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:

Back to SF for B

We just dropped Brett off at the airport where he's on the first leg of a California trip. He's on his way to the Bay to perform with LLAWM for the Green Ball at the Conservatory of Flowers (Golden Gate Park) this Friday. I hadn't been in the park before, but happened to spend some time sketching in the sun this last time I was in town. It really brought me back to my high school/hippie days. I haven't been approached by that many guys inviting me to a drum circle (and more!) in a looooooong time. I can't wait to explore the park some more next time I'm there to take some reference photos for my artwork.

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.