Unique Art Form:Extreme Sheep Herding

As your Visual Ambassador, I'm out to find unique forms of art expressions.   

This time Extreme Sheep Herding!! 

It can be difficult to make revisions.

Thank goodness for the gift of You Tube at it's finest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2FX9rviEhw

New Blog

I know a lot of people who read this blog think I mostly paint cute animals.

OK, that is true now.

But, I used to draw a lot of spaceships, big robots, orcs, hobbits, and samurai for role-playing and collectable card games. That includes this Star Wars image.

Since these images do not work with my current portfolio, I stared this blog to show them off.

Hope to see you there!

Family Portrait

As many of you know, my wife Natalia has been away for six weeks in Nicaragua. To surprise her, I created and sent her this "family portrait" of her, me, and our life-sized stuffed tiger.

It was a big hit. And now that the secret has been delivered and Natalia is back (finally), I'm sharing the picture with all of you.

Samples! Glorious Samples!

I just got some lovely samples in the mail of some magnetic playsets I illustrated. One is a dinosaur scene and the other a mermaid scene. They did a great printing job!

I am not sure which stores have them but they are definitely available at http://www.intplay.com/.

Below are the dinosaur individual magnets and on the right is the mermaid background.

Would somebody else please post something? I'm sick of looking at mine!
Viki

Dover Editor Favorites

Hi all-
Just got this in my e-mail. I get weekly free samples from Dover, and this week each
editor picked their favorite books. Jason Schneider picked my World of Mazes-lower left-as one
of his.
Viki

Announcement-Andrew Bawidamann at NKU March 23rd

From Woody Hinton: Andrew Bawidamann, illustrator/designer/pin-up artist, is graciously visiting my classroom at Northern Kentucky University Monday night March 23rd @ 6pm.

Andrew's designs have been featured in countless annuals, advertising campaigns, and magazines. He has his own line of clothing as well as several successful product lines. Andrew will be showing and talking about his work, his early years, and discussing the complexities of entrepreneurship and merchandising.
http://www.bawidamann.com/

I feel this is a great and rare opportunity for those interested my classroom is open to artists, servicemen, laymen, and students alike.

Anyone interested in attending feel free. If you need more info call me (Woody) (513-225-4067) or email me.

If you go:
NKU Fine Art Building right next to the lake
3rd Floor Classroom by the computer labs
The class is to the left off the 3rd floor elevator and should be the only class open

Announcement-Joan Effertz Exhibition

From Joan:

You are all invited to an exhibition that I will have work in.

Hope to see you at the opening, March 19 2009, 5:30-7:30.

If you can't make that the gallery is open Mon.-Fri., 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.

I am very proud that my monotype was selected for the invitation.

Directions to Global Lead Art Gallery, 11260 Chester Road in the Spectrum Office Tower, 4th floorFrom I-75 north take exit 15 and go west on Sharon Road. Princeton High School is the major landmark. Turn north, or right, at Chester Road. The Spectrum Office Tower is just north of Princeton High School. Global Lead is on the 4th floor. Hope to see you there--Joan Effertz

More fun with animation

Kinda-sorta illustration...video is here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22294052@N05/3353015902


jpm

Suspicious client

Done for DVM Newsmagazine, the story is about a woman who calls Dr. Michael Obenski (Veterinarian and author of the column) and attempts to get him to agree that some of the services rendered by another vet were not of medically sound practice.

black hands

Howdy Folks,

  At lunch this week, there was talk about the difficulty of drawing hands. I mentioned that I once did a whole series of cartoons were all the hands of the characters were black. I said that I would show them to y'all. I attached them here. What do you think - are the black hands weird? I thought that they might be signature style for me. They were not commercially successful so I abandoned the idea.  

Announcement-C. Matthew Hamby Gallery Show Opening

THIS FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 6-10pm, for the opening reception for an art exhibition by Cincinnati-area artist C. MATTHEW HAMBY featuring FRAMED FREAKS .

NVISION CLOTHING • ART • FURNISHINGS next to the Comet, at 4577 Hamilton Avenue, Northside, Cincinnati

WITH MUSIC BY DJMCMLXXIII & REFRESHMENTSMAKE A NIGHT OF NORTHSIDE by viewing some freaky art, playing dress-up in fun clothing, and shopping for great furnishings you didn’t know you wanted, and then visit the Comet for a special beer tasting (8-10pm) of rare beers from Two Brothers Brewery in Chicago.

MATTHEW HAMBY was born in Kettering, Ohio, and moved to Cincinnati in the early 90’s. He developed a deep passion for drawing in high school, which led him to pursue a BFA in Illustration from the Cleveland Institute of Art. He has since returned to Cincinnati where he continues to create and develop his illustrations for such clients as CityBeat and Cincinnati Gentlemen Magazine, and maintains a website for promotion and sales of his prints and T-shirts.
“I have always been a figurative artist, with a satirical sense of humor. During the course of my studies at The Cleveland Institute of Art, I developed what has been perceived as a strange and gnarled style. Using pen and ink as the medium, I focus on the weight of line and its contour. I apply washes with different inks and water colors. The themes of my work go hand in hand with the style — distorted characters and observations of modern day society.” - C. Matthew Hamby*

*THIS EXHIBITION RUNS THROUGH APRIL 26.

When did you know you were an artists?

I've been interviewing creative types asking the question; "WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU WERE AN ARTIST?".  You can read some of their answers at http://www.scotthull.com/artists/news/

I would love to hear your answer... Why not post it?

Look Ma, I'm blogging.

Hi Everyone,

As you can tell from the title, I'm new to this blogging stuff, but here goes.

I've met a few of you other illustrators at the lunches (thanks, Christina!) and it's
so great to get to converse with other creative folks. Much better than talking to the
animals, though that has its charms.

This piece I did for a story I wrote about some pigs who take up synchronized swimming.
It's sitting in my file cabinet, needs a little work, but I have used the art as a promo.

I've been in Cincinnati almost two years now, after living in Seattle for many, many wet
years (I'm from Oxford and went to Miami). I hope to meet you all sometime. ( Hi-John Maggard).

Viki Woodworth

Can of Worms-The Art of Illustration

A friend recently asked me about the feelings that illustrators have about contemporary art.

I have great respect for it and have been to CA museums all over (NYC, San Francisco, Cincinnati, London, Paris, Vienna, etc.).

That being said, my impression has always been that there has always been a general lack of respect for what illustrators, cartoonists and comic book artists do by the contemporary art establishment and I am curious about how others feel about it.

As someone who used to do a lot of science fiction and fantasy art, there was a time where many flat out did not even consider it to be art. I have heard many anecdotes from people who were in fine arts programs because many schools do not offer illustration options. They were frequently told that what they wanted to do was not art (perhaps explaining the popularity of Daniel Clowes Art School Confidential).

This is the main reason, from what I understand, that the Spectrum Fantastic Art annual was created 15 or so years ago. All this amazing work was created for book covers, cards, comics, concept art for both movies and video games, and sculpture that was virtually ignored by traditional main stream and high end art establishments. I think they got 12000+ entries last year.

Perhaps that may be changing with the popularity of Juxtopoz, Illustration Magazine and other similar publications. There seem to be a lot more galleries that show and sell illustration than there used to be. The CAC for example had a huge exhibit on Charley Harper who I consider to be an excellent illustrator.

Perhaps there has been enough time that there will eventually be rooms in the Met or MoMa devoted to the great illustrators of the 40s through the 60s? (Not just temporary exhibits)

Thoughts?

As a postscript, there is a show on Ovation called "Is It Art?" According to the critics interviewed, the answer is mostly NO...

The State of the Free-Lance Cartooning Biz

Hello fellow sketchers. I decided to take the plunge and post my first "gem of thought' for the Cincinnati Illustrators blog.

This is my take on the current climate of the free-lance biz. In particular, print, where most of my toast is buttered. Strangely, as soon as I completed this piece, I was swamped with work and was busier than I've been in five years. Truly the illustration gods smile upon me.

Anyway, hope you like it. I shall try to post on a regular basis.

C.F. Payne and Eric Fortune at NKU March 4th

Woody Hinton asked me to pass this along to our blog readers:

C.F. Payne and Eric Fortune, two of the very best contemporary illustrators/artists working in the field today, are visiting my classroom at Northern Kentucky University Wednesday night March 4th @ 6pm. Both will be showing and talking about their work and I believe Chris will be doing a demo.

Anyone interested in attending feel free. If you need more info call me (Woody) (513-225-4067) or email me.

If you go:

NKU Fine Art Building right next to the lake
3rd Floor Classroom by the computer labs
The class is to the left off the 3rd floor elevator and should be the only class open

http://www.cfpayne.com/
http://www.illustrationacademy.com/C.F.Payne.htm
http://www.ericfortune.com/

Christina Wald: Book Signing and Release Kick Off!

I am doing a book signing for Henry the Impatient Heron at The Blue Marble on:

March 10th 5-6:30.

Address: 1356 South Fort Thomas Avenue, Fort Thomas, Kentucky 41075
Phone: 859-781-0602

I have not done a lot of signings in the past and hope to see a lot of friends there. (Plus Blue Marble is a really cool children's bookstore with a very knowledgeable staff!)