Category: Art
My interpretation of this year so far. 13×19 print of a 9×12 ink and watercolor illustration I made. As an art teacher attempting to distance teach from home, and a live music fan who will not see any concerts, this image encapsulates how I feel about the whole situation.
This was one of several images that I had planned to use as a Phish summer tour lot print. I had originally started this image several years ago, but set it aside for other things and never finished. I had found it recently in my studio and decided to complete it. Ironically, I had finished it shortly before Covid, and as things got worse, it more accurately described how I viewed the year so far.
I have prints available in my shop now: Joseen215.etsy.com. Prints are signed and numbered, limited to an edition of 100. Printed on glossy paper (#110 cover).
I couldn’t help myself and had to create a “Summer Tour 2020” version. Regardless of what concerts people had planned to go to, this image summed it up.
I created a 8×10 print version (doubted people would want a larger size). With an edition of 100, I figured I’d end up giving most away, but it seems a lot of folks could relate! The first edition sold out in less than 24 hours, with many more request for it. I recently created a variant lime green edition, with a much larger edition to ensure more people can grab one. They are currently for sale in my other Etsy shop: Joseeen.etsy.com. All prints ship with free stickers and postcards!
“..So don’t worry about falling..”
One of my first art prints in a while! Worms in a wormhole? Sure, why not! I had originally planned to use this as a phan print for Phish summer tour, choosing this image due to the net imagery, which reminds me of the song “Mercury”. I’m also a big fan of space related things, especially worm holes and black holes. The pink “worm” is actually inspired by a diagram of what a worm hole might look like!
Prints are available in my shop now!
Signed and numbered edition of 50, printed on 13×19 high quality glossy paper (110# cover) and based off an ink and watercolor illustration that was then digitally arranged.
This image was original created as a hand drawn sticker which found itself up somewhere in Philly years ago.
I’ll be releasing more prints inspired by old sketches, sticker art, drawings a I’ve done in the past. Be sure to follow my FB, Instagram, or Twitter for updates!
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Shop’s Open!
I recently reopened my shop, updating it with some older work, some unreleased stuff, and some new work! I had originally opened it as my Phish and Grateful dead started to take over my original shop, Joseeen.etsy.com . I wanted a shop for those who may not be fans, not having to scroll through art they wouldn’t have interest in. Over the years my main shop took over my life, along with working as an art teacher! Now, as a distance learning teacher, I find myself in my studio most of the day, so it seemed logical to go through and find work I had forgotten about. I went ahead and updated my shop, added new items such as shirts, and just released my first art print in a while! I’ll be adding more stuff, such as etchings and previously unreleased linocuts. I’ll also be adding some new prints I’ve been working on
www.joseeen215.etsy.com
Follow my FB, Instagram, or Twitter for updates
on since January. Be sure to check it out! http://www.joseeen215.etsy.com
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The Dürer Series
Hey folks! It’s been a while since I’ve last posted here, most of my efforts going towards my other page www.phishart.net . However, in the current times we are in I’ve had a lot of free time, so I wanted to share how I spent my last year artwise!
2019 started with my largest block print to date, 12×18. Inspired by the Albrecht Dürer‘s Four Horsemen print, I made it for Phish’s first shows of the year. Between then and that summer I researched a lot of Dürer’s work and saw the potential of making a cohesive series for Phish’s summer tour. Each print is inspired by a Dürer print chosen for fitting in with a song or lyric, as well as “relevance” to where they were playing. I’d redraw the image, but changing it in ways to fit my vision. They were later transferred onto an 11×14 block, hand printed using oil based ink in editions of 30, along with smaller color variant editions. Working continuously from February til December, I ended up doing a total of 15 of these (13 for summer tour, 1 for fall tour, and 1 for the MSG NYE run)
Most prints are still available in my shop: www.joseeen.etsy.com
Click on any image below to see the full post with the story behind the print, variants, and work in progress pics:
2020 has been a strange year artistically. The back and hand pain that comes with hand printing linocuts has forced me to take a printmaking break, and go back to ink, watercolor, and paint. With the impending cancellation of this year’s Summer Tour, most of the images I made may be released as art prints. I had chosen this year to forgo a common theme, so each print I was doing worked on it’s own, most inspired by sketches, stickers, or drawing I’ve drawn in the past but never did anything with. Stay tuned for new work on the way!
I’ve had a busy year so far (although I haven’t posted enough here!) Since the beginning of this year, I have been working on a series of posters for Phish’s summer, and eventually their fall tour. The series is inspired by vintage sci-fi and monster movie posters, inspired by Phish songs, lyrics, as well as where the shows were taking place. Since the tour dates this year were announced early, I had plenty of time to research and find the right theme. I was drawn to the vintage posters, finding many I wanted to recreate. I didn’t realize at the time, but the ones I choose were often illustrated by Reynold Brown as well as Albert Kallis. I recreated the posters as ink and watercolor illustrations, trying to make them as similar to the originals. As I became more comfortable recreating the style, I took more liberties with the images. The posters were created in segments, which were then scanned and digitally put together to create the final poster. I had planned to only to do a summer tour series, but the feedback and requests inspired me to also continue the series for the fall tour. I will create one more for the New Years Eve run at Madison Square Garden, and then the series will come to an end. All prints are available in my shop, www.joseeen.esty.com. They are 13×19 prints on cardstock, signed and limited to an edition of 150.
Summer Tour
Click on the thumbnails for more info/ work in progress pics:
Fall Tour
Click on the thumbnails for more info/ work in progress pics
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Cats Down Under the Stars
I recently finished my latest Dead inspired print, Cats Down Under the Stars. It is based off the song by Jerry Garcia Band, as well as the art of the album by the same name. The original was watercolor and ink, and printed on 13×19 thick glossy cardstock and limited to an edition of 50.
Prints are available in my shop , and I’m currently running a 20% off sale in my shop from 2/11 til 2/18, no coupon necessary!
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Grateful Bears
I recently finished up these two linocuts, inspired by the Grateful Dead Bears. They were originally sketches for a Splintered Sunlight poster I worked on a couple months ago, but I put them aside and forgot about the until recently. I have been working mainly with linocuts this year, and was eager to find something new to carve. The first bear is a mashup between a bear and the skull and roses image (aka Bertha), and the second is an accurate bear skull. I’ve also be trying out new printmaking techniques, so the Bertha Bear is a 3 color reduction print, and I plan to do some handcolored versions of the other bear. I currently have a small edition of both (or as a set) in my shop.
I’m also currently working on a shop that focuses on my printmaking work. It’s a work in progess, so more items are being added constantly, both old and current prints.
Categories
Cumberland Blues
I recently finished up this linocut inspired by the song “Cumberland Blues” by the Grateful Dead. My largest print to date (12×18), this was quite a challenge since I was using a soft cut linoblock, which has the tendency to move when lots of pressure is applied. The print came out better than expected, and I ended up making 2 variations.
The regular edition was printed on 14.5×22 90lb cream paper and limited to an edition of 50. The variant was printed on 15×22 140lb cold pressed watercolor paper (hand colored to create a “tie-dye” effect), and limited to an edition of 25. Both are currently available in my shop: www.etsy.com/shop/joseeen
I recently finished two new illustrations, inspired by the music of the Grateful Dead.
“Cosmic Charlie” Ink, watercolor, digital.
“West L.A. Fadeaway” ink and watercolor/digital
I also created some variants of this illustrations:
Although I’ve been a fan of Grateful Dead, I had’t done much art related to them until recently. Last year I was asked to create posters for Without A Net, an all star lineup of musicians playing the music of the Dead. This led me to create a few other illustrations that took elements of my own artwork with a GD twist, which I used to create some posters for the Dead & Co. show in Philly in 2015. And most recently, I created a poster for Splintered Sunlight, an east coast Grateful Dead tribute band. I avoided illustrating songs as I do for Phish, although I had plenty of people suggesting I do. It wasn’t until Phish’s recent Nashville show, which had Bob Weir sit in for their second set. They ended up playing 4 GD songs, which of course I had to illustrate!
SET 2: Julius > Fuego > My Friend, My Friend, Samson and Delilah[2], Twist[3] > Miss You[4], West L.A. Fadeaway[4] > Playing in the Band[5]
ENCORE: Quinn the Eskimo[3]
Josean Rivera 