There will not be a Flashlight update today due to a family emergency. I’m not sure about Friday either. It depends on how things progress. I’ll keep you posted.

Today’s Flashlight page will be up tomorrow. Sorry, everyone! Life just gets in the way sometimes.

I am writing a graphic novel that takes place 12,000 years ago at the end of the last Ice Age. It’s about Hodei, a 14 year old boy, and his struggle to find his place in the world. He has an incredible talent for art which begins as his secret and then later becomes his salvation.

In the summer of 2006, I picked up The Mind in the Cave by David Lewis-Williams. I have always had a fascination with cave art and this book inspired me to pursue this interest of mine with my first graphic novel. Since that summer I have devoured every book on the subject I could get my hands on. While the story that fuels my graphic novel is fiction, I have a deep desire for it to be as real and well-educated as possible. I have learned a lot from my two+ years of book research, but I am still lacking one very important detail: context.

I’m saving for a trip to France to visit painted caves this September. I found a tour that includes visits to Lascaux II (replica), Rouffignac, Cougnac, Font de Gaume, and Les Combarelles. There is also a visit to the National Museum of Prehistory which will be invaluable to my research! It is one thing to look at photographs of the caves and artifacts, but it’s something completely different to experience them in person. I believe this trip is exactly what I need to finalize my research and bring much needed context to my story.

For more info about my graphic novel and what you can do to help make this trip possible, please CLICK HERE!

There will not be a Flashlight update this week. I got behind due to work and commissions and now I’m sick! I’m going to take it easy and not stress over this. There will be an update next week for sure! Maybe I’ll do a multiple page update to make up for this week if I can manage it.

Finished this a day late. Oh well! India ink and color ink washes on wood.

Today’s page update is going to be up tonight! I still have some work to do on it. While you’re waiting, you can check out page one and two again! I finished the grey tone on both of them.

Appropriate for the season, don’t you think? Heh! This was a commission I finished yesterday. Unsurprisingly, I had a really good time making it!

Here are two others from last month. You might have seen them on my LiveJournal.

Want one? Click this link for more info!

I got my little hands on an Art Fits Vermont puzzle piece!! Gail got a few for the Latchis and she didn’t need them all so she gave one to me! I’m so excited about it. Here’s a sneak peek!

I was skeptical that india ink would work, but it went on like it was bristol! YES! Not sure how I’m going to color it, though. I’m thinking color ink washes…

A sphinx!

And a couple quick sketches of Hodei.

What’s this? An art post two days in a row? What is the world coming to? Granted, they’re just more ball point pen work doodles, but art none the less.

I redrew Hodei because I didn’t like how big his eyes were in yesterday’s doodle.