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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 recently finished up my latest series, 15 show posters for the band Phish’s summer tour. I done posters for past shows, but only a handful (aside from my illustrated setlists for every show). I wanted a bit of a challenge, and wanted every poster to have a common theme. I also wanted to get back to drawing figures, as well as working with micron pens. Using the obvious fishing theme, I used the state fish of each venue (as well as fish found in the area for multiple shows in the same state.) Some of figures used were actual Phish fans who submitted pictures!
All the posters are available at www.phishart.com. I also have a couple “unphished” versions available in my Etsy shop.
My new blog is up and running. I’ll be featuring many of these sketches based off songs, exclusively on this site. As I draw more, I’d like to feature prints based off of albums or show setlists. I have actually done a series of stickers based off of Junta, most of which ended up on the streets of Philly. For a bit, you could track the album down by walking around Old City. A few still remain, but most have been taken/ torn off. So if you like nonsensical drawing based off songs written by a nonsensical fan, be sure to follow! phishart.wordpress.com
Its that time of year once again! Phish tour 2014 is fast approaching, and with school ending soon, I’m finding more time to create some stuff for the summer. With 2 nights at the Mann Center, it seemed fitting to create a poster for this show. With the city skyline visible from the venue, and a zoo within walking distance, it only seemed fitting to use a Slave to the Traffic Light reference. 
The print is a 6 layer stencil (no registration- I had to line these up by hand) and spray paint on braille paper. They measure 8.5×11 (fits in a document frame.) Each one has a different sunset, and different colored lettering. I also have 2 available with smaller lettering on the top right corner. I will be doing a total edition of 50 of these, 10 will be available through etsy (Find the rest on the lot!) I can take request for specific colors, with small or large lettering, or no lettering at all until print all 50.
As I’m sure there are plenty of fans of my work that aren’t Phish fans, I’ll be working on a site to focus on that work. First couple posts will be reposts from here, but I’ll quickly be adding new sketches and drawings, as well as original works and prints for sale. More details to come!
Spring time is here, which means that lots of things will be happening artwise for me. First is my spring sale on my Etsy site. I’m in need of space in my apartment for new work, and will happily sell some work at a decent price to accomplish that. So from now until April 25th, you can use the coupon code SPRINGBREAK to receive 25% off anything in my shop. I’ve also put up listings that had previously expired (many etchings!), so you can can take full advantage of this offer. 69 (more soon) prints, paintings, etchings, and drawings to choose from. 
In Phish related news, I’ve been hard at work on stuff to sell this summer. With my wedding in August, this will be a slim year show-wise. I’ll be at the Mann Center in Philadelphia (huzzah! 20 minutes from my house) for their 2 night run July 8th and 9th and Merriweather Post Pavillion in Maryland on July 26th and 27th. Sadly I won’t be making it to SPAC ($$$), but I won’t discount a possible night at Randall’s Island.
I’ll have some new antelopes to sell, including some Philly related ones.
I’m on the fence whether I want to offer these as prints or just try to sell the originals at the lots. They are currently available on my Etsy shop, but I’ll be making more if they sell out for this summer.
Sketch for a possible Mann Center Poster. It’s very fitting, since the Mann is right next to the Philadelphia Zoo. I Actually looked up every Phish song that was named after an animal and drew a map showing where you can find them at the Philly Zoo. Sadly there are no ocelots or llamas there…
More to come soon!
I’ve just finished (and have available for sale) the first four illustrations in the Gamehendge suite I’m currently working on. Inspired by a couple songs by the band Phish, Gamehendge was originally guitarist Trey Anastasio’s senior thesis at Goddard College. Originally called The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday (TMWSIY), it is a collection of songs that tell the story of a retired colonel who is transported to the land of Gamehendge and rescues a document called the Helping Friendly Book from an evil dictator named Wilson. I have been planning to work on a visual form of it (originally as a graphic novel) for a couple years. I have illustrated the song Esther as a series of block prints in college, and created 2 stenciled prints last summer. There are quite a few songs in the saga; 8 in TMTSIY, as well as some additions they released later. I hope to illustrate these, as well as the narration that accompanied the original thesis in the months to come. I’ll be offering prints for sale, and maybe a book of the complete series, along with visual interpretations of other Phish songs.
Divided Sky- watercolor and acyrlic 8.5×11
A chant performed by the Lizards, the race of people who inhabit Gamehendge and are dependent on the writings of the Helping Friendly Book for their survival. They would stand on the edge of a rhombus and shout to the sky, praising Icculus, the Supreme God of the Sky and author of the Helping Friendly Book.
Rutherford the Brave- watercolor, ink, and acrylic. 8.5×11
Rutherford the Brave is the head knight of the Lizards who leads a team of allies to help overthrow Wilson, a traveller who arrives in Gamehendge and eventually captures the Helping Friendly Book from the Lizards and locks it in the top of his castle, thus becoming the sole ruler of Gamehendge. He appears in the song “Lizards”, telling the retired colonel (Col. Forbin) tales about Gamehendge and the Helping Friendly Book. At one point, he attempts to lead Col. Forbin across a river while still wearing his armor, causing him to sink.
AC/DC Bag- ink, watercolor and acrylic. 8.5×11
AC/DC Bag is a robotic hangman with a bag on its head used to hang traitors and enemies of Wilson, the dictator of Gamehendge. The song “AC/DC Bag” tells the story of the execution of Mr. Palmer, Wilson’s accountant. Palmer was using Wilson’s money to secretly fund the revolution, and was therefore hanged in the town square by the AC/DC Bag, a mechanical hangman.
Fly Famous Mockingbird- ink, watercolor, acrylic
The Famous Mockingbird is a bird who is sent by Icculus to fly to the very top of Wilson’s castle and retrieve the Helping Friendly Book for Colonel Forbin, thus saving the people of Gamehendge.
I’ll be selling these at the Phish lots at Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) July 6th and 7th, as well as Merriweather Post Pavillion July 13th and 14th (Fingers crossed for Holmdel, NJ July 10th). I also have them on sale on Etsy, with a special deal if you buy all 3! Stay tuned for Series II, coming sometime in July!
Josean Rivera 