Sovereign and the Saccharine

Cartoon Network and Gallery Nucleus are presenting an Adventure Time tribute show opening August 18th. I was so happy to be asked to be a part of this show. I took one of my favorite episodes, "Death in Bloom" where Finn and Jake take care of Princess Bubblegum's princess plant. After feeding it pizza, cookies and grape soda they kill the plant. Thankfully Peppermint Butler steps in with his 'ties' to Death and the guys get the princess plant back in one piece.

I offer, "Sovereign and the Saccharine" 11.5"x9.25" acrylic on wood:

Be sure to check out Gallery Nucleus so you can sign up for the preview and get a sneak peek at the artwork before anyone else. I'm excited to see what all the other artists have come up with!

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. 

 

Doodlin'

I spent the better part of the day Sunday sitting at my dining room table with 40 prints and a fine point sharpie. These are the result, Limited Edition Doodled Prints (10 each character), hand signed and numbered, available at Swoon Gallery for $50 a piece. Email Ally at hello@swoongallery.com to get yours today!

 

I'm Not Hungry

***UPDATE*** These little guys have sold already but after talking with Ally at Swoon Gallery, I've decided to work up a special 'doodle edition' of prints. They will be 8" x 10", signed, numbered (10 for each character) and I'm going to do a little hand drawn ink doodle on the bottom. If you're interested email Ally at hello@swoongallery.com for information! Thank you!***

 

Just finished up four new pieces for a sweet little online show at Swoon Gallery I'm calling, 'I'm Not Hungry'. May I present:

"Moostash", 5" x 7" acrylic on wood

"Effelant", 5" x 7" acrylic on wood (SOLD)

"Skwoil", 5" x 7" acrylic on wood (SOLD)


and finally, "Boid", 5" x 7" acrylic on wood 

The show will be 'live' in a week but if you email Ally at Swoon Gallery you can get a preview and purchase information right now. Contact hello@swoongallery.com

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:

 

Brand New Mounted Prints

 

I have two brand new mounted prints available in my shop now.

 "Mushy" got such a lovely response that I had to make this little couple right away.

"Make Like a Banana..." is my best selling print and after many, many requests for a mounted version, I finally got off my butt and made one.

I also listed the mounted versions of "My Poor Meatball", "Mono No Aware" and "Le Tigre" which had previously only been available in other shops.

 

I hope everyone has fun and can enjoy a bit of shopping today!

 

Thanks again!

 

 

Tall Plant Portrait Series Continues...

 

I've always loved that first hint of spring and seeing the crocus and snowdrops blooming is a colorful little sigh of relief after a harsh winter.

 

I humbly present "Master Galanthus" and "Augustus Crocus", acrylic on pine, each 18" x 3.5" x .75".

 

I made them as a set and would love it if they could stay together. They will be available for purchase together on Friday, March 16th at 3pm EDT. If they do not sell as a set within 24 hours, I will make them available separately on Saturday, March 17th at 3pm EDT.

 

Enjoy!

 

xoxo

Kris