The Hunter

This is a piece that Mindy and I created for my brother as a Christmas gift. It is based off of a piece of 1920’s illustration of a German hunter that I wanted to use for a Cougar Hunter shirt for him. Our family has had an ongoing joke about my brother’s prowess at the bars and I wanted to commemorate it in some form. Spending less time in the printshop then I used to, I felt that this would be easier than printing a line of shirts for him, but those may get printed someday.


{I know “couger” is misspelled. I didn’t feel like changing it for you}

Having recently visited the Masters of Impressionism exhibit at the De Young Museum I wanted to have the piece be fairly colorful and impressionistic yet masculine. I think we pulled it off pretty well. I painted the background and penciled in the figure, Mindy painted in the main tones. I then exaggerated the shadows and highlights and outlined it all in paint pen. Mindy put on the final touches and added some bleeding tissue paper collage to give it some texture.

Artist Survey #17: Mindy Marlowe

{Jelly Belly Tomatoes : Acrylic on Canvas}

{Spats : Fabric and whatnot}

{Dapper Flamingo : Acrylic on Canvas}

{River Monster : Acrylic on Canvas}

Name: Mindy Marlowe

Location: Twain Harte CA

Medium(s): pen & ink, acrylic, spray paint, marker, sewing machine, random up-cycling of household objects.

What do you consider yourself (artist/designer/other)? shy gypsy crafter…so “Other”

When did you start gaining interest in artistic forms of expression? At a young age, my family encouraged my brother and I to experience the outdoors so we would go tearing around making forts, dancing, laughing, petting bees, searching for fairies in the grass. (Which was so much fun, that I once ended up with poison oak in my eye.) Essentially, my concept of art is rooted in make believe, but it seemed real and that was the best part.

Who/What inspired your interest? My mom, she is the original free spirit.

Where do you first remember being exposed to art? Waldorf school.

What is your day job? Driving school manager extraordinaire

Why do you create? Because I feel that I have to, it’s a comfort

Is there any recurring theme in your work? Extremely loose representation of personal freedom, wanton abandon, whimsy.

What do you want from your work? Challenge, solace.

What do you want viewers to take from your work? Hard question… commonality, or an interest in something that was previously uninteresting.

How often do you work on personal projects? A few times per week, 2-ish. At this point, its all personal to me and I hope that stays, I can’t imagine doing art for impersonal reasons.

Does your art support you financially? Not yet…

Do you feel preoccupied with your art, do you think about it often during the day and night and do you anticipate your next session? When I have an idea, I tend to dream of it and daydream of it. I just want to go home and lock myself in my little art space until the project is finished.

What do you do in your spare time besides your art? Camp, write, cook, drink wine, snowboard, read, play softball, sing, drink more wine.

Which musicians are you currently interested in? Tim Armstong, The Black Keys, Jolie Holland, Elliott Smith, Riverboat Gamblers, Tiger Army, O.A.R.

Are there any events you are looking forward to attending? Next roller derby bout, horseshoe tourney at the Lube Room, Renegade Craft Fair in SF.

How long do you generally take on a piece? Hard to say, sometimes I get really carried away and finish things in a matter of hours. Otherwise, maybe days.

Have you jeopardized or risked the loss of a significant relationship, job, educational or career opportunity because of your art? Mostly I chicken out at Art’s expense, but I’m standing on the edge of the precipice now.

Do you work on multiple projects at once? No, I’m single minded, I have to get one thing out & done before I can start another.

Do you have trouble parting with your finished work? No, I usually give it away to good homes.

Danae Wilson Conqures Old Town Temecula.

{Photo by Brandy Sebastian}
This past January I was invited to drive 8 hours south to the city of Temecula where my good friend Danae Wilson was selected by The Arts Council of The Temecula Valley to display two of her paintings in the “Visual Expressions 2010” juried art show. I had a great time visiting old friends, eating cheese, drinking free wine… oh and looking at the art. There were many interesting pieces and talented artists, but none as noteworthy as Danae’s and she has the certificates of award to prove it. That’s right, I said certificates, as in plural! That night she went home with one piece, Transition, receiving third place in the paintings category and her other, Conflict, taking BEST OF SHOW!
{Transition, Photo by Natalie Mills}
{Conflict, Photo by Natalie Mills}
There were a couple other cool pieces, an alien vagina sculpture, a belly dancer, something religious and some other stuff that escapes me at the moment. Here are some photos by Brandy Sebastian and Natalie Mills:

The exhibit is scheduled to run from January 22nd to February 21st 2010 so if you are around and haven’t seen it yet take a look see or if you don’t you can just read more about it here.
Here is the gallery info:
42051 Main St.
Temecula CA 92590-2769
(951) 308-6377

2010 Projects

Happy New Year! I haven’t been posting a whole lot lately, but it isn’t because of lack of activity. In addition to normal client work I have been working on several art projects which are all in various stages of completion. Posted below are some of the skateboard paintings I have been working on. The decks were donated by Matt Alison of Flatspotz Skate & Car Club, in exchange I designed a shirt print for the club. The decks will be featured in an art show hosted by the arrows.andbones(COLLECTIVE) that will be opening hopefully by the end of the month. The fantastic band West of Next have also commissioned me to create some new posters and album art for their upcoming year. I have also been working on several sketches for a series of crypto-creature prints including the jackalope, krakken and the deer lady (sketches not pictured). I have also, like most people, been spending way too much time on Facebook. Become a fan of UTLTRN Design and stay up to date on art happenings in and around Tuolumne County.


{Hand painted skateboards}


{Flatspotz shirt design}

{West of Next gig flier}

Returning Show 2

{ Poster designed by me }

The second installment of the Returning Show kicks of this weekend at the Stage 3 Theatre in downtown Sonora. The show features artworks by several young artists who were raised in Tuolumne County. The reception will take place from 5-7pm this Saturday the 19th. There will be snacks and booze as well as art you won’t see anywhere else in the county. This isn’t the usual water color of flowers, photograph of the Red Church or oil painting of an old barn. This is art with a bit more of an edge. A happy cyclops, a dia de los muertos party, and Jesus with a .45 are just some of the subjects you will see here. So come on by and get yo art on before you drink the weekend into oblivion.

The Return of the Returning Show!

Good news everybody! I have recently been called upon by the Central Sierra Arts Council to resurrect the exhibit of young local artists, known as the Returning Show! The collection will be hung at the newly remodeled Stage 3 Theatre in downtown Sonora, CA. Many of the artist from the previous show will be displaying new works along with some new talent not yet seen in by the art community. The show is slated to run from September 18th–October 18th so don’t miss it. The reception will most likely be on Friday, Sept 18th with more art and an after party at the Frog & Fiddle (located right across the street). Negotiations with Fantasy Metal Island are in the works for the musical entertainment. I will post any new information for this event as I get it.

Here is a glimpse at some pieces I am working on that will make their appearance at the show:

linocons2

{more linoleum icons for monoprints}

UTL_TUCKER

{Tucker v UTL : mixed media : collaborative piece in progress}

project_x

{I… I think I just saw something in the bushes…}

Artist Survey #16: Travis Logan

I met Travis some time after his brother Derrick and I became good friends which would have been sometime late in my elementary school career. He is older than us and was keen to a whole world of things we had yet to discover. He has greatly influenced Derrick’s life and as result mine too. I was introduced to heavy metal, psychotic cartoons and violent comics because of the Logan boys and I haven’t been the same since. Look for some of his work to return to Tuolumne County in the near future.

SELFPORT

{Digital Collage : Self Portrait}
CONSTRUC
{Ceramic : Constructing Deconstruction}
GAMBLEWI
{Mixed : Gambling with Everything}
TIBETSWE
{Digital Art : Tibet Sweat}
Tri
{New triptych in progress : Acrylic on Canvas}

Name: Travis Logan

Location: Las Vegas, NV.

Medium(s): Oil, water, and acrylic Paint; Ceramic, plaster, steel and fiberglass sculptures; Graphite, charcoal, and ink drawing; Photography, digital and S.L.R, digital image creation, film-making and cartooning.

What do you consider yourself (artist/designer/other)? I am an artist but I still have trouble labeling myself as one. I know I’m an artist but feel that there are negative connotations as well as certain stigmas connected to being an artist.

Where can we see your work (place/publications/url)? Travislogan.net when my web page is up. Right now I’m working on updating it and have taken it down.

When did you start gaining interest in artistic forms of expression? When I was very young, maybe 4 years old.

Who/What inspired your interest? On the surface, I originally wanted to draw and make things that I thought looked cool and that others might like as well. I can’t name one individual inspiration because the list would probably be several pages long. Deep down I’ve always had the desire to create and turn ordinary items into art. Whether that is a painting with hidden images and meaning or sculpting something unnatural but visually intriguing.

Where do you first remember being exposed to art? I would say preschool. The first project I remember was tracing my hand on a plate that would be made into a dish. Of course this was something Cavemen did well before I had this idea but none the less, that got the gears turning and they haven’t stopped since.

What is your day job? Artist

Why do you create? I just have to! No matter where I am, good or bad, if I can at least draw it has a calming effect on me and gets me into a peaceful state of mind.

Is there any recurring theme in your work? I like to create images inside of larger images or objects. The idea is: nothing is what it seams! The material I use and the imagery may be different and constantly changing style but there is always a “surrealistic” dreamlike theme to my work.

What do you want from your work? A feeling of completion, satisfaction, accomplishment and pride is probably what I look for most with a finished peace.

What do you want viewers to take from your work? I would like viewers to be entertained. I want the viewer to get caught up in the image or object and truly take some time looking at it and possibly become transfixed; not just glance and say, “oh that’s nice, this would go well in the bathroom next to the shells and candles.”

How often do you work on personal projects? Everything I do is personal, some pieces are more heart felt than others but they are always personally meaningful; However I work on art projects not related to galleries or work daily. Unfortunately I have to many ideas and not enough time.

How often do you work on commissions or commercial work? In the past I have not worked on anything besides the ideas that came to mind with the exception of school projects. Recently, I have been working on paintings and some clothing designs for a couple of individuals who have commissioned me for my services. I would say fifty percent of my time is spent on projects for others.

Does your art support you financially? For the most part no, I could survive on what I make but I would have to sleep in my car and eat bugs for lunch (haha).

Do you feel preoccupied with your art, do you think about it often during the day and night and do you anticipate your next session? Yes but not in a negative way. Art is just part of life. I analyze the shapes, colors, images, and composition of every thing around me. I often wake up in the middle of the night or can’t sleep because I have to get ideas out or create something. I often feel like I have too many projects going at once and more ideas surfacing all the time. Life is too short for everything I want to create!

What do you do in your spare time besides your art? I enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, backpacking and rock climbing. I used to love to go to the movies and still do occasionally; however I can’t stop my self from criticizing and picking apart all the flaws in the plot, editing, and cinematography. Blockbuster films have far too large of  budgets to be pumping out such crap, but I digress.

Which musicians are you currently interested in? NIN, Pearl Jam, Black Crows, Mudvayne, Beastie Boys, Tool, Bob Dylan, Waylon Jennings, Frank Sinatra, Digital Underground, E-40 and Credence Clearwater. I am really interested in the Beastie Boys most of all.

Are there any events you are looking forward to attending? I don’t have anything planned but I would like to go see Dov Davidoff, the comedian, soon.

How long do you generally take on a piece? It can take me any where from a few weeks to a few years to complete a piece. If I really don’t like the way something is coming out I will put it up for a while and wait for inspiration. If it ends up I’m not feeling right about it after a while it becomes recycled in to another project.

Have you jeopardized or risked the loss of a significant relationship, job, educational or career opportunity because of your art? Yes, I guess you could say that I didn’t see eye to eye with the last company I worked for. I was framing and matting art at the time. In short, they wanted to make a profit any way they could and I didn’t think the corners being cut (No pun intended) were ethical.

Do you work on multiple projects at once? Yes, I have to work on a few at a time. I bounce around from piece to piece, partly to keep myself thinking but mostly because I have a short attention span.

In the Works

I haven’t been posting much lately, but I promise I have been working on stuff. The first project is a series of collaborative paintings with some other local artists. I crafted some art panels with scrap wood from my family’s and friends’ wood piles and gave one each to Megan Tucker of Arrows and Bones and Jordan de Herrera of Pop Gang. One artist creates a mark or rendering or object and passes it to another artist and another until the piece is retired and a new one is started. Three pieces were just started last week and I can’t wait to see what happens to them. One is currently being circulated around some friends at the Strawberry Music Festival! I plan on there being ten finished pieces when series is complete. Here are some starts:

collab1

{My start. Spray paint and Gesso on wood.}

{Jordan’s <Pop Gang> start. Acrylic on wood.}

The other project I am working on is cutting out some linoleum (actually old drafting table top) icons to use for monoprint and stamping purposes. I will be using these soon to teach some friends the printing process.

linocons

Makin’ My Trailer Purtty

romano_flores_stearns

I am sorry that I have been slackin’ on the posts but I am in the middle of a lot of projects and haven’t finished anything for a while. Here are my new pieces of art that I have acquired over the last month or so. First is the huge ass, completely amazing Sam Flores piece titled Flores y Zorro that I won from UpperPlayground.com. It is a massive 4ft x 6ft acrylic and spray paint on canvas. I won it by simply entering my email address on the Upper Playground site for their 10th Anniversary giveaway. Flores is a well know Bay Area artist who I first discovered in Juxtapoz Magazine. The piece was hand delivered to me by Adam Krohn, the VP or Upper Playground who is a pretty cool guy.

sf_received

The next piece was given to me by Forest Stearns when he was in town for the Art Show a couple weeks ago. It is a limited edition, several color, 18in x 23in screen print which I believe is titled The End of an Era. Forest’s work is always enjoyable to look at. There are plenty of little creatures and nuances I discover every time I look at this piece.

end_of_an_era

My final piece came when I ordered Mastodon‘s deluxe Crack the Skye packaging which came with a 14in x 14in lithograph of Paul Romano’s album art. Romano’s design has made a huge impact on my work since I discover him and Mastodon on a shelf at a Tower Records in Long Beach. The music is great, the packaging is great. Check it out.

crack_the_skye

Of course these aren’t in their final and proper hanging devices, but I just wanted ya’ll to see them. If anyone has a sweet baby blue frame to for the Stearns piece let me know!

ProArts


(Dignidad Rebelde activist printmakers/mixed media artists)

The ProArts Gallery of the East Bay Area is putting out a call for entry for artists in the Greater Bay Area. I believe “Greater” being a loose term for most places in Northern California. If you go to their Call for Entry page you can get the info and applications for their latest annual events. Check out the ProArts site and and see what they are all about. They might be something you are interested in participating in. Here are some or the artists that caught my eye while browsing their members:


(Anthony Holdsworth painter)

Here is what they are saying about one of their events:

Show your art to the largest and most diverse art audience in the region. The Directory of East Bay Arts and East Bay OPEN STUDIOS is a straightforward way for artists at any stage in their career to get their work seen by art patrons, curators, other artists, business leaders, community leaders, and art enthusiasts. After nearly 30 years, the annual East Bay Open Studios (EBOS) continues to bring visitors from all over the Bay Area to local artists’ studios for the opportunity to see the best art made in the East Bay today, likewise, the publication, Directory of East Bay Art extends the reach of the event and provides a year-long reference, a Who’s Who guide for artists.


(Christina Koci Hernandez Photographer)