Hazel the cat isn’t the spry young thing she used to be. But it’s not her age, or her size that prevents her from accomplishing the great jumps of her youth. It’s just that there comes a time when you’ve made all the jumps, you’ve seen the tops of all the cabinets. And once you’ve conquered all the great heights, what else is there?

Occasionally you’ll catch her, gazing casually toward the top of a closet, or the Billy book case in my office. You see her doing the math, calculating the angles. She could do it if she wanted to, but the excitement is clearly gone. Her interests now pulling her in different, fresher directions.

Like napping – now there is an undiscovered country.

A review of my creative output in 2022

As we tumble into the howling abyss that is 2023, it’s time for a little (forced) reflection. It’s what all the cool kids are doing this time of year. So on with it – what did I make last year?

• 7 illustrations
• wrote 3 short comics
• inked 2 short comics (a total of 4 pages)
• created 28 ink and watercolour postcard sized illustrations
• inked 2 comic strips

Well, that’s depressing. I need frequent reminding that this is not a full time job, as much as I would like it to be. The quantity of artwork I produce is, in many ways, outside my control. I can make the best of the time I get, by ensuring I have tools and a workspace that is ready to go when I am, but I can’t just not go to work, as much as I kick and scream. And I don’t have a say in when a kid needs me to help with homework, or murder a defenceless spider in the bathroom, or reanimate a decapitated Barbie.

Quality, on the other hand, is something I have complete control over. I have no pressure to hack something together by the end of the day. Johnny Corporate’s got no sway here. And I do think the quality of my art has increased. I pushed my illustration more, created more interesting drawings, and experimented more with colour and texture.

The comics I completed (not posted yet), and even the one I’m working on now, are also my best ever. The quality of writing and drawing is much higher, I’m trying different processes, tools, and compositions.

So I may not have completed as many projects as I would have liked in 2022, but I really like what I created, and what that says for my direction, creatively. Silver linings, I guess.

Onward, into the abyss! Happy new year, and all that.

A satirical look at Christmas and the culture of Santa Claus through a made up propaganda poster campaign

Santa knows everything, so be good, for goodness sake.

Santa poster illustration created in Procreate on an iPad Pro, with the text and alternate background colours added in Affinity Photo.

Santa loves you

And keeping with the consumerist holiday spirit, shirts and other crap with Santa on them are available at ryanreidart.redbubble.com. Merry Christmas!

Winter fun for everyone, even flightless birds

Penguins love winter sports. And they always dress appropriately for the weather. Just look at this fella – he’s got his toque, his mittens, his snow pants. Ready for adventure on the slopes!

This illustration was designed for a postcard style invitation, but looks just as good on a shirt, sticker, or art print.

I love it give me more!

Get this artwork on a t-shirt, sticker, or something else at Redbubble – grey line art version, and full colour version.

A whimsical illustration of a weird toad nestled among several strange mushrooms and other plants. It’s how they do.

Rock and roll!

Kitten was born to sing. Cats love karaoke, everybody knows that. They sing all day. When you are away making them money for more kibble, and laser toys, they’re wearing your headphones, and listening to all your records. That’s why there’s cat hair in your ears.

Digitally illustrated using Procreate, iPad Pro, and Pencil. Reference photos grabbed haphazardly from the internets.

Rock the cat-spa

This pretty kitty is available at Redbubble on shirts and other things.

A juicy lemon comes to an untimely end. How sad. But I’ll bet it made a fine drink. Like a lemonade, or something with liquor in it.

Digital art using Procreate, iPad Pro, and Pencil, for those interested in such things.