Quick and Easy Sculptural Plinths

I found some beautiful vintage ceramic blocks lying in a nearby woodlot. I brought one back to the studio, scrubbed it with a wire brush and then spray painted it a gloss black. It makes a great plinth for sculpture work. Last year I found a bunch of cut wooden pieces that had once been square pillars for a building being renovated. The only problem with using them as plinths was that they had to be resurfaced because they were a bit beat up. This actually worked out well because it gave them an interesting pattern. But with these blocks, there is a natural patterning in them that makes them easier to use without resurfacing and the chipping in places gives them a truly great look. 

On The Move

In about 6-8 weeks we will be moving our art studio and home to a new location. We've been in the current space about 6 years now. As I begin to slowly sort through the studio storage room and pack a few things away, I thought it might be fun to share some of it. Its no small thing to move this much junk. I and my partner are art pack rats. If we see it and think it can become something it ends up in one of our two storage rooms. I would not say we are hoarders because we are select about what we bring back. But it does accumulate after time.

The fellow above has been seen in many pieces of my work and even though its broken in the middle and has a hole in its head (who doesn't) he/she/they are still a valuable part of my prop inventory and I refuse to get rid of him. 

The Psychology of the Body Painter

At one point in my career I was a body painter. I still am actually, but not to the extent that I once was. Much of my work was live shows done on stage and those were very tiring events. Studio body paintings were much more in keeping with my style of work. I much preferred the opportunity to work slowly with the model(s) and work my way methodically through my designs.

The Artist and the Magician

Artists are truly magicians. We conceive our ideas in the privacy of our own heads and through our magic wand we bring that idea to life. Brushes become mystical tools and color becomes its own mysterious language that only we can understand. 

To some who enter our domain, it must seem like entering the cave of an ancient druid. Our shelves are lined with ephemera that tantalizes. Visitors are both intrigued and apprehensive. The tools of the alchemist are all around them. They do not belong here.

If we'd been born in a different century we might be burned at the stake or revered as gods. 

Are we vain? Of course we are. We know we carry within us the secrets of the universe. We know that we can only touch those secrets when we are creating. But we are humble also because we are sure that others will only see scribbles. But we keep at it because its what we must do. 

Even if we can't really change iron to gold, the mere idea that we can create anything that our imaginations can see keeps us magical and mysterious. We are who we are.


~Grey~

Hooked on a Feeling

If you are in the zone as an artist, you can lose yourself in the creative process. Art is like a drug that you are allowed to take as often as you can. There is a high when you are doing it, and a low when you aren't. The only solution is to jump right back in and create something else in order to maintain that high. 

Careful Consideration of all the Angles

When we create a piece of art, we have to consider the photography of that art if we want it to gain any traction in today's social media environment. What good is art if its never seen? The online art world has opportunities rarely afforded artists in other centuries. We have the chance to bring a piece of art to life and then show that life in all its glory immediately upon completion. We no more have to wait until its seen in a gallery or art studio window. Its instant gratification on crack.

Short on Space

The problems with big art is that space fills up quickly. Here are 4 of the Dystopia sculptures, with the 5th just getting started. We will be moving the studio to a new location in about 8 weeks, but it may be that I need to find temporary storage for some of these. If you can imagine rather than these 4, that there will eventually be 20+, its understandable how quickly space will fill. 

Do you have problems with space and storage? We'd love to hear about it below! 

~Grey~

Dreamstate

A lot of the art I create comes directly from the dreamstate. For most of my career as an artist, I've worked hard to train my mind to remember specifics of dreams and translate them into imagery. It doesn't always work and sometimes it can be very disruptive to getting really good rest. But if its done right the imagery that comes from it can be much more intense than that obtained just from creative thinking. 

The piece above is a bit different because it did not come from deep REM sleep but from daydreaming. This is a good way to brainstorm new ideas, but it happens very quickly. When I grasp an image I have to act on it very fast or I'll lose it completely. In this case I was working on something totally unrelated and suddenly saw the image for just a brief micro-second. I stopped and tried to keep it focused in mind and immediately shut down what I was doing and tried to tackle it before it was gone. I knew I needed two faces of the same person in order to create not just the image but the concept of the different faces we show the world. 

The model is a good friend of mine who I have photographed many times in years past. So it was a given that I search my archives for him first. The face with the eyes closed was actually taken in the very first photo shoot I ever did with him. The face with the eyes open, again coincidentally was in the very last shoot I did with him just before he moved out of state. It wasn't planned that way, but most good art is inspiration both at the moment of conception and within the details. 

The hard part of dreamstate art is not having the dreams, but in retaining them afterwards. But the rewards, especially for an artist that focuses on surrealism is priceless. 

This piece will be added to the Phantasm Portraits series. 

The Temple of Lost Light Series

The Temple of Lost Light is a sculpture created and laid out in the dense underbrush of my backyard. It was placed in the spring before the plant growth had begun to emerge. There are about a dozen Buddha's laid out around and amongst the sculpture along with temple walls and pieces. As I find new pieces to add to the structure I add them. Over the past months I've monitored the setting to see how the growth around it is maturing and how its effecting the sculpture. The intent was to create a setting that could be photographed at different times of the day and night in order to create a digital art series around the photos. Tonight was the first time I braved the mosquitoes and other creatures of the night to take the first set of night photos. I will continue to do this periodically throughout the coming months as the growth gets larger and the temple is lost in the underbrush. The first finished piece is seen above. For those curious S̄æng thī̀ h̄āy pị means "Lost Light" in Thai. I will add more as it is created. 

Digital art can be so much more. I see so much more potential in the technique than just sketching something out on an IPad. When incorporated with sculpture, art, photography and even nature, the possibilities are unlimited. 

The Utopia Cube

The Utopia Cube started out as an experiment. The purpose was to see how heated wax reacted to Styrofoam. I was not intending to turn it into a sculpture, but could see the potential as the experiment continued. Using a cube of Styrofoam, I applied metallic crayons using a soldering iron to melt and superheat the wax and let it drip onto the cube.. As it dripped, it created a lattice in places on the cube where it ate into the Styrofoam. The wax was then spread and the colors merged while at the same time causing the metal content in the crayon to rise to the surface in places.  Once all 6 sides of the cube had been completely covered the cube was mounted at an angle on an 11" plinth which was painted in a mottled metallic black that merged with the base of the cube. The whole sculpture was then sprayed with a heavy gloss polyurethane which hardened the cube and protects it from damage or chipping.  

This Is How Artists Can Establish a Profitable Side Gig - By Brittany Fisher (Guest Writer)

While there are many careers in the art field, a true artist has the drive to make money from their passion projects. There’s no reason why a hobby can’t turn into a profitable side gig — quite possibly growing into a full-time business if all goes well. If you’d like to make it as non-starving artist, considering being open-minded about channeling several revenue streams. For example, you could blend web sales, commission projects, grants, and gallery showings to make ends meet while pursuing your artistic goals.

Even though you’re entitled to making your own selling strategies and creative decisions for your business, you’ve also got to prepare yourself for occasional criticism of your work — especially anything that’s custom. If you think you’re up for the challenge, just make sure you’re setting yourself up for success. 

The Art of Landon Huber (New Work Added)

"Heads Vomit Heads"
Artist: Landon Huber
Twitter: @HuberLandon
Specs: This piece of art was first drawn by hand using pencil and paper and made into a tight drawing. Then scanned and digitally Painted using photoshop.
Purchase Info at: https://society6.com/landonhuberart

Grey's Notes on This Piece: Landon has an amazing sense of imagination. Viewing his work is more like taking a trip into the dark side of ones mind. Sometimes disturbing, sometimes enlightening. What I find interesting about the above piece is the symmetry. Surrealistic art is some of the hardest art to create symmetry within. But if you move your eyes clockwise starting at the raised hand and follow around in a complete circle, the symmetry is nearly perfect. The angle of the floor and walls, the archway, even the pattern on the floor still allow for an easy transition around the piece. If you flip the image, its easy to see that the symmetry does not work in the opposite direction. I look forward to viewing more of Landon's work in the future. ~G~

Confidence!

I see way to many artists post a piece of their art online and then immediately apologize for it. If the piece is not ready to be seen, don't post it. If it's a work in progress then put WIP on it. If you've done your best then show it proudly with no apologies!

The Art of Kela

"In Shadowland"
Artist: Kela 
Twitter: @Art_by_Kela
Email: artbykela@icloud.com

Process: IN 2015 I started a photography project which took on a life of it's on and morphed over time into PhotoLution. Starting point is always 1 or several of my photos - end result is a new different image based on perception, my emotional state, mood and creativity. 1. Photography, 2. digital  rebirth, 3. print, 4. if print on canvas I finish with adding texture and paint (acrylic) which makes each piece one of a kind.

Grey's Notes on This Piece: Kela's work is fascinating. She realizes that a photo is only the beginning of an amazing process that can produce so much more. By blending disciplines she creates a totally unique piece of art which captivates the eye and makes you search deeper into the piece to find hidden meanings. ~G~

Kela Says:

This is piece #7. The entire series reflects my emotional state of mind during that time period, sort of a visual story ...the names of my pieces are carefully chosen and give clues. However, I believe that everybody has their own way of seeing and understanding which will always  lead to individual interpretations which I welcome.

Mother Please!! The Dystopia Project (UPDATED 05-26-18)

This is a first look at the fourth urban ruin being built for the Dystopia Project. For those not familiar, the Dystopia Project is a series of lifelike urban ruins, each with a specific theme placed throughout each building in the form of street art and graffiti. 

"Mother Please!!" is an abandoned warehouse filled with graffiti and street art that involves the AIDS epidemic. Please be warned that the subject matter contained in the images can be disturbing.

The images you see here shows the inside of the warehouse and the graffiti being added on each floor. Once the inside is complete, a front facing will be placed on the building and then the outside walls will be filled with graffiti.