Sunsets

Sunsets:

I took this picture over the weekend in Ocean City, NJ. I decided on a whim I would take a roadtrip to the beach, since there aren't too many months left where it will be deserted. I think sometimes I like it better that way, and I really really love sunsets. This picture was taken in front of the abandoned roller coaster, pretty fitting for the somber mood I was in. People sometimes misunderstand loners like me, but I find places like this very peaceful. The colors diminishing somehow have this tranquil peace about them, and I can't help but be drawn to them. There's something about nature, watching this process happen slowly over time that inspires me to create. Maybe it's the fact that I love color beyond anything else, I'm not sure. Maybe it's the taming of nature, as we often discuss in class. I'm not sure. All I know is that scenes like this make me question and rethink my own art. It inspires me to create more, perhaps use a color palette the same as this one. In this moment time seemed to stand still. And with this photograph I have that moment imprinted on my brain forever. I stole a moment in time. A beautiful moment. And by looking at this, I'm reminded that beauty and art existed before people even started painting on their primative cave walls...

CosMick

Today's blog is brought to you by the letter C. That's for CosMick actually, and my inspiration comes directly from a friend of mine, John. You see, together we have created a comic book....well, at least the first five pages of a comic book. The idea came from our friend, Nick, who happens to be the writer for a few different comics under his self created label, Crash 'n Klein. In any case, Nick and John already created a comic under the name of The Denim Avenger. Issue one can be found here. http://www.drunkduck.com/The_Denim_Avenger/index.php?p=223720


So if you like comics and local art, I suggest you check it out. Now. Back to my story. In any case, Nick approached me about six months ago and asked me to join his crusade for witty, in your face comics. He pitched an idea for a comic set in the far reaches of space in which the hero (a normal every day guy named Mick) would receive powers to help restore the balance of the universe. Kind of far out there, but I asked him why he would need me. I didn't draw people, let alone people in all sorts of crazy poses and scenes! He then told me it wasn't that he was after, but my keen sense of color and immaculate backgrounds. Apparently John would be handling all the action with the characters. After very little convincing, I joined in and Nick went to writing the script. Not long after, John and I had a lengthy script to storyboard (which turned out to be almost 32 pages laid out) and he presented me with the cover to finish and color.

Here, John did the work on the face and the hand, while I pretty much did the rest of the background and all of the coloring, plus designed the lettering. In these other panels, John did all the work, as you can see they're all characters' action poses. And it's these photos that are the most inspiring in my work.

Actually, watching John in general is very inspiring. He's not afraid to take risks and put it all out there. When you watch him draw, he props up a little mirror so he can make faces and and draw them. Rarely does he ever hesitate, he's always sketching and going for it. His work (and I apologize for the blurry pictures, it's hard to take a decent picture of a page without the flash and my lighting here is horrible) is immaculate, as you can see with the close-up of these two monkeys (appearing in the narrative sequence). His attention to detail isn't arbitrary and it's always very expressive. Don't those monkeys look pissed?! Hah! But seriously, I think one of the most important things about working with someone is that they can teach you and inspire your art to new heights. This certainly inspired me to take more risks and just draw. Usually I have a tendency to map out and think a lot of my designs through too much. I also stop and stare at the page for a good fifteen minutes before I decide on a color. I guess what I'm trying to say is that sometimes it pays to just go with your instinct. We were so inspired the day we created these pages we ended up getting five penciled in and one and a half colored. And apparently I was so inspired, I finished an entire page, all by myself! My first EVER full comic book page, and I owe that accomplishment strictly to John =D

Lego Happy Fun Time

Last weekend was probably the most fun I've had in a long time. This picture says it all. My roommates and I decided to have a few friends over and have a "lego" party. This came up after a conversation I had with this kid Chris I'm dating about Star Wars. I told him he should get the lego Deathstar, and he tried to find it, but only came up with a few spaceships instead. I then proceeded to tell my roommates that he was coming over and bringing legos with him. They absolutely LOVED the idea (I guess I should have mentioned the lego hotel that sits on top of our fridge). Well, we decided to turn hanging out into a party, considering my roommates (Lisa and Keiran) have four gigantic boxes of legos. So basically, all of Saturday night consisted of my friends and I sitting on the floor, legos spread out everywhere, building the craziest of contraptions.

Thinking about it, I don't remember the last time I actually played with legos. Easily over five years. However, after last weekend, I encourage each and every one of you to buy a set (not even a specific one) and build as much as you can from that set. Invite people over and see what happens. Most the time they're just silly constructions, but after awhile, you become more and more creative with what you build. I think that's why our little lego party was so inspiring to me. I forgot part of the creative process, or at least my creative process, was simply to have fun. I started out making a simple house and then ended up wtih what you see pictured, which was this Monster Bus, complete with a Dragon Captain. We found probably ten or fifteen of the same creepy lego dude with the scruff and decided to make a Monster Bus out of it and every time Lisa found another 'Monster' she threw it at me screaming, 'Look, it's another one, oh my god!'

Seriously though, I never would have thought of such an inventive vehicle if i hadn't been playing around with the legos for an hour or so first. Plus, it's such an easy medium to use. You can put something together, take it apart, and build something completely different within a short amt of time. It kind of puts your creativity into overdrive. Most the time, I find once I get that creativity flowing, I start thinking of other projects in completely different mediums that I could start. I think mainly it's a way to clear your brain while simultaneously jumpstarting it. Then the ideas kind of just keep flowing. Plus when you have other people around, you can look at their ideas and collaborate, which can really get the creative process going. This kind of thing is also good if you're in a rut and can't really think of anything creative because it can give your project new life or a new direction. It sounds backwards, but it really does work, so try it!