Painting, painting, painting....all for you

Wanna hear a super sweet, heartwarming story? So, years ago, while still in college, my friend Mindy Chang told me the only way to get the ball rolling on showing my work was to man up and schedule a show. In since I was being a scaredy cat, she went ahead and scheduled one for me, on the walls of her place, Blue Koi. Then, in the weeks following she would ask, "how's the work coming?" It was endearing. So, for the last few years she's inquired about when I may be willing to show again. I recently decided it was time. Time to replay the little nudge she gave me years ago. My newest body of work is the most sentimental set I've exhibited to date, properly so I guess, in the first place I ever showed. Awe, sweet huh? These paintings will be on display at Blue Koi until November 1. Next month I will be co-hosting Metamorphosis, an art benefit, at Studio 2131 in Crossroads. Lots of fun stuff going on that night, I will be posting more info soon. Then in April I will be curating and participating in Xx Chromosome, a study of the feminine hand in Contemporary Art. Exciting eh? I'll keep you posted. Until then I'll be working away, making pretty stuff and wearing big, fuzzy scarves. I love Fall, and getting to layer up. I'm loving the forecast ahead!

 

Go Away. watercolor and India Ink on paper.

Ode to Amy: nothing says love like french fries off the dashboard

So, this drawing is an ode to my dearest Amy. We just returned from getting our pumpkin spice lattes and holy canole is it raining! Which sometimes makes people drive pretty stupidly. Like the guy in front of us on the highway. Amy had to hit her breaks, which made my life flash before my eyes. We've been down this road together before. In high school. Collision on the highway, in a snowstorm returning from McDonald's. Horrible accident. I say the dumbest things in life-threatening situations. After the car was finished getting all smashed up, us jostled, fast food scattered everywhere...I picked a french fry up off the dashboard and offered it to her. Hey, I was trying to console alright?! French fries make me happy.

400 people per year survive lightening strikes, so...

Just now I was standing by the window, pouring myself some coffee and watching the pretty storm. I watched as a lady I work with ran out, into the storm, to get her umbrella out of her car. I sat pondering the sense of that situation. Going out, from a dry, covered building, to get an umbrella to bring back into the dry, covered building? Then I hoped that lightening would strike me through the window so that I could go home for the day. I guess that doesn't really make a lot of sense either, does it?

Chicks, man.

So, I'm insanely excited right now. A little busy....but still finding a little time to get fired up. A few of my favorite things in the entire world include: creating new bodies of work (of my art), discussing art with other artists...becoming inspired by them and learning from their process, networking in my local art community, and helping new artists whenever I can. So, I decided to crumple all of those ideas into a big ball and create a new show out of it. Xx Chromosome (the name may change, just something I came up with on a whim) is a new show opening April 3, 2009 at the Late Show Gallery in the Crossroads District here in KC. The concept of the show is to highlight the female artist, recognizing the importance of the feminine hand in contemporary art. The show will explore the processes, inspiration, use of materials, and each artist's growth through their individual work. The highlighted artists include women who are  experienced showing their work in galleries locally and nationally, and women who are not as experienced with this process. My hopes with this show is that it be interactive, encouraging a vessel for networking and discussing common interests. I'm so inspired by it that I think I may turn this into an annual affair showcasing different female artists every year. For this year though I have been incredibly fortunate...I'm getting to work with some beautiful artists that I admire immensely. The artists line-up includes: Maura Cluthe, Ellie Kort, Rachel Kort, Catherine Armbrust, Tiffany Matson, and Ali Moline. Exciting stuff eh? Don't worry, this show's my new baby so I'll be posting plenty of updates, including features about each of these awesome women. Lucky you.

Plethora...

....is one of my favorite words. I love that word. It reminds me of a giant garage full of junk or an eccentric old woman's jewelry box. I don't know why, it just does. Here's a plethora of crap I like to doodle about.....

I just got my new steak suit fitted...I think I look pretty damn good.

So, last week me and Kim were busy at work...thinking up awesome but unlikely ways to kill each other. I previously mentioned that Kim's illustration skills leave much to be desired. However, I took for granted the fact that my homegirl is a graphic designer with some mad program skills. This was in my inbox this morning. It gives me warm fuzzies. Next week I think we should move on to concepting epitaphs.

This is my steak suit. I only wear it out on special occasions...like when I'm going to the zoo and I want to die.

crazy, awesome deaths that are super unlikely

Ah, computer update training week at work. Seven fun-filled hours a day learning how stuff works. It's not fun kids. See, my thing is drawing stuff. Designing stuff. Sometimes falling down, sometimes accidently breaking stuff. These are my strengths. Retaining hours upon hours of computer lessons, weakness. So, to entertain ourselves me and my good ol' buddy Kimmy decided that we should send illustrated death threats to each other across the class. Sweet right? A few days ago my friend Kim requested a friend divorce adding that she would rather be hit by a car than apologize for hurtful words she spoke about an embarrassing, but awesome band I love. I reminded Kim that hit and run accidents and divorces go hand in hand and that later that afternoon I would be renting a Ford Festiva to take her ass out with. I recommended she invest in a helmet and wear it at all times. Just in case. So, that's where the first illustration began. Awe, it all started with a Ford Festiva. 

Watch out Kimmy! You never know when a Ford Festiva's gonna be gunning it around a corner, coming for your ass! 

Next, I wished Kim a death threat by her imaginary, drug-dealing boyfriend's python. All drug-dealers have pythons or tarantulas, everyone knows that.

We work out close to an airport so of course, work with what ya got. Airplanes purposely swooping down specifically to decapitate Kim. If I were a pilot I would totally do that.  

Finally, Kim orchestrated her own death. An escape buffalo that knocks off a lawn mowing business, runs her ass over with a mower then stomps on all the tiny, mangled pieces! Awesome! Oh yeah, but then she also tries to defend herself with mace. Everybody knows that buffaloes are immune to mace. Get smart Kim!

I know I may come off as a little creepy here...obsessed with death but hey, that's what 7 hours of computer training does to people. It's not my fault man. Kim was not completely innocent in the whole thing either. My favorite death of myself was me wandering through a zoo wearing a steak suit. Brilliant. I would love to have shown it but Kim's illustration skills are crazy weak. If I don't get her a cyanide sandwich for Christmas I may just get her a drawing class.