New/Old Prints

A while ago my hard drive from college that had all of my everything on it bit the dust and I lost it all. All the images I had recently worked on and prepped for printing had to be worked from point A.

I finally had a chance to sit down and re-scan and work these images and send them out to get printed.

Let It Pour

Balance/ Flower Girl/ Dancer

Twins

I'm excited to have them in hand so I can continue to work on them with colored inks. They should be available on my Etsy page by the end of the month if not sooner.

Safety First

As I get older I struggle more and more with social anxiety and depression. These mental disorders run in my family and I have long suspected that I would have to deal with them as an adult. This is an illustration I did of an experience I recently had at a show I went to and the feelings elicited within me.

I call it 'Safety First' because the show was on a night Philadelphia & the East Coast was supposed to get a huge snow storm and we had driven down from Philly to Delaware hoping to outrun the storm on the way home. All the while I was at this show I thought how reckless these people were to be out while simultaneously acknowledging my own anxiety & the ridiculousness of feeling that this fun-loving crowd should just stay home for safety's sake. 

I was jealous, I wanted to join in, I wanted to be a part of the fun but I couldn't. My thoughts wouldn't allow me no matter how hard I tried to fake it. I saw myself with this silly garb on in the middle of the crowd, road cone hat and orange vest because, to me, I was a caution sign, I was saying to myself and everyone else (silently) "SLOW DOWN, you are freaking me out."

more after the jump.

Lera Lynn & Bird Watcher at the Tin Angel March 8

Newest poster design for Bird Watcher's March 8th show with amazing folk singer Lera Lynn. Link to her music after the break.

 

links to Lera's music after the jump.

Reworking is Always a Work in Progress II

Here is the rework of "The Great West or Old Black on the Elk" artwork for Bird Watcher, got it to where it needs to be. Original and embedded track after the jump.

The Great West or Old Black on the Elk

Bird Watcher's New Jam

Hand in hand again, Bird Watcher's new release is now available to listen to for free on Bandcamp with artwork by me, Samskrits.

I suggest you come out to Manayunk tomorrow night for the show at The Grape Room, 105 Grape St. Show starts at 7pm, $7 on Feb. 7th, it's gotta be good with those numbers. Performing with Underwater Country Club, Little Bird and more! it's gonna be a hoppin' good time!

Link and embedded tune after the jump.

Red Golashes

Yesterday was a pretty grim day weather wise and there's one thing I can't live without when it's rainy, my golashes! Mine aren't red but I thought, 'what if they were?!'...then I made a little painting of that idea. Being an artist is instant gratification for imagination! Rain or shine I stay inside!

splish, splash!

Reworking is Always a Work in Progress

I love reworking my work. I find that my first incarnation of something is rarely what I intended and I'm usually not happy with it. Since I've been working with Bird Watcher and illustrating their single releases I have had to create some stuff and just 'get it out there'. Luckily, I have the luxury of being able to send them updated versions that they are willing to put up.

Here is a rework of the image I did for the Happy House suite, original image and song are after the jump.

Happy House rework

The Quest

I spent all of today working on a submission package which has left me feeling like I jumped through numerous flaming hoops. Really I just should have done the whole thing 2 weeks ago but I work better under pressure. Here are two new pieces I made just for this show:

The Goblet of Demonic Pineapple w/Lightning

 The Goblet of Demonic Pineapple w/Lightning

Do not confuse this goblet with the Goblet of Demonic Pineapple without Lightning, very different. THIS goblet aside from providing you with a lifetime supply of delicious and ever-fresh pineapple will also: open the gates of hell, light your way in a black-out, give you large black angel wings, look really great on your mantle, impress all your friends and possibly even your mother-in-law, attract lightning in most large storms and also during fair weather, cure you of all cavities. THIS RELATES TO THE THEME OF YOUR SHOW “THROUGH DANGERS UNTOLD” because WHO WOULD NOT QUEST TO NEVER HAVE CAVITIES AGAIN!!!! I rest my case.

The Medallion of Blood Fire Mountain

The Medallion of Blood Fire Mountain

On a mountain of skulls in a castle of pain, I sat on a throne of blood. What was will be, what is will be no more. Now is the season of evil...oh wait that's Ghostbusters II. The Medallion of Blood Fire Mountain is an object of much powerful magic that is sought after by both nefarious and valient characters alike. The Medallion was placed upon the mountain top in a protective pyramid from which hot, boiling blood oozes down the mountainside. It is said that the medallion while looking really snazzy with virtually any outfit can also cause great harm or joy depending on the mood of it's beholder. THIS RELATES TO THE THEME OF YOUR SHOW “THROUGH DANGERS UNTOLD” because most certainly WIZARDS and HEROS were involved in the making of this piece of artwork.

Venus Anima

Been working on finishing these girls to completion, done and done!

These three images among others will be available for purchase in my Etsy store when it re-opens mid-February.

Deer Moon Girl

Lucky Rabbit Girl

Racoon Girl

This triptych started out with just Deer Moon Girl, she has been in black & white for the longest time an image I've drawn and re-drawn in various incarnations. I wanted to jazz her up just cause she seemed so sad so I gave her some droopy magical goo and some magical alchemical symbols and stuff so she wasn't so lonely, I think she digs it.

The idea grew from there to draw some more gals with weird animal attributes. It's very 'in' right now you know what with those playa/burner/steampunk/furry kids and all.

BUT besides that I really did put thought into each one. Deer Girl is sort of her own thing, a ring leader of sorts, but Lucky Rabbit Girl or as I like to call her : Dragon Lady (is that racist? I hope not...she has dragons on her dress...)...Anyway, Dragon Lady, one of my favorite Chinese folklore stories is the story of the Rabbit in the moon. In Chinese folklore the moon is a rabbit that sits and stirs the elixir of life which is really awesome. I want some elixir of life! She's super calm and always has some serious words of wisdom when she talks. Mostly she stares because that's just part of her rabbit nature.

Racoon Girl is the saddest of the bunch. She has a big cowl sweater to hide in and her hair is real messy, like so bad that she can't even get a comb through it. She just wants to chill under some brush and maybe tip over a trash can or something when it's dark.  She really likes knitting and she made her woven clothes to cover up her furry body.

More posting to come about the re-opening my Etsy shop and also what prints will be available.

Bird Watcher, Feb 7th, The Grape Room

Been very happy to be working with my good friends Bird Watcher designing posters and illustrating for them, here's the latest poster design:

Bird Watcher will be playing a show FRIDAY, Feb 7th at The Grape Room in Manayunk, PA. Joined by Underwater Country Club, The Rivals and serendipitously; Little Bird.

poster design & illustration by samskrits

Bird Watcher has recently been featured not once but twice on The Key, XPN's music blog. First featured for their two songs "The Great West" and "Old Black on the Elk" they were recently featured again as best free download of the week in the company of John the Conqueror, Gretchen Lohse, J Roddy Walston and The Business, Ginger Coyle Music, and The Skywriters. 

Not too bad. Stay tuned for the drop of their newest song which will be available for free download on Bandcamp here in the first week of February!

2-Dimensional Bobble Heads

For Christmas I told Jesse Soifer that we didn't really have to get each other anything...since we're both Jewish. I've always celebrated the pagan tree ceremony because of my w.a.s.p. dad but Jesse had never celebrated ever!  We ended up doing a mix of Jewish Christmas and regular Christmas where we ate Chinese food, saw The Nutcracker & Santa at Macy's, then fell asleep on the couch watching Peanuts shorts.  I drew this little picture as a placeholder for a frame that I got us but I think it needs its own frame now.

jitterbuggin'

 I have a real weird eye because I'm a cyborg and Jesse is definitely trying to feel me up...that's what happens in 5 minute drawings, cyborgs and 2nd base. Win/win!

Bird Watcher & Samskrits 4 eva

All I can think about today is how I have to go out into the cold if I want to be even remotely productive and it's really bumming me out but also inspiring me with a sense of adventure. Like everyone else I have the resilient and sustaining cold that leaves my nasal passages completely dry but yet somehow still have so much yuck that I get to cough up in the morning...how does the yuck not at least lubricate?

x-x-x

In these trying winter times I have latched on to a number of projects and one of them is fledgling musical act  Bird Watcher. Spearheaded by Julian Booker and assisted by Jesse Soifer these two dudes are starting to put out some really great folk/indie/Americana and I'm happy to be their resident illustrator.

You can listen to them on bandcamp through the link above or the embedded tracks below.

the great west- ford the river!

happy house suite

I've just been going with my gut listening to the songs and then whatever comes to mind is what I draw. So far I'm pleased with the images but I also wish that I had time to plan out an elaborate scheme of an overall larger design and then each song or release being a part of the reveal of that larger design. I don't mind that right now they are sweet little inspired vignettes and it doesn't mean they can't be used to make a larger piece in the end. We'll see where it goes. Happy to have creative freedom and a great sounding board with Jesse and JJ.

I'll be posting more stuff for Bird Watcher later in the month when another of their releases drops so check back!