Summer time!!

       Summertime is about over and I bet you have been wondering... "What is that guy doing?" Well, to be sure, I have not been sitting on my ass. This summer I started back on plein air painting. I didn't do as much as I had hoped, but I did have a great time with my mentor and best bud, Don Stephens.

    Almost all of our time was spent was spent on the Delaware River or the Rancocas Creek. Here's a sample of what went on.

This was a cityscape done of the Philadelphia Center City skyline. This was done on a 5.5" x 8.5" mixed media paper with watercolor and Sharpie.

This is a study of the funnel of the "SS United States". The ship is docked on Columbus Blvd. in Philadelphia. This was done on a 5.5" x 8.5" mixed media paper with watercolor and Sharpie.

A week or two later, I was on the Delaware by the Riverton Yacht Club. It was a morning scene done in the shade from the banks of the river.

This was done on a 5.5" x 8.5" mixed media paper with watercolor and Sharpie.

"Beacon." This was done on 2" x 4" in "Perfect Sketch Book"  with watercolor and Sharpie.

Back out on the Rancocas Creek, in a small tributary sits this old radio or buoy tower, you may remember me trying to do a sketch of this last fall and making a general mess of it.

This was done on a 7" x 10" in Arches watercolor paper with watercolor and Sharpie.

This piece was done on an overcast Sunday on the banks of the Delaware River from the Philadelphia side.  This was done on a 5.5" x 8.5" mixed media paper with watercolor and Sharpie.

This was the last of the summer plein air work. Stay tuned for pumpkin sculpting and new illustrations this fall!

Cons and Free Comic Book Day!

In the last two weeks, I have been doing some fun stuff! I was invited to show my work at the 2nd Annual Montgomery County Comic Con. I had a great time meeting new people and even did a panel. The panel was on ways to make money while being an artist. Here are a few pics!

Then this weekend, I did Free Comic Book Day at Amalgam Comics. I had lots of fun and met new friends!!

Monsters and More!!!

Last year I was introduced to the fine folks at http://www.alloutmonsterrevolt.com/. A few emails later, I was able to start work on the "Monster Roster" section of their publication, Issue 6, Vol 2. The idea was to flesh out the skeleton of a long dead sea creature from a "Red Sonya" picture. Here is the illustration from the "Red Sonya" picture.

I studied many vintage fishing illustrations to prepare for this. I don't think they helped all that much. Still, I had a good time making this monster. It is a mixed media illustration, mostly acrylic paint and ink pen.

Also, because all of you seem to be enjoying the first Marilyn Monroe series, here is number 3 of Series 1.  Please note another series is on the way.

Podcast and Painting

As we start the first week of February, I have a couple of new things going on.  I started to play with a new style of painting.  I started four experimental paintings of Marilyn Monroe and ended up with two. So...

I''ll be playing with more of this style soon! 

Also this week I got spend the evening with my new buddy, Zena--the Real Queen Of Horror!  Find her on her website!  Watch her vlogs and listen to her podcasts!

http://www.realqueenofhorror.com/2017/02/after-midnight-joshua-toritto.html 

Another week in and out! What did I do?

It's the end of the month, and what did I get done this week?  Well, outside of reading...I finished an 8 in. x 8 in. caricature portraiture of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  Also, thanks to the generosity of its owner, I was able to get a better photo of a recently finished painting--you might recognize it.  As always, prints are available.

In the Last Week!

What is a week in the life of the average artist like? I don't know... Still, here is what mine was like. Last Friday I hung out with the great folks of "Why You Should Vlog" and I had a great time as always! Here is a preview of the first video and a preview of the next to come!

Later that weekend, I made a very special delivery! I finally finished a 17 in. x 17 in. acrylic painting to its new owner. This is an Impressionist style painting of Sherlock Holmes & John Watson at night called, "Les Lampes à gaz fantomatique echouent à vingt pieds."  

On Saturday I went with a group to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The "Beyond Caravaggio" exhibit was one of the best things I was able to see. I saw lots of wonderful things, like a possible family member from arts past!!!

Me and my dad on the train!

Hanging with Mr. Caligula!

Look at my terrible posture! Me and my long-lost cousin!

As this week starts, I will be working on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Prince. So keep reading!