Free Comic Book Day and Avengers

  By thrivis | May 17, 2012 - 4:24 pm | Conventions and Shows, Sketches
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Thursday:

Comic Oasis, a lovely comic shop here in Vegas, held a promotional event on Thursday before the Avengers opening at the UA Theater behind the Hard Rock Cafe. They gave out comics, promoted Kick Ass the comic, and assisted with the Stars of Hope donation drive.

I volunteered sketches on blank cover Avengers books for the drive, and by now they’ve probably been raffled off to the folks that donated for a star.

It was suuuper fun. Joe and Derrick from CO are super nice, and made me feel like a rock star. I was allowed to see the movie  complimentary afterwards.

It had been a long time since I’ve seen a movie opening night, I usually avoid it since I’m not a fan of crowds, and I dislike folks thinking they can heckle the movie just because there’s hella people. This was a LOVELY crowd, and everything a midnight movie should be: cheering for the right times, laughing together, and just really there to appreciate the movie we were all there to see. And it was a fan. tastic. movie. It’s been a long time since I’ve wanted to see a movie again THAT NEXT WEEKEND. I dragged my fiance over Red Rock, and he loved it too!!!

Saturday:

Photo taken by Derrick of Comic Oasis.

Saturday, free comic book day, I was invited to come back to the theater and the Hard Rock Cafe, where John Romita Jr was doing a 50 hour marathon of signing and drawing to raise money for Heroes for Jordan, benefiting Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada. It was a crazy awesome event!!!

It was an amazing time! JR Jr said some very nice things about my art and gave me some feedback and critique. He was super nice despite being super tired for being up for almost 48 hours at the time. I got some books signed and a KICKASS 2 with a spiderman sketch on it. He signed my volunteer badge too, lol.

Heroes for Jordan is a project by JR jr that once benefited his niece Jordan, who was diagnosed with cancer after her 2nd birthday. She is now a survivor, and the project benefits children like her with childhood cancer. The About Us page on the Heroes for Jordan website has much more information about the event, Jordan, John and Candlelighters and I encourage anyone reading to check them out.

That night, I talked a LOT with Jordan’s parents while I was drawing (the guy in the phot that I’m looking at is her dad). They were SO cool, such amazing people and a beautiful family. I would love to hang out with them again if they happened to be around Vegas for any other events.

All Together Now:

It’s been a long time since something made me THIS excited about art and art events. Friday morning I got two hours of sleep, but I was vibrating with the energy and excitement of the night before ALL DAY. I couldn’t WAIT for Saturday night when I was able to get over there again. I’m so happy I was able to be a part, even just a little one, of such an inspiring event.

Art: Silly Things

  By thrivis | April 27, 2012 - 3:33 am | Art
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Sooo… My grandmother on my father’s side used to wear like a million rings. Lots of people would call her the Ring Lady.

In her deteriorating health and old age (and increasing craziness), she doesn’t dress as flamboyantly anymore these days.

I don’t know why I drew this to be honest. It’s not really to honor her, I guess, since I wasn’t that close to her. She was a mean old lady. Crazy in a bad way sometimes. And was kind of shitty to me and my brother Jeff on a few occasions.

I guess now that she’s a becoming a much more faded part of my life, I can appreciate that she was mysterious and glamorous too.

Ummmm marker? I feel like I don’t use anything else these days, lol.

Anime Day Vegas 2012

  By thrivis | April 19, 2012 - 1:42 pm | Conventions and Shows
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I didn’t take many pictures, mostly because I didn’t move around too much. I was super tired being out all night before.

My bff came down to visit and helped me with the table. I sold more than I thought I would. Always a pleasant surprise. I also got some ideas for the next time I set up shop. :)

I appreciate the kind compliments from people, and the people that walked away with some of my art. :)

That said, I don’t think I like the Adventuredome too much as a place for a con, haha. So noisy. All the noise people make on the rides is echoed and contained, so it’s pretty loud. More often than not, I was shouting conversations with people.

But there were cheap drinks. $4 Long Island Ice Teas. *thumbs up*

Fannatiku Fest 2012

  By thrivis | March 27, 2012 - 2:49 am | Conventions and Shows
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I had a blaaaast.

This was the first time I really went to a convention and knew no one to keep me company at the table. It was really intense. I feel like I got a lot of work AND play done somehow. Most of the time I was at the table, I would be drawing. But I made some friends, some of which I’ve already gotten back in contact with.

Chad Hardin was super cool. He told me some nice things about my art, which makes me all warm and fuzzy inside when it comes from someone way more art mastery than I am. I also ran into Theresa Mather, who was there as a dealer being all super awesome, so it was cool to catch up with her since Neon Con!

I went to both dances, though didn’t stay too long since I was kind of backed up on sleep from the shift in time zone. I wore one of the masks I bought from Angela Sasser to the first dance. Soooo pretty.

I’d definitely like to go again if time and finance allowed. It’s a lovely drive too. Though Virgin River Canyon kind of freaked me out in the dark. Kind of a gnarly road when there’s no sun.

I found a whole new way to love you~

  By thrivis | March 6, 2012 - 3:19 pm | Rambling
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So after reading a lot of stuff, and moping around other artists’ websites, I decided to go with a WordPress site for the next permutation of the site.

I had REALLY wanted to redesign anyway, simplify things, and integrate the blog. I had also wanted a blog I could crosspost more easily (blogger is kind of picky about sharing).

from now on, I’ll my WordPress be the blog and main site, and have blog posts mirrored on LJ and Blogger.

I’ll write about the con I went to this past weekend later. Much fun was had. :)

Cheers.

Go big or go home

  By thrivis | February 11, 2012 - 9:18 pm | Rambling, Sketches, Sketchfest
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I got myself an easel, board and big paper last night and dicked around with oil pastels, markers and vodka. Much fun was had.

It was nice to draw in a medium I hadn’t used in a good long while, but I’m not a fan of oil pastels. They’re kind of messy, and I feel like I have to strong arm them to blend them the way I want them.

I switched to marker pretty quick. I found these big fat sharpie markers in our office. I love the bold and irreversible marks of markers.

It felt freeing to draw on wider pages, to use arms more than hands, but drawing so huge is definitely going to be a rare thing.

Ever since college, teachers and sometimes other artists would tell me I should draw bigger. I never really understood this. I like big as a change of pace, an exercise, but I’ve never been fond of large work as a finished product. I can’t work on big things just anywhere. I can’t store them just anywhere. They’re cumbersome, and all around less fun to me.

I like small. I like baseball card sizes, and art that fits neatly within 8.5 x 11 or smaller. I can store it anywhere, it’s so easy to take with me.

I think that’s enough mildly drunken rambling for now. Next post will probably be after the convention at the beginning of March.

3 Anime Conventions I’ll be at.

  By thrivis | February 8, 2012 - 3:16 pm | Conventions and Shows
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I thought I’d make a post for my upcoming conventions so far that I have artist alley space. I’ve been keeping an eye out for cons and found a few I’m able to attend over the next three months.


If you’re in the area, stop by to say hello. I’m hoping I’ll make it out to California or Arizona this year at least once, but I’ll have to see how it goes.

Anime Fannatiku
March 2-3
The Lexington Hotel and Convention Center in St. George, Utah

Anime Day Vegas
April 14
The Circus Circus Adventuredome in Las Vegas, Nevada

Okami Con
May 19
The Casablanca Resort in Mesquite, Nevada