Happy Holidays Stinkers!

New Home page up now! Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah and for the rest-of-us, Happy Festivus!

Kim-Jong-Unwell

Now the world will never know how he got his hair to do that.

A Busy Week

So much for a Thanksgiving break... I had three jobs land in my lap in the few days before Turkey. That meant working solid over the weekend and into the next week but hey, I wont complain. It'll keep the heat on for while. The three assignments are as thus...

Spot for Martin Colyer at Reader's Digest UK. A new client for me and a little gem of a job. How often to you get to draw a guy singing ABBA with a bear? Not very often. Tons of fun!

Next up we have a another cover image for the fine Rachel Jefferson at In These Times. The cover story was of a family torn apart by immigration law. The Mother was deported and her children taken into foster care here in the US. You'll be glad to hear the story ends well with them all being reunited, but only after a long and difficult fight. As a Dad I dont mind saying, scary stuff. On a lighter note, I'm looking forward to seeing it dropped onto the cover's color-field with type and such in place. It should look great and I'll post a pic when I get a copy.

Lastly but not leastly, we have a full page for the music mag Under The Radar. Wendy Redfern wanted an illo to go with their feature on musician's day jobs. Well, it just so happens that cool DJ guy "GirlTalk" was once a Biomedical Engineer. Instead of spinnin' records in the club, he be spinnin' a centrifuge with plasma samples yo!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Next site home page image... As you dig on your bird leg this Thursday, let us not forget those who first tamed the giant beasties and bred them down to a more managable size!

BOO!! New Home-page for the Halloween Season

So starts my new regime of seasonal themed wackiness. Also, this is the first step in a general revamp of my site... stay tuned. And a word of advice. If your heading into a haunted pantry for a cup of pumpkin tea, DON'T forget your Ironman mask!

Just Some Stuff...

Steve Jobs, Amy Winehouse and Sheer Khan (we'll come to him in a minute). I don't normally like to promote myself with "tribute" peices based on someones death, but in these two cases, I felt a little differently about the whole thing. The fact that I used my 10 year old G4 tower to color that image with out much trouble is reason enough to give Steve Jobs his props. Plus correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Apple came up with the now universal "power" symbol.

As for Amy Winehouse... I was never a huge fan but there was no doubt that she was very talented. Plus being that I have a little girl myself, that "Daddy's Girl" tattoo really got to me. I am but a softy after all. I'll deffinitly be making this a finished promo sample shortly.

Now Sheer Khan was just scribbled on the back of some list during a phone call but I'm really into it. I'll be bringing him around to completion in the near future... maybe a little crankier.

Longing for Summer?

Yeti shirt HERE!

Shark-Plant shirt HERE!

Here are some Threadless Tee submissions for you to consider and vote on (5 please!) I entered their design challenge themed Endless Summer. Naturally, I went with a Yeti at the beach and a gnarly brah rippin' it up!! Follow the link above and vote them into production please... who doesn't want a yeti or a guy-handplant-on-a-shark's-face shirt!

...i think I'm starting to become addicted to threadless.

Chill-axin'

New full page and spot for Wendy Redfern at Under The Radar magazine. This one's all about how a musician's creativity can have a life span... and when they've exhausted a theme, they might just loose their drive and slow down. Apparently, these effects can be heightened by things like having a family or extreme wealth and comfort all around you. I know, weird right?

Unca-Uncle Sam Y'All

I've tried my hand at a Threadless Tee-Shirt design contest... The theme was "Love Your City" and I'm here to represent the home of Uncle Sam, Troy NY! I need your votes to win this thing and get my shirt available for sale so please, click HERE and vote me a "5"! After you're done, why not shop around? Threadless has some of the coolest shirts in the world to peruse. And remember , even if you're not from the Collar City, I want YOU to dig it! Thanks!

Today's Secret Word Is...

Gallery 1988 is at it again. They keep have awesome themed shows and asking me to join in. The latest is a Pee Wee Herman tribute extravaganza! I had a feeling that there would be a lot of Pee Wee's and bikes and other characters so I tried to do something a little different and stick with a type only piece. If you don't know the reference, do yourself a favor and get some Pee Wee's Playhouse in your life! Swing by their site and check out the rest of the goodies.

Crazy for Cult at Gallery 1988

I was very happy and honored to be invited to take part in a exhibition at Gallery 1988 in LA. "Crazy for Cult", now in its fifth year is a show for of works inspired but cult and offbeat films and has quite a following. If you live in LA, swing by and have a blast looking at all the awesome art. If you live somewhere else, don't fret, you too can feast your eyes. Just visit there site and peruse at you leisure. Here's mine based on the Stranger in "The Big Lebowski", still one of my favorite movies and definitely one of my favorite actors/voices, Sam Elliot. A simple pencil drawing for a simple philosophy...

And here is one of several my pal and sometimes collaborator Drew Degraff laid down based on the excellent "They Live!" Its inexplicably still for sale so snap it up sharpish! If you don't I might.

Solo Show at Salem Art Works, Salem NY

I stink... I am posting this a week after the opening which is really late, but better really late than never! I was graciously invited to show my work at the Salem Art Works' Cary House Gallery for the month of July and to contribute something permanent for public consumption. I'll get to that in a moment.

First, for those who don't know SAW you are sadly missing out on one of Upstate's great art centers. They have vast and varied facilities for artist in residence to take advantage of and run excellent events and exhibitions, like a show of big, geometric works by Painter Adam Daily in their awesome Barn 2 Gallery... Not to mention that it is a beautiful old farm in extra beautiful Washington County. Well worth a visit. Get up there!

As for my show, I'm showing a a lot of recent work with one site-specific drawing on a funky, worm-holed 1x8... I'll have to put some pics of that one up later. When asked where I might like to do a mural,place small sculpture or contribute in any other grown up way, I responded like any man-child and said "Hey! Can paint on that sweet Truck over there!" Here are some quick pics of the "BOOM!" truck from the day I spent painting it... More professional one's to come.

"before"... I was scared to mess up that fantastic patina, but then I did anyway.

the passenger's side almost complete

finished hood and roof

this was when the lord said "don't screw up that patina!"

So please to go see the good folks at SAW, you'll be happy you did.

Creative Quarterly 24 Runner Up Spot!

A few months back I submitted some work to the Creative Quarterly and then promptly forgot all about it. Well the other day, much to my surprise I received an email telling me that I landed a runner up spot for my Cerberus image! All you can do right now is read my name on the list but the magazine and online gallery will be out in the Fall sometime.

If you don't know about Creative Quarterly, it's a great journal of Art and Design full of visual goodness of the highest pedigree. It is well worth a look and it's an honor to be included in such a talented bunch of folks.

Camp Firewood at Gallery 1988

Wait For Me

SuperComputer

Arts N' Farts N'Crafts...sold!
Abby Bernstein

I currently have a few paintings at Gallery 1988 in Venice, California. A truely awesome place! They're part of a group show of works celabrating the tenth aniversary of the Cult Commody Wet Hot American Summer. If you are on the Left Coast, you should drop in and see all of the great and funny work. Everybody else can see the work by checking out there site. Follow the link above and you can get either the directions you need or check out the art. It was a blast to be a part such a funky show and I'm looking forward to making some stuff for their Crazy for Cult show in July.

Updated PDF Portfolio...

If you are an Art Director... Download, Print, Leave in a handy place.
If you are a common peon... Download, Print, Use as a coaster.

More Self Promotional Grand Standing

Another review of History of the World, Owen Sherwood and Andrew DeGraff in the Albany Times Union. You can read it here...

http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Creative-competition-1384943.php

I really am surprised/overwhelmed/super-pumped by the response Drew and I have gotten from the exhibition. I would have never imaged such a cool and positive result from what started as some nerd-wad fun. There's still time to go and check it out so if you can make it to Troy... uh... go there! Pertinent info here...

http://www.artscenteronline.org/

My "New" bike!

In non-art related news, I recently took ownership of an unwanted and free, old Raleigh Olympian in great shape. I had a lot of help from a bike nerd pal to tune it up and donate some sweet new handle bars. I then bought a $3 inner-tube to use as bar wrap and took it out on a ride... it rides great and I'm looking forward to the Troy-Albany riverside bike path this week. Not bad for 3 bucks!

A little day-maker...

An interesting article on the SPD's (Society of Publication Designers) blog focusing on Bloomberg Businessweek and there awesome design... which really is awesome. The spread I did for them a while back was featured as a highlight which has made me proud and happy! You can see it here...

http://www.spd.org/2011/04/bloomberg-businessweek-the-fea.php

A Belated and Paraphrased Easter Message from my Godson, Vinnie

"Mom, I just saw the Easter Bunny!"
"Really! Was he really big?"
"No, he's tiny..."
"Oh, what color was he?"
"RED!"

And thats why Vinnie's the man.

Show hype!

With eight days until the reception for the exhibition I've been squawking so much about, it's nice to see a little steam building up for it...


http://keepalbanyboring.com/2011/history-of-the-world-owen-sherwood-andrew-degraff/

Funny stuff for Under the Radar

A Timeline of Comedy Music for Wendy at Under The Radar Magazine out in California. As you can imagine this was quite the awesome assignment and a blast to work on. I tried hard to leave the digital color behind on this one, having just come off of making a ton of honest art for the exhibition (see below Post) but, alas I wanted a very bright "line" so there you go. I am weak for my Bamboo Tablet.

Have you ever google-imaged Weird Al before... I have... good times.

"History of the World" is open!

After many months of hard labor, late nights and softly weeping in my studio... it's alive! Drew DeGraff and I have finished all of our NEW works and giant murals that have transformed the Art Center of the Capital Region's gallery into a walk-in sketchbook/nerd-art dork nest. I would like to extend my deepest thanks to Caroline Corrigan, Matt Shropshire and the rest of the Art Center folks for the fantastic opportunity. I 'd like to thank my wife Emma, whose idea this was in the first place and for basically being a single mom for two months. I suppose I have also to thank Drew as well even though he only produced 50% of everything. All joking aside, I am very proud of Drew and I and what we acheived with the show. It was a monumentally good time to work with my oldest Frenemy on what could be the greatest thing ever.

So come to Troy and learn lots of inaccurate facts about the world around you. Bring your kids to scare and confuse them. Sit and read a book we've selected for you or even draw a cannonball. The reasons to come and see History of the World: Owen Sherwood and Andrew DeGraff are both limitless and awesomely rad. It's open now through June 3rd and don't forget about the reception... April 29th. Come eat, drink and enjoy some artwork with us. The more the merrier. I'll be getting a haircut and a new Salvation Army suit for the occasion so you know its going to be ill.

Crunch Time!!

The History of the World exhibition is fast approaching and the rush is on. My co-exhibitor Andrew Degraff and I are pounding out the last of our work and polishing up the details as we speak. The work is looking good and the wall drawings should be a whole lot of fun when completed. Slowly but surely, my anxiety is turning to excitement... unfortunately both give me agita.

Cerberus

Having myself some fun re-doing some myths and monsters for the upcoming History of the World show in April. Cerberus is the first of three or four. The scanner clipped her ear and tippy-toe off which is a drag but you get the idea. Next I plan to release the Kraken, which sounds gross but is not.

you've been a bold boy

New piece for Mitch Hoffman at City Hall magazine. Apparently, NYC Mayor Micheal Bloomberg has been annoying the Department of Education by wanting to spend their money on other things. Now stay here at the blackboard until you've learned your lesson young man!

"History of the World" ... rest of the cars

A few posts back I mentioned a series of drawings about my projected mid-life crisis for an upcoming exhibition. Basically, I plan on driving to Stewart's in my classic Japanese car and sitting down in the little booth and stuffing my face with awesomeness. I would love it if you joined me.