Sketch Club 6/25

Here are a couple of pieces from last Friday's Sketch Club. I tried out some watercolor on very toothy hand-made paper. While I'm not crazy happy with the results, it was still a fun experiment and I hope to play around with it again in the near future.

The Nabbit Frog

I was recently asked to design a new "spokesphibian" for a company called Nabbit. It's a neat, FREE service that allows you to "Nabb" a song's title and artist while you're listening to the radio. You can do this by a variety of means: texting, mobile web browser, and even a free iPhone app.

Anyway, here is what we came up with. He is hot off the press with the digital paint drying just about two weeks ago. That is quite a difference from working on a movie - usually a year or more passes from my work and the final product being released.

The Daily Zoo at Bethesda Hospital, MN

For anyone in the Twin Cities metro area of Minnesota, I just wanted to let you know that an exhibit of Daily Zoo prints from the first two books is on display at Bethesda Hospital in St. Paul, where I did a drawing workshop with some of the brain trauma patients and a book signing this past April. The show went up at the beginning of June and will come down at the end of July. Initially there were 60 images on display, but some have been sold and taken down already. The exhibit is in The Cafeteria Gallery, so if you're in the area why not stop over for a bite and some art? (I can attest that the food is pretty good there.)



While preparing the images for exhibit, I found myself continuing to tinker with some of them (the curse of the artist I guess - a piece is never truly "finished"). Here are a few examples of some of the tweaked pieces. They differ from the versions that appear in the books mainly by the replacement of the tan paper backgrounds with the new colored versions seen here. Incidentally, the Content Kitty print (shown at bottom) has been a popular one at some recent charity auctions and has done well in raising funds for some great causes such as the National Bone Marrow Registry, Alcott Center for Mental Health Services, and the Minnesota Angel Foundation (helping children who have parents facing cancer). Fundraising auctions are a common event for many charities, so to all of you artists out there please consider donating a bit of your time and talent to help out a cause that is important to you.

Join me at the CTN Animation Expo, Nov. 2010!

If you're an animation fan, then you will definitely want to try to attend the annual Creative Talent Network's Animation Expo November 19-21, 2010 in Burbank, CA. This is the expo's second year and I had a great time at it last year. It's like a (much) smaller version of Comic-Con, but devoted strictly to the world of animation. There were some fantastic and educational panel discussions with industry pros, an extensive exhibitor floor, and live demos by some amazingly talented artists.

This year I'll be exhibiting there for the first time. Please stop by and say hi!

www.ctnanimationexpo.com
November 19-21, 2010
Burbank Marriott Hotel (across from the Burbank Airport), CA

And if you want to receive 10% off the cost of a 1-day or 3-day pass, just enter this discount code when registering: CHADX10

Hope to see you there!

Upcoming Events: Minneapolis & Los Angeles

Hi all,
I just wanted to give you a heads up that I will be participating in two upcoming fundraisers.

First up is one in Minneapolis and it is to benefit the Penny George Institute's Art of Healing Program. I currently have a bunch of Daily Zoo prints on exhibit at their location in Abbott Northwestern Hospital and they have invited me back to be a part of their Discover the Art of Healing event Thursday, May 20, 2010 at the Nicollet Island Pavilion. More than 30 local artists (I guess I count as local since my roots are there) will be exhibiting their work. Hors d'ouervres & light refreshments will be served. I'll be giving a short presentation around 6:30 pm and in my booth I'll have framed and unframed prints for sale, as well as books, notecards, and the first Daily Zoo t-shirts (hot off the press!).

Event details:
Thursday, May 20, 2010
5:30-7:30 pm
Nicollet Island Pavilion
40 Power Street, Minneapolis
$20 per person
RSVPs requested (612-863-6510)
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Then on Saturday, May 22, 2010 I will be in the Los Angeles area selling various Daily Zoo sundries (how long has it been since you've heard that word?) at the Be the Match Bone Marrow Registry fundraiser. Consider joining us for a night of dinner, dancing, comedy, celebrity appearances, and helping out a great cause. Be the Match works to find life-saving marrow/stem cell donors for patients in need of a transplant.

Event details:
Saturday, May 22, 2010
6 pm
Stevens Steak & Seafood House
5332 E Stevens Place
City of Commerce, CA 90040
There is an entrance fee (I think it is either $55 or $65 per person - remember, it's a tasty dinner, a night of entertainment, and for charity!)

The Alcott Center and LA Contemporary present “The Many Faces of Art”

This is the latest fundraising event that I'm participating in. Please consider attending if it sounds interesting to you and is within your means. It's a great cause.

"The Alcott Center, a non-profit organization that works with clients who struggle with severe and persistent mental illness, presents its annual artWorks fundraising event. With the recent cuts in State funding, this event has taken on even greater importance in order to service those in our community who suffer from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and chronic depression. Funds raised at this event will benefit residential programs, such as the Graduate House, which provides transitional/permanent housing and encourages Alcott residents to live as independently as possible and lead more meaningful lives.

This year’s event, “The Many Faces of Art,” will be held on Sunday, April 25, 2010 at the prestigious LA Contemporary, a venue which has been host to numerous well-known artists’ exhibits. Artists include such well-known names as Chris Ayers, Farzad Varahramyan Daniel Alonzo, Les Biller, Huguette Caland, Laddie John Dill, Linda Jacobson, Muromasa Kudo, Brett Livingstone Strong, Jeffrey Manpearl and Suzye Ogawa. Located in the heart of LA’s exciting La Cienega art district, the evening, which begins with an exclusive VIP Champagne Reception, promises to be a fun-filled celebration of art with an auction, delicious food, good wine and interesting guests."

When: Sunday, April 25, 2010, 6:00 to 9:00 pm
Where: LA Contemporary, 2634 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90034 (310) 559-6200
What: Art show, auction, food, wine
How: Purchase tickets $75 by contacting the Alcott Center at (310) 785-2121
Special: VIP reception at 5:00, tickets $125

Los Angeles Festival of Books - April 24-25, 2010

I will have a booth at this year's Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. This annual celebration of all things literary on the UCLA campus is filled with books, food, and fun for the whole family. Author signings, panel discussions, music, and children's activities galore. Come check it out and stop by the Daily Zoo booth to say hi!

The Daily Zoo
Booth 030 - Zone B

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books
UCLA Campus
April 24-25, 2010
Saturday: 10am-6pm
Sunday: 10am-5pm
Admission is free!
http://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/