Art by Shaun Williams

A struggle for meaning beyond the dollar

2012-01-07T06:58:00.000-08:00

     I just watched movie titled "Kiki's Delivery Service" from Studio Ghibli. Disney has been releasing Studio Ghibli films in recent years, which are the genius and legacy of director Hayao Miyazaki, producer Isao Takahata, and the Studio itself.
     At a point in the movie, the main character becomes discouraged and begins to lose her abilities. About that time a friend drops by (who happens to be an artist) and invites her to her place to get away for a break. It is a rare moment where the two talk about discouragement and apparent failure, one where the dialogue digs very deep into real problems we all feel at one time or another. The answer is to give it time, to not give up, and to search for ones inspiration.
Finding purpose.
     I have always been a creative person. At times inventing, designing, or some times just meditating over life. In my younger years I was always supported by family and friends in my art, and I was very driven to learn and produce work. A lot of my work was a way to help me work through life's troubles. As I grew older I boldly marched towards a focused education and direction. I must admit however that I did not place a very high priority on money. Now that I am in my thirties and feel like I have missed the last 5 years of my life... to fast paced events and all that has been my experience... my art has procured a monetary benefit, but very meager. A lot of "here and there" art jobs have come my way, as well as more than a bushel full of "dangling carrots" that disenchant the stoutest artists heart. I've faced some "artistic identity crisis" as well. Ones where as an illustrator, I was being pushed in a graphic design direction with little desire to be.
     Artists seem to be one of the most odd and essentially strange people when it comes to value, or at least I find it to be so. I care little for the value of money, and have rarely decided to create with money in mind. My inspiration and motivation has always been Imagination, Storytelling, and Design, (not to be mistaken with Graphic Design by the way). SO, it is quickly apparent that as a husband and father who is an artist I meet with a dilemma that is deeply painful.
     I have many colleagues, friends, fellow artists, who work in their field of artistic choice and make a living doing so. Some are cover illustrators, children's book illustrators, graphic designers, web designers, photographers, fine artists, sculptors, and teachers. Some work for companies, others like myself chose to start a freelance business of our own.
     I also have many friends who have followed other paths because art didn't cut it. Some are happy just to keep going, others are not only struggling financially, but also emotionally and spiritually. I say spiritually because to an artist, art is a spiritual thing. I find myself Vibrating between the two.
     I am desperately holding on to my art career and my masters degree. Some of that desperation is from seeds I planted long ago, some from more recent years as I gained more guts and confidence to make the difficult choices, and others are from the heart and spirit of family and friends. It is so easy for me to be swayed and influenced. I am fortunate to have loving friends and family. Although I wonder at their tenacity to be so when I am a certifiable cave troll most of the time!
     It is refreshing to watch a movie that addresses the reality of difficult times, stemming from both a financial and a spiritual source. Another thought akin to Kiki's Delivery Service's "moment" I described above is from the Dreamworks title "Kung Fu Panda" where the main character figures out that along the path of life towards ones destiny, that "...there is no secret ingredient. To make something special, you just have to believe it's special....It's just you."
     I want to add to this two more things. Personally, I believe life is in too big of a hurry! Panic and disaster management are too often the results. Next is life is far too busy and crowded. We title ourselves with ever higher levels of "overwhelmed" and hope for some kind of fulfilling result. Too much is trying to go down the pipes, and all far too fast. The result is like an unseen pressure cooker, or a hidden bottleneck people would try to force things through....in the end people do one of two things: either they completely EXPLODE, or completely DEFLATE.
     Now that I feel like I am rambling on more than really accomplishing something, and feeling really tired at the same time, I have two wishes. 1 is to simply continue plowing the field before me and finish my current commissions and fulfill what I have committed myself to. 2 is to simplify what I have in my life and to search out other solutions from other people. (Adding also to not to take offense any longer to past "suggestions" from people. I have in the recent past allowed suggestions from people turn into serious poisons to my soul. And I blame both of us for not seeing what was really going on.)
   Hope rests in Hard Work, Holding the course, and Finding Faith. Valuing Life is paramount, with the willingness to believe in ourselves. Positive planning and thinking. Time with loved ones, and letting them know how much you love them is also key. And now I am going to go and rest my tired eyes. Oh, and remember that my old site is up at: brushdragon.com/old-site/
Have a wonderful start of your year! Thank you.

Old Site is back up with new address link

2012-01-06T17:14:00.000-08:00

My new site is still unfinished. Life goes on and often without the progress we wish, our efforts diverted in many cases. Still, the news is that my old site is set up at brushdragon.com/old-site
I will have a link later on my new site, but for now, this is the majority of my old work. Nothing is newer than 2009 on the old site, and only a few are even from 2007 or 2008. It is mostly a body of work building up during the years of my Bachelors degree in BYUI/Ricks College as well as a small portion of work I did previous. Anyway, if you have really missed going through my old work and really missed my old site, here it is in all its former glory. Two notes: the phone is no longer in service, and the address is 3 moves old. My email is the best way to contact me.
Thank you all for your years of support and hopefully 2012 will see me gaining the upper hand on all of the projects and plans I have made in past years as well as new acquisitions.

2011-12-02T13:23:00.001-08:00

I have had some inspired reminders from friends about being an artist. To them goes my heartfelt thanks. You guys are great! This reminded me about an old post I read just after I wrote my last post.

The Touch of the Masters Hand

'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile: "What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar, a dollar"; then, "Two!" "Only two?
Two dollars, and who'll make it three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three—" But no,
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said, "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.
"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?
Two thousand! And who'll make it three?
Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice,
And going, and gone!" said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand
What changed its worth." Swift came the reply:
"The touch of a master's hand."
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
A "mess of pottage," a glass of wine,
A game—and he travels on.
He's "going" once, and "going" twice,
He's "going" and almost "gone."
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that's wrought
By the touch of the Master's hand.

     The struggle I have had has made me feel pretty worthless to be sure. So this old post was another good source of inspiration. The scripture my friend gave of:
          "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
          (2 Timothy 1:7)
is also amazing. It reminds me of a quote often attributed to Nelson Mandela, but is actually from Marianne Williamson:
          "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful
          beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.' We ask ourselves,
          Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You
          are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened
          about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine,
          as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just
          in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other
          people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence
          automatically liberates others." (A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course
          in Miracles", Harper Collins, 1992. From Chapter 7, Section 3)
which is another great quote about who we are and what we can do to better ourselves and those around us.
     We, or I, see ourselves too often as the crowd does though. And the cruel and thoughtless crowd no less. I am grateful for fellow artists who understand the true measure of our souls, who also know of the test of life that is specific to an artist. One specific to artists in our time as well as to artists who have faith in Jesus Christ. Even when that faith is tried near to breaking. We all bear the challenge after we leave the cradle of our school years and go into the professional world.
   Well. I am grateful that I am remembered. I also am glad that I received real posts instead of spam! LOL. Hopefully I have managed to block most of the spam. Some crazy ideas out there. I am off to do some artwork and watch "The Empire Strikes Back". I will always be doing more than dabbling in art. Take care everyone. And thanks for the support Mike and Andrea!

2011-11-30T20:56:00.001-08:00

Ah, what to post. I'll post some artwork of course. Then I need a bit of an update. It has been hard since we lost our home. We helped mom after dad passed away going through things. But when we lost our home, mom put her foot down (three times to make me listen) and had us move in with her for the time being. We were able to help with taking care of things and being there to give a hand when necessary. My birth mother (long story) and my sister also were already living there, so it is a full house. My four kids are kids....thus noise and messes, so I kind of live in a perpetual cringe with the situation. Still we have helped my sister with her health, and moms as well. I had my work cut out for me to move my belongings, but first I had moved my sister in previous, then moved dads stuff somewhat. Mom needed family support going through that. Moving in though really made me feel bad like I was intruding on holy ground unworthily. I had to go through more of my dads stuff and make room for us. I'm pretty sure I made my other siblings uncomfortable. In fact, there was so much to work through and organize....that I put off income work to get it done. Otherwise it would drag on for countless years. As you can imagine, I had a few things requiring my work. And I like working...sometimes too hard and too long. Eventually I was called in by others and told I wasn't doing what was needed. I'm guessing that my "work from home" and "freelance illustration" career choice was insufficient and too unconventional to be accepted or even allowed. I tend to know what I need to do and have an idea of how to do it....but I also tend to be a bit too impressionable or lack self confidence. Sad I know. Being a creative type person makes it even harder. "Head in the clouds", or "unrealistic" is probably the general consensus.
ANYWAY....I burned out. "No Way?" Come on, I can hear you say it.... lol. Yes, I became overwhelmed and lost all confidence in pretty much everything. One of my two living grandfathers passed away during this time. My only grandfathers have been through my wife, my own grandfathers were long gone before I was born. So, even though it was only about 10 years or so, I felt I was close, and it was a sad time....especially for my wife. And our visit was too very short. We need to go back down and visit grandma when we get a chance. My fathers passing rose to the surface a little bit too from that. Living in his house, among his belongings...hasn't been easy. But I really want to make him proud, and take care of mom and his things as mom directs. After all he would want me to honor her. The crazy part is that I am the youngest of everyone. Yes, I have a slight inferiority complex matched with an issue with authority.
Well, enough whining and complaining (even if it is explanation right?). Everybody wants to see some artwork. I have some for you, so please enjoy. I've never been so challenged as an artist....mostly with "why" I am an artist at all, and whether or not to just give up the ridiculousness of being one. Talented or no, I don't understand what my purpose is being an artist anymore. I have no idea if it is valuable or not, nor if I would believe it if someone told me so. Maybe. Did I say I was going to stop whining? Heh.

2011-09-08T00:21:00.001-07:00

Photo treasures of my big sister.

Love you sis.

And yes, I still have that Disney handheld video viewer! :)

2011-09-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

   It is possible that many who read my blog are wondering what happened to my brushdragon website. As it turns out, I have been working on a redesign for the last year in spurts. Between all of the "events" of late 2010 and this year 2011 so far, I have at least part of this transition accomplished.
   My original site was a class assignment back in 2006 I believe. Using Adobe GoLive, I was to create a simple site with 3 pages: Into, gallery, and contacts. Actually, I wanted the first and last. I think the gallery was all that was required. I had 20 thumbnails of my work. All rollover thumbnails that would bring up an image on the right of the page. Simple.
   The site we all miss (cough) was a simple mass duplication of the first one. I created 5 gallery pages with at least 25 thumbnails a piece. Figures, Traditional, Digital, Sketchbook, and BFA (which stands for Bachelors of Fine Art that was my graduating bachelors degree project at BYU-I). I had a splash page which by now most people find a waste of time. I had a contact page, which was constantly out of date due to my multiple moving experiences, and therefore often outdated phone numbers. The main page was pretty straightforward. The directory I called it. It showed my five galleries in rollover vertical images that could be clicked to take you there. It displayed simple and basic navigation across the top which duplicated the navigation the images had....but also existed across all of the pages for consistent and universal navigation from any page. In total it had 8 links. Home. Figures. Traditional. Digital. Sketchbook. BFA. Contact. And the one many of you here miss perhaps......"My Blog".
   In fact I have heard that it was the way some of you navigated to my blog. So often was this the case, that getting here is a mystery without the old site links. What to do? I mean technically, this means I am talking to myself until I can get a link to you that you know right? lol. Art by Shaun Williams is a fairly long address to type out. And I do actually have a brushdragon blog too. SO....I think I will possibly discontinue this blog in favor of my brushdragon blog. I'll make them look alike, don't worry. I'll have a link in the brushdragon blog to this one for referencing old work. I might even try to migrate all the work to this blog.

   This is where my new site comes into play. You see, I had in mind a site that would have its own blog attached and integrated closely within itself. What you see now is a "rethinking" of my original approach. The new site has no links whatsoever to my other work. This means I super simplified....and it means it isn't done yet either. The site now has 8 images. I know, from 150 images to 8. How could I? I'm disappointed too. Don't be fooled. Here is why though: Digital devices and purchasing. Yes, I wanted a way to implement the purchasing of my work. This with an added goodie...that you could simply download a wallpaper version of my work for you computer. Sizes are from 1024x768 pixels, to 1920x1200 pixels. Basically the site knows what size screen you have by the browser window size. So maximize your screen to get the best choice for your monitor. There is a little download button with an arrow pointing down. Simple. Too simple? Next is the cart. purchase the image. They will be available in 3 sizes. 12x16, 16x20, and 18x24 with respective changes in cost. And you'll notice we are utilizing PayPal. What else?
   8 images was a lot of work to get through too. The old site has many great pieces. However, I didn't give them the high quality check that these have. Also, 8 images was just the right size to address the space on the screen. What? They look huge on your monitor? lol, don't forget there are a lot of people surfing the web on digital devices nowadays. Think of smart phones, and tablets. The design works fairly well on them. Try it on them and you'll see what I mean. My old site really struggled on devices like those. In fact I had to change a major functionality at one point when I realized that none of the apple devices could work with the rollover thumbnails. I had to go back in and allow a double click functionality to my thumbnails. That way an image would show up on its own page for viewing. And I forgot to make the background black. I just didn't' look as good. But functionality demanded it.

   But Shaun, I liked the old site. I was familiar with it and it had all of the links and images I want to see today, where can I get to them?......you might be saying these things. In fact I have said them. And when changes are made in the digital world....taking too much time can kill you. My original decision to change my site was based on a few facts.
_FIRST, it was bulky and it took way too long to download everything. I was a beginner and had no idea the toll file size would take. Most of my site was high resolution .png files. I like transparency effects is what it boiled down to. And I didnt' know how to handle it in .jpg or .gif form. The site needed a desperate overhaul just so people could get to it faster. Internet speeds have increased for sure, but every second counts. Life is too busy, and the web is too vast to waste that much time waiting for images to load.
_SECOND, it was dark. The look was black to frame the work and give focus to the images. I had backgrounds sure, but they were very very dark(and I know, they didn't distract). Dark to me was becoming depressing and dismal. Brushdragon was a difficult name anyway. Dragon is a word associated almost always with evil or darkness. Hopefully those of you who know me and have seen my work, would see that I don't have a focus on being evil. Eastern culture has a better association with dragons.....often as symbols of power and wisdom. They have good and evil dragons and are not immediately associated with the Devil himself. So you can image how crazy it is to feel like I am fighting an entire culture and mindset. Bottom line - it is not my style anymore. It is too dark and cold. And I want it to be much much more warm and inviting.
_THIRD, it didn't have enough connectivity for people. When I built it, Facebook and Twitter weren't much compared to what they are now. I didn't have any bio page describing who I was, or even any purchasing integration. All I had was my name, phone number, and email (which isn't enough on top of my phone number being inconsistent).
_FOURTH, I wanted to focus more on my images and not a fancy site design. Sure there needs to be navigation, but why were the images so tiny? Fear of theft is a big issue for artists. There was a HUGE!!! fiasco on DeviantArt a while back from some website downloading and selling artists works without any permissions. Needless to say, the site is down, but the damage is done. We artists are working hard. Now just imagine when the digital world makes money off of us and doesn't even so much as say thanks. Fortunately many professional artists have BIG publishers behind them.....adn when they find out, they act! Me, in contrast, I'm a nobody. Except to you who know me and love my work. To which I say "Thank You" from the bottom of my heart to the top. Again, the site design direction was to focus more around the images, not the "other stuff" that too often gets in teh way. Navigation should be intuitive, but the images should still be front and center. Like a real gallery. I mean, you don't go see a traditional piece of artwork and have objects and text and garbage in front of it do you? No, usually, there is a large uncluttered space, good lighting, quiet (unless a busload of kids just showed up), and a few descriptions to the side or a gallery attendant. Most good sites I have seen, especially photography sites, utilize the "black-room" effect where the image is front and center, and the rest of the screen goes dark, pushing back the clutter and information. some sites have info tabs that rise up on a mouse-over to show you what you want without clutter. And those work very nicely, except the images are still subordinate to the size of the screen. I blame this decision again on fear of theft and wanting the "connectivity and clutter" to have more focus. Smaller images are very capable. I'm not saying other sites are doing it wrong. They like their sites they way they are. Its not a problem. And though they are smaller resolution and lower quality ( ie, printing would show it is not good enough quality for stealing it) they in no way suffer in the digital space visually. There are SO MANY artists accross the globe!!! And the internet has connected them. Sometimes beautifully, other times horribly. Artists are dreamers and oddballs at times. It is nice to have a community out there to support you.

THAT is THAT as the saying goes! I'm not done yet. Maybe the current site will become solely the mobile site. I have other designs. I'll post a few of the designs I've thought of and discarded. Remember, I'm not a programmer or coder, so in many cases I have had to bow out as an artist and designer to what code and programming can allow functionally.
    In fact, in the last two years, web design and graphic design have offered money in a sort of hostile takeover of my artistic self that my traditional skills have not been able to duplicate. Are my dreams squashed? Somewhat. Did I have an identity crisis? Yes. Am I still doing traditional work? Absolutely! Buy a print and I'll do more if you know what I mean. I have 20 unfinished pieces at least! And I have new ideas daily. I'm methodical and a perfectionist. It takes time to do the art that I do. I feel displaced in a super fast paced world honestly. Because in the world today, the longer it takes to make art, the more it has to cost to pay for my survival. And I really don't' want to go back to graveyard shift at Walmart. I felt like zombie food. No sleep and no time to do art makes Shaun pretty worthless. I seriously considered throwing my art career in the garbage! It was in the way of survival, and my family's happiness and success. But everyone figures that a Shaun without art is a ticking time bomb......a miserable bump on a log. So, I do art, focus on working really hard and not really getting paid much. (disclaimer to those with ideas on this subject...if you mention a big city relocation, I will hunt you down....that is unless you have a "real" idea with serious interest and funding, OR you are recruiting me to work on the Hobbit-which I don't foresee since it is mostly done already anyway :( ...sigh)

   This may count as the longest blog entry by me. For those of you who just want to see pictures....my apologies. They are there, just scroll down. Wait, you're already here! lol. I have a lot more to say, but I'll bottle it for now. It's mostly stress and really depressing stuff anyway. Who wants to listen to a depressed artist, bleh? Just stay with my website for a bit longer. Thank you for your support over the years, and take care.

24th of July parade mural

2011-07-23T22:07:00.000-07:00

My thanks to the Parker 1st ward and a special thanks to the Frisby family for inviting me to do this mural. It was a good thing for me. It turned out awesome as you can see. Enjoy everyone!

24th of July Parade Float

2011-07-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

Forgive me for not posting very often. Difficulties in life have been extreme...but here is some good news that is positive!

Today was the 24th of July Parade. I had the privileged of working on a float this year! It was really fun and it made first place too!!! The part I worked on was a replica 10"x7" section of the Vietnam Wall Memorial that was built. It rotated around with a flag on the other side. On the other end was the Ellis Island base with the Statue of Liberty atop it. Between the two were costumed immigrants waving to the crowd. I dont' have photos unfortunately, but when I get some I will post them. The concept was to have soldiers painted on the wall from WWI, WWII, Vietnam, and The Iraq War. There were 70 names roughly of soldiers from Fremont County that had given their lives in those 4 wars that were placed on the bottom where I made the soldiers fade down into black.

We looked at a painting from Lee Teter for inspiration. In that painting there is a man standing in front of the Vietnam memorial with soldiers looking back through it at him. It is a very touching image. For our project we placed the names of all the soldiers from Fremont County who had given their lives in those 4 wars. I painted the 4 soldiers standing there. No one was there to stand on the float like in Lee Teters painting, but we figured with it rotating, it would make someone sick. Anyway, I painted them in basic black and white kind of like they were fading in. Then I painted the Irag War soldier with his face and hands in color almost as a symbol that the war is still alive and going. Not sure if that was what anyone else thought, but who knows.

All in all, I enjoyed painting it. I was nervous because I was using acrylic and I haven't painted with acrylic in a while. I used a simple dry-brushing technique and it really pulled together when you stood back from it. Everyone loved it. I didn't make it to the parade, but I heard that it got a real applause. :) which makes me happy. They want to work out a way to donate it to the Veterans hall there in Fremont county. But otherwise, there is a possibility it will be in another parade this year.....updates on that later.

Again, sorry I didn't have a photo. I'll get one soon. The extreme life changes have taken their toll on heart and mind. Happy 24th of July Pioneers! May we all remember our forefathers, our kindred who fought for us, and the value of our freedoms!

Commission Finished

2011-06-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

Last year my fathers boss was willing to give me a commission to paint a portrait of his wife. I really struggled getting the right information from his boss since he is on the move a lot. :) I myself ended up being pretty worked up about it, and caused myself undo stress about it. It was such a relief to finally complete this painting. Not only for his boss, but for my father....and for his integrity. Dad was the one who asked his boss I think, so, my only regret is that I didn't finish painting it until after dad passed away. I know he pleased and contented that I finished the painting. And his boss liked it very much. Anyway, here is posted the oil painting I did on 16x20 canvas. It took roughly 26-30 hours to paint, and about 8-10 hours to merge elements of photos, digitally paint, and combine a composition that was acceptable as reference to paint from.

My thanks to my fathers boss,

And my thanks and relief to my dad...I kept my word and finished.

Enjoy everyone!

2011-05-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

Dad is finally painted. This one is for Charlan. Oil on 12x16 board canvas. 16-20 hours. Yes it took longer than I expected, but hey, it's my dad. The one thing that was most difficult was that his unfinished image was staring back at me for a few months. :) It is good to have it completed. The first attempt at his face was disastrous. I had the tones of his face too pale....and that needed to be fixed. So, without further ado, here is the painting.

Love you dad.

2011-03-28T23:20:00.000-07:00

Here is an update. Just another sketch. My little Shannon and I were doodling in church...yes doodling, and my scribble brought these results after I spent some time looking at it. I finished it that night. It was fun.
The latest update for also involves reinventing my business and my business sense. I have two friends rooting for me. This has also happened during a somewhat difficult time after my father passed away. It was a very sacred time in life when family came together and life moved out of the way....and after that is when I realized how much of life I was missing, or how too much of life was fighting for my attention. I have been working on choosing between "good, better, and best" as much as I can. I have appreciated the support and help from friends and family after my fathers passing, as well as with my business decisions and direction. Artists struggle on many fronts. I don't even think of myself as the typical artist...but artists are as varied as any other people. School is on the edge as well....and I hope to pull it from drowning waters at the same time as my business. I am currently finishing a portrait of my father as well. I may or may not post it here after I finish it. That is up to my sister Charlan who I am painting it for. I will however post this image that me and my son Taylor did that next Sunday in church. We love you Grandpa.

Module 6

2010-10-22T19:34:00.000-07:00

By now you all should know that I am in school again. My masters degree is in illustration as it was for my bachelors degree. I am currently in a painting class called 'situation and environment'. Which is a great class. This post is for the 6th module or assignment. I have been about 2 weeks late as of the last two weeks. Getting the loan money it, paying bills that were 3 months due in some cases, and signing a new 3 month lease (EXPENSIVE) and otherwise expanding my office to accommodate more of a studio capability. That means expanding so it fits more than just my computer work. Plus I really like having floor space to breathe in. Anyway, here is the assignment which emphasized fabric and fur. Enjoy, later.

Lemons

2010-10-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

So, here is an old Lemon I painted back in 2004. I learned in this assignment that what we paint is its own color as well as the color of what is around it. In this case, the Lemon is also orange and blue, or 'yellow-orange' and 'green' you could say. It was a fascinating study for me. Enjoy.

(P.S., this lemon was a plaster sculpture painted pure yellow...so real lemons would have even more nuances of color to handle. But this was simplified)

Finished Late

2010-10-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

Well, this one is finished, but I didn't get it finalized until 4 hours after the deadline.....which is still sad honestly. However, I feel really good about this one. The professor commented about the left calf being off, but otherwise I got a B+ after being late. Not bad. But I love fabrics like this. The assignment reminds me of artists painting snow or even lemons. Most people think of a white sheet as being just white and black, or of a lemon being yellow and black. The truth is, that sure white is used for the sheet, but I didn't use any black at all, only reds, browns, blues, greens, and yellows. Snow is the same. A lemon on the other hand...well, I'll post the lemon after this, and you can look and see for yourself if a lemon is just yellow....or also many colors. :D Enjoy everyone. Later.

late and unfinished is sad

2010-10-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

So, this is the example of what happens when I don't get my homework done on time. a good start, but lots of correction needed and a finish obviously.

2010-10-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

And here we have the latest homework assignment for my masters program finished. Wait, I forgot the Signature!!! Yeah, I'll be getting that on there soon :D 12x16 canvas. Enjoy

2010-10-02T17:26:00.000-07:00

And here we see the latest photograph I have of the Triptych. It will be shipped up to Calgary Canada within the week. I'm hoping for a good return and a foot in the door of the market. Again, 3 24x36 canvas's.

2010-09-29T12:40:00.000-07:00

This is my most recent adventure. Forgive the tacky office setting...and the bad lighting. 3 24x36 gallery depth windsor and newton canvas's using M. Graham acrylic paint with a 4"and 2" brush as well as a palette knife for application and texture. The second image exemplifies the photoshop study I did to get the design and color.

Thanks everyone. Call if you want one of these. :D And my apologies to Tommy for posting this a day late. Later.

Limited Pallete

2010-09-27T00:56:00.000-07:00

These are the first two paintings completed for school this fall semester at the Academy of Art University which I am attending online. The only colors used in these assignments are a 4 color limited pallet of: Ivory Black, Titanium White, Yellow Ochre, and Terra Rosa. The canvases are 12x16 and I primarily used a 1/4 inch flat brush. Life is busy. School, web design and graphic design work, fine art painting, family, and the occasional social visit. Enjoy.

Artplay?

2010-08-30T14:53:00.000-07:00

From today...I thought to myself, what is artwork if it doesn't afford the artist anything more than a presence which he approves of? I was wrapped up in the ending of Kung Fu Panda and wanted to redesign my Signature into the style of the movie somewhat. The image above is the work from that time. However, I wonder if I should call it artplay since work earns money, and play is just free work...right?
I am talented? Well, I don't want to dispute against many compliments to that word...Talented. I guess it comes down to spending my time on that which is of little worth. Yet this was worth a great deal to me...so what is the deal? As an artist I feel too self serving. What most people want me to do for them I am either incapable of, they are too poor for me to do, or I just don't do that kind of thing. And other things I'm sure. Is that why artists have such an extended period of time "finding themselves"? Searching for Balance...Peace, and Confidence...even proficiency? For what is Talent without these things?

Anyway, I like this little exercise. Even though it comes at the price of most of a days work. Probono for myself I guess. :( Art for arts sake? One way or the other way...I haven't been able to find fulfillment with my art. Either I fall short on the hand of providence, or I fall short on the hand of the will to do it at all. What is an artist like me to do? lol...well, I'm sure I'll manage. After this long, I hope I have at least learned to persevere under this stress. I just wish my family didn't' have to suffer with me. :(

For those of you out there that Love to do art and have figured out a better way...and I mean that in the sense that you have learned how to survive and not go crazy...I commend you for your skill, your talent, your balance, and your happiness. I hope I find that...soon. Soon would be nice. Am I just being selfish again? :)

P.S. I had to change the 's' on Williams around. I was horizontally backwards before. Now the curve is going the same direction as the S on Shaun. Thanks Nadia for seeing that. I love my wife. :D

The Touch of the Masters Hand

2010-08-29T15:07:00.000-07:00

Sunday always has good experiences and stories for me...good lessons of life if nothing else. Today in church, one of the speakers (who amazingly also teaches my son in first grade) quoted the words below.

'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile: "What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar, a dollar"; then, "Two!" "Only two?
Two dollars, and who'll make it three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three—" But no,
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said, "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.
"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?
Two thousand! And who'll make it three?
Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice,
And going, and gone!" said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand
What changed its worth." Swift came the reply:
"The touch of a master's hand."
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
A "mess of pottage," a glass of wine,
A game—and he travels on.
He's "going" once, and "going" twice,
He's "going" and almost "gone."
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that's wrought
By the touch of the Master's hand.

What more can I say? As an artist, I think of how my skill is like an old violin sometimes...and I wonder what my artistic ability is worth. I ponder my worth on more personal levels too...and wonder if I have too often heeded the thoughtless crowd. How important it is to learn of our worth as the Master knows it, and to never auction ourselves cheap...though battered, scarred, covered in dust, and out of tune, how great our worth in the Masters hands!
May we all look to Him...and let all other opinions wash away...even if necessary, our own. Happy Sabbath.

(Quoted from talk given by Pres. Boyd K. Packer
at: http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-183-10,00.html)

2010-08-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

Hospital Sink

The Demand for Breakneck Proficiency

2010-08-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

Today I was over at my folks helping out with a few things. Sitting down to take a break, I commented that I don't think people are necessarily Lazy, or even undisciplined....instead I think people leave work undone because most work that needs to be done doesn't pay enough. Sadly I believe there are many jobs that need to be done which earn little or no money. Because of this, often they are cast aside in favor of paying work. My problem is that I tend to do those poor paying, or non-paying, jobs anyway. This is of course to the detriment of my ability to keep up financially. Is this the trouble with the delicate balance of disaster management? I will also admit that I am somewhat slow and methodical. I'm a perfectionist to some degree. What I've seen in my short 31 years, is hard working people who get into hard times, drop their dreams because they are "financially worthless", and also get frustrated that jobs which need to be done get left behind...leading to burdens of guilt throughout their lives. Should I call this problem: The Demand For Breakneck Proficiency? Just understanding what needs to be done is a task which takes time. Then building up the skills to accomplish those tasks is time consuming. And this year alone, I have had more Pro-Bono work than ever before. I have work coming out of my ears. I have ideas flowing torrentially through my mind and heart that I would love to enact, or put into motion save for the income stopping me.....but....maybe this all comes down to the hard work it takes to get one's life in order, to subdue all things, and regain control of one's life. Things can get out of hand pretty quickly these days. And there are many places "eager" to take advantage of one slip up from me or anyone really.

Well...I've lost my train of thought for now. Plus I don't want to get too excited :) . Mostly I hope we manage with the one thing we all have the same of: 24 hours of every day of out lives. No one can claim any different. (and I am not going to delve into how handicaps of all sorts changes the value of one day's worth of time)

Take care. Sharpen your blade occasionally. A dull blade may as well be a sledgehammer to cut down a tree.

I wish you all the best!

New Art Blog

2010-07-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

So, I decided to make a more dedicated art blog. This blog then will end up being more dedicated to the ins and outs of life. Plus the new blog is named after my website which makes more sense. See it at: http://brushdragon.blogspot.com/ to get all of the good artwork. :D I am hoping to update it quit often with new images...well, I will be getting a lot of old art that I simply haven't posted.

I need a place to keep people posted and also a place to show my work when I take my Brushdragon.com website and recreate it. Mainly, I felt I needed a blog that was uncluttered by long text entries...more about the art if you understand me. So, here goes. Visit both. Maybe this Blog will evolve into more of the fine art, while the other becomes the illustration art...or it may be that one is more of the calm work, and brushdragon can be the one for the Sci-fi and Fantasy. We'll see.

Anyway, I will hopefully see some of you there. :D
Enjoy.

Loose Landscape

2010-07-10T22:32:00.000-07:00

So, I spend a few minutes...well, a half hour is more like it...and did this simple landscape with Photoshop. I wanted to be loose and imaginative. Seeing as I did not have any reference, it struggles yet. There are also some design elements that are odd. But I enjoyed it. I hope you all enjoy it too.

The baby is here

2010-05-29T23:29:00.000-07:00

Check out the Williamszoo family blog for details, or photos. :D Daddy x4 now. ...sigh. :)

Note

2010-05-23T00:51:00.000-07:00

A couple of things...
The hands were technically from last semester in the fall when we had to move. I dropped the classes. Earlier posts will explain the 'Hell' we went through last fall. Anyway, onward. For the most part these drawings were done with Carbothello charcoal pencils, a white and a sienna or sanguine. Each drawing is roughly 18"x24" on Strathmore Velvet Grey. Hands, eyes, nose, mouth, ear, and sphere are smaller. The color 'drawings' are such because they are done in soft pastels. The exception is the 3rd one which is a painting due to the fact that the medium is Oil, only meant to look like it was done in pastel. Color is weak on that one though. First time doing that technique with oils. :D Well, it was a first in soft pastels too! Anyway, A lot of work now that I see it up there.
Enjoy! :D

Semester Assignment Rundown

2010-05-23T00:43:00.000-07:00

FINALLY! Today, or last night, was the final day of school for spring 2010 semester at the Academy of Art. I have been enrolled there online to earn my Masters degree. It's been a tough semester even after getting a little settled down after last semester...which was HELL. I did ok in this class though. I did miss the final though. I didn't realize it was a week prior to the last day. But hey, I was with my wife in the Hospital waiting for the nurse to tell us the baby wasn't coming yet....and then we were sent home. Nothing yet. Any time now though. I figure my brain took a vacation....but the FINAL...AH, I could have nearly aced it! Sigh. Well, now I get to see what Grade I get in the class. If it is satisfactory, I get to go back in the fall. If not, then I do not know what I will be doing. I will have more time now to focus on work at least. It is just waiting to see if enough work comes to pay bills. Lots of bills...you know, like everybody else who is scraping the bottom of the barrel. Good luck to all of us. I'll post pics of the baby when she comes. We think we have the name picked out as Sarah Rachel Williams. We'll let you know if the name sticks when she arrives. :D Take care everyone. Enjoy!!!

Burn-out ?

2010-05-19T02:33:00.000-07:00

I need a Eu-catastrophe...and for those of you who don't know what that is, go look up the word. In essence, the word is a description of the sudden turn of events in a story to good. The opposite of Catastrophe then. Because catastrophe is that sudden turn of events to evil...or simply to great sorrow and unhappiness. Both extremes are part of long planning which are in motion all around us. Many things are in place from outside our view to bring both to our door. Choice is a pivotal element on our part as well. Attitude also. But regarding this eu-catastrophe, I would be well pleased to meet with victory my battles that seem worn down to a doomed defeat. It may be easier understood in the sense, that in life we meet with wounds. And thus we need healing. Healing is not a delusional idea in life, yet events, systems, ideas, plans, and otherwise would pose it as a foolish idea. Defeat is not the TRUTH...save it would make truth an engine for our destruction. TRUTH is Light, and Light is healing.

Some Joy and Happiness would be welcome. Breaking my familiarity with the opposite would be nice...because I have been cynical for far too long. I wish everyone the best. Victory may come out of apparent defeat. Hold on, and pray a little longer. :)

Frustrating or Sad?

2010-05-12T22:57:00.000-07:00

Too often we ask too little of the Lord.....and then too much of the world. Is it any wonder that we are disappointed so often with progress? Is it any wonder that we are often taken advantage of? Perhaps it is most disappointing that we do not believe the Lord is capable of providing. Who is He that we can rely on Him we might ask. Sad indeed.
I say this mostly because things in life get out of hand quickly. Capable as we are, there is so much in the world today that is designed to take advantage of our time, our work, our effort....and leave us abandoned. The world is merciless. I imagine that is why the Lord admonished us to trust in His arm... and not in the arm of flesh.

Progress?

2010-05-04T12:06:00.000-07:00

This week is catch up week for school. I have lots of assignments to adjust and turn in. This post is one of many. It is the most recent however. Soft Pastels are difficult to use, but more than that, I still need to work on my color theory...this pastel painting was supposed to be an analogous color painting. Something I still need to learn...sigh. Anyway, Enjoy!!!

Wishing

2010-04-27T22:28:00.000-07:00

I really wish I had time to post more. I finally got some carpet installed into the studio/office today. And that was with everything still in the office mostly. You see, I made the office in the garage out of 1.5 in blue styrofoam. Why you ask? Because we are renting this home and I couldn't build anything permanent. So after 5 or so rolls of Duck Tape...a 12x13 studio/office. I had spare chunks of carpet on the floor, but after talking to a friend who had some extra carpet, he gave me exactly a size I needed for the office. I have rearranged it too, but still have final touches to put together, like putting the computer back in there. I had to take it into the kitchen while this mess happened because I still have a lot of work to do. On other notes, I have completely left one of my classes for dead. When we found out the Landlords wanted us to move a month and a half ago...I kinda panicked like most people do. Now, we didn't have to move, but we looked for new places and stressed. Also, the class I am loving, head drawing, is suffering right now. I keep falling behind. So, I really need to finish the adjustments to a job I have tonight, finish the office tomorrow, and then POUNCE on my homework like a cat on a bird. Otherwise, this class will take flight and I will never see it again. I'm reminded of a little kid who gets a helium balloon, and accidentally lets go of it. There is no retrieving that thing! My professor commented on my poor status with the perfect chastisement. I appreciate his directness, honesty, and the reality he laid out, but I ended up feeling the grand scale of life....that it was the balloon and I had just lost it to the skies. Drama, drama, drama, I know. A hundred bucks every day I'm positive and you would be really poor. :) Fortunately for me, my dear wife senses these moments of my life somehow and supports me and reassures me. After all, the sayings about being close to victory while feeling you've reached a total dead end....well, endure a little more, one more sand dune, and there will be the ocean. Hard work is NEVER a bad idea no matter you circumstance. Just be wise what work you choose to do. :) I'm really hoping a company hires me that I have been doing little spot jobs for. I could really use the stability after all these years of scraping along. If anything, I am just glad that finally I had a day that was not as plagued by my coughing fits that started two weeks ago. Word of advice: avoid sweets late at night. You might wake up with a very sore throat! Then there is the fact that I have had Bronchitis before and have to be careful about that. I think that is why my coughs are so bad sometimes. Well, here is hoping that the forecast of snow tonight doesn't come true. You never know. This is Idaho, and it has to snow at least once every month! :D

Take care everybody.

Private Show

2010-03-31T14:02:00.000-07:00

Shaun asked me to post these pictures for him. Not exactly sure what he wants said about them, but here goes. He got a call from an old professor who wanted to put some of Shaun's artwork on display at a local nursing home (The Homestead assisted living on West Main in Rexburg). I'm not sure if the public can come and look at it or not, but it's at the Homestead on Main St. in Rexburg. He placed about 31 images for display. Oh, the painting above the piano is not his.

Dark again?

2010-03-08T20:49:00.000-08:00

Well, this is the dark background applied again. Maybe it is the contrast in the lighter one. I could make the overlaying elements less pronounced...what do you all think? :D

Background lightened

2010-03-07T00:54:00.000-08:00

So, this is the lightened version of the same background. Now that I see it in a different light, :D I wonder now about the contrast and readability of the text. Anyway, you can see the design much better. :)

Background

2010-03-02T03:13:00.000-08:00

A new background? What do you think? Is it too dark? My screen is pretty bright, so let me know if it is too dark and nothing shows up. :D

Will we?

2010-03-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

We kind of have the option of signing a 3 month lease...but not a 6 month lease. That is if we "think we can do it" which is interesting. These are easily the best landlords we have ever had, albeit a tad bit overly concerned, and easily the best place we have ever lived. This last year has been a monster to most of the people I know. It has attacked our responsibility and our confidence through unemployment and tight pockets. Foremost in my frustration is the fact that in no way do people have less time than they ever did before...yet as it always happens "time = money" is a broken concept in these times. Time will forever and always end up meaning debt in some way much more strongly than meaning money. Sure it sounds negative and pessimistic...when we forget the part forgiveness plays in life. I'm not suggesting we become lazy and forgive all our debts. I am suggesting we are heavily bound to either some kind of debt far beyond our means, or bound to a system that takes advantage of our debts by compounding them. We have the time...we couldn't have any more (unless we worked together). Why is it compensation for our time is so low when the price for our needs are so high? We don't need compounding penalties to make it harder.

Well, remember folks...I'm an artist. You don't actually need me. I'm not a necessity of life. But the next time you go to the store to buy a product, the next time you go to get your car fixed, when you go on vacation....stop for a moment and imagine a world without the artists touch. This isn't to say that there isn't bad art. lol. I mean simply, that you are surrounded with our effort to make your life more meaningful hopefully. At least for my part. Book covers, tv designs, movies, furniture, phones, computers, clocks, shoes, clothes, glasses, wallets/purses, homes, cars, product packaging, even the dollar bill is designed by an artist. Many of you are artists in some way...its just that some of us do it exclusively and try to make ends meet with it.

Should I have written this? Not sure. Am I the perfect model of what an artist is? Absolutely not. I may have typical characteristics, but I am unique I'm sure. And so, I may have spent this time and only accrued a debt to you for wasting your time, but I ask only that you forgive me if you disagree or do not understand. Otherwise, Take a moment to reflect on what made sense, and laugh at the rest. :) My latest influence has been in this quote about faith in Christ:
        "If you are helpless, He is not. If you are lost, He is not. If
        you don't know what to do next, He knows. It would take
        a miracle you say? Well, if it takes a miracle, why not?"
                                                                                                                   -Pres. Boyd K. Packer

The sun rose today beyond the winter clouds. My kids have given me hugs to let me know they love me. My wife has reassured me with the same, and I have a lot of work to do. I wish the best to all of you. I thank all of you who lift me up when I am down.

Bleh

2010-02-26T19:37:00.000-08:00

"We're on the Island of Misfit Toys....Here we don't want to stay..."

:(

2010-02-25T21:43:00.000-08:00

So....we have to move again. So don't ask me why I have a little black raincloud over my head...you might get struck by lightning.

Drawing and Reference

2010-02-15T16:06:00.000-08:00

As you can see, this is an adjustment to the angle of my drawing to the orientation of the photo reference. I drew this tilted on my lap and if you look on the top of the drawing you can see the line I used to level the drawing for consistency. I didn't notice this early on an so just had to maintain consistency as it progressed. There is a great dynamic to the angle of his head, so I goofed up a great aesthetic to the assignment. Oh well, here is right orientation. :D Enjoy.

2010-02-14T22:37:00.000-08:00

So, another semester of the Academy of Art University is in progress. Here you can see the second assignment, or module as they call them. The process is simple. From reference, lay in a gesture drawing with very few identifying marks...just get the gesture. No hard defined lines either, just be vague. Then place shadow shapes in of the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and such to get the proportions down. Again, vaguely because they may need to be adjusted. So far only the red charcoal is being used. After that, harden the cast shadow edges further committing the shapes...notice I said shapes and not lines. :) Leave the form shadows soft and darken in the darks now that proportion and placement is sure. (one could hope) Once the values from the red charcoal (sanguine is its name) are established change over to the white charcoal to add highlights. The paper itself functions as the middle tone or value between light and dark. The trick is to avoid mixing any white and red charcoal leaving the toned paper to transition between...except for cast shadows. In the cast shadow, white and red can be flush. But again, they cannot blend in any way. :D Find a happy place and sign your name. My signature is kinda lame this time, but oh well. Proof that I'm not a complete slacker...this is really hard to do, and I took like 6 hours or so (with interruptions throughout the day). My greatest disappointment is that I didn't get to it until today....and it is Sunday. Sorry folks. I'm trying to avoid that this semester from now on. Well, I hope you enjoy!

Prints

2010-01-23T00:20:00.000-08:00

So, I decided yesterday to go and print off some images at the local university. My wife has an account since she is a student, and I found out I could print off a few images of my work. To my wonderous joy, a friend of mine decided to finally get some of my work for his own printed off. So, not only did I have a great idea, my friend financed several images to be printed. (Unfortunately until loans come in and I figure out more ways to earn money off of my artwork....this money goes to the late van payment.) The prints are 17x22 max, and anything below. I'm figuring a regular price for the largest at $150, 13x19 at $75, and negotiating on lower sizes. So, for those friends of mine, call in a little friendly price discount and email me. :) Get a killer deal from the regular price that you may not be able to afford right now. Limitations are to my works that I have high res versions of on file. Let me know what you would like and I will work on getting a good reproduction. I already have two in the works. My Great Dragon Bastion oil painting from my BFA, and my sunset painting from my BFA as well. I'll post some low res versions to show of them later.

Hope everyone is working hard, finding that ends meet, and keeping relationships strong regardless of difficult times. I truly hope we all work through our difficulties and help each other out when things do go wrong. And when we find ourselves on our knees...let us remember to show gratitude for what we do have. I believe we know best what to ask for when we have been truly thankful for what we have. Otherwise, nothing will satisfy in our search and we will devalue the greatest blessings that we do have....what is worse than losing everything is having almost all that is worth having and not being glad to have it. Well, buy a print if you can. And if you can't don't be afraid to say hello anyway. :D

War and LEGO...a favorite reposted

2010-01-19T16:29:00.000-08:00

So, I did this image years ago for a Digital Illustration class at BYUI. The assignment was to do a still life digitally. Usually pieces were done from photos since we were already doing art on a computer, so it was a challenge to do a real still life with real colors and values. Amazingly, this image I did far exceeded the photo I took of the same setup! So, it is true. And I really like this piece. Done in Photoshop with Nagel Brush series 10 brush number 132 I believe at 70%. This is a fairly high res image. So give me credit folks. My first Desktop image for all of you out there I guess. (1600x1000 below the first one...its as big as I could get it for some reason) :) The reference here is to my childhood spent with LEGOs for countless hours and then my adult years spent assembling War Machine figures and painting them. Man meets boy sort of you know. So, the title is War and LEGO. I can't remember how long it took, but it was an assignment to do an image every week....so at least within one week. And yes, I painted the War Machine characters. They are my paint design. I have others I am still working on. I may never get to them, but the idea for them is to make them look like they are cooling from being extremely hot, or that they have an extremely hot core....like the way lava looks when it hardens and flows. Anyway, Enjoy this piece as much as I do. :D

A strange thought as I sat at my computer.

2010-01-17T15:32:00.000-08:00

So, there was this fear that people would not use the internet when internet marketing and business presence first embarked on their voyage. So few were familiar with the methods of online purchasing and browsing, and the older generation was somewhat reluctant to try it out. The computer itself was still such a vast sea of learning without the internet. NOW, now what do we have? Well, fears of that past are blown aside as the rising generation took to the web with a ferocity and hunger unexpected. Perhaps not. Older generations now have at least one member of the family who can help with almost all computer and internet problems. There is a a connection somewhere. Our entire socializing structure has been reinvented through this digital age. Phones and computers have merged. A corded land line is almost forgotten. Is there a downside to all of this evolution? How have we changed the time we spend? Lost data is the equivalent of what a fire taking hold of your filing cabinet used to be. And a power outage is crippling. What do I say? Slow down a little. Visit your friends and family more often. Play a board game. Keep flashlights and even keep a few candles nearby. Take a night as friends or family and reenact a power outage to see what you would have to do. Then? Well, of course Be Grateful for what surrounds you. And forget all the disappointment that you don't have the latest and greatest, but be HAPPY that you have more than any previous age could have ever imagined! In a deeply interconnected age, don't forget how to manage your individuality when you are separated from it all. Be patient. Some things were meant to take time. Find happiness in something more timeless than technology. As the unreal of previous years 'becomes real', do not let the real of past times become unreal! What was treasured before is still to be treasured today... and forever. And now me and my son are going to watch Wall-E. :)

Blue Screen of Death

2010-01-14T17:06:00.000-08:00

Do you ever get really strange ideas that suddenly demand a visual explanation? I had two ideas today. My second idea (first one not done yet) was this image of Death sitting in upon his throne (very generic) where he is waiting patiently. This is not new until you imagine him having a face of a blue screen! Ha ha! Lol. I had a blue screen of Death today already which set me back about a half hour or more. Go figure. I had a third idea later as well, but again, I'll illustrate it before I tell you ;) So look for a second post on this subject....well, I hope. Since I have lagged on getting a solution together for selling my art online....well, doing art and not selling art eventually leads to doing less art- a lot less art! There is a month or more in between my semesters in school, so often it gets really tight. On that note, I hope you enjoy the little stuff like this one. Best of luck to all our imaginations. Beware your dreams that their satisfaction does not exact all the energy you need for reality...Neither of them can live without the other. Especially for those of us who are inevitably creative at our core. :)

From here to there

2010-01-08T13:50:00.001-08:00

Here is a quick sketch I was able to eek out during the holidays.
I left the year with an excruciating trip out to visit family for Christmas. Fortunately the weather was good most of the 1300 miles. And the weather was a strange 40 degrees or more. This plummeted later with Christmas snow that no one can argue with... Well except that the locals there didn't know how to drive in snow and they don't have a polished plowing system. Nobody died during the crazy holiday with all of the cramped living space and home comings after long years past. Even the kids didn't get seriously hurt, although my son did ask when we were going home about 4 days before we did. The food was good and even in these meager times all of us had the chance to give a gift to everyone. The kids made a pretty good sum of candy and toys which only added to the pandemonium. New years eve was visited with an unusually difficult and funny game called "the wrong game". Go get it. It's a blast. By this time however I was in no mood to once again challenge my aging ability to traverse nearly half the continent with three children of ages 1, 4, and 5 also with my wife who can get motion sickness and who is just at the third part of her pregnancy with number 4. Whew. It's enough of A drain just to say that. But we made good time and fair weather most of the way through even though a serious snow storm chased us. We left later so that the kids could sleep through the night while I drove. We stopped for dinner that night for ..... Yes, when asking a child what their choice would be for dinner.... Pizza is on a very short list. Godfathers pizza and a good hour and a half later and we were on the road again. Unlike previous trips with one less child we drove strait through and didn't have any car sick children. We stopped at grandma and grandpas for a little 4 hour nap before the last 300 miles which was really nice. It was good to see them too. Finally Home. Yes we made it. Upon arrival in the cold homeland I sent the family to the other grandparents just down the street while I commenced shoveling the two weeks of snowfall. Two feet at the front of the house where it fell off the roof and 10 or 8 inches along the rest. It's amazing how different it is to shovel a massive amount of snow like that after a 22 hour drive than to do so from a fresh start in the middle of a leisurely day. But to pull into a clean driveway for the next week is priceless. School will start a month later than I anticipated and so will financial aid. A few side jobs on the table but with so short of a time to the start of school and literally thousands of students flooding into town at another school swooping up the job market..... This will be a tough month for sure. Wishing I could sell prints of my work but I don't have anything set up nor do I have an inventory. So the year is new and the circumstances are old and similar. Goals are just a continuation of past goals unfinished or unaccomplished. This year will see tremendous change in global and local attitudes with respect to events that are inevitable. Strange that the year ends with Christ and begins too often with a resolve that doesn't have his spirit in it... He having been left in the holiday past. Gifts have been received, coffers emptied, travels experienced, family remembered then left behind with promises to keep in touch more often, and we all return to the hum drum of what we were so enthusiastic to leave when the holiday began. I then. Can only say that we all be grateful we survived our adventure. That we be grateful we saw our loved ones and that we shared our wishes and fair share of emotional ups and downs. Work hard. Find time to play. And as for me...spring cleaning has already begun :) . Take care everyone. Remember Christ, and help someone out this week. Just because.

- Post using Blog Press from my iPod touch

Halloween pictures arrived!

2009-12-04T12:28:00.000-08:00

Well, today Taylor came home from school with our Halloween pictures that we had taken of us at his elementary carnival. Finally a recent picture of all of us. Taylor wanted to be Optimus Prime again, and Elizabeth wanted to be a princess. We decided to make Shannon a Lady Bug while Nadia and I chose pirate outfits. A happy moment during a difficult Fall and Winter. Shannon turned 1 since this photo.

Hm...

2009-11-19T23:36:00.000-08:00

Mr. Mom lately. Not completely, but feeling a little displaced though. Overwhelmed. Behind. Don't really want to say anything beyond that.

Rainbow socks anyone?

2009-11-06T18:54:00.000-08:00

Another late assignment here. It was supposed to be a 6 hour painting, but at a 16x20 canvas and all the oils necessary....I couldn't live with a mediocre half baked painting. Not that my assignment asked for such, but with the size and restricted time frame...I didn't think I could do a painting that would do the canvas justice. The specifics of the assignment were to paint patterns, in this case stripes. I figure with all of the interruptions and days of work...it came around to 25 hours roughly. I know, way too long for a 6 hour assignment. And totally non-conducive to catching up on late assignments. Anyway, I really like this painting. I used a one inch brush to get in on the background, and later switched to a half inch brush for everything else other than the hands and signature. For some reason....the hands were really hard. I wanted to make sure they were subordinate to the face and socks. They still look a little big or angular/masculine to a degree, but they're done! That is what I get for leaving them for last. 7 more late assignments to make up...whilst keeping up with current ones on hand....for only this class. Yup, I may be taking this semester over again...and we are still unpacking in the garage. Boy are we glad to have a garage!!! Now if we could just get the cars in the garage for winter. :) Happy painting everyone! Enjoy.

Hands

2009-10-24T16:07:00.001-07:00

My latest assignment finished is on hands. About 12x16, these are done with carbothello sanguine and white pencils. It's a progress...well except the white hand on the top in black and white...that was the reference I was to copy from. I had some proportional issues with the pointer finger and the area around the pinky where it goes down into the crease of the palm, but I felt pretty good about it. My biggest let down...it took almost 9 hours. Which is ridiculous honestly. Oh well, it's done. Enjoy. :)

3 really cute kids

2009-10-20T21:08:00.000-07:00

These are 3 really cute kids.

Calamity. Yet may all things work out.

2009-10-16T22:35:00.000-07:00

It is here appropriate that I explain the past month. I had most of my life in order, classes for school had begun and I was on top of the assignments. My wife was back in school as well, and our youngest daughter was old enough that we could juggle fairly easily. Our oldest boy had started Kindergarten and took the bus to school and came home on the bus. It had all fallen into place. I even have two paintings after the old man below finished. Then it hit...
Our second child , our daughter, began to relate instances with a neighbor, an older man who lived alone nearby. Our concerns were peaked, and we contacted the authorities...hoping against hope. Their report confirmed against our hopes, and life nearly came to a halt. Needless to say, our previous thoughts about moving (due to a house in poor condition) became an instant focus. Shocked as we were, we tried our best to stay with our schooling. Unfortunately I fell completely behind. Interviews were held with our daughter, son, and us. We searched for a new home. We wondered what had 'really' happened beyond the little bit our daughter told us...still in disbelief, and in a great deal of guilt. My stress deepened. My schooling was my livelihood for the time being...and I was falling fast behind. I had to pack, I had to find a new place, I had to... I had to...
We found a place in a nearby town. Actually just down the street from where I grew up, by my parents. I knew the neighborhood well, the neighbors, and my parents obviously. For me it was too perfect. We had received a call from a preschool before this accepting our daughter also. Meeting with the administrators, we explained the situation. We have been surrounded with help for our daughter. She loves preschool too. She goes to school just like her brother and momma and daddy.
There is no way to explain the exhaustion of my mind, nor the multiple directions I feel pulled in. This new home is so beautiful and bright, solid and clean...I have wanted to put all things in order, to invite the Lord's spirit in that it may abide with us and help us heal. And as I do this, I yet feel torn...anxious, burnt out, and completely overwhelmed. I want desperately to be a good father to my daughter...disciplined but kind, and to be a good husband to my wife as she needs my support a great deal as well.
With moving, getting kids to school, getting my wife to school (my school is all online), Selling things, buying things, organizing a mess, fretting over lost time for homework, getting kids from school, talking to family, meeting for counseling.....I am not sure what the Lord has in mind for me, but I have been able to abide the day. Just the last three days (nights actually) our youngest daughter was really sick and wouldn't sleep much at all at night, but cry, scream, and whimper...testing the last of my and my wife's emotional strength, and much of our physical strength too.
So much relies on my performance, on my attitude. I want so much to spend all my time playing with the kids, but also all with my wife to sort out all our struggles, still more to do all my homework without constant distraction...because it is my job and my livelihood. Without school I would have to take up two or more jobs...and lay down my brushes and pencils for a long, long time. Loans would come due with me out of school, payments would increase beyond any income I could find short of working so much I would never see my family. My wife would have to drop out of school or we would have to get child care for her to stay in...which would compromise my extra job to make ends meet.
I have often thought, my life is a delicate rumikub game (refer to someone who has played it) and if all the steps of my decisions don't meet in the end....I will have to retract far more than I can remember, far more than I am able. The result would be a catastrophe, only not with a board game, but with my home, my marriage, my kids, all our school.......
But who isn't struggling right now? Widespread financial strain, unemployment, and a plague of people too busy to sleep or help one another.
Well, I've said a lot. A great deal has happened of no small influence. As this is an art blog, it saddens me that today I was not able to post art, but I instead painted a very different picture. I seek the way to make all things work out. May it be so. May it be so...with time, patience, hope, and faith.

2009-09-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

Fall at Academy of Art has begun. Finances aren't strait yet, and the loans haven't arrived yet, but I am in school. Part of this is good and part is bad. We are very serious about moving from where we are living. Some big issues have arisen. One I will state is that the foundation on the front of the house we are renting is a dirt foundation...and the other day when we went down into the basement, we could see daylight streaming through in several places. Heating will go through the roof in the cold months.
Anyway, I have finished an assignment for this falls classes. Here is the assignment for the situation and environment class I have done. It is a limited pallet of of Ivory black, Titanimium white, Yellow Ochre, and Terra Rosa. It is amazing what I got out of those simple 4 colors. One of the photos is really dull and a bit blurry....while the other is better on color and clarity, but horribly shiny. SO, from these two images I have the best way to show what I have done.

2009-08-15T23:57:00.000-07:00

Everybody take a look at my new devianART portfolio site at http://brushdragon.daportfolio.com/
Tied in with deviantART I hope to place my work out there with a bit more finesse. I also have a regular deviantART portfolio that can be found here: http://shauncharles.deviantart.com/
Enjoy. Tell me what you think. :)

Finishes of three assignments...finally

2009-08-04T04:36:00.001-07:00

These are the finishes of previous assignments. The torso and drawing from photograph and plaster cast head.
These are large scale, so they may not fit on your screen. Ctrl + or- will resize images in most browsers. Enjoy!

More charcoal assignments.

2009-08-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

Chiaroscuro class assignments so far.

2009-07-25T13:10:00.001-07:00

These are some of the charcoal renderings I have been doing for my Chiaroscuro class. We have been using mostly white objects so far like fabric and plaster casts. I haven't finished the female torso, head, or the old wrinkly man yet. Each one has at least 15 hours into it, and often closer to 25 hours. I usually use the blending stub to smooth out the charcoal texture and blend the values, but I didn't use this technique on the 5 object piece and the wrinkly man. This class is insanely fast....I'm having a hard time keeping up. I printed out the wrong calendar to start with, and lost a week...which turned out to be the equivalent of two weeks worth of work on a normal semester. I couldn't afford the plaster model kit till 3/4 of the term was over, and now that I have it, I may not need it. With Renaissance art history to go along with this class....Plato, Aristotle and the like...I have been hard pressed to do anything else. Sometimes I have to take a break and watch some Bleach (anime) in between. Anyway, these are essential skills to develop from chiaroscuro. I hope I can survive the last week and a half. I need to work to earn money too....somehow. Anybody want to buy a print? :) OH, and each drawing here is 18"x24"

Candle or Explosive

2009-07-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

Just something that expresses how I feel lately...with options.

Another Sketch

2009-07-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

This is just another BIC pen sketch in my little sketchbook. Although I love doing these...when I finished with this one I didn't feel like I had accomplished much. Must be because I took a break to do some artwork other than schoolwork. My schoolwork owns me pretty much (like 4 times the amount of work of a bachelors degree during the summer), so until August 5th, I'm off the map.

A sketch of boredom

2009-06-21T21:42:00.000-07:00

So, when I get bored...well, and frustrated, this is what can happen. So this is an angry alien face. Um, yeah. The bad guy alien I guess. Well, I used ballpoint pen initially, then copied that from my sketchbook and used dark brown prisma color colored pencil over that with some black prisma to define the darks I lost. It was fun. I watched some Feng Zhu tutorials while I did it. (Ok, it was in the back ground...I didn't watch the whole thing actually) Pretty fun and simple. This is just a little character concept. I don't know that I am interested in doing a design for the body, but this will be here to refer back to if I need a bad alien. :)

Illustration Friday: unfold

2009-06-17T01:49:00.000-07:00

I decided to do this weeks Illustration Friday entry on the word..."unfold". My initial thoughts were of something unfolding before my eyes...but that kind of ended up being reinterpreted as my actual eyes unfolding. Mostly it ends up looking like a lot of intricate detail. But there you have it...my eyes unfolded...something. Enjoy. Photoshop CS4. 6-8 hours of nonsensical fun. :)

A finished Landscape!

2009-05-20T20:07:00.000-07:00

Well, today was a good day for painting! Each Wednesday me and my friend Mark paint together to break away from our lagging artistic enthusiasm. Here we see the painting we did, or the one that I did. I started around 1 pm, and finished around 6...with several interruptions of course. Anyway, its a 9"x12" canvas painted with a 1/2 inch flat brush. I had fun. The second one is from a previous week and I didn't get it finished...although I tried to give it a sense of finish. Its a 11x14" canvas. Not quite what I wanted, but its ok. Now if I could just earn money with this kind of stuff! :) Enjoy.

THIS IS COOL! enable your browser. Its simple.

2009-05-18T17:45:00.000-07:00

http://www.cooliris.com/

Another step in technology connections

2009-05-18T01:12:00.001-07:00

Connecting the world…well, the world of blogs, emails, and social interaction sites! :) Now I can edit through my windows live programs....which makes life feel kinda like option overkill, you know, like how many ways you can adjust the volume on a song you are listening to on the computer? I have external speakers, which I then hook up to my nice stereo, so they have their own control. Then the computer operating system has a volume control, and then the program you play music in has one too. Its pretty nuts how there are like 10 ways to do something. I hope options don't kill our society. :)

School finals

2009-05-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

My semester at the Academy of Art University is over now. I was up till 6:20 doing my final for one of the classes, but yeah, its done. I am pretty happy about my drawing from imagination class even though, I still have finishing touches to do on my final for that class. I am kinda worried about the figure drawing class though...man I struggled on that one. I did get the final done in that one though. I'm gonna post the finals for those classes as they are. Now it is down to job searching in this struggling economy. Whether I do art, Melaleuca, or find a job digging ditches, I hope I make some money soon. Good luck everyone. Enjoy summer!

Finally

2009-05-11T16:31:00.000-07:00

All thumbnails are now "clickable" to open in their own window. This is again, a modification for touch devices where rollovers do not bring up the image. I have added a row on the bottom of the Sketchbook page as well as one more oil painted piece on the Traditional page. Done. Finally. Enjoy :)

Brushdragon site update

2009-05-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

Finally I updated my site. The contact page is now current, as well as some new options to see the thumbnails on thier own page if you click on them. Previously the pages were only rollovers. With the advent of the Ipod touch, there is a need for the thumbnails to be clickable. I have an Ipod Touch, and it is nice now to be able to see the images from my own site. It is slow going converting all of the thumbnails. Some work, some don't. BFA page is where I have started, so go there to enjoy the upgrade. Its a small change with a big impact on portable devices!

Its a mad mad mad world

2009-05-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

This was an assignment for my masters degree class. We were to make a combat scene with two combatants. I didn't have much enthusiasm until one day browsing images of cool fantasy and scifi concepts I ran across Alice in Wonderland images. Suddenly I thought " Why don't I have The Mad Hatter attacking Alice in a swordfight?" Ok, it sounds crazy (and I threw in the March Hare too), but I have seen way too much Anime and several Jet Li movies like HERO. With that in mind, I came up with this peice. I am fairly happy with it although it is more of a peice to go to paint being that it is so detailed. Were I to keep it in drawing form I would have focused more on dominant and subordinant line quality. I did the whole thing from start to finish in Photoshop too, so I would have done a traditional pencil render of the line to make it a full finished peice in line form. Its pretty high res, so I could still do that, but I'de rather spend the time painting it some day if I get the chance! :) Everything had research reference, but it is all out of my head. I mean come on, where would I get models for this pose?

P.S. I imagine you noticed that color is a really quick throw in, but it does unite the peice a little more. I didn't handle the value separations well either, but I had to see some color. Notice also that the swords are specific to each character...A porcelain teacup sword for the Hatter, rabbit ear shaped short swords for the Hare, and Alice couldn't do without a sword which is actually the Cheshire cat in awesome sword form! :)

P.S.S The instructor mentioned the busy nature of the table as well as the direction of the sheath of the Cheshire sword and Alice's leg. I have a different position in the drawing versus the color. See if you notice where the difference is?

Tiger

2009-05-03T22:26:00.001-07:00

Had to pull out the oils. I haven't painted in nearly a year with my oils. I had to scrape the oils off the pallet because they were dried up. :( This is the work of about 6 or so hours. That includes finding the image, tweaking the colors and values in Photoshop, and then putting it to canvas. It's about 10"x10" roughly. I was thinking of portraits, but ended up doing this Tiger. Go figure. Well, enjoy!

Where have I been?

2009-05-03T17:58:00.001-07:00

It has been a bleak year for this blog...and mostly I mean about the "art" portion of artbyshaunwilliams. :) Really I have been doing a lot of sketches and things worthy of posting, I just didn't make the time. Some of the task is still in scanning images from my sketchbook, and the other is merely uploading them. With school two weeks from completion for this first semester, work being a little bleak, and wondering where I am going with my life....its been fun. All the kids are growing up fast. Take a look at the blog link on the right of my blog to williamszooof5. This is my wife's blog for family updates...where I should have posted all of my other crazy posts. I'm keeping this solely for the art from now on. Sorry for the soapboxes and whining in previous posts. I'm sure you would rather see my art. Thanks all and will post soon. ( I hope)

Subtract

2009-03-21T20:42:00.001-07:00

So, every week, an email comes in from Illustration Friday. Bringing illustrators together to show our work and skills, the email is based on a word or phrase. This time it was Subtract. Immediately I thought of a cliff side with a building on top that had been eaten away by the tide. The precarious effect seemed fun, so I did it. It is fairly simple in execution. Lately, I have wanted to have more color and a brighter influence to my work. I still have a lot to learn, but this was fun, and has a look unlike what I have done before...except maybe my Wizard of OZ piece. Anyway, enjoy. I haven't posted any art for while, so this should set me back on track...I hope. And otherwise, visit Illustration Friday to see this as soon as I get it posted. Thanks

Onward and Upward

2009-01-27T14:37:00.000-08:00

A new year offered unexpected opportunities and challenges. When talking to a friend from school who just graduated, he explained that he was going to attend the Academy of Art in San Fransisco and achieve his Master's Degree there with their online program. I had thought seriously about the same thing a year earlier and opted not to do attend due to questions of affording it. From several ponderings, prayers and talks with individuals I decided to go the doctors route, and live on loans until my degree was finished. The Academy has an impressive placement program, and I otherwise could teach on the university level with a Masters. I am impressed more with what a Masters is economically nowadays as well, since a Bachelor's isn't what it used to be. I had several points of unfinished ability in my artistic learning I wanted to formally achieve as well. The business of art is difficult to apply onesself to also. Art is simple enough for me, but the business side of things is a migrain headache for me. My wife is currently enrolled in the school I finished at, BYU-I, and has 4 semesters to go. I do not want her to wait to finish either. We are not getting younger, and by the time our kids are old enough for us to go back (pending on the number of kids we have too) we will have lost so much time, energy, and application of the education. It means that life is complicated and tough, but we are people of faith, and we work with the goals we have to better ourselves. Whatever else falls out of the picture we strive primarily to stick together as a family, have a home, transportation, and education through the work that we do. We will hav a more competent internet connection this Thursday installed to handle the school loads, and we will be purchasing a computer for me so that my wife can have her computer to do school work on. With the obviousness of Loans we have opted to handle some also obvious outstanding financial needs during the demands of schooling. The kids are still adjusting to the move and the stresses of life. Everything has happened. From Taylor cutting Elizabeth's hair, Taylor getting really sick, and car wrecks ( nobody was hurt) that cost 3200...thank goodnes for insurance and a 250 deductible! Also my car is dead, or more appropriately, my fuel pump most likely. The only way to fix that, is to wait for the summer when it is warmer though. The house is in better shape, but still needs a lot of work. We found out the electric bill was about 70, but that the gas bill was 270!!! Needless to say, we were a bit shocked. a 650 or 700 3 bed rental apartment utilitis paid doesn't sound too bad anymore. Remember, this is Rexburg too, very few people make more than 9 or 10 an hour, and most make minumum wage at best. Well, the excitement of school has only just begun, and I will see if the Loans can cover us with the help of some freelance jobs, or if I will need to continue on with part time Walmart. I would really rather not work at Walmart, but all advice from others says to keep jobs, because they are so hard to get into to begin with...and Walmart is a good company apparently in this economy. Best of Luck to everyone, and keep your spirits up. Help someone in need, take a walk and think, sharpen your blade before you try to cut down the forest, and say your prayers. Later.

Moved!

2008-12-16T23:49:00.000-08:00

At first I thought I would move my office last and not bother my family and friends with the "stuff" that is so difficult to move. Well, it took the better part of a week and a half to move it unfortunately. Family came over and we moved most of the belongings we have on a Saturday a couple of weeks ago. Fortunately enough it was before the snow fell, and it was a nice day to say the least. We were all surprised at the good weather. Now that being said, when I moved all the paintings and artwork that is so difficult to move tonight...it was snowing and blowing at around 10 degrees above zero. Thank goodness my friend Brent helped with some of that. It takes forever. The kids have had a hard time keeping out of the things laying all over the new house. It is a REAL mess. I ought to take a picture of the before and after to give a better idea perhaps. Last Sunday, we had a bunch of friends over for dinner and games. That was pretty nice actually, and would have been even better had we had the whole house together :) We are so fortunate to have found this home. We don't know what the utilities will amount to yet, but at 400 a month, we could not argue for a 3 bed home of our own. It is pretty old and is settled in quit a bit. We are warm and have a roof over our heads. I hope we can afford the expenses of life. Well, I am really tired, so Sleep must take priority here. More to come I'm sure. Later all.

A better explanation

2008-11-24T18:14:00.000-08:00

So, for anyone wanting some better details of what is going on, to avoid redundancy, look at my wife's blog http://williams-zoo.blogspot.com/ to see our current situation. Other than that, I am really stressed and upset most of the time. I really hate being sleepy all day long and missing the sunshine. My life feels really ridiculous right now, and I feel pretty depressed about it right now. I'm not quit sure what to hope for except what I know I want for my wife and kids to be provided with...which is my responsibility. I've been sick for about two weeks now to one extent or another, and I have some nervousness about work since the biggest shopping days of the year are coming, and Graveyard freight is going to be a monster, and the people I work with will also be edgy I imagine. As incredibly uncomfortable as I am, I plod on regardless. I know few people who are having it easy at this time in history, so I know I'm nothing special. I just worry that I will fail this test of my faith...I'm so far passed my limits, which I passed during the summer and went beyond months ago. Here is hoping I survive, that we all survive without losing our minds, or worse. Take care everyone...please take care.

Struggling

2008-11-15T18:47:00.000-08:00

So, after two weeks of the world being turned upside down...or starting to go in that direction, things still have not fallen into place quit yet. My wife and I found out two weeks ago that our landlord was going to cut his losses and move out of his house ( which we live in also), try to sell, but otherwise rent out both levels of his home to siblings. His house is poorly zoned for only 1 family, so siblings is the only way. Regardless, it put us both in a serious pinch. Mere days before that my wife found out that she was accepted to school again and finally wanted to go and finish. The day after we found out, Nadia had our third child, Shannon Alexandria Williams. So, with an infant, 5 weeks roughly, nowhere to move to, and no time to do so...........we have just kinda sat here. Of course we have looked for places to move to, but every single one is beyond our capacity to pay for right now. We could have moved in with my folks in the little town adjacent to where we are, but all they have is one little room for the five of us to live in, and they also have a cat and a dog. As concerned as we are with the newborn and the animals, firstly, Nadia is allergic to cats! We've had our own place for so long though, and we already have lived with my folks once already...She won't do it this time. On top of that I was just in the process of going from nights to days at Walmart. I have had a really hard time adjusting to Graveyard shift there. Not that I have any trouble while I am there with the people or the tasks I have, but I really end up as a true grouch during the day...and I sleep poorly, and all day when I am home. I miss my wife literally, and she misses me even though we are in the same household. She is also taking care of three now, and I worry about not being able to help her at all...either in the day or the night when I am not even there. (sigh) We started to work for Meleleuca days before the news also. For anyone who doesn't know, Nadia was working for them before I got my Job at Walmart. She was in the call center working part time while I took care of the kids at home. When she stopped working to come home and be mom, we lost the products we used to get from Meleleuca, so we signed up as preferred customers to recieve them. We save money by buying from them and they are safer for the environment and our kids. Also, we can refer famiily or friends to use the products and actually make money for the advertizing. Potentially it can be a complete income with enourmous possiblities......we are just so short on time and energy. Just like today, I could have gone out and talk to some family, friends, anyone and told them about the Meleleuca Products, but I came down with a serious fever and flu. So I was in bed all day long. We are about to the end of our patience and hopes. With the economy so far down as well, it is dangerous for everyone it seems. Good luck to us all, and God bless.

Alien Friends

2008-11-15T18:36:00.000-08:00

Just an update on these guys. I was hoping to finish them to enter into the CGSociety's Expose 7 but won't be able to since we must move in two and a half weeks. Will post progress as I go...if I can find an internet connection after we move. Later

Tracked Down

2008-11-10T04:57:00.000-08:00

This is the image I did for the CGSociety Uplift Universe Challenge this summer, but with some new work to the ruins in the background that were sadly underdone. I may also rerender the tree roots, but so far I am much happier. I am entering it in the Ballistic Publishing Expose 7 soon, so keep a watch out for me! :)

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-02T15:02:00.000-08:00

So, for Halloween my son said he wanted to be Optimus Prime. After some thought, I decided to go ahead a try it. I found the toy transformer and overlayed my son and the toy as seen here to get an idea of what I might be able to do. Originally I was going to use cardboard, but changed my mind to blue construction foam.

Here you can see the first stages of the costume in blue foam. I was uncertain how to finish the effect since blue foam dents pretty easy, and on a 4 yr old it wouldn't last long. My wife suggested Spandex over the foam in the color of the character.
As you can see, the spandex was a great idea. We got a red long sleeved shirt and gray sweats to go underneath. Nadia sewed the blue and red spandex to go over the foam (amazing skill I tell ya) to finish the effect. I accepted the fact that I wasn't going to get a box form for the chest with so little time left, and I wasn't sure how well it would hold up to him sitting back on it. So, I decided on a chest plate. Nadia simply applied velcro to the back of the plate and front of the shirt so I was removable but would stick. My daughters outfit was simpler, a ballerina. As you can see, they are both really happy :)All in all, he loved it even though I didn't finish it. He would really like me to make the head/helmet still. I have plent of foam to do it, just not a lot of time. We'll see. The bottom one has the fabric colored windows and arms, also with autobots icons on each shoulder I printed off. I hope it is a good memory for them both. I pretty much slept through most of halloween since I work graveyard, but I was able to at least make this much of his costume. :) I don't know how we're going to scrapbook this one?

New Title image

2008-10-06T06:10:00.000-07:00

So, some of you may notice my title image has been implemented here. If not, take a closer look...it used to be blue like my brushdragon site :) I may refine the rest of the blog, but for now, it is good, or maybe I will change the whole thing. Who knows, stay tuned!

Brown Background:

2008-09-30T16:46:00.000-07:00

So, I thought I would try a dark brown background instead of the black...I think I am tired of the really dark blacks. I would like to add more light to the image I portray through my website.

LOTR inspired

2008-09-29T03:11:00.000-07:00

So I was toying with a new color for my website...a lot of work if i did the whole thing of course
but something warmer for a change and inviting. I was looking at LOTR images and wondered at the warmth of the one ring and the idea of gold. This is two of the versions that I liked best. What do you think?

Almost 2 years !

2008-09-28T00:16:00.000-07:00

Wow! My wife started her own Blog and of course we added a photo of the family. This isn't the one on hers, but I like this one also, and thought that I could add a photo to my Blog. I can't believe it was two years ago almost...Post-Christmas of '06' ! As I went through the pictures of the kids, they sure have grown. Elizabeth is older now than Taylor was in the photos, 3 years old, while Taylor is 4, pushing 5 soon. The last year was a real struggle for me and the kids at home while Momma worked. I tried and tried to put a portfolio together, while being Mr. Mom. We had some difficult times, and we missed momma. Nadia just put in her two weeks notice though, and will be home for a while before our third child is born to prepare. I work Graveyard shifts at Walmart now though, and while I like the atmosphere and the people I work with, I break my body up with the freight. Not seeing my wife much is also a downer, as well as trying to sleep in the house while the kids are screaming all day long. I'm good until I can find a job in the day that will switch my work/sleep hours. I've been hoping for the local computer repair center to hire me with anything. I have several little graphics jobs I do for them, it would just be nice to have something more steady from them. Time will tell. I have also redone some of my blog layout. Now I just need to get a link to my wife's blog on here. Later everyone. Take care.
Shaun

Wings

2008-07-24T23:04:00.000-07:00

This is interesting. My wife has been an avid reader of the "Twilight" series, and has read some it them to me. Not that this looks like "hey a vampire!" or anything, but well, that's why I'm weird I guess...um, so yeah. I also have been toying with the idea of big white wolves (werewolves perhaps?) on each side of him as his subordinates, or maybe white tigers. Had I kept on at the pace I started with, I may have made it into the August 7th Exotique call for entries from Ballistic publishing. What an opportunity that would have been. Anyway, some more work I have been whittling away at. Enjoy.

A self portrait

2008-07-24T22:29:00.000-07:00

So I had this idea for a new page on my website with a different self portrait. Its kinda at that "so close you don't want to finish it stage" of its progression. I will probably finish it sometime, but as to what I will do with it...maybe the website, maybe not. :)

CGSociety concept sketch of aliens

2008-07-24T22:24:00.000-07:00

Oh, and here is the pen sketch that started it all. Most of these posts are an old project, but just so no one thinks I died...this should suffice for now. I hope.

concept beginnings for cgsociety contest

2008-07-24T22:13:00.000-07:00

These gentlemen are some designs for aliens that I did coming up with ideas for the CGSociety contest last May

2008-04-26T03:24:00.000-07:00

For an easier link to my CGSociety page:
MY CGSociety image entry

CGSociety Entry

2008-04-26T03:18:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a piece for the CG Society website challenge lately. Here is the link:
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?postid=5089354#post5089354 to see my entry.
Things have been slow, and my computer has been having the fits too...I'm actually working photoshop on my wife's laptop now. It is a faster machine, and PS doesn't crash-or crash the computer like it does on mine. :)
Otherwise, Mr. mom for the most part right now. Elizabeth will be 3 in June! The phrase about kids growing up has caught up to me...it had to happen.
More to come in the future.
Later

To Paint

2008-03-29T12:28:00.001-07:00

The day finally came, and I had to get this car done! Unfortunately, I had to use acrylic instead of the enamel that I had, but the finish still had a bit of a shine to it. Acrylic dries faster thank heavens. I didn't go into a lot of detail. There aren't any racing stripes like there is on the Bumblebee from the Transformers movie, and I was going to give a little black to the grooves in the body of the car. Sorry there are no shots of the wheels. They didn't go on very well, and came off too easily! Still, a little black, silver, and red, with a lot of yellow, and BAM! a Chevy Camaro made of pine. I definitely would invest in serious carving tools for this project...definitely better tools than I had...stronger...sharper... oh well :) Can't have everything. As it was, the car was a hit. No, it didn't win anything, but everybody knew it was Bumblebee. It was 7.07 oz, so I couldn't race in the regular races. No problem, I was just glad I could go, and that I had a car with wheels on it. The thing that I think would have done a bit more justice to it, more so than the racing stripes, would have been the Autobots Logo on the hood. Time was against me though. I am thinking of resanding it, repriming it, and doing it the way I had intended with the enamels. If I do, I will post that here. Enjoy folks! Now for the clean up.... :( Later

2008-03-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

This is the basic beginning that I had. I started with the standard block for the pine wood car. I then added a sailboat kit and a birdhouse kit to it. The bottom of the boat is on the top of the block, and the sides added to the car are the roof of the birdhouse. All in all, it added the amount that I needed to reasonably carve the Camaro. You see the side template above that I used to approximate positioning of the design. I used a photo which I then filtered to look like a simple line drawing in Photoshop.

Pine Wood Derby

2008-03-25T23:22:00.000-07:00

I am also in the middle of making a Pine Wood Derby car. The Elders Quorum at church is holding a race the day after the Scouts do theirs. My wife said that I should make "Bumblebee" from Transformers the movie, so I am making the 2006-9 Chevy Camaro concept car! I have some photos I will post later, but Nose to the grindstone for now....I only have 2 days left! And there is dust everywhere. Man, I really wish I had a heated shop out back.
-Later

Sands of Time

2008-03-25T23:16:00.001-07:00

So this one is in blue pen. I bounce between this pen and the pencil quite often. I really miss using the old blue colored pencil though, so maybe one of the next ones will be that instead!
Anyhow, a couple of hours at most, 9x12 sketchbook, during church. I ever I get a little tired, this is the kind of thing that helps me stay awake, and I can still pay attention as well. Bonus. I will possibly color this one in Photoshop. It'll have to wait for a while though. And what color scheme to use? Mood? Time of day? All things I need to consider. Enjoy, and take care.

2008-03-04T11:49:00.000-08:00

A while back I was doing a project that was driving me crazy, so I started this guy to blow off some steam. Even he was driving me crazy by the end. The other image still isn't done either. This is entirely Photoshop, from sketch to finish. The idea was a dragon with a flaming beard and mane, which raised issues of how to show structure of the bottom jaw, and also just how to work with the lighting it would cause. In the end I tried to make him look like he had internal heat as well with the designed veins of yellow. I couldn't decide if I wanted him in a dark forest or a dank cave, so I didn't really do too much detail there and just left it to the imagination...but it is dark for the contrast. as to where the blue secondary light is coming from...I don't know, perhaps it should be a night sky with the moon. I have done too many moon scenes lately though. It was a real challenge and took my altogether far longer than I expected for a vent piece. I enjoyed that last few hours pulling it together to the end though. Normally I do a pencil sketch of my dragons first, and paint from that structure...this was a different way for me, and the original drawing is a far cry from this finished painting. Enjoy. I hope the contrast and color are a nice reprieve from the graphite renderings. Thanks as always.

Sketch 12

2008-02-29T20:03:00.000-08:00

So I get the idea of adding more characters into my work, and I only add a sword? This is obviously a loose reference to the sword in the stone concept. It was fun, it took forever, it's done. No reference material was used here, just pure guts. The sword was fun to design, but it is likely not possible. Oh well, imagination counts for a lot here then doesn't it? As I mentioned in previous posts, these are my anchors to sanity. So enjoy them, critique them, and remember to give me credit! I suppose I should eventually create a way for selling prints, but for now this is the best I can do. Take care!

Sketch 11

2008-02-29T19:14:00.000-08:00

This is the new book I started this year utilizing a little more room for sketching 9x12. Consequently, they take longer to do. I only do them here and there while taking care of my kids anyway. The chance to sharpen my pencil skills and my imagination are a must. With these I get a chance to breathe the air of art in and avoid suffocation from reality. As these are just landscapes, I am beginning to want more life in them by putting characters within. I hopefully will integrate that soon. For a side note, I did use a photo of a tree to get the basics. From there, its all original, since one of these babies doesn't exist outside of my head. As always, Enjoy!

Sketch 10

2007-12-17T21:43:00.000-08:00

These of course do not take a month to do. I do get around to doing one about every month though. Again, they are only about 5 1/4 x 8 1/4 inches in size (not 4x6 like I guessed), so do not consider them as large serious works. I find that I can easily do them nearly anywhere and at anytime. They are great for keeping my talent and imagination alive in a busy and interrupting life. I have considered painting them, or even rendering them larger, but that will need to wait. Comments are always welcome, and thank you for viewing my work.

Sketch 9

2007-11-27T09:27:00.000-08:00

So I still sketch here and there. These are simple of course, and to explain, they are done in a 4x6 sketchbook. If it seems that they could be more refined, sure with more time they could, but hey, they are small to begin with. Thanks for looking as always.

Sketch 7

2007-08-12T20:21:00.000-07:00

Sketch 6

2007-08-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

Sketch 5

2007-08-02T13:02:00.000-07:00