My Sea Monster In The Top 10!

Discovery Channel used(they asked nicely) my Chinese River -Chein Tang Sea Monster I did in 1997 for THE BOOK OF SEA MONSTERS(that book is the gift that keeps on giving!) in their "Top 10 Sea Monsters" list! Pretty cool! I even got a credit, and this works well for publicity.

http://animal.discovery.com/fantasy-creatures/sea-monsters/top-10/chien-tang.html

Phillip Jose Farmer RIP

Phillip Jose Farmer passed away today. I had a special connection to him...I did the covers to his last two books-reissues though they were-for Subterranean Press. With the above cover things got very personal and special because I talked with Phil's wife Bette as they wanted to own the painting. Apparently, in Phil's aging condition(he died at 91) the above painting inspired responses from him. He was not in any way ill, simply, very elderly, and "quiet". But then who wouldn't be after a life such as his length. One thing led to another and, the painting was bought as a gift for them from someone. And sent to them for a Christmas '07 surprise, and surprised they were! Phil later went on to refer to me as his "favorite artist" in his last press interview. That's pretty cool I think!! I take great satisfaction in the connection I have with this gifted writer of many genres and many ideas. He was a great writer, not simply a science fiction or fantasy one though he well covered that genre with timeless work. What struck me was his work never seemed dated, but it had a ageless/dateless quality about it. Enjoyable then, as it is now.

A Day In The Life...

I'm listening to The Beatles' "A Day in The Life" which was written by John Lennon and inspired on his experience of watching his mother die as a car hit her in the street. A sudden, out-of-the-blue happening. Strangely familiar now. But enough being depressing.

I'm pretty flattened out emotionally, but getting back "on" as it were. Just a short bit here about the new PJF collection for which I did the cover art to. Here's the finished cover as it will appear, once again need I say what a genius Gail Cross, the designer, is? There is also a great interview with the book's editor Christopher Paul Carey, and he talks abit about the art which is always nice kudos... http://www.philipjosefarmer.tk/

Keep hanging in there, I'll keep blogging and painting and getting on with this thing called life...

Seagull for Mom...

You have to see this. For my Mom's memorial John Davis and his wife Kim came up from Dallas which to me, meant more than I can ever say. My Mom had this thing with Seagulls. Whenever I did a seascape painting, she always said "I think it needs a seagull or so". They always landed in her backyard, and we saw them as motifs in her home and, pulling into the Funeral Home parking lot 3 weeks ago, a flock of seagulls(not the group from the 80's) took to the sky. As we're led to the showroom to pick out an urn for her ashes, the one that lept out at both my wife and myself was one with seagulls on it. It was the nicest one. And, the song I picked for her Memorial-one of two-was by Neil Diamond....from Jonathan Livingston Seagull just by happenstance. I saw this as messages from the Great Beyond. John also framed a nice print of this for me. He's a friend that I've officially known for 9 years, and he's now a brother.

Anyway, here's John's blog. This guy's pix are among the best I have seen of the deeps of space.

http://downthewormhole.blogspot.com/2009/02/seagull-for-pauline.html

A Few Paintings...

Dragon Head(8x10 inches. Oils. SOLD)

Martian Walk(8x10 inches, oils SOLD!)

Martian SHadows(8x10 oils, SOLD!)

Well, I am painting again, after the last few weeks. To get back in I did some small works. Below are two I painted and sold immediately last week, and the top dragon is a little demo I did at Boskone. Creative energy needs to be re-booted and this is the best way to do that.

Re-emerging...

Boskone was alot of fun and a welcome break from the Hell of the previous weeks. It is hard to believe how much time has already gone by-almost three weeks-since Mom passed away. I'm really still stunned with it all, I have to confess. Only now am I getting a grip on the full situation. She is not on vacation. She is not coming back home.

All this said, some creativity is coming back to me. It's taking it's time. It's less to do with grieving as it is, the shock of seeing someone you have known since you can remember, fade away in front of you. I have no brothers or sisters, only my wife, some relatives in the UK, and, some disperate and disenfranchised ones on this side of the pond. It makes me feel a tad "alone" in the world, despite that really being an illogical feeling. I have good friends and a wonderful wife and her family. Boskone was wonderful. I made some sales and won "Best Artist" which was something welcome and made me feel less a dinosaur in this field as I have been feeling.

Slowly but surely I re-emerge. Expect something visual in the next day. I did do a nice small dragon painting that'll be up in the next day or so.

Recovering...

It has been a stressing ten days. But, as The Beatles once sang "I've got to believe it's getting better" and I think it is. I slept for an incredible 10 hours straight last night. I had been demolished and shattered emotionally.

I'll be at Boskone this weekend for sure. We need it. More creative work to resume after that.

A Happy Day

This is a picture of my Mother with me. On my wedding day in 1998(my beard is alot more grey now!). What happy day and perfect picture this is. I smile when I see it more than anything now. What a nice feeling I will carry with me always.

Thank you to all the good thoughts and kind words. It's a weird week. We're having a memorial for her on Saturday at 3pm at the Quinn Funeral Home, in Warwick, RI on Warwick Ave(of course). Feel free to stop in.