I just finished hanging my very first show!!

Oh, thank you Soz!!! The numerous exclamation points make me very happy!

I'm awfully nervous to post them here because I respect the opinions of all of you so much...so I'm glad you're here saying nice things! ((((((soz))))))

Oh, yes, I love Sendak...he's definitely one of my influences. I read once a description he gave of how he did the paintings for Where the Wild Things Are, and it was such an inspiration! All that meticulous detail, I loved it...I remember he talked about how he'd do things like paint tiny little seperate blades of grass, that kind of thing...that's the sort of obsessive thing I like to do, so I just loved to read about him doing that!

I didn't even know you did illustration kind of stuff, soz, I only knew about your jewelry-making. That's really cool that you've actually gotten something published! I'd love to see some of your work!

very nice!!! I especially like your pen and ink! It has been a while since I have done any straight ink art work, I might pick it up tomorrow and see what happens. I really do like your style. congrats again! Looking forward to more pics!

Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How talented you are!!

My favorite is the Queen of Cats and the Elder statesman. I've always been a fan of the tiny intricate markings, whimsy and the detail you put all over the place. Quetzcoatl (sp) is neat, too.

They are great!! You should hook up with someone who has a good children's story. I LOVE your sense of fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

<obviously jealous of soz's exclamation points>



Farmer--
Quirky and mysterious bios are pretentious?

Aldistar, thanks... Pen and ink is my favorite media, it lends itself so well to a compulsive personality like mine...

I'd love to see some of your work if you get a chance to post anything!

Lash!! You're here at last!!

And you used even more exclamation points than Soz-- who'd have thought it could be done?! I'm so glad you like em...!

I'm really anxious about this show, so I thank you all for making me feel a bit more confident.

(aldistar, I love your sig line-- that makes me feel better too! Doubt can be a good thing, I guess, and thank goodness for that since I've got more than enough of it... )

I'm going to take better pics (possibly) of a couple of others tomorrow...nighty-night, all.

Great stuff, cypher.....the jiggling was worth it!

I was really into fantasy art back in the 70's, and thought that Frank Frazetta was the bees knees. You should check out his work, if you can find it anywhere.

I LOVE art exhibitions and can stand for ages just looking at one piece of work. My wife usually ends up dragging me out, kicking and screaming.

The pen and ink works are wonderful. I love the elder statesman.

I loved art lessons when I was at school, and was always at or near the top of my class. Alas, real life started soon after I left (well, that's my excuse) and I never really had the time or energy to continue learning.

Looking at this thread, I may just make some enquiries about going to find some evening classes.

Brilliant job, Cypher!

Magnificent work, Cypher. I have no doubt you'll have a great success as an illustrator. Your work seems so appropriate to chldren's stories, as well as other forms of expression.

Hey cyphercat!

I loved Queen of cats and Quetzalcoat!...really nice. great going!

Cool! We got pics!

I understand why you would feel anxious about posting them here, but you know we all love you. For that reason I know you'll get honest, helpful feedback from those that know art.

I'm no artist,but - Elder Statesman... Love it!

BBB
Wonderful that A2K is flush with artists. Hope you sell a lot, cyphercat.

Asherman just e-mailed me that the Albuquerque art show opening today is showing several of his paintings.

BBB

Wow cyphercat! Well done indeed.

I'm sure your show will be a huge success.

These are seriously GOOD! (and I'm tempted to go for the '!!!!' record!) and whether they are everyones cuppa or not they'd know that

I loved them and would have loved to see really clear images from them - have you got a website? These would make a brilliant start for one if you haven't. There are good free websites out there like sitekreator.

Etching and woodblock would suit your way of working I'd think and you'd get multiple prints then from a piece of work.

Flipping WOW!!!!Love the Statesman picture.

Those are seriously amazing works. I could so see them in children's books as is. In fact, were I the writing kind, I think I could write a whole story around some of those. As of now, The Elder Statesman is my favorite.

Cybercat is not only verbal--she's adept at the visual arts as well.

Yes, Quetzalcoatl is especially good. I pariticularly like the way you make him look almost cute (great for children's books). I say "almost" cute because of your prudent use of skulls and the miscievious epression on the serpent's face. The Feathered Serpent was, in Toltec and Aztec cultural fact, monstrous to behold. I have done an abstract of the high priest of Quetzalcoatl, Ce Acatle Tepoltzin--as I envisage his charisma.*

* He, the human priest, was, like other high priests of other gods, conFUSED with the God he represented.

Excellent. I too love the Elder Statesman. HE's writing a letter to the Editors of Nature telling them that evolution is impossible. (hee hee hee)

pookmarking this thread...

It's so nice that you guys like them.

The opening is tomorrow, and since it's a small town, all the local artists have always Taken An Interest in me. So that means tomorrow will be a whole boatload of advice, constructive criticism, and wing-taking-undering. It's really nice of them, but intimidating too, especially since the local Art Crowd (sorry, but these things demand capitalization) is very much about landscape paintings done plein air, and I've heard most of 'em be derogatory regarding things done from imagination... <sigh>

So I expect a bit of patronizing "isn't that nice" type of stuff, and so the bolstering here is helping me prepare for that. Plus I've never had so much of my stuff displayed at once, or been the focus of something like this. I've shown stuff at the county fair and things like that, but this feels a lot scarier.

On top of the nerves, now I've come down with some nasty bug and I can barely talk, and I'm all achey and blah...Thank goodness for the cheering up I get from you all!