Looking for a cleaner interface and a bit of a reboot for ideas, so I'm going to try to keep art updates on a WordPress blog.

http://paintedmonk.wordpress.com/

Few sketches of characters:

http://www.geocities.com/cypress_rng/waves/rizathief1a.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/cypress_rng/waves/pyrcypryu1a.jpg

Pure Speculation convention coming up next month, supposed to be involved in a panel discussion.  Hopefully can think of something to discuss.

http://purespec.org/Guest%20Start.html

Working some cover art, so hope to get some time after to plan out what types of pieces to improve the portfolio and indulge in some personal projects.

Paint portrait added to portfolio (LINK).

Also, cover worked out with On Spec magazine, should be out end of the year or early next year, with some hardcopy distribution in Canada.  Supposed to have an interview for the issue as well which is something different.  Just got to keep plugging away at ideas list.

Some interesting explanations of trying to write down the the things you can't put into words.  Makes you look at the limitations of words to capture everything.  And at the same time, you notice how every language has words that encapsulate more than can be translated and that are sometimes tied to culture-specific ideas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudade

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sehnsucht_%28C._S._Lewis%29

When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse,
Out of the corner of my eye.
I turned to look but it was gone.
I cannot put my finger on it now.
The child is grown, the dream is gone.

Promo and interior piece for Kobold Quarterly to portfolio (LINK).  Look for a cover later in the year.

Seem to be in produciton mode this season.  Just have to find the right balance between sleep deprivation and illustration creation.  Almost feels like trances sometimes, not remembering how I got to the end product.  Also, it has become winter again with the snow at the end of April here.  Time doesn't need to flow linearly.

Plans are made to be in Hong Kong for two weeks in May.  Before that, I want to finish an On Spec cover pitch and possibly one more paint portrait, or at least get the color blocked in.

I'll be figuring out a promo piece for relisH too, fine jewelry made by a friend in town.  Will link them up when their site gets sorted.

Ergonomic session at work provided some thoughts on workstation set up and repetitive stress.  Good things to know when working on the computer for artwork as well.

Paint style portrait added to portfolio (LINK)

Possible work with Kobold Quarterly magazine this year.  Since Dragon and Dungeon went out of print, it’s a good step toward magazine work in the game field.

In talks with On Spec magazine, so hope to have more info on where that goes.  Would be nice to have a cover on something carried in Chapters. 

Focusing on revising portfolio pieces this year so have something I feel I can shop around to bigger names when I come across things next year.  The first column of rough work could be replaced with better stuff, but good rough work is hard to gather, I find.

Working on a few more portraits of friends.  A few more martial arts action pieces.  And see where we can go from there to target replacements of older pieces.

Did the graphics for the Math/Physics grad banquet posters that’ll be on campus.  Just some cartoony stuff.

Going through the process of having old portfolio stuff reviewed for advanced standing in the Fine Arts certificate program - would be encouraging if the extra classes I took during university let me bypass some of the foundation courses.