Cousin Eddie from the movie Christmas Vacation(National Lampoons Christmas Vacation). I had such fun drawing Uncle Lewis, I thought I would try to draw a few more of the characters. What can you say about Cousin Eddie. He is crude, gross, and blissfully ignorant, however his heart is in the right place. Check out the movie if you haven’t seen it, and if you have, I’m sure you’ll agree, it is worth watching again. Remember to laugh and enjoy the Holiday season. Happy Holidays!!!

Also if your looking for a last minute gift, or something to occupy the kids during the Holiday break, check out my Christmas Coloring Book. Thanks.

The Sneaky Turkey tried to pass himself off as Santa to safely survive the Thanksgiving Holiday. The Illustration Friday theme this week was “sneaky.” I thought of ninjas and all manner of shadowy figures, but with Thanksgiving Holiday this week in the US, it seemed appropriate that a turkey might try to avoid the grim fate of the dinner table. I’m a vegetarian, so he is safe at my house.

I’m working on my Christmas/Winter Coloring book, and the sneaky turkey will make an appearance in the book for everyone to enjoy. I also wanted to take this time to thank everyone for your support each and everyday. I’m so very thankful for all of you. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and remember to tell the people who make a difference in your life a heartfelt thank you.

As an additional thank you, use the code “ANDYMACPREXMASSALE” to save 40% on any item in my ETSY shop from now through December 15th.

]]> http://www.andymcnally.com/2010/11/25/sneaky-turkey/feed/ 0 http://www.andymcnally.com/2010/11/17/burning/ http://www.andymcnally.com/2010/11/17/burning/#comments Wed, 17 Nov 2010 17:15:51 +0000 Andy http://www.andymcnally.com/?p=774

Uncle Lewis

Burning is the theme for Illustration Friday this week. The holidays are upon us, wether we are ready for them or not. One of the recent holiday movie classics the I like is Christmas Vacation(National Lampoons Christmas Vacation). If you think your Holiday is going bad, just remember it could be worse. The movie is full of family events and gatherings that do not turn out as planned. Uncle Lewis is the cigar smoking and bad toupee wearing uncle, who burns down the family Christmas tree, which I interpreted above. I like the movie because it reminds us that when things get tough or that life is not going our way that sometimes it is best just to laugh about it, especially during the holidays.

The Earth was saved shortly afterward.

I’m not good at asking for help, but one of my yoga teachers once said that  if you need a hug(or anything) then you need to ask for it.  People will not know that you need something if you don’t simply mention or ask for it first.  So here it goes,  I’m struggling through no one’s fault other than my own.  I’m not asking for charity, but I am asking for leads, work, and passing my name on to someone you know.  If you could use graphic design, web design, or training then great. Contact me and we will get started.  If you know of someone who needs one of these services, then please let them know about me.  If you like my artwork and want to be a patron of the arts, that would be great as well.

Why am I asking?  I don’t want to get to personal, and everyone is facing tough economic challenges right now.  A quick summary is that I bought a house in-between Nashville and Memphis, in the country.  My youngest daughter moved in with me.  I want to be here for her in a new town and place, and work from home.  I thought I could make a comfortable living, not extravagant, by selling my artwork and doing some consulting.  My primary consulting client, a former employer, basically stopped returning my calls.  They wanted to find someone cheaper, and chose to ignore a 10 year working relationship.  I’m sure everyone out there has a similar story.  The one thing I know is that it is temporary for all of us.  I will make a living from my art, and the economy will get better.

So I’m asking everyone for help, but what am I going to give back?  I’m going to kick off a series of online tutorials about setting up and creating Etsy and Zazzle shops, selling items on eBay and any other resource for artists and craft lovers out there.  Many of these tutorials will be aimed at beginners, but hopefully there will be some information in there for everyone else.  I want to show others how to make money selling their artwork or crafts, and to follow their passion.

Now the online stores are pretty obvious, but eBay honestly may not be the best place to sell your creative endeavors.  Ebay is, however, a great place to get rid of some of the clutter in your home and studio.  One of the things that has helped me stretch my funds over the years, is by selling things that I did not want or need.  Why not get rid of some of the things that you don’t really need?  How bad do you want to live life on your own terms?  How much does making a living from your artwork matter to you?  Good.  The stack of DVDs, those old comics collecting dust, and anything else that is not essential can be turned into money to buy art supplies, food, or pay bills.  Now you get the picture.  If you want to take living with less to the next level, I recommend checking out Minimal Lifestyle blogs like RowdyKittens.com by Tammy Strobel, and FarBeyondtheStars.com by Everett Bogue.  They will give you the insight and tips you need to live a life to the fullest with less clutter.

I mentioned change in the title.  I did ask for help and I could sure use some.  I do not however want to be insulted or lower the opportunities of other people in my field.  Employers and employees need to both take action.  Employers need to stop trying to hire professional  artists, graphic designer, web designers, and coders for peanuts.  If you contact me with a job for $7 an hour to design your graphic, website, or whatever, I’m going to turn you down.  Yes, I could use the money, and that is what you are praying on, but I will not lessen my profession or harm others abilities to get work in the process.  Designers out there who take these jobs are hurting all of us.  By accepting sub-standard pay, it makes it difficult for everyone to get paid.  It is a downward spiral.  I know some of you will adamantly disagree with me, and that is fine.  Demand to be paid what you are worth.  Explain the values of working with someone who knows what they are doing.  If the employer or client does not listen, say thank you.  It may hurt to turn down money, but it will hurt you more in the long run.

I also mentioned that no one would notice in the title.  Sadly, this may be true.  Many studies show that Twitter users only notice about 1/3 of all tweets or take any action.  Most people will read this post, if they have even made it this far, and maybe silently agree, but take no action.  I’m not asking you to change the world, but wouldn’t be fantastic if we did.  Know that it would mean a great deal to me, if you reTweeted this post, liked it on Facebook, mentioned it in your blog, or told a friend.  If nothing else please stay tuned in the weeks ahead as I show you how to set up your own shops and make money from your art, creativity, or passion.  I’m not saying you will get rich, but it is possible to make extra money and even your income from following your passion and doing something you love.  The world would be a much better and brighter place if we were all free to do something we love.

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PS. The illustration is my entry for this week’s IllustrationFriday.com theme “afterwards.”

I took a break from the Halloween themed entries, for this take on the Illustration Friday theme “racing.” Don’t get me wrong, I have a few sketches of monsters running, but the original image that came to mind was the scene above. The crisp fall air, and an imaginary line that two friends are running towards, are the makings of the perfect race.

I wanted to give everyone an update on my Halloween Fun Book. I have sold 14 copies so far, in an effort to reach my goal of 1000. Thank you to everyone who has bought a copy, tweeted about the book, posted on Facebook, or just sent me well wishes. You are all fantastic. I’m in the early stages of the next two books. Yes, two books. More details soon.

Spooky is the theme for this weeks Illustration Friday theme, and after working on my Halloween Fun Book, it was tempting to recycle images from the book. Instead, I decided to continue on my theme of the party in the world macabre, from my earlier Zombie Tea Party. I’ve also had Oingo Boingo’s song “Dead Man’s Party” stuck in my head. The party is not just for the underworld, anyone can join in. Celebrate the things that make you happy this week, and achievements large and small. Grab your favorite candy or snack, and take a break, even if just for a minute.

Also, please take a look at my Halloween Fun Activity and Coloring Book. I’m a self-employed artist, and it would be a tremendous help if you could purchase a copy, or just spread the word. If you like, you can get the digital version – $4 or the deluxe printed version – $10, by visiting the Book Order page here. Thank you.

Nothing is more exciting than getting your first spaceship. The joy and freedom of open space. You can take your friends to the milkshake shoppe on Plant 7, or if you have to, even take your sibling to the Galactic Mall.

“Used SpaceShips” is my illustration for this weeks Illustration Friday theme “transportation.” I did consider a Halloween or more October centered theme, but this little alien was the winner, and I have plenty of Halloween based art right now. Also, I persist that I still want my jetpack and flying car. Walt Disney’s world of tomorrow made it pretty clear, when I was a kid, that we would have these things by now. I will just have to be more patient.

Also, I would like to invite you to take a look at my Halloween Fun Book, if you have not already. It is a coloring and activity book. It will get you in the Halloween spirit, bring back fond memories of costumes and candy, and simply give you and your loved ones an excuse to get out the crayons and color. Coloring makes everything better(true story).

The theme for this weeks Illustration Friday challenge is “beneath.” In my defense it is October, one of the best months of the year, so I envisioned the scene above. My creative world is not full of zombies mindlessly chasing people around for their brains. The zombies in my imagination are rather polite and would love to chat about literature and art over a nice cup of tea. Many things in life are not what you expect. Personally, I would rather look for the positive outcome, so that you end up with fun zombie tea parties.

Grandpa Joe loved listening to Lady GaGa on his old fashioned transistor radio.

The theme for Illustration Friday this week is “old-fashioned.” I originally had the concept of a dog or robot with a monocle, spats, and a walking cane. I wasn’t happy with the results for the first idea, so I just kept drawing. Eventually I created “Grandpa Joe,” and he insisted on being given the full illustration treatment. He also reminded me to respect my elders. One of the important things that I have to remind myself is to keep drawing and not force the illustration. It is always a good idea to keep exploring the concept and see what turns up. Even if you don’t use a sketch or drawing for the current project, it’s possible that it might be useful in the future.

The Owl is another one of  my Illustration Friday entries.  The theme for this weeks challenge is “acrobat.”  The Owl loves keeping the city streets safe at night, fighting crime, and the occasional acrobatic move.  It is no surprise that in my imaginary world the superhero would be happy rather than dark and full of anger.  The Owl really loves what he does.

I would love to fly through the skies, and maybe even fighting crime.  I’m not 100% sure I would want to be a superhero, but I am 100% sure that I want to be an artist and create art.  Just like the Owl, it takes time and perseverance to achieve your goals.  Crime doesn’t disappear overnight, nor do typically artists appear on everyone’s radar overnight.  The fight is won by winning one battle at a time, over and over again.  Certainly there will be setbacks and bruises along the way.  The important thing is to keep at it, and to keep going.  Even really small efforts and victories will add up in your fight to achieve your goals.

Michael Nobbs is talented artist and friend who writes about achieving goals by working little and often.  His blog and upcoming book are about Sustainable Creativity.  I recommend everyone, not just artists, check out his blog to find out just how valuable little achievements can be in obtaining your long term goals.

What super power do you crave?  What are your daily and long term creative battles?  Leave a comment, and share your tips and ideas.  Have a wonderful and creative day.