Been working for Team Demonicuse for the last 2 years, I have now completed my 4th issue with them.

Heres their store if you felt like checking out my work.
[link]

---The Enhanced: Eidelons Issue 2
---JAMES 1:8 "BIRTH RITUAL"
---The Enhanced: Eidelons Issue 0.2 "Rocker Girl"/"Hate"
and The interned: Eidelons Issue 3 which should be on book shelves soon.


Also I just got invited out to [link] Asbury Park comic con on march 30th to help promote Soldiers of Fortunes Comic series IronHorse.  Not sure if I can make it yet due to the winter and taxes kinda kicking my ass financially but I am gonna try.  So if your in the New Jersey area you may be seeing my mug soon.

Ironhorse #1
Ironhorse #2

Their site and store
[link]
[link]

Now for something I am really excited to present and give you a little taste of before its official release.

The Seraphine-- Written by Justin Bailey
This is the latest work I have been doing for a new indie writer hitting the scene. So please get excited for that. When I know more I'll post the projects website and down the line I'll post where to get a copy probably wont be until fall though.

Now for something really interesting-  In the coming months you will be seeing hints and snippets of a future project that I have written myself.   Finished-refined and edited my own comic script and slowly - surely will be completing the first story arch by this time next year.  So snoop around here more often for that.

Cheers
HR

Hard to believe I'm over the 25 mark.  Ah to be 4 again... those were the days.  Looking back on the year, I feel much accomplishment and at the same time my own personal work has stood still.  Perhaps its ok just to get by for a change and revel in the lack of worry in my life.  The years prior to this were filled with much uncertainty and unhappiness concerning my financial well being.  I am in a better place now, financially, mentally and all around better.  So here is to the next year being even better then the last.  Happy Birthday Me!

The last month I have had a lot of support from family and friends in the DA and ImagineFX comunity.  I have won t-shirts to getting into ImagineFX magazine, to a fellow DA-er sending me enough points to renew my account for a whole year.

So with all this love I felt inspired to share some of that love.  I am moving this weekend to Sooke BC and I got a hold of a animal rescue.  Had a good hour long talk with the owner of Sacred Circle Farm animal rescue. I have volunteered my time to muralize their farm. So the first step after moving to Sooke is stamping my art all over some houses and barns for the world to see. The owner is thinking about incorporating a communal think tank on the farm. How great is that. I think this will be a great step in merging myself with a tight nit community and sharing some of my creativity with others free of charge.  I have let the owner know that I am at their disposal for anything they might need.  Be it murals/banners/posters/fundraising media whatever they need.  So I just wanted to let you know all of your love has been appreciated and I in turn am going to be spreading it around.

Check out Sacred Circle Farm


[link]


I would also like to give a special thanks to my sister and my father for carrying us financially through the move.  We are buying our first condo and there were a lot of unforeseen hick-ups, like both Tyler and I's work slowing down right when we were about to sign papers.  If it wasn't for them we would have been sunk.

We managed to get the best-kindest-honest realtor who also supported us through the purchase.  We have been truly blessed and plan on giving back as much as we got and more.

Thank you everyone.

H

I keep getting emails and notes from fledgling artists asking how I became so successful.   I keep sending emails back telling them they must have gotten the wrong email address.

Link to my work thread and sequential pages;
[link]

My rates for a comic issue:

1 PAGE with 5-6 panels on it=
GREY SCALE $200
COLOR $250
I can complete a page in 4-7 days depending on the panel amount.

10 PAGE GREY SCALE COMIC = 2400$ CAD
10 PAGE COLORED COMIC = 3400$CAD
Time: is 2-3 months to complete 10 pages 100% complete from color to word bubbles.

24 PAGE GREY SCALE COMIC = 5000$ CAD
24 PAGE COLORED COMIC = 6000$CAD
Time: is 6-8 months to complete 24 pages 100% complete from color to word bubbles.

-------------
The following contracts I feel are major undertakings, as they can take anywhere from 8 months to 2 years for me to complete depending on the page amount and edits and how well we work together. It might look like a lot but when you do the math your just paying me minimum wage. $10,000 divided by 8 months = $1250 a month, $1250/ 4 weeks in a month = $312.5 a week divided by a 40 hour work week = $7.8 an hour. I am willing to work at that rate because if your going to keep me in work for 1-2 years then I would rather have steady work like that then have to go looking for contracts. So please dont get a hold of me asking for a better rate then that because that is already the lowest rate I can give.

48 PAGE GREY SCALE GRAPHIC NOVEL = 10,000$ CAD
48 PAGE COLORED GRAPHIC NOVEL = 12,000$CAD

120 PAGE GREY SCALE GRAPHIC NOVEL = 20,000$ CAD
120 PAGE COLORED GRAPHIC NOVEL = 24,000$ CAD

Cover Work
400-550$ for comic cover work.

To date I have completed 5 comic 24 page issues.  I usually ask for payments in 4 page installments until the book is complete.  So $800 per payment.

If your interested or the next artist you hire falls through feel free to contact me and I can go into detail how I usually work.

What an over whelming year.  The last month has been particularly hard.  I am going to start off with talking about work since I think a lot of watchers have been feeling in the dark.  The reason I have not been posting my art isn't because I haven't been working it's because I have been working for companies and individuals that have stated in their contracts that I pretty much am not allowed to feature any of my work in my portfolios and they have full rights to the images.  So I have to be really picky about what goes into my galleries.  This for one sucks because no one can really see my progress over the last year.  Most of the work has been in Comics anyways.  It has just been this stream of comic book work.  
Comic after comic… after comic…. after comic.

Comics are the number one reason why I am burning out and I am at a point now where I feel I have to stop taking on comic contracts.  There has been a few extremely stressful writers that I have had to contend with and even a few clients that I have worked with for years I finally just had to cut ties with.  Their demands pretty much disrupted a year's schedule and over all slammed my income to something similar to that of a sweat shop worker.

Right now I am working on only a 10 pager with one of the best writers I have had the pleasure of dealing with in a long time, this is the second project I have worked on with him.  He has a website, none of my work is on it at the moment since he has hired a few artists [link] but you can check it out if you like.  So anyways back to my rant.  After this 10 pager is done I have decided to call it quits as far as taking on work from indie writers or companies looking for comics.  There are only 2 people I think I would make an exception for.  That or if the person needing the comic threw giant gobs of cash in my hands.  At this point I doubt I would work on an issue for less than $6000,  Since it's just not worth it for me anymore.  It takes up too much of my time and I usually get writers who come along demanding so much of my time that I no longer get a life anymore.  Seriously these comic projects have turned me into a hermit.  I have become pale and fat and my eyes burn when I come in contact with sunlight…. I think after a 12 hour work day I look like a scene in Nosferatu except with a frizzed out lady fro.  

I have gotten to a point in my career where I am tired of being someone's lackey.  I have my own ideas and my own projects that have been sitting on the back burner for more than 7 years now.  I stopped doing them because I had no money and I thought freelancing my talents would actually generate an income but really I barely scrape by with comics.

So now I am preparing to step out from the shelter of other people's demands and actually spend my time on my own work.  I am going to give it a couple years and if it doesn't generate some type of living I have decided to leave the art scene all together.  If I can't work on what I love then I am going to go find something else and keep my art as a hobbie.  Since I am so close to resenting my work and I really don't think that's what I intended when I got into this business.

So that is the work side of things.  It turned into a pretty big read so maybe I will update with my life crap on another day.

Dear Void,

Please send better health, money, a friend and a new career.

Sincerely,
Lost

As some of you know I have been thinking about starting up shop. I just set up my store at shapeways and hope that you guys will consider getting some of my merch.
[link]




All of these designs or on sale now. Go check it out. From earrings to hair-sticks. This store will be a labour of love over the next 6 months. Every spare weekend will be put towards updating new designs and hopefully getting my foot in the door. Check out my last journal entry for more updates on the possible kickstarter project.
----------------------

The Irish Mystic Emporiums new jewelry line. This is the Pure Elegance set. Perfect for those jewelry fiends looking to ad a little bit of charm to their existing collections.



Pendents do not include chains.


Intended for metal type materials but could be used in other materials (-possibly suite a a strong black/flexible material.)

Should you order some of my merch please contact me on my DA gallery and show some pictures of how the designs turned out for you.

If you like these designs but don't think you can purchase any at this time please take a moment to thumbs up my shop in Stumble Upon or "Like" me on facebook. I am just your average freelance artist and doing these designs are just a side passion to learn my 3D skills. So any type of feedback or word of mouth is great.



Thank you so much for checking out my new shop.



HR

So I have been thinking about starting my own kickstarter project in the Fall.  Based around starting up my own store.  Called the Irish Mystic Emporium.  I will be making a few demo gift baskets a set of tarot cards, Zodiac T-shirt designs and memorabilia to pitch my idea.  In the mean time I hope you follow me along as I give you the public a sneak peak into the making of the Irish Mystic Emporium.

I want to have a few logo designs made up that you guys can vote on by the end of next month.

The Mystic is not just about merch, I want to incorporate some way of helping local artists.  I was thinking maybe an artist's corner on the future site.  Highlighting talent that goes otherwise unnoticed.   This is still in the brain-storming process so I would love all the impute you can give me.

What would be your suggestions on a good way to support artists?

UPDATE:---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have been so saturated with ideas.  Mostly how best to network the project to others.  I think right off the bat I am going to have to put some money down to get the business name registered.  Get the domain name taken and then I can officially start up the promotion process.

I am going to need some volunteers down the line.  

Stuff like:
*Promotion/word of mouth/ad space

*Local artists (Vancouver Island) interested in being in The Mystics first launch party and art show.  My idea is that all tickets sold will be divided between the artists after costs of the art space are taken care of.

*I am going to need someone to help me with the filming of the project.  Hopefully someone with decent film/sound equipment,  An editor.  This might be stuff I'll just end up doing myself but it would be really great if I could get people to help me out.

---

When it comes to word of mouth I was thinking about making up pins to sell at 3$ a pop.  The idea being I would make up promotional signage explaining what it is we are doing.  Something they can hang easily around a volunteers neck that could be read by both sides.  

Something like…

"Hello,
We are local artists trying to generate awareness for a kickstarter project created by Irish Mystic Emporium.  The Irish Mystic Emporium was created by a local artist with the belief that art should be free flowing designs giving an artist freedom to bring their own ideas to life.   This kick starter project, if funded, will not only launch a new store in the city from the ground up but it will be a business that will strive to fund local talent on a continuous basis.


With your help Irish Mystic Emporium would like to launch its first art show in the city.  The show will feature various works from artisans, musicians, artists and more.  Helping local talent get recognized who otherwise had been forgotten.

With your generosity and support we can not only bring new artwork to the community but hopefully help a small local business bring new money into the city's economy.

Please support your local artists.
Thank you"


For every pin sold all the profits would go into making a substantial pledge into the kickstarter project just to get the ball rolling.  I would also hand out a flyer/panflit with a bio of myself and my store including all the artists involved.

For the show I want to get 12 different artists involved.  5 artists in any media.  5 artisans that work with crafts and 2 musicians to play for that night as people are viewing the art.  After the show is complete each artist will have a one month spotlight on my site including free ad space to their galleries/fan-sites/stores.

I plan on making a rewards system to people who promote our project.
Prior to the launch of the kickstarter video I will give supporters a chance to win prizes.  For those of you who don't know what kickstarter is- if we are successful in reaching our goal $ amount, we receive all the funds. But if we fall short at the end of our campaign, we receive none of the funds; what has been pledged gets returned to those who have contributed. So the project CAN'T fall short. We CAN, however, exceed our target $Goal.  Lets hope for that.

So I got this idea!  How bout I give you, the ones who are following along from the get go an opportunity to get some cool stuff.   For the followers who can't contribute financially you have the option of gathering supporters for the project instead.  If you are willing to help I can send you a digital backers list for people to sign in your area.  For every backer/pledge you get that is confirmed once the video is up.  (You would need the actual name they will be using to pay the pledge to confirm)

If we get funded.

For the people that get 5 confirmed pledges-----------------An Irish Mystic Emporium Pin (prototype coming soon)
For the people that get 15 confirmed pledges--------------- A pin and Chinese Zodiac playing cards(prototype coming soon)
For the people that get 25 confirmed pledges--------------- a T-shirt (prototype coming soon)
For the people that get 35 confirmed pledges----------------a deck of Tarot Cards (prototype coming soon)
   Or a T-shirt , a pin and a fridge magnet

For people that get 45+ pledges get a full gift basket in the zodiac of their choice.  Estimated value 65$-100$(prototype coming soon)

I may or may not have bobble heads depending on the price of manufacturing but look forward to those prototypes coming soon regardless.

Let me know if you like the sound of that and any suggestions you might have.

Ok peeps as you know, I have been working on a lot of comics lately.  One of the major projects has been Ironhorse the last couples years.  I am finishing up issue 2 and my writer/publisher/main boss dude is now over on kickstarter giving a pitch for the populace to show their support for issue #3.  Come check out what we have been developing for the last couple years.

[link]

I am wide open for work starting anytime this weekend and beyond.  Drop me a line if your interested in getting something done up.  Like OCs or concept art... anything your heart fancies get ahold of me.  My rates and contact info can be found on my DA page.  



I am a reasonable person and am willing to "shop talk" if your concerned about a certain budget.


Sincerely,
Rorke

Well I am in a pretty good mood.  Works being caught up as we speak and even though I had that crappy email thing happen to me I think it's all sorted out now.  Been going to the pool and gym 5 times a week.  It's really boosted my spirits.  Haven't dwelled a lot on my mom for a couple of weeks which is a bit of a relief for my mind.   The summer has been filled with family and friends stopping by. Which is good for the soul, thought I was going to go nuts there for a little bit.  I had someone on DA buy me the prettiest print for my birthday and I think that one act of kindness from a complete stranger brightened up my whole week.

I am starting to get back into the challenges on ImagineFX and with completed work coming up I should have some more completed works to put in my gallery.

Just taking it one day at a time....

It's my 2nd year wedding anniversary on BC day and I plan on spending it at the Empress Hotel enjoying the festivities in the city. So looking forward to that.

(email change to rorkeart@gmail.com if you don't already know)

So I am switching over to gmail.  I can't get into my hotmail account so get a hold of me through gmail.  Thank you.

rorkeart@gmail.com

.....well sh*t...

so my email account got hacked today including my security question and I am royally screwed since I can no longer access the contacts I have built over the last 3 years.  I have tried everything and the next thing.  I am waiting for a tech guy to get back to an email as that is all I could do.  If I don't get back into that account I could lose my contracts since I am a freelancer meaning I could lose my job.  After this happened I started eating more frogurt and drinking and crying.... and then I repeated.  Words can not describe how horribly f8cked I feel.

So I just got something off my wish-list in the mail.  I am not sure if its just an order mix up, because I got something else for my anniversary present to Tyler, or if this was just a birthday present from a follower or friend.  If it is a mix up I will be sad to give it back as its way more then what I was able to afford for my present.  There was nothing on the box that told me about it and whether it was my order or not.  I am pretty torn right now about whether I should bring it up to DA that they sent the wrong thing or if I should wait and see if my order still comes in the mail.  It was shipped on the 8th my account says, so this would make this deliver spot on with my order... but then again my birthday was on the 9th so it could still be a gift.  I can't say what print it is as I still might end up giving it as my anniversary present if my original order doesn't arrive and so fear my husband losing out on the surprise of it all.

So could someone put me out of my misery?  PLEASE!  It is a happy type of misery but it is also making me crazy....lol since its sooooooooo awesome and I really don't want to give it back.

My tablet and pen have been working great for months and months.  Then tonight the mouse works fine, but the pen is not working properly. The pen is always drawing even when I am not touching the tablet.  It hovors an inch away and the tablet is picking it up and whatever tool I have selected will just continue to keep going.  I can not tap the pen,  I have to hovor 4-6 inches away before the tablet wont recognize it and stops drawing.

I have tried going into the pens control panel and setting it back to default.

I have changed the nib

Checked for dust

Made sure none of the side buttons where sticking... still it wont work... it just draws and draws and draws.  I am about ready to freak out as I have some really crazy deadlines right now and this is the worst time for this to happen.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.  Cheers.

Rorke

So I found out Friday that a radio celebrity entered that contest and is in first place because of her popularity.  I also found out that the contest is a little misleading since it makes you think that if you are in the top 5 you will win a prize.  But no, only first place can win by the popular vote and the rest of them are chosen by judges.  And since there is no way I am getting in first when I am competing with a celebrity and there is no way my pic is going to be chosen for skill I think this is probably it for the contest.  I will stop spamming you all.  

Thanks everybody for getting me to 6th place for a couple days its been a ride.

So I am 1 spot away from being in the winners circle. I am so CLOSE PLEASE KEEP VOTING!

HOLY POOPEN POOP! You guys rock my world.  I moved into 6th place yesterday. Still there today.  I am thinking I will probably need a couple more pushes of votes to get me there and to actually stay there.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Seriously as of last week I thought that maybe only a handful of people really checked me out every now and again.  But now after all the polls and the feedback and getting to 8th place in the contest so far.  I really feel I have a support group of people that I can come to.  Haha I do promise to stop spamming you after the contest though.  ha ha no more contests for a while I promise.  Also yesterday I had 400pageviews...how random and awesome at the same time.  You guys really make me feel the love I gotta say.  I did a feature of all the people that voted but not only that but the people that truly had my back through this thing this last week.

[link]


  I am planning on having another feature coming up because I realized I left out all the peeps who saw me through my moms death and I just wanna give those guys some props too.

I really feel like crying out of joy for the love you guys have given me.  For your kind words and prayers.  I have truly found some comfort in all that you have said and done.  Just a week or so ago I felt like the lowest of low with no one to confide in.  Now I know it not to be true.

Thank you.

----------------------------
NOM NOM NOMS!!!

Ok so most of you know the terrible crappy crap I have gone through since March and I could totally us some R&R and in my city there is a photo contest happening where the prize is a shopping spree.  AND OH BOY! Could I use a day out shopping and just having a ball.  Anyways we all know these things are popularity contests so I just grabbed this random photo of me in Miniture World trying to eat the little people.

I would think it hilarious if enough people voted on my random photo and I got the day out.  The theme of the contest is to take a picture of yourself somewhere in Victoria that you like and tell the people why you like that place.  Anyways my photo title is

"NOMNOMNOM CAN I HAS SMALL PEOPLE?"


[link]

YOU ARE ALLOWED TO VOTE ONCE EACH DAY.

I would also be willing to vote on a contest your in if you wanted to do a vote exchange or something.

Let me know if you did actually get a chance to vote.


In other NEWS
-----------------------------

I had the big move yesterday.  We are now sorting through boxes.  Even with the place a clutter there is still so much space I love it.
Cheers,
Rorke

So yesterday was so crazy awesome.  Got the keys to the new place yesterday.  When we were viewing the place there was some rock-in-roll/Army type guys still living there.  So of course the place was a complete mess when we first saw it, but we saw some real potential in the place you know.  We went ahead and submitted an application.  Anyways the manager of the property had the last inspection with me yesterday before she handed me the keys.  I gotta say after those guys where out and the company had spent the night cleaning our new home looks really...just... I don't have words about how awesome it is.

I spent a good 20 min just walking in circles around the empty place going...."WOw! I didn't even notice that before thats so great."

Its 1100 Sqft for the price we are paying for a 550sqft place.
It has a basement that is muralized with stars and a moon. (just the fact that it has 2 levels blows my mind)
I get 2 entrances
a huge kitchen and dinning room
a fireplace
hardwood floors
a big office for myself
a reading room
closets galore and a really neat walk in closet
I have a yard and a garden and the manager said if I look after the yard she will give me a discount on my rent.
Its on the top level of the house so there is no one above us or beside us
in-suite laundry
and I can get a kitty-cat!

Lets just put it this way when I was walking around the place it is so awesome I felt my knees buckle a bit.  It really feels like a home not just another in-law suite or apartment.

Not only that greatness but yesterday my dad said that my brother had gotten ahold of him. My brother said he had submitted an idea about how to fix the oil spill in Mexico.  I guess it was a pretty good idea because Texas called my brother back.  So if the oil spill gets taken care of because of his idea not only will he get a share of profits from the oil saved but he will have saved the gulf of Mexico. I total hero and he is my brother.  HOW AWESOME!

So

Not only that but I am catching up on work dispite all the craziness.

I have also joined a womens support group, I think I need to meet new people dealing with the grief I have been dealing with.

Overall I think come July my schedule and life will have drastically improved.

Thanks to everyone that voiced there concern for me and there support.  It really has helped me knowing I have such great supporters.  I noticed a lot of you "noted" me.  Sorry I haven't gotten back to everyone I just am still getting everything ready for the final move on Saterday and trying to chip away at work.

I think you guys will see a big dump of work for Rogue Planet Games in the coming weeks as that is what this month is mainly set aside for.  I doubt he reads this but thanks again for your patients.