{a chat with} Todd Spence
{picture via}
Geek Art! Pop culture, illustrated.
I sat down for a (Skype) chat with self-proclaimed geek artist, Todd Spence, who is currently living in Los Angeles, working for the Jimmy Kimmel Live Show. Not too shabby for a 9-5. But after hours, Spence spends his time working on his pop-culture inspired paintings.
Only taking the ‘required’ art classes through highschool and college (right here in Missouri!) because he wasn’t very fond of art teachers, Todd developed his artistic abilities by the old adage, practice makes perfect. Starting at fourteen, Spence learned early that he enjoyed painting. “I remember the exact year I started painting. It was 1995. And I only remember that specifically because I painted Woody and Buzz Lightyear when Toy Story came out. It was the first time I really painted, painted.”
While studying film at Webster University, Spence took the few required art classes, noting “it [art class] seemed to be very black and white. ‘I’m teaching you this way, so it has to be this way.’ That never really made sense to me, because everyone has their own style. ” 
After moving out to California and trying to fill free time, Spence started painting more. “At some point I came to the realization that this is something I should try to do as much as possible. After finding out there is actually a market for movie/fan art, with a lot of galleries in L.A. showing that sort of work, I thought ‘Oh, there’s actually a demand for this, and I like doing it, so I’ll just do even more now’.”
Aside from putting paint to canvas, Spence had a hand in creating the web series Dealership, recently played the ‘westerny dirtbag’ in Roundball, and has appeared in his share of Jimmy Kimmel Live bits.
Connect with Todd: on twitter, on tumblr, & etsy!
happy friday.
I’m ready for a long holiday weekend filled with backyard grilling, time with friends, and the (unofficial) introduction of summer. Also, I’m seeing Snoop Dogg this evening, so that’ll be interesting. Big plans for your Memorial Day weekend?
margarita fruit pops
With the threat of summer temperatures looming, I looked for a way to mix up the back patio happy hour (or the occasional Saturday). Freezing liquor into fruit…why didn’t I think of this sooner? Nothing says summer like tequila (or vodka/rum/gin/whiskey) on a stick! For margarita pops, I soaked the chopped fruit in tequila, triple sec, lemon juice, and a dash of salt. Place the fruit on kebab sticks and freeze for about an hour. Then enjoy! I imagine the recipe could be adapted lots of other ways, with lots of other fruits.
What are you cooling down with as the temps go up?
ironman in training.
{source}
I am an Ironman in training.
No, not Iron Man, the comic book hero, but Ironman, as in the 140.6 mile long triathlon where you have 17 hours to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles. You read that right, 17 hours.
I didn’t always want to be an Ironman. I was a softball player turned marathon runner in hopes of reconnecting with my athleticism long after the cleats were retired. It wasn’t always fun and it never was easy, but becoming a runner was one of the best decisions of my life.
Until a few years ago, I wasn’t familiar with the sport of triathlon. I knew of a sport that combined three into one, but wasn’t for certain of the order or distance. When my brother started racing, it inspired and motivated me to keep pushing myself farther.
Training hasn’t been a walk in the park, far from it in fact. Making time for life and IM training has been the biggest lesson in time management to date. Running a few miles after work is a thing of the past; I have two other sports I need to factor in. Sundays are my big training days. Just this past weekend I biked 52 miles, hopped off and went for a run to the gym so I could swim laps. I also find myself experimenting with nutrition. Understanding how much I need to take in as I work out has been a struggle. On the day, I’ll burn an upwards of 7,000 calories, so finding the perfect strategy of what to consume on race day is a must. I’ve also began a transition into a gluten-free diet to aid in that endeavor.
No, I’m not crazy. Okay, maybe a little. To push yourself to the max and even farther warrants you to be just a tad insane, but aren’t we all in some form or fashion?
Every strange look I get when I explain to someone that I am training for an Ironman pushes me harder. I’m not doing it for you, my family or my friends. I’m doing it for me. Me and only me. All the long hours, all the missed social events, all the body aches and pains are and will be 100% worth it, because I WILL do it. Come August 26, 2012, when I push myself to the limit, leaving it all out there in Louisville in hopes of crossing that finish line, I will be an Ironman.
As for right now, I am an Ironman in training.
Keep craving what YOU love –
summertime fun.
{source}
With the official start of summer just a week away, it got me thinking what I wanted to do this summer. From now until Labor Day, here’s the list of things I hope to check off.
1. Go to the zoo.
2. Learn to make the perfect iced coffee.
3. Attempt my very own DIY project.
4. Go to the pool at least once — and NOT for training.
5. Learn how to make a pie, perhaps by Jessica.
6. Revisit my sangria recipe.
7. Take more photos.
8. Complete an Ironman.
9. Make Limoncello.
10. Attend the Missouri Botanical Garden Japanese Festival.
So tell me, what are you looking forward to doing this summer?
Keep craving what you love –
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
I stopped by my favorite fruit stand in St. Charles this week – Vaccaro’s. (It was my very first job, and the place I met both of my longest & closest friends, Sarah & E.) After playing a little catch up with the staff, I left with some local grown rhubarb & a box of strawberries. In an attempt to skip the extra work that goes into a pie, i.e. the crust, I opted for a crisp. [Recipe here - I added a bit of cinnamon & orange zest.] Making the crisp took up very little of my day, and still provided me with a warm treat to enjoy in the afternoon. Add a dollop of greek yogurt and it doubles as breakfast. (That’s if you like to eat as poorly as I do and have pie-like foods for breakfast.)
Did you guys know rhubarb is poisonous if consumed raw?! That’s my little known fact of the day. Although, you guys may already know that and I could just be that clueless girl who didn’t…
DIY // glitter magnets
Seems that glitter is a pretty popular thing ’round these parts. (The glitter pegs did get us featured on the Freshly Pressed section of WordPress.) So, here’s another DIY where we dip things in the so called ‘herpes of art supplies’. Just as the pegs are a fun way to add a little sparkle to your displays, these magnets add some shine to the artwork, pictures, and reminders that hang on your fridge. It’s a seriously easy two step process – cover magnet in mod podge, dip in glitter. The pictures below explain it all. Happy glittering!
