I’ve come up with some new(ish) things the last couple weeks. I’ve continued to draw and paint on new surfaces, including wood, vinyl, floppy disks, ect. Although some are for sale, the majority of the work I’ve done lately has ended up on the streets of Philadelphia. I’ve revisited the theme of saints, which has been a favorite of mine. Each drawing is done with oil markers, as well as copic markers. They are then installed throughout the city.
They are up all over the city, some prominent, others hidden out of sight. Philly has a very active and diverse street art scene, and it’s share of devoted fans who document it. For a sample of what Philly offers check out Elgrba and DDay521‘s Instagram feeds for a taste.
photo by @elgrba
photo by @elgrba
photo by @leahcreation
dino install with Old Broads. Photo by @old_broads
I’ve got 2 larger ones I’ve done for sale via my shop. I’ll be doing more large pieces in the near future as well
St. Nicholas-mixed media on encaustic boardSt. Patrick- mixed media on encaustic board.
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…
I admit it, I’ve been horrible at updating my site. Although I’ve been creating new work, you wouldn’t think so by looking at this site (to be honest, I’m way better at updating my Facebook page and Instagram.) As the holidays approached, it seemed prudent to finally get motivated and post some new art up for sale on my Etsy, as well as share what I’ve been up to. I’ve been working on various series, ADD style. Some will continue into the spring, others won’t. But they are all up for grabs, and by using code FESTIVUS15, you can get 15% off! As usual, all orders ship with stickers and whatnot.
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!
2013 started off on a roll (pardon the pun). I had been previously making some simple block prints (mainly examples that I’d use in class) which I’d make stickers out of, but I hadn’t really worked seriously with lino blocks since college.
Older blocks from 2012Stickers
Getting some new blades motivated me to work detailed again. My first couple prints were more studies than anything, making block print versions of several drawings/paintings I had done previously.
More blocks are upcoming, And these are all currently available through Etsy!
I’ve updated my Etsy shop with a ton of new prints, etchings, drawings, and paintings! I’ll be adding more in the coming weeks, as well as offering some special sales these coming weekends, so stay tuned!
In celebration of a week off work (go spring break!), and the subsequent artwork that will result from said time off, I’m offering 25% off everything in my Etsy shop. Use code 25OFF at the checkout and fill your walls with skulls and dinosaurs!
I’ve added 10 new stenciled canvases to my Esty Shop! These paintings have been selling fast, but I’ve still got a few left. Check out my shop for 15+ paintings/prints for under $20! For a limited time, you can get free shipping if you use the code NOSHIP!
The Esty shop is filling up with artwork, just in time for the holidays. I’ve got 20+ original paintings and drawings available, as well as more to come. Stay tuned for updates.
Josean Rivera 