The Pen is Mightier than Photoshop

What can be said about Gabriel Moreno? He is simply amazing! I am in love with this guy’s illustrations. He is most definitely a new favourite. I wish there was more information about him, but I’m having a lot of trouble finding anything other than his spectacular artwork.

The about section on his website (seen here) says that he is based out of Madrid, and graduated with a Fine Arts degree in 1998. However, it wasn’t until 2007 that he was picked up by Computer Arts, a popular magazine based in London, where he became globally renowned for his distinguishable style. Since then, his work has reportedly shown up in a number of places including many North American advertisements, newspapers, and magazines.

It looks like his preferable medium is pen on paper. I would love to see his artwork up close. I don’t think our computer screens do these illustrations any justice. He designs his artwork in large scale, and all we get to see is a downsized version of his talent.

This is the kind of artwork that inspires me. This is the stuff that makes me want to bust out some good ol’ pen and paper and start to draw again.

Thanks Mr. Moreno. Brilliance like yours is too few, and far between.

Think Differently

Street art! Why have I not show Street Art? Yes, since the works of Banksy and his fellow artists have been popping up all over the world, a new appreciation for graffiti and the likes have developed amongst the public. New and creative ways of making art on the streets has evolved into an era of unknown artist, with nothing but tags to show for their work.

Some people call it vandalism. Some laugh at it. Some describe it as a new wave of high art. Personally, I think it’s just fun. I see street art as taking the norm and developing it into something completely different, and in many ways more interesting.

Sure tags can be considered vandalism. I would consider most of the graffiti I see around my neighbourhood an act of vandalism, however when something makes you stop and smile, or hold your breath in disbelief, or think about a connotative meaning, I can easily appreciate it.

I can’t just speak for graffiti though, as I fully recognize that street art uses a variety of mediums to get there point across. Some are ridiculously original.

Here are examples taken from an amazing website of street art. For more from the website check out Next Web Design.

A New Way To Read

As much as I’d like to take the credit for coming across this one on my own, I found it on stumbleupon.com. I had to share the brilliance. I can’t imagine how much time must have gone into carving, and cutting these.

The website states that the artist cut out each page one at a time, however looking at some of the cuts, I find this hard to believe. Some of the outer carvings look like they would have been cut like wood. Regardless, the novelty (ha, get it! Novel-ty…yeah) and sheer devotion to detail is beyond spectacular.

The drawings and prints are original to the books, so the artist would have had to do some serious planning, and flagging pages to decide which to cut.

His creations range from using one book, to what looks like over 30 in some of his other installations.

What’s really mind blowing is the website shows hundreds of books, all designed and created by one man, Brian Dettmer(Click name for website). I am not sure if this is just a hobby of his or a job, but he seems to be getting quite a lot of buzz over the last few years for his hard work, especially online (thank you stumbleupon).

Wet Paint

Here is something really refreshingly cool. I have never seen photography subjects quite like this. Artist and photographer Mark Mawson created this artwork using paint and water. At first I thought it was computer generated because of the clarity and surreal look. I was so wrong, which makes these photos that much cooler.

It was actually created by dropping paint into water, then photographing the results. I’m curious to attempt this myself, but I don’t know how the images are so crystal clear. I’m going to guess that he used a large flat glass container, perhaps a fish tank, and captured the photo from the outside, looking through the glass. I also have to assume that the photos are flipped upside down, to give the illusion of floating, or rising. Regardless, Mark Mawson’s website (linked to his name) is worth checking out.

The photos that I have here are a few of my favourites, but he has quite the variety, each with their own unique look. It’s clear he spent a lot of time prepping, and determining what he wanted his outcome to be, but as much as I like all the colours, I think the most effective tend to be the simpler of his orchestrations.

Novelty of 407

There you have it; Studio 407. I'm going to be honest here and say that it's a little bit more of a party then an art show by the end of the night, but who could blame a few free spirited Ryerson students for mixing their passion with fun.

Passion is exactly what last week's art show was about. Titled "Intimate Gestures", students and artist were encouraged to bring in their most passion driven artwork to be put on display. It was a perfect way to blend artwork, Valentine's Day and a little bit of alcohol to make for a very entertaining night.

To me, there is nothing particularly interesting in going to an art show, having a glass of wine, and discussing a painting or two. I'm sure it's great for some, just not my source of inspiration. With that being said, Studio 407 attempts a novel rendition on the traditional art show. Studio managers Stephen Brule, and Andrew Williamson, with the help of a few others, have turned the concept of art into more of a celebration then a discussion, and they have done so flawlessly, supplying all the alcohol, music, and dancing needed to make for one hell of a party.

If your open to a few new concepts and might be in the downtown Toronto area sometime soon, check out their Facebook. They are constantly updating, and looking for suggestions for up and coming events.
Click Here for more Pictures and information on Studio 407

Good Times, and Catchy Tunes

This weekend has been fantastic so far. I am currently in Toronto hanging out with some good folks in the downtown area. A few of my friends have developed a small fan following by using their loft space to showcase artwork. They're always looking for a hand to help set up, and I was more than happy to escape Fort Erie's small town atmosphere, for some big city entertainment.

I am currently gathering as many pictures as I can, and helping with clean up after last night's successful show opening, so I don't want to spoil all the surprises about Studio 407 quite yet, but rest assured, I will be posting on it very soon.

In the meantime check out this music video on YouTube! My friends were showing me how cool the art direction was, and I couldn't help but be baffled at its originality. It's a catchy tune, and an awesome video.

Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks

Cheers!

East Coast Style

Perhaps it’s my complete love for the coast, or the need to escape the gross winter we’ve been stuck in, but this artist is seriously growing on me. Ever since my trip to Ocean City, Maryland, where I stumbled across Jay Alders’ posters in a local shop, I’ve fallen in love with his goofy looking oil paintings.

After digging through the internet, I found out that he’s good friends with one of my favourite east coast musicians, G.Love. Better yet, he paints live on stage during concerts. If you’re a fan of this music, you might recognize some of the faces in his paintings and photos. (Jack Johnson, Donavon Frankenreiter, need I say more?)

It’s crazy how things tie in together.

He’s also more popular then I first imagined. His artwork has shown up on a number of products from iced-tea, to surf and skateboards. He’s been in a number of magazines throughout the states, and graced a few covers on the way. His style and talent seems to be defining east coast art, and rightfully so.

I love the composition, vibrant colours and exaggerated features in all of his work. I’ve never seen so much movement captured in time, but what I really love is how his artwork is pure visual entertainment. Put simply, it’s refreshing and fun.

Check out his website...Good stuff. Thanks for inspiring, Jay.

Click here for Jay Alders' website.