Rezurekted Studios

A Curls Best Friend

2011-11-29T18:41:00.000-08:00

Just finished these two portraits for the lovely ladies over at the "A Curls Best Friend" blog. They have an awesome blog with some stunning information and insight for ladies (and men) trying to go natural with their hair. These portraits are the first part in an overhaul of the look of the blog. check them out at acurlsbf.com. More to come very soon..... :-)

Sketchbook Sunday!

2011-09-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

Just a few sketches, still putting some pieces together. Some new things are coming just around the bend.

Florence and the Machine Completed

2011-09-19T16:59:00.000-07:00

finally finished the Florence and the Machine piece. The concept for the piece was just to make her apart of the stories she tells in her songs. I chose two of my favorites to incorporate and if your a fan of Florence then you'll know which songs I've weaved her into the midst of. Above is the final with color and beneath is the black and white original watercolor painting. I hope you enjoy!

P.S- Also excited because I just brought my St. Vincent tickets and also found out Florence is releasing a new album in October/November, and just acquired the new St. Vincent and Cymbals Eat Guitars albums (both of which are amazing). Its been a good music week for me :-)

Mini-Sketch Dump :-)

2011-09-12T21:33:00.000-07:00

Selena's Good To Go

2011-09-09T20:59:00.000-07:00

All framed and ready to be sent out on monday. Now I can sleep feeling accomplished. Here's a throwback song to help remember the Cumbia Pop queen who's life was cut short.

La Reina!!!

2011-09-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

My piece for the Autumn Society Iconoclastic Dead Show in Mexico City at Guru Gallery. Its a portrait of the Iconic and Tragically murdered Latin Pop Queen Selena. Check the show out online or in person if you get the opportunity opening day is October 1 .

Tuesday sketch

2011-09-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

Also working on the piece below now, stay tuned the final is coming really soon.

It's Been Awhile.....

2011-08-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

.. but I'm back. :-)

3B Show!

2011-05-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

HEy well my piece is still for sale over at Gallery 1988 so don't be afraid to purchase if you feel so inclined. The link purchase is right here. The opening was a blast and Santa Monica was awesome and welcoming. Thanks to Joe Game for Curating and Gallery 1988 for having us. now for some pics :-)

THE 3B SHOW PREMIERE (Video by Steve Czarnecki / BTTF.com) from The Autumn Society on Vimeo.

Bride of Beetlejuice

2011-04-02T12:56:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone this is my piece I just finished for the 3b show at Gallery 1988 with the Autumn Society. Its a tribute show to the movies Beetlejuice, Bill and Ted, and Back to the Future. It was a really fun piece to paint and hopefully everyone can make it to the opening in beautiful Santa Monica and buy some really awesome art. :)

also some process shots from my twitter. Its Acrylic on Watercolor Paper btw. Enjoy

Keeping Up With the Joneses

2011-03-08T20:30:00.000-08:00

So I've been busy though absent from my blog for a little bit. I'm still taking part in the Gryndtime 2011 challenge although I've fallen slightly behind. Well at any rate still working on my Florence and the Machine piece and all I have to show this week is a quickie painting of a favorite old actress of mine Sophia Loren, some sketches of her, and my revised Florence sketch.
Self asigned homework for this week: watch the Beetlejuice movie, sketch and the black white finished for my florence and the machine painting.

Florence in the Beginning

2011-02-17T21:02:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone this time I have some process shots. for now its a rough sketch and some sketch practice. Florence and the Machine is a kick ass group who was nominated for grammys and a bunch of other awards all around the world. Florence's dramatic storytelling, grandiose vocals, and complex music make her long overdue for to Illustrated. I noticed a lack of good florence and the machine illustrations and I aim to rectify that issue. Here go those drawings I promised, and I'll be posting the final piece at some point next week along with a full explanation of what's going on in this piece. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-13T22:10:00.001-08:00

Here's a Rose for you! Happy Valentine's day everybody!

Hosni Mubarak Resigned

2011-02-13T10:19:00.000-08:00

Holy Crap! Egypt recently succeeded in persuading their leader of 30 years to resign late last week, after several protests that turned somewhat violent Hosni Mubarak decided to resign. I started my Mubarak piece right before he resigned. Its pretty much him sinking to the bottom the Nile destructing along the way. His reign is over I'm happy that most of Egypt got what they wanted, I'm hoping they can be a better and more united country with a new leader, now I'm just wondering who's next to revolt.

Also my process is still evolving I'm finding that lately watercolor and Photoshop are my friends. Here's the painting below and the final piece above. New sketches and more work coming soon. Thanks for reading :)

Up All Night

2011-02-12T08:10:00.000-08:00

Made some progress on the Mubarak piece. finish coming on monday and also got this song stuck in my head so I'm spreading the rythmic infection.

Back in the Swing of Things

2011-02-06T20:25:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone, I'm finally getting back into the swing of things been doing a little bit of painting and a lot sketching. Got some great pieces to work on, as well as a crazy challenge that me and some friends are embarking on. We're calling it the Gryndtime 2011 challenge, its pretty much a piece a week for the rest of the year. If all goes as planned we all will have new portfolios by the end of April. Well here's some demon animal studies, and some potential future pieces. :)

Mubarak piece! first up for the Gryndtime 2011 Challenge

Sailor Jerry:Final Artwork

2010-11-22T15:10:00.000-08:00

Finally! Here's the final artwork for my piece from the Sailor Jerry Show. More artwork coming soon =)

Sailor Jerry Opening!!!

2010-11-21T15:32:00.000-08:00

I was really excited for the Sailor Jerry Opening and was hoping to do a lot of documentation but the free spiced rum maybe have kept me a little pre-occupied. Thankfully 215 magazine was there to pics from the show as well. =) These are a few pics from the show (mine pictured above) and there are even more pics over at 215mag.com. Enjoy I'll be posting a scan of the image very soon as well.

Memorializing a Legend

2010-10-23T12:38:00.000-07:00

I've recently discovered the love I have memorializing people. Ever the portrait I painted in January of my friend deceased aunt I've been looking for more people to memorialize and when I was asked to participate in a Sailor Jerry Tribute show I thought this was a great oppurtunity to commemorate a legend. The man revolutionized tattooing not just as a trade but also as an art form. I really love his flash art and wanted to incorporate in my piece in a big way, here's my sketch(above), final painting to coming real soon, and the show is November 12th, @ the Sailor Jerry store on 13th and sansom in Philadelphia, PA. Come out and satisfy your eyes.

Summer Reminiscing

2010-10-08T21:32:00.000-07:00

The Summer has been an amazing blur. Here's a partial recap(well, its what I was able to document) in case you missed it in order from most recent to the beginning of summer. The above picture is from The PNBR 2010. I'm also getting back to my real job and there will be more posts coming very soon :)

@The Alex Gross and Esao Andrews Opening

@Coney Island

@Wildwood, New Jersey

@Steph's BBQ

Color Study

2010-07-22T00:10:00.000-07:00

Color study for a new piece. Hoping to to have this one finished tomorrow night.

Something New!.... and Something Less New

2010-07-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

Hey, this is a piece I just finished. It was a sketch first, I was thinking it would be cool to have a heart melting a block of ice. I think it makes for interesting imagery and with the new way I've been working I think it works well. It's still hard to tell if this is taking longer or the same amount of time as before. Either way I'm hoping to push out a lot of spots especially since I just got this baby in the mail the other day. I'm ready for production.

This is an old piece I just had the opportunity scan. It was for the Bill Cosby show sometime last year.

Things to Acquire

2010-07-07T11:44:00.000-07:00

Epson Scanner*

A printer*

Soccer Ball*

New Coffee Blend

Super Mario Galaxy

40 inch Flatscreen

and a PS3

New Work

2010-06-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

This is a new piece I've just finished using a different process than I normally do. Hopefully I can get this new way of working to the point where I can finish amazing pieces in a day or two instead of a couple of days to a week. This piece is based around the disease that strikes many in old age called cataracts which slowly impairs your vision and sometimes even to the point of blindness. Hopefully everyone likes it and of course I'm open to opinions. I'll be writing again soon. :)

... and I'm Feeling Good

2010-04-22T21:57:00.000-07:00

I finished this piece on monday night the day before my birthday. I'm officially 23 years old. This piece is my take on a mermaid, I don't usually paint many creatures and I've taken the opportunity to have a little fun with fantasy subject matter. I think I'm just going to start e-framing everything, I'm stealing the idea from Kanye West's blog which is chocked full of artsy goodness. This is original sketch below.

I also got a new old Polaroid camera and a good amount of expired film. It's great! here's some pics I took while chillin' in Rittenhouse with friends on my Birthday. These were taken right before we went to see kick-ass which was a great movie and definitely something I'll be buying on DVD when it's released. Hope everyone is great!

More Progress....

2010-04-19T01:13:00.000-07:00

This painting is almost finished. just some minor details to paint and some digital enhancements on the horizon. Going to have a great scan of scan of this by the end of week. :)

And also I've found these awesome interviews that have me even more stoked than usual to paint. if you like comic book art and or illustration check out the sidebar comics, art and more podcast. They have great interviews with Sam Weber, Josh Middleton, Brad Holland, and pleanty other great artist.

Gil Scott-Heron

2010-04-19T00:58:00.001-07:00

This man is a living legend. His work has been affecting the african american community in a positive way since the 70's. The part that astounds me is how he has updated his sound and kept the essence and passion that made people want to listen to him in the first place. Gil Scott-Heron you are my hero and I hope my craft can affect people even a fraction of what yours has.
please do your self a favor and check out his new album "I'm new here" here's a song from the album it called "me and the devil"

Gil Scott-Heron - "Me And The Devil" from Adam F. on Vimeo.

some old-school Gil

Princess Bubblegum

2010-04-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

I just finished this fanart piece of the new Adventure Time cartoon. This is Princess Bubblegum, I chose her because she is wildly different from most characters I draw so I thought it might be interesting to see such a cutesy character rendered out by my hands, I had a lot of fun doing this piece mostly because I got to use a variety of mediums: watercolor, colored pencils, acrylic, and even digital. Hoping to finish up another painting this week on my off days until then Blogger.

Alexi

2010-04-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

This is a character portrait based on my friend Alexi. No meaning behind this one, it's just me practicing in a new medium.

St. Vincent Completed

2010-03-25T20:28:00.001-07:00

I finally got the oppurtunity to scan my st. vincent painting. I'm really happy with this piece so much that I e-framed it. I hope you enjoy it and I'm happy to start working on some new paintings.

Memory Lane

2010-03-23T01:18:00.001-07:00

I wanted to post the final scan of my St. Vincent painting but the place where it's being shown is only open thurs - saturday. It's kind of limited my pick-up times......so for now here's some pics from 09

This was from a free event held by Broad Street Ministries. They had a piece of canvas and tempera paints and I could not help myself (even though my painting face is quite unattractive and is usually kept behind closed doors)

This was done at an art show Gloria was apart of. They also had live painting which we both indulged in. my tempera doodle is on the bottom and Gloria's is right above mine.

and also I've been blogging a lot too over at giant human boy. Me and a couple of friends of mine share ideas and various other materials that aid in procrastination. check it out if you get a minute.

Tweaking the Website

2010-03-17T04:16:00.000-07:00

I just made some small tweaks on my website and needless to say I am much happier with it. I've added details for all the images and put in new images including one I had taken out for reasons unknown to even myself, and also addeda touch of color. So go check it out! click the website link on the side of my blog or if your lazy just click here

Proof!!!

2010-03-11T22:23:00.000-08:00

Proof thats it's done! Scan and detail shots coming on monday. :)

Next Week Will Be More Exciting

2010-03-09T00:51:00.000-08:00

Feeling weird right now. My laptop is at the apple store getting its logicboard replaced which is definitely slowing down my whole website/blog super update endeavors. I will say that my St. Vincent painting is completed and I'm excited to scan and post it in the coming week. I'm also commiting to posting once a week as a minimum and since I don't really have much to show this week here's a st. vincent video. I hope you enjoy :)

Mini-Update

2010-03-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

Hey guys I'm sorry for not blogging but its because I've actually been busy. :) I've got a few shows coming up which I'll keep everyone posted with as they get closer. I need to get better at documenting although I will have plenty of updates in the very near future to make up for it, but I must go now and find good reference of a boat. Here's a hint why...

The Spirit of St. Vincent

2010-02-10T15:39:00.000-08:00

Working on a new piece based on the soothing voice of singer/songwriter/musician Annie Clark. I was listening to her first album and was thinking to myself "This stuff could calm a sea faster than Poseidon." and so here we have the sketch. Which is her standing amidst a stormy ocean trying to calm the ocean with song. Below are my first set of color studies, its been awhile since I've done them digitally. This reminded me of how awesome photoshop is for finalizing images.

You can find her tunes here if Interested. I'm excited to start this painting. :)

Vote 4 Me

2010-02-02T01:18:00.001-08:00

Hey Guys I have a few pieces up for voting over at infectious.com. Do me a favor and vote for my designs so that they can be used as iphone/cell phone skins and or laptop skins. :)

VOTE 4 "GRACIAS POR LA INVITACION"

VOTE 4 "PURGING STRESS"

VOTE 4 "A TALE OF REGRET"

Many thanks to all who vote.

Still Painting.....

2010-02-02T00:43:00.000-08:00

New piece in progress. Hoping to have this one finished by the end of week. session 2 begins on wednesday in oils. More info about the piece will come as I get closer to completion so please stay tuned.

In other news, I gots a twitter now so if your on twitter too lets follow each other. I'm @colliemills you can just click the link on the sidebar to follow me. :) and also in the spirit of twitter my friend henry made these awesome twitter joke icons. you can check out more of his stuff here.

Remembering Stella

2010-01-29T18:24:00.000-08:00

Hey I just finished this portrait of Stella, she departed earth in 2005 and I was honored to help carry on her memory through a painting that embodies her likeness. The portrait itself was very fun, and the baroque framework is something i've always wanted to paint and it was really cool to apply it to a sentimental portrait.
.....and I also coded this website for my friend Darvin. He designed it and I was the person who coded it and acted as a design consultant. check it out if you get a chance here

Mind-Blowing

2010-01-28T03:10:00.000-08:00

I found these videos online tonight. They have no credits and have come out of nowhere and are extremely intriguing. All I can say is that I'm interested in whatever is going with these vids. I hear they're promos for a band. who? I have no idea either way they're very intense and I can't wait for someone to step forward and claim ownership of these videos so that I may bow to their creative awesomeness.

and I have finished a painting and made some progress on another. A pic and an accompanying tale coming to a computer screen near you very soon my friends.

Visuals for the Uninspired

2010-01-14T00:45:00.000-08:00

Recently been entranced by a couple of vids, so I thought I'd share. Video is an artform I have a lot respect for. The thought process to bring these visuals to life must be an arduous one and I commend these directors and animators. These videos make me want to instantly get and go start working on something. Keep up the good work guys I'm looking forward to seeing more work from these guys

Trichrome Blue from Lois van Baarle on Vimeo.

Yeasayer - Ambling Alp from Spy Films on Vimeo.

There is also an equally awesome interactive video type thing on www.amblingalp.com, look only if your brave

fever ray - if i had a heart from Raf Rennie on Vimeo.

These New Puritans - We Want War from Raf Rennie on Vimeo.

DEBORAH ANN WOLL | EN LAS DISTANCIAS CORTAS UN HOMBRE SE LA JUEGA from seres on Vimeo.

This one was directed by Tyler Shields

On to the Next One by Jay-Z from Wasiu Bello on Vimeo.

Preview

2010-01-02T23:52:00.000-08:00

These are two pieces I'm starting this coming week. I'll give more info as they approach completion. :)

Best of Film of 2009

2009-12-30T11:03:00.000-08:00

So I'm kind of enamored with James Cameron right now. Last Night I experienced the Avatar in 3d and was completely blown away, not just by the character design and great acting but by the way this old story was told in such a new and refreshing way. It is also amazing the lengths that everyone involved in the process of making this movie have gone through, especially the 3d modelers, animators and motion capture folks. This film IS amazing and if you haven't seen it yet then you are doing yourself a disservice. P.S-You'll definitely want to see it in 3d, it enhances the experience and really puts you in the film. check out the trailer and some behinds the scenes stuff in the video playlist underneath.

Creative Quarterly 17 Unleashed!!!

2009-12-21T23:55:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited to say that it's official the new issue of Creative Quarterly is out. I made into the online gallery which is pretty much awesome for me. To have my name included in the same list as artists like Anita Kunz is a crazy honor. I'm stoked on it so check out the online gallery and the magazine should be in stores now, there's a lot of really great art in it.

Snow Day

2009-12-19T18:14:00.000-08:00

So this is the scene outside my window right now. Maybe tomorrow when it stops I'll start a snowball fight with someone I don't know. Until then inside I shall remain until it stops and just make sure I'm ready to brave whatever will remain of this elemental carnage.

I also managed to find time to scan two of the sketches I did while trapped in the trenton train station last weekend. I did do more sketches but they were just plain ole silly. I'll save them for when I need a good laugh. but yeah since I'm trapped I'm gonna buckled down and do some final sketching and movie watching.

Some Quick Studies

2009-12-17T19:05:00.000-08:00

These are just some spontaneous small paintings. some done in watercolor and some done in acrylic done purely for the sake of fun and experimenting with some more spontaneous ideas.

My Favorite Album Art of '09

2009-12-16T00:36:00.000-08:00

The artwork for these albums made me want purchase before listening to the music. Kudos to these bands. They obviously understand the need for great art

Daytrippin' in New York

2009-12-14T19:27:00.000-08:00

My friends Marvin, Gloria, Danny Mak and I took a daytrip to New York to check out a couple of sights and to see the "Hajimari-A Prelude" show by Audrey Kawasaki at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery. Her show was amazing and packed full of people waiting to get their prints and postcards signed. I'm really excited because I did not get a chance to meet her at the last show she had in Philly so my friend Gloria and I both seized the opportunity. She was super gracious and awesome and her and her show are the highlight of this month even after christmas day. But yeah here's how the rest of the day went. :)

We arrived in Chinatown and got some amazing dumplings.

We also checked out the Kandinsky exhibit and Thanhauser collection at the Guggenheim.

We stopped pass Times Square which left me kind of speechless.

and we missed the last train to philly, so we commandeered a table at Trenton train station and talked smack, sketched and people watched until 7am. Good Times!

oh yeah and my favorite piece in the audrey kawasaki show. see more here

Guitar update

2009-12-09T01:35:00.000-08:00

One or two sessions left. Time for me to sleep.

Feeling Nostalgic

2009-12-08T14:08:00.000-08:00

I've really been thinking about acquiring an old school polaroid camera. I've always love the way polaroid pics came out and lets be honest when you were a kid you loved shaking those instant prints when they shot out of that camera. I don't like the colors of the one pictured, maybe I'd get a black one or white & grey one either way I think I'm getting one of these bad boys, gotta love that white border.

and continuing with the theme of nostlagia this has been stuck in my head as well.I think I was maybe 6 or 7 when I first heard this song. good times

My Boo from Big Eaze on Vimeo.

I got me a Gee-Tar

2009-12-07T14:52:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone I've been working on this commission. The only guidelines I was given was to ensure that the piece had some bluebirds in it and beyond that I was given complete freedom and Yes, its a painting on a guitar!! I'm stoked on it especially after going through some priming issues that are now dead and gone. This is only the beginning so I'll keep everyone posted as it goes. Its going to be finished really soon. :)

The presence of Exposure

2009-12-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to my friend Doreen Garner's Senior Thesis Show opening entitled "The Presence of Exposure" at the Tower Gallery. What she had on display was a mix of Illustrative glasswork set on top of a chaotic display. The show was great and every corner of this installation was intriguing and thought provoking. Here are some more pics

A CMYK Acid Trip for all to See

2009-11-25T06:35:00.001-08:00

Major Lazer "Keep it Going Louder" from Eric Wareheim on Vimeo.

So I recently found the best pop song of the year that apparently has been out and neglected by the masses since the summertime. The song is by Major Lazer a project lead by two of my favorite beatmakers Diplo and Switch. The video (directed by Eric Wareheim of the "Tim and Eric Show") feels like a cmyk acid trip, and has been playing in my head over and over since the first time I saw it on Saturday. You may need a palette cleanser after watching this video if your easily weirded out.

Preview

2009-11-23T03:11:00.001-08:00

A commission I'm working on for a friend. My only guidelines for this piece were to make sure bluebirds were incorporated somehow, it was so much freedom I almost didn't know what to do but my design is set and it should be awesome when its finished. :)

Website 4.0 has arrived

2009-11-18T14:16:00.000-08:00

of all the changes I've been I think my website is finally at a place where I am proud of it. I hope everyone likes it I worked really hard dreamweaver was quite the enemy during these revampings. click the website link on my sidebar to check it out. :)

I also made over my blogspot(which you are currently on) and my ohger.

My Owl

2009-11-16T01:04:00.000-08:00

So I posed for a painting recently and the painting is now finished. My friend Gloria Martin is doing a portrait series of people becoming a part of nature or somehow becoming heavily influenced by it. I think this piece look's great and I'm proud to have been able to aid her by being reference and I can't wait to see what else her strange artist mind cooks up for this series. I also have to thank her for upgrading my lenses to something way cooler than I have now.

She's named the piece "Collie's Owl" it's acrylic and oil on masonite. Check out her blog if you'd like to see process shots.

The Cosby Show

2009-11-15T22:54:00.000-08:00

I just finished a piece for a show themed around all things Bill Cosby. I decided not to take the jello pudding approach and tried to dig a little deeper into Bills personal life. I found an article in the Atlantic Monthly that spoke of his criticisms toward the African-American community in recent years. The article talked about whether or not his methods were actually bringing about a positive change or was he so harsh that the people who need to take in his message felt attacked and in turn refused to listen. Bill Cosby has a wealth of experiences and wisdom and I'm not saying his criticisms are wrong, but is it possible that his insight into this situation is slightly clouded with his advancing age or that he is just not thinking clearly before he starts speaking.

My piece is about the insight of Bill Cosby and I promise I'll be getting a good scan of this piece very soon. I named this piece "The fading Glare of Wisdom", it is acrylic on paper.

Feeling like an Ohger

2009-11-08T19:24:00.000-08:00

Hey guys so I've recently become a member of a new blog community called ohger, I'll still be on blogger but my posting will be a little less consistant because I'll be on ohger. I'll be posting soon but until then please check out my ohger account.

-Collie

Portraits

2009-10-10T23:02:00.000-07:00

A portrait of singer/songwriter Emily Haines in watercolor on Lightweight Rives BFK . done in 2 hours. watercolor takes me time as I'm kind of new to this medium. I also now see that Rives was a bad choice.

Another portrait for fun. The reference is a photo by Osman Balkan. Done in about two hours inbetween watching Conan and Fallon.
oil on Rives BFK

Dia de los Muertos Opening

2009-10-04T00:56:00.000-07:00

The Opening for the show was great, Proximity Gallery is an awesome place and I hope to get the opportunity to show there more often. At the show I was able to see some old friends and even meet some artists I admire. The food(chips+dip and the pizza truck) and drinks were awesome, the margaritas were never-ending and so was the PBR which always makes for a good time. Not to mention that my piece sold!!!Here are some pics, I love my friends they came out and showed support which made me feel like a million bucks and I thank them, even the ones that couldn't make it. :)A pic of the crowd, including the blurry Joe Game (founder of the Autumn Society).
My friend Jenny Le came out...
and so did my homies Danny Mak and Marvin Silvestre ...

Allie got lost but found her eventually...

and Gloria, Anisha, and Kellie-Lynn all awesome people.

Ink Testing

2009-10-02T10:33:00.001-07:00

Hey, I was messing around with some sumi-e ink the other day and I kinda like the results. Ink makes me think differently and is a fun way for me to let go of some of the tightness I'm used to in painting. Had tons of fun doing these little ink drawings/paintings. done on rives

Gracias , Por la Invitacion

2009-09-30T16:39:00.000-07:00

This is my submission for the Dia de los Muertos show. When doing research for this piece I loved that everything that is done on this holiday(altars, shrines, flowers, candles, face painting, story-telling, etc.) is meant to encourage a visit from the deceased. I thought to myself what if the dead could usher themselves back into the realm of the living by creating their own encouragement to return. So here's my interpretation of that idea in acrylic and oil on rives BFK.

I Hope everyone enjoys and I can't wait to see the show on Friday, all the work I've seen already looks amazing. Who's stoked? I am! :)

Beware of Raccoons

2009-09-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

Soooo....Theres a Raccoon living in the house across from mine thats under construction. I'm weirded out by this because I live in the heart of the city, I mean there are no woods for miles. I wonder if Animal Control is 24/7 because of course I only see him at 4:30 in the am.

P.S I never realized that Raccoons are about as big as a pitbull and they look like they can do some serious damage.

Sounds

2009-09-24T01:54:00.000-07:00

Sounds I've been listening to::
A Skylit Drive
Cymbals Eat Guitars
The Main Drag

Sounds I need to acquire::
Bang Gang
LoveHateHero
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Another T-Shirt

2009-09-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

Another t-shirt design for a friend based off of a painting I did called " A Tale of Regret". I need to get my friend to model it so I can see it on a form other than the photo I have taken I enjoyed this one. took about an hour and a half done with fabric markers. :)

Some sketches

2009-09-13T04:01:00.000-07:00

Just me practicing flowers and type.

Creative Quarterly 17

2009-09-13T00:17:00.000-07:00

Hey I just got an email from creative quarterly that said I got in so I thought I would share the piece that they chose. It's a portrait of British actor Ben Whishaw who's role in the movie "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer" inspired me to do a portrait. The movie is awesome and if you haven't seen it then you should treat yourself and watch it.....Since it's Autumn I decided to a simple portrait of him blending in to his surroundings. I hope you enjoy and keep an eye out for the creative quarterly 17. I'm excited!! :)

this is the actor

This is the Sketch

this is my interpretation

Love is a Battlefield

2009-09-12T03:34:00.000-07:00

So this song has been stuck in my head the past few days. It's Pat Benetar's "Love is a Battlefield" my favorite song right now... and also check out these guys, Live To Tell they do an awesome cover

Pat Benatar - Love is a Battlefield

Noodlez

2009-09-05T23:23:00.001-07:00

This is my custom toy for the Nosego toy release show at Jinxed. The show was great and the new location for the Jinxed store is simply amazing at Piazza. I really enjoyed making this custom so much in fact that I had to give him a name. He is "Noodlez" and in case you were wondering he is the man.

IN THE AM::Pearl's Dream

2009-08-15T00:58:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge Bat for Lashes fan and they're new album is great. Her music whimsical and makes you feel like your in a dark fairytale. Now I give the music Video for Pearl's Dream by Bat for Lashes

The 8-bit and beyond Opening

2009-08-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

The opening for the 8-bit and Beyond show was great. Here's some of my favorite pieces (including my piece) from the show.

Getting in touch with Nature

2009-08-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

So I went camping for the first time in my life. It was great to get in touch with nature while reconnecting with friends from my old Martial Arts school. here's some pics of the river we found when we went hiking and the tent me and my friend shared.

Samus vs. Ridley Completed

2009-08-04T10:55:00.000-07:00

Hey this is my and Debbie Plesnarski's submission for the 8-bit and beyond show. This was a fun piece to make and Debbie was really great to work with. I'm hoping to do more collaborations with different artists in the future.

Samus Aran Finished!!

2009-07-31T09:48:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share my half of the Metroid piece me and Debbie Plesnarski are working on for the 8-bit and Beyond show.

Tees and Samus Aran

2009-07-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

So I just made this t-shirt for fun the other day. This was my first experience with fabric markers which turned out to be really fun to work with. This was kind of a gift for my sister so I had her model it. The image is a lady surround by flowers with a flying bee in talk bubble I'm happy with the results. I will definitely be making more tees now.

Yess I also have the new and improved Samus sketch complete with a rough color study. This painting will finished within a few days or maybe even less. This Metroid collaboration is going to be wicked when its finished.:)

In the AM::: Heads Will Roll

2009-07-28T02:28:00.001-07:00

Hey I'm kind of restless tonight and thought that I'd share a cool music video. I figure that on restless nights when I can't sleep and have already blogged about my art I'll just blog about other stuff. I'm going to call these posts "In the AM" as they will probably all be posted at some insane hour of the morning/night. so I'll start tonight..errr..today.

This video is from The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the song is called "Heads Will Roll". This video is great because of its dancing Werewolf who's dance moves are soaked with the flavor ofthe late Michael Jackson. The band has a new sound this album with more synth and electonic bells and whistles which I'm actually enjoying. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs continue to stun and inspire me with every album they make.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll
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and they are coming to Philly this wednesday to the Electric Factory. It's going to be a good time :)

Home Studio 2.0

2009-07-27T14:27:00.000-07:00

Recently I completely rearranged my living space so that it can me more accommodating for me as an artist thus resulting in my home studio 2.0. My old set up had me between an easel and a bed with a trash can which I learned very quickly would never take the place of a good old fashioned art desk. My art desk I have now is freakin' awesome and paired with my sweet new Logitech satellite speakers & sub-woofer(not pictured) and the wall adorned with postcards & posters by my favorite artists and people are going to make painting and drawing a piece of cake from now on. I'm both excited and pleased especially when I look my old workspace.

oh yes and I can't forget my Metroid collaboration with friend Debbie Plesnarski is in the works we will wrapping paintings this week and then next will result in our final product which will be in the "8 bit & Beyond" show at Brave New Worlds on August 7th.

Cheers Everyone!!!

From Nintendo 2 Paint

2009-07-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

Hey It's been awhile since I posted but here I am. and dare I say with some artwork progress. I am excited to be participating in the Videogame art show at Brave New Worlds with the Autumn Society. I have a love for the character Sammus from Metroid so I decided to do a portrait collaboration with my friend little debbie. here are some quick thumbs and a rough portrait sketch. enjoy

Process Senior Thesis1

2009-05-03T05:29:00.000-07:00

There were a few more steps to this process but I could only have so many images in one and I'm not that advanced of a blogger to figure out how it to organize it to make sense in two blogs so we'll start from reference through the painting. I hope these make sense in succession.

The first step to every is of course reference after sketches

Background and blocking the underlying skin tone

My figures blocked in now

The Hand detail is pretty much finished and the dress is starting to get worked on

The bottom pattern at its first layer and the jewlery only needs a little more contrast

Bam!!! Final image

There is a huge color and contrast switch from the last image to this one but the only thing that changes is the dress color. more process posts to come.

LOng Overdue

2009-05-03T05:15:00.000-07:00

These are the pictures of my senior thesis from the actual show. I chose to advertisements for theatre productions. Having the freedom to choose the plays naturally I gravitated toward classic tragedies. My interpretations of Medea, Doctor Faustus, Oedipus Rex, and Titus Andronicus went over fairly well, so I'm thankful for that. I'm also happy that I documented making two of these pieces and its the first time I will see a weird time lapsed photo amalgamation of my artwork being finished. so yeah the show was great, congrats to the winners who's links are on the side of my blog they're all awesome so check them out too. :)

get ready for the process

Collie Mills 2.0 y'all

2009-05-03T03:25:00.000-07:00

So I've been slaving over a new website and its finally here! I had a crazy crash course in html and css from the awesome Eleanor. She took all of the scariness away from the html and css monsters. So this blog is my breaking the bottle or christening of the new website. So go forth all and check it out!!!

http://www.colliemills.com

Breathing in a New Mentality

2009-04-05T00:55:00.000-07:00

Annual Heart Show at Jinxed

2009-02-11T09:03:00.000-08:00

This is the Piece I did for the annual jinxed heart show on the 13th of February. It's about giving someone the most beautiful parts of you and the impending fear that this person won't or maybe didn't do the same. I've titled it "A Tale of Regret". I hope everyone likes it.

Capping off the 2008 year

2009-01-26T16:36:00.000-08:00

This is an Illustration about Grieving with hope. "Nobody Has a Home Here"

A design I had for the Ely Poster

Cover idea I had for the House of Mystery comic book cover(classroom assignment)

Art Dump II

2009-01-26T16:22:00.000-08:00

Personal Piece done as a gift for my friend. "Never Gave a Damn About the Weather: Portrait of Joel"

Personal piece called "Submersive Temptations"

Art Dump I

2009-01-26T16:03:00.000-08:00

Fashion Illustration done for ad campaign geared toward an urban audience.

Personal about the environment called "The Sorrow of Mother Nature"

A piece about how in life you find yourself in places or situations you would have never have expected. entitled "The Best Part of Waking Up is Knowing That Your Alive"

Personal Piece entitled "Amorphous Serenity"

Personal Piece entitled "Swimming Lessons" Just wanted to share these oldies but goodies with everyone.

Some awesome Music Vids

2008-12-14T05:08:00.000-08:00

Pretty awesome songs and videos from Underoath, Anthony Green, and Bloc party. Just thought I'd share

Tis Pity She's a Whore

2008-12-14T04:46:00.000-08:00

Illustration done for a play called "Tis Pity She's a Whore" by John Ford. The play is about an incestuous relationship between siblings and the condemning nature of the church. This is oil on wood and was done as a part of my Communication Workshop Class. :)

Apparitions of the Broken Series

2008-12-14T04:26:00.000-08:00

A series I finished over the summer based off of the bible scriptures 1 Peter 4:7-9 which says "7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins." They relate in a way that is a little abstract and I definitely consider them more fine art pieces than Illustrations. Ghosts + Animals+ people= happy Collie

btw these are done in oil on masonite, I hope you enjoy

Kat Von D Portrait

2008-09-28T14:57:00.001-07:00

This is the original sketch and final piece for my Kat Von D portrait. There may be some revising and touching up still but I'm happy. Had a lot of fun making this piece and polka dots are bitch without a ruler ......I'm a man few words today .