AsiaPop Comiccon Manila 2015

The stage area was like something from Mtv!

This past week, Chris Ryniak and I joined thousands upon thousands of comic, art, and movie fans in Manila for AsiaPop ComicCon.  This event was not only the inaugural AsiaPop ComicCon, but also one of the biggest events of this type ever held in Manila! One thing I really love about my job is that it takes me to so many new places - many of which I would probably never get the opportunity to travel to for any other reason. 

I love traveling, however some places are easier to travel to than others. Manila is far away from me...like FAR FAR away! It took a total of about 19 hours of flying (not including time spent in 4 different airports) to get there.  That's a pretty intense amount of travel, but I suppose the idea that you can literally go to the opposite side of the entire world in less than a day is fairly amazing.  Plus, I got to catch up on a lot of movies while in the air.

We signed so many Thimblestump butts!

The major caveat to traveling across the globe for events like conventions is that you actually don't get to see very much of the surrounding country. The more of these things I am fortunate enough to do, the more I feel that I'm getting a small glimpse into what a lot of celebrities (not that I am one, not even close) have to do all the time. You're shuttled from the hotel to the convention center for a whirlwind experience, and after it's done you leave.  It is actually very un-glamorous for the most part!

I shared a booth with Chris Ryniak in the "Guest Area", a large expanse of black carpet toward the back of the convention hall that was lined with booths around its perimeter.  In our area we had artists, YouTube personalities, models, and cosplayers. From the time we got to the convention center in the morning to the time it closed every day at 8 pm we were busy.  Our table was rarely without people in front of it, and at times we were five people deep with folks waiting to purchase or have their program signed. It was intense! With no exaggeration, I'd not be surprised to find out that I signed well over 1000 things over the course of the convention - it was that crazy!

The "Independent Toy Production" panel, with me, Chris Ryniak, JRyu, and Simone Legno from Tokidoki.

One major thing I learned about The Philippines?  The people there are some of the nicest, warmest, and friendliest people I have ever met.  Everybody wanted to say hello, and people were so excited we were there - it was really an incredibly welcoming feeling!  Here in the States I think we take a lot for granted; we have big Comic-Cons in almost every big city, and we have access to so much of the entertainment industry.  It's easy to assume that it's like that for everyone, but it's not. This was the first convention of its kind in Manila, and everybody was very excited to be there.  And they totally deserve more of it - that enthusiastic and positive energy was just so tangible and electric. It was a really fun show!

Things I learned while in Manila:

1) Los Angeles traffic, even at its worst, has NOTHING on Manila traffic. It's amazing, and somehow, people still get where they are going.

2) The fruit. Oh my gosh, the fruit. I ate so many mangoes. I think it may have been the first time I have ever eaten a truly ripe mango, and it was glorious. Every day I stuffed my face with mangoes, pineapple, dragonfruit, mangosteen, and coconut. Here in the northern U.S. we have some choice fruits that we're proud of (cherries, strawberries, apples), but when your growing season is pretty much all year long, you're blessed with an abundance of amazing produce!

3) The heat is no joke. I wondered why the air conditioning was so blasted cold in all of the buildings - I was about freezing to death the first day of the convention - until we had to walk to a nearby mall (less than a mile away, in mostly shade) and were sweating profusely and thought I was going to die..... at 9:00 am.

4) The cookies are all made of dust. We were gifted a lot of snacks, and it seemed like every cookie or candy that I had looked like it was solid, but when it got in my mouth it just sort of dissolved into a powder and coated the entire inside of my mouth.  They taste awesome, but you really have to be careful not to inhale at all while you're eating it (learn from my mistakes)!

5) The raindrops are the size of ping-pong balls, or larger. When it rains in the Philippines, it's serious business. Don't look up, or you might drown. I suggest ducking into the nearest shopping mall, which is itself the size of a small city.

6) 4,164,912 Philippine pesos equal 1 US Dollar.  Well not really, but it felt that way when handling all of those bills with so many zeroes!


Thank you to everyone who came by our table to say hello, and to everyone who was so helpful and warm and welcoming.  I sincerely mean it when I say it was one of the friendliest places I've ever been, and though we sold stuff and did our jobs there, the people are definitely what I'd go back for. I truly hope there is a next time!

Clover LOVES Halo-Halo (and so do I!)

Safe Harbor, Part 1: Gathering Story Elements

 

This April, Chris Ryniak and I have another two-person show at Stranger Factory. Because we both have a background in design and art direction, we tend to go a little crazy with theming, but I wouldn't have it any other way, honestly. I tend to be extremely thematically-inclined with my own bodies of work, and it's very comfortable to work with another artist who feels the same way.

The first part of the theme that we come up with is the "story" of it - what will the body of work be about? For this show, we chose the title "Safe Harbor". As you can probably guess, it is nautical in nature. Not even just the sea, but ideas, objects, and history that surrounds it. You can expect to see a lot of marine motifs in my work - shells, crab claws, coral, scales, as well as more dockside elements such as fishhooks, anchors, baitfish, and flags.  We're wanting to more or less be able to represent two worlds of the sea; the world underneath the waterline, and the world that sits right on top, relying on the bounty of the ocean for sustenance.

After we've got our story down, we immediately go into picky designer mode and come up with a color palette that will govern the entire show.  If I'm making more than 3 pieces at any given time, I pretty much always choose a palette for the work. I feel so much more comfortable working within color parameters; even if a piece does not specifically fit into the story of the rest of the work, it will visually harmonize if it fits within the color scheme. This is important when we need to fill an entire gallery.

 

The palette we came up with is a wash of salt-bleached neutrals bolstered with bright pops of saturated color. Sand, pebbles, driftwood, and worn canvas sails. Peeling yellow paint on a time-tested fishing boat. The brilliant aqua of equatorial seas and the faded blue of storm-greyed skies. Rusty-red coral, nacreous abalone, and patinated copper and brass.

Now that we've defined these things, it's time to get to work! There are patterns to be cut, faces to be sculpted, and mermaids to design. More sneak peeks to come, as there is so much more left to do!

Zom-BEES

Stranger Factory's annual Winter Salon group show was last night, and I just realized I never posted images of what I made for it! I had promised them an exclusive edition of Zombie Bumbles, so that's what I made.

Bumble: Dead Honey edition had faded, more grungy patterns printed on the fabric, and a sort of pale face with individually applied cracks and scratches, to make every single one unique, despite being part of an edition. The wooden antennae balls have a cracked texture, and I handpainted all of the eyes to have a subtle golden-green shimmer over the black that shows up in direct light.

They are lightly scented with natural lavender oil.

There were 22 Bumbles that went to the gallery, and any left over from opening weekend will be available for purchase this coming Monday, December 8th - they have information up on their website, click HERE.

Unseen Forces: Recap

 

Well, it's been a week and a half since the opening of my show with Chris Ryniak, titled "Unseen Forces", at Stranger Factory gallery in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I think I've almost had enough time to sort of recuperate from the months of frenzied art-making, packing, shipping, travel, and set-up!

You can see pictures of every single piece in the show HERE. (Give it a minute to load, the image density is huge)

I feel like after every big show, I say "this was my favorite body of work to date"...and I feel that about this one too. I think that is a good thing! It means that I'm not only pushing myself to make work that continues to inspire me, but also that I have a healthy outlook on my strengths and weaknesses, which is an outlook I struggle to keep up a lot of the time.

Amber Pumpernickel, lit from behind.

This guy has horns cast in the same amber color.

His breastplate is cast from a cluster of citrine, and given a rich faux-bronze patina.

The overall tone of Unseen Forces was that of mysticism and magic - but from a naive and almost childlike perspective. Chris and I often talk about the idea of magic, and how though we're open to the idea of it, we have a hard time believing in supernatural things. But we both love the idea of magic, and wish that it were real. This show was a fun way to explore ideas of ritual, magic, and secret mystical organizations, set against the backdrop of our characters.

Stargazers with constellations inset into their foreheads.

Ivory horned bat displaying his bronzed crystals and Eye of Providence.

This heraldic bat bears the emblem of the Esoteric Tooth Cult on his banner.

Thematically, most of my pieces involved ideas from Alchemic study, astrology, and gemstones. I also decked out quite a few of my guys in full regalia reminiscent of the various posts in the hierarchies of secret mystical organizations (or my over-romanticized ideas of them, anyway!).

In terms of their production, this show really challenged me to use some fabrication techniques which were not really new to me, but using them at this scale was. I have never done much transparent resin casting in the past, but since introducing my Pipsqueak minifigures a while back, I've done enough experimentation to feel more comfortable with it. Both Chris and I integrated a lot of transparent effects into our work - many of which were cast-resin crystals, made to look like real quartz. I did use some real crystals in some of the pieces, but soon found that the resin versions were far more versatile to use, since they could be easily sanded, drilled, and worked with, not to mention their superior durability and light weight compared to their geological counterparts.

"Lux ex Tenebris", the show's centerpiece is 32" tall!

Lots of those faux crystals in action here...

 

 

Chris and I are very big on the idea of unified shows - that in a two-artist show with a central theme, both artists' work should be both their own, but still hold the entire show together. We accomplish this by using a unified color palette (for this show it was mostly blacks, greys, and neutrals, accented by pops of blue, amber, green, and yellow), and similar visual elements. We both used the resin crystals in our pieces, as well as fabric accents (something I do all the time, but Chris does not) for the "secret society" pieces. We also used the same resin horns (cast from the horns of a male dik-dik) in both of our work, to help tie it all together. This created a very unified look to the show as a whole, even though both artists' work could stand alone, which was our goal.

We created a sort of "ritual" on this old trunk, for our characters to conduct. Photo credit Chris Ryniak.

The gallery waiting for guests to arrive!  Photo credit Chris Ryniak.

The show opened, the gallery was absolutely packed, and though I know some people missed the opportunity to purchase the piece they wanted, I think everybody who came by was happy! I am very grateful to EVERYONE involved - from the people who work directly with us, to the people who made the trek (from as far away as Japan!!!), to people fueling my artistic fire by following me online and posting your thoughts and likes.  You all keep me going and I am very grateful to have such an awesome art family out there!

So now I say goodbye to Unseen Forces, but there are big things just around the bend. So, onward!

Taking pictures at over 10,000 ft. elevation, on Sandia Peak. Literally on top of the world!
Photo credit Chris Ryniak.

Unseen Forces - opening today!

I've been a little quiet lately, but it's because I've been putting the finishing touches on a huge show with Chris Ryniak, called Unseen forces! I've been talking about it a lot on social media, but have neglected to blog about it, so here are some details.

Unseen Forces
New works by Chris Ryniak and Amanda Spayd
Opens September 5, 2014, and runs for one month.
Both artists will be attending the opening reception, which is Friday, September 5 at 6pm at Stranger Factory, in Albuquerque, NM. 


Information about the preview, sales, and how the show works at the gallery can be found here: http://strangerfactory.com/exhibitions-current

I feel like I've grown leaps and bounds with my work in this show....it may not be super evident right now, but in the coming shows, it will be very obvious. I've learned so much more about using different materials, and incorporating different techniques into my work. I've also been learning my new sewing machine's capabilities, experimenting with fabric coloring techniques, and getting my hands dirty with resin and power tools in new ways. It's been frustrating, exciting, exhausting, and amazing all at the same time.

Well - have to go finish setting the show up in the gallery today! Maybe I'll see you tonight at the reception? Full photos of the work coming soon.

 

Show Color Palette: Forgotten Finery

Back in the spring of 2012, I had my first-ever solo exhibition (sold out!), called "Forgotten Finery" at Rivet gallery in Columbus, Ohio. This show marked the first time I took a decidedly "lighter" approach to a body of work, as many of my previous shows had featured darker colors, a more "decay" oriented aesthetic, and a slightly more sinister feel. I wanted to explore my work as a form of decoration, and approach this particular group of dolls from a brighter and warmer perspective.

The main source of inspiration for this show was Rococo art and fashion (I even made a nearly 3-foot tall bunny in a layered Rococo-style gown). It exemplifies this sort of "opulence of privilege" that exists purely as a fantasy for most people, attainable for very few.

Some inspirations included:

• the incredible fashion (for both men and women of the high classes) of the late 18th century, with hand-tatted lace, shimmering silks, matte velvets, and hand-embroidery.

• the soft, buttermint colors of tea roses and peonies

• exquisite (and often inedible-looking) wedding cakes, French pastries, and confections

• The lore and speculation surrounding the life of Marie Antoinette. I read a couple of biographies about her during my time working on the project. I also watched Sofia Coppola's film "Marie Antoinette" numerous times as well - while not a historically accurate depiction, the art direction and costuming are endlessly inspiring to me, still. Every frame, it seems, contains at least one very good artistic decision.

• the stiff and lovely costume of classical ballet

• block-printed wallpaper, from the 18th century

My "Duchesse" for the show - freestanding at 30" tall!

I even ensured that the refreshments at the opening fit the color scheme!

Week in Photos: February 14, 2014

Well, another week is coming to an end. Much of it was spent tying up loose ends and making travel plans, because later today I hop in a car and battle the snowflakes all the way to Chicago. Circus Posterus is having a group show at Rotofugi gallery - if you're in the Chicago area, you will want to stop by the opening reception on Saturday evening, many of the included artists will be there, including Chris Ryniak, Brandt Peters, Kathie Olivas, and more.

Here's more info on the gallery's website.

These three dapper Pumpernickels will be in Chicago this weekend.

Also this week, I managed to perfect (at least in my own mind) my matcha latte recipe. I don't use real measuring spoons, so these might not be completely accurate (I just use small eating spoons to measure).

• 5oz milk (any % will work, but I like 2%, you could also try soy, rice, etc)
• 2 rounded tsp matcha powder
• sugar to taste (I use about 1 1/2 tsp)

Mix ingredients together in frothing pitcher, then use steam wand to scald milk, frothing when it's hot. If you don't have an espresso machine, you can scald the milk on the stovetop, and either serve as-is, or use a battery-powered frothing wand to whip up the milk for foam. It's so good!

Delicious.

Discovered a cute new felt idea as well. I didn't realize that, while my antique sewing machine would just tangle into a huge snarl of thread when sewing without fabric, my electric machine makes a twisted cord from the two strands of thread. I fed circles of felt one by one through the machine, leaving about an inch of this twisty thread between them. It's super cute! You could make whole strands for party or holiday decorations, or wrapping gifts.

Felt circle garland, after antiquing.

I also made this ridiculous video!

Show Color Palette: Migration

This is a small series you'll see pop up on the blog once in a while - about the color palettes I choose for my shows, or groupings of work.  I love color - I LOVE IT. Though I clothe myself in black and live in a home full of time-worn neutrals, I use a lot of color in my work. Color can communicate ideas and themes that words, textures, or other visual cues cannot, and it's just pure aesthetic pleasure to combine them and see what happens.

I worked for almost 9 years as a commercial artist and came up with color palettes on a daily basis. I know I always thought in terms of color groupings, but it wasn't until it was a part of my career that I realized I literally cannot begin a group of work comfortably unless I had decided on a solid palette to work from.

Migration (my show with Chris Ryniak, that showed at Stranger Factory in March of 2013) explored themes of moving, traveling, and self-sufficiency, with a rich, earth-pigment color selection to accompany it.

Some of the influences for my pieces were:

• Tibetan prayer flags, shredded by wind and faded from the sun
• Mongolian nomads - their dress, tents, and lifestyle of constant movement
• Explorers and early discoverers
• the colors and textures of rocky, unforgiving places - the desert, the mountains, cliffs, and caves
• Driftwood, river stones, spools of hemp rope, worn leather
• Aged, dented, metal - temple bells, buckles, nails, and ancient jewelry
• Huge sacks of spices and herbs at open air bazaars
• The smell of burning wood, incense, and sacred oils

We worked together to finalize the color palette, so that it would be cohesive for the show, but still allow both of us to utilize the colors in a way that worked best for both of our different styles. Both Chris and I are designers, and both agree on the importance of a strong color statement across every single piece in the shows we do. We reinforced the palette in our show signage, using painted cardboard letters in various colors, that hung on the wall above our biggest piece:

Migration opening night, March 2013. Picture courtesy of Sara Harvey's Flickr Photostream.

Because we were so diligent in keeping the colors a prominent design element, the show held together very well, even across the walls of a large gallery. Creating a sense of "theme" is a huge passion of mine, and I look forward to every new opportunity I get to do so.

Pom-Pom Teaser

 This little guy is for an upcoming show at Rotofugi - February is Circus Posterus month at the gallery, and we are taking over in full force!  Want to see the rest of him? Click on the link to keep going...

April Sale Preview

The sale for this month will be tomorrow, April 30th, at 3pm Eastern Standard Time.

The shop is here (items will not show up until it opens tomorrow): DUST BUNNIES SHOP

 I apologize that this will not be a huge sale - I have a bunch of new stuff in the works but it won't be released until a sale in the very new future. I will have stickers, keychains, printed pendants, and postcard sets (these are all unlimited edition items and will be available every month). The limited (one of a kind handmade) items for this month are:

 

Backlog: Migration

Well, I don't suppose there's any harm in blogging about an awesome and major event that is already over...I was so busy and life was very full during the entire time leading up to it, that I just completely spaced on blogging. My brain is a bit sieve-like when it gets overwhelmed.

Early last month, my two-person show with fellow cute-critter artist Chris Ryniak opened at Stranger Factory tin Albuquerque. It was called "Migration".

Chris and I have been friends for a long time - we worked together at the same company for a number of years, and after I left to pursue my own interests, we kept in touch. Both of us have been through really significant life events (relationships ending, new jobs, moving to new places) in the past few years, so we wanted our show to reflect that.

Taking a crooked bite out of the big apple

Coming soon - I've got a show opening at My Plastic Heart in NYC!  I'll be traveling out there for the opening reception, so if you're in the area, drop by and say hello!

Septenary

I've got some pieces in a sculpture group show called "Septenary", that opens on Saturday at OhNo!DOOM gallery in Chicago. 

I made a handful of guys all themed around the circus :)

If you're nearby, make sure you drop in, because many of the artists (including me) will be there for the opening, and I'd love to meet you!

Bewitching

Here's a little witch I stitched up recently...

"Plum Witch",  2011

She (and pieces by other great artists) are available from the "Bewitching" Halloween Group show at Stranger Factory, starting today at noon, PST. Here's a link to the preview - if you're keen on trying for a piece, make sure you read the info at the top of the page.  The gallery is in Albuquerque, so if you're local, head out to the opening later on this week to check out all the work in person!

The Black Rabbit of Inlé

Thought I'd post a progress shot of my piece for an upcoming show - "Inlé", curated by Greg "Craola" Simkins, opening next month at Gallery 1988 Melrose.  The show is based upon the character "The Black Rabbit of Inlé" from Richard Adams' beautiful novel, Watership Down.

I'm only going to post a shot of his face for now, since everything else, while in progress, can be described with words like "pieces", "mess",  and "like a bomb went off"...

If you've read the book, you're familiar with this character, as part of every rabbit's cosmology (and if you haven't read it, get thee to a library now! You don't want to live your life without this amazing book in your brain, seriously). He is described this way:

"Now, as you all know, the Black Rabbit of Inlé is fear and everlasting darkness. He is a rabbit, but he is that cold, bad dream from which we can only entreat Lord Frith to save us today and tomorrow. When the snare is set in the gap, the Black Rabbit knows where the peg is driven; and when the weasel dances, the Black Rabbit is not far off. You all know how some rabbits seem just to throw their lives away between two jokes and a theft: but the truth is that their foolishness comes from the Black Rabbit, for it is by his will that they do not smell the dog or see the gun. The Black Rabbit brings sickness too. Or again, he will come in the night and call a rabbit by name: and then that rabbit must go out to him, even though he may be young and strong to save himself from any other danger. He goes with the Black Rabbit and leaves no trace behind. Some say that the Black Rabbit hates us and wants our destruction. But the truth is- or so they taught me- that he, too, serves Lord Frith and does no more than his appointed task- to bring about what must be. We come into the world and we have to go: but we do not go merely to served to the turn of one enemy or another." 

I suppose the Black Rabbit is sort of an Angel of Death - he is not evil or malevolent, yet is something to be feared. He does not choose who dies, he simply carries out the task that Lord Frith (the rabbits' sun god) appoints him to do. "Inlé" is also the rabbit word for "moon", so I chose to put a moon motif on his forehead, underneath a sort of supernatural "third eye". He is supposed to have red eyes, so I chose to use the focused, red eyes of a fox - a natural predator of the rabbit, which is a tool the Black Rabbit could use in his grim work.

I'm pretty excited to be involved in this project, and I'll post more pictures and stuff very soon, all is coming together pretty quickly these past few days.