A painting I did a few weeks back, about the pathetic crush I have on the guy who works the Duck Butcher’s stall at the Farmer’s Market. 

Its one of those crushes that comes completely out of the blue and instantly turns your brain to mashed potatoes. One minute, your mentally practicing how to ask for two slices of the Galette de Canard and the next you’re fumbling with your pocket change spilling most of it out on the ground in front of him. 

Its okay though, when I figure out a way to sweep him off his feet we’ll both look back on this and laugh.

Making myself look like a myopic mouth-less mole in this little gouache self-portrait for the website of the residency I’m a part of.

Topics of discussion from the coffee break I had today with my studio mates; spaghetti squash, the Smurfs, Jeanne Moreau, Flash Gordon, Flesh Gordon, Niagara Falls, the end of the world and the Vagina Monologues. Well, those were at least the ones I could sort of follow along with.

Maybe its because I’ve had very little interaction with teenagers in the last few years but the teens who live in town seem to always be on my mind, mostly because they are awful. I’m figuring its some sort of strange jealously, me having grown up in dull suburban Virginia and these punks get to take their smoke breaks while lounging and groping on the beautiful walled fortifications that overlook the lush french countryside.

Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t expecting everyone to spend their days discussing Camus in the park but then again, dealing with Justin Bieber look-a-likes who bust open two liter bottles of soda in crowded book stores wasn’t part of my itinerary either.

Its like *UGH* you punks, why are you dressing like the cast of The Jersey Shore, your education system is too good and you should know better.

Earlier this week, I had a piece featured in Ten Paces and Draw’s swap focused around Handsome Gents. Each person does a sketch for a piece and in turns receives someone else’s sketch to turn in to a final piece. I was lucky enough to receive Kyle Letendre’s sketch which I just made into a full on 1980’s Miami Vice explosion which I think I based purely on that tiny bit of magenta he used in his sketch.

Also, since I may as well mention it here, I am finally in Angouleme, France as of four hours ago. I’m beyond exhausted and *mostly* drunk on this gifted bottle of red wine I had for dinner. Somewhere between being driven through tiny cobblestone streets by the director of the program (who drives like Sosuke’s mother in Ponyo) and listening to that accordion player on the Paris Metro and eating this cured pork sausage for dinner (that has an outer casing that resembles a powdered donut) I couldn’t help but feel like even though I miss a lot of amazing people from all over, I wouldn’t change living in Toon Town for the world.

SPX POST #2:

This weekend is SPX and I’ll be there/ See above post for more details!

Along with myself (and the floral shirt I’ll probably be wearing) I’ll have the usual crop of books and prints. I have the last few copies of In The Parlor Room (I think I have four left?) as well as the preview edition of Curveball (that book of mine I have been busy working on). Also, a new risograph print and a few silkscreens as well! I’ll even have small paintings for sale (see above image).

Also I wanted to mention, that if you are still interested in a copy of Little Heart (that equal marriage rights anthology) the publisher 2DCloud, at Table W61, will be there and will be more than happy to sell you a copy. Also, I have a pin up in a Sonic zine being sold by the wonderful Becky and Frank at tables W-13 through W-20. 

C U THERE!! <3 <3 <3

And Stevie Nicks, also colored pencil. And like a tiny amount of gouache.

A test illustration I did late last week for fun-sies.

Hey Chicagoans! 

If you aren’t too busy this Saturday night, you should stop by Gallery 27 (1833 S. Halsted from 6 till 10) down in Pilsen for their inaugural show. I’ll be there! Probably tipsy and wearing a tie! 

The show is called Futura and its focusing on the work of that king of quirk, Wes Anderson. I had already done a Wes Anderson piece a few years back and I felt strange about repeating myself so I went for a whole separate approach. Instead of settling on a more obvious painting of Steve Zissou, I went for the Wes Anderson camera shot, that over the shoulder look at some found object that we would otherwise gloss over. It something that I try and stress in my own comics work, probably because of Wes Anderson, that feeling of holding a special object (see In The Parlor Room). So I rigged up this cardboard sculpture, manufactured little slides made of cut up gouache paintings (depicting a scene from each of his movies) that you actually interact with as you look through the length of the sculpture, looking over the shoulder at each of the little scenes.

Here are two little articles about the gallery show HERE and HERE for those interested!