Buried Alive for Art and Experience

Art provocateurs Monochrom buried me and several other brave patrons as part of their 20th anniversary closing exhibition at  MUSA gallery. 

The exhibition featured several dioramas that recreate different happenings and events of historic importance to Monochrom. The casket is a recurring piece that has traveled the world, appearing at the sex and culture summit in San Francisco, "Arse Elecktronica".  For that event, partners were allowed to be buried together. Monochrom co-founder Johannes Grenzfurthner explains that it's about recreating the sensationalism and mythos around the possibility of being buried alive. "It's an experience. Americans love experiences."

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Zehn and the Art of Anger, Austria-bound

Closing Night for monochrom's 20th Anniversary

On Saturday, May 27th I'll be attending the closing night of monochrom's 20th anniversary exhibition at MUSA in Vienna. I created a portrait of Johannes Grenzfurthner and Franz Ablinger, the founders of monochrom and it will be great to see the artwork in person at the gallery. Also, there will be a performance art piece in which I will be buried alive with other brave volunteers.

MUSA

Tue, Wed, Fri 11 am- 6 pm
Thur 11 am - 8 pm | Sat 11 am - 4 pm
Closed on Mon, Sun and holidays
Free entrance

 

"Zehn and the Art of Anger", 10-day Art Residency in Styria

From May 10th-20th, I'll be a visiting artist in the small village of Anger, Styria, smack-dab in the middle of Austria. This is the third installment of their KOMM.ST "New Art - Old Places", in which modern artists are invited to create works in an old-world setting. For my residency, I'll be creating a mural on bridge pilons at the entrance to the village. My concept is to pay tribute to pioneering astronomer/mathematician Johannes Kepler and his semi-fictional description of the Moon, "The Somnium". Kepler studied and taught in Styria at Graz in the late 1500s-early 1600s where he dreamed up his story of beings from the Moon that could be summoned to Earth and subsequently transport humans with them back to the lunar surface.  His story, in manuscript form known as "Lunar Geography", is considered the first published science fiction and caused problems for Kepler throughout his life with the Church and a populace of superstitious witch-burning villagers.

KOMM.ST

 

Here are some of the sketches and plans for my mural in Anger. I'm excited to get started!

Carl Sagan best described the plight of Johannes Kepler in this segment from "Cosmos.

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"Robogames" April 19-21, San Mateo CA

I'll be exhibiting again this year at the annual Robogames competition in San Mateo, CA. Find me in Artist Alley, just outside the wildly popular Combots battle arena. I'll have robot related artwork and lots of other things too. Hope to see you there. Here's Laughing Squid's great write-up on the event.

Tenth Annual RoboGames, The World’s Largest Robot Competition

2013 Int'l RoboGamesApr 19-21, 2013
Friday Noon-9pm
Sat/Sun Noon-7pm
San Mateo Fairgrounds
$25/adult, $20/kids
Free for kids 0-6 and active-duty military
Buy tickets now!
 
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"The Madame"

"The Madame" was created specifically for an upcoming tentacles-themed art event at Ltd. Gallery in Seattle, WA. The show features a myriad of pop-culture influenced artists and is curated by Bonnie Burton. My piece is inspired by black velvet pin-up girl art, black-light poster art, and the tireless work of Jacque Cousteau. 12x18" prints of the image are available right now at the Prints section of my website or directly below this post.

Here are some process shots of "The Madame".

Pencil/Ink sketches on paper.

Pencil/Ink sketches on paper.

Ink drawing on bristol board.

Ink drawing on bristol board.

Basic vector artwork in Adobe Illustrator

Basic vector artwork in Adobe Illustrator

Detailing in Manga Studio and Photoshop.

Detailing in Manga Studio and Photoshop.

The Madame, 12x18"
The Madame, 12x18"
25.00

Ready to frame with edge-to-edge black background. Each print is signed in blue pencil.

Add to Cart
 
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"Chocolate and Vanilla", Original 8x10"s for Sale

These two paintings were for for a group show at Fabric8 Gallery called "Hot Fudge". The 2011 exhibition featured works created on the loose theme of sweetness. In addition to "Chocolate" and "Vanilla", there was a "Strawberry" but that little sweetie is long gone. You can find these pieces for sale in the Originals section of my Store, or just add them to your cart from below!

"Chocolate"
"Chocolate"
150.00

8x10", gouache/acrylic on panel, 2011

Add to Cart
"Vanilla"
"Vanilla"
150.00

8x10, gouache/acrylic on panel, 2011

Add to Cart
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"Slime Noir" 9x12 Original for Sale

"Slime Noir", 9x12" Original Painting
200.00

Gouache on 9x12" Panel, in a simple black 10x14" frame (no glass), 2012

Add to Cart

Take of piece of The Daily Slimer home with you with this one-of-a-kind gouache painting. It's got a bright magenta background and is already framed. Slime your wall with a sinister spectre! $200!

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"Dungeon Master", 8x10 for Sale $200

Dungeon Master
Dungeon Master
200.00
Add to Cart

I just picked up my "Dungeon Master" piece from Mission Comics & Art. It was part of a Dungeons & Dragons themed art show. It went unsold at the event, but it's now available here. The one-of-a-kind work is 8x10 inches and ready to hang. Check out more of my original works here.

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Simple Ledger for Trade Shows/Conventions

I used to be notoriously bad at keeping track of my sales/expenses at comics conventions. In the past, it's been clumsy lists or even just hatch marks on paper. During a slow day at a recent Portland show, I decided to put my iPhone and Google Drive to use. I'm not a speadsheet expert, but I mangled together something that I think works a lot better than hash marks on a post-it.

Using multiple tabs inside a Google Sheet, I can keep running tallies on my expenses and my sales. The first tab, labelled "Report" keeps track of the totals of the other two, automatically subtracting "Expenses" from "Sales". If all goes well, the "Profit" cell amount is a positive number.

One of the advantages of working in Google Drive is that I can immediately open the file in my desktop's browser and see the data. Even though it is really handy to input data on my phone, it's a bit easier to edit formulas and format the spreadsheet on a computer with a keyboard.

I'm sure that this could be improved with tabs for Mailing List registrants, tax calculations, mail-orders, etc. If you'd like to take a stab at modifying my template, here's a link to my Convention Ledger Google Sheet. Here's a link to an XLS version of the sheet.

Tentacles and Pentacles - It must be Spring.

Burger King of Pentacles, 2013 Acrylic and gouache on panel, 11x14"

Burger King of Pentacles, 2013

Acrylic and gouache on panel, 11x14"

March 16th - April 9th, 2013

Tarot: Art of Fortune

A 78 person art show spanning every card in a standard Rider-Waite Tarot deck, reimagined by top contemporary artists from around the United States. Curated by Warholian’s Michael Cuffe and hosted by Bradley Platz and Kim Larson of San Francisco’s Modern Eden Gallery.

Participating artists include...

Major Arcana 

Ryan de la Hoz, Vahge, Peter Adamyan, Steve Javiel, Catherine Moore, Adam Caldwell, Helen Bayly, John Wentz, Sherry DeLorme, Heart Twain, Brenton Bostwick, Brett Flanigan, Alex Huxley, Lisa Alonzo, Charmaine Olivia, Craig Larotonda, Chor Boogie, Lyrica Glory, Bradley Platz, Michael Cuffe

Cups

Chris Blackstock, Sandy Yagi, Sergio Lopez, Casey Gray, Trevor Young, Michael Ryan, Rachel Moseley, Jena Rockwood, Eve Skylar, Christopher Charles Curtis, Ben Walker, Carly Ivan Garcia, Melissa Morgan, Leilani Bustamante 

Pentacles

Josh Ellingson, Lee Harvey Roswell, Mia Christopher, Lauren Napolitano, Cory Benhatzel, Joshua Coffy, Evan Venegas, Kim Larson, Mab Graves, Sidharth Chaturvedi, Brian Greif, Gregory Siff, Aaron Bo Heimlich, Robert Harris 

Swords

Nick Flatt, Ivan Grianti, Brianna Angelakis, Daniel J. Valadez, Daisy Church, Ahren Hertel, Olivia Chen, Shawn Kawa, Chelsea Brown, Aleksandra Zee, Brandi Lee, Meryl Pataky, Marcos LaFarga, Jake Kobrin 

Wands

Peat Wollaeger, Leon Loucheur, Jane Kenoyer, Xiau-Fong Wee, Aoi Yamaguchi, Calvin Wong, Gwen Rosewater, Renee Castro, Peter Gronquist, John Felix Arnold, Anne Herrero, Kim Frohsin, GILF, Akira Beard

Pics from Emerald City Comic Con '13

Thank you to everyone that made it out to Wizard World Portland and Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle. It was a nice visit to the Pacific Northwest punctuated by fun times with old and new friends. If you missed out on any of the art at my table, you can pick it up here at the Store section of my website.

March 29-31, Wondercon Anaheim

The comics convention train keeps a-runnin' with Wondercon in Anaheim, California. Forget Disneyland, all of the best characters will be at the Anaheim Convention Center for this three-day popular culture onslaught. I'll be tabling at the gates of Artist Alley (table for the duration. Come find me and let's get weird.

MARCH 29-31, 2013

Friday: 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Anaheim
Convention Center

800 W. Katella Ave.,
Anaheim, CA 92802
click for map

Faker and the Golem

The Golem, 1915 Faker He-Man, 1982

The Golem, 1915

Faker He-Man, 1982

I was just going through some old project files and I remembered a piece that I had done that was inspired by the 1915 silent film "The Golem". In 2009, I'd been asked to participate in a Masters of the Universe themed art show in Los Angeles and I was playing around with ideas for a Faker He-Man piece. One of the things that I loved about the old He-Man cartoon was the underlying sense of mysticism. There seemed to be some dark past and cosmic power that was only hinted at in the goofy stories but sometimes it came out in the character and set designs. Wasn't Castle Grayskull actually a giant skeleton? What the hell was that about?

So, when I started thinking about Faker, the artificial robot replicant of He-Man, I started thinking about mysticism and other artificial creatures. I remembered the Golem from Jewish folklore and did some research online. One of the first things that popped up was the creature from the 1915 film "The Golem" and wouldn't you know it, he and Faker share a bowl-cut hairstyle. I knew I was on the right path.

I had also been reading "The Cosmic Serpent", anthropologist Jeremy Narby's clandestine account of learning the secrets of nature through hallucinogenic plants in the Amazon jungle. These secrets were delivered to him by twin neon snakes, cosmic serpents that appear again and again in different cultures. Well, this worked really well in the He-Man mythos. Snakes are everywhere and integral to the story of the main villain  Skeletor. So, I decided that the piece would imply that Faker predated Skeletor and was somehow connected to the Cosmic Serpents. In the final painting, Faker and baby Skeletor are flanked by two Beastmen and the snakes intertwine them.

Here are some process shots and the final piece.

New Print! - "Tentacle Cluster" 12x18"

Tentacle Cluster, 12x18" Archival Print

Tentacle Cluster, 12x18" Archival Print

Today I'm releasing a brand new print! "Tentacle Cluster" includes two of my favorite things, cephalopods and booze. It will make a perfect accent to any home bar or liquor cabinet. This frame-friendly print is 12x18" and comes signed and rolled in a tube for the out-the-door price of $25 (+$5 shipping US domestic, $10 int'l 1st class).

"Tentacle Cluster", 12x18" Archival Print - $25 

While you're there, please take a look at my other prints for sale. Cheers!

Northwest Appearances, Feb 22 - Mar 3

Cosplayers at Emerald City Comic Con

Cosplayers at Emerald City Comic Con

Later this month, I'll be appearing at Wizard World Portland Comic Con.  Look for me at table #2524 if you are planning to attend. I'll have lots of new prints, sketches, and secret goodies. The very next weekend, the Northwest tour continues with Emerald City Comic Con. I'll be tabling near Juscope and Real Gone Girl Studios. I hope to see some of you there.

Wizard World Portland Comic Con
Oregon Convention Center
Portland, OR
Fri Feb 22, 3pm - 8pm
Sat Feb 23, 10am - 7pm
Sun Feb 24, 10am - 5pm

Emerald City Comic Con
Washington State Convention Center
Seattle, WA
Fri Mar 1, 2pm - 8pm
Sat Mar 2, 10am - 7pm
Sun Mar 3,10am - 5pm

 

Even if you can't make it to the show, many of my prints are available online for puchase including "BBWW", featuring everyone's favorite Amazon. This print is ready to pop into any store-bought 11x14" frame and shipped signed & rolled in a tube. "BBWW" is $25 with $5 shipping (US domestic. Int'l shipping is $10).

"BBWW" 12x18" Archival Print $25

If you plan on being in the Portland/Seattle area on either of those weekends, please come to the shows! Pacific-Northwesterners know how to party. Put some spandex on under that flanel! Let's do this!

New Print! - Cerberus

11x14" on Epson Ultra-Premium Presentation paper

11x14" on Epson Ultra-Premium Presentation paper

Today I'm announcing a brand-new art print titled, "Cerberus", that pays tribute to the three-headed guardian of the underworld as well as the traveling Doggie Diner Heads of San Francisco. The print measures 11x14" and is ready to pop right into your favorite store-bought frame. Each print is $20 each, signed and shipped rolled in a tube (shipping is $5, domestic, $10 international).

"Cerberus", 11x14" Archival Print - $20.00

The original artwork for "Cerberus" is also for sale for $200 (shipping paid). It's 14x15", ink on marker/layout-bond paper. Please use my contact form if you are interested.

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monochrom 20th Anniversary Portrait

set-up at MUSA, Vienna.

set-up at MUSA, Vienna.

For monochrom's 20th Anniversary show at MUSA, I created a portrait of founders Johannes Grenzfurthner and Ablinger Franz as they might have been in 1993. The art opening had a "Diorama" theme, so I created a multi-dimensional illustration that exists in two pieces. The artwork was printed and mounted on foam board with the foreground figures mounted 30 centimeters (go, Metric!) in front of the background image. Johannes specifically requested to be depicted brandishing a Logitech handheld scanner. Franz is holding an Apple IIe and a soldering iron. The background consists of various items that seemed to encapsulate monochrom's personality and history.

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