I’m bad at posting again

Posted by jupe

I know that I should be posting more often, but I’ve actually been really busy lately.

First off, I’ve been working on Strange Romance like a mad woman. I have finished all the inking and need to do the colouring. I’m waiting on my writer to let me know if he would like me to do watercolour and marker or digital. Either one is fine with me.

Secondly, I’ve been saving up for a new drawing art tablet. It’s not a Cintiq, as I’d be saving for years for that expensive sucker, so instead, I’ll be getting a Yiynova MSP 19U+ v5. They should really come out with a better name for it. Anyway, it’s supposed to be about as good as the Cintiq and about $2000 less expensive.

Third, I’ve been going to a lot of conventions.  MCX was my first convention and I did amazingly well. Since then, I’ve been to Oshawa con, where I did okay, and to Forest City Comic Con, where I did really, really well again. I’m getting the hang of tabling and have big plans for an upcoming convention in December.  I have two more cons before the end of the year: Sheridan College con, which is a Friday con, and Festivus con in downtown Toronto, where I am sharing a table with my artbuddy, Chris.

I have a ton of knitting to get done, as well as more prints. I’ll be working on crap every single day until the end of the con season of 2015…. and I’m already thinking about 2016. It’s going to be a busy rest of the year 🙂

I haven’t posted in two months.

Posted by jupe

I fell out of the habit of posting everyday really quickly when I fell ill. It’s been a horrible couple of months, physically, and sort of emotionally. I’ve just been feeling gloomy and like general shit about everything for reasons too personal to go into over the blog. Regardless, there it is. FWP to the Nth degree.

The good news is that over the past two months where I’ve been practically nonexistent, I finished my contribution to Toronto Comics volume 2. I illustrated, inked, and lettered a story written by Daniel Reynolds and got it in the day before the deadline, February 28th.

On the art front, I have a couple of things to mention.  I’m working on the Red Surge again and hope to finish that soon. I’m doing the inks in Sai and the background line work in Manga Studio because I really dig their perspective tool.

As far as other art is concerned, I’m working on a Totoro piece for a dear friend of mine. He commissioned three pictures of Totoro for his young boy: Totoro on a train, Totoro in a car, and Totoro in the Cat Bus.

I’ll make Totoro on the train a daily drawing pic, even though I did it a few weeks ago and it’s still a WIP. Cheating, cheating.

I’ll try to post everyday again.

Habits, habits

Posted by jupe

I need to form the habits again to be posting every single day.

It’s amazing how when you stop doing something for as little a time as a week, the habit just falls away. I was writing and drawing everyday and posting both and then after the week before Christmas, stopped. I will commit to this again.

On the drawing front, I actually HAVE been drawing on a daily basis, but I just haven’t been posting anything for it. I’m working on the Surge still and I’ve finally finished the concept drawings for Toronto Comix vol 2. I just haven’t been posting them because I’ve actually been ill the last few days.

Even as I type this right now, I have the chills while sweating.

Last night, we took the tree down and I did a good chunk of the work while sitting. Sweeping and bending over took a lot out of me and when it came time for bed, I passed right out.  I had another cramp attack earlier that day, too, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as before, which leads me to believe that it might’ve been a symptom of what I have, considering that Alex had the same cramps a couple days ago.

Or, it was psychosomatic.

Anyway, Alex came home early yesterday to get Nick to Beavers because there was no way in hell I was in any condition to drive.

Today was garbage day and we didn’t get anything out last night. I was in no condition to carry anything up and down stairs and I can’t really blame Alex for not wanting to be alone in taking out all that trash.  Instead, still sick, I took the trash out today. We missed recycling again.

Sunday was a great day. I went to Cindy’s house for a few hours and blended/carded some fibre I’ve been meaning to take care of for a long time, now. I also did some work on a sock that’s been a WIP but put it down after about five rows out of frustration of fucking up. When I got home, I had to cook dinner, and the rest of the evening was spent playing Grey Warden Sparkletwat in DA:O.

That’s that, I suppose. I’m going to get some drawing done, fold some laundry, then stretch out and try to recover until I need to get Nick from school. I have to cook dinner again tonight and I just feel like shit. Still, I have to do it.

Feh.

I assure you, I HAVE been drawing daily

Posted by jupe

I’ve been drawing everyday, I promise. I’m just doing so traditionally and am not posting them online as of yet.  I’ve been working on Toronto Comix vol 2 and on the Red Surge. I need to delegate my time for each to feel productive, though.  I’ll likely do some streaming to the Red Surge later, so don’t fret. I’ll also post some preview thumbs to see.

What’s been going on? Well, I finally got my copic markers and a travel case for my art supplies for when I leave the house. That way, everything is in one package that I can grab and go with. I also rearranged my desk! My printer and scanner are on the top shelf, along with my art books and art supplies. The bottom area, which is the main area, has the laptop, the light pad, the tablet, and the copics.

I also have a yarn bowl on the main table part which I’ll use next time I have time to knit. Tonight is knit night and I won’t be going. Quel suprise.

Today’s agenda: do Rusty’s laundry, as he wet the bed again, and draw. Story of my life!

Bummed.

Posted by jupe

First off, this is my blog and I am allowed to bitch and whine and complain here as much as I want. Here’s your preemptive warning to leave if you really don’t care and don’t want to read it.  It’s also your invitation to not post a comment or criticism about it below because I don’t give a fuck that you don’t give a fuck, so let no fucks be given and no comments about such fucks not being given be posted.

I miss my friends. I really fucking miss my friends.  That’s not to say that the fine folks behind Toronto Comix aren’t my friends because they are. What I mean are the friends I’ve been seeing just about every week for the past three and a half years at my knitting group.  I’ve not seen them regularly since October. I’ve seen them maybe five or ten minutes since November. Once. I had to drop something off and leave.

Tonight is our annual gift exchange between friends, and guess what? I can’t go.

This sucks. This really fucking sucks.

This work schedule of Alex’s is the fucking worst. I’m upset and I’m fed up. I am at home with the kids all the time, other than when I have Toronto Comix or classes. I get out seldom.  Alex and I see each other maybe two hours a day. He sees the kids less. And one out of two days, or both days, on the weekend are usually sacrificed so he can take care of stuff and unwind from the stress of his very high stress job.  Which means, I have the kids. Last weekend was the first weekend in a very long time where I had two days to get shit done without one or both anklebiters constantly biting my ankles.

Alex needs time, too, I know. He needs it as much as I do… but there aren’t enough days on the weekend. What’s worse is he’s working this Christmas so he doesn’t get time off to hang out with the family.

Nerves are wearing thin.

Yesterday was Comic con’s Christmas sale. I shared a table with Toronto Comix and helped them sell 19 copies of the comic. I autographed a few with the others and sold a couple of prints. I spent $55 on prints and sold $50, so I almost broke even for the printing costs. What I *didn’t* break even for was the cost of parking and admission. At least I got my card out, though, and got to talk about the process with some people.  The best selling print was my Poison Ivy. I also lost my big yellow sketchpad there, which is a real piss off. Luckily, I had barely done any art in it so if it is gone for good, I didn’t lose months of sketches and work for important things.

It was a long day. I couldn’t go out for dinner with the other artists and writers because we’re saving money. I came home to make dinner but Alex wasn’t hungry. I had perogies, then he went out, and when he got home, he had a pizza. I feel inadequate.

Then, sleep happened, sort of. I’ve been increasingly uncomfortable, which I suspect has something to do with — you guessed it — stress. I woke at about 5am with a migraine, then again at 6 to take care of Russell, who had puked all over the bedroom. Then up again at 8:30 because the alarm got turned off instead of snoozed. Bravo. Nick was sick this morning, too, so now I have both boys all day, gifts for scouts to buy, stuff to bake, and no time to get other important shit done.

I have a migraine. Again.  Gonna go feel like shit, now.

Posting again tomorrow. Have a great day.

So much to do!

Posted by jupe

Well, yesterday was busy. I inked 1/3 of page 2 of The Red Surge. Today, only one panel, and not even the whole panel. I just have too much to do, plus my children are wild animals who are crawling all over me like parasites. SO, I got an hour of drawing in, but that’ll have to be it.

Tomorrow is my major focus. There’s a Comiccon one day event and Toronto Comix has a table. I’ll be going to sit at the table and am bringing my art supplies, some old paintings to sell, and some prints. I have to get prints made today to sell tomorrow. I think $10 each is a fair price.

Other things to do today: Get Alex’s gift from the boys. I have something thoughtful in mind and it’s a cheap gift. Therefore, all good. Also, his gift from Santa, which is the basic yearly gift he gets of underwear and socks.

I got to sleep in today until 11, which was an amazing treat. I wasn’t expecting to be able to sleep so late.

Anyway, with so much to do, I’d better get my prints on SD card and ready to bring to Staples. Happy Saturday!

It just HAD to snow…

Posted by jupe

It feels like every time we get really bad weather, I have to go to class. Of all days, it’s always when I am going to downtown Toronto in the middle of rush hour.  As I mentioned yesterday, we got some snow. By some snow, I mean 15cm of snow. For my American readers, that’s about six or seven inches.  Add, on top of that, the wind blowing it around.

It made for some really treacherous driving, as the roads were slippery and the plows can’t be everywhere at once.  I left home at 3:30, got Nick from school, and got to my husband’s workplace at 4:15. After that, it was actually surprisingly smooth sailing.  I was really pessimistic at first, but I suppose that more people than not decided that they’d stay at home and NOT drive.  All the better for me. Greg and I got to the Korean restaurant at 5:15 and waited an hour for the others to show up. Then, it was a matter of SHOVELING our food into our pieholes and arriving at class just when it was supposed to begin. At least we made it.

I got some really good feedback on my story and have some significant changes to make. I’ll sit down with Alex this week and make those changes. Also on the list, lots of stuff. Here’s a checklist, mostly for my own reference.

 

  • Work on Red Surge inks
  • Work on pages for Condo story
  • Get prints made for the table at comic con this Sunday
  • assemble craft for Nick’s teacher
  • draw picture for Nick’s principal
  • knit cowl for Nick’s librarian
  • knit for my mother
  • knit for my cousin’s son
  • knit for my niece
  • laundry — dear god, the laundry
  • dining room table
  • drive out to a secret location to pick up a secret gift for Alex
  • go giftmas shopping for the kids and get gifts for Alex from the kids
  • bake cookies with Nick

So much to do with such little time. So much to do that I don’t wanna do it… but it has to get done.

Off I go to knit.

It’s GO GO GO Time!

Posted by jupe

After waiting quite some time, I’ve been assigned a story for Toronto Comix.  This happens the same day that penciled pages started coming in for The Red Surge. It looks like I have a LOT of work ahead of me, coupled with Christmas and family stuff.

I’m going to put commissions on hold, I think, until this is all done, with time only to draw Nick’s principal’s gift and work on his teachers’ gifts.

Otherwise, anyone who asks me what’s up will most likely get the response, “JUPE DRAW. JUPE JUST DRAW. DRAW, JUPE, DRAW.”

Short and Sweet Today

Posted by jupe

I spent all my time this morning working on the inks in my daily drawing that I’ve left very little time for a shower and to get ready. Today, I have High Tea at the Embassy with the art ladies of Toronto, hosted by the lovely Meghan Hendricks and Keiren Templeton-Smith. I’m going to bring some tea along to share since I couldn’t bake that Spanish Bar Cake last night. I had no icing sugar for the frosting and you can’t have that cake without the frosting. It’s against the law.

After tea I have a meeting for Toronto Comix Vol 2. I’ll either be assigned as an artist or an inker. I think I’d prefer just ink and lettering, as I have a lot on my plate, but I’ll take whatever is given to me.

It should be a nice day of just me and not having to be a full time mom. Those days feel really far between right now so I appreciate them when I can.

I had a nice long talk on the phone with Carol Shaw, who is like a second mom to me. I miss her terribly. I hope that maybe we can visit Thunder Bay this summer. We’ll see, yes?

Anyway, happy Sunday, everyone!