smoking is cool

silence

and somehow expect, that you'd find me there

that by some miracle youd be aware

sneak peak #2

so since my next show will be in a toy store, I figured this will be a great chance to dive into my love for toys, and make what I can never get a chance to.

Im a huge fan of the old Fisher price vintage pull toys. I have been able to collect a few so far.

I recently scored on the Fisher price Circus Wagon, and became my inspiration for these.

at first I thought they were not going to possible to make, unless I paid someone.

But luckly I have my studiomate Mark, and Dan who is a woodworker and has the studio next to us.

they have been a lot of work, but I love the way they are turning out.

they each will have their own plush circus animal to carry. :)

that will be my next post.

again in all my google image searches I found that I need this.

maybe Santa will bring it too me

wipe that smile off your face

only clowns would play with those balloons

this mask is actually a little frightening. I love the packaging though, and I like when things say "flame retarded". Its always good to now you child wont go up in flames.

when I do themes like these, I get obsessed and overcomed. I have so many circus images saved on my computer, I just picked up a huge circus book which is filled with all kinds of vintage illustrations of circus performers, they are so ridculous.

Once in a while, while Im looking at these I start to understand why people get frightened of clowns.

When searching for clown images, the "IT" clown comes up often. I never understood why people where so scared of him, but I can see it now.

Circus Mobius

lets hope Michigans weather plays nice. No blizzards please.

I love being able to work with other artists. And I'm excited to have a show with Mr. Nischan. The theme is perfect! He always has the coolest characters, so I cant wait to see what he comes up with!

heres one of my pieces for a sneak peak.

Im also working on lots of plushies and toys. I'll post some sneak peaks of those soon :)

By the Power of Greyskull

I remember never getting tired seeing Adam change into He-Man .

Same goes for She-ra.

I also remember playing with my cousins He-Man toys, and since I was a girl they would make me play with the Orko toy, I could never be a "cool" guy.

So of course I was thrilled when Gallery 1988 invited me to be part of their " Under the Influence" show which this time around is dedicated to "The Masters of the Universe"

too cool!

Ive been watching the episodes on Hulu (awesome). Yeah, when your young you dont realize a lot. Its pretty funny. I never noticed how they always had to say something cheesy before attacking a villian. So clever that He-Man!

The Entry of the Gladiators

In December, I am having the fortune of doing a show with Marc Nischan.

who is just the bees knees, I'll make sure to do a separate post on him.

Anyway, while we were both contemplating on a theme, my fascination of the circus came in, and he dug it as well, so our show will have a circus theme!

Marc came up with the title "Circus Mobius"

this may be the best photo Ive ever seen

I think the Circus is so fascinating.

Not just the acts, but all the situations surrounding it.

The fact that a character such as a clown, meant to make people laugh, has now become a frightening monster to many. The lives of the performers, seem as though they can be so sad, yet their job is to make people happy.

Sometimes life can be said to be a circus, a whirlwind of craziness, when all you want is normalcy. But yet you have to go on with the show and deal with it, no matter how tired and weary you are.

artists I love part 2

Ray Caeser.

" Personally I love the challenge of making art with something as coldly technical as a computer, something so many people hate. I still think traditional methods haven't been fully explored and still love moving pain on canvas or pencil on paper. The process I use is 3 dimensional and is closer to sculpture than painting as my main effort is to make movable dolls. I am passionate about my medium as any painter.

I get to walk around in my world as I create and I truly love that. There are moments that I feel I enter this other dimension as my hands work in a virtual world and lovingly create what only my mind can see. I can hide small photographs in lockets and put letters in envelopes tucked away in drawers and only I know they exist.

I say the best response to all the destruction in this world is to create, use anything and everything, just create."

some of my favorites

I love his color palette. If I ever am having trouble with color, I look through his book. I dont like using too many colors in my work, and I feel that his work is the same. He also uses full color, no muted tones, which is something else I admire.

Ray worked at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children for 17 years, as a medical artist. The children are given safe worlds, made "heros" with magical powers that help hunt back what was taken from them.

beautiful.

goodnight September 6th

oh how I hate the dentist!

They say one of the most common bad dreams people have, are about teeth.

Ive had my fair share.

By Guess and By God

There is no place like Detroit.

And there is nothing like a Detroiter.

You learn to survive, and how to deal with the troubles of life a little to early.

The city has been on a downslide for years and years.

And even though I have a love/hate relationship with the city ( Its like that brother or sister that you love, but just want them to get their shit together) I always have the spirit of the city with me.

And as I see it, so do all Detroiters, and they will go down with the ship.

The title I gave this piece is a nautical term, "By Guess and By God" a method of navigation whereby the skipper relies on experience, intuitiveness, memory and implicit faith.

we will see what happens next.

weekend

Happy weekend!

Pig and Pepper

I painted this a ways back, I think around this time last year.

I had planned on doing a whole series of Alice paintings, based off Tenniels original illustrations.
But since the Alice explosion with Tim Burtons movie, I decided not too, so Im finally showing this piece.

I am finishing the others I started as well.

I have also just picked up the prints of this piece as well

they are for sale on my etsy shop

I have "The Annotated Alice" book, which is so great. With all the secrets to Carrolls cooky writing.

this for example:

" It was surely not without malice that Carroll turned a male baby into a pig, for he had a low opinion of little boys. Im Sylvie and Bruno Concluded an unpleasant child named Uggug( a hideous fat boy...with the expression of a prize-pig) finally turns into a porcupine. Carroll now and then made an effort to be friendly with a little boy, but usually only when the lad had sisters that Carroll wanted to meet, In one of his concealed-rhyme letters ( a letter that seems to be prose but on closer inspection turns out to be a verse) he closed a P.S with these lines:

My best love to yourself, --- to your Mother

My kindest regards --- to your small,

Fat, impertinent, ignorant brother

My hatred --I think that is all.

questions that need answers

Artists I love: Part 1

64 colors

"is 2 people Laura and Eric.

Independent spirits who collaborate on illustration, graphic design, character, and toy design.

Sugar and caffine keeps us moving and working hard to channel our collective thoughts into solutions that keep our clients happy, out souls warm, and our creative souls filled with joy and happiness."

Never had I wanted a Custom Dunny so very very bad!

Amazing

Declare this an emergency

@ 323 East

This is coming along at the perfect time.

Detroit is currently talking about bankruptcy.

And the sad thing is that, it dosent seem so shocking.

I am currently working on my piece for the show.

Im looking forward to seeing others views on whats going on here.

artist list:

Andrew Alexander

Kill Taupe

April Segedi

Martin Hirchak

Julie Fournia

Julia Gala Cohl

Me

Chris Turner

Carl Oxley III

Marianne Audrey Burrows

Tony Roko

Sean Nader

Vanessa Miller

Shades

Mark Arminski

Micheal Segal

Amy Chenier

Taurus Burns

Aran Ruth

Jerry Ville

Josh Hanford

Dan Armand

Shaun Burns

Jeremy Hansen

Sean Bieri

Drew Kups

rad to the max

when we bleed we bleed the same

I did this one in the dead of winter

I was already terribly sick of the snow, the winters here never seem to end.

you start to feel like your a guest at the Overlook Hotel.

but I think it helped with the cold feeling I wanted to give.

"the long winter" 20x24

I miss hearing the birds by my window in the winter, I know spring is here, as soon as I hear the little ones chirping in their nest.

I also studied Viner's work for a color palette.

this painting has the most secrets.

white flag

I surrender to a mere reflection of a sun

that will not drench itself upon me

and bleach my mind clean

I surrender to a life less expected

we cannot detach from a memory - that will never be severed

a phantom to my every limb