More than a Painter (Carl Larsson)

Where has my sunshine gone? Today is swordfighting day, but the cold air and pouring rain are making strong arguments for staying indoors. Perhaps it's time to hang up the swords and shields for the year and turn to writing. It's not a bad prospect, though it would be more exciting if I had a hearth or a woodstove.

I've been reading about Carl Larsson lately, and coming to appreciate his art a little more. He seemed to live a very integrated life, making his whole home a changing growing work of art. From his paintings it seemed that his house was a good example of the ideas in Pattern Language since he and his wife designed and built much of their added spaces and furnishings. And when I see the pictures of his studio ...well, I salivate a little.

Larsson worked for ten years on his first album of pictures from his home life. On one hand, it's a little daunting to think about, but on the other hand trying to catch little, fleeting moments around the house is certainly a good exercise for the artist. In that spirit, here are a couple of my own little household sketches:

Monsters on the Internet.

Monsters on the Internet

I just discovered a cache of great monsters at the Creature Spot! -but then, I’m a sucker for concept art. Some of the most interesting are from and artist named BRYNN METHENEY, who I discovered through Lines and Colors.

Over the weekend Anna and I took a trip to a yearly art show called Art at the Mill. It’s held in a working 1700s water-powered mill. The art was nice (pictures below) but every year I always find myself more enamored with the mill itself -a complicated set of wooden gears and leather straps turning a huge millstone. It’s amazing and other-worldly.





And what do I have to show today? Nothing but this little sketch of the Boy-Wonder that I did at the kitchen table:

Leveling Up

I made an afternoon trip to the Small Press Expo in Bethesda the other week and it was a fun and interesting time. I finally got to meet Joey Weiser, from Flight, and I spoke briefly with Anthony who makes these hilarious comics about Reginald and Bertato.

One of the fun things I brought home was Life Meter 3, and anthology of comics inspired by classic video games. I can’t think of any other place where you could find a comic about Joust or Oregon Trail. Dave Roman, who is the editor of the anthology, used my Legend of Zelda illustration for the cover! Check it out:



...Man I used to think Joust was the coolest game.

This Little Piggy Came Home

We brought the pigs over to our house this weekend. They are tilling next years garden plot and they're doing a good job of it! On sunday I did a couple sketches of them. These guys are deceptively hard to draw.







Jake Parker is celebrating "Inktober" and posting some cool drawings over at his blog. Take a look! And then try drawing something in ink without the aid of a pencil -it's not so easy.