the landslide brought it down.

"Flood" - 16x20 - oil on canvas

piece for the Splinters & Paper Cuts show

this was the first piece I did for the show. Though in the begining of prepping for the show, I had a different idea on where the show pieces where going, but as I worked on them things surfaced and the end result was a different one.

I had drawn this sketch a long time ago, when I was in a dark place. Sometimes certain memories reside in a sea of blackness, and nothing will change that. And though its easy to to dwell on these things, and be bitter, its best to  celebrate what you've overcome, and that you even had a chance to become stronger through it.

Glass, Cinder & Thorns II

This Saturday (tomorrow) @ 323 East in Royal Oak, MI

will be the 2nd Glass Cinder and Thorns show, curated by my dear friend, the lovely April Segedi.

Its an all female line up! All works based on Fairytales, mostly the dark little twists hiding inside the stories.

The first show was amazing! And Im pretty excited to see all the work for this installment!

Here are my pieces

"Let Me In" - plaque set of 4 - oil on wood

Click images to see at original size

I see this girl, shes the wolf, but she wont be cooked in any boiling water. The pigs lose in this story.

I have a thing for the rule of 3. Not sure why. And Ive always loved the 3 little pigs. I can remember being at my cousins house, listening to the Disney record over and over.

My pieces were aesthetically inspired by Disneys adaptation of the story.

check out the picture in the background, what a bunch of sick-o's.

I Love this book cover as well.

be sure to contact 323 East for any purchasing questions!

april@323east.com

oh and here is the flyer 

vist the FB event page for more info

https://www.facebook.com/events/426245224106034/?fref=ts

have a great weekend everyone!

friends with midnight

"Manifestation" - 36x48 - oil on canvas

She gets a little older. She gets a little more comfortable in the dark, maybe not comfortable, but familiar.

She knows its there, unsure what it really is, but tries to have a little fun with it. Unaware this carelessness only makes it spread even more.

invisible stains

Last month was such a whirlwind I never got to post about the pieces in "Splinters & Paper Cuts"

I probably wont be able to remember to post about all of them, but I do want to try if I can.

"Seep" - 16x20 - oil on canvas

this is the beginning of things she cant understand or even really see. 

Its the first stage. 

When whatever has been opened on the inside starts to bleed and seep through.

meet me in the meadow

another Bad Dads opening has come and gone, and from the looks of the photos it looks like it was an awesome time!

Here is my piece from the show

"Is that a cat in there?"

18x24

oil on canvas

first time painting a kitty! 

I only have seen this movie once before painting this. Thanks God for tumblr tags!

There was a scene in the film I really wanted to cover, but couldnt find any screen caps, so if I'm in the show next year I already know what Im doing. 

I heard on the interwebs that Johnny Depp is supposed to be in the next Anderson film...dont know how I feel about that. Wes's films have never lacked major stars, but Im pretty sick of Johnnys face after all the Caribbean movies. oh well, Im sure it will be great anyway. 

Hunger Force

So here is my piece for the Adult Swim show

"Hunger Force" 16x20 - oil on canvas

Aqua teen will always remind me of my son.  When he was pretty young we would watch the show with friends, and he would always do that little rap in the beginning.  He even has a knit Meatwad beanie, that he still wears. But we had to stop watching it when we thought he might be finally able to understand the dialogue. haha

Some of the stuff I end up painting makes me laugh. I think to myself " Im sitting here in all seriousness painting a meatball with a face" 

The show opens Friday the 13th ooOOoooOO spooky

study #1

so those studies I mentioned in a earlier post. I only finished up one, then got distracted. 

But I do plan on doing more, since I dont ever do stuff like that. 

11x14 - oil on canvas

What the Cuss?

my pieces for the 2nd annual Bad Dad's.

"Still painting storms, I see"

16x20 - oil on canvas

so the show title is obviously inspired by the fathers in Wes's films. These confused men, trying to find their "Father" status. Which leads to the strong women in his films. 

I really like the Mrs. Fox character, I think I feel I can relate more than any other character of his. 

So doing a piece on her, bringing a more human perspective to the character just made sense, for me at least. 

I used one of her paintings as the backdrop.

this painting is also part of my recent surge of inspiration from classic art. I tried a few new things on this one. 

and then I just wanted to do a little fun piece, and maybe indulge in darker colors, considering the Mrs Fox piece has every color in the rainbow in it.

"Rat"

11x14 - oil on canvas 

the show opens this Saturday and has been extended to Sunday as well.

Spoke Art

816  Sutter Street

San Francisco, CA 

www.spoke-art.com 

Happy October

This is the first October in a long time, that I feel I can enjoy. 

So I got Halloween on my mind. 

I also recently went to the D.I.A ( Detroit Institute of Arts) and was so inspired.

I mean you can go online and look at art, but nothing ever compares to seeing them up close.

So with my 2 recent inspirations fresh in my head, I started a couple studies with a Halloween twist.

I'll probably have them done soon. 

Ive also been working on my Wes Anderson pieces for the 2nd "Bad Dads" show coming up on Halloween!

I couldnt decide between 2 characters, so I ended up doing both.

you can see a peak in both photos 

I hope I can get back into updating my blog more often.

Ive been super domestic lately, and with painting I feel like there really isnt much time. 

Plus Ive recently started playing the original Zelda, so any free time I get thats what Im doing. ahem.

Which 'R" you filled with?

...relief? or regret?

"Regret"

16x20 - oil on canvas

" Now in these last agonizing minutes of life you have left, let me answer the question you asked earlier more thoroughly. Right at this moment, the biggest "R" I feel is Regret. 

Regret that maybe the greatest warrior I have ever known, met her end at the hands of a bushwhackin, scrub, alky piece of shit like you. That woman deserved better."

my piece will be hanging up at Spoke Arts section at the Beyond Eden Art Fair opening Saturday

in Los Angeles.

www.beyondedenartfair.com

www.spokeart.net

Garbage Pail Kid show opens tomorrow!

Here  is my piece for the show!

"Double Heather"

18x24 - oil on canvas

I picked this one for a few reasons. 1: Ive always wanted to paint Siamese twins. 

2: this card reminds me and my sister and I. 

and 3: Im a gemini. 

plus I like bloody noses and black eyes

for all you lucky folks out in LA

the show opens tomorrow @ 7pm

@ Gallery 1988 on Melrose Ave.

Crazy 4 Cult book

I was so thrilled when Gallery 1988 contacted me about having my art in the book!

I thought that I would just have 1 image, but I was even more thrilled when I flipped through and saw 4 of my pieces inside :)

Im so grateful! 

There is some great stuff in this sucker!

If your looking to get one, they are in all book stores

Or buy from 1988s website

www.nineteeneightyeight.com

boo

"The Intruders"

15x30 - oil on canvas

I love dollhouses. I never had one growing up. Well I made one out of shoe boxes once. 

It wasnt the elegant fantasy I wanted, but why ruin my sense of reality right?

Being the hermit I am, my home is my castle. I spend most my time inside, and a lot of time in my head.

With this girl, I seen a crown that looked like a Victorian dollhouse. 

Her home is haunted with unwanted guest, that she dosent know how to be rid of.

I spent some time deciding whether too give her tears or not. 

Shes sad, but in a way she is used to them being there.

share your light

"Flutter"

15x30 - oil on canvas

I talked about moths in one of previous post, as I was painting this piece, so I wont go back into it.

BUT I will say that I think I made myself a little more comfortable with these guys in the process. One night a moth got into our house, and instead of smashing it out of fear, I chased it around my house, caught it and released it outside! I did scream the whole time, but hey its a step.

I had a hard time naming this piece. 

She ended up looking so sad, as if shes apologetic for attracted them. 

As they get too close they just end up dying.

Paging Mr Herman....

So Friday was the opening to the Pee Wee Herman tribute art show.

Sadly once again I could not go, but some fellow artist friends filled me in and it seemed like it was a great turn out.

heres my piece in its frame

and here are my favs from the show!

Dimitri Simakis "The Spirit of the Universal Illumination"

Jason Liwag "The Playhouse Gang Print Set" 

Ryan Snook "Pee-Wee"

Scott Derby "A Loner, A Rebel…"

Chris B. Murray "Mr.Breakfast"

So if you live in the Venice area you should go check it out!!!

But if you dont go check them out online!!

www.nineteeneightyeight.com

Pee Wee!!!

Pee wee was a big part of my life growing up. 

Just like those who grew up with Howdy Doody or Bozo, we had Pee Wee! 

I freakin adored him!!

I think he helped make it ok too be a little weird and to run wild with your imagination.

When  I was 9 I got hit by a car and was in a body cast for a whole summer. And that whole summer I watched Pee Wees Christmas Special over and over. I taped it off television, and would rewind it and rewind it. My poor mother !!

I also spent my time that summer making his playhouse out of my legos.  So yeah, He made that awful summer better!

 Im so happy to be able to pay tribute to him!

"My Baloney has a first name"

16x20 - oil on canvas

I dont think many remember Billy Baloney. But I love Billy! His name alone rocks my socks. 

One of my biggest regrets, I was at a flea market and saw a Billy Baloney doll in the box still, and I didnt buy it!! 

why oh why??

well, this amazing show opens Friday, July 29th @ Gallery 1988 Venice

You should go! I wish I could!

oh yeah and I still have my Pee Wee colorforms set!

Chantilly lace and a pretty face

"Chantilly"

11x14 - oil on canvas

I love lace. Im a sucker for it. 

So lace was written in my book. 

I had seen in my head a white lace cloak, and I sketched this up.

To me she represents death. 

the ghost in you

"Residue"

16x20 - oil on canvas

This piece is a little different than my normal pieces. And this piece was one that I felt I was pushing to keep how I saw it in my head. 

I wanted her to feel engulfed in darkness. 

This was another piece inspired by old photographs. 

Weve all seen the photos with "ghosts" in the photos. That look like there is just spot on the camera lens. Or the smokey looking room. 

I came across "ectoplasm" photos. 

Im not into the whole paranomal thing, and didnt actually know ectoplasm was a real term, I thought it was just some made up thing in Ghostbusters. 

So I came across some photos and found them interesting.

  ektos, (Greek) meaning "outside", and plasma, meaning "something formed or molded") 

Ectoplasm is said to be produced by physical mediums when in a trance state. This material is excreted as a gauze-like substance from orifices on the medium's body and spiritual entities are said to drape this substance over their nonphysical body, enabling them to interact in our physical universe.

like I said I dont personally believe in stuff like this, I just think its interesting.

The girl in the piece isnt exactly possessed by a spirit or anything like that. I feel the ectoplasm represents being haunted by your inner ghosts and the release of them.

I think maybe too I was compelled to do this piece, because I was in a subconscious purging while working on all these pieces.

Would you like to hold my baby?

"Darling"

20x24 - oil on canvas

This was inspired from old Victorian photographs. 

Proper little darling girls, their hair in perfect curls, in their best clothes.

But she has a different baby than the rest of the girls.  

April and I were talking about bugs (over lunch of course)

She was telling me about a book she read, I dont remember the name, but it was gross and maggots had something to do with part of the story.  We also came up with the title to our show then. 

Well when I got home I drew this sketch up.

Im not all to familiar with what a maggot actually looks like. And since it was going to be painted so big, I figured I had to know. So I google imaged "maggot".....I dont recommend anyone to do that. So gross.

I was having a hard time finding anything that wasnt making me feel ill, so I stopped my search and just did my best painting from memory. 

shes one of my other favorites.

She kind of reminds me and myself as a girl, with my beat up ragged doll. That I loved no matter how bad it looked.

sweet the sting

"Supersedure"

18x24 - oil on canvas

I may have mentioned my dislike of bugs before. 

I really dont understand why I scream like a little girl when a bug is near.

And of course the more legs the bug has the louder the shriek is.

Ive been trying to overcome this and embrace them. 

And although creepy, insects are so interesting!

 So I wrote bugs down in my sketchbook.

Im actually not to afraid of bees. Looking at them dosent give me the heebie jeebies.

So this wasnt too horrible.

This painting almost didnt make it. I Started it and didnt like it. So I put it aside and counted it out of the show pieces. But as the show got closer, I kept looking at it unfinished and felt like I quit, so I started back up with it, and       I'm happy I did. 

The title is the term for when the worker bees overtake the queen bee and kill her. Either because she is getting old, or not doing a good job. They surround her and roll her into a ball and suffocate her. 

I read about this after the piece was finished and was researching about bees, to find a title.

Which is odd because the dress I painted is based off Marie Antoinette's wedding dress.