Workshop Weekend -

Oh, I've been blog-absent...! This has been such a busy time.

One of the big events was the Charles Vess workshop this past weekend. It was fabulous. You can read all about it on the TLCWorkshop blog.

Charles Vess Workshop!

Registration is now officially open for the newly added Charles Vess TLCWorkshop!

Give yourself a Christmas present of the best kind. Go forth and register! :-)

IMC 09 - Day 4

It's starting to get difficult to remember what day it is... Up late into the nights and the day activities just run together like a surreal stream-of-consciousness art dream...

Today we heard from Dennis Nolan and Gary Lippincott - both children's illustrators whose work I have admired for years. Have any number of their books on my shelves at home. Charles Vess also gave a presentation this evening (he is always fabulous to listen to). Got to talk art, watch art, think about art and *do* art.

It took me a bit of doing to get my drawing printed out on the correct paper, but once that was done I was finally able to start getting some color down.

I've decided to go with the psychedelic flying-monkey approach. :-)

More later.

IMC 09 - Day 3

Today Michael Whelan visited -

Gave a great slide presentation. Lots of fabulous art (his more current gallery work is pretty spectacular). It was fun to hear him. He was the first fantasy artist whose name I knew, books I bought and went to hear speak decades ago... His painting is just more impressive over time. He demonstrated some paintings and signed posters for us. :-)

After dinner, Donato gave a slide presentation. Also fabulous. He is so high energy and enthusiastic about what he does that it is very inspiring (although sometimes also depressing because his work is so awesome!)

Lots of faculty painting again this evening. This time I watched Charles Vess paint with FW inks (I medium I've never painted with before). One always feels terribly torn between watching all the amazing art being made by the amazing faculty artists, or working on one's own. I try to do some of both.

I *did* get my drawing finished, and scanned and printed out on watercolor paper (about a day behind where I wish I was...)

Now, as soon as I can figure out what colors to make this thing, I'll start painting it!

The Illustration Master Class -

-has just opened registration for its 2009 incarnation. I debated and deliberated a bit - it not being that many months since the *last* one, but have decided to register for this years' as well. Partly because it was just a terrific, creative kick in the pants, and partly because Charles Vess is coming as faculty this go 'round.

I've made it through more than half of the goals I came back with from the last one, and am working on most of the others. If nothing else, it should help me to continue to refine and focus my professional energies and direction.

All good.