Been a busy last couple of weeks; I was in Las Vegas for the GAMA Trade Show representing Steve Jackson Games. I’m on deadline as well; one project is for a game and the other is editing-related. I’ve been a bit… disgruntled? Kerfluffled? Irate? Why? Well, this word begins with “P” and doesn’t rhyme with Poole. In a word — politics. Problem is, I went back and read some of my other “Can I even try to make sense out of these rants?” posts and I felt I was being too negative and pretty weak. The news and subsequent rants got the better of me and my mood to the point where it was counterproductive. So, to remedy this, I took some time off from my deadlines this weekend for sanity purposes and dove back into art. The fastest way to boost my mood is to simply create. Simply… be.

I have a few toys I want to paint with more intricate designs; a blank My Little Cthulhu and a larger Munny. To ramp up my skills, though, I wanted to paint some less expensive figures.

I opted to go with an iteration of Frankenberry instead of a regular Frankenstein because it’s not Halloween. Hah. This was a small kit I had on hand produced by RoseArt. The body and head are hollow; the arms articulate. After New York Toy Fair and my visit to the Funko booth, Frankenberry was stuck in my head.

I used a medium viscosity paint, which is why you can see the brush strokes. Found out that to have more of a glazed/professional look, you’d have to either use spray paint, craft paint, or I’d have to thin and blend the paint I have. The detail was actually painted, though I cheated on one side and used a Sharpy. Definitely doing that again, though I found some Sharpy paint markers that will do a better job.

Since I knew the brush strokes were going to be an issue, I incorporated them into the second figure, which was a cat. I used a dry brush technique after blending and mixing several shades of blue-green and black. The shine you see on the head occurs in low light, too. As part of the glaze, I used a silver paint and then covered it with a medium gloss.

All in all, it was fun to make a mess, and it’s given me that burst of inspiration to simply go forth and doooooo…

Mood: At peace.
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: About three or four today.
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Walk
Yesterday’s Projects: What you see here, game.
In My Ears: Kaena: The Prophecy
Game Last Played: Final Fantasy XIII-2
Movie Last Viewed: Kaena: The Prophecy
Book Last Read: [Redacted.]
Latest Artistic Project: STILL been too long. Suckage.
Latest Release: Strange, Dead Love for Vampire: the Requiem

If Douglas Adams were alive today, he would have been sixty years old. When he passed, he was only 49. I never met him, but The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy has delighted me over and over and over again for many years. It’s impossible to encapsulate why I’ll gladly cart a towel around on May 25th or how I’ll be thrilled to (when the time comes, mind you) celebrate my 42nd birthday, but I’ll give it my best shot.

Humor is one of the most challenging forms to write; satire doubly so. Hitchhiker’s takes everything I love about what science fiction can be and pokes fun at it in a non-insulting way. I wish I had an ounce of that ability! Instead, I enjoy the work for time immeasurable and occasionally write my own bits of bad poetry.

Happy Birthday, Douglas! And thank you!

Mood: Rested.
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Working on it.
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: I came. I saw. I walked for jerk burgers.
Yesterday’s Projects: Game
In My Ears: BBC Radio
Game Last Played: Grepolis BASTARDS!
Movie Last Viewed: Jurassic Park
Book Last Read: [Redacted]
Latest Artistic Project: [Blank]
Latest Release: Strange, Dead Love for Vampire: the Requiem

I was in a pretty foul mood yesterday in part because I figured out what’s wrong with Argentum, the novel I’m working on. It’s too complicated. Seriously. The layers of mystery, symbolism, characterization, and setting caused this first book to read like a Dickens novel on steroids. It is five books crammed into one and I know why I did it. Because I was afraid that I’d only write the first book and then WHAM! that’d be it. End of discussion. Move on to something else. Abandon this child. Stabby Stabby.

Sigh. You get the point.

Ah, well. Time to get crackin’ and unravel these plots. Goals aren’t going to achieve themselves! Also, caffeine withdrawal suuuuuuuuccckkkkssss…

Mood: Motivation, station
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: Withdrawal. Sucks. Seriously.
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Quick walk
Yesterday’s Projects: Mostly day job
In My Ears: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Game Last Played: Final Fantasy XIII-2
Movie Last Viewed: Not sure…
Book Last Read: [Redacted.]
Latest Artistic Project: STILL been too long. Suckage.
Latest Release: Strange, Dead Love for Vampire: the Requiem

I wish I could bring myself to write pages and pages about how I feel about the current assault on women’s reproductive rights and sexuality, and the bullying tactics used the world over to shock-and-awe us, but I just can’t. So instead, I will try to simplify how I feel by saying:

Picture a woman. Focus on her face, her body, her clothing. What does she look like? What color is her skin? Her eyes? What are the first words out of her month?

Now, clear your mind.

Picture a strong woman. Who is she? Hold old is she? Can you describe her appearance? What does she say?

Repeat the exercise for a sexy woman. An intelligent one.

Are these women the same? They should be, because they are.

Mood: It’s early yet. Wait until I wake up.
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: A cup. Sadly. ONLY a cup.
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Quick walk
Yesterday’s Projects: Mostly day job
In My Ears: Rumour Has it by Adele
Game Last Played: Final Fantasy XIII-2
Movie Last Viewed: Dr. Who ZOMG
Book Last Read: [Redacted]
Latest Artistic Project: Been too long. Suckage.
Latest Release: Strange, Dead Love for Vampire: the Requiem

There are certain bands that are comfort food to my ears. Metallica happens to be one of them. Now, I like a lot of different kinds of music, but I have a *ton* of respect for any band who can do what they do acoustically without all the bells and whistles, the smoke and the stage. To me, Metallica is an icon of metal who still evokes emotion and, in my case, a series of visuals whenever I hear their music. They have a breadth and depth to their songwriting; I, for one, hate the comments that they’re betraying their roots. Music, like art, shifts over time. It’s the sign of versatility when any musician can weather the storm of performance after performance by experimenting with something new.

Every time I listen or sing “The Unforgiven” I think of Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings. Seriously. You’re blessed with long life, but you grow up completely ostracized, understanding that one guy made a mistake ages ago, and you’re entirely family line has been cursed ever since by something you didn’t even do. Before you can talk or walk or defend yourself, you have the weight of an ancestor’s sin bearing down upon you.

Author Gary Weller then said: “and “Sad But True” is for any Ringbearer (past or present).” Absolutely. I mean, if you listen to the lyrics you can hear the One Ring speaking to Frodo.

So on that note and a series of electric guitar twaaaaaaangs, here is my Metallica playlist for some characters from Lord of the Rings:

Mood: Um… Check back later.
Caffeinated Beverages Consumed: NOT ENOUGH.
Work-Out Minutes Logged Yesterday: Walkin’ and Easin’ On Down the Road.
Yesterday’s Projects: Non-fiction. PHOOEY.
In My Ears: King Nothing by Metallica
Game Last Played: Grepolis
Movie Last Viewed: Hrmmm…
Book Last Read: Double hrmmm… The words… They melt together…
Latest Artistic Project: Crystal cluster bracelet in silver
Latest Release: Strange, Dead Love for Vampire: the Requiem