New painting

I finally got around to do a new "stream of consciousness" painting. This time the music inspiring the pen was the album "Qantice". It's a rock, space opera that was then turned into a book, written by Tony Beaufils and Marie Fontaine. The book is in French but the album is in English.

Apparently I never posted the other version of my "Eagles" illustration.

So yes I am working. I'll try to post a bit more regularly.

New website

I am launching a new website today. And I will be doing a prize draw.
You can visit it at www.goupil.ch

Anyone who comments, or "likes" or "+" on this blog, on Goggle+, on Facebook, retweets on Twitter, etc will be taking part in the draw. There will be children books for three winners, books are in French, or in German but you'll be interested in the pictures right?

I'll be drawing the winners this coming Sunday 5th of May so be quick!

Graphic design

As I said a while ago I am concentrating once again on graphic design. I've always dabbled into it but never seriously, so I am back to school, mostly self taught as usual as it fits my other jobs better. I am practising and doing assignements.

Here's a little look into my growing portfolio:

I've done quite a bit of posters, layouts and panels at my other job but never with the proper tools and often working with elements made by other designers. So it's really fun to get my hands into the "ink" (mostly digital these days) and do my own stuff.

In other news I made a new website. I'll be launching it here on Wednesday 1st of May, and there will be a prize draw, so stay tuned!

Music is my life

Actually my latest music review would also belong here, so I'll just point you there: http://musicaldragonlady.blogspot.ch/2013/04/avantasia-pratteln-14th-april-2013.html

There still is time

The book project I am running with my parents is still ongoing and you can still order books. http://dragonladych.blogspot.ch/2012/10/pre-orders.html

So far we've once again raised about 1000.- Swiss Francs (approx 1000.-$ or 820.- €) which is very pleasing given that it's the second time we ask some of the same people to help.

On the 25th of June we'll have the little ceremony where we hand the money over to the director of the youth centre, it will help them to finance one of their educational trips.

Is this the Twilight Zone?

No this isn't about vampires who glow in the dark or whatever.
 

You know how in my previous post I was telling I need to get organised? I meant this both in time and space.

As often happens when something is on your mind, I’ve been stumbling on a lot of blogs about just this. How to isolate yourself from whatever distractions there are and get to work. http://windling.typepad.com/blog/2013/03/a-room-of-ones-own.html .

Writers have it slightly easier as it doesn’t take much space for them to work, well, in theory. When you paint it’s a bit harder but doable. But now I also need a “study” where I can do my graphic designing and I am stuck. 

The first step is to be very precise in my scheduling, of course I always end up doing whatever else, but this first step helps me. As a perfectly introverted and a mildly syneasthetic person I need to draw diagrams, I need to see everything in one place.  If I don’t, I’ll spend all my time trying to remember what I am supposed to do, which is not terribly efficient. I need to know exactly what goes where before I start or I end up doing the headless chicken dance.

The other day a tweet from Tommy Henriksen (http://instagram.com/p/XNBOK1CsvU/) reminded me of a habit that I used to have when I first moved in. Writing thoughts all over the walls had a liberating effect. Now, I don’t really feel like doing this anymore, but it gave me an idea. It’s the “blackboard” thing that sparked it.

OK there still are traces of all the frescoes and graffiti that used to cover my walls here:

 That "Yellow Submarine painting was one of the first things I did when I moved in. 

Meanwhile it's a bit overwhelmed by my "Alice Cooper concert memorabilia"

To be honest it was my mum who started this when this place was her studio. She still does it, writing important thoughts on various bits of paper and sticking them the the walls in her studio.

Anyway my mind still started to race. My main problem is that I don’t have a lot of wall space but I think I can manage one surface. I painted two boards and drew some grids in permanent colours, now I can scribble stuff and erase it as I want. I can see more of these boards in various colours, to scribble ideas and keep track of all my projects and move them about as I need to.

Er, yes there is a bit of a general theme in this flat...
At least there is a cat on my desktop. It's "Tiger" my favourite "online cat"

Two rooms to fit in a studio, an office, and leisure time? Plus space to work out? Plan time for three or fours jobs at a time? And still find time for personal art? Is it possible? Stay tuned!

Meanwhile I am off to “Trolls et Légendes” tomorrow so all this will have to wait.

Busy

I'm a little quiet lately. Mostly because I am even busier than usual.

I am going to Mons in Belgium this week end for the "Trolls et Légendes" festival.
I had to choose between this and the Bologna Children Illustration Fair. It would have meant to fly from Bologna to Brussels, all a bit mad.

I wasn't selected at Bologna this time either, which made the decision easier, although it certainly doesn't mean it would be important to go, I just can't be everywhere. It was a thrill just knowing that one of the judges for the Bologna Fair was Etienne Delessert, one of my childhood "heroes" when it comes to illustration.

This may be a good place to remind you that our charity project is still going, it will be closed around the end of May and we'll pass the money on in June. I hope to know more about the project it will be helping, by then.

Hop over here to find out more

I have so many projects on the burner, that it will takes a lot of precise planning. But as often some of these might not happen or will have to wait.
So far I have two books in mind, the one I call "project Circadia" that is turning into a series and will probably take a few more years at this rate!
Another book that I've meant to do for decades now is to illustrate local legends and myths. I plan to do three painting for this, this year.

But I also need to concentrate on my studies and work out a portfolio for this. And I've started to think about a website, it's been a while since I had one.

All in all I am not sure if you'll hear much from me, but don't worry I am still alive.