Uncategorized – Page 3 – All Your Crooked Heart

Housewarming

So pleased with the turn out for our housewarming yesterday! We wound up hosting a total of seventeen guests, including five kids, which was a lovely time, but damn am I worn out now, ha.

This house is so much more conducive to hosting events than the other one; the open concept dining/living area is a revelation. I also go to finally show off my studio, because I finally got it cleaned and organized! I am both gratified (and a little sad, ha ha) that Aimee expressed jealousy of the studio space — she’s an artist by trade, and works in a much smaller space than we have. But instead of feeling vaguely guilty, I’m just going to make sure that I actually take advantage of the space and use it to create physical media, ha ha. I started in on that today, actually (my first mixed-media assemblage!), but that’s another story for another day, I think.

Of course, our friends being our friends couldn’t resist ignoring our explicit instructions regarding “absolutely no gifts,” so wound up getting some beautiful tokens — a sweet plaque from Jo and Terry; a cute tchotchke, a super soft pillow, and truffle chocolates from Sarah; a beautiful crystal centerpiece bowl, a milk frother, and a coffee set from Sheryl; and a self-contained Hunt-a-Killer mystery game (eee!!! I missed Hunt-a-Killer!) from Aimee and Patrick (I already told Kira, that and some good Chinese take-out is our next stay-at-home date night).

Today has been spent recouping from the extreme socializing of yesterday. I finished up an illustration I’ve been working on for a little over a week (“working on;” as in, I started it a week ago and then came home every day and dicked around on my phone while I talked about how I “should” work on it), and started one of my pieces for my next art call. I took a little time out to finally pot the seeds for our starter window sill herb garden, and otherwise took it easy.

Anyway, hope all is well for you and yours. Here are some pics of details I’m working on for the assemblage — still in the experimental stages (it’s supposed to be blood; yes, I’ll be adding a gloss coat!)

Take care of yourselves, and each other.

Supporting Small Queer-positive Creators (Part II)

While I was in Concord a few weeks ago for the art opening at Teetotaller, we made it a point to stop by CoLab and pop in on Queerlective before the show. I could sing the praises of a secondhand crafts and art supply store forever (and will!! DIY Craft and Thrift!! 46 N Main St, Concord, NH!!), but I was really stopping to check out the Queerlective space and the artists booths, and a linocut caught my eye that made me realize I’d never made this post–!

The linocut was by Coyotesnout, a New Hampshire-based queer artist that I recently recieved a large order from!! I meant to post day off, but things got a little crazy, so here I am now.

I bought some stickers, some pins, and some prints. The stickers are water-proof, and quite at home on my water bottle (a 64 oz. which I carry with me daily), the prints are beautiful and on heavy duty glossy cardstock, and the pins are gorgeous and robust — I wore “Live Queer or Die” to the Queerlective opening, forgot to take it off, and promptly ran it throught the laundry, from which is emerged, unscathed.

Seriously seriously seriously — I very much recommend this shop.

In art news, there are two zine apps I’m putting in for, a show I’m awaiting acceptance for, another show for which I’m awaiting submissions opening, and I’m currently in limbo about a possible commission from Planned Parenthood, haha. After a slow start to 2025, everything seems to be picking up all at once.

Hope you and yours are fairing as well as mine and ours.

Take care of yourselves, and each other.

Supporting Small Queer-positive Creators

Now that I’ve settled into my new space, I decided it was time to indulge in a little “retail therapy” (oh, sorry — just gagged a bit. I hate that turn of phrase, though I’m not gonna lie, it evokes the spirit of the experience pretty well). I’m not going to lie and say I’m never going to shop big box stores again — though I am trying to be more selective about which ones I frequent — but I am making a point to support small, local, and queer or queer-positive creators when I can.

To that end, here are the first of several small shops I’ve recently made purchases at, and would gladly recommend:

The first is Liberal Jane Illustrations, who has explicitly politically charged artwork in vibrant, beautiful colors. Their prints are digital downloads, so you can print your own at home for between $5 and $10. I recently purchased three, and I am in love with them:

Forgive the off-angle of the last one, I put these up and subsequently photographed them on a sunny weekend, and the glare was relentless, haha. Anyway, their use of color is fantastic and I am utterly in love with these prints — they make my queer, non-binary heart sing.

The other shop I just got an order from is BrittsGeekBoutique, who sells amazing fandom-themed stickers:

In love.

I have more orders coming in over the next several days, including a fairly large order from a local shop, and I’m excited to share with you all. Buying little treats is always nice; nicer still when you are supporting small, queer creators (especially as a small, queer creator!)

To that end, news about upcoming gallery showing and art shows soon. Very excited.

Hope you are all doing well. Take care of yourselves, and each other.

Moved!

My loves, my lovelies, my darlings and dorklings —

— I have successfully moved.

I love my new house. I adore the open concept, I adore my porch, and my deck, and my backyard. I love my huge kitchen and all my storage space. I love my studio — fuck, I have a a studio!! I am absolutely enamoured with this house and so excited with what’s ahead here.

But holy shit, what a state it is in, ha haha.

My sister came by today and we made incredible headway in terms of unpacking — I think I unpacked four huge tote bins, and three or four huge moving boxes, as well as moving several boxes from the main living space to storage.

And I got my new digital pen!! I spent a little bit of time last night and this evening inking some sketches and oh my God, it feels so good to be back. I am thrilled to be drawing again, and can’t wait to make more art now that I have an actual studio space! Argh, I’m so hype, you guys.

The next, ugh, week or so will likely be spent unpacking and cleaning, but by mid-February — coinciding with my break — I should be ready to spend time on things like art again. Exciting.

Updates and potentially studio photos soon.

Take care of yourselves, and each other.

Art Bingo

Last year I did an “I Wanna Draw…” Bingo card that I took several liberties with (in terms of listing goals that went beyond drawing prompts), and so for this year created a broader Art Bingo card for myself.

I’ll include a blank copy for anyone who likewise wants to fill it out; just link back to me if you use it, I’d like to see what other people aspire to in the upcoming year.

Of course, this is all on top of my Million Things I Haven’t Done — stay tuned for how that plays out, as well.

In all likelyhood, this will be my last post of 2024. I hope you all have a restful New Year, and I look forward to sharing great things with you all in 2025.

Giving Thanks

It’s hard to be grateful, living in this timeline. Living in this timeline at the crossroads of my circumstances and identities, doubly so.

Still, I’m trying. I’m trying to be cognizant of the good things I have, of the good things in my orbit, in the world at large.

So, to those ends, I felt the need to acknowledge.

I am thankful for living where I do, in a state that has been consistently ahead of the curve in legislation that defend and honor my right to marry, my right to self-identify, my right to bodily autonomy.

I am thankful to work in a field in which my neurodivergence is not only accommodated and respected, but actually gives me an edge and advantage., I am grateful to be surrounded by colleagues who value my input, seek me out for advice and consultations, and who both constantly challenge me and respect my need to rest when I need to rest.

I am thankful for my wife, who has not only never discouraged me from a goal or ambition, but actively encourages all of my silly little wishes and whims.

I am thankful for my son, who consistently amazes me with the brilliant, clever, hilarious, creative, silly things he comes up with. I am thankful for his natural curiousity and his passion for his interests.

I am thankful for my siblings, who understand me in a way that no one else does, and with whom I can be wholly myself.

I am thankful to be in a position where preparing to move is an option afforded to me — that I can afford homeownership, at a time when lot of my peers are struggling. It is a huge privilege, and being in such a position for me has been as much about luck and outside support as it had been my own efforts, and I am compelled to point that out. I am monumentally lucky.

I am thankful for hobbies that I can afford to keep as hobbies — while it might be nice to get commissioned once in a while or to sell a print or two, I am glad that my passion projects can remain passion projects, and do not have to bear the burden of being my financial bread-and-butter.

I m thankful for the people I have met on my creative journey.

I am thankful, in that regard (if not others) for the road ahead. I am excited to see where the path takes me, excited to try new mediums, embark on new projects, and meet new people.

I am thankful for the life I am living, and the people with whom I am living it.

I hope there are things you can find in your own lives to celebrate, flickers of light in the darkness.

Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate.

Take care of yourself and each other.