Not quite fireworks.

Here it is folks! Just in time to go up with your Independence Day fireworks! I whipped this up today in honor of my favorite country who is celebrating her 236th birthday today. She is still pretty young, as countries go, and her fan-base doesn't always represent her well, but I sure do like her.
Thank you America, for the ideal that you represent. Thank you for the freedom of speech, even when we would be better off keeping out big mouths shut. Thank you for the great experiment of Democracy, a government for the people and by the people, however silly or forgetful or stubborn and wrong we the people may be. And a big thank you to all of the great men and women who see to it that the Great Experiment keeps on chugging away.
Love you America. Acne, social awkwardness and all.
Happy Independence Day!

Jedi Time!

Who is the best Jedi ever? That's right! Qui Gon Jin! I thought about saying something like Gandalf or Harry Potter, but neither of them is Liam Neeson.
This is an experiment-y type portrait of Yoda that I did for my Illustration 3 class with Chris Thornock. Yoda has always been one of my favorite people. He has so  much perspective and natural joy, despite the awful things that come his way. I love that happy little green dude. This was done in acrylics on watercolor paper.

Back in Action

Hey friends! It's been a while since I last posted, but I have a great excuse! For some of that time...
     I spent about three weeks (April 22 through May 15) in the U.K.! It was incredible! I went with the Brigham Young University Singers and we sang our way across most of Southern England and a little bit of Wales. If you're interested in reading up on what we did, you can check out the tour blog HERE.
      I will start posting things up more regularly now that I am back and getting back in the swing of things. Meanwhile, here are two paintings from the end of last semester to tide you over. Both are acrylic on masonite board.

A Classic Nursery Rhyme

Baa Baa Black Sheep
Have you any wool?
Yes Sir! Yes Sir!
Please don't shoot me sir!

That is how the nursery rhyme goes, right? I still can't figure out why no one else remembers Mr. Bigg and his lackeys, Catgut Jimmy and Red Al. You guys remember how Jimmy was known to carry an ACTUAL violin in his violin case? And the story about how Al, a reptile, came by his luxurious red locks? You remember right?
If you don't remember, I guess it's okay. My childhood was just cooler than yours.

Out of the Closet, In Color!

There just isn't much money in the labyrinth biz these days. I feel you buddy. Yeah, so I painted this in acrylics. I really need to learn how to get the color to scan better, but I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.

And Now for Something Completely Different

Here is something in a slightly different style for me. This is part of some concept work I'm doing for an upcoming BYU animation project.
That is all.

Out of the Closet

No. This is not an announcement, and I am still straight, single, and available (only ladies need apply). I'm talking about my little friends here. In this economy, it is almost impossible to work exclusively as a closet-monster any more. The union helped for a while, but there just isn't much money in scaring and emotionally scarring children. Besides, with the increasing realism and intensity of computer generated graphics and the rise of the zombie/horror thriller video game, kids are just harder to scare these days.
Hence, these gentlemen have come forth out of the closet and taken up secondary jobs to support themselves and their little monster families while they wait for their dreams of super-scaredom to come true.
I dreamed these guys up in response to a class assignment to paint a creature of some kind in a simple cityscape. I'm still fairly new to the idea of using a real brush and paint rather than their digital equivalents, but you will be seeing some updates as I work on one of these hard working fur balls.