Mountain Bike Greeting Cards

I've always been told I should do greeting cards, since most of my doodles and drawings are illustration style. This is a digitally printed reproduction of an original gouache painting I did a few months back. It turned out just how I wanted it...loose in style and vibrant in color.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/102644981/mountain-bike-greeting-card-w-envelope

The Frustrated Artist (Just One Day)

Yesterday I felt frustration as an artist that I haven't felt since I was in art school. I got home from my day-job determined to whip out some prints, new designs and just focus on the business. It just wasn't meant to be. I walked into my basement studio and nothing was working right, didn't have the right materials, it was dirty and dingy and I almost ran out of there screaming. I guess a lot of artists go through this. I have a ton of ideas, ton of half-completed-half-ass projects and am having trouble keeping my focus. My current lack in online sales and exposure, and a disjointed product line surely have led up to this crappy attitude as well.

As the world is constantly looking out for me, this morning I stumbled on a featured video of one of my favorite Esty shops, 1AEON.  Gabe Molnar of 1AEON is an incredibly creative artist and quality screenprinter. My wife and I have several of his tees and I've always wondered about his success and process. Gabe works 12-16 hour days in his tiny Brooklyn apartment. I'm humbled and amazed to learn that he churns out these awesome printed designs in the floor of his kitchen!

Suddenly my large dirty basement isn't looking so bad, and I feel like a little whiny bitch.

Fueled by this new-found inspiration, my weekend project will be rearranging the basement studio, cleaning it up, get my shit straight, and move on. No time for frustration, no time for whining. It doesn't happen very often, but my wife gives me just one day to feel sorry for myself when the need arises. One day is all I need.

Gabe at work. Click on the video below to watch the story of 1AEON.

This one's on my Favorites list.

He really pushes the envelope on printed images. Gotta have this one.

A Pisgah Inspired Mountain Bike Block Print

Came up with a new mountain biking print inspired by the Pisgah National Forest, where I ride and do a lot of trail maintenance with my local SORBA club. It's mountainous, rocky, rooty and unforgiving. This design of the terrain could actually translate well for the western U.S. and Canada also. I like the composition and play on the negative space that came out of this idea.

A great website on mountain biking in Pisgah...http://www.mtbikewnc.com/

Yikes, 40 lbs heavier back then! Big tree clearing on Squirrel Gap.

Top of Buckhorn Gap.

Log ride in Bent Creek.

Trail work day on Greens Lick in Bent Creek. Received "Volunteer of the Day" among 300 participants...I sweated more than anyone, and got some sweet disc brakes as a prize.  : )

My Very First Magazine Mention!

I am proud to announce that I made it into my very first magazine....WNC Magazine. Although it's a very tiny one-sentence mention about me, I'll take it! Gotta start somewhere and I'm happy that my work was recognized.

The article was about spots to tour by bicycle in our great city. One of the stops is to the River Arts District where my mountain bike prints can be picked up at my wife's art studio.

I sent them some photos of my work which unfortunately didn't make it in the article. Here's a snapshot of the article. The map shows the bicycle routes, while my name is mentioned in the text below.

Allow me to play Editor for a second...this is how I would actually design the article. 

You know, just sayin'.   

Linocut Block Process: Part I

Thought I would share my linocut process on my newest design, a collage of mid-century chairs. 

It turns out that chairs are really freaking hard to draw! I tried to draw some at home, but gave up...maybe I was just impatient that day, but I had resources on my side. So yes, I used my Photoshop skills and whipped this up. I sized it at 5x7 to match my lino block exactly.

Next comes using tracing paper to trace over my photo collage with a 2B pencil.

Flip the tracing paper over so that the graphite is reversed and can be transferred onto the block. When the block is inked on paper, it comes out in the correct orientation.

Using a soft graphite pencil, I go over my lines heavily and the image faintly transfers onto the block.

I then use a black pen to trace over those faint lines so that I know where to make my cuts. If I didn't use a pen, the graphite lines can rub off easily as my hand touches the block, plus they're easier to follow.

Time to start cutting!

Part II will demonstrate using this cut block to transfer my image to paper...stay tuned.