Envelope Glue

Alien [N]ation Solo Show at Mid City

2010-08-27T22:30:00.002-04:00

Come see LA's show in September!!! You won't be disappointed, and you might be quite scared... ha, no that's only kind of a joke. But according to sources, this one will make you think. It will make you think about why you feel paranoid while walking down the street; about why you fuss over appearances or other vain attempts to "look good". It's about having no one to confide in when there seems to be nothing familiar in your environment. It's about feeling trapped and excluded, but it's also a reminder that you really are not alone. There are many of us who do not fit the mold, who long for change, who embrace the environment, who are tired of being told what is right from hypocrites, and sometimes all we need is a little hope to life our spirits. This is an homage to the sub-cultures in cities, the aliens next door, the hippies in hiding, and free spirits everywhere.
So come and enjoy a sight to behold: one away from the lime-light and open to interpretation. Maybe you will even find a friend amongst this world of enemies.

Opening Bash! Thursday Sept. 9 from 7-10 at mid city caffe, washington DC
Closing Soiree! Saturday Oct. 23 again 7-10

Illustrating Avery Anthology 6

2010-07-06T23:16:00.002-04:00

Well, somehow the Universe has shown me some pity, the lowly artist that I am, and has led the editors of New York-based Avery Anthology to my work and offered me a freelance job because they really love my art! It is so nice to hear that, really its almost a joke. I have a lot of work to do, as I am supposed to illustrate a piece for each corresponding contemporary fiction short-story... and they usually publish twelve. Oh, and the reeeeaaally funny part is that they want it by August. Well, I'm trying my hardest to get it all done that's for sure. I doubt I will be sleeping much this next month, since I'm sort of nuts and can't do anything that is easy. Wish me luck, or better yet, send me a good amount of crack so I can bust this out in like, three weeks.

Tom Evanchuck: New album out and on tour

2010-06-29T15:28:00.003-04:00

You must go check out Tom's new self-titled album at CD Baby or iTunes right now! His music is true folk and his voice is haunting. I was lucky enough to work with him to create the album cover seen here, so please give it a shot! You can also follow his tour dates and read more about him here.

Comet Ping Pong on Food Network

2010-06-29T15:20:00.002-04:00

So, the best pizza in Washington, DC, Comet Ping Pong, can now be seen on Food Network and I got to do the invitation for it! There was a great turnout last night, and everyone was very excited about the potential (and almost certain) business boost that will come from it. Congrats to all who work there, and thank you James for giving me this opportunity!
Cheers!

Essay on Man's Treatment of Nature

2010-06-22T23:52:00.000-04:00

Warning: This is an unedited stream of thought, and might confuse or inspire the reader... I'm not sure, it's unedited.

A white Audi sedan stopped at a red light. Expensive car, I say to myself, not too surprised since I live in Washington, DC. As I'm debating in my head about which company or department this person could work for, the driver's side door gently opens, and a styrofoam container is sweetly placed on the pavement. The door shuts, the car rolls forward. Places to go! Things to do! Obviously a very important person, with no time to waste.

This is where most Americans are at in our thoughts related to environment. We know what we have done to our world is horrible, but we still do it because it is our way of life, and that is a hard thing to change over night. "If I softly place this piece of trash (that is recyclable) on the pavement, maybe no one will see (since it is ILLEGAL) and it will have no consequence," the Audi driver must have decided. Well I saw this act my body sent a rush of adrenaline through me, compelling me to run into traffic and pick up that piece of foam, flailing my arms like a madwoman! Fortunately, the light changed and traffic moved on, saving myself from becoming squashed like an aluminum can on the side of the road. Environmental laws, like most laws, are meant to protect humanity from its own destruction, but since most of us not on the enforcing side see police as the enemy, we like to take matters into our own hands. This mentality I condone entirely on a circumstantial level, such as when human rights are compromised, or when man tries to control nature without respecting order and diversity. However, it does not apply for all things, like fines against littering. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of help for police on this act because there is no way to enforce unless seen firsthand. And what about when a civilian witnesses this? The only thing one can do is to pick up the trash herself, in the hopes that maybe the litterer will take notice.

The real issue that this selfish act has brought to my attention, is that we as a society are becoming conscious of cause and effect on the environment. This is a start, but of course only a product of the trendiness to be green, and not because we really believe it.

On the corner of the block I live on there is a small courtyard with benches where many people gather after work, school, or to meet up with friends. There are four trashcans here, yet every evening the ground is covered with trash; most of which is recyclable. Most of the people who hang out here are your typical thoughtless teenagers, obsessed with taking, ignorant to consequences. I also believe this is a product of growing up in a poor, crime-ridden city where hope is sometimes hard to find, and education is lacking. If there is no hope in the world to them, then why would they care about saving it from destruction? To them, it is already destroyed. By morning, the courtyard is spotless, thanks to a city cleanup crew, but by the end of the day, the sea of foam has returned.

This is the way Americans have acted ever since the modern environmental movement began in the early 1960's. "Let's form a cleanup crew! Let's change the world! Yay yay yay, we'll save all the little birdies and foxes," yadda yadda, this approach obviously did not work, which any city dweller can attest to. Finally policies are being placed to "force" people into transition from wasteful to sustainable, such as businesses charging 5 cents per plastic bag at a checkout here is DC, or completely getting rid of them, as they have in Berkeley, CA. This is not enough though! We as a whole society need to realize the interconnectedness of nature; that any and every act against it will eventually destroy us. And if the people understand this, we can change how business operates.

But I'll be realistic here, an environmental revolution is far off. We have distanced ourselves too much from nature, hating it even, and loving our precious technology, the savior of mankind. Bugs are icky, kill 'em. Plants are invasive, kill 'em. Water should come in a bottle, because it is tainted and will make us sick! This mentality is incredibly ignorant because we forget that these things are this way because of man's tampering with the natural order, and introduction of chemical poisons used carelessly. The young city kids on my block most likely have never learned about or seen nature's true beauty. And if they did learn about it in school, they probably don't believe it. How could they when all they see is pavement and trash, and their idols all preach about material wealth and monetary gain as the only way to reach happiness? How could believe in nature's beauty without reading Walden, Silent Spring, or ever taking a walk through the park?

This brings me to my next point about how far we are from a revolution- our obsession with parks and beaches. Isn't it clear we do enjoy the water and sand? Driving through the countryside? Hiking through the National Parks? We do love our earth, as these activities prove, but we feel so distanced from it that these things have to be vacations, holidays, sacred moments only acted upon once in a while due to busy distracted life. We cannot enjoy nature from a stuffy office, or crowded room controlled by a television. I'm not saying the Amish way of life is a great model, but we could learn something from the way they slowly acquire land, cautiously cut down a tree, and use all the excess. In fact, the Amish and other Puritan related lifestyles came out of knowledge passed on from the Native Americans; like how to carefully plant certain crops during planting season and resting when the season was over.

My friend likes to say that mankind was ruined when we invented things that move faster than our own feet. And from a purely ecological standpoint, I believe he is right. While we pushed our fields harder and harder to meet ridiculous demands, we forgot to listen to the land in all our haste. Swarms of insects took over the fields, and we wondered why, even though we wiped out all the natural insect ridding plants and parasites. In forgetting where we came from, because we moved to fast, pollution took over our cities, along with excessive radiation and man made chemicals in our fields, causing cancer and other health problems. Our Capitalist society gave us the mentality that faster and bigger is better, even if that wasn't the original plan, and because of this "right" to take and gain wealth, we have taken too much to support ourselves any longer. Space exploration was invented to feed this "right" to take whatever we find and exploit it, leading us to releasing our trash into space, not charting new paths simply for discovery and good.

What will become of us, the Humans, Leaders of Animals, Protectors of the Garden? Could it be that Eden has been around us the whole entire time, yet in our search for truth, we have completely missed it? Is the Apple really a symbol of technology (quite ironic, I might add) and by abusing it we are leaving the garden behind right now? Could it be that this timeless allegory is more applicable today than ever before? We have completely missed the message from Nature, which is that if we take without thinking, Nature will not be able to survive and we will die. This story, that so many of us have been raised on, has truly been the answer all along, not the question. Men, upset with the way the world is, have tried to blame Women for all his woes, forgetting that in the story, Eve came directly from Adam's rib, meaning both sexes are made from the same matter. Mankind, upset with the way the world is, has tried to blame the Devil for all its woes, neglecting the fact that the Devil took the form of a Snake, which Shamans see as a symbol of death and spiritual rebirth, a factor in self-actualization, meaning the snake could really be man's mind. This story says that all plants and seed bearing fruits were to be used in accordance with Nature itself, not that Nature is the enemy to be controlled, but for food and nourishment. And if plants are supposed to be used the way they are, why would the Conservative Right who believes this story is the truth want to ban certain ones, kill others, and tamper in such a way that we bypass the natural order of things? Man wrote this story, in an effort to explain the way life is ordered and how it came to be so that we wouldn't keep screwing it up, and Man has interpreted it so many ways that no one seems to remember why the story was written in the first place. I seriously doubt most believers of the creation story have ever sat down and reread since childhood, with an open, curious mind, otherwise they would heed the warning not to destroy our environment.

The Adam and Eve saga as I see it is simply a warning not to take what we don't need, not some immature who-did-it about original sin. Humans have an evil inside, which is to take what we don't need. That is the Snake, the Devil, as I see it. Systems like Capitalism can fuel this evil urge, leading to destruction from within our own selves. Yes people have a right to do what is natural to them, but if one person disrupts another person's natural state (abusing another person) or environment (littering), then it becomes a contradiction, because we share the same environment, and are made of the same matter. If one person takes more than nature can support for him/herself, then that person is taking life from another person, animal, organism, and thereby destroying him/herself, for the compromised organism will in turn take from something else. No energy can be gained or lost, we know, therefore energy must work on a continual shift from one organism to the next.

Instead of realizing that evil comes from within and therefore we have the ability to use it or not, we have placed blame on imaginary characters for all the damage we have done (the Devil did it!). Until we come to terms with this, we will continue to destroy ourselves. You don't believe me? Let's go back to the city kids who worship the self-righteous pop stars. What good comes from these idols? Do they solve any problems, or do they add to them? I'd love to hear anyone with a story of a problem solving pop star, honestly I would! It would be refreshing. Or how about the Gentle Litterer who knows he has a choice to make the world nicer but chooses not to? They all must still believe that there are greater evils than man that are uncontrollable, and therefore all human actions good or bad really make no difference. Laziness is simply a by-product of this mentality, not the cause. If man really understood that the greatest evil comes from within, then he would feel more empowered to do the right thing.

What we need is a change of heart. And the best way to change this would come from talking about this fact with each other, but since that won't happen just yet, we need to hold businesses accountable for the ecological damage they've allowed. We need to place strict laws prohibiting waste and applauding sustainable practices. We need to see become educated about every product, its cause and effect. We need leaders to believe in mankind, and they need to be respected by mankind in turn. We need to have environmental spokespeople who are credible, logical, and respected. No more fanatic activism, and no more Michael Moore or Glenn Beck extremism can be tolerated. These immature, fear-driven campaigns do more harm than good, and the loud, angry way they deliver messages leave the listener no time for thoughts of their own to trickle in- no personal checks and balances. Its just, "Yeah that's right, you said it!" without really knowing what "it" is.

People have forgotten to think for themselves. Bottom line. We have forgotten to observe the world, the damages to nature, the beauty that is still holding on, and look for answers there.

We Americans are not happy with the world: on a political level, yes, but also in our own anxious and depressed minds. Could it be we are anxious and depressed as a result of going against nature? Of taking too much? We need to stop looking for someone else to blame, but really think of what our actions have done and are continuing to do today. Maybe I'm asking too much of the American people, for we are quite far removed from nature that it could very well be too late. But I know from history that when a people are really unhappy, they take action. I just hope the action is for Nature and not against it. I am going to work hard to push the action towards saving our ecosystem and not simply blaming a group of people and forming a militia that could turn into a civil war. War will not fix our problems for we have to face the war inside our minds first, and that is a very difficult thing for us to do.

Any comments are welcomed, as this is only the beginning of a much over due discussion. And if I have offended you, I am glad. That means your mind is finally working.

2009-12-15T00:40:00.002-05:00

This is a painting I've just finished, done in acrylics on wood. Lionel, you will be proud of me for figuring out how to enjoy acrylics, and not only that, but I actually like them. This piece is a commission so it is not for general sale, but I still get paid, yay! My work is selling at the gallery in delaware now, and I have 3 commissions to finish up, not to mention I finally got a full time job with benefits and profit sharing (yay half-price books!) So every paycheck I recieve, I am closer to living on my own in san fran. Plus I am working on several side projects, and writing a lot lately. I am really excited to get these commissions done however so I can focus on my own paintings yet again, although I do like this piece a lot... I just need a scanner! Photos don't do justice to my paintings... oh well for now.
You know, sometimes I hate to finish a painting, it sort of makes me sad, like the feeling of finishing a book... you are glad you got to the end, but the joy of getting there is over. Going by this philosophy, painting is an acute representation of my own life; whenever I get to where I want to be, I start looking again for something new to chase after. I am the sort of person who loves the ride, the adventure, playing the game more than winning, and falling in love more than being in love. I love the story, not the ending; the brush strokes more than the painting. Well, I must try to sleep now as I start the daily grind tomorrow morning at 8:30 sharp! I just hope I can do this with out wanting to strangle someone in two months, I'm not very good at keeping jobs apparently.

Staying Busy

2009-12-03T00:39:00.010-05:00

A Vignette, acrylic and found objects 2009

Oh My! I have been absent for some time, haven't I? Well in my own defense, I've been busy. Ha! Actually, I've been thinking... about the peace corps, my job(s), and grad school (argentina?) or just moving to puerto rico to sell my art on the side of the road and live off of coconuts and romance (all very tempting options, mind you) since i don't know when san francisco will actually happen because I feel I want to settle there and stay there... which I am not very good at I have come to realize. I just can't settle and stay. It's not my nature, you see. Fortunately (or unfortunately) I believe it is my destiny to keep moving, to keep exploring, and to never settle down until I have exhausted all options, seen all there is to see. Is that depressing? Possibly. Is it realistic? Very.

So, anywho, in between my mania and strokes of genius, and apart from writing a new mini series about the irony of being an artist, and being completely broke and alone, I have finished a project (to be displayed at Channel 33 Project Gallery this Friday Dec. 4th from 7-whenever in Columbus, OH!) Hooray!

Here is a sneak peak... very different from what I have done in the past, yes, but I am always on the go, moving ahead even if I am physically stuck in one place for the time being. So don't worry, folks, this Midwestern Beauty will conquer the world soon enough! Oh, you're not worried? You don't even care? WELL SCREW YOU! Ha, I just kid... I kidding... seriously, just take a look. And COME TO MY SHOW! (or pretend like you will...)

The Star, acrylic and found objects 2009

Posh Exotica, acrylic and found objects 2009

Miss Mary, acrylic and found objects 2009

The Lush, acrylic and found objects 2009

The Life, acrylic and oh you get the idea!

Open It!, digital photography of found objects 2009

I will try to put up all the photos on my temporary website, www.thelajohnson.com.

But in the mean time, go eat a sandwich.

-PEACE!

Arcata

2009-11-14T21:33:00.002-05:00

The Pacific Ocean as I see it!

Out in California

2009-10-23T14:37:00.006-04:00

Well, I made it to Arcata, staying with my dear friends Katie and Keaton and enjoying a new place! Almost done with my graphic design portfolio, so I'm getting anxious... here is some visual stimuli:

I'm enjoying this stuff! (the design, not the boobs....) I think I may have found my calling!

I am sitting at a coffee shop in the mountains, right on the coast, and everyone sitting around me looks like they are students/professors, lumberjacks, pot growers, or just west coasters... it feels like a different country, except everyone speaks the same language as me. It is quite refreshing!

[untitled]

2009-10-16T01:30:00.007-04:00

Here is another project I've been working on. I am trying to create a whole new portfolio, and so far, I am 8 projects in out a possible 15 (that is what I am shooting for). My social and personal life is basically non-existent at the moment.... so, I feel this couldn't be a more perfect time to do this. Let's just hope I don't drink myself into a coma. Ha ha naw, I'm just kidding, I'd never do that before I've skydived or had group sex.
this is a logo I created out of a sketch-doodle thingy. I scanned it into Photoshop and played around with possible ads for a soap product... and voila!

... then I took the original drawing, and used it as the ad itself...

So, anyway I am motivating myself on the basis of not living at home forever; a pretty solid motivator I believe. Also I have actually been enjoying this project, which is huge for me since I spent most of my school days despising computers (I still think they are going to be the catalyst to the apocalypse).

Preparing to leave Ohio

2009-10-14T00:25:00.009-04:00

So the past few weeks have been rough, but a path is finally clearing and I am figuring out what sort of work I need to produce in order to get a job. I am working on some illustrations that I can use for graphic design and I am actually having a lot of fun with it!
This piece was just a drawing in my sketchbook that I showed to several people who laughed and really liked it, so I created a use for it, and finished it in photoshop (my savior!). So now I can add Deer Valley Wine to my portfolio, even if I completely made it up...

After I made the wine label, I created two possible ads for the brand. I did everything myself (wow!) from taking a photo of a wine bottle, to drinking all of the wine inside... which I guess wasn't necessary, but very helpful to my mood.

more to come!

self-portrait

2009-09-29T20:16:00.003-04:00

Here is my latest work of genius. Ha ha haaa, sometimes my arrogance just floors me!

( hey everybody, come see how good I look!) acryllic on board, 4'x4'

Happenings

2009-09-27T19:12:00.002-04:00

Well, I've been a little out of the loop lately, but I'm back! (Huzzah!) The Red Bull show was pretty sweet, with a lot of great boards to look at. My work at Channel 33 Project is getting good reviews, and I am going down there for the 1st Friday Art Walk this week in order to swindle some potential art-buyers... hehehe.
Here is something I did today after hearing some radio host talk about kids coming out of the closet in 6th grade... I did a few of them, but this is my favorite. I think I'll turn these into promo cards to send out next week or so. Enjoy my little paper doll friend!

Red Bull Skate Show

2009-08-20T15:51:00.002-04:00

Here is the info for the show I will be in Sept. 12th! I also am going to be putting up work in two new galleries: one in Columbus, and one in Chicago. Yay!

Illustration Friday Theme: Wrapped

2009-08-17T23:56:00.002-04:00

Here is my submission to this week's Illo-Friday theme, "Wrapped".
Cheeky, I know (or maybe ballsy for that matter, teehee!) and I definately don't expect to get a job from this piece, but my god I laughed out loud while doing this one! I mean, c'mon, who hasn't thought of this already??? So, at least it was time well spent, and I got to use my anatomical knowledge about genitals! What a fun day!

LA Johnson

2009-08-17T15:25:00.002-04:00

LA Johnson – Listening to mellow folk music

Posted using ShareThis

My work is being shown on The Little Chimp Society, which is a news-reel style Illustration site, that I found through some college friends who post there regularly. Check it out!

New-t

2009-08-14T20:41:00.002-04:00

"The Dancin' Henchmen 5"

What now, bitches?

Cleveland Museum of Art

2009-08-13T19:45:00.004-04:00

I went to the art museum here in Cleveland and I have to say I was impressed. The museum has been under construction for several years now and the new East Wing has just opened, which contains many new collections, as well as the old standbys. Also, they had several bands playing, and food and booze as a way to bring in some money and generate a crowd. Good job, museum, I am proud of you.

I didn't make it all the way through yesterday, but out of what I saw, my favorite was this one...

by french artist Jean Lecomte du Nouy, titled A Eunuch's Dream.
First of all, the painting is just breathtakingly beautiful-- the hyper-realism is dead on and convincing, and secondly, the story is so sad and familiar (not the castration part, but the unattainable dream part, haha) it makes me want to jump in there and curl up next to him, smoke a little opium, and see what visions my own mind would conjure up. Sounds like a great Saturday night...

My other fav was Still Life with Rayfish, by Chiam Soutine, a Russian painter.

This gruesome spectacle caught my eye (of course) and I instantly fell in love with it. I loved it even more after reading that Soutine created this piece as his own interpretation of Gustave Caillebotte's Still life with Crayfish. Soutine took a calm and sophisticated scene from an upper class meal and DESTROYED it, hahahaha, a-mazing. I guess I like this sort of thing because it is usually what I do with my artwork; I mean, as an artist I inherently want to recreate and depict my own version of life, beauty, perfection, and emotion, so when I see something nature did right (as She usually does) I don't want to simply copy it, but rather depict it as the right now (or the wrong now for that matter). My love for surrealism and abstration stems from this way of thinking, I imagine.

Also, some guy in Germany contacted me about doing work for an Italian pop band that he promotes, which I was excited about for days, until he told me he couldn't pay me... thanks a lot, jerk.

AND I am currently working with some artists in LA who are trying to put together a new Illustration magazine called Super Cool Magazine (inventive name, I know) so we shall see if that follows through, which I hope it does and I will keep you posted!

WTF, Yacht?

2009-08-09T22:40:00.004-04:00

(I found this image of YACHT, a Portland band, on Lost at E Minor, a site I go to daily for art related news)

Ok I'm usually not that paranoid, but when I have a new great idea and suddenly see, oh, a few weeks later, that same idea done by someone more famous than I, the wheels in my head start turning... Is this coincidence, some cosmically woven universal plane of thought that can be reached by many at the same time--the sharing of ideas without being verbally or visually inspired???? Or is it just theft, the stealing of intellectual property from some unsuspecting nobody... that has led the band YACHT to steal my creative GENIUS and use it for their own mediocre artistic endeavors????!!!
Whether it be the universal ebb and flow, the Tao if you will, or just some random awful chance that an idea formed in my own little head, transformed through my little obedient fingers into a paper image that holds an entire train of thought in the form of squiggly ink-drawn lines could have been stolen and duplicated, slightly modified, by someone with a larger fan-base, nay, a fan-base at all and therefore rendering my own idea as unoriginal! What am I to do??? Is there any justice? It may not be a big deal to anyone else, or even to my own career, but the principle of it all just baffles me. How can anyone ever get proper recognition of having an idea "first".... I mean, we all know the tragic story of Tesla's uphill battle with being taken seriously, only to have his ideas be realized and produced once he was 6 feet under the ground! And if there is no way to claim an idea as being the first of its kind, then why do we give recognition, why do we seek recognition at all? Shouldn't the thought of someone else having the same crazy idea as you be a comfort and not a burden-- a reinforcement of one's own sanity?
This could mean that I really am a part of something greater than I can comprehend, and that any fame I acheive during this lifetime is really unsubstantial when it comes to the meaning of life! Or, it could just mean that no matter who you are, famous or not, some other jack ass will come along and take what little pride you may hold on to, "I won first place in the spelling bee in 1984" "My old boyfriend dedicated his novel to me" or even "I make a pie that no one else can top", that jack ass will sweep down to your little circle and snatch that tiny molecule that you hold on to as "a great idea" and show you that you are not unique, you are not original, and any dumb sap who thinks he or she is a god full of untouchable genius, will one day find out that he/she is actually the same as Boris from Russia or Susan from Mexico or John from 300 years ago!
Well, as you might recall from a post a few weeks ago, I find this image to be eerily similar to my own... and yet, I ask again, what can I do but sit here and gripe about on my blog?

(Censored Eyes, copyright LA John-- oh what's the f**ckin use...)

Maybe I should stop putting my work on sites like Threadless and Illustration Mundo until I am rich and famous and have a lot more power than I do today.... but that obviously would do more harm than good in the long run. I will simply shoot them an email confronting them about the ordeal and asking for an explanation. Maybe I function on the same brain wave as them, because as I am realizing more and more I am not original, and neither are you.

Lakewood Artwalk and new stuff stuff

2009-08-02T21:16:00.003-04:00

Well, since I'm stuck in Cleveland right now, I decided to participate in the art "scene" so I am going to be selling originals and prints Saturday August 8 from noon to 8pm in Lakewood, OH. Not sure where I'll be set up yet but somewhere along Madison Ave.... haha. Besides that I am also in a show coming up in September at the Pop Shop Gallery. This one will be fun! It is sponsored by Redbull, with several artists and bands showing work and having a good 'ol time.

Other than that I finally got a bartending gig so I can now start saving money and planning my San Francisco adventure.

I also did a piece today which is my homage to sad music, which I love thiiiiiiiiiiiis much. Enjoy.
New site is finally underway (thanks to my man)... I will let you know as soon as it is ready!

They seem to be getting weirder...

2009-08-01T20:56:00.003-04:00

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"
Rapidly becoming one of my favorite bands of the moment, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs rock pretty hard.

New Work

2009-07-26T13:59:00.001-04:00

It has been raining a lot lately...

Bored

2009-07-25T18:18:00.001-04:00

it was a long day...

Create your own FACEinHOLE

Another threadless submission!

2009-07-24T16:44:00.001-04:00

please vote!

Working Towards a Goal

2009-07-24T14:01:00.003-04:00

I've been working on creating images for the Lakewood ArtWalk (saturday the 11th). Who knows if anyone will buy anything, but i certainly would.

Threadless Tees

2009-07-22T14:07:00.000-04:00

Threadless has lots of year round competitions... please help me win!

New work

2009-07-15T22:38:00.003-04:00

"Censored Eyes"
I have been working on some obsessive line drawings in the past few weeks, with very vague themes where the drawings sort of work themselves out... I like this one a lot. I thinks it represents our age quite well. Color version to come...

New Work

2009-07-12T22:16:00.003-04:00

Grand Canyon, AZ
Summer 2008- While on vacation, my dad and stepmom and I rented a vehicle from Avis (idiots) to take us from Vegas to the Grand Canyon. It got a flat tire, and when my dad and I tried to change it, we realized it had a locking nut. We looked for the special wrench to unlock it, but there was none to be found. So long story short, I ended up hitchhiking to the canyon with an Escalade full of Canadians (who were really awesome) and spent the day waiting for a tow truck with a Hualapai Indian named Whataname (Wha-ta-na-me). This is how I remember the day- beautifully inspiring and exhaustingly stressful.

Painting of the Week

2009-07-10T18:34:00.003-04:00

Here is a painting I've been working on for my grandparents. It speaks of traveling with all your belongings, your comforts, and never taking the chance to step completely outside of what you know and are familiar with, simply because you are afraid. They really love Bermuda, but my grandmother's health is failing and she rarely leaves the house anymore. My grandfather loves to travel, but being the good husband he is, he feels he cannot leave her alone. They commissioned me to do a painting that will hang over their fireplace, and their entire condo is some shade of tan (if that is even a real color). I feel like this will bring some color, cheer, and maybe even inspiration into their home. I hope they like it.

Here is the revised version of my winnie the pooh book cover...

...the text is now more nostalgic, appropriate for its time, and not as overpowering.

Design #2

2009-07-05T21:15:00.002-04:00

Jacket Design for Winnie-the-Pooh. You Like???

Awkward Echidna

2009-07-05T15:57:00.002-04:00

Tapping into my Inner Designer

2009-07-05T14:24:00.003-04:00

Don't we all? No, but seriously one day after being UBER inspired by the magnificent Stefan Sagmeister I decided to come up with ways to paint existing household items/found objects to create 3D illustrations using my knowledge of photography (that I haven't used in a while) and my knowledge of design (and basic type skills). Please leave any comments, as I am somewhat new to this genre of art.

Oh, and I do still drink out of this coffee pot... it sometimes scares me.

A Drawing a Day

2009-07-01T20:17:00.006-04:00

July 1- "Bird Bashing" -Occasionally I get sucked into the drama around the bird feeder/bath and let me tell you, heh, it is p-retty interesting...

June 30- "Outer Shpongolia"

June 29- "Marriage is Forever"

A Drawing a Day

2009-07-01T19:15:00.006-04:00

June 28- "The One in the Blue Shorts" -I did this one during breakfast at my friend's house after a long night of partying... maybe that's where the inspiration came from???

(Detail)

June 27- "The Metra Makes Me Ill"

June 26- "Jesus Cristo had Dreads" my version of the Christ figure, inspired by a painting hung up in The Rail in Savannah, GA. Pretty sweet.

A Drawing a Day

2009-07-01T14:24:00.003-04:00

so there has been all this hype about Illustrators creating Drawing a Day blogs... I'll give it a try. We'll start with drawings from my sketchbook.
Day 1 (June 25)

The Awful Tales of Awkward Echidna

2009-06-30T18:35:00.002-04:00

"Tribute to the Dive bars of Savannah" pen & ink, May 2009. For sale (email if interested).

Chicago Institute of Art

2009-06-30T16:12:00.010-04:00

Chicago, ILI decided to spend a day at the art museum (I was staying at the famous Palmer House for $80 a night,which was two blocks away) and here is what I found inside its impressive walls...

"The Drinkers" or "The Four Ages of Man" by Vincent VanGogh
This painting is obviously one never covered in any of my art history/criticism classes but I like the concept of man drinking himself into oblivion-- but the composition, not so much... good thing he got better at that later on.

"Equestrienne" by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

I really like Lautrec's work, and you should to! Nah, just kiddin, but I think most illustrators can at least respect his success, if not his style. Anyway, this piece caught my eye because of, well, I'm sure you can see what it was, and if not, its the creepy lady leaning surreptitiously in the edge of the picture frame. Then when I looked closer it seemed that she had been cut out and glued back in. The woman is the scandalous English singer May Milton, and she was most likely cut out because her appearance was shoking and made the peice hard to sell. I also like that Lautrec put himself and his cousin in the piece, so even today the viewer can see a glimpse of what the artist's life was like. And judging from this painting, I'd say he and I probably would've gotten along very well.

"James Vibert, Sculptor" 1907 by Swiss artist Ferdinand Hodler

I never studied Swiss artists too much, so I don't have too much to compare this one to, but I really like this piece for a couple of reasons. First off, the rectangles. The beard, broad shoulders, hair and canvas shape all work together making an almost symmetrical piece, but something is off, which leads me to the next element I like- the lazy eye. When examined closer, it really seems like his eyes are looking in opposite directions. Paired with a mona lisa smile, and Hodler's friend James comes off as ambiguous yet sweet. (click on his name to see a scultpure James did in plaster of Hodler)

Untitled, by Phillip Guston 1976

Ok, so all I've got to say about this one is... GAAAARRRRHHHHSSSSHHHH!!!!! oh, and wtf, mate? cuz I be like sooo much betta dan dis fool ova here-->
Well, this piece puts me in a difficult position, because while it does give me hope that someday some philanthropist/art dealer/overall rich person will appreciate my hideously fantastic bar drawings and add them to their personal collection, the flip side is that this person will most likely be insane. Eh, such is life, and i suppose I should start looking for a wealthy weirdo of my own.

"Into the World There Came a Soul Called Ida" 1929
by Ivan Albright

In this beautifully painful painting, the symbolic references to time and beauty are amazingly disturbing- a modern look on the traditional Vanitas paintings. I like this piece mainly because of the dramatically rendered legs, and also because it is a sad reminder that time is fleeting and it is pointless to try to stop it. Good job Ivan.

I leave you with this wonderful picture I took from Millenium Park...
who thought a giant bean could serve as the coolest public art I have ever seen??

The Real World

2009-04-05T14:09:00.002-04:00

Well, its been almost a month since my last day of school ever and I can say with confidence that I am pleased. When my diploma came to me in the mail (back in Ohio), my mother sent me an email stating that I could could have it for a small fee... which reminded me of my graduation fee that I still have not paid based on principle alone, which then reminded my mother of another mail item that arrived from SCAD stating that I "would not be able to participate in the ceremony if I did not pay the fee..." of $40. "Oy vey," I sighed and my mother told me she would pay it because she wants to see me graduate. The moral of the story... eh screw it, you make up your own moral.

What have I been doing since my last days of online multiple choice tests and timid washed up professors dragging me away from what I really want to create?? Well, a whole lot of nothing (as one might expect) and a little bit of something...

2009-02-20T19:57:00.000-05:00

yeah thats right, i have a blog now... yea bitches. stay tuned.