Friendlies,
there's an event at The Oakland Public Library I'd love to invite you all to. The Library is honoring me with an artists' reception where I will be showing work from Oakland ABC (and other projects). There's something very special happening that I can't yet disclose, but they will be revealing the thing* at the reception.
In addition, Kamaria Lofton (author of My City is Oakland, among others) and I will be hosting storytime for little kids on the same day.
Fun.
Here's the event page for Storytime (for kids), 3pm on May 5
Here's the event page for the Artists' Reception (for everyone!), 4pm on May 5
See you then?
x, Michael
*that I can't tell you about quite yet
The event (mentioned above) is co-hosted by Children's Fairyland. Here's a thing I made! It moves! How is it possible! Technology! Boop boop beep! Exclamation points!
2019: A Bestiary!
Society of Illustrators 31 Award Winners
Huzzah! Huzzah! The images below (in the Uncommissioned and Surface Design categories) were accepted into the Society of Illustrators 31 exhibit and book! Thanks ever so to the Judges!
your moment of zen : illustration resources and whatnot
:::: and now :::: :::: your moment of zen ::::
_RESOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATORS_
molly crabapple's 14 rules for creative success in the internet age
keri smith : how to start as an illustrator
new ways to market your illustration
david lowery on intellectual property rights. replace the word "songwriter" with the word "illustrator".
submitting work to the new yorker
_STUDIO RESOURCES_
printer resources for independent artists
making a seamless repeat pattern for spoonflower
_IMAGE SOURCES (THAT ARE NOT GOOGLE)_
NYPL scrap collections
pinterest
Library of Congress
Smithsonian Archive
LOC: American Memory
_IMAGES AND ARTISTS_
NYPL Public Domain Collections
422 free art books from the met
wayne white thrifts. mimi pond comics.
andy warhol screenprints, paints debbie harry on an amiga, eats a hamburger, says next to nothing.
_INSPIRATION_
lynda barry: keeping a visual diary. writing the unthinkable.
coming up with ideas for illustration projects.
a documentary about illustration
david lynch - where do great ideas come from?
ira glass' taste gap
woody guthrie's new years resolutions
fellow who built a traincar in his basement
disney's journey to mars : 1957
Lisa Hanawalt, Bojack Horseman
noah purifoy : joshua tree
Farewell - ETAOIN SHRDLU - 1978
don't hug me i'm scared : computers
dan stiles: you don't have to start with a good idea, you just have to finish with one
secrets of an undiscovered visionary artist
the (original) pee-wee herman show : 1981
_MUSICS_
essential video playlist from wertz
john cage. john cage. john cage. john cage.
the nomi song. nomi on tv party.
_AND_
the museum of jurassic technology
Vote, Baby, Vote
Polling location & voter info: http://mvn.to/vote.org
Candidate guide: https://www.rockthevote.org/voting-information/voter-guide/
Eleventy Years of Campout Posters
Friendlies! I've been making these posters (some printed by me, some printed by Nat Swope) for eleven years now. Behold. xm
3 x 3 Illustration: Selected!
Huzzah Friendlies,
five of my pieces were selected for inclusion and will be published in the 3x3 Illustration Annual Number 15. Thank you to 3x3 and the Judges! The winning entries are below.
New Poster: John Prine at the Warfield
Friendlies,
it's always cool to get a phone call out of the blue from a record company. I got one of these calls a few weeks back from Oh Boy Records, John Prine's record label, out of Nashville, Tennessee. The fellow on the phone told me that Mr. Prine is touring for his new record The Tree of Forgiveness (get yourself a copy here), and he asked me to create an image for his upcoming show at the Warfield.
He said something about a tree in heaven that doubles as a bar. I was thinking about a recent trip to a friend's property close to the Sonoma Coast, where we sat under this lovely old oak tree. So I used her as the basis of the sketch.
Here's the final below. I'm pretty happy with it.
I have a funny history with John Prine; I was asked to create a John Prine poster for a Fillmore show some years back, and our band covers one of his songs that he sings with Iris DeMent. See the video for that song below as well as a cool little film about the new record.
Honey, we're the big door prize. x
American Illustration : Chosen!
Dear Friendlies,
I'm excited to announce that an image I created for Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker's winter tour was chosen to appear online at the American Illustration 37 archive here. Thanks to the judges! This was part of the "We're A Band Trip" collection. See them all here, and getcherself a copy of the poster here.
The Bear Flag Trio
Just finished a CD cover for these fine folks. They're headed to Japan for a tour to export their classic country vibe. Check some of their music out here.
the rainbow cow compels you
Sacred Cows at Alley Cat Books
I'm excited to announce that I'm having a gallery show at my favorite bookstore, Alley Cat Books in San Francisco. A bunch of prints (framed and otherwise) will be on sale, and I'll bring a stack of books down as well. Several of the prints that are no longer available on the website will be available at the opening. These are the last (of those) prints, friends. Get 'em while you still can. Ferdinand (below) is one of those prints. I opened up the flat file, and there's only two left. They are at the bookstore now.
The opening is February 16 from 7-9 pm at Alley Cat Books, 3036 24th St, San Francisco. The show will run through the month of February.
As always, we're cooking up a nice little surprise for those of you who can be there.
Come say hi!
xm
silkscreening resources (updated 1.18)
this is a very quick list of stuff. there's so much more on the webs than there was when i first made this list (2007)! * first off:
buy yourself a copy of this book. andy macdougall also created squeegeeville. take a look.
* local shops:
* online tutorials
here's a tutorial about reduction screen printing by artist Jim Winters.
an online (comic) pdf called diy silkscreening.
how to silkscreen posters and shirts
psprint's history and resources
screen a t-shirt at home
* materials
dick blick screen supplies page
need a detailed screen burned? ask the kind folks at creative screen technologies. you can even email a black and white jpg to be made into a screen!
cheap tee shirts
* inspiration
gigposters. a very active community of artists lives here.
Don't Cry Unless You're Happy, Don't Smile Unless You're Blue
Never let that lonely monster take control of you.
FU45
Space Bear Takes a Stand : for the Illustrating Resistance Show.
Thank you to the Society of Illustrators
Friends:
Happy New Year. I am very glad to share this new site with you, and some very good news. Three pieces of mine were accepted into this year's Society of Illustrators 30 contest in the Poster, Kids Book, and Surface Design categories. See the accepted pieces below, and a big THANK YOU to the judges!
3 x 3 International Illustration Show
Huzzah!
Two of the prints I created in the last year have been chosen for inclusion in the 3 x 3 Illustration Annual. Here they are. Thank you to the judges!
60' Mural for Oakland Animal Services!
ABC Oakland at Diesel and Laurel Books this weekend!
Dear Friends, hi. Here's a thing we made and posted at the very last minute.
xm
Showgirls Poster for Peaches Christ
They're in the shop. Fifty clams (since we only have a few left). UV-reactive inks. 3-color 18" x 24" posters. Edition of 80. Hand-pulled by Nat Swope at Bloom Press.
Good fun. Thanks to Peaches Christ for such a great gig.
xm