Hibernation Mode

I'm glad (yes glad) to report that Tiktaalik will be shutting down for the remainder of January and all of February. While the prospect of not making any new art for a month is unsatisfying, the reason why gives me great pleasure. My absence from this blog is due to my temporary relocation to South America.
I hope to come back with all sorts of new inspiration, the likes of which could lead to many future blog entries on Tiktaalik. I will be blogging about the experience with the lovely Nan Allison, at our new, travel-based blog Eyes and Stomachs. Read along if you like, and if not, see you in March!

Scrimshaw

I promised new Scout Books, so here's the font cover. The back cover is still awaiting inking.

Trimetrodon

 

Old Project: T-Rex Scout Books

These aren't new, but they also aren't on my website. Thus, they are perfect for Tiktaalik.
 Printed by the fine folks at Pinball Publishing, these blank-page notebooks with my design are available for the low, low price of $4. They've been a hot item, so I may take a crack at designing another one soon.

The House: in comic form

Two weeks ago marked the last Christmas my family will spend in the house my Dad bought over twenty years ago. With my brother, the youngest, off to college in September it was decided that the time to downsize was nigh. In light of this, my sister commissioned all family and close friends to put their memories of the house to paper in whatever method they saw fit. All pages were collected into a book which we presented to my parents on Christmas Eve. 

Since sentimental prose is not my strong suit, I opted to make the following single-page comic.

Sleepy Hollow Lane is, in fact, where said house resides, though it has no noticeable connection to Washington Irving's. These images are mundane little scenes from around the house that anyone outside the family would not likely recognize, but, since I won't be putting this page to print I thought I'd at least share it on the blog.

First Thursday Reception and Gallery Show for January

Most of you are probably tired of being reminded, but if you haven't heard I'll be at the Sequential Art Gallery in downtown Portland Thursday night, January 6th for an opening reception. I'll be displaying the twelve main illustrations from my book "Cryptozoology: A Pragmatist's Guide." Original art will be for sale as will copies of the book. Hope to see you there.

You’re looking at Tiktaalik.

In brief, Tiktaalik was a prehistoric creature that was a halfway point in the development from fish to amphibians. 375 million years ago, these “fishapods” were a major step forward towards vertebrate life on land. Even though it was equipped with lungs, it’s doubtful that Tiktaalik ever left the water. Its weak limbs likely couldn’t support its whole weight. It was more likely relegated to shallow ponds or rivers, where its limbs helped it climb through detritus and its lungs made for easy breathing in oxygen poor waters.

Tiktaalik is also what I’ve named this blog, which I promise will not about my daily life. There will be no posts about my bad days, or pet photos, it will only be about my artwork. As you may know I have an actual website for the same purpose, but a blog is the most convenient way to present new work and announce upcoming shows and events.

So why name the blog Tiktaalik? Well, at one point, Tiktaalik was the most advanced form of vertebrate life on Earth. In a mere ten million years, however, something more advanced developed, with stronger legs and the ability to walk on land. This blog will not last that long, nor will it make any noticeable impact on evolutionary history. It will, however, present my new work better than the old website did, but it isn’t the final solution. When the time comes, like its namesake, Tiktaalik (the blog) will be replaced with something more advanced.

The idea is to incorporate a blog into the existing website, but making that happen is just not a priority right now. For now, this is it. Just until I get my legs.