Advance Copies Of DomestiCATed: Paths Once Crossed Available Sat, April 9

Advance copies of my fiction graphic novel DomestiCATed: Paths Once Crossed will be available for purchase at the Nonfiction Graphic Novels panel presentation at the AR Literary Festival Sat, April 9. The book will be available for mass distribution later this month or early May. The above images are bookmarks that will be given away along with other promotional materials.

DomestiCATed: Paths Once Crossed is a graphic novel made up of three, dark short stories that follow a black cat as it ventures into the nefarious underbelly of domestic human existence.

What Follows Is True: Crescent - The Baker Years is a documentary graphic novel currently in production that chronicles the strange series of events that took place between the years 1938 and 1939 at the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, AR.

Small Wonders issue one of the three issue series is available online for free at smallwonderscomic.com.

Literary Festival Panel: Nonfiction Graphic Novels

Join us Saturday, April 9, 11:30 am on the 3rd floor of the Cox Creative Center, downtown Little Rock.

Josh Neufeld, A.D.: New Orleans After The Deluge, and Sean Fitzgibbon, What Follows Is True: Crescent: The Baker Years (in development) discuss their documentary-style graphic novels and new trends in the illustration industry.

Special thanks to Dr. Randy Duncan (Henderson State University) The Power of Comics: History, Form, and Culture.

The AR Literary Festival, the premier gathering of readers and writers in AR, has expanded to include over 80 authors in many locations on both sides of the river from April 7-13, 2011. The Central AR Library System's Main Library campus, other venues in the River Markets and Argenta Arts districts are the sites for stimulating mix of sessions, panels, special events, performances, workshops, presentations, opportunities to meet the authors, book sales, and book signings. Most events are free and open to the public.

Upcoming Events

The spring, summer, and fall calendar is filling up fast. Here is a list of upcoming exhibits, classes and other events.

AR Literary Festival

Documentary Graphic Novel Panel Presentation

April 8,9

sUgAR Gallery Adjunct Faculty Exhibition

Group Exhibition

April 28-May 29

DomestiCATed:Paths Once Crossed

Graphic novel available for purchase

May 2011

Revolver Gallery Exhibition

Solo Exhibit

June 1-30

NWACC Exhibition

Solo Exhibit

June 1-30

PSU Gallery

Solo Exhibit

November 25th-January 20

PSU Artist Lecture

January 20, 2012

Springdale, AR Public Library

Comics and Manga Class

Sat, March 26th, 2 pm - 4 pm

Registration is required.

Call 479-750-8180 or email sharonchristian@springdalelibrary.org to sign up.

Northwest AR Community Creative Center (Nadine Baum Studios)

Basic Drawing Class

Thursdays, 4-6 pm, May 5 - May 26

Ages 8-13

Student Repeated Symmetry Studies

Just wanted to show some of my studio art class symmetry studies. These student collage studies are interesting examples of cut out and drawn symmetrical and near symmetrical designs repeated to create kaleidoscopic patterns.

Free First Issue Of Small Wonders Available

Just a quick reminder that the first issue of the three part series Small Wonders is available for FREE! Please visit http://smallwonderscomics.com/ to check out the first issue.

May 2011 Group Exhibit At sUgAR Gallery

This Spring I'll be exhibiting work at the sUgAR Gallery adjunct faculty exhibit running from April 28 thru May 29. Please join us for the reception on Friday, May 6, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm. Artists featured include Stephanie Pierce, Cindy Wiseman, Sam King, Sonia Gutierrez, Sean Fitzgibbon, Hank Kaminsky, and Jinsoo Song.

The university student run gallery features the visual research of students, faculty, and visiting lecturers from the Department of Art and the Fay Jones School of Architecture.

For location and hours of operation please visit http://art.uark.edu/resources/sugar.php.

Rendering Different Eras

Thought I'd elaborate just a little more about the process that goes into this documentary graphic novel. Rendering eerie environments is always a lot of fun and this project is particularly so because I'm drawing from sketches I did while visiting the Crescent Hotel and from old photos and other researched documents. Throughout the book I illustrate exteriors and interiors as it is now (top right and bottom right), as it was during the turn of the century (bottom left), and as it was as the cancer hospital of the late nineteen thirties (top left). We will also visit the abandoned, lurid halls of the hospital/hotel as it lay dormant in the nineteen forties. This is a good story and it is a dark story that needs to be told. I've chosen to tell it in the format I know best.

The above images are not finished. This is a work in progress but is scheduled to be completed by October of this year (just in time for Halloween).