Home in Atlanta

After the flood, I'm guessing that the mysterious higher powers have taken pity on me and granted me some good fortune the past few weeks. Mainly, I got a job. Several jobs. Sealing my deal to stay in Atlanta, at least for the forseeable future.

I'm working at Brown Bag Marketing as an in-house illustrator. I've been promised full-time status when I graduate from school (yes, still at Portfolio Center, but taking less classes to accomadate for the 30+ hours a week that I work at Brown Bag), and am working mainly with a client that produces casino games. I am drawing lots of shiny gaudy stuff all day long, and I like it a whole lot. The schedule is fairly aggressive, so I'm always busy, but it feels nice to know that once I graduate, I have a sense of security in how I'm going to support myself / pay off my student loans.

However, during the time after the flood and before I was brought into Brown Bag, I had accepted to work on no fewer that four freelance jobs. A greeting card for a financial group, a header/logo for a financial group, a new holiday children's book for Jackson Fish Market, and illustrations for the Georgia Recycling Coalition, a department of the Atlanta government. So, needless to say, I've been in the business of being very busy.

Also! My children's book is finally on the web. Take a look for yourself at "The Frog Princess" on A Story Before Bed. There are many other esteemed colleagues of mine (haha, guys) who have stories published on there as well. Please let your friends with children in their lives know about this awesome web app. I hope it catches on, because the idea is great. My next book for them comes out before the holidays, so I'll keep you guys up to date with that as well.

I'm going to be looking at an apartment this weekend that's in the neighborhood that I love, and I don't want to jinx it by talking about it, but...it's so cute. I'm looking forward to moving on.

Taking off

...and I'm not talking about my clothes. Yet.

On the radar:

1) a job (!) at Brown Bag Marketing

2) a greeting card job

3) an iPhone app job

All while still doing school full time.

Good-bye time.

A new quarter, the last quarter.

Wrapped up the boutique job on Monday--glad to have that over with and also glad that it survived the flooding of my apartment. All that spray fixative really paid off, in the end.

Life is starting to look up these days, in spite of the less fun parts of my real-life. I've talked with fellow illustrators in the area and I know that we all have gotten about 3 to 4 phone calls this week about jobs and projects. This was also the last first week of school for me, and it looks like it's going to be a busy one.

I'm done with Portfolio Center in December. I kind of can't believe it. It's been such a part of my life for the past 2 years. In spite of all the headaches (and, lately, heartaches), it really did change who I am, what kind of artist I am, and what I want to be and do. For that, I guess, I'm pretty thankful. I had some dark moments right before the move to Atlanta. I'm still not 100% sure if this is the city I want to be in forever, but I need to give it a fair chance. As in, actually experience life in this city, instead of staying cooped up in the apartment all day long doing work.

Some new developments are taking place, re: those jobs I was talking about. More about those soon.

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.

Finally!!!

Editorial work at its finest.

Job done in February.

Paid...in August.  D: D: D:

Can't complain too much.  Now I can pay off the rest of my tuition for this quarter, and the art director for this project is someone I will have as a reference for the rest of my life.  She was great to work with; not her fault the magazine took so long to pay me.  

Also, I just landed a job with a boutique that's opening up in Buckhead in the spring.  I get my advance for the project on Friday.  And then, I can pay rent!  Ah, living the dream.  Keeping it real.

More birds

Squak Squak.

Painting eases my raging anxiety.

It's been somewhat of a stressful time in my life. I'm out of money, I graduate in a mere few months, and I have to be out of my apartment by December. I'm not sure what pieces I'll have in my book. That worries me probably the most. Everyone who knows me knows that I'm not really much of a worrier, but the past few days have been really bad for some reason. Can't sleep. Drinking a lot of coffee. Really, really on edge.

To take the edge off, I've been doing little paintings that take maybe 2-3 hours a piece, at night, as a way to wind down. I'm not sure it's working, but at least I can get a painting out of it. It's good practice, considering I'm doing just about everything digital these days, and I'm on the computer for like 12-14 hours a day. Yeek.

Here's a couple that I did for people. JJP's is the octopus having coffee with myself. I did the other for my friend Jonathan's mom, with a couple of her dogs. I'm going to try to do a few each week. I think I need the therapy.

Chirp chirp!

Well, I just lost a whole lot of blog but I'll try to keep it short in case it decides to crash on me again.

Character development has been going great, and Gary and I sat down yesterday to talk about my book and the fact that I need to get out of here with some good work now that I graduate in about 4 months (oh crap). We have three solid pieces down, and I hope to bust them out by the end of this quarter (middle of September).

I talked to Sheila about getting a rep when I get out of this place and I'm still not sure what the best option is. Some people live by their rep and get tons of work--others say that reps are dying out, what with the internet being everybody's rep anyway. Not certain.

Anyway, for now, here are some birds. Each one is about an inch tall each. This is what I do instead of pay attention at seminar.

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.

Snow Whites and Rose Reds

Another children's book for Jackson Fish Market is underway.  This is the weirdest version of Snow White and Rose Red that I have ever read, but here's the characters for now that I'm sending to them for review and edits.  Soon, it'll be storyboard and tight roughs time, and it'll be 5th quarter all over again.  Joy.

In other brilliant news, Tania made me a Michael Jackson bracelet, of which upon receipt, I almost came.