The times, they are a-changin'!

Animazement was a total blast this year as usual.  A PILE OF FRIENDS, IT WAS.  It was great to meet up with all the people that I've basically grown up with artistically over the past...8 years?  9 years?  Jeezus.  I'm practically a grandma in the convention-world these days.

AND OF COURSE I TOOK SOME PICTURES:

This is one of those times when I wish I didn't have just a cell phone camera!  OH GOD.  When I saw Dug and Russell on the other side of the hall, I pretty much screamed "WATCH MY TABLE PLZ THX!!" to my table neighbors and darted across.  I believe I was the only one over 7 years old who wanted their picture taken with them but WHO CARES BECAUSE I DO NOT LOOK THAT PICTURE IS EFFING ADORABLE.

 

I love DOGS and these are the first cosplayers of the twins where it doesn't look like they went to the Rag-O-Rama and cut apart a parka.  ADORBS.

Grab Captain K'nuckles and Bubby, OH MY GOD IT'S AN ADORABLE FLAPJACK.  I felt bad because I think I made her pose about 30 times as I was having TEKNOLOGEE MALFUNKSHUNZ.  *headdesk* *headdesk* 

Ah, I have about 4,000 more pictures but this blog might be long and arduous and those were most definitely the best ones.  This con was pretty kick ass, and we had more than few good meals, and like I've mentioned a thousand times it was like, THE FRIEND REUNION, and really, that's the main reason why I do these cons anymore is because I get to see the people that I don't see anywhere else.  Although I've talked to a few others about how maybe I'm going to cool it from anime cons and start heading to different shows (starting with NYCC in the fall, oh crap!!!).  After I see how my the show I'm part of does in July, I've got to really examine the rest of my year.  It's already June, what the hell!?

Also, I'm not keeping this secret or anything, but a couple of you have asked--I don't work full-time anymore, so I'm all-or-nothing freelance these days.  My company and I ended more than amicably, so it wasn't a throwing-tables affair or anything like that.  But, changes changes, folks!  My life is going to be interesting for the next few months, and HERE I AM FUTURE, I AM READY FOR YOU.  *puffs up chest and raises gumption*

I'm working on a post for a few of you via my tumblr about what my studio looks like.  Being that I just cleaned that sucker up recently for MAXIMUM WORK POTENTIAL, I figured I'd take a few pictures tomorrow along with some roaringly obnoxious commentary, as usual.  I don't know how people put up with me, I swear.

For now, here is an adorable picture of my dog next to my flippy floppies on the blanket I put down for her in my studio space.

EDIT: ADDING ONE MORE BECAUSE I'M OBSESSED AND WEIRD.

Pre-con Madness Begins!

Happy Monday!  This is Katie on 2 hours of sleep, 3 cups of coffee in.  My body can't decide if it's hot or cold, I have to consciously think about blinking, and the impending to-do list of these precious few days before my trip to Animazement this weekend is screaming in my brain, aka, the hollow space between my ears that has manifested due to slipping into an alternate reality called "Lack-of-Sleep."

Most of you know I've had a problem with sleep for the past year or so.  I've tried just about everything, trust me.  Fortunately, this means I can do a lot of art over a weekend.  I had intended to make a blog happen at some point on Friday.  I'm not sure how all this works.  How often do people blog?  How often do you guys actually want to hear from me?  Questions, questions.

Anyway, me and Joon are venturing to North Carolina this weekend for Animazement, my most favorite convention.  The staff is always so friendly, and the new Raleigh Convention Center is a perfect new home for this convention that has gone from like, 50 forty-year olds (and me, ohhhhh noooooo) to over 4,000 people!  ALSO, ALSO, it is like reunion times for me and my repeat customers, my artist friends, my friends I met when I was sort of in the j-rock industry, and just friends.  Animazement is a pile of friends!  WHAT COULD BE BETTER, I ASK!?!?

So, here's some art I popped out over the weekend.  More to come, even!

 ADVENTURE TIME!!!!

SOMETHING ABOUT BELIEVING IN THE ME THAT IS BELIEVING IN YOU OR SOMETHING.

 OH HO HO, WHAT IS BETTER THAN ONE GAGA?  TWO GAGAS.

That's all for today!  I'm gonna go sneak a nap.

Ah mah gah, burstdaaayyyyy!!!

Today is a good day, everybody!  Take the day off, take a long lunch, have an extra bloody mary, TODAY IS MAH DAY OF BIRTH.

Just kidding, I'm rly not that important, but if you need an excuse, HERE I AM TO DELIVER.

Saturday was my birthday partaaaay which, thankfully, this year was more contained and not as out of control as last year.  I shall talk today a bit about the perils of Facebook, as in, how it allows people to lie to you.

Last year's celebration, I made an event on Facebook (already a pain) and 10 confirmed guests said that they would attend.  As I am always surprised that I have friends, THIS WAS MOST EXCELLENT NEWS.  I informed the fine people at the Brewhouse in L5P that I would have a dozen people in attendance and we got a table ala the Last Supper for everybody to sit down and nom chicken wings and drink some beers.

AND THEN 65 PEOPLE SHOWED UP.

Albeit, this is flattering (I think I drunkenly blabbed "WHO WAS THAT!?!?" a few times, not even gonna lie), it got out of control pretty quickly--the waitstaff was crazy, there were mixed up orders, I think my old roommate Jenn had to pay a $210 tab that WAS NOT HERS, I was very overwhelmed.  And when I'm overwhelmed I get, as they say, TOTES INAPPROPS.

So, this year, there was less AGHH!!! and more YAY!!! and as the night wore on (and I may or may not have had a 20 minutes party time with a different party sorrrryyyy strangers) I have made a chart of how my time was spent in-between being irresponsible because HELLO IT IS MY BIRTHDAY I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT THAT IS THE POINT OF BIRTHDAYS.

And so ends my 1 out of 3 days a year I get to go out and be an excusable hot mess. 

So, today is my actual birthday, and I'm about to go eat some birthday lunch with my fine co-worker pals.  I'm preparing some new things for Animazement at the end of the month, as well as a couple of SUPER SEKRIT PROJEKTS.  Hooray, I am twenty--*coughCOUGHcough* years old!

Glee Art!

I watch like, 2 TV shows ever, guys.
ONE OF THEM IS GLEE.

SO, HAVE SOME GLEE ART.
I'm working on the cast, because I love them all a whole, whole lot. <3

Gradjeeaytin'

I technically graduated in December, but the ceremony isn't until this upcoming April 16th. I'll walk um...a few steps forward, get my pretty piece of paper, and leave Portfolio Center again until I return in July as an instructor. My, how things have changed!

A group of us are having a group show at the Kai Lin Art Gallery in Midtown Atlanta in June. The theme is monsters, however, Yu-kai, the owner of the gallery, doesn't like anything scary or disturbing which basically cancels out 95% of my ideas, but I'm sketching some concepts this week and proceeding to bust ass once I've got things laid out the way I'd like. I've been experimenting with oil and woodburning, and picking up spare pieces of wood from the dumpster to practice on.

AnimeBoston was this past weekend, which was a total blast. It felt good to not stare at a computer screen for three whole days, and to use my paints and markers and pens again!

Critique finale

I'm churning out these little mini-paintings, about one every night now for the past three days. It's somewhat therapeutic, as it balances out the hectic crazy that is studio week. Also, I am out of money again (thanks, utilities), and am thankful that I can paint as quickly as I can so that I can deliver the goods to the fine people that commission my poor ass.

Spent the weekend at Dragon*Con (also a reason for my poorness, oh, self-indulgence...D: ) where I didn't spend much money, but the money I did spend was all on artwork that was really inspiring. Please visit Gus Fink, Chris Hamer, and Sarah Frary, all who are going to be featured in a follow-up pimp post that I'll do in the future. For now, it's almost 2AM and I'm not as young as I used to be, so to bed for me, so I can get up and do some hardcore work tomorrow!

My last and final (THANK GOD) critique is in a week. THE FUTURE. I LOOK FORWARD TO IT.

I draw Deb

Back from Otakon, which was a total blast and 100% better than I ever expected it to be.  Crab was eaten, fun times were had, and money was made.

So, that means that I'm back in Atlanta and resuming normal life.  I'm a little behind because of my trip but no matter--it looks like I'm still in step.  

Character development is going well, and here's a drawing of my friend Deb.  She was very cold in the room today, so I drew her wearing a sweater and a scarf, to see if that would help.  She said that it did.  Mission complete.

Space Robots in Love

Back at school, and only a few days until Otakon.  I'm crapping my pants because, once again, I don't have everything done that I'd like.  I've still got a lot of prints hanging around from the beginning of the con season, but I'd like to get 2 or 3 new pieces in before the the big weekend.  These are two experimental pieces that I'm doing, woodburning the lines and using oil for the colors.  Obviously, these are in-process, but I'm hoping to complete both by the end of the weekend.  Girl-Robot is done, but Boy-Robot I've just started painting.  Something a little different.  Don't know how well they will sell, but at this point, I'm glad to be experimenting.

The next few days will be dedicated to getting my ass in gear for Otakon.  I leave for Baltimore on Wednesday.  I'm excited to possibly make some money so that I can, you know, have food in the house that's not of the cereal variety, but I'm mostly excited to see my friends that I only see a few times a year.  And I'll eat some crab.  Yes, yes.

Coffee + Blog = What?

So, I have a blog now.

For the launch of the upcoming beautiful website that I will create...soon...I wanted a place to host a special blog / sketchbook section.  I carry one everywhere with me, and I'll just be scanning some stuff in, some thoughts.  

Some will be about the industry and how it's gonna suck once I get out of here and figure out where the hell me and the pooch are going to live.  Some will be about what's going on in my life, and how it's affecting my art (which is almost always).

For most that know me, they know I'm a pretty sensitive human being, but I'm not very emotional, so don't expect bouts of teary emotional word vomit on here.  Mostly just art, a bit of rage, and bit of ramble.

Current projects include:

- Usual Portfolio Center courseload that includes Plain Air Painting, Emotive Writing, Flash, etc.

- Future Lions (Jesus, this is the motherload)

- Mexican Luchadore Kool-Aid Pickles (I'll explain later)

- Making aforementioned website

- Some upcoming convention appearances (AZ in Raleigh, NC, Ota in Baltimore, MD)

In personal news, it's 2:30am, I've had an allergic reaction to ant bites, and I just popped 3 benedryl.  Let's see what happens.