The SeaMonster Mural is FINISHED!

This is a difficult mural to photograph and I need to return to get some better pics. Even more reason why you should check it out in person! The McTuff Trio has been playing at the SeaMonster on Tuesday nights and there's never a cover charge. How can you pass that up?

SeaMonster Mural: Day 4

It takes me forever to paint animals, but it's worth the time. I love how this turtle came out.

Day 4

SeaMonster Mural: Day 3

Today was a slow day for me. I was a little tired after staying up too late last night. I decided to place in the non-fish creatures and struggled a little in the placement. I redrew the turtle three times before I was happy with it! I figured out a few subtle changes I want to do to the very back coral, but I'm saving that type of work for Friday, when the major elements will be finished. I also wasn't really sure how I wanted to paint the coral. It seems so complicated but through experimentation I'm figuring out some simple ways to do it that should come in handy on future jobs. Thank god for the sea sponge! It's pretty funny to use a tool from the sea to paint the sea.

Day 3

SeaMonster Mural: Days 1 and 2

I spent yesterday and today working on the new mural at the SeaMonster. This is the first underwater mural that I'm focusing on creating the look of depth in the water, rather than mostly focusing on the fish. I'm very happy with the progress. I have to hold myself back to simplify and tone down the color in the background coral since I tend to make everything bright and with a lot of contrast. I made a darker layer of coral that I'm actually going to add a hint of color to, now that I see how it looks too dull compared to the foreground. Tomorrow's plan is to continue the foreground coral, finish the eels, and paint a creepy octopus on the right side of the mural. If I have time I'll start a ray or a turtle.

Day 1
Day 2

Exciting stuff.

During my October road trip to California I brought along some Speedball rubber blocks to carve with a cute pink carving tool. I thought that I might have some down time to craft-out, and after bringing watercolors to Maui I wanted to try something new. First I carved a simple tree with 2 hearts, and next a bird and branch silhouette. I didn't know how the plates would hold up, and since one of the types (the pink one) said "won't crumble", I assumed the other kind I brought (yellowy beige) might. Since I got home I've made a ton of prints and all of the blocks have held up really well. I've become addicted to printing- it's all I want to do! I decided to turn the prints into greeting cards that I'm trying to sell through my Noon Moon esty shop. I sold one hot-pink on white "Tree of Hearts" on the day I posted it, which definitely fueled my fire! I found an amazing packaging shop in Georgetown- Packaging Specialties- where I bought cello sleeves for protecting the cards. They make the cards look so pro! Packaging Specialties is one of those stores that a crafter can go bananas in. The ribbons alone are hard to get past, until you see the tower of brightly colored chinese food style boxes in all sizes. It's great!
It's been a while since I worked on an oil painting, and I've actually been procrastinating out of the insecurity in my skill that I sometimes get after time off. I'm hoping to get a few 5"x7" impastos completed to send off to a gallery in Carmel Valley, CA by early December. I have a huge headache, but I just finished the first one and I think it looks pretty cute.Another challenge I'm taking on (starting tomorrow) is an underwater mural at the SeaMonster Lounge in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle. This will be my first underwater mural that is not geared towards children, so I've very excited to tackle the task of painting eerie underwater depth. After snorkling in Maui and going to the Monterey aquarium recently, I'm in the zone- hopefully that will translate into the artwork. I also took some great photos for reference on the way home from Califonia in Newport, Oregon. I admire these murals every time I pass through Newport. Most of them are painted by Rick Chambers and they are just incredible. Take a look:

Simplify

I often have to hold myself back from painting more and more when a project is probably at the point of completion. I get so involved in the artwork that I want to keep going, but I know from experience that there can be striking beauty in either the early stages of a painting or from small accents of artwork. This week I painted a relatively simple design of two birch trees and a woodpecker over a great base color in a Seattle bathroom. Because the design was not busy, I was able to give the artwork the attention it deserved to be a uniquely striking statement that reflects the client's creativity and love of nature. While full, intricate murals are amazing, I also highly recommend clean artwork over a unique base color for a modern take on the mural.

Face Painting

I spent this afternoon doing face/arm painting at Cribs2Bunks in Tukwila (Southcenter Mall) while they held a child safety event. Cribs2Bunks is a fantastic baby/youth furniture store where I've painted some displays including a great train and forest-themed mural. The last and only time I ever did face painting prior to this was at the Central School Fun Fair when I was in the 6th grade, so I was a little nervous about how it would go. I made a picture chart for the kids to choose from, thanks to Jamie's brilliant suggestion. I thought the artwork looked pretty cute, but I wasn't so sure how it would go on squirmy kids! I practiced on Brett to test out the paint and my skills, and both seemed ok. It turned out to be a blast. The kids were hilarious and a lot more still than I expected!

San Francisco murals

Last week I joined Brett in San Francisco, after not going down there since the fall (before we got Watson). I flew in the day of his show at the Boom Boom Room with Lord Loves a Working Man. That day was the sunniest of all the days I was down there. With some time to kill in the afternoon, Brett took me on a mini tour of some of the wild murals that decorate an alley in the Mission. Here are some of my faves.

This time last year.

Here's what I was doing this time last year to try to get more local business (with some success). That plank was a terrible idea. What was I thinking?