hoping I can build it into a semi-stable source of income. Also I'm still grateful I was able to find that part-time job a few months back (though I should ask for more hours). 

I'll try and get myself organized and start posting more work again. I'm still working through my art block, and I really wish I could just snap out of it.

040

One of my Dodge Dart contest entries [Link] was chosen for the semi-finals: [Link]

I'm surprised it was chosen over some of the other images I saw for the contest. They seemed to be picking more abstract entries.

039

Here is the final....finally.

038

This is for another DA contest . I've completed 3 other entries but this was the first non-abstract one. I should really practice drawing vehicles so I don't have to rely so much on reference imagery to create them. But then I also have to do the same for people, animals, etc... So much to work on. I'm really hoping that this image at least makes it into the semi-finals. I don't expect it to win (though I really, REALLY, hope it does), but at least getting into the semi-finals would make the amount of effort I put into this contest worth it.

037

Almost finished, just working on colours and other details. Need to work at getting faster at these.

036

Actually went out sketching with friends before going to watch some animations from ECUAD Grads. Did more talking than sketching but at least I'm sketching again.

035

wip

Also I've been drawing a fair bit in my sketchbook again...which is good.

034

Sometimes you start off normal...and then you get abstract along the way.IDK why I'm into doing abstract stuff lately. Final image can be viewed here: LINK

033

I've entered another DA contest and decided to try something a little more abstract. Head over to my DA page to see the image better and leave a comment if you like.
Transform by ~Bone-Fish14 on deviantART
Retro by ~Bone-Fish14 on deviantART

This was the original colour set-up I had. I think I still like this version better, so I've uploaded it to DA as well.

032

Right click images in "image viewer mode" and open them in a new tab to view them larger.

031

Finished.

Still in progress. Probably won't have a chance to work on it again till Monday. April has been randomly busy for me.

Also I'm not sure if I'm supposed to say...but since I already made a twitter post about it.....I won $500 for entering the "Shattered Sky" DVD cover contest. I was in 1 of the 5 top place spots. This was the image they chose: Link

030

Gotta Start posting more stuff again.

Might add more to this one later.

029

I finished it! :D

I'll make a "how too" soon and probably post it up next week, since I'll be away the rest of this week/weekend.

028

Final Image....wrote the wrong number on it...it's supposed to be #283 :S

I promise to post a finished picture of the Munny I've been working on by Thursday at the latest...I just have to touch up a few spots and wait for a few things to dry.

027

Updated wip. Experimenting with a bit of colour. Background is just a wip and will change.

026

I'm going to start doing more things on conceptart.org now. I should start doing something besides just the chow's though. I think I might enter a second one for this week if I can handle it.

Alien Gardener? Still figuring out designs...

Also the Munny I've been working on is almost finished. I'm just waiting for some parts to dry and I'm looking for some gold paint which I might borrow from someone...

025

So I probably won't have time to finish my entry for the CHoW since I'm going to be away from my computer for most of Friday and the entire weekend. This only proves my point that I need to become faster at doing things like this. I managed to get a fair bit done with the time I had though. I made sure to lighten the images this time cause they were way too dark before.

Also I said I wouldn't post anything, but this is what I've been working on for the past week or so:

I made most of it only using a paper clip.

I've already started painting this, so it'll be finished the next time you see it. I'll also be posting my step by step process if anyone is interested.

024

I ended up submitting what I have to the CHoW. Though what I submitted turn out a lot darker then I expected so the next time I post something I'll have to remember to adjust for that.

023

Haven't decided if I want to enter a CHoW on conceptart.org but I was working on this for it. I'll only have one more day if I want to do anything so I don't know.

I also I've been working on something on and off for the past week or so, that I'll post as soon as I'm finished working on it. I thought about posting some of the process for it now, but I think uploading it all at once will be better. I might change my mind though.

022

WIPS. Click to enlarge, then right click over the image to open in a new tab and you should be able to see a larger size.

021

Testing a blogging app on my phone.

020

Putting together some storyboard stuff for my online portfolio. Found some storyboards from my film so I might post up a couple of those (I'll have to update them like I did for this one) and also put together some new stuff.

And also something random.

019

Haven't updated in a couple days. My brain kinda died on me and I lost a lot of inspiration to work on things.

Also I was falling into the old trap of feeling frustrated over not being able to find a job in my field and not being at the artistic level I should be at by this point...etc.... Anyways...Time to listen to some old time radio.

018

wip

017

016

practice when I'm not sure what else to do

015

Brainstorming...haven't figured out which direction I want to go in. The theme is Monster Hunter.

I don't want to be cliché so I'm going to maybe take it in another direction.

014

Felt like doing something besides an environment tonight/this morning.

013

yup...

Also I'm going to the DHX animation studio tomorrow to hopefully get some networking done. The one thing besides my artistic skills I really need to work on.

012

Still poking at it.