News Article in the Norfolk Examiner

August is fast approaching and SO much is going on in my art world! I'll be in several art shows in August, a lot of new stuff to do and images to share. Next week I'll be giving the details on all of this.. however, today I am stoked to share a news article written about me in The Norfolk Examiner by Wyn Hall. I met Wyn at the Bayou Boogaloo Cajun festival in Norfolk back in June, and after I drew his caricature, he told me that he wanted to write an article. He followed through with his promise, and here it is!.. Bob

Norfolk Festival Faces: Bob Langston

busy busy summer!

Wow, summer is half over and I can barely believe it. But yet I do, because when you are reeeally busy time really does fly. Beach Street caricature gigs, painting commissions, and juggling family stuff (my wife had her gall bladder removed AND a major hernia repaired last Thursday.. I was out for several days tending to her needs. She is feeling a bit better now but still very sore. Still hoping that she might be well enough to attend the B52's concert at Busch Gardens on Sunday :)

The Bayou Boogaloo, XVD Skateboards and my Beach Street Schedule

It's hard to believe that June is almost over! Came and went like a slingshot, and I turned 46 on the 8th. Tons of stuff happened this month, took the family to Busch Gardens and there were NO crowds (yahoo!) and got into some pretty good surf at the first part of the month (although it's been pretty flat for the last couple of weeks). The city of Virginia Beach pays me every year to draw at the oceanfront in the evenings during the summer months (The "Beach Street USA" program), and I have been down there drawing several evenings already. If you are in Virginia Beach this summer and would like a free caricature, come down between 7:30-11:00pm on these nights (on Atlantic Avenue and 17th-25th streets.. they move me around every time.. most of the time I am on the corner of 19th street though, look for me there first). Ok, here's my schedule for the remainder of the summer:

July 2,7,10,18,21,25,28 and 31

August 4,7,10,14,20 and 26

Also I just finished drawing for 3 days at this awesome festival in Norfolk on the waterfront this past weekend. The event is called "The Bayou Boogaloo", and it's a cajun festival with live zydeco and blues bands, authentic Louisiana cuisine and tons of entertainment, of which I was a part of (I have been invited to draw caricatures at this festival for the past three years.. I totally love it!) I am posting a youtube video of this event on this blog as well.

I'm also trying to finish a surf painting for a friend, getting some work done on a childrens book that is scheduled to be published, and a design for a local surf shop.. gotta fit family time in always.. plus always gotta surf too! When it's going off, I'm usually in the water, I find a way. I am also really stoked about the prospect of designing graphics for a skateboard company here in town (XVD Longboards).. I am meeting with them tomorrow to discuss terms. In the next post I'll continue the story..

Peace..

Bob

St. Patrick's Day update

Well, today is March 17th.. St. Patrick's day! I am 1/2 Irish, so this day has always been important to me and my family. When I was a kid, my Dad used to paint small green footprints on my sister's and my face while we were sleeping (on the night of the 16th) and he and my Mother would leave gifts under our pillows that were from the leprechauns!

I've been pretty sick with a bad stomach virus for the past 2 days, been out for the count, but I'm gettting back in the groove now and I estimate that I will be firing on all 8 cylinders soon. So much stuff on the horizon for the next few months! I'm currently finishing up a new logo for a friend's new surf company, am in the midst of working on 2 commissioned surf paintings, plus the caricature season is starting soon, I have a gig this Saturday in fact. The Beach Street program at the oceanfront is where I create most of my caricatures during the "on" season, I am paid by the city of Va Beach via contract to sit out on Atlantic Ave between 20th and 25th streets for 3 hour sessions in the evenings all summer.. a good gig (This will be my third season working for them). Also the Steel Pier Classic art show and surfing contest is coming up during Memorial day weekend, and I will have my tent set up again this year by the Jetty, selling my custom surf art, skateboard decks, and custom surfboard paintings. In the next few weeks, I will be officially opening my online store on my website (www.thebobzone.com) where I will be selling prints, I'll be keeping everyone posted! If you go to my fanpage, you can enter the "guess the sketch" contest and possibly win one of my prints this month in fact...

My friend Austin Saunders (owner of Austin Surfboards) is having a board sale/swap on April 10th, I am entering a 7'6" Frierson performance board with a wyld painting on the lower deck.. it will be for sale at this event, so check it out...

This past month during Austin's art show, I painted a new custom shaped Austin shortboard and the pictures are up on my facebook page and fan page. My friend Carrie Copenhaven and my wife took video footage of this event as well, and I am currently in the process of editing this movie. I hope to have it up on youtube in a week or so! I'll keep everyone posted...

L8r!

...Bob