Art & Illustration
In my spare time I like to screen print or even relief print if I'm feeling adventurous. I also paint, but not as much as I used to. Now days I usually use acrylic or gouache (a recent discovery for me.) I rarely oil paint anymore.
Art Prints
Don Rubio. 18x24. Screen print on collage and spray paint.
Don Rubio
My Grandfather was called Rubio. He was born and raised in the poor South American Country of Paraguay. His mother was of German descent and his father was from Sicily. He had bright blue eyes and blonde hair, hence the nickname "Rubio," which is spanish for blonde. At one point in my life I grew a mustache and took a picture of myself in suspenders. A few years later my mother came across the photo and thought it was my Grandfather. I only spoke with him a hand full of times and we didn't have many photos of him so after his death I printed the photo of myself in his honor.
Retro Man. Relief print.
Retro Man (from the Retro House)
This is only 1 color of a 4 color reduction print. This is only the main color of the piece but I thought the unfinished feel captured the mood of the Retro Man much better than the finished editions. The subject was inspired from a old ad I tore out of a snowboarding catalog in high school. I also drew on inspiration from the Retro House, where I lived for two years while I went to Utah State University. See www.retrohouse.net for more retro inspired themes.
Kunumi. Relief print on rice paper.
Kunumi (Self Portrait)
This was the first wood block, or relief print that I ever attempted. It's a heavy stylized self portrait. I was particularly proud of the fact that I was able to get the result I wanted from the beginning. Despite my inexperience, the wood grain seemed to compliment the style I wanted. Kunumi is a Guarani word for 'young man.' I thought it was an appropriate title since I didn't include much detail on myself, particularly for a self portrait, but I was a young man and that's about all the viewer needs to know.
Acrylic
Jimi Hendrix. Acrylic on poster board.
Jimi Hendrix
One night I didn't have anything to do so I flipped over my art homework on three poster boards and began painting a picture of Jimi Hendrix out of an old copy of Guitar World Magazine. It was my first real attempt at acrylic paints and I was so pleased with the out come that I've kept this painting through out the years. Later I distressed the poster board intentionally. I felt like it was trying to be a more formal piece of art than it really was, so I roughed it up and made it look more casual, more "rock n roll."