Holiday Madness!

This past week, I participated in two shows: TOMODACHI's We Love Vinyl 3 in St. Paul, Minnesota, and SubUrban Vinyl's Annual Holiday Show/Ohmydolls! solo show.

Although not physically present for WLV3, I did manage to have two out of three pieces squeeze into the website pictures.  A few days ago, Tomodachi posted an opening retrospective.   While reading and scrolling, I stumbled upon my pieces!  Yay!

These two pieces are mine.  I submitted one of each type of Mini Caramel/Candy Apple from my custom Dunny series, and a traditional Rose Vampire.  Not shown is the Mini Candy Apple.

I did attend SubUrban Vinyl's show(s), and had a great time chilling (it *was* very cold outside ^.^) with old and new friends.  Spent most of my time around childhood friend and also fellow artist, Laura Weintraub, but also hung out with great peeps like Mike (NEMO) Mendez, Jacob Jams, and RT Vegas.

Group Shot @ Suburban Vinyl!

 

NEMO

Jacob Jams

Jacob Jams' impressive stop motion video of Miss Zukie's Zukie and my Custom Pocket Mummy Boys and RV1000 can be found here ^.^

This morning, I received an email from awesome Captain Action dude, Ed Catto, who mentioned me in his most recent Pop Nation column (in New Jersey's Main Street Magazine).

Lastly, I am expecting a package from the lovely Blazon Brikhaus, who has sculpted some absolute beauties for our holiday collab.  If UPS decides to leave it at my doorstep today, I should be starting these cuties tonight!  Very excited.

Let's not forget about the resin trees.  These are coming along (and not to mention selling) nicely.  If you're interested in any of the ones you see here and/or want to request a specific paint scheme, you can do that through my store.

And here we are, again.  Back to crunch time.  I have a slew of things to finish before Christmas, a few tentative plans, and a Chinese New Year collab with Mike (NEMO) Mendez in early 2014. 

Ok, kiddies.  Time for me to go.  I hope all of you on the U.S. East Coast enjoyed the wonder that was an ice storm, snow storm, and deep freeze earlier this week.  Put on some thick socks, make some tea, and keep cozy. 

Ohhhh and if anyone wants a holiday card, I'll be doing those within the next week or so.  All you have to do is email me at SoKoCatYellowPaw@gmail.com with your mailing address, and I'll send you a regular (as opposed to SoKo Cat themed) holiday card with a SoKo Cat sticker and post card! ^.^  Completely free of charge because I am an avid supporter of sending holiday cards.

Have a good rest of your week, nerds.  Stay nerdy and awesome.  Remember that in the winter, because you have your heat running, your space will tend to dry out.  You'll get static electricity, and a dry (maybe even bloody) nose with some pain in your sinuses.  A humidifier should help.  If you don't have a humidifier or don't feel like investing in one, a wet washcloth on your radiator or a pot of water lightly simmering on the stove should help.  Just don't forget to keep water in the pot or you'll ruin your pot!

kthxbai

Startup Initiated

Hope all of you in the U.S. had a mahvelous turkey day.  I visited some family up in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and returned home in time to do lots of Black Friday shopping.

To me, Thanksgiving is the metaphorical starting pistol that kicks off the holiday season.  Now that it's already December, painting has commenced.

This past month, a few collaborative projects were put to rest due to conflicting schedules, but another few were gained!  I'm not going to jinx myself by getting all excited and announcing it to everyone, but I definitely will say that I'm working with a mighty fine female artist who does exquisite sculpting (as well as painting) work.  Hint: the lady's stacked and that's a fact.

This next collaborative project is something I'm currently working on, and you might have seen pictures up on Instagram.  Kris Dulfer recently cast 1 1/2" flat back resin trees in GID, translucent dark green, and white.  I'm painting them up and pricing them extraordinarily reasonably for my first release of Christmas-themed goodies!  They can be given as a small gift or stocking stuffer, or you can just use them as portable holiday décor!

The first few styles are basic ornaments, lights, candy canes, etc., but I do have other things planned like metallics, snow-covered, and different color schemes!  You can buy/order these at my store...and for $4.99 each, you can get more than one and not break the bank!

As always, if you would like a style not readily available in my store, feel free to request a specific design when you place your order!   Or you can just email me and we can work something out.

Dark Green, GID, and White Trees!

GID Trees! - Ornaments and Candy Canes!

What else have I been working on?  I'm glad you asked!

This Greasebat and Friends commission is virtually complete, and I'm very happy with the results!  They were much more time consuming that I originally thought, but it doesn't mean I didn't have a super time painting them!

Don't mind my Copic marker collection in the background.  Or my pallet.  Haha.  Art space.  I has it.

 

Alright, nerds.  Hopefully you are all doing well!  The holiday season is a bit hectic, so remember to take some time out of each day to decompress.  Last night, I decompressed by casually reading a fashion magazine. 

Specifically, this fashion magazine.

It's strange and a bit out of character for me to enjoy such propaganda (I don't actually think it's propaganda, but the brain-washed-women's-college-student in me wants me to think of it that way;  that part of my brain clearly needs to be lobotomized), but this 400+ page beauty smells pretty and has attractive, shiny pictures.  Most importantly, I can come home from work, change into PJs, sit on my couch, have a cup of tea, and waste an hour just flipping with minimum brain power.

Mind you, there is scoffing and rolling of the eyes as I see hideous trends and outrageous prices!  I am also aware of the poor body image these types of magazines instill onto adolescent girls and conscientious women...but damnit I just want to read a stupid fashion magazine!  Leave me alone, brain!

Ooo this page smells nice.

kthxbai

White Noise

This is the calm before the storm.  It is that period (sometimes) after Halloween, but before Thanksgiving, where people are (justifiably) alarmed when seeing store Christmas sales and wreaths erected.  I decorated my home for Halloween after Halloween.  It was for a party on November 2nd, and they're still scattered about the house.  Once Thanksgiving comes and goes, I'll pull out the Christmas decorations, put the Halloween decorations into the newly-empty Christmas box, and then return the Christmas decorations to the Halloween box.  It's a system that only makes sense in my head.  Ok, it's convenient because I'm lazy, and I don't feel like having two boxes out at the same time.  Now it can make sense to everyone.

Earlier this week, I received an unexpected email from Denny over at TOMODACHI in Minnesota.  He invited me to be a part of We Love Vinyl 3, an art exhibition, in December.  I accepted, yes, but was slightly disappointed to have work assigned in my "calm before the storm" period.  Then I remembered I'd get to add one more show to my list.  It's so silly, honestly, to look at a growing list of shows in which you've participated and have the "yeaaaah, I was in those!", but it really brings immense satisfaction -- similar to that of crossing mundane things off of a to-do list.

(To Do - Tuesday November 12:
Shower
Shave
Have a piece of fruit
Drink a glass of water
Start laundry
Fold laundry
Empty dishwasher
Paint SOMETHING

YES!  I showered AND shaved!  Success!  Now off to have a piece of fruit WHILE drinking a glass of water!  This day is going SO well.

And then this happened.

I ate the sticker and failed at fruit-eating.

So, I definitely may have abandoned the rest of my list, turned on TV, and discovered I could stream Breaking Bad through Netflix.  That's where my day ended and Breaking Bad began.  If I had only discovered Breaking Bad before NYCC.  Cash Cannon and Don Chulo -- let's collab!  Texting them as we speak.

Moving on to work-related stuffs, Crummy Gummy posted pictures to Instagram from DCON.  Here's the final collection.  

 

Lastly is the most exciting part of this post (other than it being the end, lol).  The pygmies have officially sold out!  It took some time, but it's wonderful to see that my FIRST project managed to sell out!  Today is a day for victories, even if they're small, personal ones.  Those are the ones that matter the most, kids.  Oh, it's awesome to be validated by other peoples' comments, feedback, and (in my case) sales, but if I should perceive my own work as crap, everything else would be moot.

Was this post worth writing?  Who knows.  I shared my to-do list, showed the tragic loss of my apple sticker friend, and finally acknowledged Breaking Bad as a new blip on my radar.  If none of this appeals to you, enjoy the picture of the various Crummy Gummies, celebrate the sale of the remaining pygmy, and note my participation in We Love Vinyl 3...and think of the rest of this update as white noise.

Ok, kiddies.  You have a good one.  Stay warm because it's really starting to get cold!  Make art, love yourself, and then vomit because you're acting like a dirty hippie.  ^.^

kthxbai

Up for Air

Surfacing to take a staggered breath, and then back down I go.

NYCC was absolutely wonderful!  Thanks to everyone who visited and said hi.  A special thanks to everyone who purchased a raffle ticket!  And a huge, personal thank you to those of you who bought my art.  There was one zombie candy corn left after the show, and it sold from the Tenacious Toys surprisingly quickly.  NYCC 2013 Exclusive Zombie Candy Corns are SOLD OUT!  ^.^  I feel surprisingly accomplished.

Highlights include but aren't limited to: Getting in early to help set up, signings, raffles, The Walking Dead panel, Archer panel, getting THE LAST 10th anniversary Walking Dead #1 variant comic, bumping into people I knew but didn't expect to see.  But that will never top the 2010 adventure where Greg Nicotero recognized me from my childhood shenanigans at Chiller Theatre with Lia Savini.

Me at my second signing on Friday (Oct 11)! 

The Walking Dead panel

Chiller Theatre was SO MUCH FUN.  Spent the weekend vending with Nick Jodice, and we had a fantastic time overusing hand sanitizer and selling art and other stuffs.  We laughed, drank, and conversed with con attendees until our feet were sore and throats hoarse.  Then we did it again.  And again.  We were joined by Adam Pratt on Saturday, who brought a few custom-painted items -- several of which sold!

Highlights include but are not limited to: jumping the curb to park on the grass, borrowing someone's hand cart for 10 minutes, having Nick ask the girl covered in blood (Carrie costume) if she was ok, having people recognize and buy my art.

I was trying to get a picture of me in front of my table.  Hello, Nick photobomb!

I am 1/2 of the Break the Mold L table.  Look!  My stuffs! And there's Nick in the background selling his awesome stuffs.

DCON.  It is not a pest poison...well, it is, but not in this context.  DCON is the popular abbreviation for Designer Con, and it is this weekend.  I've painted a beautifully bloody Zombie Crummy Gummy (the zombie is my current go-to paint scheme when I've wasted weeks trying to come up with something else...and failed), and have sent it to CA to be a part of Crummy Gummy x Manny X's show.  Super excited :)  That means I've been in 6 shows this year.  It would have been 8, but the PTB didn't want me to participate in so many and stretch myself too thin. ^.^

Zombie Crummy Gummy

So, yeah.  That's what's been going on for the last month.  Coming up, I might have a Thanksgiving collaboration with the lovely Jennipho, and after that, there may be resin Christmas trees by KiD iNK iNDUSTRIES' Kris Dulfer.  Keep your eyes open!

Talk to you soon, nerds.  I miss you too.  But at least you get to see some new art! 

kthxbai

T minus 13 days until NYCC!!!!

September starts the cascade of events that eventually lead to New Year's Day.  New Year's Day basically means a wicked hangover and panting.  By panting, I mean finally stopping to take a breath.  Only 13 days until Comic Con!

Until then, I'm pretty much painting when I'm not eating, sleeping, or working.  Lately, a lot has been happening.  I've gained some pretty awesome studio space!  ^.^

Yay!  Studio space!

 
Promotional SoKo Cat items have been ordered and are beginning to trickle in!

This will be my postcard and sticker!

My buttons!

I'm buying a bunch of small items for Chiller Theatre so I can have items ranging from $1 to lots!

Buttons!

 Aaaand here are my current works in progress for NYCC and Chiller!

Zombie Candy Corns and GID Marley's Ghost - dia de los muertos variant

 

Marley's Ghost - bloody variant

Top: mini candy/caramel apple dunny WIP / Bottom: NYCC exclusives

Originally for Chiller, but as of last night, someone may have bought it and its mate. ^.^

So very exhausted tired always covered in paint excited!

Ok, kiddies.  I has the works to finish.  Be good and remember: drinking too much apple cider will give you a belly ache and etc.  But mostly etc.  If you don't know what I mean, drink too much apple cider.  Then you will know.

kthxbai!

Crunch Time

I ignored looming deadlines in college.  Traditionally, crunch time was after the sun set the night before whatever it was that I had put off was due.  Today, however, after learning about time management and completing projects here in the non-academic world, I call less than a month crunch time.  This is mostly due to the laundry list of things I need to complete by October 10th.  Then we start the dance again for things due on October 25th.

There are currently two things that are on my radar:  NYCC exclusives and promotional items.

Last week, I appeared on the NYCC website.

Look!  There's me!

 This is a really large achievement, and I'm so grateful for everyone for their encouragement and faith in my abilities and talents (Adam, Kris, Mike Die, Cash Cannon, Eric, Karen, Liz, the Robs, NEMO, Benny, Rsin...the list could seriously go on for days.)  Details of my signings and some exclusives are available on the Tenacious Toys website.  I know about half of the artists listed here personally, and they are a talented, friendly, quirky bunch.  Very much looking forward to spending time with them at NYCC!

Needless to say, I am elated.  I'm also crunched for time.  At signings, it is common for artists to offer promotional items such as post cards, buttons, and stickers.  Well, crap.  I don't have any of that, so in a very short amount of time, I have done preliminary sketches and am currently working with two or three different companies' art teams to create something remotely presentable.  That, in itself, is a full time job.  I also have the other full time job that involves me actually painting all of these things for these cons.  And on top of that, there's my normal 9-5 job that involves zero art.  But, hey.  It's my office ennui that allows me to spend the money on these post cards, buttons, and stickers.  I'd definitely say it's worth it.

But I love it.  I absolutely love it and wouldn't dream of complaining lest I sound pretentious.  (ex: "Ohhh, I WISH I had time to hang out, but I'm just so busy being impooorrtant"...ok, maybe not EXACTLY like that.)

What should you expect at NYCC from SoKo Cat?  How about we look at these handy dandy pictures and find out :)

Zombie Candy Corn - Tenacious Toys NYCC Exclusive

 

Marley's Ghost - KiD iNK iNDUSTRiES NYCC Exclusive

Not all of the Marley's Ghosts are glow in the dark, so I will definitely have more than one paint scheme.  The ZCCs are all the same.

On top of that, I've had a recent Bronzebeet release:

Bronzebeets!

And then there's the artist sketch cards for people who purchase things at the cons:

Buttons and post cards not shown because they're not yet presentable.  Once they're here, I'll gladly show them to you.

So, kiddies, who will be at NYCC or Chiller Theatre this year?  SoKo Cat.  I hope you can make it!  It would be wonderful to meet you.

That's really about all for now.  I'll check back in soon with updates and more pictures!

Stay nerdy, chummers.  And always remember to floss.  Seriously.  Gingivitis is not fun, and a receding gumline is pretty much permanent!

kthxbai

The Wrath of Cons

You see what I did there?  I made a pun ^.^

In all honesty, though, it is an accurate pun.  I have two conventions coming up in October, and SO much work to do!  Will someone PLEASE tell me why I've also agreed to some commission pieces in the middle of all of this madness?  Oh yes, because it's FUN!  That wasn't sarcasm, peeps.  When my eyes start to cross because I've been staring at Dunny heads for too long, it's good to pick up a Greasebat and work on something else.

That's a good tip, kiddies!  Always juggle three different projects.  No, really.  I promise I'm not being sarcastic, and I promise I'm not trying to sabotage you!  This is especially helpful when you're working on projects what have components that need to set or dry.  Washing, for instance, puts dark colors into the recesses.  It takes a good long time to completely dry, and if you're impatient, odds are you'll just ruin everything.  Truth.

Currently, I'm working on a number of things -- some of these things are TOP SECRET and will unfortunately not be revealed until I'm given the OK to do so (or until NYCC releases it).  I'll give you a slight spoiler alert and let you know that I will be doing signings at at least two booths!  Details will be revealed later this month.

(Wow, that sounds important and dramatic.  Speaking of important and dramatic, it always surprises me when people email me and are surprised and delighted to receive a personal and warm email as a response.  Yes, I answer my own emails!  No, I don't have minions to do such emailing.  Yes, I'd love minions to do my bidding.  No, you cannot be my minion.  But you can feel free to email me at any given time, and I will most likely email you back that day.  No, this does not mean you should go overboard and email me everything all the time always.)

Those caramel/candy apple Dunnys were very popular, but I did get some requests for less expensive versions.  Well, zip zap zoom abracadabra!  I will be making them using only the Dunny heads, and will be selling them for $30 each.  BAM.  There's your press release.  That JUST happened.  I'll have some up in my store for those of you who are not willing to travel all the way to Chiller Theatre.

On top of that, there will be lots of painted zombies, zombie candy corns, Baby Deadbeets, Argonaut Resins Series 2 monster magnets, O'Bots, and a few EPIC collaborations!  That's all I can say for now.  Whether I'm being cryptic because I don't want to spoil any surprises until at least October 1 or I can't remember everything off the top of my head is up to you to decide.

More updates soon!  In the meantime, go to my Instagram page to see what's on the menu.  What's on my plate?  How full my plate is? 

What I'm working on. 

Gawd.

Remember: three different projects or it's inefficient!  Unless you don't care about being inefficient...in which case I shrug my shoulders.  Whatevs works best for you!  I will not tell you how to run your life or do your art.  That's the wonderful thing about art: it's never wrong!  It's a freakin' artistic expression!  Ug, now I sound like a hippie.  I'm gonna go and wash my hands, finish up some work, and go home.  Oh, bed.  How I look forward to your fluffy, warm, awesomeness.  All in due time, my dear.  All in due time.

hahahahaha...I think I'm sleep deprived.  Damn you, late night art! *fist shake*

...

kthxbai