The Ambition Bird

Can't not Know

2008-01-31T17:07:00.000-08:00

I've started a new blog thing. It is here is you are curious:

http://goodyfinch.livejournal.com/

cheers.

I heart u

2007-05-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

I think for the time being I am done with this blog. Which if you have checked it in the last year you figured out b4 me.

I've been adding to the Flickr site though so check me out there. I talk with words better than photos.

Clothes Journal Friday 8-28

2006-09-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

Friday8-28
Originally uploaded by claviger.

I've done a lot more I jutst never get around to scanning them...

What I wore 8/24

2006-08-25T13:57:00.000-07:00

What I wore 8/24
Originally uploaded by claviger.

new project: to sketch what I wear everyday.
Object: to make sure I draw SOMETHING everyday, and practice drawing more kinds of clothes.

This is day 4.
New skirt day! With close-up of corset like lacing.

Campari

2006-08-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

Tell me this isn't totally hot:

Since last session:

* Drinks: A lot of beer last night at Ian's show.
* Read: I've read soo much this summer (and posted sooo little) I will soon do a big long, 'this is what I read' thang.

Big Bend Camping 06

2006-07-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

Big Bend Camping 06
Originally uploaded by claviger.

There are a lot of photos from this years Big Bend trip with Julie and her family. You can clikc this one and it will take you to the rest.

Catherine

2006-06-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

Catherine
Originally uploaded by claviger.

A piece of fan art I did for Leigh Dragoons's awesome webcomic 'By the Wayside"
girlamatic.com/series.php?name=btw&view=current

Since last session:

* Last Drink:
A shared bottle of white over dinned. We then smoked cigars on the fire escape, listened to music and played with Byron all night. We are so ghetto fabulous.

* Read:
The stolen Child, Keith Donahue, : hhhh
A little boy is stolen by a hobgoblin who takes his place. The chapters switch back and forth between the boy now living with the changleings and the goblin now living in the boy's home. A very eeerie and distinct take on the coming of age story.

* Watched:
X-3 h
Dissapointing trash! Why do they still let that guy make movies?

* Listened to:
Thunder Lightning Strike!, The Go team: hhhh
Cheerleader indy pop!

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Byron's First Day in the park

2006-06-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

need I say mo'?

then some napping:

Since last session:

* Last Drink:
A glass of Johnny Walker Black and Ice. While with the folks at "the Page" shooting pool.

* Read:
Scott Pilgrim and The infinite Sadness: hhhhh
Bryan Lee O'Maley continues to impress with this third volume of Scott Pilgrim. This stuff is happy juice in graphic novel form.

* Watched:
Lonsome Dove, Larry McMurtry hhhh
I liked the book a bit better, but as far as adaptations go this was a dam good one. Almost flawless casting.

* Listened to:
Fox confessor brings the flood, Neko Case: hhh
I am sure this is good and all, but I cannot seem to get into it.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Childe Roland to the Dark Tower comes

2006-05-23T11:50:00.000-07:00

So deliqeuntent on postings... sorry bout that...

Here are some sub-header drawings for a three page article in the August Issue of Shojo Beat

Since last session:

* Last Drink: Jade Cocktail for JB's and I 9 month last night.

* Read: title: hhhhh
The Dark Tower, Book 7, The Dark Tower, Stephen King
This series is hands down my favorite of Kings work. I usually have a problem with his endings too, but not this one. It was fucking spot on and demented. I am niow obsessed with
http://www.thedarktower.net/

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

APE 2006

2006-04-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

Ape 2006 was last week. My best con so far. Also good fun to meet many of the GAM folks whose comics I read each week, and share e-mail with but never talk to.

Also got to chill with the lovely Becky Cloonan and meet her new beau. Her comic East Coast Rising just came out form Tokyopop. It is rad.

Close up of the Claviger (and JB's OPEN) part of our table.

Doing a Finch sketch for Leigh Dragoon, the awesome creator of one of my favorite Girl-a-matic comic "By the Wayside"

50 Best Ways to Spend your Summer

2006-03-21T15:53:00.000-08:00

Art for an article of the same name. Done entirely in illustrator.

The white is all text filled in the final.

The Chosen One

2006-02-28T12:41:00.000-08:00

We took the trek down to Bakersfield and picked out our puppy. We had to chose one because others were interested in the pups, annd we had pick of the litter and didn't
want to do it by picture alone. We will drive down to get him up on April 1st when he is 8 weeks old (he needs his momma till then).

Say hello to our pup Byron!

Since last session:

• Last Drinks: A complimentary bottle of wine at the Bakersfield Hotel while watching….

•Watched:
Fantastic Four hh
Not only nonsensical, but boring too. Dr. Doom a stockbroker, what?

• Read:
Danger Girl, J. Scott Campbell. hhh
Bang! pow! kick! punch!
This comic sets out to be an over the top action-packed adventure comic. While it is no great piece of literature it is pretty fun. Of all the image crew I always liked Campbell's stuff the best.
Though sometimes he gets a bit too nooddlley and and a bit too boob-ely.

•Listened to:
Fever and Mirrros, Bright Eyes hhhh
Holly whiny pretentiousness! Not that I don't really like it.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

The end of the begining

2006-02-12T21:18:00.000-08:00

I finished drawing and inking chapter 2. Whoooo!
The next few weeks will be letters and grey tones.

Those are the pencils for the cover.

Revenge of the Puppy

2006-02-06T10:13:00.000-08:00

After our pleasant experience with Bandit, JB and I (JB did most of the work) started looking into breeders. She came across one that came highly recommended and who had a pregnant pup. After some discussion we gave a down payment to get pick of the litter.

The doggy gave birth Monday, 3 girls and 2 boys.
Weee.

Just the boys.

And to not become a crazy dog person (yet), here is a skecth I did during brunch. It's just a lamp post.

Since last session:

•Last Drink:
Maker's Mark. Free with a film opening last night.

•Read: Blame Vol. 1-3, Tsutomu Nihei: hhhh
The protagonist makes his way through an endless metal labyrinth that has now engulfed the world.
Creepy art, filled with beautiful decaying cyber punk architecture.

•Watched: The Proposition, Nick Cave: hhhh
An intense Australian Western written and scored by Nick Cave. Brutal and slow paced. A much more internal film then most of this genre.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Bandit

2006-01-24T12:22:00.000-08:00

We met Bandit a few months back when we were in Tahoe for The Great Gribbilin's birthday. He belongs to an equally charming couple that is friends with the Gribblin.
JB did some inspired e-mailing with said person and aranged for us to watch him this past weeked.

We paid him such a deal of attention that the poor guy was entirely tuckered out by the end of the weekend; And he is hyper guy. A totaly adorable shih tzu with one blue eye and one brown. And not one of those foppy long-haired ones. He was all rough and tumble and mostly looked like an ewok.

We are now looking for breeders...

Oh, and Happy Birthday food stuff.

Since last session:

Drinks:
For our "5 months" JB and I went out to a tres' schmancy restaraunt last night. I ordered a bottle of pinot noir but they were out of anything costing under $50. So he showed us the others available. I cringed but then said fuck it and bought an amazing bottle by the Byron wineries.
It just seemed ummm...poetic?

Read:
Jonathan Strange & M. Norrell, Sussanne Clarke hhhhh
It is hard to some up this book as it took five months of my life to get through (months in which I finished maybe 3 other books). It took that long For 2 reasons.

The first, I really wanted to savor and not rush through any of it.

The second it is 800 pages. And of those pages at least 1/3 (probably more) are covered in footnotes that fill out the lush semi-historical word it takes place.

Laced with dry wit and containing much social commentary, setting it far from the “Harry Potter for adults” people are claiming it to be. It reads far more like Austen or Dickens than Rowling.

* Watched:
Underworld: Evoloutions h
Mind you I went assuming it would be kind of bad, but man.

* Listened to:
Anthology Vol. 1 Cowboy Man, Lyle Lovette hhhh
I got this from the library but it is well worth the price of the record. A sort of compilation of best hits. As the name implies most are lonely (and sometimes angst ridden) cowboy ballads, all with a bit of tounge in cheek. Walk through the bootm land. Mmmm.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

We Built Another World

2006-01-17T12:46:00.000-08:00

The creation of the second Chapter of Claviger is nearing its end. Two pages to ink four to pencil and then some lettering and tones. The art shifts in it pretty dramatically, more so even then the first, but for the best.

Both Chloe and Finch have been revised a bit and now have a more solid look. Here is a character sketch of Finch I did before starting Chapter Two; he actually looks pretty much like this throughout. Except with a hoody on so I can play with all kinds of fun shadows on his face.

Since last session:

* Drinks: All day wine tasting with Julie and her Parents in Napa. Some superb bottles and a great picnic in one of the vineyards. They know who is who and what is what and it feels like the Disneyland ride version of Nappa. In a good way.

* Read: Dragonhead Vol. 1, Minetaro Mochizuki : hhhh
I "read" the first three volumes of this in Japanese years back, and then tried to get CPM to licnese it. It didn't work but it has finally come out here.
On the way home from a school trip the train carrying all the students crashes. One kid wakes up to find the train in a darkened tunnel with all of his classmates dead. He begins to wander around and figure out how to survive and get out.

It was a bit more creepy before I knew what they were saying bit still quite good.

* Watched: Lost: hhh
Lost, most of season one. I like this show. When it is “on” it is hell of creepy and intriguing when it is not it is a bit slow. I gave it three stars (or little ambulance fellas as it were) but the episodes range from 2-5 mostly around 4’s.

* Listened to: Apologies to the Queen Mary, Wolf Parade: hhhhh
I bought this the night I aw the show. Which was one of the best kick ass rock shows I have seen since Archers of Loaf broke up. The record is as good.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Aught-six, begin!

2006-01-04T11:43:00.000-08:00

I've not posted in forever. Been crazy busy, with the holidays and the move and junk.
For everyone I saw over the holidays it was cool though I wish I had more time. To everyone who I did not get a chance to see, sorry. I hope I will be able to visit again in the spring.

This was the last sketch done in my old apartment (moved in with JB three weeks back).
I was sitting in the bathtub at the time. Most days we would put a laptop on the toilet seat there (to the left of the tub) and watch DVD's from the comfort of steamy water.

Since last session:

* Drinks: The holidays, Who the heck knows. Last night I had a Moretti with a pasta dinner.

* Read: Feast of Crows, George R. R. Martin: hhhhh
The book that was four years in the coming! Pretty slow, as of all the climaxes in the end of book 3 it took a while to build steam. I do so enjoy Martin's world so that was fun.

* Watched: King Kong, Peter Jackson: hhhh
I really went to see dinosaurs and a giant monkey fist fight. I could give a shit about the rest. On that criteria it succeeded well.

* Listened to: Live at Folsom Prison, Johnny Cash : hhhh
After the biopic I was curious to hear the record. JB got it for me for x-mas. It's good!

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Windy City

2005-11-14T14:22:00.000-08:00

Last weekend JB and I took a splendid trip to Chicago to visit Strider and his wife.

Here are some sketches:

Plane on the way there.

The kitchen of said Strider Family (drawn while they were making us tasty pancakes).

Mr. Toby, Mrs. Strider's 18 year-old cat, waiting for food.

Mr. Toby sleeping on the couch in the morning.

My poor rendition of Degas' Ballerina (@ the Art Institue).

The Thorne Room, an amazing exhibit of tiny tiny rooms furnished with the utmost detail.

An incredible Latin fusion restraunt we ate in.
I can still taste the tapas, steak and sangria if I close my eyes.

Since last session:

* Read: Bleach Volumes 1-7, Tite Kubo hhhh
If that little kid from the 6th sense not only saw ghosts but also carried around a giant sword to fuck up the meddlesome ones you would have the protagonist from Bleach. Well drawn, with better paced action scenes then the rest of the Shonen Jump comics. I am obsessing over this manga right now and will read the next three volumes by week’s end.

* Watched: Everything is illuminated hhhh
The mood shifts in such a subtle manner that the audience is not even aware of it happening. This is good storytelling and a nice cast to boot. I particular like the use of striking warms versus cool texturing in almost every shot. Makes me wish I had read the book.

* Listened to: Pet Sounds, The beach Boys hhh
I never owned this on CD and decided it was about time. Over and over I have been listening. You all know it’s good.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

It seems I am Rob Gordon

2005-10-31T17:50:00.000-08:00

Which John Cusack Are You?

Acrylic in the woods

2005-10-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

Behind my cabin at DeetJen's Big Sur Inn.
First time I used acrylic "on the scene."

Since last session:
Last Drink:
Kirin on tap at Tanpopo with asteaming bowl of vegetable ramen.

Read: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life, Brian O'Malley hhhhh
innocently charming Indy rock and roll comics. Read this!!!!!

Watched: Serenity, Joss Whedon hhhhh
Cowboys, crazed axe wielding space maniacs, kung fu, ridiculous sets, and Joss Whedon dialogue!
One of the best Sci-fi action movies to come out this decade. Very low quotient of retard tingles and schmaltz that has infected many since Independence Day began its trend of hokeiness.

Listened to: Dignity and Shame, Crooked Fingers hhhh
A perfect fall time record. It makes me want to drink pumpkin ale in Hogsmeade with big scarves or some such thing. The Azure Ray ladies are a nice addition.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

The Exceptional Sara Johnson…

2005-10-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

…is done.
Last week I spent four days in a secluded inn down in Big Sur.
I wrote pretty much the entire day for all four days stopping for food coffee and to sometimes clean. Sometimes, In this time I completed the final draft of the novel I’ve been writing revising since 2000. 5 drafts this one. Yes it has been that long. I am now preparing queery letters for agents and publishers.

It starts like this:
It was getting dark. Tommy was gonna’ be pissed.

It ends like this:
He sat back down, threw the last of his kigdut into the fire, and wiped his eyes.

Cha!

Claviger goes weekly

2005-10-07T15:06:00.000-07:00

I sent out an e-mail today that said something like this:

Been dreaming of reading a new page of Claviger every week? Well, your wishes have been answered!

Claviger debuts on Girl-A-Matic today in FULL COLOR. And then a New Page available every Friday from here until the story ends.

And I know what you are saying, you already read the mini....but not in FULL COLOR<-I point to this often as it is a lot of extra time on my part that I will not be able to print. But I wanted to give you all (and my umm, adoring public?) a reason to subscribe.

And Besides for supporting comic art and... well, me, when you subscribe you get to read all of the great comics on Girl-A-Matic.
(some notables include Rachel Hartman (of Amy Unbounded), and Lea Harnadez (of Rumble girls fame) and Jason Thompson (whose twice a week story 'The Stiff' is phenomenal).

Go here:
http://girlamatic.com/

Other things of note are that I am heading off for a week long vacation at Deetjens inn located ion Big Sur.

No TV, Cell phone, or anything else as such. Just me with a lot of time to draw and write, and hopefully finish up the final (and 5th) draft of that stinking novel that has been hanging around for years.

Surfwax off my shoulder

2005-10-01T15:48:00.000-07:00

Right, so I know this is supposed to be an art blog thing, but I am hella busy preparing for next weeks Claviger launch.

So, instead here are some photos of me and SF Vizers/buddies learning to surf.

The top 10 rad surfing things:

1: Got to dress like a superhero team.

2: After paddling out for the first time, 1 minute passes and instructor says, “Good turn, you are ready . Hey, and here is a perfect wave…GO!” then pushes me.

3: Frightened and nervous, but able to stand for a few seconds on first wave.

4: Seeing a seal five feet from me! He kept popping his head up and following the surfers around playing with them.

5: JB in a wetsuit. I mean, who hasn’t pretended they were dating some wet-suited chick after playing hours of Tomb raider?

6: Mostly confident surfing on the last two waves of the day.

7: The taste of a cold PBR after 5 hours of tasting only Salt Water

8: Constant cheering of Viz peeps.

9: A giant shaggy dog on the beach named Chewbacca. Really!

10. Not being eaten by a shark.

Since last session:

* Last Drink: Baileys and coffee. Trying to stay awake at Bimbo’s waiting for the New Pornographers to come on. Tasty but costs $7! WTF?

* Read: Preacher, Book 1: Gone to Texas, Ennis and Dillon hhhhh
How did I miss this series when it was new? It is awesome and reminds me of the first time I read Sandman and was all blown away

* Watched: The Corpse Bride, Burton hhhh
Emo goth puppets cajoling through pretty sets. Moved at a better pace than NBX-mas but not nearly as epic.

* Listened to: Twin Cinemas, The New Pornographers hhh
Not as consitent as Electric Version, but pretty good. Most of the mediocre songs sounded great live.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

Almost old

2005-09-18T21:06:00.000-07:00

The end of the birthday celebration weekend.
It went quite well.
Hosted the second annual party at my place with a nice turn out. Drank and ate a bunch, had only a minor headache the next day, dinnered, movied, scotched, lunchboxed, sketchbooked, sang poorly, foozballed, mocked, tripped, hoot ha'd and Absinthed (the restaraunt) twice.
What more could you want?

I know i've not posted often of recent. That whole brand new relationship thing. Which is going splendidly. Bye the by. You'd all like her. Really.
And when I am not dancing around with JB, I am cranking on the comic in anticipation of the whole girl-a-matic thang.

(below) Done earlier today. I was quite pleased that I was able to drink coffee (as I was too hungover the day before). Absinthe coffee no less. When I started this sketch, food had not yet arrived, then I finished while waiting for the check. Mmm. Perfect end to a perfect weekend.

Ps. JB look less like a cartoon character in real life. I kept futzing it once I got home and then most of the likeness was gone. Ah, well.

Since last session:

* Last Drink: Glass of Chimay purchased by Mr. Fox. Midnight, of my B-day sitting at the outside tables of Absinthe.

* Read: Sara, J.T. Leroy h
I was told the other book by this "hot" writer is great. They only had this one so I purchased it: whoops. The prose is bland and at times painful. I suppose the story would be wacky and intriguing instead of painful, if one did not spend months with a bunch of drug addled transvestite prostitutes in real life (who were part of the Lulu's wait staff, way back when).

* Watched: Brother's Grimm, Terry Gilliam hh
Entertaining, but the tragedy is in the fact that Gilliam can (and always has) done so much better.

* Listened to: Plans, Death Cab for Cutie: hhhh
Smashing. I think Ben Gibbard fucked over a fair amount of ladies. This record seem like a big explanation (though not apology).
I do have every confidence that my opinion of this record will change in a few weeks (for better or worse is up in the air). Right now I am just pleased as parsnips to hear new Death Cab stuff. My first thoughts are that the slower tunes are far better then the mid-tempo ones, and I morn the lack of anything remotely heavy/fast.

RATING SCALE h Utter shite hh Don't bother hhh Average hhhh nicely done hhhhh farking brilliant

2005-09-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

Girl-a-matic ad campaign.