Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Dexter Elliot Vega




R.I.P.
7/7/08- 8/5/09

Dexter- if there is a heaven I imagine there won't be any inter-species language barriers, so you just keep on talking and talking and talking. I miss you already.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

New Mosaic sign





Here are some pics of the sign installation I have been commissioned for the recording studio of Joey Altruda. The studio is called simply, Joey's Place and is located on Melrose Ave in Hollywood, CA. It is a very interesting place to step into as it has been running continuously as a studio since 1936. Joey has done a great job maintaining a truly historic look and feel of the space while providing a top notch digital and analog facility for musicians. The original design of the business had the signs over the front doors, but for practical purposes, the main entry has bee moved to the backdoor next to the parking lot. While this makes much more sense for loading musicians' equipment in and out, it had no presence as the entrance of a business, so we have started to change that.

My intention was to create a sign that incorporates the personalities of everyone involved in the studio, and a vintage feel. I wanted to give the impression that this sign could have been there all along. I chose atomic era inspired lettering and used colors that are found in the bricks and concrete on the building itself, with some contrasting bits of bright colors just for fun.

When complete, there will not only be the descriptive sign in the middle over the door, but also two panels running up the bricks on both sides of the doors. I will post pics of those as soon as they are installed.

So far, this project has been a lot of fun to do and the response has already been overwhelmingly positive.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

My First Etsy Treasury!


I just found out that I have made it into my very first Etsy Treasury!
What is this you ask? Well, it is a curated showcase of items for sale put together by other sellers or etsy staff. These are usually grouped by some common thread (such as color, material, or image), a play on words, or just because the person likes what they see. I got my little honey pot included in this one! Yay!
Click here to see it while it is still active

Sunday, March 8, 2009

"Dirt on Delight: Impulses that Form Clay" at the University of Pennsylvania's ICA




Clay is a base material. From potsherds to porcelain fixtures, clay is synonymous with the building of industries and cultures. At the same time , its very materiality—its tactile malleability, earthen sensuousness, and humidity—make it the medium of more elemental associations and expressions. The immediacy with which clay allows one to build form and create ornament underlies its appeal—especially in relation to current modes that seem to take fabrication increasingly out of artists' hands.


Ranging from modestly scaled pots to figurines to large sculptures, these objects cross a spectrum of conventional delineations among fine art, craft, and outsider practices. Collectively they suggest that clay appeals to basic impulses, starting with the delight of building form, coupled with the anxiety of completion. All of the works in the exhibition appear to be in some state of flux or growth.

"Dirt on Delight will be running January 16 - June 21, 2009 and is featuring significant work in clay by 22 artists spanning four generations. The artists include the current generation (Nicole Cherubini, Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Jeffry Mitchell, Sterling Ruby, and Paul Swenbeck), artists who emerged during the 1990s (Ann Agee, Kathy Butterly, Jane Irish, Arlene Shechet, and Beverly Semmes), those who established clay as a critical material during the 1960s and 1970s (Robert Arneson, Viola Frey, Ron Nagle, Ken Price, Adrian Saxe, Beatrice Wood and Betty Woodman), and historic and outsider figures (Lucio Fontana, Peter Voulkos, and Rudolf Staffel, as well as George Ohr and Eugene Von Bruenchenhein).

Visit the ICA's website for more information

Monday, February 2, 2009

New Ceramic Pendants



I just got the first batch of my new pendants out of the kiln. Here are a couple not so great photos- but hopefully you get the idea. I am really excited about these, they have gotten even more asymetrical, I've developed the patterning and I think I've made it more interactive than before, and I've not only got new colors but new color combinations. In the next few weeks I'll be putting them together with silver and cords, maybe even some pearls and beads. I'll post some pics as soon as they are finished, but feel free to place your orders early! ;^)