Spring staggers into Summer

It's been a busy month since the last post, although it doesn't look like it judging from the photos (that's cuz I make this sh!t look easy...)...believe me, its actually quite painful...

Anyway, the big news is the opening of Richard Campbell's FRANKENSTEIN, by Landless Theatre Company. This is the biggest production to date for LTC, which is producing the show at the Gala Hispanic Theater in the Tivoli (Columbia Heights)...you can get Tickets HERE. I designed, built and painted this sucker almost single handed! The show has been a challenge all around, but its been particularly frustrating for me because the lighting designer left the production with only a couple of weeks to go, and I had centered my design around the idea that this was going to be a "rock concert" sorta show (i.e. scenery takes a back seat to lighting)...so, its been a bit of a nail biter in the end, but I think that the new LD did a fine job making the show look appropriately rock-opera/creepy...

The Frankenstein Set as it was being painted in Late May.

Frankenstein Set mere moments after install...production photos coming soon.

 Aside from LTC's Frank, I have been busy trying to catch up with some Art By Jared housekeeping...which mainly entails trying to form a new entity (legally, as well as, er, spiritually) that we are calling Astro Pop Events. One of the first things on the agenda, we need a logo. Below are some of the initial sketches that I have sent along to our Design guru, Jason Pasch, who is collaborating on making us a kick butt logo that everyone will want a T-Shirt of....

The idea is that we are playing on the acronym created by Astro Pop Events...or APE

I really liked the directness of this pencil sketch because it seemed to incorporate all of the elements we were looking for

Here's the same logo in a less rough form...also helping to work our color schemes...

 So, what is on the horizon for APE? Well, this summer we actually have a gig lined up...I cant really discuss it at this point in detail, but it has something to do with the cryptic photo below:

Children's Ball Photos and Frankenstein.

Honestly, I strive to update this blog once a week, but there are parts of the year where it becomes very difficult to do because there is so much that is happening (and much of it is not photo worthy, or too mundane to bother the general public with...) So, this past month has been one of those times...lets play catch-up, shall we?

The unphotographed events worth mentioning are: The closing reception of Voltron's Corpse, Packing up from the C2YN aftermath, Hogo de-installing skullvis, Improving the Shop's painting "easel" and the C2YN thank you BBQ, 

Imagination Stage holds a "Children's Ball" once a year, and they kindly asked me to design it again. Each room has a different theme:

Empire State Building with Peach in the lobby (over 22' tall!)

Georgetown Cupcake Room...I built them this cart (I bet it looks better with the cupcakes on it!)

Game Show Room. This room had blinky lights and a gauge of progress for the contestants

Garden (flower pot decorating) Room with a 8'x12' backdrop of a section of a garden

 The other major focus of my attention these past few weeks has been the design of Richard Campbell's Frankenstein, which will be produced by Landless Theatre Company at Gala Hispanic. Its a "Prog-Rock" retelling of the classic Mary Shelly masterpiece. Below is one of the first sketches:

COUNTDOWN TO YURI'S NIGHT PHOTO ROUNDUP PART I

What a fantastic night! Thanks to everyone who came out last Saturday night for Countdown To Yuri's Night: Year of the Robot! We had record breaking attendance, and a fantastic time! Please send us your photos! Below, submitted without comment are some of the first photos that have been rolling in...

 All photos in this post are by Jared Rodriquez or Chuck Divine...Thanks!

T-MINUS 9 DAYS UNTIL C2YN! UNDERWIRE EDITION

WIRED magazine's blog, UNDERWIRE has done a terrific review of the Voltron's Corpse exhibit.You should totally check it out HERE. Also you should check out Jason Pasch's "Machine" HERE. And, of course, you should get your tickets to Countdown To Yuri's Night TODAY (after all, it will be the "unofficial" opening party for the exhibition.)

The Voltron's Corpse Machine

Andrew and I went to the Artisphere today and re-arranged, or "shuffled" the paintings, as we are going to do every Thursday 5-6pm for the next month, join us next time, won't you?

T-Minus 17 Days Until C2YN!

 This week was a busy week in preparation for C2YN. The highlight was getting Voltron's Corpse hung! Check out the Artisphere listing HERE

The unofficial opening night for Voltron's Corpse is April 13th during Countdown To Yuri's Night. Check out the Atisphere Listing HERE

On Monday, Andrew and I spent the day preparing the exhibit by assembling all of the robots, figuring out where they should go, and making a huge chalk drawing sign for the show...

Andrew tries to document the other side of the room while trying to keep me out of his picture

I have to admit that I was a bit tired that day because I had spent the Saturday before with the Big Giant Robot Head in his natural habitat:

And of course, another week and another couple of Robot Videos:

Seven of twelve:

  http://youtu.be/Usg_VC1HG7c

 Six of Twelve:

http://youtu.be/3wLQXtd9JAg

T-Minus 22 Days until YURI'S NIGHT!

Front

Back

The postcards for Yuri's Night came in this week. (Thanks to Jason Pasch for the stellar design!) Look for them in the clammy hands of your nearest nerd...

Another week and yet another C2YN robot video HERE

I was able to keep the robot painting high going by...Painting more robots! (and monkeys). Below is one of three "Monkey Shines" paintings (paintings with the theme "monkeys washing robots") that I will be submitting for the C2YN cash and carry exhibit.

Monkey Shines I, 2013 Acrylic on Board 8"x10"

 Also, this week Hexagon does their final performances of this years' "Raucous Caucus"...which featured my scenery (designs HERE)...not too many photos came out, but this one shows a good bit of the attention to detail that the hexagon carpenters have...hat tip, Ernst, Bill...

MECHA MONKEY FINISHED!

Today I put the final strokes on Mecha Monkey, the triptych that will be part of Voltron's Corpse at the Artisphere (in conjunction with Countdown to Yuri's Night). Check it out below, in all of its interchangeable glory!

MECHA MONKEY, Triptych (each canvas 16x20) Acrylic on Canvas

 

T-MINUS ONE MONTH to C2YN!!! 3 Video Trilogy

In an effort to build excitement about Countdown to Yuri's Night, we are releasing a slew of short robot videos. Today to celebrate T-MINUS ONE MONTH, we are releasing this trilogy:

EPISODE: I

EPISODE: II

EPISODE: III

Voltron's Corpse Robot Progress Shots

Voltron's Corpse Exhibit "Mecha Monkey" triptych. Progress shot 3/8/13 1:30pm

I've started painting my three paintings for Voltron's Corpse in earnest now. Actually I had started painting about a week ago, but its taken that long to just get the gantry right (the perspective on the "gantry" scaffold was never going to be perfect...but I needed to get it to the point where it was not going to be offensively wrong...and really, I was happy to settle for it becoming simply "background" and "intentionally wonky")

Just to keep you kids up to speed, Voltron's Corpse is the art show in the Artisphere's WIP gallery that will accompany Countdown to Yuri's Night (4/13/13...T-Minus 37 days). The show involves interchanging robot paintings made by 15 artists.

I've decided to go the giant mecha route. I've set my painting as a giant monkey mecha being assembled in a hangar (or gantry) by (what else?) monkeys. I think that my robot will be the only "headless" one in the bunch. I guess I was riffing on the idea that we would be "assembling and re-assembling" the robots during the course of the show. So why not show a robot being assembled? Anyway, I have a few more days work left on Mecha Monkey...I am almost done with the mecha, then its on to the fun part: Monkeys!

And, for comparison, here is the painting from last Friday:

Mecha Monkey Progress 3/1/13