Going Home

Well here we are. It's another end to the working week, but it will be a Friday like no other. I've spent the last 4 1/2 years building and operating an art program for the public school system here in Memphis. Today will be my last day teaching there, and I'm ready to go home. No. I'm not moving, but Spillmanville is going back to where we left off before we accepted this great opportunity to educate and learn from some of the children of this city. I'm going back to the hustle of getting by and being a broke ass artist.

The job has been stunting my work in the studio for a while. When I decided it was time to move on and submit my notice to the school system, I automatically began to breathe better. I feel a huge amount of mental pressure leaving my body. I'm sure that feeling will change to monetary stress as the weeks progress, but that is better than feeling defeated and unhappy when I leave work everyday and try to make work in the studio at night. Now, the work is singing again, and the sketches for future pieces are building up. One day at a time. Yes, but I am putting things together at my own pace with my eyes looking towards the future of Spillmanville in the year 2012.Many exciting things are coming our way, and we will keep you informed as things develop.

The first Spillmanville shirts for purchase are coming. We want everyone out there repping the 'ville, and we are in the process of creating the first design available to the public. We are teaming up with local printers MegFord Design Wear to begin making a line of Spillmanville merchandise. I couldn't be more excited to be working with these fine people and avid Spillmanville supporters. More to come on this as we finalize the necessities.

I've been spending many many hours up in the studio the past several days, and I'm really digging the direction of this new work. Although, not much has changed with the ideas and themes in my work, the little aesthetics that come when you go from a pen to a brush have definitely flipped the game. The new drawings kind of pick up where the Spillmanville Funnies at AMUM left off, but there is no text. I've been drawing on 30"x42" Stonehenge paper, so the drawings are on a fairly large scale.

The drawing below is titled "Going Home". Yes, it is perfect for the moment. I have used the ship as a vessel for travel, progression, and safety in my drawings for years. I loved the idea of having this giant innocent looking bird act like the vehicle for the vessel. It's almost like putting your safety into the hands of something alive and bigger than yourself. None the less, here is the product of the last several days:

"Going Home"

ink on paper

30"x 42"

That's all for now. Live your dreams. Push anyone out of the way that dares to stand between you and your mountain top. Never say die! or other words of wisdom.

Enjoy!,

Spillmanville will not wake up, pack a lunch, and iron dress shirts at 5a.m. for a very long time.