House Gnome on the Go!

The Black Forest

I was excited to get a copy of The Black Forest in the mail a few days back (cover by Andy Kehoe). It's filled with some great art and comics and put out by the wonderful folks at Unicorn Mountain ( www.unicornmountain.com ) I've got 6 pages of work in the book, and they did a great job making it look nice. It's fun getting to be part of awesome projects like this.

Getting by as an artist has been becoming increasingly tricky. Today I have to give my month notice on my studio space, because I just can't afford it right now. At least I got a taste of how nice it can be to have a space to work and think. Riding my bike to my studio and getting to close the door and submerse myself in my work has been a true pleasure. It's interesting working with the ever present pressure to have art amount to income. The personal nature of the process usually takes me a long ways off from the world of marketing and selling. I feel like I've been working an imaginary job and I'm constantly having to prove that it somehow has relevance in reality in order to keep afloat. I've learned a lot doing this, but I've never felt like I quite have the head for it. Lately, when I'm lost in my work, I've been getting this charged feeling, like I'm reaching new ground and I just want to keep going. For the last 5 years I've been making as much art as possible and getting by. My new book keeps inching closer to completion and working on it is truly a thrill. I'm going to make this last month at my studio count. That being said, I'm going to ride my bike there right now and get to work! Thanks for all the kind support and encouragement from everyone who reads this blog and checks out my work!

things happening in the studio

A thorn bush spirit has appeared on the wall.

A tiny flying machine is plucked from the air
A friend from an alternate dimension stops by to check in on my progress.

celebration attire

Since yesterday was Father's day, it feels especially significant timing to announce that I'm going to be one later this year! Today also happens to be my own Birthday. Lots to celebrate!

invisible friends made visible.

There's more guardian monsters and imaginary portraits available over at my Etsy Shop: www.theoellsworth.etsy.com and more to come!

currently in the same room as me

Spook Train
From the Future
Secret Space Navigator

something from the wall of my studio

A secret data collection and transmission dispatch mission took place on a remote beach not long ago. That is all I am at liberty to say.

Portland Saturday Market

I'm going to be setting up shop at the Portland Saturday Market (this weekend if all goes well) for the first time in a year and a half. It'll be good to be back, and it will hopefully help fund the completion of my book! Above is the new sign I've been working on. When I was at the market before, I went by Capacity Studios, now it's Thought Cloud Factory. The Market is in and around the Waterfront park, downtown Portland by the Burnside bridge, all weekend.

This is one of the new woodcut characters that I'll hopefully have finished in time!

Turning the Corner

This has been a preview of The Understanding Monster, book one; Available someday from certain locations.

I'll be at this tomorrow!

I'm taking a weekend trip up to the Olympia Comics Festival. I'll be sharing a table with Sean Christensen and Amy Kuttab, and we'll have the hot off the presses second printing of our collaborative comic, "Play Overlord". We'll also have a nice selection of Secret Acres books as well as all my own books, zines and prints. I was at this show last year and it was a fun time, so I'm excited to be making it back.

Thought Cloud Shrines

I just put up some copies of a limited edition reprint of my long out of print art zine, Thought Cloud Shrines, over at my Etsy Shop: www.theoellsworth.etsy.com

I've just put up more original art for sale over at my Etsy shop www.theoellsworth.etsy.com . Above is the newest version of the gentle monster that I love to draw and below is a pen and ink drawing that I orginally made as an endpage design for the Best American Comics 2010 anthology that Neil Gaiman edited.

The Understanding Monster

I've been off working my way through the tricky world of my new book as much as possible lately. I tend to be secretive about works in progress until they feel like they can properly step out into reality without evaporating on me. This new work has been the most challenging process by far, and also the most fun. I feel like I'm getting closer, inch by inch, to really being able tell the stories that have been hiding inside of my art. It's an exciting feeling. If I can just keep the momentum going! Above is a another small glimpse of what I've been up to.

new woodcut characters

I've been slowly working on new woodcut characters, a little at a time, whenever I'm in my studio. Here's 3 most recent ones. They'll be up on my Etsy shop soon, looking for good homes!

Play Overlord!

My cat, Mortimer is a huge fan of Play Overlord #1 and has taken to napping with his copy. This is the collaborative comic I've been working on, Jam Style, with Sean Christensen and Amy Kuttab. We debuted it at the Stumptown Comics Fest last week and sold out! Once we get the next print run finished, I'll putting some up for sale in my etsy shop.

This is the back cover that Sean did. All those characters are in the comic!
This is the title page that we all worked on. There's also an extra special bonus feature comic that I made with the always awesome Jesse Reklaw while traveling by train to a book reading in Seattle.
There is a new character introduced on the corner of every single page of the comic. It's completely crazy! We're getting together to officially start issue number 2 tonight!