What's Happening?
I wanted to let everyone know that I will be having a 2 day signing at the brand new WonderGround Gallery in Downtown Disney at the Walt Disney World® Resort! This Friday, June 26th and Saturday, June 27th I'll be at WonderGround in the Marketplace Co-Op from 5pm - 8pm each day, signing prints and merchandise (along with doodling, chatting about Disney, taking pictures and giving out hugs).
I can't wait! Hope to see you there! Thanks everyone :)
I'm back from another jam packed trip to the West Coast and boy am I tired! Ed and I just love it out there and always have the best time. We started with a lovely morning at the LACMA. I was especially excited to see their special exhibition, Nature and the American Vision: The Hudson River School (no photos allowed, but it was amazing and so moving in person). We were also greeted by the genius "Urban Light" by Chris Burden:
And just around through the entrance was the amazing "Levitated Mass" by Michael Heizer. So powerful in person!
By the way, all these photos are by my husband, Ed Mironiuk. He has such a better eye for framing than I do :)
At this point in the trip, the clouds thickened and the wind picked up and it seemed like we were back in Jersey. Just as we were headed to the line of food trucks for some lunch the heavens opened up and we rushed to our car to have some delicious mexican food. It seems that it always rains when we go to the coast and boy, do they need every drop they can get!
We finished up at the museum and met up with friends at a coffee shop nearby. The rain tapered off at that point and the sun even came out. It turned into another beautiful day in Los Angeles.
Later on, we stopped by Gallery 1988 to see my show all hung. It's always such a thrill to see months of work filling up a room as I'm usually worried that it won't fill a closet. The great folks over there always do such a wonderful job, I can't thank them enough for all that they do.
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The morning of the show, we woke up to some more rain and wind. Not a problem! Ed and I wanted to venture out to the ocean, grabbing a sushi burrito from the Jogasaki food truck. We took it over to the beach and once again, the clouds parted and the sun came out. It turned into another perfect California day overlooking the Santa Monica Pier.
We jumped into our car and headed up the PCH, passing all the surfers and beautiful homes along the coast. Then a trip through Malibu Canyon, to head to the Hollywood Hills to try and find the iconic Chemosphere House. Built in 1960 by John Lautner it's an amazing structure.
Now, I must admit, I'm not a fan of driving through the hills. The twisting turns and tiny road (with two way traffic) makes my stomach turn. But the views and the homes more than make up for it! Our gps said that we had arrived at the address but alas, no Chemosphere. We drove a bit further to the end of the street and turned around to head back to the hotel. Then we looked up...
Success!! So gosh darn cool!
Back to the hotel to try and relax for an hour or so before dinner with friends at MudHen Tavern.
It was such a great meal of little tapas style plates. Definitely recommended if you're in the Melrose/Highland area of LA.
Dun dun dun!! The big opening. Jitters, sweating a bit and wondering if anyone would show up. From the moment we walked in around 7:30 till 10pm the gallery was just about full. I met so many wonderful people (a couple from Australia even!), old friends and new, I was overwhelmed by the kind words and smiles. I'm getting choked up a bit just thinking about it again. Thank you so very much. And darn it - we totally forgot/didn't even have a chance to take any photos! You can see the whole show online at Gallery 1988. We ended the evening at the iconic Pink's around the corner for a hot dog.
The next day we spent with one of our favorite people, walking around Los Angeles which we had never done before. We went to the Bradbury Building (think "Blade Runner"):
Past some really spectacular buildings like the Grand Central Square Apartments:
Look at the fascade! Never saw cow skulls with horns on a building before.
Had some lunch at the Grand Central Market which has been there since 1917! We even went to the Los Angeles Public Library and saw the most amazing lobby:
Surrounded by murals depicting the history of California it was truly breathtaking.
Whew! Back in the car and then off to the airport for our red eye to NJ.
I hope that you enjoyed my tale as much as we enjoyed experiencing it. Coming back home is lovely, but it doesn't beat the excitement and love of friends + art + architecture.
Thank you.
-Kris
I can't believe it, but Ed and I are going to Australia! The great folks at Auguste Clown Gallery have invited me to do a larger solo with them October 2nd and we decided to go for the opening! It's quite the trip and believe me, not an easy decision due to the cost of getting there (not only money-wise, but physically and emotionally as well - 24 hrs in an airplane is a LONG TIME), but the pluses far outweighed the minuses. We will be in the Melbourne area for a week and hope to get a good overview of the city as well as a day trip or two outside (Great Ocean Road, anyone?). If anyone has any tips or hints or must-see places or might even want to meet up for a coffee let me know!
I'm not set on a theme just yet, but have started sketching and having fun coming up with some new characters. So stay tuned and I hope to see some of you in October!
A few shows have opened since I've been away and I wanted to provide everyone with a handy list of what's available for purchase (including some discount codes and purchase plans when available).
Here goes:
1. First we have four fun holiday paintings that I did awhile ago for another project and would love to have them make someone happy in their home. They each measure 8" x 11" and will be available for purchase in my own shop tomorrow, Monday, Dec 15th at 3pm EST for $325 a piece.
2. Get the Lead Out VI presented by Swoon Gallery. I had 4 pieces in this fantastic show and only 1 painting is left. "Annie" is acrylic on maple and measures 8.5" x 8.5" and is available for $475. Please visit Swoon Gallery's website for purchase details.
3. Flower Pepper Gallery's 3rd Anniversary Show. This was such a fun piece to paint I hope that these 3 silly characters can brighten someone's day. "Sunny, Goggin & Crump" is acrylic on maple and measures 9.75" x 11.75 x .75". It is available for purchase for $550 at Flower Pepper Gallery's website.
4. Crazy 4 Cult Back in LA presented by Gallery 1988. After my last Kubrick inspired piece I just couldn't help but do a painting inspired by one of my all time favorite movies, A Clockwork Orange. "Fuzzy Navel" is acrylic on maple and measures 8.5" x 8.5" x .75 and is available for purchase for $450 from G1988's website.
6. And finally, there are still a few originals from my Happy as Kings solo at Gallery Nucleus. They have some great deals (free shipping) and if you ask nicely they will do a payment plan for you! Visit their website for available pieces and prints.
I wish you all the best this holiday season and thank you for your continued support and well wishes. I'll be back to painting soon :)
xo
Kristin
I am so happy to be heading back to WonderGround Gallery this Saturday to sign prints for three brand new pieces! I was asked to created paintings based on Chip and Dale (wonderful), angry Donald Duck (brilliant) and of course, what's becoming my go-to character of choice, Stitch (yayyyy!).
The most difficult part of creating these is coming up with a fresh, yet familiar situation for these iconic characters. As usual, this began by brainstorming with Ed for a few days, throwing ideas at each other in hopes that it will spark something fun. I also started to think of all the fun trips we used to take to Walt Disney World in Orlando and our favorite resorts there.
Then it hit me! Why not base each painting on a resort we've stayed at over the years? Brilliant!
So I started at The Wilderness Lodge for Chip and Dale and thought about the amazing breakfasts we used to eat before heading into the parks. Thus, "Chip and Dale's Balanced Breakfast" was born.
Then I moved onto Disney's Boardwalk Inn and how lovely it was to walk along the boardwalk during midday, listening to the waves lapping against the shoreline and the toot toot from the boats heading into Epcot. Then I imagined how Donald Duck would react to a walk along the beach and who he might encounter. Thus, "Crabby Donald" was born.
And last, but not least, was the Polynesian. Heading back home to this resort after a 'tough' day at the parks was always so comforting. Warm, tropical breezes, the soft strumming of a ukelele and a cozy bed to rest your head on. "Stitch Serenade" was born.
I will be signing alongside Joey Chou, Brian Crosby, Eunjung June Kim and Lyla Warren
from 11am till 1pm on November 15th at WonderGround Gallery, Downtown Disney® District, Ananheim, CA. For more information you can click here.
For purchase inquiries, feel free to contact Disney Merchandise Guest Services number at 877-560-6477 on/after November 15th.
Hey everybody! Look who I discovered:
"Forever Go Together"
We had such a great time with Mr. Waffle that I paired up with the good folks over at Prints on Wood again for a timed print release of these happy fellas.
Each fine art wood print is 8 x 10 in. (20.32 x 25.4 cm) and will be signed and numbered on 1/2" sustainable Birch with a bright white finish. One of the actual prints can be seen below.
Available for purchase now through Friday, November 7th at 12 pm PST.
Cost is $55.
Whaaattt? A giveaway?! Not just one but TWO giveaway contests are now underway.
First one is for an original sketch of King Nori and it's over on Gallery Nucleus' Facebook page. All you have to do is leave a comment telling us what makes you happy :D You can either scroll down their page to find it here, or I have it shared and pinned to the top of my facebook page here.
Next one is for my Instagram followers and it's for a King Klondike sketch. Simply follow me over there, reblog the giveaway photo and hashtag it #kingklondike. Easy!
Best of luck and thank you all for everything!
This past weekend, Ed and I flew out to L.A. for a whole slew of things and I thought I'd share some of the highlights with you good people.
I started bright and early Friday morning with a trip to Prints on Wood to sign and number my "Mr. Good Morning Waffle" prints. First, I got a tour of their facility and my goodness, it's awesome! Everyone was so nice and the owners, Derric and Erin had everything ready for me to sign. I didn't have my camera with me (of course) but Erin was kind enough to have snapped this shot of me doodling on one lucky person's print.
Then it was off for a little breakfast at the closest place - Denny's! Appropriate seeing as one of the pieces from my solo was named "King Grand Slam". We felt full and ready to go onto our next stop -- JapanLA.
I'm proud to finally be able to announce that I am one of only 40 artists that were asked to create a piece for Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty, the world's first large scale museum retrospective of Hello Kitty to help celebrate her 40th anniversary. It will take place at the Japanese American National Museum Oct 11th - April 26th, 2015. It is being curated by Christine Yano, Ph.D., author of Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty’s Trek Across the Pacific, and Jamie Rivadeneira, founder and owner of pop culture-inspired boutique JapanLA.
My painting was also chosen to be made into prints that will be sold at the museum, which is what I was signing at JapanLA. I can't thank Jamie enough for asking me to be a part of this and for being so darn nice!
I have some AP's and will be doing a giveaway very soon so make sure you're signed up for my newsletter :)
Then it was off to the opening of the Joss Whedon x Gallery 1988 show at their West location. I was so happy that both Ed and I had a piece in this show and were able to bring along our very bestest friends who had been driving us around all day and keeping us company (thanks Kim and Teo!).
This is my piece entitled, "Fun Weekend" and was inspired by one of my favorite movies, Cabin in the Woods (hard to tell, huh?).
We were looking at all the great artwork and John (the manager of G1988 East) asked if I had met Joss yet. I shook my head as I'm pretty shy about those types of things but he was nice enough to tap Joss and introduce me. I shook his hand and said how cool it was to meet him. Then out of the crowd I hear, "Cuddly Rigor Mortis! I love your work!".
It was Alex Pardee and I damn near lost it. I started talking with him and quickly realized I had blown off Mr. Whedon. I felt horrible but then again - Alex Pardee! He then asked if I wanted to meet Skinner who was sleeping in the back (both these guys were working on overtime) and went and got him. I couldn't believe my luck. Getting to talk with those two amazing artists was a definite highlight. They couldn't have been cooler.
Unfortunately I only got 2 hours sleep that night due to a noisy motel, but when the price and location are too good to pass you make some sacrifices. Only thing is, I don't do well with 2 hours sleep. My anxiety and depression tend to ramp up so Ed and I ended up doing our own thing and visiting a couple art shows. The coaster show at La Luz was super awesome and then we checked out the Neckface show at New Image Art Gallery. Fantastic!
Then I thought it'd be nice to check out Dave Perillo's Squares 4 Squares show at G1988 East. Didn't disappoint! So great to see his sketches alongside the screenprints. As I'm walking around, talking with John again, Ed says he's going to check out the little used bookstore next door. To his surprise who does he bump into?
Robert, one of my favorite people and one of the directors we used to work with on the SNL TV Funhouse shorts (That's us to the left: David, Robert, me, Ed and Adrian who all used to work on those shorts and they showed up later that night at my show). He should be in Brooklyn and we haven't seen him in 2 years. What are the odds?! Seems he had the same idea as Ed and went to that bookstore on his day off from working with Robert Smigel and Adam Sandler on a new animated feature. He'd been living in LA for months and we never knew.
We were able to sit and catch up over coffee and suddenly I wasn't feeling too bad after only 2 hours sleep.
I also forgot to be nervous for the opening of my solo at Nucleus! Wait a minute...my solo! We rushed back to the motel and gussied up and got our butts over to the gallery.
Ed, my rock, my right hand man, getting the first look at my pieces hung wonderfully around the gallery.
Downstairs, the crowd started to gather for Scott C's Hug Machine reading and presentation. Man, that guy can command a room!
I was so overwhelmed when I saw that they had put the poem, Happy Thought on the wall which inspired my whole show. So awesome!
Then people started filing upstairs. Friends old and new came to say hi.
I got to see Lindsey's newest tattoos! Natalie Nasturtium and Emily Chamomile. They looked amazing! So honored, thank you Lindsey :D
So many people I didn't get photos with (got to get better at asking for pics!), but I remember everyone and it warms my heart to think you all came out to see my show. Thank you :D
Then this little guy showed up, Chamaco is his name and he's got his own IG account (@mynameischamaco). He was so soft and what a face!
I was also happy to have gotten a Coke float with chocolate ice cream (thanks Nichole for mentioning it!). People were having fun taking pictures of themselves eating pizza next to King Pepi. Here's a couple of my favorites, Robert and John (you remember John, he's the manager at G1988) taking a bite.
I was happy to see so many people were having fun!
The night went so fast but I had one last thing I needed to do. I wanted to meet Scott C! He had a line for signing his books the whole night. I patiently waited until there were only a few people left and I finally shook his hand - and got a hug from the hug machine himself. No photos, but I swear it happened ;) He couldn't have been kinder. What a great guy.
I can't thank the wonderful folks at Gallery Nucleus enough for allowing me to share my happy thoughts with so many people. I truly am lucky and hope to continue making people smile with my work for years to come.
Good night and sweet dreams everyone. You deserve it :D
First up, is the long awaited Joss Whedon x Gallery 1988 show which opens next Friday at their West location. They're really keeping the lid on everyone's pieces but if you look closely you might see a bit of my piece below. Since I'll be in town for my solo, I'll get to attend this show as well! Be sure to say hi :)
Opening the next night in San Francisco is Spoke Art's KUBRICK: an art show tribute. I just love "The Shining" (sorry Mr. King) and came up with "I'm Not Gonna Hurt Ya" acrylic on maple, 11" x 11" x .75". To inquire about this piece or to be put on the advance collectors preview list, simply email spokeartgallery(at)gmail
Also opening Saturday, September 6th at 7pm is Happy As Kings, my solo exhibition at Gallery Nucleus. Scott C is showing the work from his latest children's book Hug Machine in the main gallery and there will be lots of fun things to do, including giveaways throughout the night. And pizza! And ice cream! So bring the little ones and spend the evening looking at art that makes you smile. If you can't make it to the opening (or if you want a shot at buying my artwork before anyone else make sure to sign up for the advance online preview here).
"King Pepi"
"King Klondike"
This just in! Who's covered in maple syrup, happy as can be and loves his coffee black?
"Mr. Good Morning Waffle"!
I paired up with the good folks over at Prints on Wood for a timed print release of this happy fella.
Each fine art wood print is 8 x 10 in. (20.32 x 25.4 cm) and will be signed and numbered on 1/2" sustainable Birch with a bright white finish. One of the actual prints can be seen below.
Available for purchase now through Friday, August 29th at 12 pm PST.
Cost is $55.
