blŏg.
Year of the Rabbit
November 23rd, 2011
This has been a lucky year for me.
I'm feeling rather fortunate for all the oppourtunity that's come my way. Two publications and a few
artwork purchases along with interest in designs for other people's crafts has made 2011 something special.
Die Gesichtslosen (The Faceless) has been published in Germany and the reviews are fantastic.
I'm hoping for a translation to come around.
I also got a small mentionin
The Typed Image.
But today I sort of had my mind blown.
This happened.
I entered a contest to help promote Neil Gaiman's "All Hallow's Read" for 2012. Ended up… winning o_0. The resulting heart attack was rather ineteresting. The greatest part is that I'll be receiving a signed copy of The Graveyard Book, first edition. I'd lost my own first edition copy a few months ago after lending it out and then forgetting who I'd lent it to.
I'll get the new site up and running someday.
Oh yes, and a few weeks back this awesomness happened.
Listening To: Mogwai
Reading: Stephen Jobs / Fragile Things
Knives & Paperbacks
August 12th, 2011
My first commercially purchased artwork! Run of 10k come December.
A project for an upcoming fall wedding. Original design was for letterpess, but I found a neat shop that could still do it on a cotton stock.
Finally, sharing the love a bit.
I hunted for ages trying to find a decent sgian dubh to give to my brother for his High School graduation.
He's an excellent snare drummer in our local pipe band and deserved something unique.
After hunting for weeks, I found Comrie Crafts located in Scotland.
James offered exceptional craftsmanship along with very reasonable pricing and exceptional turnaround time.
The knife of choice was a piece made from ancient bogwood with bull horn trim and a molded leather sheath. Photos below because it's just such a beautiful piece.
Happy to say my brother was all but beside himself when he got it. It's now his lucky charm for competitions.
Listening To Gotye - Somebody I Used to Know
Reading Ghost Story - Dresden Files
(I've never really listened to audiobooks, but my roommate has introduced me since she is always listening to them on her way to work.
Currently listening to Changes. The fact that James Marsters does the Dresden audiobooks is amusing, and ads a whole new dimension to the series.)
Publications
So… I'm getting published in
The Typed Image. Comes out in a month :)
Even better news…
Randomhouse has purchased this piece for no small sum. The books comes out in December and the first run will be 10,000 copies. I feel really lucky about this and am pretty damn excited ^^
Listening To Margo and the Nuclear so-and-so's
Reading Furies of Calderon
The Wilderness Downtown
September 1st, 2010
Sooo… this is neat.
Listening To Shut Me Up — Mindless Self Indulgence
Reading World Without End
Vancouver 2010.
August 30th, 2010
Had an amazing time in Vancouver, far too much to write down here.
I'll try and let some of the photos speak for themselves.
(I'm going to admit that this blog/website is becoming a little tiresome to update entirely by hand. Perhaps will look into a blogspot or something.)
In other news… people keep finding me. Here's an example of a leather kilt belt, a generous trade by Greenman Leather. I can't wait for it to arrive!
Watching Cirque Du Soleil vocal auditions
Reading World Without End
Birds, some kids, and an elephant.
July 12th, 2010
Hand healed up nicely, but it looks like I'll have a numb finger for the rest of my days. Worse has happened, but it's really annoying. I find myself hesitating a little when it comes to washing that heavy chef's knife, it gives me cold chills down my spine. Forcing myself to get over that though.
A rather vocal common pigeon. There's always at least one every year.
Windchime from a friend across the pond.
Sunrise on my property.
From a photoshoot done a few weeks ago.
From a screenprinting session, this was my friends design.
I like elephant skin. Acrylic, 2 hrs.
Owl pencil drawing. I dubbed him Ted. About an hour.
Watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 1
Reading How to Train Your Dragon OST
Oops
June 9th, 2010
"Tell it to me straight, doctor... will I ever play the violin again?"
While cooking supper yesterday I made a bad move.
I like to credit myself with fast enough reflexes to catch nearly anything,
but this time it was against me.
Seeing something fall from the dish rack out of the corner of my eye caused
me to grab a heavy, german steel, recently sharpened Chef's knife, thus landing
my with a deep gash between my 4th and 5th finger. The knife hit the floor, I gasped and clasped my hands behind my back (for some reason), and I could hear the blood hitting the kitchen floor immediately. After a moment of panic and realisation that I owned no First Aid kit, I called my father and he drove me to my hometown hostpital which had me in within 10 minutes.
Several needles and some icky stitches later (have you ever seen the mess that makes? weh),
I'm whole again. Ruined a good hoodie though. However the last finger is still numb on one
side (oddest sensation really). Stupid amount of annoying pain is being managed with some
lovely meds and tea.
Worse has happened to people, but I need a moment to tell the interwebs how I feel…
On the upside, I could get a cool scar.
Oh look, doodles :)
Watching Angel
Reading Hound of the Baskervilles
The Order
April 29th, 2010
My first official shipment to another continent! All the way to Sydney, very exciting stuff. I wish I could shimmy into the tube and get a free trip to Aussie land, hee.
This is really going to help pay for Monty's operation. Poor minou.
Lastly, go see How To Train Your Dragon. Do it. Flying scenes that I rate above Avatar, and dragony adorableness to boot.
Listening To Sunburn - Muse
Reading Changes - Jim Butcher / Fragile Things - Neil Gaiman
Quirky Post
Jan 25th, 2010
I love clientsfromhell. I have also had a smilier situation to this happen to me, as illustrated by The Oatmeal.
i adore Roadkill blog. She was super awesome to send me these for drawing her a cat!
New Art
An ink splatter experiment.
Lyro, the hyena. 2nd prize for the Hybrids contest I hosted on Deviantart.
Listening To Sora - Escaflowne
Reading Zombie Survival Guide/The Phantom Tollbooth
Vampires and Seals
Jan 17th, 2010
Daybreakers Review
So Daybreakers was pretty incredible.
There were some moments in the movie that took themselves so seriously, that some people (including myself) couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Example? *minor spoiler*
(Scene is Ed performing an experimental artificial blood transfusion with a willing vampire patient.
The heads of the company watch from behind glass.
Partway through, the vampire reacts badly, strange mutations and violent boils begin to cover his body.
He thrashes violently, and it looks like Ed and the nurse won't be able to restrain him.
Nurse administers something, and the vampire slowly subsides to being "normal" again.)
Ed: *panting* How do you feel…?
Vampire: *beat* I… uh… I feel… *head suddenly explodes, showering cornstarch-thick blood all over the operating room.
Stunned silence as bits of matter rain down.*
Ed: *covered in blood and brain matter, simply stares in shock*
(end scene)
I'm certain that the ones who produced this movie were well aware that the seriousness of the film was its own comic relief.
Therefore, I found this film to be a fun ride. It's going up there with Zombieland.
New Art
To change the tone, below is a speedpaint from last night.
Not sure how content I am with it yet.
I have other real media pieces, but no scanner right now.
Listening To The Unforgiven
Reading Everything's Eventual
Palulukan ftw
Jan 4th, 2010
hola,
I got the chance to see Avatar for the second time tonight, and figured I'd put my thoughts down on it. Here goes.
It's bloody amazing, and I don't care what anyone says.
That being said, yes it has some minor plot issues and it's really Pocahontas in space, but you can't deny the eye candy.
It's brilliantly put together, and I've found that the nay-sayers are really just being being overly picky, just trying to bring down a movie that is incredible.
Oh, and there were dragons. Those were a plus.
A quick though, movie-to-pirated-copies may go the way of the dinosaurs if stereoscopic filming becomes the norm.
Unless you get a direct normal copy, which I may or may not have.
Probably going to see Daybreakers
tomorrow, which i hope will redeem what people have been calling "bubblegum vampire" phase.
Been wanting to see this one since we saw the preview about two months back.
In the words of my boss, we need them back "dark, dirty and thirsty".
I have high hopes, and the song for the preview really made it.
New Art
Listening To Sea Legs - The Shins
¿Qué Pasa Contigo?
Dec 8th, 2009
Updates halted a bit until I figure out some blog coding (good God I can't even remember the name… so damn tired).
Something that I can keep better track of and update more easily. Maybe even start an art blog live I've been wanting to.
Below is a typography experiment. Something inspired a bit by Si Scott.
My typography skills have always been pretty poor, but I'm hoping to change that.
Being in the real world has already sculpted my skills for the better. More drawings to come soon as well.
Also, I've lapsed back into Gorillaz. Ths happens every few months…
Stared poking through "Rise of the Ogre", and before I knew it I had all my old CDs out again. Love the music, and when rap bits come about they're at least half decent and bearable. All the rest makes up for it.
Above piece is inspired by "Qué Pasa Contigo?", which I didn't even know of until I bought Demon Days - Live at Manchester.
( Wordpress! That's the bastard. Knew it would come to me.)
Lastly, but not least(ly), Brogan, the latest Hybrid adition. This is a sign that I need to stray from the canines.
I leave you with some 2D.
Listening To November Has Come - Gorillaz
Reading Weirdstone
Carnival and Ink
Nov 29th, 2009
New Carnivàle section HERE. :) Also, new ink image below.
Watching November Has Come - Gorillaz
Reading Weirdstone
Graveyard Section
Nov 25th, 2009
I've come to discover that it's near impossible to code after 9pm. Who knew. Gravyard section is now up HERE.
Also, anaemia has snuck up on me like the bastard it is (again). I feel that it's going to take me a little bit to get back on track agian. Huzzah.
Also, if anyone knows how to make comments sections for websites, please contact me at design@agiroux.com.
Cheerio,
Ali
Music Cruxshadows
Reading Diddly… need a book
Nothing Exceptional
Nov 18th, 2009
Tada, it's DONE. Sadly spent about twice the amount of time on it as Lady Autumn, and am half as happy over it. Ah well.
Suddenly addicted to a quirky new webcomic about a paranormal investigator. Check it out! I wish I could just settle on a drawing style and someday be as awesome as this.
Lastly, after getting tired of all the "Team Edward" and "Team what's-his-names" shirts all over the place, I made an MSN icon for Amanda and I. Just for giggles.
