Six Feet High and Rising preliminary drawing

Iron and Wine Tour Poster

I was hired by Iron and Wine to create a tour poster along with 4 other poster artists, Landland, Nate Duval, The Bubble Process, and Doe-Eyed Design. The poster is available through the end of April at their US Dates, and will be available through my site after tour is over.

Scratchboard for Tweedy poster

Jeff Tweedy

Working on "The Stranger"

When I was asked by Mitch at OMGposters to contribute a piece to the ''Required Reading" show at Gallery 1988 I knew immediately which books would be at the top of the list for me to want to interpret visually. I've been working on a few drawings for a book related series of prints later this year, so I had ideas and sketches at the ready.

Albert Camus' novel "the Stranger" is one of those books I read in High School, re-read in college a few times and then picked up again recently. For such a short read, its a powerful book. Exploring Camus' concepts of absurdism and existentialism, the main character, Mersault, an Algerian Frenchman is sort of sleepwalking through his life- nonchalantly showing up at his mother's wake in pajamas and smoking a cigar at the beginning and then committing a murder almost casually at the climax. The murder scene of the Arab being shot on the beach describes the heat and the sun being the main concerns for Mersault rather than the potential threat of a knife-wielding assailant. I knew that I wanted to use this scene for the poster / Faux Book Cover.

I've been drawn to making abstract skyscapes/landscapes over the past year or so and this seemed a perfect opportunity to do it in a different way. I went through a few different versions, some showing Mersault vividly drawn rather than a chunky silhouette, some with him standing over the body of the dead Arab. In the end I kept stripping away information- until you are left with the scene of Mersault wandering down the beach after the murder, staring at the sun and the beach.

I'm pretty happy with the result- I used a transparent metallic gold/yellow that really worked nicely on the second layer.

Thanks to Mitch Putnam, Rob Jones and Jensen at Gallery 1988 for the opportunity.

This is the final image for "The Stranger", my contribution to Gallery 1988LA's Required Reading show, curated by Rob Jones and OMGposters.
It opens tonight in LA! Featuring work from 40 artists including Rob Jones, Kevin Tong, Ken Taylor, Delicious Design League, Justin Santora and more....

The Stranger, second layer

the stranger first color

Tiny Trifecta show at Cotton Candy Machine

This little guy is Navigator #11, from a line of little paintings I've been doing while screens dry at the shop. This one is headed to Tara McPherson's new gallery The Cotton Candy Machine to be part of the inaugural show Tiny Trifecta, a show of tiny art from an impressive list of 100 excellent artists, including Jeff Soto, Casey Burns, Mark Ryden, Jay Ryan....etc etc. All pieces are $100. Crazy!

The Stranger

Rough sketch preview for my print of the existentialist novel opus by eternal optimist Albert Camus. The final print will be part of Gallery 1988 LA's "Required Reading " show curated by snappy dresser / witty fellow / grammy winner Rob Jones and OMGPosters maven Mitch Putnam . I'll post an image of the final print after the show opens.

Iron and Wine process

Working

The beginnings of a new poster

Stacking prints

Spring Cleaning Sale!

I'm having a Spring cleaning Sale! 7 posters for 50 bucks, picked at random from the shop stacks. Help me make room in my shop! All poster are from signed and numbered editions.
Available in my store.

ESS Spring Concert Series Poster

Poster for Experimental Sound Studios 2011 Concert series!

The Ex with Ken Vandermark

Incredible show from the Ex with the also incredible Ken Vandermark. @ Lincoln Hall

The Head and the Heart.

Poster for this fantastic new Seattle Band.
Up in the Store

Knox

"Knox" final. Silkscreen ,18 x 28 inches on Wausau Bright White. Ode to the amazing Joe McPhee's recording of the tune of the same name from the "Tenor" album. Recorded in a Swiss Farmhouse, the music has a noir -ish yet improvised quality that took my breath away when I first heard it thanks to my friend Ken Vandermark. So this print is an ode to the musician, and the song.

Up Now in the store

Mystery Tube Sale!

In an effort to relieve one shelf in my new shop I have randomly filled several dozen tubes with 5 prints. 2 mint art prints, 2 mint posters, 1 insane test print and some other goodies. I decided to liven this up by adding 5 copies of the June 2010 and Fall 2009 Phish Posters from my personal stock to the pool of posters I'm randomly selecting from. So 10 of these tubes will have ONE of those posters, which are both long sold out. I do not know which tubes have which posters- they were filled this morning and are truly random. I will say they are an excellent pick up for the price! There is a limit of 2 tubes per customer, I will refund any quantities beyond that.

Check it out Here in my shop:

Winter Solstice Concerts

Every December for the last 20 years, Michael Zerang and Hamid Drake have performed at 6 am during the winter solstice at Links Hall. Its a truly extraordinary event. I was privileged to have been asked to make the poster for this year's series of concerts. Looking forward to seeing the friday performance! This poster will be available at the shows and afterwards in my online shop.

Interrupted Sunrise

3 color art print, in Metallic Golds and Coppers, 18 x 24 inches Up now in the bigcartel store.

Superchunk @ Metro Dec. 2010`

4 color poster for Superchunk's show at Metro in December. 4 colors, 18 x 24 inches. Up now in the shop.

Country Solstice

New art print (based on the image used for Low's Christmas tour) in 2 colorways. Up NOW in the online big cartel store. Used Metallic Blue and Silver , and Metallic Gold and Copper in these , respectively.

Low Christmas 2010 tour

Longtime Excellence Alan Sparhawk of Low asked me to make a poster for a West Coast Tour in support of the vinyl (!) release of "Christmas" by the Kranky label in Chicago. I made this; a sort of call and response to the big sky of the album art, which segues nicely into the landscapes I've been concentrating on lately. There is an art print version of this forthcoming tomorrow in Silvers and Blues. The poster here is metallic copper and gold on cream stock.

I will have copies of this available this weekend in my shop.

Holiday 25% off sale? YES.

I'm having a 25% off sale through Monday on all items in my etsy shop= prints, posters, t-shirts, you name it. Lots of new prints coming through the shop soon so I have to make space and well, it IS the holiday season after all and everyone likes a deal. Use the coupon code BLFRI25 when you check out. That's it!

New poster for The National

I was happy to be asked to make a poster for one of the stops on The National's European Tour. This poster is for the show at Anciennes Belgique in Brussels, Belgium. Featuring a giant Bee Hive growing out of the Acropolis on Horseback, this poster is 18 x 24 and is 4 subtle colors, believe it or not. Available now in my Etsy shop.!

Open! House! This! Saturday! Chicago!

Three of the screen-printing and design studios on the third floor of our 4045 N Rockwell warehouse are opening our doors for perusement, schmoozing and refreshments on Saturday Nov 13th. from 3 pm till 7pm . The studios are: Dan Grzeca/Ground-Up , Kathleen Judge/Judgeworks, Steve Walters/Screwball Press, Kyle Baker/Baker Design Studios. Libations and food will be provided, but most likely no juggling, so please bring your skillz..
We will also be letting everyone know that Starshaped Press is having thier open House from 7-10 at 4636 N. Ravenswood #103 (on the west side of the Metra tracks). So make it a tour of 4 printmaking studios on the North Side!

Free Beer Poster contest!

I'm giving away a copy of one of each colorway of my new "Suggested Receptacles for the Drinking of Beer" print! Just leave a comment on my Facebook Fan page (you'll see the thread when you go to the page). I'll pick a lucky winner using my friend the Random Number Generator sometime this week.

Screens and Suds Print

I was asked by Sam Verrill and Brian Gearing to contribute a print to the 2010 Screens and Suds Series and Exhibition in Richmond VA this weekend. A portion of the print run is donated by each artist to help raise money for the MS Society and the Richmond Hospice. I kicked the idea of a Beer Themed print for a week or so until I finally came up with this idea:

SUGGESTED RECEPTACLES FOR THE DRINKING OF BEER.





It was a fun one to make.


Metallic Gold and Black ink on White Stock



Metallic Gold and Black Ink on Cream/Manila stock.

Copies of the print can be purchased in person this weekend at the show in Richmond and online at my Etsy shop.

A couple interviews

Some nice interviews up on the web with me this week.

First up check out the feature on I Paint My Mind.org, Evan La Ruffa's excellent Culture Blog.

And Secondly a 2 part feature on Steve Walters of Screwball Press and myself up on the Print Perspective, a nice new blog by Matt Kuhlman.

Desaturate: Reconstructed North American Fauna

This summer my friend Damon Locks, visual artist and musician (the Eternals) asked myself and 5 other artists (Jay Ryan, Derrick Buisch, Ethan D'Ercole, John Hitchcock, Dan Wang, and of course, Mr. Locks) to create a series of Black and White screenprints that would be shown under the exhibition "Desaturate"
I had been wanting to make some Black and White screenprints for a while, so the chance was finally there in the form of this invitation. I chose 5 North American Animals that have both historical importance and are important figures in Native American Folklore and Mythology.
The prints are more intimate in scale, Paper size is 12" x 12", the imagery is centered nicely in about a 6 inch area on the paper.
I have made both individual prints and the entire set ( bound in a limited handmade portfolio) available in my Etsy shop.

Guided by Voices Poster Chicago

I made a poster for Guided By Voices Reunion show in Chicago at the Riveria Theater this week. It was a fun one to make. The poster is an edition of 100, there are only about 50 available for sale. Its a 4 color print and is 19 x 26 inches on Heavy French construction.

Available now in my Etsy shop.

Deadwood Print show at MPAC, Aesthetic Apparatus

I was asked by my good friend Dan Ibarra of Aesthetic Apparatus to contribute a print based on the HBO series Deadwood for a show/portfolio exchange with 19 other artists at their HQ during the MPAC conference this week in Minneapolis. I chose a scene from the end of episode 2 Season 1, where Calamity Jane is singing 'Row your Boat " to a newly orphaned Norwegian girl. The print is called "Life is But a Dream". It is 15 x 22 inches and is 3 colors , the second being a transparent ghostly silver that is not that evident in this photo.

The print is available now in my Etsy shop!

Retribution Gospel Choir Tour artwork

Here is the black and white scratchboard drawing for a tour poster for the always fantastic Retribution Gospel Choir, the trio from MN featuring Alan Sparhawk of Low. The posters will be available from the band at their Midwest shows this tour.

Built to Spill @ the Vic , Chicago

And here is the final screenprinted poster for tonight's Built to Spill show in Chicago at the Vic Theatre! Get there early to nab one! I'll have my copies up over the weekend in my Etsy shop.

Built to Spill keyline drawing

Here's a sneak peak at the Built to Spill poster for this Friday's show in Chicago at the VicTheatre:

Owls and the Renegade Craft Fair and a Mystery Tube sale!!!

I've been posting so much on my Facebook Fan Page that I've neglected the blog! A very busy September kicked off with new prints and participation in the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago, now in its 8th year! Its come a long way from the tents in wicker park, this past weekend's fair was huge with over 300 vendors on Division street and crowds in the thousands! Thanks to all who came out! Here's a pic of my friend Erin Paige Armstrong , who helped me this weekend, and my eldest daughter drawing Gypsy Moths in the tent:



5 Owl Totem:
I was asked by the Renegade Handmade crew to make an owl-inspired piece for the HOOT show in their Spotlight Gallery (alongside work from Dolan Geiman, Shawnimals and many other talents.) I had a good time making this Owl Totem, featuring 5 owls (From bottom to top: Great Horned Owl, European Barn Owl, Snowy Owl, Scopes Owl, and Pygmy Owl.)



The print is 14 x 25 inches, and is 4 colors in 2 different colorways. The print is available in the Etsy Shop.

Last but not least. Every year at the Renegade I have a table with clearance prints. They range from test prints , misprints, and stuff I've had for a long time and need to clear away to make space for new work. I am offering up a version of this online, except this is amped up with a few other things as well....

The Mega-Mystery Print and Shirt sale!:

This is a pretty cool thing. Each tube will have 6-7 prints and a random shirt. The Prints will be : Testprints, misprints, slightly less than perfect prints, 2 editioned prints, and a shirt in your size randomly picked from my new line of shirts coming out right now. I have about 50 tubes worth packed up- some pretty neat stuff in these!

IN ADDITION: one lucky person will get a copy of my flying buffalo monoprint which is on wood panel, 18 x 24!!


available now in my etsy shop!!