I'm a Monster!

***Update: the original is available for purchase online at Hero Complex as well as limited edition prints. Proceeds go to benefit Grateful Arts***

I am happy to announce that I will have a painting in Pop 2 Action presented by Gratitude Collaborative and Hero Complex Gallery opening November 7 and running through November 9th (yes! that's one weekend only). The show is a collection of artwork inspired by pop culture (with a somewhat hidden reference to 'grateful') to help support Grateful Arts. For more information please visit Gratitude Collaborative.

For my painting I wanted to do something related to Arrested Development as it's given me so much joy over the years. After wracking my brain for an idea, I woke up one night and the phrase, "I'm a Monster" was going through my head. Anyone familiar with the show will know that was Buster's key phrase after losing his hand to a seal with a bowtie. He was also a big fan of grape juice :)

I really hope that you all love this square, fuzzy monster shape because I had such a fun time doing Buster, I decided to use it for a bunch of other upcoming shows. I'll post about those very shortly.

I also hope that you all take a moment to reflect on what makes you grateful. It could be anything from your family to the gal that made your coffee this morning and gave you a smile. It doesn't have to be much - just as long as we all remember that there's always something to be grateful for, no matter how small or insignificant we think it may be. Like painting silly monsters with big smiles.

 

Upcoming Charities to Benefit Animals

There are two charities that I'm taking part in, the first opens this weekend and is being presented by Leanna Lin's Wonderland and Supahcute. Doggie Wonderland "Fun Adventures with Your Best Friend" will benefit Ken-Mar Rescue, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit small dog rescue. All the artwork and products for this show are $100 or less and since it's a cash and carry event, I'd suggest getting there early and staking your claim. I'm super excited to be taking part in this!

The show will open with a reception at Leanna Lin’s Wonderland on Saturday, May 10 (6-10pm).

There are tons of wonderful pieces for this show and with everything priced at $100 or less, there's sure to be something for everyone.

-photo credit: Leanna Lin

You'll see right there in the middle is a mounted print of my painting "Tex". It will be priced at only $55. Leanna and Supahcute always put on such wonderful shows and with this one benefiting such a great cause I highly suggest heading over there and taking part.

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The second charity is a slightly larger affair and is called More Than a Cone. They invited artists to re-imagine the "cone of shame” or e-collars as they are usually know.

They will be auctioning off the finished works at their Launch Party Extravaganza in Los Angeles on June 21, and you can join them.

Every single art piece will help benefit the great people at Best Friends Animal Society®; the only national animal welfare organization focused exclusively on ending the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters.

I was so excited to be asked to participate not only because it's for another amazing charity but because there are so many amazing artists and designers. I'm talking Todd Oldham, Wayne White and Mishka -- amazing.

We were all given a huge array of e-collars to work with and free reign to do whatever we wanted with them. I layed them out flat and thought and thought and then it hit me! The interior, negative space of the cone looked just like a dog head and body to me. I sketched up a fun pup with some of his buddies and here you have my painting,

"Buddy's Buddies" acrylic on 16" maple round

I cannot imagine my life without my dogs (past and present) so both these charities hit close to home. If you're thinking about a new pet in your life please consider a shelter - you'll save a life and gain a best friend!

Thanks for reading :)

-Kris

Bad Robot

***Update: there is a signed and numbered edition of 35 prints (9" x 12" for $35) available now at Gallery 1988***

Gallery 1988 just had an amazing opening for The Official Bad Robot Art Experience, now thru May 18, 2013 in their new space at 7308 Melrose Ave. Once again, I wasn't able to be there, but from the shots of the lines around the block, I'm not even sure I'd be able to handle the crowd (and Usher!).

Over 100 artists were involved and had any of the tv/movies that JJ Abrams' company, Bad Robot, has produced over the years. We're talking Fringe, LOST, Alias, Star Trek, Super 8, Cloverfield...need I go on? I happily rewatched the movies for inspiration but decided on LOST - a favorite of mine. Here's what I came up with:

I'm happy to say that the piece sold opening night, but still urge you to visit the gallery because Alex Pardee did a kick-ass Cloverfield mural that I'm dying to see in person.

If you can't visit you can still view/purchase the artwork here and with 10% benefitting a GREAT charity called The Mission Continues which helps veterans become community leaders, it's a win/win!

VIEW ARTWORK

Thanks for reading!

Creative Pet Project

Rob Snow contacted me about participating in his Creative Pet Project. “Artists from around the world have joined together in a collaborative effort to help charitable organizations in turn help the animals that make up our eco-system.”

He's compiling portraits of artists with their pets for an upcoming book as well as a wonderful website showcasing the participants. With artists like Chet Zar, Tara McPherson, Lou Pimentel and Dilka Bear, I was honored to be asked.

And although I and my chi, Ginger are notoriously camera shy, we couldn’t have been happier to help out.

"There's Always Room" is back!

I just picked up this painting from it's six month long exhibition and I'm really happy to see it again. I kind of forgot how bright the colors are and how big it is (for me, at least!). I think that it's time for this piece to make someone else happy. It will be available for purchase in my shop on Friday, September 7th at 3pm EDT.

I'm going to be donating 10% of the sale price to the NJ Food Bank as well, so many thanks in advance to whoever may give this piece a loving home.

Amazing Company

I'm back in NJ after visiting California for the Sea No Evil Show. Needless to say I was floored when I saw where I was placed in the show. Yup, that's Bunga Bangkai right between Tim Biskup and Shepard Fairey and adjacent to Gary Baseman, Jeff Soto and Chris Ryniak.

I got word that they raised $63,000 that night! Amazing and happy to have been a very small part of it :D

Good Rocky's Revival

May I present, "Good Rocky's Revival" (11.75" x 9.25" acrylic on wood) for All Together Now: A Tribute to The Beatles at Gallery Nucleus, opening July 7th through July 29th. If you click the above link you can sign up for the preview (that means you'll get an early shot at seeing/buying the work from this show!)  I'm also very happy that it's a benefit show with a portion of the proceeds going to Doctors Without Borders.

When I got the email to be a part of this I started thinking about what Beatles song I could use for inspiration. A small voice said, "...rocky raccoon..." and I jumped because Ed was standing close behind me whispering it. Seems that he has taken the place of my failed memory because I've always loved Rocky Raccoon and wow what an absolutely perfect fit for me!

I also decided to do another progress video (over 400 photos) and although I didn't dare use the original song, I stumbled upon AudioSwap at YouTube which allows you to add music from their 'extensive collection' directly to your video. I found a perfect piano rag and this is the result - enjoy!

Bunga Bangkai

I gave you a peek at this a while back: "Bunga Bangkai", 9.25" x 21.5", acrylic on wood. This is my contribution to the Sea No Evil Art Show which benefits the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. The show is June 30th at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium in Riverside, Ca and Ed and I will be making the trip out to attend. It's a silent auction (there are talks to open up bidding to phone and online guests too so stay tuned) and there is an amazing list of artists who are donating work this year. It would be wonderful to meet some of my California fans in person so why not stop by! You can bid on some cool art, listen to music and hear Captain Paul Watson (founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society) and Captain Peter Hammarstedt and the crew featured on the popular Animal Planet series, “Whale Wars”.

Yes, the show is benefiting an organization that preserves and protects the oceans of the world, but I was struck with inspiration from the rainforest. This piece is based on the Amorphophallus titanum or titan arum or corpse flower ('bunga bangkai' means corpse flower in Indonesian) which can grow to 10 feet tall. When in flower it smells of rotting flesh (even heating up to mimic a decaying body temperature) to attract carrion beetles and flesh flies to help pollinate it. I've been eyeing this beauty up for years now (after first reading about it in a specialty plant catalog) and it slipped my mind as of late. While I was wandering the house looking for an idea to paint, Ed conveniently reminded me of it. Once I saw that it grew from a corm (the world's largest, weighing in at around 110 lbs) I knew it was the perfect addition to my plant portrait series.

I also decided to take progress photos and put them together in a little video that makes me smile. I hope you enjoy it too.

I'm so happy that I was able to contribute to this incredible show which is helping a truly worthwhile cause. 

 

Green Jell-o Anyone?

My fourth and final show for this month is opening tomorrow (March 30th). It was a lovely surprise when I got the email to participate, but when it came down to it, I had about a week to come up with an idea and execute a work about food.

I went back to my childhood and my love of canned fruit cocktail (yes, I still love canned fruit cocktail) in Jell-o. My mom never used lime Jell-o but I'm a sucker for green!

"There's Always Room" is acrylic on pine and measures 9.5" x 14" and will be at the Food For Thought exhibition at Summit Medical Group in Berkeley Heights , NJ. It's a beautiful space and I suppose I'll be the comic relief as the other artists are doing wonderful, more traditional paintings and photography. 10% of the sale of each piece will go to the NJ  Food Bank.       

So I'll keep you updated and if he doesn't get snatched up at the opening, I'll post him just like any of my originals. But you will have to be patient.

The exhibit will run for 6 months so if anyone purchases these guys, they will have to wait until September to get them. I suppose if you get a doctor's note I might be able to swing it, but I don't think so ;)

I've got some extra space here, so how about a bit of trivia? Did you know that to be considered fruit cocktail, it has to contain pears, peaches, grapes, cherries and pineapple? I didn't either, but now we all know and can pass along this knowledge to others.

 

Thanks for sticking with me. Here's some more closeups: