Nickel for your thoughts?

I forgot to post this the other day... my latest cartoon for the Northeast Avalon Times! Pick one up if you’re in the area! A nod to the recent demise of the Canadian penny.

At left is my latest embossed piece. Yes, it’s a puffin, Yes, I’m catering to the tourist market... selling out and goin’ cheap. I should mention that my embossed pieces are now available at the Tickle Trunk in downtown St. John’s which I’m very happy about. It’s my first step into the local market. My plan/hope is to have several avenues for selling paintings, prints and embossed bits in St. John’s by the end of the year (ideally, before the tourist season kicks off in the spring).

I’m at the tail end of a freelance project so I’m looking forward to getting back into some painting in the coming days.

Hanging out my shingle

So after nearly four years at my current day job, I’ve decided to return to life as a freelancer. The steady paycheque has been nice but I think freelancing is more in line with the life I want to lead right now. I’m hoping to focus my work on publication design and production as publishing has always been my favourite area to work. My first job was with a book publisher nearly 20 years ago. Over the years I’ve been designing and producing books, magazines, newspapers, CDs and DVD packaging and hope to continue in that vein as a freelancer.

The other benefit to freelancing is that when jobs are scarce, I’ll have lots of time for painting! See the method to my madness? I also have some illustration and cartoon projects in the back of my mind. My hope is that between the freelance and my art-making efforts, I’ll be able to support myself. Seems reasonable, eh?

If not, I expect by the end of the year I’ll have an irritated wife, a drained savings account and a resume that reeks of desperation.

But that won’t happen (he says anxiously).

So, if you’re a regular visitor to this blog, you’ll probably see a lot more activity: more posts, more art, more design projects, and maybe a little more of a push to sell my work.

The pic above is of my fancy new cards from moo.com. No, I’m not on commission. I just don’t mind pushing a company that does such nice work for such a great price. Thirty bucks for 50 cards, great stock, nice finish and delivered quickly. I just got the 50 because I’m not settled on a “look” yet... I put this one together in a hurry to make sure I had cards before the day job finished.

Wish me luck!

Oh and if you're are in the market for design work, inquire within. (my bio at right has an email link)

Nurse Jane Goes To Hawaii

This is the show poster I designed for the next Nothing On Productions play opening at the end of the month. I don’t normally post design work on the blog but the director is my wife -- I think I’m contractually obligated.

As you might be able to tell from the poster design, I really wanted to make silkscreen posters for the show. Sadly, due to my complete lack of silkscreening equipment, training, experience and knowledge, I could not. Pixels it is.

Nurse Jane is a farce comedy and, if their previous shows are any indication, it will be a two-hour belly laugh. If you’re in St. John’s, check it out.

Here’s the blurb from the Arts and Culture Centre website (where, by chance, you can also purchase tickets):

"When Vivian Bliss, writer of Harlequin Romance novels, comes to spend a romantic weekend with respectably married school teacher Edgar Chisholm, she starts a train of events which involves all the classic elements of farce; confused identities, disguise, long lost relatives, ambushes, chases, and glorious mayhem. This entertaining farce in two acts by Allan Stratton, where every time the doorbell rings disaster walks in, is full of bright characters and situations that will keep you guessing and laughing till the curtain falls. 

"Nothing On Productions second project features Janet McDonald, Sharon King-Campbell, Glenn Gaulton, Chris Panting, Diana Jones, Rob Kean and Janet Edmonds. Directed by Janet O'Reilly and produced by Katherine Elliott, the show runs from May 31st to June 2nd."

Young Doctors In Love CD

I don't normally use this space to promote my freelance work but this is a special case.

My buddy Clay, one of my oldest friends, will be releasing a CD next month with his band Young Doctors In Love. I had the pleasure to work on the design with him so I though I'd share it and give people a chance to visit their MySpace page to hear a few tracks. They've got a fantastic pop-rock sound... very catchy stuff!

New web site

I've been busy the last few weeks looking for work and applying for jobs... hence the absence from the blog. I launched a new portfolio site for myself this morning. I've been out of the loop in terms of web design for a number of years so it took considerable time to reacquaint myself with the process. I'm fairly happy with it but I'd like to find a better way to present the thumbnails. But that's the nice thing about web sites... they're always a work in progress. Feedback, as always, is appreciated.