Outside of that, physically I am doing much better. I found out that the VA has a gym and I have been pumping iron. It is going to take some time but will get my body into better shape. I can't repair the damage from my youth, but I can make it stronger to fight off illnesses and all. Moving to my new home has really turned out to be a wonderful thing for me. Normally up here there isn't as humidity in the air, and that helps my lungs. Luckily I do have a oxygen machine for when I am sick. It really does help when your body is weak, but normally I don't have to use it. It does look like I am just going to have put sugar completely out of my diet from here on out. That will be hard, but considering how bad it makes me feel I am going to have too. Lol and Madison brought home a half gallon of my favorite Ice Cream this morning, which is Breyer's Black Cherry. I guess I'll have to let the kids have it. But its just another example of how considerate and loving Madison is.
Above are some sketches of a new painting I am trying to get done during this illness. I have a lot done and should be able to start actually painting this weekend. If you haven't guessed, my honey Madison is the model for this one. It is the first time I have used her in a painting, but I am sure over the years, her and the kids will show up in a lot of my work.
If you look at the sketches, it might give you an idea of how I work. I do this the same whether it's digital or oils. The reason I do that is to strenghten my "Artist Eye" You can tell your skills are good when you can do portraits. Your Eye has to be very well trained to make a drawing look like the person your drawing, so I always draw it to look like the model to start with, then I go in and start creating the look I want, and that is becoming easier and easier the more I work. That's why I am always learning and I don't take any shortcuts unless I am fighting a tight deadline.
More on that in a little bit, but back to the sketches first. This is another book cover, and this one is for a very sweet and dear young lady. She looks so sweet and innocence, and then I read about 4 of the poems she wrote for this book. Here is a blurp I asked her to write about the up-coming book.....
Illuminations of the Soul/Obscurities of the heart is a collection of poems, both light and dark that have been written over the years. The words allow the reader to have their own interpretation depending on the journey the poem takes them. This is my first book which is dedicated to my mom, {{May Reeves}} and advance sales will be available Mid-July or Early August. You can follow me on Facebook fan page or my link to my site on blogger
When I have the sketches the way I want them, I will put them together in Painter, and then start painting. What we are going for here is a positive image looking into one of those 3 part mirrors. In the mirror you see 3 different negative images. It is really a blast doing this one, because I don't have much reference material to work with. So outside of the Pic's of Madison, everything else is straight from the "ID" and in the "Book of Rose" you will be seeing ton's of sketches done by me for the book. Until I have all the names Trademarked, I'm not gonna say much about that project, but I will be showing the art for it. I really wish I could, but there are just to many thief's out there, and I have had dozens of my idea's stolen from me the last several years, so no more of that.
Now for some really big news. Finally after all the paperwork and jumping through hoop's the last couple of years, I finally won my disability claim from the state of NC. What this means is that I am going to get paid from the day I applied until I moved, and the disability will come from here now. Moving really helped and speed things up. So this means that we don't have to worry about bills anymore, they will paid every month, and I will have extra money to build the studio to where I can start making prints again, t-shirts and all kinds of things. I am only allowed to make so much before it will affect my disability, and I do not want to stop. I want to know I have that and can count on it the rest of my life. This also means I can do anything art wise I want to. I don't have to worry about the paycheck, I can do what makes me happy. I will still charge, but only what the client can afford. Over the last few years, I couldn't even began to tell you the wonderful people I have had to turn down because they couldn't afford my basic fee. Now all of that has changed. Now the struggling companies or writers can afford my services.
The only thing I will not drop my price on is my original oil or pencil pieces. That is a different ballgame altogether, but to buy the print rights I will work with your budget. The prints I will start selling here soon, will be priced so that the average person can afford to have something done and signed by me hanging on the wall. I am thinking 7 to 10 bucks, but until I know all the cost, I can't say for sure, so more on that later.
I hope you can listen and call in on a Internet show I will be on Sunday night between 6 to 8 pm, est. Here is a link to that. Please listen or call in. I would love to hear from you. Well, I am going to cut this one a little short, but will post a new one Sunday, with new sketches. Until then, "May the Darkness Comfort you"
1 comment:
Oh they are very nice. Love it, yes I seem to be sweet and innocent, but the stuff that lives in my head is pretty dark and twisted
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