Happy Halloween!

Last weekend BUSHCRAFT got together for some pumpkin carving and here are the results!

I made a Death Star pumpkin, Diana made the classic vomiting pumpkin, Jasmina made a Darth Vader mask, Bishop carved one of his characters (Bangels), and Josh carved a Clockwork Orange face. This is our Breakfast Club inspired pose on the roof! (Thanks for taking the photo, Kurt)

Here's a close up of my Death Star-O-Lantern!

Then last night for square dancing and pub songs at The Drink I dressed up as Cursed Pirate Girl! (I simply had to give a shout out...) It's an AMAZING COMIC by Jeremy Bastian which I learned about at Baltimore Comic Con and highly highly recommend. Aye, matey!



Currently Listening: Wilco...The Whole Love

My apartment is in Time Out!

My apartment is featured in the current issue if TIME OUT NEW YORK!

Kurt and I are absurdly ridiculous in this! With the rainbow colors, the awful haircut I had just given Kurt before this photo was taken, and how they play up our romance, this article definitely makes me smile. How did we get in? I simply emailed them after seeing a blurb in the magazine asking people with cool apartments to contact them. I said, "I have a fun apartment! Here are some photos!" Easy peasy.

Here it is in the print magazine...

Then when you go online, you can see us on the main page for Time Out NYC! That's just crazy.

And when you click on the story there are DOZENS of photos in the gallery capturing everything from our cat to the shower curtain to our matching tattoos. With lots of info on all our stuff and lots of shout outs.

And finally they include some stores we recommend...

Love the look? Get it here!

Desert Island (540 Metropolitan Ave between Union Ave and Lorimer St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-388-5087, desertislandbrooklyn.com)
“It’s great for random artwork,” enthuses Christenson. “It’s a comic-book store, but they sell all sorts of prints from Adrian Tomine, Peter Bagge and Charles Burns.”

Dick Blick Art Materials (1-5 Bond St between Broadway and Lafayette St; 212-533-2444, dickblick.com)
The artsy couple purchases the majority of their frames and art supplies from this bi-level resource. “Most art stores in this city let me down because I’m always looking for random supplies—from airbrush paint to cheap picture frames,” says Gulledge. “But Dick Blick is always organized and always has what I’m looking for. Plus, the staff is lovely.”

Junk (197 North 9th St between Bedford and Driggs Aves, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 212-260-1851, motherofjunk2.blogspot.com)
“The title says it all,” states Christenson. “A lot of places would overcharge for something like a typewriter, but at Junk you could probably get it for $50, and it would look nice.”

Pearl River Mart (477 Broadway between Broome and Grand Sts; 212-431-4770, pearlriver.com)
“You can get things to help fill up space for not a lot of money,” notes Gulledge of this Soho staple for festive, stylish Asian decor. “It’s the best bang for your buck.”

Drawings about not drawing

In recent months, between working on the Christmas windows 6 days a week and other things like New York Comic Con, there has been no time to make any of my personal self-art-therapy drawings. But here are a few fast drawings I managed to crank out this week...all about NOT HAVING TIME TO DRAW. (Click image to see larger)


In this drawing I am quietly imploding. A side effect of not having my creative outlet. (I drew this at my table at Comic Con)There's so much I have not been saying because there just hasn't been time to get into it. (Usually my art helps with this problem) Sometimes it's easier to lie and act like everything is fine, because it's just too exhausting to open up about it with people.
When I get drawing ideas I need to make them right away, because if I let the idea sit around too long then I lose the desire to create it. So when there is no time to draw them, they end up just getting tossed out. Which makes me sad.

Currently Reading: Doctor Who: The Forgotten...by Tony Lee & Pia Guerra

NY Comic Con Recap

Here's the recap from my first Artist Alley table at New York Comic Con!

I got the table last minute because someone else cancelled, so I was thankful to even get a spot. I sat next to illustrator Elliot Hernandez, and was happy to get to know him and his lovely wife Tara over the three days of the convention.

I sold some drawings & prints but mostly I sold a TON of copies of Page by Paige. It was amazing how positive everyone was! A bunch of different people even walked up to my table who had already read my book and told me how much they enjoyed it. And I was randomly interviewed on the spot a bunch of times. It's just so surreal to see someone connecting to artwork I was making back in a motel room apartment back in Virginia when my art didn't belong anywhere and I was just pushing myself to keep drawing anyway. Crazy! Anyway...



I did some commissioned sketches, including an unusual request on a purse...

And Gowanus Pete made a guest appearance!

This is actually the costume I made for Kurt to use for promoting his new digital comic Power Play. (Yes, Kurt is inside the costume.) I'm thrilled with how it turned out, especially since I never sew anything.
Then on Sunday I signed books and did some live drawing at the Abrams booth!

Including a couple silly impromptu drawings for these lovely ladies...
Thank you everyone who stopped by my table, and those of you who have been supporting in spirit. I still can't believe I had a table at New York Comic Con!

Scribble Press Gust Judge

I'm the guest judge this month for Scribble Press!

It's a fun studio (located in NY & LA) where kids can write, draw, and post their own original e-books. Each month they have a Faber-Castell Scribble Your Story contest where children submit their books for a prize package of art supplies. I was given the five finalist books to choose from, and it was really difficult to chose a winner! They were all so adorable, but I ended up picking "My Little Unicorn" by Sadie as the winner! (You can read it online)

Here's my review of "My Little Unicorn"...

I love tales with journeys and quests, so I was immediately drawn into “My Little Unicorn.” The unicorn travels through different lands, picking up other animal friends along the way. They are all different and looking for where they fit in, which is something that I think everyone can relate to. Because everyone feels like they don’t belong sometimes! In the story the characters include a unicorn who has a rainbow tail, the skunk who is albino, and the redbird who is blue. Even though they see themselves as “wrong” because they are colored differently than everyone else, I think they are each more unique and beautiful because they are different. What could be more fun than a unicorn with a rainbow tail?? The drawings themselves were very colorful, vibrant, and fun to look at. My favorite drawing was on the second page with the green trees and flowers. The unicorn in the center of the page really pops! Sadie should be really proud; she did a great job with this book.

Congrats, Sadie!

Getting Ready for NY Comic Con!

Counting down to New York Comic Con...tomorrow!

My kitty Rory has been assisting me as I've been getting everything prepared. Here he is "helping" me paint my sign, which will be a big variation of the Page by Paige book cover.
And he helped me cut up Artistic Licenses and Fun Permission Slips to give away. Then Rory helped me finish a costume that my boyfriend Kurt Christenson will be using to help promote his new comic Power Play at Comic Con. It's a character named Gowanus Pete who is half man half squid!
I've also made some simple block prints so I can offer up some human printmaking like I've done before at FIGMENT and other events. Rory couldn't help out with this part, it require fine motor skills.
Here's where my table will be located amid all the comic-y chaos. I hope you can stop by my table, I'll be there tomorrow thru Sunday!

Come see me at New York Comic Con!

Breaking news! This just in!
...I'm gonna be in artist alley at NEW YORK COMIC CON!

I'll be at Table S4 in artist alley all day Friday-Sunday.
Then Sunday at 1pm I'll be signing books at the Abrams table.

**You can add me to your NYCC show planner here.**

I'll be selling copies of Page by Paige, showing my sneak peak of my new characters for my upcoming project Will & Whit, selling prints and original drawings, giving away stickers and fun permission slips, and doing some fun human printmaking. I'll also be giving away goody filled agents of whimsy inspired easter eggs with each purchase. (And if you're very lucky, there might be shrinky dink wares up for grabs!)

If you're gonna be at Comic Con, please stop by and see me! It'll be intense few days for me on top of all these hours I've been working overtime painting Christmas windows, so I'll definitely appreciate all the familiar faces I can get. And hugs. And snacks.

Specifics...

Dates: Friday October 14th-Sunday Oct 16th
Tickets: $35 single day pass (Saturday is sold out) or $65 three day pass
Hours:10-7:00 Friday & Saturday, 10-5:00 Sunday
Where: Javits Convention Center