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Short & Sweet. My first solo art show!

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In the words of Roger Daltrey: “YYYEAAAAAHHHH!”

Bluebottle Art Gallery + Store info

I’m so excited about this, I just can’t help but invoke the CSI opening exclamation. The good folks at Bluebottle Art Gallery + Store in my favorite home away from home city, Seattle, WA will forever be special to me now. Well, even more special. They are showing my very first solo gallery show this February.

Perhaps you recall that I was a part of their fantastic holiday art print show “Jolly Good”  in December, (blog post here). Well we’re back baby! Teaming up once more for my solo show in the adorable little month of February, hence the name “Short & Sweet”. It is obvious, right? Do I really have to lead you along with explanations of the shortest month of the year and the second most candy-fantastic holiday of the year? (Flag Day being the first, naturally.) No? Excellent!

Wanna now what’s in store for “Short & Sweet?”, well Bluebottle Art Gallery + Store is here to help your nebby way. They have a preview link here with just some of the screenprinted art prints that I will be showing. All prints are available for sale at Bluebottle from February 1st – 28th. 

And, there will be a brand new print debuting for this show, called “Night Birds”, so fresh on the presses it’s not even OFF yet. Yup yup! So if you are in the Seattle area, please do stop by and see the show. Bluebottle Art Gallery + Store is located at 415 East Pine Street in Seattle, WA with gallery and store hours of Tues – Sun 12 -7.  Bluebottle Art Gallery & Store also runs an email preview list that you can sign up for here, which allows you to get sneak previews of art work before the general public.

 

Short & Sweet show preview page

Short & Sweet show preview page

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President George Washington; New art print released!

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United States First President, General George Washington, 8 color screenprint

United States First President, General George Washington, 8 color screenprint

  Mr., General, President George Washington. He was a complicated man for exceptionally complicated times. Farmer, general, slave-owner, politician, surveyor, patriot, Mason, husband, stepfather, and the United States very first and formidable first President. A man who didn’t belong to a political party, nor believed in them. Kind of difficult to imagine these days, isn’t it? Unfortunately. 

Mr. Washington here is a new hand screenprinted art print, done for a print exchange and upcoming show at fellow printmaker Leia Bell’s gallery called Signed & Numbered Gallery in Salt Lake City Utah. The show is called “All The Presidents Men”, features 44 prints from 44 different artists (one for each US President, should you be keeping count. “All The Presidents’ Men” opens on Friday January 16th 2009 during the SLC Gallery Stroll and there will be another party to celebrate the actual inauguration of our 44th president on Tuesday January 20th 2009 from 1:00 until 7:00pm. 

My new print for this show & exchange is available now, and I have just a few since half of the run is part of the show and the print exchange with the other participating artists. Mr. President here is an 8-color hand screenprinted print with process Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (CMYK) inks, with lots of overprints to make 8 magic colors out of just 4. Gotta love overprints in screenprinting! Edition of 100, with 47 going to the show and the print exchange, so I have just a few for sale. Size: 9.5w x 13h inches. Perfect for framing. Paper: acid-free & archival Cougar 100 lb White, cover weight. 

Growing up in Philadelphia, just a couple of blocks away from Independence Hall, The Liberty Bell and many other colonial landmarks that were a part of the making of the United States, I was quite excited to get the chance to do a portrait of our first President. Thank you Mr. Washington.

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Super fun Year End Exhibition Art Show at AIR

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AIR community print studios.

AIR community print studios: 518 Foreland St. Pgh. PA - 412-321-8664.

Ooooooh yeah! This one is going to be a rad fun time. It’s experimental, and if you know anyone from the AIR studios (Artists Image Resource, where I print) then you know this is going to be a funfest. 

What: The AIR Annual Staff & Volunteer  Art Show, Party & Exhibition. Over 32 artists’ current work will be on view ranging from print, sculpture, painting, photography, sound and video installation.

When: Saturday December 13, 2008 from 7:00pm –11:00pm

Where: AIR, Artists Image Resource, 518 Foreland St. Pittsburgh, PA 412-321-9664, on Pittsburgh’s historic North Side.

More What: Fresh music, fresh food,  a fresh new exhibition of experimentally focused pieces created just for this show by the AIR staff & volunteers, an Open House. It takes a village to run a community arts co-operative and members of this tribe are showing off their hot stuff on Saturday. And you are cordially invited!

Cool extra stuff: DJ Mary Mack, DJ Sean MC and the duo of Hoof & Beek will be spinning music throughout the evening – food and drink will be provided – admission is FREE. This event is not to be missed and we look forward to seeing you!

see works by:
matt cummings  / howard booth  /  andy english  /  ian short  /  kerry gaydos /  katyana gradler  / matt forrest  /  mary tremonte  /  hunter blackwell  /  meredith hertel  /  strawberryluna  /  jenn pascoe  /  erin foley  /  ryan emmett  /  rachel maran  /  jamie adams  /  sabrina adams  /  josh troy  /  gene marsh  /  mike hegedus  /  carolyn kelly  /  budai  /  kristine synowka  /  amos levy  /  nathan mould  /  julia kennedy  /  lizzy devita  /  tresa varner  /  bill rodgers  /  robert beckman  /  nick fredland  /  ashley brickman  /  shaun slifer

Here’s a little mock-sneak peak at my piece. Note the “mock” adjective as this is an installation yet to be installed. Digital print, with tissue paper & yarn (to be added), hung low on the wall with the pond set onto the floor. I will post photos of the finishing and installation process and post them next week. 

"Spring Spiders", 3D print mock, part 1

"Spring Spiders", 3D print mockup, part 1

spring-spider-installation-waterblog

"Spring Spiders" 3D print mockup, part 2.

For more information about AIR and this show or the resources available to artists through AIR please check out my home-away-from home’s website. Hope to see you at the show on Saturday!

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“Jolly Good” Group print show at Bluebottle Gallery, Seattle, WA

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“Jolly Good” holidays to you and yours! Super excited about this show. 

Blue Bottle Gallery in Seattle, WA - Jolly Good print show

Blue Bottle Art Gallery in Seattle, WA - Jolly Good print show

The excellent-cool folks at the Bluebottle Art Gallery & Store in my favorite-not-home-city, Seattle, WA are putting on a fantastic holiday art print show called “Jolly Good” which features the work of over 30 screenprint artists from all over the US. And best, they invited me to join in the fun. Yes huh!

The “Jolly Good, Group art print show” will run from December 2nd, 2008 – December 31st, 2008. The opening reception for the show will be on Saturday Dec 13th from 5 – 8 pm, so please join in the fun for drinks, snacks and cheer! Blue Bottle Art Gallery & Store is located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle at 415 East Pine Street.

My newest, fresh off the presses art print “Winter 2008″ will be available making it’s debut at this show and will be available for view and purchase, yep. Other participating artists include Cricket Press, Tad Carpenter, Nate Duval & a slew of others that make up the 30+ artists. The artists have entered 2 -5 prints into the show and all prints will be available for purchase. I’m sending 5, wassssup?!

Please note that as “Jolly Good” is designed to be a cash and carry show, to allow for holiday purchases, prints will be going fast while the show is up. All art prints are priced under $100, many in the $25 – $50 range.

Bluebottle Art Gallery & Store also runs an email preview list that you can sign up for here, which allows you to get sneak previews of art work before the general public. It’s a cool gig!

"Jolly Good" art print show info

Bluebottle Art Gallery & Store is an independently owned & operated art gallery and curated boutique shop of handmade goods run by the lovely husband & wife team of Andrea & Matthew Porter. We’re tickled holiday red to be a part of this show. Cheers!

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“Screenprinting 102” art print show in Charleston, NC

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Once again, independent music store 52.5 Records in Charleston, SC is showing some mad love for the screenprinting community! 
Screenprinting 102 poster by Chuck Keppler

"Screenprinting 102" poster by Chuck Keppler

This time with a focus on art prints by local and national printmakers. Rad! “Screenprinting 102″ is the second annual screenprinted art show at 52.5 Records (hence the collegiate title) and I’m thrilled to be a part of it again. Pieces in the show are from artists from around the country and will be available for sale as well. Quite affordably too I might add. My newest, fresh off the presses art print “Winter 2008” will be available for view and purchase, yep.

“Screenprinting 102” opens on December 5th 2008 from 7-9pm and will run through January 3rd, 2009. 52.5 Records is located at 561 King St., Charleston, SC. 

Participating  artists include: Leia Bell,  Johnny Pundt, Chuck Keppler, Cricket Press, Adam Turman, Crosshair, Jason Goad, Pete Cardoso, Jason Cooper, Mike Klay, Aesthetic Apparatus, Lon Unitus, Nate Duvall, myself and others to be announced shortly. A good handful of these artists will be at the opening too. Keep your eye on more information here.

We love you 52.5 Records!

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Our one-of-a-kind Custom BUDs on sale NOW!

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Tatsuta-Hime, my custom BUD, the Shinto Goddess of Autumn Tatsuta-Hime, my custom BUD, the Shinto Goddess of Autumn

Hooraaay! Our Custom Blow Up Dolls (aka BUDs) from Hero Design Studio’s the super successful This BUDs For You! show are now on sale. Yes yes! Let me be real real real real REAL real with you: These are truly one-of-a-kind toys.

Frownie Brownie, Craigs custom BUD, makin the batter Boss.

Frownie Brownie, Craig's custom BUD, makin the batter Boss.

First, they are entirely hand customized, from start to finish. We were lucky enough to get 2 completely blank BUD Blanks (show below) from Jamungo, which by the way, are Sold the heck Out. It was great fun getting to flex my painting muscles again on this surprisingly tricky 3-D surface. For a pretty annotated process set of photos, look at my Flickr here.

Blank BUD - now Sold Out

Blank BUD - now Sold Out

Second, I rarely do toy customs! This custom toy, Tatsuta-Hime, the Shinto Goddess of Autumn, is my second one ever, and Frownie is a first for Craig. So, they ain’t coming back around anytime soon. I.E. NEVER. Nope, never ever. So scoot on over and check them out, exclusively available from Hero Design Studio + Boutique both online and/or in person. All custom toys from the show will be up for your viewing pleasure and the remaining toys (going fast!) and for sale until December 23rd, so don’t blow it! Get it? Blow Up Doll?

For more photos like the one below of the opening night totally fun rad awesomeness that I was stoked to drive 4 hours to attend (all weekend, yay!), check out Hero Design’s Flickr set.

This BUDs For You opening night crowd

This BUDs For You opening night crowd

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Edinboro University’s “Interlocution” Art & Graphic printmaking show

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Poster by Jay Ryan of The Bird Machine 

 

Poster by Jay Ryan of The Bird Machine

 

“Interlocution: The role of printmaking as a catalyst within graphic design and illustrative aesthetics.”

I am proud to be a part of this show at Edinboro University in Edinboro, Pennsylvania. The Interlocution show opened on November 5th, 2008 and will be up and available to the public until November 25th, 2008 and runs concurrently with the “More Than a Book” show.

“Interlocution” is, in the gallery’s own words: A printmaking, poster, and design show organized by John Lysak and Laurie Godfrey of Egress Press and Research. This show continues the dialogue between Graphic Design, Illustration and Fine Art Printmaking in terms of design, process, and stylistic content.

Print, poster and design work by select artists:

Toulouse Lautrec
Arthur Wesley Dow
Gustave Bauman
Oskar Kokoschka
Takashi Murakami
Bill Fick
Tom Huck
Jenny Schmid
Jay Ryan
Diana Sudyka

and many more…including me! I know, RIGHT?! 

“More Than a Book” is, in the gallery’s own words: A selection of handmade books from the collection of Lafayette College’s Experimental Printmaking Institute. Also Included are books from a cultural exchange EPI initiated with Costa Rica, Mexico City, and the University of Manchester, England. This exhibition redefines our preconceived notions of artist books, with over 60 pieces from selected artists.

If you are in the Western PA area while both of these amazing, international shows are up please do yourself an art favor and check it out.

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“This B.U.D.’s For You!” Custom Toy Show Wrap Up

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Slightly overdue, but still a spectacular event, here is the round-up, wrap-up and review-for-you of theone-of-a-kind, custom toy show that we particpated in just last week in Buffalo, NY. “This B.U.D.’s For You!”, awesomely put together by our good friends at Hero Design Studio. The toys used for this show are B.U.D.s or Blow Up Dolls, sold as blanks for customizing. Totally fun and a true test of skill and problem solving. When’s the last time that you tried painting a 3-D surface for an art show? 

Check out the photos from the show’s opening on October 24th:

 

Mark Hero, myself and the gallery crowd talk toy turkey.

Mark Hero, Beth Hero, myself and the gallery crowd talk toy turkey.

 

Tatsuta-Hime, The Shinto Goddess of Autumn on her rightful pedestal.

My custom B.U.D.: "Tatsuta-Hime, The Shinto Goddess of Autumn" on her rightful pedestal.

Frownie, the King of Desserts.

Seder's custom B.U.D.: "Frownie", the King of Desserts.

 

The blank B.U.D.s on the wall get customized live at the opening reception. Edition of 2.

The blank B.U.D.s on the wall get customized live at the opening reception. Edition of 2.

All of the pieces in this killer show are, custom, one-of-a-kind, hand crafted, painted and styled pieces created just for the This B.U.D’s For You! show. They will all be on display and for sale at Hero Design’s Boutique store in Buffalo, NY through December 24, 2008 and also available via their website. Click here for more info. 

We had a great time making our toys, and an even better time at the opening. Thanks again Hero!

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Custom BUD!

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My Custom BUD, Tatsuta-Hime, the Shinto Goddess of Autumn

Custom BUD, Tatsuta-Hime, the Shinto Goddess of Autumn

So check it! I just completed a custom, one-of-a-kind toy for Hero Design Studio’s Custom BUD show opening on Friday 10/24/08. She’s Tatsuta-Hime, the Shinto Goddess of Autumn. Yup yup. More photos of this piece on my Flickr page.

Tatsuta-Hime is a hand painted and custom accessorized piece, the only one in existence, for the “This B.U.D.’s For You” show, running from Friday October 24th, 2008 to December 23rd, 2008 at Hero Design Studio in Buffalo, NY. Hot opening night reception on the 24th with many of the over 30 participating artists  in attendance including myself. Fun!

BUD (which stands for Blow Up Doll) Blanks are rad blank vinyl toys produced by our friends at Jamungo for customization or just minimalistic awesomeness. They produce a full line of super cool toys, check ’em out!

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