Thursday, October 30, 2008

So tomorrow is halloween

Got some artwork to upload since I haven't in a bit. Who would have guessed the two jobs and school full time would have been keeping me busy?

Hopefully we all will have swanky Halloween costumes to post tomorrow :3

Also, for music, Deerhunter's new album is fantastic like everyone has been saying. I've been especially obsessed over the one song "agoraphobia" lately:

It is a very depressing tune but something just really hits home about it. The music video is also really pretty and weird, just like the song. Bradford Cox just seems to have an immense talent for writing the perfect sad song; the entire album of Atlas Sound is perfect proof of that.

hugs!


sketchbook11, originally uploaded by p2cleland.

hugs are spee-esh-all guys.

Friday, October 24, 2008

sketchbook pages -fart-


sketchbook09, originally uploaded by p2cleland.

oh hey look at that.. one of those drawings sure looks familiar... ugh this sketchbook is a mess. stupid markers... too bad water colors don't make marks on these damn pages... stupid moleskines

actually the way our blog is set up you can't see what I'm talking about on this sketchbook page, click it to see the full pages.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Banana Vs. Monkey!


monkeyvsbanana03, originally uploaded by p2cleland.

the eternal struggle continues... this is the first time I inked a comic completely on paper. I wish I'd had the foresite to do this with the word bubbles as well.. there's always next time... you mean there's going to be a next time? God I hope so.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Places to go in Chicago if you're a huge nerd/artist

I was talking to Paul a few weeks back saying we should start posting fun places to go for artist/nerd things in the areas we live since most of us are from different parts of the states (and for some of us, Ireland even).

So this last Friday on a trip out to Chicago to see some friends and a concert, I figured I should snap some pictures and talk about some good places in Chicago to stop by! As always, the upliftingly cheerful skyline of Chicago. So organic and full of life!


I have 3 close friends that go to Colombia College and DePaul university. These two campuses are actually right next to each other on Michigan ave. so I usually stop by here to pick them up or hang out. Our first stop after that is usually a great Sushi to go stop called Osaka. Always great food and some of the best bubble tea in the area.

Another nice thing is right across the street is Utrecht's, an art supply store that has almost any art material imaginable available. I usually stop by here to pick up some copics or Montana gold spray paint for a decent price.

and to complete a triangle of complete awesomeness, right at the end of the intersection is the Art Institute of Chicago, by far one of the best Art museums in the country. Always one of the best places in Chicago to visit on a regular basis. The only other place that beats its pants off in my books would be the Guggenheimer for Art Museums in America.

Down a few more blocks on Michigan is Graham Cracker comics. And since there is no doubt that I am a huge fucking nerd, we had to stop by and get the new issue of Rasl that just came out and god damn is it good. It'd be nice if Jeff Smith wasn't taking 3 months inbetween each chapter though :[

After making our runs of these few places we had to stop by Depaul again for my friend Steve to pick up some of his stuff. Lately they've been renovating the entire insides of the University and it looks like some kind of awesome Hobo palace.

Seriously, half of the walls are covered with garbage bags.

Before I headed off to the concert we drove over to Roscoe village to meet up with one more friend at the 4 moons tavern. On top of it being a great hang out they make some really fucking tasty burgers and all the bartenders are super nice. Also they have a very unique jukebox that went from playing Andrew Bird to Frank Zappa while I was there.

Finally my last stop for the night was the Rivera, one of Chicago's better bigger venues. That night Ted Leo and the Pharmacist were playing alongside with Against me! It was a pretty fantastic show.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacist have always been a favorite of mine and he gave quite the energetic performance even though he was sick and his voice was going towards the last song. Last year at Pitchfork music fest he got a concussion on his head that was bleeding profusely but the guy still finished his entire set. Not too many things can keep Ted Leo down.

As for Against me! they were really, really fun live. Extremely loud and the lead singer does not stop smiling. Seriously, the entire show he looked like he was having the best time out of anyone else there. Though I'd be pretty happy if I owned a black Rickenbacker myself.


After that it was time to head home, feeling quite content in my day of activities as well as slightly buzzed with ringing ears.

Hopefully that wasn't too long and boring. If not, I do plan on doing a few more of these since there's always a million cool art places, music venues and general cool as shit hang outs to stop by and see when in Chicago.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

lots of crap.


sketchbook05, originally uploaded by p2cleland.

Here's one page from a bunch of pages from my moleskine I scanned today. you'll notice an attempt at someone else's characters in there as well.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

EVERYDAY I'M HUSTLIN'

Skeletons are so fun to draw it's ridiculous. Possibly redonkulous.

And another comic for my school's art club, minus the flier text. I have too much fun doing these even if they make no sense at all.
AND MUSIC BROTHER!

Man, I love Miniature Tigers but this music video is even better because it has mutilation, voodoo women and body builder guitar solos.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Oh I forgot


       Also I gots me a tattoo. It looks like shiet in this photo though.

Monday, October 13, 2008



Ramona Flowers from the amazing book Scott Pilgrim by bryan lee o'malley. I haven't used watercolor in a long ass time and this is a pretty simpe way to start.. I wish I did more expierimenting before I made this. it's pretty cut and dry, I dunno.

What have I been doing?





I started drawing them as characters for a special going on at work, where you drop your blockbuster card and you get 3 free rentals. Turned out I liked them a lot, I'm going to try and do something with them.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Bad Dog Gallery is pretty kick ass

Another show opened up last night at Bad Dog Gallery featuring student work from NIU, the theme was monsters:

This last one was done by a good friend of mine named Pete, a painting major who does some really cool and surrealistic paintings of creatures and monsters so he fit in the show quite nicely. Definitely did one of my favorite pieces:
I have to say, I've been pretty impressed with Bad Dog Gallery so far and hope that Dekalb can keep the steam going for it. It's been just as good as the Galleries out in Chicago, though nothing will ever top Rotofugi in my books.

Oh yeah, some recent artwork of my own:
and some buttons I made, including penises, Nixon, Charlie from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in Nazi garb and Giacomo Puccini

Next week I should be out in Chicago for a Polysics and Jaguar love concert which means I got to make some new stencils and stickers :3

SPEAKING OF POLYSICS WOOP WOOP:

God damn, I seem to be only doing large ass post lately! Oh well, more to chomp on for internet people.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

OH MAN

So I've been a bit busy lately and haven't been updating here as much as I'd like but hopefully now I can get back on track on that. I recently just got another job (in addition to the one I already have part time) at NIU's Art Museum Gallery so I've been juggling that as well as full time schoolin' hardcore. It's a lot but whatevs, nothing I can't handle. I'll post some of my own art work when I get home from classes later tonight.

Anyways, A new art gallery named Bad Dog Gallery opened in DeKalb this last week and it was a pretty interesting mixture of local artist, teachers and students. Here were some pieces they had:






I don't have the name list for the pieces this time sadly since I've seemed to have misplaced it. None the less they had a lot of interesting pieces and work and it's nice to see some art happenings going on out in DeKalb, IL. Which happens to be where fun goes to die.

And fuck, how long has it been since we've had some music videos?

I've been in love with Crystal Castles lately and all of their music videos are pretty straight forward, nice and simple. They have a handful of others so check them out sometime if you like what you see.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

illustration plus a crappy digital camera?



uuughh let's see where this cliched buncha crap goes.