Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Pins, Podcasts and Pals!

If you have followed me in any capacity, you know that I frequent an amazing podcast comprised of my closest friends called Opinions May Vary. (omvpodcast.com)

This month I got to spend some time checking out Five Points Fest in Brooklyn, NY and it was a blast and a half!

Be sure to check out the link to listen to our near 2 hour recap of the event here:

http://omvpodcast.com/episode-377-with-brett-kelley-the-2019-five-points-festival-recap

I've been having a lot of fun exploring the enamel pin world, from artists to products and the act of turning 2D designs into 3D pieces of wearable artwork.

I've been sluggish with a myriad of projects lately, so I'm hoping getting stuff like this out will help get my art house back up and running.

More to come, I promise!

Thursday, May 9, 2019

"Surreal Estate" (2017-Present)

Here's a new fun series that has materialized over the past month or two. Based on some throw-away sketches that were rooted in Bonebrook, this work has expanded to include an ecosystem of life. 

Made a "Surreal Estate" Vol. One Zine that is available for sale, Five bucks a piece! 
You can order them through the ways you can contact me: 
- Paypal
- Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/bkartmerc (this is new!)
- Other ways

Here is a sneak peek at some of my favorite pieces, with plenty more on the horizon: 
















Here are a few other pieces that are from bigger pages, and will more than likely appear in the up-and-coming "From The Well" art book: 





Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Zines, Fiends and Drawing machines

Wanted to make a quick post about events coming up this month.

Saturday, April 13th at The Flywheel in Easthampton, MA:

2019 - Pioneer Valley Zine Fest

I am a big ole nerd about zines. I love collecting them, I love seeing pieces of work that are independent and true to form of a unique point of view. I enjoy the unfiltered ideas and creativity that zines can capture. Heck, I even wrote an article on them about a year ago: 


This will be my first excuse to delve into zines and indie publishing, and I will be showcasing some fun work and ideas that are acting as a bit of a lead-in to my bigger project at the end of the month. 

No intention of blowing the spot, but be sure to look out for some art-centric zines, as well as a few more literary pieces as well. My collection of zine-based wares will be severely limited edition, and will only be available at this event, so be sure to snag them if you can! 

Back to it, 

BK 

Thursday, March 14, 2019

"From The Well - 2019" Art Book!

After a successful debut in February at Comics-N-More in Easthampton, the "From The Well - 2019" Art show is primed and ready for its next evolution:

A collectible printed Art Book! 

A kickstarter campaign is slated for the beginning of April. The book will measure in at 7"x 10" respectively, clocking in with 34 pages including a front cover.

The Front Cover

This product will showcase a number of different illustration series I've been putting together since late 2017-early 2018, including the following: 


"Vernal Occipital" Series (Gothic Fantasy)
Been having a blast working on these drawings and pairing the whimsy and fantasy of flora and fauna and mashing it up with the gothic, grim skulls I've been drawing forever.

"Stellar" Series (Galactic Gothic)
This has been a bizarre, weird illustration series that I think will yield in either a pin or sticker set. Possibly some vinyl? We'll see.


"Ouroboros" Series (Occult/Gothic)
Been doing some very subversive linework dealing with some pseudo-socio-political overtones. They are interesting, and hopefully make a statement worth hearing.

"Creep" Series (Gothic Architecture)
Continuing my pairing of organic with mechanical elements of drawing and design. 

There will be several more, with each series having between 6-8 illustrations per segment in the book. 

A kickstarter campaign will be launched in the next few weeks once the book is scanned and properly quoted.

Campaign rewards will be vast and include various discounted art works, as well as new merch! Cannot wait to hit the ground running once the last few pieces fall into place.

Stay tuned!

Monday, February 11, 2019

"From The Well" Art Show:

I was fortunate enough to showcase my personal exploratory work from the past two years and showcased it at Comics-N-More in Easthampton, MA in conjunction with this year's Winterfest Celebration. It is a fantastic city-wide day event and arts night, filled with gallery openings, craft fairs, a chili cook off and craft fair with a number of additional activities. 

I am a bit of a slouch with photos, especially in real time. That said, I made a point to at least photograph the work! One of my goals are to better that practice. That said, here are the humble photos of the show itself. It will be up for viewing until March, so feel free to check it out! 

Here is the "Main Wall" of new work, complete with four series of works (20 in total). 

A sneak peek at the back wall of large illustrations and paintings. 

A new piece in a beautiful frame. 

The art prints box has never been more full and robust!

The show opening ran from 12:30-6:30pm and was well attended. It was far and away one of the most successful solo shows I've done in the near five years I've spent in the Pioneer Valley. My thanks go out to Christian and Phoebe of Comics-N-More for supporting local artists, and allowing me to take part in such a wonderful annual event. 

Now that the work is out I can move on to the next stage in the game plan. Stay tuned! 



Wednesday, January 16, 2019

New Illustration Series: VERNAL (2018-2019)

A new illustration series that I'm particularly proud of, called "Vernal Occiptial".

The intent was to practice my line work while experimenting with some visual juxtaposition. By combining my long-standing habit of drawing skulls and a newfound appreciation for flora and fungi made a spectacular and compelling contrast.

What resulted is dialogue inferring that even in death life is persistent, that we offer longevity after our perceived end. Legacy, mortality, life springing from death. Rebirth, rot, decay, and the reminder that nature is forever around us, feeding into the greater forces that we live in and beside each day.

There is further opportunity for insight in each piece, working on both political, social and emotional capacities. Definitely a new level of work that I'm proud to have broken ground on.


"Vernal Occipital - I"

"Vernal Occipital - II"

"Vernal Occipital - III" 

"Vernal Occipital - IV"

"Vernal Occipital - V" 


Color prints are next on the menu, and these illustrations will be accompanying many more as I barrel towards the release of "From The Well", which will be my first ever Illustrated Art Collection Book.

Stay tuned!

- @bkartmerc