Two of my Ebay auctions were closed for "violent materials." Wait... what?!

Lately, I've switched from creating my own characters to painting people I've seen in pop culture. This includes Kelly Osbourne, two wackos from the horrible (yet entertaining) Teen Mom, as well as members of the Casey Anthony trial (which I'm addicted to - I'm several days behind, but I'm watching every moment of it).

Today, after waking up from a much needed nap, I went to check my current Ebay auctions only to find that Ebay removed the two paintings (and I'm working on several more) I did from the Casey Anthony trial: Casey herself and the judge in the case Belvin Perry, Jr. 

Did you know you can buy a photography of Ted Bundy, one of the best known serial killers of all time, on Ebay? That is apparently not "Violent Materials."

My paintings are not glorifying hatred, murder, or anything else... they are simply paintings of what I've seen while watching the trial. In fact, as many of my paintings do, they poke a bit of fun at something about each of them. For those of you not watching the trial, one day Casey showed up to court with half of her eyebrows completely plucked out... I knew I had to capture that. Judge Belvin Perry has this strange headrest attached to his chair. My painting has that... and nobody will know WTF it is unless they're watching.

Anyway... I'm not meaning to offend anyone. I just try to poke a little fun at things I see.

The paintings have been moved to Etsy:
Judge Belvin Perry
and Casey Anthony

Featured Artist: Charlie Alan Kraft

"Weaved into the fabric of time itself and born in the shadows Charlie Alan Kraft has become the scourge of the creative industry. His birth moved mountains but his artwork has fueled wars, toppled communism, brought equality into the workforce for women, clothed the poor, fed the hungry, empowered minorities and single handedly brought an end to the cold war."



So let's meet Charlie Alan Kraft from Portland, Oregon. Charlie has been creating art for 17 years and says, "I've been painting for so long I just paint. Some people watch football or hang out at bars and coffee shops or work in the garden or all kinds of other things. I just paint... It simply comes out of me all the time and new ideas pop out from time to time so my work is constantly changing."

"I don't purchase or own any art. I like art but I don't put it on my walls or buy it. I prefer everything in my house to be empty allowing me to create something as original as possible. Artists that I like..? unpopular unknown ones... Artists that you find by accident that you will never read about."

"Art is and has never been about what you do or how well you do it, like every other industry it is about who you know... There are so many good artists out there it's often sickening but the majority of them will get washed under the fabric of popularity because they do not know the right people."

Make sure you check out Charlie's artwork:
at Etsy
his website
and YouTube.

Featured Artist: A.L. Burke

Meet A.L. Burke. "I'm from the sticks of Southwest Virginia. I currently live in Johnson City, Tennessee where I go to school (majoring in English) and make art whenever I can."

Hey Blue Eyes by A.L. Burke

"I’ve been drawing pretty much forever, but didn’t really start working at it until I was in high school. I started painting in 2008." A.L. says she loves acrylic paint and pens, and that she used to be terrified of spiders. " I started painting them as a way of facing that fear, and I‘ve since become pretty obsessed with them."

Itsy Bitsy by A.L. Burke

A.L. opened her Etsy shop in 2010 and also takes commissions. You can contact her at burkevscience@gmail.com if you're interested.

A Dusty Old Gentleman by A.L. Burke

"I draw inspiration from pretty much everything, really. Usual suspects are ghost stories, dreams, David Lynch, nature, history, death lore, horror movies, phobias and creepy-crawlies."

No. 9 by A.L. Burke

"I have prints (and a pair of fantastic custom shoes) by LolitaAgogo, who is an amazing artist and friend. I also have a couple of collages by Dave Mahan, and some drawings by Ross Campbell, one of my favorite comic book artists"

Lovely as a Tree by A.L. Burke

Thank you to A.L. Burke for sharing a bit of herself with us! I certainly hope you'll check her out:
Worms Worms Worms (Etsy)
A Quietly Noisy Relaxed Intensity (art blog)
and Artwork by A.L. Burke

Featured Artist: Joe Havasy

Meet Joe Havasy from Athens, Georgia. "I studied art at the University of Georgia and enjoyed the town so I stayed here."

Penguinaut by Joe Havasy

"I love drawing in pencil but also like inking and using acrylic paint. I've started to get back into watercolor also..." Joe has been creating art since he was a child. "At a very young age I was encouraged that I had a different viewpoint when I drew a bird flying straight out of the paper."

Hot Doggles by Joe Havasy

Joe has two Etsy shops, his main shop Cutesturbing and an adult-oriented shop called Funparts, and has sold his art in local restaurants as well as gallery shows.

Octo-Nom by Joe Havasy

"I find inspiration in lots of my memories from childhood, mainly from reading encyclopedias and looking at nature documentaries. Mostly I just scour the internet for images. I like blogs like yimmyayo.com, creep machine, omg posters and /film.com. I read Juxtapoz sometimes too. Video games are a big inspiration of mine also like Mega Man, Mario, Street Fighter, and Zelda. I listen to tons of music while I work too. Lately it's been Metric, the Shins, Elliot Smith, Caravan Palace, Of Montreal, the new Devo album, and old Bollywood soundtracks."

Kiddy Pool Calamari?! OH NO! by Joe Havasy

"I have work by Mike Groves (darker cartoon work and pop culture), Rizzie Gallego (she does complex print related work with shrinky dinks), Matt Blanks (extremely intricate cartoon paintings), Charlie Owens (really awesome girl drawings), and Chris Hamer (Monsters!). I also collect prints through companies like Tiny Showcase and Nakatomi. WOWCH makes really cool limited edition tee-shirts too." He also has a tumblr account where he posts art that he likes.

North vs. South by Joe Havasy

Be sure to check Joe's amazing art out!
Cutesturbing
and Funparts

Featured Artist: James E. Thurman

Meet James E. Thurman. "I'm originally from Poplar Bluff, MO. but have since lived in Cape Girardeau, MO where I earned my BFA in Ceramics. Most recently my family and I have resided in Sullivan, MO, but are currently in the final stages of planning an exodus for the opportunities that await us in St. Louis." He shares a studio in his home with his wife Ashley.

The Temper by James E. Thurman

"I've been creating art since I was six years old. I would spend hours creating comic strips about my friends, family, and the everyday things I noticed. I still have these comics, which I lovingly assembled in big three ring binders. When I got a bit older I began experimenting with other mediums. My friends and I would get together and create elaborate videos, and I also picked up a paintbrush and began painting. When I started attending Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, MO I became interested in Ceramics and eventually chose this as my Major. After receiving my BFA I naturally went back to painting because I had neither the space, or money to invest in the equipment necessary to keep making ceramics pieces. During this time I met my future wife, and after a good run being that 'crazy art couple' gallery-hopping, making art videos with our friends, and showing in many different exhibitions we started creating our greatest piece of artwork of all, our son Tucker. Recently I teamed up with JHAudio and did some illustrations for them. You can find some images scattered throughout their website, but the most exciting images can be found on my Facebook page, of the walls in their new offices in LA and Florida. I really enjoy working with clay, and recently I purchased two kilns and wheel to get back into it. I look forward to finishing the ceramics pieces I'm working on and getting them listed."

Happy Thoughts by James E. Thurman

James mainly sells his work on Etsy, but has been featured in many shows over the years including a juried expedition in New York City.

Role Model by James E. Thurman

"Some of my favorite artists are my friends. Of course, my wife is one of them.  Through our own individual work we inspire each other to be better artists. I know I can always count on her for an honest opinion, whether I like it or not. She is also responsible for me joining Etsy, and she does most of the promotional work for it." He also lists Jake Wells ("Over the years we've collaborated, shown together, and had many adventures. He is one of the most dedicated artists I know and I look up to him a lot."), Jonathan B. Andrew ("The thing I admire most about his work is he never creates for anyone but himself. It's all his own, and he doesn't make any apologies for it.", and Rochelle Steffen (who "creates artwork geared towards educating people on animal abuse and donates a great deal of the proceeds from her sales to various animal rights groups.") as some of his favorite artists and lists a few Etsy shops he really enjoys: Retro Whale, Erin Tyner Photography, and SCHMETZPETZ.

Family Portrait #2 by James E. Thurman

"I have a lot of weird little quirks about me...most artists do. Probably one of the most prevalent one would be I notice the most random things. Once while driving through a parking lot I said to my wife, "was that a dollar?" and she looked at me like I was crazy. I stopped the car and sure enough, folded up real small was a dollar bill. Most people wouldn't have noticed it, but I did. As soon as I come home I like to strip down to my underwear, because I just cannot be bothered by frivolous things like clothing. I could wear flip-flops all year round, even during the cruel Missouri winters and I also have a strange affinity for bread and like to eat peanut butter sandwiches with my chili."

Blah #2 by James E. Thurman

James finds inspiration in everything around him. "...I tend to notice things and this allows me to make associations between ideas and objects that otherwise wouldn't make sense in everyday life. If something bad happens I like to take those feelings and put them in a painting, same thing if something good happens. The pieces I create while experiencing something life changing tend to be the pieces people relate to the most. From finding love to getting your heart broken, becoming a father, hating your job and struggling with money...these all create feelings that most people have felt at one time in their life or another. Knowing someone else has felt the same way and having a visual representation of that, I think, can be very comforting."

Hey There by James E, Thurman

Wow. I have to thank James for the wonderful interview. I had to do very little work editing... I also have to thank him for introducing me to some other great artists.

Rough Seas Ahead by James E. Thurman

If you like what you see, make sure you check James out:
Etsy
Back Door Gallery
Studio Visit Magazine (volume 12)
and Drawgasmic

Featured Artist: Sarah Felker

Meet Sarah Felker from Oak Park, Illinois. "I grew up about an hour from here, in Highland, Indiana, and got my BFA degree in painting from Ball State University. Currently I work at a stained glass studio, creating new custom architectural stained glass, or restoring/repairing damaged stained glass...Part of me has always wanted to be an artist, other times, I wanted to do something medical like be a doctor. I distinctly remember making watercolor paintings as a kid, inspired by the 'Mickey Mousecapades' video game on Nintendo, and wanting to do that for a living."

beats/waves by Sarah Felker

Sarah's favorite medium is oil paint, but also enjoys working with watercolors and enameling on copper. "I also like to make functional things to use around the house, like my own throw pillows, curtains, a slipcase for a set of books, bookbinding, etc."

Abstract Self-Portrait in Watercolor by Sarah Felker

Sarah sells her art on Etsy, but notes that her job "leaves me with little physical and creative energy at the end of the day...Basically, if I didn't work so much I'd love to be able to spend more time creating art."

Horse by Sarah Felker

"My absolute favorite artist is Jenny Saville. I love how her portraits look like controlled messes, how the paint seems to be applied carelessly but you know it was planned, or else it wouldn't look so awesome. My detour in the stained glass world turned me on to Judith Schaechter, who does more narrative stained glass pieces than people are used to seeing. She includes very lush, fully rendered scenes, and incorporates amazing patterns and layers. I also really admire Odd Nerdrum's combination of truly masterful, traditional painting with sometimes totally bizarre subject matter."

Creepshow by Sarah Felker

"...I love weird stuff! Weird music, weird art, weird people, things with a dark edge to them - I don't like the mainstream stuff so much." Sarah finds her inspiration in numerous places, "...in looking at a portrait that is well-painted, or an energetic abstract painting. My interests are in studying faces, how shadows define noses, cheekbones, eyes etc. I also like to figure out how relatives look similar, how age affects people's features. I think inspiration can be drawn from a creative environment too, like in college."

Bubbles & Atmosphere by Sarah Felker

Make sure you check Sarah out. You won't be disappointed!

Etsy
and Flickr

Featured Artist: Sean Andress

Downtown by Sean Andress

Meet Sean Andress (1777 Publishing) from Redlands, California. Sean has been creating art for about 15 years. "I do have a degree in studio art, but getting that was a waste of time. I learned more about art and art making outside of the classroom. Today, my artistic output consists of mostly individual ink illustrations and highly bizarre and surreal comic book work that can be found in my book Moral Geometry."

Billy by Sean Andress

Sean lists his favorite mediums as pencil, India ink, and acrylic paint, "Whatever I have lying around," and he sells his art on Etsy and Ebay.

Mr. Cheeks by Sean Andress

No More Truth by Sean Andress

Some of his favorite artists include Van Gogh, Francis Bacon, Richard Sala, Jack Kirby, Dave Stevens, John R. Neill, Clive Barker, and more. "I love collecting art. I have many original comic pages and illustrations from Richard Sala on my walls...His work is very atmospheric, creepy, funny, charming and 100% unique to him. I also have work from Bruce Timm, James O'Barr, Jon Wayshak, and Dan Brereton hanging about."

Sean's inspiration "is simply living life." This would include daydreaming, other art, music, movies, as well "playing the 'what if ' game inside my head and then transferring those results onto paper."

Finally, Sean shares a bit more about himself. "While I'm doing mundane things, like washing the dishes, I like to sing songs, be it classic feel good songs, TV jingles or cheesy heavy metal songs, and replace the lyrics with my own highly perverse words." And I thought I was alone.

Make sure you check Sean out... he has some amazing stuff!

Etsy
Ebay
and his Blog

The Chamber by Sean Andress