Zombie Marge Blog

Didn't really want to knock the Books By The Banks post off the top of the page so maybe that post can be re-positioned at the top over this.

No one else posted this to the Cincinnati Illustrators blog, so I guess I will. Otherwise the only people that will know about it are the ones involved in the book. And what good is that? The Zombie Marge Comix Group blog is up. News about reviews, interviews, comic convention experiences, etc., will be there.

Check it out if you're interested, or not...

http://zombiemarge.blogspot.com/?zx=13b4d46866796505

Books By the Banks: October 2nd

Great lineup this year and John Maggard did the poster! (I assume he is signing the poster at BBTB?)

Other illustrators include Loren Long (who is on a panel), C.F. Payne, Will Hillenbrand, Christina Wald, Carol Tyler, and many others. There are also a lot of great authors so check it out!

Check the link for the list of books, authors and illustrators. It is a great event and gets bigger every year.

Jerry Dowling: AAA Arthur's Article and Some Caricatures

Jerry did this amazing mural in Arthur's and there was just an article in AAA magazine reviewing the restaurant!

Also,  some new gift caricatures. Jerry says this is why he has missed many lunches lately...

This Week's Illustrators Lunch: 9-22-2010

September 22nd; lunch at 11:30:

El Pueblo

4270 Hunt Road
Blue Ash, OH 45242
513-791-4405

If this is your first lunch, give me a heads up so we can look for you. Also ask the hostess where we (the illustrators lunch group) are seated.
 
Bring Art!

Fundraising

Hey guys. I've co-written, and will shortly co-direct a short film called "Call Me." We're trying to raise money via a website called Kickstarter. We shot a video about the film, which you can view on the Kickstarter site. If you can, please contribute, and please share the link with everyone you know, so we can reach our goal. The money we raise will be going straight toward the crew of the film.

Here's the link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/callmethemovie/call-me-the-movie

If you can contribute, even a few dollars, please do. And please share the link with everybody.

Thanks,

Kevin

Cincinnati Comi Expo Saturday September 18th

The Cincinnati Comic Expo is this Saturday as Daryll mentioned.

In addition to Daryll Collins and Tim Fuller being there, other artists who will be there are:

Craig Boldman
Woodrow Hinton III
David Michael Beck
Mike Maydak
Chad Taylor-Chad is just getting started in comics and his second issue of his first comic The 5ive Footers is just coming out. Stop by and say hi! He will also have a signing at Clifton Comics in October.

And many others... It looks like a good show! Hopefully there will be pictures next week.

Twelve Way Reviews & News

Here are the latest reviews for the "Twelve Way With Cheese" Comic Anthology...

http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-20832-makers-dozen.html

http://smallpressnewsroom.blogspot.com/

http://www.bookgasm.com/reviews/comics/twelve-way-with-cheese-1/

Also, Tim Fuller and I will be at the first Cincinnati Comic Expo at the Cintas Center this Saturday, September 18th. For further details...

http://www.cincinnaticomicexpo.com/index.php

We'll be selling copies of "Twelve Way" and Tim will also have "The Blue Beagle" book for sale.

If you're in the neighborhood stop by and say hi.

In other news, there may soon be a blog devoted to the "Twelve Way" comic. Stay tuned for that along with other interviews about the anthology and a possible group book signing.

New Loren Long Book Out this Fall: Of Thee I Sing: A letter to My Daughters

Cincinnati artist Loren Long has a book coming out this November written by President Barrack Obama called Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters and published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers.

The press release says the print run is 500,000 which is huge for a picture book. The cover looks great! I look forward to seeing the rest of the illustrations.

I am sure there will be signing events coming up for this. I will post them as I find out further information.

There has been quite a lot of presidential illustration action by local illustrators. C.F. Payne did the Time cover immediately following the 2008 election and he and several other artists have done portraits of many presidents for various publications. Chuck Rekow illustrated a book several years ago for kids called Kids' Letters to President Bush. Very cute. It is unfortunate the new edition Kid's Letters to President Obama is not illustrated, same author though...

Lecture on Storyboarding for Movies at Art Academy by J. Todd Anderson

• What: Artist J. Todd Anderson reception, lecture and exhibition.
• When: Reception starts at 5 p.m. Thursday September 16th. Lecture takes place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Exhibit runs through Oct. 15. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
• Where: Art Academy of Cincinnati, Convergys Gallery, first level of South Building, 1212 Jackson St., Over-the-Rhine.
• Cost: Free.
• Information: 513-562-6262, http://www.artacademy.edu/

Lauren Bishop's article in the Cincinnati Enquirer:
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100914/ENT07/9140323/1025/ENt/Artist-brings-skills-to-Art-Academy

"There will be a "Big Lebowski"-themed reception before and after Anderson's talk featuring faux In-N-Out burgers, White Russians and music from the soundtrack. The reception is also open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis."

Greyfox the Wizard and Map of the Wilde

Here're a few more things I've done in my free time. I'm still involved in some projects, so I can't post any of that, but these are things I've been working on on my own. The first is Greyfox the Wizard. The second is a map for a personal project for my AD&D Campaign, "Dragon Slayers." Both images of Greyfox are ideas I have been playing with. One was to see what kinds of positive lines and shapes I could make in contrast to the black shape of his cloak. My first idea was to use a large, flat black shape to describe his garments, letting his skin be pure white to contrast with the black. I also wanted to create an area of intense simplicity to make the character in the foreground stand out and compliment the busy quality of the background. So here are both solutions. Please give me your input on which works. I am fascinated with large areas of graphic shaping. I have been since I can remember. My struggle has been how to describe form with as few lines as possible and experimenting with how to define form with what "isn't" there rather than what is. Optical illusions are fascinating. I think artists are a lot like wizards/illusionists/magicians. Our job is to trick the eye into believing something that isn't real. Using colour and line and what is essentially just pigmented mud, we must convince the audience not to question what they are seeing. That is the trick of a true artist, I think. If the viewer can say, "Psshhh, I could do that!" then the result is seamless enough to trick them into thinking it was effortless in its creation.

Spring Sketch

I have been meaning to post this sketch here for a while. Since things are a little quiet, I thought I would finally put it up.

I will not get to final for a long while until I get some pretty big stuff off my plate. It is a companion piece to winter. I had hoped to do all four seasons for my Christmas card, but that looks pretty unlikely now.

Maybe for 2011...

This Week's Illustrators Lunch: 9-15-2010

September 15th; lunch at 11:30:
TELLER'S OF HYDE PARK
2710 Erie Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45208
513-321-4721

If this is your first lunch, give me a heads up so we can look for you. Also ask the hostess where we (the illustrators lunch group) are seated.

Raw Walls Press Release & Postcard

426 Raw Walls Exhibition Press Release

What: An exclusive, One Night Only, Art Exhibition and Party

Featuring Art Academy Alumni and Cincinnati Artists

music by Dos Locos and Live Artistic Performances.

Date: Friday, October 1, 2010

Start time: 7pm to 10pm: Art Show Reception

10pm to 12am: After Party Celebration

Where: 426 Findlay Street Cincinnati, Ohio, 45214

Contact: Jenny Grote at 513-481-3743 426rawwalls@gmail.com

Parking: Free parking available

Fee: Free and open to the public, donations accepted

Websites: www.artacademy.edu/alumni

Sponsors: The Art Academy of Cincinnati Alumni Association

JBar Studios

426 Raw Walls Exhibition Information:

Everyone is invited to attend an exclusive, never achieved before and a one night only art exhibit and party aptly named 426 Raw Walls. A huge warehouse space has been transformed from studio spaces into an exhibition space in order to showcase area contemporary artists. With over 25 artists participating, this is the perfect opportunity to celebrate art, meet artists, and develop and understanding of why art is not optional. PLUS, this is the only chance you will see the hottest, hippest, zaniest, most cutting edge local artists in one place and at one time and for only a limited selling time. Get there early and get your artwork before someone else does. At 7pm, 426 Raw Walls exhibit will come alive with live performances and heated art sales. From 10pm – midnight the walls become background decoration for the hottest After Party featuring music by Dos Locos and Live Artistic Performances by Emma Greer.

The Art Academy of Cincinnati’s Alumni Association hosts a party every year for the city. This year they have decided to invite local artists to join AAC alum for an exhibition to reflect the abundance of artistic talent right here in the Queen City and to benefit the AAC’s Undergraduate Scholarship Fund. The event is free, however there will be decorated donation boxes at the entrance and by the food/bar area for people to make donations. Also, all artists are encouraged to donate a percentage of sales to the scholarship fund.  Participating artists include: Rebecca Nava who will create a floor piece with her wood chips and paintings, Lish will be there to display her neon/glow in the dark sculptural paintings, Lisa Merida-Paytes will expand her art onto the wall and floor creating a new installation which includes a variety of relief sculptures, Matt Morris and Eric Ruschman will develop a collaborative wall floor installation and Quincy Robinson is displaying a group of toys he and his associates have designed to showcase the history of toy making in Cincinnati. 

Other local artists include: Anissa Lewis, Cedric Cox, Dan Mueller, Gary Gaffney, Joe Fisher, Jenny Grote, Kim Krause, Kim Shifflett, Lindsay Pitman. Alan Pocaro, Marlene Steele, Maureen David, Megan Triantafillou, Michael Hurst, Pam Kravetz, Paul Bohart, Sandy Russell, Sara Mulhauser, Steve Meek, Rebecca Weller, Jessica Bechtel, and more. 

Art in the Park!

Art in the Park
Saturday, September 11 11 am to 5 pm
Bellevue Beach Park

Bellevue's Art in the Park exemplifies every element of a great community festival - local art, crafts, music and food in a charming urban greenspace - and it's back for the ninth year.

Walking from one vendor's tent to another, you'll see more than 80 regional artists working in a variety of media. The exhibit and sale is also a juried competition; local arts personalities will judge each category, and attendees are encouraged to cast their votes for the People's Choice Award. Artwork by Bellevue students will be on display, and creative opportunities for children come courtesy of the nonprofit organization Art Machine. Winning photographs from the River City Photo Contest will also be on display.

Bellevue's unique restaurants will be represented at the Culinary Arts Cafe, a taste-of-Bellevue-type tent featuring several food items from individual venues. Local musicians play throughout the day, Cincinnati Shakespeare in the Park will perform A Midsummer Night's Dream, free chair massages and yoga demonstrations are offered, and this year Bellevue Renaissance is introducing the Art of the Written Word. The evening concludes a concert by Blue Stone Ivory in the amphitheater area of the park.

This event is made possible by the following sponsors:
NKYCVB Lift program, The Party Source, Acumen Consulting, Fusion Gallery & Custom Framing, The City of Bellevue, Bellevue Police Department, Bellevue Animal Hospital, Schneider's Sweet Shop, Siam Orchid, Cathi & Rick Ege, Splendid Things, and Virgil's Cafe.

Take some time to relax and let your creative juices flow at our interactive The Art of the Written Word tent. Pen a haiku, journal your thoughts, write about a piece of art that has inspired you or create a family story or chalk drawing. Both children and adults will find supplies to use. Next door, browse beautiful photographs of your hometown in the tent featuring the contestants and winners of the River Cities Photo Contest.

This Week's Illustrators Lunch: 9-8-2010

September 8th; lunch at 11:30:

Silver Spring House
8322 East Kemper Rd.
(513) 489-7044

I-275 to North on Montgomery. Left on Kemper.

If this is your first lunch, give me a heads up so we can look for you. Also ask the hostess where we (the illustrators lunch group) are seated.

Books by the Banks Poster: Talk Photos

If anyone went to the talk Wednesday, feel free to post pictures. In the meantime, great images of the event from the Books by the Banks website:

http://booksbythebanks.org/2010/09/2010-poster-debuts/

Color Thoughts

Here was my intention with the coloring of this piece. I wanted to evoke excitement, so I choose secondary colors rather than shades of the too-familiar primary colors. I used the same vivid intensity on bird and man to link them thematically, and added gray to the non-existent background to push it back.I like the result. Does anyone have opinions about the choices? (Click on the image to enlarge.)

Clay Cacti...

I'm getting ready for next week's Art in the Park in Bellevue!

...more photos on my BLOG.

Withdrawal...

Man, I need to go to the lunches again, soon. I'll be able to in the next couple of weeks or so. Then I'll be back on a regular basis. Gosh, I'm kinda glad I've been away, it's made me realize how much I appreciate all you guys and what you give me. So, "thanks" to everyone. You're all awesome! :)

Justin