Finny the Doo is completed! All fourteen feet of it. This mural totally brought me back to the painting vibe. Next up is a portrait drawing. Here’s hoping I still got the touch with charcoal!
I have my cheerleaders at my side… er, back. They got my back.
I have the coolest commission yet: a mural of cartoon characters for a family’s playroom. This group is something that Disney has a say on, so I will not be posting pictures. The characters come from a story that rhymes with “Finny the Doo.” The wall is eight feet by fourteen feet, the biggest project I’ve done on my own. I’m using interior latex paint due to its water-based properties. Water = less fumes = less lingering cancer smells.
I CAN post pictures of my paint cans.
My base palette contains super specific types of each of the following: red, blue, yellow, almost black, almost white, and a brilliant white. I was asked to have a muted color scheme, and I found a lot of great choices at Home Depot with Behr. I’d link to Behr, but they are poop heads who do not make their website easy to navigate.
I thought this was neat. The paint that dried on the side is sensitive enough that it picks up the ink on the can label.
In my next level of advertising my work, I’ve become a member of Project Wonderful, an ad company you may have seen on webcomic pages. I made the bid for Count Your Sheep!
I read this comic for about three years, but phased it out of my normal readings. I think finals season was involved with that. Anywho, SCREEN SHOT!
As the summer months are drawing closer to an end, a new beginning for Haddad Ink has arrived! A gothier front page will now entice potential clients into my artwork, bwahaha!
Actually, things like image examples and contact information are pretty good things to have on the page that is the first impression of this business. I have a link set up for those on mobile devices to still be able to view images with a link to my crafthaus albums. The photography page got a mini revamp as well, registering my stuff with a Creative Commons smackdown licensing, links for mobile album users, and some featured galleries.
The middle of the front haddadadad page is a rotating slideshow of some of my work, including the commission painting on this snapshot. That thing is five feet wide! I like making bigger paintings. They are the most rewarding to see finished.
I’m shooting a wedding this weekend. Expect a new example album in a few weeks!
The band is finishing up two tracks, “Only You Know” and “Follow You,” to be our demo tracks that actually sound like we know what we’re doing. They’ll be going up on the Bandcamp as soon as they’re cleared.
I will be going through my pictures and will soon update my sites. yeeha.
I moved.
My studio is now within the Independent Media Center of Urbana, or IMC as the l33t say. I was hesitant to go there (hippies! a-eee!) but the monthly rent of the new place equals the amount of money I spent on gas to get to the free old one. Also, I can get to this place by bicycle, bus, or skate, all money savers. Also, this place has loads of security and a controlled climate. Also, this place is near food establishments for when I forget to pack a lunch. Also, the people I interacted with that are in charge and not overbearing socially-inept hippies and are in fact nice, friendly people grounded in reality. The vibes of a new place are overwhelmingly positive, and these feelings of renewal shall by exploited to the fullest extent of my ability. I’ve missed the chill calm that is Urbana.
I have completed one and half commissions as of this posting, and it feels pretty good. It’s like getting my school work put on the fridge. Hauling my butt to studio will be way easier now that it’s closer. My work was up at Evolve Fitness Center in downtown Champaign from the beginning of June until last week. My latest spot will be a bistro in Urbana. I’ll link it when I’m officially on the walls there.
No sales on my Etsy as of yet. I put up a large print of my favorite recent painting. Here, let me link to it for funsies. Continuing my focus on people, I’ll probably not deviate from the theme unless a commission calls for it. I like doing different type things. Focusing on one type makes the others more exciting when they occur.
I additionally acquired a new living space, one the cats were not too happy about the first day, as displayed by their pouty faces and general spastic demeanor, running through all the rooms, climbing over everything possible, and landing in the safest place they could find. Together.
This move is probably their best bonding moment. Fiona the lioness has cooled her jets since being here, being more playful towards JP with her jabbing, batting and nipping to soft bapping and virtually no nipping unless she feels the fuzz is being a twat. JP is standing up for himself in this new unclaimed world, and they are, for the most part, now at peace with each other in a large space big enough for two cat egos.
Since that first night, JP has gone back to his station in the tv stand and has held it strongly as one of his daily posts, watching all in his shared kingdom.
BONUS: Nessa! I watched her this weekend for a friend, and this cat is abso-fucking-lutely adorable even if her favorite toy is a crumbled up ball of paper.
On Etsy, people can “favorite” your shop by “hearting” it. It can really bring you up even if there aren’t a ton of sales and people heart you, but if they don’t…
Well, that isn’t so fun. Promotion will be occurring! TAKE THAT, INTERNET. I’ve been posting fliers around town to let folks know I am interested in taking commissions. Planting the seed is frustrating because you have to wait for it to sprout, like 00J’s habaneros. We planted our seeds several weeks ago and everything except the habaneros and the mint were growing. They’re just now starting to show their pretty little faces.
Just need to be patient. PATIENCE. My shop will grow if I water it and give it sunshine. Ew, soggy prints.