RIP Pearl (P)

A few years ago I did a portrait for a friend of mine who had lost a truly phenomenal friend. This is the companion piece, commissioned for another amazing creature, and I was more than happy to help. It was an interesting challenge, trying to at least approximate the first piece's feel, and I think I did all right. 

Rest in peace, Pearl.

Journal Flowers (I)

Lately I've been trying to do more quick sketches, trying to be a little looser with my expectations, let things flow a little. Here's a sketch I made in about 45 minutes, pen and ink on graph paper with some watercolors thrown in. I'm into it!

Venice! (P, I)

I went to Venice back in August for a 10-day painting trip and LOOOVVVVVED it. I had to stop myself, like forcibly, from taking a picture of every single canal. We all had a final painting assigned, so here's mine, which incorporates various elements from the trip onto three canvas boards, each about 12" x 24":

We saw a bunch of art exhibits, including the Biennale exposition, and we made some sketches around the city. Here's one I made over a couple of mornings where I'd wake up, buy a cappuccino, and sit by the Giudecca Canal:

And of course I took a ton of photos. Please click here to see them!

 

Paintober: Pinhead from Hellraiser (P)

Didn't October just start? Why is it over, though?? Oh Best Month, you truly are the best month...and I shall miss you. Here's another Paintober creation, which I thought was appropriate for the spookiest day of the year. I'm constantly challenging myself to be looser with my lines, my colors, my attachment to what something "should be." This is a bit more abstract than I intended, but I'm sort of in love with it! 

HAPPY BEST MONTH EVERYONE!! 

Oil on wooden board, 18" x 18" 

Spooky Readings for Best Month!

I recorded some spooky works for Halloween - listen at your peril! 

Click the picture below to hear a reading of "The Open Window," a short story by Saki:

And click on this picture to hear a reading of the poem, "The Raven," by Edgar Allen Poe:

Halloween Radness 2025!

It's time for the annual portrait with my birthday twin. Guess those costumes, friends! I've been doing these for over a decade - check out last year's by clicking here. BEST MONTH!!

A Perfect Catwalk (W)

Here's a piece I wrote for a (very) short story contest I entered a few months back. For my group, the genre was horror (perfect for the Best Month!), and it had to include a podium and the word 'charging' in some form. I'm a very firm believer in equal rights and opportunities for trans people, and this was a nod to the power of that community. Also queer magik IS real! WERK! 

    We didn’t even know the spell would work until Principal Davis called Avi’s name. That’s when the pounding on the back doors started up. Like, those doors opened outwards, but something was pounding those doors in, like totally unrelenting, super loud. And it got real cold, and it was, like, hard to move...

To read more, click here.

Halloween Horror Musts - 2024!

Like last year's post, here's thirteen more of my favorite movies and shows, in no particular order. There are plenty of others, I just chose the first batch that oozed into my addled brain. Enjoy! BEST MONTH!!

1. THEM (2021)
2. THE SHINING (1980)

3. THE EMPTY MAN (2020)

4. THE ENDLESS (2017)

5. BONE TOMAHAWK (2015)

6. THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN (2014)

7. HANDLING THE UNDEAD (2024)

8. GROTESQUERIE (2024)

9. THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE (2018)

10. TRIANGLE (2009)

11. CHAPELWAITE (2021)

12. SWARM (2023)

13. THE VOID (2016)

The Heart Wants... (I)

HEEEEEEEEY!! Welcome to another BEST MONTH!! Let's kick this off with a horrific illustration I did for a wonderful dude I work with. The heart wants what the heart wants. OCTOBER!! YESSSS!!!!

Paintober: Poppies (P)

About 16" square, acrylic on wooden board.

Paintober: Hyena (P)

Watercolor on watercolor paper, colored pencil highlights, 11" x 15".

R.I.P. John Cassaday (OPP)

I just wanted to acknowledge the passing of one of my favorite artists. I grew up reading Planetary, and then his incredible run on Astonishing X-Men. He was a great artist, but maybe more importantly he had an exceptionally distinctive style, which is enviable. He'll definitely be missed.

Thirsty Crew! (GD)

Whatchoo know 'bout that Thirzzzty Crew?

Paintober: Gastonbury Grove (P)

Acrylic on painting board, about 7" x 5".

Max (W)

Another day, another writing contest. This one got me first place in my group. The prompt (genre - location - theme) was "love story - pet store - common courtesy." Enjoy!

"Max"

    The scorpion was gone. Well, he wasn’t gone, he was somewhere in the world. Somewhere in Max’s shop, most likely. But he was not in his terrarium, where he was supposed to be. Max had looked. Carefully. He’d used a trash grabber to lift out the branch with its flourish of desiccated leaves. With his arm so fully extended it was painful, he’d taken out the wooden half dome shelter, holding his breath the entire time. Nothing. Well, a perfect rectangle of sand. The heat lamp. Nothing poisonous. Nothing with clicking pincers or chitinous plates or surprisingly thoughtful eye beads...

To read the rest, click here.

Kickey! Chapter One: For Love! (V)

I never knew having a cat would be this weird. Click on the pic below to watch the first chapter of my Kickey series! And click here to watch the Shining-inspired trailer. Featuring the incredibly talented and seriously kickass Carody Irish. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CARODY!

Bomb Hills (I)

Commissioned sticker art. I did the "bomb head" version first, then the client told me it was for his kid, so I did the jack-o-lantern version. As an added bonus, there's a little video of my process down below. I don't usually keep the recording on for these things, but I forgot about it this time, so you get like...four hours of work, maybe? in 2 minutes of video. Enjoy!

It's Jordan! (I)

One of my favorite night shift coworkers is now a daywalker. Whatever, I don't care - THOSE AREN'T TEARS I HAVE SOMETHING IN BOTH OF MY EYES!

Wedding Card Design (I)

A wedding card design for two wonderful people getting married today! CONGRATULATIONS!!

Dog Painting (P)

A birthday present for one of my favorite people. This one I actually started about six years ago. I made a grid on the canvas, drew in the figure, and promptly got intimidated by the fact that I'd never really painted before. I dusted it off last year when I took the oil painting class. I was actually quite proud of it. (Oil on canvas, 3' x 2')

Under the Innocent City (W)

I entered another flash fiction contest, this time through Writing Battle, and I did fairly well. A few thousand people entered, I made it to the top 32! Woot! The genre was "Dystopian Utopia", and the story had to include a "magician" and a "spear."

"Under the Innocent City"

    The Elders had just finished torturing him when the flicker of movement on the stairs caught the Magician’s attention. He gave no sign, eyes down, feigning heaving pain, watching the blood run along his chains to pool on the polished stones of the floor. 

    The Elders, all women this time, muttered to each other in their private language, rough consonants and strangely fluted breaths at odd intervals, nonsense. They touched the bloody spear tip to each link of his chains, a maddeningly long process; by the time they’d hung the spear on the wall again, the point was nearly clean.

    They left without looking at him, shuffling up the far stairs. The Magician missed the early days, centuries before, when the Elders had feared him. These hooded women were not afraid. They were simply done. The Magician heard the oaken doors scrape open and then closed again. The silence in their wake was welcome...

To read more, click here.

Ascending Tattoo!

Wow, this has never happened before! (And part of me hopes it never happens again!) Here's a photo of a tattoo someone got from a picture I made! WOW!! 

Paintober: Lemons (P)

Dabbling in watercolor...

Mock Rock Poster (GD)

A friend commissioned this piece to celebrate his friend - happy to help!

Paintober: Croissant (P)

 

Paintober: Mustard Flower (I)

Last year I had this great idea to make a little painting for 31 people, a small work for every day in October. Clearly I'd had too much coffee - it definitely didn't happen. So now the goal is to get those out "by the end of this October," and I'm not even stressing over that. Here's the first one - a mustard flower for a good friend in Los Angeles! Stay tuned for more...probably.

Super Secret Super Power (GD)

My wonderfully talented friend is back with her latest creation!

ZOOBIRD! (I)

A commissioned piece for a friend, who previously commissioned this one. Glad I could make this happen for one of the most creative dads in the industry!

Happy Lunar New Year 2024

Looks like this is shaping up to be a series, starting with last year's design. Happy Year of the Dragon!

Troll Love Commission (I)

There's really no better reward than a friend loving a commissioned piece - I'm so honored to be even a small part of this! Congratulations to these two!!

So Blue (W)

This is the second round of the writing contest I entered last year. I did really well on the first round - second place - but I missed advancing to the third round by ONE point! Argh. The prompt (genre - location - object) for this one was "drama, commuter ferry, charcuterie board." Enjoy.

"So Blue"

    “This is not well,” Jane whispered into the wind, “rash and unbridled boy. To fly the…” Her eyebrows drew together gently, concentrating. “This is not well, rash and unbridled boy. To fly the…fortunes?” 

    The sea drifted past the ferry and it caught her attention for a long moment, its deep blue, the massive ripples. The sparkle of the water was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. There were swallows, and they seemed of similar mind, lunging through the crisp winter morning, wings flashing with that slippery feeling of fragile airborne creatures, spun into being and then gone as suddenly. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky; clouds hadn’t been invented yet. This is not well, she thought happily, rash and unbridled birds…Her body seemed pleasantly full of that deep, blue weight...

To read the rest, click here.