The End

A poster I did for the Inlander. What's super cool about this you wonder? ...I also get to do illustrations for the winning stories in the Dec. 20th issue. Yay. Get writing Spokanites! ♥

Best Of

Holy smokes! What a delightful surprise. I just wanted to say thank you to the readers of the Inlander for voting me Best Visual Artist for 2012. I can't even begin to describe how thrilled I am.

'The Best Of' comes with a big themed formal party which (from the photos each year) looks like a hell of a time...The funny thing is - I missed the party! Somehow I never got contacted. This morning I went to wish Karli (design friend and fellow blogger) congratulations on a post she made on Facebook. She got in the top three...and in the photo I saw my own name!

What a great way to find out....and super congratulations Karli! Spokane has so many wonderfully talented visual artists - this is just amazing.

So many wonderfuls!

Eeek, it's Friday! [I can barely contain myself]

Spokane Poetry got some grand recognition in this week's Inlander! You may remember a while back my post about (a good friend and inspiring poet) Mark Anderson, and his poem "For Connor"...we'll to top that - here is him reading it. This is by far my favorite poem of his, and I still get goosebumps every time I hear it.

Luke Baumgarten (another friend) wrote an incredible article about Mark. It is so honest and inspiring. Anyone who knows Mark will tell you it is spot on. The Inlander also put together a fantastic promo video for Broken Mic at Neato Burrito...(featuring a bunch more friends [newest - Mr. Allen Duffy])...AND doesn't my Neato Burrito mural look lovely on video? Hehe.

After posting this, it made me realize how lucky I am to be surrounded by so many wonderful people doing such great things in our city! ♥

Happy Friday!

coffee and a paper

My life has been really crazy lately...I think this has been so for a lot of people. Although, the crazy hasn't been able to stop all the little wonderful things from slipping out through the cracks!

First - The Inlander came out on Thursday with 6 of my full page illustrations in it. I had so much fun drawing magical forest creatures (as they have coined them).

 

Next - I am super excited for the new coffee and pastries that will be served at Neato in their new morning coffee shop "Morning After". Not only do I plan on riding my bike to work this winter, I also plan on warming up as a "regular" (sorry about all the quotes here) drinking tasty espresso with handmade sauces. I am going to be tempted by pastries and treats...so it may end up neutralizing my morning exercise if I am not careful!

 ...I even got to paint some steamy little coffee cups for them! ♥

Random busy bees and lovelys...

Good Lord, I may have fell of the face of the earth for a bit, but I'm back now. I bring photographs as my peace offering!
My first ever art giveaway was an amazing success! It was like a big scavenger hunt that with 51 Photos of people with my artwork (in one week!!!). The very lovely Tanya is now the proud owner of a new painting. This picture is beyond perfect and totally made my day.

Here are a couple....
Next we have: Booze Day!Not only did I get to do the artwork (poster and tee-shirt), which included a map for the paper, but I also got to "run". Except there was absolutely no running involved. We met up with some friends who surprised us with pink mustaches....team PINK MUSTACHE!

A record of 250 people attended last year with almost double, 480 runners, this year!

After that came the interview. The Inlander, more specifically Leah Stottle, wrote a wonderful story about my work (which made me blush...a lot). It came out the day before my art show opened.

There were all of these strange encounters with people who had read the piece. My favorite was a lady standing behind me Neato Burrito reading the paper while she waited. She nearly lost it when she figured out she was standing next to me, reading about me. I didn't tell her that the mural on the wall was mine too.My art show "INK: I ran into my canvas at the grocery store" opened for the May art-walk. This was my first real gallery show and it was so amazingly packed. James Owner/Curator at Second Space had created this big themed show to coincide with the tattoo convention the following weekend. I got to be the feature artist and he rounded up some of the best local tattoo artists to show their 2D works alongside.

The tattoo convention was the next weekend and I ended up designing three bee tattoos.

My dear friend Jillian was packing to move off to Portland. Her and her art partner/bunny in crime (another wonderful friend) asked me to make them (Naaman and Jillian) bees to get tattooed the day after her going away party. They ended up getting them done at the convention by an artist that was also showing with me at Second Space.

Amelia, probably my biggest fan (which is so weird to say - she's lovely) ended up with a little gang of fat happy bees done by a Portland tattoo artist - Splat Ter.She happened to walking by the gallery while I was outside photographing the painting she had bought. So I got to see the tattoo in person - which turned out so perfect! I am extremely honored.

Sometimes Spokane feels like a small town.

I need to sleep now, but I have so much more exciting and upcoming news....so stay tuned, and I will try not to slip off again. Art is thriving!

Remember:
...Art-Walk tomorrow, Artfest and Elk Music Fest this weekend! xoxo