Okay, a proper update that isn't about art. Well, only a little.

Surgery! Right, well, it was horrible, but that was to be expected. It actually went very well, The general knocked me out, the anaesthetist got my vein first go so there was no real pain, the nurses all crowded around my paper-clad body to oogle my tattoos, and i didn't even have to see the surgeon(who was a very scary fat man who i didn't want touching me)

Afterwards i woke up from silly dreams to a very nice nurse who hung out with me for a while and made me a special non-meat sandwich. Apparantly hospitals are big on meat. They didn't have anything not meat! as it was i had to make do with egg (egh) which kind of killed my whole vegan spree. I was deathly tired (well of course, general anaesthetic...) but convinced myself that i wasn't allowed to sleep in the hospital, so i spent an hour trying to wiggle my toes so energetically that i wouldn't fall asleep. So general also turned me into an idiot.

I didn't bleed eccesively(accesively? blaugh) ( i am a bleeder, we were all prepared for another "SHES BLEEDING TOO MUCH GET THE ACID") so i didn't even have to spend the night in hospital.

IN OTHER NEWS. I am moving in a few weeks and its causing crippling panic attacks. I dont want to leave my wonderful home to live in some squatty overpriced wellington flat. Also, i have far too much stuff. How do you pack records without breaking them? i sure as hell don't know.


ah.. i'm in some group shows that are coming up soon, i will post more about them later/closer to the date.

Would you like to win these goodies?

Leave a comment telling me which of my paintings you would most like to see on a badge or card, and you will be entered into the draw.

Post a link to this on your blog/website and you will be entered twice!

Goodies include:

2 A4 prints on matte 250gsm paper (this is not my usual print paper, these were early test runs before i found my beloved watercolour card)

1x "her hair is a birds nest" badge

1 set of mini notecards (on watercolour card) 1 each of "She cries", "She sleeps", "She pulls",and "Her hair is a birds nest"

and 1 funny little notebook covered in purple flowers and gold.

Winner will be announced one week from now. xox

Hello! here is a peek into my every day sketchbook.



( moleskin photos )

Finally got my appointment for surgery. Next Tuesday. Fuck. If i just run away and hide, can we all pretend everything will be okay? Oh well, at least horribly invasive surgery is better than cancer. Or so i've been told.

Um.. what else can i mention that doesnt make me puke...

New A5 prints are of to Swonderful (i cannot beleive they sold out already, it hasnt even been a month!) this time backed with card to the don't bend like they were doing. I bunged my knee at kung fu somehow last night and boy is it sore. Very sore. Ow ow ow ow. Someone should bring me an icepack.

I'm not sure how long i'll be in the hospital for, otherwise i would ask for visitors. Chances of that are pretty slim anyway as i'm pretty sure none of my Livejournal friends live in the same city anymore.

Everyone send me good thoughts and possibly candy.

wheee... for sale on etsy. Kind of hard to price these.

I'm really happy with the way the little backing cards came out. its basically the same design as my business card but without the info and a little wider.

Tralala.

http://www.frankie.com.au/art/704-devon-smith

Squee. I know it's only their website, and not their actual magazine, but it's a start.

Edited for typos.

I know lately all my posts are very poorly typed. I swear i actually have very good english, i just type things very fast and never proof read journal entries.

Dear The Internet:

Stop introducing me to people who are so awesome.

Love, Devon.


Okay, so my hair is black again. i was feeling a little washed out and dull with my natural hair colour. I forgot that dying your hair doesn't make you 5kgs lighter. Ha, i sure am smrt.

I started painting again. A bit iffy still but fixable i guess. Theres also a flaming redhead (more of a ginger) on my flickr, but she needs a recoat as i painted her all in watercolours and i'm too messy for watercolours. Gouache covers all over-line messes, watercolours do not. I drew some decent things.

Children's book i never talk about is BLAH i hate the style i've drawn it in. And the way i've coloured it. Only my initial character designs are any good. I'm stressing over jobs and it makes me rush illustrations because i 'need them for my portfolio'. Then i hate them and throw them out and have wasted time on nothing.

My secret bandits series is looking good though. It's stretching my drawing abilities, what with mostly being full-figures and animals i've never drawn and teeny details to agonize over. I love it because it is secret so i feel less pressure and thus am just enjoying the process of drawing/painting.

dying my hair..dying my hair.. tra la la. I hope i dont develop some sort of allergic reaction.

It is thundery and raining, so its a good day to stay inside drawing/dying. I have kung fu this evening,a nd i am not looking forward to walking in this rain. Maybe i can convince my flatmate to give me a ride. Wheeee...

i am such a terrible livejournaler/blogger/whatever. But, i sort of have an excuse. I've been in wellington for 2 weeks visiting my boyfriend and half-organising the move. A flat is arranged. It is far too expensive for me and i never would have signed the lease but.. Wal said he will pay more rent since he really wanted to live there. We have a walk in wardrobe and en suite so it is pretty amazing. Walk in wardrobe! And the room is huge. We can get a little couch and have tea parties. I can have tea parties. Wal can go to work so we can afford the place.



My etsy store was featured on decor8.com djkhgbklsuiyhls awesome amazingness. Which means sales have picked up. So i have heaps of new pretty prints! also Swonderful in Wellington put there order in so they will be selling my stuff within the next month, too!

I'm really not looking forward to getting a normal day-job (i know ill have to) so im half hoping sales pick up even more so i can just work part time or something.. Still waiting on the illustration agents. i feel like i will be waiting forever. blah.

x

I got a myspace again. Because theres this awesome musician boy that i want to stalk a bit.

uh.. so add me!

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=496533257

I just bought some gorgeous trousers. I've been looking for trousers for such a long time and finally found some gorgeous ones.

http://www.heydayonline.co.uk/default/womens-clothing/ladies-trousers/ladies-swing-trousers-grey-check.html

Oh grey check, i'd marry you if you were human. And rich. And didn't really require me to pay attention to you. And posibly were good at cooking.

So anyway, i hope they look good on my fat arse. I just realised my waist has gone up 2 whole inches since 3rd year (the last time i measured myself). This sucks. But i'm still within the healthy BMI so i guess it isn't that bad. I'm not going to die, i just have a big gut.

Whinewhinewhine.

Um, illustration jobs ahoy. This is rad. I never realised how much you get paid as an illustrator! i have yet to get any of those sort of jobs, but i may be being managed by some illustration agency, and although they take a cut, id be raking in the big(albiet inconsistant) bucks. I am hopeful right now, and trying to be upbeat and positive and all that junk. Catrabbit is making me a fox so really i have nothing to complain about.


xxx

New Things in my etsy store. This little original painting, aswell as a few new A4 prints.

So... http://www.deerface.com

Keep me in shoes and crackers.

Also, wanted to bump down the nastiness of art-stealing. So.. bumpbump.

Deviantart didn't see the two images as close enough to warrant deletion. I guess thats the whole 23% thing coming in. Which personally i think is bullshit, but what else can i do? deviantart has yet again prooved to be a pile of shit. Big surprise.

OKAY, recap: that girl sold that design to an NZ based clothing company, so i will make a complaint. She has made money from this. If she hadn't i wouldn't say anything as its a crummy copy anyway.

Okay, someone of deviantart ripped off one of my really old drawings, http://miss-cherry-martini.deviantart.com/art/Brutiful-Rocker-Tee-132917834

Look familiar? http://shishah.deviantart.com/art/Coloured-Pinup-5897421 At first i just thought it wasn't much, but the more i look, the more it looks copied. Am i overreacting?

STUPID HOSPITAL.


My surgery should have been at 9:30 this morning, they called me at 7:30 to tell me it was cancelled. God only knows how long i'll have to wait for another appointment, fxylwkeiual i want to get this horrid stuff fixed!

Surgery has come around. Tomorrow. Too early. I will be gone for a while. I am not remotely excited.

I am back from wellington! things cheered up a bit. I miss Wal like crazy already, but, eh. I think a little devon tiem before we move in together is good. I finished quite a few paintings, did lots of drawing. Bought a nice cardigan... It was a good trip. Unfortunately i was home alone alot, what with everyone working from 8 - god knows when. Plus, kung fu classes and such...

I have a meeting with ye olde artist mentor tomorrow. I got a letter back from COCA (center of contemporary art) saying they are interested in offering me a show, so ive been writing a new proposal today to send off to them. A show there would just be fantastic, even if it is in Christchurch.

I started my 30 days of psuedo paleo yesterday, and started a seperate journal for that (because its deadly boring, no one will want to read it unless they're considering the same diet) http://www.dinoeats.livejournal.com

Right now i am roasting pumpkin with a little cinnamon (brings out the flavours or something) which i am looking forward to scoffing.

Oh, everyone who is getting stuff in the mail from that little post i did earlier - you won't get anything if you don't give me your address. So.. i guess send them in a livejournal note if you don't have my email address. So far liser is the only one who will get anything.

After my big whinge about having to art for other people i painted something just for me.



She is silly and sweet and encompases all the things i reall enjoy painting. Bruises, freckles, pink lips, messy hair and plaid patterns. She could never get into a gallery show but i don't care and i shall never ruin her with any pretention. I'm getting her framed and she will hang above my painting space to remind me that in the long run i'm really only painting/drawing for my own happiness.

Also, i recently had to do a budget forecast with my artist's mentor (to get my grant i have to check in with this guy every few weeks, but he is very nice and helpful) and to live comfortably as an artist i really need to have more shows than i intend to. It's not that i can't produce enough works, i just don't want to constantly be exhibiting. That being said, i am currently looking for a nice gallery space outside of New Zealand. Perhaps a trip to Melbourne is in order.

I will be in Wellington next wednesday, and am wanting people to play with ( i am looking at you ms bandaid, anthony, zara) since i don't know my way around/anywhere exciting. Wal is working 8-6 every day but saturday so i will probably get pretty lonely.


x