xiann journal

xiann @ 2009-10-15T02:54:00

2009-10-15T06:58:30Z

Hey dudes. I disappeared again. Here is a new drawing I made tonight, a Valentine's day card, with love.

I've been busy the last few weeks, but not with anything important. I have missed drawing silly pictures a lot, and because I'm taking a class on drawing techniques I'm probably expending too much of my fun energy making pictures of little gourds and such, like this one. I must do better. I like my days better when the involve silly drawings.

all the world's a stage

2009-09-25T17:15:35Z

Here's a new sticky note comic ...

The weather in DC this week is awesome. Last night I went a-drinkin' with Jim after having some wine at the office, and ended up rather drunk. This morning my purse smells like beer. Eww.

global system and SPX this weekend

2009-09-23T04:52:45Z

Here's a new drawing.

I will be at SPX (Small Press Expo) this weekend in Bethesda, MD! Just hanging out. Will you be there? Let's meet up :D

Another drawing

2009-09-18T20:05:03Z

Here's another drawing I made today

Update: LIVIN

2009-09-18T18:41:45Z

Hi friends. I don't know where the heck I've been for the last few weeks. I've been having a pretty good time but also work has been busy and stressful. The usual. Meh.

I did some fun stuff. I had a great Memorial Day weekend with dancing and Volkswagons and more recently I helped throw a rollicking bachelorette party and saw Greg Giraldo do live stand-up.

Work has been driving me batty. It's enough to make a self-employed woman want a boring office job again sometimes. (Only sometimes.) The whooshing sound of deadlines flying by was deafening, and the sheer number of meetings, phone calls, and emails can make me want to lie in bed all day with a pillow over my head. I'm trying to even things out though, and I know I can get my work under control again. In a few weeks it will have been three years since I quit my last day job. I would rather not start a new one anytime soon.

Also, I have a new pet project. I think it's gonna be pretty cool (but in a very nerdy way), and I will reveal more details as things develop. It involves drawing and literature. Yay!

And I'm taking a new class on drawing techniques. Particularly I hope to learn to properly use old-skool pen and ink. We'll also be doing ink wash and other stuff. Should be cool.

Here's something silly I drew today. It involves booze, which is another ongoing fixture of the last few weeks.

procrastination

2009-09-04T22:17:21Z

Aha, another very current pop culture reference!

Hi everybody! I don't have time to write a post about what I've been up to. I'll update again within a few days though! Hugs :D

sports

2009-08-18T15:44:45Z

Hi buddies! Here's a sticky note about SPORTS.

unfortunate hip hop names

2009-08-17T05:39:31Z

Here's a new sticky I drew this evening.

I had a nice weekend.

We stayed over with our friends in Richmond on Saturday night and had a lovely time playing video games, toasting marshmallows, drinking bourbon, and having a generally wholesome good time.

This morning, we chilled out over breakfast at an old gas station that had been converted to a coffeehouse (Crossroads) and then enjoyed some random siteseeing in Richmond. We walked the Richmond Slave Trail (very moving and kinda spooky) before hitting the Edgar Allan Poe museum, the farmer's market, and the cool old train station (the mysterious building that abuts I-95!).

Driving back up to DC, Jim and I realized that we weren't the kind of suckers that were going to spend a lovely afternoon sitting on I-95, so we swerved off into the beautiful Virginia countryside and drove the long way home. Among the cool sights we spotted, we saw some hot air balloons and a biplane landing in Faquier. I am a sucker for some hot air balloons.

Driving through Manassas we visited my parents, who are of course some of my favorite people. We checked up on the hops that we're growing up the back deck (looking really good now!) and Dad showed us how the Morgan is progressing (it is beautiful).

Tonight I was agreeably engaged drawing some comics. I am trying to refine my proficiency with brush pens but I'm not very good yet. But don't worry, my ambition outshines my abilities, and I will post more drawings soon.

ironic breakups still hurt

2009-08-14T19:28:50Z

Here's something I drew the other day. Breakup over margaritas? Inappropriate.

Stressful week at work, but I'll spare you the details. Luckily I didn't get dumped too :)

quick and dirty

2009-08-13T18:58:12Z

Here's a new sticky comic and it's quick and dirty.

tall drink

2009-08-12T06:17:20Z

New comic I made today! Drawn with pencil, pen, paper, colored with photoshop.

FACEBOOK!

Also, I haven't mentioned on LJ that I made a Facebook page for sticky comics last week. If you like that kind of thing please go be a "fan". I'm also on Facebook of course, here's my profile.

In other news, I have been on reddit too much for my own good this week. Please feel free to tell me about other portals that might help me curb my addiction :)

paid to think

2009-08-10T03:33:01Z

Here's a new cartoon I made this weekend. I don't usually make backgrounds, and although I'm not 100% happy with this one, I am glad I tried it.

Mornings

2009-08-03T07:10:40Z

Finished this other drawing tonight. Drawn in pen, colored in Photoshop.

For everyone but the Scots:

2009-08-03T02:32:38Z

Here's something silly.

Fun weekend! Impromptu party at our place on Friday night. Saturday we walked all over the city, went to the zoo, and ate Greek food with Ouzo.

Today we had planned a sailing trip on the Chesapeake with my dad and one of his friends, which would have been awesome, but the weather was too thunderstormy. My friend needed help assembling her wedding invites though, so it was nice that I was able to lend a hand for folding and gluing -- which we did for five hours! Weddings, you're so crazy :)

I wasn't able to draw enough last week, but I got started on some things, so hopefully I'll post several fresh new drawings this week. Draw draw draw!

flip flops

2009-07-24T20:15:16Z

My favorite shoes :)

I think I bruised a rib tubing with my coworking office mates (as opposed to coworkers, who would be people I actually work with, my office mates share space with me in the coworking office where I rent a desk). It effing hurts!

Tonight I will re-watch the new Harry Potter film. This time, with booze.

thug life puppy, shenanigans club

2009-07-22T05:42:08Z

Today I am posting some watercolors I messed around with this evening. It was kinda-weekly Shenanigans Club with sheridanbee and wonderchook again tonight. Fun stuff.

BTW I'm still learning how to be good at watercolors. This was good times though.

Thug Life Puppy:

VCRbot:

This is a greeting card for somebody special (it's postcard-sized):

And here is the sketch margin ... just for "fun"?

shitty day

2009-07-21T05:25:32Z

Here is a drawing that might involve a wee poop joke again. Oops.

Jim and I are home from our fun vacation in Miami! We stayed in the Art Deco District in South Beach for ten days. That was crazy stuff. The main activities were eating tacos, drinking cocktails, going to the beach, people watching, and architecture spotting. Far more relaxed than our typically busy vacations, but we have both been a bit wound up and needed some rest this time.

We also hung out in Little Havana, saw crazy drag shows, visited Key West and Hemmingway's home, danced a lot, perused the Wolfsonian Modern Design Museum (twice! it is awesome), sunburned, suntanned, biked, shopped ... OK I guess I need to upload some vacation pics. Maybe tomorrow?

You know what they say. Tomorrow is another shitty day ;)

flying

2009-07-02T05:20:43Z

Hey dudes. Here's a silly drawing about losing weight. And flying away.

the prototype

2009-06-25T06:55:38Z

Here is a comic about the prototype that nobody liked. I drew it today on 100% hemp paper for ECO STONER CRED!

Today I met up with sheridanbee and wonderchook for a meeting of our increasingly hyped Shenanigans Club, where get together every week or so to work on crazy projects such as our robot paintings and peeps diorama.

We considered making a stop motion film but ultimately decided (because we didn't have a script or any solid ideas) that we should make some crafts from recycled plastic bags. We each made an arm cuff and I made a teeny little changepurse. Here's our blog post about it with pics: http://ofbob.com/2009/06/tonights-shenanigan-club/

I have been staying up way too late again this week. I guess I'll shove off to bed now.

old

2009-06-23T05:50:30Z

Here's something I drew last year, but just decided to redraw and color. I am really not sure if it's funny or not but it makes me laugh :)

spilled milk

2009-06-17T16:03:33Z

Here's something I drew a few weeks ago, but just messed around with in Photoshop and colored last night.

I haven't posted yet this week! I had really lovely weekend in the Shenandoah Mountains with Jim. We drove the length of Skyline Drive, which is way too beautiful, and did some gorgeous hikes. I really need to post some pics.

Then we visited our friend Megan and her parents on their Bee Farm (it's a repurposed cow pasture with a pretty cabin, gardens, and almost 20 beehives). We had a wonderful time and left just before 30-40 local beekeepers all met to have a picnic there.

This week has been pretty quiet. Yesterday I only left the apartment three times for three vices: We went to the chocolate store (yes, there is an amazing chocolate store just three blocks away), the liquor store (we are BFFs with those guys), and the bookstore to buy some sci-fi paperbacks for summer reading.

It's summer, so I guess we just wanna relax.

pigs!

2009-06-12T05:40:06Z

I drew this on some hemp paper I picked up at Capitol Hemp a few weeks ago. The guy who worked there said the US Constitution is printed on hemp, so if it's good enough for George Washington, it's certainly good enough for this poop illustration.

Tomorrow morning, Jim and I are going to take a romantic trip along Skyline Drive and spend the weekend in rural VA among friends. I can't wait! Time for bed :)

Mars and Venus

2009-06-10T15:33:40Z

Hi everyone! Here is a new sticky for today.

MOCCA Links

2009-06-09T07:18:14Z

Hey, I posted a list of all the awesome people I could remember meeting -- or find evidence of having met -- at MOCCA this Saturday.

Here's the list:
http://www.stickycomics.com/email-signup-and-the-mocca-festival/

(Also created a comics email list if you want to sign up -- that's at the link too.)

dog and dog

2009-06-09T04:58:43Z

Pretty quiet day. I only left the apartment once. Jim is adorably talking of moving to New York City since this past weekend. Who knows, maybe we we'll do it eventually? :)