Carnival of ???????

Odd idea's hit you sometimes half asleep standing in the kitchen watching the coffee brew waiting for your first cup of the morning. Especially thinking about a shopping list of stuff you need.

I've started a new personal project. A series of illustrations based on old sideshow posters. Yet all the freaks would be inspired from art materials. I'm not sure how many I'll do but here's a sneak preview of one in progress.

click on image to enlarge.

Thanksgiving day.

It's been a great thanksgiving day. Full of tradition and good food.

This years was a little smaller because my sister Monica and her husband Kirk have moved to Porland Oregon and are spending a quiet at home.


My brother, Ted decided to fly up to spend the holiday with them. His homemade cardboard and plastic wrap plane wouldn't work and he eventually took a real one. He still wore his captain's hat though...


Here in L.A. my Mom and sister Megan being formal wore the traditional dress of our people...


My Dad did his annual thanksgiving blessing in his own way ...


My brother in law Paul took pride in cooking what he called the turkey himself...


A fun and new tradition in recent years is taking the plywood panels off the cage and letting my niece Devin watch the Macys parade on t.v for 5 minutes or so...


My fiance Alessandra brought the dessert...


Me? I just settled back, filled my belly and took in the warmth of family being together...

Portraits

The images below are older works. Both are loose and quick studies from existing photos. Each are watercolor, pen/ink, gouche and prismacolor pencil.


Blues Brothers: click image to enlarge.

Hendrix: click image to enlarge.

Sunday Cartoon

Tuesday cartoon...

I have Valley Glen Spirit!

Sometime in the week before Halloween, Blayne and Chris, publishers of the Valley Glen Living newspaper had been told about my decorations by a neighbor and came by the house to see. They took some pictures and interviewed me.

I thought that was fun and looked forward to seeing the issue. Then they came back last Thursday night with a certificate and a DVD of Monster House as a prize telling me I won the contest! I had no idea there was a contest.

Most shameful is...I didn't know we lived in Valley Glen.

Sorry Van Nuys, I like the sound of Valley Glen better.

Lowe Down Stuff

I've just opened a store at Cafe Press called Lowe Down Stuff. There are t-shirts, clothing and other stuff.

I have cartoons up now...


and some limited time holiday designs...


Please visit to see all the designs and check in often as I will add a design a week.

Click on Lowe Down Stuff or go to www.cafepress.com/lowedownstuff

A Christmas Portfolio

All works are pen & ink, watercolor and prismacolor pencil on illustration board. Click on each image to enlarge.

Tuesday cartoon...

Oh yea...I'm engaged now.

Have You Seen Me?

Petty theft came to Halloweentown sometime yesterday. Our "house number" zombie was stolen. It hurts. I really liked this guy. I made it easy for the thief ... the base, tombstone and zombie were all one piece. I could be flattered because it means someone liked it a lot. But it hurts.

Not that it's the greatest work I've ever done, but I do take time to create these things, it's not something I can shop at Target to replace. It's crazy I know but as I make these I create little back stories and personalities for them in my head. By the time they are displayed they have become characters to me in a unwritten story.

After 3 years of decorating the lawn in this neighborhood without incident I now have no trust anymore. That hurts worse.

Halloween 2006

You pass the graveyard...



brave the one eyed alien...



and the giant spider...


pass under the guillotine...




and approach the dark figure sitting amid a cloud of smoke holding the candy...


I would of never done it as a kid but many did. There seemed to me more kid's than last year and a few familiar faces. All seemed too have a real good time.










The evening was made extra special having friends and family visit for the night really making a event to look forward too again next year...not pictured were Sandra, Vince, Kelsey and Andrew who stopped by.

Andrew hung out into the late hours and helped scare a couple of later night trick or treaters . We did a bait and switch with him in the electric chair as I stood by like a manniquin. Once I came to life he begged the kids to take me home and I followed them down the street.

Alessandra had the inside house loaded with food and drink and a dark corner of the drive way set up for all to sit and enjoy the scares.

Bill, Leia, Megan, Devin and Paul.


Mom and Dad.

My sister Megan

This post would not be complete without the usual "my niece, Devin" gush. She is checking off the Disney Princess list year to year. Year one- Cinderella, year two- Tinkerbelle, this year-Ariel. As always my favorite trick or treater...



My brother Ted came by to help prep the fun this year almost everyday for a week, we had alot of fun and makes me look foward to next year even more...thanks to him as well for most of these pictures.

This year marks a goodbye to the Micheal Myers costume. I'm going to be something new next Halloween. He'll still haunt the place...just on a manniquin.
It was a fun night with cheesy decorations and cheap scares...I'm already thinking about next year and have a year's worth of mess to clean up.

Never forget...Halloween beasts need love too...