Progress

Its slow going, but I do feel like I am getting somethings done. A lot of things have been squared away on the domestic front, which is good. Yard work has been finished, things have been cleaned and the pool has been opened. I only have one more thing I need to accomplish around the house and then the summer will be set.

On the professional organizational front I've typed out and posted my summer list. On it are the weeks of the summer left, my current work schedule, projects I want to finish and the best times to work on things. I hope to get the list done by the end of the summer and plan to do the first half in July and the second half in August. I want it up where I will see it to keep me on point and working.

Finally my mind is coming up with a coloring strategy for some of the pages I have for the space comic. I now have a vision in my mind of the limited palette I want to use for the background and popping out the characters with the colors described by the writer of the characters uniforms.

Last but not least, there is Pronto business, which is a learning experience in of itself. War is coming along slowly and often feels like pulling teeth. I am ready to put forth the new creative guidelines as well, which I've previewed to several key members. There are other things that are being worked out as well.

So as always I am keeping busy.

Checking off the list

So I've been plugging away at a bunch of different things. Right now that consists of getting a bunch of long neglected house projects done. Granted this isn't technically professional, but it is allowing me to clean the cobwebs of mind.

I know it is really just a grand form of cleaning my room before a term paper, but I feel it is quite necessary. I've spent so much time in work mode, just treading water, that it is nice to do something else and take in some oxygen. Also, with all this nice weather, if I don't get it done now, when will I?


Aside from that I am getting a little work done as well, slowly plugging away at it as it were. Also my work schedule seems to have solidified for the summer which is good and a huge relief.

So hopefully by the end of the week/month everything will be squared away and I will be able to devote the rest of the summer to my professional goals again.

Settling in

I've been settling into my new relaxed routine nicely. Catching up on projects, cleaning up and working around the house.

Its quite cleansing.

I've started to work on some comics again, as well as spending time organizing myself physically as well as mentally. By my count there are 11 weeks in the summer, counting this one. I have a list of projects and goals, and I've broken down my time and weekly schedule. The last thing I need to do is organize the tasks, duties, and projects into the days and weeks I have this summer.

Where I've been

Well the short answer is simple, very busy.

The last month was like a blur. Dowling ended and as is the way of any school year ending, it was a mad dash to the finish. Constant firing, cleaning and general answering of questions. I was doing the same when I subbed at NCC as well.

On top of that I was covering a bit more at my other job, since my boss went on his honeymoon.

Finally I've been working on a personal, non art project, which has been taking up my time.

However, with the summer here I am looking forward to getting some long neglected projects accomplished, illustrations, writing, comics and so on. Also I've been cleaning and organizing my life to where I want it to be again. Finally, I've been appointed as the Editor in Chief of Pronto, so this will be a new list of responsibilities.

So to sum up, I'll have a little less work, but will probably be just as busy.

An anniversary

Tomorrow will mark the first anniversary of pronto comics. To which I am quite amazed. In a year a lot has happened and most importantly for me, I have been part of 3 books and began building my own inking portfolio. So in that regard I do feel successful in that goal.

Dowling is going well, but also wrapping up. There will be no summer session, which leaves me with mixed emotions. On one hand that will free me up by the end of the month, on the other, that means a dramatic decrease in income sooner then I anticipated. It will also leave with a bit of a quandary, to look or not to look for summer work.

While I've been working at Dowling a lot of things went on the back burner. My illustration goals being top of the list. All the while I was hoping to spend the summer working on the projects that have I wanted to get to, but hadn't had the time to work on. That being said, money is money. I will still be working at the gym and hopefully will be getting some sub work at NCC, but NCC takes at least a month for me to get paid. So that is its own issue...

Finally it will be time to pick up my brushes and inks again. I will be working on another story for Pronto's upcoming Space Anthology, as well as working on a CAG anthology called Iconic 2. So I am excited about this.

The slow wrap up

So with every week I am getting closer to the end of the semester at Dowling. Unlike other colleges Dowling is a pretty steady and calm studio, not a lot craziness. When the semester ends, hopefully I will be working through June during a summer session. Overall though, things should be a little quieter for me in the near future. I am looking forward to this.

Lately, as I am sure that the 3 people who read this blog know, I have been feeling very stagnant. I've been finding it difficult to get my goals done and to find the energy to work on the projects I want to do. Right now I can't even find the motivation to clean up my work space or get a Times Round Up done.

I am wondering if this is what the slow burn out looks like, or rather feels like to live through. I do know a change of pace is definitely needed on my part. I am looking forward to the summer with an excitement I haven't had since I was in grade school.

On other positive fronts though, the war anthology is coming along slowly, very slowly, but there is still progress being made. I have come to the conclusion that the deadline is blown and we will not be ready for the Philly conference. Such is life though, there is not much more that I can do other then to keep pushing people and try to create the best possible book that Pronto has put out yet.

In other comic news, I have finally been approached by CAG to work on their second Iconic project. I have been talking to the editor and he should have some pages for me to work on soon. Having seen the artists work, I am excited to ink these pages. It would be a style of pencils that I haven't worked on yet and would be far different then any one's style that we have in Pronto.

Finally, I am still having success in drawing on a regular basis. I've been making consistent efforts to do little sketches from life, caricatures and working from pictures in my sketch book. So at least on this front I feel pleased with myself.

Back to a normal rythm

So this week is a return to what could be considered my "normal" work schedule. Whatever normal means for me that is. Anyway I am hoping that with going back to normal hours, I'll have a little more energy and a little more free time to get my own things done. Not too long ago I took a long look at my schedule and goals that I want to accomplish and adjusted it for the actual reality of my life as opposed to what I think would be ideal. Now that life swhould be a bit calmer, I hope to put this into effect.

On the upside though, I have been finding a little more time to draw/sketch. I haven't been working on any illustrations like I want to, but I have found the time to do some sketching either in my sketch book from photos or quick gesture drawings from life on index cards. The index cards are a trick I picked up from an SVA professor, and seems to work well.

Also, though the war anthology isn't running as smoothly as I would like, there is some slow consistent progress being had. The amount of personal juggling, organizing and just general people skills that are required is fascinating, but good practice.

In terms of other personal projects, working on the dinner set is coming along well. I finished the cups and most of the goblets. The bowls have been thrown and trimmed and now need to be fired. Next I need to move onto plates. Once this is done then I can actually move onto some sculpture, hopefully over the summer.

Lastly, I just got an email from the NY CAG coordinator. It looks like I will still be inking pages for their anthology ICONIC 2. So I am looking forward to that as well.