In a rush...

Since I'm heading off to Chicago for a few days – and then after I get back have a mere 10 days before I toddle off to Wichita for a month – I'm working hard at getting some art done. The major projects are two collections of promotional logos for theatres – one localish and one in Seattle. My goal is to get finalish versions done and sent off for approval before I go, so that in the time after Chicago, I can make adjustments and hone the final art. That would leave my crazy Wichita schedule free of deadlines. We'll see what happens, but I'm giving it a good try.

The audition I mentioned in the last post didn't work out in my favor. Among whatever reasons it didn't happen... I'm too short for the mix of the cast. Ah well. That's the biz. Disappointing but understandable. On to the next thing.

So here I go... back to the illustrations on my light board. Wish me productivity! Peace and love, y'all.

Life, continued...

Hi all! I'm happy to say that whatever had me illin' since Saturday is on its way out. Just the phlegm remains. TMI? Anyhoo... It's amazing how working on a show, especially one with such a concentrated schedule, can alter the normal routine. Li'l Abner was so much fun, but now I have to dive into all the stuff that's been waiting for me whilst I was away...

I'm deep into work on various illustration jobs – a family portrait for some lovely folks who earned my ink in a charity auction, a comic/coloring book follow up to my previous Green Riverside project, and a coloring book design for a bus company. I also have a party caricature gig coming up on Saturday which will be fun. The Squigs is busy and that's a good thing.

It's also time for catching up on things that aren't as much fun. I went to the dentist yesterday. Ugh. I had to get a little work done so I ended up numb then sore. So, going with the flow I set up my tax appointment. It's time to pile all the unpleasant routine stuff into a giant bandaid and rip it off at once. "Ouch" now. "Ah" later.

But to counteract the "ouch", I gots plans. In the near future, I'm going to catch a few shows with friends – Watkins Family Hour at Largo tonight, Punch Brothers at The Troubadour next week, and the Elvis-y musical All Shook Up at MTW soon thereafter. And in a few weeks I'm happy to say that I'll be visiting the Bro and his family in Minnesota. The niece and nephew are growing up so fast, and I've got to drop in for a play date.

Well, that's a heck of an update for now. Take care, all. Peace and love.

Sniffly post-show recap.

Yes, Li'l Abner is a memory, a series of really fun memories. Check out my illustrated impressions of the show here. It's a bit of a departure from my usual work, inspired by the comic strip roots of the show. I really like how it turned out, and my peeps seemed to think so too.

I'll miss the gang and the shenanigans. While I had a great time, the last couple days were spent at the mercy of a bout with the flu, and I'm still recovering. This flu thing is a super bummer – the worst I've felt in years. I've been sniffly, cough-y, ache-y, and moody. Ugh. But I'd like to think things are looking up from here. Still, I think I'm going back to bed.

We're open!

Li'l Abner opened at Reprise! last night. It went rather well and folks seemed to really enjoy it. If you want to see a video feature on the show (including a little show footage) meander on over to BroadwayWorld.Com.

It's great to have the show open for a number of reasons, one being that my schedule opens up considerably. Weekdays are mostly mine again (although we do have an understudy put-in rehearsal tomorrow). I have a bit of illustration stacked up – another fun green education project, a sketch of the Abner show, and an endless stack of work on my own projects. I'm loving being able to dive back into the sketching while visiting Dogpatch in the evenings and on weekends.

That's all for now, folks. Take care! Peace and love.

I'm swamped.

Rehearsals are going very well, but the days are long. We have four days of what's referred to in theatre lingo as "10 of 12"s. That is, we are committed to the theatre for 12 hours each of these days, broken up by a two-hour dinner break... long rehearsal days that alternate in bursts of energetic performance and periods of standing and waiting while other parts of the collaborative process are focused, adjusted, spiked, etc. (sometimes the waiting times are the more draining parts of the day). In the little photo above is me and my cohorts, Ray Garcia and Lou Becker (photo by Larry Cedar). We have our "sitzprobe" tomorrow morning at 10. This is when we first sing with the orchestra so that will be fun. Then we gradually add costumes and makeup and all that craziness. Final dress rehearsal Monday. Preview Tuesday. Big opening night Wednesday.

And of course I've committed to a commissioned illustration in the midst of this crazy week. I can't divulge the details yet, but I've got to get it done by this weekend. So I'm trying my darndest to get the inking phase done tonight so I can get everything scanned into the ol' computer. I'll spend my down time at the theatre tomorrow to complete the layout and get it all set for printing. Tomorrow night will find me at Kinko's completing my project. It's a fun piece and I'm SO thankful to be doing it for a number of reasons, but I'm working my butt off.

Well, I'd best be prying myself off of Blogger and get back to inking. Take care, all!

At a "stopping" point...

Hey gang... We came together for our "designer runthrough" today which marked the end of our time at the rehearsal hall. We're off tomorrow and reconvene at the theatre on Tuesday. Things are going great, but while some might be enjoying the day off tomorrow, I'll be toiling away at the drawing board. But I love my work. See you all on the other side.

I'm currently working on the logo for an off-Broadway show. Then I dive into a sketch of a show that's playing locally, and I do a little illustration jig for Green Riverside. Somewhere in there I create a memento for my beloved Li'l Abner teammates. Lots of art. Lots of love.

Well, I've gotta get some beauty sleep. Take care, all! Peace & love!

Rainin' in Dogpatch U.S.A.

Wow! Has it been soggy here in So Cal or what!? There's one spot in the rehearsal hall that has a little folded towel to catch some drips, but that is nothing compared to the gushing gutters and huge puddles that make driving a bit of an obstacle course. I'm happy my commute is only a few miles (for now).

Li'l Abner is pluggin' right along. It's a deceptively dense show with lots of ensemble interaction, so the days sometimes feel like we're hackin' away at the underbrush. But it's a fantastic group of folks and I'm having a great time. Thank heavens our creative staff and everyone is on the ball.

One little surprise for me is that I'm a part of the dancing ensemble a couple times during the show. In the Sadie Hawkins Day number in particular I'm lifting a girl and boogiein' all over the place. I'm thinking about buying a dance belt and leg warmers.

And more artwork keeps pouring in. I'm working on a logo illustration for a show that's opening soon off-Broadway. This is a rush job, so my down time will be work time. Thank goodness this work load doesn't include Chicago lifts or attitude pirouettes. And I also possibly have a caricature commission in the works which is becoming more and more of a rush job as I wait for photo reference. Hope this one works out. Add it all to the fun Riverside project and I've got a nice work load over the next few weeks. I'm happily busy and grateful.

Oh! Before I wrap this up, here's something exciting for me... Last autumn I drew a sketch of actress Amy Ryan (as commissioned by friend David Quinn). She sent the loveliest note, and I've been wanting to post it, but now – since she received an Oscar nom – I'm just bustin' to show you. She's just fantastic. See her lovely gesture here.

Well, I've got to go run some music stuff and do some sketching. Peace and love, y'all!

Escape before heading to the back woods.

Some explanation... I'm starting rehearsals for Li'l Abner at Los Angeles musical theatre company, Reprise, on Friday. So after getting in some last minute inking time tomorrow morning, I'll load up the laptop with work and venture south. I know I just got back from holiday, but this is a little different. You know how you have those places that just allow you to relax. I was fortunate to get some of that over the holidays, and now I'm hitting up the local escapes.

I'm looking forward to Li'l Abner. Sounds like a fun cast of old friends and a comedy legend or two. Can't wait to play!

Well, I've got to get to inking if I'm going to venture out in good conscience. Take care, all. Peace & love in 2008! Go get 'em!