What's been going on?

Hey there, sports fans, Al here with the latest:

Well, I have tried posting something new in the last month, but nothing happened to stick to landing. That is until I decided to take a staycation to work on artwork that had been sorely overlooked and neglected due to moving and other living things.

Image of the Pasquinade Project - “A Pitcher is Worth a 1000 Words” in progress. 18”x24”.

“The Wode Less Traveled” 18”x 24” Scratchboard. The transfer sheet is completed and soon to be scratched out.

So eight out of ten pieces of the Pasquinade Project were finally varnished, and the last two are being completed.

And on top of that, also working on a new poster for Sady Starkiss and Heavy Metal art show.

I still need to come up with a good name for that show. I might christen it "Back, Villain! Show."

I realize that a better-drying group of boxes is needed for off-gassing than cardboard. One day, I can hope to either find a flat file system that I use for the 12" x16" pieces that can accommodate 18" x24" work without breaking the bank.

An image from outside of my apartment of the off-gassing boxes. Need better storage than these.

But I still need to get to that point. But I am always keeping my fingers crossed.

Also, I realized during my staycation (and as delightful as it was not being bothered) I found myself falling into the intoxicating realm of the pure creative process.

During a break after work and heading to a friend's art show on film noir (which was very cool, by the way). My friend Leslie had asked me if I was completed with Richard Parker.

I had said I was done with the work, and it was formatted, but finding a publisher and an editor is very hard.

It reminded me of immensely talented artists I have known over the years, and they just seemed like they couldn't take that last step.

I had fallen into that same trap. It's almost a narcotic, in a way, addicted to creation. Years ago, I had a conversation that touched upon this very topic. And it was hard to stop then as it is now.

Only then was there a difference in the need to create artwork and produce as much as possible? Only back then was a need to express ideas, this time as finished pieces.

I feel that I haven't had the luck of having a show or even being asked to do a show this year seems - odd.

Whatever the reason I am not privy to, I will complete this work and be ready to go.

Spirng is in the Art

Hey Sports fans, Al here with the latest:

 It has been a very productive week for the kid. There is no doubt in my mind that it has been that, close to finishing off, one piece of art (with varnish) and another about ready to be transferred to scratchboard. 

There is no more tremendous excitement than that other than selling a piece of work to an admiring collector. 

But this has been a week of revisiting Richard Parker. Formatting the book has been on too long a hold until a good friend hit me up and asked when the book would be published.

He was right, and I had procrastinated doing it because, in honesty, I didn't want it to be done. 

I loved working on Richard Parker, and closing that book was hard because he had been a part of my adult life. 

I had found other projects to fill in the space, and they all exceeded my goals as an illustrator. And some are bookends for a series to complete, and others are just for fun. 

Page 1 of “Last Monster on EARTH!”

But there seems to be a tide when a (and you'll have to forgive my language) shit ton of work rolling out simultaneously. "Last Monster on EARTH!" is being colored. "The Watery Adventure of Richard Parker" is being formatted for print, and "the Pasquinade Project" has frames ready for pickup for a future show. It seems overwhelming, but I know I can do it without question. Much of my hesitation has been the fact that funds have been limited because of my living situation and the amount of money funneled into just living expenses. 

RP Layout and Formatting

With a recent change in job position and wage increase, I can crank out work to my liking. I will never be completely free of "issues" until I take that final nap, but knowing what will come up and dealing with it ain't so hard. 

And on top of all of that, I'm having fun!

How can you go wrong with that?

Mashup of artwork - Pasquinade Project atop for framing. Poster design for “Krackalack!” the Pasquinade Project on the left. “Freefall” featuring Sady Starkiss and Heavy Metal. And finally in the works, Corpse Cop!

On the Horzion

Hey there, sports fans, Al here with the latest;

Well, I wanted to keep you all in the loop. I've already shared some of this with you in the previous blog, but I wanted to bring up the latest piece with you regarding the poster design for the Pasquinade Project. Regarding how pieces of artwork are moving forward, I've had two individual pieces and two commission pieces coming together fairly quickly. 

Yesterday, as a side note, I was showing a piece of artwork for the poster I was working on for the Pasquinade and showed it to my friend Jacob. He had told me, "Hey man, I'll pay you for that poster." I wasn't going to sell him a poster. I'm not worried about that. 

So we agreed on a trade. "I'll do you a trade when it comes time for me to take the big pieces for the Pasquinade show to be photographed and copied for prints. You can help me take them over, and you get the poster for free."

This way, he helps me out with my show. I get the artwork photographed and moved from one place to another, and he gets a free poster from the deal.

So it works out best for both of us. I'm excited about that, so now I have someone who can help me out, and I'll also help someone who enjoys my work.

On the topic of the show, nothing sells my artwork better than freaking robots (maybe with the exception of a brain in a jar)!

Using Heavy Metal as a character and part of the poster builds up his side of the Sady Starkiss/ Heavy Metal connection.

So there you go, little text, but the art is rockin'!

An I am outta here.

Commissions coming out of the woodwork!

Hey there, sports fans, Al here with the latest:

It's been a while since I've had to post anything about commissions, but I recently had a couple of them come in very short succession, so I decided to post those right now. Because I’ve been bitten by the commission bug!

I switched over to a different size of scratchboard to accommodate these particular commissions. I moved up from making 9" x 12" s to 12" x 16"s.

The reason for the size is purely a sizing issue. Getting more bang for your buck, as they say. The second reason is it's easier for me to see.

I've had to resize some of my images because I'm having a more challenging time seeing smaller and smaller details in my work.

It's just getting older, and my eyes are getting weaker.

Don't worry. I'm not going blind or anything like that; just the age of the creator coming up these days.

But the work looks really cool, and it happens really fast when I get started, so I can't knock that. Firstly, I’ve got three new pieces that I wanted to show; two are already completed, and one is in the works. The first one is “Sady Warrior.” This is my first for using the 12” x 16” piece of scratchboard. The results actually turned out really well on this one, and I wanted to add bigger pieces to any other show that I was going to have the 9” x 12”, but I need to have something more significant to catch people’s eye. 

The second one is called “Outer Worlds.” It’s a commission piece for my friend Steve Coppin’s wife, Darcy. She wanted an old-school robot, and I just modified an existing picture from a calendar that she had seen. And there you have it, including a little bit of color to its eye. 

Lastly, it’s a piece that I have yet to entitle for my friend Felix Sanchez. He wanted the “Radioactive Hornets” piece, but I wouldn’t let him have it, so I said I would make him one that was uniquely suited for him. This is the outline in Transfer.

And before I forget, I'm meeting up with a framer to see how much a setup is going to cost me for future work. Hopefully, by then, I'll have a show a little bit later this year.

All in all, I think that this is gonna be a good year to get things done and printed. And the Kid is outta here!

Who is Sady Starkiss?

Simply put, Sady Starkiss was a product of a conversation and a single commission.

In this commission, the idea was to have what my friend referred to as a "Space Nubile." And that was as much information as he gave me. He wanted something with the '50s feel to it. So, I combined a classic Vargas girl pinup and a Wally Wood space girl.

I'm a sucker for old 50s pinup girls, to begin with. And Wally Wood had such a flair for the ladies of the time.

A questionable combination, but I needed the challenge of something new and not just my traditional superhero schlock. I ended up with an old-school control console and some deft gravity-defining clothing. The inside joke was Sady couldn't keep her clothes on.

Of course, this commission led right to the creation of Heavy Metal (an old-school robot based on the old black and white movie The Mysterious Doctor Satan).

Then there was talk of a crossover between the two. There have been a couple, but the best of the crossovers between the two was the piece called "Blast Off!".

Of course, there is also the crossover call entitled "Oh Yeah?" between heavy-metal and CD star kiss, dealing with a Fu Manchu type of character. Even mentioning that there was a Fu Manchu type of character would get me in trouble with people of today, so I will plan on redesigning my version of Fu with a slight change to color and look. He will be villainous, though. That's a mainstay of the character.

But back to Sady.

Initially, she was just eye candy, to be honest, but as I continued to draw her in different situations, I realized that I needed something more for her. I wanted a personality that would encompass her physically with some of her other mental attributes.

I wanted a strong woman who could fight when push came to shove and yet now always overpower her "detractors."

Another female character I found to be of interest is Una Persson from the Micheal Moorcock fantasy series. I felt she was someone I could base some of Sady on.

So I wanted her to be sexy and adventurous. She is the pinnacle of what my Fu Manchu character is looking for, and Heavy Metal always gets in the way. Of course, others want to be with her as well. Robot Monster is one; Corpse Cop is another.

And all of this chaotic craziness is going to be rendered in scratchboard.

What else?

Real Life and the Arctic Blast

Hey there, sports fans, Al here with the latest;

Life’s been interesting, especially when you have to physically move from one location to another. Nothing is more authentic than having moved over the last couple of years within a few different times, especially during Covid. It, in real life, has a tendency to really disrupt the way of your creative flow. And how it is going. The move alone took time to pack everything that I had and move again. There are some cool things about this move however. But on heals of the move it came the from the Northland, the Arctic Blast of 8 inches of snow! And all the craziness that comes along with that. Both and image and tik-tok video.

The Tik Tok video I shot outside of work. https://www.tiktok.com/@alanjohnbennett/video/7204173731235745066
But, I have a new location in New Home in New Setup, trying to set up my two different computers, one for doing digital work and one for home use, that’s coming together pretty quickly. The artwork is starting to flow. There’s been a lot of comic books. Illustrations for a story they have been working on that slow going, but you know that’s always what happens in the creative process when you’re trying to make something exciting.

With Chaos, comes lots of chaotic ideas. And here is one that could take on a bizarre chain of events. Possible Cross Over?

I am interested in working on a CD Starkiss storyline with Heavy-Metal, and seeing what I can develop. There will be a very tongue-in-cheek. Illustrates short stories, but the drawing will be fun, especially in scratchboard. Oh, it’ll be in the vein of Barbarella, or what I think Barbarella was, along with a little bit of Dejah Thoris and Red Sonja.

Just throwing some weird ideas out there, and like spaghetti, see what sticks.

Till next time.

The Reason for Lack of Content

Hey, there sports fans Al here with the latest;

I just wanted to let you all know that I've been trying to post more frequently. Still, at every turn I've been working on, something else comes up, and real life interferes with what I'm trying to do with artwork and others. Hence, I apologize for not getting back in touch with you guys a little earlier, but that's what's been happening to me.

I've been fortunate enough to have had a couple of different shows crop up. I've actually been able to finish off a couple of commission pieces, one of which I'm working on right now for a T-shirt for Unlimited IPA.

I hope to have a couple more pieces done and possibly work on some new work here after a while. Still, I'm awaiting tools to show so I can start working on those.

Anyway, I've successfully sold three pieces of artwork, from The Lusty Sasquatch Art Show down in Molala to original pieces of one print.

I've also been hit up in recent times for three different commissions after these other two commissions were completed, one of which is a dune tattoo, another for a father and daughter with a couple extra pieces, and an image of a cat.

Once again, it's Inktober this year. But the question is, do I actually follow any of the prompts? I've been taking a look at a few of them, but nothing has caught my attention. Yet but something else will, so I think I'm going to be messing around again with some more illustrative stuff up my alley.

I guess you'll see some ideas, and I've got a couple I'm putting in my sketchbook right now. We'll see if anything catches on, but it has to do with time travel.

There you go, and a few TikTok videos to get you through.

https://www.tiktok.com/@alanjohnbennett/video/7148569587041193259?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7019629005599311365

https://www.tiktok.com/@alanjohnbennett/video/7143010218845146411?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7019629005599311365

Sold pieces!

Life is Pesky

Hey there sports fans, Al here with the latest,

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything recently. And well, as I've said it once, and I'll repeat it. 

Real life gets in the way of the creative side of things. And emotions like there do happen to flare up from time to time. Because of that, they can hugely influence how the creative side of a person's personality comes out. Or not in my case. I was letting others' conflicts invade my personal space, and I just had to stop and deal with that. What a draining experience.

BUT I just wanted to let you know that things are moving forward with the Pasquinade Project; as far as artwork is concerned, I have five out of seven pieces almost wholly done. It’s just a matter of Hi-Rez scans and then matting and framing, and then there will be a new show.

If you look at the new Pasquinade Project pieces, there will be at least seven pieces, possibly eight depending on what is needed to fill the space with all the work being done. It looks like it’s coming together, and from the reactions, I’ve seen from people when I’ve shown him the group together seems to be a very positive reaction.

Another topic of conversation. "The Watery Adventure of Richard Parker," and I have yet to get this book formatted. For one reason or another, I’ve been putting it off because I’ve been having a hard time focusing on the idea of just doing the physical part of the book. It’s not a creative process; therefore, like so many other artists, I’m just not into it, but I have to force myself to get this book done.

Here is a list for the Pasquinade Project: (as it stands so far) The Pasquinade Project should include the classic Star Trek letter font for this work, except for the title of the art show poster.

Number One: Juicebox. A need for something refreshing turns deeply into something quite unnatural. Colloquial Title: Ask, and ye shall receive.

Number Two: Target Earth. Otherworldly intervention of alien influence on our primal ancestors leaving the distinct racial memory of being probed. Colloquial Title: Tag and release.

Number Three: Duality of the Singularity. The isolated A.I. clad in boilerplate hitting it's thermal limits of its positronic overload of data input under the collapse of known physical laws. Colloquial Title: The gravity of new situations on the horizons.

Number Four: Bacon and Eggs. The Supreme Intelligence contemplating its control over minions of a simian nature with the most base desire for sustenance. Colloquial Title: A good way to start off your day.

Number Five: “The Martian that fell to Earth. “No one would have believed in the early years and a 21st century that an intelligence greater than our own would surely draw his plans against us.” Colloquial Title: “Ack Ack Ack” translation - “I’m sooo angry!”

Number Six: “The Unknown Co-monk”. Set adrift from his humble beginnings in mass media, now fights against boredom with martial mastery of the paper bag technique. Colloquial Title: Bang a gong, get yerself gone!

Number Seven: “Blast Off!” Sady Starkiss rockets out into the infinite comic space way carried away upon Heavy Metal’s thrumming motors only to catch passers-by notice while on his way to earthly invasion and ultimately world domination. Colloquial Title: More thrust!

Here is a visual link for the work that has been worked on https://www.tiktok.com/@alanjohnbennett/video/7107101079900572974?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7019629005599311365

Filling in the Gaps

Hey, there sports fans, Al here with the latest:

So, in the last several posts, I had previously mentioned how I've had to constantly go over my story of Richard Parker and his watery adventure.

It has been a trial for me. Because like every artist I have ever known, the initial concept NEVER equals the finished piece. Sometimes you can come close to that ephemeral idea, but almost every time, it never happens.

SO as an editor on your work, you have to be super critical of your work. Those other types of artists who think that their work is the shiz are those who don't deal with criticism- of any kind. I think the popular word to describe this is "spreg out."

The only way to grow as a person, both personally and professionally, is through criticism. There is no such thing as bad criticism. If you're honest with yourself, listen and then move forward. Yeah, you might like what they have to say. They'll even try to troll you. But take it on the chin. Right now, there are art critics who roam this town of Portland's art scene that are toxic just by comments alone and have some artists in fear of their professional lives. That is just a side note btw.

With that, a few images fill in the gaps to make transitions between significant parts of Richard Parker's story.

A Combo of images of transitional images for “The Watery Adventure of Richard Parker”

I have been working on the battle before Parker's ultimate demise and strengthening (in my opinion) the reason why the mermaid depicted has an emotional change of heart towards Parker.

As I write this, the Prodigy's "Firestarter" is playing in the background. This song is a great sign to start a fire under me to get work going and finished.

I want Richard Parker's story to be done.

I know that a lot of other people are waiting as well. I know that a lot of other people are waiting as well. They keep asking me about it. Many people want to support the book when it's done, but they've been hearing tales of this epic tale, but the epic continues to keep growing, and it's epic Ness. So I got a finish it. Not only for me but for them, and it'll be a monumental piece of work. So here are some more images of the book groups and pages, and I got to get to work, and this kid is out of here.