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I meant to have a new blog post in January, but after doing Knott’s and going to see family, I was a bit worn out to be honest. But that is neither here nor there, I have a few shows coming up soon, plus working on new art along with commissions. Without further ado, let us begin with some shows.

Long Beach Comic Expo is coming up on February 28 and March 1st at the Long Beach Convention Center. I love doing show and hope to see everyone there.

Then it is off to do the 3rd Annual Spook Show on March 7th at the Halloween Club in La Mirada. I did this show last year and had a blast; great music, horror, and food.Finally I will be ending March with two big shows. First up is Monsterpalooza on March 27th-29th at the Marriott Burbank Hotel and Convention Center. Well I won’t be there, but Shawn will be there representing me. So please stop by and say hello to him.And the reason I won’t be there is because I shall be going to Emerald City Comicon on March 27th-29th for my second year at the Washington State Convention Center. I had an amazing time last year and can’t wait to go back, maybe this time I will get a chance to look around. Now for a quick look at a new piece I have of a dark fairy with wings and horns. She playfully sits on a stone block in front of a doorway. Is she here to stop you from entering or to entice you to your doom? Available as a print at my store.That is it for now, I am off to pack up for the shows. Take care and keep creating.

–Diana

The post Short blog to let you know I am alive… appeared first on Diana Levin Art.

Looks like I am not taking off as much time as I thought. I have signed up for two small one day shows in the coming weeks; I go a bit nuts if I stay in my studio for too long.

The first show I am doing is Carnival Noir in downtown Los Angeles this weekend on July 12th. This is a wild event at the Club Monte Cristo; there will be DJs, dancing, magic, burlesque, and plenty of vendors there. This is a 21 and over event only with drink specials and good times for all. Tickets are on sale here.

The following week I will be at the Egyptian Theater for the 4 Hour Film Festival Double Feature and Carnival Masquerade on July 19th. The films being shown are the two classics Freaks and Nosferatu, both amazing and creepy films to chill you to the bone. There will be the Cirque Berzerk along with other live performances. This is also a 21 and over event and tickets are available here.

Have fun and keep creating…

–Diana

The post Some new shows coming up soon… appeared first on Diana Levin Art.

We ain’t afraid of no dinosaur!

I realized that I have not posted in a while. With all the shows I have been traveling to, I barely had time to keep up with my blog. Since I have posted, I was writing about the Wild West Fest at the Calico Ghost Town in Yermo, California. All around it was a fun show; we stayed with my in-laws at a nice hotel in Barstow for the weekend of the show. It was also my birthday so we all went out to eat the legendary Peggy Sue’s Diner on Sunday night.

Then it was off to Seattle again for Emerald City Comicon.  It was an amazing show, with wonderful people. I have to give a big thank you to Sarah for the help at my booth (allowing me a few moments of rest to stretch my legs). The atmosphere was electric and everyone has my gratitude for making me feel so welcome up there. One of these days I will get Shawn up there so that I can leave him at the booth and go explore the city hehehe.

But that will only happen if the infamous Monsterpalooza does not fall on the same weekend as ECCC, like it did this year. Here is Shawn to tell you more. Shawn here and I have three words: It… was… awesome! I had a great time, though I wished Diana was there so that I could have walked around to check out more things. Oh well, there is always next year. All the fans were amazing and thank you to everyone for supporting Diana. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Beware the Gotham Bunnies

Thank you Shawn, so following those two shows was Wondercon. Oh how I love this show and it is one of my favorites. Not only did I get to see all my regular fans from SoCal, but Shawn being there allowed me to leave my booth from time to time to browse the artist alley. I got to catch up with some friends and meet some amazing artist for the first time. This was also the debut of my latest in the Terrible Trio series… the Gotham Bunnies, so cute, yet so evil.

Then I had a rare weekend off, and then it was time to get ready for Texas Frightmare Weekend. I was excited as I had never been to Dallas-Fort Worth, so this was a great opportunity to reach a new fan base. After a less than sterling start of the day (looking at you American Airlines) I made it to the show with only a half hour to set up. But after that it was one of the best weekends I have ever had at a show. It was intense, amazing, overwhelming at times and I can’t wait to go back next year. I may even bring Shawn along for this trip, I think he would enjoy the show very much.

Back to Southern California the following week for the Bat’s Day in the Park Black Market. This is always a fun show to do where I tend to pick up some great little pieces. It is only a one day show, so a bit more laid back and relaxing compared to the multi-day shows. Though being so close to Disney makes me want to go buy a ticket and go on some rides.

Finally last but not least was another trip up to Seattle (seriously, maybe I need to rent a room out there) for Crypticon. This was a great little horror convention with some pretty cool guests. I am starting to recognize a few people that have seen me at some of the area shows and meet some new fans. Thanks once again to Tamara of The Mystical Apothecary for being my traveling buddy once again.

Whoa, I was a bit more behind on this blog than I realized. Mid year resolution, I shall be better about updating my blog in a more timely manner. I have four more shows to do before I take some time off to do some more art and work on some upcoming projects, one of which is a book.

Keep on creating and have fun–

Diana

The post Catching Up with Blogging appeared first on Diana Levin Art.

A gloomy reflection of oppression in dictatorial countries.

Available as an art print.

For the past couple of years selling fairy tale art at various conventions and art shows, I have heard many people ask about Wizard of Oz. After seeing how well my Alice in Wonderland Characters have been received, I have decided to create a new character series for Oz. As always I like to add my own twist on popular stories. For my first painting of the series, I have the Wicked Witch of the West in Steampunk style. Because I love Steampunk and fairy tales, the idea of combining the two was irresistible to me.

I have hand-painted all of the textured layers you see in this digital painting.

The post The Wicked Witch of the West: The beginning of Wizard of Oz Art Series appeared first on Diana Levin Art.

Q: What shouts "Goth" more than a scary graveyard statue of an angel?

A: A statue of an angel with a deliciously nerdy reference... ; D
(Most goths I know are uber-nerds as well, so the two go hand in hand, naturally....)

After some back and forth, I finally dececided on the illustration I wanted to use as my new promo postcard. I finished this piece in the wee hours of Monday morning. I was kind of surprised I sat here Sunday night and worked on this. I rarely paint on Sunday […]

High Fashion is my latest digital painting that was inspired by Steampunk.  This dark lady had been a concept lying around in my files for almost a year. So I decided to finally complete the piece.  Steampunk has been a trend these past couple of years. It was especially obvious this year at Comic-con. I saw many people dressed up in interesting Steampunk costumes. I might as well join the fun and come up with some fun artwork of my own.

“Don’t go outside without a coat. Its Freezing! You’ll Catch A Cold!”

This is untrue. The Common Cold is a virus that is passed from human to human. It can be spread in hot and cold weather. What is true is that being cold lowers your resistance against viruses, but this doesn’t by any means suggest you will automatically catch a cold from being outside without a cold when it gets a bit nippy.

“Don’t crack your knuckles like that! You’ll get arthritis!”

This is also completely untrue. Believe it or not, there has been studies carried out on this. In a study carried out on 300 “knuckle crackers”, results found no evidence that this leads to arthritis. The strain put on your joints when you crack them are nothing compared to the normal strain put on them during everyday activities. In essence, it doesn’t do any damage at all, its just generally a very annoying habit.

“Eat up your carrots, you’ll be able to see in the dark!”

Unfortunately, eating carrots does not give you superhero powers. Just as - i suppose - eating runner beans does not make you an Olympic sprinter (see what i did there…?) Although carrots are rich in vitamin A, which are beneficial to eye sight, once again, there is no evidence at all that it helps see in the dark. This myth was started during WWII. Instead of telling the public that the British Intelligence were using radar, they said that they were eating carrots to help see in the dark. However, eating too many carrots does make you turn orange…. apparently.

“Dont swallow Chewing Gum! It doesn’t get digested. It will stay in your body forever!

Sorry, wrong again! There are so many myths about chewing gum - this is just one of them. As chewing gum contains a laxative, chewing gum may be passed through the body even faster once swallowed than other foods. Although it is not harmful, I still find myself not recommending it. It is only dangerous in abnormal doses, and obviously, if choked on. Other rumours include the idea that chewing gum makes a hole in your stomach. This is - apparently - caused by the acid in your stomach. This is also untrue. Two other rumours are that if you swallow gum, and you fart, you blow your bubble out your backside, and that it makes your guts all stick together. I’ll leave you to make your own informed decisions on those two.

“An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away”

Well this one is a bit vague. Most people will argue that it depends on what you do with the apple. If you throw the apple at any approaching doctors, it should do the trick. However, if you eat it, most scientists would say, not much will happen. However recent studies have shown that eating apples can prevent the risk of breast and colon cancer.

“Eat up your crusts, they are good for you!”

Finally a proven, true fact. Although on the surface, this appears to be another tale told by your gran, crusts contain eight times as many antioxidents as any part of the bread. Interesting eh? So if you are that bothered, eat up your crusts!

“If you keep pulling faces, one day the wind will change and you’ll get stuck that way.

“

This one doesn’t even justify me wasting my time explaining why it is so proposterous. So I won’t.

“You only use 10% of your brain”

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong! The only people who only use 10% of their brain are the people who made up this myth. In many cases, it is hard to believe that some people are even using 10% of their brain. However, scientifically speaking, this is not true. Hi-tech studies have proven this. What may be true is that only 10% - or a figure around this - would be used at any one time, but all of the brain is used for different things at different times.

“Eating Low Fat foods help you lose weight”

No it doesn’t! Although it sounds about right, eating fat has nothing to do with your weight. There are good fats and bad fats. Good fats - monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats lower cholestrol, and actually have been proven to help lose body weight. Bad fats - saturated fats - increase cholestrol levels which can block arteries, higher blood pressure, and even lead to impotence. But it does not increase weight. This is all determined to the amount of energy - in terms of calories (Kcal). Unburned calories are turned into fat (body fat) which then in turn increases weight. Another myth is that high cholestrol is inevitable as you grow older. This is also untrue.

“I dare you to sneeze with your eyes open. I bet your eyes fly out our head!”

Firstly, and somewhat dully, we have nothing to worry about when it comes to losing your eyes in a sneezing fit. The truth is our eye balls are fixed tightly to our head, and  so aren’t likely to go anywhere, regardless. Another reassuring fact for those who are genuinely worried is that a reflex motion in our eyes makes it impossible to sneeze with our eyes open anyway. So thats all cleared up then….

So there you go. 10 myths about life, either proven, or dispelled. Stay tuned for part two of this guide. If there are any myths you would like me to dispel or prove, please leave a comment and I will add it to my next article - “10 common myths about life (Part Two)

Meanwhile check out my other articles -
* * *

Who was the best test batsman of all time? - http://sportales.com/cricket/best-test-batsmen-of-all-time/

Which is the best lottery game to play? Is there any skill involved at all? -

Premier League Statistics. The guide to win every sports pub quiz! - http://sportales.com/soccer/premier-league-statistics-you-never-needed-to-know-and-never-cared-that-existed/
________________________________________________________________________________________

“Don’t go outside without a coat. Its Freezing! You’ll Catch A Cold!”

This is untrue. The Common Cold is a virus that is passed from human to human. It can be spread in hot and cold weather. What is true is that being cold lowers your resistance against viruses, but this doesn’t by any means suggest you will automatically catch a cold from being outside without a cold when it gets a bit nippy.

“Don’t crack your knuckles like that! You’ll get arthritis!”

This is also completely untrue. Believe it or not, there has been studies carried out on this. In a study carried out on 300 “knuckle crackers”, results found no evidence that this leads to arthritis. The strain put on your joints when you crack them are nothing compared to the normal strain put on them during everyday activities. In essence, it doesn’t do any damage at all, its just generally a very annoying habit.

“Eat up your carrots, you’ll be able to see in the dark!”

Unfortunately, eating carrots does not give you superhero powers. Just as - i suppose - eating runner beans does not make you an Olympic sprinter (see what i did there…?) Although carrots are rich in vitamin A, which are beneficial to eye sight, once again, there is no evidence at all that it helps see in the dark. This myth was started during WWII. Instead of telling the public that the British Intelligence were using radar, they said that they were eating carrots to help see in the dark. However, eating too many carrots does make you turn orange…. apparently.

“Dont swallow Chewing Gum! It doesn’t get digested. It will stay in your body forever!

Sorry, wrong again! There are so many myths about chewing gum - this is just one of them. As chewing gum contains a laxative, chewing gum may be passed through the body even faster once swallowed than other foods. Although it is not harmful, I still find myself not recommending it. It is only dangerous in abnormal doses, and obviously, if choked on. Other rumours include the idea that chewing gum makes a hole in your stomach. This is - apparently - caused by the acid in your stomach. This is also untrue. Two other rumours are that if you swallow gum, and you fart, you blow your bubble out your backside, and that it makes your guts all stick together. I’ll leave you to make your own informed decisions on those two.

“An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away”

Well this one is a bit vague. Most people will argue that it depends on what you do with the apple. If you throw the apple at any approaching doctors, it should do the trick. However, if you eat it, most scientists would say, not much will happen. However recent studies have shown that eating apples can prevent the risk of breast and colon cancer.

“Eat up your crusts, they are good for you!”

Finally a proven, true fact. Although on the surface, this appears to be another tale told by your gran, crusts contain eight times as many antioxidents as any part of the bread. Interesting eh? So if you are that bothered, eat up your crusts!

“If you keep pulling faces, one day the wind will change and you’ll get stuck that way.

“

This one doesn’t even justify me wasting my time explaining why it is so proposterous. So I won’t.

“You only use 10% of your brain”

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong! The only people who only use 10% of their brain are the people who made up this myth. In many cases, it is hard to believe that some people are even using 10% of their brain. However, scientifically speaking, this is not true. Hi-tech studies have proven this. What may be true is that only 10% - or a figure around this - would be used at any one time, but all of the brain is used for different things at different times.

“Eating Low Fat foods help you lose weight”

No it doesn’t! Although it sounds about right, eating fat has nothing to do with your weight. There are good fats and bad fats. Good fats - monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats lower cholestrol, and actually have been proven to help lose body weight. Bad fats - saturated fats - increase cholestrol levels which can block arteries, higher blood pressure, and even lead to impotence. But it does not increase weight. This is all determined to the amount of energy - in terms of calories (Kcal). Unburned calories are turned into fat (body fat) which then in turn increases weight. Another myth is that high cholestrol is inevitable as you grow older. This is also untrue.

“I dare you to sneeze with your eyes open. I bet your eyes fly out our head!”

Firstly, and somewhat dully, we have nothing to worry about when it comes to losing your eyes in a sneezing fit. The truth is our eye balls are fixed tightly to our head, and  so aren’t likely to go anywhere, regardless. Another reassuring fact for those who are genuinely worried is that a reflex motion in our eyes makes it impossible to sneeze with our eyes open anyway. So thats all cleared up then….

So there you go. 10 myths about life, either proven, or dispelled. Stay tuned for part two of this guide. If there are any myths you would like me to dispel or prove, please leave a comment and I will add it to my next article - “10 common myths about life (Part Two)

Meanwhile check out my other articles -
* * *

Who was the best test batsman of all time? - http://sportales.com/cricket/best-test-batsmen-of-all-time/

Which is the best lottery game to play? Is there any skill involved at all? -

Premier League Statistics. The guide to win every sports pub quiz! - http://sportales.com/soccer/premier-league-statistics-you-never-needed-to-know-and-never-cared-that-existed/
________________________________________________________________________________________

Here are a few interior illustrations from chapters in the book "Forts" that I'm currently working on. Nothing amazing, just simple black and white drawings to go over the chapter titles. I'll put up a few more in the coming weeks.

Steve

As I get closer and closer to finishing up the rough draft of the novel, I decided to put together a little an image/possible cover. I haven't decided it I'm going to do anything else to this piece yet, but I have some ideas.

Steve!

The New York Times this week puzzles over the Sudoku craze and wonders aloud what America can expect to be obsessed with in the Future. Masyu, Nirukabe and Hitori were all featured in THE MONSTER BOOK OF JAPANESE PUZZLES! Try your luck at all these puzzling forms. We'll be publishing new puzzles each week at this weblog! Check back soon!