The Future of Fall

HEY THERE SPORTS FANS, AL HERE WITH THE LATEST:

Within the week the “SCRATCH AND BURN” ART SHOW

will be no more than a memory on a calendar. And really that is okay by me because this will mark the third time I have had a solo one man show going on and still cranking out lots of new artwork to be looking at. And man it has been a somewhat turbulent summer. But with Fall just around the corner it's time to crank out more work than I ever have before.

I've just got this feeling that I need to bust it out both in shows around town (both group shows and solo shows) as well as my Independence graphics and illustrative work. And nothing is more true than the work I have coming up for the “ICON” group art show this month of September.

Now you already know that I had posted a rough idea of what that image is going to look like and I am pretty close to being done with the work as we stand. Now one of the things about “All Laid Out” is the way it is being framed this time around.

After talking to another artist friend/customer at the art retail store I work at part time here in PDX, he suggested another way of presentation. Velcro.

Now I know that may sound strange but it does have a couple of advantages that other framing doesn't.

1. Cost. Velcro doesn't cost that much on top of a frame. There are the IKEA framing that a lot of people will use in a pinch and that isn't bad but it should only be a temporary measure. And truly a lot of artists can't afford really nice framing – it just sucks.

2. Group Shows. You can get away with almost anything. Most of the group shows that I have been apart of for the last couple years the farming has been almost been looked upon as a oversight like “Oh yeah, I should probably put a frame around that shouldn't I?” So a lot of people have a tenancy to make it look cheap. This also makes the work look DE-valued in the public eye because the framing is done to the work is permanent. So there is no way to present the work better even if a buyer wanted to buy it. Thing is about the Velcro in a frame it can be taken out and re-framed.
3. And it can be reused for other pieces. For example if you had a piece that sold as in a cash and carry situation but only the piece sells (Congrats on selling the work woowhoo!) but what do you now? You've got a blank space on the wall with a blank frame. Put another work up. This shows that you do have other work out there and there is a quick turn around for your work. Perception of your work is great.
4. So there you go in a nutshell how I am looking at this Velcro thing. Now it's time to see if it'll work. Always experimenting with the things.

COMMISSIONS:

Now I thing that I may have mentioned that I had talked to Shane of Sixpoint Brewery in Brooklyn NY about the possible chance of doing a commissioned t-shirt design well after about a week the realization is that I can't meet his deadline for the beer festival that he and his brewery are going to be a part of. That really is to bad 'cause I do really like the guy and he's nice but also... it's NEW YORK!

How many people can say that they live here on the west coast and sell artwork in the east? Not a lot of people I know that represent themselves.

But there is factor of the turn around time as well. Unfortunately there just wasn't enough set up time to create three different pencil roughs get approval on one and then etch out the final on scratchboard for a t-shirt design.

I'm fast but I'm not that fast! So I had to say no to the work.

HOWEVER when commission fades from view another popped up in the form of former front man of the Fallmen - Aron Christensen.

Aron was the very first “real” commission I had gotten when I started working on commissions on a regular basis here in Portland about three years ago. The first that was designed was three head Cerberus Wolf. That was a fun t-shirt to design then there was there first album that they recorded “Life is Pain” (available on iTunes) 
  It is fun to think of working with him again.  Though it sounded like this image that I would be working on for him would be a straight up black and white illustration. 
THERE IS ALSO A POSSIBILITY that NWIPA

might be looking for a Halloween poster done in scratchboard.  The Poster designs that I have done for them in the past have always been pretty cool and very detailed.  Something a little more than they would be thinking. But we'll see how this works out.

AL'S SOAPBOX

I have over the years gone to several galleries either during openings or First Thursday's/ Friday's to look at the new work and what I am presented with as a viewer is the same old stuff.

This to me personally (so really this is only my opinion so don't get bent out of shape) strikes me as falling back on old work to either get rid of OR laziness/ didn't have the time.

Now again I do really understand this point of view better than anyone AND I wouldn't suggest that if you had a brand new venue that you crank out a whole brand new batch of work and just store your old (though if you could you must be the most talented artist in the world OR high on crack).

I guess what I am trying to say is this .... MAKE AN EFFORT.  People want to see new work and know that you as the artist are not being lazy.
ODDITIES:

Not at the moment- unless I look in a mirror.

More of this info can be found at  www.thevelvetcoffin.co.

and at Ratchet Raven Productions.

OTHER NOTE WORTHY THINGS :

If your wanting to look at some of the older blog for Black Box Comix you can check them out here. Black Box Comix Blog.

There is also Twitter https://twitter.com/blackbox13 to follow and Tumbler The Other Scratchpad

blackbox13.tumblr.com/   as well 

Or if you're interested in purchasing something that catches your eye  check out here on the Big Cartel web site.  Big Cartel.

And of course is always the backlog of comics here at Indyplanet.

And the kid is out of here!