Killing Time

I feel much older now.

I think I look it too.

Meanwhile in Bordeaux, France...

Beck art print on the wall of French journalist, Pierrick Falmon.

Guess who's illustrating his graphic novel?

-Lexi

PS: Blog remodel coming soon.

I'd rather know the nothing I know

Than to feel the guilt about "somethings".

Tuesday Inspiro

I love Cartoonists.

 No matter how much I will dabble in realism or other styles of artwork as I get older, cartooning is something that will always be very dear to me.

I remember when I got my first cartooning instruction book when I was five. It was from a dollar store, and I also got a purple leapord-print steno book to be my "sketchbook". I filled that thing cover to cover as I copied the pages of the instruction book, and, eventually, moved on to creating my own characters. {Some of which are still my dear friends to this day}

 Other art has so many rules --whether it be intentionally or not-- but with cartooning it can be as simple or as complex as you want. And, to me, that's very reassuring. No matter how bad I am at painting or drawing realistically, there will always be the tiny cartooning gnome in the back of my mind picketing for me to  illustrate something. Really, it makes me happy.

Melissa Mendes is a cartoonist that I will constantly keep coming back to. Her comics are what cartooning is all about: simplicity, nostalgia, and cathartics. It's honest and straightforward, something I can really connect to. HER COMIC FREDDY IS BASICALLY LIKE THE BEST FRIEND I NEVER HAD AS A CHILD. Like Melissa, I find myself pulling experiences from my own childhood into my own work constantly.

By Melissa Mendes

Plus, not only is her work awesome, but she's married to a cartoonist too! They are adorable and spend their days making artwork and being in love. That's only my unrealistic lifetime goal.

Do the art that YOU want to do. Just create something. The End.

-Lexi

Overdue bloggins #1

Hi! I guess it is cool to get on the internet once in a while, instead of just that crappy version of phone-facebook for your most-likely-the-first-prototype-ever-of-that-one-phone-with-a-slidey-out-keyboard. {Hey. It has a camera that only takes pictures! Technology is pretty crazy these days, kids. I mean, back when I was your age....}

ANYWAYS, before I get too nostalgic, here's a very, VERY crappy amazing graphic novel I made for a history project. I mean, really, my artistic greatness just doesn't get better than this seven page splendor. I have a lot that should probably be kept track of on this "web log", but instead of helping you keep tabs on my life, I usually end up watching The X-Files alone while my dog loses respect for me.

And now, without further adue, I present to you, my darlings, The Slightly Macabre Adventures of Ezekiel the Lowly Immigrant Boy!

Click to zoom, bro.


-Lexi

Take Care.

Self.

Hip-hip-hoorah!

I finally got my online store up and running! Isn't that exciting? Be sure to check the shoppe frequently, because I will be trying to put new items up every few weeks. Also, I apologize for not keeping this blog as up to date as I would like. I have many-a-post about many-an-adventure in the works. {adventures that may have happened a substantial amount of time ago..}

BUT JUST IN CASE you missed my annual German-people-partying GIF in honor of ringing in the new year, I have eversothoughtfully found one especially for my dear readers.

Dancing Hipser Germans are the best Hipster Germans.

xo-Lexi

Loose ends tying a noose in the back of my mind

I will stop loving Beck when I am living with One Foot In The Grave.

Watercolor, Photoshop.

-Lex

Nichola practice sketch

I'm working on a giant {like 5 feet tall} piece of my darling friend, Nickey, for some shows in the spring. Here's the practice sketch.

-Lexi

Farmer Joel

Ballpoint pen and stuff.
-Lex

This is not a Halloween costume.

This is RILL LYFE.

Practicing the olde-timey photo-shoppe skills. Matching the color took forever, but I'm quite content with the outcome. I like to look at it as if I had no prior knowledge of creating it.

"Hey. Jimmy Stewardt is caressing my face. Cool."

-Lex

On Hallow's Eve

{Two gold stars to whoever clicks to zoom.}

This little guy has been living in my head for the past while, and I only let him out now because people might have judged him prematurely. Seeing as tomorrow is Halloween, I thought it safe to let him roam around. Everyone will think he's in costume, right? And that that gas mask isn't actually a part of his face, right? {sometimes my inner Doctor Who fan gets the best of me. Just kidding. I just happen to really like gas masks. Always have, always will.}

I'm totally soaking in all of the fall vibes around me right now. Because, lets be honest here. If any of you know me well you know that I love two things more than life itself: Autumn and tapioca pudding. Well, maybe turkey bacon more than tapioca pudding, but that's beside the point. I just adore fall. And, in order to celebrate, my dear friends Maddy and Andrew accompanied me on a lovely hike up Holbrook Canyon to admire the leaves and get an old-fashioned polygadate. It was cold, but much needed. Both of them being photographers, took advantage of the beautiful calico scenery. {Maddy with a Nikon D90 and Andrew with some Canon from the sixties.} Meanwhile, I stood behind and poked holes in really large leaves in attempt to make perhaps the most pathetic masquerade mask in existence. I thought I was pretty clever.

They just smiled and nodded, like the good friends they are. Love 'em to death.

-Lex

Queue Autumn:

-Lexi

Happy Birthday, Art.

Art Clokey, that is. {ie: the creator of GUMBY and pioneer in stop-motion animation. My FAVORITE. In case you couldn't tell by the sidebar.} Have you seen Google today? I love you, Gumby. I love you, Art. Here's a picture in case you missed it.

90 beautiful years! Also, I am hopefully getting this for Christmas.

xo-Lexi

Andrew

(click to zoom)

What you've all been waiting for.

The folks over at Odeus skate (!!) asked me to design the cover for their newest skate film, Tilt. I pretty much had free reigns over the entire project, and I'm happy to say that after 20+ hours of work, I finally finished it.

{Hint: clickity to see the whole thing.}

Ballpoint pen {red and black}, acrylic, watercolor.

My lovely friends let me position them in awkward and potentially misinterpreted ways, which resulted in this. No, my friends are not slaves. No, this will not be considered as manual labor. {just don't ask to see the sweatshop in the back room.}

Because I am an ardist, and I have ultimate authority over every situation, I only allow males named Andrew to model for me. I am always in charge, and people always do what I tell them. Always. That's just how it is.

*ACTUAL SCENARIO*

Me:  "Hey...um....Andrew...? Will you...like...um...pretend to look like you just got..um... punched in the face...For me?"

Andrew #1: begrudgingly, "Yeah. I guess. Whatever. Are you paying me for this?"

Me: "Paying you....with... love?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Me: "Hey...um....Andrew...? Can I.... take a picture of your... legs?"

Andrew {Not Beck}#2: "Wait....what?!"

{I PROMISE I DON'T HAVE ULTERIOR MOTIVES.}

The face is Andrew's.  The pants are other Andrew's {Not Beck's}. I'll be posting close-ups of the front soon. Because it's the kewl thing to do. And so you can witness the paisley-blood-y glory in full splendor.  The blood is not real.

The film premieres next Friday at the Inferno Cantina in SLC.

Did I mention that my IDOL MIKE MURDOCK {see sidebar} WILL BE THERE?!?! And did I also mention that it is presented by SLUG!? MY DREAMS?!?

Oh Yeah.

It's no big deal.

xo-Lex

Olde news...

I still have to wait to tell you all the big news..... but in quick-I-have-so-much-other-crap-to-do-so-I-will-not-spend-time-telling-you-all-this-in-a-really-long-blog-post news.... I got asked to homecoming.




And I'm actually really excited.

>>>------------>  Lex

Letter

I have a best friend. Named KC. On an LDS mission. His companion-sir-fellow sent me a letter which I received in the mail today. That calligraphy is all done by hand. Yum.


-Lexi

Jamo

I did this piece especially for the Art at the Post 2 gallery I was in earlier this month. I started it on a Tuesday and finished it on a Thursday morning {IE: 1:30 in the morning.} which was really cutting it down to the wire for me because I am used to working at a leisurely pace. My poor family had to put up with me.

My cousin Jamo, who is in this killer Metal band called Reverence, agreed to model for me. He's pretty much a pro at the whole "angry-as-cuss-drummer-in-a-metal-band" look. What a champ. Due to my lack of photography skills, it looks not as good as it does in real life and bleh bleh bleh.

Also, I just found out that Weird Al is going to be at the state fair this year. Sweet gilligans.

-Lex

Summerfest 2011

This August 4-6th, I was lucky to have a booth at Bountiful Summerfest, a cultural and artistic festival, with my three friends Gavin, Satcie, and Bobby.

Although I didn't quite make back all the money I spent on summerfest, it was still a great experience. Here are some of our adventures (aka, boredom.) THE BOOTH in all of its' shining glory.

Bobby's trippy prints.

Stacie and I's side of the booth. {AKA the better looking side.}

Stacie's beautiful jars.

My little section of the booth.

Army wife {still available} , Matrioshka {sold} and antlered man boxes {still available}. Above the boxes are also handmade sketchbooks with some prints on the covers. I still have a ton of those left, so if you are interested in purchasing anything, they will probably be on my etsy shop soon. When I get an etsy shop.

Haindpainted and inked woodsman box. SOLD. Matrioshka box, haidpainted and inked. SOLD! But I plan on making more of these.

Gavin's mohawk monster.

We were lucky to have Stacie's nephew Max visit our booth for a few hours. Of course, being submitted to the heat for several days at this point and being too poor to purchase the overpriced food, we were beginning to enter the dillusional coma induced by heat and exhaustion. Max was the only entertainment we had for a long time, so we decided it was a good idea to put things on his head and take pictures.

This is when we stuck wool on Max's head. Max looks like Gene Wilder.

Max escaping the scene as well as his Gene Wilder hairdo.

Max attempting to steal my camera.

Max with a turban on his head.

Max with a doily on his head.

Jimsta and Bobby. I HAVE FRIENDS!!!

Bean tree.

Stacie's stuff.

Stacie's beautiful wares. Just look at those needlefelted animals. Gorgeous.

A jorb well done! {Partially in dillusional coma.} [still not entirely sure how Pat got in there.] Pretend we made lots of money.

My dearest cousin, Lukey Pookey in his booth that he got for winning the emerging artist award for that gallery I did a few months back. {I took this picture at a specific angle to protect his identity.}

Stacie, Bobby, and Corrin's arm. We celebrated the end of summerfest at Pat's house with play-doh ice cream.

Shea and Pat are best friends. Really. You might not be able to tell by this picture, but they really are.

Bobby and Cooper. Looking like a celebrity couple.

I have super talented friends.

-Lex