JOIN ME THIS SUNDAY & EVERY SUNDAY THERE AFTER FROM NOON-6:00pm FOR

THE NEON FOREST ARTS & CRAFTS BAZAAR

AT 1737-1741 SOUTH ORANGE AVENUE 32806

The Neon Forest Arts and Crafts Bazaar every Sunday for the rest of the summer!

There’s  a nice group of vendors rounded up and feature everything from arts & crafts, to re-worked vintage, independent fashion labels, jewelry, pottery, food and more!
There is also music, photo booths, live painting by local area talent, water balloon’s, raffles and giveaways.

Current Vendors Include:
A Rare Bird. ETOILE Boutique. Vintage & Studs. Bleu’s Doll Party, Lucy Furs. Lucky Diva. LURE Design. Jason Cullison Fine Art. UCF Print Collective and more!

This week we will feature:
DJ Sets by: CUB & Friends

A Full Bar with Beer, Mimosa’s, Bloody Mary’s and more! by 57 WEST

Plus several food vendors will be on site providing non alcoholic drinks, veggie goods, popsicles, and flavored ice!

About the Bazaar:
We are looking for creative people that would like to showcase and sell their goods and services on a regular basis. We have 20 10ftx10ft spaces available to the right vendors. Become part of the Bazaar and help us make this one of the most unique and most talked about weekly bazaars in central Florida!

Our parking lot holds up to 200 people, and we will allow entry / access to our on site Art Gallery every week so that vendors and patrons can get out the sun, use the restroom, and see the art we have on exhibit!

All of the marketing materials will be designed and paid for by us, plus we will create an entire brand identity around the bazaar, with tons of web presence and local publication presence to help us collectively spread the word.

Registration is still open for new vendors!  If this sounds like something you would like to be part of then please email info@neonforestgallery.com or call 321-217-1675, you can download the registration form from our website by clicking here

http://neonforestgallery.com/

We’re looking forward to hearing from all you creative individuals here in Orlando. Lets put our creative heads together and make something cool happen every weekend!  It takes everyone’s participation to build a strong artistic community.  Come out and get involved!

So, I brought my family to Miami for the monthly Design District Gallery Walk.  Having never done it before, I figured we’d go and stumble through it no matter what; just get the feel for it and try to figure it out as we go.  While the Design District’s website is pretty, it is also a little vague on info for the walk…. at least until the day of.  Regardless, we went at it figuring that everyone would be either happily zipping between galleries or doing the zombie shuffle and we’d just join into the flow.  It was kind of to my expectation -but no zombies.  We headed toward Michael’s Genuine restaurant.  It’s in the heart of it and they have $3 valet… “yes, of course we are going to the restaurant, Mr. Valet…”  We had thought we’d eat there, but as we got going through the galleries we got further  and further away.  Next time we will have a better plan, knowing what we know now.

There were lots of galleries, (although, more interior design/shopping which is cool, too) and most of them were within a few minutes of each other.  the first stand-out space was: 101/exhibit.  The gallery was large and the space was free-flowing.  It seemed like maybe 10 artists showing; whatever the number, there was a very diverse group.  A little bit edgy and dark, the art was generally large and very impressive.  Although, I overheard some people questioning that a particular painting was, “still up?”  Either they loved it and couldn’t understand why it hadn’t been sold already, or they had seen it there for a while (more likely given that the piece was enormous, expensive and extremely dark and intense).  Whatever the case, I liked nearly everything I saw; the show was curated very well.

After that, we experienced a number of good galleries with such a diverse range of styles and techniques on display, that it would take me many, many more words than I am prepared to offer up to fully describe what we saw… so, the highlights only.  Avant Gallery is as much design house as it is gallery space.  I kind of like that when it works well; this one does.  My favorite pieces were commentary on social media and ‘digital’ living in the age of email, Facebook, and blogging, (hmmmm…).  The artist, Alejandro Vigilante was in attendance and seemed very pleased to know that I ‘got’ his work.  Nice guy and really cool concept.

The last truly stand-out space was the Spinello Gallery.  Filled to the brim with hipsters and FTW cool-kids, I really liked the energy of the place.  Even my 5 year old daughter liked this one…  The show was a solo shot for Kris Knight’s “A Deadly Nightshade.”  Super impressive work: really intense portraits of young, radiant faces in Bacchus-like revelry.  The show was really well presented and my personal highlight was the smallish canvas of a bat hanging upside-down, it was only found by looking up and seeing it near the rafters of the gallery.  An interesting placement and shows the out-of-the-box thinking that the gallery uses.  A simple idea, but very telling, I thought.

There were other great galleries and I’m very much looking forward to next month’s offerings.  I hope to get a good feel for the galleries and their aesthetics; form some relationships and build on that.  I’m no longer ignoring the cultural powerhouse at my doorstep; I’ll see you soon, Miami.

I’ve just entered my painting, “Status Quo,” into the Paul Frank Art Attack Contest.  It’s a great contest with entries from all over the country vying for a full page ad spot in JUXTAPOZ magazine.  I think my piece is strong and has as much of a shot as anyone else.  Please take a second to check out my entry and rate it…. (think 5 out of 5!)

http://www.paulfrank.com/art_attack/rate/entry/829

There are tons of great pieces on the site and it’s definitely worth your while to check out some of the emerging talents from all over… just start with mine!

Here’s the piece I entered:

Status Quo, acrylic, spraypaint and gold leaf on wood, 48 x 37, 2009.

I really like this piece.  It fits into my ‘Ode to Roman Gods’ series by utilizing the four stencils I used for each of those paintings.  I first prepared and painted the background with acrylic washes.  Then I used the four Latin sayings  in order; used all the stencils three times over, still in order.   This created a dense web of lettering that blended with the background and came into view in the lower part of the painting.  (It was time consuming to say the least, but it was a Zen process that I got into. )  Then, I added the stencil of my Sad Coffee Cup… he gave the title it’s context.  Next, was the eponymous stencil, ‘Status Quo.’  The gold leaf border was added before the final hand painting.  Finally, I painted the multi-colored spheres emanating out of the cup like so much abstract steam.

For more about the Latin sayings, check out this previous post: An Ode to Roman Gods.

Is it about the economy?  Politics?  Something in my personal life?  Is is a rhetorical question?  Or a statement of fact?

Yes.

Plus, it looks awesome…

I know.  A cheesy post title, but I couldn’t help it.  Anyway, the trip was just great.  I got to see some of the area surrounding L.A. and some of the cool parts of the city.  There is so much there to experience, it is overwhelming.  It’s been a while since I’ve been to a truly big city and even longer since I lived in one - I missed all that is offered.  So that was nice: to explore and experience the details everywhere.

However, I was there to show my (2) paintings at WWA gallery’s ‘The Devil Made Me Do It’ opening reception.  To say that I was a little nervous about the show, is an understatement.  I showed two of my favorite and most meaningful paintings: ‘Fur EIAE,’ and ‘I Am the Eye of Horus.’  The paintings arrived at the gallery two weeks before me; in perfect condition, to my great relief.  So, I had two weeks to get nervous about unveiling them to the public.  Fortunately, I was distracted by the whirlwind of events before hand, the transcontinental flight and the jet-lag.  The opening night was upon me before I knew it.  The gallery is located in what has been called, the ‘uber-artsy’ area of Culver City.  I must say that the area immediately surrounding the gallery is tres chic and artsy… so, I was feeling good walking up to the doors.

Upon entering the gallery, I was blown away by the space.   The gallery is bright and and open with an interesting layout.  I was pleased to see my paintings placed so prominently and in such good company.  The other artists’ works were great, too.  The show certainly has an edgy vibe as defined by the varied works on the theme of the show - ‘The Devil Made Me Do It.’  The crowd started off a little slow, but quickly filled in the space.  It was a loud and enthusiastic crowd that was engaged and interested in the art.  By 8:30 the place was packed and the art was selling!

I had the pleasure of meeting the gentleman that purchased the small painting of my beloved ferret.  After the show is over, it will go to a very good home of an enthusiastic art collector.  I couldn’t be more pleased.  As an artist, I try to communicate through my paintings and to have someone experience such a strong connection with my work that he must own it… well, there isn’t any stronger compliment than that.

All in all, my first trip to show my art on the West Coast was a success… on many levels.  So, with all that said… here’s some pics:

outside the gallery

me and my paintings

fellow artist, Dan Barry

fellow artist, Edward Robin Coronel

friends and artists: Meridyth MacDonald, Ana Bagayan, Edward Robin Coronel, Gary Palmer, KRK Ryden, Dylan Sisson, Stephanie Chefas, Rob Faucette, Dan Barry, Thomas Lynch

me and KRK Ryden talking technique

Jacob Osborne, Stephanie Chefas of Industrial Squid, and me

red M&Ms... goes great with beer and art

What else can I say?!

Check out all of the art at: WWAgallery.com

More adventures soon…

I have been invited to show two pieces in the upcoming WWA gallery group show: The Devil Made Me Do It.  WWA gallery is located in Culver City, CA , in the Los Angeles metro area.

I am extremely excited about the show and will be showing some very personal pieces: ‘Fur EIAE,’ and ‘I Am the Eye of Horus.’  Both pieces are intensely dark in palette and approach.  They are about life and death and the love that fills the in-between.  I have used traditional and personal symbols to tell stories about -and give possibilities of alternate realities to- the subjects.  As with most of my art, (and most art in general,) the meanings are many and interpretations are varied according to the viewer’s context and perceptions.  I hope these paintings can connect and share some emotional space with the viewer.

'Fur EIAE,' acrylic with metal leaf on canvas, 8 x 10, 2009.

'I Am the Eye of Horus,' acrylic with metal leaf on canvas, 30 x 40, 2010.

WWA gallery is proud to present, The Devil Made Me Do It, a group exhibition curated by Industrial Squid, featuring new works by 34 established and emerging artists from the Los Angeles area and around the world.

Encompassing themes from the darkest corner of the creative mind, the show will ultimately be defined by each artist’s interpretation.  Open to the public, The Devil Made Me Do It gallery reception is from 7-10pm on Friday, February 12th.  The exhibition will be on view until March 20th, 2010.

The Devil Made Me Do It show features a diverse line-up of artists including:

Justin Aerni, David M. Ball, Dan Barry, Bora Baskan, Eric Thomas Bostrom, Julian Callos, David Chung, Dave Cooper, Rob Corless, Edward Robin Coronel, Jason Cullison, Alex Curtis, Deadly Daisy, Bob Dob, Thomas Fuchs, Dan Harding, Frank Kozik, Kristy Anne Ligones, Jacob Livengood, Thomas Lynch III, Jon MacNair, Lili Mae Martin, Lee Misenheimer, Josie Newman, Rey Ortega, Gary Palmer, KRK Ryden, Dylan Sisson, Jason Smith, Jared Stumpenhorst, Tracy Tomoko, Ori Toor, and Adam Werther.

Industrial Squid is a curatorial project comprised of Stephanie Chefas, Rob Faucette, and David Radford of WWA gallery.  Industrial Squid is a labor of love born out of a passion for contemporary art and those who bring it to life.  Their aim is to curate inventive group shows, with themes that give artists a veritable playground to work within.

Located in the Culver City Art District, WWA gallery’s goal is to present contemporary artists, both established and unknown, who have an individual perspective and clear vision and aesthetic.  For more information and an upcoming exhibition schedule, please visit www.WWAgallery.com