The making of... A Pop Expressionist Guide To Newimals
This is the geep. A geep is a cross between a goat and a sheep. The geep is awaiting placement at the next Pop Expressionist exhibit.
The wholphin, a cross between a false killer whale and a dolphin, seen here in the first stages. Next steps will be to paint over all this, scribble on top of that, and then cut and get it ready for display.
Motty is the only know cross between an African and an Indian elephant. This is Motty in stage 2.
Here are Motty's parts; legs, tail and trunk pieces. Some assembly required... batteries not included.
Meanwhile, back at Sands Studio... the beefalo is one of the creatures I'm working on for a new series titled Newimals. Along with the artwork, I'm working on a new book titled LIGERS, TIGONS AND PIZZLIES: A Pop Expressionist Guide To Newimals.
I started the beefalo but taking an old illustration I did for a SCBWI contest. The assignment was to Illustrate a scene showing a child or teen getting ready for the new school year. I came in second place, over taken by Jennifer Morris. I would have won first place it if it weren't for you meddling kids!
Actually, I should back up. Before I start painting I do lots of sketches. OK, maybe not lots...but enough till I'm fairly happy with what I'm about to paint.
Next, I lay down the black paint outline. Look, you can see that second place illustration beneath the black. You know, I won an SCBWI t-shirt with that painting. It's not as nice as the t-shirt I won from Buffalo Wild Wings after I ate 12 of their hottest wings in under 6 minutes. However, this was less messy and my mouth wasn't on fire all afternoon.
Time to open the house paint. The best part about using house paint is that all my art matches my walls.
After the house paint, I give the work a second black outline followed by a good scribbling of silly words and expressions. I found two new markers for this piece.. a brown and a purple. Very exciting. See, it pays to look behind the couch cushions!
The final step is to cut, arrange and glue gun the work into its frame. Trying to decide how to place the arms can be tricky. No mater how I arrange the work I still end up covering some of the words and lots of times it's stuff I like.
Art-On-The-Move Finalist!
I just found out that I have been selected as a finalist for the Art-On-The-Move contest!!
I'm only waiting for final approval from the Raleigh Art Commission and the Capitol Area Transit which I hope to receive by mid-February. Here is the winning design -->
Art-On-The-Move is a public art project featuring artwork from local artists that is exhibited on the sides of CAT buses. 11 other artists will be selected to participate in the project.
In this podcast, Kathy sends out a congratulations to fellow writer and artist, Ian Sands (that's me!) on a successful art show at Vintage 21 in Raleigh. She also talks about Knitting for Good by Betsy Greer and Casting Spells by Barbara Bretton.
Besides podcasts, Kathy's blog is chock full of good stuff including tips and techniques along with videos and plenty of photos.
From the littles series, the Zonkey stands approx. a foot and a half high. I'm meeting today, in half an hour in fact, to discuss and upcoming show in Apex. If all goes well, the Zonkey is slated for the exhibit.
Here is another zonkey pre-cut. I have to tell you I'm thinking that at some point, I'm going to do a show containing creatures that haven't been cut out. This image is almost disturbing in the sense that the creature is trapped as if in suspended animation, eternally waiting to be cut free.
Fortunately for this Zonkey, I didn't have the heart to leave him in his pre-cut stage... but a day is coming. I think that would make a very interesting show.
Taking advantage of the snow day, three more critters are being born here at sands studio.
Shown is the second stage of the 5 stage process. I start with a black outline to give the creature from. Then I pull out the house paints and basically paint over most of the original black. That's the stage these pieces were at when I took these photos.
Next, I'll go back over the black line making it real Kliney. I'll follow that with the scribble/writing stage which will be followed by the cutting and assembling part.
Pop Expressionism: Goes Little
Here are three new pieces still in the works. If they look similar to the vintage 21 pieces that's because they are similar characters. the big difference (no pun intended) is the size. Each of these pieces are no bigger than a foot and a half tall. Compared to the vintage 21 show where none of the pieces were under 7 feet tall.
The reason for the size change is twofold. first, I have a few upcoming shows where I won't have the same amount of space that I did at V21. Second, even though I sold all but two works from the V21 show, I still receive a lot of comments from people who say they like my work but don't have room for a nine foot yeti (not everyone does).
I still plan to create large pieces for all my upcoming shows but also will intermingle these smaller pieces as well. Besides, I think they are so cute!!
***********
PS: Use of the word "cute" to describe the works of Ian Sands is only allowed by the artist. All others are prohibited from using that word to describe his artwork. Please consider the word "whimsical" or check with a thesaurus for other related words.
Best regards,
The management
***********
Monday, January 19, 2009
An Interview With Me!
Blog over to Christy's Creative Space and check out an interview with renown author and artist Ian Sands... er, um... I mean, me!
If you leave a comment you have a chance of winning a free, signed copy of the book How To Milk A Dinosaur.
Here are some of the final animation projects created in our Computer Graphics & Animation class at Apex HS.
The assigmnment was to create a 30 second animation. To put it in perspective, 30 seconds took three weeks to create. Please take a moment to check these out....
Three of the Pop Expressionism pieces from the exhibit at Vintage 21. This exhibit runs through the month of January 2009.
View my complete Pop Expressionism portfolio at Ovation TV.com
.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
First Friday: Vintage 21
Here are a few photos from last night's First FridayPop Expressionism exhibit at Vintage 21, Raleigh, NC. You can view the work any time during the month of January.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
A Look Back at 2008
January: Fork Bending Three
In a never ending mission to expand the power of my mind over the fork, I finally mastered the bending of eating utensils using only the thoughts in my small, but efficient (or sufficient) brain. I submit to you, attempt number three:
February: Mammoth
I chose to illustrate a mammoth getting attacked, and what will become eaten, by a pack of wild, hungry saber tooth tigers. What they all don't know is that they choose the worst possible spot to attack. Yes, that is correct, the tar pit. Darn. Just when you think you got a tummy full of Woolly, the next thing you know your sinking in La Brea.
March: Jeepalishus
This is my jeep with the new manly bumper installed. I think it looks pretty cool. Ooohhh, Aaahhh...
April: Last Night of the Jackals
On Wednesday, April 30th, at 10:15 PM the Jackals took the ice for the last time. After three ice rinks and two championship wins, the Jackals hung up their skates.
May: Art History
Something should have told me to stop my art history lessons before I got to the lesson on Christo.
June: The Eva Perry Monster
This is a story passed on to me by anonymous but trustworthy sources about a 7 foot monster that appeared unexpectedly at the Eva Perry Library in Apex.
Though I haven't visited the library to see for myself, this photo, also passed on to me by anonymous but trustworthy sources, was taken of the monster in front of the library.
July: Everyone Loves Footloose!!
August: Show Me The Monkey!
I've been a bigfoot buff since I was a little kid searching for one in the woods of Vermont. And though I claim to have had an strange encounters with wogs, pigrates what i believe was the the Lake Champlain Monster, I have never run into a sasquatch. Two men from Georgia claimed they not only saw a bigfoot, but they had a dead one sitting in their cooler.
September: Starfish on my Jeep
Hope Community Church raised money to build a hospital in Haiti. To do this, they gave everyone in the congregation an envelop containing money. They said each person should find a creative way to increase the funds. In my envelope, I received ten dollars. For my project I decided to paint starfish on my jeep. for one dollar I told the Starfish Story and then painted a starfish on my jeep.
October: Salem Street Art Festival
I participated in the Apex Arts Festival. Not that I asked... or was invited...
November: Signs
My response to the everyone's favorite Election Day ritual, posting campaign signs. My signs aren't for any particular candidate or party, just signs about signs.
December: First Pop Expressionism Exhibit
After watching a documentary on the Silver Factory, I decided to go online and find a place to display my art. It was the story of Valerie Solanas that gave me the idea to write the Moosifesto.
