http://www.zillustration.com/zillustration.xml Zillustration Updates are distributed periodically to notify fans of Paul Zdepski's work that a new piece is posted online or a new event is planned. Monday, 30 June 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/ zillustration.com || zdepski illustration paul zdepski en-us a the risk of spilling any beans i don't have, i bought www.dogBabies.com to showcase my upcoming projects while at the MFA program at the University of Hartford. None of the links are active, but I placed this up there to give me a presence on the web, while other items are being developed. Two of my stories are at the editor's desk... I'm nervious about this. It's a big step from talking about being an author to putting it down and shaking it out. It's a stresser. Wednesday, 24 June 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/index.html well... it's nearly a done deal. i received a call from Carol Tinkelman the UH MFA in ILLness program that they considered me IN, however, there is the matter of a pile of money needed to get the paperwork in the office moving around to the right desks. hoping to pick-up some more freelance to suppliment my return to school. i have my thesis idea in hand, and expect to dive right into it once it all starts rolling. Since it is Spring, the Burwell-Morgan Mill is having their show in Millwood VA. I'm showing three pieces, with one on reserve: Officer Rabbit's New Bike, Fat Cat, GW No Teeth and Rookery on reserve. Stop in to buy an original if you have a chance... hucksterism abounds. http://www.zillustration.com/index.html Wednesday, 2 April 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/index.html I entered a show at the Blue Elephant ArtCenter's "UnFiltered ART 10 - 2008" in Frederick MD this past weekend. I was shocked to find that my triptych of dogBaby Icons on each side of Giselle had the ability to woo the judges into a split Best of Show award with my friend David Heatwole. Our splitting of the BOS prize is a two-man show in the Fall. We toasted with a microbrew and rested on our laurels... no theme was planned, but David and I seem to have many common goals and interests. We shouldn't have any problem filling the gallery with varied work. David also walked away with the People's Choice award, which is a Fed Ex box stuffed with cash... which he dipped into and bought me the beer! It was a great night, with dynamic and creative people. Many new friends, and much respect for the artists that delivered 175 pieces to create a killer show. http://www.zillustration.com/index.html Monday, 4 February 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/index.html The hours spent in the sketchbook and in front of my ancient CRT monitor are starting to pay off, besides ruining my eyes and lower back. Many elements for the Puapualenalena story were being realized from sketch through final color. My process is getting more steamlined, even if it's often times labor intensive. Zooming in on drawings at 600dpi with a 1200% screen resolution gives my future limited edition items some terrific detail. I couldn't be more happy, except to have two or three of me cranking along to finish on time. I would like to thank the staff of the Bishop Museum in Hawai'i for helping with my research into some of the key story elements. http://www.zillustration.com/_images/splash/uhane_hula2_web.jpg Wednesday, 23 January 2008 12:00:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/_images/splash/uhane_hula2_web.jpg The folks at Shenandoah University are using Illustration for the first time in known history. I happened to be the Illustrator they've chosen to use. If you'd like to see the cover comp they've sent to me, click the link. It's very Norman Rockwell, but I believe it's because of the vinetted use of white space around the subject. Let me know what you think. http://www.zillustration.com/_downloads/sutodayCOVER.pdf Thursday, 3 January 2008 10:00:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/_downloads/sutodayCOVER.pdf As stupid as this painting was when I painted it, I was able to adopt it out to a new owner... John Bracken saw these mutts in my pound and took 'em home. Litter Mates was the 2nd of my manDog series, which morphed into dogBabies in 2006. John also bought "Rug Rub" for a friend in TX. http://www.zillustration.com/index.html Friday, 21 December 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/index.html One of my Art Direction projects back at Dorian Recordings was JUST nominated for a Grammy! Das Lied Vom Der Erde by the Smithsonian Chamber Players - Ken Slowik, Conductor. We'll find out if it wins in February. Go to Dorian.com to buy a copy. Hopefully the tide will raise all boats and I'll get some freelance out of it. http://www.zillustration.com/index.html Thursday, 6 December 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/index.html My Year-End card has been going viral. If you haven't checked the weirdness, please do. The Illustrators Club of Washington DC is having it's opening tomorrow night at the Art Institute of DC in Arlington, across from the Rossyln Metro Station, so please come. I'll be there with my two pieces, Fat Cat and Vincent Van Toad. The show looks great... a huge number of styles and subjects. http://www.zillustration.com/index.html Wednesday, 5 December 2007 09:30:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/_downloads/ChristmasCard_07.pdf I'm far to late, lazy and lame to make my card mailing on time. I painted this card Illustration this weekend between pulling down my show at LFCC on Saturday, and hanging the 6th Annual Illustrator's Club Show in Arlington on Sunday. I usually don't know where my time goes, but this weekend was eaten up far to quickly. Please follow my link to my PDF card and accept that I'm just a slacker and too cheap to pay for rush printing. http://www.zillustration.com/index.html Monday, 3 December 2007 09:00:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/_downloads/ChristmasCard_07.pdf Two page elements from a graphic novel project I'm in with a pile of illustrators and writers. My new friend Tom Cummings Jr. has written a variation of the Hawaiian legend of the wizard dog, Puapualenalena. I'm doing my best to illustrate it in a sensitive and timely mannner... loving every minute of it. It's a real blast to get in over my head and find myself swimming along with the rest of the fish. It's really a lot of fun. http://www.zillustration.com/index.html Monday, 19 November 2007 15:00:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/index.html Opening tomorrow, October 26 at LFCC between 6 and 8 pm. Please stop over and see me. It's considered an instructional seminar to get around the LFCC redtape. Sorry, no "box wine"... please get tanked prior to coming. I've been researching my Ukrainian Roots... been turning up some horrible information about the city my family hails from. Lviv (pronounced L'vive or L'wowve) was the sight of the third largest Jewish Ghetto in the old Polish empire. Nasty stuff... lots of Ukees beating, killing and raping Jews. I've always wondered what happened to those that didn't come to the US in the 1900s. Sad to find out. Here are two new sketches about it. One called "Lvov, 1941" and the other is called "Jew Stick" which is the face of a creepy little kid in an old family picture from the old country. http://www.zillustration.com/index Thursday, 25 October 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/index.html 45 years old... what the hell happened? My lovely bride bought a USB turntable for me, allowing me to rip my old Husker Du, Killing Joke and Minor Threat vinyl. It's been a long time since I heard that stuff. It will be in heavy iPod rotation. The opening should still be on for the 26th after work hours... stop over to LFCC and I'll sign your cast. OH... The new MainArtery is out. Here's a link to the cover art. Check out my ad for the business and Panama article, too. http://www.zillustration.com/_downloads/VanToadCover.pdf Tuesday, 16 October 2007 17:00:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/index.html Well, C'mon down to Lord Fairfax Community College in Middletown VA and see the show! 30 pieces. Show opening Mid-October. LECTURE NEXT TUESDAY - Please come to Shenandoah University's Cameron Building on the 9th at 7:30pm. Fill out those seats... yeah, I know it's a Tuesday. Come anyway. I'll make sure you get home early enough to get to work on Wednesday. Download the Lecture Poster from my Intro Page. http://www.zillustration.com/index.html Tuesday, 2 October 2007 10:15:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/index.html The toned down version of Peeper is at a stopping point... at least until I set up a still-life of cookies and milk on a table. I'm not fully satisfied with the interior of this one. The swingset is my neighbor's back yard. Their house is on the market, and I wanted to get that part finished before they tear down the rusty old swings. I entered Toothless George and Vincent Van Toad into the 50th Annual NYC Society of Illustrators Show. Hope I get one of them in. It's the toughest of all of the competitions, and most prestigeous. Here's Peeper >> http://www.zillustration.com/painting02.html Friday, 21 September 2007 10:15:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/painting02.html He's nearly ready to hang - still wet. I got real 1930s with the feel, which adds to the straight-shooter posture of the subject. I also thought a little "Bethlehem Steel in it's prime" would add to the background. Look for a huge "Z" representation in the upcoming issue of theMainArtery ( http://themainartery.com/ ) magazine. The story by Marcia Ruth is slated to run, as well as a couple of illustrations and an Illo ad I took out to drum up more interest and lecture work. http://www.zillustration.com/painting09.html Sunday, 16 September 2007 09:30:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/painting13.html I received a healthy dose of free advertisement from elan magazine ( www.elanmagazine.com ) in their Alumni Notes section on page 28 of the September issue. They've published my painting 'Panamanian Taxi' top dead center on the page. This piece will be hanging at the Burwell-Morgan Mill in Millwood, VA in October. I'm also appreciative of the clear website link at the head of the quarter-page blurb. Don't be fooled. My lecture on October 9th is at Shenandoah University in Winchester VA, not Shepherdstown WV... fact checkers need some coffee. Oh yes... still framing work this past weekend. http://www.zillustration.com/painting13.html Monday, 10 September 2007 13:45:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/painting13.html It's tough to develop a rabbit illustration without making it look like bugs bunny. This theme has been a repeated occurrence in my sketchbook, so I really pushed the character drawing on Wednesday night. It's to be a merger of old and new within an 1860's oval frame. http://www.zillustration.com/index.html Friday, 7 September 2007 10:30:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/index.html My darling neice Renee was married in NJ on Sunday. I gave Mike and her a painting from my Cape May group from last year... Cape May Light 2, painted on location. Nothing painted in the studio this past holiday weekend, however I'm framing like a madman, nine more glued up for the October - November shows. http://www.zillustration.com/_downloads/CapeMayPaintings.pdf Tuesday, 4 September 2007 10:00:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/_downloads/CapeMayPaintings.pdf Just finished this illo for a children's story by Lisa Linn Arroniz called The Frog Prints. In addition, last night I was approached to do two one-man shows in October and November with the LFCC, at their Middletown and Manassas campuses. Details to follow... http://www.zillustration.com/painting14.html Tuesday, 28 August 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/painting14.html I didn't finish my two paintings since my weekend in the studio and in the driveway was filled with framing artwork. 15 pieces in total. Quality frames will run the artist $150 and up, so i frame my own. The webpage with Ambassador Eaton and me has one of my standard frames on the Jefferson piece. I have one page left in my sketchbook... time for a new one. I plan on painting this week even if it kills me... http://www.zillustration.com/other15.html Monday, 27 August 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/other15.html I just posted this one, which stems from a sketch in my ever-trusty sketchbook. The original pencil has it's roots in the junkies series, with the original title being "the job interview". The junky with her cotton mouth slurs her way through her resume qualification. Upon finishing this in paint, I thought she looked like a church lady belting out a solo... a strong memory from my youth. http://www.zillustration.com/painting08.html Thursday, 23 August 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/painting08.html This piece is finally done... it's been sitting on one easel or another since April. I committed to finishing it this past weekend. It's been a slight deviation from the standard dogBaby with it's pink baby face rather than fur. Oh well... I like it.... http://www.zillustration.com/painting01.html Thursday, 16 August 2007 14:00:00 EDT http://www.zillustration.com/painting01.html