Holiday Gift Edition, Vol. 1

Black Friday is coming, but this year they're calling it Gray Friday, due to low expected sales and mediocre consumer confidence (although it did bounce back surprisingly this morning). But in these uncertain times, why spend your hard-earned, rapidly deflating dollars on more mass-produced, uninspired consumo-gunk? Especially when there are one-of-a-kind (or few-of-a-kind) alternatives that say you cared enough to send the very unique.

So for as long as we can, we will seek out the original, the artsy, the PopDrawer-ishest goods we can find for you to give to your REAL loved ones -- the ones who might just give you something truly priceless in return (definition of priceless may be subject to federal and state laws, depending on the legality of hot loving for cash in your country of residence).

Today's edition: Original Pet Portraits by Molly Crabapple and Metal Apocalyptic-Ephunts by Amanda Visell and Fully Visual.



Original Pet Portraits: I once described here how I gave and received the best give ever simultaneously with a family portrait by one of my favorite artists. But admittedly this was an expensive endeavor. A far more affordable gift is a portrait of your loved one's best friend -- their pet (especially if your best friend IS your pet)! Superfantastic artist Molly Crabapple is here to help you with that this holiday season, and at a special price!! Molly will create an 8.5" x 11" pen, ink and watercolor portrait of that special pet in your life for the incredible price of $350. Email Molly now at Molly@MollyCrabapple.com to beat the holiday rush.



Apocalyptic-Ephunts by Amanda Visell and Fully Visual: Artist and toy-maker Amanda Visell has teamed up with metalsmiths Fully Visual to create shiny new metal toys for the holidays. What could be more yuley than an army of killer elephants? We can't think of a thing. The Apocalyptic-Ephunts are available in four metal colorways -- silver, gold (See? Silver and Gold? Very Rankin and Bass Rudolph, yes?), black nickel and copper. The sets of six pieces are limited to 60 each and go for $99.

And while you're shopping in the crowd-free aisles of Fully Visual, take a side-trip to the Bwana Spoons section, the Gama-Go section, and the Buff Monster section, while supplies last, of course.

Original Pet Portraits by Molly Crabapple

Metal Apocalyptic-Ephunts by Amanda Visell and Fully Visual

Get Yer Cosmos Killer!

Bwana Spoons has new figure just out, and it's one of his best. Designed by Bwana and hand-painted by Gargamel, the Cosmos Killer doesn't look like it would hurt a fly, let alone an entire cosmos, but then Phil Spector looked pretty harmless too.

Cosmos Killer comes with a signed and numbered giclee as well! Can't beat that with a stick! Well you could, but it might destroy you.

And if you want to REALLY impress your friends, get yourself a gigantic sleeping killer , a four foot long fiberglass monster for your home or yard. It's the new lawn jockey!

Cosmos Killer by Bwana Spoons and Gargamel

More CLOWNS!

Gary Baseman

Here are some more images from CLOWNS! at Corey Helford Gallery. Some pieces still available.


Audrey Kawasaki


Paul Frank

CLOWNS! at Corey Helford Gallery

Clowns!!

Andrew Brandou

Clowns.

BRbrbrbrbrhhh...

(That was supposed to be the sound of a shiver.)

Point being, they're scary. And yet for some reason Corey Helford Gallery has decided to have whole show of those creepy, painted serial-killers. They've invited an A-list of amazing artists to paint their own interpretations (and some of them are actually not oogie) and are now in the process of hanging them in the gallery.

The aptly-named show, CLOWNS!, opens Saturday November 15th, from 7-10 PM. Artists include Gary Baseman, Shag, Dave Kinsey, Tokidoki, Audrey Kawasaki, Gary Taxali, Natalia Fabia, Paul Frank, Buff Monster, Joe Ledbetter, Andrew Brandou, D*Face, Colin Christian, Brandi Milne, Carlos Ramos, Donovan Crosby, Anthony Ausgang, Travis Louie, J. Otto Siebold, and lots of others. What a line-up!

Hope to see you there. I'll be the one standing outside peering in the windows.


Natalia Fabia


Brandi Milne


Shag


Carlos Ramos

Hopefully we will post more images in PART 2 soon.

CLOWNS! at Corey Helford Gallery

Dame Darcy's "Gasoline"

Artist/Writer Dame Darcy, creator of graphic novels and paintings, has tackled subjects a diverse and strange as the songs of Tori Amos, collections of fairy tales, and Jane Eyre. With her new graphic novel "Gasoline," she moves away from re-inventing the past and delves into a bizarre, frightening, and goth-romantic future. Read for yourself:

"In a post-apocalyptic world, the search for precious gasoline pits a family of orphaned witches against conniving nihilists who lurk in the decaying urban sprawl…”

Starting Wednesday, November 19th, from 7 to 9 PM, Sloan Fine Art in Manhattan will be presenting original artwork from "Gasoline". That night's reception is free and open to the public, and Dame Darcy will be present signing books.

With the manuscript’s emotional story and Dame Darcy’s intricate,
romantic style, the original works from “Gasoline” stand alone as
compelling individual pieces. Installed in succession in the gallery,
they create a powerful visual narrative of “danger, heartbreak and
the perseverance of magic and love.

The show runs through December 20th, which makes "Gasoline" an excellent and timely Christmas gift for your artistically-inclined friends and family. But if you can't get to New York, just drop Sloan Fine Art a line. We can't be sure, but we bet they'll be happy to send you a copy. If there are any left...





Dame Darcy's "Gasoline" Exhibiton at Sloan Fine Art

Liz McGrath Works Available!

Okay, coming down from the election high. First post since last week. Trying to get back in the swing of things. No idea how successful we'll be. But gotta to start somewhere. So, in a brief follow-up to a post from a few weeks ago, we alert you to the availability of some new pieces by Liz McGrath that you can buy in advance of the undoubtedly rebounding economy that will be ushered in with some new American blood. (Alright, it might not happen right away, but it's time to think about investing in your future! Art is the only stable investment we own after the recent market crash).

From Liz McGrath's stupendous Barcelona-based "Tears of the Crocodile" show at Iguapop Gallery comes a small group of still available works for purchase. Here are just a few, but you can go to the full catalog and take a look. You just might get lucky.





Liz McGrath's "Tears of a Crocodile" Catalog