Painter at Work - Check out the video

Just a peek while I work on a couple of recent paintings. http://youtu.be/vs5c0b00cHQ

Flatline Virus - Book Trailer

A Zombie story...gears up from New Mexico as the undead population spreads and evolves. Follow the story through Europe, Baltimore, Dover AFB, Naples (Italy), and finally to a well-armed standoff in the Southwest. Plenty of guns and ammo, the undead on planes. Four stars in the Apple Bookstore.

Collage of Paintings of Segregansett Country Club

I've put together a collage of nine of my paintings of Segregansett Country Club. It's shown over to the right side of this blog. For those golfers who know the course, you will notice that the path between the 17th green and the 18th tee (painting on middle left) used to have a number of trees which are now cut down. They provided one of the most colorful scenes in the fall. Not so much now. Also, the tree behind the fourth green (painting on upper right) used to have three big branches or trunks. One came down last year, so there are only two. Anyway, the holes shown include the two I've already mentioned in addition to holes #10, 6, 14, 15, 2, 16 and the entrance on Gulliver Street.

5,000 Page Views !!!

Sometime within the last several days, this blog surpassed 5000 page views. It's not a lot for many blogs, but I'm quite happy to have made it this far. The blog is less than two years old. It began in March 2011 as I was finishing my first book and had painted my first few paintings. The counter is at the bottom of the page.

Four New Paintings Finished

I've completed four paintings. See them to the right. I've got two city street at night scenes, a sunlit forest, and a scene along Route 10 near Deming, New Mexico. All were completed from photos.

Flatline Virus is a 4 Star Rating Zombie Novel !!!

Based on 29 reviews in the Apple iBookstore and the 3 reviews on Amazon, 'Flatline Virus', my first book (and first Zombie novel) is weight-rated four stars. It's a fast moving apocalyptic story that takes place in Italy, Baltimore, Texas, on planes, and in New Mexico, among other places. Hope you enjoy it!
                   
Also, this blog is closing in on 5,000 page views (counted at the bottom of this page).

Latest Sales Channel Results

Thus far through 2012, here are my latest sales channel results:

Apple 42%
Amazon 34%
Barnes & Noble 21%
Smashwords 1%
Sony 1%
Kobo 1%

Apple continues to lead the pack. I expect that to continue. Both Amazon and Apple are now making ebooks available in a number of countries around the world. I have had sales for English worded books of mine from Italy, France, England and Germany, although very few. It will be nice to see how India, Australia and New Zealand make a difference.

Apple's results are delayed somewhat just because they report up through my distributor, Smashwords. So, actually their percentage is higher than 42%. When the end of year results are available in the first quarter of 2013, I expect them to lead the rest, including Amazon, by a wider margin than seen above.

Link to Apple Bookstore

I've created a link to the Apple Bookstore for my first book, 'Flatline Virus', a zombie thriller. It's to the right of this entry, I've called it Apple Bookstore for some strange reason. If you don't have iTunes on your PC it won't show up, however. Apple is my biggest sales channel and has more and better ratings than Amazon. Check it out.

First Prize (in Acrylics) Won at Taunton Art Show!

My entry #1, Chariot Tracks of Ancient Pompeii, won First Prize (Acrylics category) at the Taunton Art Association's Fall Art Show. I'll have to hand it to the judging. Not that I won, but it was my best work that did. I still think my Iguana picture, 'Liz Odd', is pretty much an equal in detail and technique, but I guess it just doesn't have the intangible.

Another good piece of news. I sold an art piece, 'Misty Summer Morning'. I believe it was a woman who was an active member of the Art Association. I failed to get her name. I'm not sure any other pieces were sold by other artists. I did price mine low enough to be marketable.

The judge's comments were posted under my winning painting. They were as follows.

Judge's Notes: 1st Place Acrylic
Recognized it to be Pompeii
Loved the vanishing point
Strong work with excellent texture

Overall, it was a good day.

Taunton Art Association 2012 Fall Art Show

The Taunton Art Association is holding its 2012 Fall Art Show on Sunday, October 21 from 12-4 p.m. An awards ceremony will be held at 3:30 pm.

I have entered four pieces. They are shown to the right. This is the first time I have entered a juried show in Taunton. It's exciting to have some work to show.

Pulseless Pandemic - First Rating is a 5 Star

My second zombie book, Pulseless Pandemic, has its first rating on Barnes & Noble and it's a 5 star. No words, but I'll take it.

Advice to Readers....Don't Ever Rely on the Rating of One Person

My Amazon ratings are based on 1-3 ratings. As an example, my first book, Flatline Virus, suffered from a single early bad rating from someone on Amazon who clearly was expecting the Pulitzer prize-winning author by my name. I also later found he was a regular negative reviewer of many things on Amazon. My book was the last he ever reviewed. Must have killed him.

On the other hand, my book sales at Apple (my largest selling channel) for 'Flatline Virus' are much, much better and based on 29 reviews. 4 starsin fact.  An early bad review hurts. An early good one helps as in my Apple book store experience.  Eventually, it almost works out, but my advice is always to not rely on a single review.

The Scoop About Poop Now Available on Amazon for $0.99 !!!

Book 5 is now available on Amazon and priced at the low price of 99 cents. It took them a matters of only a few hours to review the book. I'm very curious, based on how different this subject matter is from my previous books, how fast the first sale develops.

Scoop About Poop is now published on Amazon...

...and will be available within 12 hours according to them.

Book 5 is Published on Smashwords

Over the next couple days, I hope to have it also available on Amazon. Smashwords, my distributor is now reviewing it for Premium Distribution to Apple, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Diesel and others. This can take a few weeks.

The name of this nonfiction book is 'The Scoop About Poop'. It's 17,800 words long. The book cover image is off to the right on this blog. A brief description is as follows:

The author uses serious facts and a sense of humor to tell the story of poop.  The subject is crude, profane and vulgar. But it's also what all of us do mostly every day. The various chapters include everything you did and didn't want to know about fecal matters, including: the composition of poop; derivation of sh*t words; the history of poop; its uses; coprophagy; why it has various colors; types of stool; diarrhea and constipation; colonoscopy prep; poop as an embarrassment; semantics, idioms and sh*t as an expression; animal feces; the curious; personal hygiene and toilet paper; fake poop; synonyms; statistics and jokes. No photos. Not a medical reference manual. Just a lot to read about your favorite subject.

I have mixed feelings about my new book. Those around me wonder why I wrote a book about poop. "What would your mother think about it?" I was asked. A good question. She might wonder a little about the subject matter, but she always seemed proud of everything I did. I know my father would have enjoyed it.

I will admit. The subject matter is profane, but no matter what we do, poop is here to stay with us as a part of our lives. It's in our language. It's part of our health, personal hygiene and environmental discussions. So, why not write about it?

On the other hand, my other books have required more intellectual effort. Despite the science fiction and zombie topics, I researched the background information thoroughly, delving pretty deeply into viruses, super intelligence, space travel and the moons of Saturn among other topics. The research into poop just didn't reach the same level of intellectual effort, as I'll refer to it.

I guess I chose something that would be entertaining, have some shock value and maybe create more sales. Did I sell myself out for shit? Some might say so. I'd argue no. There is an informational aspect to learning about poop. It is somewhat of a unique subject about which to publish. I'm guessing I haven't seen more (or any?) books about the topic because it's so profane or other authors believe it won't sell. I'm willing to take the chance...with whatever reputation I may have (as an author). If it doesn't sell, it doesn't sell. I took a chance.  

Here are a couple excerpts from the book: 

(describing a type of poop)

The Bowl Vandal - You rush in to the bathroom and just make it to the toilet. What comes out is a wet, gassy, nasty-looking mess of shit shards going in every direction. It leaves the bowl looking like a gang spray-painted it brown with whatever else you ate or drank.

(describing the derivation of the word shit) 

The acronym theory for the derivation of the word S.H.I.T. has been put forth on the internet but it's full of crap.

The theory of the origin of shit was that manure was valuable as early fertilizer, and as such, was shipped all around the world. Of course, it was important to keep the manure dry. If it became wet, it was much heavier, creating navigational issues for the wooden ships. But much more important than that, wet manure produces an inflammable gas, methane to be precise. The gas could generate pockets of highly inflammable, even explosive gas, resulting in a dangerous situation aboard an ocean-going vessel. So, manure was transported with the directions to 'Ship High In Transit' to keep it from getting wet in the interior of the ship, with the acronym SHIT.

Readying Book 5 for Publishing

I've finished the writing...pretty much. I just need to go through the book one more time. I've been working on a book cover and am making good progress on that. Further, I have a title (not to be given here yet). The book length will be a little over 17,000 words. As I indicated, it will be a sort of reference manual for a well-known, but unusual subject for any book.

Flatline Virus - 4 Star Rating in Apple Bookstore

Flatline Virus enjoys a 4 star rating in the Apple bookstore with 19 of the 29 ratings either 1 or 2. The two written reviews are positive. Check it out to the right if you can read it. I had to shrink the image.

I'm getting close to finishing book number 5, a handbook/guide/reference manual of an unusual subject. I don't think there's anything else like it. I'll price it at $2.99 just like my others. It is untitled as of now and I am in the process of editing it for the final or next to final time. So far the word count is just under 17,000 words.

Major Increase in Words Written for Book 5

The word total is up to over 16,000.  

Book #5 is a Reference Manual

At least that's what I'm calling it now. I have 10,000 words thus far. It is the kind of book that invites photography, but when you see the title (working on it), you'll understand why I didn't add any. I'm not about to provide the photos for this manual. Call it a guide. Call it a manual or a reference manual. Or just call it which has a lot of information about something we are all familiar with.  I haven't seen anything similar on the market. Well, that's it for now. Back to work.

I Didn't Think I Wanted to Begin Another Book....

But, I am collecting some information for a sort of 'Reference' book. It's not fiction. It's not related to Zombies. That's about all I'll say now. It's very different from any of the four books I've written. I haven't seen one like this on the market now.

Zombie Rules

Zombies have rules. Or rather, we have rules about zombies. Most of us know the basics, but I'd thought I would recite for you the rules I generally follow in my books with regard to how I think zombies behave.

They behave badly. They bite people. No, that's not what I mean.

Zombies are dead people that become reanimated. In my two zombie books, a virus 'hijacks' a living person's cells, kills the person, and takes over enough of the original body's activities to allow it to kill more living and thereby pass on the pathogen to others. The virus is passed on by biting generally, but the bodily fluids of any infected living person can do the same thing.

Zombies have sensory abilities, e.g. sight, hearing. However, we wonder if they can smell (they surely smell because they are decomposing) although they seem to pick up on any fresh meat smells. They grab and therfore have a sense of touch, yet they feel no pain. It's also likley they cannot taste. If they could, why the heck would they eat what they eat?

They do not tire. They have one goal, that of finding fresh meat and eating it, thereby passing on the virus. Their cognitive powers are very limited, being just sufficient for minimal motor movements like walking, grabbing, biting, looking around. They can't really figure out things, like figuring out how to get into a house. They will push on windows, doors until they open or until there are enough of them to push something open with the force of several of them. Some may use simple tools to smash windows, but such actions are limited to the Zombies who are members of Mensa. They do not tire and are absolutely relentless in seeking out living human meat.

Some have observed that a few seem to have remnants of past living memories, seeming to recognize a relative before they grab them and eat them. Some have been know to make a sound or sounds, like groans or even words, but this is very rare and likely due to pockets of air in the lungs or body passages that pass through the vocal cords, kind of by accident. Generally, they don't make sounds. It wouldn't behoove them to make sounds while they amble up behind an unsuspecting living person and bite them.

Zombies don't really intend to travel in groups, but do seem that way when a bunch of the dead heads have spotted a target. Further, they don't consume flesh to enhance their energy supply in any great way since they don't have a working digestive system.

Zombies are more active at night when it's cooler and decomposition slows down. They are in a continuel state of decompostion and will rot enough in 2-3 years so as to not be a threat to most of the living. In the colder north, the decompostion stops with the cold weather, but when the dead defrost they beomce dangerous again and continue to rot.

We all know they need a head shot to be stopped ('killed?). It has to be through the brain. Otherwise, the dead will continue to be a threat.

I'll stop here, except that I've heard that zombies are able to 'survive' under water for some time (although much more limited than above water). They are susceptible to preadotrs. Dogs are spooked by them, but wolves and other predators find them delicious and easy prey.

Pulseless Pandemic (The Zombie Outbreak) Now Available on Barnes & Noble

I've priced it at $2.99, exactly the same as the other four. It just showed up today, first the title and price, next the image of the book cover. I'm still waiting for the description which I'm sure is on the way. So that makes the book available on all the largest sales channels.

My Comment re RB's Early Review of Flatline Virus on Amazon (Mar 2011)

If you happen to read this review, be sure to give this book a fighting chance and check out the current 4-star ratings by 24 reviewers in the Apple Bookstore. RB is correct on one point. The author isn't the famous science fiction author William Gibson, but the science is right on, at least for a zombie book. It's well researched, science-wise. I'm sorry to disappoint the reviewer by not being the 'real' William Gibson, but as I recall, the 'real' one doesn't sell books for $2.99 or write zombie stories. - The author, William D. Gibson.

Book Sales by Sales Channel - 2011 and 2012

This is approximate. The reason is that Amazon reports immediately. I have to wait for the distributor totals. Thus, this will overstate the Amazon percentages a bit. That said, here they are. They include all sales of 2011 and thus far into 2012:

Apple  -   44% (still the best sales channel for me)
Amazon  -  34% (second as always and somewhat overstated)
Barnes & Noble - 19% (third as usual)
Other - 3% (starting to increase a little)

Other includes Smashwords, Kobo,
Sony and some others.

Pulseless Pandemic (Book 4) is now available in the Apple Bookstore

All four of my books are now available on the Apple iBookstore. Apple is my largest selling channel. Pulseless Pandemic is a Zombie story.   I have not seen the book in Barnes & Noble yet. Apple has been a great selling channel. My first book, Flatline Virus, has 27 reviews with an average rating of 4 out of 5.

The four books now available are:
1) Flatline Virus - When Zombies Evolves
2) Homo Optimus: Humans, Aliens & Superbrains
3) Alien Contact: Titan
4) Pulseless Pandemic: The Zombie Outbreak

My Best Month Yet...in Amazon!

This July has been the best month (read as most book sales) I've had in Amazon since I started last year, a little over a year ago. The four books certainly make a difference. There's kind of a multiplier effect. Since Book 3 (Alien Contact:Titan) just appeared in Apple and Book 4 (Pulseless Pandemic) has not yet appeared (should be soon as it has been approved for Premium distribution in Smashwords) in the Apple bookstore, I am looking forward to result there. The same goes for Barnes and Noble where the same is true. Apple should have a huge effect on sales as it is my largest sales channel.

Finally! Book 3 - 'Alien Contact:Titan' Now Available in Apple Bookstore

It's July 25. The book was published in late May. For some reason, the channel to Apple took a really, really long time. But it's there and that's what counts. I sent a couple emails to Smashwords, then tried updating the version with a new upload and a larger format cover. Whatever it took worked.

Pulseless Pandemic Now Available on Amazon and Smashwords

My book #4 is now available on Smashwords and Amazon. It's a Zombie adventure. Smashwords will be distributing to Apple, Barnes and Noble, Diesel, and Kobo, etc. over the next week or two. The story starts in Africa with the virus making a cross-species jump from the great apes to humans. It's a killer like ebola and HIV. But worse. It reanimates the dead. You'll follow the threads of an airline pilot bitten just outside of Kinshasa in the Congo; an infected US Senator returning from Paris; a shipment of gorilla and chimpanzee meat to New Orleans causing mayhem in the Big Easy. This is how the virus has spread worldwide in a matter of weeks. We have a few main characters who find refuge and are able to defend it against invaders, live and dead. The language is a little more coarse than I've used in prior books and I've managed to throw in a little romance and sex, a first.

The first three books are:
1. Flatline Virus - When Zombies Evolve
2. The Origin of Homo Optimus: Humans, Aliens & Superbrains
3. Alien Contact: Titan

Book 4 is 'Pulseless Pandemic' (The Zombie Outbreak) !!!

The book is uploaded to and submitted to Smashwords and Amazon. It is therefore now pending review. Smashwords is my distributor for Apple, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Diesel, Kobo, etc. There is a several week delay before the book will be seen on the ebook shelves, sometimes less.

This time I wrote the book on an iPad. This was convenient and fun. The trouble is I had too many paragraph returns. I had to omit them all. Pain in the butt job which I could have avoided. The format part of ebook publishing is the least fun. But it's done and hopefully everything will pass muster.

I've included the book cover off to the right on the blog for viewing. The brief description is as follows:

Book Description

It developed in the great apes of the Congo basin, making a cross-species jump to humans, like ebola and HIV.  Its status blossomed into a world-wide pandemic.  A virus, so virulent, it killed nearly every one it infected. And it didn't stop there. The virus caused the dead to reanimate. The walking dead fed on the flesh of the living, causing the disease to spread geometrically.

From Africa to the rest of the world, we follow several threads of mayhem, death, survival, reanimation and more death. These include a bitten airline pilot on a flight to Paris; a New Orleans celebratory bushmeat dinner for the local African population which turns into tumult in the Big Easy; a freighter headed to the Bahamas with a tainted cargo, a special passenger and an infected crew; a deathly ill U.S. Senator returning from Paris who spreads the disease in the Capitol; and a special game buffet of gorilla and chimpanzee meat flown into Key West from Kinshasa in the Congo which launches the story of our main characters. We follow them to the end of the story. They find a place of refuge they think is safe and survive a number of assaults by the living and the dead. A heavy measure of violence, a lesser measure of sex.

The unhappy circumstances unravel to an apocalyptic ending where a cure is created, but the end is perhaps uncertain. 

Book #4 is Finished

1. The book is finished.
2. I have a title, but I'm not solid on it yet. The word zombie will be in it, probably as a subtitle. By the way, I only use the word zombie once or twice in the book. There are a number of other synonyms for the Z word.
3. I'm working on the cover.
4. I've finished the editing.
5. In addition to the cover, I have to put into ebook format with all the Smashwords wording and my marketing for my other books at the end.

New Book & 4000 Page Views!

New Book...The writing is finished. It's at 47,500 words or so, I still have a lot to do before it's ready to publish. I need a title which I'm working on. I need a cover which I'm also working on. I need to edit it which I've started. Generally I go through a number of edits before I'm satisfied. The book may get a little longer as a result. Also, this time I didn't place chapter headings in all the places I need. That will be part of the edit process.

The story takes us from the Congo where the virus originates (like the Ebola or AIDS virus, the simian connection is unmistakeable in a place where nasty diseases boil up from time to time). It spreads quickly and widely from there. We'll follow some of these connections. Some of them cross as the story unfolds. The scene becomes apocalyptic with only the hope of a cure for the disease. Also included is a romantic entanglement for spice.

Also, the blog just passed 4000 page views, another milestone.

Update for Various

1. The e-book sellers have sent the word down that book covers will be required to be at least 1400 pixels or so, way up from about 500 pixels. Apple may be driving this, but Amazon is also on board. I've got to believe that the iPad, especially the new one with HD (retina display) is the reason. E-book readers will want to see a larger book cover than the little thumbnail image they now see. Apparently, the old covers won't be required to be changed, but I will endeavor to send in a larger image for each of mine. It will take a little extra work, since I don't have the original larger one, especially for my first Zombie book.

2. The draft of Book 4, my second Zombie book, is at 30,000 words now and moving along.

3. My third painting exhibition just finished up on June 30th at the Taunton Art Association. I had some positive comments about the Misty Woods in the Morning and the Seggreganset #2 painting. I will be fixing my signature on the latter as it should be less of a distraction (smaller, less angled per a constructive comment by an experienced painter).

4. The blog is approaching 4000 page views.

Alien Contact : Titan is Published on Barnes and Noble

Smashwords has sent the ebook through its channels and Alien Contact : Titan now is published in the Barnes and Noble online bookstore. I'm waiting for it to appear in Apple, my biggest retail seller. It is showing, of course, on Amazon, since I publish directly to Amazon.  If it hasn't shown up in Kobo, Diesel, and Sony, it will soon.

My fourth book is in process, about half way through the first draft. It is a ZOMBIE book. You can follow the number of words I produced on a daily basis by the little graphic to the right - see Word Count with the number and date (as of date).

Book #4 (Zombie Book) Status

Well, this is fun. That is, writing about the beginning of the virus that would set the world in motion. So far, I've written 4100 words and cruising along. I do like to present a plausible scenario, so I try to get everything reasonably accurate with the setting, geography, and facts surrounding a hypothetical viral pandemic.

More to come...

I'm Working on Book #4. It's a Zombie Book.

I didn't expect to start on this one so soon. I was researching some of the material I'll need. I like to know how the zombie thing started in my books, so that's where I'm starting. I won't say anything more than that about the plot or subject right now. I have 800+ words so far which is just a drop in the bucket.

Book 3 (Alien Contact : Titan) Has Been Approved for Premium Distribution

...which means that it will be available online at Barnes & Noble, the Apple Bookstore, Sony, Kobo, Diesel and others within a few days to a couple weeks. It is already available on Smashwords and Amazon.

Smashwords often seems to have a queue for this approval process for 'Premium Distribution'. In two of the last three books, I made a special request for 'expedited' approval after the book sat for three weeks or so in a 'Pending Approval' status (in this case since about May 5th). I knew it would be approved since it passed the 'autovetter' process and didn't have any format issues. That's what can hold up things. Some people just need a little prompting.

Book #4 Will Be a Zombie Book

It won't be a sequel to 'Flatline Virus'. I've begun the plot development research and character lines.

Massasoit Arts Festival 2012

Today, two of my paintings were exhibited along with about 70 others. I didn't win anything, but I did feel pretty good about how my work compared with the others on display. I agreed with the jury's decision for top honors. I did notice a higher than average number of people who stopped and looked at my iguana painting which I named 'Liz Odd'. It is different than most others. It's one of my best works so far.

I may enter next year. It was fun trying. I'd like to think my work will get better.

Early 'Alien Contact : Titan' Sales from UK

I'm happy to see that early sales of Book 3 are coming in from the UK. Bo, the Titan Mission's Astrobiologist, is the main character from the UK in the book. He's a likeable character. Very bright with a good sense of humor. He plays an important role at the end.

Alien Contact : Titan [Book 3] is Published!

I have uploaded the final edit of 'Alien Contact : Titan' to Smashwords and Amazon. Both are in review now. Smashwords is my distributor who will distribute the book to Apple, Barnes and Noble, Sony, Kobo and others. An image of the book is on the right of the blog. It is priced, like my others, at $2.99.

Description....

Two Titan missions followed the successful manned exploration of Europa in 2135. The 'First Contact' there engendered great enthusiasm for more exploration and discovery. Several of the most advanced technology-rich nations followed with manned flights to worlds in the solar system where life might exist.

Both the Chinese and the joint US/UK missions found life on Titan. Or it found them.

Meanwhile on Earth, the world's top two superpowers, US and China, were close to an armed confrontation relating to claims made on the Republic of China, formerly known as Taiwan.

Captain Ray Haskins of the joint US/UK mission to the Saturn moon, Titan, was the father-in-law of the captain of the other Titan mission, one from China. Ray hadn't seen his only daughter in 10 years. His son-in-law was the reason why.

The setting has the makings of a chilly family reunion on Titan, almost 900 million miles from earth and 290 degree below zero...an unforgiving father-in-law, an insensitive son-in-law, and an unusual cast of alien life forms, one of which may bring about the end of the human species.

Book 3 is being edited....It's Finished...except for the editing (duh)

Yep, it's finished except for the editing. And the title. And the description I need for the retailers.

Retail Book Sales by Channel for 20012 So Far

I thought I'd report my retail sales of books by channel thus far for 2012:

Apple Bookstore - 46%
Amazon - 22%
Barnes & Noble - 25%
Kobo - 5%
Sony - 1%
Smashwords - 1%

For the first time, Barnes and Noble shows more sales than Amazon. I can't be sure if the time frames are equivalent for each since I receive Amazon's results directly and the rest are reported to me through Smashwords, my distributor. Still, it's a change. Apple continues to outsell them all. I keep the pricing the same across all channels, so that doesn't account for any of the difference.

Book 3 is Moving Along - Word Count is Past 20,000

I've been concentrating on painting lately, but writing has been on my mind. I got to a point in the plot where I wasn't fully satisfied with its direction. So, I've slept on it...and slept on it. Slowly, it began to gel and now I'm writing again. You can follow the words written in the 'Book 3 - Word Count' box down to the right on the blog. I've been able to keep up more than a 500 word a day pace. I don't expect this to be as long as the zombie book, but the conclusion should satisfy all or most.

I still don't have a title yet, but I've been working at that, too. It would be nice to call lit something other than 'Book 3'.

When Is the Painting Finished?

Until I started to paint, I didn't think this would be an issue. When you're satisfied that you've painted what you intended, then the painting is finished, right? Not really. From the beginning, I've found myself going back and touching up, fixing areas I wasn't satisfied with. Or adding detail I thought the painting needed. Or changing a shade or adding a tone. At any rate, it seemed that I'd never finish anything. Then I decided to sign the painting. That would finish it. Not really. I found myself going back and changing things after I signed it. I recently heard this is not that unusual. Picasso would not feel at all uneasy to change something on a signed painting even years later, even after he sold it.

There is a time when you wonder if you're finished. I usually wait for a few days, checking the painting out daily to see if it 'needs' something changed. At some point, I just sign it and that's usually the end of it. I've come to grips with the feeling that I won't be happy with each and every painting I do, even after going back day after day and making changes.

At one point early on when I sarted, I decided to take all the paintings I didn't feel comfortable showing to anyone and cut them up into two inch squares. I took these and made a collage which did give me some satisfaction with an image which was more pleasing than any of the ones I cut up.

Entering the Massasoit Arts Festival Juried Competition

I am entering the Massasoit Arts Festival juried competition in the acrylic painting category. I had to send in a CD with three images (1 for $10 entry fee or 3 for $24). There is a pre-judge filter to keep out the riff-raff, I guess. This is all new to me. If I get in, I'll be notified ahead of the May 20th event so that I can bring my framed paintings to the Canton MA campus. The prizes are money. I'm excited just to enter and try. I'm at a point where I feel I'm not at all embarrassed to exhibit my work. I know there are better painters, but the idea of competition feeds the competitive juices in me and helps to fuel the desire to be better. The paintings I entered included: 1) Eye Site (close up human eye); 2) Tracks of Pompeii's Past; and 3) Liz Odd (the iguana painting, not just the one of an eye, but the whole iguana). I'm placing prices of $200 on each.

Milton Museum of Art Annual Juried Competition

Tomorrow I am sending my entry into the above competition. This will be my first juried competition ever. I'm not sure what my expectations should be, although the requirements suggest a little more experience than I have (at least exhibiting experience). I am submitting an Artist Bio, Artist Statement, an Exhibit Resume along with the Submission Form and images of four of my paintings. The entry fee is $30. The First Place winner will have his own exhibition in the Sep/Oct 2012 timeframe. Six Runners Up will be able to participate in one of two joint exhibits; one in Jul/Aug, the other in Nov/Dec timeframe. All of the exhibits will be publicized.

Artist Statement

I am strongly considering entering a juried competition in which I send in images to be judged. The process also calls for an Artist Bio and an Artist Statement. I knew what a Bio is (duh), but truly had not heard about Artist Statements. So, I did a little research and took some notes and fashioned one. Wikipedia, by the way, defines Artist Statement as follows, "An artist's statement (or artist statement) is a brief verbal representation (didactic, descriptive, or reflective in nature) created by the artist about his or her own work.

This will be mine. 

ARTIST STATEMENT

I am still discovering what I like best to paint. My artwork has been evolving since I began three winters ago. Acrylics on canvas is the usual, although my best work so far is on illustration board. I started with landscapes, but am now venturing into portraits, still lifes, folk art and hard-to-categorize subjects to challenge myself. While I wonder what would be commercially successful, I continue to paint only subjects which interest me. I have come to appreciate, and look forward to, the occasional, but inevitable 'fixes', i.e. the corrections, reformulations of color and shading as a way of learning and further evolving my work. Most of my varied collection of brushes have found a way to be used, and I discovered sponges and toothbrushes to be useful and interesting additions to my tools. I paint almost exclusively from a photograph of the subject, especially since my work is limited to the five or six coldest months of the year. I generally work from the back to the front and make adjustments along the way. The right type of pattern interests me, whether it's a row of houses, a wet stone roadway in Pompeii, a reptile's eye, an iguana, or a bloodshot human eye. Each of these has resulted in some of my best work so far.

Never having taken a painting lesson except what I've seen on YouTube, I have made improvement as my top priority. I am able to see my own progress and that is exciting. 

The Fall River-Taunton Art Associations Joint Exhibit is Coming to an End

I was considering entering the juried competition at the Greater Fall River Art Association (GFRAA) later this month. However, it's themed, i.e. Springtime, and I don't have the paintings I think are worthy for such a theme. I've looked around and I am considering entering another competition. It's local but the entry can be made digitally. They don't want the work itself, just the .jpg file in a specific size and quality. I'll have to make a decision pretty soon.

A Couple New Paintings - Work on Book 3 Moving Along

I've included to the right a couple new paintings, both with trees as the subject.

Also, I picked up the pace a little on Book 3, adding some more tension (and potential tension) between Captain Haskins of the US/UK Titan mission and Captain Aiguo of the Chinese mission. As you probably don't know, Haskins' only daughter married Aiguo when he attended college in the US and left. Haskins has not seen nor heard from his daughter in over ten years. Makes him a little cranky when having to deal with Aiguo whom he blames.

My Paintings Made the Newspapers! (Fall River Herald News and Taunton Gazette)

Go to the following link for a story about the exhibit I mentioned in my last post.

http://www.heraldnews.com/newsnow/x1231828090/Fall-River-and-Taunton-artists-featured-in-Creative-Connections

Two of my paintings were printed in the paper, one I call 'Houses, Mon!' and the other 'Reptile Eye'. Links to these are here...

http://www.heraldnews.com/photos/x738243962/Photo-gallery-Taunton-Fall-River-art-groups-joint-show

The Paintings I am Exhibiting are Posted to the Right

For those interested and those not...I have provided four of my paintings to the Greater Fall River Art Association for exhibit beginning next week. The images are posted to the right, labelled Exhibits 1 through 4. My first time.

The Number of Page Views is About to Top 3000! You May Be the One to Do It!

If so, thank you.

Painting...
I am about to expose my artwork to the public in person. Members of the Taunton Art Association will be exhibiting their work at the Greater Fall River Art Association (GFRAA) from 3/24 to 4/15. I've chosen to participate. It's not juried, but it will give my work a chance to be seen in a place other than this blog (and only in digital form). I'm excited to see how my work compares. It will give me something to strive for. Shortly after that, sometime in April, the GFRAA will host a juried exhibit. I'll be submitting three of my better works (fee of $25) and see how they do in competition.

I changed a little of the human eye painting which is shown on this blog. You may not have noticed. The eyebrows and eye redness needed a little modification. All set now. Let's all hope we don't have eyes like that.

Book...
I've slowed down a little on the new book, but intend to pick it up a little soon. I have most of the story. It's a matter of putting down the words.

Book 3 and Latest Painting (the Eye)

Book Three (untitled) is progressing. Up to about 3000 words. I have the story. It's a matter of putting down the words and thinking through the dialogue and action for best effect.

My latest painting is a still life (I guess that's the category it's in) of an eye. For my first year I stuck with landscapes. This year I wanted to venture out a little, so I've tried the reptiles, their eyes, a portrait, a vase of tulips, and now a human eye. It's posted. My wife asked me, "Who would buy that?"

"Probably no one," I said. It was more of an exercise in creative stimulation.

Only 99 more page views for 3,000. Less than a year now for this website. Must be a way to add viewers.

New Book Under Way and a Couple More Paintings

I've started the new book and am just a few thousand words into it. Taking my time after a bout with a 48 hour bug that created some gastrointestinal turmoil. I managed to finish a couple more paintings, one still life and a landscape. I'll put them up for a few days.

Book 3

My research for the third book is pretty much complete. I'm going to use Book 2 as a jumping off point, although I'm not going to say this will be a sequel. Saturn's moon, Titan, the only moon in our solar system with a real atmosphere (thicker than Earth's), will be a main factor.

I just started to put words to paper and organizing my thoughts on the story.

Flatline Virus Shows 15 of 24 Ratings Are '4' or '5' in Apple Bookstore

'Flatline Virus: When Zombies Evolved' continues to have a '4' rating. Fifteen of the 24 ratings are '4' or '5'. 'Homo Optimus' still has no ratings.

I Tried My First Portrait

Until now, I had never attempted to draw or paint a portrait. It's just so hard (I think) to capture the essence of the subject. It was easier with cartoons since there is so much artistic license. Anyway, I've posted it. See what you think. I will say that taking photos of paintings is easy, but trying to get them to look like the painting isn't so easy.

2011 Book Sales Figures by Retail Channel

I just received the 2011 sales figures for my book(s). The sales are mostly due to 'Flatline Virus' sales since "Homo Optimus' didn't get published/distributed until December, for the most part.

So, here they are in order with the results rounded to the nearest percentage:
Apple Bookstore 45%
Amazon 30%
Barnes & Noble 18%
Kobo 5%
Sony 1%
Smashwords 1%

I had suspected my sales reflected a higher percentage of sales through Apple. That channel has been good for me. My best reviews are through Apple and the sales have followed. More good news is that the sales remittances seem to be accelerating, at least by quarter. Each succeeding quarter is an increase over the prior.

Just a Note on the Amazon Reviewer (the lowly 1-rater)

RB (his initials) rated my first book, 'Flatline Virus', a lowly '1' less than a week after it appeared on Amazon. At first, I was surprised and disheartened. Then I was angry. Now I'm fine. At that time, RB was a frequent reviewer of books and other items purchased from Amazon. In fact, he had reviewed 91 items, my book being his latest. It seemed he was often harsh, being rather generous with his '1' ratings. I always felt he didn't provide sufficient or any reasons when he poked his reviewer's stick in the eyes of the author or seller. (As an example, I took umbrage when he claimed that my 'science' in the book was 'flawed'. I did a lot of research to support everything I wrote regarding viruses and other items, i.e body decomposition, etc....or at least as much as you can in a Zombie book).

That was RB's last Amazon review. He thought I was the famous, best-selling William Gibson. If you've seen his (the other William Gibson) books, you'll note that the author's name is always in larger font than the title (the author being better known than any of his books). Plus, his books are always priced higher than $2.99, the original and usual price for my book. Plus, I used a middle initial. Plus, to my knowledge, the other William Gibson would not stoop to writing Zombie stories, instead sticking to true science fiction. All that said, I guess RB still thought my book was the other William Gibson's. Sorry, RB.

I know you can't please everyone and I really don't expect to write a best-seller. I do write stories that I hope most will enjoy. In general, my other reviews seem to support that. I hope you do, too.

Working on Book 3

This one is not a zombie story, although the next one may be. This one involves life forms from a long, long away. It also takes place on the Saturn moon Titan, the one world in this solar system, other than Earth, with a thick atmosphere (1.4X that of Earth). In fact, Titan has many of the ingredients that could support life. Just maybe not life as we would know it. Life, if it exists, is more likely methane-based, or even ammonia-based, rather than dependent on water and oxygen. The moon also has rivers, rain, lakes and oceans (of methane, ammonia, ethane). A possible book cover is down to the right on this blog.

The blog registered 2500 page views a little while ago. Never thought that would happen.

Put in your email at the bottom of the page and get notified every time I post a new entry.

I'd also like to hear from anyone with comments.

'Flatline Virus' - Rated 4 Stars by 23 Reviewers in Apple Bookstore

15 out of 23 reviewers in the Apple Bookstore rate Flatline Virus four (4) stars or higher. Zombie stories continue to be hot. Maybe I should do another or a sequel. Maybe after the next one. Maybe, probably.

Another Painting - A Reptile / Book Sales

Paintings
I seemed to get stuck on reptile eyes. Well, I'm off that, but wanted to try a larger object, like a reptile's head. What do you think? Check it out on the right side of the blog. It gives me an idea for a book cover.

Books
Regarding book sales...they're moving along. I will say that zombies are probably hotter that aliens, superintelligence and doomsday earth-crossing comets. I should have expected that. Yeah, the zombie book is outselling the new one, at least so far this month.

Last of Three Eyes and Forest Scene

I' just posted another eye. I'm not sure if it's a cat or a bird from the photo I used. I also posted a fantasy forest scene.

Reptile Eye #2

I just finished my second reptile eye. I truly don't know what type of reptile this is. It doesn't matter, really, does it? No, these are not supposed to be aliens from another book I'm planning. It's just below the first one on the right hand side of the blog...down a little. The comments section is there for you to comment, good or bad. Thanks.

Happy New Year!!!

I just posted my most recent painting. You can view it down and to the right on this blog. I call it 'Spooky Forest Scene'. I painted it will all blue, black and white paint. The blue was ultramarine, but I did mix it with the black and white at various stages.