This is what the fuss is all about!

You heard it here first! The Jade Monkey Crew will be moving to Artistic Tattoo, and taking over one of the oldest and best known shops in Phoenix. We plan to reopen the place on Feb 1st, and will be doing everything that can be done to revive the reputation and status of the shop in the valley, as well as bringing the spirit of the Jade Monkey with us to our new location as well!

I designed this about 4 years ago for Artistic. I am happy to be able to use it again!

More details as they develop, including hours, policies and pricing will be made available in the next few days.

Thank you for bearing with us during this transition. it's not easy for us, but it's deffinitely going to be a positive move for The Jade Monkey Crew as well as Artistic Tattoo.

New New New!

Man, there is a lot going on. Some of it I can talk about, and some I can't. What I can talk about is the new stuff I got going on personally. (Jade Monkey News comes out this sat).

I joined another tattoo commission website, though I haven't gotten into it quite yet. It looks pretty cool so far, but I'm still not ready to endorse it yet.

Slowing down on the Createmytattoo.com site, just have too many projects going on, even though I'm still adding more to the pile, I need to make sure I dont thin myself out too much.

This drawing is not new. But it is cool! Sorry Mignola!

Got some new products on the cafepress store, and took some down. There is also a store button added to the blog under the header. I plan to add more of the artwork I've produced as various products... you know... merchandising. Though it would be ideal to have a higher quality production ability, that will just have to come later. I can't wait anymore to put this stuff out and get you to buy it!

Check out the stickers especially. I will be adding a bunch more of those!

Also getting the latest Art Book put together, it's going to big, and the largest collection of my work to date. I'm excited to have one just for myself. but that may still take a few months. It all depends how the next few weeks go.

Somehow, I will also get the next weeks strip done for ASleightOfMind, thankfully Kenny is there to help out.

And I actually have a Collector spotlight! Not the one I had planned, but a great piece to show off anyway.

The end of an Era...

Due to recent events, The Jade Monkey will be closing it's doors for good on Feb 1st. We will have very important announcements to make at the Changing of the Guard Party this sat the 28th, at Purgatory. And I will post more information here the 29th.
-Questions will not be answered at this time as our future plans are still in development.

Thank you for your patience and consideration.

Dissapointed

I will have to figure out something to do with this piece since it did not win the contest I entered it into...

oh well.

This image is now available on stickers and shirts and glasses on cafepress. Check it out here! 

It's Something...

2am in the morning an I just finished a handful of projects. Getting ready for bed and I never even got close to doing a blog post other than this here. too damn busy...

But I wanted to put something else up, even if it is small.

A flash piece I finished today titled MidnightSun.

I cant show much of what I have been working on, as they are all in approval process. once I get permission to show some of these other pieces I have been doing I will get them up here.

Nite all. see you next week.

I couldn't help it....

It didn't take long to make this, and it was supremely entertaining. I will likely do more....

I found a Magic Card editor, so I can make all the fantasy cards I can imagine. of course the first one I make is for Minecraft. I have a few other Minecraft card ideas as well, maybe even a whole set!

This is the sort of thing I always wanted to do.... in highschool I made a fake magic card based on The Crow Movie, and Weezer and I have been making up crazy card ideas for more than a decade.

Anyway.... back to work

Just a few things to look at...

A few recent drawings to show off. These are pieces I submitted in Contests for the CreateMyTattoo website that did not get chosen. There are a few more, and I imagine I will continue to post these here, and begin collecting them into an artbook. One of my uses for the CMT site, is a motivation for me to build a larger collection of work to produce into art books, and not have it all full of skulls and comic strips. Of course, I wont show everything here, otherwise, you wouldn't have to buy the artbook.

On another note, I do accept custom tattoo commissions, if you are interested in having me design your tattoo feel free to send me an email and we can set something up!

Celtic Guitar and Mech Wings

Simple Cherry Blossom Branch

Another Cherry Blossom Branch

I figured I would post these up, since the blog posts I have been working on, I am still working on. this was at least to put something up of interest, while I continue to juggle my many projects and finish those other, more in depth posts.

I appreciate your patience!

The new thing.

I've been working on some bigger more elaborate posts. (A collector spotlight, and an extensive essay about my love for the game Magic:The Gathering) however, my time has been pulled away by a particular website that allows artists to compete for design commissions. and I'm kind of addicted. For one; I am getting paid for the designs, another; the commissions are international so my work can spread around the world a bit more, and finally; the competition and interaction between the artists and the contest holders is a lot of fun. I can take on challenging pieces, or easy ones, and there are plenty to choose from.

I hope the folks at createmytattoo.com don't mind I'm using a screenshot of their main page.
I am after all giving them quite an endorsement.

If you are an artist and you're looking for a way to earn some money, I recommend checking this site out. be aware though, competition is fierce, and skill is king. the top rated artists are there for a reason (and though I'm climbing the list, I'm not there, yet.) if you want to get paid, you have to work. and the deadlines can be brutal.

I really feel though that I'm improving faster that I have been in a while. My work is faster, cleaner, and on time for both the site and my appts. cant complain about that.

If I'm not designing tattoos for my own work,or tattooing, I have been designing pieces for this site, and though I've tried to work on the many other projects I have (this blog, the comic strip, my comic, sketchbook #3, finishing my portfolio) this damn site has me locked in more than any video game or diversion ever could. it's also why I haven't been on facebook as much, or my other social media. I'm just drawing... I'd like to show some of the pieces I've sold, but I really can't, they don't belong to me, and I'd rather not put them online in a public way. Some of the designs where I didn't win the commission, I am posting in the marketplace flash section of the website, or will be collecting in the next art book. And like the buddha a few weeks back, i will post some here.

I am also more comfortable accepting general design/drawing commissions so if anyone is interested in getting some custom designs, hit me up.

Once I get more pics of my recent work processed, I  will post them here. also these other posts I have been carefully putting together. I want them to be just right.

Buckle up! 2012 is here!

Welcome to the last year of the Mayan Calendar Long Count! 

Not an end as some would like to believe, but a beginning to a new Era, a new year, and new opportunities. This is the time to let change take root and find new ways to old problems, and to face the coming challenges with renewed strength and purpose. Who knows what we'll all face in this most anticipated of years.

Or just get on with it... and don't let the bullshit get too thick.

Got a few pieces here I did at the end of the year to show, so lets get on with the art!

Lion King Icon from the play.

Work In Progress - A Celtic knot halfsleeve.

Started this a couple years ago, once It's done I'll do a Spotlight on  the piece.

Speaks for itself.

Throat Chackra on the foot.

Little snowflake

Skull and flowers.

Batman/Nightwing/Robin Tribute

And that's it. the first post of the year, and some cool pieces to check out. I've got some big pieces in the works, I'll save those until they are more complete and use them for some collector spotlights down the road.

Thanks for reading! We'll see you all Thursday!