Dresser Redo

So over the holiday I took some time to start a project I have been thinking about for some time now. It's a dresser reno that I decided I would actually use for my kitchen instead of in the bedroom. It will add counter space *which we need desperately, and add storage & style as well. I have sanded it, filled extra holes with wood putty, and primed (2 coats) the main dresser. Today when I get home I am going to finish sanding down the drawers, and hopefully prime them as well. It looks like I should be done just in time to ring the New Year in with a great addition to my kitchen reno project. I will also get new knobs for the rest of our cabinets as well to match the knobs I get for the dresser. I will post progress pics soon to share. The pic below is a dresser similar in style, so you have an idea of how my dresser looks. Keep in mind it is not my dresser, just a pic i pulled off the internet.

When Shots Range Out...

So those of you who have been following me on FB may have seen some posts here n there about a character I have been developing for the last 4+yrs i call the IdiotBox. Some of the pieces I have done with him have a political message of sorts, some a spiritual, so on n so on. Basically he's like a vessel I have used to get a point across. I'm in the process of branding him to the point that whenever some one sees him they will think of the artist behind him, namely ME! Kinda like when some one sees Garfield or Marmaduke, any way you get the picture. I have been collecting these small pieces of cardboard from work, they are roughly 5.5"x8.5". I do them in a very basic almost stripped down manner. I was inspired to do the first one by a great artist named Mear1 his work is phenomenal. I'll place a link to his website, you should go check out his work. I believe he works out of Los Angeles, but his work has been seen worldwide. Any who I do these small pieces here n there during down times that I have. This latest piece I just finished is titled "When shots range out" it reminds me a lil of a comic book scene, and almost tells its own story. Well Merry Christmas all!!! ENJOY! oh and here's a link to his tumblr account! Mear1 on tumblr

*Basically I start out with these materials and let inspiration kind of take over from there. Something always seems to strike a nerve with me and then the rest kind of lays itself out for me from there...

From skateboard to eyewear

So I love StumbleUpon.com, if your wanting inspiration you should check out the site. I could stumble for like EVER!...Anyways one day I was on the site and found some street art event videos which led to what I found today. Eric Singer is an amazing artist based in Portland Oregon who makes handmade sunglasses out of exotic hardwoods. That's right you heard me correctly. In the video below which I saw on Vimeo some guys are out skating in LA and one breaks his board. The next scene you see is the artist(Eric) taking that very same deck and going to work on it, to create what I think is nothing short of a masterpiece. I love his style, his vision to recreate something not only out of something used, but something that pre existed in our environment. Any way I didnt want to say much other then to explain the video and share it with whomever out there is listening! I LOVE THE CREATIVITY! LOVE IT! Go Create, it makes you feel alive...Oh BTW his web address is Shwood sunglasses



Experiment No. 1 - Skateboard Shades from Shwood Eyewear on Vimeo.

The difficulty in seeing differently

   I am constantly seeing things different from thee people around me. So when it comes to art that I create it goes w/o saying I see things the same way. It must have been instilled in me as a little child to see things this way and although it has been hard at times, I wouldn't give it up for the world. Several years back I was involved in an auction to raise money for a school and was given the task of painting an old school students desk.

   Of course I was NOT going to just paint this desk with some silly theme and let that be that. No, not me! I knew if I was going to do this, that this desk had to die and come back as something else. A flurry of ideas rushed into my head as I mulled over how I would re purpose this desk into something new. I scurried to try to find the elements I needed for several of the ideas but got nowhere after hitting a few dead ends.

   Finally I rested in one idea I knew I could not only pull off but thought it was probably the best of all the ones I had had up to that point. Time was running out and sometimes crunch time is the best time for inspiration. If your an artist I must repeat...Some times CRUNCHTIME is the best time for inspiration. So never hesitate to embrace that and let go.

   Having only a few more days before I had to return the desk for the auction every step of this idea laid itself out for me like the lights on a runway being turned on in the darkest night. I knew what I needed, where it was, how it was going to look when it was done, the colors, I mean everything! It feels good when you are able to create like this. The feeling is almost euphoric at times.

   The end result is a sculpture in which I titled "The Seed". And I painted the meaning to the sculpture onto the desktop like most kids write and or carve into their desktops while in school. I loved how it turned out so much I went to the auction to buy it back. But after getting into a bidding war w/a teacher that wanted it my wife convinced me to let it go. "You'll never be known for your artistic abilities if no one ever sees your work" she said. It was hard but I walked away from one of my favorite pieces to date.

Ends of the spectrum

   I recently finished 2 new pieces, one a commission piece, the other a gift for my sister. I work at a scrap yard and I am constantly inspired by the pieces of metal that come in to see ART differently. It has pushed me and my limitations to what I thought I could and now do create. I think these 2 pieces couldn't possibly be more at the opposite ends of the spectrum from each other, not only in style but also in feel, materials used and what they represent. I am eternally grateful for my time here and how it has pushed me to grow as an artist.

   The first piece is an abstract painting I did in acrylic titled "The Refreshing" and I was inspired by some awesome pieces I found online. The client fell in love when she saw it. I was not convinced it was my best effort, but my wife convinced me to allow her to decide whether I should start fresh or leave it. She decided I should leave it as is. It is now hanging in her private collection, and she is very much happy with it. *Side note, this makes me VERY happy as well!

 

  

*This piece is roughly 7"x 9''.

 The second was a piece of scrap metal my boss found and brought to me. It is the silouette of an angel cut out of steel. Rusted and bent this piece immediately struck me with emotion and character. I knew i had to paint it. I also knew that I wanted to retain some of the character the piece had in the colors of rust and ended up with the following results. My sister simply loves angels, so I knew she would love this piece. It now hangs on her wall in her home.

         *This piece is roughly 12"x10"                    

Wild Things

So I wanted to post a picture of one of my most recent pieces in the studio that I am not finished with yet. I love the childrens book "Where The Wild Things Are" and wanted to do a piece from the book. I recently got some old shelves that my brother in law removed from his house while remodeling and thought it would be perfect for this project. I had the idea of doin this piece monochromatic to give it a twist, and I like how it's turning out. I should be done sometime earlier 2012 with this, and it is for sale...please let me know your thoughts on how it looks so far.

New Beginings

So Iv'e created a blog page to more easily not only interact with fans about my art and other endeavours, but to also make it easier to post as well. I tried a different approach and I think this best suits me. I will be posting about new and old pieces i have worked on or sold. As well as music and current pieces that I am working on in the studio. I hope you enjoy the words pics and music as well. ;)

-JasonT.