pixels, light and hot wax

One (winner’s choice) print is being auctioned as part of the “Save Dave’s House” effort. This is a chance to get *any* of my fine art prints, sized up to 12×18. Starting bid is $10. Bids close at midnight on Halloween, PST.

My auction is here
All the auctions are here.
Here is the story of why

I’ve added links in the galleries to works that are available for use as covers at AnthologyBuilder, and am also sending them off a fresh batch.  I haven’t decided what to do yet about the works they have available for covers that aren’t in the galleries yet — many of them just don’t really *fit* in.  I’ve also addes some new shirts at RedBubble and fixed the link so you can actually get to the Coalesce shirt instead of going to Cosmic Cat (oops.)

Also, I have now made two of my flower photographs available as prints through RedBubble, which is a sign of victory over my inner control freak.

And because an art blog without new images is a sad, sad thing, a fresh doodle from my sketchbook:

Traveling by Braid and Butterfly

Theresa of Living Tree Massage has been nominated for the “Best of Western Washington” awards AND is running a truly amazing sale right now – 5 hour long massages for $100.

Today is Outer Alliance Pride Day.

Mission statement: As a member of the Outer Alliance, I advocate for queer speculative fiction and those who create, publish and support it, whatever their sexual orientation and gender identity. I make sure this is reflected in my actions and my work.

But I must admit, I have not been doing so well on that last sentence, and, frankly, I’m hoping that the existence of the Outer Alliance will help with that. While in general, I am not prolific with the finished works, the many many pages of sketches and diagrams for queer sf art in my notebooks are the ones least likely to be “planted”; at some basic level, I’m still scared of showing the work. (Considering I’ve been out for 18 years now, that’s pretty darn pathetic.)

So go check the post, and read lots of wonderful entries full of queer speculative fiction; hopefully next year, I will have some art to show.

According to the New York Times, people like me are now a trend:

On to Plan B: Starting a Business.

Whee!

Even though doing art and art services full-time was definitely not my plan for 2009, there is a lot about it I am really enjoying, especially getting to put my (scrupulously gloved) fingers on other people’s art; just this morning I sent off a packet of fabulous giclees of Salsa Dancing paintings to Alla Bespalov, and I’m in intial talks with a woman who does lovely watercolor florals.

Also, my mailbox today produced test prints from a new lab that is wooing me (it does feel nice to be wooed. It would feel nicer if they didn’t block up their shadows, though…) and a copy of Kelly McKernan‘s 30 Paintings; it’s nice to be able to see on paper, even if only reproduction, this series I have been watching develop. I am particularly impressed with her very distinctive blending of photography and painting; also, between her and Laura Pelick, I become increasingly impatient to try working on tea-stained paper.

My oldest daughter starts kindergarten in exactly one week, which will mean that I will no longer trying to be an almost full-time artist/business person and an almost full-time stay at home mom; I expect my stress level to drop considerably, and might actually be able to finish the new pieces I’m hoping to show at Foolscap.

To celebrate the anniversary of the moon landing, RedBubble is taking 15% off all t-shirts until midnight on Thursday the 30th. Free shipping if you buy 5.

Go look at my shirts
and, to spread the love, go see my faboo client Lynnette’s here. I’m eyeing this Buddha with Dragons shirt, too.

The big point of this website underpinning overhaul and data entry madness I’ve been doing this weekend was supposed to be to get my photography up on my fine art site (well, and make it easier for people to buy stuff.)

So far, no photography up, but I have added an entirely unplanned sketchbook section, removed several photoillustrations, and found a whole cache of mixed media work that I had forgotten even existed that just cried out of be added RIGHT NOW.

*blink*

And now I don’t want to do any more data entry, I want to go paint. or draw. Something messy. (And speaking of right now, I’m doing my editing live. So the additions are there to be seen right now. And yes, I know about the bug where it tempts you with a shopping cart link for not-for-sale pieces, and we’ll be fixing that soon.)

After many years of faithful service, Ellen Millions Fantasy Art Shop is closing. Which means if you actually want one of the five designs of mine available from there on a shirt/mousepad/keychain/button/apron/etc. the time to do it is NOW.

While I will eventually probably do at least t-shirts for all my genre work through some print on demand service, it’s not a super-high priority, and I don’t know that I will go with someplace that offers all the things that Ellen did.

Go buy stuff!:

And, and for those of you who keep coveting my “Biting Pear of Salamanca” shirt (the original art behind the LOLWUT pear), this is where to get it.

I just went to my first Biznik event, which was a “walk and talk” in downtown Seattle, where I met two quite wonderful women, Amy and Awilda. It was really inspiring to be able to connect with two such present women, and has filled me with ideas, both about how to improve my business but also how I approach life. Most importantly, I really appreciated the reminder that being self-employed doesn’t have to mean just desperately scrabbling for a way to pay the bills, but is also an opportunity to bring my talents together with others in a way that helps to fulfill all people involved.

Less vaguely, it made me remember a time back in college, when Nigel was quizzing me about what was really important in life, what I said then, and one goal I have always returned to, is to help people see beauty they are not recognizing. One of the greatest joys I’ve had as a photographer is working with someone, whether it be a model, a client, or a friend I’ve cajoled into posing for me, and at the end having them say “I didn’t realize I could look like that”. We spend so much time, in our culture, being disappointed and worried with our bodies and our looks, that it is easy to lose track of the beauty and the radiance that is there, and should be celebrated. Now I need to figure out how to make that value the core of my business. All my businesses, really.

This is today’s “Art for the heck of it”.

Do I actually know how to do a good value drawing with ink and brush?  Not yet. But this seems a reasonable start:

Four Armed Reclining Ganesh (Ink on Watercolor Paper)