The Goblin and the Queen

I've had my head down at my desk lately working on some of the final edits to Little Robot and trying to get a solid start on my next book (which I don't have much to say about yet). So I haven't had a lot of extra art to share, beyond the watercolor above, which I hope you like. Last month I thought a lot about wizards. This month I seem to be thinking a lot about goblins...

Later this week I will be traveling to Miami for the Miami Book Fair International. This will be my second time attending the Miami book fair, and I'm really looking forward to it. It's a very fun event, and this time I'll be catching up with Dave Roman and Kazu Kibuishi. Yay!

One other bit of news: I know I've been posting a lot about the Goodreads Choice Awards. Well, Julia's House has made the final rounds in the picture book category. If you want to take a look at this last round just click this link right here.

Okay! Next time: pictures from Miami (I hope).

Painting Gravagna

This past weekend I celebrated the fact that 11 years ago I managed to talk an implausibly beautiful and intelligent girl into marrying me. I was a boy who had little to offer beyond vague aspirations toward being an “artist,” or maybe an “adventurer.” She was nineteen and a sophomore in college. On paper it looked a little rash.

But our friends came from far and wide for the wedding, some even arriving unannounced and camping on my parents lawn. They celebrated our rash vows. And you know...

...everything turned out okay.

For this 11th anniversary I gave Anna this painting of Gravagna, our beloved little village. (It’s the biggest landscape I’ve ever painted). For the rest of you I offer Chesterton’s essay “In Defense of Rash Vows."

Creating this painting was an interesting and sometimes challenging experience. Most of the work was done in late afternoon sessions, over the course of about 3 weeks, on a hillside about a mile or so from the village. Each day I wrapped the painting in an old sheet and walked to the hilltop to contend with the sun, snakes, and curious passers by. And the wind. Oh, the wind. A large canvas is really not much different than a sail...

But there really is no substitute to painting a subject from life. You learn more. Spend time really looking at a subject and, if you’re lucky and attentive, you might start to really see it. And that always feels like a miracle to me.

As one of my favorite teacher’s told me, “You can teach your hands to do anything. Art is in the eyes.”

True Dad Stories 6

The image above is a small watercolor of Gravagna. I gave the original as a wedding gift for my friends Federica and Stephano who were married this past weekend in Gravagna. In a village this small a wedding is a particularly grand occasion. The last wedding here was ten years ago.

And while we're on the subject of husbands and wives, here is a small True Dad Story about a chance conversation on a train...

This comic is a bit lumpy, I know. It reads like the opening to a longer story and then sort of drops off.

Journal comics, or autobiographical comics, are a challenge to write. Do you err on the side of the "punch line" or on the side of strict adherence to the truth? The conversation above took place in Italian, a secondary language for both myself and the man I was speaking with. I almost didn't post this comic because it was difficult to get "right" (and I'm still not sure I did), but I figured when someone sees all your kids and assumes that you might have two or more (simultaneous) wives, well, that's a True Dad Story if ever there was one...

True Dad Stories 2

I wasn’t sure if I should post this one or not. But you know, it’s a “true dad” story if ever there was one and if I can warn you guys about the hazards of potty training, well, at least I will have done something with my life. Also, it seems like I am becoming increasingly blind and useless in the early mornings as the years roll on. Maybe that’s what this comic is really about...

In other news, I’ve started a new painting of Gravagna. This is a personal painting that, if I pull it off, will hang in our house. At 4 feet in length it’s the biggest landscape I’ve ever attempted. I’m excited and a little intimidated. I’ve only managed to do one other painting since I’ve been here. It is this little (maybe 10X6?) landscape here:

This is the second time I’ve painted this little hill. The shape of that tree at the top draws me back. I’m thinking of putting this one up for sale on Etsy to raise funds for a new palette and some brushes. Here’s a little peek at my open air workspace, including my old pallet that I’ve had since I was 12, and belonged to my great aunt:

Finally, remember there’s a Legends of Zita giveaway over at Goodreads! It ends on July 15th.

The Blank Canvas

There were some canvasses waiting for me here. A few were large, newly stretched and waiting for a first brushstroke. Others were abandoned paintings that can easily be painted over into something new. Among these I found two abandoned portraits of Anna. They aren’t as poor as I remember. I have yet to complete a portrait of Anna.

Maybe this will be the summer...

Sing a Travelin' Song

This next Monday, April 30th, I will be at the International Reading Association conference in Chicago. I’ll be speaking and signing throughout the day. If you'll be at the conference, come say hello!

It’s also come time for me to mention that the Hatke Family is once again strapping on their collective traveling shoes and returning to Italy to see friends and family for the first time in nearly 4 years. We will be leaving in just two short weeks and staying until September. Here’s a little painting I made of the village last time we were there:

I’ll be posting regularly throughout the summer and maybe even putting a little of the “adventure” back in “Art and Adventure.” This ol’ blog’s gotta start living up to its name.

I’m also hoping to post weekly photos in addition to new art. And to that end I’ve put a lot of original art up for sale in my HOUSE HATKE ETSY SHOP with the hope of raising money for a new camera. It’s finally time to admit that our poor old 2004 SRL can’t focus (yelling "come on! FOCUS!" has stopped working). So feel free to poke around the shop! I’ll be closing it down for the summer in 10 days. Robot comics! Original Zita pages! Watercolors!

Stay tuned.

When is it Finished?

With certain projects it can become difficult to decide when a piece is finished. This is true in a particular way with oil painting. On one hand there is almost always something more that can be done to a painting -some hidden brushstroke that, if discovered, could bring the subject to life. On the other hand the deeper you go, and the more you work, the greater the danger of the finished piece looking overworked. The worst thing you can do is “fiddle” with a picture.

Sometimes, as is the case with this particular portrait, you realize that it is finished because you have no more energy to spend on it. It is time to move on.

This portrait was a grueling beast to work on! I am at best an intermittent painter and it’s been a long time since I’ve tried something like this. One day I was so frustrated by it that I literally hurled the canvas across the room (my lovely model was NOT pleased). Most of the time I felt like I was trying to run a marathon with no warming up, after a year of eating nothing but doughnuts.

And in the end it’s not my best work, but it feels good to be flexing those painterly muscles again.


Link of the day: artist Iain McCaig with tips on How to Draw Hair. Thanks, of course, to Lines and Colors.

Finished -I Think.

Eh. Probably this is as far as I'm going to take it:


For something truly charming check this out: Studio Ghibli is adapting The Borrowers!

Motivation Part 2: Progress

Here's where we are with the picture of Angelica:


I'm not a terribly confident watercolorist and so far I've brought this picture to a point where I like it, but part of me feels that I should push it further. The other part of me remembers that with Watercolor there is no going back, no rubbing out or painting over mistakes. With watercolor, when you make an area dark or saturate it with color that's IT. Art, like life, is often about balancing courage and prudence. Which path will I choose?

Angalica's own life drawing and also something I have no desire to do ever after the jump!

Turtles for my Mother

Last week my wonderful mom sent me a set of Dube juggling knives. These knives are something I’ve wanted for a long time and they are definitely spectacular fun. As a thank you for this gift I made this ink and watercolor picture of my turtle friends. My mom is quite a fan of these guys.

And in case you’re wondering, the thing in the middle is a Hobo. You see, in River World Hobos are not people who travel with knapsacks, but their own special type of creature. And Hobos get along great with Turtles who carry their houses on their backs.

Oh and you can click here for scanned version of the image.

Turtle Lights the Way

This little guy has been popping up from time to time in my drawing for years:



Ever since I was a small lad I've loved to go canoeing and one of the best parts was always spotting turtles sunning on a log, bringing in the paddles and floating silently closer to them -seeing how close you could get before the nervous little guys plopped off into the water. But the turtle character above, he's not nervous at all because he's wearing a jaunty hat.

So. To sum up: I am staunchly pro-turtle and pro-jaunty hat.

Watercolor Days

I’ve posted before about my developing admiration for the Swedish artist Carl Larsson. He is most well known for his collections of watercolors depicting the day to day life of his own large family. Many of the paintings show his children doing every day things -watering flowers, playing games, hiding under a table.

So this week I bought a big sheet of 300 pound watercolor paper and decided to try my hand at a watercolor of my daughters. Here is the first of what I hope might become a set (click for the larger better version):



By the way, I’m sorry for the lack of posts lately. It’s been a tremendously busy month!

Paintings to Go

Spring has well and truly sprung! It was quite hot on Saturday when the girls and I drove to Millwood to drop off the above paintings. It was a beautiful day, though, and a fun outing for all of us. The girls played Pooh Sticks in the stream while Anna and I ran in alternately to peruse the paintings. It was one of those times that is so idyllic you start to get suspicious. Like any minute the Goblin Army is going to swarm out of the hills.

But enough about my work. Here are some beautiful pieces from the rest of the Hatkes:


And a set of Easter Gnomes that Anna made:


If you like the gnomes (who doesn't?) -our friend Clare makes and sells them on Etsy.

Finally, two video links for Monday. First is a fantastic little short film called Alma. The animation and design are nice and it's about equal parts cute and creepy. Second is an extended trailer for a thing about Cartoon College -The Center for Cartoon Studies.

MoCCA is so close!

Art at the Mill -Part 2 and COMICS

I thought I'd post this old ink and wash drawing because it is also making the trip to Art at the Mill. I loaned it to a friend some years ago and it has been hanging in his office for so long that it felt a little like an imposition to ask for it back. The girl in the picture is asleep, but she still seems to like to travel.





Also, to continue my intermittent Sunday Comics on Monday, here is a short one about Knock Knock jokes:



YOu see, as far as Julia is concerned a Knock Knock Joke consists entirely of shouting "knock knock!" again and again. I'm still trying to come up with a good place to put these journal comics. These guys seem to need a room of their own.

Finally, I added Larry MacDougal's blog to my list. I remember finding his fantasy art years ago and being awed and inspired. His water-coloring is always a feast for the eyes.

Art at the Mill, 2010

Three of my paintings and one of my drawings will be up for sale at the Art at the Mill show in Millwood, VA. I’ve been going to this show for years and I’ve posted about it before, but this is the first year that I’ll actually be participating. The Show runs from April 24 through May 9. One of the pictures hanging there will be this tiny oil painting of trees on a hillside in Gravagna:

Just a Pair of Pears

Just a little still life today. Oil on panel and about 5X5 inches.



I have a few more panels this size stacked up in the studio. I'm hoping to finish up a couple more of these before the house gets swallowed up forever in a mountain of snow. That way, when the archeologists of the future dig us up they will have some idea what pears looked like before the Great Ice Age.

NEW YEAR POST

Happy New Year, readers! I see by my sidebar that I have 20 followers. This is a little surprising and a little more surprising because there are many of you I’ve never met. Thanks for looking at my little postings. I’ll try to make this all worth your time.

I have had to enact comment moderation because of spam, but don’t let that stop you genuine human beans from posting! If the Spamoids stop trying I’ll go back to the free for all.

Here is the last bit of work I did in 2009. It’s a snippet from an unfinished still life featuring a pair of pomegranates:

Sadly, this painting was, ultimately, a failure. After an hour or so I realized that there was no saving this little piece and I scrubbed it all out. But the pomegranates have not defeated me yet! I’ll try again in this sparkling new year.

And speaking of that, It seems that the internet has decided that 2010 is the official start of “the future.” Here’s a post by Tony Cliff about that. And a Beartato comic. Expect good things from 2010. I do.

A Better Photo

Here is a better picture of the still life, shown here below the ONLY OTHER STILL LIFE I'VE EVER PAINTED:



This morning I looked again at the photo put in the last post and bleghhh! It's about the smudgiest grossest thing I've ever posted. What is wrong with me? Perhaps I am not a fancy slick magazine photographer.

I hope everyone had and is having a very merry Christmas full of good cheer, good friends and, if it suites your fancy, a spot of egg nog. Me, I can't stand the stuff.

Still Life

The old painting muscles are a bit flabby it seems. The still life below was painted on a wood panel, about 13.5 X 20.5 inches and I worked on it until I ran out of steam. Still life paintings are difficult for me in the best of times, but they are good exercise and so worth doing.



I’m working in a smallish space these days. Perfect for comics, but not so ideal as a painting studio. Nevertheless, my goal is to have a canvas up pretty continuously. And now, since I mentioned comics, I should ALSO mention that there is a Zita the Spacegirl short webcomic posted over that the First Second blog. It’s the first ZSG webcomic I have done in ages. Click on the thumbnail to see!



Oh, Christmas, I can hear you coming this way. Don’t hurt me!

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: