gRAPHICaNATOMY

oops...

2012-02-12T15:03:00.000-08:00

so busy today I forgot the Art drop off for PERSAD.
I guess i won't be part of the art auction this year.
Oh well, I've been having a change of heart about art charity anyway.

Feedback:

2012-02-11T17:59:00.000-08:00

"I just wanted to say thank you so much for adding a wonderful drawing in
addition to the 2 drawings I bought from you. It was a pleasant surprise. I
love your artwork. You are so creative and talented. You don't see too
many artists using the markers as another form of art expression. I love
how you used different colors in different areas of the bodies and how the
colors compliment each other. You're a genius. I can't wait to frame your
masterpieces soon. Thanks again for a surprise gift. It was so thoughtful of
you. I really appreciate it.
Best Regards, M"

It never hurts to throw in some extra drawings....

Logo design

2012-02-10T13:18:00.000-08:00

Leslie Lohman was looking for a new logo. I submitted my design:

The two "L"'s make for a picture frame. Hopefully they like it.

working....

2012-02-09T06:53:00.000-08:00

Couple of showis coming up in March.
A big one, very big one at Gallery Chiz.
I'm keeping the work secret for now. But it should be good.
Very good.

I also agreed to add a piece into a show run by LUPEC in March.
Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails.
And we need to save those cocktails.
They are doing in a show in honor of Women's History Month. So the show is all women.
Some criticism has already arisen accusing this as tokenism or reverse discrimination.
I disagree, but I'll stay out of the politics because i like working with LUPEC.
But I suppose if a better solution must be found, one could do a show with a Women's art history theme and open it up to everyone. Everyone would have to do a piece about a Woman (Artist or model or what have you) that did something great but got the short shrift in her lifetime.
An idea for a future show I suppose.

Donnie's Psychobabble at the GLCC

2012-02-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

I've been organizing some show for the GLCC.
It has it's challenges but it think it benefits both the art community and the GLCC.

next show is the work of Donnie Toomer.
http://www.facebook.com/events/316054185101187/
Donnie will focus on world perspectives,coping mechanisms & our self- generated realities. The desire to be wanted and accepted is an inherent part of human consciousness, but how does one shape themselves if they only encounter negativity? The work will be a culmination of Donnie's own exploring, self- depreciation and coping.
Light refreshements served.
Show runs to March 24th.

Talisman at Unblurred

2012-01-31T09:31:00.000-08:00

This is the grand public opening for the Talisman show. Happening at Unblurred.
This Friday Feb 3rd. 7-11pm.
Quite a few years of work went into this series.

The facebook event is here:
http://www.facebook.com/events/287158904678013/

Xtian art

2012-01-30T09:35:00.000-08:00

Brian Sherwin brought up the topic that their might be a bias against Christian subject matter in the modern art market.
And "minority religions" might get special preference.
link: http://www.facebook.com/briansherwin.artcritic/posts/10150741873709554

I've studied art in a somewhat typical American education system. I'd consider my Art education, somewhat typical for a Bachelor degree.
That means I've been exposed up the wazoo to Christian art. High school, private lessons and University taught me about Christian art more so than any other type. The Art history books I own & read now are dominated by examples of Christian art.
Even at the University level the time we spent examine and discussing Christian themed art dominated everything else. The time we spent examining Islamic artist, or Buddhist art was miniscule. I could not tell you an Islamic artist off the top of my head. I read somewhere that there are as many images of Buddha as there are Jesus, if not more. But i'd be hard pressed to name a specific Buddhist sculpture or artist.
The only religious art that comes close to the level of exposure in my education is Pagan Art, Greek mythology, sculpture and paintings.
But Christian art dominated. The greatest art created in the western culture is often Christian themed. The sculptures of David, the Sisteen Chapel ceiling, the last judgment, the last supper, the Baldichino, the domed architecture.
Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, Lenoardo, Rubens, VanGogh, Guaguin and many of the greatest artist agreed upon mad eChristian themed art. These are the standards everything and everyone else is measured to or rebelled against. Christian art dominates our art education system, research material, and museums in all of Western culture.
So perhaps I am jaded when it comes to modern Christian art because i'm so used to it. Perhaps, I am hypercritical. I tend to see the cliche's, the hypocrisy, and the politics & propaganda easier because the standard has been set so high. It takes A LOT for modern Christian art to impress me and most does not deliver.
So maybe i'm more open to Islamic or Eastern art simply because it's unexplored. It's foreign, exotic, and the undiscovered country. It may have just as much cliche, hypocrisy and propaganda but even that is new to me.
So maybe I am biased. But until art of other religions is on equal footing, it's going to happen.

One thing i have noticed is modern Pagan art is usually filed under "Fantasy" & made a 2nd class art citizen down in the ranks of illustration, comics and record covers. There is great skill in some of this Pagan art. But often it's not taken seriously and really… if you think about it…. if their spiritual beliefs are "fantasy" then couldn't you file all spiritual art as fantasy as well.

Visual Aids- Postcards Part 2.

2012-01-27T08:08:00.000-08:00

Perhaps I spoke too soon.
Got an email from the organization today that my postcard did sell.
A big thank you to the person who bought it.

The email goes on:
"We appreciate your ongoing support. Artists' generosity has always enabled
Visual AIDS to work between contemporary art and AIDS advocacy. With your help,
this season we will provide more Material Grants to HIV-positive artists,
distribute new artist-designed AIDS Awareness editions and produce more
exhibitions, events and publications. We do this to keep a focus on HIV/AIDS and
to encourage dialogue about its history, the contributions of people living with
HIV, and how we can all work to end AIDS. "

I guess the solution is to get my ass up there personally to see the show and take photos of my own.
And I suppose that should NOT be too difficult.

Visual Aids - Postcards from the Edge 2012

2012-01-25T09:48:00.000-08:00

It's nice to help out. It's great to think your art is having some positive affect on the world.
Sometimes donating your art to a good cause…. something you believe in… can have that effect.
And sometimes you just feel used and pointless.

Maybe it's not intentional.
I mean the Postcards from the Edge has grown to 1,475 participating artists.
It's kinda easy to get lost in that sea. It's kinda hard to feel special amongst all that.
It's great that they raised over $83,000 for the cause from our artwork.
And I understood that i would not get anything from it.
and i didn't … not even a photo of my work on the wall.
It's not that i'm asking for a cut. (although some artists say i should.)
But a photo of my work in a NYC gallery would be nice. THAT was one of their selling points when asking for donations... your art would be SEEN.
I'd like to show off and be proud of my involvement. But i can't see my art in any of the photos posted.
Again I'm not expecting the staff to take and post 1475 pictures for the event. But some better wall shots would be nice.
Notice the photos they DO take are almost of the people who attend and the art… all donated.. is the backdrop. and almost impossible to see.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151048877955370.778750.140218485369&type=3

I'm sure many of these artists wanted to help out thinning they'd get some sort of exposure. .. you know like a photo of their work on the wall.
maybe I'm whining. maybe my work just didn't stand out enough. Maybe I should have driven to NYC myself to make sure I took the photo.
Either way, at a 1475 participants; I'll have to re- think if i'm going to do this again.

Rocking Horse

2012-01-24T12:19:00.000-08:00

A new gallery is in the making down in Lawrenceville. Further proof that Larryville is the coolest spot in town.
The Rocking Horse is a nice little space, obviously a store front from a former life. Right down the street from a Gallery on 43rd.
Their first Open show is this Friday Jan 27th, 7-10pm. If you are heading down to the Gallery Crawl. MIght as well hit this place too.
Friday, January 27, 7-10PM
Artwork will be juried by gallery members and a guest judge for consideration of a Rocking Horse award.

Rocking Horse Artspace
179 43rd St. PGH, PA 15201
rockinghorsearts.com/

Art Success Quote

2012-01-23T06:51:00.000-08:00

Luck plays no role in art world success. It's your own responsibility to create your success, which is a result of making thousands of constant decisions - focused, professional tenacity - day after day of keeping commitments to yourself and to those you make promises to. If you fail, it's all your fault. If you succeed, you deserve all the credit.
~(Mark Kostabi)
More:
http://quote.robertgenn.com/auth_search.php?authid=1587

Was the opening a success?

2012-01-22T10:42:00.001-08:00

How can I tell?
By the number of people that show up?
By the feedback given?
How many works sell?
IF anything sells?

It's tempting to judge an opening by the audience.
One would hope that more people would mean your art is seen by a larger audience; but I've noticed that the bigger the crowd the less they care.
With a bigger crowd your tend to get a higher % of posers, hangers on and hipster douche bags. People who walk in for the free beer and food and never look at the art.
So a smaller crowd is not necessarily a bad thing. You'd have a larger % of people who actually care about the work and the artist.

Feedback is a bit tricky. I rarely get negative feedback. So either I am that good, or everyone is just being polite. I take every comment in stride. I've learned to trust my own judgement.

In this current economy selling ANYTHING is considered a victory. I should a few pieces to the small crowd. And for that I am really, really grateful.
I connected to someone enough. Some one cared enough.
Those little sold stickers make it all worthwhile.

Finally

2012-01-20T16:46:00.000-08:00

The Talisman show is opening. I start this idea in 2009 and i could not wait any longer to show it.
A series of paintings dealing with average people wearing wrestling masks doing very non- wrestling things. The Talisman mask is an object meant to give the bearer supernatural power or protection. Luche Libre masks are featured because of their aesthetic value and design potential. Stylistically, detail is eliminated for bold colors making it almost cartoon like; which refers back to the idea of having super powers.
The sneak peek show is this Saturday 7-11pm.
At the Morris Levy Gallery . A new space for art, music and performance located at 3634 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15201
The Grand opening for the public will be at Unblurred. Friday February 3 7pm- to 11pm.

next stop: 2012

2011-12-27T18:13:00.000-08:00

Just as i was thinking 50% was too high for a gallery commission Rob Brezsny sends me this:

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In North America, a farmer who grows wheat
gets only five percent of the money earned by selling a loaf of bread
made from his crop. When my band recorded an album for MCA, our
contract called for us to receive just seven percent of the net profits. I
encourage you to push for a much bigger share than that for the work
you do in 2012. It will be an excellent time to raise the levels of respect
you have for your own gifts, skills, and products -- and to ask for that
increased respect, as well.

WHIMSICAL AMALGAMATIONS THROUGH THE RED DOOR IN JANUARY

2011-12-25T11:01:00.000-08:00

Southside, Pittsburgh, PA – Jan 6, 2012 – Fantastical show of animal creations by Lauren Toohey & Masha Fikhman

Announcing new work at the Red Door Gallery by Lauren Toohey & Masha Fikhman inspired by a love of merging unrelated animals and objects into one fantastical and (most likely) absurd image. The subject matter was created by brainstorming techniques. Odd phrases that emerged from this process resulted into many paintings and drawings that will be featured in this show, including such favorites as “Day of the Dead Owl,” “Cupcake Cannibalism” and “Evil Chimpanzee in a Bag.”

Lauren Toohey has been establishing herself in the local art scene as a model, crafter, curator and painter. She creates richly colored images that reflect out animal instinct. More of her work can be seen here: http://laurentoohey.com/

Masha Fikhman is emerging artist who also draws subject matter from nature and animals. The jarring subjects are made more disturbing with her use of intense color schemes. See more of her work here: http://mashafikhman.com/

Exhibition opens Friday Jan 6th 2012 6pm to 11pm with light refreshments.
Show runs till Jan 27th

Red Door Gallery is an elegant artists space run by Mahala McWilliams on the Southside that features exhibitions, workshops and performances.
http://facebook.com/TheRedDoorGalleryPittsburgh
http://www.wix.com/mmaticic/reddoorgallerypittsburgh

2112 Sarah St.
Pittsburgh PA 15203
412.379.0650

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/227150004011702/

Walmart museum

2011-12-22T08:58:00.001-08:00

If you haven't heard Alice Walton of the Walton family opened her own museum. And like all things WalMartian, there's controversy.
Is it bad to open a museum? Usually not. It's what wealthy people do. We have the Carnegie, and the Frick today because of grossly rich families in the past. But the timing could have been a bit better for the Waltons.
See, at the same time the museum opened, WalMart decided that health care was just too frivolous and pricey.
How do you tell your employees they have to sacrifice for the company while spending $1.4 Billion on an art museum?
Yes the art's are important, but most people don't see that. Most people see the arts as a plaything of the rich and elite.
And honestly, this does nothing to fix that preconception.
That's HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of working people who will need to apply for 2nd and/or third jobs to make ends meet.
HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of working people who will need to apply for food stamps and medicaid and public assistance to get by. When will these ever have the time to visit the museum to have their spirits uplifted above the sound of their empty stomachs?

No seriously, someone explain to me how your private art collection helps sick people who wan't be able to get treatment?
The Arts CAN help people, all people, even the unwashed huddled masses.... but not this way.
Grass roots organizations are doing more to bring about awareness and change to the lower class living conditions.
Justseeds.org is doing more on its shoestring budget than Crystal Bridges $1.4 billion.
Street Graffitti does more good than Crystal Bridges.
The occupy art movement is doing more.
Twitter's @The_Activists is doing more. ( http://theactivists.wordpress.com/)
YOU can do more to actually help people with your art.

so, I wanna go to art school....

2011-12-21T12:47:00.000-08:00

The last kid who told me she wanted to go to college for art, i told her “don’t”.

I told her to go to the local art center and take studio classes for a hundred dollars instead of the university classes that cost thousands.
I told her to go to art shows and meet artists. To ask to visit their studio and watch them work for a day for free.
I told her to get a library and check out every book on art and anything else that caught her interest for free.
I told her to go on you tube and watch “how to” videos for free.

Sure this way requires a bit more hustle and self discipline…. but isn’t that the secret to succes ? Hustle and self discipline ensures success, not a piece of paper with a diploma printed on it. And if that piece of paper was important to her… she can print her own when she graduates.

Ask better questions, get better answers.

2011-11-28T11:16:00.000-08:00

Does your work make you happy?
Does your work make others happy?
Does your work matter? to you? to others?
Are you sing your unique talents daily?
Do you spend time doing things you are passionate about?
Are you inspired by the people you work with?
Do you help people in a way no one else could?
Do you get paid to do work you love?
How does it affect those around you?
How does your work impact the world?
What do people thank you for?
How do you spend your time when no one is watching?
What revolution do you want to lead?
What are you waiting for?

A series of questions adapted from Scott Dismore's "Live off your Psssion."
I'm not selling or recommending his course. I simply liked this series of questions.

art of war of art

2011-11-13T14:34:00.001-08:00

The warrior and the artist live by the same code of necessity, which dictates that the battle must be fought anew every day.

~ Steven Pressfield

the Art of Art.

2011-10-23T20:11:00.001-07:00

I study a lot of philosophy behind martial art. The Art in Martial art can apply to any art.

This is based on the "Art of Peace" by Morihei Ueshiba re-written to emphasize the how it applied to visual art.

1. Art begins with you. Work on yourself to work on you art. Everyone has a talent that can be refined; a skill that can be trained. A path to follow. YOu are here for no other purpose than to realize your inner divinity & create a masterpiece. Create art in your life, then apply it to everything in your life.

2. One does not need money, schooling or permission to create art. Your studio is right where you are standing, and that is the place to start.

3. All inspiration originates from one source and everything is related as a family.

4. Leave behead all self-centered thought, pretty desires, and doubt. Those who are possessed by nothing posses everything.

14. Everything is your teacher.

23. Art is not easy, It's a fight to the finish, slaying insecurities and falsehoods within.

37. We are different from artists o fhb east. But do into totally forget old traditions. Absorb old traditions with new materials. Build on classic principles with fresh forms.

38. Daily practices brings mastery. Do not concern yourself with opinions of others. Keep your mind set on your own. Embrace and learn from everything.

39. Keep working and you will be a better person. Your only desire will be for better art.

40. Day after day. Make art. Refine your technique. Empty yourself of everything. This is the discipline of the artist.

51. There is no contest. You are in competition with nobody. Defeat/ failure only happens when you give up.

70. Do not look upon this world with fear and loathing . Bravely face whatever the Universe offers.

73. Life itself i s atrial. Art allows you to observe and figure out yourself which helps when facing the greatest challenges in life. Transcend the realm of life and death, and you will be able to make your way calmly and safely through any crisis that confronts you.

74. Be grateful even for the hardship, setbacks, and bad people. Dealing with such experiences offers inspiration.

75. Disappointment is the key to success. Each mistake teaches us something, and it's an opportunity to begin again smarter.

76. Sometimes the whole Universe seems out to get you; at such critical times concentrate on your art. Unite your mind and your technique, do not let your mind waver.

94. Progress comes to those who make art everyday. Practice and rain. The reliance of "secret techniques" and shortcuts will get you nowhere.

95. cast aside any limiting thoughts. Empty yourself of everything. Stand in the midst of everything and observe. Inspiration will come.

102. Ultimately you must forget about style; the further you progress, the fewer teachers there are. The great path is really no path.

Master artists would not be ashamed of low status, but they should be ashamed of to making art.

How to get shows

2011-09-17T07:46:00.000-07:00

When I first started out I was told about having a portfolio on slides and a resume and writing a proactive cover letter and all that crap. And honestly it never got me anywhere.
I wasted a lot of time crafting the “perfect resume” and worrying if the paperclips I used got enough attention.

This is what I figured out. This is what has worked for me.

Step1 : Make Art.
Maybe this is a “duh” moment for some people, but I'm constantly amazed how many artists are NOT making art. They get distracted, they get frustrated, they get lazy. But you have to have the inventory when the opportunity DOES come. Make great art. Dig deep to create the most eye catching images to the best of your creative and technical ability.

Step 2: Go to Shows.
Scout the playing field. Go to the galleries. Get on the mailing list, or follow them through online social networking. Go to the openings. BUT go as a viewer or customer... at first. Gather information. Look at the type of art they show. The type of client that comes in. How openings are conducted. How the art is presented. How and if they sell the work.
If you are observant you will see that not all galleries are the same. Each is trying to find their own niche. Maybe this niche is a match for you, maybe it is not.
You will see some amazing shows. Great work that pushes the boundaries shows you what is possible. Let this inspire you to go back to step 1, go back to your studio and make even better art.
You will also see some terrible shows. True “WTF” moments, and “I can do better than that” pronouncements. Again let this inspire to go back to step 1 and make even more art.

As you gather information you will figure out who is worth talking to and who to avoid.
You will figure out which galleries you want to pursue. Usually a good way to start approaching is to talk to the artist who is showing there now. Tell them congratulations, introduce yourself, and wish them luck for the opening. Don't be too flattering unless you sincerely like the work. Don't be fake and schmoozy. This artist can possibly give you some insight an what it is like to work with the gallery and gallery owner. They might be able to network you to opportunities. (Although many visual artist are not known for their social skills, so there is no guarantee here. I've attended many openings where the artist hides and is very difficult to approach. )

This may take some patience but you have to be willing to put in the time and do your homework.
When I talk to a gallery owner; it's usually about their gallery, not me. I'll ask them about the current artist or a piece in the show. (If they can't answer these questions, a red flag goes up.) But usually they have seen me at the shows, so they know I'm serious about art. Many times they ask me to show.
Seriously, I haven't had to ask anyone for a show in the last few years. They ask me.

Step 3: Follow Up.
When you get an opportunity or offer, be Professional. I know some people will give an artist some leeway because of the artsy, flaky stereotype; but don't push it. Be reliable. Be on time. Show up with the art ready to go. Have it labeled and framed (or ready for display if frames do not apply). Help out with advertising. On opening night don't hide in the back being drunk and surly. Be honest with sales. Don't try to cheat them out of their commission. When the show is over pick up your work.

The First Zine

2011-09-05T07:27:00.000-07:00

I had been contributing to other zines around the world for years. So when the zine fair popped up I decided this was the time to make my own. Strong visuals are a must so I invited other artists I knew personally who do great work. These are artists who live work and show in the Pittsburgh area. I also got some fascinating writers. The result is a catalog or collection of some of the best emerging talent in the area. And this is the premiere first issue. You KNOW this is going to be a collector's item some day. I got a few left so get your copy now. Only $2 plus shipping.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh acquired a few copies for their collection. So should you.

Also showing at Unblurred:

2011-08-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

With What They Left: It’s Art You Can’t Avoid

They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Ever wonder what happens to the “treasures” you throw away? Well, you can stop guessing. “With What They Left” is an exhibit featuring art made entirely from discarded materials. Ron Copeland, Dana Depew, Joseph Close, and Dave Desimone put their heads and other people’s trash together so that you can see what can be done with items like vintage suitcases and old beer signs. For the month of August, Assemble has been transformed into a junkyard wonderland, with three–dimensional pieces from everyone’s dumpster invading the space.
“People are wasting too much” says Copeland. “Too much is being thrown away that obviously is more valuable.” Thanks to these artist, it’s not just waste anymore. They are able to “extend the life of these pieces in a way that was never intended.” Our society is used to discarding entire buildings, which Desimone believes “weakens the fabric of the community that those buildings once stood in.”
The three creators range from degree–holders to self–taught artists. Desimone says the show will encourage “the idea that if anyone has an idea, they can do something creative. Don’t let your fear of failure hold you back from actually trying something.” Copeland is looking to strike a chord with you, aiming to prompt you to “look at things in everyday life a little differently” and get “more use out something before you discard it.”

Copeland, Depew, Close and Desimone will include trashed items that range in age from a decade old, to pieces they found days before the exhibit. Come on over to be inspired to turn your trash into something creative. The flashing lights, peep holes, and hefty installation pieces will be sure to catch your eye. “It’s art you can’t avoid!”

About Assemble::
Assemble is a community space for arts and technology, which opened at 5125 Penn Avenue in the heart of the Penn Avenue Arts District in April of this year. Our mission is to invite our neighbors of all ages to engage their intrigue and creativity through hands-on explorations of arts and technology, forging physical and non-physical community connections. Our programs include monthly openings during the Unblurred gallery crawls, as well as workshops, lectures and community activities with a focus on providing quality creative programming for the children of our neighborhood.
More information at http://assemblepgh.org/

Here is further Information on the show.
Joseph Close, Ron Copeland, Dana Depew, Dave Desimone. 4 artists reusing and rethinking materials found and salvaged from the "Rust Belt" region. Using anything from scrape wood and metal to window frames and wall paper they're recycling yesterdays junk into furniture sculptures and installations.

-Dave Desimone-
More of an observer than an artist, Dave Desimone assembles fragments of the past into commentaries about the pr...esent. Desimone is most interested in trying to understand why and how our collective and personal histories move from recent memory to being completely forgotten, often in the matter of a few months or years. "Not only do we disrespect our historical past, it appears most American's actively seek to disconnect themselves from it. We are quick to dispose of the very fabric and structure that helps to hold communities together." Desimone holds a Master's degree in Public History from Kent State University and was last seen jumping over a rusty fence.

-Ron Copeland-
Ohio native and avid photographer, Ron Copeland, is reclaiming the abandoned buildings of the Rust Belt. For the last eight years, Copeland has explored the depths of these structures to uncover and re-imagine the textures, colors, and the artifacts their tenants left behind. Copeland, who is also a professional archival framer, uses the ‘junk’ he collects to, quite literally, reframe the past—a desk becomes a canvas, old signs and scraps of wallpaper become part of a new visual composition. This is not just an aesthetic choice; reuse and repurposing were part of the time captured in Copeland’s art. The buildings Copeland explored were made to last for an industrial period that didn’t. Rarely are these structures and artifacts seen outside of the context of loss. In this exhibition, he hopes to show the Rust Belt “just the way it is,” a portrait of wasted resources, but also of opportunity. A majority of the materials he used to create this installation were salvaged or recycled. Artists have always found beauty in decay, and Copeland is no exception. Here, though, the work resists nostalgia by recontextualizing found objects into contemporary compositions. In this way, the artwork reminds us that while we can’t change the past, we can reshape the present. Copeland's photography, framing, and assemblage gathers the raw material of the Rust Belt and invites us to see it as it is today, through his eyes.

Joseph Close

Dana Depew-
Dana grew up in a large family on a farm in rural Medina, Ohio. At an early age, he was fascinated by the intricacies of how things worked. He began taking things apart and attempted to put them back together for curiosity’s sake. Dana was formally educated in the arts at Kent State University with a concentration in sculpture. His current work focuses heavily on the usage of found objects and resurrecting discarded materials into wholly new vibrant works. Dana opened Asterisk Gallery in 2001, which is an exhibition space that gives much needed opportunities to emerging regional artists. As well as exhibiting his work in exhibitions nationally, Dana is tireless in promoting the arts by curating exhibitions, judging art competitions and residing on the board of directors of several arts and cultural organizations.

Inspired by my childhood fascination with lights, I began disassembling and reassembling antique lamps and chandeliers. I was curious about the structure and assemblage, but even more so, mesmerized by the way various colors, shades and brightness of the bulbs created various sensory experiences for the viewer.

Like the actual materials, the experience is both nostalgic, yet, new. Retro, still, modern.

Although highly visual in nature, the scale and texture of these works explore other sensory perceptions. The sculptures explore personal themes relating to self-exploration, particularly, my own questions regarding breaking down, being re-built, and how many times "rebirth" can occur. Is it then new or different? The usage of light reflects the idea that these discarded and unwanted objects can transcend the boundaries of "trash" into something to be desired. What was once broken and empty is now full of light and has been carefully nursed back to health and utilization.

My work in the International Show.

2011-08-22T16:35:00.000-07:00

This work was created as a collaboration over time. I had met several people online and was inspired to draw portraits from the photos they had posted. the drawings turned out nice but I felt i needed more input from the subjects, so i asked them to write me a letter each in their own native language. various objects, chosen for their aesthetic and contextual value were also added to create a more in depth character study. The result is a dialogue of sorts between artist and model.

"It is our responsibility to bring friendship and love from all places around the world and live together in peace." ~ Jackie Chan

SEE A WORLD OF TALENT AT MOST WANTED FINE ART

2011-08-11T07:16:00.001-07:00

Pittsburgh, PA Sept. 2, 2011- Most Wanted Fine Art Features International Women Artists Including Pittsburgh's own Sam Thorp
These talented emerging artists: Gemma Allan, Maren Eline Aune, Martina Biccheri Sylvia K, & Sarina Meester will show along with Pittsburgh's Sam Thorp; who also curated the show. These women met online in a music forum and over the years developed their creative talent and ability as well as friendships. Styles and content vary among the ladies who come from such places as Scotland, Italy, Holland and Norway.
Refreshments and music by Grand Snafu will fill out the evening.
Exhibition runs from: Friday September 2nd to September 25th, 2011.
Opening Reception: Friday 2nd of September 6pm- to 11pm

The Artists:
Gemma Allan is from Scotland, UK. She creates geometrically abstract compositions using a rhythm of color and shape. Samples of her work can be seen at: http://www.funkyness.co.uk

Maren Eline Aune is from Norway and is working on a photographic journal of personal issues and recovery through intense and confrontational self- portraiture. Samples of her work can be seen here: http://kaput0103.deviantart.com/

Martina Biccheri from Rome, Italy shows an incredible instinct for classical beauty even with non- conventional subject matter in her photography. Samples of her work an be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/temporary-22/

Sylvia K is a citizen of Italy, France & USA. Her drawings have amazing wit and charm. Samples can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sylviakart

Sarina Meester is from Holland and works professionally as a designer for major companies, but she still makes time to create art dedicated to her love for music.
Her portfolio site is: http://www.exquision.com

Sam Thorp is form Pittsburgh, PA and has many art shows here as well as around the world. Her work is mainly figurative with a strength in color and portraiture. Her work can be seen at: http://www.graphicanatomy.com

The Gallery:
Most Wanted Fine Art is dedicated to promoting quality artists and contemporary art & music among the community. Owner and artist Jason Sauer has exhibited and introduced artists of a multitude of movements, styles and media. These talented creators have come from all over the world, revealing the influence of their cultures, and personal experiences. MWFA also hosts yoga classes in the daytime and music shows at night.
Most Wanted Fine Art
5015 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15224
http://www.most-wantedfineart.com/
most-wanted@yahoo.com

funny how things connect.

2011-07-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

I know a few people in Norway.
i have artwork in Oslo, Norway.
A watercolor of Sally in the Oslo Library.
The guy who arranged it lives on Norway.
His son's friend lost his mother in the bombing.

It's a terrible tragedy. And I feel badly for Norway.
They are not used to this level of violence as we are.

Betty Bowers said it best, "Again, we see that it isn't a type of religion that turns people into terrorists; it's religion itself."

While the death of 90 is a stastic the death of one is a tragedy...
a reminder of how talent and success does not eliminate one's deamons, if anything it strengthens them.
It's a shame that Amy Winehouse passed away. I wasn't a super fan. I'm not going to jump on the bandwagon now.
But it's an opportunity to reflect and maybe learn. Maybe now's the time to help a friend or soemone who needs it.

Now's the time to appreciate.

heating up....

2011-07-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

So last night i participated in the 1st ever "Art night" at PNC park.
it was intriguing idea, to say the least.
I went to represent Most Wanted Fine Art.... (which is growing into a Most Wanted empire) along with the Moxie Dada
and ...well... the return was minimal. If the Pirates ever decide to do it again there is probably room for improvement.
But hey, I go to hang out at a baseball game. Soaking wet. drunk. and I got a free t-shirt out of it... TWO actually.

Life is always interesting.
We live in interesting times, no doubt.
Just as many setbacks as there are advances.
And I just plan to move on to the next adventure.

Random Quotes:
Inspiration comes in waves and never stops. It will keep crashing upon the shores of your soul until you embrace its motion.

We all want satisfaction. We all want happiness. We don't get that when we stop and settle for second best.

Never settle for second best just because it is the safe and secure choice. Life is motion and risk. Don't stop.

Everything is either expanding or contracting. So are you. Joy is felt when we live our life according to which state we are in.

Hollywood!

2011-07-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

I will have artwork for sale at the Hollywood theater in the Dormont neighborood of Pittsburgh, PA.
Hollywood theater is a Pittsburgh landmark. It's where I first saw The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Actually, it's where many Pittsburghers first saw RHPS. For the longest time it was the only place you could see the show. That is until it came out on VHS and eventually DVD.
Like so many, it's fallen on hard times and a fundraiser event has been organized to keep the theater around.
So Come check it out, support the cause and a lot of great artists. Stay late, cause...guess what?... they are showing the Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnight... so wear yoru corsets.
Gemma Allan will be showing a piece there. If you have not checked out her work, this is your chance.
facebook event:
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/event.php?eid=129618233781768

Artistic Integrity

2011-06-17T05:35:00.000-07:00

Shepard Fairey's is in question yet again.

You may have seen the recent hubaloo broke by ...of all things.... TMZ.
http://www.tmz.com/2011/06/14/street-artist-shepard-fairey-obey-obama-hope-wife-secrets-exposed-tmz-on-tv/
The question was asked if Shepard still goes out in the middle of the night to put up his posters. This sort of thing is important to street art.
It's about being on the street, part of the culture. The underdog risking life and limb to display art.

Fairey's "street cred" has always been been suspect.
Many at the street level have accused Fairey of being a rich kid playing at graffiti.

He's been taken to court more than once for copyright infringement. First with the image of Andre the Giant, by Andre's surviving family.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_the_Giant_Has_a_Posse
And secondly, by the Associated press for the photo of Obama that became the big- deal HOPE poster.
http://www.art-for-a-change.com/Obey/index.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/12/shepard-fairey-ap-suit-dropped_n_807800.html

Fairey settled these lawsuits mostly unscathed and claimed the right to "fair- use" and "appropriation" of certain images. But then turned around and sued someone else for appropriating him.
http://diggingpitt.blogspot.com/search/label/Steeler%20Baby
http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/content?oid=oid%3A59932
http://animalnewyork.com/2008/04/shepard-fairey-threatens-to-sue-artist-for-obey-giant-parody/

And my favorite is the accusation as to whether or not Shepard Fairy can draw.
"What initially disturbed me about the art of Shepard Fairey is that it displays none of the line, modeling and other idiosyncrasies that reveal an artist’s unique personal style. His imagery appears as though it’s xeroxed or run through some computer graphics program; that is to say, it is machine art that any second-rate art student could produce.

In fact, I’ve never seen any evidence indicating Fairey can draw at all. Even the art of Andy Warhol, reliant as it was upon photography and mass commercial imagery, displayed passages of gestural drawing and flamboyant brushstrokes. "
~ Mark Vallen
http://www.art-for-a-change.com/Obey/index.htm

But getting back to the original matter:
Does Shepard Fiarey still pound the pavement and risk arrest and injury to display his work?
Does he have to? At this point he's invited to display his art on walls inside and out.
He COULD have just been honest and said something like, "Look guys I used to do that, and it was an invaluable experience, but now things have changed. I've evolved. I've moved on to bigger and better challenges. I still have the utmost respect for the street artists still out there."

He could have explained that his work is in such great demand that he has to resort to a workshop operation, similar to Bernini, Ruebens and the like.

Why not just be honest? Point out the positives, and suggest that most criticism comes from people jealous of his success.
Sure some would have called him a sell out... but they do anyway.
See, I don' t see selling out as the big crime here. Artist's "sell out" all the time. Hip-hop (Street art's musical cousin) sells out constantly, they write songs about. People don't give them a hard time, because they know that is the point of most hip-hop. They are honest about it.

When you lie or deceive you constantly worry about getting caught. that someone will out you. And then you look 10x worse cause you got caught lying. And then people get to make fun of you for it.
I think it's way better to just be honest. Cause they ARE striking images. If he wants the respect of his colleagues and critics.. start with honesty.

If YOU want respect of your colleagues, i suggest you start with honesty which leads to integrity.
If you're doing something you don't want anyone to find out about... maybe you shouldn't do it.
If you have nothing to hide then "they" have nothing to use against you.

Do Reproductions Devalue Original Artwork?

2011-06-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

Yes.
Solution: Make more art.

You are only competing with yourself. Why should anyone pay full price for an original painting when they can get the cheaper version?
No really. How DO you justify charging such a high price for an original?
I'm serious. Think about that.
What exactly IS the valuable part in your art?
Is it the skill that went into making it?
The materials used?
The uniqueness of it?
What IS IT?
People will spend money on all sorts of things: BBQ grills, large screen TV's, they will spend $75 to fill up their gas tank. Why SHOULD they spend the money for your original work?
Once you know this and can articulate it; it may help you in actually selling the original. (Yes art must be SOLD. Like anything else. )

Secondly, Why is your "high price" that high?
Consider the basic concept of supply and demand when it comes to your art?
What is the demand for it? And how are you supplying it?
Is there a way you can increase the demand?
Many artists don't really know how to price their art, so the cheap prints are a way of covering their arse, their safety net.
Maybe realistic pricing and selling skills are needed. Not prints.
I witnessed an artist try to sell a charcoal drawing that was un-matted and unframed and thumbtacked to a wall. Why would I pay thousands of dollars for something you poked holes in to and couldn't bother to frame properly? Really, if you are asking for $5,000 you could have at least framed it.
I don't offer prints, but I will offer the prep sketches that went into the work. So maybe someone who can't afford the a painting (or if the painting has already sold) they can still get something original, and done personally by me. I make a variety of art, small things that can be sold for under $100. I offer a selection.

If people buy the copies and not the original you have to be on guard that you are not relying on the prints and neglecting the sale of the originals.
Or the production of originals. I've met artists kept selling the same prints over and didn't bother to make new work because if it.
Don't let this happen to you.

If you really want to sell multiples and bring your art to the masses; consider making actual prints from the start.
Intaglio, Lithographs, serigraphs, woodcuts and so many other options to make an legitimate print. Look into this. A legitimate prints beats a glorified color copy any day.

The only case where I recommended prints was with an artist whose work was so meticulous and time consuming that she could only put out a few pieces per year. And demand for her work is high and getting higher.* She could have cheapened the production of the art to speed things up, but I recommended a few prints to satisfy patrons. A FEW. Limited editions.
Again the fact that there are only 50 (or whatever) of these made and each are signed & numbered by the artist makes them valuable.
*http://funkyness.co.uk

And one final thought on this: if you become so ...accustomed... running your art through a color copier; how would you stop someone else from doing the same thing? What if a print buyer makes some copies for his/her friends? Scanners and copies could make a copy of a copy with little degradation. How would you keep track of these prints?

10 Design Lessons

2011-05-23T17:35:00.001-07:00

1. Respect “the genius of a place.”
2. Subordinate details to the whole.
3. The art is to conceal art.
4. Aim for the unconscious.
5. Avoid fashion for fashion’s sake.
6. Formal training isn’t required.
7. Words matter.
8. Stand for something.
9. Utility trumps ornament.
10. Never too much, hardly enough.

from Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American landscape architecture.

thoughts on showing artwork in a resturaunt.

2011-05-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

In some ways it's not a bad idea.
Face it, most restaurants and coffee shops probably get more foot traffic than your local galleries.
If you want to be seen, to get your work out there; its not a bad idea.

But, make the most of it.

Visit the place before you ask to show your work in it. Does the demographic or personality of the clientele appear to be a good match for our art?
Large bold work will probably get noticed more. I suppose that is true for art shown anywhere. But if the lighting in this place is bad and your work is subltle and small.... it may not be worth it.
Framing/ presentation should be battle ready. There is a bigger chance the art will be touched, bumped or jostled. Your art should be coated, covered and resistant to damage.
Make the most of your tags. It's less likely the serving staff will take the time to try and sell your work. And it's unlikely you will hang out there everyday so, a clearly marked tag should do the talking for you.

And since so few of you know how to make a tag let me say this again:
The top line should be title of the work, Underlined. Art titles are underlined or italicized, not "in quotes".
Then your name on every tag.... Every.Tag. No really. Do it.
You are putting yourself out there already, at least make them remember your name.
The third line varies.... often the size and/or materials. Sometimes it may be a brief story behind the work or a special notation. Personally I think materials is more important than size... since they can see how big it is on the wall.
And lastly the price. You can also put NFS or "Not For Sale" or "Price upon Request" or POR... but if you do that you may want to include an email address or someway they can actually contact you.

I was at a show recently where the artist did not put his name on the tags BUT he did have the name of sponsor.... the people who supplied his materials on every tag.
Do I remember who this artist is? Nope.
Do I remember the sponsor...? What do you think?
It's not rocket science, folks.

the 60/40 show

2011-05-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

Back in February I was given a flyer for this event. They were raising money for BikePGH. The challenge for me was making a painting with a bike theme. I went the naughty/ pinup route. And I was fortunate enough to sell. Thanks to the buyer.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
But seriously... BikePGH is a worthy cause. This city needs more bike lanes and more bikers. For some reason the trolls argue that riding a bike somehow REDUCES our standard of living.... cause you know exercising more, spending less money and contributing less pollution TOTALLY equals a lower standard of living.....

It's Thursday!

2011-05-05T07:59:00.000-07:00

But not just any Thursday... it's also Cinco de Mayo as well. And you know what THAT means... a reason to drink.
Yes, we will appropriate any holiday if we can get sloshed.
But before play time, i must take care of business.
I'm dropping off my painting for the Tsunami Victims fundraiser.
Then off to Panza's for a figure drawing session. (maybe the model will wear a sombrero)
The probably 80's night at Belvedere's for cheap alcohol and bad dancing. Ole'!

Friday the art begins.
The Looking Glass Project will have a preview show at the Art Institute in the morning. Then Friday Evening it's Unblurred on Penn Ave. I'm not showing anything, but I'll be out supporting the scene. Personally I look forward to Cory Bonnet at Most Wanted Fine art.
http://most-wantedfineart.com/
And Modern Formation's Smitten should be a good show.
http://modernformations.com/

Saturday I have several art happenings:
First is the much anticipated Looking Glass Show at Artform. I'll be showing along side many local and international artists. Including Boris Vallejo.... yeah..... you heard me. Boris f'n Vajello is in this show. Don't ask how or why.... just go see it. The opening is 2pm to 11pm so you have plenty of time to fit it into your schedule.
http://www.artformtattoo.com

Then the opening of Fleeting Pages. This is important because its local people taking back over sized stores and showcasing their own local talent. You will be able to find my book on figure drawing, and handmade work by many other local artists and writers. This could be gold mine of talent. Definitely check it out.
http://www.fleetingpages.com/

Panza Gallery is having an opening for Patrick Lee, a very talented painter. It should be very impressive.

And lastly the Tsunami Victims fundraiser I mentioned earlier.
Cattivo is hosting Sinferno tonight, which is hosting Elsie's Playground, which is hosting an art raffle/ clothing drive for the victims in Japan.
Inception references aside this should be a fun, freaky night. And if you come (preferably dressed as an Anime character) you can win a painting by me. Plus sushi, saki, dj's, burlesque, dancing and a real wild time.
http://www.elisesplayground.com

Sunday is of course Mother's Day. So I'll be doing whatever she wants to do.. no matter how hungover I am. Hope you do the same.

Or you can find more info at my website:
http://www.graphicanatomy.com/

up and coming

2011-04-24T19:48:00.000-07:00

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." ~ Ferris Buelller

I have quite a few art shows coming up. Each one I am very grateful for. Things are rolling.
Friday April 29 - As party of the Downtown Gallery crawl in the cultural district: I'm in a group show for Bike PGH. Bringing biking to the burgh. I'll be unveiling two new pieces plus a painting of my niece... she's so cute.... someone buy her please.

On Saturday April 30th I'll be part of Art All Night. I'm unveiling a brand new pieces I'm rather excited about. PLUS I'll be painting live. EXTRA BONUS a collaborative live painting 10pm -2am. I dare you to come in drunk and heckle me.

And then May 7th is the Looking Glass show at Artform. I've been helping out with curating this show and it should be interesting. You will want to be here. you will want to tell your grandchildren that YES you were there when the **** went down.
Seriously, we got a confirmation from Boris Vallejo to be in the show. Boris Vallejo will be in this show... along with me.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND????
Look the reason I am an artist today is because of Boris. My dad brought home a picture book of Science Fiction paintings and when I saw the paintings by Boris I decided at the age of 9 that I wanted to do THIS. I started out learning to draw by copying his work. It's been a long strange treacherous adventure; but even to day I think you can still see the influence of his anatomy and color on my work.
And now I'm showing my work on a wall next to his.
Holy Mother of Thor....
Seriously, come see this show. Tell your friends.

2011 Art All Night

2011-04-22T06:47:00.001-07:00

This is a huge thing in Pittsburgh. It's inspired other cities to do something similar. It's meant to be accessible as in bring in people to see art who would not otherwise go to a gallery or museum.

I've done art all night for maybe 10 years now and it's always interesting. It's more fun the more i get involved.

I'll be putting in a piece ..... something new. Something you should look out for.
I'll also be painting live from 10pm to 2am. Come down and see the master in action.

I'm also framing a piece done by my niece, Kory.

And *drumroll* I'm framing a piece by Gemma Allan to put in. This is her first show in America. First of many I believe. And she does some really cool stuff. Each one take a along time to complete; but the result is hypnotizing.

Art all night runs ... well... all night. Starting Saturday, April 30th to Sunday May 1st. Admission is free. Food is free. Music, Art and kids activities if you get there early. Check it out.

Eavesdropping...

2011-04-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

Some good stuff I picked up in a twitter conversation between Molly Crabapple and Bill Willingham.

Molly Crabapple: I sometimes think some established types are afraid of giving real advice, because that implies responsibility if the listener fails. I do try to say in my lectures, that if one need help motivating oneself to do art, they shouldn't try to do it as a job

Bill Willingham: I'd go so far as to say most creative careers fail, compared to those that succeed. The success/fail ratio is unencouraging.
Real advice then for creative hopefuls: If you're tough enough to endure getting kicked in the heart and soul for twenty years and more, and still be determined to carry on, then you may have a shot.
And can you live your life knowing that the very closest people to you'll never in the bottoms of their hearts believe you have a real job?
But I truly hope this doesn't mean that since it's smarter not to try, then only the grandly stupid ever hold on long enough to make it.
The secret then is a sort of controlled schizophrenia. One must be a tough as nails sonnofabitch, and simultaneously a joyful enthusiast. But which one is the Jekyll and which the Hyde?

put up or shut up

2011-04-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

In an earlier post i gave advice about writing an artist's bio. So here's mine.

Sam Thorp concentrates on creating provocative and sensual figures and portraits. The use of line and gesture as well as intense and evocative color combinations give the work a certain vibrational energy.

Sam was inspired to draw by science fiction covers and comic books; took lessons from local legend Terri Perpich at the age of nine and began exhibiting in shows at the age of sixteen. Sam was accepted into the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts at Bucknell University and then attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania as a Fine Art Education major.

Sam was recently crowned the Art of Battle Champion in the Pittsburgh area.
The studio is located in Pittsburgh, where Sam as exhibited in many fine galleries; including shows at the Warhol Museum, Carnegie Museum of Art, and Most Wanted Gallery. Sam has also shown in New York City , Los Angeles, & Detroit’s cPOP Gallery; as well as internationally on the Island of Lesvos, Norway and in London (Saatchi) and Leeds, UK. Her artwork has been bought and collected across the United States, UK, France, Australia, and the Netherlands.

Newsworthy

2011-04-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

The Ladies Choice show made the local paper.
That's my Wonder Woman painting in the photo.

You can read the full article here:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleynewsdispatch/s_730075.html

I organized the show at Artform.... because it needed to be done.
We were the ONLY SWAN sponsored visual art show in all of Pennsylvania.

I did a painting of Wonder Woman because it's the iconic metaphor for Feminine strength and achievement, almost universal and archetypal at this point. It pays homage to my comic book roots. I learned to draw by copying the comics.

I did two other pieces as well.

This is a local piece. The model is the best Artist's model in pgh(who is a great artist in her own right), shot by a local pgh artist in .... Pittsburgh. So in a way it celebrates the local art boom.

And the last piece is global.
It's darker and more political. It addresses a serious issue happening around the world. The title is FGM or Female Genital Mutilation. The practice of female circumcision so they cannot enjoy sex. According to the World Health Organization:
FGM is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. It is nearly always carried out on minors and is a violation of the rights of children. The practice also violates a person's rights to health, security and physical integrity, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death.

So there ya are the Universal, the local, and the global. AAAAAAnd I put the show together with 35 other local women artists... many of which showing for the first time. Mother would be proud.

Did I mention this is for sale?

2011-04-02T10:18:00.001-07:00

The painting I created for the art of battle can be yours.
Acrylic on stretched canvas 3x5foot. Signed by artist.
Make an offer. payable through paypal.
Best offer by April 15th also includes prep sketches.

email me: samthor@graphicanatomy.com

Writing an Artist Bio

2011-03-31T20:10:00.001-07:00

When a viewer /buyer asks about the artist (you), what should the gallery tell them?
THAT is the point of an artists bio.

It provides the human connection to potential buyers. A window into your world.
The biography sets out where the artist is from, the educational background, exhibitions, affiliations, awards, and so on. It can include why you make art and what it's about; but most of that should be left for the artist's statement. A bio should be short and concise, with enough information to make you interesting. It's not an autobiography of your WHOLE life; but what is relevant to the art you make.

Start by answering these questions:
Who are you?
What is your work about? Or what would you tell someone who had never seen your work?
What is distinct about your style and/or approach?
What drives you? Why did you start making art?
Why did you choose this art form? Why these materials?
How did you learn to do this? Mention any schools or degrees.
Have you won any awards? Any career highlights?
Where is your studio?

Take those answers and assemble them as such:
1st paragraph: Intro sentence and some identity branding
2nd paragraph: the immediate purpose of the bio. What is going on right now. Your current activities.
3rd paragraph: Your past experience, career path and how you got to here.
Ending: Wrap it up. Use a quote if you like.

Use proper grammar and spelling. Keep it organized. Have it proofread by a smart person.
Avoid cliches and hyperbole. Try to sound like … you are just being yourself.
If your still stuck look up the bios of other professional artists for examples.
Keep copies for future use.

Traditionally a bio is written a third person voice, but if you are going to record your own bio on video stick to first person.

Ladies choice show

2011-03-30T15:26:00.000-07:00

you can see the whole show... including my 3 pieces... and some of the other artists & patrons here:

2011-03-30T15:22:00.000-07:00

137 new children's books arrived today at the Moss library (Norway), courtesy of the 260 artists participating in the #twitterartexhibit :)

new work up for auction

2011-03-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

Bid on this brand new piece by Sam Thorp;

Art Auction at the Sugar factory, April 8th. Find out more and get tickets here:
http://www.graphicanatomy.com/#sugar

Art of Battle 412

2011-03-12T11:05:00.001-08:00

Lawrenceville: Pittsburgh, PA March 20, 2010- Pittsburgh Art Community Prepares for Battle

This is it, the ONLY live visual artist competition in Pittsburgh. Created by Ryan Graham and inspired by other art battles, world wide. Four local artists have four hours to complete a painting from a blank 3 x5' canvas. The crowd watches and the crowd votes for the winner.

Artists may use whatever mediums they like and the winner will be chosen by a rotating panel of judges along with the crowd at the end of the evening. One winner will be chosen every battle and will receive a $500 cash prize along with having the option of returning each month to defend their title. All non-winning artwork will be available to purchase but will be displayed for at least one month.

The next Art of Battle is at Belvedere's 4016 Butler Street, Pittsburgh (Lawrenceville), PA 15201. On March 20th, the doors open at 7pm the painting begins at 8pm and voting is at Midnight. $5 admission and its 21 and older, so please bring your ID.

Artists competing this month is returning champion, Sam Thorp against new challengers: Terrell Lewis, Noir LeBlanc and Ryan Dunkerly. Come out and check out this unique event.

More info can be found at: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Art-of-Battle-412/

Visual Aids Show, NYC

2011-02-28T08:16:00.000-08:00

I had donated a piece to Visual Aids fund raising show.

Here are a few pics from the event.

Big thanks to everyone who came out and donated.

Norway Show

2011-02-24T08:47:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos from the Twitter Art exhibit that took place in Norway.
All art was donated and the work sold went towards childrens' books at the Moss Library.
It was my first show in Norway.
Big thanks to David Sandium who put this all together.

Electric Love show

2011-02-12T16:14:00.000-08:00

So I have new work up and it looks great in the space. I toyed around with the idea, "what is sexy?" and these are the answers I got.

Sunday is the closing party. so come out and see if you haven't already.

Show details

photos from projekt 50/50

2011-02-10T13:15:00.000-08:00

here is the board i finished, in like, record time:

This is the first skate deck i've done. Hopefully won't be the last.
I got the board from Michale's Cycles in Natrona Heights. Cool little shop.

You can see more of the other decks and great artists at Yinzer Party.

Art o Plenty in Jan. and beyond.

2011-01-17T08:31:00.000-08:00

So I've been busy cranking out new work.
I had a skate deck in the Projekt 50/50 show. There was some really great art done by the community. I'd show you but the batteries in my camera died. Someone bought my deck, so now i can afford new batteries.

Congrats to Lauren Toohey in Sunday's Art of Battle. All four artists were doing some nice stuff. The new venue at Belevedere's is much roomier and comfortable than the old.
Maybe I'll be asked to compete. It would be fun to try. I dunno if i would win. But i'd give it a really good shot.

Up next for me is an Erotic Art show on the Southside. Mahala McWilliams now resides in the historic home of Philip Benz and is opening the 1st floor up to show off her paintings and mine. It will be open to the public The weekend of Feb. 4th & Feb. 11th noon to 6pm. These may seem like non- traditional hours, but keep in mind this is her home.
Still come down and take a look. I've been having real fun creating erotic figures.

Electric Love- Erotic Art Exhibition Friday February 4, 2011 - Sunday February 13, 2011 from 12:00am - 6:00pm Join us in the heart of South Side for Mahalah McWilliams' Pittsburgh debut! Electric Love is a neon collection of figure paintings inspired by night lights, music, love, and one human body meeting another. Featuring guest artist Sam Thorp. Prints and originals for sale. Feb. 4th-6st 12pm-6pm Feb. 11th-13th 12pm-6pm The Historic Home of Philip Benz 2112 Sarah St. Pittsburgh PA 15203 412.379.0650 Meet the artists and refreshments @ 1pm and 5pm

sketchbook project

2011-01-08T11:35:00.001-08:00

Finally finished the work for the sketchbook project. I'll ship it out on Monday.
the whole thing goes on a nationwide tour and then resides in the Brooklyn library.
Keep an eye out for it.

best wishes for the new year.

2011-01-02T09:48:00.001-08:00

get out there and kick some ass.

don't forget i have a free calendar for you as a gift.
http://www.graphicanatomy.com/

enjoy

Talisman continued

2010-12-13T13:23:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more samples from the Talisman series.
I'm lucky enough to have friends willing to help out.

And I am eternally grateful for their willingness to put up with my nonsense.

Don't forget I will be showing at Sinferno this Saturday. Reduced prices for the Holidays.

Sam Thorp @ Sinferno

2010-11-29T08:06:00.001-08:00

Sinferno, the most outrageous, fun and exciting event in Pittsburgh, is at Cattivo Lounge, 146 44th St in Lawrenceville (Pittsburgh, PA). Be surrounded by the fantastic art of Sam Thorp, while listening to DJ Hates You. December also features the Electro Belly Dance Troupe and Pittsburgh's amazing Drag Kings. The club is gorgeous, huge, and lavishly remodeled. We now have 2 full floors of top notch DJs, cutting edge bands, super sexy go -go dancers, one of a kind vendors, over the top performers and more. 1st floor: bands play from 10-11 pm, then DJs spin a mix of punk, disco, glam, '80s and more while sexy go- go dancers drive the crowd wild. The downstairs lounge features goth, new wave, and industrial DJs plus a variety of performers, such as burlesque dancers, drag king/queens, belly dancers and more. Drink and food specials. Cattivo has GREAT gourmet pizza!!! All this fun and madness for only $5

as applied to art:

2010-10-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

Ultimately, you must forget about technique (or style). The further you progress, the fewer teachers there are. The Great Path is really NO PATH.
~ Ueshiba Morihei
(Art of Peace)

Growth is the willingness to let ...

2010-10-21T08:36:00.001-07:00

reality be new every minute.

Submitting work to a gallery in Denver, CO. and the GLBT center of LosAngeles. Wish me luck.
I'm going to be moving out of my womb/tomb basement apartment and into a new house soon. I will miss this old place. It was great set up for a studio. And frankly i'm concened this move will cause a disruption in my artmaking output. But things will be better. It will be better.

Here are some more talismans.

Get Ready for Holiday Shopping

2010-10-20T08:18:00.001-07:00

I have two online stores for your art collecting convenience.
Own original, affordable and well- made art this year.

Etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/samthor

and Ebay:
http://myworld.ebay.com/rumblmonkey

I'll be adding more art soon, so check often.

Talismen... and women

2010-10-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

Talisman

2010-10-18T13:22:00.000-07:00

New idea I've been working on.
The Luchador mask as a talisman.

tal·is·man (tls-mn, -z-)
n. pl. tal·is·mans
1. An object marked with magic signs and believed to confer on its bearer supernatural powers or protection.
2. Something that apparently has magic power.

So i'll be needing models.

Contact me if you're interested.

fear is the mind killer

2010-09-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
~ Maryanne Williamson

(Used by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 inaugural speech)

WE ARE ALL MADE OF STARS AT PGH GLCC

2010-09-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

Pittsburgh, PA Oct. 2, 2010- The artwork of Sam Thorp showcased at Pittsburgh GLCC.

The GLCC is showcasing the artwork of local artist, Sam Thorp in the new downtown space. This new exhibition will feature paintings, drawing, and prints of wonderful arabesque line work in bright high-key colors. Thorp’s work is inspired by the incredible diversity of the community, each subject searching out and finding one’s one unique gift. This would include the conventional blending in to typical stereotypes to outlandish individuality; with variations of nationality, gender expression and body types.

Exhibition runs from: Friday October 2nd to October 31.
Gallery Opening: Friday October 2nd 5pm- to 9pm

Write Up in Digging Pitt

2010-09-06T08:14:00.000-07:00

"Sam Thorp and Eric Luden will be on display at Most Wanted Fine Art (5015 Penn). If past shows are any indication, there should be images of smokin' babes rendered in clean lines and vibrant colors. And Dean Cercone has been popping up around town with his announcements of a solo at Garfield Artworks (4931 Penn). Not only is this wunderkind mightily prolific, but he is also consistently entertaining. Of course that means that having a look-see is mandatory."

Thanks for the Mention.
See the full write up here.

MOST WANTED: THE BRIDE OF NINE GUITAR SOLOS

2010-08-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

Pittsburgh, PA Sept. 3, 2010- Eric Luden & Sam Thorp featured at Most Wanted Fine Art Gallery.
Announcing a new painting exhibition by artists Sam Thorp and Eric Luden. This show celebrates the subtle and not-so-subtle beauty, eroticism and passion of being human with just a hint of comic books, hot-rods, and the rock- n –roll lifestyle.
Refreshments and music by Grand Snafu will fill out the evening.
Exhibition runs from: Friday September 3rd to September 26th.
Gallery Opening: Friday 3rd of September 6pm- to 11pm
Most Wanted Fine Art
5015 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15224
http://www.most-wantedfineart.com

Most Wanted Art.

2010-07-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

I redesigned the website for Most Wanted Fine Art. I based on the store front of the gallery. It utilizes a three column CSS layout, which isn't easy but it turned out well. You can also find a photo of me on the site.

http://most-wantedfineart.com/

Only when

2010-06-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

Only when the last tree has died
and the last river been poisoned
and the last fish been caught
will we realize we cannot eat money
~Cree Indian Proverb

Thomas Kinkade arrested on alleged DUI.

2010-06-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

The painter of light and morals takes a dive.
Actual description from his website:
"The moral order of God's universe is like an exquisite tapestry; the foundational values of the good life interweave in a seamless whole. In my Life Values Collection, I explore the connections between these divinely inspired values. Perseverance, the first issue, considers life as a voyage through stormy seas--a test of faith and a demonstration of God's sustaining love. Courage, my new Life Values painting, expands the metephor of a sea voyage, bringing us to the moment of divine inspiration, when God graceds us with courage beyond the merely human--the resolve we nee dto overcome any obsticle. I make full use of a vocabulary of personal artistic symbols to convey this message: God rewards our perseverance with his gift of courage. Our lone sailor has come within sight of a lighthouse; the beacon of divine love will guide him to shore. Smoke curls from the chimney of the keeper's solid brick cottage, hinting at domestic comforts within. A sublime radiance breaks through the clouds, embracing the boat in its holy light. I painted Courage at a time when I was especially grateful for God's hand of deliverance in my life. May it remind you that courage is, truly, a gift from the Almighty." [spelling as is from website.]
--Thomas Kinkade
http://www.fourmansgallery.com/products2.php3?gobtn=2&nameSeries=Life+Values
where you can buy his artwork... or rather a color copy of it starting at $230.00

Contrast that with the Thomas Kinkade ducking an employee lawsuit by declaring bankruptcy (so much for courage). The Kinkade that gets drunk and urinate on a statue of Whinnie the Pooh at Disneyland...... drunk and public pissing at Disneyland!!! There's some life values for you.
http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/34908/thomas-kinkade-arrested-for-alleged-drunk-driving/

And now the poor man is being "tested" by God with new allegations of Drunk Driving.

I never liked his art because I never believed he was sincere. It seemed he had found a niche to market too. A demographic outside the traditional art world and was exploiting it fully; a fancy color reproduction starts at $230.00. $230.00 for a color copy? (NO. It is NOT a print!) But there was no way he could walk his talk. Who could? Being dishonest, exploitive and hypocritical garnered him a lot of criticism.
But if there is any gift from the Almighty, its karma.
The world has a way of giving us back what we send out in a way that is often so humbling.
Can't wait to see what happens next.

Biennial at the Westmoreland Museum

2010-06-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

Went to see the Biennial at the Westmoreland Museum in Greensburg.
I did not enter this show for two reasons:
1. Entry fee was too high. I dislike entry fees at all. I have to weight the fee against how much I perceive the venue attempting to sell my work. Sure a museum show sounds good, but I have to draw the line somewhere.
2. The last show was horrible. Seriously, it ticked me off. The curator picked a bunch of "nice" & "pretty " work that was about as deep as a sheet of paper. There was no Juror's statement, so there was nothing to go by. As far as I can tell the juror/ curator picked stuff that matched their couch.
So i gave it a pass this time around.

Now I'm sort of sorry I did.
The current Biennial is great.

A great assortment of regional artists with people I've actually heard of.

Peter West has colorful piece that does not let us forget that we are standing on Indian territory.

Daniel Bolick is represented again with his portraits of wrongly convicted men. It has not lost any of its power the 2nd time around.

Adrienne Heinrich with her translucent work, that reveals and hides subconscious sentiment is great to meditate upon.

Gene Fenton showed his photography skills with a piece focusing on texture of rust.

Naturally, I'm drawn to the more colorful pieces like Jane Oregon, & Gabe Felice; but i also appreciate the starkness of Ron Nigro's mechanics and the undulating graph of Sylvester Damanios. Kyle Fischer & Randie Snow had a collaborative piece that was quite evocative.

Overall its a great show, and worth the drive out there. I like the variety of artists, it shows the different viewpoints and the rich assortment of talent we have in this area. And it gives me hope that the Westmoreland is somewhat serious about truly creating an exchange of ideas instead of just housing the "nice & pretty" stuff.

Check it out for yourself:
http://www.wmuseumaa.org/museum/getexhib.cfm?ID=52

June Unblurred.

2010-06-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

the good, the bad and the utterly forgettable.

There was a great collection of PGH artists at Fast >>Fwd gallery. You should go see it. These guys know how to pick great art. Sadly, just picking it is not enough since the gallery is closing at the end of this show. Even though many open a gallery with the best of intentions, one must sell the work to keep the doors open. Selling seems to the missing ingredient. When was the last time you walked into a gallery and some tried to sell you the work?

The Steeltown show looked really good. My work was totally overshadowed by artists better than I. I tip my hat to them.

There was some really colorful stuff in the Irma Freeman Center, but I could not really appreciate it. As per usual the band plays way too loud & bad for that small space. Why? WHY??? Its not like the art patrons are going to form a mosh pit there.... are they?

Eric Luden has some wonderful new work at Zombo and its priced very reasonable, maybe too reasonable. But don't tell him he should raise his prices until AFTER I buy one.

J.R. Holtz had some awesome work at Most Wanted Fine Arts. He does his own thing and seems to enjoy doing it. Go check it out.

The most intriguing work was Beth & Charles Steidle at Modern Formations. Beth does some wonderful delicate line work of tragedy. and Brother Charles had some stunning CGI paintings of beautiful melancholy. It is a solid show that I recommend seeing. Beautifully framed and professionally presented. They even had TAGS!!!

You know what tags are right? I know they are as rare as PGHer's using turn signals, but they do exist. So many local artists do not use tags to their advantage.
I wish artists would learn to put their name next to their work. I HATE the number sticker system, because in a crowded opening I'm not going to wander around looking for answer sheet. It's hard enough to just look at the work. If your work is interesting enough for me stop and look then please let me know who you are, what it is and if its for sale right then and there.
If you are one of those artists who are expecting viewers to come up to you and ask you the title material and price; then you had better damn well make sure you are approachable and on hand at all times. Other wise you are missing out.

FUBP

2010-06-06T08:17:00.001-07:00

FUBP
Originally uploaded by samth0r

Just a little something I created in seconds on P-shop. But i think it sums up my feelings accurately. I get frustrated by the greed and stupidity of others that causes so much hurt and damage. Making art is a good 1st step. It can sort feeling and focus energy and bring awareness to others. But only a 1st step of course. so much needs to be done to stop the gushing oil then to clean up the damage and finally to make sure it never happens again. that's going to take more than image making. But through all of that British Petroleum and the others involved, need to be held accountable and face consequences of their actions.

Male Nude Seated

2010-06-02T07:46:00.001-07:00

Male Nude Seated
Originally uploaded by samth0r

This is my latest work. I'm shipping it off to California today to The Amory center for the arts. I started with water soluble pencil and finished with a wash. I like the nice compact pose of quiet reflection. Those moments you have to just think.

Job opportunity in Munhall, PA

2010-05-28T07:30:00.000-07:00

If you have experience with acrylics, I thought you might be interested in the following job opportunity in Munhall , PA. If not, I would greatly appreciate it if you’d pass this message along to any local acrylic painters and/or arts organizations who might be of assistance.

Grumbacher paint is looking to hire accomplished acrylic painters to teach two hour workshops at a major retailer in locations across the United State and Canada . Artists must be capable of demonstrating a still life, landscape, seascape, and floral. We have developed a flexible curriculum in acrylics for an artist to use or adapt to fit to his or her style. We plan to conduct approximately one to four workshops per store per month and the artist will have flexibility in scheduling. Compensation is $100 per workshop, and teaching materials will be provided to the artist at no cost.

Please have anyone who is interested email Jennifer Kopec at jkopec@chartpak.com with examples of their work in acrylics, along with a resume and contact information. (Chartpak is a manufacturer of fine art supplies. Grumbacher, Koh-I-Noor, Higgins ink, and Clearprint are some of our brands.)

Thank you in advance for any help you might offer.

Kind regards,

Jennifer Kopec
Educational Coordinator
Chartpak, Inc.
1 River Road
Leeds, MA 01053"

so much to do...

2010-05-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

Dropped off my entries to the Steeltown Stock Poster show.
This should be good. Some of the entries are posted on their site. Some really good stuff.

I decided to sue the posters I made for the London based hip hop group: Original Project Caramel.

They are worthy of the exposure and it shows off my drawing skill incorporated into graphic design. It will be interesting to see the reaction of the audience. I doubt many other Pgh-ers are familiar with the band, so... if it gets them more fans; I will have done my job.

Anyway, to drop off the art, I had to go out to Artist & Craftsman's Supply out in Squirrel Hill. This is the first i have ever been there and was amazed. This store is awesome. If you haven't been out there, http://www.artistcraftsman.com/.

Out & about

2010-05-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I ventured out to a new gallery in Shadyside.
The Gallery 4: a bright, clean place featuring some great prints of Joe Sorren & Glenn Barr.

Glenn Barr , originally from detroit, has a great charm to his work. You can see his influence on Ren & Stimpy. The gallery also had a shelf of clothing and limited edition toys. In the back, I saw some work by Sam Flores & Shepard Fairey. If you like the Juxtapoz- kinda stuff, check this place out.

Step 1: Make Art

2010-05-16T16:02:00.000-07:00

I know. I know. You're thinking, "duh". But surprisingly so many people don't get past the first step. I know so many who wanted to be artists, who had talent but never got around to making anything.
Make the time.
You'll never find the time, you have to make it. Re- arrange your schedule and priorities. Cut out the useless time wasters that aren't getting you anywhere.
Make the space.
Your studio should be a sanctuary of sorts. The materials can be modest at first. Just create. Make art. Make lots of art.
Art about what?
If you're out of practice or stuck, make art about anything and everything you see and feel. You know how sometimes you have to run the faucet in order to get to the hot water? Sometimes creativity is like that. You have to get the mundane out of the way to make room for the really good stuff. After all this is a discipline and you have your practice phases as well as your top performance stuff.
If you still don't feel motivated, try going out to a gallery. This always works for me. Either the art is so good I feel uplifted and inspired to make something..... or the art is so bad that i say "I can do better than that."... and go make things better than that.

Tribute to Dali

2010-05-11T08:48:00.000-07:00

Salvador Dali was first born October 12th 1901.
Then died August 1, 1903 of gastroenteritis .
Died. Dead.
9 months later. The Slavador Family had another boy, which they named, Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech.
His father, also named Salvador, took the young boy to his brother's grave to teach him that he was the reincarnation of his dead brother. Slavador (the youngest) came to believe this.
He "was probably a first version of myself but conceived too much in the absolute."

Dali was also known to say, "The only difference between me and a madman is that I'm not mad."

"I don't do drugs. I am drugs."

“I am not strange, I am just not normal.”

“It is not necessary for the public to know whether I am joking or whether I am serious, just as it is not necessary for me to know it myself”

“Happy is he who causes a scandal”

“At the age of six I wanted to be a cook. At seven I wanted to be Napoleon. And my ambition has been growing steadily ever since.”

“The first man to compare the cheeks of a young woman to a rose was obviously a poet; the first to repeat it was possibly an idiot”

“The thermometer of success is merely the jealousy of the malcontents.”

“Drawing is the honesty of the art. There is no possibility of cheating. It is either good or bad.”

The PERSAD art auction is usually a big deal.

2010-05-11T07:13:00.000-07:00

Artsy events with wine & hors d'oeuvres in the Carnegie Ballroom WOULD be very glamorous no matter what.
There seemed to be some after effects of the economic crash (thanks W!)
The carnegie was charging for parking and i swear we didn't have to last year.
Also no more open bar, so having to pay for alcohol weren't properly liquored up to pay for art.
At least not my art. No, sadly there were no bids when i last looked. It's a bit disappointing.

The signature artwork of the event Scott Ward's Alesbian Gothic sold for $2100 (valued at $1200). The take on Grant Wood's American Gothic follows up his similar piece from last year American Gaythic, which also quoted the often quoted American Gothic. And that piece too, was nice. Charity event's like this.... nice is good.... go with "nice"... nice , safe, nice. Let's hope PERSAD goes in a fresh direction next year. Scot Ward from Seattle is a nice artist, but why not pick a new nice artist? Preferably a local Pittsburgh artist? Surely one of us has to be nice enough?

An event like this can shed some light on PGH's taste in art. The most money bid (as far as i can tell) was on a photograph of the Thunderbolt at Kenny-wood, by Mark Perott for $3100. That sold higher than the Keith Haring. At least he is local.

Meanwhile, an original sketch by Bob Kane sat in the back corner with one bid for $300.

Remember how I said Vanessa German was THE artist to watch for? That she was on the verge of busting out? (well, i did.) Her sculpture won the juror's grand prize and the auction of hers started at $400 toped off at $2,600. A jump like that could translate in to how badly it was desired. Good for her and great for PERSAD.

Mahogany showed up in full drag looking fierce as usual. Many patrons thrilled at getting their photo taken with Mo and even Vaughn Michael.

Even though my work didn't sell like i would have wanted, I'm not going to take it personally. I'm moving on to the next project. I sold 2 other paintings later that same night. I have a show in Texas and one at Artforms this week as well. Sure, not everything is going to work out as planned; but the key is to keep going.

Newest work

2010-05-10T08:38:00.000-07:00

The idea was to go for the jugular. Close up cropped intimacy on an often overlooked body part- the neck.

Crawling Friday Night.

2010-05-09T06:44:00.000-07:00

I started in Shadyside, this place used to be loaded with galleries. Now its down to about three. It's always kinda sad to see galleries close.
Then moved on to Penn Ave., Garfield.
I was very impressed by the Batiks of Rushyan Yen at he International Children's Art Gallery. Gorgeous scenes of vibrant colors on flowing silk. I also enjoyed the way she displayed them in the space. It was a treat to walk through them. She was more than willing to educate the crowd about the techniques. This was a great show for the ICAG.

I had high hopes for Masha Vereshenko at Modern Formations. She was showing small intimate pieces of ink on wood. And she does have a very recognizable style. As if it is influenced by Byzantine icon work. But I wanted more. It didn't seem to fill the space.
Finally, I wandered back down to Butler street ; the "We Need More" collective took over the Blue Moon Cafe and had their own art show. These guys are go- getters. There was tons of artwork, all brightly colored. And I commend them for the DIY attitude.

Because you have to "DIY" as an artist. You have to put yourself out there, make tons of work and look for any and all opportunities. No one else is going to hustle for you, like you. More & more galleries want to charge the artist upfront fees rather than SELL work for a commission. And with the internet and access to technology this is the best time ever to self- represent yourself as an artist. And when you do get a space, gallery or otherwise, use it to the best of your advantage.

VOTE MAY 18th 2010

2010-05-03T06:51:00.000-07:00

Otherwise THESE guys will be picking the next government in PA
Based on Recommendations of the Gertrude Stein Political Club and Steelcity Stonewall Democrats.

United States Senate
Joe Sestak- http://joesestak.com/

Governor of Pennsylvania
Joe Hoeffel - http://joehoeffel2010.com
Joe Hoeffel's Western PA Headquarters is at 214 N. Highland Ave, and there are volunteer opportunities every day of the week. Please call 412-206-9900 or email: pittsburgh@joehoeffel2010.com for more info.

LT. Governor of Pennsylvania
Jonathan A. Saidel - http://www.saidel2010.com

U.S. Representative, District: 14
Mike Doyle - http://mikedoyleforcongress.com

U.S. Representative, District: 18
Dan Connolly - http://www.voteconnolly.com

PA Senate, District: 42
Wayne Fontana - http://www.fontanaforsenate.com

PA Representative, District: 19
Jake Wheatley - http://www.jakeforstate.org

PA Representative, District: 22
Chelsa Wagner - http://www.chelsawagner.com

PA Representative, District: 23
Dan Frankel - http://www.pahouse.com/frankel

PA Representative, District: 24
Joe Preston - http://www.pahouse.com/preston

PA Representative, District: 28
Sharon Brown - http://www.mccandlessdemocrats.org/brownhouse28/index.htm

Democratic Party State Committee (You may vote for more than one candidate)

District 37
Daniel Bricmont

District 38
Brenda Frazier, Daniel Jimenez, & Pamela Macklin

District: 42
Robert Vincent Frank

District 43
Barbara Ernsberger, Rich Fitzgerald, & Marvin Leibowitz

PA Representative, District: 21
Mark Purcell - http://www.ThePeoplesFriend.net/

Hate your job? Quit.

2010-04-25T09:33:00.000-07:00

Sounds simple enough.
No one is forcing you to work there, probably. There are other ways to earn money.
And you can be replaced with out being missed at all.

This is the current rallying cry of the bootstrap philosophy touted by so many self- help motivational guru speakers who will show you how. It's all included in their new book ($59.99 in stores) or hear them live (seminars start at $299.99).

Take charge of your life. Take responsibility. If you're underpaid and miserable, you have no one to blame but yourself!

And its not an entirely bad or wrong approach to take. Certainly there are many among us who DO need to take more action and responsibility.

But it's not complete.

Far too many new- age self- help, motivational gurus focus WAY too much on this bootstrap approach, giving their well-meaning followers tunnel vision which can leave an opening for danger to slip by on our collective blind spots.

What blind spot is that?
Well, .. for one WHY do you hate your job so much?
Is it that it is boring? repetitive? unglamorous?
bad for your health? dangerous?
intrudes into your privacy?
are you forced to work overtime without pay?
lack of health care benefits?
sexual harassment? racism? gay bashing?

At some point a job goes from "sucky" to a "violation of your basic human rights."
And I hope you can make the distinction between what is just "hard work" and what truly goes too far as an unsafe work environment.

Because in those extreme cases, quitting is not enough. You can quit, walk away; but the job is still there; like an open trap waiting for the next poor sucker.

You see there are some bad managers, and inhumane corporations in this world who will put people's life at risk to make a few extra bucks. And they often rationalize it by the same bootstrap philosophy.

"Dangerous chemicals with no safety precautions? Well, if you don't like it go work somewhere else."

"Dumping toxic waste into our community water supply? Hey you don't HAVE to drink it!"

"Don't like me rubbing my genitals up against you in the cubicle? Go work somewhere else!"

And sure you could.... you could just quit and walk away. And maybe if enough smart and qualified people left their jobs the management would come to realize the errors of their ways and reform for the sake of retaining a talented work force to crank out a quality product or service.....
but probably not.
More likely, just hire the bottom of the barrel; meek and non- confrontational at a lower wage.

Let's take an extreme example. The tragic loss of coal miners in W.VA recently. It's a gritty, dirty, dangerous job. And people can get killed doing it.
The bootstrap philosophy would state: Tough luck. Anything that happens is your fault cause you can quit at anytime.
And somehow that doesn't seem right. Sure those 19 men could have quit at anytime and work elsewhere..... but that would have left 19 job opening to be filled by 19 other men. The problem is not always with the workers, but at times with the job itself. And if we are truly concerned about "responsibility" then we have to hold others responsible for their actions as well. not just us.

Reading the book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" (on loan from the public library) I was struck by the passage describing "Rich Dad's" treatment of his employees. Loyal staff that had been with him for years, Rich Dad treated them like dirt and explaining he did it because he could.
The workers never challenged him so he could get away with it. This was his explanation of the boot strap philosophy. He did it cause the workers didn't quit. They LET him get away with it.
Now is the only lesson here, that you should always stand up for yourself?
Are some people also learning that its ok to be a rude, abuse, jack-off as long as you can get away with it? What happened to virtures are their own reward or the golden rule?

I mean, at what point does this sort of thinking go to far?
"i cut your paycheck cause I can?"

"i outsourced your job to India cause you can always go find another job elsewhere"

"I mugged your grandmother cause she didn't fight back?"

"I burnt your house down cause you can always find another place to live?"

the problem i have with this bootstrap philosophy is it can easily be twisted to justify abusive and illegal behavior. ... way, way too easily.
if you are too focused on yourself, would you be blind to the responsibility of others?
Would you tend to blame yourself and not hold others accountable?

Not just on the job, the bootstrap philosophy goes by another name: The Law of Attraction.
Which states you "attract" everything that happens to you in your life good and bad.
Again I don't think this is entirely wrong , but .... incomplete.

It's not the factory- farming, genetic- tampering, agri- business putting unhealthy additives in your food and carefully glossing over with a slick marketing campaign making you unhealthy; its because you attract fat and cancer into your ass with your thoughts.

It's not because of a cultural patriarchy sense of entitlement or serious sociopathic misbehavior that you go raped; its because you attracted a rapist with that outfit you're wearing.

Please.

Yes, we could all be taking more action and responsibility ...but NOT in a selfish way... we have to also include the realization that we are interwoven, That our actions affects others.
No one should stay in a bad job, or unhealthy relationship, or terrible circumstance. But quitting and walking away is not the total answer. There are times when you turn around and fight. Some things other than you need to change.

Earth Day is every day.

2010-04-23T11:08:00.000-07:00

Evaluate your material needs IN the studio.
Are there any any of your artists supplies that have long term damage? are there more sustainable options?
Maybe switching to a non- toxic paint would be a better for you and the planet. We've all been warned about washing brushes in the sink or pouring paint down the drain cause.... well, where does that water go?
Not long ago I experiment with using coffee and beet juice washes, in place of traditional ink washes. whatever medium you work in, do a little research into green alternatives or better yet; INVENT better green alternatives. The market is ripe for such things.

Recycle in and out.
Reclaim and salvage materials when you can. There's a certain artistic euphoria about raising "garbage" from the dead and turning it into a masterpiece.

And it is good for the planet. When you clean out your studio and throw things away, check to see if there is anything you can recycle first. I tend to have a lot of scrap paper that I take to a recycling bin instead of the trash.

Evaluate your material needs OUT of the studio.
Maybe there are some solvents or materials your art cannot do without. Balance it out by being more green at home: the shorter showers, turing off light bulbs, riding a bike; any and all of those green tricks and tips will do.

And probably the first and foremost:
Raise Awareness about Sustainability THROUGH your art.
Art has the power to change people's thinking. Why not use it for something good and worthwhile..... while at the same time maintaining your high level of creativity and craftsmanship. Consider it a challenge. What exactly do you believe about this planet you live on? How have you and others been treating this home? Is there anything that can be done to make things better? How can you make that look on a canvas, or sculpture?

Take your daughter to work, take your son, take anyone....

2010-04-22T07:26:00.001-07:00

Hey Artist person, are you taking your daughter to work?
Someone is bound to ask, "Do you actually have a job?"
Cause, you know... you need a REAL job ... not that "art stuff".
Is what you do a REAL job?
Of course it is. There's a lot of hard work in the production, marketing, cataloging and showing.
And maybe people need to learn this.
This isn't just an opportunity to inspire a youngling to explore career options but to educate the public at large.

Painting Live at Art All Night

2010-04-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

April 24-25th 2010 at the Iron City Brewery 3340 Liberty Avenue in Lawrenceville!
The event runs ALL NIGHT LONG.

This is my 10th year doing Art All Night- one of Pittsburgh's most popular and populist arts events.

Not only will I have a wonderful painting on display but i will painting a mural live on scene from 6-8pm. My theme is Greek Mythology. Come check it out!

The idea is to use several artists who can embody Lawrenceville's collaborative spirit and partner with other artists to build on each other's work. Throughout the night, artists will be matched up, given a theme and a very large canvas and set free. Each artist will be assigned a limited block of time and the crowd will watch as the artistic visions evolve. The resulting art will benefit future Art All Night events.

Art All Night promotes artistic expression in all walks of life. The event particularly encourages children to be actively involved by contributing artwork and engaging in on-site arts activities. The show includes and attracts seniors, long-term residents, novice artists, educators, students, and seasoned professionals.

for more info:
http://www.artallnight.org

Tomorrow the World.

2010-04-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

"The globalization of the art world. It has globalized in a different way than anyone thought it would. What it means to be an art collector, or an artist, is in flux, and that’s fantastic. Over the last decade, we’ve seen the whole “what does it mean to be an art gallery?” question come up. The answer, for a lot of innovative people, has been a franchise, a brand. That has been incredibly successful, and Pace has participated in it to some extent, but there have been a lot of dealers who, along with the auction houses, made the concept of planting their brand around the world a defining characteristic of what they do."
source: http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/34306/marc-glimcher-on-the-future-of-pace/

One more reason why websites are important.
My website is my window shop to the world and I always have to present my work as if the world were watching.

Sam Thorp's Super- Huge, One –and -Only,

2010-04-01T10:05:00.001-07:00

Fine Art Adoption Event & Studio Sale!!!

Time for a Moving Sale. Rather than hide this artwork away in storage You can take it home. This is your best chance EVER to own original one of kind fine art by a local emerging artist. All work under $50. Take My Art Home. Cash & Carry
The only condition is: if I need it for a future show I may need to borrow it back.

321 E. 2nd Ave. Tarentum, PA 15084
One Day Only: Sunday April 11, 2010 12noon to 8pm
Light Refreshments Served. Contact Me for Directions.
www.graphicanatomy.com

On a bit of a short notice

2010-03-04T09:18:00.001-08:00

Turns out I will be part of The March’s Unblurred Friday March 5th. You can find my artwork in the Glass Lofts at 5491 Penn Ave. The Glass Lofts are having an Open house to show off the new facilities and I will be showing that great piece of Gemma in the window frame. There are so many great shows between 3100-5500 Penn Ave Friday night; you’ll find something you like. Plus the weather should be much better than February. Events run 7pm to 11. Find the full schedule: http://friendship-pgh.org/paai/unblurred/

So hot it will melt the snow.....

2010-02-15T05:35:00.000-08:00

MWFA is proud to announce a closing party for Sam Thorp and Lauren Toohey. The closing will be on Friday Feb. 26th, from 6pm-11pm. This show is the MOST successful show in MWFA tenure. We are so pleased about the turnout on the worst night ever to have an opening. If you have not had a chance to see the show, please stop by this month. I hope to see you at the closing party!

Saturday February 27th is the night of the next Sinferno and Hanging Garden dance night extravaganzas at Remedy Lounge in Lawrenceville.
$5 gets you in to two spectacular dance clubs.
Sinferno (2nd floor) will feature DJ Zombo spinning his wild mix of glam, new wave, punk, disco, and more for your dancing and listening enjoyment. From 9-10, Zombo will host EXTREME Bingo and trivia for special mystery prizes.
Janim will enchant you with her sultry and seductive Egyptian Caberet style belly dance moves at 10:30. Plus, Mahoghany will drive the crowd wild at 12:30 with her outrageous and theatrical drag show. In addition, Biilzebub will display original artwork, jewelry & lamps made out of bones in the pool room.
On the 3rd floor, the Hanging Garden will feature DJs Miss Amber and Radu spinning the best ever dance mix of your favorite goth, industrial and new wave music. Also on the 3rd floor, there will kick-ass multi-artist erotic art on display for your retinal delights.
Remedy also has GREAT food, and there will be food and drink specials all night long.

Every month will feature different odd ball and freak performers and a rotating mix of DJs spinning a wild assortment of music.
Please see myspace.com/sinfernohanginggarden for more info.

professionalism

2010-02-10T09:23:00.000-08:00

note: I did not write this, but I totally agree with what it has to say. I saw this on Digg.com today and Craigslist has already taken it down, read it and take it to heart.

The Post
------------------------
Every day, there are more and more Craigs List posts seeking “artists” for everything from auto graphics to comic books to corporate logo designs. More people are finding themselves in need of some form of illustrative service.

But what they’re NOT doing, unfortunately, is realizing how rare someone with these particular talents can be.

To those who are “seeking artists”, let me ask you; How many people do you know, personally, with the talent and skill to perform the services you need? A dozen? Five? One? …none?

More than likely, you don’t know any. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be posting on craigslist to find them.

And this is not really a surprise.

In this country, there are almost twice as many neurosurgeons as there are professional illustrators. There are eleven times as many certified mechanics. There are SEVENTY times as many people in the IT field.

So, given that they are less rare, and therefore less in demand, would it make sense to ask your mechanic to work on your car for free? Would you look him in the eye, with a straight face, and tell him that his compensation would be the ability to have his work shown to others as you drive down the street?

Would you offer a neurosurgeon the “opportunity” to add your name to his resume as payment for removing that pesky tumor? (Maybe you could offer him “a few bucks” for “materials”. What a deal!)

Would you be able to seriously even CONSIDER offering your web hosting service the chance to have people see their work, by viewing your website, as their payment for hosting you?

If you answered “yes” to ANY of the above, you’re obviously insane. If you answered “no”, then kudos to you for living in the real world.

But then tell me… why would you think it is okay to live out the same, delusional, ridiculous fantasy when seeking someone whose abilities are even less in supply than these folks?

Graphic artists, illustrators, painters, etc., are skilled tradesmen. As such, to consider them as, or deal with them as, anything less than professionals fully deserving of your respect is both insulting and a bad reflection on you as a sane, reasonable person. In short, it makes you look like a twit.

A few things you need to know;

1. It is not a “great opportunity” for an artist to have his work seen on your car/’zine/website/bedroom wall, etc. It IS a “great opportunity” for YOU to have their work there.

2. It is not clever to seek a “student” or “beginner” in an attempt to get work for free. It’s ignorant and insulting. They may be “students”, but that does not mean they don’t deserve to be paid for their hard work. You were a “student” once, too. Would you have taken that job at McDonalds with no pay, because you were learning essential job skills for the real world? Yes, your proposition it JUST as stupid.

3. The chance to have their name on something that is going to be seen by other people, whether it’s one or one million, is NOT a valid enticement. Neither is the right to add that work to their “portfolio”. They get to do those things ANYWAY, after being paid as they should. It’s not compensation. It’s their right, and it’s a given.

4. Stop thinking that you’re giving them some great chance to work. Once they skip over your silly ad, as they should, the next ad is usually for someone who lives in the real world, and as such, will pay them. There are far more jobs needing these skills than there are people who possess these skills.

5. Students DO need “experience”. But they do NOT need to get it by giving their work away. In fact, this does not even offer them the experience they need. Anyone who will not/can not pay them is obviously the type of person or business they should be ashamed to have on their resume anyway. Do you think professional contractors list the “experience” they got while nailing down a loose step at their grandmother’s house when they were seventeen?

If you your company or gig was worth listing as desired experience, it would be able to pay for the services it received. The only experience they will get doing free work for you is a lesson learned in what kinds of scrubs they should not lower themselves to deal with.

6. (This one is FOR the artists out there, please pay attention.) Some will ask you to “submit work for consideration”. They may even be posing as some sort of “contest”. These are almost always scams. They will take the work submitted by many artists seeking to win the “contest”, or be “chosen” for the gig, and find what they like most. They will then usually have someone who works for them, or someone who works incredibly cheap because they have no originality or talent of their own, reproduce that same work, or even just make slight modifications to it, and claim it as their own. You will NOT be paid, you will NOT win the contest. The only people who win, here, are the underhanded folks who run these ads. This is speculative, or “spec”, work. It’s risky at best, and a complete scam at worst. I urge you to avoid it, completely. For more information on this subject, please visit www.no-spec.com.

So to artists/designers/illustrators looking for work, do everyone a favor, ESPECIALLY yourselves, and avoid people who do not intend to pay you. Whether they are “spec” gigs, or just some guy who wants a free mural on his living room walls. They need you. You do NOT need them.

And for those who are looking for someone to do work for free… please wake up and join the real world. The only thing you’re accomplishing is to insult those with the skills you need. Get a clue.

never pay to pray

2010-02-05T10:41:00.001-08:00

James Ray has been arrested.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/us/05sweat.html

the deaths are very unfortunate.
if anything, let this serve as a chance to learn for others who want to "experiment" with Native American sweat lodge ceremonies, or vision quests, or sun dances or whatever.

James Ray and his staff were not properly trained, and that was dangerous. The lodge was built improperly and it was dangerous.
If someone is NOT an actual card carrying tribal member then likely they are not trained properly. (yes, they have cards)
the only way to be trained is face to face with a tribal elder. Not through books, or websites, or youtube videos. And these days tribal elders are rather picky about who they pass the knowledge onto. Because they really don't appreciate an outsider taking their most sacred beliefs and ceremonies, mixing them with whatever is fashionable at the moment and charging thousands of dollars to exploit their culture.
so please keep that in mind next time someone offers a Native American style "whatever".
you can find more info at: http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php

James Ray says its not his fault.

2010-01-30T09:58:00.001-08:00

James Arthur Ray is one of the authors involved in “The Secret” a popular and profitable self-help, new age phenomenon. The Secret is mostly based on the supposed Law of Attraction that states you manifest your reality with your thoughts. Everything good and bad has been created by the way you think; therefore you have full responsibility for everything that happens to you… good and bad.
So when something like… say three people die and many more injured under his guidance does he take responsibility?
No, of course not.

http://nymag.com/news/features/63259/
http://jamesray.com/sedona/

Sweat lodges are not something to mess around with or experiment with. It is disrespectful to the culture and ancestors of that culture to bastardize sacred rites.
The lodge was built improperly and it became dangerous. It was conducted improperly and that became dangerous. He was not properly trained. If someone is not a tribal member; most likely they are not trained properly. The only way to be trained properly is through the oral teachings of tribal elders. And you know what? Tribal elders are kinda picky these days about who they teach ceremonies too. Its not something you can learn on the internet or through books. There are songs and spirits involved in a sweat lodge that only respond to native language, not English. And money is never involved. You don’t pay to pray.

You encounter anyone professing Native American teachings? Check here first; http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php

Cabin Fever

2010-01-28T06:56:00.000-08:00

Being snowed in has given me time to work on a few things.

Been making a few changes to my figure drawing book; refining it and making improvements here and there. I want plenty of examples to show students how it is done.
I am offering advanced copies direct to anyone interested. Payment can be made with Paypal.
You can order an advanced copy for your own, And even get it signed by me.
http://www.graphicanatomy.com/book.php

The clothing Optional Show is coming to a close. Stop by Artforms gallery and tattoo to check it out one last time.
2603 Leechburg, Rd. Lower Burrell, PA 15068
For more info: www.myspace.com/artformtattoo

And I’ve also been keeping busy making new work for my next show at Most Wanted Fine Art. The opening will be Friday, February 5th as part of Unblurred on Penn Ave. This should be a good time. Hope to see you there.
www.youtube.com/mostwantedfineart

Guests Undressed

2010-01-25T18:28:00.001-08:00

First Friday, Feb. 5th, 2010 /6p-12p / Most Wanted Fine Art / 5015 Penn Ave
GUESTS UNDRESSED
Lauren Toohey and Sam Thorp will be displaying their provocative imagery in an awesome gallery setting! These paintings have been captivating viewers for years, with their sense of wit and style. The pairing of these two artists complements their respective markmaking with heavy line work and brightly colored figures. The viewer will find Sam and Lauren's image very titillating and easy to read. Please join us opening night for free!
Bands start at 9pm, opening with the legendary Grand Snafu and followed by His Girl Friday.

new and next

2010-01-18T19:06:00.000-08:00

On Friday January 22, 2010, fast>>fwd Gallery will be hosting an Art Market party. Look for my work amongst the great selection.

Saturday January 23, 2010 My work will be part of the Thursday Night Figure drawing group show.

First Friday, Feb. 5th, 2010 /6p-12p / Most Wanted Fine Art / 5015 Penn Ave
GUESTS UNDRESSED
Lauren Toohey and Sam Thorp will be displaying their provocative imagery in an awesome gallery setting! These paintings have been captivating viewers for years, with their sense of wit and style. The pairing of these two artists complements their respective markmaking with heavy line work and brightly colored figures. The viewer will find Sam and Lauren's image very titillating and easy to read. Please join us opening night for free!
Bands start at 9pm, opening with the legendary Grand Snafu and followed by His Girl Friday.

2010

2009-12-31T11:25:00.001-08:00

I’m not going to tell you what goals to set. Only you can decide that. But keep in mind there are times of expansion and contractions, ups and downs, growing and dying; what is most important is that you keep going.
Although you can spend so much time thinking about your life that you don’t actually live, its also a mistake to keep running and running without any map or sense of direction. Its all about achieving a balance. And maybe learning a thing or two.

I’ve broken my goals into sections or departments.
Health
Creativity
Wisdom/ Spirituality
Income
Domestic/ Family
Social networking
Emotional/ Relationships
Charity
Travel

Health= always at the top of my list. I’m not going to get anywhere with my other goals if I am sick and laid up. Cut back on meat and processed foods. Keep weight and blood pressure down. I’ve left the gym and used more body weight exercises. The bodyweightculture wesite has been helpful.

Creativity= This is the next biggest focus of my life. What I have trained for. What I was meant for. Summed up my goals are to continually refine my drawing/ painting skills.

Wisdom/ Spirituality= It helps to keep all the other goals in perspective; the meaning of it all, or the ultimate goal. It has to be simple in practice. Include being genuinely grateful for what I have. And keeping a certain amount of detachment. Paying attention to what’s going on around me without taking it personally.

Income= Last year I took steps away from working for someone else and towards earning my own money directly. This include multiple sources of income and not depending on any one venture. I’ve learned a lot from Tim Ferris’ book 4 Hour Work Week. I need to learn more about accounting.

Domestic/ Family= now that I don’t HAVE to spend time with them, I can spend time as I WANT to. I also want to clear out a lot of old junk storage.

Social networking= Many of my other goals require help or cooperation of other people. So social skills are important for real success. Learning to listen and to help other people to get what they want and I’ll get everything I need.

Emotional/ Relationships= someone to share it all with.

Charity= Helping other to get what they want will help me to get what I want.

Travel= There’s still half a world out there I haven’t seen. This year I’d like to visit Paris.

To accomplish my goals I just keep trying. Try something. If that doesn’t work, try something else. If THAT doesn’t work, try something else. If that STILL doesn’t work, try something else.
Crap will happen. Distractions will come and go. There will be setbacks and failures.
All I have to do is not give up.

January Line up

2009-12-30T08:10:00.001-08:00

Start the new year off right with Art, Culture, and free wine & cheese.

Jan 1st is the Unblurred Art walk on Penn Ave.
Come down to the Most Wanted Fine Art Gallery and find my art along with many of the other Most Wanted artists. The Gallery is located at 5015 Penn Ave. and is open Friday night 7-10pm.

Jan 9th I will have work at Zombo’s Big Hang Up. The opening is 6-10pm. It’s always a great party at Zombo’s, so come on down to 4900 Hatfield St.

Jan 9th will also be the closing party for 12x12 show at Fast>>Fwd Galllery. If you haven’t had a chance to see my work along with a fantastic group of Pittsburgh artists, stop by 3700 Penn Ave. 6-9pm.

Jan 16th is my big show. Clothing Optional will feature work by me and Lauren Toohey at Artform Gallery. The idea behind the show is to feature models in various states of undress and vulnerability. There will be a lot of new work and some fun during the opening. The opening runs Saturday from 6pm to 11 and is located at 2603 Leechburg Rd. Lower Burrell, PA 15068

Jan 23rd I will be part of the Panza Gallery Figure drawing show. 6-9pm at 115 Sedgwick St. in Millvale, PA.

2010 is off to a great start. So great that i have a FREE calendar for you to keep track of it all. Just swing by my website graphicanatomy.com and download your calendaer, print it out and hang it up.

ARTWORK OF TOOHEY & THORP SHINES AT ARTFORM GALLERY

2009-12-08T14:52:00.001-08:00

Lower Burrell, PA Jan. 16, 2010- Newest show of work in Lower Burrell is “Clothing Optional”

Announcing a new exhibition of artwork by local artists Lauren Toohey and Sam Thorp.
The show will feature exemplary figurative work of in various states of undress and vulnerability. Both Toohey and Thorp will use the same models for their own creative interpretations. Refreshments and music will fill out the evening.

Lauren Elizabeth Toohey ate PlayDoh and crayons when she was a small child. This fertilized the creative seed that started to grow inside her. As she matured the creative seed then grew, and wormed its way out. She spit forth art, and never stopped spitting.
At night she arms herself with social banter and art ready to hang at fine art galleries including the Zombo Gallery, Artforms, Butler Center for the Arts, Wizard of Oddities, Get Inked Gallery, the Art What You Got Festival, ICAG Gallery, and Most Wanted Fine Art. She has curated events including Final Fridays at the BBT, and Art at the Rex Theater. Thematically her artwork is organic, sexually charged and sometimes violent. Her color schemes vary from series to series and so does her method of execution. A large portion of her work is mixed-media and based on the human figure.

Sam Thorp has been exhibiting artwork professionally around the world since the age of 16, with collectors around the world in the UK, Greece and Australia. Sam Thorp is classically trained in anatomy and fine art but experiments in modern technology to supplement traditional image making. Sam’s subject matter is rooted in western tradition of figure studies with a deep interest in psychology and the personality of the models. The result is not a mere design or hunks of flesh but an expression of the living breathing uniqueness of each person.

Exhibition runs from: Friday January 16th to January 30th.
Gallery Opening: Friday 16th of January 6pm- to 11pm

The Artform Gallery and Tattoo is establishing itself as a premiere venue to see some of the most exciting cutting edge work of the Pittsburgh underground art scene. Artform highlights the areas of street art, pop surrealism, lowbrow, illustration, comic book, tattoo, and print-making.

Artform Gallery & Tattoo
2603 Leechburg Rd. Lower Burrell, PA 15068
724-212-3153
www.myspace.com/artfromtattoo
artformtattoo@yahoo.com

12x12>>12/4

2009-11-22T17:59:00.001-08:00

IN DECEMBER!

Go to Unblurred!
You'll find brand new art by me and 20 other great artists at Fast>>Fwd gallery. 3700 Penn Ave. Friday Dec 4th 5-10pm.
Brand new art. Brand SPANKING new.

Then, please keep heading down Penn Ave.

Last chance to see my work at The Irma Freeman Center for the Imagination. 5006 Penn Ave. 6-10pm

And
Find more of my work at Rebellious Nature. 5437 Penn Ave. (Side entrance around corner @ 104 N. Graham St.) Across from Quiet Storm Coffee.
6-10 Friday Dec 4th or the rest of the month during regular store hours.

Sat. Dec 5th.
Check for my new piece at Giclee Modification Show @ Artform Gallery & Tattoo. 2603 Leechburg, Rd. Lower Burrell, PA 15068

I also have work at
Get Inked Tatoo at the Robinson Mall. 100 Robinson Center Dr.

Panza Gallery 115 Sedgwick St. Millvale neighborhood.

This year give the gift of art...MY art.

Check my website for even more shows coming up.
graphicanatomy.com

December is going to be a great month for Art.

2009-11-14T07:42:00.000-08:00

Friday December 6th
As part of the First Friday Unblurred Event you find my work all over Penn Ave.

Start in town with the
12 x12 show Art by Sam Thorp along with over 20 other emerging artists

Fast>>Fwd 3700 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15201

724-833-4537

Stop by The Irma Freeman Center for Imagination

5006 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15224

724-418-6208

For more info: www.irmafreeman.com

Then
Art Sale for the People. Art by Sam Thorp along with other local PGH artists.

Rebellious Nature a Pittsburgh based shop and art gallery at 104 N. Graham Street in Garfield is hosting a $50 and under LOCAL ART sale for the people this December. The sale will kick-off on Friday December 4th as part of the Unblurred First Fridays event and will be on-going all month.
Store Hours:10-6pm Tues- Sat.

Rebellious Nature 5437 Penn Ave. (Side entrance around corner @ 104 N. Graham St.) Pittsburgh, PA 15201

724-833-4537

For more info: www.rebelliousnature.com

On Saturday:
You can spot a new piece by me out in Lower Burrel.
Giclee Modification Show at
Artform Gallery & Tattoo Dec 5th 6-11pm

2603 Leechburg, Rd. Lower Burrell, PA 15068

For more info: myspace.com/artformtattoo

2009-11-04T22:13:00.000-08:00

Current shows:

One week left to see my work at the Rowe Gallery in Greensburg.
www.greensburgartclub.org

Also in Greensburg you can see 3 great pieces by me at the Harlan Gallery located in Seton Hill university. The show runs through November.

If you are attending Unblurred on Penn Ave., You can see my work at the Irma Freeman Center for the Imagination. The show, The Art of Salvation will be up till December 14th.
www.irmafreeman.com

Also check out Panza gallery in Millvale for 4 works by me.
www.panzagallery.com

Upcoming Shows:

Dec 4th. I will be part of the 12 x12 show at the new fast>>fwd gallery on Penn Ave.
www.flickr.com/photos/fastfwdgallery

Dec 5th. I will have two pieces in the Giclee Modification Show at Artform Gallery. It’s a novel idea for a show theme.
www.myspace.com/artformtattoo

Jan 16th. I’ll be sharing a space with Lauren Toohey at Artform gallery. This should be great.
www.myspace.com/artformtattoo

Gifts:
Looking for the perfect and unusual gift?
How about a custom portrait.
www.graphicanatomy.com/drawing.php

or if you prefer wearable art, here are some great designs.
www.graphicanatomy.com/store.php

art quotes

2009-10-27T10:12:00.001-07:00

“You can’t get a commission without having had a commission.”

“ An artist must be two people- one who knows how to paint, one who knows when to stop.” ~ Picasso

Success is a reward; making honest art is the goal. In the short run, career strategies can appear successful. In the long run, only the art remains as witness to life.

“A plan is nothing, planning is everything.”~ Eisenhower

“Being an artist, whatever that is, involves constant questioning everything.” ~ James Rosenquist

Pick where you want to be and go there without looking over your shoulder, without looking back.