Unveiling the 2nd Gülick-Bastard

Ken Bastard is a really talented man. He can build a rock-solid canvas, paint a stunning riot scene in vivid color and fix your broken toilet if you ask him nicely enough.
I'm honored, privileged and really proud to work on a collaboration with this salty jerk.

We showed our first piece at Paul Vincent Studios on May 3, 2009 during a one-day show. If you missed it, you should feel like a loser. It was an insane event. The rooms were wall to wall with people, the walls were filled with a ton of cool work (google Laura Meyers if you have time) and, to top it off, tiny break-dancers took turns spinning on their little noggins to entertain us from time to time.

However, that event has come and gone. The posting below is where it's at this coming Friday. If you like sick, twisted, comic books and/or illustrative artists you'll find what you're looking for at Index.

Red Saw Gallery, Friday June 12th 2009

IAC PRESENTS:
X-RAY VISION!

Kevin Darmanie
Darrell Goza
Megan Gulick
Victoria Allen Hanks
Hiroshi Kumagai
Robert Piersanti
German Pitre
Brian Wiggins
Polina Zaitseva
-----------------------------------

June 12 - July 3, 2009
Reception: Friday June 12th, 6 to 9 pm

Index Art Center is pleased to present the opening of "X-RAY VISION!”
The show will feature several regional artists from New Jersey and Pennsylvania who create comic/Pop style works or have been greatly influenced by comic book drawings and art. This is a first time solo curatorial project by comic maverick Kevin Darmanie.

This show will also debut Kevin Darmanie’s 96 page graphic novel KULPRIT prior to national release. Signed copies will be available for purchase.
For more info, please email at thestrapking100@yahoo.com


After party and reception for
Jamie Allen at 27 Mix!
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INDEX ART CENTER
585 Broad Street
Newark, NJ 07102
index.gallery@gmail.com

Jersey City Craft Mafia's Art Attack!

Ken Bastard adopts the Battered Bunnies

Mr. Bastard and I will be debuting our first piece in a series of Battered Bunnies who've found themselves in rather challenging predicaments, modeled after horrifying, real-life events. To be quite honest, some of the images have been too much for me to really study. When doing this project, we agreed that some of the paintings I'd only be able to "illustrate" the bunny's part and would have to find a way to separate myself from the rest of the tragedy portrayed in these images... One of the reasons I agreed to this (aside from the facts that I hold Ken in high esteem as an artist and successfully grumpy/miserable sonofab*tch) is that we have a similar sense of humor when it comes to plight. Life is suffering. That's that. I think that you can either give in and give up or make light and find a way to make it bearable. This isn't to say that I find any of the original pictures to be anything less than full of suffering and worthy of many moments of silence for all the suffering endured. BUT, had a cartoon bunny been involved, instead of turning off my brain to these injustices (bc of their grotesque, inhumane nature), I might have noticed them, internalized them and....who knows? Maybe I'd be more humanitarian if the shock value of the original photos were lessened. That being said, some might think this is all a sick joke... As far as I'm concerned, it's not.
Come to the closing party at LITM and see the first (and tamest) in the series we'll be presenting soon. Decide for yourself...

Down the Rabbit Hole, update!

The opening of my latest solo show at LITM is coming up soon!

I'll be debuting the latest in my series of Battered Bunnies, Barnyard Buddies and Fresh Fish.

I have been working my tail off, painting up a storm, tying up bunnies, sheep and loose ends. The image to the left is a tiny, sneak preview...

At this point, I expect to have around 45-50 paintings of various sizes and subjects.

The kick-off celebration is next Tuesday, March 3, from 7-10pm.

The show itself is up the entire month of March, so if you can't make it on Tuesday, stop in any time during the month.

Along with $3 Merlot, Pinot Grigio and a few nibblies, I'll have a special guest-host: a life-sized Battered Bunny (stockade and chains included).
She'll be hopping about in search of mischief and treats, ready for photos, pointing and laughing. (But please don't pull her tail...general, gentle torture only!).
DJ Caté will make a special appearance to provide the soundtrack. Alice in Wonderland will be on the screen behind the bar...

Hope to see you all there!

Best,
Megan Gülick

p.s. Happy Hour is from 5-8pm ($3 mini martinis & $1 off all beer and wine)

LITM
140 Newark Ave
Jersey City, NJ
1/2 a block west of Grove Street PATH Station
for more information on the gallery, visit www.litm.com

Red-Disambiguation, Sunday Feb 8th Only!

Join us on Sunday February 8, 2009 to celebrate the color RED...bring loved ones, family, friends, no animals...but monsters and characters are desired!


PAUL VINCENT STUDIOS
49 Harrison St
Hoboken NJ

Paul Vincent Studios will have its space filled with artists from many mediums. Artists that have been accepted into the show are:
John Masi, Dennis Whittinghill, Michael Malandra, Laura Reinhard, M.Dreland, Andrea Morin, Megan Gulick, Aaron Dunkel, Colleen Gutwein, Hiroshi Kumagai, John Ruddy, Robert Piersanti, Chris Smith, Steven Dressler, Stephen Chopek, Virginia Kamenitzer, Tara Thurber and Jose Cifuentes.

Double Breasted, a NJ based band, and DJ Stoop will be supplying the evening with amazing music.

Portraits will be taken from the one and only HAAS COLBY, which can be downloaded free of charge and printed at your own leisure!

There is a $5 fee that will go to support the space and the promoting of more shows to come!

Beverages, some munchies and lots of laughter will be provided! Please show up with note-pads, cameras, video recorders and enthusiasm to help us share the memories of this extravaganza!


The team at PVS is amazed by the amount of buzz and excitement that are surrounding this show. We hope that it brings you as much pride as it does us as we celebrate local art.

Thank you so much and we look forward to seeing you Sunday...
Virginia, Tara, and Paul

If you have any questions or comments please email us at
paulvincentstudios@gmail.com

Visit Us At:
http://www.vkpictures.com/Site_2/PVS.html
http://www.paulvincentstudios.com/

Down the Rabbit Hole

Something Fishy at Balance has come and gone. I'm happy to have sold enough pieces that I made just one trip back to the studio after picking up the "unadopted".
Now I'm looking forward to the Paul Vincent Studios show "Disambiguation" Sunday, February 8th. For more details on that, click on the link to their blog.

March 3rd is the opening of my month-long show "Down the Rabbit Hole". I'll be debuting my Spring Collection of Battered Bunnies, their Barnyard Buddies (and a few Fish). The opening night is going to be one big party. We'll have a wee film, DJ Cate providing the soundtrack and a life-sized Battered Bunny available for photos (and tormenting, but be gentle...she's already gone through enough in her short life!)
More details to follow as they unfold...

Happy Holidays! (p.s. - Art makes a great gift...)

I can hardly believe we're smack in the middle of the holiday season. Where does the time go? This month, especially, has just flown by...

Til the end of the month, I'm showing a few works at LITM as part of the group Small Works Exhibit. Ken Bastard and I came up with a brilliant plan (it was brilliant when drinks were involved, at least!) to collaborate on a theme: Morbid Sheep and Lurid Bo-Peeps. This is a cash and carry show, so as soon as one is sold, I'm putting up a replacement. At this point, because of the replacement pieces it's become more of a Lurid Bo-Peeps, Barnyard Animals & a few sad guppies. That being said, I'm making sure to have a cock on the walls at all times...People seem to have a thing for the cocks; big, little, crooked, kooky...

LITM is located in Jersey City at 140 Newark Ave, near Grove Street PATH Station.
www.litm.com

Until January 27th, I'm also showing a series of fish (variety of sizes) at Balance Hair Salon and World of Style Vintage Clothing. This, too, is a cash and carry show.
We sold about a third of them on the opening night, so I've been a busy little painter working to replace those spots on the walls.

Balance is located at 18 Erie in Jersey City, one block (or so) north of Newark Ave.

I'm showing 3 pieces at 32 Jones Gallery in Jersey City as well. The Gallery is located at 32 Jones Street in Jersey City. Go check it out!

Finally, keep an eye out for more information about my upcoming solo show at LITM in March. Assuming all goes according to plan, the place will have exploded in Battered Bunnies (and their associates) just in time for Easter...

Something Fishy at Balance, December & January

X-Ray Vision, upcoming group show

“X-RAY VISION”
October 24^th – November 14th

X-RAY VISION! during the Newark Open Doors Studio Tour 2008. The show will feature several regional artists from New Jersey, New York and even Pennsylvania who work in the comic book format or have been greatly influenced by comic book art. This is a first time solo curatorial project by fellow comic maverick Kevin Darmanie, who you may recognize as co-curator of Black Rock : The Metamorphosis of Home, from Isolation to Connection, where the concept of a comic and cartoon based event was first introduced.

X-RAY VISION! will cover a number of subjects, relating to role of comic art in current culture. It will present a brief look into the art of the past, present and future. The exhibit will identify the goals that comic illustrators have set for themselves as the true purveyors of the medium and question whether fine-artists, who are working with the medium, are doing so based on a deep understanding of it or simply on the advantages that the ‘look’ of comics has given them. It will challenge comic illustrators on the creative potential now afforded them and pose the question: How is comic art now perceived as a result of its current popularity in movie making?

With a month long exhibition, in a storefront immediately next to the Fortress Of Solitude comic shop at 597 Broad Street in Newark, a large turnout is expected. The opening reception will take place on Friday, October 24^th, 5-8pm. Doors open at 3pm.
The show is a project of the Newark Arts Council, Fortress Of Solitude comic shop and the Brick City Comic Convention. For more info, please email at thestrapking100@yahoo.com

Current and Upcoming Events

Currently, I'm in a group show at the Brennan Courthouse in Jersey City. It's called "Celebrating the American Sensibility". This is up until September 19th.
Towards the end of September, I'll have a piece in a show with Rock Soup Studios called "Collateral Collision".
The Jersey City Pro Arts Members show will be hung around this time as well.
Studio Tour is October 4th and 5th....
And, finally, on Saturday October 25th through November 8th, I'll have a piece at Art Gotham in SoHo.

Jersey City Studio Tour

Saturday, October 4th & Sunday, October 5th my little studio will be open to the public. Jersey City Pro Arts will have lovely, helpful maps to assist you in tracking it down. If you're curious to see where the "magic" happens, put a big red circle around my location and come on in!....Bring Cash!....(because you know you'll want to buy something)

Latest Miscellaneous Beast

This is a dead baby wallaby.
He's a little "sweeter" than most of my works. Sometimes it's a relief to paint something without any teeth or eyes. Everything's got to close both at some point, no?

Talking Heads

This is the smallest portrait I've ever done (11"x14"). I use a lot of tight brush strokes, typically on a 16"x20" to 24"x36", so finding brushes smaller than a 0 wasn't really practical. It was a decent exercise, but I'm sticking to the medium-sized canvasses for the rest of the heads.

Bunny in Chains

I've recently come across some inspirational literature.
Okay, fine, it's probably considered porn.
At any rate, these bunnies may find themselves in more awkward situations if the Ruler of the Fungus Kingdom has anything to say about it.

Back to the Bunnies

These two bunnies are having a rough go lately.
(8"x10" acrylic & pen)

Curmudgeons and Wailing Women

I don't simply paint sad/cute/tortured/demented animals. I paint sad/cute/tortured/demented people as well. One year all I wanted to paint was Canada's current Conservative Party. Find some images of Ralph Klein and tell me he doesn't look tortured. Look up Stephen Harper images and...I'll stop right there because I'm merely speaking about visuals and am loathe to come across as any sort of political. At any rate, here is my latest, more "serious" piece.

Hooray for Paint

I've been looking at a lot of work lately by other artists, and I'm noticing a growing trend towards slick images that veer away from brush strokes or gesture lines.

It's probably not a trend.

I'm probably just waking up to the notion of marrying artwork with graphics to create paintings that look as polished as posters. While I'm a fan of the computer and Adobe's Creative packages, I have to admit that, even when I use those, I like a stray line here and there.

I admire those who can keep all lines so exceptionally tidy that their paintings emit a "fresh off the press" vibe, but something about finishing a piece THAT much...for ME...makes me twitch a tiny bit.

Sad Bunnies

Life is hard when you're
a bunny in a dark room.

Toilet Humor

This piece was created in honor of a show coming up at Fish with Braids. It's this great new Jersey City shop with tons of cool handmade hats, hand-painted bags & other totally original accessories/works of art. Her show is up from June 6th through June 13th. The opening is June 6th.