Art Supplies I cant Live Without

People sometimes ask what tools I use to create my drawings or how I made a piece.  I will certainly post a tutorial or two in the future, but for now I will tell you the supplies and programs that I worked with in my most recent body of work.  These are some of the basics tools that I use to create my art.  The first few are for my ink and wash drawings. The next section addresses the supplies I use for my graphic design posters.  The last two are used to tie my various mediums together to create a body of work. 

Ink print from Make it Plain

Drawing ink pen
Watercolor paper
Mechanical pencils (lots of them)
Kneaded eraser
Misket (masking fluid)
Water brush (for traveling)
Watercolor brush

My MacBook Pro
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photo Shop
My Kodak camera (simple snap and shoot, but I love it)

Concept - Although the image to the left is a print it ties to the rest of Make it Plain because it addresses the American history in a similar way to other work from the exhibition.
Sketchbook

What do you use to create?

Portraits from Haiti

After returning from Haiti, I am certainly excited to use all that I saw in my future art projects. Everything was fascinating and incredibly inspirational.  I saw everything from the extreme poverty of downtown Port-au-Prince to the beautiful rice fields and mountains surrounding the village of Thoumazea. Be sure to check out my Haiti journal and my photographs see more of my images and thoughs.

It is still difficult to define what exactly will be translated into artwork but it is almost certain that something will come from the trip (well some photographs have already). When you are surrounded by intense beauty, sadness, poverty, joy, and as well as a completely new culture and language, it seems that something must come from it.

Here are some portrait photographs I took while in the village of Thomazeau.  These are just some of the kids that I was able to spend time with.  We made paper beads and bracelets.  (I will post about the art lessons here soon)  40% of all sales will go back to Haiti. Comment on this blog or on my Facebook Page for more information about purchasing and/or use of the images.

I have some photos that I will be posting in the future that help us to understand more about the devastation of the Haiti earthquake and show some of the after math.  Some others will depict the politics, beauty, and religions of the area.

If you would like to purchase or use these images please contact me and I will get you the file/print.  Remember 40% or more of all proceeds will go back to the village and children in the photo.

13 Tools for Productive Procrastination

Productive Procrastination

Alright, we all know that being a working artist is a real job.  With it comes all the responsibilities of any other job AND the responsibilities of owning your own business.  As creative people we all need time to relax our busy minds.  Some, maybe all, of us need time to process or generate ideas.  I am using the term procrastination in the sense that it is not producing work that can be sold (not because it isn't or cant be productive).

The relaxation process, in this post the procrastination processes, can help us to be more creative and productive in the long run.  The business of art is not just about creating work (though creating work is the most important part and should be done when you have the most energy).  You often times need to learn how to keep a database, how to enhance your SEO, or how to market for a show.  Once you  learn you must also do.

Keep reading for 13 ways that I step back from my work, process, relax, and be productive at the same time.