trips and travels

From the folks who brought you TheyDrawAndCook.com, there’s also TheyDrawAndTravel.com. This map of Philly was my first submission, and then the following week I drew a map of my favorite spots in Las Vegas:

Those are the two places I’ve been in past 12 months. Traveling is one of my top 5 favorite things in the world, and if there’s one thing I never leave at home, it’s my sketchbook.

I have created a new section for my travel journal on my recently redesigned my portfolio website, which now includes loads of new, never-before-seen-on-the-internets stuff! I’ve added lots of new illustrations, since I’m focusing on that more than fine art or graphic design lately.

In fact, I start my illustration course this week– I’m taking Eccentric Illustration online through the Academy of Art University in San Francisco this semester. It’s being taught by Roman Muradov, whom I’ve googled excessively since seeing his name on my schedule, and I’m really excited to learn a thing or two from him. Posts may be few and far between in the coming months– or they might not, since I’ll be producing heavily for class, I might actually have tons of new stuff to show off.

Advertisement

Catching up

I’ve fallen behind on my bloggings. I would be ashamed, but I have three very good reasons for this.

1. I was working on stuff.    A.)  I finished putting together a portfolio and submitted it to the Academy of Art in San Francisco in order to waive out of taking all the prerequisites for an upper-level class called Eccentric Illustration. I’m not pursuing a degree there, so they call it the “Personal Enrichment” path. I can dig it. I got in, by the way, and I’m really excited about it. Starts in September.  B.)  I’ve also put together a submission for a large fine art show in le capitol city. I’ll hear back if I got in June 17th. Pins and needles, y’all.  C.)  I’m also currently taking a class through Skillshare.com called Constructing a Story: Advanced Visual Storytelling. It’s just begun, and I haven’t had any feedback from the instructor yet. I’m about halfway through thumbnailing my book Annabelle & the Bear. 

2. I went to Philadelphia. Melissa, the author of the other book I’m working on, Square Dog in a Round World, lives there, so we hung out and talked about books and stuff. Melissa showed me ’round the city and I took some amazing pictures. We went to the zoo, the Philadelphia Art Museum, 3 life-changing restaurants, met an incredible cheese called Humboldt Fog, drank a good bit of Spanish wine, and strolled about the city and the UPenn campus, which is inhabited by an army of creepy gargoyles. She also took me to a truly awesome comic book shop, Locust Moon. You must go there and buy stuff next time you’re in Pennsylvania.

3. I got kittens. I wanted to get a little friend for my 3-year-old cat Vivi, but I knew it’d take some time to convince her that’s what she wanted too. So to keep Jenkins company during the transition phase, I also took in her sister, Zoe, on a temporary foster basis. And while we will all miss her dearly, I’m thinking my household will be slightly more peaceful, as Zoe Does Not Sleep. Ever. Unless it’s on my laptop keyboard. Then, apparently, it’s super warm and fuzzy snooze time.

So, with most of that in the bag for now, I hope to get back to my regular bloggings. Did you miss me?