Back on the Grind, with a Few Pics from Cali, The Big Move, and Upcoming Projects
I’m baaaaack! So much has happened since my last blog, and one of the biggest things was my trip to Southern California. My and my best friend Christina decided to go for spring break, and we had an incredible time and went to a lot of fun places. One of which was Huntington Beach, which is where we are in this picture. We reconnected with some friends, saw some new places, and pretty much just relaxed. It was a great experience and I would love to go back sometime in the near future and spend more time there. Of course I got a little sketching in while Christina wasn’t looking…or conscious:
Ha ha, this one may be turned into a real illustration.
Okay, so onto the big move. After living in Richmond, Virginia for the past four years, I made the final transition back to my homebase of Westchester County, New York last week. And can I tell you, it feels SO good to be home. I feel very fortunate to have grown up where I did…if I travel 30 minutes south, I get to frolick about in one of the greatest cities in the world, New York City. A city bursting with excitement, creativity, and pure, raw hustle. I absolutely love it there. Then at the same token, I can travel 30 minutes north and indulge in a more country life. There are tons of wineries, farms, rolling hills and purple mountains majesty to make my outdoorsy side sigh with happiness. But most of all, I enjoy being able to come back to the suburbs and call it home, because I’m totally a suburban girl. The white picket fences, children playing kickball in the park, joggers on the sidewalk, the little local shops where everyone knows you personally…that’s home to me. So yeah, I’m very happy to be home, not only for my personal comfort level, but because being here grants me so many more artistic opportunities. That moves me to my upcoming projects.
I spent my last few weeks in VA packing up stuff and preparing for the move, and the first place I packed up was my studio. Mainly because it was the smallest room and the easiest to organize in boxes. But the downside to that was that whenever I felt the need to create, I was limited to just sketching, because all of my pencils/markers/paints/whatever was packed already. But the good thing was I got to brainstorm some ideas that I want to accomplish this summer. And now that I’m home, I can put a few of them into motion:
- A solo show. I’ve been involved in juried shows and whatnot, but never one completely by myself. So I’m working on several themed pieces to showcase and sell. I don’t want to disclose the theme just yet, but it’s going to be a lot of intense, yet rewarding work. I’m projecting it to be a year-long process, and in the meantime, I’m shopping around at different venues to have it at. So I’m looking forward to it.
- A webcomic. My work is clearly influenced by comic art, and one day I decided to take my influences to the next level. About 15 years ago I created,copyrighted(hear that biters? COPYRIGHTED!!!! I got papers, dammit!), and wrote scripts for a comic book/graphic novel series called “The Cosmic Fighters.”
These characters have developed so much over the years, and honestly they still are. I don’t think they will ever be “perfected.” But that’s fine, because that gives them longevity and room to progress. So what started out as a hand made, hand colored, and hand written comic book is now being turned into a webcomic. My uncle, who is also a screenwriter and my manager, is rewriting my original scripts into the proper format, and I’m currently sketching out panel ideas. Comic art is my first love, and I’m looking forward to exposing my babies to the world. This project is one of my top priorities, so stay tuned for their debut.
- An art book. This is one of those long term projects that will develop with more exposure and marketing, but I would love to publish a book of my illustrations. Would you buy it?
- Collabos/Joint Projects. Now that I’m back in NY and in a much larger art community, I’m looking to get involved with other artists in the area. There’s always tons of events and speaking engagements going on in the city and all of the little artsy towns upstate, so I’m looking forward to checking them out and meeting more people on the same path that I’m on.
- Fully developing Purple Mist Studios. I’ve been tossing around the idea for some time about placing all of my creative businesses and endeavors under one umbrella corporation. I’ve got my fingers in so many pots and have so many ideas, and there are a couple that don’t really fall under any particular category. So developing my own studio is just a way to get myself even more organized.
So that’s it for now. It feels so good to be back home. It’s going to be a bit hectic for the next few weeks…I started a new day job(just call me the “Dual Career Queen”), I’m pounding the pavement looking for an apartment big enough to make at least a corner of it a comfortable home studio(one thing I’ve always been grateful for is that I’ve never needed a TON of room to create…though it is nice), and taking advantage of the next two rent free months(I’m living with my Dad at the moment) or less *crosses fingers* to save my money and invest into my business. So once again, thanks for hanging in there with me on my journey, your love and support is forever and always appreciated!
