Frustrating work in progress

I've been toying around with this painting for a while now and it's been giving me all sorts of trouble. I think it's almost done, but am not quite sure what else I need to do to it for it to feel finished.

Puppets!

As promised, here are some pictures of the puppets I've been working on. This is my kitty, he's also a little bit like a sea monster. Base coat is on, still needs a lot of detail work. I also ended up having to add in a few extra leg joints, so he's still very much a work in progress. I'm really excited that quinacridone magenta is starting to creep its way back into my color palette. I got myself pretty burned out on it a few years ago (it's an intense color and tends to dominate any and every other paint it's mixed with), but I love how crazy saturated it looks and have been trying to find a way to reintroduce it in my work.

This is how the puppet is put together on the back. Bill figured out most of the logistics in terms of where to put the joints, and he had the brilliant idea to use rubber bands as springs so the limbs spring back into position. The joints are made with 2mm machine screws, and the strings are routed through really tiny eyelets. Detail of joints. Here's another puppet in progress. Not sure how I'm going to paint this one, still undecided as to whether Mr. Chicken will be wearing a dapper vest/costume, or just have feathers. I also have no idea what I'm making these for, I figure once we have enough put together, a puppet show will more or less write itself.
Also, here's a work in progress shot of a big piece I'm working on. I'm really excited about these sea monster kitty creatures that seems to be making their way into my work!

Come to our Backyard Spectacular!

I've been working on all sorts of things of late, I have just been neglecting to take any pictures of my projects. I promise I will post pictures soon, I've been making puppets! I have a mostly completed sea monster kitty, a gessoed and ready to paint chicken, and a rhinoceros in progress. I am having some trouble with the rhino because every time I try to draw his face he ends up looking like a triceratops. Which, I guess, is actually pretty damn close to a rhino. Anyways, I'm sure I'll work it out somehow.
But today I am posting to show you the flier I made last night. If you live in the Seattle area, do come on over for our Backyard Spectacular. My friend Teddy wrote an awesome play, and we'll be performing it at dusk for your viewing pleasure. I was going for an Edward Gorey theme in this poster, but I think that's pretty self evident. A special thanks to this guy who made the awesome Gorey font! I've always admired Gorey's handwriting.

Just plain ink

I don't have any big deadlines or shows coming up, so I've been putzing around on a few random things here and there. I just finished this ink piece and it was really nice to work with a pen on something I never had any intention of coloring. Don't get me wrong, I love painting, but I also really love the level on control that a pen affords.

A few pictures from my trip

Cloud forest after a very vertical hike.
Really ugly duck. We asked the owners why they kept them (they're grumpy and not tasty), and they said, "For breeding," and then we asked, "Er, but why would you want more?" And they didn't really have a good answer. They wiggle their butts when they're aggressive.
These swimming holes are pools formed by a hydroelectric dam, I just jumped off the waterfall, you can kinda see my feet sticking out of the water.
Bill and me drenched after trekking through waterfalls.

Sketchy suspension bridge. We met a vietnam vet here who was driving an old 1940's jeep, he had a bottle opener mounted on the dashboard of his card and even though it was maybe 11 in the morning, he was too drunk to open his beer. Funny man.
Little doggie topiary sculpture!
These swimming holes are connected by a series of tunnels, you can move in between two different waterfalls by wading through neck high water, and there are a few points where you have to go completely underwater and have faith that there will be enough head space to breath on the other side. Apparently someone dies every handful of years because they go down the wrong tunnel and end up at the dam.
Pretty waterfall.
Hot springs. You had to walk through a cave to get to the springs, it was a bit sketchy because you had to jump over a series of little rocks in the middle of pools of boiling water.

New pieces for Art House Co-op's Scavenger Project

Hey everyone,
I'm back from my travels and have been in the studio working on a series of pieces for Art House Co-Op's Scavenger Project. I also currently have a piece showing at Ghost Gallery through the end of April.

Sorry for the lack of posts, I am in El Salvador eating mangoes and playing in waterfalls

Title pretty much says all. I brought some sketchbooks, but to be perfectly honest I haven{t really drawn a thing, I{ve been too busy sitting in hammocks and eating lots of avocados and jumping in various waterfalls, lakes and beaches. I{ll try to draw tropical things when I get back.