Love Is Only For The Lovely

A rough sketch for a painting that's been in my head. I can't decide if these are monsters or a science experiment.

Be Excited! Be, Be Excited!

For anyone attending this Friday's artwalk, here's a nifty map with all the art locations. I don't know how to read maps and just wander until I find something good, but maybe you like to have more of a sense of purpose:

THIS IS A MAP

I will be at:

Urban Earth: A Nursery In Fremont

1051 N 35th St

An overview of all the participating artists is now posted here:
http://www.fremontfirstfriday.blogspot.com/
And many images have been uploaded here as well:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fremont-First-Friday-Art-Walk/125995760348

Gewgaws, Trinkets, and Baubles

I just really wanted to use the word "gewgaw".

So...no one bought me a mug during last night's sale, but that hasn't stopped me from exploiting my artwork. www.spiralsinlove.com now has an "Other Products" page. As of this post, you can find the 2011 calendar, postage stamps, mugs, and postcards. The selection is limited, but I will continue to create items that will always be available online and sometimes in person when I am at artwalks or other events. If you have a request for me to create an item I don't currently offer, please let me know.

Spirals In Mugs

This is totally last-minute, but I just found out about a sale Zazzle is running for the next two hours. If you go to my store at http://www.zazzle.com/spiralsinlove* and until 10pm mugs are on sale buy one get one freee. That's TWO mugs for the price of one. My selection is limited right now but I am hastily working on expanding it. Also, I really want a mug of either "Shut Up I Am Dreaming Of Places Where Lovers Have Wings" or "Someday Soon Things Will Be Much Worse" but I am broke so you should all buy yourself a mug and then give me your freebie.

Use the code BLITZDEAL035 at http://www.zazzle.com/spiralsinlove*

Spirals In 2011

The official Spirals In Love 2011 calendar is now available!





















Stop looking through your neighbor's window at their calendar - get your very own here!

Spend each month of the year wondering what possessed you to spend $25 on pictures of depressed animals and cuddling monsters. No other calendar can offer such an experience!

I'm Finished

Four new arts available at www.spiralsinlove.com.

You Were Gone For Such A Short Time, But So Much Has Changed About You

Sunburn sale!

The four paintings pictured here were on display and got a little bit too much sun. The ink stayed the about same, but the painted portions changed color slightly and faded a little. As I will do with my own children if they change too much, I am selling these orginal paintings at a discount. I was told they look just fine and that I'm being too picky so that means you can get an original painting - cheap!

$35 (normally $75)
"These Wings Won't Get Me Down From Here" & "Nice To Meet You, I Love You"

$75 (normally $150)
"Two Characters In Search Of A Cupcake" & "We Still Dance On Whirling Stages"

Please e-mail me at spiralsinlove@gmail.com if you are interested.

What Are You Crying About, You Big Baby

A doodle on the scorepad for a game.

30% Off Spirals In Love!

30% off everything at www.spiralsinlove.com with the code CYBERDEAL. This is the biggest sale I've seen yet from Imagekind (the business I use for printing through my website) so if you were on the fence about ordering, now is a great time to get off the fence and walk over to a computer and buy a print. I don't know why you were on that fence anyway.

The coupon expires on Monday at midnight.

The Head And The Heart

My daughter's favorite band right now is The Head And The Heart (listen to them here: http://www.myspace.com/theheadandtheheart). She's especially in love with band member Charity Rose so we worked together on this painting of Charity and her kitty. I don't know if Charity actually has a giant kitty or a red tiger dress, but that's not important.

PS The Head And The Heart - if you read this, please consider playing a weekend daytime all-ages show. I know at least one four-year-old that will be in the front row dancing and singing along!

Oh So Festive

Something for you to buy. Those of you who adore rats AND Santa.

They Just Haven't Found The Right Fossils Yet

As every schoolchild will learn one day, triceratops had fairy wings and a tutu.

I Walked In Spirals

I will be participating in the Fremont artwalk (www.fremontfirstfriday.blogspot.com) on Friday, 12/03 from 6-9pm . Urban Earth has generously offered their space to me at 1051 N 35th St, Seattle, WA 98103 (between N Albion Pl & N Woodland Park Ave, just down from the Fremont Troll) .

If you live in the Seattle area, stop by and say "hi"! Purchasing trinkets/prints/original paintings is optional.

Where The Other Young Lovers Are

The fish-faced girl knew in her heart that she was the most beautiful one at the party. That didn't change the fact that no one was talking to her, or the stinging feeling that went along with it.

Someday Soon Things Will Be Much Worse

Santa Rat Is Comin' To Town

Merry Christmas. Your present is hantavirus.

Something To Keep It In

Believe it or not, I really do know how to draw in perspective. I just don't like to. Not one bit.

Underneath The Art

Despite having hundreds of sheets of oversized construction paper around, I insist on using the same sheet under my paintings until it disintigrates from absorbing too much water and paint. The one in this picture has been going for at least two months!

Santa Rat's Spiral Tail

My son requested "Santa with a rat bottom", so that's one of the things I'm working on.

You're A Little Too Complicated For Me

I took a week off from arting, but I'm back now. I have a mental backlog that I need to get out so I plan on being pretty busy.

Melty The Snowman

Tuesday meeting means Tuesday doodle.

Dear Internet,

I am exhausted. I did draw tonight, but you don't get to see it because I'm too tired to take a picture. But expect many Santas, as I am already hooked on that holiday. Thanksgiving gets no love from me though. Well...maybe a turkey or two. But mostly Santas.

In the meantime, here are some more finished paintings for people to not buy. Enjoy them while I sleep!

With love,

Jonathan

Somewhere Between Sister Wendy And Horselover Fat

I've been obsessed with this painting (The Annunciation with Saint Emidius by Carlo Crivelli) and have always liked the premise of Philip K. Dick's VALIS so I did a little drawing of a beam of energy from the sky sending a message straight into a bunny's head. I have more I want to do with this idea but I'm waiting until I have bigger paper.

Pac-Man

Or something like that. I haven't played with a compass in 15 years. This was the result of me having access to one for a few minutes.

Six-Minute Emotion: Anger

A fun exercise if you have a piece of paper and six minutes.

From Now On, Everyone Gets A Bee Suit

Because I say so.

White Light From The Mouth Of Infinity

One of the bunnies I was referring to to tide you over until I finish mine.
Painting by Deryk Thomas - check out his other little animals at http://www.derykthomas.com. (a lot of his art is not so great for work/kids so click with caution)

Shut Up I Am Dreaming Of Places Where Lovers Have Wings

Inspired by the Sunset Rubdown song of the same name, and probably the bunnies from Swans album covers too. This is just the final rough sketch. I am painting right now.

Find The Smallest Flower

In before midnight...count it!

Old Picture, New Words

In theory, I'm working on two books with Tommy Knopf. If I spent time on the computer making fonts and doing layouts instead of drawing silly monsters, I might have actually made some progress on it. So far Tommy has done most of the work and I wanted to share some of it here.

Time To Invest

...in some bigger paper. I have this old doodle that I've been wanting to paint for a while now. I couldn't scale the thing properly even in my thumbnail sketches and it just wasn't working on my biggest paper, so eventually I gave up and now I've turned it into a minotaur giving up on the maze.

PS Big watercolor paper is really expensive so buy some art and support me giving up!

Let's Go Surfing

All of my sketches for this one really focused on the water. Lately I've been obsessed with stylized waves. Eventually I'll probably do a painting of nothing but waves.

A Smarter Person...

Would have actually finished the Halloween-ish paintings BEFORE the holiday.

Five new paintings are available for sale. The zombies are available in two versions - with and without ink.

Dolphin Doodle

Apparently National Write In Your Blog Every Day Month or something like that started yesterday (www.nablopomo.com). I like projects, so I'm going to participate. But I just found out today. I did paint yesterday but didn't post anything, so pretend I posted this doodle of a dolphin I want to paint yesterday. Thanks.

It's entirely possible...

...that if I ever actually answered the phone that this is what I doodled while I talked with you. Happy day before Halloween doodle zombie!

On Our Way My Snail And I

painting by Rebekah Joy Plett

buy it here: http://www.imagekind.com/On-Our-Way-My-Snail-And-I_art?IMID=5d0d6336-4472-4ae1-975e-f48b80335567 

It's Official

Right now it just points back to my imagekind store, but as of today www.spiralsinlove.com is live! Tell your friends and neighbors, especially the ones with money who like paintings of monsters hugging!

Two Finished Arts

My Dress Is Corny

The Sketch My Sister Stole

At least that's what she says. Here it is, side-by-side with mine.

Welcome To Paradise

Keep the mask on. It's festive.

This is a really, really old painting that I never actually put any paint on so when I found it today I decided to give it a chance.

Sphinx Spill Drinks

He won't even get a sip if no one helps him. Just look at the size of those paws.

I've been playing with a toothpick on a few recent paintings. Which means that my essential art tools are now a toothpick and a wadded up paper towel.

Now With More Color

I'm playing with a few new ideas on this one, especially multiple applications of water to distort existing dried paint. Hopefully the paper holds up to my abuse.

Good Morning, Sunshine

Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there.

Yep, More Zombies

Blame my son.

Spirals For PanCan

I painted two commission pieces and donated them to the Puget Sound Affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. The pieces will be part of a silent auction held on the same day as this year's PurpleStride walk on 11/07/10 at Magnuson Park. Like other gifts and commission pieces I have done, these will not be available for sale or reproduced by me - they will belong solely to the winner of each auction.

If you live in the area, I hope you consider supporting the event. More information can be found here:

http://pancan.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=421923

or here:

http://www.facebook.com/JointheFight#!/event.php?eid=112736568760832&index=1

You can learn more about the organization here:
http://www.pancan.org/
http://www.facebook.com/JointheFight#!/JointheFight?v=info

Pumpkinheads And Zombie Girls

Two new paintings are available on the Spirals In Love store site (http://spiralsinlove.imagekind.com/)

My Dress Is Electric

I'm not sure how I feel about this one yet, but it does have a rainbow lollipop.

She Has A Heart

Which Witch?

The second picture is a detail of the first. It shows one of the reasons I love watercolor so much - for all the planning and patience in the world, a stray drop of water on the brush can completely transform the color and feel of something. If I wanted to I could rework this part of the painting, but often I prefer to go with the flow. Because it's water, and it flows. Get it? So clever.