Rhonda Ruth Conley

Dragonfly Moon

2011-11-06T15:08:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been ages since I posted anything to this. Welp! A lot's been going on, all good...Anyway! Here's a piece commissioned by my friend Laura. Thanks, you!

Robert and Tami (and Luna and Goober)

2011-06-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

This was a commissioned cartoon from my buds, these two and their kitties. The finished size was only 4 by 4 inches and it goes on the Wall of Art I expect---they have a whole wall devoted to drawings, sketches and caricatures various friends have done of them over the years. Fun!

June's Show at Lowes Real Estate Office

2011-06-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

Hey there,

I can't upload any pics cos my computer's in the shop. Virus. Thanks, craigslist fake guy who is "looking for an illustrator", hope karma hits you sooner rather than later and sorry I can't be there to watch.

Ok now that that's out of my system...The show on Friday night was a lot of fun. Weather was wonderful and the streets were packed with wine, uh I mean art lovers. Our place was full until the wine ran out later in the evening, then it was really amazing how fast it cleared out!

But it was super fun to watch people looking at the paintings, and overhear their comments about how they recognized this or that place or reliving memories of being there. Probably my favorite overheard comment of the evening, regarding "Hiway House Restaurant" was: "Oh look honey! Remember this place and the stinky velvet cushions?"

I also learned where I saw Ted's Garage (north of Redmond) but it has since been torn down, which is why I couldn't find it again. Oh well, preserved for posterity.

And Madras Hotel is still in operation. I really want to go inside now.

Somebody from down here even recognized the Mobil gas station, even though it's way the heck up and quite a ways north of Seattle.

Anyway it really was great fun. I didn't sell a piece. A number of people got my contact info though, so we'll see.

The show will be up for all of June.

Madras Hotel, Madras, OR

2011-05-17T16:35:00.001-07:00

City Walls Opening

2011-05-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

We had a great turnout! You know what was so cool, besides seeing the other artwork all of which was wonderful, is that I had a number of people stop and talk to me further about the O'Kane building, things which I had NO idea about. Such as, the stained glass windows with the Bend logo in them are where the logo came from, and that they had been boarded up in the 70's because the building had fallen into terrible disrepair, but then when it was cleaned up they were rediscovered and now that logo is all over town. I loved how several townspeople stopped to tell me what and who they know related to the building. So nice! I had a very enjoyable evening, my first show as a fine artist here.

City Walls Invite

2011-05-05T20:11:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow night, May 6.

Meet the Artists Shindig recap

2011-05-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

Just got home from this dealie at the Historical Museum. I have been a little nervous because it involved public speaking which I SUCK at and even the idea of doing gives me the willies. But each of the artists was supposed to speak about their inspiration, along with a little slide show of the picture they chose to work from. Just a little 2-3 minute speech but I was really nervous anyway. I slugged some champagne beforehand and it helped. Also Gordon (another artist) gave me a pep talk.

But it went good! Not only did I enjoy all the other artists' talks but mine went well too, even though I felt like a blithering idiot. My inspiration was the O'Kane building so I decided to just focus on what I liked about it and how it inspires me and even though I'm sure I blithered a lot, I had some people come up to me afterwards to talk about how they enjoyed my speech and several of the artists now want to look at studio space there! So I guess I was successful. Anyway I am SUPER glad that's over and now tomorrow I can just go to the show and drink a lot of wine and relax.

City Hall Show---Meet the Artists

2011-05-04T18:06:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow May 5th at the Des Chutes Historical Museum, at 5:30.....Oh well heck, you can read the invitation.

Next day, the 6th, is the opening of the City Walls at City Hall show, which yours truly will have a piece featured in. Will post a pic of it later.

Hiway House Restaurant, The Dalles, OR

2011-03-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

Loved the funky 70's looking sign.

Sno Cap Drive In, Sisters OR

2011-02-11T16:15:00.000-08:00

Bluebird Inn, Bickleton, WA

2011-01-30T17:09:00.001-08:00

afternoon at the movies

2011-01-23T23:09:00.001-08:00

Mobil Gas Station, Lynnwood, WA

2010-12-17T17:46:00.000-08:00

The next time I talk about painting a building with a million little windows in it, just smack me one, won't you? Thanks.

Tastee Treet Restaurant, Prineville OR

2010-10-31T17:18:00.001-07:00

Ted's Garage

2010-10-22T16:22:00.001-07:00

Crush

2010-09-30T18:14:00.001-07:00

Second in the Old Building series!

Character sketch

2010-07-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

Some of the Shivaree characters, just a quick costume/hair study. That's a sheet around the Groom's head!

Hotel Metlen

2010-07-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

See, I haven't given up painting actual pictures!

tavern storyboards 1

2010-05-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

Storyboards for the final scene in the short film "Shivaree". Coming soon to a film festival near you!

tavern storyboards 2

2010-05-20T16:23:00.001-07:00

Bedlam, Take Two

2010-03-23T19:18:00.000-07:00

Getting down to the wire on The Festival Season. Spent the last week re-doing various panels I wasn't happy with, including the one of Bedlam's exterior. Am glad I did it!

Some more life drawing

2010-03-08T18:04:00.000-08:00

Class is out for the quarter but I think I will sign up for the next one as well. There are a bunch of people who go every quarter and it's been nice meeting them. Gets me out of the house and office too!

watermelon

2010-03-03T20:47:00.001-08:00

Painted during one of our rare "art night" sessions, with friends who I hardly get to see anymore these days! I miss you guys and our regular routine. xoxoxo

L.O.B.E.

2010-02-19T19:22:00.000-08:00

Another Big Sea Games product. I really enjoyed how the little robot Professor character turned out.

Riddle O' Day

2010-02-19T18:59:00.000-08:00

Screencaps of a game from the Big Sea Games site; I produced the art. Working on these games was a lot of fun because they were small enough, one artist was tasked with the responsibility for all art aspects, backgrounds, characters, animation, user interface. Good times!

The engineer on this project, Mark, took my art and enabled the colors to change so that it looked like the sun was rising and then changed as the day changed. It even had thunderstorms and an aurora. Amazing!

Some life drawing

2010-01-29T19:17:00.000-08:00

Been going up to the community college to take advantage of their figure drawing sessions. Good to get back into practice!

Dr. Parnassus (The Imaginarium Of, that is)

2010-01-27T18:16:00.001-08:00

Must See Again!!

Sadly it appears that this film's stay in the theaters will be short-lived so here is my recommendation. If you dig little indie fantasy films, anything of a whimsical bent, oddball art direction and flights of fancy, and I don't know anyone who doesn't, please give it a go while you can. I find myself thinking a lot about it since I have seen it, and not just because of my obvious affinity for the cast. Definitely a deviation from the usual Hollywood fare, and I mean that in the best way. TGilliam uses some CGI but in the end the art style comes across as having a very fanciful and vintage feel to it, like a well-worn Victorian music-box. There is use of miniatures and what appears to be cutouts (or at least some convincing CG renditions of cutouts); overall the aesthetic is one that I found charming, and the story has real heart. One reviewer called it "a tattered valentine" and that sums it up the best as far as I am concerned.

I often judge my movie loves by how much fun the art appears to be to have worked on, and this one ranks high (along with Coraline and Fantastic Mr. Fox recently).

Le Salon de Harlan

2010-01-27T18:07:00.000-08:00

From "The Festival Season" issue one, soon to be in comic stores near you! We hope.

Coca Cola storyboards

2010-01-27T18:04:00.000-08:00

My friend Chas had a concept for a Coca-Cola TV ad, and she asked me to draw up a board for her to submit. Good times.

Heathy

2010-01-24T19:11:00.001-08:00

Dollhouse 5

2010-01-24T19:09:00.001-08:00

Bedlam

2008-11-03T19:38:00.001-08:00

From 'The Festival Season'.

The Festival Season

2008-10-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

I have officially, at long last, begun creating the artwork for this new graphic novel written by the fabulous and talented Kumari Adams.

Just tonight we kicked off a blog which will follow our creation of it, our working together, our quest to find a publisher. I am beside myself with excitement. Please take a sec to look at The Festival Season blog, and check back often because updates should be frequent. A fine adventure!

http://thefestivalseason.blogspot.com/

More Dark Knight fanart

2008-09-19T22:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks to phoenix, branwen and soho for the dialog!

Daffodil

2008-09-04T23:41:00.001-07:00

Sketch for a story idea in progress.

Extra Innings

2008-09-04T23:26:00.001-07:00

Mom gets shot in the leg

2008-09-04T23:14:00.001-07:00

Well, every family has its issues.

Leonardo's workshop

2008-09-04T22:12:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of "Flying Leo" by Beep Industries.

Building concepts

2008-09-04T22:06:00.001-07:00

For a project that never quite got off the ground. You know how it is.

Mr. Cacha's Garage

2008-09-04T21:53:00.000-07:00

While visiting a friend's home in the Czech Republic, I saw that the groundskeeper kept his lawnmower in this ancient building that looked like the roof was going to cave in, from the grass growing on it.

And some fruit.

2008-09-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

You know. Still life stuff.

Pastries!

2008-09-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

Dark Knight fan art

2008-09-04T21:30:00.001-07:00

A selection of fan art pieces I created, cos I am among the legions who adore this film. (courtesy of chelseagrin.com). Nurse Joker was painted before the film came out, based on the account of a friend who was an extra in that scene. She didn't see the red wig apparently!

Welcome!

2008-09-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks for visiting and checking out my artwork.