Hopeful in the City of Hope

  Yes, it does sort of take me down a peg when I see that my last entry was from last year.  But one thing I've found from doing this online journal is that everything should be looked at from a long term perspective.  Months between entries is a drag, but at the same time the blog does have updates.   And that alone makes it worth while.
  Right now I'm at the City of Hope.  Not for me, thankfully, but for a friend.  A couple I know are unable to do much driving and long trips like the one encountered between Victorville and City of Hope are out of the question.  But because of a medical condition (cancer, yuck), my friend requires weekly trips down the pass to be checked out.  I'm more than happy to do this because I personally like driving and he's a heck of a guy in his own right.  There is something about driving that I find soothing and trips at night or early morning are very relaxing experiences for me.  So this is a match that is working out well.  I get to mess around in the medical library while he gets poked and prodded.  I think that everyone would agree that I'm getting the better end of this deal.
As far as art projects are concerned, I'm cranking through the Lucha deck.  I still have about two suits of face cards to complete before I send the artwork to the publishers.  This project worked out well and although it did take longer than I'd expected it was still something that I'm proud of.  I'm looking for two types of models.  Beefcake for the Kings and Jacks, acrobatic gymnasts for Queens and Aces.   What I didn't anticipate was that Lucha VaVoom rotates their roster quickly and so there are some new faces that I can draw from.  This also means that in all likelihood there are going to be cards I create which feature people no longer on the wrestling circuit.  This made me concerned at first, but I think it is going to be alright.
  Some Lucha wrestlers are more iconic than tied to an individual.  No matter who the actual wrestler under the title "Dr. Maldad" is, everyone will recognize "Dr. Maldad".  The women are another story.  Most of the dancers and performers who are women will appear under their own name, which means that some cards will have women who are long gone from the show.  However if I know guys, and at this point I think I have a solid grasp on the subject, they won't care.  A card depicting a cute woman will be popular no matter if the subject is currently on the venue.