the Prophets

This is just a bit of a footnote really.

Last year I got to meet the boys from the Momentary Prophets, Jake, Logan, and Ted. Good guys, fun guys, who have spent much of last summer and fall touring around the east coast, & now they're at it again.

That illustration on the left is something I did for them, & I believe they will be making tee shirts out of it soon. Also, if you buy their new album, check out 'The Fox Song'. Are these things related? Hell yeah they are!


So if you want to know more, or hear more, you can find them on:

Facebook
Myspace
Sonic Bids
and Reverb Nation

So yeah, they're off touring again. I know they'll be wandering all over the place so check their various media outlets for info. I'll be seeing them at Wisteria's Summer Solstice festival, along with other really great bands.

Below is a sample of one of their live performances, n' there you are!

Link -O- Rama II

Well I haven't done one of these in a minute. (by the way, the drawing is just something random from my sketchbook.)

So here's a groovy thing I found via NPR
Now, you may know I like Celtic folklore. Via this article I found out about the animated film 'The Secret of the Kells'. I'm a sucker for good animation, and I snagged a view of the film online (low quality though). It's pretty good. Well worth the Oscar nomination.

So yeah, if you want to follow this film here's a blog for it.

A few weeks ago I mentioned the movie Wizards, & how the artwork was inspired by Vaughn Bodé. Well I just stumbled upon a comic that Vaughn started that has been completed by his son Mark Bodé, called the Lizard of Oz. It's kinda crude like R. Crumb in content (but I think Crumb's artwork is better), but with more sluts. So yeah, if you like that kind of stuff, you can buy it or read it here. So yeah, there you are. Found via Nerdcore.

So anyway, I'm feelin' mellow, so you're getting Ben Harper, Beloved One

digital play

I'm been experimenting. These are all hand drawn images that have been scanned, turned into a vector image, then brought into photoshop for color. The advantage is I have control over line and color, I can make it much larger than the original drawing (for larger prints). I do try to maintain a somewhat organic feel, meaning I don't want people to point and go ooo digitial image, although I'm sure the trained eye can probably tell.

Nude sketch, with 'ink wash', just for fun.

Portrait. It's not really of anybody, I was just messing around & wanted to see if I could make a satisfactory 'inked' look.

Hare (for the Spring Equinox/Easter)... perhaps a little to 'rough'.

This one has the most thought. The text in the background are names of craters on the moon, who are also famous scientists, mathmaticians, philosophers, etc. The number, is how long it takes for the moon to orbit the earth (aprox 27 days, give or take a few hours/minutes). The crescent moon is indicitave of the theme of the image, and also symbolizes the maiden Goddess (waxing or growing larger for maiden, full for mother, waning or growing smaller for crone). Third eye for wisdom & psychic vision, & the poem underneath is for Inanna, and mentions her story about her descent to the underworld.

So yeah.

I can't get this song out of my head

so now it's in yours, enjoy! Via Dangerous Minds

Printing stuff

I was recently talking to a friend about where to get stuff printed. Here is a list of places I go to and what I use.

If you're looking for the best deals, go online. Printing is extremely competitive, and they're always trying to outbid each other. If you want to use a local printer, go online and get a quote and see if the local folks will beat it. Only use a copy shop (Staples, Kinkos, etc) if you are doing low volume printing (a small run less than what a regular printer will do. Like less than 250 business cards say). It doesn't matter which one you go to, they all use the same machines so the quality will be more or less the same. Always get a proof before they print your job, especially if color is important. And footnote, nothing you will have produced at a copy shop is archival; meaning the colors will fade and/or eventually it will look like crap. The paper itself may even disintegrate if it's not acid free. Keep that in mind if you're looking to have artwork printed or reproduced.

Ok! So one of the art forms I like to have produced for me is Giclée prints. I will create digital files (I'll do a blog post about how I produce them later, but essentially I draw something out and modify it in various ways. It's faster than painting, and I like the control and graphic quality when it's all done). I currently use http://www.giclee-factory.com, their prices are really good, there's no minimum quantity, and I've liked working with them so far. The only down side for me is that they're in Canada, I'd rather use someone closer but I haven't yet found a company that works for me yet.

For other types of printing, like business cards, stickers, banners, etc. shop around! Some companies may provide all those services, but they may specialize in one more than the other. So their business card prices may be great but their vinyl stickers may be more expensive than elsewhere. Here's a small list of places that I've found that have good prices, and I've liked the samples they sent me (ask them and most places will send you samples to review).

http://www.uprinting.com General printing
http://jimmybuttons.com/ Buttons
http://stickerobot.com/ Vinyl stickers

This list isn't conclusive, and not necessarily the best of what's out there. This is just what I have saved since the last time I've done a search. If you find something better, leave a comment or send me an email with what you've found. I'm always looking for better places to have stuff made.

I broke the internet

So I updated my website, and consolidated the various stores online that I have my stuff in, such as my Etsy store which houses anything I make or craft by hand, like paintings, prints, etc. By the way, I know I can sell paintings through my website but I don't want to have to manage several stores that house the same stuff. There's another store I have at Greeting Card Universe where people can buy individual cards and have them sent to them (there are wholesale options too for shops). Then there's the Skreened shop I have, which has items like American Apparel shirts and tote bags with my stuff on them. They're local to Columbus Ohio, and they're good people. Finally there's the zazzle shop I mentioned in the last post, which has some shirts also, but also has other goods like mugs, hats, buttons, etc. Once I have the book published there will be another URL that I'll add to the 'store' section on my website.

So I set all that up, as well as add links and just cleaned things up... I do all that, and then I decided to try something and messed around with my domain name info and I screwed something up and now my website is down. I'm currently away from home so I won't be able to fix it until tonight. Kinda frustrating. I create and manage everything at http://saraadrian.com/, I don't like to have to wait for someone else to do things for me and it's a heck of a lot cheaper this way. But sometimes, I have an oops... but usually it's not this bad. My website is pretty simple, but I think it works... well it does most of the time.

Anyway, that's what is going on. This is what I get for trying to be clever!

UPDATE: Website is back up. I'm working on my bio and statement as well, so if you're interested in such things check back soon. As far as the art updates go, I'm going to do a major one when the book is finished. I want to do a major -reveal' when it's all done.

Have a good one!

Stuff on sale!

I'm having a little Ebay sale (go here to see). I'm really marking stuff down so you should have a go look-see. The auctions are about to end soon, so yeah. Go look, right now!

and... I was messing around with some old images, and updated the Zazzle store I forgot I had.


Look for a personalized gift at Zazzle.

So yeah, check it out if you're looking for stuff.

... anyway. I'll do a more detailed update in a few days.
Until then:

Truckin'

Hey folks. Been under the weather for a day or so. But things are coming along (as things often do). The book is beginning to take real form, so that's something (sample on the right... I was going to add color, but maybe not). Coming up, if you're anywhere near Roanoke Virgina from the 11th thru the 16th, stop by the Marginal Arts Festival. I'd be there, but due to other obligations I have to miss it this year. However I've been getting lots of updates on what will be happening and it looks like fun. I look forward to seeing the video. Next, if you are or know someone who is an alumni of Fort Hayes here in Columbus Ohio, some of us are putting together an Alumni Arts Show in November-December. This will be a juried competition, and anyone from any of the departments can apply, including the general high school. We're putting together the call for entries now, so if you want to recieve that just email me or join us at our Facebook page to receive updates.

Well, it's been a minute since I posted a video.
So enjoy Lhasa de Sela, from her self titled album, Rising