New Piece for July Art in a Box

Posted on July 14, 2010
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Just finished a new piece for the July Art in a Box show at The Compound Gallery. A lovely couple bought my piece… (see photo)

New work for Art in a Box

Posted on May 28, 2010
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A couple pieces I just finished for June Art in a Box subscribers. Mr. Roosevelt and First Flight

Art in a Box voted Best Art-Collector’s Resource!

Posted on May 28, 2010
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The fantabulous 7×7 magazine has voted Art in a Box the Best Art-Collector’s Resource in their Best of San Francisco 2010!

The best thing to happen to a box since Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg, the Art in a Box project by Matt and Lena Reynoso of the Compound Gallery pairs art collectors with works by such Bay Area artists as Lisa Solomon, Tallulah Terryll and Ben Belknap. For a mere $50 a month, subscribers receive a surprise piece by a participating artist.

We won!

Posted on May 17, 2010
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Wooooohooo. We, The Compound Gallery, and our friends BayVAN, won an Indie Award in the category “Ripple Effect”! Thank you so much to Oakland Grown and One California! We are so very thankful!

Indie Award Nomination

Posted on March 18, 2010
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Kerri Johnson and I were nominated for an Oakland Indie award in the “Ripple Effect” category. Help us win by nominating us again as co-founders of Plaid Friday or of the Golden Gate Gallery District or whatever you think may be appropriate 4th Annual Oakland Indie Awards! Thank you Oakland Grown for spreading the word!

Professor Squirrel & a new Compound Gallery

Posted on March 18, 2010
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For those of you who don’t know that I, along with the famous Kerri Lee of Blankspace gallery, will be opening a store called…..wait for it……………… Professor Squirrel. Oh yeah! You can check it out at www.professorsquirrel.com and visit our brick and mortar store at the NEW Compound Gallery! Yup, we have found an amazing building and we are in the midst of moving the gallery and studios. Below are some BEFORE pics. Our grand opening is April 17th at 1167 65th Street, Oakland, CA 94608.
Professor Squirrel, the Swee(t)art Drawing Gallery, and The Compound Gallery and Studios under one roof! Amazing!

Paper Cuts at Terminal 22

Posted on January 8, 2010
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I have a few pieces up in this show. Stop by if you are in the Bay Area! PAPER CUTS will show fine art and craft pieces that embrace the possibilities and strengths of paper as a primary media. At Terminal 22, 2443 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94612.

OPENING RECEPTION: Friday, Feb 5th, 6pm - 10pm. Enjoy refreshments and free cupcakes.
Additional Hours: Feb 6th and 13th, Noon - 5pm, and by appointment

Terminal 22 show

Posted on January 5, 2010
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I’m participating in a show at Terminal 22 titled “Paper Cuts”. Opening reception February 5th. I just finished a piece for it. It’s a diorama with working miniature stage lights. The frame is real gold leaf and it features Lazarus-Joannes with his parasitic twin standing inside Ole Worm’s Cabinet of Curiosities. 9″x9″

New work for Art in a Box

Posted on January 4, 2010
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The following pieces will go out to subscribers in January for Art in a Box.

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Winterfest

Posted on December 2, 2009
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If your in San Francisco, I have a piece in Winterfest…Come celebrate art, bikes, and better streets at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition’s 14th annual Winterfest party and fundraiser.

WHEN: Sunday, December 6th from 6-10:30pm.
WHERE: SOMArts Gallery, 934 Brannan St. at 8th St.
Free Valet Bike Parking provided, of course.

Winterfest features an amazing 60+ piece bike focused art auction. The art this year is amazing! You’ll have a chance to bid on work by former Talking Head and art sensation, David Byrne & local literati Dave Eggers, as well as some of the best emerging and established Bay Area artists. Preview the ONLINE catalog before coming to the auction! Winterfest is more than art. Shop the best of San Francisco’s local restaurants, goods and services, bike deals, and unique get-a-ways in our unrivaled silent and live auction. Enjoy beer from New Belgium Brewery, DJs spinning all night, the photo booth, craft table, street food carts,and over 1,000 friendly bicyclists of all kinds.

Only $15 for SF Bicycle Coalition members or join at the door for $40 (includes one year of SF Bicycle Coalition membership). All proceeds support your local bicycle & street improvement advocacy organization, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition — dedicated to improving the streets and your ride around town!

Civil War brooches on etsy…

Posted on November 13, 2009
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Check out some of my new brooches and medals from my miniature paintings….. CLICK HERE to go to my etsy page.

Miniature Paintings

Posted on November 11, 2009
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Click the image to see more miniature paintings. I also have some available in my Etsy shop.

New Civil War Miniature Painting Series!

Posted on November 11, 2009
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I just put up 13 of my new miniature paintings from my Civil War Series. I also have many new miniature paintings in the Lusus Naturae series featuring the infamous Vegetable Lamb (Tartarian Lamb). Those will be available exclusively at Rowan Morrison next month. I’ll be posting images of those soon…

Vegetable Lamb Series at Rowan Morrison

Posted on November 9, 2009
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I’m looking forward to the group show at Rowan Morrison next month. I’ll be showing my Tartarian Lamb paintings, which are part of my lusus naturae series. Here is a description from the Providence Patriot, August 11, 1824 page 2.

Upcoming Show!

Posted on November 3, 2009
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I’m happy to announce that I’ll be participating in a group show at the wonderful Rowan Morrison in Oakland, CA! This is a chance to see the Tartarian Lamb series I’ve been working on….

The show is titled DOUBLE EXPOSURE (two): Balanced Roles is an exhibition with five bay area artist-slash-curators who work within their respective residential spaces. Participating artists are Chris McCaw of 31 Rausch, Brion Nuda Rosch of Hallway Projects, Lena Reynoso of The Compound, Kari Marboe of MG Gallery, and Naaman Rosen of WE Space. The criteria for selection of these artists incorporates the idea of the expanding role of the artist in the community, and the use of residential spaces as a place to make art more accessible. This second installment of the Double Exposure show is a further testament to this growing practice in the Bay Area.

Opening Reception is: Saturday December 5th, 7 - 10pm
Show runs December 5th – December 24th
Rowan Morrison Gallery and Artist’s Bookstore
330 40th Street
Oakland, Ca 94609
510.384.5344

New Gallery Hours: Friday & Saturday : 11am – 6pm, or by appointment

Visit the website for more details… I’ll be sure to post again as the date approaches.

New Mini Paintings

Posted on November 3, 2009
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I’ve been having a grand ol’ time working on some miniature paintings! They are only about 2″ high and sealed in resin. I have an entire “Civil War” series–filled with portraits, cannons, trains, etc. And I also finished some for my lusus naturae series. What fun! Images coming soon….

New paintings for Art in a Box

Posted on October 30, 2009
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I’m working on some building studies and decided to do a special series for Art in a Box. I’m having much fun working on these! Go to my Miscellaneous Painting page to see them.

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Collaborative pieces back from Ireland!

Posted on October 18, 2009
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The collaborative pieces I did with Crystal Morey are back from the show in Ireland! If you like what you see, you can get them at the Blankspace store while you can!

Working on some new paintings….

Posted on September 23, 2009
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I’m busy researching and writing that pesky ol’ dissertation- Even though it takes away from my painting time, it helps my thought process tremendously. My new painting series Lusus Naturae focuses on the “unclassifiable”, particularly the Tartarian Lamb, but I’m really excited about Pecos Bill and his rattlesnake whip, so you might see him make an appearance soon….

The Tartarian Lamb Mother

Posted on August 31, 2009
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Another one finished! Click the image to go to the page.

City of Tartarian Lambs

Posted on August 31, 2009
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Part of my new series titled Lusus Naturae. Click the image to go to the page

“Mythlogies” at 126 Gallery

Posted on August 12, 2009
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I just finished packing up the collaborative pieces with Crystal Morey. I’m delighted that the pieces will be going to a show in Ireland.

Mythologies
August 20- Sept 10, 2009
126 Gallery, Galway Ireland

Thanks Apartment Therapy!

Posted on July 23, 2009
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Apartment Therapy, which I LOVE, featured my DIY dog bed (throne) for our sweet little Sidonia! Check it out here.

Art in a Box

Posted on July 23, 2009
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I’m part of a fabulous new art subscription service that features the work of Bay Area Artists. I’m making some new work that will go to random subscribers. It’s such a deal! $50/month which includes shipping, a bonus piece, and occasional additional surprises in the box. All the artists involved are amazing! Check it out: www.artinabox.net !

The Tartarian Lamb Field

Posted on July 14, 2009
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The first painting in the Lusus Naturae series. Click the image to go to the painting page.

Fur Bearing Sardine

Posted on July 13, 2009
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I just finished making some fur-bearing sardine! Most people have heard tales of the fur-bearing trout, a creature found in the cold rivers of the Northeast as well as the Great Lakes. The fur-bearing trout was a species believed to have evolved and grew a thick furry coat to keep warm. Other stories suggest that hair tonic that was being brought to miners was spilled in the Arkansas river.

Here we have the Fur-Bearing Sardine! The smallest, furriest, and most elusive of their kind. The fur-bearing sardine is rarely seen and quite scarce. You can purchase them here.

More Collaborations with Crystal Morey

Posted on July 8, 2009
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I’m having so much fun with these collaborations with one of my favorite artists ever….Crystal Morey! Our studios are right next to each other, and it is so liberating to create without any heavy looming plans over the process. Below: Paul Bunyan and Hansel and Gretel (Photos courtesy of Crystal Morey)

Vegetable Lamb Print

Posted on June 10, 2009
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Right now, I’m obsessed with the Vegetable Lamb (or the Tartarian Lamb, or Scythian Lamb). This poster is a limited edition of 12 prints and is available on my etsy page.

New Collaboration with Crystal Morey

Posted on June 8, 2009
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I’m working on a new collaboration with amazing artist Crystal Morey. Crystal is making the ceramic frames adorned with various embellishments and I am painting small images in the frames. Here is the first one. I painted the legendary “Spring Heeled Jack” inside Crystal’s winged frame. We don’t plan anything. She makes what inspires her, and I paint what the frame inspires in me.

I’m a Doctoral Candidate!

Posted on May 24, 2009
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After all the curveballs life has thrown my way (and believe me, there were a LOT of distractions), it’s a pleasure to announce that I passed my qualifying exam and I’m now a doctoral candidate! Let the dissertation writing commence! This is the FUN part!

Almost there!

Posted on May 7, 2009
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For those of you who don’t know, I’m a PhD student at the University of California, Berkeley. It’s been a L-O-N-G and complicated road, but I am almost a doctoral candidate! I take my qualifying exam on May 21st! I am elated to begin my new painting series Lusus Naturae and simultaneously write my dissertation on that very topic! After all that hurdle jumping, I’m ready to get crazy in the studio and start swinging around paint and canvi (my plural of canvases). With that said, I’ll be a hermit until after my exam, but I will emerge a new and inspired ME!

Show at Playland-Not-at-the Beach April 24th

Posted on March 27, 2009
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I am happy to announce that I will be participating in “The Art of Amusement” at Playland-Not-At-The-Beach.

Opening Reception: Friday, April 24, 2009, 5-9pm
10979 San Pablo Ave. El Cerrito, CA 94530
510.232.4264 ext. 25

“The Art of Amusement,” Playland-Not-At-The-Beach’s first art show, will feature artists and artwork that reflect the subjects that drove the creation of our Museum of Fun: circuses, sideshows, carnivals, magic, monsters and so much more. Throughout the ages artists have relished creating paintings, murals and sculptures related to these subjects. It must be something about the bright colors, the sense of joy and excitement and slight danger that draws people’s attention. The Circus and Sideshow appeal to a specialized audience who cannot deny the draw of the grand spectacle and distorted figures existing in a strange, shadowy world. For this show, we are proud to display a wide range of artists’ works that exemplify the Art of Amusement.

Each of the artists participating in the show holds a special significance for us, whether their subject matter so precisely lines up with our passions or they’ve been one of the hundreds of people to physically shape our museum. In addition to the great works featured in this special show, be sure to check out the thousands of other artifacts and pieces of art that fill our museum everyday.

Come join us on Friday, April 24th from 6:00 to 9:00 pm for an opening reception in the Midway section of our museum. The opening night is free to attend, and admission to the rest of the museum on Friday night will be reduced to $10 for this special event. Snacks and drinks will be served. The art exhibit will be on view Saturday and Sunday, and regular admission prices will prevail ($15 for adults, $10 for youths and seniors).

Playland-Not-at-the-Beach is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Museum of Fun. Designed and built entirely by volunteers, the 20+ interactive exhibits celebrate the magic and history of America’s bygone amusements — circuses, carnivals, magic, sides shows, penny arcades, amusement devices, pinball arcades, haunted houses, and beautiful art everywhere. Our goal is to educate newer generations about the bygone days and allow those who remember Whitney’s Playland and the Sutro Baths the opportunity to recapture the glorious sights and sounds of that marvelous era.

Artist that will be featured for the Show:Lena Reynoso,Garret Bock,Schuyler Robertson,Alyssa Glass,Roman Muradov,Mary Patterson,Charlie Moran,Slimm Buick,Bucky Barnes, and Mylette Welch.

More pictures…

Posted on February 5, 2009
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I just found more photos from the opening of Hollywood D.C. at The World of Wonder Storefront Gallery in Hollywood. Here is a nice candid shot of Bobby Trendy and Heather from Rock of Love….
and Me, Matt, Mikey, and Ron.
Heidi and Spencer posing happily in front of my Presidents…

Forty Four Presidents Book on Etsy!

Posted on February 3, 2009
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I added Forty Four Presidents to my Etsy site! You can get it cheaper from me than from Blurb (see last post). It’s a mere $20 (plus shipping)!

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Forty Four Presidents Book!

Posted on January 27, 2009
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Now you can order Forty Four Presidents as a full color book. Original paintings of our corpus of Presidents by Lena Reynoso. A fresh take on the musty old portraits we grew up with. Revisit our history and enjoy some odd and arbitrary facts while you are at it! softcover, 7″x7″, 50 full color pages, $23.95. Order it on Blurb (click image), direct from me, or buy it locally at The Compound Gallery (info on other local retail locations will be updated soon).

By

Bunnywax

Posted on January 26, 2009
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Check out John Casey’s blog about the Forty Four Presidents show at Blankspace. Thanks John!

Oakland Magazine!

Posted on January 26, 2009
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Pick up the latest issue (Jan/Feb) of Oakland Magazine (Borders Books or Barnes & Noble has it) and you will see a photo of Obama by yours truly and a small write up. This is what they say:

Purely Presidential. Oakland artist Lena Reynoso inaugurates her latest addition to her portrait series, Forty-Four Presidents. Displayed as a tableau of square-foot canvases, Reynoso’s self-described “medley of men” portrays the nation’s legacy of leadership—and perhaps grade-school flashbacks of memorizing their names. Obama’s picture is not only the first African-American face in the mix, but he’s the sixth with brown eyes. Attend the opening reception on Jan. 10, and on Feb. 6 catch the last of the run at a closing reception. On Feb. 9, the show closes. 12 p.m.–5 p.m., Sat.–Mon.; 7 p.m.–10 p.m., First Fridays, free, Blankspace Gallery, 6608 San Pablo Ave., www.blankspacegallery.com, www.curatorofoddities.com.

Inauguration Party!

Posted on January 26, 2009
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We had a grand ol’ time at Blankspace on Inauguration Day! Artist Extraordinaire Obi Kaufmann was there and took some great photos and wrote about it in his blog. Thanks Obi!

Shop Curator of Oddities on Etsy!

Posted on January 23, 2009
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Now you can purchase Curator of Oddities items on Etsy! New items will be uploaded as soon as I acquire a digital camera…I somehow put the wrong batteries in my camera and it blew up! You can access the site on my “links” page. Click here to shop.

East Bay Express

Posted on January 21, 2009
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Please check out the latest review of my show in the East Bay Express! Here it is below without the photo:

Presidential Timber
Lena Reynoso’s expressionist portraits scrutinize the usual suspects.

By DeWitt Cheng
January 21, 2009

Art and politics are considered incompatible, but many politicians, including Churchill, Eisenhower, and (surprise!) Grant were amateur artists (okay, Hitler, too), while painters like Jacques Louis David and George Caleb Bingham conversely held political posts. Charles Willson Peale, who fought in the American Revolution and later made portraits of Washington, Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, also founded a museum of natural history in Philadelphia, which is depicted in his 1822 self-portrait, “The Artist in his Museum.” Lena Reynoso’s shadow-box construction, “George’s Museum,” features the beckoning Peale unveiling his collection of oddities and curiosa, but here he is adorned with Washington’s likeness, copied from Reynoso’s painting: America is a Wunderkammer, a cabinet of marvels, and a collaborative cultural artifact — and not just capital’s last, best playground.

Reynoso, a doctoral candidate and artist, has a scholarly yet idiosyncratic interest in American folklore. Finding herself fascinated by a placemat depicting the presidents, she decided to paint this “medley of men … in a non-biased way.” While the election and inauguration were certainly relevant, the artist sees herself as nonpolitical, and wants viewers to interpret for themselves her portraits. The series could thus be read as campy kitsch (redolent of shoebox dioramas and baseball cards) or as homages to the great and good dramatis personae of the national epic. Warhol’s egregious Famous Jews or Kiefer’s portentous German brain trust? The artist opts for centrist compromise: they’re “simply humans.” Her shadow-box assemblages about Adams, Lincoln, Harding, and Kennedy share the humanizing, demythologizing intent of the Washington/Peale piece. “Warren Harding Billboard,” for example, employs a 1920s election poster emblazoned with the slogan “America Always First,” and the photo of a luxury car. The painting “Presidential Menagerie” depicts various First Pets, predecessors of the irascible Barney Bush: Washington’s horse, Nelson; Lincoln’s dog, Fido; Benjamin Harrison’s ‘possums, Reciprocity and Mr. Protection; Teddy Roosevelt’s badger, Josiah; and John Quincy Adams’ alligator and silkworms.

But perhaps George’s museum is not doomed. After too much acquiescence to ideological arrogance and corporate corruption, the voters have finally abjured their faith in messianic capitalism and fantasy flight suits and returned to reality. During the Civil War, Lincoln and Walt Whitman saw each other on the street nearly every day, and nodded gravely to each other, as equals. The poet wrote, “The President is there in the White House for you, it is not you who are here for him.” Forty Four Presidents runs through February 9 at Blankspace Gallery (6608 San Pablo Ave., Oakland). BlankspaceGallery.com or 510-547-6608.

Presidential Menagerie

Posted on January 16, 2009
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You can see this painting at Blankspace Gallery until February 9, 2009. Featuring: Abe Lincoln and his beloved dog Fido, Benjamin Harrison and his two opossums, Mr. Reciprocity and Mr. Protection, John Quincy Adams and his pet alligator and silkworms, Theodore Roosevelt and his pet badger and one legged rooster, and John Kennedy and his little canary named Robin.

San Francisco Chronicle

Posted on January 15, 2009
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The San Francisco Chronicle Featured my show “Forty Four Presidents”! Here is what they said:

Don’t miss: ‘Forty Four Presidents’
Thursday, January 15, 2009

Self-described “curator of oddities” Lena Reynoso, one of the forces behind Oakland’s Compound Gallery, has a long fascination with the cultural impact of icons and ephemera, as evidenced in a recent show of portraits based on proverbs and maxims. With the inauguration coming up, she turns her attention to presidential faces as signs of their times and symbols of received wisdom. -Mary Eisenhart

Noon-5 p.m. Sat.-Mon. (7-10 p.m. Tuesday, inaugural viewing party.) 7-10 p.m. Feb. 6, First Friday Reception. Through Feb. 9. Blankspace Gallery, 6608 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. (510) 547-6608. www.blankspacegallery.com.

This article appeared on page G - 20 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Thanks to The Rumpus

Posted on January 14, 2009
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I just noticed that The Rumpus featured me on their website yesterday! Many thanks to The Rumpus and everyone check out their site…it looks very interesting and comprehensive!

Forty Four Presidents show at Blankspace

Posted on January 12, 2009
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Here are a few photos from the show that opened last Saturday. It was so much fun! Matt dressed up as Abe Lincoln, our friends Tallulah and David came as George Washington (or Thomas Jefferson)! Many thanks to Blankspace Gallery for giving me the opportunity to show my work and to those who came out to support me! We are having an inaugural viewing party on Tuesday, January 20th at Blankspace –and Obama will move out from the wings into the gallery to join the other 43 Presidents.

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Interview on Artopic

Posted on January 8, 2009
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I was just interviewed by Steven Barich for Artopic (artopic.org). We chat about my current President show among other things. Check it out here.

Forty Four Presidents Opening in January!

Posted on December 18, 2008
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I’m busy working on some final pieces for my solo show at Blankspace Gallery in January. The opening reception is on Saturday, January 10 and the show runs until February 9th. I’m very excited and honored to be showing at such a great space. If you haven’t been to Blankspace yet, now is your chance!

Oakland Portraits at The Compound Gallery

Posted on December 13, 2008
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This is your last chance to acquire one of my portraits of famous Oakland People. They will be at The Compound Gallery for the Holidayland Gift Sale until Monday, December 15 and very reasonably priced. I have: Bruce Lee (SOLD), Gertrude Stein (SOLD), Pharoah Sanders, Ishmael Reed, Sonny Barger, Angela Davis, and Jack London. All of them are on small wood plaques with white enamel edges and gold trim. Tis the season to give a touch of Oakland!

Obama

Posted on November 24, 2008
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I finished Obama and if you want to see him in person, be sure not to miss the grand unveil of our 44 Presidents at my solo show at Blankspace Gallery in January. Here he is in his graphic form…

Gawker Artist

Posted on November 21, 2008
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I am now a Gawker Artist and you can view my page here.
Gawker.com is an online daily media publication (gawker.com) focused on news and gossip from Manhattan. Not only does Gawker use artwork from their artists on their website in place of advertising spaces that aren’t sold, they are also the publisher of “12 of some of the web’s best loved publications including the eponymous Gawker — as well as Defamer, Jezebel, Gizmodo, Lifehacker, Jalopnik, & Kotaku. With a readership in excess of 20 million monthly uniques, Gawker Media marries a traditional publishing model and an all-star editorial masthead with the audience engagement borne out of the candor, frequency and hyper-linking of the blog format.” Now, that is some advertising! Thanks Gawker for giving artists like myself this opportunity!

Updated Presidents

Posted on November 12, 2008
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All images of the Presidents are now updated! I’m still working on the commentary, and the final piece–President-elect Barack Obama! Those of you in the Bay Area will get a chance to see (and purchase!) the collection at my solo show at Blankspace Gallery in January 2009.

James St. James for President

Posted on October 26, 2008
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How sweet is James St. James? The answer…very. I’m glad to know that someone else appreciates my hard work in obtaining my John Kennedy necklace! Read his comments here.

World of Wonder Art Show

Posted on October 26, 2008
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We just got back from LA and had a fabulous time. I had my collection of 43 Presidents and 4 celebrities (Hulk Hogan, Perez Hilton, Stephen Colbert, and Arnold Schwarzenegger) in the Svedka Vodka Presents Hollywood DC: Lights! Camera! Election! show at the World of Wonder Storefront Gallery. The show was covered by E!Online, WB, TMZ, WOW TV, and swarms of blogs, etc. Celebrities were roaming around, but I didn’t really know who any of them were. Oh, except for Santino from Project Runway (I love his work!), RuPaul who was looking sleek in black, and James St. James looked adorable in his dinosaur suit (and he interviewed me!). What is this I spy behind Speidi???

There were blue cupcakes, paparazzi, reality stars, crabby door people, cotton candy, go go dancers, confetti, and tons of Svedka Vodka, but I was most excited that people were actually looking at my paintings! I am intrigued that people immediately noticed the Hulk and Steven Colbert, but weren’t sure if Chester A. Arthur was really a President. It was wonderful to see people looking at the Presidents, pointing and discussing…. I still haven’t finished uploading the new pictures of the Presidents, which is why if your in Los Angeles (or near it), you should go and see it in person.

Click Here to see Video from the Opening

I think that World of Wonder did a mighty job on this one. Many thanks to curators, Thairin Smothers, Steven Corfe, and James St. James for their hard work. The topic is as timely as it gets. Celebrities as Presidents, Presidents as celebrities. And what exactly IS a celebrity? I guarantee whatever definition you just came up with in your head certainly applies to the President of the United States.

Matt and I met some really great people and got a chance to catch up with some old friends. What a fantastic night!

The opening was hosted by Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, but they didn’t do much but vogue a trail of poses around the gallery and headed out. This was quite an opening…a red (actually black) carpet, celebrities, and tons of press. But, unfortunately, most of it doesn’t discuss the art (or rarely mentions the artists!), but focused on the shenanigans (aka “Republicanness”) of Spencer and Heidi. I suppose that’s the nature of these things. Click on the links below to see and read about the show.

The WB covered the show and features a pic of my paintings….with Heidi and Spencer. Click here to see it.

World of Wonder has some good pics of the event here and here.

TMZ called it “a brilliant art show … that skewers celebs and politicians in a whole new medium.”-click here to read more

You can see pics from Wired images here.

You can also check out all the artwork on the World of Wonder Online Gallery here.

E! Online wrote about the show here.

You can read an article about the show titled “Celebrities and Politics Collide” here.

Gossip Girls wrote a bit on Speidi.

Presidential Pin Collection

Posted on October 7, 2008
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Now you can have them all! I just finished making mini President pins, featuring all 43 old white men….I mean Presidents. I will try to upload the rest of the President paintings next week.

Finished!

Posted on October 5, 2008
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Well, it was a long road, but the President series is now complete! I’m working on a few other surprises for the World of Wonder show….can’t wait! I’ll be shipping these babies out on Tuesday.

World Of Wonder Show

Posted on October 3, 2008
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I’m very happy to announce that I will be exhibiting later this October in a show called Hollywood D.C.: Lights, Camera…. Election! at the fabulous World of Wonder Storefront Gallery in Hollywood, CA. If your in Los Angeles (or even if you aren’t), you should surely make the trip to check it out. They are all such fantastic people and put on some very very good shows. In addition to having a gallery, they are a production company that develops some very timely shows including Pam: Girl on the Loose, Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, London Ink, Transamerican Love Story, and many fascinating documentaries (too many to list!)

I’ll be showing my Presidential collection with a few surprises! More details to follow…

American Folklore Society Shirts

Posted on October 3, 2008
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One of my favorite American Organizations, the American Folklore Society…..Here are a couple of the designs we toyed with for the t-shirt design….and ended up using the latter. If you happen to be in Louisville, Kentucky from October 22-26, you should definitely attend some talks and pick up a shirt. In fact, if you want a shirt, you can probably order one from them directly. Check them out!

Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, and Harrison

Posted on September 25, 2008
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I’ve been busy painting and have been a bit slow on uploading the new work. So, here is the latest group …now off to paint Cleveland…again..

New Published Article

Posted on September 10, 2008
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I have an article titled, “Like Dogs Barking at the Rear of an Elephant”: The Animals Place in Malay Proverbs in the 2008 issue of Proverbium: Yearbook of International Proverb Scholarship–Published annually by the University of Vermont. If your interested in obtaining a copy, Subscriptions are $25.00 per volume for individuals and $30.00 for libraries; checks should be made payable to Proverbium and mailed to:

Proverbium
Department of German and Russian
Waterman Building
University of Vermont
Burlington, Vermont 05405-0160
U.S.A.

Johnson and Grant!

Posted on September 3, 2008
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Just finished Johnson and Grant. Interesting…..Grant bears a striking resemblance to the novelist Shelby Foote. Click on each one for a link to more details.

Shirts for the American Folklore Society

Posted on September 1, 2008
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I’m designing shirts for the annual American Folklore Society conference. If you don’t know about them, you should check them out. Folklore, it’s not just for peasants anymore!

I’m going with the Presidential theme of election….but mixing it up with some animals and an old-timey feel. I’ll post the final design as soon as its done.

Presidential Trading Cards

Posted on August 29, 2008
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Once the series is completed in November (well, it will never really be completed because I will be painting every new President)… I will have the images printed into trading cards. One side will be a graphic version of my paintings and the other side will contain obscure, informative, yet random facts about each President. Examples below:

Art and Academia

Posted on August 29, 2008
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The more I think about it, how strange is the current disjuncture between art and academic practice. I’m back to my research and it is amazing how many early American artists were also academics. It’s quite strange to walk the path with art on one side and academic writing on the other. Why do they have to be on separate sides? Why does the art world turn turn its cheek from narrative art and why do (non-art) Universities hold judgement against the “seriousness” of art practice? Can one possibly use both halves of the brain with equal capacity? I think so. I’m not waiting for the art world to steer away from conceptual art, or art that matches ones decor, or mixed media on paper…and I’m not waiting for the academic world to find value in art, or to recognize the importance of sending and obtaining information through works of art. I’m just existing in my own paradigm….one where art reflects bits of life that we cobble together to call reality and where both small and large moments and memories are captured in art that reflects our current state of mind. What does this all mean? That currently we don’t want to see the reality of life? We can turn our heads and find pleasure in reflecting in a non-confrontational conceptual piece of art or we digress back to the days when people captured narrative moments in art with the hope of seeing reality in a new light. I think I’ll take the latter.

Abe Abe!

Posted on August 28, 2008
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My favorite so far….and not just because he loved Poe too!

“Old Buck” Buchanan

Posted on August 28, 2008
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Our only bachelor is finished!

Franklin Pierce!

Posted on August 28, 2008
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Finished!

Millard Fillmore and digital-ness

Posted on August 27, 2008
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I just finished Millard Fillmore and I’m ready to start on Mr. Pierce’s crazy coiffure. Aside from the President Series, I’m starting a new project using small digital screens embedded into my work. There is something intriguing about juxtaposing the digital with the antiquated… just my type of thing. I’ll be sticking with works on paper for this new project. I should have them done in time for the “Compounded” show at The Compound this October. Please stop by! Here is a glimpse of Mr. Fillmore:

Tyler, Polk, and Taylor

Posted on August 22, 2008
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The latest of the President Series (number 10,11, and 12)…..Check them out and read all about them in the Painting Section.

William Harrison

Posted on August 8, 2008
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Our President of only 2 months is finished. Click the image to go to his page.

Martin Van Buren

Posted on August 8, 2008
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Martin Van Buren and his crazy sideburns is completed. Click here to go to his page.

Andrew Jackson!

Posted on August 8, 2008
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Mr. Jackson is finished. Click the image to read more about him.

John Quincy Adams

Posted on August 6, 2008
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The first father son duo….John Quincy Adams, son of former President John Adams. Click here see details in the painting section.

James Monroe finished!

Posted on August 6, 2008
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Mr. Monroe is finished.

James Madison finished

Posted on August 2, 2008
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One of my favorites…Click him to see more details

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