Topher MacDonald

YATTA! A CHUN-LI FAN ZINE

2010-11-24T23:09:00.009-05:00

A few months back I was asked by Chad Edwards to participate in his annual Childhood Revisited show. It's basically a bunch of local illustrators making work based on their influences as kids. There's a lot of MKE illustration heroes in this show; Dwellephant, Jimbot, Little Friends of Printmaking, Matty Cipov, etc; so I was really excited for the opportunity to participate!

"YATTA!" cover page - 8.5"X11" - 2010

"YATTA!" inside cover page - 8.5"X11" - 2010

One of my first major influences as a little one was Street Fighter II (on the Genesis!). I was obsessed with this game. I was inexplicably drawn to Chun-Li, the lone girl character in the game, and thus played as her a lot of the time. For the gallery show I set out to make a single piece that glorified the awesomeness of Chun-Li's Spinning Bird Kick, the glory of her rapid-fire kick attack. I had made a lot of random sketches and things in preparation for this piece, so much so that I ended up just making a fan Zine dedicated to Chun-Li - the pages of which are posted below!

The zine starts with a little intro, and a comic showing how I used to teach my friends how to draw using Chun-Li as an example!

Of course the majority of the content consists of little inside jokes relating to the Street Fighter series, so the audience for this project is pretty specific. But if you've played the game, I hope you enjoy the references! Below are some photos of the installation at Childhood Revisited, and a little promotional video for the zine made by Lovesick Robot press! The Zine is available for purchase at the LovesickRobot.org store.

photo by Chad Edwards - 2010

APPENDIX

2010-11-14T21:36:00.005-05:00

Earlier this year, I had my appendix removed. It was extremely surreal for me to undergo surgery on this mysterious organ I had never thought twice about. However, evidently, when your appendix gets infected, it can explode and kill you. And that is what's called "Appendicitis."

graphite on paper - 8.5"X10" - 2010

The routine surgery went off without a hitch, and i got a solid week of glorious recovery time. I would have loved see my mangled appendix in person (dare I say, keep it?), of course I had no such luck. Instead I received a blurry, nasty photo of my useless, formerly life threatening organ. I thought it was interesting that the only evidence I had of my appendix, besides my swollen, shaved belly and a few scars, was this vague photo that gave me no real information as to what had been inside me for 24 years. I had no real sense of scale nor any indication as to what it should have looked like in its healthy state.

acrylic on board - 40"X 30" each - 2010

The idea that I had no information on my appendix before it was removed, and little more information after, was interesting to me and I wanted to somehow convey that feeling of bewilderment. I made sketches and paintings of the photo of my appendix, photos of me in the ER and my stomach before and after the operation. I then disassembled the paintings, and re arranged them using a random number generator.

graphite on paper - 10 1/4"X8 1/4" - 2010

The resulting images show the "before" experience and the "after" experience.

"APPENDIX- before" acrylic on board - 30"X40" - 2010

"APPENDIX- after" acrylic on board - 30"X40" - 2010

In addition to providing a light into my own experience having my appendix removed, I am interested in conveying the multiple meanings of “appendix.” Not only does the word refer to portions of various internal organs and systems, but it is also used as a space for additional information at the end of a written document or narrative. The information in the appendix, while not necessary to understand the general idea of the body it is attached to, helps refine and contextualize the main structure. This idea reflects my stance on my art making in general. While this work may not be considered "Illustration" in the traditional sense, it still attempts to evoke an otherwise abstracted emotion to the viewer. If anything, I feel making work like this informs my imagemaking ideation and creation.

As an illustrator and designer by trade, I am interested in processing information through narratives and figurative images to be communicated to an audience. Yet there are some instances where it is impossible to create an accurate, concise visual statement based on the amount of information the artist has. I went through surgery to remove an organ I had hardly paid attention to. I had sparse knowledge on that part of my body, and having it removed through surgery did little to change this. This work presents my experience of processing all that was left of my lost organ; not knowing it before and not knowing it after.

I made this project for the Milwaukee Artist Resource Network annual Mentor/Mentee exhibition at MIAD earlier this year. I was lucky enough to have the awesome kathryn e.martin as my mentor this year - her advice and critique was invaluable!

Childe Roland Tunnel Piece

2010-11-06T18:16:00.007-04:00

I have so much to put up on here I'm not even sure where to start. What a crazy few months... seasons! So much to new work I haven't even had time to format for updating my blog! Since the last post was for my solo exhibit at Hot Pop gallery entitled Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came, it's fitting I should start my rolling series of updates with related works made since then!

I compiled all the work from the show into a 52 page graphic novel published by Lovesick Robot Press! Pick up a copy here!

Earlier this year I was asked by the awesome Chad Edwards to participate in the Guerilla Art Show, which takes place every year in a train underpass just outside Milwaukee's 3rd Ward. I has never done any real outdoor installations of any kind, so I was pumped.

Life size astronauts are my optimal form of public expression.

More updates soon!

Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came

2010-02-06T19:58:00.007-05:00

It has been far too long since my last blog update, but that doesn't mean I've been idle! So much has happened in the last 6 months - all will be recounted at the end of this post - but I'd like to focus on my most recent project.

Shown below are some works from "Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came," a series of ink illustrations based on the poem by Robert Browning. The work was made over a grueling 4 month period for display at Hot Pop design boutique and gallery in Milwaukee, WI. There are 23 new works total - here are some of my favorite moments from the project:

"One More Victim" ink on paper, mounted on board - 11"X 14.5" - 2010

Browning's original poem, published in 1855, is about a young knight on a hopeless quest seeking the "The Dark Tower," from which none before him have ever come back. As he travels through the hellish and barren landscape, Roland knows he has little hope of survival, but presses on nonetheless.

In this interpretation, Roland is depicted as an astronaut floating helplessly through a perilous asteroid field in deep space. I wasn't sure it was a good idea to stray so dramatically from the original setting of the poem, but in the end, I felt the desolate apathy of space emphasized Browning's sense of hopelessness and doom.

There is also an interesting tension that happens when Browning's difficult text is juxtaposed with a more futuristic setting, as per bellow:

"He Lied in Every Word" ink on paper, mounted on board - 22"X 30" - 2010

"My first thought was, he lied in every word,
That hoary cripple, with malicious eye
Askance to watch the workings of his lie
On mine, and mouth scarce able to afford
Suppression of the glee, that pursed and scored
Its edge, at one more victim gained thereby."

"Should I be Fit?" ink on paper, mounted on board - 22"X 30" - 2010

"Thus, I had so long suffered in this quest,
Heard failure prophesied so oft, been writ
So many times among ’The Band’ to wit,
The knights who to the Dark Tower’s search addressed
Their steps - that just to fail as they, seemed best,
And all the doubt was now - should I be fit?"

You can read the full text of the poem here.

"Blind Horse" ink on paper, mounted on board - 11"X 14.5" - 2010

detail

"Better This Present" ink on paper, mounted on board - 11"X 14.5" - 2010

"Recoil" ink on paper, mounted on board - 2 pieces - 22"X 30" each - 2010

detail

"Fell Cirque" ink on paper, mounted on board - 11"X 14.5" - 2010

"The Dark Tower" ink on paper, mounted on board - 22"X 30" - 2010

"Woe of Years" ink on paper, mounted on board - 11"X 14.5" - 2010

"Childe Roland" ink on paper, mounted on board - 2 pieces - 22"X 30" each - 2010

detail

If you are interested in purchasing these original works, check out the Hot Pop Shop website.

Super huge thanks to Ric Stultz for hooking me up with a spot in this gallery (which is now booked until late 2012!). Margaret and the rest of the crew at Hot Pop were awesome to work with as well! Thank youuu!!

Below are some images of the finished installation at Hot Pop. I had a lot of help from Jackie and Brent over at Lovesick Robot with the mounting and hanging of this project!

I also created a little brochure explaining the project:

Overall I'm very happy with the work! The installation at Hot Pop will be on view until March 17th 2010, if you're in Milwaukee, WI, check it out and let me know what you think!

I'm currently working on a graphic novel version of this project, and also a serialized web version via Lovesickrobot.org. Keep your eyes peeled!

IN OTHER NEWS:

- Jackie, Brent, Tara and I (together forming the Studio Sunday Megazord) completed our crazy 9-month long project called "The Legend of En" in August 09 at the Borg Ward in Milwaukee. It was out of control, it was! By far one of the coolest collaborative projects i've been a part of.
- You can check see details of the project, along with a little "making of" documentary by Brent, here.
- You can order the Jackie produced epic 80 page graphic novel version of the project here!

- We had little time to rest after the opening of "The Legend of En" - about a month later, we found ourselves in San Fransisco at our very own booth in the Alternative Press Expo! You can see all the awesome swag we had, and even purchase some for yourself, at the Lovesickrobot.org STORE!

- Lovesick Robot Press also now has a podcast! Every week you can hear us argue about the issues YOU CARE ABOUT.

-I've been working as a full time graphic designer for Brew City - an awesome t-shirt company based here in Milwaukee!

-The Milwaukee Artist Resource Network (MARN) has a mentor/mentee program for upcoming artists in the city, and I was lucky enough to be selected as a mentee by the lovely Kathryn Martin. Her work is amazing! Katie and I will be in a group show this Spring at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, along with the rest of this year's MARN crew.

-I've overhauled my website's sketchbook section with all sorts of new stuff

-Working on some new stuff for my website, my blog(s) and some more upcoming shows as well!

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more updates!

WSU Currents Magazine

2009-08-22T00:30:00.007-04:00

cover image - ink, acrylic, digital - 8.5"X11" - 2009

I was asked by the awesome Brett Ayers to do some work for the Winona State University alumni magazine, "Currents." I worked on a bunch of illustrations for this one, including a cover, 1/2 page interior, and several spot images. And boy do these guys love their purple...

"Alumni in the Classroom" ink, acrylic, digital - 6"X 6" - 2009

Interior Spot Illustrations - ink, acrylic, digital- 6"X 6" - 2009

Here are some pics of the interior:

I had a lot of fun with this project, and am stoked to start on the next issue soon!

Oodles and oodles has occurred in the past few months, so here's a few updates (or at least excuses to why I haven't posted in so long!)

- Studio Sunday is having it's debut exibit "The Legend of En" opening reception on August 28th from 6-10pm at The Borg Ward collective! We've been working on this show for SOOO long, and it's going to be FLAMES!! Tell your friends! There will also be an after-party at The Bomb Shelter!

The Borg Ward
823 west National avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53204

-I'll be joining my fellow Studio Sunday-ers at the Alternative Press Expo at the Lovesick Robot Press table. It's not until October, but if you do happen to be in San Fransisco around then, come say 'ello!

- Starting in August, I will be a full time designer for Brew City, a rad apparel company in Milwaukee! Super excited to work with these guys, especially their insanely talented lead designer Boris Pelcer -old school mate from MIAD!

- I will be having an exhibition in January at Hot Pop in Milwaukee!

BAD WINTER

2009-05-14T04:03:00.010-04:00

It's about time I get around to posting the pictures/work from my first solo show at FASTEN collective (now known as SPARROW collective). The opening was on Gallery Night in Milwaukee, one of three nights every year where many of the city's galleries and shops have little art parties, which collectively mean one big city wide art-gasm! Here are some photos of the installation:

These drawings were, for me, completely different from what I had been working on for the last four years of art school. Instead of depicting a narrative, I wanted to capture how I had been feeling for the past months. The drawings are cold and representational, but there are certain moments in each that become slightly more shape driven and abstract; for the most part, I referenced quick, bad digital photos taken while walking to and from work.

Mandujano - graphite on Rives BFK - 2009

Triangle - graphite on Rives BFK - 2009

K.K. - graphite on Rives BFK - 2009

Greeley - graphite on Rives BFK - 2009

Clarence - graphite on Rives BFK - 2009

Burrel - graphite on Rives BFK - 2009

Bad Winter- graphite on Rives BFK - 2009

Austin- graphite on Rives BFK - 2009

For the show, I made a little booklet of the drawings and the comic:

It was interesting to see how the comic is experienced both on an intimate level in the book, and on a large scale in the show. The comic and the drawings are very different, but together they express a complete thought, the narrative and non-narrative balance each other out (in my head, at least).

And here's some photos of all you lovely people who came to see the show (you really came!)

mike and beki

jerod and little ms. adeline

Carl and Cynthia

it's Joan!

it's Beki!

Jackie Steffen-Bublitz

Greg of Francis Dav Fem provided audio stimulation.

A shout out to Jessica and Jerod for the opportunity and printing action! Also to Jackie, Brent and Tara for critiques and wood shop classes.

NEW STUFF:

A lot has been going on in the weeks since the show:

The kind folks at Illustrophile featured me on their fantastic blog! Thanks guys!

Studio Sunday is in full on production mode for our show in August at The Borg Ward.

Recently finished some work for the Milwaukee Fair Trade Coalition's Fair Trade Crawl.

Working on a new assignment for WSU Currents magazine (this is gonna be a big one!)

Working on brochure illustration for the Milwaukee 48 Hour Film Fest

Orlando and I drove down to Chicago to hang out with Meg and check out Art Chicago.

Will keep you posted on developments of these new projects! Thanks for reading!

We Blend Comic

2009-03-19T23:40:00.006-04:00

Check it, son!

page 1

page 2

page 3

page 4

Comic progress!

2009-03-07T03:18:00.005-05:00

WEBSITE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

My portfolio website, www.chrismacstudio.com is being revamped! If you need to contact me, feel free to drop me an email at ctophermac@gmail.com
thanks for your patience!

My goodness, comics are hard/awesome. I started these 4 pages months ago to get some fresh samples for an editor. They just got agonizingly dragged out, too many revisions. But, finally, I have gotten to these final inks which I'm pretty psyched about! I still have a lot of work left to do on them though!

I am including this in an upcoming SOLO SHOW at Fasten design collective here in Milwaukee! Curated by the lovely Papavier, the show will be a series of drawings and comics about my life post graduation. There will be an opening reception on April 19th, the big summer Gallery Night! More info on this soon! Here's a sneak peak:

Seth Rogan - and other stuff

2009-01-29T17:00:00.007-05:00

tight sketch - graphite - 9"X12" - 2009

"Seth Rogan" - ink, acrylic - 9.5"X12.5" - 2009

Here's a quick painting - a gift for my roomy! The ladies and I love us some Seth Rogan movies, and I've always wanted to draw his goofy, enebriated smile. I has this sketch hanging around for a while, so I was glad to put it to use. Hurrah belated Christmas presents!

I've been working so much in ink and pencil for the last few months, it felt great to bust out a finished full farbe piece. I wanted to explore a more rendered approach to my quick ink studies as seen in my Characters book, how would the more cartoony impressions look in a more finished state?

A little over a month ago my friends at Lovesick Robot (husband and wife team Brent and Jackie) and I along with fellow MIAD grad Tara Borger started our very own illustration collective called Studio Sunday! We meet several times a week to work on group projects as well as get feedback on our own work. Currently we are concepting an installation based on our very own fairy tale - hopefuly the project will materialize in a local gallery in the coming months. We have also nearly completed an illustrated promo calendar! Jackie keeps the website updated quite often, so check it out to see what shenanigans are cooking.

In other news I am full steam ahead on some personal projects! My friend Jessica over at Papavier asked me to put together a solo show at Fasten, a local design collective, boutique and gallery. I'll keep you updated!

2008-12-11T19:30:00.001-05:00

2 Days Home / New Work

2008-10-28T13:52:00.016-04:00

I love Minnesota. It's awesome. You should go there sometime.

This was my first time home in quite some time - my folks have completely remodeled the house I grew up in, and yet it still feels as cozy as it always has - just an additional two fireplaces, a jacuzzi, a massive flat screen TV and Blu-ray player (way to go Dad)!

It was a nice break, albeit short lived, from my hellish full-time job, but I made the most of it. There were many nature hikes, cups of coffee, late night burgers at Perkins with friends, and family poker games. I also stopped by my buddy Brett's office at Circle Six Design - always cool to see the crazy stuff he's working on!

In other news, I've been working away in the studio on some new stuff, much of it is in the early stages, but I'll keep ya'll updated. I've also been reading a LOT of comics... someday I want to do a post about all the stuff I read, music I listen to, etc - but that's for another day.

For now, here are some random fun projects I've recently finished:

"HOME" - album artwork

ver.1 ver.2

My Dad's Jazz Ensemble is releasing this CD this week of jazz standards and some original compositions, I was asked to the the cover and interior booklet art. We decided that the first version I completed focused a little too much on the album title, and also cramped the scenery. Thus we ended up deciding on version 2. That rocky formation in the background is sugar loaf, Winona's very own epic rock outcrop.

interior art - ink, digital - 2008

I had A LOT of fun working on the interior art. We wanted to think of something that represented each individual of the ensemble while still fitting into the theme, and having enough room for the text. I have always marveled at the variety of shoes in the world, and I loved the idea that each pair could say a little something about it's owner. It was interesting making a list of each student and trying to find the best "fit", har har!

Another of my Dad's students did the type treatment, and I'm really pumped to see how it all turned out!

My good friend Meg's sister Tish is a world class boxer about to turn professional. To celebrate this milestone, She and her family asked me to make a design for a screen-printed t shirt of a boxing peanut with her nickname "Cacahuate."

Interestingly enough, we will probably be going with the initial sketch instead of my final art pictured above. It's interesting how some clients prefer the rawness of the sketch to the final art, and I'm working on having my final pieces have that same energy.

My uncle Brad has an insane collection of spiders, butterflies and other fun stuff. He preserves them and makes these fantastic display sculptures. He requested I make a drawing of a Tiger Beetle head.

For those of you who don't know, tiger beetles are RAD. For reals. I did this drawing in exchange for some cheesy fantasy posters that are now hanging up in my apartment - thanks Brad!

BOC - poster

2008-10-12T02:13:00.003-04:00

A self promo piece - a tour poster for this crazy awesome band.

tight sketch - graphite on canson -approx 6.5"X10"

I'm drawn to the band's nostalgic feel which is then juxtaposed with electronic elements and sampling. I felt that aspect reflects where my own work is at right now - painterly execution with graphic icons. I think there is something interesting there that I can flesh out in future pieces!

Boards of Canada Poster - acrylic, digital - 14.25"X24.25" - 2008

I was far along with this project before I learned that, oddly enough, Boards of Canada doesn't really tour at all. The dates were swapped from the tour of a comparably awesome artist. I used this information as a cue to let the type treatment be more compositional, rather than strictly communicative. I'm not sure how I feel about that aspect of the image and it will probably be revised sometime in the future.

The End of Summer - a sketchbook dump

2008-09-25T18:13:00.008-04:00

Duke Ellington - acrylic on paper - 2008

I have been putting off doing the obligatory "sketchbook post" for too long. Represented here are excerpts from my sketchbook work made in the summer, and some projects that I didn't feel really warranted their own post. For example, above is a portrait of Duke Ellington done a while back for the Wilson Center for the Arts!

My sketchbooks tend to be quite messy. I use pretty much anything I can get my hands on, as a result a lot of the images and colors bleed together and into the images of the other sides. One wine stain bleeds through a bout 10 pages of one book, drying into a new shape and color with each layer (intentional???). This is pretty different from the way my sketch process used to be - I was very tight and detailed, trying to make finished compositions on each page. After talking with several artists about this, I decided to abandon that approach, and let the pages sort of finish themselves.

mie

colin

Mandujano

Nanhee

LaChanna

Tanya

PREVIEW:

And here's a little snippet of a personal project that is nearing completion, and will be posted in the coming weeks!

Thanks for reading!

Heavy Rotation's "Tree Shirts" line

2008-09-08T23:00:00.018-04:00

For three months this summer I had the opportunity to intern at Heavy Rotation, an independent, alternative apparel design company located in Milwaukee specializing in graphic tee-shirts. These guys are some serious trend-setters in the industry, with wholesale customers such as Urban Outfitters, H&M, as well as a host of small stores and boutiques around the world, and spots in magazines like VICE, Beautiful Decay, and Swindle. They create some of the best, most innovative designs out there. So I was naturally stoked to see what goes on behind the scenes and, the coolest part, design and produce some tees myself.

The company was interested in creating a “give-back” line of shirts. I was pared with a fabulous sales/marketing intern and together we researched causes and issues we were interested in before deciding on creating a line of T-shirts focused on reducing carbon emissions. All of the garments in this line would be created using local and organic materials. We decided that for every unit sold, Heavy Rotation would plant a tree in a developing country. From this point on we began to conceptualise the line.

lookbook - 2008

A lookbook is a collection of images and sketches that communicates the overall message, theme and appearance of the line. From the beginning we wanted a graphic, modern and light hearted approach to the subject. I spent a lot of time looking at the work of Christoph Niemann – he has a way of taking the most abstract concepts and boiling them down to one all-encompassing image – without insulting the intelligence of the viewer. Inspiration also came from illustrators Ted McGrath, John Hendrix, Gipi, Yuko Shimizu, Marcos Chin and illustrator collective Eboy. All of these artists create images that are conceptually complex and sophisticated, and yet many are iconic enough to rock even the hippest of hipsters' wardrobe.

Tree Shirt sketches - 2008

There were weeks of sketches for this line, the abbreviated experience of which is seen above. A lot of bad ideas, revisions and mock ups had to be gone through to get solid designs. Eventually we decided on the following designs to go into production:

recycled beats

sunflower jam

willow singer

tree J

tree hug

My mentor during the internship was the awesome Brook Slane, who was the senior designer at the time. He gave me a lot of helpful feedback during all stages of making the line, and also in regards to being an illustrator. He's one of the best visual problem solvers I've seen. The recycled beats piece, for example would have been lost were it not for his last minute work on it. In the end we also used some of his designs for the final production to add variety and awesomeness.

Some of my favorite parts of the internship were working on the little details of the line. On the inside of every shirt is a screen-printed image (shown above) describing the project as well as the specs of the individual garment.

Another cool little detail is the hang tags that come with each shirt are printed on seed paper – that GROWS! RAD!

Tree Shirts catalogue - 2008

I had a lot of fun putting this little catalog together. The outside matter was a finished design that was junked from the line to my dismay. Nevertheless I think it works well here!

After the final art was separated into color films, and proofed on the chosen blanks for samples, we set to making presskits for various clients and advertisers. Credit must be given to my fellow intern, Sarah for conceiving and putting together the majority of these guys. Working with another intern was a fantastic experience. Sarah, being educated in marketing and sales, is strong in so many areas that I am not. I learned a great deal from her. Unfortunately these quick photos don't do the kits justice. The last week of the internship was a mad dash to get these guys together and sent out on time, so we had so little time to document them before we sent them off into the world...

The experience as a whole was challenging and rewarding. It was so interesting to see every different aspect of creating a garment, not only the design and printing of it, but also the marketing, product sourcing and distribution of it. I'm thankful for the opportunity to learn from, and be a part of, this team of talented and hard-working people.

...and I designed a bib! Cross that one off of my "things to do before I die" list.

White Whale Collective and COMIC-CON.

2008-07-31T15:40:00.022-04:00

Apologies for the lack of updates, but I have been bombarded, you might say, with projects and trips galore since last post. The White Whale Collective invited me to show in their group exhibition "Where Words Get Stuck," which opened last Friday. Here are some of the pieces I made for the show:

The title of this project is Sujet Fabula. I wanted to create a narrative that would shift and change it's course as I told it. The only real rules I set were that the story would begin with the protagonist astronaut character departing a world, and end with him encountering a kind of celestial body. The terms "Sujet" and "Fabula" refer to a formalist deconstruction of narrative; the fabula is the literal order of events in the story from point A to point B, while the sujet is the meaning of the events - the depth of the story. I wanted to make a visual representation of this "narrative binary."

photos of installation:

I was not able to make it to the opening at the White Whale Collective because I was busy wading through a mass of geekdom 125,000 strong. Otherwise known as Comic-Con San Diego!

Comic-Con is insane. So many people! So many things going on! Unfortunatly I didn't get to see much of the programing or panel discussions due to long lines at the portfolio reviews, and hours of exploring the seemingly endless exibit hall. I did however get to spend some quality time with fellow illustrators and MIAD grads Alayna and Joan! I also met with fellow NYSP alumni Meg, always great to see her!

For me the portfolio reviews were less than satisfactory. I feel that my work was well recieved, but it didn't really fit what the reviewers were looking for in an artist. One reviewer actually suggested I go to the Alternative Press Expo instead of Comic-Con, and perhaps there would be a more appropriate audience. I was talking to illustrator Lee Moyer about this, and he brought up the excellent point that sometimes a deffinite no is helpful, much moreso than a maybe. I learned more about the audience of my work not only from my perspective, but from an art director's perspective. So even though the self-promo aspect of my trip was less than satisfactory, it was still good that I went.

Perhaps the best part was that I got to meet so many talented artists via the portfolio reviews, signings and the artist alley! I got feedback on my work from people I really admire, and that alone was worth the trip!

Appart from Comic-Con and the White Whale Collective show, A great deal of the summer has been spent interning at Heavy Rotation, an alternative T-shirt company in Milwaukee. We only JUST got the samples of shirts I designed, which is really exciting! I will be sure to post the final product soon - for now here's some of the preparation work for this week at the printer!

Senior Thesis - The Beast in the Jungle

2008-05-25T12:36:00.013-04:00

These are illustrations for a short story written by Henry James.

The text accompanying these images has been excerpted from "The Beast in the Jungle" by Henry James, published in 1903. His narrative is subtle and complex, as quiet as it is relentless. His words are detailed, yet vague, full of underlying meaning. There is no set interpretation of this story, yet the atmosphere of tension and foreboading is unmistakable.

The story tells of the self-obsessed John Marcher and his meeting and relationship with May Bartram. Together they wait for the unknown event that will define Marcher’s existence. What he finds in this search, however, is the doomed beast within.

"It affected him as the sequel of something of which he had lost the beginning. He knew it, and for the time quite welcomed it, as a continuation, but didn’t know what it continued, which was an interest or an amusement the greater as he was also somehow aware--yet without a direct sign from her--that the young woman herself hadn’t lost the thread. "

"Yet when she finally drifted toward him, distinctly handsome, though ever so much older--older than when he had seen her before-- it might have been as an effect of her guessing that he had, within the couple of hours, devoted more imagination to her than to all the others put together, and had thereby penetrated to a kind of truth that the others were too stupid for. She was there on harder terms than any one; she was there as a consequence of things suffered, one way and another, in the interval of years; and she remembered him very much as she was remembered
--only a good deal better."

"His conviction, his apprehension, his obsession, in short, wasn’t a privilege he could invite a woman to share; and that consequence of it was precisely what was the matter with him. Something or other lay in wait for him, amid the twists and the turns of the months and the years, like a crouching beast in the jungle. It signified little whether the crouching beast were destined to slay him or to be slain. The definite point was the inevitable spring of the creature; and the definite lesson from that was that a man of feeling didn’t cause himself to be accompanied by a lady on a tiger-hunt.

"He had kept up, he felt, and very decently on the whole, his consciousness of the importance of not being selfish, and it was true that he had never sinned in that direction without promptly enough trying to press the scales the other way."

"What could the thing that was to happen to him be, after all, but just this thing that had began to happen? Her dying, her death, his consequent solitude--that was what he had figured as the Beast in the Jungle, that was what had been in the lap of the gods. He had had her word for it as he left her--what else on earth could she have meant? It wasn’t a thing of a monstrous order; not a fate rare and distinguished; not a stroke of fortune that overwhelmed and immortalised; it had only the stamp of the common doom. But poor Marcher at this hour judged the common doom sufficient."

"'Too much?' he still asked but with a mystification that was the next moment of a sudden to give way. Her words, if they meant something, affected him in this light--the light also of her wasted face--as meaning all, and the sense of what knowledge had been for herself came over him with a rush which broke through into a question. 'Is it of that then you’re dying?'"

"She but watched him, gravely at first, as to see, with this, where he was, and she might have seen something or feared something that moved her sympathy. "I would live for you still--if I could." Her eyes closed for a little, as if, withdrawn into herself, she were for a last time trying. "But I can’t!" she said as she raised them again to take leave of him."

"She couldn’t indeed, as but too promptly and sharply appeared, and he had no vision of her after this that was anything but darkness and doom."

"This was what closed his mouth now--now that the Jungle had been thrashed to vacancy and that the Beast had stolen away. It sounded too foolish and too flat; the difference for him in this particular, the extinction in his life of the element of suspense, was such as in fact to surprise him."

"What it presently came to in truth was that poor Marcher waded through his beaten grass, where no life stirred, where no breath sounded, where no evil eye seemed to gleam from a possible lair, very much as if vaguely looking for the Beast, and still more as if acutely missing it."

"Everything fell together, confessed, explained, overwhelmed; leaving him most of all stupefied at the blindness he had cherished. The fate he had been marked for he had met with a vengeance--he had emptied the cup to the lees; he had been the man of his time, the man, to whom nothing on earth was to have happened. That was the rare stroke-- that was his visitation. So he saw it, as we say, in pale horror, while the pieces fitted and fitted."

"The escape would have been to love her; then, then he would have lived. She had lived--who could say now with what passion?--since she had loved him for himself; whereas he had never thought of her (ah how it hugely glared at him!) but in the chill of his egotism and the light of her use."

"He saw the Jungle of his life and saw the lurking Beast; then, while he looked, perceived it, as by a stir of the air, rise, huge and hideous, for the leap that was to settle him. His eyes darkened--it was close; and, instinctively turning, in his hallucination, to avoid it, he flung himself, face down, on the tomb."

Characters - New York City -

2008-05-08T23:45:00.009-04:00

I made a book with some of the characters I created while studying at the New York Studio Program.

"Central Park" - ink,digital - 5"X15" - 2008

"Coney Island" - ink,digital - 5"X15" - 2008

For this book, I made several more drawings of some of the places I saw. These are dispersed throughout the book.

"18th Ave. and McDonald" - ink,digital - 5"X15" - 2008

These characters started out as a way to give myself a daily assignment, as the NYSP is entirely self driven. I was able to experiment with a lot of ideas in these drawings; character design, typography, ink as a medium, integrating anime and manga influences (something I examined the whole semester). I feel like there's a lot of "me" in the characters - how I see people, form opinions about them, etc. Beyond aspects of observation, I hope some of my ideas about culture, stereotypes and relationships come through for the viewer.

In other news:

I will be working with the awesome Heavy Rotation starting in June as part of a summer internship!

I will soon start work on some pieces for Wilson Center for the Arts annual benefit in June.

My buddies Pietro, Mie, Alayna and I are going to crach ACEN in Chicago next weekend. My first big-ass anime con. Wooo!

I'm also graduating college on Saturday (shit, guys).

CMYK No. 40, new website, thesis exhibition.

2008-04-28T17:50:00.004-04:00

My work from last semester at the New York Studio Program is featured in the new CMYK! On news stands everywhere, so check it out! The entire project from which the published piece originates will be posted soon.

Though this blog hasn't seen much action on my part for a while, rest assured I have not been idle. There are a number of new projects I will be posting in the near future. One of the big ones that is still in progress is my SHINY NEW WEBSITE!

Stop by and let me know what you think.

The project that has been most on my mind is my senior thesis exhibition at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. Here's a little preview:

I'm very proud to be a part of this group of kick ass artists and designers! All work in the show is of graduating senior level students, and is displayed throughout the school:

Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design Senior Exhibition
273 East Erie Street
Milwaukee, WI 53202

For now, it is my final week of senior year! I'm soaking it all up while I can, but still looking ahead to some exciting prospects for the summer! More info in the weeks to come!

East Sea (of Japan)

2008-02-20T00:09:00.004-05:00

digital - 7.5"X13" - 2008

The intent of this piece was to depict South Korea and Japan's naming dispute over the Sea of Japan. While this issue is the cornerstone of the concept here, I also wanted to allude to an older and far more complex tension between the two countries.

"The sea became widely known as the Sea of Japan during Japan's colonisation of the Korean peninsula between 1910 and its defeat in World War II in 1945.
South Korea says it has been called the East Sea for centuries.
The two nations also lay claim to islands in the sea - called Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in pan - which sit in rich fishing grounds.
Mr Roh [former Prime Minister of South Korea] has been a frequent critic of Japan over its wartime past, accusing Tokyo of failing to repent fully for its colonial conduct. "
-BBC

I was immediately struck by the dynamic physical relationship between the two land masses. I also wanted to culturally separate the two by showing Roh and Abe (former Prime Minister of Japan - in office at time of documented dispute) in their respective traditional costume. This heightens the old feudal, territorial aspect that is underlying the issue.

Leslie

2008-02-07T16:39:00.001-05:00

"Leslie"(detail) - acrylic, ink on Rives BFK - 8"X16" - 2008

I have been attempting to integrate some ideas that I developed while on my own in New York into some of my new assignments. This is one example. The assignment was to create a portrait depicting a faculty or staff member at MIAD. We were asked to include in some way this person's role within the school. My first choice was Leslie Fedorchuk, a fantastic liberal studies teacher.

in progress

Leslie is also an artist, curator and instructor in book arts at MIAD. Her curated artist book exhibition, Sacred Texts/Contemporary Forms, really resonated with me. I was lucky enough to help install the show - I wasn't too familiar with artist books at this point - so talking with her about the work greatly influenced my projects the following semester in New York.

inside of book/ outside of book

I wanted to make a piece that reflected what it was like to talk to Leslie, to be her student. One gets the sense that she is very well read, and has also spent a lot of time outdoors, in deep thought about big ideas.

In other news - I'm hard at work on my senior thesis project, and I'm really excited about it! More details on the MIAD Senior Exhibition in the coming months!

Obama-tastic!

2008-01-05T03:57:00.000-05:00

While visiting family for the holidays in snowy Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, I was able to catch Senator Barack Obama speak at the local high school cafeteria pre-caucus victory.

sketches - pen on paper - 8"X9" and 5"X4" - 2007

I was really struck by his presence at the rally. Perhaps the media has portrayed Senator Obama as a lofty idealist, fortunately seeing him speak in person one gets the feeling he means serious business. Yet the air of sincerity and hopefulness is still very present.

"Obama Weathers the Storm" - acrylic, ink on Rives BFK - 10"X8" - 2008

Connecting with voters, in this case predominately white Midwesterners, on a personal level was the biggest challenge of the Iowa caucuses. With this in mind, I wanted to make a piece that showed Obama's steadfastness, for lack of a better word, throughout the Iowa effort. The image of him preserving his grassroots integrity won over Iowa democrats, and may just win him the nomination.

Exhibition - Happy Holidays!

2007-12-24T00:13:00.001-05:00

The New York Studio Program had it's big end of semester shabang this week. The show was a huge success - thanks to all who came out! Pictured above is my installation.

I was happy to see that many people were interacting with the books I set on display.

Lucifer is the Astronaut (MECHA) - ink, graphite, acrylic on wall

The wall piece is an extention of the ideas addressed in the books. It felt great to work on something huge for a change!

I also displayed some characters I drew at the beginning of the semester (more on those in future posts!)

Illustrator Frank Stockton was nice enough to venture into the wet and crowded streets of the Lower East Side to meet with me. I first saw his work in Swallow #3 and was struck by his expressive marks and emotional use of figure. Really great stuff. I also met with Rachael Cole, a Senior Designer at Random House books. It was great to get feedback on my children's book dummy and the rest of my portfolio. Both of these meetings gave me a lot to work on and think about.

Well, my semester studying in New York has come to a close. It's been amazing! I'm spending the rest of the winter break back home in frigid Minnesota before my last semester in Milwaukee. Happy Holidays, yo!

The Astronaut/NYSP open house!

2007-12-07T02:21:00.000-05:00

detail

As the end of semester exhibition is fast approaching, I've decided to spend my last few days in New York making a series of these "books" which (in a nutshell) look at my place within the illustration field. As I work, I find the questions I want to ask become increasingly ineffable. Hopefully they can be better articulated in the form of these works. As with Nuda Veritas (posted below) the piece is interactive. The viewer can turn, fold and unfold the paper, in effect changing the narrative, changing how the question is asked (?)

detail

detail

The Astronaut - acrylic, ink, graphite on Rives BFK - 7"X22"

The New York Studio Program's one night only show will be on Tuesday, December 18th from 4-9 pm. Installation, photography, performance, painting, drawing, and everything else (food). You should totally stop by and say hi!

Figure Drawing - and a lot of links

2007-11-25T19:11:00.000-05:00

graphite on bristol - 8.5"x10"

I did some long overdue figure drawing at Society of Illustrators 2x2 Jazz and Sketch a few weeks back. It was a really good time, and it felt great to be in that atmosphere - I saw some amazing drawings!

graphite on bristol - 8.5"x10"

My chief concern was to loosen up and enjoy myself for the night, get into the mark making.

graphite on bristol

...which is all well and good, but more study of anatomy and observation of masses would make these more worthwhile.

graphite on bristol - 8.5"x10"

I'll definitely be going again soon - looking at these drawings, I've got a lot to work on :X ...

In other news - I made a visit to Sam Weber's studio, where he and fellow illustrator/studiomate Ted McGrath gave me some great feedback on my work, as well as helpful insight into the illustration field. Great guys!

I was able to attend the Science Fiction Illustration lecture at SOI! Donato Giancola and Dan Dos Santos were there to show off their awesomeness. Irene Gallo, Senior Art Director of Tor Books, was the moderator. Check out the video, generously archived by SOI (look under "quick links").

Nuda Veritas - work in progress

2007-11-12T22:22:00.001-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about what has influenced me as an image maker, as well as the present state of the illustration field, and my place within it. The examination of my influences (such as anime/manga), why these are important to me, and ultimately if they are worth holding onto or not. What does image making mean to me in relationship to the worlds of Illustration, Fine Art, Design (never mind that they do paradoxicaly bleed together). What exactly do I want to do, make, get involved in? For me, this piece begins to ask those questions.

The viewer is able to interact with the piece by holding it and flipping the pages to reveal or conceal aspects of the narrative.

Nuda Veritas - acrylic, ink on Rives BFK - 6"X22" -

This weekend I was able to attend the Illustration in the Age of Anxiety symposium at Parsons. Some great speakers and panelists. At the end I mustered the courage to ask Tara McPherson some questions about the use of specific characters in her work - something I'm interested in pursuing. The whole thing was a great experience!

Put Your Gourd Up

2007-11-06T19:17:00.000-05:00

I am participating in a group show featuring the work of students from the AICAD New York Studio Program. The show has been generously hosted by Parsons Fine Arts in Manhattan.

All 21 of us created work specifically to "fit" the theme of Put Your Gourd Up. No, there is no set interpretation (artsy, eh?) - so here's mine:

Harvest - graphite, acrylic on Rives BFK - 22"X30"