My Interview With The Talented Fellow Artist - Nicole Bishopp

Hey guys, it is a great pleasure for me to introduce to you my recently acquainted talented artist Nicole Bishopp from the State of Washington. Her incredibly imaginative symmetrical black & color sharpie drawings are almost like modern pictographs, intricate with sharp contrasting black and white use of colors, sharp trace lines and curvy decorative patterns. Well so , without further ado, here is my interview with Nicole.

"Butterfly"

When did you decide you wanted to be an artist?

I wanted to be an artist when I was very young.  I always doodled, painted, and took tons of photos. 
 

"Elephant"

Why did you choose marker as your main art medium of expression? 

I love Sharpies.  They are the cleanest marker and make a nice line.  Also, most of the time I can complete an entire drawing with one Sharpie.  

"I Come In Peace"

How do you find inspirations for your cool symmetrical almost caricature designs and
what do you call them?

My inspirations come from how I'm feeling.  I draw to have my own time to vent about my days events, feelings, or to just relax.   It's how I unwind.  :) 
I'm not sure what you are asking when you say what do I call them....they are all from my imagination so I guess I call them Nicole's imagination or the conversations in my head.

"In Hiding"

What's is your personal philosophy about your creative work?

I feel like my art is my way of communicating how I feel.  When I pick up the sharpie I just let my hand flow.  There is no preconceived notion of what I am going to draw.  It just happens.

"Peeking"

You goal for the next 10 years?

Oh, well that's a big stretch for the moment.  I like to take it one day at a time for now.  But if I were to see in the crystal ball of my future I would love to say I see a well known artist doing what she loves. Having my designs on everything!

Where can we purchase your fabulous work?

At the moment I am working on moving my online shop and will have something up and running by the fall/winter.  I plan on launching new products with my designs on them for sale very soon.

Just a little extra something: I started doodling again after the birth of my son last July.  Around the fall months I started posting my images to my personal Facebook page and showed a couple friends.  I was immediately surprised to find people liked my drawings and one my closest friends ask me if she could purchase a piece from me.  I was flattered and shocked that anyone would pay money for my doodles.  But being the "driven" individual that I am I decided to open up a shop on Etsy and started selling my art.  I sold enough to pay for my first Exhibition/Art Party in May/June of this year and have committed to 3 additional showings in Fort Collins, CO and Wenatchee, WA for July, August, and September.

One of Nicole's recent skateboard design

So there you have it, the official interview with the very bright star artist. I wish Nicole the best on her continual success of the future artistic endeavors and development as well as an excellent motherhood! Thank you Nicole!!!  Please visit her latest art updates on Facebook here - www.facebook.com/nicolebishoppart. Also be sure to check out her website at - http://nicolebishopp.blogspot.com and support her art by purchase a print from her site....:D

Delicious Nature

"Delicious Nature" Digital Collage / 2011

Following the theme of the nature and organics, I decided to do another piece similarly to the "Butterfly Spirits" posted on the previous posting. Most of my digital works are in 16" x 16" size and this one is no exception. In the backdrop you can pick up different assortment of fern silhouette prints and two butterflies one going up and one coming down. Still trying to find a way to put colors on my mostly black and white works. Well, I must admit, there is one little inconsistent oddity there, can you spot it.....:)?

Dandelion Thoughtforms

"Dandelion Thoughtforms" Digital Collage / 2011

Many thoughts are like conglomerate forms and this happens to be mine. I like to combine mechanical forms with the nature, and the entwinement intrigued me to create this piece. Hope you enjoy it.

My Recent Work - "50% Off"

"50% Off" Digital Collage / 2011

This piece was done a week ago. I have always wanted to do a discount theme for my series, and "50% Off" just being one. Elements in this work sort of represent matters that we value as a capitalistic society, where everything could be merchandised including human beings. We have gone so far from the good-natured simply hunters and gatherers and evolved into insatiable mega consumers with a big mouth and an ego that mother can't love. This piece reflects the sentiment that I have for a long time, for human beings are selling out their souls for the momentary material gain to which they can't ultimately keep.

Exhibiting At The Godo Gallery - 6/24/2011

Last Friday night I attended the Godo gallery "Happy 2" reception featuring some of my digital artworks. After overshot 210 freeway exits and did some back-tracks (really bad at directions), I finally arrived at the location after 2 solid hours of driving around 8 PM. Since every one of my close confidant that day all got some business to attend to, or got sick, so I was left to celebrate the gallery show reception by myself.

The initial pack crowd enjoying the Friday evening Happy 2 show

The crowd conversing on the gossip girl topics

A crowd of people dressed up with high platforms, mini dresses and fashionable wares had congregated outside the gallery, but since I didn't dress up for trick or treat occasion, I quickly whizzed past by them and went straight into the action scene. The main gallery was situated on the 2nd floor, and upon entering the door, I could literally feel the steaming heat rushing down the staircase, it was hot no doubt!

Some funky colored abstract pieces done by an unknown follow artist

More wonderful abstract works adjacent to the DJ station

This show is making some legs sore already?

The show was packed with a cool crowd, and in that tiny gallery space I guesstimated it to be around 65+ people there. The owner Vaan came by and said hi and then disappeared back into the crowd. Since I didn't know anybody there nor did I know which artists did what pieces, I couldn't really make any immediate acquaintance with anyone, and everyone seemed to have other people to talk to. Anyhow it was definitely a happening place with DJ blasting the funky music beat in the backdrop and a catering snack bar serving expensive deserts and drinks at the corner. I quickly browsed through all the other artists' works and eventually made it to my own stuff in a thin alley. Boy I was glad my art didn't get hung right next to the lavatory. Some of the pieces on display were copies of an image distorted multiple times in different paper frames. I am really glad to see that art is not dead in America yet……>>>

My hanging collage art pieces in the alley way

Some nice oil painting of surrealistic nature in the forefront

A luck shot of my works without anybody getting in the way

Boy this guy looked like he was ready to butcher my art!

After couple rounds of viewing around the art display, double examining what other artists had done with their canvases and papers, the place got too hot for me to handle, it had to be around 85+ degrees with the crowd still building up, so I decided it was time to say good adios to the show and left quietly. Over all it was a positive experience for me, I can for once say that I've done a cool thing in life. Now I must concentrate on what to do with the post exhibit unsold pieces. Perhaps Etsy?

We could use a hard-working DJ cheering for the show, I hope he wasn't yawning

$1978000.00 dollars for a blank self-portrait? LOL a good one!

The Happy 2 show will be showing on for the next 2 weeks so if anybody's interested, just come by the Godo Gallery on 6749 San Fernando Road in Glendale, and check these wonderful artworks out!

Finding Gallery Submissions, Where Do You Start?

Having a long gap of inactivity making art? How does one set out to get back to the art scene, creating passionate art and trying to get one's art displayed at galleries or art fairs? Well, for me, that's exactly the situation, things can look pretty daunting outright when I have already created a decent body of work but are just beginning to look for outlet and to gather a new audience. For one, I don't have a long track of exhibits or any related history in the gallery experience, since I have a full-time work and an online ecommerce to tend to, life is busy enough but still there is always a voice inside telling me, why not just give it a freaking try?

Well, after spending quit sometime online searching and looking for outlets to exhibit my digital artworks, I ran into various interesting sites, places and book that I think might be pretty helpful to any new or relatively unknown artist like me starting out seeking to displaying his or her arts, and here is the list that I came across -

Craigslist.org
http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites
You can find both locally/domestic and internal listings of many galleries soliciting new emerging and mid-established artists for art submissions. I find it quit useful and that's how I got started in exhibiting my works. But beware galleries that ask for payment for displaying your work up front, you want to avoid those. I know most of the gallery art submissions required small sum of entry fee, but if a gallery ask you to pay up hundreds or thousands just to show your art in their gallery, run.

Artshow.com
http://www.artshow.com/juriedshows/
This site has some decent listings of possible juried shows and art competitions across well, mostly in US. You can check out their deadline time and requirements before submitting your work. Some are quite far geographically so you might have to pack and ship your art. I personally recommend front starting out the gate to just participate exhibits that are close by your city, and establish your visibility locally first.

California Arts Council
http://www.cac.ca.gov/artistcall/
Search the term "call for artists" and the first thing that came up for me was a site from California Arts Council. It has a nice list of artist submissions with dates, where to file your application(s), types of artwork seeking, and what city. This site includes not only California state but other states as well. I still have to find time to comb through the directory. Be sure to check all the requirements and read all the small types before jumping on their submission train.

2011 Artist's and Graphic Designer's Market
(Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market)
Priced around $21.50 retail, this book has many useful gallery listings for art submission, including guidelines, specifically what to send, terms and how to approach different galleries for your work. It also has sections for photographers, graphic designers, illustrators and sculptors and offer many nice tips for artists. I highly recommend this book to anyone setting out to submit his or her art. You can probably find this book on Amazon or in Barnes & Noble bookstore around your neighborhood.

OK, there you have it, it isn't a comprehensive list by any mean, but a good starting point. I recommend that you visit each one of the gallery that you are submitting to and check out their current or paste exhibits first, make sure they somewhat match your style of work, it's just a common sense approach. Well, I wish you and me plenty of luck and I want you to be recognized soon so you can come back and tell me all about it…….Oh, BTW, if you have a great supplemental listing please share with us here too!!!

Exhibiting At The Santiago Art Walk - 6/18/2011

Just this last Saturday night I had my very first group art show. The event was held at the Santiago Art District Art Walk (On the corner of Santa Ana Blvd and Santiago Blvd in Santa Ana) hosted by Joni Renee Gallery. The theme was "Forests, Faeries, and Mulberries", a multi-gallery art charity event sponsored by the Amazon Conservation Association, American Chestnut Foundation, Tree People, American Forests and Forest Trends. Here is the Yelp link for rating if you are interested.

The party is just starting to get warmed up......

Kristine with artist Celene Cecena and her abstract works in the back.

Me and my wife Kristine arrived there around 7:10 PM and have little problem finding the parking. There was a building crowd and some live music performing going on. My geometric/symmetrical art and some nature-inspired works (Including a faery theme) were displaying at the second garage space adjacent to the main gallery space. Basically all the galleries were privately owned apartment complex with owners' garages being converted into displayable spaces for the artists. We got to meet and chat up with many great artists for some interesting conversations. Of course there were plenty of food, drinks and snack all around. Some girls were dressing up in fantastic faery costumes with high platforms.

Kristine in one of the main exhibiting room.

Our good friend Charles and Angela there to cheer for us.

We had roughly about 24 artists' exhibiting works, and I got to hang 8 pieces of my works there. Overall the general receptions were very positive & encouraging. We hung around and visited some other galleries and Kristine got a miniature sand painting from this talented artist Celene. Our good friend Charles and Angela came, and we are more than gracious for their support.

The show ended about 10-ish PM and many artists quickly took down their works. I would recommend the gallery to put the artworks up for another week since it is absolutely too short of a time frame to get any decent traffic exposure and many art patrons and alike are simply going miss the exhibit. Unfortunately most of the gallery spaces are privately owned and none are to be used for extended exhibit purpose. Also I learned that in this tough economic time people are more likely to buy a cheaper print then the original work, so I would do that for my next art show like this. Anyhow it was a very positive social experience with different people, artists and performers there and I especially thank the hostess Joni for give us this cool opportunity. You can visit her site here - http://www.jonirenee.com/

We got to chat with Jack Pan, this super enthusiastic environmental biology student from UCI. He brought many of his very interesting "self-contained" and "self-sustained" plants in all sorts of glass jars he called the "Ecojar". My wife loved it so much she purchased one from him. I think personally from the unique selling point he should be able to market his cool concept and product to the mass market. Basically his ecojar required watering only once a year or some even required none. Jack told his wide-eyed audience that he placed little microbes and self-sustaining soils in the jars so that these plants can virtually live a very long time without our human maintaining. Here is his web blog site, very unique and interesting. I would love to collaborate with him to do some interesting plant display art in the future if that's a possibility….  Visit his blog site at - http://ecojarlab.blogspot.com

Jack Pan with his fabulous Ecojars.

Close up shot. Some of the plants he claimed to be unkillable.... really?

Below are some of my exhibited works in 12" x 12" framed prints especially made for the event. Most of them are connected with the nature and the natural environment, which are something less edgy than some of my other mechanical/industrial themed works.

"Butterfly Spirits" Digital Work on Premium Print/2011

"Faery Double" Digital Work on Premium Print / 2011

"Where Forests Meet" Digital Work on Premium Print / 2011

"Weed For Me" Digital Work on Premium Print / 2011

Godo Happy 2 Show Featuring Zieben, Yeah!!!

 

Yesterday I delivered 10 of my recent works to Godo Gallery in Glendale CA for the Godo Happy 2 Show. Met the gallery owner Vaan, a very cool guy who is also a painter as well as a businessman. This will be my 2nd art show this year so far. Glad to have my artworks accepted and can't wait for the gallery reception this coming Fri. Godo Gallery is on 6749 San Fernando Rd. # C, Glendale, CA. Please stop by and have some champagne & cheese crackers if you got the time, the reception starts at 7pm Friday June 24th.

Here are some of the artworks to be featured at the show, but do see them in real person, I guarantee it to be much better in visual presentation and impact! OK, here we go.......>>>

"Babes On Smoking Platform"/2011/Digital Work on Canvas

"One Sunday Afternoon"/2011/Digital Work on Canvas

"Hochmeister"/2011/Digital Work on Canvas

Dancing Mess

Dancing Mess

Tonight I had to drive to Santa Ana Artist District to deliver some of my digital works for display. For several hours bunch us artists from all over S. Cal were scrambling to trying to hang our own stuffs in the gallery. Joni Renee has a gallery and had graciously chosen us to come and display our works in her apartment/gallery space. I have never been to one of these event and found it pretty comical for bunch of us artists to headlessly grab a hammer and nail our art works on the wall. Anyhow it all went well in the end, fingers crossed for the this upcoming Saturday's show.

Now back in my comfy but crammed studio. OK, onto commenting on this piece. Something about this piece that I really liked. Using elements such motor bike features, unknown parts, telephone pole(my fav) and of course more obscure machine sections, this loosely strung together beast sure gave me some visual surprise. Ah, my day is done.....