Red Wings!

A friend of mine, Jason, asked me to design a tattoo combining the Red Wings winter classic D & the Red Wings logo. It took some re-drawing, but I got it to a spot where we liked it; I even redesigned the winter classic D a bit. The plans came to fruition sooner than I thought because I was invited to go with him to get the tattoo done at Graveyard Ink and they made it pop. No one has EVER taken something I've made and had it tattooed on them (not including myself). To know that someone thinks your work is good enough to have it on them is priceless. I did the finish in Illustrator. I lost the sketch that has the wings logo drawn into the D, but here's the D.I went with JJ & Sarah to Pride Fest in Detroit. We stopped by the Ren Cen which brought back Real Steel memories. We ate at Niki's by St. Andrew's and decided to go to JJ's friend's house in Ferndale (I believe) where I met 3 people: AJ, Matt, and Megan. They were incredible and genuine. There was so much synergy in the house between the 6 of us (AJ went to bed early) and after talking, I found out Matt is actually a designer! He makes fashionable garments out of recyclable products! I was BLOWN AWAY by his work AND he's completely self taught; never taken a class or anything! Check out this youtube video to get the gist of his work! For more info, head to his FB like page. I love getting to know new people and I especially enjoy it when they're good people. I look forward to seeing them again.

Freaky Friday.

I laughed so hard today as a result of tangents into fantasyland involving the lottery, accents (New Castle, Aussie, the mystery accent the Real Estate guy decided to keep changing), & Joeys. No art, but next week I am bringing the art full throttle.

90's Appreciation Post.

The 90's were the best; so many good shows, movies, and memories. I found this image while stumbling and it was called "The 90's in 1 Picture". How accurate! I also remembered something about the 90's before I took a nap today. All through Elementary and Middle school, I had trouble with MATH. I remember subtracting was especially difficult for me and I don't know why. I digress though. Are You Afraid of the Dark still reigns supreme as one of the top shows of the 90's. What else was good? My dream growing up was to be a Purple Parrot on Legends of the Hidden Temple. That didn't happen, but I'm telling you I could put that monkey together in the Shrine of the Silver Monkey better than those kids. Every time they got to that room, I would scream at the TV because they would try to put it together backwards, upside down, and every wrong way possible. I had a flannel in 5th grade. Alison had a skip-it and I used to enjoy taking it from her and skipping it while she cried. I feel bad for kids these days. They don't have cool shows and times aren't as simple. We had it made and we didn't even know it. What do you miss from the 90's?

Just Dance, BC.

Brother Chan and I had a conversation on fb while being in the same house. We were the only ones home so I came up with a fantastic solution involving HBO:I find it slightly ironic that Brother Chan said Lady Gaga's moves are provocative when he looks like The Gimp straight outta Pulp Fiction. Gimme a break. He would've been a great back up dancer based on attire alone. Thumbs up, indeed.

The Legend of Zelda!

Link was picked over on The Hallway Show. The Legend of Zelda games hold a very special place in my heart. My parents started playing Zelda when I was born and we never stopped playing. Brother Chan was playing Zelda before he could even walk. While Ocarina of Time is my favorite and Windwaker has the neatest graphics, I had to pay tribute to the first Zelda by making this pixelated link using TINY pieces of paper that I cut out and assembled. From start to finish, this little monster took 4 hours. That's preposterous! My scanner is down. Here's my process/finish!

The Centipede.

I'm almost too embarrassed to post this because of my screaming (but NOT because of my Jonas Brothers wall). I found a centipede in my room and this is me trying to kill it. Alison filmed. Be warned; the screaming is intense. Keep your volume to about a 2. I tested this out on Brother Chan to see if it was funny. He laughed. So, it's going up. I know I haven't been doing art lately, but that's going to change next week. I'm taking the weekend off to inspire myself. Whoo! Enjoy!

X Factor Pt. 2.

Our trip in a nut shell! The compilation vlog from the X Factor Chicago (but actually Hoffman Estates) trip starring Matt Benyo with cameos by: Boo, Kim Raley, Jessica, and Kelly. It's 7 1/2 min, but I edited it from 24 min. I did my best to keep it flowing.

X Factor Pt. 1.

I am editing the footage of the adventure together and it's taking forever because I keep rewatching these videos. Check out that sunburn on my chest. It looks like someone ripped my skin off. I wasn't even facing the sun. Vlog tomorrow!

BTW IS OUT TODAY!

Ooh there ain't no other day, BORN THIS WAY is out TODAY! Sing that line in the style of Born This Way. I remember New Year's Eve at Matt Benyo's, waiting for Lady Gaga to tweet when the album would drop and it's here! Time flew! First listen, I liked it, but after listening to it on the adventure, it has grown on me and I'm all about it. Speaking of, I'm home! I made vlogs so I'll edit those and post tomorrow. Here is a drawing I did from the BTW video. It's black pen and white paint. PAWS UP!

JOE JONAS!

I drew this picture of Joe Jonas looking MIGHTY FINE. I still love the Jonas Brothers. I am leaving in T-Minus 15 minutes to go on an adventure with Matt Benyo beyond the borders of Chicago! I'll document our trip and I'll have a vlog to post upon return for TUESDAY. Monday is already planned. Enjoy your weekend!

Just Whip It.

Contents include: hair accessory, my roots, clarification regarding The Accent Challenge, Brother Chan cameo, and me singing a snippet of "Whip My Hair". However, I don't actually whip my hair back and forth. Maybe next time.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer!

A good, but sad day; the theme was death. I spent the day with Matt Benyo and we continued our Buffy marathon. I won't say who died, but it's in Season 5. I was crying hard at Anya's monologue. Fast forward to GLEE. Jesus Christ, I was almost to the point that I was uncontrollably sobbing. Seriously, it was so sad. When they sang Pure Imagination, I could NOT handle it. Then we watched The Voice, I was sassy with his brother, and we ate pizza rolls. BORN THIS WAY LEAKED and Matt Benyo got it like a sneak and we had a listening party in his basement and jammed it in its entirety. Scheiße is my absolute favorite! Then we watched some more Buffy (no one died, but it was sad) and MB took me home and played with Big Momma. BM got a makeover and now she looks like a dog; not so much a lion/sheep. I'm really excited to finish up Season 5 of Buffy. We only have 3 more episodes!

The Accent Challenge!

SO I'M BACK IN BUSINESS. My friend, Kezia, posted a video of the Accent Challenge on her tumblr, but I brought it to blogger. UPDATE: Sister Shelby did TAC via skype and Matt Benyo has also decided to participate! MAKE ONE!
- Your name and username & where you’re from.
- Pronounce the following words: Aunt, Roof, Route, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Pajamas, Caught, Naturally, Aluminium, GIF, Tumblr, Crackerjack, Doorknob, & Envelope.
- What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
- What is a bubbly carbonated drink called?
- What do you call gym shoes?
- What do you call your grandparents?
- What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
- What is the thing you change the TV channel with?
- Choose a book and read a passage from it.
- Do you think you have an accent?
- Be a wizard or a vampire?
- End audio post by saying any THREE words you want.

Re: Zac Efron!

I want to say something. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Good feedback is nice, but when someone is highly critical, that's nice too. I believe non-artists can see in ways that artists can not and vice versa. I do appreciate those that are sticking up for my work, but it's unnecessary because while some of you are saying Nate is wrong, I think he has valid points. You don't have to agree with things that are said, but I want everyone to be respectful on my blog. My blog isn't a battlefield. Don't let anything anyone says upset you; it doesn't upset me. From a place of love, I respect you all and hope that you'll show the same kind of respect for everyone on here.

C'mon guys; WHY SO SERIOUS?!

Profile Picture? OK!

My friend, Jason Pinkham, asked if I would draw his facebook profile picture (which I just found he will be using for his RADIO SHOW as his ICON) and I stepped up to the challenge. Is my computer back and fixed? No, but he took a photo of this with his iphone and I was able to swipe it and post it here for you to see! I used charcoal, gouache, pencil, and pen; a mixed media montage. I don't know if that's right, but it's a nice alliteration (my favorite literary device). He is also having me work on a few tattoo ideas for him. It's not what I usually do, but I am enjoying the challenge.

Zac Efron!

This is a bittersweet post. This cut out is the sweet part. This is the final result of 160 Photoshop layers. I know I say this often, but this is a breakthrough piece. It's layered (like an onion) with detail that took forever. Nate's a huge Zefron fan; he'll be a good judge of my rendition. Now, onto the bitter part. I had no intention of posting this yet. I was going to scan a drawing I did, but my scanner is no longer working on my computer. My computer has decided it's going to do whatever it wants and to say that I'm angry is an understatement. Hopefully I can get the Apple folks to fix it, but I'm off of it until then. I hope I don't lose any of you while I'm away. Leave some nice comments for me to come back to. Fingers crossed that they will repair this rogue machine (or else I'm gonna cry). Click to enlarge and farewell friends...for now!

Sketch It Up.

These are from my sketchbook; a few sketches and things pasted in. I'm doing a lot of work this weekend so keep an eye out for it. I'm also brainstorming get-rich-quick schemes, but that's kind of hard. My kidneys are for sale. DESPERATE TIMES CALL FOR DESPERATE MEASURES. Have a good weekend, everyone!

CCS REUNION!

Today was TOP NOTCH! I got 5 hours of sleep after being an animal all night and went with my CCS chaps [Sean, Meredith, and Pat] to get pizza from Z's in Detroit. I enjoy their pizza and menu because everything ends in a Z; i.e. starterz, dessertz, etc. We were loud, laughing, and Lady Gaga came on and I sang. We then went to our old stomping grounds; CCS. Every time someone walked by, I knew them! My Pre-College kids (from 07-09) were there! Not everyone that walked by is pictured. The weather was PERFECT! They said I had my 'camp counselor face' on, but it just felt good to catch up with all of the kids (they're grown ups now). I'd like to think I helped them in some way or another. I demanded a group photo be taken and the wonderful, Anna Lisa, helped us do that. The 2nd one accurately sums me up.

Motivate Me!

I have been burning the candle at both ends and as a result, haven't been able to scan in my newest work, but alas, I am taking a break to not only recuperate, but to also share with you this amazing website. It's all about motivation. I hope it motivates you to do whatever it is you're not doing: click here!

TAXI!

Got city life on the brain because I'm going there again. That rhymes if you pronounce again as a-gain. I drew this on a napkin and colored it in Photoshop.

Hey, It's May!

So much to do, so little time. Sometimes I think time is working against me. sldfjsl

Grilled Cheese, Anyone?

Thats right, the chef is back in town. Janine bought the essentials and I'm back in my element. I planned on making them today, but Charles surprised me by making RIBS and I turned into a straight up CARNIVORE. Charles placed the slab in front of me and I started tearing it apart with my hands and dunking the meat into a bowl of BBQ sauce. By the end, I had sauce all over my face, hands, and shirt. So, tomorrow I will keep it CLEAN and HUMAN by making grilled cheeses for the kids.

Rhiannon & Peter.

Rhiannon wanted me to draw a picture of her with the infamous spieling Peter Pan from Disneyland for her birthday. I used crayons, paint, pen, and pencil on this.ALSO, I just watched the preview for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and I teared up/got chills. I AM GOING TO BE SO MIZ COME JULY 15th!

Self Defense.

Remember Rex Kwon Do from Napoleon Dynamite? That pretty accurately sums up my experience this evening in front of my house.Denise Sewesky informed me that she took a self defense class and decided to teach me about it/show me some moves. I was Kip. Denise basically beat the hell out of me, but luckily, no one was out/around so I just felt like an idiot in my own mind in the middle of the street. She showed me how to break elbows, wrists, and noses. It's all about SPEED and AGILITY. Each of her little moves, she barely applied pressure, BUT IT HURT. I should've said GEEZ under my breath in a lisp the way Kip does, but instead, my expressions did all of the talking. I'm feeling good should someone try to attack me. The final thing I learned is that if you are being raped in an alley, don't scream RAPE; instead, scream FIRE so "everyone comes out to look at the pretty fire." Thanks for the tips, D. Here are Denise and Proma bots.

Birthday Wind-Down.

I am so tired right now. My birthday was fantastic. Here is how I looked:I woke up early, received a package in the mail from Rhiannon, went to the mall to get some shirts, met up for slurpees with an ex-friend, went for pizza with the Cappello brothers, received a cake and nice gifts from Alex, went to Back Door for MORE pizza, went to the Melting Pot for dessert, got a nice purple V-Neck from American Apparel, spent the evening with Sister Shelby at Leo's, Jeremy and Alicia stopped by and Alicia got me an awesome little Katy Perry set of nail polishes, and now I am home! Here is a picture of Charles presenting me with RIBS from the grill smothered in BBQ sauce as he has two bones in his mouth serving as TUSKS:Here is a picture of the multi-tiered cake Alex made for me. It is FUNFETTI and has some lyrics from Lady Gaga's hit, Born This Way, on top that say: "Rejoice and love yourself today, because baby you were born this way!" I was SO EXCITED!I also received nice cards from Rhiannon, Alex, Alicia, Shelby, and my parents. I was so excited. I really do love cards. I was also policing my facebook all day and I wanted to thank everyone that wrote on my wall/liked my status AND major thanks to those of you that took the time to leave me a blog comment! Thanks for making me feel special throughout the day! Art to come tomorrow!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

I'm astonished by how quickly my birthday arrives. Come 1:34 am, I will be 24; almost a quarter of a century old. I've been lucky & fortunate this year. 2011 started out bad, but it has become better (gradually). I've had several birthday celebrations leading up to this day & I feel so honored to have the people in my life that I do. I want to give special thanks to (in no particular order): Alex (835), Rhiannon, Sophia & Farah, Raechel & Carlos, Jeremiah Walton, Dave Roldan, Matt Benyo, Nate, Betsy, Amy, Kim, & my family. Each of you has done something for me (up to this point; the thanks will extend today) that a 'thanks' seems insufficient. Thank you for making me feel special pre-birthday. Today, I have a lot lined up & I'm excited for all of it. I'm definitely going to enjoy some pizza & all I can ask for is that I continue to live, make art, & be happy. I'd also enjoy some nice blog comments to come back to! It's becoming a tradition to revamp my illustrator self-portrait each year. OH! ALSO, THIS IS MY 500TH BLOG POST! Here's to 500+ & that you'll continue to follow my exploits in life & art. CHEERS! (CLICK TO ENLARGE; the colors are better!)

Nostalgia.

Shelby came over and we made this video. I expect only Shelby and Jordan to watch it and that's fine (it's long). This is our video to watch when we're both missing each other down the road. I basically just laugh and yell a lot. Big surprise there.

BE PROUD.

I figured I should probably post something I've made too. This is in my sketchbook. I made it from some nice black paper. I tend to look at it when I'm feeling insecure.MY BIRTHDAY IS ON MONDAY and I am scared at the moment because my leg feels like it's going to get a Charlie Horse and I HATE Charlie Horses because they hurt very badly and I cry a lot when I get them. Hopefully it doesn't happen.

Phone Photos.

I feel EMPOWERED because I figured out how to send my phone photos to my email/computer. You're probably thinking 'what an idiot', but I only just found out about the marvel that is the 'search box' on my blog (thanks to Matt Benyo) in December; so this is a BIG DEAL. Here's 9 photos (from left to right):
1. Cody Buege after Grease.
2. Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge.
3. Me getting down on Jamba Juice in NYC.
4. Me being a hipster at Ram's with glasses that aren't mine.
5. Matt Benyo and I going to see Lady Gaga.
6. Post-Football in NYC Pt. 1.
7. Deborra-Lee Furness article.
8. Post-Football in NYC Pt. 2.
9. Rhiannon and I at The Bean.My awesome friend, Alyssa, sent me this photo of my shoes on display at my old stomping grounds, CCS. This is the reason I wanted to try to figure out how to send photos from my phone to my email. NOW I FEEL LIKE I CAN DO ANYTHING!

Dallas & Dracula.

I made this card for my friend's birthday. Dallas Green is on the front and I added Dracula from Forgetting Sarah Marshall on the inside singing Dracula's Lament.

Kenny Chesney.

Not a fan, but made this card for Amy's birthday. I used just about everything on this: charcoal, crayons, pencil, pens, and even paint. I also made it on wood which was pretty challenging. Well, he IS a country singer so he should look rugged.Guess what? MY BIRTHDAY IS IN 6 DAYS! AHHH!! SO EXCITED! :D

Post-Party Pt. 1!

I had a FANTASTIC weekend; I met Jason Segel and celebrated my birthday with great friends (and good times). Here is a photo of me after I got home:I was in the other room and then my friends, Amy and Kim, set up THIS awesome layout so when I came out I was totally surprised! It was like a kid's birthday!Betsy was last to show up, but then the fun began. I was treated inappropriately (and against my will) in a few photos by Matt Benyo and Nate. Some of these are Amy's:

Here is a vlog with special thanks, a preview of the cards I received (that were all HAND MADE & INCREDIBLE), a run down of the party, and birthday requests:

JASON SEGEL!

I JUST MET JASON SEGEL! I'M SO HAPPY! BEST BIRTHDAY MONTH EVER!!

John Bender.

Everyone's favorite criminal wanted to wish you a happy Friday! He's gonna load up, party, and he hates to destroy literature because it's so fun to read. Part one of my birthday celebrations begins TONIGHT. Hope everyone has a rad weekend!

Une Bonne Journée!

The title is supposed to say "A Good Day" and it WAS. My friend Alicia asked me if I would accompany her to visit a french woman she was meeting in Ann Arbor. Alicia was meeting with this woman to ask her about french food and culture for a report for one of her classes. WHY NOT? We arrived and met Cecilia. Cecilia is originally from France and makes pastries out of her licensed commercial at-home kitchen in Ann Arbor; most noted for her macarons (not to be confused with macaroons). While in her kitchen, Cecilia had us try something.

They were small, rice krispie-esque things. They also could be confused for the rocks in the bottom of aquariums. She had two pink ones, a white one, and a dark purple one. The pink ones were rose and lilac, the white jasmine, and the purple, violet. Turns out, they were crystallized flowers; LITERAL FLOWERS! She put one of them in a glass of water and IT EXPANDED INTO A FLOWER! She scattered a few on the counter and I was eating them like it was no one's business. The violet was my FAVORITE. I can't even explain what it tasted like, but it was so good. The other ones tasted like the smell of whatever flower they were. I bet my stomach looks like The Secret Garden right now. It's probably blossoming as I type this.

We talked about life and Cecilia explained her outlook and I was captivated. I was captivated by how strong, empowering, and how modest she was. She's exceptional at what she does, she's kind, and she cares about her clients and her product. She was so hospitable too. She showed us the art in her house (which she has an eclectic mix of) and showed me some art she's done herself (and she's not bad either). She asked Alicia and I if we would like to stay for tea; though I'd never had tea, we graciously accepted and Cecilia led us to her tea room.

As you may recall, I've been hoping for a tea party since THIS post. My dream became a reality today. The tea room was this lovely, quaint room that had flowers and giant windows; you can see it in the photos. We sat down and she brought out a tea pot with nice illustrations on it, saucers that had indents for your fun cups, and TINY spoons. Incredible! I was so excited! I kept lifting my pinkie in a dignified sort of way. Then, we dug into our macarons.

Today was a big day for me because I tried new things. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am PICKY. I was nervous about one of the macarons because it was white and covered with green tea powder. When Cecilia had us smell the green tea in the kitchen, I thought it smelled like seaweed or aquariums; it definitely smelled aquatic. The other two, violet (a beautiful, pastel purple) and milk chocolate with orange (a sort of orange creamsicle color), I would be fine with. I tried the green tea one first. The taste and texture of macarons is hard to describe. If you've never had one, try one. These pastries are huge in France. It's almost like a cookie, but not quite. The green tea one wasn't bad, but it was different. I then tried the orange and chocolate and it was incredible. The flavor was so BOLD and I saved the violet for last because I knew if i liked the flower treats, I would love the macaron (and I did). They're very light, but with lots of texture and flavors and they are delicious.

We spoke to Cecilia for sometime about French culture, food, dining, schooling, and etiquette. She said in France, it's about the flavor more so than the presentation and I feel that's where we, as Americans, are flawed. We focus more on the appearance than the quality and flavor. I have to applaud Cecilia's french flair and background that she brings here and imbibes into her pastries. I was on cloud 9. I'm counting this tea party as an unknown early birthday gift (since my birthday is in 11 DAYS)! We stayed for awhile, but after tea and sampling, we said goodbye.

I'm happy because I like meeting new people, experiencing new things, and learning. If anyone is interested in doing a class or wants to make a trip out to get some pastries, let me know. Here's some photos in the tea room: