I suck

So, wow, it's been a while. I have been thinking of re-branding myself and I think it starts here.Yes, here at my blog. The exact thing that I have neglected for years, but let's be honest, I have been neglecting most everything with my brand for years. I have had a great idea and have not "taken advantage" of it for a long time. That is a B.S. way of saying I have not handled my shit well. Like anyone, I am always looking for ways to improve myself. The unfortunate reality is that some traits are inherent. I work better under deadlines, or duress. I feel that that is when my creativity is running at it's optimal level. These are qualities that can be looked at as a positive, but I view them as negative. I wish I had the drive to finish things before I needed to. I wish I didn't have to explain why things weren't done. Which brings me to the "re-branding". I am hoping to change the way I do things and get them back to the original idea that I had (plus a few changes). I a\was always looking to do "limited runs" of characters. For pieces like Batman, I kow that this isn't a reality. However for pieces like the charaters from Sandman I am looking to do a limited run of only 10 pieces. This is simply because there are too many characters to try and wrap my head around. Also, this makes the collectibility a little bit higher. This does not in any way change how I feel about commission work. I am always open for doing whatever!!!! In addition, I am also starting an art video podcast with a friend of mine, where we will be discussing a comic from our past that has influnced us. I will be doing a carving from that particuar series and my friend, Matt Terry will be painting it as we discuss our feelings about the book. This is an exciting time for me and cannot wait to have a local Charlotte artist paint my carvings. I always hoped that I could carve superhero "blanks" and see what local artists could do with them. I have a renewed sense with my pieces and am ready to get started on new horizons. Also I have a great story idea that I am fleshing out so Jason Latour, Watch out!! I hope you will be doing the art on MY Book.

3 years?!?

Wow! Three whole years since the last blog. What does one talk about after a three year absence? Well, wood carved superhero heads, of course! I had taken some time off to recollect myself and "find" my voice again. I had decided in January to get back on the carving horse and got a table at this year's HeroesCon. In true Dan fashion, I had decided to keep telling myself that I had plenty of time to get ready so tomorrow would be a good time to start. And tomorrow came, and tomorrow came and..well, you get the idea. A month before is when I proverbially shit my pants and got to it. Well under a few sleep deprived nights I believe that I made some of my best pieces. I might not have had the sheer numbers of pieces that I would have hoped for, I had some of the best pieces that I had ever done. I rolled into Heroes with some new-found energy and it was a GREAT show. I met so many great people and sold pieces to people that seemed to be really into what I was doing. It definitely invigorated me. So much so, that it has brought me back here after a three year absence. I am going to attempt to continue on with the blog this time...TRY. I sometimes find it difficult to keep up with things like blogging or other avenues of self promotion, but I am really going to try. It might not be daily or weekly, but it should be more than every three years. It is a short entry, but it has been awhile. It is something that I have missed and look forward to doing more often. Pictures of HeroesCon will be up next!!!!

Saga Gift

My wife sent me a picture of a package that I received in the mail today. Of course I couldn't see what the hell it was due to the crappiness of my phone. She informed me via smoke signal, that it was from Brian K. Vaughn. It held inside it's slightly worn and mishandled manila packaging, my winnings!!!! For those of you who are not aware of how or what I won, here is the quick rundown: Boy likes comic called Saga, Boy carve a figure of Marko, Boy send to creator, Boy shits pants when creator features Boy's carving in comic, Boy gets stuff sent to him from creator.
I carefully opened the package so as not to damage it just in case I want to frame the packge later. I carefully slid out the contents to reveal exactly what he said I would be receiving. It contained a shoestring(white), an expired pass to the Universal Studios Halloween event(expired), a signed kick-ass promo poster for the comic Saga, and a hard cover compy of his Doctor Stange graphic novel(en espanol) that had an incredible inscription on the inside.
I wanted to comment on how creators like Brian are why comics continue to be the best form of art or literature. The creators of these books are more times than not, like you and me. Everyday people that have found a passion to create and are so appreciative of those that support that passion. Thank you Brian for keeping comics not only just about spandex and massive breasts!

Helmets

This post has nothing to do with wood but rather another part of my life that I take seriously, cycling. By cycling, I mean riding around. I am not meaning wearing spandex and going full bore like a crazy person trying to get a good burn. However you look at cycling there is one constant, helmets. I am such a supporter of wearing helmets and this leads me to a consistent pet peeve of mine.
How many times do we see a family riding down the street and only the kids are wearing helmets? At what point do you find yourself too cool to avoid brain damage? I find it hard to believe that you would tell your child that they would have to wear a helmet while you would not even think to do so yourself. Have we become so vain that we would rather not look "nerdy" to our friends? Most bicycle deaths can be related to not wearing a helmet. In 2009, 91 percent of bicycle deaths were of people not wearing a helmet. I am sure that your children would rather have you around than know that you didn't look like a dork when you got into an accident.
Can we put aside trying to look good for people we know, and instead focus on being safe for our own family?

Plactic Man Done

I finished him up yesterday and am wicked happy with how it turned out. Here is a picture. He will be available for purchase as well!

Plastic Man Based

I had thought that I had posted a picture of this last week, but I guess I didn't. Here is Plastic Man with a base coat of which colors I am going to use. I do this just so I can make sure that everything looks right and I know which direction I am heading.

To be honest,this is one of the more satisfying characters I have done. I will unfortunately be leaving town for a little bit and won't be able to finish painting til next week.

Transmetropolitan #43

Great cover by a fantastic artist. John Cassaday really makes this cover pop. Enjoy!

Plastic Man Primed

Here is the old chap, primed and ready for paint. I am hoping to put up pictures of him with a base coat by Thursday. Sorry for the short post but we just got the DVD of Hunger Games and I must watch!!!!

Thor #353

I am thinking that it might be fun on Fridays to share a favorite comic book cover from my past. We will start with the first comic series that I started reading, the Mighty Thor. This was done by the imcomparable Walter Simonson. Enjoy!!!

Plastic Man take 4

Been keeping at it and have a few more pictures to show the progress. I have gotten the basic shape completed and have carved out a few features. I will be now be spending more time on his shirt and giving more definition to his facial features. This part can take a wee bit longer than just cutting away on the general shape.

Bad Comics

So today is Wednesday. A day typically filled with amazement and wonder. It is the summit of the week, a day closer to my weekly podcast with some buds, and of course, new comics. I will have to say that I only had one comic come out today that I had wanted to pick up. Pretty good for me. This means that I am not over-spending and that I have trimmed the fat off of my monthly read list.
This brings me to my point for today. We all have comics that we absolutely love and look forward to reading each month, but what about those comics that get pushed to the bottom of the "must-read" pile? Why are those comics still being purchased? I have no clear answer due to the fact that I have one of those books that I spend my money on every single month. I would be better of by saving that $3 or by throwing it out the window on the drive to the comic shop. My comic? Green Arrow. Just typing the name fills me with mixed emotions. Longing for the days when I enjoyed reading this title and now wanting to gouge my eyeballs out with a grapefruit spoon as I read the current issues.
So why do we as comic readers continue to put ourselves through this pain? Could it be that we actually like complaining about every single panel and scrutinizing every word? I like to think that we are stuck on how things used to be or that we don't want to miss it when it gets better. It is for all of these reasons that I continue on with the crappiest book on the market. Painful reading? Check. Hate the artwork and writing? Check. Missing the "glory days"? Check. Preparing for the dawning of a great run? To be honest,I do not care if it ever gets better. DC will be guaranteed my 3 bucks every month without fail. That is until they decide to cancel the book and then I can bitch about how the "MAN" got rid of the one character that I truly connected with.
What are the books that you read that you no longer enjoy? Don't be embarrassed, we all have them.

Plastic man Part 3

I had planned on getting more done than what I have, but that's the way it goes. I have a pic of the progress and must admit that this was not turning out the way that I had pictured it in my head. It is slowly starting to turn around and I am now seeing where I am heading. Does that make any sense at all? Here it is.

I hope to have more pictures later this week!!

Plastic Man day 2

I did not get much of a chance to work on this today. That darn job kept getting in the way. Oh well, Rome wasn't built in a day and Plastic Man doesn't get carved that quickly either. I also did not realize how much wood I have to remove to get the full effect that I want. Here is how he looks today.

I have to look at it from the angle that this is what I wanted. I no longer wanted to spend all of my time doing pieces that take me a couple of days to complete, but rather something that will take me a couple of weeks. i will continue to chip away and keep posting my updates. I am super excited about how it looks in my head!

A Bit Stretchy

I have bought a new piece of giant wood and would like to show it to you.

Bam! There it is. For some reason lately, I love to show the before picture. It is so purty before I start going after it with a knife. I have been feeling as though I have become tapped as to which characters I have left to do that I actually like. (No, I am pretty sure I am not going to do Captain America.) I had reached out to a bud for some help in picking the next piece. While he came up with some fantastic picks, (Cerebus, Thanos, and the Crow) I had already decided what it will be. Drumroll please.......

That's right!!!! Strech Armstrong!! Wait, nope. That's not right. It is of course Plastic Man! Everyone's favorite guy who can...stretch? I have no idea what made me think of Plastic Man, but I am pretty sure it will be a fun time trying to put him into wood form.
What I am wondering is what is his deal? I know he can stretch, but what else can he do? Where did he get his powers from? I know I can look it up on the internet but wher is the fun in that? Please let me know if you have any information on the enigma known as PLASTIC MAN!

Hawkeye Done

Well, here it is. I have finally finished the huge Hawkeye that I was working on. I would also like to state that I did not wait for the release of these photos to coincide with the release of the new Hawkeye series by Matt Fraction and David Aja. i do have to say that when I was reading the synopsis of the new series, it had refered to Hawkeye as " The breakout star of this summer's blockbuster AVENGERS film". Really???? For me it was the Hulk. Breakout star? Hawkeye? Eh, I guess they have to try and pump up their comic. Anyhoo, here is a picture that I took on my not-so-high-tech phone. My wife was not available to use her fancy camera. Yes, the camera that I am not allowed to touch and also the camera that I do not know how to hook up to the computer to get the pictures off of it.
Here is the front view.

This photo was taken next to the normal size characters that I typically do. I did this to show the absolute hugeness of Hawkeye.

So now that I have this one done, I have to think of the next big one to do. I was thinking Black Panther or maybe Iron Man. My wife said no to Iron Man since I have done him before. Maybe she is right. I guess that I will have to find some new characters to do. And no, I am not going to do Captain America.

John, I hardly knew ya

I am staring at loads of unfinished projects. Wood to be carved and carved wood to be painted. Why have I been idle? It is all do to being reunited with an old flame. I have fallen again for a man that I previously had a monthly relationship with. Here is a picture of him.

Yep. My main man John Constantine. For some strange reason, I had stopped reading Hellblazer many years ago. Due to unfortunate events, I had decided to watch the movie again. Yes, the one with the guy from Point Break not named Swazye. For as much as I had been upset at the fact that Reeves was cast as a British con-man, I loved the movie! After watching the movie again, I had started to think about the comic. What happened to John? Why did I stop reading it? Why am I am asking so many questions to myself? I got off my arse and got to picking up some back issues. Actually that is not completely true. I stayed firmly planted on my arse as I looked for back issues on the computer.
I have been re-reading old issues and have started to read the newer issue. I feel that my comic reading has taken a turn for the best. I have been wondering what I had been missing from my monthly list. Now I know. John, we are stuck with each other. Deal with it!

Saga #5

Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Folks, it has happened! I am so excited and it has been killing me for days. I have been wanting to write this blog since last week, but according to a woman that I live with, one does not "blog" on the weekend. Apparently, no one reads blogs on Friday and Saturday night. I am assuming that this is due to people being out and about and not at home in front of their computer. I can find it difficult to think this way for the simple fact that on the weekend, that is exactly where I am.

Months ago I had posted a picture and explanation of a carving I did for the comic Saga by Brian K. Vaughn. It had taken months to hear back and it was completely worth it. I have been given the dubious honor of being the winner of some swag from the Almighty Prize Drawer!

The free stuff(which includes a white shoelace and an expired pass to a Halloween event at Universal Studios) is great and I will always cherish it, but it was the kid words that Mr. Vaughn had given me. First off he called me a sculptor. He then went on to call the carving "impossibly cool". It is times like this that keep one's creative juices going. It is always nice to get kind words from someone that you look up to.

While I am wicked pumped that this has happened to me, it would be even better if you checked it out for yourselves. That is Saga issue #5. You should be reading it anyway!

One last thing...I GOT PUBLISHED IN A COMIC BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Selling Wood

My wife and I were having a conversation about art and how one goes about pricing said art. As usual, I have a difference of opinion about this subject. It is probably due to the fact that first, I do not make a living off of art. Second, I do not consider what I do as art.
I don't get what makes someone's art better or even "worth" more than another individual's. Again, I don't consider what I do as art but rather I have found an outlet for me to pay homage to a form of art that I have loved for decades. Aargh! I am having a difficult time trying to get my point out of head. I guess it is this: I am under the impression that we do art(or craft or have a hobby) for ourselves. I am not sure that I have looked at what I do and get overly concerned whether someone else is going to like it.(although, I love it when I get good feedback!!!!) I am kind of thinking that my work is worth the cost of materials and a smidge more for the cost of band-aids and a little for time. Honestly, if someone expresses interest in something that I did, I am hopping all around the house. There is not a better feeling for me than selling something that was made by, ME.
Please help me out with this. How do YOU value art?

Knives

I have been doing this bloggin' for a little bit now and have realized that I have never given any credit to the great companies that I get all of my knives and wood from.
The wood comes from a company in the Smokies of TN. They are Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers. If you have any needs as far as wood carving is concerned, I would not go anywhere else!
The knives I use are ones that I consider to be both practical and a piece of art all at the same time. They are made by Helvie Knives. Here is a picture of the one that I use the most.

If you want to visit their website it is at Helvie Knives. If you are interested please check out these great companies!!

Hawkeye update

Just got done putting a base coat on the old Marvel Archer. Here it is!

It isnt the best picture and it isn't a complete dude yet. Hopefully, I can work on it throughout the week and have it done by the weekend. I have a couple of suprise ideas that I am thinking of adding. I guess we shall see.