The social network will bring independance to the guillotine

 

  Dependency is the standard nowadays. Utterly enforced by the social network. Individuality is now made up of a hodge-podge of re-posts and recycled clippings of other peers lives. Making art has become as simple as re-cropping an under appreciated work, and as hard as emerging outside of the multimedia mass production monstrosity. 

  In order to catch onto things which others like, make things that are like them? How are we in our flooded generation supposed to discover new works when everything is so well known by the time its spectrum reaches us? There is more originality in antiquity then there is in the majority of our heads. The herd keeps scratching at the gate only to return to the center of the masses with a scrap of grass from the other side. 

  I feel estranged on the days that im overwhelmed by these faithless notions. Pushing out of the box has been and is my goal, the shame is that the more independant a notion is, the less publicized it will be. Production isn't the solution, branding is. Make an interesting market, appeal to the desires of the masses, seem cool. You don't actually have to produce anything... I want to go back in time. 

  This post is at first glance, revolting from Timindustry's optimistic brand... However, sincerity is a crucial part of succesful business. I have a fear in the conformity of social branding, and its hinderence on individuality. This fear leads Timindustry. Individuality in art. Not mass production, not neccesarily what the masses would want. But honest handmade goods, whatever media is inspiring. Without tagging onto the back of whatever is #trending. 

  I hope this spring roots new seedlings into fruition, and the dead leaves of last year fall as nutrition into the soil.

  Cheers.

http://bit.ly/NseiXw for more beautiful decayed cars reclaimed by nature!

Most succesful paintings

  Today I'm posting four of my most highly reviewed paintings! They range from High School to College, Two of them are my recreations of famous paintings (A method which I feel greatly strengthens my style), and two of them are of my own creation. Enjoy!

  First off, as I prefer to paint surrealism This Is my favorite of my work. This painting was my first finished succesful attempt at nightmarish surrealism.

  This painting was done at a very difficult time in my life, after losing my oldest brother, and grandfather. I was in a deep depression and persistantly daydreaming about things falling apart. This painting greatly helped me get it off my chest, and out of my head. 

 

 Things Falling Apart, 2010. Oil on masonite, 3'x4.5'

  Next up, Carravaggio's Judith. I was assigned in college to do a remake of a famous painting from the renaissance era. This one stood alone to me as the perfect choice. Often times my paintings are dark and violent- So this lined up. The resolution and level of detail in Carravaggio's work is astounding and I took every consideration in accuratly depicting it.

 

Carravaggio's Judith Betrays Holofernes, 2011. Recreation - Oil on illustration board, 18"x22"

  Another recreation, originally by Norman Rockwell, was commissioned by a Teacher of mine while I was in High School. She approached me to donate a remake of this painting, in exchange for an automatic A in her class, and free range to work in the art room rather than sitting in her lecture.

  I spent 2 months painting the wall alone! My principal requested that I raise the graffiti on the wall so the racist "Nigger" would be less overpowering in the classroom. I agreed, but felt the text must at least partially stay, as the painting depicts the first Black student to go to a white school during the civil rights movement.

 

 Rockwell's The Problem We all Live With, 2007. Recreation - Acrylic on masonite. 4"x5"

 Lastly, my most recent work. I focused on broken homes for awhile, and this painting represents a family who has abandoned all interest in eachother. They are postcard modeling in front of Disney's castle. In the happiest place in the world they wear the most sullen disinterested faces they own. 

  The viewer can choose whether the photo was taken by an equally broken mother, a requested patron, or more likely, a Disney photographer who goes around taking pictures of happy families. 

  For this painting I used my friends as models, and told them to look at me like I was auditing them. (Easter egg bonus, The model who played the kid is also the citizen with his ribs exploding in The Downward Spiral.)

 The Most Interesting Place in the World, 2012. Oil on illustration board. 18"x22"

Hope you all enjoy them, Cheers!

Surrealistic Overload in Dreams

  My dreams are often so far fetched that I cant recall much from them,  However the reoccurring events as well as things that happen moments before I get jolted into waking up leave me with eery surrealistic images.

  I feel that this is why I love surrealistic painting over any other style. It has always seemed so powerful to me, the notion that a viewer can sit in front of a piece for hours and never have a clue as to what its definition is. The artist has utter control of the world created.

  Via this, dreamscapes are prime real estate for surrealism. While my dreams dwell on mobs of creatures and ever climbable dilapidated houses, I have woke many nights to the creepiest creatures whom I cannot reimagine in daily moments. 

  I figured I would take this weeks blog to show some interesting digital paintings I recently found. These show my style of surrealism through other artists eyes. I feel that some of the current work being made in this field is exquisite! Yes, some is overly fantastical, but for me, the darker, drearier paintings capture rich raw unfiltered emotion. Hope you enjoy! 

-all images downloaded from digitalartgallery.com http://bit.ly/1g8PyeB

Timindustry Lava Lamps; a summary of preliminary motivation.

 

  So! I have been considering adding lava lamps to my lamp making repertoire lately! As a lava lamp enthusiast, I have owned several. However, more recently I came into purchasing a very unique, yet recalled variation. It was a black wax and orange liquid lamp, which inspired the steampunk side of me.

  This lamp failed to flow however, and resulted in a return. My distaste for this recall resulted in me considering other alternatives. So, the problem solver I strive to be, I researched alternatives to buying normal bland lamps.

  I found that dyeing lava lamps is actually quite easy, so I looked into buying interesting lava immersed in clear liquid. - Then dyeing the liquid the orange I desired.

  The result was glorious! However, now having my own customized lamp, I have come to find a desire to customize the container for it as well... I sit here gazing at my neon orange wax, submerged in a violet liquid (the light tinting thru the green wax turns the violet water orange. #colorwheel) - I wonder, how much more interesting this lamp could be if the stand was of a steampunk, or fine metal origin instead of simple plastic?

  After some research, I have come to embrace the idea of making a custom lava lamp, and since have started to investigate options of making my own lamp. (rather than purchasing, and altering a prefabricated product.) I am intrigued by DIY options for crafting unique lamps, and now plan to fashion my own custom variation of these designs.

  My goal: Produce a series of custom Timindustry Lava lamps, designed to suite steampunk, and jewelry enthusiasts alike, who are interested in owning a one of a kind, handmade alternative to the mass produced option.

  I am interested in making unique jar style containers with steel and brass fittings, and a vintage style semi revealed bulb. I will limit my colors to match my branding, and focus on the fixture rather than the lava. I want these lamps to stand alone as appealing whether the lamp is on or not! Any advice is encouraged, cheers to experimentation! The root of all design!

Being a Jeweler on Valentine’s Day

When I primarily worked in Illustration, Valentine’s Day for me was similar to most guys. However now that I focus on making jewelry, valentines has become a hotspot for crafting commissions! Furthermore, the piece I craft for my own relationship took a few (enjoyable) days.

  I make work in several price ranges, from $20 charm necklaces; to $200 silver set stone charms. This most recent holiday I crafted a unique cut quartz style stone for my significant other.  Set in 16ga. Sterling silver, with a pewter collar and stainless steel chain.

  Alongside that, my locket style necklaces earned several sales. Ranging in different interior options, the customization makes these necklaces a hot and convenient seller. 

  Nowadays I get approached by return costumers every year around V-Day who are interested in a one-of-a-kind piece to give to their sweethearts. And I’ve got to say, I love it! I get to fashion my own gift for my date, and my smaller sellers more than make up for the material cost. 

  I learned this semester however, that as social media increases my network- I need to start dedicating more time to the holiday! Last week involved a few 12 hour work days, and a skipped class just to meet orders.

   I feel like next year I’ll be pre fabricating a set list of jewelry to post for sale, and limiting my last minute side commissions- especially the ones which need to be shipped! Either way, I survived this V-Day, and learned more about next years preparations!

The Bent ply-shelf in a nutshell (rather, walnut veneer)

  As with any crafts project, I started off with a goal of making a specific item, and expanded it after ideation. The opportunities that come with vacuum-forming and mold making allow for mass production on a very convenient scale. Because of this, I wanted to focus on a small piece of furniture, such as a lampshade, flowerpot, or shelf. 

  The shelf was the all-around most self-reliant out of these choices. The Design I chose was based off of paper in a typewriter. Wrapping around spools and bars from point A to point B. This design was not the most simplistic, as it required multiple people to pin down. The five curves asked a lot for one form, however with enough hands it worked out.

  As far as production goes- I started by making a quarter scale model, to allow any issues to be resolved. After modeling, the full-scale mold was created using half inch MDF, spaced out with ribs, and surfaced with two quarter-inch sheets of bending birch.  The mold would hold up under the pressure of the vacuum, and allow me to pull as many shelves as I desire.

  Now for the appealing part. To make a shelf, I took four 1/8^th” sheets of bending birch cut to length, and rolled urethane glue on the inside joining faces. With my mold in the bag, I set these four layers inside, and with assistance lined them up with the mold. Turning on the vacuum, we had 2 minutes to assure the form was tight, and the bag did the rest. The glue would dry, forcing the bent layers to remain.

  Of course, after removing the fresh shelf from the mold, It had to be refined, gaps filled, sides cut with a ban saw, sanded, (optionally veneered) and drilled for hardware bracketing. The best part? Start to finish each shelf takes less than 4 hours of work! (Plus 3 hours of watching glue dry)

   If you are interested in more, or in ordering a shelf for yourself, either leave a comment here, or contact me on my Facebook page! http://bit.ly/19P5sh2