Burgers, Battles, Bruins and Balloons

So once again everyone, we are super stoked here at the Näf-Brown residence for many reasons. First, as I have previously written, Clare's pregnancy is rolling along super smooth and we have recently purchased and received generously the essentials for our baby room. Also, Clare is rounding third and coming full term this weekend. So, as you may know, that means it's pretty much game on from here on in. There are a couple of photos at the bottom of the blog of the baby's room which Clare and I also now share as an office/drawing/crafting area. 

Now to the arts; as I have also mentioned before, my current series of etchings is slowly but surely being completed. This newest piece, and also the only 12 x 18 piece in the series, is titled "Battle Royale" (Thanks for the title to my sis, Daizy Lux) In this work, as with most in this series, I wanted it to be like a kid's drawing in concept yet more sophisticated in it's technical execution. From such a  platform I can load the image with humour and the excess pent up emotions that burst at the seams of my existence and tear at my soul like a Rod Stewart album played backwards at twice the speed. Also, it's fun and while creating such work you can make broad, sweeping generalizations about "society" and the world....even though frankly for the most part, nobody really gives one or even two flying frigs as to what you think or attempt to express, so whatever, make me sandwich. 

Here I try to make the following statement: conflict and violence can be as absurd and juvenile as a fortress built on a bacon cheeseburger shaped mountain being fought over by armies of gnarly spiked and horned medieval-ish soldiers. So obviously you'll need a couple of fighter jets in there for extra umph. (Zazz or Gusto are also acceptable, obscure descriptive terms) Also, check the references in the print to my main man, Peter Brueghel Sr, the master of absurdities. (* his work The Tower of Babel and Dulle Griet)  

Featured as well in this post are some pictures of drawings for a letterpress project myself and art buddy Justin Labine will be undertaking soon. They are pencil crayon drawings for the prints which will feature great goaltenders throughout the history of the NHL. If Justin had a website, I'd link to it here, instead you can google search him or attempt to friend him on facebook. He's been posting a lot of his beautiful drawings there and thus has been kicking ass and taking names, so look out.

Enjoy!

Battle Royale: the full piece

a detail that is so METAL (thank you Manowar)

Kenny Loggins is in one of those

mmmmmmmmmm

detail

detail

 

in case you forgot

I took this photo because I wanted to show the pencil crayons I used. These were my Dad's and are from Switzerland crica the 1950's. Raaaaaad.

 

The Great Gerry Cheevers

Here's where I draw

Here's where I write this crazy sh*t

Quick, get a baby in here!

Clare made this beautiful mobile. Soooo cute!

 

Okay, thanks for dropping by, now go take on the world.

Beach Eats And Such And Such

Friggin rights guys, I've been makin' some arts, okay?! Let's get to it!

Here's a watercolour I finished early this morning, it's called, "Hey guy, need some help with that?" or Several Things That Make Me Uncomfortable. It's a think piece about identity and sustainability in a post-modern flaneur based bourgeoisie. (that took me under a minute, oh snap)

Here is the etching I am currently procrastinating at. A feature on this piece to come, well I guess whenever.

Yeah, that's me in the corner, that's me in the spotlight, something something.

Did a business card job, roughly a month ago for a great chap and talented graphic entrepreneur Stephen M White. Here's how he gets jiggy: http://www.stevemwhite.com/. After a brief email conversation he told me that Caslon was his favorite typeface, I told him it was mine too, I cried, then watched Beaches on VHS.

Inks

Press

Press with studio. Tres belle, non?

Everything looking tight

 Run'er

Et voila

While cutting this job to size I realized the stacks I was making looked a lot like ice cream sandwiches. mmmmmmm

Trish Donnelly has made some of the most memorable/yummiest food I have ever eaten. Here's some custom illustration, graphic design and letterpress I did for her. If you need catering, look no further, for serious.

I was going to post some more pictures but Blogger insists on rotating some of my images 90 degress the wrong way despite them existing on my computer otherwise. Thanks for mostly doing a good job but slightly sucking, internet. Frig. Okay, talk soon, hugs and kisses.

Monster Mama Jama Post Part 2: The Cat Master and such and such

Okay, so, if you've been keeping up with me and this blog you'll know I've totally been like etching and stuff., totally. Well, I have trudging along with this series of images and I'll have you know that I've finished another one. May I present to you... Die Katze Meister! (The Cat Master)

 First stage:line work

 This guy keeps hanging around the studio and I always ask him to leave. 

http://breakingnewsoflittleimport.wordpress.com/

Here's the hot mess I made after the first go of etches. Soften up a lot of stuff as you will see..

 Last round of work

done

Monster Mama Jama Post!..Part 1

Soooooooooooo much has been happening, not just at work, but of course in life too. First and foremost, my darling wife Clare Hope Brown and I are expecting the birth of our first child this October. Preliminary reports have told us that it's most likely girl!!! Holy Guacamole!!!! Exclamation points!!!!!! Now as June is set to slip into July I know this summer is going to go flying by and next thing you know there's going to be a baby in our apartment, talking 'bout , "WAAAAAAA, feed me n' sh*t" Right?! Anyways, we are both head over heels with excitement and I have been stoked, goin' hard all kinds of ways at work. First, let's check out some digital work I've done. Some are more recent than others and all have been fun makin'

Augie's Gourmet Ice Pops has been taking the city by storm. Featured at the Junction Flea and several other vendors and events in the great city of Toronto,  these ice pops are the brainchild of the very talented Janet Dimond. Check out how to get your hands on some of these here http://www.augiesicepops.com/ We both thought fun and bright with an old school flavour.....mmmmm, flavour. You can't go wrong with cooper black. 

Pop Up Projects is what the P-U-P in PUP contemporary stands for. Tek Yang, one of the best people I know, started this pop up gallery just this past winter. Currently showing at the Design Living Showroom at Castlefield and Caledonia, this project seems boundless. For more information email Tek at pupcontemporary@gmail.com   For this design we wanted clean, sleek and modern. I think it does the trick.

This is the logo I designed for the incomparable photographer Leila Ashtari. For this design, I took a drawing, scanned it, and went to town. Lot's of fun to make. If you like food photography and great image making in general, you're going to want to check out her website: http://www.ashtariphoto.com/

Oi the joys of a good skin cream. Hard to find real good ones but guess what? Nature's Magic is one of them and had recently been started by the amazing Melissa Corcoran. Great things to come from this for sure, email her at melissa.dawn.corcoran@gmail.com  for more information. Here we discussed how to convey the naturopathic approach to making the cream into a visual form. Lavender purple with sage green on a calming beige-yellow, with plenty of elegant organic lines...dang, I feel good already.

Business in The Moonlight

 So 2013 has been rolling right along. Here in this post you will see a variety of business cards done with handset type. Also I recently finished an etching entitled "Werewolf Roadtrip." I'll be editioning it soon and will be showing more of that in the next post. Hope you're well, hope you're you. Thanks to all my lovely and talented friends who let me post images of their businesses cards.

The sans serif font you see here, well, I don't know what it is. It's 12pt and I love it very much. The font with serifs you see is 10pt Caslon, classic.  They look great together and thus when my friends come up to me and go "Hey man, can you make me some business cards?" "Yeah," I say "Yeah I can" Tyler Hilton is an amazing painter/printmaker. Check him out, you won't regret it. 

www.tylerbrighthilton.com

John Lee is a photographic rock star and an awe inspiring goaltender. Check out his work at www.digitalfabrik.com if you know what's good for you. Maybe you don't know what's good for you. In that case you should be told, go look at his f%#kin' pictures.

Erin Rutherford is a curator/archivist extraordinaire. Unfortunately, she will be moving away from Toronto real soon and will be missed tons. She helps me look at my art and understand it more gooder.  Notice the frame silhouette up above the text? Yeah, I carved that out of lino, you're welcome.

Meaghan Hyckie is a visual artist with fantastic skills. She works in the same building as yours truly and is a delight to hang with on a semi regular basis. If you feel like getting your mind blown check out her website at www.meaghanhyckie.com, if you don't, go to this website anyways. 12pt Helvetica, yup.

Designed by Adam Zinzan these business cards came out beauty. Helvetica and Caslon together, mmmmm.  P.S. If you need personal shopping or wardrobe styling Harris & Cohen is the way to go.
Check out Adam's graphic designings at www.adam.am

Here are some pics I took proofing this etching I finished on Monday. As previously stated, it's titled Werewolf Road Trip and is the fourth piece of a 10 part conceptually deficient series I am working on. I haven't named the series yet, but I was hoping it to be a twenty letter German word that doesn't exist/make any sense. I still don't know if that's a good idea or not. Stay tuned for breaking news.....

hey

ya

okay

right on bud

Werewolves. Driving. Hilarious.