Lots and lots of changes coming.

        Hello my friends and Happy Mothers Day.  I pray that each of you had a mother that was loving and nurturing to you.  Mothers mean more to us when we are children than anything else.  As Brandon Lee said in the movie "The Crow" " Mother is the name of God on the lips of small children" and that it is. But it in some cases it could be "Satan".  I pray that you are not one of those children.
       I have a lot to talk about today. Many major changes are on the way, as a matter of fact, I'm completely revamping the way I do business, and my appearance online. I'm in the process of "Cleaning out my Closet."  That's a private term, but Madison and Tilly know what I mean. It is time for a lot of growth and to take some big steps forward.  For this to happen, some eggs are going to get broken and I have to leave "Junk" in the past where it belongs.
       The first thing that you will notice is that I am getting rid of the Wicked Kitty Website. I have decided to only use the Nick Rose Name as far as the public is concerned. I still own the Wicked Kitty name and we will be using it for some business ventures, but overall "Nick Rose" is what we will be branding. Also, times have changed. Personally I don't see any reason for keeping up a website. If I want to show samples, I'll simply send clients to a private link that just features my work, nothing else. After all, publishers and movie producers don't care about anything other than my work.  Websites are for fans, and honestly I have 100 times the fans going to my blog or social networks to see my work. So a website is a waste of money and time. If you are going to stay competitive in this business, you have to think outside of the box and grow with all the changes going on with the Internet. It seems almost everyday there is something new coming out that you can use as a promotional tool.
      We are also going for new ways to bring in income from my art. I'm not going to disclose what my plans are,  but I will say, I have been thinking about this for a very long time. I've been studying the market and how other people have been making "large" livings doing what I am going to do. Give me a year and you will see. The hardest part of this is has been trying to figure out where the capital will come from. Problem solved.
     A couple of things that have been bothering me these last several months is that I want to be able to film videos of my working both traditionally and digitally. I was going to get a good camera at Christmas to help me do this, but it turns out the more I worked toward this, the more I realized how expensive it was going to be to buy the equipment to do this properly. I am talking about making top of the line videos and to do that I need to invest around 50 grand for the equipment to just get me started.
     The same problem is present with doing books. The writing part isn't nearly as bad as the quality of photo's I would need to take of "In progress" photo's to make the book desirable. This is going to take a very nice camera and some really good equipment, so it looks like that is going to have to wait for a while now. Sorry, but I'm not going to do anything half-as*ed.  I want fans and buyers to know that anything that goes with the Nick Rose name is quality. 
     As most of you know I have been working my arshe off getting my health back, and I am doing it so I can have a long career and make a lot of money to take care of the people I love most in this world.  Basically I am going into a "Hermit" mode. I will still be here and do things to promote my work and projects, but I am going to become scarce. Basically if you want to contact me, send me an e-mail, because unless it is business you will not be able to get me on the phone anymore. Sorry, but I have to really focus on the goals I have set for myself and that means I have to focus on my life and decisions. It 's time I discover who I am as a person, an artist, and a man, and I don't want anyone outside of the people I hold closest to my heart to be involved in that. 
    SO, please respect that. Emails work just as well. I am sorry for sounding so "tight" but this has been coming for a while now, but I wanted to think about it for a long time to make sure it was the right choice for me. 
    I want to make this very plain, I am not referring to all of you that are here because you like my art and are keeping up with my career.  This has nothing to do with anyone I deal with on a business level. This is about me making more time for what I do best, and keeping myself focused on my goals. Before Madison came into my life, I lived 8 years with no one in my life mostly so I could focus on learning the lessons of the Masters and keeping my mind clear of all the clutter that life has a tendency to  throw at you.
    I know this may sound a little off to some of you, but it 's what works for me. Blame my parents. I had to live in my own little world to survive growing up, and as an adult, I do the same thing when I am very serious about pursuing something.  I know you all will be glad I did, after all, you may like me, but you are here mostly because of the art, and I intend to get real serious about that and keep practicing all the "secrets" I was taught. It 's not everyday that we are given second chances at life and in my case I am going to give it all I have. 
    This is just the start, and with each blog I will go over more and more the things I will be doing and changing.  I want you all to know that I do love you, and your support has and always meant the world to me.  Without you, I would be nothing. I also have a new fan club if your interested in joining. Here is the link.  I started this one because our FB group, 4200 strong is being archived, whatever that means.  This one is a "Like" Club and I am hoping to do more on there without sending a bunch of letters to your mailboxes. You can't do that with the group. If I send out a message from there it goes to every one's mail, and we don't want that unless it is REALLY important.
     Love and Hugs.  "May the Darkness Comfort You"

      

Improving myself on many levels.

      Hello my friends. I hope each of you are doing well. I don't know about you, but I am excited about the news that Bin Laden is dead. That's one less monster in the world to give our children nightmares. I am so proud of our Military and am even prouder to say that I served my country.  It's even more cool to find out that not one of our Navy Seals was hurt in this very dangerous operation. Total Badas*!  I also find it very amusing that May 1st is also the day that they found Hitler dead as well. It is a special day for getting rid of the bad guys for sure. I wonder if that was planed out? lol
    Those of you that have keep up with me these last couple of years know very well that I am a veteran and if it was not for that, there is no way I could afford all the medical treatments and medicines I have to take these days. To any young person  reading this, going into the Army was the best decision I made in my young life. Not only did it teach me things I hold dear like "Respect, Honor, and to stand by your friends", but  the Army put me through college, and has helped me my whole life.  If you don't know where you want to go with your life yet, our Military is a great place to start.
    Right now, my health is the big issue, and I am working very hard on making it as good as I can so I can return to the world of doing some commercial work to help with the bills. Since January, everything has been on hold. I have constantly been fighting to stay alive. If we hadn't figured out that most of the problems I was having was being aggravated by infections in my gums that had been there for years unknown. It's no wonder that for the last 6 years I have been sick more than healthy.
     So I have been having most of my teeth pulled and filled. My body already feels 10 times better than it has in years, but I still have about 7 weeks to go before all the dental work is done, and trust me when I say I am living in some serious pain on a daily basis. I am only able to work here and there for now. I am working on some projects, but nothing that I have to push for, but the good news is this, once I am done with all of this I will not be afraid to commit to deadlines anymore and I am intending on doing a ton of new work. I have a LOT of really cool things going on, but I am not going to say anything about them until they come up. I have had several more major horror movie stars to sign on to my  "Masters of Horror" project. I will tell you who they are when the time comes, but honestly it is going to be 2012 before I can start anything with them.
   Outside of the time I am leaving open for doing cover and movie work, the rest of my art time is already committed for this year, and it looks like I am going to working a lot more with April "Chainsaw Sally" than I originally thought. She is one hell of a awesome and sexy model, so she will be appearing in a lot of my paintings. The same thing with Kane Hodder. The man is awesome and has agreed to let me use his image however I want, so he will be turning up on a lot of book covers as well as posters and prints.
    My gallery project I have been hinting at is really starting to come in focus, and some of the movie stars will be in those paintings as well. So as you can probably guess I am very excited about my health improving 100% and knowing I have all this awesome work in front of me.  If you think what you have seen from me the last few years was something, well, you haven't seen anything yet. I am just getting warmed up. lol
    Another part of my life I have been working on is my spiritual beliefs. This is something I have been dancing around for way to long, but now I am starting to do a lot of studying and research on my personal beliefs, and on a personal level, this is really making me feel a lot better "on the inside" if that makes sense.  In my humble opinion, I believe my life centers around 3 things, my art, Madison and the kids, and my spirituality. They are all connected and I put equal time into each of them. They are what really matters to me and I want to be the best person I can be, so my focus will be on these 3 things from now on.
    Madison's new book is almost done, and I will be doing the cover for it.  There will be some super big news coming along with that as well, but I will let her tell everyone when the time is right. I am so proud of her, and this book rocks. I kid you not, and I think some of the people I work with will honestly look at it for a possible movie. I am very serious.
    Hopefully I will blog again soon, and maybe have some work to show you, we'll just have to see how I am feeling. Like I said before, when you whole face is throbbing in pain, it is kind of hard to think about doing much of anything, but I will be past it soon.
   Love to you all. "May the Darkness Comfort You"

Update 1

    My dear friends, for most of the spring, unless I have some new art to show you, I want be on line much.  Although this dental work is a very positive thing, I feel like it is a downer to keep talking about it, and right now this is dominating my life. I will post updates on how I am doing here and there for my friends that are worried. As it is, I can't even talk on the phone, the pain in my face is so intense. When it does ease up, it is because I am so stoned on pain meds I don't know what I am saying half the time.
   I am trying to get some work done during all of this, but I just have to take it one day at a time for now, and I sure as heck can't make any promises. But once I am healed, I will be in the best shape I have been in for several years, as far as feeling "good" on a daily basis.
   I will get some roughs and sketches up for you in the near future, and in the meantime, please don't worry. I will be fine. Love and Hugs,
Nick

Filling you in

   My friends, I do apologies for the lack of blogs of late, but as most of you know I am going through a series of 9 dental surgeries. I had the second one today and it went fine. This should all be done in about 7 weeks and then I will be able to really start kicking butt like you've never seen me do before. My teeth have been infected for no one knows how long, but it has been making me very sick for the last few years. My body has to constantly fight this along with diabetes, colitis, COPD and other problems. I have been going downhill bad the last several months. But know, after the first surgery I feel better than I can remember feeling in many years. Luckily we finally figured out what was going on in my body.
   I should be back with a regular blog in a few days, but I wanted you to know that I love you all the love, support and prayers from you have got me through this. Madison and the kids have really been taking great care of me as well. This easter sunday will be our 2 year anniversary! Can you believe that? Wow, time has been flying and I've never been happier in my life.
   Another milestone is that we hit over 1500 Facebook readers on the blog today! Just amazing.  Love and Hugs. 

Chainsaw Sally Begins!!!!

     Hello my friends. I am writing this in two sittings. I have about an hour before I am going to the dentist to start getting some major dental work done on my teeth. It is going to take several months to get it all finished, but once it is done, I will be not be ashamed to smile anymore, and I will be more healthier.  But at the moment, I feel like a condemned man waiting for his turn in the chair, electric chair that is! lol.
   This is something exciting and I am doing it for my fellow artist, so please read. I have started a new account on Facebook called Nick RoseThree. The first one is maxed out and the second one is almost half way there, but I started 3 for a very different reason. One of my goals is to share and teach and that is what 3 is for. I am going to show you day by day how I work and the progress I make, except when I have to take a day off because of my health. Hopefully those will get less and less as time goes by and I work on improving my health and body every day.  But on today's blog I am going to give you and ideal of how Nick RoseThree works. I do not put this many drawings in progress on my other FB accounts or on this blog, so if you really want to see how I do my thing and learn from me, then go here and send a request. I will add you.
     Before I start with the art today though, I want to share some thoughts with you. I hope you will take the time to read and think about this. Recently some people I love very much have become sick. Hopefully through surgery they will be fine, but it is possible we could lose them as well. This has really been a wake up call for me personally. I have a habit of keeping a certain distant from loved ones because of some things that happened a few years ago. Since that time, I haven't let anyone outside of Madison and the kids "In"  and this has been a horrible mistake on my part. I do have a lot of people that really are good friends to me and love me.  Realizing I could lose a couple of them just like that, made me promise myself that I would start being a better friend to them and let the ones I love in. I would start calling and writing more, not put them off when they call or something. I also decided, whether male or female, I would always tell them that I love them and let them know they mean the world to me.  After all, you never know when you are going to lose someone or yourself.
    You should never be embarrassed about telling the people you love that you love them. If you tell another man you love them, that doesn't make you "Gay", it makes you a better person. There is nothing wrong with love or expressing it, no matter who you are, your beliefs, your sexual preferences and so on. If only everyone would realize this, the world would become a better place instantly. Think about this, and then start spreading love to all your love ones. Who knows, it could start a chain reaction.
    Here is where I am going to have to take a break and head to the dentist, hopefully when I get back I will be up to finishing this....
I survived the surgery and am actually doing well, although it is the following day. They pulled out one tooth and the remains of 3 teeth that went bad years ago. There was a huge amount of infection in my gums and this is one of the main reasons my body has been feeling bad for so long. On top of the things that disabled me, my body is having to fight this infection everyday. No wonder I have felt so bad so many days. In two weeks, they are going to do my right side, pulling out 4 teeth from there as well. Then finally in a month, 4 of my front teeth have to come out. Then, I will be fitted with "Partials" and I will have nice teeth and feel a thousand times better. I want to give thanks to the "Lady and the Lord" for making this possible. They do provide well for me.
     Ok, on to art. As I said earlier, your not going to see this much detail in my blog. At max in the blog, I show a painting at 4 stages tops. On Nick RoseThree, you will get to see it in about 20 to 30 steps.  I did not put the first two steps here on the blog, because mostly, they are just a bunch a scribbles that help me get to this point here....

     If you noticed, to this point I have keep the pencil work very light. The main reason is I want to offer pencil prints of the work as well as the oil painting prints. I work with 3 pencils. I use a 4h to lay the drawing out because it is very light, but very hard. It doesn't smear like a softer lead, but you have to learn not to put a lot of pressure on the pencil or it will leave intentions in the paper if you have to erase.  From this point on, I use a HB lead and a 2b lead pencil, like the one you would use for school or just everyday use. Now I am very sure that other artist will tell you they use other things instead, and that is wonderful. It is a personal thing, and these are the pencils I learned to work with through the years.
    Erasers are important as well. I use a Pentel "Clic" eraser, I also use a battery operated eraser, and I use a "kneaded" eraser as well.  Between the 3, they do a good job cleaning out any mess or smears I will make while drawing.....

    Now I start adding the details, values and shadows. I've always like to start with the eyes first. I'm not sure why, I just do and from there I work on the rest of the face. (If you will notice, there is a paper towel on the right on the drawing. I have found that by using a paper towel under my hand, it keeps the smudging to a minimum}
    In this painting, I am basing it on a "publicity" photo of  April's character "Chainsaw Sally" , but I am wanting to take it up a few notches from there. If you have watched "Chainsaw Sally" show or movie, you know it can get pretty gory in a cool way. If you haven't been able to see Sally in action, then go here  and you can see video, pictures or whatever you heart desires. After I am happy with the "Likeness" of April in the drawing, I start adding new elements. For me, I start thinking about these things as I start laying out the drawing. In a lot of cases, I start thinking about how I want something to look a couple of weeks before I even start the piece.
    Every artist is different, and I was trained to do all of these values schemes and drawings long before I start the finished piece, and on occasion, I will still do it like that depending on what the piece is and what it is for.  But in this case, I want it to be spontaneous like the "Dark Fairy" painting I finished recently...

  In the second picture, you can see some of the changes I am starting to make, but we're just getting warmed up! lol and here is another close up of April's face in progress.

    So next time you see this piece on the blog, the drawing will be finished. If you want to see it in the steps that get to the finished drawing, then you need to send a friends request to Nick RoseThree.
    Well my friends, I hope to see you there but if not, you know you will see me here several times a month. I hope you all are having a wonderful week and enjoyed seeing this piece in this much progress. Love and Hugs
"May the Darkness Comfort You"