NEW AND IMPROVED WEBSITE: WWW.ARTBYJARED.COM!!!!!!

That right, you heard it here first, I have spiffed up my ole website just in time for the flood of activity surrounding STRUCK: Scenic Remnants by Jared Davis at the Warehouse. So check out the new look at:

WWW.ARTBYJARED.COM

Here you will find all sorts of improvements...Gone are the days of having a website that I don't have the software to update...its all thanks to the wonderful people a otherpeoplespixels.com. It has truly been an easy and enjoyable experience working with them. And I am not just saying that because I get three months free for every person I recommend who signs up with them (although I do...so remember to plug me if you sign up!)

Last night was the opening night event for the DCCAH show that I have a piece in. Check it out, all the deets are below:The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities would like to invite you to the FY2009 Visual Arts Applicants' Showcase.

Opening Reception: July 16, 2008, 6:30 PM
Exhibition Hours: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday - Saturday
July 17 - August 1, 2008

Katzen Arts Center
American University
4400 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20016
(Take Metro Red-Line to Tenleytown/AU Station)

For more information call (202) 724-5613

I also dropped off some artwork for the All Arlington Salon at the Ellipse:

All Arlington Salon
Non-Juried Exhibition open to artists who live, work, study or have a studio in Arlington, VA.
Friday, August 1 - Saturday, September 13, 2008
Opening Reception Thursday, July 31, 7 - 9 p.m. with Flamenco Guitarist Gerard Moreno performing.
Parking is free and open late on the night of the reception.

And I am dropping off some work for Wall Mountables at the DCAC tomorrow:

July 18 - August 31
Installation: July 16 3-8pm, July 17 3-8pm, July 18 3-6pm
Opening Reception: July 18, 7-9pm
Deinstallation: September 3 - 7, 2-7pm

So that's a lot of exhibitions in one week...who said that summer was the slow time for arts?

And lastly, I have made some progress with the Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum set design. While this may not be the best start I have ever had with a show, I feel that the design is pretty solid for this theater company's needs. I had visions of trying to do the whole show as a roman mosaic, but eventually I woke up from that dream, and realized that it (more than likely) would be to ambitious for this group to attempt. So I have shelved the idea (not completely, because I intend to use mosaic as a motif in the architecture) for now, but perhaps I will get a chance to do this show again...in the meantime here is the first sketch of the set:

Funny...Forum Set Sketch, Arlington Players
Pencil and Photoshop, 1/8"=1'

And here is an example of my progress with the drafting for the middle house:

Funny...Forum Senex's House, Arlington Players
Vectorworks, 1/4"=1'

I hope to see you all at the opening of STRUCK, NEXT FRIDAY!!!!! Until then, ALOHA!

STRUCK NOW OPEN--Mark your calendars, Opening Party July 25, 7-10pm!!!!!

As many of you have heard, my solo show, STRUCK: Scenic Remnants by Jared Davis opens tonight. Well, that is, everything is installed and available to be seen, probably while you are attending a Capital Fringe show at the Warehouse. But the announcement for the opening party is still in the works (in case you didn't read the title, the opening party is Friday July 25th, 7-10 pm). I have created a postcard for the event, and have sent it to the printers, check it out:

Front of Struck Card

Back of Struck Card

Special for the loyal readers of BTT, I am also posting some shots of the exhibition, shot moments after installation:

Warehouse Gallery installation of Struck (looking towards mainstage)

Warehouse Gallery installation of Struck (looking towards 7th street)

I know what you are thinking, "why is the bar covered up, and why didn't you hang more art on the bar?" Well, rest assured, the bar will be open (beer and wine) during the Fringe Festival...so you will be able to enjoy my work in some of its proper context...

I have also created an artist's statement (heavily edited by my lovely wife...who has fortunately stopped me from sounding like a pompous artsnob...) that I will post at the end of this posting. It will help clarify any misunderstandings about the show. Things like, is this art or scenery? Are you selling this? Will the DIAMOND DEAD performance after the opening party be free? (no, so get your tickets now!)

Speaking of DIAMOND DEAD...

Top of coffin...and the logo for DIAMOND DEAD...

The load in went well enough...some of the scenery didn't fit, or was too complex for the fifteen minutes allotted for setup between shows, so not everything was used. But Skull-Elvis made the cut:

Skull-Elvis drop for DIAMOND DEAD
Painted Black Velour, 8'x8'

Shot of DIMOND DEAD rehearsal after load in...wicked!

DIAMOND DEAD should be a great show, so don't wait until the Struck opening party to go, because they are apt to sell out once they get some press...you can get tickets here

This coming week I have my preliminary sketches due for Funny...Forum, and I also hope to be farther along with a sex machine logo...but until then, enjoy the Struck Artist's Statement:

STRUCK:

Scenic Remnants by Jared Davis

ARTIST STATEMENT

This show is a bit of an odd duck; it’s not very often you see an art exhibition devoted to leftover scenery. The work for this show has been given the theatrical equivalent of a “stay of execution”…after the final curtain call, they were struck from the stage but not sent directly to the dumpster. Instead, I packed these representative pieces in my truck to be saved for later, reworked, or used again. I did not anticipate that they would be hung in a gallery, but here we are!

The art exhibited was created with a different set of rules than usual gallery pieces. They were created to be seen under colored lights, behind actors, and from at least ten feet away. Additionally, they have been around the block, some to several venues. Consequently, I ask that you consider the occasional scuff mark and the bits of ground-in glitter makeup as part of their charm.

For every piece in this exhibit, there are dozens more that have been lost or re-painted. There are also a few who have made it in the hands of collectors. For example, one part of a Lobsterboy Revue set is now a headboard for a waterbed. Another is hanging in the Silver Spring Piratz Tavern. And others have tripped to places like Playa del Fuego.

I have been working and living in DC since 1999. In the usual gallery/art show context, my work is best known for small paintings that frequently feature Tikis and Monkeys. I don’t make a distinction between my work for the stage and my work for the gallery. To me, it’s all painting. The main difference is scale.

I would like to thank the Rupperts who have supported my work in both contexts, as painter and as Scenic Designer. I am thrilled that Molly invited me mount this show during the Capital Fringe Festival. I have a connection with this festival having designed shows for fringe over the past two years. Since I tend to paint in a “lowbrow” style, I also seek out theater that aligns with that sensibility, I believe that this exhibition, like this festival, suits an unconventional crowd.

Lastly, I would like to thank my amazing wife as well as the theater groups and performers who give me opportunities to think and paint BIG.

-Jared Davis

A sexy logo, DIAMOND DEAD skulls & I have a solo show! (sorta)

Do you ever say to yourself, "I wish there were a embarrassment free way to buy condoms"?...well fear not, the good people at Sex Machine Vending are coming to your rescue. They have recently contracted me to take a whack at designing a logo for their upcoming line of condom vending machines. This logo will not only be on the machines (and the letterhead and t-shirts and whatnot) but it will be on the boxes too...(I know my, er, chest will swell with pride every time I see the logo on the box, just before I use their product!) Anyway, my task is actually to revamp the existing logo, which is a punk rock girl straddling a (oddly) downward flying rocket...So, the first line of reasoning I went through was to try to rework the, er, symbolism of the logo, and focus more on the name of the company...here's the first greenlighted sketch:

Sex Machine Vending Logo Sketch
Pencil on paper, 6"x8"

That's right, I went the sexy android route...Ive sold them on the concept, now I have to do the heavy lifting of finding the right pose and style (and probably reintroduce the rocket...but perhaps in a more subtle role) So, as this project progresses, I will be posting updates...I figure you will probably be finding these in your neighborhood bar sometime this Fall...

Progress on DIAMOND DEAD has moved apace...as of publication of this post I have completed the two front "skull" draperies in last weeks design:

Stage Right Skull, DIAMOND DEAD DC FRINGE 2008

Acrylic on Black Velour, 8'x12'Stage Left Skull, DIAMOND DEAD DC FRINGE 2008

Acrylic on Black Velour, 8'x12'

These have been really fun to paint, but I confess, that the time frame is really quick (even for me) because we are loading the show in on Saturday! I still have two more to paint (the devil and the skull-Elvis in the upstage part of the design) and I will be rushing because of the fourth of July Holiday...I also made progress on the only piece of carpentry in the show, the 12 foot high coffin entrance:

Coffin Entrance, DIAMOND DEAD DC FRINGE 2008
Wood, 12'x5'

This is shown laying on its side, and partially folded...I made it hinge so that it could be stored easier at the Warehouse, because there are a zillion other groups performing at DC Fringe, and they all need to store scenery too...

The last bit of news may be the biggest. I am going to have a solo show. Well, sorta. Molly Ruppert called and asked if I wanted to have an art show in the Warehouse during Fringe. Of course I said yes (even though I am neck deep in building stuff for fringe and all of my current inventory of work has been depleted by Art-o-Matic...) So I am going to install a "retrospective" of scenery that I have painted for Burlesque events over the years. So, its kinda a solo show, kinda a retrospective, kinda scenic painting samples...What I need to do is come up with a snappy title for the show and send out invites for an "opening"...next week...

DIAMOND DEAD DESIGN!

Yay, June is almost over. Now that I have all of the weddings out of the way I can get down to business. The first item on the agenda is DIAMOND DEAD, the Landless Theater's offering to the Capitol Fringe Festival. Its a heartwarming tale of a heavy metal band that gets killed and they come back to life as zombies that jus wanna ROCK! (Originally conceived by George Romero, of the original Night of the Living Dead fame...but he doesn't have the balls to bring it to the DC stage the way Landless does!)

Anyway, I finished the design for the show yesterday. First I started with a perspective drawing of the Warehouse Theater:

Warehouse Theater Perspective Drawing
Pencil and Photoshop

And then I added scenery to this drawing...

First Draft Set Design for DIAMOND DEAD
Pencil and Photoshop

This Drawing show the black velour drapery that I am going to paint with "day of the dead-esque" motifs (what is depicted is not exactly what I will paint, but more of a road map) going around the perimeter of the acting area. The drummer sits underneath the projection screen (there happens to be LOTS of projection in this show...) and the band will enter from the ceremonial "coffin" entrance on USR...

All in all I am pleased with the design thus far. I am looking forward to painting on black velvet on such a large scale, however the turn around will be quick because I will need to load the show into the warehouse on the 6th of July! (any of you BTT readers out there that wanna help paint some really friggin big velvet paintings, just drop me a line!)

In other news, I had the first production meeting for The Arlington Players, Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum this past Tuesday. I will be posting sketches and whatnot as the design progresses...you will have some time to get tickets, it opens September 19...

Debbie Photos, Collectors and Dial "P"

The long anticipated photos from Debbie Does Dallas the Musical are here!

A cast photo with Karissa Swanigan (top row, second from right) who was profiled in DC theater Scene as the #2 scene stealer of the spring!

Debbie Does Dallas the Musical Scenery, DCAC

The girls practice some cheers before the house opens...

The other big news this week was the closing of Artomatic. It was a really great year, and I am proud to have been a part of it...and I cant wait till next year! Thanks again to everyone who bought something, or came out to support this great show...

June is my least favorite month of the year. I have been feeling really unsettled all month, mostly because I have been away every other weekend attending weddings. This has been particularly bad for my creative productivity...I was explaining to KT the other day that painting is a lot like cooking. Many of the tools are the same, and also the process is too. If you bake a cake (or a souffle, which is probably a more apt metaphor) you need to pull it out of the oven at a certain time. Or, conversely, you cant just crack some eggs and leave them in a bowl for a few weeks...which is what I have been doing lately, letting projects left on "simmer" spoil...Anyway, this weekend, I am off to the last wedding of the season!

Speaking of projects, I ran into a collector recently, who told me that she has lots of my work at her office, and that I should come up and take a look at what she has done...perhaps I will get inspired enough to paint her something just for that space...check out the my photos of her office:

Mercury's Office (she keeps her desk much cleaner than mine...Check out the Tiki's everywhere...and the five lava lamps!)

Her collection of Jared Davis originals...I think she may hold a record!

So, I think I have some good ideas for a larger painting that might even be thematic for the type of work she does in her office...stay tuned.

Another thing I will tease you all with is the a prospective commission for a vending machine logo...its all very preliminary, but when it blows up, y'all be the first to know!

Lastly, I did not have enough time this week to execute the Evil Come Evil Go Go Show's backdrop...so you will just have to wait until next month for that. BUT you can still see my skeleton showgirls at the Palace this Friday!

And on Sunday don't miss Trixie and Monkey (and friends) as they bring to the Dial "P" for Pasties to the Birchmere this Sunday (still featuring some of my film noir-esque scenery from the original production)

One Wedding Down Two To Go!

campus again, after not setting foot on that campus for about 13 years...I am in such a better place now! Anyway, while in Pontiac, I got to see some of the bad weather the The wedding in East Lansing went fine...although it was weird to be walking around the MSUMidwest has been dishing out lately. The tree in front of my house in Pontiac fell on our neighbors house, missing my truck by only a few feet. The tree in front of Tom's house fell over and blocked Genessee street entirely. So, it was good to see Pontiac again, mean as ever!

Most of this week I have spent without KT (she flew on to Denver for a theater conference) so I have had the place all to myself. I took the opportunity to rearrange the studio in her absence. I got rid of the large easel (seeing as the tabletop one I have has effectively replaced it) and bought a spiffy new Samsung monitor as the centerpiece of a new computer workstation. I have been struggling with integrating my design methods with my painting methods...this redo of the studio goes a long way towards achieving that goal. (this last paragraph is a bit of a long winded apology for why I don't have any new work to show for the week...)

This week saw a good review for Debbie, as well as the below photo in the Express...I also have been asked by Lil' Dutch to paint a backdrop for the Evil Come Evil Go Go Show, which opens next Friday...I am working hard to make that happen, but I might be shooting for the August 9th show, if I cant get good designs together by, oh, say, MONDAY!And Finally, Art-o-Matic comes to a close this week...there is still time to purchase the 8 foot Venus from Yuri's Night...(Free local delivery!) See you all on Saturday and Sunday night as we put Art-o-Matic 2008 into the history books!

DEBBIE OPENS!

Debbie Does Dallas the Musical opens tonight at the DCAC! I would normally have some pictures of the set for you to look at, but my plans to shoot pictures yesterday were thwarted by the apocalyptic storms that blew through DC last night. The final dress rehearsal was canceled, and so was my last opportunity to take photos before the show...oh well, I guess you will have to wait until next week...

However, tonight also happens to be the Dutch Oven at the Palace of Wonders, where I will help set the scene with some tikis... As a prize for whatever competition they will be having, Landless has decided to give away a free ticket to Debbie and a free ticket to Deep Inside Oz, the play running right after Debbie for most of the run. Below are examples of the free tickets the lucky winner will be receiving. (don't try to counterfeit these, because I have a secret anti counterfeit device on each genuine ticket!)
I am going back to Michigan for the weekend, so next week I will regale you with tales of my journey to and from Motown...

Moe Monkey...and Debbie's Done

So this week has been one of those "lots happened, but little was done" kinda weeks. It started well enough, with this painting:

ID Check 2008
Acrylic on Board, 8"x10"

This is a painting that I am using as a sketch for a larger piece, so it really just illustrates one scene within a larger composition. (BTW, is this image really dark on your computer too? I uploaded it directly to blogger from my home laptop, and it looks really dark on my CRT monitor at work...I have had similar problems in the past...does anyone know how to calibrate between the two machines? It would seem that the laptop is really hard to judge by since the angle of the screen widely varies the saturation and brightness of the image...Anyway, the painting is pretty dark, but not this dark) I will be posting more of these as they come along, and hopefully share with you the final composition before Hot Rod Hula Hop IV!

I recharged the batteries during Memorial Day out in Sperryville VA. It was nice to get out of the city and see friends in a non urban context...that is, until my allergies started making me uncomfortable (which hardly ever happens...probably just some particular species of tree out there in full on pollen mode...) Still, it was good to see Amy and Mark out of the Dutch Oven context...

Also had a Diamond Dead production meeting with Landless Theater. This is going to be their offering for the DC Fringe Festival at the Warehouse. Below is the unofficial logo of the band in the show:
It should be a pretty cool show...I like the warehouse, and I have lots of artistic possibilities with this show...it may allow me to get in touch with my inner Julian Schnabel...(more on that in June)

A good portion of the week was taken up with filling out a grant application for the DCCAH...I'll let you know if I get it.

And Lastly, I have all but finished the set for Debbie Does Dallas the Musical. I will leave you with a photo of the 99% complete set in the scene shop, awaiting transport to the DCAC:

Components of the set for Debbie Does Dallas the Musical before load in on Sunday

Art-o-Matic sale updates and MORE MONKEYS!

Here are the paintings that have sold since Meet the Artist Night last Friday:

Moai in the Next Ice Age 2007
Cut Paper and Acrylic on Board, 5"x7"

Corazon II 2007
Cut Paper and Acrylic on Board 5"x7"

Periscope 2007
Pastel on Cut paper, 8"x10"

Suffering Bastard 2005
Cut Paper and Acrylic on Board 5"x7"

So, this week has seen some productivity on the whole Monkey issue. I have decided to start making some more monkey themed work for the Hot Rod Hula Hop IV in Columbus Ohio (August 8th) Which means that I have started a painting or two...

Progress photo of "Tiki for the Admiral" (working title)

This is a blurry photo of the first painting I started. I am trying to go a bit larger with the work, which is more possible now because I have largely avoided using the cut paper in these works. I am trying to paint a bunch of monkeys trying to move a tiki, with an "admiral" barking orders on top of the tiki...I guess its got something to do with abuse of power...perhaps a subtle critique of the Bush administration...(its probably not that, but that would be a good justification for putting the finished piece in an anti-war show...) I will be trying to finish this piece soon, but I don't know when I will really have the time because of the upcoming holiday...and the opening of Debbie Does Dallas the Musical.

The other piece that I actually finished is below (again sorry for the blurry photo)

Sub Commander 2008
Acrylic on Board 11"x14"

This was an attempt to take the submarine monkeys a step further than they had gone in the past. The result is a Manet-esque portrait of a surly monkey submariner. I wanted to see if adding more realism was going to help or hurt the monkey paintings. In the "distance" shots I have a sort of generic "every-monkey" that I use, but on this painting I referenced a photo of a monkey and created a monkey with more specific personality. I guess what I am trying to get at here is cartoony vs. realism. I think I can have it both ways, but I want to avoid the creepy realism of some of those old hyper-real Garfield posters...(whoa, I just tried to find one of those online, and I couldn't...just stuff from the movies...I wonder if they are being suppressed by Jim Davis, or if their creepiness was just a figment of my imagination...)

See Red Dots, Meet the Artist, Eat Popcorn!

Art-o-Matic has been good to me this year. Many of my paintings have acquired the auspicious red spot. In order to give you, loyal BTT reader, a last look at the sold paintings before they are tucked away in private collections, I have posted images below:

Coconut Monkey 2007
Acrylic and Cut Paper on Board 8"x10"

Cortez 2007
Acrylic and Cut Paper on Board 5"x7"

Monkey Vespa 2007
Acrylic and Cut Paper on Board 11"x14"
Creature Feature 2008
Acrylic on Board 16"x20"

I also have sold the small painting Moai in the Next Ice Age...but I don't have a good picture to share of it yet. You still have some chances to purchase some Art By Jared of your very own this Friday (5/16) at Meet The Artist Night. I will be giving away popcorn (the cuisine of choice for most movie going monkeys...) and perhaps even offering MR.TIKIHEADs for sale at special Art-o-Matic discount prices! (of course you can always buy them online here)

Other than the Art-o-Matic opening night (at which I worked the UBER-CRAZY 11th floor bar) the other major triumph this week belonged to Scott Brooks! His very successful solo show at Longview Gallery opened on Saturday...lots of great new work (he's been busy since Italy!)Scott with new work Nativity on Demand

My personal favorite painting from the show, Cannibal Cub Scout

Lastly, I have refined the set Design for Debbie Does Dallas the Musical for Landless Theater. I needed to scrap the individual lockers idea, and go with a low locker/bench combo...the kind that Ikea used to sell...but doesn't anymore. Shout out to Pam for finding it on Craigslist for me!

Debbie Does Dallas the Musical Set Design first draft
Photoshop and Pencil

I start actual construction for Debbie... next week, so you can expect some progress photos then!

ART-O-MATIC IS HERE!!!!

Its come true, your favorite semi regular artistic free-fer-all is back and badder than ever! Tomorrow is the grand opening, so be there or be square. If you miss Friday's opening, you get a second chance at hi-jinx with all the artists on "Meet the Artist Night" on Friday the 16th.

Here is the ArtbyJared space in all of its glory:

11th floor, NW side, Art-o-Matic 2008

Did you know that Art in America mentioned Art-o-Matic in this months issue? It's true. About Halfway through the article and its listed in the "In the Galleries" section of J.W. Mahoney's Report from Washington D.C. which is not available on the web, but Lenny posts some discussion of the piece here. And, I have decided to transcribe a "good parts" excerpt:

...The other institution, Artomatic, established in 1999, is fluid in every respect. Its an annual - sometimes semiannual - resolutely non-curated exhibition of Washington area artists, a pay-for-space proposition open to anyone at all who wants to show something they have made. It takes place anywhere large enough to accommodate the deluge of art that comes in, making exhibition spaces out of anything from a former children' s museum to two floors of an office building, to an enormous empty laundry complex. The presence of so much amateur work is overwhelming. Prompting the Washington Post's chief art critic, Blake Gopnik, to compare visiting Artomatic to an extended dental appointment. But the beauty of Artomatic's aesthetic anarchy is its abundant innocence, not in any obviously savvy consideration of contemporary art issues. And, critically viewed, some surprisingly serious, innovative work crops up in unusual places, just around some unlikely corner of the show.

My suggestion is to go buy one at the newsstand, because the article articulates the D.C. scene fairly succinctly...even though it leaves out many deserving folks (certainly it leaves out any mention of lowbrow)

This week was dedicated to getting the Art-o-Matic space in order, and ready for the public on Friday, so there is not much to report on the artistic front. I did, however, get to pose for a portrait for Todd Gardner. He has been working on a series of 50 24"x24" portraits of people he knows...yours truly is number 39:

Jared by Todd Gardner
Acrylic on board 24"x24"

ART-O-MATIC LOOMS....

Just so you know, the eleventh floor is the rockin' place to be...Not only will you get to see your's truly's space...but I am right next to the rock star of last years Art-o-Matic: Greg Ferrand! Oh, and he's right next to Alan Defibaugh, Emily Liddle, Candy Keegan, and Peter Harper, just to name a few...AND, I hear the eleventh floor has a bar!

Art-o-Matic this year has kinda taken me by surprise. I haven't really had much time to work on ole' fashioned paintings lately, since I have been swamped with Yuri's Night. And, I am looking around to change up my game a bit, when it comes to painting. I want to examine the role that some of my working methods have developed. I am struggling to get away from, or around, my need to make cut paper paintings. I also want to explore the suggestive nature of black and the silhouette, just to name a few things I have been exploring lately. But all of this takes time to actually realize, so I am afraid that there will not be much that is "new" at this Art-o-Matic from me. But it will be a great opportunity to purchase some artwork that others have foolishly passed on!

To give you an idea of what I am talking about, when it comes to my "examination" pieces, I have a really crappy camera phone shot of one of the more encouraging pieces in the process:

Experimental painting
5"x7" Acrylic on board

I have been trying to get my paint to be more sculptural, and also looser...while keeping the hard edge...so, it is really hard to see here, but I think I have found the beginnings of the way to achieve that without resorting to some sort of mechanical reproduction process...Stay tuned!

The other development this week was Lil Dutch's Dutch Oven at the Palace of Wonders. I used this opportunity to repaint some Halloween scenery to help her celebrate Uno De Mayo!

Uno De Mayo set piece for the Dutch Oven
Acrylic on Luan, roughly 5'x5'

So lastly, I am usually pretty hard on Photography, anyone who has asked me about photography whilst I am drunk can attest to that. However, I have always been a fan of Chris Chen, of My Life As A Contact Sheet fame. I was looking through his Flickr account recently, looking for documentation of one of my previous gigs (a widely underestimated service he preforms, I may add) and I noticed that I had gotten my own "tag" in his photostream. That's where I found this very poetic and moving photo taken at the end of the 2007 Halloween party...somehow it really captured the feeling at the end of that party in a way that no painting could...great job Chris!

SEE YOU ALL NEXT FRIDAY (5/9) AT THE ART-O-MATIC OPENING!!!!