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Jesse Baggs
@jessebaggs.bsky.social
40 followers 89 following 150 posts
Hardpressed by reality. https://jessebaggs.com
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“The Geezer.” Oil pastel on colored paper; 9” x 12”. I think I leveled up a bit with oil pastels on this one. I’ve been reading a couple of books on technique but I wasn’t able to implement them here; the big change was just using pastel paper! I don’t know what took me so long.
Oil-pastel painting of a bald, oversized man smiling at the viewer and rubbing his hands together. The man smokes a cigarette and has nicotine-stained teeth and fingernails. He wears a tan overcoat and blue tie.
November 27, 2025 at 5:16 AM
jessebaggs.bsky.social
This one’s a little rough but I still like it. I’ll post something more finished tomorrow.
“Gripple” by Jesse Baggs. Colored marker on paper; 9” x 12”. Colored-marker drawing of a crudely-drawn witch standing in a pond. The witch’s skin is green and her hair a spiky blue that matches her dress. She wears a peaked cap and a necklace of purple gems and holds her arms out at her sides with more than five fingers on each hand. She has large yellow eyes and smiles broadly.
November 26, 2025 at 4:58 AM
jessebaggs.bsky.social
“What I Saw Outside (Nucleus)."
Digital painting of fractals at the center of a kaleidoscope pattern forming a six-pointed star and a red-lined floral shape. The fractals are colored red, purple, light green, and light blue.
November 12, 2025 at 4:14 AM
jessebaggs.bsky.social
“What I Saw Outside (Crown of Ruby).”
Digital painting of fractals extending in a kaleidoscope pattern from a six-pointed crystal star overlaid by a complicated, red-lined floral shape. The fractals are colored red, purple, light green, and light blue.
November 12, 2025 at 4:13 AM
jessebaggs.bsky.social
Playing around with the symmetry feature in Adobe Fresco. “What I Saw Outside (Crown of Crystal).”
Digital painting of fractals extending in a kaleidoscope pattern from a six-pointed crystal star. The fractals are colored red, purple, light green, and light blue.
November 12, 2025 at 4:11 AM
jessebaggs.bsky.social
Here’s part of a card I made recently. “Piggy Baggs.” India ink on Bristol Board; 6” x 5.75”.
Ink-drawn cartoon of a middle-aged father kneeling down with a hammer to break his children’s piggy bank, which recoils in horror. However, the father’s hand is stopped by the sight of his two children standing behind him, looking on disapprovingly.
November 6, 2025 at 4:17 AM
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… where Shelley Winters pours her drink on Reed’s head after Reed makes sexist remarks.
Ink drawing of Oliver Reed from a 1975 “Tonight Show” interview.
October 9, 2025 at 4:44 AM
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I then added drawings of Johnny Carson and Oliver Reed from their Tonight Show interview …
Ink drawing of Johnny Carson from a 1975 “Tonight Show” interview.
October 9, 2025 at 4:43 AM
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Here’s another random collection of drawings from my sketchbook. I started with a sketch of Lisa Lisa from the cover to the Cult Jam single “Head to Toe.” I was probably hoping it would turn into something big and beautiful but things didn’t break that way.
India ink on paper; 9” x 12”. Ink drawing of Lisa Veldez from the cover of the “Head to Toe” single by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam. Behind her and at a 90-degree angle are ink drawings of Johnny Carson and Oliver Reed from their 1975 “Tonight Show” interview.
October 9, 2025 at 4:41 AM
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If you see this, post an Image Comics cover you love
October 6, 2025 at 12:02 AM
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New digital painting: “Show Them What They Won.” Adobe Fresco.
Digital painting of an anthropomorphic elephant walking down a city street that has been ruined by war or some other disaster. The skyscrapers in the background have collapsed, steel girders poking out of concrete frames. The sidewalks are cracked and littered with rubble, the street full of holes. Smoke and ash drift in front of an orange-glowing sky. In contrast, the elephant wears a spotless blue top hat and suit, white shirt and gloves. The brown band of his hat matches the color of his tie, shoes, and cane, which is topped with a sand-colored stone. The elephant grins and winks at the viewer, gesturing proudly at the destruction behind him. A pink, rat-like tail emerges from under the back of his suit jacket.
October 2, 2025 at 3:23 AM
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all their wonderful staff for having me and doing such a great job of making everything come off smoothly. Unfortunately I didn’t get a photo of myself at the table this year, but I was able to get this screen shot from one of Kyrun’s videos. One of the best parts of CrockerCon is …
Photograph of a gray-haired, middle-aged man sitting at a table for CrockerCon 2025, a comic book convention at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California. The man wears a brown floral shirt and blue jeans and is writing something with a red pen. The table is covered with multiple art prints and stickers; in the background, various people can be seen walking through the convention.
September 26, 2025 at 2:32 AM
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Another CrockerCon is in the books! Having the event on a Sunday was fantastic and allowed for the show’s biggest attendance level yet: approximately 7,000 people! I was so pleased to be a part of things; big thanks to organizers Eben Burgoon, Kyrun Silva, the Crocker Art Museum and …
Photograph of a gray-haired, middle-aged man sitting at a table for CrockerCon 2025, a comic book convention at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California. The man wears a brown floral shirt and blue jeans and is writing something with a red pen. The table is covered with multiple art prints and stickers; a placard bearing the name “Jesse Baggs” emerges from the middle. In the background, various people can be seen walking through the convention.
September 26, 2025 at 2:31 AM
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But you know where people WON’T be super-mad at each other? That’s right, CROCKERCON! The only wild unpredictability you’ll encounter will be the mad creativity and talent of attendees and exhibitors, so make sure you come check it out on Sunday, September 21st from 10am to 4pm. Admission is free!
Poster for the Crocker Art Museum's 2025 comic-book convention, CrockerCon, depicting a giant robot made up of the Crocker building. The robot is light gray with purple shading and has yellow eyes, blue windows on its chest and mouth, and red antennae, fingers, stomach, and feet. It steps over a road nestled among triangular pine trees; behind the forest is a cityscape of purple skyscrapers lit up by yellow windows in front of a dark blue sky dotted with gray clouds. The painting sits in an oval against a yellow background containing the following text: CROCKERCON│FREE ADMISSION│CROCKERTRON 2025 illustrated by Matt Crouch in collaboration with the Short Center DDSO.│11th ANNUAL│CROCKER art museum│SEPT. 21, 2025│10 to 4PM│A Full Day of Comic Books, Costumes, and Gaming!│Guests of Honor│Mike Norton - Shannon Wheeler - Mark Badger - Mary Shyne - Malachi Ward - Eddie Ahn - Nooligan - Yasmeen Abedifard - Melissa Pagluica - Chris Wisnia - Jonathan Way$hack - Justin Greenwood - David Andry - Laroid David - Robert Love - and more!”
September 12, 2025 at 3:25 AM
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It’s only been four days since my last post about CrockerCon at the Crocker Art Museum & somehow the world has gotten EVEN MADDER. And I mean “madder” both in the sense of “wildly unpredictable” & “wow, people sure are mad at each other right now!”
September 12, 2025 at 3:23 AM
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Ink drawing of a group of roots or branches arranged in a slightly web-like pattern.
September 10, 2025 at 3:04 AM
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Ink drawing of a river bank and the roots, trees, weeds, and leaves growing from it, all heavily dappled in shadow.
September 10, 2025 at 3:04 AM
jessebaggs.bsky.social
Ink drawing of a river bank and the roots, trees, weeds, and leaves growing from it, all heavily dappled in shadow.
September 10, 2025 at 3:03 AM
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Ink drawing of trees heavily dappled by the surrounding leaves.
September 10, 2025 at 3:03 AM
jessebaggs.bsky.social
Ink drawing of a profusion of leaves that cover the nearby ground and trees in shadow.
September 10, 2025 at 3:02 AM
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The river grossed me out but it was also the perfect subject for a new ink drawing. “American River and Watt.” India ink on paper; 9” x 12”. Details in the replies.
Ink drawing of the north bank of the American River near the Watt Avenue overpass in Sacramento, California. Leaves hang thick from the trees, hiding trunks and limbs in darkness, although on the right side of the image, weeds and a few trees can be seen growing near the water’s edge.
September 10, 2025 at 3:02 AM
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Okay, so I’ve gone to CrockerCon at the Crocker Art Museum every year for the last few years, but the world sure does seem mad these days, doesn’t it? And what better way to deal with those feelings of emptiness and despair …
September 9, 2025 at 1:29 AM
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Not just the dead things that belong in the river, but also things that don’t.
Photo of an unknown creature’s leg bone lying a few inches underwater in a river. Some flesh, skin, and ligaments still cling to the bone, although it is mostly decomposed. At one end of the bone there are even protrusions that look like teeth.
September 4, 2025 at 2:58 AM
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And then there were the dead things.
Photo of a dead crab or crawdad underwater. The creature is difficult to see because of the rippled surface of the water, but its body is light blue and its claws red.
September 4, 2025 at 2:57 AM
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Then I saw a rock someone had written on with a sharpie. What interesting message did they have to share?
Photo of a hand holding a round river rock approximately five inches long and three inches tall. Someone wrote on the rock in permanent marker but the rock is broken, eliminating some of the text. The remainder reads, “[ … ] guy [ … ] my Grandpa [ … ]t my Ass [ … ]ove’s it smooth [ … ] his balls [ … ]ick them[.]”
September 4, 2025 at 2:56 AM