on the work desk: 0002

"Slow and steady wins the race." A quote common among my group of friends and taken from our long time friend and former cross country coach. A quote that applies to running and drinking and most recently the completion of my comics and other art adventures.

This is page 5 of The Skateboard Diaries and the page that I've given the most and has taken the most from me.



I finished page 6 in the time it took me to simply draw (in pencil) page 5. And though there are tiny mistakes in each panel this page was a hurtle to overcome as much as it was a learning experience.

I still have the first two pages to complete (scenery) that I hope to complete this coming week so I can scan, color (black, white and shades of gray), add text, and design the finished book with cover and back cover. A simple six page mini comic that has taken some time to complete. But it is a learning process and I'll be better for it and a bit closer to make my hobby and passion a career.

Other News:

I picked up The Chariot Wars and Rumors of Wars and have enjoyed listening to it today with a bit of Deadliest Catch (the show) while finishing page 5 (the above image). I am looking forward to listening to The Chariot's new work for a long time to come.

running report: when I think I am back...my back

I have five weeks or actually six, but I am going to relax week six, before this years North Country Trail Relay (NCTR). This is my sixth year running the NCTR and my first that I can actually train for without being interrupted by college. But, my body has been revolting against me for the past year now.

I hit the point last year when my body started to break down because I wasn't training correctly. I have had a few injuries that have set me back over the past three years, non of them major, but all have sidelined my training. Last year I was up and down with my running and would rest one or two weeks and then kill myself at relays or other races. Around August I started to try and drop my times but with poor training and tendinitis in my shins my body had had enough. Most of the winter I ran just to maintain some running ability but never really trained. But, sense the beginning of this year I really started to get my running and my body put back together and be smart about it.

My tendinitis seems to be getting better and I am feeling better while I run but then a month ago my back went out. Great. So I've been dealing with that for the past few weeks now. A minor set back but it's just a reminder that I am not out of woods yet when it comes to putting myself back together and a reminder that I need more core training.

Training for NCTR:

Running
I am just trying to run maintenance mileage right now and run low but consistent mileage each week. I fallow the 10% rule (don't raise your weekly mileage more than 10% per week) and I keep my mileage in a range. So I am going to run between 14 and 16 miles per week for the next four weeks and then raise my mileage between 15 and 17 the week before the relay and then rest the week of the relay because I'll be running over 10 miles that weekend. My main goal is to run more than double the mileage I ran last year before this relay.

I am also happy that I am now ahead of my weekly mileage from last year. I've been keeping track of my year to year running and I am 1 mile ahead of last years mileage.

Cross Training
Cycling was the only reason last year that I was half way decent at running. I rode just under 400 miles last year and cross training is something that all serious runner should do. I rode 109 miles last year before the NCTR and I hope to ride 164 this year (around 1.5 times as much as last year). I rode 10 last week so I am having a slow start but a start non the less.

Core Training
Weights, abs and yoga. I am still working on this but I have had about two days a week of good core training. Hope to add some more to that.

This seems like rambling but I am trying to keep it straight in my head. My encompassing goal is to do more or double than what I did last year. Double the mileage, more cycling and more core training. Then I should be physically and mentally ready. Because just about five weeks after the North Country Trail Relay I have the Great Lakes Relay which is three days long.

KRINK and a studio

I finally go out those KRINK markers and inks I was talking about at the first of the year. I am using them for an upcoming project I hope to talk about real soon but whatever. I shook up my new markers and went on discovering. I found an old unfinished painting of mine and went to work making it better...I guess.

Old background new KRINK:



Some other shots taken around the house:







I also really got frustrated with the fact that I have no art studio. I am not asking for much I just don't want my art board in the middle of my room anymore and I hate having to spend so much time cleaning a work space off every time I want to create. It is completely counter productive. And painting is completely impossible. There is far to much setup, cleanup and mess for my little cramped space right now.

So I hope to spend some time this and next week and try to make some more space to create. (Unintentional rhyme.)

ghost rider...motorcycle...hero...

I haven't posted any art in awhile so I thought it was appropriate to through this up because I was actually quite surprised by this sketch. I've been trying to sketch more and more and I knocked this sketch out at work yesterday. I don't draw many comic heroes but lately I've taken to drawing Ghost Rider. I always sketch in pen so that I see my mistakes and learn to adapt and grow as an artist so nothing is ever perfect but I liked this sketch so much I thought I would use it to practice my coloring in PhotoShop. I've been really pushing the comic art lately and being able to color my work is really important to me so I've been trying to learn and grow as much as possible using digital media (PhotoShop). Enjoy

From the sketch book:



After colors:

the metal will strike you down with a vicious blow

When my brother and soon-to-be sister in-law where up this way last week I lamented to my bro, another big music junky, that I have yet to buy a metal album this year. I've picked up some great stuff over the past few months like: Okkervil River The Stand Ins and Murder By Death Red of Tooth and Claw. Both amazing albums among other notable albums but it was weird that I had yet to gravitate towards my biggest musical drug; metal.

Sense bringing up the fact that I have yet to purchase a metal album last week the metal has rained in on top of me. And I bask in it. Last week I grabbed a rare gem, or two, Best Buy had a set of the first and second albums by The Sword: Age of Winter and Gods of the Earth for the price of one album (14.99). Then my Amazon order arrived bringing me Ligeia Bad News and The Banner Frailty. And again two nights ago I found out at Ferret Music that one of my favorite bands Poison The Well is dropping their new album June 16th and because I can't get enough of them I downloaded their singles I/III and II/III which I have been really enjoying. And finally today I grabbed Mastodon Crack The Skye, listening to it and loving it as I type this.

Hope to have more in depth review of all this great music later and I have a bunch of design and art to talk about too. I just needed to share.

back in the black or red...which ever is good.

I am back in the black or red...which ever is good when it comes to my weekly mileage for this year. It's the end of week seven and I hit my highest weekly total mileage of 14 miles and doubled my mileage from last year. I've been injured on and off for the past few years and went from a runner and became a jogger. Or, that's at least how I feel. So I've been really pushing myself to get back into racing shape where I used to be and have a great summer of running and racing. My first big event is the North Country Trail Relay. Every past year I was finishing my winter semester of school and never had time to get into the shape I needed to be in. So I hope to have a great relay this year and finish strong and healthy. My goal for next week will be to hit three days of running and no less than ten miles. It will be hard after hitting a good week to fallow it up but I hope to get at least ten miles.

I had a wonderful Valentine's Day with my wonderful girl friend. We had a relaxed dinner at home where I used my Asian abilities that I learned from years at the Chinese Restaurant and made a shrimp stir-fry and my girlfriend made some great steaks. We had a fabulous evening.

I also up'ed my TBR (to be read) list. My girlfriend and I love the Showtime series Dexter and after this last season I had mentioned reading the books that are the source material for the show. So for Valentine's Day my awesome girlfriend got me the Dexter books amongst other things (The Kings of Kong movie, a must see documentary). I've been really getting into crime and hard boiled stories of late and these books will make a great addition to my collection.

On the art front I've been making a weekly goal list of five projects to complete throughout the week. I've managed to complete about two a week and am make progress with all my projects. I hope to have some more arty pics on the blog this week. My camera is still broken but I can manage.

One last thing: See the new Friday the 13th; awesome movie.

busy times: a look at what I've been up to

I've had a crazy and also wonderful holiday. I haven't been able to finish a lot of my project lately, been having to much fun this holiday, so I am looking forward to working over the next few weeks.

Here is an image of an illustration I was commissioned to do for a Christmas gift. I kept it off the blog till after the holidays just in case the intended recipient saw it. Far fetched but still a possibility.




I took some of the money I got from the job and invested it into some new art supplies. I've been checking out KRINK ink markers for a awhile now and I was excited to receive my first shipment of them.



This (the pic above) is also the last shot I took with my digi camera. I now have a fixed frame Canon Power Shot SD500. I've had this camera for a little under 5 years now and have loved it as a fun fast little digital camera that I take all my vacation, running, and drunken party pics with. This was my main digital camera and I am hoping the elitists at the camera shop don't tell me I am better off buying a new camera. Five years just seems too short but in technology standards it's a millennia. I have been shooting a lot lately with film using a HOLGA, trying to get better, and still use a FUJIFILM camera with Advantix film every now and again. But I could talk about cameras and what I think about digital and film for a while so I will end it here.

The last update is about this years New Years Resolution 5K that me and my friends run every year in our home town. We strive to run in the most ridiculous and amazing outfits we can find and have done so for the past six years. This year we reach a new height of insanity with Lucha Libre masks. This will be hard to top next year.