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So one of the other creative things I like to do and just haven't been in a while is photography. I see the world in terms of how it would look through the lens of my camera.  Maybe I should have made a flickr a long time ago but I haven't until now when someone wanted to see some of my pics.  This was a lot easier than bulky emails or anything like that. 

I am going to be getting out with the camera again soon and start taking more pics. I hope I can get out on the road soon a little bit as well.  The road trip to Atlanta for Dragon Con in August will have a lot to offer, but I kind of want to go out on my own for a few days soon.  Wanderlust I guess.  Just take my car and my camera and drive south to see what I run into out there.  We'll see.

I used to do that a lot. Just drive around with my camera and see the world through my lens.  Go hiking in the woods to find some jewel of nature. There are still cities I want to see and photograph; London, Cairo, New York, New Orleans, and many others.  The South is a magical place if you know how to look at it.  And I think the camera and I have a great view on things.

Anyway, if there is something on the flickr page that you would like a print of, just let me know. We can work something out.  

-Nerdy Goth

Getting Back Into Drawing

Last August, we attended Dragon Con in Atlanta, GA.  While we were there, I had the pleasure of meeting Kevin Eastman, the creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  I mentioned that I used to draw a comic strip and just kind of fell out of it.  I told him how I wanted to get back into it and Mr. Kevin Eastman himself told me that no matter what I did, I should keep drawing.

I have spent the last few months making excuses and dodging the topic when FH would bring it up. He wanted me to start drawing again. He encouraged me.  But, in all honestly, I was scared. I wasn't sure I would be able to draw anymore. I KNEW I couldn't just pick up the same topics or characters that the comic strip had before. That incarnation was tied tightly to a former relationship and who the hell wants to drag that back out if they don't have to! I certainly didn't!  I didn't know what to do with it though. I wasn't sure where to start.

Well, for my birthday, the FH bought me a brand new drawing pad and a set of art markers; the set I have been pining over for at least two years but couldn't afford.  He gave them to me tonight and I started sketching. I had been thinking of things to draw; ways to repackage the comic.  I was still scared I wouldn't be able to, but it was like riding a bike.  I was able to redesign a few characters and draw a new one for the FH.

I've changed things up a bit in how the art will be presented as well as how it looks.  Instead of all large scale, four panel comic strips, these will mostly be Far Side style one shots.  The last time I drew and posted, the art was hand drawn in pencil and color added digitally after scanning.  This time around, the color will also be done by hand.  I have one mostly ready to go. Just waiting on the extra markers to get here so I can do a proper skin tone (the peach in the set was way too pink to be used for this batch of pale faces).  As soon as that is done, I will be scanning and posting it.  Like the other strips, these will be based as much on real experiences as possible. My kids are full of witty quips and capable of straight of WTF nonsense.  So is FH and myself.  Pretty much we like to surround ourselves with the ridiculous. Makes for lots of "did that just happen?" moments to draw about. 

I'm excited to have a pencil back in my hand and even more excited about the markers.  I hope you all will find my life as funny as we do!

-Nerdy Goth