My first time blogging, be gentle.

Hey Everybody!

I have decided to startup an art blog.  A place to discuss my thoughts on the world of art, Pop culture, and multimedia.  And somewhere to share my sketches, works in progress, and maybe even final pieces of work, if you are lucky!  Maybe even share some of my personal life if I am feeling quirky.

I am feeling a little quirky now, it is my first time here and all, I guess I could share a little about myself.  I was born a poor black child, wait, I am quoting The Jerk with Steve Martin.  I'll start over.

I was born in South Hill, VA, son of Donald and Amanda Shoop.  My dad was an insurance salesman, kind of a big deal around South Hill, for a town of 300.  My mom took care of me and my baby sister while he worked.  Born in Honduras, my mom had me, my sister, and the television as her english studies.  My dad had to teach her when he came home, chalkboard and everything!  It was because of my mom, that I started drawing.  She had the most amazing drawings in her sketchbook, cartoons, portraits, you name it, she did it.  She showed me the basics of drawing, techniques with the pencil, I am forever grateful of her getting me started in what I do now.  Both my parents were, and my mom still is, very supportive of my dreams.

My dad put me through art school, supported me on my career choice of being a comic book artist, while still keeping me grounded on reality.  That was his contribution, since he didn't have the skill of drawing.  I do remember his Popeye drawings he would do for me when I was a kid, I thought they were the best!  I found out, that is all he was able to do, so he made it up by his support in my art.  It was because of him, I am a movie buff.  Any movie, we would go see, or rent or buy. It was his escape from the mundane life of an insurance salesman.  From having to deal with people all day, though he was such a people's person, it still took a lot out of him.  His real passion was to write children's books, but being he grew up in a time where having a "real" job to support your family and pay your bills, he did not pursue the career of a writer.  He never stopped writing, there are journals upon journals that he had written, to keep his craft honed.  That and the craft of corny jokes, so corny he could butter his ears, as he would say.  Never a dull moment with him.  So of course, he loved a good comedy, and he never could pass up a war movie, even if he had seen it 100 times, it was still just as exciting.  You couldn't help but to get excited with him with all the jerking and the shadowboxing, and feet twitching as though he was controlling the characters like a video game!  I can't say much, I do it too, now.  So needless to say, movies is a family past time in the Shoop family, my brother, all my sisters, and I, would converse for hours with my dad about who played what, the story, the action scenes.  He loved it, I loved it, my favorite memories of my dad was at the movies.  I lost my dad to Leukemia, coming up 4 years in March.  Not a day goes by without thinking about him, our long discussions on life, movies and comics.  I hope I can be as great of a dad to my kids as he was to me.  I miss and love you Pop!

Homage illustration I did of my dad for his funeral service

I am sorry to get a little carried away there, like I said, first time blogging, just jotting down what I am thinking about.  Which I do have lots to think about now that my wife and I have a little one on the way!  Which is why I have been working on building up a strong portfolio and pursuing my art career in a different direction from comics and doing concept design for video games and movies.  Go big or go home.  I have come to embrace the digital world, I fought my wife for 10 years on the crazy notion of learning anything on the computer, but now, I love it!  Every medium I can think of, right here at my disposal, no more having to head down to the art store and buy paper, and pens, and pencils, and whatever other kind of medium that struck my fancy that day!  Go figure. Anyways, here are a few things I did to show you guys.

Well, I think I will wrap this up and try this again this weekend!  There is lots more stories to tell, Art to show, and movies to discuss!  Thanks for reading, I hope to get better at this and I promise to post more art and less words!  HA!  Maybe...  Until next time, see you in the funny papers!

My baby announcement I made ala Lion King