New Doodles, The Studly Jackson Browne, & More Jason Schwartzman References

[ My Jackson Browne doodle. (Click to enlarge.) ©Amy Hood ]

Here's my monthly doodle for our entertainment writers at The OC Gazette magazine. They covered NAMM 2011 this issue and Jackson Browne was one of the artists they got to see perform live, so I thought I'd sketch Jackson the month. I didn't have a pen, so this one is in pencil, but I think it's my best yet! What a handsome devil Browne is. Seeing him always reminds me of the movie Funny People and how Seth Rogen is always telling Jason Schwartzman's character who gets all the ladies, "we can't all look like Jackson Browne."

The weather has been so nice out. I think I'll hit the beach tomorrow then get some work in on my drawing for Neil's cd cover. I need to post some progress shots of that. Me and Jen are doing it together, which is kind of fun!

- Amy

Listening to: Crowded House's "In My Command"

[ Cheeseball smile. ]

Jen Mann, Vixens and Vermin, & More Painting Ideas

[ Your Fate Or Mine, 48"x 60", oil on canvas, c. 2010 ]

Today's Inspiration is courtesy of Blythe Hill. She sent me a link to the art of Jen Mann the other day, and I am forever grateful to her for it. This girl paints whimsical scenes of sexy women with cute, little, fuzzy animals and somehow there is still a sense of danger that you get when you look at them. How does she do it? I love them. I want to buy a print for my room. Check out her website here. Not only is she an amazing artist, she is also the art director of a really cool Canadian magazine called Konekt.

[ Jen Mann at her work space. ]

[ Konekt Magazine ]

I've been wanting to include animals in my paintings for a while now. I was telling my friend David that I want to paint him holding his shotgun, with his dog Riff heeling obediently at his feet and his Cadillac parked behind him. It would be a modern day interpretation of one of those classic hunting portraits that English gentlemen used to have commissioned for their hallway of mirrors.

Anyways, here are a few of my favorite paintings by the talented Jen Mann, as well as one of her prints.

- Amy
Listening to: Neko Case's "Maybe Sparrow"
I forgot how great Neko Case is.

[ Don't Hide Your Face Dear, 24"x 30", oil on canvas ]

[ And Dance By The Light Of The Moon, 30"x36", oil on canvas, c. 2009 ]

[ Follow, 48"x48", oil on canvas ]

[ July Flame, 48"x 60", oil on canvas, c. 2010 ]

[ Sea Gal, 48"x48", oil on canvas ]

[ Snow White, 48"x48", oil on canvas, c. 2009 ]

[ Pelican, 48"x48", oil on canvas ]

Work In Progress, What Could Have Been, & Newport Beach Tattoo: Costa Mesa

Here are some shots of an old half finished painting I found the other day. I started it at a live painting show for a World AIDS Summit event at Saddleback Church. My friend Juli Hueni (who is now your current reigning Miss Newport Beach by the way!) was in charge and graciously invited me to set up and easel and paint. I got the clouds done at the show, and then finished the face in another sitting, but now both times I was painting in a really dim lit environment. So now I look at it and there are tons of holes in the coverage of the paint all over the canvas. Which is a bummer since I'd have to remix all those colors to finish it. I also lost the photo I was going off of to get her anatomy right, which is a bummer. In a wierd way, though, I kind of like that it may never be finished. There's something mysterious and intriguing about it being only half completed that I like. Like it's potential is greater now than the finished product will probably ever be. I think I'm yammering now. So at this point I will bid you ado, go brush my teeth while I do a few toe raises and squats (multi-tasking, people) and then try and finish up a comissioned project I'm working on for my friend Neil Oyler. My sister, Jen, and I are designing his CD cover for his band Four Years Later. Exciting!

P.S. If you're in the Newport Beach area, head over to the new Newport Beach Tattoo shop in Costa Mesa! It's right next to Second Spin on Newport Blvd. I've got a few pieces on display at the shop along with a ton of other great art from the grand opening including work from talented tattoo artists Jake Underwood, Ryan Hopper, Kareem Masarani, Ariel Kotsiris, Justin Hobson and more!

Newport Beach Tattoo Costa Mesa: 

1765 Newport Bl. 

Costa Mesa, Ca 92627 

(949)515-1600

- Amy

Listening to: The Walkmen's "The Rat"

[Even back then I already had a love of halos. I tried to give her a Birth-of-Venus-esque pose. I really like the composition and the renaissance feel of it.]

[ I love the green, eerie clouds the most about this painting. The most amazing thing is that when you look really closely at them they're really just blobs of paint. Clouds are one of my favorite things to paint. You can also see how the canvas is showing through from this shot. ]

[ I think my anatomy has improved since these early days of painting. Her frame looks a little wonky. ]

Naja Conrad Hansen, La Femme Fatale On Acid, and Tiger Army

Today's Inspiration: Naja Conrad Hansen.

I really love how she uses pen and ink and watercolor. Illustrations of girls could very easily end up very tame and maternal and Mary Cassat-esque. But not Naja's illustrations. Naja's art portrays la femme fatale... on acid...watching cartoon network. It's a beautiful thing.  Her website is under construction right now, but the web address alone is intriguing, mysterious and strange (much like her work) - meannorth.com. Below are some of my favorite pieces.

- Amy
Listening to: Tiger Army's "Outlaw Heart."  I seriously can't wait for Nick 13's solo country rockabilly album. Give us the goods Nick!

Find more artists like Nick 13 at Myspace Music

My Oh-So Talented Sister Jen, My Oh-So Talented Friend Nathan Gregory, and Pancake Heaven

[ Yenny (left) and me. ]

Most of you know that I am a twin, and that my sister Jen is a seriously talented lass. I know we're twins and we're supposed to look alike, but I think it is so interesting that we both got an artistic streak. Everyone's favorite question when they discover this is, "who's better?" But honestly, neither us nor our art teachers could even answer this question. Our styles have been gravitating towards different mediums of recent, however. I've been doing more painting and Jen is getting really into illustration. She just finished a comic with our really good friend Nathan Gregory, who we grew up with in Kentucky but who now resides in the Big Apple! It's called Pancake Heaven, and it's ingenious. The art is amazing and the characters that Nathan created are so rad. This is just the first comic to introduce the characters. They are submitting it to into a contest. The winner gets their comic published. I looked at the competition and I think they've got it in the bag! Enjoy.

- Amy
Listening to: Ray Lamontagne's "Can I Stay"

Tristan Ellis, Cycle Zombies, and Other Rad Sketches

Inspiration of the Day: Tristan Ellis.

He's the creative entity behind the Cycle Zombies tee on my wish list. He's got some really rad drawings and sketches. These are some of my favorites. Check out his blog here.

- Amy
Listening To: The Deadly Syndrome's "Eucalyptus"

Honest Abe's Moley Mug, Sketching All Nighters, & A Steady Diet of Coca Cola

Here's an oldie but goodie. Found this in my giant sketchbook from my college Beginning Drawing class while I was organizing my art corner this week. This was the first assignment we did in class so that the teacher could see where all us chillun' were at skill-wise. As with all college art classes at almost all colleges, this classroom was filled with the most hodgepodge, random group of still life objects to draw from. I have always found humans more interesting than your usual still life subjects (call me crazy, but plastic fruit just doesn't excite me), so I sat in front of a plaster bust of Ole' Honest Abe and got to sketchin'. This was the result - wonderfully long, moley and gaunt. (Perfect opportunity for a TWSS out there in the audience.)

Now it's back to work for me. I'm drawing my friend Neil. It's for use on his album cover for his band Four Years Later. I hope it turns out as cool as we plan. It's taking me a lot longer than I expected, as usual. I always under-time these things. So it looks like it'll be a healthy steady diet of Coca Cola, popcorn, Kit Kats and Red Vines to get me through the night. Ahhhhh... just like my old college days.

- Amy

Listening to: The Avett Brothers' "I And Love And You"

Vintage Motorcycle Photos, Planning The Photo of The Century, & More Inspiration

Inspiration of the Day: These vintage motorcycle photos. I still really want to paint someone on a motorcycle. I've got a photo of my friend Kevin next to his bike that I plan to paint, but I'd also like to do an action shot, mid air, balls out. Not literally of course. The only problem is capturing that perfect shot on film so that I can have something to paint from. Me and my photographer friend Taylor Herron are working on somehow doing this currently. We're problem solvers, so worry not my friends - this photo will one day be captured in all it's glory to be forever emblazoned on canvas by yours truely. It'll be the collab of the century.

Enjoy.

- Amy

Listening to: Danzig's "Mother"

via Mulligan Machine

Quarter Life Crises, Fullerton a.k.a Degenerate Central, & My Wish List

 

This weekend I shopped for a birthday gift to celebrate my lovely friend Sonya's quarter-life crisis. Yep, she turned the big 25 recently, and we celebrated with a night of dancing at the Continental Room in Fullerton. Fullerton is not what I remember it. It was like "Gotham City" out there, as my friend Cam put it. Like all the degenerates of society had been booted out of their cities and shuttled into downtown Fullerton to reside. Cops were swarming everywhere, a whole street was blocked off with cop cars trying to book some guy and drag him off to jail, and as we turned down this alley to reach our destination there was an ambulance screaming away leaving two giant puddles of blood behind. Overall, however, we had a fabulous night with great friends.

On my expedition to find my friend Sonya the perfect birthday present (I ended up getting her this really cool book) I found so many rad things. it was all I had not to buy something for myself. Here are 5 things I found that have been added to my ongoing "wish list."

1. These "Forget Me Not" notecards from amandamonkey.

2. One of these bitchin' Cycle Zombies tees.

3. This book: The Selby Is In Your Place, by Orange County bred photographer Todd Selby a.k.a The Selby. It's photos of different celebrities, entertainers, and people of note in their native habitats. It's really interesting and beautiful.

4. This hat. It's so Anita Pallenberg.

5. This lace dress from Promises Promises.

- Amy

Listening to: Ella Fitzgerald's "The Very Thought Of You"

Inspiration of the Day: January 15, 2011

Inspiration of the Day: This photo.

via Le Dépassionné

- Amy

Listening to: The Mountain Goats' "Mess Inside"