October 10, 2002
Tough transitions. I stayed home today to try and paint the 6 remaining images for Keirland Commons Resort (it's an 11 image deal, with five badmen and five lawmen and Marshall Trimble). Of course I ruined the first three, worked to death a fourth and finally got an underwash going around three, played it bold, but safe, one tone (yellow ochre) trying for an old photo effect. Disappearing edges, water spots (hey, those are easy!), subtle facial tones (not so easy). I’m finally cooking, and I have one-half of one image done. Ha! At least I’m in the water.

Also need to do a logo for a new column that will appear on the Last Stand page. It’s a cute little history-sports quiz that a writer sent us. We came up with the title “Bull Pen” and I thought it might be cool to have a profile of a big, mean bull with a Chicago Bulls cap on. In the old days, I would have torn through my acres and acres of reference clip files, looking for the Bulls logo. Then, if I didn’t find it, which was often the case, I would call the Suns office and ask for a catalogue of NBA caps and jersies, They would promise to send me one and I would check the mail every day for a week and when it didn’t come, I’d drive down to Phoenix (35 miles) and go to the clothing shop at America West Arena and buy a $30 Bulls cap, take Ed Mell out to lunch at Adriana’s ($30), buy some $20 sheets of Essdee Scratchboard at Arizona Art and drive home, too tired to work.

This morning, I went to Google, typed in Chicago Bulls, went right to the home site, clicked on caps and 30 seconds later, I was drawing the logo, and the cap for free (if you don’t count the $3K worth of computer equipment). Now that’s progress.

More later, need to try and get another two drawings in place.