Acceptance into Spectrum 19

 My work was accepted into Spectrum this year and will be seen in Spectrum 19 when it comes out later in the year. With the amount of art and artists growing and competing to be included each new book, I am very thankful and honored to have my work accepted into the book.

 Also the art show Spectrum Live is fast approaching and I am slinging paint as much as I can into the wee hours of the mornings in order to be ready with some new images by May 18th.....

Mark

Just got back from StellarCon 36

 Just got back from StellarCon 36 in High Point, NC. What a wonderful show. I met a lot of new friends and connected with some old ones. One of my highlights was being able to meet and talk with a new favorite author of mine and my wife's... Patrick Rothfuss (Name of the Wind). Also being on an early morning pictionary panel with John Kovalic (Munchkin game artist), in where we grabbed the title back from the writers, in a dual of industry related pictionary.
 Now back to the grindstone...........

Illuxcon 4 and new painting "Attraction"

Well just finished up Illuxcon 4 this last weekend..... what a blast and humbling experience. So much inspiration from that show it will take me a few to jot it all down. Always great to see old friends and make new ones... kinda like a high school reunion. Its great to be a part of a wonderful vibrant community!

Above is a new painting I did in my new series entitled "Attraction" it is 20" x 36" and of course looks really small here.

Getting ready for Dragon Con

  Getting ready for Dragon Con in one week, so I thought I would post a new oil painting that will make its debut there.... Its called "Rust" and it's a portrait of my daughter and its big ( 30" x 40") Finished up Gen Con a couple of weeks back and it was a blast. Crazy as ever, maybe even more so since it broke its attendance record. Well back to painting... I have 6 going on at the same time, will post more later...

Cirque du Soleil Alegria poster

  I have just finished up art for a Cirque du Soleil "Alegria" performance. The original painting started out as a 30 x 60 acrylic which was shot and scanned in and finishing touches were added with photoshop and painter. The working file was close to 2 gigs before it was finalized and flattened. The reason the working size was so large was the the art was printed out  7 feet wide by 16 feet tall and hung outside promoting the event. Always a treat to see your art blown up to huge sizes.

Here is the art without text...

 and close ups.....

Spectrum 18 Artist List is Out....

Spectrum just announced the list of artists to be included in Spectrum 18. http://www.spectrumfantasticart.com/

Looks like I snuck my way in somehow.... This was my first time entering the jurying process for this book. For some crazy reasons I have never entered to be included in such a hefty art book and in a way I am glad, for the art I am creating/working on now is so much better and further down the road as to where I was walking. Ever blind to my own muse, I even questioned sending art in this year. It was always like, I'll get to it, but then would forget the deadline. Then I would say to myself.."ahhh, I will do it next year......", but of course it would come around into my very busy world for a brief moment and tap me on the shoulder, to at which the same response was given. Funny thing is I have bought each book as it hit the shelves and found myself lost in the collection of its beauty down through the years. It haunted me each and every time the new book would come out, leaving a small hole in my creative skin due to not being more aggressive with the process of the entry.

Well finally glad I opened that door and got off that "wait til next time..." curse. Now I am in the process of deciding which new images to paint. I have my doodle book before me and am looking at what's been penciled down since January. Too many images....but a few are starting to take more shape as I look at them.

Congrats to all the other artists who made it in this year... cannot wait to see the book when it comes out later in the year!

Days of Steam

Just wanted to up load a image of a cover that was recently done for Valley Games "Days of Steam".

This painting was a fresh task outside the normal world of fantasy/sci fi images. I had so much fun with this I may attempt more train art.....