Artist Lisa Congdon has taken upon a project that will span exactly one year, from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010 titled “Collection A Day.” On each of those 365 days, she vows to photograph or draw (and occasionally paint) one collection.
Chimp My Ride
Newly added to the Etsy Shop,“Chimp My Ride.” Two variations of a styling grease monkey in his souped up chimp-mobiles. Also available on T-Shirts & Stuff.
Charles Addams
The work of Charles Addams was a great influence to my career in illustration. His dark humor and sometimes subtle punch lines captivated me from a very early age. I studied a paperback collection of his cartoons over and over, marveling at the way his mind worked and his use of ink and shading. 25 years ago I was inspired to write and thank him for the huge level of inspiration and how he was instrumental to my path towards illustration. In particular, how mesmerized I was as a child with his rendition of a miner spotlighting Alice in Wonderland’s white rabbit with his miner’s lamp. Not expecting a response, I was thrilled to receive a letter promptly the next week, responding to my comments about his work and how it had shaped my career path.
Dear Mr. Phillips: “I enjoyed your letter about your first confrontation with one of my books. If only all reactions could be as rewarding!’
Dynamic Duo-Pamela Michelle & Dowdy Studio
Check out the artistic styles of this creative couple. Pamela creates and designs wonderful original artwork in wood, on canvas and on paper. She’s also one of the driving forces behind the Etsy Dallas team. Dylan’s shop has a collection of iconic t-shirt designs that are both cleverly designed and great fun. Both will be at the upcoming Etsy Dallas Spring Bash craft event May 1st.
3-D Prints
Just posted in the Etsy shop, a starter collection of prints utilizing a 3-D effect. More fun than regular old 2-D, these print variations sport an extra punch of fun dimensionality! The 3 levels: Color layer on paper, Plexiglass middle topped by a transparent film layer of line art:
Three in the shop to date with more to follow soon: Time Machine (pictured above) Spirit Tiki and Rocket Tiki
Monkey Monday-Gesundheit
I don’t know about where you live, but the spring pollen has everything covered in an ominous layer of itchy-looking green around here.
Growth Chart
Like some version of the effects of Alice in Wonderland’s “Drink Me” potion, this set of photos shows Brodie’s growth progress over a few months. His favorite cubby hole in my studio was soon left behind for much more expansive areas.
Tiki Series
I recently began a series of Tiki images exploring a graphic, limited color approach. Some in the series tend to skirt the outside boundaries of a screen print type of look. I hope to pick up with this series soon to add more since they’re great fun to create. See the special “twofer” price on the series in the Etsy shop.
Tefi Designs
Stephanie Hindall, a.k.a. Tefi Designs, creates jewelry with a range from elegant to whimsical, all found within her Etsy shop. The above piece from her “Pea Pod” series is both clever and beautifully designed. Stephanie is a founder and tireless promoter of the Etsy Dallas team created in 2007. Thanks to her efforts, along with co-leaders Pamela Michelle and Carrie Partch, the biannual “Bash” Handmade Arts and Craft shows are a must attend event for area shoppers. If you live in or plan to visit the Dallas area soon, be sure and put the “Spring Bash” on your calendar for May 1st.
Ray-Mel Cornelius
Ray-Mel’s work always offers up a rich serving of color and texture that is immediately and distinctively recognizable. He creates magical landscapes that speak of folk tales and fables, Southwestern wildlife and a special focus on roosters with stunning colors and plumage. Ray-Mel is like the fellow that showed up on the Ed Sullivan show from time to time who would deftly spin several plates on top of sticks. With his focus on illustration, teaching and fine art, he keeps them all spinning smoothly. Be sure to visit his blog as well for recent projects.
Monkey Monday-Run Like the Wind
Darren Di Lieto
The mastermind behind so many different aspects of illustration, Darren Di Lieto is an artist promotion workhorse. Our first connection began several years ago when Darren requested the use of one of my chimp illustrations for use in an early incarnation of his “The Little Chimp Society.” LCS for short, he and his wife Jane maintain a vibrant blog promoting all things related to the illustration industry. Darren has brought to light a tremendous amount of talent through his blog and the “Mail Me Art” projects. I was honored to be a part of the “Mail Me Art” book and exhibition from the first collection. He’s also created the “Hire An Illustrator” site, providing a space for illustrator’s portfolios and promotion. A tip of the hat to Darren for promoting and helping so many talented people in the world of illustration!
My mailed submission used in Darren’s “Mail Me Art” book.
New ChetArt Merchandise Shop
A new shop is now open for business, offering t-shirts, tote bags, mouse pads and more featuring characters from my “Steampunk Monkey Nation,” “World War Monkey” and “Literary Pets” series. Choose from a list of fun shirt colors or liven up your home decor with a General Persnickeybritches coaster for your drink. To see more, visit:
Tote bag to carry all your bananas.
Cork bottom coaster for your favorite Steampunk beverage.
Monkey Monday—The Decider
All you need to express your feelings for any critical situation.
Not sure how to respond? Let the Monkey Decider do it for you!
Buttons!
An avalanche of 1.25 inch pinback buttons have hit the ChetArt Etsy shop.
Bee Things
Bee Things is comprised of the artistic duo Shay Ometz and Jeff Barfoot. They create a whole host of products, all with the same consistent, simple beauty of fanciful shapes and colors. Be sure to check out their Etsy shop as well.
John Martz
John Martz has the great ability to express a fresh feeling with his whimsical style and color palette. His subtle humor and flair for caricature practically jumps off the page. Above is a recent piece of John’s based on the Douglas Adams book “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe” that’s showcased on the Picture Book Report site. He’s also the man behind the incredibly popular cartoon and illustration blog Drawn! I tip my hat to him for the great support he’s shown to the illustration community as well as for his numerous mentions of my work over the years.
Norman Saunders
I’ve referenced Norman Saunders in a couple of interviews I’ve given in the past as an early art influence. My first connection to his artwork was the Batman trading cards released in 1966, which I carefully and completely collected (only to have them purged during a family move.) I also was able to do some trading for a handful of the Mars Attacks cards that were a bit before my time but never managed to own a full set of the originals. Norman’s work was so unique to me as a child, because he was offering up fantasy and superhero subjects as beautifully rich paintings. And the subject matter! Martians burning people alive and giant robots crushing cities and people. Tame stuff these days, but very thrilling to my young eyes back then.
Steampunk Tales Cover Art
I was approached recently to create a cover for issue #3 of the popular “Steampunk Tales“ collection of stories. Advertised as the first ever electronic pulp fiction magazine published exclusively on iPhone and iPod touch.
Borrowing from the flavor of one of the ongoing stories “The Mask of Tezcatlipoca” by G.D. Falksen, I worked up a tight sketch from some thumbnail explorations and included a font choice for the magazine title. Once approved, I proceeded to create the finish, using Corel’s Painter software. The pencil sketch was scanned and I started with black line work mixed with some scratchboard treatments around the face and grass. All the line work behind the figure was selected with the magic wand tool and I substituted the black with greens and browns to soften the background. Color was than added, below the line work layer and a floral texture was added to the vest. The final step was adding a variety of textures over the entire area with beige and sepia colors to “age” its look and dull down the colors. I used thin line strokes along the left “magazine spine,” the edges and the corners to emulate some dog ears and stress.
The Center for Art Conservation
Tish Brewer and Shannon Phillips are the creative geniuses that make up The Center for Art Conservation, as well as Paper Works, a.k.a. Paper Nerds. The goals of the Center for Art Conservation are to “specialize in the treatment of works of art on paper, prints, maps, posters, paper ephemera and manuscripts, as well as related materials such as parchment.” Their studio is located in a renovated loft in Exposition Park, near downtown Dallas. They each have amassed an enormous wealth of education and training in their area of expertise. In conjunction with their work on high profile works of art and ephemera, they offer a wide range of workshops that delve into creating fun and creative projects. Past classes have focused on gocco printing, paper marbling, bookbinding techniques and paper ornaments, just to name a few. Their conservation services are highly recommended. Also, if you’re in the Dallas area and looking for some fun and creative learning, be sure to sign up for a future class with them.