Philly Mag & FooBooz

So being the tunnel-visioned technologically disinclined person that I am, I definitely didn't even know that Alex Tewflik of FooBooz had quoted me from an email that I sent him about his inventive Starving Artists series. Alex has the great idea of featuring all the diamonds in the rough talent of the starving artists of Philly who work in the service industry. I think his series idea is amazing and I told him as such.

Sometimes working as a server you get mistaken for a servant or just someone who has absolutely no ambitions in life. Disregard the terrible economy, the rising cost of higher education as well as the fact there just aren't jobs for my generation in the fields that we have studied and gained degrees in. I never saw myself working in an office and I still don't to this day. My dreams are a little different because that's just me. I don't want to climb the corporate ladder, it's definitely shoddy and seems like a rough place to enjoy anything. So, I work in a restaurant to pay my bills and network. I get to meet tons of people every night and some of them are really interesting and have given me jobs, advice, great stories & that can definitely be more than just 20%. Some of the conversations I have are more eye opening than all the money left on the table. While I might not be working towards the house in the Hamptons & a sweet 401K I am enjoying the time I have now, so yes, I will get you another Coke.

Here is the link to the article: PhillyMag Oct.16

My featured image:

Gruss vom Krampus

Tis' the season...for the Krampus to come for all you bad boys and girls. If you don't know what a Krampus is, he's the furry dark underbelly to Santa Claus' white snowy bearded, rosy-cheeked, saccharin sweetness. He just so happens to have a really long tongue with which he will maybe lick you. If that's not creepy enough he'll catch you with his Vaudevillian hook and throw you in his basket backpack to take you down to the depths of fiery hell where I'm guessing you'll spend Christmas sweating and really wishing you hadn't given so many people atomic wedgies and swirlies.

Inspired by this refreshing take on the disgusting consumer driven horror that is Christmas these days I made a little thing to honor Das Krampus and hopefully invoke him to come back and smite our selfish, greedy asses into being a little less well...selfish and greedy.

get in my basket!

Merry Christmas!!

Tigers & Dinosaurs & Whales, Oh My!

I was recently commissioned to make three animal themed paintings for Apple Child Care in Philadelphia. Not only was this project so much fun I can't wait to drop the paintings off and see how the kids and staff like them.

Dinos! Rawrr!

 The Dinosaurs were particularly challenging because no one really knows what kind of skin they had or what colors they were. I used my best judgment and inspiration from artists before me. I didn't want to the T-Rex to be too scary so I made his usually razor sharp teeth rounded, he'll still bite ya' though.

Creatures of the deep

The Ocean was really overwhelming because there are so many different creatures that reside in its vastness. I tried to stick to the favorites because these kids are very small, notice the 'Nemo'. Back in my day they were just called clown fish and I don't  know about you but I don't like clowns...I do like Nemo though.

Exotic Rainforest

The Rainforest was my favorite by far! I loved researching all the exotic plants and animals. I want to cuddle that sloth so hard!

More photos of installation to come as soon as they get brought out to the location! Hopefully, there will be more animal paintings for the rest of the rooms at the day care center. There's been talk about an arctic, desert and aviary series as well, we'll see.

Happy Holidays!

We are mid-holiday season, the eye of the consumer storm if you will. For the next few weeks shopping consumes almost every American's free time, it's horror for retail people, I feel for them.

So, if you're like me and you like to stay in the safety of your home to buy gifts for friends and family alike I would recommend picking up a sweet limited edition poster I illustrated  & designed for friends and local Philadelphia band The Quelle Source. Two designs available they're only $10 signed and numbered printed by Philly local company Fireball Printing on super nice stock paper.

Here are some other online places to buy unique and handmade or creative gifts, support your small e-business owners!

Timothy Anderson Art
Torch Song Metals
LadyHawk Love
Hero&Sound Design

Some previews of the amazing shops above!

Happy shopping everyone!