It took a while, but finally!
As many of you know, I've been trying to get this old surfboard painted that a friend gave me about four years ago. I primered it two years ago with good intentions. A couple of years forward and I still hadn't slapped any paint on it. It was propped up in my storage unit and every time I saw it, I could imagine it singing Cuando, Cuando, Cuando? I started painting it in earnest two months ago and just kept pushing myself towards the finish line (because I so dislike unfinished business). So here we are. The big reveal.
'What Neptune Didn't Know'
Titled What Neptune Didn't Know, this had its challenges. It's not easy to draw or paint on a surface that's not completely flat. I would often have to stand on a step stool to paint the upper portions. Shorty here, and the board is 7ft tall. But it's thankfully finished and I must admit, I love the palette on this one. Apocalyptic themes…little hints of violence in color and composition, it’s what I do best y’all.
I'm always surprised at how well my hand painted projects turn out. This is not about ego-stroking. It's about the 30-year hiatus I took in painting anything by hand. After decades of graphic and digital design, I'm enjoying these paint-by-hand projects and I like knowing this skill hasn't completely deserted me. I guess it's like riding a bike; once you learn, it's learnt.
So, what was it Neptune didn't know? That there's a more powerful God than he who is about to drop the planet Neptune on his head. This one is dedicated to Yaweh and I don't plan on selling it. It's more of a showpiece. My daughter describes it as epic, but she's a loyal fan. What do you think? Shoot me an email and let me know. Mahalo.
The Sketchie Website Gets a Facelift
When my artwork got its first opportunity for a public showing at Laguna Art-a-Fair in the summer of 2019, I rapidly put together a website so I could look legit. Through the years, I have tweaked it a little here and there. However, it kept its same basic look these past six years, and well, that look was starting to go down like a stale biscuit. Voila! New website.
Foremost, I considered the performance analytics. The old website had A LOT of pages to visit, A LOT of art to look at and A LOT of copy to read. Honestly, people's attention spans aren't what they used to be (and I include myself in that gen pop assumption). No need to shovel in the whole enchilada. A more streamlined look, a nice slideshow presentation of a few key pieces (and less art for AI to scrape) is enough to show capability. And as much as I've heard a plain white background frames artwork best, how boring can one get? As Steve Lawrence sang many moons ago, I've gotta be me. And for me, black is the new white.
Check out my new site: www.thesketchiebeast.art
Fly me an email and let me know what you think!
New Art
Title: 'If You Know, You Know' (hexaptych)
I haven't had much time to create new art this year. I usually pop off a piece a month, or at least spend more quality time with my creative tools. Besides a very involved book illustration project (now at an end...the client has published and the book is now live on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, yip!), there's also life. Life gets busy, life goes by.
But I was inspired by a friend who, when he saw the back of the surfboard, said I should have just painted a big 'Deep' on it. That made a lightbulb go off in my noodle and 'If You Know, You Know' was born. This is another of my pieces that highlight my first love of graphic design. I'm thinking of printing this hexaptych on metal. The simplicity and pops of color scream for metal.
Have you figured these out? If you know, you know...
Until Next Time!
For His Glory
Thank you for being a loyal subscriber and fan. I don't take that lightly or for granted. You're an important part of this creative journey and I appreciate you!
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