Post Rapture Prize Giveaway!

TIME FOR A GIVEAWAY! Since we've (mostly) survived the end of the world, I'm honoring the (non) event by having a referral contest! Whoever gets the most folks to like my FB page will win a signed, limited edition art print OF THEIR CHOICE from my etsy shop! To win: Leave a post on my Facebook Fan page and have your referrals comment underneath your post after they "like" the page.

Choose a print of "Hysterical Bitch"!

Or choose from many others including, "What Makes Us Different Makes Us Special"!

The peep w/ the most referrals wins! Good luck! 

You have til' next Saturday at 6pm EST to achieve your mission!

How to Feed and Care For Your New Art

So, the blessed day has arrived: You and your family have made the decision to bring home a bouncing bundle of art. But now that you've brought it home, how in the hell do make sure it doesn't crumble to dust? Well, I'm here to ease your fears, dear art fiends. Only artifacts interred in tombs for thousands of years need to live out their crusty old lives in hyperbaric chambers. In my world, trust me, those chambers are typically hyperbolic, not hyperbaric. 

Maintaining an art collection does not have to be intimidating or terrifying in any way. If you hesitate when considering starting an art collection because you're uncertain how to frame or care for your purchase, I challenge you to forge ahead! Spray your walls with 2-d treasures and pepper your pedestals with scintillating sculpture. Here are some helpful hints for when you haul your loot home:

Frame canvases without glass in canvas friendly frames, also (somewhat unfortunately) called "floaters". These can either be custom made or purchased ready to rumble from chain shops such as Aaron Brothers, Michael's or online. If  you've got a mom and pop frame shop in your town, even better! Simply slip the canvas into the frame from the back and secure with canvas clips. I promise you need no knowledge of power tools or hardware to achieve this and you'll save scads of dough.

Works on paper should be first matted and then framed under glass. If the work is a standard size, 5"x7", 9"x12", 8"x10", pre-cut mats can be purchased at most art supply stores. Center the artwork in the mat with the largest border at the bottom of the artwork. Tack the work to the mat with mounting tape (also available at most art and craft stores) and place in a frame of your choosing. The rule of thumb is a more ornate frame for a simple subject and a simple frame for a more complex subject. Try to choose a mat in a neutral tone that doesn't distract you from the artwork. I like to bring paintings with me when I shop for mats and frames so I'm certain of the outcome. Besides, I'm lavished with attention when I tote my work around and it makes me giddy.

Hang artwork out of direct sunlight to protect from fading or bursting into flames (kidding). Sculpture, depending upon the medium can take a tad more sunshine, but generally speaking art prefers a protected environment. For works on paper you can purchase custom frames with UV protective glass, though these types of upgrades can be a bit pricey. It's also best to keep original paintings away from moisture. If you are compelled to keep masterpieces in the "reading room" try to choose sturdy works which are moisture resistant. Mosaics or other outdoor friendly work are a good choice. Though a collection of concrete gnomes perched near the can may wreck your collector cred.

Acrylic and oil paintings can be dusted with a soft, dust attracting cloth as can most sculptures. Don't be afraid to touch the canvas with the cloth, though vigorous rubbing and application of bodily secretions should be avoided. Naturally, the glass in any frame can be cleaned with a cloth sprayed with glass cleaner and the frame can be maintained with furniture polish or a dust cloth. Encaustic ( a.k.a. wax) works can be buffed with a clean, soft cloth to restore their luster.  After all, who doesn't like a good buffing now and then?

One of my Encaustic Sea Dragon Paintings

Finally, if you have any questions regarding how to care for artwork, simply ask the artist you purchased it from. Trust, we want our stuff to stick around and we're happy to help you out with the how-tos. Most of what we do is not so entirely precious or delicate that it can't handle life in an average home. The work we do must first survive life in our studios, which you'll know is sketchy at best if you've ever visited an artist's space while they're in the throes of a creative frenzy.

My studio, not exactly a hermetically sealed environment.

Most importantly, enjoy your collection! Choose what moves you regardless of what's considered "cool" or "sophisticated". Ultimately what matters most is how art makes you feel and feeds your soul each day, not what the glitterati (aka trendouches) think is killer.  Even those abiding in the most humble of abodes have a right to have a daily dose of beauty and with just a little TLC, taking care of your treasures is as easy as falling in love with them in the first place.

Pitching a Big Fat (Photo) Tent

I've been selling work on etsy for a few years now. If there's one key I've discovered to successful selling on online marketplaces it's the quality of your photos. Like many of you probably have, I've had to improvise most of my shots and improving my pictures is always a work in progress. By which I mean a tear inducing nightmare of creative frustration.

I've sweated in the blazing sun, down on my knees like the hardest working of groupies, just to pull off framing a cute teapot on a grassy knoll. Behind every idyllic, photo-fairy wonderland is a grunting artist with onset arthritis. Regardless of joint pain and emotional duress, I had to use the resources and settings that were available to me until I could improve my equipment. After the last bout of grass stained knees and gnat bites, I resolved to crawl out of the primordial photo ooze and onto dry land once and for all.

Last year I purchased a Panasonic Lumix point and shoot digital camera and my ability to pull in close for macro shots improved by about a million percent. I could have kissed the camera, and maybe I did, that's really for me to know.

This year, I was determined to create a small indoor studio to provide my work with the best possible setting. I put a tremendous effort into conceiving and creating art and I was tired of tired photos minimizing my work. You wouldn't snap shots of Bettie Page under flourescent lights in front of a stained bed sheet if she was your model, would you? Those of you who read this and said " why yes, yes I would" are free to leave the blog.

After reading as many etsy photo tutorials and threads on the subject that I was able to get my greedy eyeballs on, I was ready. I purchased a photo tent, a studio light set and a tripod. The tent is large enough to accommodate almost all my smaller 2-d and 3-d work, but small enough to easily set up on my desk.  The tent allows the most flattering, diffused light which easily illuminates the work without shadows or glare. Using halogen or full spectrum bulbs keeps the color true in a way that is nothing short of miraculous. If any of you has ever tried to take shots of your work outdoors on a sunny day, you know how depressing the bleached out results can be. It's like washing hand-me-downs in Cheer and hoping it'll brighten up the colors just a little. No such luck.

My photos look like another person took them, which is usually my litmus test for knowing I've succeeded at something. Just take a look at the glorious results!

Cuckoo's Nest Barrette by QueenofQueens

Evil Eye Sunflower-Original ACEO Watercolor by QueenofQueens

I'm so happy with this change it's a wonder I don't start photographing every object in my house for the sheer glamorizing effect it has. For that matter, it's amazing I don't climb into the tent and try to take a self portrait.

Ratboy To Visit Seattle.

I am certain that Spring is coming because today I rolled down my window and listened to my CD player really loud as I drove to Big Lots.
Big Lots, where I scored a bottle of olive oil for $3.50.

In honor of Spring's imminent arrival, I thought I'd change my blog dress. Do you like it? I' d wear it to boot ranch and feel quite comfortable walking around a botanical garden afterward.

Also in honor of Spring I have shipped the painting
"For the Love of Money; Child Eating a Rat" to a group show taking place at South Seattle Community college. The show is entitled "Live+Work: Artists Respond to the Global Recession", which is ironic considering it cost me a small fortune to ship the piece.

I'm very excited to be part of the show though, and only wish there was no recession so I could actually attend the opening. Here's the painting, if you're in Seattle go see it and tell it I said "Hi".

Hunker down!

After a long writing hiatus, both blogside and out in the wide world, I have returned triumphant to the ranting editorial. My first published work in many a moon is now available for the singeing of eyeballs and hopefully the bolstering of spirits at MotleyQueer.com
The subject? Gay Marriage, and more broadly our tenuous grasp on civil rights. Read the article HERE.

Not coincidentally, I am working on a series of Gocco prints depicting historical badasses. Dead folks everyone should, I believe, hold in high esteem. Below is a photo of the first print, an homage to Doc Holliday.


I'm running these prints in limited editions of around 24 or so. The subjects will all have flocked hair for the sake of brevity and to encourage tactile interaction a'la "Pat the Bunny", only with beards and moustaches. Next up an homage to Mother Jones. Prints are available for a nominal fee at my etsy shop.

SLAPFIGHT

My dear friend Katrina del Mar, NYC filmmaker and photographer extraordinaire unearthed a video we made many years ago and sent it to me recently. Katrina has a penchant for making queer girl exploitation films, depicting tough chicks brawling and balling, slapping and smooching. Her capacity as an artist to capture the most profound beauty in the most profane subject matter has always astonished and amazed me. Her work is infused with a frothy absurdity which provides prophylaxis against the agonizing pretense present in so much "Rock" photography.
SLAPFIGHT! Is part homage to the Betty Page era stag films which have enjoyed a rennaissance in recent years and part unbridled celebration of silliness that girls enjoy when they really, really, feel free. It stars Betsy Todd of NYC based band The Santa Marias and yours truly. For more from Katrina, visit her website at;

katrinadelmar.com

MQoQ The Interview...

Sometimes Mondays can be happy! I am the featured artist today at Blogasaurus! Click the link to read the interview and afterward be sure to check out the Blogasaurus shop afterward. Andreanna makes outrageously cute jewelry that you WILL covet! I absolutely love this Bambi necklace...
WANT!



AND the Varvara necklace! WANT! WANT!

Yay! Dolls and a Show!

Tomorrow night is the second Square One art event entitled GO! at the Ritz in Tampa's historic Ybor city. Bar none, this is one of the most gratifying events in the area, for both artists and appreciators. As I set up my work today, I was once again astounded by the variety and potency of the talent present. The Tampa Bay Art Scene is truly fecund, so much so that it may burst it's boundaries at any moment, garnering the national recognition it richly deserves. Organizers Gary Randall and Okesene Tilo have managed to assemble a roster showcasing an incredibly inclusive and eclectic array of art, music, and fashion while affording all us creative types dignity and respect for what we do, nothing short of a miracle in today's world of bullshit art ass kissing and ostentatious exclusivity. Their youthful enthusiasm, networking savvy and generosity evokes a celebratory and harmonious energy that eclipses many other established events I've been a part of. All of this and none of the art sucks! Representatives from Tampa Bay's established art community such as, P$ynner, Robert Wegman, Treza Bettencourt and Carolina Cleere will be exhibiting side by side with art show virgins such as Malisha Dewalt, whose photo-realistic pencil drawings are absolutely dumbfounding in their accuracy and completely gripping in their subject matter and tone. This event promises to be a pure celebration of creative flow, free from the tedious political posturing and jaded snobbery that afflicts so much of the art world. What a very Caribbean way to roll...

As if this is not enough to lure you there tomorrow night, I've finally finished the "Series of Endless Desires" dolls I've been toiling over. Yes. One can toil over dolls. They are companion pieces to the series of paintings I'm working on bearing the same name.The series ponders the question " Are human desires truly endless?". I don't know the answer but I intend to paint each one until I find out. The dolls can be are seen below and can be purchased at queenofqueens.etsy.com. Click the pics to see the full frontal.

ArtLoud in Tampa

I simply adore living in Florida. There is an extremely healthy art scene in the Tampa Bay area. It is diverse and surprisingly unpretentious. Support for each other's endeavors is shared generously among the artists who live here and the talent pool is vast.

Below are some photos of the Artloud installation in Downtown Tampa. The installation was conceived by CREW Tampa Bay as a gift to the city. Anyone familiar with the city knows that though resplendent with beautiful and varied architecture, the downtown area is sorely underdeveloped both residentially and commercially. About 30 artists participated in the event to present a vision of what a thriving downtown could become. Each of us painted at least one 8' x 4' panel (some did several) which were installed during the weekend of the Gasparilla Arts Festival on a block of mostly abandoned store fronts only steps aways from the historic Tampa Theatre.

Here are some pics. Mine is the Toy Shop.

Mega-Craft-Zilla

Living in Florida makes me fortunate enough to be inundated daily by surrealism and absurdity. From soup to nuts, nature to the man-made, things here are consistently out of the ordinairy. Naturally, this extends to settings for art shows and their participants. A couple of weeks ago I joined the Florida Etsy Street Team (FEST for short). I knew I had to be a member when I read on their call to artists on Craigs List for an art and craft show at Florida's famed Dinosaur World attraction. So dedicated was I to the concept of hocking my art at a kitschy old Florida roadside homage to all things prehistoric that I hauled my ass out of bed pre-dawn on a Sunday! I was not disappointed. The day was fair as were my fellow Etsians. So much delightful swag to be had! So many violent, fiberglass dinosaur sculptures to ponder! Below are some pictures from the event. Many more can be seen here.


My Swag at the Fest:


















More Swag:




The facts of life are not spared at Dino-World:


The rarely seen "Hip-Hop-osaurus":