The Seven Deadly Sinners

Steve Hickman at Roq la Rue

A million years ago (the early 80's) I was involved with a "fantasy art gallery" in Annapolis, Maryland. The Pendragon showed work by James Lane Casey, Judy King Rieniets, Lee Stice, Bob Leming, Rick Shelley, the Brothers Hildebrandt and Steve Hickman, among others. Since I was The Kid, all the older, more talented artists put up with a lot from me; Steve Hickman even gave me a little goache preliminary sketch for one of his book covers, shown here.

It's been a while since fantasy art has gotten any respect, so kudos to Roq la Rue for putting on a show celebrating art that’s usually seen only on book covers, posters thumbtacked to damp basement walls and, back a million years ago, airbrushed on the sides of vans.

Roq La Rue Gallery Presents "Amazing Visions" curated by Travis Louie with Kirsten Anderson

Opening Friday April 13th 6-9pm with music by DJ Vodka Twist and Barbarella / Free to public
Show runs through May 5th

Roq la Rue is very pleased to present a groundbreaking show featuring some of the most talented and revered artists working in the Fantasy/Sci Fi art world.
Often vilified and kept firmly underground, (with the exception of some commercial work) Fantasy Art has been relegated to the back corner of the art world's consciousness, despite being a pervasive art genre appreciated by many. Contrary to some public perception that Fantasy Art is “unicorns and wizards” (and ok, sometimes it IS), it is also often deeply rooted in both mythological and archetypal psychology and imagery, mixed with man’s innate wonder and contemplation about cultures and technology of the future. Much like the best fantasy and sci fi literature, the best work is able to transcend labels and genres to simply be “great art” and in fact much of it shares traits with academically sanctioned art movements such as Surrealism, Symbolism, and the Pre-Raphaelites. In the words of J.R.R. Tolkien, “ Fantasy is overcoming one’s poverty of imagination”.

Lots of amazing artists, including James Gurney, H.R. Giger, Charles Vess, Kuniko Y Craft, Brian Despain, Brom, Stephen Hickman, Chet Zar, James Warhola, Basil Gogos, Omar Rayyan, Tristan Elwell and John Jude Palancar

Gig Poster: The Raveonettes

I tried the tentative line, I really did.

The yard is coming alive with pulchritudinous creepiness

Finally, things are growing here in Portland. I was admiring my lovely, strange new Hellebore flowers yesterday when I noticed that upon closer inspection, they were filled with fat juicy aphids. Pretty, in a nasty way. So color coordinated. Ian took some great macro shots before I mercilessly smashed them. Pop, pop, pop, splat. I also found some very odd, flourescent orange fungal growth, like tiny reese's peanut butter cups... brighter than any I had ever seen.
More photos here.

Tubes of Refreshment

If the internet tubes conveyed beer, the beer would probably taste like robot urine.

No, it would definitely taste like robot urine.

(Georgia Straight)

The Three-Headed Tibetan Bat Flower

The Three-Headed Tibetan Bat Flower is an extremely rare and unusual plant/animal hybrid. This nocturnal vine is only found in a remote Himalayan valley and is guarded by a tribe of nomadic Yak dieties. The Three-Headed Tibetan Bat Flower produces spectacular seed pods that drop to the ground and sprout in early Spring (shown at bottom right of illustration).

My Thoughts are Thinking

Guest Sinner Jere Smith writes:

"Got a brand new show here (well, mostly new) called "My Thoughts are Thinking" and it continues my interest in creativity, imagination, and where the heck ideas come from...and even possibly why. See
"Motif/Motif: Inventory of an Iconoclassicist"... and much, much more."

For those of you in Oregon, the show opens April 14 and runs through May 12. For more details, contact Jere!

Wanted to Buy

A little something Kamala's mom cut out of her local paper. We're all trying to figure this one out. As Kamala says, "What the hell is this person going to do with all this stuff? How does it mesh together? So many questions."

A Maelstrom of Metallic Mayhem!

So? What's a little gig poster nepotism? It was Kip and John Huh's brilliant idea to get this guy off his tuchis and earn his spring vacation money. Sam, being the ultra busy metallic task-master he is, made me do the pseudo-indecipherable crypto-psychedelic lettering, but all in all, a tasty slice of the Metalunian pie. And now, we just sit back and wait. That's it... back that gig poster money truck up to Bay 666... *beep*...*beep*...*beep*...

Brothers McLeod art on ebay

The Brothers McLeod, makers of wonderful little animations like Spamland #2 (redux) and The M Man, have put an original painting up for bid on ebay.

They write: "With recycling being so current I thought I'd put my old train tickets to good use hence this portrait of the lesser known 'rooting bear' which if it had ever existed would have been prevelant in the Scotish highlands."

Right now the price is only about $16 US; unfortunately they don't seem to ship anywhere but the UK or I'd be in there bidding with the best of them.

edited to add: this just in--they will ship to the US/Canada, and they are working on more!

Spam Unicorn

ye shall come to my voice; of unicorns. Therefore, shall be

Splitfoot and Cloven Clyde of 700 Unicorns.