Geisai #3 is coming to Taipei this weekend and the booth list is out! I’m in booth C005. I’m scrambling to finish some things up this week. A few weeks ago my girlfriend told me a funny joke about “Leonardo Pikachu” (guess DiCaprio sounds about as silly as Pikachu in Chinese) so I started with that and devised a 3 portrait series including “Sailor Gaga” and “Astrobama Boy”. They are cute, fun and silly. To complement them and use up some of the ornate wooden frames I picked up in Peru this summer, I’m making some simple cartoon-paintings of famous …

I’m supposed to be working on my novel for NanoWriMo, but I got distracted today. Suddenly I’m concerned about Geisei, which is coming up soon in December and I really want to WOW people. So I came up with a new painting idea. Here is the very rough mockup. It’s complicated, but rather than do it all in detailed oils, I’m going to try making an elaborate pencil sketch and only doing very light colors with chinese water color paints – this should make things much faster and it will probably look awesome. It’s way too busy, I know, but …

As a visual artist, I’m always trying to find creative new ways to display my work and get exposure. Recently when searching for “creative and awesome business card designs” I stumbled across the pop-out, stand-up 3D folding business card of Egil Paulsen. These things are so simple, so beautiful, so stunning, that Paulsen’s painting – due not only to the painting itself but also because of the amazing business card idea – has been featured on hundreds of websites. Pretty f-ing awesome. I wanted to make some too so I contacted Paulsen and found out that he’s preparing to offer …

Geisai Taipei is one of the big chances for independent artists and crafters to get noticed by the Asian art market, including galleries, curators, organizations, magazines and other organizations. One the one hand, with hundreds of artists competing for a handful of recognition awards, the chances of self-representing artists getting “discovered” and represented are slim to none – but on the other hand, that tiny chance of getting your art in front of industry leaders is enough, for most of us, to dish out the US$ 234 for a little booth (W 180X D 180X H 240cm) at this one day …

Finished this is less than a week for Taiwan’s Centennial International Painting competition. Luckily they extended the deadline and I was able to shoot off the entry today before packing (for an extended holiday in the states). Originally this painting had Jesus holding the Taiwan baby, being growled at by the local gods (whose turf Jesus – the white colonizing masculine authority – had breached). It works pretty well this way too. In October they’ll pick a winner (grand prize is $1000usd or an ipad!) This is kind of a boring painting for me – what do you think?

  Sponge Bob, Domo, Adultery = Fine art? This is for an upcoming show titled “Fetish”. I like how it’s cute and dirty at the same time. Although I did it just for fun, it really gets a strong reaction (which is always good). Please share if you like it!

I was amazed by these beautiful oreo cameos by Judith G. Klausner, and then respectfully repulsed by her other unusual art (like Victorian fancywork made of fingernails and baby teeth!) She also embroiders needlepoint green mold on pieces of toast, makes quiltwork with pieces of chex cereal, and wallpaper patterns with condiments. WOW. Check it out and marvel: http://jgklausner.com/work/oreo-cameo

I began sketching portraits in high school, and my first dozen or so oil paintings were portraits. Although I prefer to incorporate portraits into more complicated surrealist pieces, every once and I while I just do something “normal”. Here are a few of my best; some of these are close-ups of surrealist works.    

I was reminded (7 hours before the deadline) of the “Art Takes London” art competition. I’ve entered, and if you like my work I’d appreciate you taking a minute to Click Here and go vote for me. If you’re thinking of entering an art contest to promote your own artwork, here’s some things you should know: Should I enter an art contest to promote my paintings? Here’s how art contests (or any contests that aren’t governmentally funded) work: they charge a submission fee, and then make enough money to give prizes, have celebration banquets, pay staff and STILL make a …