Merry Christmas Bruv'

I did this piece for my brother this Christmas. It is a picture of him and his son (my Nephew, because that's how family works) Noah, as Batman and Robin. I have thought this should be their costume every year since Noah was born. That or Luke Skywalker and Yoda but Noah is a bit too big to e carried around now.

What made it even better was the fact that Noah got a Batman costume for Christmas.....I didn't even know until after the picture was done....I have psychic paints is all.

Illustration Friday - SINK

This weeks Illustration Friday topic is SINK. I first thought of quicksand and Mafia hits with concrete shoes then sinks full of water....then synchronised swimmers...then Synchronised Sink Swimmers. I originally wanted to draw the four characters shown as if from an aerial view as they swam in the sink but drew this to establish the swimming team first. I opted for a Frog as the fourth member over a spider that seemed too similar to the cockroach design. It does bug me a bit that having a frog on the team might be considered cheating if Sink Swimming ever gets into the Olympics though.

Heading back down to South Park.....

Back in July I mentioned how a painting of mine was to be part of the South Park exhibit at Comic-Con 2011 in San Diago. Remember? No? Ok.

Here is a little update, I just receive a print of my piece signed by South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker authorizing it as South Park art and have been told there is more to come.

The original was supposed to be sent back to me this month but Comedy Central have requested it be kept a little longer to be part MacWorld in January 2012, the expo celebrating all the newest apple Technology. I am told this isn't a joke despite the South Park episode "Humancentipad" (you'll have to Google that one yourself)

Old Friends

Here is my latest Munny for the Old Friends show at TOMODACHI, Rosedale center, MN. The theme was to find inspiration from toys of our past. I didn't actually have a Japanese tin robot when I was a lad but I recently got one because being an adult can be cool sometimes.
If you have time this weekend, stop into Tomodachi Us in the Rosedale Center to see all the Retro toy Munnys!

Minnesota Mascots # 2

"KILL, DESTROY......PIZZA" New display at Pizza Luce

"KILL, DESTROY......PIZZA"

New display at Pizza Luce, Seward Neighborhood, Minneapolis.

For the whole month of November some new and some older favorites will be hanging at the PIZZA LUCE RESTAURANT in the Seward Neighborhood as part of my "KILL, DESTROY, PIZZA" display.

PIZZA LUCE is located in the Seward Neighborhood at 2200 E Franklin Ave Minneapolis, MN 55404.

Minnesota Mascots.....now with winning team!

Working on a few pieces for a November show. This will be at Pizza Luce in the Seward Neighborhood of Minneapolis. I just inked out a new canvas depicting the Mascots of the Minnesota Sports teams...........I have done this before (see here, bottom right) but this time I added another mascot, PROWL of the Minnesota Lynx (that's the woman's basketball team......and only winners of anything recent)
I am trying a new approach to this canvas and inking the whole thing first before I add paint (acrylic) just to see how the details are captured.

Teenage Mutant Paper Turtles

Last week's Saint Paul Art Crawl, although a little slower than previous years, went pretty well. I used the Fall Crawl to show a few paper cut works. Previously I was just about the Acrylic and Inks then I added the paper cuts of the characters from the movie Labyrinth. This year I added six more cuts based on other famous characters.


This one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sold at the crawl but I was asked to make another....so I did.


Other Paper Cuts of He-Man, Doctor Who, The Muppets, Star Wars and a Labyrinth remake will be posted soon.


The final piece is based on a sketch I previously worked on. It's kind of a Chicken and an egg thing. Which Turtle started caused the accident?

Saint Paul Art Crawl

So a few days ago I posted about the Saint Paul Art Crawl....did you read it? No? This was because one of us made an error. Me or you? Lets not argue and agree that we were all a bit to blame for not pressing the POST button. I forgive you.

This weekend is the Saint Paul Art Crawl - Friday 7th until Sunday 9th - Back on the 2nd floor of the Rossmor building (500 North Robert Street, bound by 10th Street and 9th Street, next to and above Key's cafe)

We Love(D) Vinyl

The WE LOVE VINYL show has its last day today at TOMODACHI in Rosedale MN. The opening reception had a whole heap of people coming to see the Munny on show raising hundreds for charities Imagine No Malaria and Keystone Community Food Shelf.

"Panda King" my second Mega Munny (and second King design) will be on display at TOMODACHI.

"Gorilla"

"CEO"

"Beneath the castle Walls"


SOLD: "Yellow Sun Tiki" submitted for the silent auction.

For more information and a bunch more photos take a read of this Patch article by Jeff Roberts.

WE LOVE VINYL

A short while ago I joined together with a group of Minnesotan artists and TOMODACHI store in Rosedale, MN to form an arts group called "TOMODACHI ARTISTS". I would have told you sooner about it but I have been busy preparing for our first new art show using vinyl figures as the canvas base. The show is called "WE LOVE VINYL" and runs from today (09/17/2011) until October 2nd. If you are around come along to the opening reception from 4pm-7pm.

I have three Munny, two mini Munny and a MEGA Munny (complete with keychain Munny earring) on show with (and are you ready to have your mind hole blown?!?) another 80 (yes, count 'em 80!!) Munny and from over 20 artists. Boooom!

A couple of bits about it on line :
Kidrobot's (KRonikle) blog
Rosevill Patch article


YOU WANT A FORMAL INVITE? YOU GOT ONE....

Greetings from Tomodachi Artists!

We are happy to announce that our art show, “We Love Vinyl,” will open on Saturday, September 17th. We would be honored if you’d join us for the opening reception from 4–7 pm.

“We Love Vinyl” is a celebration of do-it-yourself (DIY) vinyl toys. DIY toys are an exciting, new type of collectible pop art that allows artists to work on a three-dimensional canvas. The featured DIY toy for this show will be Kidrobot’s Munny. We’re planning on having pieces from over 20 artists!

The reception will have prizes, music, refreshments, and a chance to meet many of the artists. There will also be a silent charity auction and several pieces at the show will be available for purchase. The charity auction will run from September 17–19, with all proceeds going towards Imagine No Malaria. Current art majors and alumni from Hamline University are working with us to create these pieces. We are also donating a portion of all gallery sales to Keystone Community Food Shelf. This non-profit organization works to help families dealing with hunger and homelessness in the Twin Cities area.

Tomodachi Artists was founded by Tomodachi as a non-profit art organization in the spring of 2011. As a group, we are dedicated to helping grow a Minnesota-based, but nationally connected, artistic community. Tomodachi Artists also works to improve the lives of our fellow artists through programs and events, help them gain greater exposure with regular gallery shows at Tomodachi, and provide them with unique opportunities in the art community.

We hope to see you at our opening reception! If you have any questions, please email us at info@tomodachi.us or call us at 651-631-1777.

SWEET MARTHA!!!

This weekend I went to the Minnesota State Fair and sampled the sweet corn ice cream (with bacon toffee sauce), deep fried cookie dough, Beer Margarita, Pork Chop on a stick and I may never eat again. In the salt/sugar hang over I was reminded that I actually submitted a piece to the State Fair Gallery earlier in the year.....it wasn't selected but is currently on display at their overflow show at the excellent space at Hopkins Center for the Arts.

Having a piece rejected or not accepted is pretty tough especially when you think of the time spent on it. At first I was disappointed, the traffic flowing through the Minnesota State Fair is pretty epic, but then most people don't really go to the fair for the art, right? Right? Say "right"! RIGHT!
The Hopkins Center for the Arts on the other hand? All about the Art lovers 100%....right?
The piece I did showing the building of a fair favorite, Sweet Martha's Cookies sold on the opening night of the exhibition.

Elf Bot

Macy's is getting the design for it's next Thanksgiving Day parade float via artist submissions. You had to first go online, find the location where a vinyl elf would be hidden in a Macy's store, get a password to give to the clerk, get the elf home, decorate it, photograph it and then submit it via Facebook, hope it gets selected in the final 85, hope it gets voted on via Facebook, hope it wins so that Macy's rush the design off to be made into the actual balloon for THIS YEARS parade! Hard work. Especially as most of the Macy's staff I encountered had no idea about the project and disputed they should give me anything for free just because I was standing in the young women's section (the location on the day I went to claim my elf) saying "Sweet Potato" (the daily password). I was not arrested however and managed to design this is an Elf Bot.


















The actual vinyl elf itself was quite restricting in that it already had the facial features of a large nose and tiny eyes. I recast my eyes with clay making them larger and more cartoony, lining them with silver to show the metallic qualities. I toyed with painting the whole character in golds and silver and having a real "tin man" persona but it didn't really fit with the Macy's theme (which was requested in the guide lines). The digital front display and the jet pack were made from my reliable friend Crayola Air Dry Clay. The fire that was coming out of the jet pack had to be removed when I submitted the piece on Macy's Facebook page and the picture had to be inserted into their elf shaped cookie cutter submission process (the legs were cut off a bit when I did this)

The submission process has now finished and what I can only assume to be real elves, are whittling down the submissions to 85 which will be displayed online via Macy's facebook page to be voted on from August 30th 2011. So go vote for an elf bot so I can be in New York for Thanks giving.....which is part of the prize by the way....I would send you a post card! Promise!

Obsession

This weeks Illustration Friday topic is Obsession. This little sketch was done in between playing on my phone......I forgot to erase the pencil marks as I had to go back to defeating weird little green pigs with annoyed spherical fowl.

Meet Some Friends of Mine......

I am going to be at the 2011 Comic-Con in San Diego!!!..................kind of.



I was one of fifteen artists selected by artist Ron English from thousands of applicants from all over the world to appear at the South Park Exhibit at Comic-con 2011 in San Diego, CA. My piece....imaginatively titled "Bus stop" will be hanging next to original pieces by artists including Kathie Olivas, Lindsey Way and Naoto Hattori and also by the creators of South Park themselves.

As well as the art show fans will be transported into the world of "South Park" as they walk into the 15,000 square foot Ultimate Fan Experience located at 450 2nd Avenue (at 1st Ave. & J St.) just outside of the San Diego Convention Center). The "South Park" Year of the Fan Experience, a free and open to the public event, commemorates the series' 15th season. The festivities kick off with a "South Park" themed parade starting at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 21 at 5th Ave. and K St. with the venue officially opening at 1:00 p.m. and running through Saturday, July 23.

Unfortunately, the whole thing happened a bit too fast for me to be able to attend (I found out yesterday after arriving back from two weeks in England and Comic-Con starts this Thursday......in 1 day, 17 hours, 19 minutes and 21 seconds actually, according to the count down on the South park website as I write this) but it is still awesome to be part of it.

All of the pieces can be viewed online at the South Park Studios website.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

This weeks illustration Friday topic is ASLEEP. Which from the look of my blog updates of late seems to be all I was doing.....I was doing stuff though....I WAS!
I had a ton of ideas for this weeks subject which while i didn't have time to finish this week (its my wedding anniversary, thanks for asking) I think I will be using in other projects.
The above picture was a lot of fun to do and the first thought i had....There is something too damn cute about it though that always bugs me so I quickly just did the following little sketch reminding people that it isn't always good to fall ASLEEP.

Oooh, Big Projects. Part 2 - The February/March "Secret Tomodachi/Munny/This-is-why-my-other-projects-were-on-hold" Project

Since February I have been working on commissioned pieces for Tomodachi store in Rosedale Mall, MN. Using the Do-it-yourself vinyl toy from Kidrobot named MUNNY six of my designs were chosen for a project coming in April. I stuck in my comfort zone of air dry clay and Citadel Paints (which include, blood red, chaos black, snot green and the always colourful, vomit brown, in their colour chart....these are the actual names) but tried to add a different media in each one. Of the following six complete Munnys now on show at the Tomodachi store, I also used model grass, paper, string, wood, glass and rice.

The beginning - One down

Devil Munny

Sushi Munny -
based on a the first Mini Munny I made for Tomodachi back in 2009
(made with real rice that can still be found in every nook and cranny of our apartment)

"Believe" Munny"

Fishing Munny

In the Dragon's Keep

(A knight riding on the body, a dragon for the head guarding the Princess in the tower)

(Wicked Witch on the back)


Red Fire Tiki Munny
(from my previous "Blue Ice Tiki" Mini Munny design)

6 finished Munny...and one more to come.

Get to the best store in Minnesota to see a whole load more Munny done by different Minnesotan artists.

Tomodachi Store
156 Rosedale center #655
Roseville, MN 55113
(651) 631-1777

On show until April when they are moved to a new location to be posted later.

Oooh, Big Projects. Part 1 - The January "I asked you to do this ages ago, whatevs" Project

So in the 2011s my plate started to get full up with all sort of Art Gubbins which is great because I have all these cool projects to be getting on with and then not great because it showed how ridiculously unorganized I am in my real life.


The first project was actually penned in late last year for the "information architects" at London company and META. At first they simply requested a canvas painting of three of the employees for the meeting room. I sketched these out in ink attaching a few images of acrylic work to reference the style. One of these images was of my Devil character, Heaven's Little Reject, playing Poker. The big boss man over at META liked this character so much that he scrapped the original idea in favour of the devil......on a laptop.

This was to go with the tag line "The Devils in the detail" - A few more acrylic on canvas tests later and a new idea was hatched. This time the aim was to have binary code (the guys at META work with figures all the live-ling day y'see?) with the devil hidden within one of the zeros.

A few "try-not-to-be-too-much-like-the-film-"the MATRIX"-and-pretend-you've-seen-binary-code-in-places-other-than-the-film-"The MATRIX", and we finally hit on some final drafts...........then the final piece...........



That was January.

I actually have BIG (yeah, capital letters!) projects every month up until April. So there. I really need to get more organized.......

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

Illustration Friday topic: WARNING

"That's new"

FANBOI

My three pieces "3G" are now hanging within the Fanboi show at Altered Esthetics gallery in NE Minneapolis. Hopefully the three "G" movies are obvious...otherwise, for shame. For shame.


I was there tonight for the opening (the show is on for the whole of March) and it is pretty damn fine actually! Not only is there the biggest painting of the living Picasso, Steve Buscemi you could ever wish for (you know you wish for that) but an awesome Battle Royale homage in the coolest frame by Matthew Kriske (that'll make you wish you brought your DVD of the movie with you when you moved to Minnesota) but also some inspired work by Lupi Loops O'Fureigh who seems to have this knack of always creating work that has that "Ah, I wish I'd thought of that" aspect to it. Her pieces in the Fanboi show combine Indiana Jones with Star Wars and (Best Trilogy ever!) Back To The Future within her two works. What? Those three movies within TWO pieces? But How? Through genius thats how. I wish I had thought of it!

On Until the end of March

Altered Esthetics - 1224 Quincy St NE, Mpls MN 55413
• 612.378.8888 • contact-at-alteredesthetics.org

Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays 1pm–7pm, Saturdays 1pm–5pm