Inktober and a SALE!

From left to right:  October 5th, 4th, and 6th.  I liked this arrangement, so it's available as a print.

I can hardly believe it:  I finished Inktober 2014 and only had to do two catchup days.  I did my best to work on other projects at the same time, but ultimately the small scale of these drawings (4"x6") made them very entrancing.  And portable, too!

So now that I have 31 drawings, all the same size, all the same theme: HAUNTED CLOTHING, I'm hoping to do something with them.  A book is one possibility, and since they're the perfect size, I'm also looking into printing sets of high-quality-artsy-deluxe postcards.  These should arrive in time for holiday shows, which are coming up very quickly!

For the moment, I'm uploading a small selection onto my print site and having fun making them available as T-shirts and mugs in addition to the usual print on paper.  And here's a good reason to check them out right now:  Society6 is having an Artist promotion sale through November 9th, so to get $5 off any of my printed art there AND free shipping, just follow this link:
http://society6.com/kristinrichland?promo=VG3GX4X7MQYG

Sale ends November 9th, 2014 at midnight Pacific time!

And the same group is printed on a mug!
(I like these mugs)

I let the images flow one into the other here

This mug needs some tea...

Ink it up

Two more days until 24 Hour Comics begins.  Before that, there's a "Buckaroo Banzai" 30th anniversary showing to attend, followed by a night of murderous mayhem (artistically speaking) at the annual Art of Horror opening.

And because my plate was simply not full enough, I am trying to squeak in the Inktober challenge to boot!  Read about the challenge here on his site, and browse through his artwork.  Wow, he can handle the ink.

Last year, for my first attempt at the challenge, I went with photos of people I found online (a mix of friends & celebrities.)  I didn't quite complete the challenge, sort of fizzled at about 14 or 15 (and only posted up to #12.)
This year my goal is to draw a different "Mode de Monstre" piece each day.  Size will be 4" x 6" and they'll remain black & white for now.

So without further ado, I present my Inktober #1 for 2014:

#Inktober day 1, Ink on paper, 4" x 6" ©2014 Kristin Richland

Just about destroyed that old 005 Micron with this drawing! 

Coffee cat & classes

Hmmm...staying up late may have me looking like my art a little too soon.
Just wanted to let you know that "Good Morning" is now live on my Society6 page as a fine quality print!


Also, we've extended the deadline for this Saturday's class (September 27th, 2-4 pm.)  If you're interested in giving a little more texture and vitality to your creature drawings, here's the link!  Just $40/person, most supplies included.

http://vtmakeart.com/2014/08/26/new-creature-class-available/

Art Hop 2014!

Moon Trail, acrylic on canvas, 28"x22" ©Kristin Richland
(title-in-progress for the latest Ghost Bunnies series, seen here during a 4AM painting session)

It starts today!

Art Hop begins officially at 5 p.m. today.  All the hours upon hours of prepping and crazy sleep-deprived nights culminate in three days of AWESOME fun with art packed into every square inch of Burlington's South End Arts District.  

Find me and Polanshek of the Hills in our spot at The S.P.A.C.E. Gallery, 266 Pine Street, suite 105 (look for the big orange exterior wall with a Spaceman mural, we'll be just inside the yellow doors.)

This is my third year in this spot, and every time it looks better and better.  Hope you can come and see it!

Our hours:
Today (Friday Sept 5th) 5 PM - 11 PM
Saturday 10 AM - 10 PM
Sunday 11 AM - 4 PM

Our art is available for purchase throughout the month, please let me know if you'd like to make an appointment!

drop me a line at sweet_enemy AT obscurius DOT org or comment below. 

Happy Hopping!

Two classes coming up!

Dates are confirmed!
I'm offering the intro-style "Unlock Your Inner Creature" class for a second time (see this post for details on what to expect) on Saturday September 13th, and will follow that with a second class on Saturday September 27th:  "Breathing Life Into Your Creature."
In the "Breathing Life Into Your Creature" class, we'll be working with body language and facial expressions, as well as creating texture and pattern with fur, feathers, scales and maybe even plaids.  

Sketchbook pages, Lion study.  Pencil, watercolor, acrylic.  9"x9" each
(c) Kristin Richland 2014

Both classes will be held from 2-4 p.m. on their respective dates, at Artists' Mediums in Williston, VT. $40/person per class.  

Materials are included for the first class.  For the second class, "Breathing Life Into Your Creature," students are asked to bring their own favorite colors in markers, pens, pencils and/or watercolors to use in addition to what I provide.  

Since I've just confirmed the dates, we don't have this info on the store website yet, please contact me if you have questions!  More details will come soon.

"Lupus Trifectus" watercolor and ink on paper, 6"x4" (c) Kristin Richland 2014
(it was only after posting this for all to see that I realized the Latin for rabbit isn't lupus!)

Artists' Mediums refund policy:  Class fees can be refunded up to 85% if we are notified at least two weeks before the start of the class. A full refund will be given if Artists’ Mediums Inc. needs to cancel for any reason.

Please sign up early for classes. This gives us time to order the correct amount of supplies and prevents us from canceling the class if there doesn't seem to be any interest.

Hello Maryland

The professionally done photos of these pieces are still too enormous to whittle down to web-friendly sizes, so I took these photos on my desk.  They are two attempts at illustrating a Blue Crab, the official state crab of Maryland, for the parents of my friend Rayanne.  These have been sitting dormant in my studio for an embarrassingly long time, but here at last, I am posting them!  Open to comments, feedback, etc.    

Blue Crab #1, Pen & ink with watercolor, 12"x16", ©2014 Kristin Richland

Blue Crab #2, Pen & ink with watercolor, 14" x 10", ©2014 Kristin Richland

Why bother? Why not.

I am one of those artists who struggles to put her energies in the right places.  There are always so many new and wonderful projects to start, that I get choice-lock.  So many fun and enlightening things to read, so many friends to check in with, good food to try and make to keep this body going...
and suddenly it's time to go to bed.

And then I find myself only using my studio for a computer room.  Or a catch-all.  And that's just bloody depressing.  Especially when I'm looking at (and let's be honest, feeling green with envy because of) skilled artists who are making a good show of it online.

It's good to remember that I can't do it all.  (Thank you Alyson Stanfield!)

It's good to remember that there will always be artists whose careers I aspire to, and that maybe I'm one of those to someone else.  We all struggle sometimes.

It's good to remember that no matter how horrid humans are to each other, or how horrid you might feel, there are always humans putting in a stake for good.  And that my art is one of those stakes, because apparently it (often*) makes other people feel good too, not just me.

                       *sometimes it freaks them the heck out.  But that's good, because it's important to                                     widen one's experiences.

And now that I've done what needs doing today, I'm going to get off this computer and use the next four hours for actually making art.

The view from over my laptop screen:  Two easels, each with two paintings in progress.  Time to get cracking!