THE LATEST OF MY FAUX FAMILY PORTRAITS

In 2008 I created my first fictional family colored pencil portraits with the hopes of getting into Gallery 1988's Crazy 4 Cult art show (a process I detailed in this post.) At the time I would never have guessed I'd still be making them five years later, but I recently created a dozen more for a two-man art show at Gallery 1988, Venice Beach which is still going on until June 2nd.  The show got a really nice review on Glasstire, and some great coverage on Huffington Post and Slashfilm! But in an effort to save you a trip to the West Coast I've conveniently posted images of all the artwork just a few inches below this paragraph.  Scroll down (if it isn't too much trouble) and you may take a look at these "love notes" to some of my favorite productions put to film. Make sure to click to see them much bigger.  (Some originals and prints are still available here. My previous portraits can all be seen here.)

Title: The McDunnoughs

Dim: 8"x10"

As you may recall from the film, the McDunnoughs do take a snapshot of their newfound family by way of a cheap, black & white camera on a tripod. I started to simply reproduce that, but in the middle of the process I scrapped the idea because it was a bit too spot on.  Being a huge geek, I like the portraits to gel with the timeline of the film (or series), and I even try to pinpoint when it would have been taken, be it before, during or after the story takes place.  However, in this case I made an exception, this is the way they wished things would have turned out.

Title: The McClanes

Dim: 11"x14"

This is the only time I've done my own interpretation of an "existing" portrait from a film.  It seemed like the thing to do since the photo is a key plot point, and since Die Hard is one of the greatest things my eyes have witnessed.

Title: The Whites

Dim: 11"x14"

I think the concept is at its best when the entire family is at the core of the story.  In the case of Breaking Bad, everything is done in the name of family which ironically, destroys the family.

Title: The Weirs

Dim: 11"x14"

The Weirs from Freaks and Geeks are more real to me than any fictional family I can think of.  Everyone gets fleshed out over the course of the amazing series and their personalities and relationships seem as complex as anyone I've ever met.

Title: The Mayweathers

Dim: 3.5"x4.5" (each)

This treatment seemed appropriate because I don't imagine this father and son spending much time together.  The way I see it, William (the dad) sent the family photographer to Nathanial's school and put the result in the fanciest frame possible.

Title: The Drapers

Dim: 8"x10"

 While researching 1960s portraits I found a number of them with the family posed in this double column arrangement.  Funny how today's forced informal arrangements appear even less natural than this.

  

Title: The Buxtons

Dim: 8"x8"

Years ago I realized that I owned a souvenir wallet very similar to the one the Pee-Wee has in "Big Adventure" so I thought I'd use it as a springboard for this wallet size format.  To give it that extra spilled-wallet-ness I designed two fake business cards for Pee-Wee's favorite establishments.  The Buxton men are among my favorite minor characters ever, I wish they had their own movie.  

"Spearmint or Fruit?"

"Err.. fruit please."

I can't even guesstimate how many time I've quoted those lines.

 

Title: The Buellers

Dim: 11"x14"

This is one that I've intended to do since the very beginning but somehow put it off until now.  This is easily one of the most influential movies of my youth.

Title: The Bluths

Dim: 11"x14"

 "Where is George Senior?" is the official FAQ of this whole project.  Answer: He's in prison or in hiding.  So why not Oscar then?  Because no.

Title: The Fischers

Dim: 5"x 7"

I started to do this piece much larger but it did not seem like something the characters would have in their humble home.  All of Wes Anderson's movies have a such a way with quaintness, they also have a lot of red curtains so I made sure to use those as a backdrop.

Title: The Gopniks

Dim: 11"x14"

This was a commissioned piece and my third visit to the Cohen Brothers' world.  The inspirational film is A Serious Man and as I watched it again for this project it's subtleties really blossomed for me.  The configuration makes more sense after you've seen it.

Title: Mister St. Clair

Dim: 11"x14"

I decided to break the family mold for this one, I figure Corky has enough charisma to be the star attraction (plus his wife never seems to be around.)  I've seen a lot of this type of photo, especially involving dancers, and they always crack me up.  The fairy-like floating self reminds me of the proverbial angel or devil on your shoulder, either that or an "I'd rather be..." fantasy thought bubble. Plus I couldn't resist finally using the casual ladder prop.

Title: The Emersons Revamped

Dim: 11"x14"

From the beginning these portraits have been a matter of the execution trying to live up to the concept.  The results throughout have been hit and miss, and I think my biggest miss was "The Emersons" from Crazy 4 Cult 3.  In 2009 I raced to complete it along with three others in time for the show and the outcome has been nothing short of cringe-inducing.  The Lost Boys is one of my all time favorite films and it deserves so much more than I gave it.  So in an effort to improve upon my artistic crimes, I took an eraser to the original and revamped it. (get it?)
Here's a comparison...

When it comes to likenesses it's amazing what a somewhat misplaced feature or two can do, not to mention some amateurish hard lines.  The "afters" are still far from great, but the process was quite cleansing.  Maybe next year I'll pull it out again and add in Jar-Jar Binks.

(As I said before some originals and prints from this show are available here.)

AZIZ ANSARI CRITIQUES MY ART

Ha! I just discovered that my Human Giant portrait for "Is This Thing On" is one of several pieces of fan art that actor/comedian Aziz Ansari critiqued on complex.com.
HERE's the brief video.

He says that he doesn't remember being shirtless in a Human Giant sketch, and he is incorrect. This sketch was my source material for his torso (his head came from another). He also claims that he would never say during a portrait shoot, "you know what guys, let me take my shirt off." I say he's wrong again.

THE HUXTABLES IMPROVED AGAIN

Well, well, if it isn't the very latest addition to my unending series of fictitious family portraits. Look familiar? Mighty brash of me to assume that anyone remembers my post from last December (which sadly, is only about five posts ago.) So, to recap... last year I made a custom Huxtables portrait for comedian/actor Nick Kroll but in a new twist he asked me to include the childhood incarnation of his friend (and comedian/SNL writer) John Mulaney. This is what it looked like...



Not long after that, one of my favorite entertainers in the world, Kristen Wiig (!) (of SNL and Bridesmaids fame) saw it and commissioned me to do something quite similar. She asked for the very same Huxtables portrait except with her long time beau, Brian Petsos in boy form. Thus the portrait at the top of this post.

Recreating an earlier piece was an interesting exercise for me. I tried not to use the first one as a reference, and ended up approaching it a bit differently. So somehow I've found myself in this cottage industry of inserting white people as their childhood selves into the Cosby Show family via colored pencil.

Equally crazy is the fact that it's all for the amazing Ms. Wiig. I mean, c'mon! For years I've been professing her genius and the fact that she's on par with all of the most notable SNL alumni. Making art for her was one of the greatest, wackiest honors I've had in my creative life.

THE HUMAN GIANTS

(click to make them more gianter)

Just wanted to present the latest in my series of colored pencil family portraits. This is my humble tribute to Paul Scheer, Rob Huebel, and Aziz Ansari of Human Giant. For anyone unfamiliar, Human Giant was a hilarious comedy sketch show that aired on MTV for two seasons back in good old 2007 and '08 when the world was a simpler place. Once they got a taste of the trio, the entertainment industry seemed eager to pluck them from their home on MTV and put them all over screens both big and small.

This is my contribution to Is This Thing On, an art show at LA's Gallery 1988 that's dedicated to funny people awareness. The opening reception is Friday, January 7th, and I will be there to soak up the hilarity.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

It brought be great joy to see Nick Martinolich's perfect reaction as he receives a print of my McFlys family portrait for Christmas. I've never even considered the possibility of such a great response. I'll certainly keep it in mind the next time I'm toiling over another one of these wacky portraits.

It reminds me of a quote I recently read by the legendary street artist Banksy...
"I’ve learnt from experience that a painting isn’t finished when you put down your brush – that’s when it starts."

THE HUXTABLES- IMPROVED

Here's a recent addition to my ongoing series of would-be family portraits done in colored pencil. (Click on it to see a larger version.) This one is a welcome deviation from the rest given that it could be considered a work of fan fiction. The concept was birthed in the mind of comedian/actor/writer Nick Kroll who commissioned the piece. The family newcomer is a childhood version of comedian/writer John Mulaney. Breaking the rules of my own concept felt odd at first, but now I adore it for that very reason. Why did Nick request John in there? I don't suppose that's any of our business, now is it?

PRIVATE INVESTIGATION ART SHOW

(click to enlarge)

I just tricked you into looking at my latest colored pencil creation. It's for an art show called Private Investigation which starts on September 15th at the Mastodon Mesa gallery in Los Angeles. The concept required artists to "choose a found photograph of unknown provenance, and use it as a jumping off point to make a piece of art."

Here it is hanging in the gallery

My submission (called Soft Focus Phantom in Pigtails) is based on a mysterious snapshot from the 1970s. I picked it because it initially grabbed my attention with the costume, but when I noticed that the ferocious subject is a little girl it became even more appealing. Also, I tend to have Halloween on the brain this time of year and I happen to own a mask similar to the one in the photo (though the blur and the glare from the flash distort it nicely in the found snapshot.)

Including the original photo alongside the art was optional. I wrestled with the decision until I concluded that my take on it just can't measure up to awesomeness of the authentic article.

At first I had grand plans to do a more creative interpretation of the image, but I quickly fell in love with it and couldn't bring myself to deviate too much. Though somehow I subconsciously became a human PhotoShop, deepening the colors and trying to sharpen the focus some.

The project was especially enticing because it's a step away from my film family portraits, and it's my foray outside the walls of the beloved Gallery 1988. For this I can thank curator Graham Kolbeins, who also wrote a nice write-up on my portraits on the official site for Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are movie.

For more info on the show and the other artists check out Mastodon Mesa's site.

HOW I BECAME A "PROFESSIONAL ARTIST"

(prints are available here, or write gallery1988@aol.com or call 323-937-7088.
They're $65 11X14, signed edition of 100)

The McFlys (seen above) is my contribution to the fourth Crazy 4 Cult art show which is currently on display at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. (You can see all of my film family portraits here.)

This is the third year I've had the honor of participating, and I think it's a good time to share the complete story that explains how a guy living in Nowheresville with limited experience wound up in a notable west coast show selling art to real live Hollywood filmmakers. While I'm not proud of all my work, I'm proud of how it happened. Believe me, nobody called me up and asked. It was more complicated than that...

From childhood to manhood I drew non-stop. Then I stopped. It happened when I got a laptop, I suddenly turned all designer-ish. I designed a web site, self-assigned learning exercises, and a portfolio full of fake greeting cards (which eventually got me a job designing real ones.) After nearly a decade of letting my drawing hand atrophy, I started getting pangs of sorrow each time I came across great illustration online. I came to realize that I was officially a "frustrated illustrator."

In 2005 while I was amid my biggest design project yet, I saw a link to an art show called I Am 8-Bit. This was a group exhibition dedicated entirely to classic video games.

Pop culture themed art shows crop up everywhere these days, but this was probably the one that started the whole trend. I'd never seen artists come together to pay tribute to something that was dear to me. I'd been reinterpreting video games when I was nine years old, so the notion of doing this as an adult was ridiculously appealing. I longed to be a part of it, but I was well aware that there weren't many full time e-card designers among the participating artists.

Two years later I saw this...

There was something else that fueled my pencil as a young artist: movies. A quick look into my archives yielded this handful of examples; from a drawing of the Black Hole's Maximilian that I did when I was seven, to a freshman year rendering of Citizen Kane...

Seeing that first Crazy 4 Cult exhibit was harsh. The art was soooo good but it served as another painful reminder that I wasn't scratching that itch.

The following year I learned that the show was happening a second time. The moment I discovered this I vowed to submit something for consideration for the third installment. I lay awake brainstorming for hours, but awoke with only a couple weak ideas and a pounding headache. As I got ready for work I explained my challenge to my wife and she mentioned how much she liked an intriguing vintage portrait we had just seen. That triggered a vision of The Shining's Torrance family in a Sears studio photograph which caused me to laugh and bound around the house. I had a concept! But could I bring it to life?

I invested numerous hours scouring my Shining DVD for visual reference and piecing together a digital composite of the would-be portrait. My first instinct was to paint the family (since the consensus seems to be that painted art is the most legitimate art), but eventually I remembered a colored pencil drawing of Disney's former CEO, Jeffery Katzenberg, that I did in college...
I knew the medium would give me a lot more control over the details and I could work smaller. So I dug through the garage until I found the same baggie of pencils I had purchased for class more than a decade prior, and I bought a four pack of 11 x 14 posterboard at Walmart. After a couple misfires, an acceptable image started to take shape.

The learning curve was in full effect and I reworked some parts so many times that I was in danger of eating through the card stock. A week of nearly-sleepless nights and aching fingers went by and the more work I did, the more foolish I felt. I knew I was pouring days of my real life into a far fetched fantasy. I jumped into my impulse so quickly I hadn't even checked to see who curated the show...or if they were even having a third show...or what their selection process entailed...or if they even considered outside submissions! Yet there I was, an amateur by definition, two thousand miles from this gallery I had never set foot in, behaving like I had a chance.

Then I noticed an art contest on AintItCoolNews.com in which the winner got to participate in Crazy 4 Cult. Okay, maybe there was a sliver of a chance. I got excited by the prospect and finished the Torrances. Well, I knew it still needed work, but by then I had decided that the concept would be even stronger as a series, and I hoped that a bit more quantity would offset the lacking quality. So I started on the Lundegaard family from Fargo.

I'd been sacrificing every available hour for over three weeks when fatigue set in. Neither of the pieces was turning out as well as I imagined, so I decided to shelve the project, just for a while. After all, I had a whole year. And hey, if I just stopped nobody other than my very tolerant wife would ever have to know about my goofy plan. Besides, the San Diego Comic Con was fast approaching and I was planning to attend on behalf of another project.

Then it dawned on me— everyone seems to be at Comic Con, what about the guy who puts on Crazy 4 Cult? Turns out his name is Jensen Karp and he kept a blog. I scrolled down until I saw it—

"I'll actually be out in SD representing 1988 all week, but this time as an artist liaison for the Mattel company. ...[yada, yada]... at the Mattel Hot Wheels booth ...[yada, yada]...on Friday, the 25th, at 3 PM" [!!!]

Unbelievable! Not only was he going to be there, I knew exactly where and when! Forget the contest, I could just ask the guy in person. But how would I know how to spot him? A Flickr tag search served up Jensen's face to his newest stalker.

I returned to my work with new found motivation. I "finished" Fargo and attacked Jack Nicholson and crew with a new coat of polish. If I squinted I almost felt good about the Shining one, while Fargo deserved about a C-, but it was San Diego time so it would have to do.

On Friday the 25th, a bit before 3PM I was walking towards the Hot Wheels booth with a backpack containing color copies of my freaky little portraits. I felt my blood pushing through my neck. Almost immediately I saw Jensen handing out prints to a long line of Hot Wheels fans. He was busy; what a great excuse to not approach him yet. So I took a seat against a concrete wall where I could still see him.

He finished with the handouts and started chatting with his then-girlfriend. I didn't dare interrupt their special couple time so I stayed seated in my own sweat. I was terrified that they would notice that I'd been spying on them for a full half hour. When their conversation finally slowed, I stood up. Then a cluster of his friends swarmed and I sat back down. That group was replaced by another one, and another. Jensen knows a lot of people.

When my view of the curator was obscured I moved, and occasionally I circled the booth trying to shake some of my nervous energy. I checked the time; I'd been lurking over an hour. My stomach felt twisted and my mind was shot. When I wasn't scanning them like a sick robot I was cursing myself. My fantasy and reality finally had the unlikely chance to collide, and my weeks of investment were weighing on every moment. Fifteen minutes later I crumbled and walked away from the booth.

I think it was an experiment to see how it would feel. Relief washed over me and I started to think "By walking away now I'm saving myself from rejection. Nobody ever has to know what happened." By then I was convinced that there was no way it could end well. But then I started replaying everything that had happened, and I could almost see a red sign flashing in my head that said "POINT OF NO RETURN." Yup, that's where I was. So I turned around.

When Jensen came into view again there was nobody else with him. I had a straight shot! Suddenly, just like in the movies, a wall of people slid right between us. I started to wait, but my new sense of abandon possessed me and I simply interrupted their exchange. Things started off rough.

I'm going to use the word incomprehensible to describe my introduction and I use it in its truest sense. My body was in a state of panic and I had been sinking so far inward for the past hour that my brain seemed to lose its link to my tongue. My words were often out of order, and inaudible. Jensen played it totally cool.

My plan was to conjure a shred of credibility by giving him the film I worked on for FunKo (which was showing there that weekend) and my S.S. Adams book. So I, the mumbling stranger, told him I had gifts and started piling random stuff in his arms. "I made this." I eloquently stated as I handed him the book. When he mentioned that he liked Chris Ware (who wrote the foreword) I decided to inject some of my unique wit and I heard myself saying "He's my best friend." After a pause Jensen said "Oh, right on, man." to which I smoothly replied "That was my joke. That was just me joking. He's not really my best friend." Sorry if it's hard to read over the sound of me cringing!

Now that he was putty in my hand it was time for my big pitch. "I know that this is uncalled for, but I have some art..." I said as I rummaged through my backpack. Again he was totally cool. "Naw, man let's see what you've got." I handed him the paper without a word. He looked silently and without expression. Then he exploded "Aw man!!" and he burst into laughter and walked into the crowd to show it to some people. When he emerged he said, "You're in dude! You're in."

I literally jumped up and down like I was on The Price is Right. I tried to disguise the tears in my eyes. Then he asked "Do you have any more of these?" and I started flailing again.

Ten minutes later I was back in the oozing flow of Comic Con attendees, smooshed between three other t-shirts as sweaty as mine. But I felt like I was floating. My euphoria must have been obvious. "Hey man," said the guy to my left. "I don't know what the big secret is, but I wish you'd tell the rest of us."

RECENT WORKS

Here's one of the reasons why I've had to neglected the Fun Blog in recent months. Well, three of them actually. I've been adding to my growing list of film family portraits. This time my latest batch are all commissioned pieces, and what's astoundingly cool is the fact that I've been covering films for the very filmmakers who brought them to the screen!

The Hoovers, inspired by Little Miss Sunshine

commissioned by producer Jeb Brody

The Barnhardts, inspired by Observe and Report
commissioned by producer Andrew Haas

Walter, inspired by The King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters
commissioned by director Seth Gordon

See the entire series HERE

THE LOST ROAD TRIP PART II: BEING THERE

Continued from Part I.

I love the way the Pacific time zone makes me feel like a normal human. The world's 8 o'clock is my 10 o'clock, but in California these merge flawlessly. So on Tuesday I woke up ready to get out there and see something new and unusual— morning.


Our single rule was that we could only travel streets that are mentioned in popular songs or film titles, so we started on Ventura and made our way to Mulholland Drive (seen above). I'm joking about the rule, but I'm sure it's possible. Really, all I wanted to do was have some fun... until the sun comes up over Santa Monica Boulevard. Actually, we drove up to Hillside Manner sometime after 2 AM and talked a little while about the year. Baaah, I must stop. But it really was a good day. I didn't even have to use my A.K. Okay I'll stop!

Speaking of Mulholland, how does this house have the D from the old Disneyland sign!?! (UPDATE: see the comments for more info, thanks Giddy Girlie!)

This is the product of blindly holding my camera out the window while driving. Not bad considering.

The Hollywood Ripley's is one of the few I haven't been to. Next time.

As you may recall I had asked comedian, L.A. resident, and host of the LOST art project Paul Scheer where we should go during our precious hours in the city. Concerning lunch, he asked me if I wanted the best Taco in the world. This forced me to reveal my shamefully narrow culinary tastes, so instead he suggested a diner called Fred 62. An eatery with the name of a person followed by a number sounded plenty exotic to me, and the place turned out to be great...



He told us that this lunch choice would conveniently position us on Vermont street which is home to a bunch of cool shops including one of his favorite book stores...


Not to mention the Dresden as seen in one of my most favorite flicks, Swingers!...

Remember the couple at the keyboards and drums (Marty and Elayne) singing the Bee Gees' Staying Alive? The whole speech about the bunny with the fangs and claws? That scene took place in the Dresden.

The Y-Que Trading Post had a hefty supply of Accoutrements novelties and novelty T-shirts. And they burn incense and play house music just like Sound Warehouse did when I was a teenager.

Vacation vinyl music around the corner on Hollywood Blvd. was a great surprise. They had a nice selection of new and used records and the store is beautiful. (Not to mention their logo that so elegantly apes/celebrates the classic "Open" sign.)

My brain was not prepared for what came next...


How has this place escaped me? I've heard of La Luz de Jesus gallery. It's said to be key in the development of the "Lowbrow" art movement...




But I was surprised to find it hidden behind all of this...


It has to be the most comprehensive novelty/pop culture store I've ever encountered. There's an emphasis on books (My Amazon wish list has changed dramatically since my visit) and toys, including a lot of designer toys. And again there was Archie Mcphee stuff all over the place.


Anything looks great on teal pegboard.


My timing couldn't have been better because the current temporary exhibit (and sale) was by Shine Gallery, a dealer of vintage, unsold store stock!


Chris and David at S.S. Adams turned me on to Shine Gallery's drool-worthy web site years ago, so it was amazing to be surrounded by their wares...






I love how they combined products and printed materials in these inspiring vignettes...


Don't fret if you missed the exhibit, it's all still available at ShineGallery.com


Before I left Wacko I even discovered some of my own handiwork dwelling among it all. (I'm the proud designer of the dog mess packaging)...


Wacko, I will be backo. (pure hilarity!)

Suddenly it was almost time for the art show. We arrived to find an enormous line. The folks in the front had been there for twenty-six hours! Their devotion was rewarded with pizza from ABC television, prizes (like pairs of LOST tennis shoes), and visits from LOST writers Damon and Carlton.



There were lots of video crews there. G4, CNN, and the LOST DVD extras team...


As we entered we were each handed a print of the final poster (by Tyler Stout) from the series that had been slowly revealed since late summer...

It's awesome, but I must admit that mine's going up on ebay to recoup some gas money.


One of the first things I saw in the gallery was the black velvet painting that kicked off the whole project at Comic Con last summer.

The wall on my right featured the sixteen LOST prints. Here are a few...

by Olly Moss

by Methane Studios

by Ken Taylor

And around the congested corner were the original pieces...

by Ben Strawn

by Lauren Gregg

by Jeff McMillan

by Dan Lydersen

top left: Julian Callos, top right: Dan May, bottom left: Leontine Greenberg, bottom right: That's mine!

They also had these great custom painted statues by a bunch of different artists. If you want to see all the art then just go HERE.


The place was hopping, but we all know what the real draw was...

LOST writers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof. Of course the place went nuts when they emerged.

After a very long and claustrophobic wait, this was my triumphant next-in-line view. As soon as he finished shaking this guy's hand Damon leaned aside and had a coughing fit. The expression on his face that followed was sort of a shocked look of "Whoa, that was rough." With that he walked over to Jensen the curator and patted him goodbye.

You know all that stuff about being patient and courteous? It's bunk. From now on I'm gonna be all "fortune favors the bold!"

But I did have the honor of meeting a guy who's worth fifty Damon Lindelofs. This is Brandon, and he had just purchased a print of my Johnsons family portrait...

No Brandon, 'tis you who deserves a thumbs up. Thanks.

I also got to meet the extremely talented artist, Daniel Danger, seen here caught in the death ray that is my camera's flash...


As well as LOST producer Bryan Burk, along with some of the other super-nice folks at Bad Robot.


What really made my night was seeing the little red "sold" dot go up next to my piece. For that I have "ReverendMilo" to thank. He's ringleader, webmaster, and the die-hardest of the die hard LOST ARGs community. May you enjoy the piece for many years Milo! Your payment will go towards the parking ticket I discovered on my windshield after the show. Yeah, this little beauty was hovering high somewhere down the street...


It was a classic Midwestern-kid-gets-chewed-up-by-the-big-city moment. But lets not end on a sour note. For this is how I will always remember the show...

From left: Paul Scheer, Me, Jensen Karp