Brain-Children

Hello all. As 2010 looms, I've had the opportunity to finish some prominent commissioned work.
...And embark on some new pieces, reflecting my sketchbook pages.

I've come a long way this past decade, who knows what the next one will bring. Stay tuned for a whole new year of brain-children.

Jester

"What are you laughin at?"


This was a painting I created a few months ago, on top of a vintage oil portrait. What was once a pleasant, hangable artwork is now a collaged and spray painted icon of insanity. It hung at the Aurora Gallery for a few months in the Fire & Ice show.
<-- Click for a larger version.
I worked with crusty acrylics, ink, and oil to really make you feel that this person is unstable.
Framed, 14" x 18" Feedback is appreciated.

Evolution

<--- 9"x12"

[Is it being dismantled, or rebuilt?]

Here is a progress shot of a more refined piece I'm working on. It incorporates a hi-res collaged photo and endless layers of dry and wet media. Some exploratory themes include unity, perception, and calligraphy. Once it's finished, it'll be one of two submissions for the 2010 Boston Globe / Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. After last years anti-climactic "Honorable Mention", I'm ready for the big W again this year. I'll post the resulting artwork and nomination sometime soon.

Bicycle

I've been putting aside lots of work for my sophomore art show, which may or may not involve tons of paint, pasted assemblages, and/or latex molds.

Anyway, I created this piece over the summer. It's along the lines of ballpoint pen meets silkscreen meets collage.

Poster Art n' More

This is my submission for the : Post This! Rock Posters show at Space 242 Gallery in Boston, MA.



Matt and Kim are a cool band, I first heard them years ago when they probably still had day jobs.



As of right now, I'll be printing five editions. Two are for sale in Boston, two are for sale in Worcester, and one for the 'ol portfolio.



I think they'll be 12"x18", I'm heading to the copy center in a bit.

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At school, I usually keep a pile of graph / lined paper with me for drawing. Often I endup doing environments in perspective, and tacking them up or selling them for bake sale money. The one I added to the poster is unfinished, but I thought it brought a nice dimension to it.
The drawing (so far) features over 120 individual windows, a severely misplaced street lamp, a toy Godzilla trying to eat a meal, two Soviet era tanks, a muffin factory, a pub, a crosswalk leading into a dark alley, a port-o-potty, and tons of other random details that help me and my peers cope with boring classes. (Apologies for the rough photo quality) :

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Fisheye[z]

I went to Boston recently, and found myself in the Urban Outfitters at Faneuil Hall. It's a pretty hip store, they carry loads of stuff that everyone wants; including the Lomographic Fisheye Camera 2.0 .

Famous for their wide, distorted shots, the Fisheye enticed me as a first-time photographer. So far I've developed 1 roll of trippy, spherical 35mm film.
There are some great discerning features on the camera : my favorites are probably the "B" setting, (allowing multiple exposures on one frame /photo) and the fisheye view-finder. It set me back a few bucks, but overall; a cool thing to have. --I'll post some of the resulting pictures soon.

>°)))>>€

Spider Gates

Quaker Cemetery is a private cemetery in Leicester, Massachusetts. Located near Worcester Regional Airport, the cemetery is known as Spider Gates Cemetery after its wrought iron gates' spider-like motif. Some highlights include leaves rustling without wind, scandalism, and portals into the netherworld.

Rumors are as follows: there is a raised area surrounded by trees called the Altar. Satanists have permission to use it. There are runes etched in the nearby rock walls. There is a rectangular patch of thick, soft moss; the place where grass doesn't grow. A strange white substance oozes from the ground. There have been a number of confirmed hangings and killings.

So without hesitation, me and seven others took the 15 minute car ride and soon found ourselves hiking through a dirt path leading to the cemetery. There are two cast iron gates that provide the entrance to the grounds. One is original, one is a copy. This is apparent as one opened quietly and with ease, while the other creaked loudly. Despite the complete darkness, we found the place where grass doesn't grow, Kettle Brook, the hanging tree, and the very eerie raised altar. The mood was certainly there. After we were satisfied, we gathered some wood from the grounds and made a fire back home.

Anyway, as I sit here, recollecting last nights details, I can tell you that Spider Gates isn't an evil place. Rather, a site of interest in a forested setting. Don't worry though; we'll be back.

***Also, it turns out, none of my photos from the night came out properly. However, there was a night vision video made. I plan on watching it tomorrow.***

New Sketchbook

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Every now & then I'll upload some sketches from my new Moleskine. So far I've been experimenting with tape transfer, colored pens, collage and digital effects; not to mention the hand silkscreened cover !

Art For Five Phenomenon

- Digital Sketch for a possible art piece
In the spirit of the chain; I will make something for the first 5 people who comment "I'm IN!" and who commit to do the same on their blog. Just read below and if you feel up to the task, copy the following...
You get what you get.
What I create will be just for you.
It’ll be done this year (2009).
I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be. It will be something made in the real world, not something cyber. It may be weird or beautiful. (Or both)
In return, all you need to do is post this text on your blog and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your blog post.
Send me your mailing address after I contact you. Thanks to Veronica to spreading the magic here, and possibly to you .

Channel 3 Interview !

A few days ago, I went down to the Worcester Charter tv Channel 3 Studios, and had a nice interview with Jen Roy (filling in for Hank Stolz). It aired at 6 am and 8 am on Friday, on the second segment after City Councilor Kate Toomey. It was fun, the extra exposure is always nice; and you can still watch it if you have Charter OnDemand : simply go to Community Interest: Charter Tv3 Programs: and click on Wake Up Worcester 7/3. Thanks to Andy for sending them my way !

Prints for Sale !

<<<>This is the latest generation of my Art Prints, hand silkscreened on 12" x 18" 50 lb. Masterprint Paper. Shoot me an email and 5 bucks, you can choose any color scheme for the painted backround and silkscreen ink. Seriously, any color you can think of.

A few blogs earlier I elaborated on the process, but the experimentation has only begun. Proceeds from this print will fuel future printmaking endeavors, keeping them unique and affordable. Each edition is signed, dated, and numbered. Number one is on canvas and will be hanging at the Aurora Gallery soon, but number 2 through 5 so far are still available, as I think I'm only making 20. When I feel like it's time, or if I'm bored, the stencil will be scrubbed and the designs destroyed. (brutally...) But if it does catch on a little bit, there will be many more to come folks. Tell you're friends about it!

Journeys: Stops Along the Way...

ArtsWorcester's Aurora Gallery's (660 Main St., Worcester MA) next exhibition is (you guessed it) Journeys: Stops Along the Way. Commemorating their 30 year anniversary, the assignment was to submit 1 piece from your early career, and one piece done recently. Since I'm in the midst of my "early career", I'm sending in a crayon drawing from 2nd grade and something from my new cache of art. After a successful Biennial event, I think this show is worth checking out: the crayon rendering is very symbolic. And the new piece, silkscreen and acrylic on canvas, offers a taste of some of my new $5 prints I'm now at work on. (more on that later)

Journeys: Stops Along the Way, opening on June 11, at 6 pm.

Street Art

...Admiring some local graffiti the other day. Street art and graffiti counterculture are very political and interesting forms of art often, and it becomes part of our environment . Not many other art forms can achieve this effect.

"Graffiti advocates perceive graffiti as a method of reclaiming public space or to display one's art form, their opponents regard it as an unwanted nuisance, or as expensive vandalism"

Art Prints

. . . Working on some poster / art print ideas, and I'm experimenting with different silkscreening techniques. After collecting old magazine pages, political images, and random stuff, I create a quick compositional collage, then tear it apart and rebuild it digitally.

So I got everything ready for the final burning when i found out that my faithful light bulb had died. It turns out, Photoflood Bulbs only have 2 hours of life. Pity.

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Shoes

Shoes. This was a cool study painting from school, and the challenge was to paint my shoes using a limited palette. (My shoes are black, by the way.) Still, pretty cool...it hung in the Worcester Public Library for a few weeks.

Obama !

This was one of two pieces I submitted for the ArtsWorcester Biennial show, which runs to the 29th. Although I had some help with the title, no artistic creation o' mine has generated this much heat. I've gotten several offers but I'm hanging on to it for the time being.

As for the creative process; I had a 16 x 20 inch frame assembled, and stretched on the funky gold cloth. I also threw in some silkscreened accents of Mr. Barack Obama's upbringings and surroundings. I'm satisfied with it.

---"Pride in Paisley", by Keenan Cassidy February, 2009 Acrylic, Ink, Silkscreen