And this is my warm-up drawing.

This is approximately how I feel right now. My sock doesn’t have a hole in it, though.

For information about Like-Like, the show at Cafe Racer, look here.

My comics and illustration group is holding two Valentine’s Day shows this month, because we are wildly ambitious, and because a single building’s walls are not enough to contain our artistic greatness.

The first is at Cafe Racer, and it opens Thursday, February 10th, 2011. Better, prettier information and flier to come once these things are in my hot little hands.

The second is at the Fantagraphics Bookstore. It’s called Lovesick, and you can see more, including the rad flier drawn by one of our number. It takes place Saturday, February 12th, as part of the third anniversary of the Georgetown Art Attack.*

I’m working on some complementary pieces, and I think I’m going to aim at making them into a set of prints. Here are a couple of my wee sketches for these.

I’ve been doing a fair amount of drawing lately. I’ve passed the halfway point of penciling Furlough 3 (AT LONG LAST, OH MY GOD, IT’S HAPPENING), and I’m doing a lot of other art too. Other art. Sounds a shade sinister when put that way, no? Here’s a pencil drawing I did at my art group last week.

So that’s me. Day job work + exercise + comicking + the occasional gulp of air – adequate sleep = the life of Breanne Boland, urban sophisticate and gal about town.

But you should have a larger life, one that includes going to galleries for fabulous-as-hell art shows. I hear it’s nice; report back.

*Doesn’t it sound like I’m inviting you to a vigil? I’m not, though.

It’s January, and I’m coming out of hibernation. I’d kind of like to stay in it for a while longer, but I can’t.

I’ll have a table at the Emerald City Comicon again this year at table M-27.

I’m lurching out of inactivity to get good and properly ready to work on Furlough 3. Just two more issues and it’s a complete story. I can’t wait.

I think I might’ve figured out what I’m doing next – or at least what the next comic story I’ll be working on developing will be. (After so much real life in Furlough, I feel like I need to do some fantasy shit, or something with dramatic amoebas or something. Just no more drawing cubicles, please.) I’m also going to be in not one but two Valentine’s Day shows – details to come in the next few days, with previews, as I’ll be getting to work on my art well in advance. Do you hear me, Breanne Boland? Well in advance!

Here’s the earliest drawing from what the next project might be. This is also an enigmatic explanation as to why I’ve been awfully quiet over the winter. And yes, the drawing is me.

For a million reasons I’ll give you in comic form in the next few months, I’ve been kind of, um, useless recently. This has resulted in my Etsy store languishing, half empty. I fixed that, and it’s now full of everything I’ve made again. Yay!

And I’ve been having weird and vivid dreams lately. Here a pencil comic version of one I had last week. Click to embiggen.

I’ve been learning that lately. And I just got a reminder that it’s true for other people too.

(There’s more spam art to come, by the way. Just not today.)

I’m currently at Seatac, awaiting my flight to San Francisco, where I will be partaking in the awesomeness that is APE. I’ll be at table 531A. I went last year as a spectator, and it was… awesomely overwhelming.

I like to ask people how they’re doing when they walk up to my table at these shows, and that’s usually the answer I get – big wide eyes with, “There’s so much!” I don’t feel that so much at regular comics shows, as I’m not very invested in more mainstream comics. However, APE… APE, I walk around, and I get a little nutty because, well, yes, there’s so much, and so much of it is great. So much of it you can’t get anywhere else, or not easily, and that is how I ended up carting 12 pounds of comics home last year. Much of which I still haven’t gotten through – it’s a winter project of mine, one I’m very much looking forward to.

I am planning on being an uncharacteristically social butterfly (as opposed to the usual sleepy, housebound butterfly I am these days), so do keep an eye out for me, as I intend to be everywhere as much as I can.

The Halloween art show my illustration group has up is still going on at Cafe Racer in the University District in Seattle. I say this in a completely unbiased way (seriously!): it’s really impressive, and people made some beautiful and intricate pieces. Go see it, and have a strong drink while you’re there. We’re having a closing party on October 29th, and I don’t exaggerate when I say we’re a group of exceptionally good-looking and charming people. Here’s one of my pieces, titled Modusa.

Ink and watercolor and sass.

I’m going to be part of an art show tomorrow – go look. It’s the Halloween show for my illustration group, which means even more nerdery will abound than usual. I’ve seen some of what’ll be up, and some of it’s truly lovely.

Here’s a little excerpt from one of my two pieces, which is now watercolored and pretty.

I’ll post both full images in a few days. In the meantime, get thee to Cafe Racer and check it out in all its glory – alongside the incredibly cool stuff that’ll be keeping it company.

P.S. I’ll be at APE in San Francisco next weekend. Do come say hello.

James Sime of Isotope Comics in San Francisco did a wee video talking about the Isotope Award, which I submitted Furlough for. (And if you have a minicomic, I hope you submitted it too, because… why on earth wouldn’t you?)

Furlough two ended up in it, which is really exciting. Look!

See you at APE, guys!