Spring has come around again, although it hasn't really felt like it, in more ways than one.
I feel like this month's been somewhat of a low for me. Maybe it's because of the daylight savings or the late snowfall, but either way that time change always seems to do a number on the mood.
I've been feeling disillusioned with posting my art on DeviantArt lately, and while this isn't the first time it's happened, it somehow feels worse than in the past. It's moreso the wider DA community that's frustrating me, every time I open my inbox the vast majority of it is favebomb after favebomb after favebomb, or some comment that compares one of my characters to a more famous character, as if the perosn who posted that is just trying to antagonise me. There are far too many people on DA who only care about fanart or jumping on the bandwagon of what's popular, and/or want people to do free requests for them all the time, to the point of harrassment. I have no time for people like that, and I say that as someone who was like that at times in my earlier days on DA, which I deeply regret, as it probably drove a few people away. And maybe I'm sounding selfish here, but sometimes I feel like I take the time to check out people's artworks and leave feedback, and 9 times out of 10 it doesn't get reciprocated. I'm not saying people have to leave feedback, it's their choice, and I get that people are busy and/or just don't know what to say sometimes. I just like to hear what people think about my artworks, and sometimes I just feel they only acknowledge my existence when I check out their artworks and/or use it as an opportunity to big themselves up - I don't have time for those people either. At the end of the day, I believe you should make time for your fans, and I personally always try to.
All of this is part of the reason I migrated my comics to Tapastic. I admit, the revenue side of that was the other main motivator because ultimately I want to use my artwork to make a living, and I'm sure anyone who's in my position can understand that, especially if you're married and trying to pay the bills.
Like I said last month though, I still have no intention of ever leaving DA, even though I feel that my patience has been severely tested lately. I know there are people who do enjoy my artworks, and I don't want to take that away from them. You are the people who motivate me to stay on DA and keep on making my art, and I can't put into words how much I do appreciate that.
I wish I could say it gets better, and it sort of did but didn't. I had my very first job interview this month, for a warehouse/office job nearby. I felt like I said most of the right things at the interview, but unfortunately I didn't get the job, and I'm still disappointed about it - it would have been ideal hours in an ideal location and a not too terrible commute either. If anything, it was some much-needed interview practice, and the company did say they would keep my details on file, so hopefully in the future I might get another chance with them. I can't help but wonder what could've been though.
I also joined a temp agency this month, in the hope of being able to do some temp jobs in the meantime - however the agency I signed up with have so far turned out to be less than great at what they do, I contacted them every day for 2 weeks and they didn't answer once, so I've decided to try a couple of different agencies instead - I'll let you know how that goes.
I know there are some who will say that I'm crying over spilt milk, that there are far worse problems in this world than some thirtysomething British ex-pat in America complaining about his artwork and not being able to get a job. Those people are probably right. I should be thankful that I have a roof over my head, that I'm married to my soulmate, I have an artisitic ability at all, and that I have the love and support of my family. And these grievances, like most, will pass.
March hasn't been completely gloomy however - I've been continuing working on the first Fyfe & Sparkplug comic, and I've got 10 pages inked so far, at the time of writing this. Also, as mentioned above, I've been hosting my comics on Tapastic for a month now, and they're getting a lot of hits, so I just want to thank everyone who has taken the time to visit my Tapastic page and check out the comics, I really do appreciate it.
That side job at Nicole's work that I started last month has a been a bit of a learning curve. I've set up the meetings 3 times now, and it's certainly kept me on my toes. I've been told I'm doing a good job with it so far, save for some minor hiccups here and there. That's how any job goes though, it takes time to master it.
I'm also glad that the lighter, and hopefully soon, warmer days and nights are back again. It's things like that and being able to spend quality time with Nicole that make things worthwhile.
Hope I can bring you a happer blog for April - until then, I'll leave you with this group shot of my "Surf Club" comic cast, to remind you of warmer days to come.
31/03/2017
28/02/2017
February 2017
Well, this February was definitely not uneventful, I can say that for sure.
You already know my thoughts on the political side of things, as I discussed in last month's blog, so we'll just move swiftly on.
I have a bit of news that I've been hoping to say for quite a while - I finally got a job. The school where my wife Nicole works, they needed someone to help set up the tables, chairs and food for their monthly staff and board meetings, and my name came up, so I agreed to do it. The twist is, it's only twice a month, but I am getting paid for it, and it's experience too. Like any job, I was a little overwhelmed on my first night, but hopefully over time I'll get used to it. Nicole is also helping me out with the job initially, I can't thank her enough.
Obviously, February saw another Valentine's Day come around - in the past, it hasn't really been that much of a special day for me, but of course this year, much like last year, was different, as I got to spend it with my lovely Nicole. Have a guess where we went for our romantic weekend - a certain seaside town in Rhode Island that I keep mentioning a lot - and needless to say we had a great time.
That's not all though - on February 20, we celebrated a very special milestone, the anniversary of our marriage, I can't believe that it's already been a year. It's been quite a transition, getting used to married life and all the responsibilites it brings, but it's also already provided lots of memories too. We marked the anniversary by revisiting some of the places that we visited on our wedding day, most notably Branford Point, where we got married in front of our family and friends. I certainly won't forget the sight of Nicole walking up the hill in her wedding dress.
Last but not least, on the artwork front, I've recently made some changes, that I mentioned about making in my last blog - my good DeviantArt friends Granitoons and TopperHay directed me to a website called Tapastic, which is a place for hosting webcomics, with the added incentive of possibly making money from ad revenue. I've taken the plunge, and from now on I will be hosting my comics there instead of DeviantArt. Don't worry though, as I said before, I'm not leaving DeviantArt, I will post links to the comics there, as well as my non-comic art as always.
That's not all - back in December, I started writing a script for the first in what will hopefully be a series of comics for my dragon characters Fyfe & Sparkplug. I finished writing the script this month, and I have started illustrating it. It will be quite an undertaking, but I really want to make it happen.
That's that for February - as always, I'll leave you with some artwork, a special sketch to mark me and Nicole's wedding anniversary. Peace out, and remember, show your significant other your love and respect every day, not just Valentine's Day.
P.S. Check out my Tapastic page here: https://tapastic.com/BluebottleFlyer
Check out Granitoons and TopperHay's Tapastic page: https://tapastic.com/HRAM
You already know my thoughts on the political side of things, as I discussed in last month's blog, so we'll just move swiftly on.
I have a bit of news that I've been hoping to say for quite a while - I finally got a job. The school where my wife Nicole works, they needed someone to help set up the tables, chairs and food for their monthly staff and board meetings, and my name came up, so I agreed to do it. The twist is, it's only twice a month, but I am getting paid for it, and it's experience too. Like any job, I was a little overwhelmed on my first night, but hopefully over time I'll get used to it. Nicole is also helping me out with the job initially, I can't thank her enough.
Obviously, February saw another Valentine's Day come around - in the past, it hasn't really been that much of a special day for me, but of course this year, much like last year, was different, as I got to spend it with my lovely Nicole. Have a guess where we went for our romantic weekend - a certain seaside town in Rhode Island that I keep mentioning a lot - and needless to say we had a great time.
That's not all though - on February 20, we celebrated a very special milestone, the anniversary of our marriage, I can't believe that it's already been a year. It's been quite a transition, getting used to married life and all the responsibilites it brings, but it's also already provided lots of memories too. We marked the anniversary by revisiting some of the places that we visited on our wedding day, most notably Branford Point, where we got married in front of our family and friends. I certainly won't forget the sight of Nicole walking up the hill in her wedding dress.
Last but not least, on the artwork front, I've recently made some changes, that I mentioned about making in my last blog - my good DeviantArt friends Granitoons and TopperHay directed me to a website called Tapastic, which is a place for hosting webcomics, with the added incentive of possibly making money from ad revenue. I've taken the plunge, and from now on I will be hosting my comics there instead of DeviantArt. Don't worry though, as I said before, I'm not leaving DeviantArt, I will post links to the comics there, as well as my non-comic art as always.
That's not all - back in December, I started writing a script for the first in what will hopefully be a series of comics for my dragon characters Fyfe & Sparkplug. I finished writing the script this month, and I have started illustrating it. It will be quite an undertaking, but I really want to make it happen.
That's that for February - as always, I'll leave you with some artwork, a special sketch to mark me and Nicole's wedding anniversary. Peace out, and remember, show your significant other your love and respect every day, not just Valentine's Day.
P.S. Check out my Tapastic page here: https://tapastic.com/BluebottleFlyer
Check out Granitoons and TopperHay's Tapastic page: https://tapastic.com/HRAM
31/01/2017
January 2017
One month of 2017 down, 11 to go, and it's been off to a very mixed start.
I'll get the bad stuff out of the way first - I'm sure that most people who are reading this will be aware of what's been happening in the news, especially in the last week of this month. I'm not going to dwell on it, but I will say that as a legal immigrant myself, it really hits home, and what is happening is really disturbing.
There was something else happened this month that was, well, words can't describe it. Again, I'm not going to go into details about it, but my brother found himself in a very dark place, and almost made an unthinkable choice - thankfully, he didn't make that choice, and I'm just beyond relieved that he's safe and sound now. This is something that no-one should have to go through, because as much as life can test us sometimes, taking that unthinkable choice is never the answer.
There was some light in this month though - there was some great news for my lovely wife Nicole's family on the jobs front, her dad is now back in full-time employment, and our close family friend has also landed a new chemist job, and Nicole's mam will also be starting there too. They've had a rough time over the last few months, so it's great that things are now picking up for them. Now if only I could get a job, then we'd be all sorted.
I celebrated surviving another year on January 7, my mind's boggled that I've been on this mortal coil for 31 years now. It snowed heavy that day, but me and Nicole still made the most of it with a nice low-key stay-in day. The in-laws also took us to see an ice show the following day, which was a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes. :)
I'll get the bad stuff out of the way first - I'm sure that most people who are reading this will be aware of what's been happening in the news, especially in the last week of this month. I'm not going to dwell on it, but I will say that as a legal immigrant myself, it really hits home, and what is happening is really disturbing.
There was something else happened this month that was, well, words can't describe it. Again, I'm not going to go into details about it, but my brother found himself in a very dark place, and almost made an unthinkable choice - thankfully, he didn't make that choice, and I'm just beyond relieved that he's safe and sound now. This is something that no-one should have to go through, because as much as life can test us sometimes, taking that unthinkable choice is never the answer.
There was some light in this month though - there was some great news for my lovely wife Nicole's family on the jobs front, her dad is now back in full-time employment, and our close family friend has also landed a new chemist job, and Nicole's mam will also be starting there too. They've had a rough time over the last few months, so it's great that things are now picking up for them. Now if only I could get a job, then we'd be all sorted.
I celebrated surviving another year on January 7, my mind's boggled that I've been on this mortal coil for 31 years now. It snowed heavy that day, but me and Nicole still made the most of it with a nice low-key stay-in day. The in-laws also took us to see an ice show the following day, which was a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes. :)
I find getting older to be a strange sensation - I feel older, yet I also feel like I'm not. I'm sure it's different for everyone, but that's how it feels for me. I guess it's what you do with the time you have that matters.
On the artwork front, me and my wife had a discussion about that - I really want to be able to actually publish some of my work, to the point where I'm considering a couple of changes:
1) Going back to some of my older short comics and re-doing them, then compiling them in a book;
2) No longer posting feature-length comics to DeviantArt, only publishing them.
Now don't get me wrong, I have no intention of ever leaving DeviantArt, I still want to post artwork there, and I still want you all to see my comics and longer story comics, but someday I really do want to try and make a living out of what I enjoy doing.
I'll leave you with this piece to mark Chinese New Year. With all that's happened this month, I really can only wonder what February will bring, though I can say there will be a very important milestone coming up.
Peace out.
On the artwork front, me and my wife had a discussion about that - I really want to be able to actually publish some of my work, to the point where I'm considering a couple of changes:
1) Going back to some of my older short comics and re-doing them, then compiling them in a book;
2) No longer posting feature-length comics to DeviantArt, only publishing them.
Now don't get me wrong, I have no intention of ever leaving DeviantArt, I still want to post artwork there, and I still want you all to see my comics and longer story comics, but someday I really do want to try and make a living out of what I enjoy doing.
I'll leave you with this piece to mark Chinese New Year. With all that's happened this month, I really can only wonder what February will bring, though I can say there will be a very important milestone coming up.
Peace out.
31/12/2016
December 2016
Well...to talk about this past year, where do I even begin?
Before that, there's this past month to talk about - and as well as freezing cold weather, it also brought me some good news. It took 11 months, but I finally got my residence card, and my social security number, which means I can now legally work in the US, and also travel abroad again, and needless to say I am happy this has finally all been sorted. Now I just need to find a job.
Of course, this month the festive season came around, and as hectic as it was, with buying presents and getting the house all decorated for the occasion, it was really enjoyable. It was also very bittersweet - on the less positive side, it brought back all the memories and feelings of this time last year. However on the positive side, me and my wife Nicole spent Christmas with her family, and along with a very memorable gift-giving we also put together a gingerbread village (I wonder why those are only popular in the US?), which was a lot of fun. This was also our first Christmas together as a married couple, and it was all the more special because of that, I certainly hope neither of us forget it.
I still can't believe that I left behind my family and my old life in the UK a year ago, and I still remember all the mixed emotions I felt that week, with having to say goodbye to my family, yet also feeling excited about starting a new life across the pond. I do miss my family a lot, and I really hope that me and Nicole will be able to take a trip over to the UK to see them again at some point in 2017, but I also don't regret making the move. As I've said before, it was an event in my life that needed to happen.
Needless to say, 2016 has been quite an eventful year. I know a lot of awful stuff has happened in the world this year, with political upheaval, the passing of many famous faces (closer to home, I lost a dear friend in November) and all the injustices in the world that just seem to escalate year after year - but I guess we should all be thankful for the all good things that have happened too. The world is full of beauty and good people too - you just have to dig through all the dirt to find it.
On that note, I hope everyone had a good Christmas, and I wish you all the best for 2017 - and as always, I'll leave you with some artwork - a festive group shot of me and my wife's main characters in fine voice.
30/11/2016
November 2016
Quite a lot happened this November, the least of which was the temperatures plummeting of course.
I'm sure most people reading this will be aware of the big political event that happened this month, as it was all over the news - but I'm not going to dwell on it, because quite frankly anything political angers and depresses me. All I will say on the subject is that it is not worth destroying friendships with someone because of who they voted for - we are all human after all. So please, just do yourselves a favour and let it go. Life is too short.
On a more personal note, I had some sad news earlier this month - a friend of mine from back in the UK passed away. She was an elderly woman who was friends with my grandma, and who me and my brother became friends with when we were kids. I used to go and visit her a lot and keep her company, as she lived alone. Sadly her health began to decline a few years ago, however I still went to visit her and also helped her by doing food shopping for her once or twice a week. It was especially hard saying goodbye to her just before I moved to the US last December, because I had a feeling there and then that it would probably be our last goodbye - with her passing, I feel like a part of my past passed on with her, along with all the memories she had of her own life - however, I can find comfort in knowing that we were able to do say our goodbyes, and that she's not in pain anymore.
November had some better moments though - for the very first time, I got to take part in the annual American tradition that is Thanksgiving. I spent it with my lovely wife and her family, we had dinner (albeit without the traditional Thanksgiving turkey), played a very lively game of 500 Rummy, and got to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade on telly, complete with all the colourful parade floats. It was pretty enjoyable on the whole.
I also got that good news from immigration that I'd been waiting for - my permanent residency has been approved! It took long enough (11 months!), but it's now there and black and white, I am now a legal alien. I should be getting my resident ID card in the next three weeks, and then the next step will be to get a social security number - and then I can finally start applying for jobs. Not gonna lie, I'm very nervous about that, but then again who wouldn't be? It's long overdue.
As always, I'll leave you with some artwork - inspired by watching the Thanksgiving parade, I doodled up my monster character Greenie as a parade balloon. And while I'm on the subject of artwork, I decided to create my own separate Facebook page for my artworks (thanks again to my good friend Shane for help with that.), if you want to check it out, you can find it right here at BluebottleFlyer Arts.
Hope you had a good Thanksgiving, even if you're outside of the US - till next time.
I'm sure most people reading this will be aware of the big political event that happened this month, as it was all over the news - but I'm not going to dwell on it, because quite frankly anything political angers and depresses me. All I will say on the subject is that it is not worth destroying friendships with someone because of who they voted for - we are all human after all. So please, just do yourselves a favour and let it go. Life is too short.
On a more personal note, I had some sad news earlier this month - a friend of mine from back in the UK passed away. She was an elderly woman who was friends with my grandma, and who me and my brother became friends with when we were kids. I used to go and visit her a lot and keep her company, as she lived alone. Sadly her health began to decline a few years ago, however I still went to visit her and also helped her by doing food shopping for her once or twice a week. It was especially hard saying goodbye to her just before I moved to the US last December, because I had a feeling there and then that it would probably be our last goodbye - with her passing, I feel like a part of my past passed on with her, along with all the memories she had of her own life - however, I can find comfort in knowing that we were able to do say our goodbyes, and that she's not in pain anymore.
November had some better moments though - for the very first time, I got to take part in the annual American tradition that is Thanksgiving. I spent it with my lovely wife and her family, we had dinner (albeit without the traditional Thanksgiving turkey), played a very lively game of 500 Rummy, and got to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade on telly, complete with all the colourful parade floats. It was pretty enjoyable on the whole.
I also got that good news from immigration that I'd been waiting for - my permanent residency has been approved! It took long enough (11 months!), but it's now there and black and white, I am now a legal alien. I should be getting my resident ID card in the next three weeks, and then the next step will be to get a social security number - and then I can finally start applying for jobs. Not gonna lie, I'm very nervous about that, but then again who wouldn't be? It's long overdue.
As always, I'll leave you with some artwork - inspired by watching the Thanksgiving parade, I doodled up my monster character Greenie as a parade balloon. And while I'm on the subject of artwork, I decided to create my own separate Facebook page for my artworks (thanks again to my good friend Shane for help with that.), if you want to check it out, you can find it right here at BluebottleFlyer Arts.
Hope you had a good Thanksgiving, even if you're outside of the US - till next time.
30/10/2016
October 2016
Autumn has been in full swing now, and apart from an unseasonable spell of warm weather midway through the month, the temperature has started to drop quite a bit - this is crazy New England weather though, I should be used to it now.
Had some news on the immigration front - hopefully I should hear something around November, and I should also get my green card by February. This does mean that it will have taken a whole year to get this sorted, but either way it's about time. This also hopefully means that me and Nicole will be able to start planning a trip back over to the UK to see my family.
In the meantime I've been busy with doing artwork including commissions, helping around the house, going out for bike rides, competing in the bowling league (we're still up top somehow), selling stuff on Ebay and taking part in our weeklt community activity. I don't think I've ever been so busy as I am now, and while it keeps me active and productive, even a bit social (can you believe that?).
I can't forget about spooky season of course - this month is my first Halloween in the US. On one trip to Newport this month me and Nicole took a ghost tour around the city, whuch was quite interesting to say the least, and just yesterday we went to our first ever murder mystery party (I played a man cursed with pine legs), and while interacting with the other party guests was a bit of a challenge, it was a lot of fun and our hosts really went to town on putting it all together, I would definitely go to another murder mystery in the future.
On the artwork front, I took part in an art challenge called "Monster A Day", which was exactly what it says on the tin - I drew a monster each day of October, and it was a great excuse to draw characters just a little outside of my comfort zone - like this fire golem for example.
Until next time - and until then, don't let the zombies bite.
30/09/2016
September 2016
This summer was certainly an eventful one, and while I'm sad to see the end of the nice warm weather, this month has also seen me begin to experience Autumn in the US for the first time - up until this year, I had experienced every season but Autumn across the pond.
The immigration situation has progressed somewhat this month, I finally had my background check a few weeks back, and now I am waiting for them to send confirmation that it's all clear. Our lawyer also sent me my work authorisation papers, however because of an admin error I haven't been able to get those completed. It's little hiccups like that which have made this process so frustrating, as I well remember from this time last year.
And where did that year go? Many times this month I've found myself thinking back to those few months, going down to London to do my medical, seeing the sights of the city, wondering whether my move to the US would pan out. It feels strange looking back.
I also have some news regarding the children's book that I'm collaborating on - the pictures for the first book are all finished, now I just need to stop procrastinating and get them all sorted into a PDF file. I get easily distracted, after all.
It wasn't just a Stateside Autumn that I was getting to experience this month, either - the 28th September marked me and my lovely wife Nicole's 4 year anniversary of becoming a couple. Now I know couples don't usually celebrate that particular anniversary, but this was different, because this year was the first time we were able to celebrate that anniversary together in person, not through a Skype chat, and it was wonderful being able to do that. Memories like these are what remind me that making my move and beginning a new life with Nicole is what it's all about.
The new local bowling league season has started this month, too - last season was my debut alongside Nicole's dad and close family friend Steve, and I was amazed that we finished second place in the league overall. This time, I'm bowling alongside my lovely wife, and so far it's going really well.
The artist's corner this month is also a shoutout to my good friend Chris Clews from Australia - we collaborated on a comic, featuring a few of our characters - you can check it out right here.
Bring on the pumpkins and Autumn leaves - till next time.
The immigration situation has progressed somewhat this month, I finally had my background check a few weeks back, and now I am waiting for them to send confirmation that it's all clear. Our lawyer also sent me my work authorisation papers, however because of an admin error I haven't been able to get those completed. It's little hiccups like that which have made this process so frustrating, as I well remember from this time last year.
And where did that year go? Many times this month I've found myself thinking back to those few months, going down to London to do my medical, seeing the sights of the city, wondering whether my move to the US would pan out. It feels strange looking back.
I also have some news regarding the children's book that I'm collaborating on - the pictures for the first book are all finished, now I just need to stop procrastinating and get them all sorted into a PDF file. I get easily distracted, after all.
It wasn't just a Stateside Autumn that I was getting to experience this month, either - the 28th September marked me and my lovely wife Nicole's 4 year anniversary of becoming a couple. Now I know couples don't usually celebrate that particular anniversary, but this was different, because this year was the first time we were able to celebrate that anniversary together in person, not through a Skype chat, and it was wonderful being able to do that. Memories like these are what remind me that making my move and beginning a new life with Nicole is what it's all about.
The new local bowling league season has started this month, too - last season was my debut alongside Nicole's dad and close family friend Steve, and I was amazed that we finished second place in the league overall. This time, I'm bowling alongside my lovely wife, and so far it's going really well.
The artist's corner this month is also a shoutout to my good friend Chris Clews from Australia - we collaborated on a comic, featuring a few of our characters - you can check it out right here.
Bring on the pumpkins and Autumn leaves - till next time.
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