Meanwhile in Bordeaux, France...

Beck art print on the wall of French journalist, Pierrick Falmon.

Guess who's illustrating his graphic novel?

-Lexi

PS: Blog remodel coming soon.

Tuesday Inspiro

I love Cartoonists.

 No matter how much I will dabble in realism or other styles of artwork as I get older, cartooning is something that will always be very dear to me.

I remember when I got my first cartooning instruction book when I was five. It was from a dollar store, and I also got a purple leapord-print steno book to be my "sketchbook". I filled that thing cover to cover as I copied the pages of the instruction book, and, eventually, moved on to creating my own characters. {Some of which are still my dear friends to this day}

 Other art has so many rules --whether it be intentionally or not-- but with cartooning it can be as simple or as complex as you want. And, to me, that's very reassuring. No matter how bad I am at painting or drawing realistically, there will always be the tiny cartooning gnome in the back of my mind picketing for me to  illustrate something. Really, it makes me happy.

Melissa Mendes is a cartoonist that I will constantly keep coming back to. Her comics are what cartooning is all about: simplicity, nostalgia, and cathartics. It's honest and straightforward, something I can really connect to. HER COMIC FREDDY IS BASICALLY LIKE THE BEST FRIEND I NEVER HAD AS A CHILD. Like Melissa, I find myself pulling experiences from my own childhood into my own work constantly.

By Melissa Mendes

Plus, not only is her work awesome, but she's married to a cartoonist too! They are adorable and spend their days making artwork and being in love. That's only my unrealistic lifetime goal.

Do the art that YOU want to do. Just create something. The End.

-Lexi

Hip-hip-hoorah!

I finally got my online store up and running! Isn't that exciting? Be sure to check the shoppe frequently, because I will be trying to put new items up every few weeks. Also, I apologize for not keeping this blog as up to date as I would like. I have many-a-post about many-an-adventure in the works. {adventures that may have happened a substantial amount of time ago..}

BUT JUST IN CASE you missed my annual German-people-partying GIF in honor of ringing in the new year, I have eversothoughtfully found one especially for my dear readers.

Dancing Hipser Germans are the best Hipster Germans.

xo-Lexi

Nichola practice sketch

I'm working on a giant {like 5 feet tall} piece of my darling friend, Nickey, for some shows in the spring. Here's the practice sketch.

-Lexi

Andrew

(click to zoom)

What you've all been waiting for.

The folks over at Odeus skate (!!) asked me to design the cover for their newest skate film, Tilt. I pretty much had free reigns over the entire project, and I'm happy to say that after 20+ hours of work, I finally finished it.

{Hint: clickity to see the whole thing.}

Ballpoint pen {red and black}, acrylic, watercolor.

My lovely friends let me position them in awkward and potentially misinterpreted ways, which resulted in this. No, my friends are not slaves. No, this will not be considered as manual labor. {just don't ask to see the sweatshop in the back room.}

Because I am an ardist, and I have ultimate authority over every situation, I only allow males named Andrew to model for me. I am always in charge, and people always do what I tell them. Always. That's just how it is.

*ACTUAL SCENARIO*

Me:  "Hey...um....Andrew...? Will you...like...um...pretend to look like you just got..um... punched in the face...For me?"

Andrew #1: begrudgingly, "Yeah. I guess. Whatever. Are you paying me for this?"

Me: "Paying you....with... love?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Me: "Hey...um....Andrew...? Can I.... take a picture of your... legs?"

Andrew {Not Beck}#2: "Wait....what?!"

{I PROMISE I DON'T HAVE ULTERIOR MOTIVES.}

The face is Andrew's.  The pants are other Andrew's {Not Beck's}. I'll be posting close-ups of the front soon. Because it's the kewl thing to do. And so you can witness the paisley-blood-y glory in full splendor.  The blood is not real.

The film premieres next Friday at the Inferno Cantina in SLC.

Did I mention that my IDOL MIKE MURDOCK {see sidebar} WILL BE THERE?!?! And did I also mention that it is presented by SLUG!? MY DREAMS?!?

Oh Yeah.

It's no big deal.

xo-Lex

Letter

I have a best friend. Named KC. On an LDS mission. His companion-sir-fellow sent me a letter which I received in the mail today. That calligraphy is all done by hand. Yum.


-Lexi

Jamo

I did this piece especially for the Art at the Post 2 gallery I was in earlier this month. I started it on a Tuesday and finished it on a Thursday morning {IE: 1:30 in the morning.} which was really cutting it down to the wire for me because I am used to working at a leisurely pace. My poor family had to put up with me.

My cousin Jamo, who is in this killer Metal band called Reverence, agreed to model for me. He's pretty much a pro at the whole "angry-as-cuss-drummer-in-a-metal-band" look. What a champ. Due to my lack of photography skills, it looks not as good as it does in real life and bleh bleh bleh.

Also, I just found out that Weird Al is going to be at the state fair this year. Sweet gilligans.

-Lex

Summerfest 2011

This August 4-6th, I was lucky to have a booth at Bountiful Summerfest, a cultural and artistic festival, with my three friends Gavin, Satcie, and Bobby.

Although I didn't quite make back all the money I spent on summerfest, it was still a great experience. Here are some of our adventures (aka, boredom.) THE BOOTH in all of its' shining glory.

Bobby's trippy prints.

Stacie and I's side of the booth. {AKA the better looking side.}

Stacie's beautiful jars.

My little section of the booth.

Army wife {still available} , Matrioshka {sold} and antlered man boxes {still available}. Above the boxes are also handmade sketchbooks with some prints on the covers. I still have a ton of those left, so if you are interested in purchasing anything, they will probably be on my etsy shop soon. When I get an etsy shop.

Haindpainted and inked woodsman box. SOLD. Matrioshka box, haidpainted and inked. SOLD! But I plan on making more of these.

Gavin's mohawk monster.

We were lucky to have Stacie's nephew Max visit our booth for a few hours. Of course, being submitted to the heat for several days at this point and being too poor to purchase the overpriced food, we were beginning to enter the dillusional coma induced by heat and exhaustion. Max was the only entertainment we had for a long time, so we decided it was a good idea to put things on his head and take pictures.

This is when we stuck wool on Max's head. Max looks like Gene Wilder.

Max escaping the scene as well as his Gene Wilder hairdo.

Max attempting to steal my camera.

Max with a turban on his head.

Max with a doily on his head.

Jimsta and Bobby. I HAVE FRIENDS!!!

Bean tree.

Stacie's stuff.

Stacie's beautiful wares. Just look at those needlefelted animals. Gorgeous.

A jorb well done! {Partially in dillusional coma.} [still not entirely sure how Pat got in there.] Pretend we made lots of money.

My dearest cousin, Lukey Pookey in his booth that he got for winning the emerging artist award for that gallery I did a few months back. {I took this picture at a specific angle to protect his identity.}

Stacie, Bobby, and Corrin's arm. We celebrated the end of summerfest at Pat's house with play-doh ice cream.

Shea and Pat are best friends. Really. You might not be able to tell by this picture, but they really are.

Bobby and Cooper. Looking like a celebrity couple.

I have super talented friends.

-Lex

Beck Underpainting.

I decided to see my improvement in both drawing realistically and watercoloring, I would do a yearly portrait of Beck. {semi-yearly? One during summer vacay, one during winter break?} Here's the underpainting which I finished yesterday at work. Some guy came and ate a philly at my farmer's market information table {not a Beck reference.} and he was like "Oh, wow. That's a really good drawing of Beck." People never recognize or know Beck when I am drawing him. You go, man. I hope your Philly Cheesesteak didn't clog your arteries for your kind comment.

-Lexi

PS: TEH CHICKENZ COME NEXT WEEK!!!!

Art at the post TWO

I'm in it. If you are in the Salt lake area, you should come. Proceeds go to Salt Lake Bike Collective.

-lex

The Can Jam.

I was recently asked to do the promotional posters for an upcoming Utah Food Bank benefit concert. Are you ready for a post about my artiztick procezz? Here goes.... starting with the original pen sketch.
Levels adjustment and a bit of erasing.
Added some textures after coloring faceless man and his gee-tar {west side story reference... anyone? Bueller?}
Below is my favorite stage of the process... I loved the outcome of the completed digital painting.... I wish I could have kept it that way before adding the text!

And finally....Woo!! Weeks of hard work finally completed! It feels dang good too, kids. Come if you are in the area!!!

-Lex

Danger Button

Local band, Danger Button, recently asked me if I would design a logo/ t-shirts for them. Here's what I came up with, though I'm still working on a few others until they settle on one they like the best.

The logo pre-scanning and photoshop is below. Nothing but pen and pencil.
The logo post levels adjustment, lens flare, a few touch-ups on the tablet, and a bit of coloring.

Now here's the logo post levels, lens flare, coloring, and filter.

{To be completely honest, I really have no idea what I'm doing or how to properly use photoshop.}

{SOMEDAY I WILL BE PRO... JUST YOU WAIT.}

-Lex

My feelings towards Girls' Camp...

I hate Girls' Camp. My mother {as of yesterday morning} is forcing me to go this year. That means tomorrow. So, I had a little fun and drew on my camp list. Here's a close-up of the picture I drew of my attempted suicide.
Just look at that entry wound! Ka-chow! And now, the photo-shopped version.

I dig the lack of detail. You know what else I dig? My brain. Which, in this picture, is becoming decapitated.

Have a good week, kids. And enjoy this song and music video. {PS: I LOVE VIMEO}

Sea Change "Little One" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

-Lex

NOTE: I DO NOT hate my leaders, especially the ever-wonderful Wendy and Karla, but I hate the idea of camp and camp itself.

KC Mckay

My dearest KC Mckay. Graphite and white Prismacolor on newsprint. I apologize for the glare on this one. Newsprint tends to have a sheen to it, and the graphite on top of that just equals disaster. Also, the paper ripples and yellows super easily. So, as a lesson to you all, don't do drawings on newsprint. I wish I didn't like the smoothness so much... Also, I'm doing a watercolor/pen project using this same picture. Really, this picture just started out as practice for the painting....

KC did a gorgeous oil painting of me, and this was sort of a thank you/ I'm seriously going to miss you on your mission gift. I'll put pictures of the oil painting up soon. Love ya, Kace.

-Lexi

Beautiful People

This is my friend Bobby. He let me borrow his manual focus camera one day during school. Needless to say, we had fun. Bobby looks like a sailor.

THE LIPS!!!!!
Bobby's serious artist face.

I'm drawing this. Or painting it. Either way, it is the best photograph of him ever.

KyRea is gorgeous.

Reflected light= wonderful.

Once again... THE LIPS!!!

KC may or may not be glaring at me in this picture.

Drawing this one right now. Then doing a watercolor.

These three have kept me sane this year. I'm trying not to think about the fact that they are leaving me next week. They are three of the best artists and friends someone could ever have. I'm very grateful for them and all that they do for me.

It's difficult when all of your friends {minus a small handful} are seniors. You've influenced me and helped me grow so much over the past year....all of you. You have changed me for the better, and I'm so crazy blessed to have you all in my lives. Now, you all get to go on to bigger and better things. Have fun. Take care. Look up.

I love all of you beautiful people.

{P.S: Soon all of these photographs will be art.}

x-Lexi