We interrupt this previous Movie Review Monday for....

Usually on Mondays I do a movie review, but this Monday I am going to do a little local review on a delicious restaurant I had the pleasure of eating at tonight. I went to a place called Ray's Smokehouse BBQ & boy was it good. I had a chopped pork dinner with homemade Mac n Cheese & fried Okra. Ray was there to greet us & took our order. He checked to make sure everything was good & we were happy. It was a truly wonderful dining experience with down home really good BBQ. T & I went because one of our friends had said Ray's was the "real deal" and man, he wasn't kidding. If you get to Norman, Oklahoma & are looking for a great place to eat, you have got to swing by Ray's. Check out reviews, articles, & directions here: Ray's

Action Figure Friday

Okay, there's an American Toy Company called Quantum Mechanix that has a license to produce Serenity products. They've come out with shirts & figures & key-chains & other stuff. Now they have the mother of all Serenity collectibles available for pre-sale. It's called: Serenity – The Big Damn Replica

What is the Serenity-The Big Damn Replica of? The ship of course, from Joss Whedon's show "Serenity". According to QM website: "Serenity – The Big Damn Replica is a professionally-crafted filming miniature made in the U.S.A. by Hollywood special effects model makers. Each ship takes over 46 hours to make, includes hundreds of parts, dozens of lights and and mulitple coats of paint.

This is how models are built so they can fool the eye on the big screen. And you can own Serenity for a fraction of what a movie production company would typically pay for a film-quality miniature of this caliber."

That being said, a fraction of the cost still ain't cheap. This baby will set you back $2,500 US dollars. Still, if you are a collector or the #1 Serenity fan, then you are going to have to own this.

For more of a description & further details go check it out here: Serenity

New music Thursday Feat. Ladytron

Better late than never....right? This week's New Music Thursday brings you the Band Ladytron. Ladytron was introduced to me by a guy at work when he heard me listening to Enigma. Ladytron considers themselves part of the new wave of electronic rock. Ladytrons debut album "604" hit back in 2001. That was the first album I got my hands on. I won't lie either, that guy friend at work burned it for me. Proof that pirating doesn't hurt the band, I have PURCHASED almost every album since. Check out the video for "Runaway" from their last non-live album here: VELOCIFERO

I really like these guys. They really set a calming mood for painting & working on my art that has a little bit of a 80's pop feel to it. Good 80's pop. I also enjoy the imagery their lyrics bring about. If you haven't had a chance to hear them, check them out. Here's their official site: Ladytron

Website/blog Wednesday feat. postwartrade.com

Back again? Awesome! Glad to see ya. This Wednesday our Website of interest comes from Post War Trade

Post War Trade is a merchandising & online art store. The main name behind the store is a musician named Amanda Palmer. Amanda Palmer is a performer, director, composer and musician who is best known for her role as front woman and keyboardist for internationally acclaimed punk-cabaret band The Dresden Dolls.
The idea to create one of a kind merchandise for her fans while helping them at the same time earn some dough on the side is what the idea is really all about. She doesn't have to pay for same old same old merchandise like posters, stickers, shirts, etc., but instead has unique items & makes profit off them, sharing with the artist & creators of those items.
Artists hand craft merchandise for sale to the public. Anyone can submit their artistic creations to be considered for sale in the online inventory.
Go check out the site, see what they are all about, and maybe find a unique way to sell some art or crafty type things & make some dough.
Oh, and go pick up Amanda's album...it ROCKS!

Art Tuesday feat. Sarah Larnach

Okay my friends, this week's Art entry is going to send you Sarah Larnach's way. Here's a link to her blog: Sarah Larnarch

Sarah does artwork for the band "Ladyhawke" as well as other works of art. Her watercolors are amazing. Right now though she needs everyone's help. She has family in Haiti.

She is now accepting artwork & accepting bids on artwork to help people in Haiti. Her niece Zenzi, aged 3, and brother-in-law, Emmanuel, have lost their lives. She & her family are still desperate to find Kofie-Jade, age 5.

If you have art to donate or want to help out she has an e-mail posted on her blog & what she is looking for as far as artwork.

Please at least head over to her site & check it out. Maybe you can do something to help.

Thanks for stopping by.

Movie Review Monday!

Welcome back! Back in 2001 a great little black & white sci-fi film titled "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" was released on DVD.

"Writer-director-star Larry Blamire has had a life-long love of low-budget sci-fi/horror flicks and wanted to make a film that looked and sounded exactly like one, playing it perfectly straight—which of course makes it an out-and-out comedy." -from the official site


Let me tell you, they pull it off perfectly. This movie is absolutely hilarious. The dialouge includes gems like:

Ranger Brad: Oh, say... You don't believe those old legends about the Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, do you?
Dr. Roger Fleming: Ranger Brad, I'm a scientist, I don't believe in anything.

If you like b-movies, godzilla films, & old sci-fi films, you should go rent this. The director just announced recently that a sequel will be released this year as well! Check it out here: The Lost Skeleton Returns Again

This movie is full of cheesy goodness.

Thanks for stopping by! Now go rent the movie, kick back, & have some laughs!

Action Figure Friday feat. Maleficent!

I know, I brag on Sideshow constantly, but the truth is, this company rocks. They just last year or late 2008 acquired a deal with the Disney Company to be allowed to create figures, statues, collectibles, etc. and have really had some impressive items to purchase. The one being released next week has me all a twitter. The sexiest & greatest villainess perhaps of all time. Maleficent. There is a link to a video that Sideshow has produced to give you a glimpse of what she will look like here: Maleficent Video by Sideshow

If you are a big Disney fan, make sure to check out all of their Disney items. They are some of the best I have ever seen, and with Sideshows limited releases they will be sure to grow in value. Check out the info & comment section for Maleficent here: Maleficent

Thanks for stopping by, and remember to always keep playing, no matter how old they say you are!

Music Thursday feat. local bad asses Circe

Okay, I admit it, I slipped up. I was supposed to go to Circe's show last night so I could write a good honest review about the live performance & show. However, I ended up passing out on the couch before the show was even supposed to start. Maybe I'm getting old...lol...I don't know. So I won't have a live review for you, but I can send you in the direction of their MySpace page to listen to them yourself. It is here: Circe on MySpace

I can also let you in on a little secret. They are going to be playing LIVE again tonight at The Deli in Norman, Oklahoma & at Coach's Brewhouse Friday night, also located in Norman, Oklahoma. If you are anywhere near Norman, Oklahoma, come out & show them some love.

Wesite/Blog Wednesday

Happy middle of the week to ya! For those of you that work weekends or mixed up crazy schedules, happy day to you as well. Today is Website Wednesday & I decided to go with a recent find. I am working really hard at getting the female form down in pencil & paint. Being in Oklahoma, you don't find many females willing to pose for art. So, I decided to do an internet search & see what I could find as far as poses & female anatomy.

Now, trust me, this is trickier than it seems. Since the #1 function of the internet is access to porn, steering clear of those sites proved a little tough. I did however, eventually find one that I found helpful. It has hundreds of poses that are free as well as pay images. It even lets you search for images based on age, body type, race, pose, clothes, etc. The really cool part is that you can put in a request for a particular pose. So if you don't see what you want, you can still get it. Now you do have to pay a subscription for that perk, but the cost isn't too bad. When you consider the cost of art books, it is pretty reasonable. I haven't subscribed yet, because so far I've found what I needed in the free sample pages. Right now they have 62.857 photos available on the site & more coming in all the time. Be aware though, these are nude pictures. They are not pornographic, so if you are strongly against such things you should be okay, but poses sculptors, painters, or comic artists would be searching for.

If anyone who does subscribe happens to read this, or if you read this & decide to subscribe to their site, please swing back by here & let us know how it is & if it is worth it.
To check it out, head over here: Female Anatomy For The Artist
They also have a male anatomy, animals & other sites as well.

Thanks for stopping by!

Art Tuesday Feat. Stephen Schwake

Hey, it's Art Tuesday. Every Tuesday I'm going to share with you an artist I like or some crazy art I've found. This week, it's a guy named Stephen Schwake & his cool artwork. Think skater punk meets the 50's. At least that's the feeling I get from much of it. It's a good feeling. Something comforting, yet just slightly skewed in time & space. He even has a great Youtube page where you can watch the artist at work. Find it here: Stephen Schwake on Youtube

Make sure to browse his site often as he updates often. His work is for sale on his site & if you can't afford one of the big pieces, then make sure to pick up one of his $20 drawings. He has PayPal all set up for an easy contribution to keep his art going.

Head on over there now & get cultured people! Go here: Stephen Schwake

Movie Review Monday: Terminator Salvation

Happy Monday to you! Yeah, I know, I dislike Mondays as well, but what are you going to do? So, I finally got around to watching Terminator Salvation. Now, first off, I want to tell you that I absolutely love the Terminator films. So if you don't, then you won't like this one either. The first Terminator film was an amazing concept. The fact that a machine just kept coming after Sarah Connor, a simple waitress, and just wouldn't stop, even after it was just an upper torso with no legs, scared the crap out of me. The effects were awesome & Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamilton, very quickly became one of my favorite heroes. T2 I saw in the theater opening weekend & was completely blown away by. T3 I rented due to no Sarah Connor in the film, but really enjoyed. (No, really, I thought it was great!) That leads us to my review of T4 or Salvation. This film was directed by McG. I love & dislike some things McG does in his movies. He obviously has a love for the Terminator mythology and it was really great to finally move into the time where John Connor is the legend we have heard he becomes. I'm not a huge fan of Christian Bale, but I think he was a fairly good choice for the role. McG didn't do any harm to the original mythology, but he really didn't give us any great new moments or aspects to add to it. I thought that using Helena Bonham Carter as the face of Skynet was pretty cool. I almost wish he hadn't let us in on who Marcus was in the past until later. Knowing from the start that he was a terminator left what could have been an exciting twist, unexciting & predictable. We could have learned of his past little bits at a time through clues or something, but instead we followed him all the way from start to finish knowing full well what he was & what he was going to do. It was nice to see how Kyle came into the storyline. I also enjoyed that John listened to the tapes Sarah had made for him as well as the moment John hands Kyle the photo from the original Terminator movie. I think Bale's acting was a little emotionless & confused at times. My biggest problem with the movie was the over the top explosive scene where Marcus & one of John's team try to escape John's hideout. John & the others have made it very clear that they are hiding from Skynet, Terminators, & Hunter Killers in bunkers & small pockets of resistance all over the world. They have magnetic mines & people on watch all around their hideout, yet once Marcus tries to escape they put on a fireworks show that you could see from Mars. They needlessly waste ammo, lose a helicopter & team members, & light the night sky up brighter than the fourth of July just to try & prevent this terminator/man Marcus from getting away. The worst part is John has just admitted right before the scene that he feels like Marcus is telling the truth. That he is a good guy. The whole scene screamed of a scene inserted in the middle of an otherwise solid story just to blow stuff up & waste a bunch of money. As if some executive came in & said "You need more action...more explosions". If they were really hiding & ammo, people & vehicles were really that important & John had really been as smart or as good of a leader as we had been lead to believe, he would have NEVER done this. The explosions & ruckus would have certainly allowed Skynet to pinpoint their location & eradicate them. I was really into it until that scene. From there it was really quite predictable. Everything you think is going to happen does. Still, overall it was fun to finally end up in post nuke earth with John Connor. I think the story could have been deeper & more emotionally driven, but it was a fun ride. However, be warned, this movie really isn't about John Connor, or Skynet, or the Terminators. It's really about Marcus & getting a second chance to right wrongs. Everything is really about him and it is Marcus we follow from beginning to end. Overall, if you like the Terminator movies, go rent it. I'd probably give it a C. This has been your movie review Monday!

Goals

Okay, so the new year has begun and so far I'm loving 2010. Everyone has done the resolution thing and blah, blah, blah. Count me in as someone who dislikes resolutions. No one ever adheres to even one of them most of the time. Still, I do like trying to get organized and planning goals. Goals are more realistic than over the top resolutions. My goals this year?

1. Blog 5 days a week.
2. Rework & launch the JenTuckerArt.com site.
3. Sell one piece of art
4. Become social with one of the local art communities or start my own group.
5. 25 crunches 6 days a week.
6. Take my camera with me everywhere (and get a new one).
7. Relearn how to correctly burn a screen for screen printing.
8. Learn Wordpress
9. Submit something for publication. (Children stories I have written, Short story, Novel, Art, something)

and really that's about it. Nothing really too tough. Just things that will make me happy. So far # 1, 2, & 5 are already working out great.

Action Figure Friday!!!

Well hello! This post was a no-brainer for me. I am so excited about this next piece I can barely contain myself. Sideshow Collectibles has a magnificent polystone diorama coming out Jan 14th, 2010. It is slave Leia choking the life out of the vile gangster Jabba the Hutt. They have given Leia a heroic pose and Jabba's tongue is protruding from his mouth and his eye protrudes as he struggles against the chain.

Video of Diorama

They have announced a price yet. Many of the dioramas from Sideshow range between $200 to $500 dollars. I am hoping that this one will stay around the $200 mark, but with the large amount of materials & attention to details this diorama includes I have a feeling it might be closer to $400. It looks gorgeous so far. Go check it out here: Sideshow's Leia/Jabba Diorama

Music Thursday!

Okay...hmm...music Thursday. Who to chose? How about Shakira?! Shakira has a new album that came out in October 2009 outside the US & November 2009 in the US. Her first single "She-Wolf" is quite a wiggling your butt tune! Of course I just can't sit still when I listen to Shakira. The new album is good, but not great. Personally, I like Oral Fixation 1 & 2 better. There are two really catchy tunes on this album, including the title track, a couple of other good ones & the rest are really forgettable except for the one that mentions suicide, which is rather disturbing. Still, Shakira's charity work & positivity always make her shine for me. Here is a link to her site: SHAKIRA so you can go check out all the news & info on the artist & her music. She's also on Twitter & Facebook. I would recommend previewing the songs on ilike or some other service & buying the ones you like through Itunes, Amazon, or Target. This one isn't quite worth a full album type purchase unless you're just a hardcore Shakira fan.

Website/Blog Wednesday

Do you enjoy concept art? Looking for some great inspiration? Wanna see what the pros are doing? Looking for what is relevant in the illustration market right now? All of these things can be accomplished by heading over to: Concept Art There is a forum as well as thousands of artists displaying their newest works. Some of the stuff on there will blow your mind. So go check them out. Get inspired.

Getting a Little More Organized

So I have been thinking about my blog here. I love this little blog. I have no idea how many people wander by how often, but that's not really what it's about. However, maybe I should care a little. I mean, if you do wander by, I want you to enjoy it. So, I had an idea. A way to help me blog more often & possibly increase my traffic, & make it more exciting. I can have a theme a day. I have a friend that does things like "Love Friday" & "Thankful Thursday" & it occurred to me that I could do something similar. How about "Movie Review Monday", Art Tuesday, Website/Blog Wednesday, Music Thursday, Action Figure Friday? That way I find something exciting every week day to post & I know what to post when. So if you come here for the art, you know on Tuesday there will be a new post. Action figures? Friday is your day! Sound good? Okay. I'm going to give it a shot. So what's today? Oh yeah, Website/Blog Wednesday. Let me go see what I can find.

Happy 2010!

Finally a fresh start! I am happy to see 2010 finally appear. 2009 seemed to be like a trek in the swamps of sadness. Foggy, unclear, depressing, but you had to keep trekking through it to get to your destination. I feel such good positive energy in 2010. I have momentum & enthusiasm and feel like everything will start fruiting. The seeds have burst through the soil & with the right care & watering, by the end of the year I will have a big basket full of peaches. It's time to dry or dust yourself off & make your dreams come true! Good luck to all of you! Cheers!