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In preparation for the graphic novel I am working on, and for the sake of getting some ‘writing practice’ in so to speak, I will be trying to use my blog more. Trying being the operative word 😉 So here we go with a tour of my studio….

Super organized, right? lol

Here you see I have an addiction to shelving, cubes, and extreme organization. I blame this completely on a Berenstein Bears book I read as a child about cleaning your room. Everything under the window is toy making supplies. From copious amounts of beads to charms to wires in every color and thickness and tools that I don’t know the name of or if I am even using correctly, but I use them anyways. Above the filing cabinet is a portrait of my favorite author F. Scott Fitzgerald. Along the wall you have some artwork from Doktor A, Brandt Peters and my ‘favorite’ paintings that I’ve done that are waiting for forever homes.

Across the top of the cubed shelves is my work in progress pieces and finished boxer angel pieces. You probably can’t make anything out specifically but there are some big white rainbow boxer figures in process, bigger sitting rainbow boxers, some boxer puppies in teacups, and then future dragon projects. Including Whiskey Dragons and candy dragons. Behind all that mess is a display box I made showing the evolution of my designer toy making. From my very first figure in 2015, to my favorite figure from a show at Stranger Factory that I participated in. On top of that display is a row of Toy Story toys. I love Buzz and Woody figures. This is some of the rare Funko I own.

There’s some finished large paintings on the floor wrapped and awaiting homes. A narrow bookshelf of various graphic novels. And a Joker figure collection on each of those shelves. Yes, the house cleaner must absolutely hate dusting my house.

My drafting table, covered in stickers from various artists I love. The books on the chair are reminders of projects I want to start but haven’t gotten to (there is a bee book, a praying mantis book and a book on fireflies). The wall is covered in fun stuff. Just to name a few: pics of my dogs, my son, Tim Burton with Frankenweenie, a couple Kandinsky’s, the panda is Aaron Martin aka Woes. Some Katherine Hepburn movie posters, Grace Slick and Janus Joplin hiding behind the door, a postcard of Kurt Vonnegut and finally a picture of me and Charlie Hunnam (I’m a huge SOA fan).

Ah! Another shot of stuff I am going to paint if only I had time and didn’t have to sleep. I want to point out specifically on the right there that slot cabinet. It holds my watercolors that I’ve finished or are in the process of finishing. I put a lot of furniture together on my own over the course of my life. And that was easily the biggest pain in the ass to put together ever. That’s what I think ever time I look at it. I love/hate it.

Anyways, the black boxes all hold finished toy pieces. I use them to travel for shows. On top of them you probably see a bunch of Pitties waiting to get painted (if you want to know more about those, go to our previous post called Biggie Pittie). Also inside there is some Kemelife pieces I plan to customize. Some more Rainbow in Pieces and a few Patrick’s from Spongebob. Basically this is my if Designer Con happens still, what am I going to bring corner….

And no, I have no idea what I am doing with the dog house shaped wooden bird houses yet. The Beatles Rubber Soul album, the cover of my first published novel and a sketch from the artist who does Ax Cop along the top of the closet.

My desk….Above you see my favorite artist pair, Kathie Olivas and Brandt Peters. I had the fortune of meeting them a couple years ago in S.F. and it was amazing. Pics of my dogs and son all over. The notebooks along the top are all full of writing, stories, poetry, ideas and sketches. Good luck to whoever has to go through all that and decipher my chicken scrtach when I’m dead 🙂

The boxer statue is getting painted up for a fundraising raffle on our page in August supporting Across America Boxer Rescue. Behind that Pittie is the beginnings of my customized Baby Fatts figure for artist Big C. Part of an online show in October. And on the far right a stack of books I need to read about fun art activities for kids. Because I plan on smothering the Intern in art like any good parent should 🙂

Finally, the corner. You might be thinking why would you put your new awesome painting by Kennie in the corner? Well, this is where I spend most of my time. At my desk. So this corner gets the most viewing.

I have Brandt and Kathie sketches on the left, a painting done by my talented niece E.C. and a painting by Jason Limon of the Abominable Snow Cone. On the right, a black and white baseball picture of Jim Thorpe, my new Kennie painting is next to a drawing I did of carousel horses. Initially it was going to be a gift for someone but I instantly fell in love with it because it is weirdly ugly and I can’t help but stare at it. I don’t know how else to describe the piece. On the bottom is one of my first watercolor paintings ever from when I was a kid titled “House on Fire”. I recently found it in a shoe box of old artwork that fell from my attic into my garage when the ceiling caved it.

So there you have my extremely jam packed studio. The spot where I paint is in a different room but this is pretty much my she-cave. Where the magic happens as they use to say on MTV Cribs (yes, I’m dating myself with that reference). Hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to ask questions about anything you see in the pictures that I failed to mention.