Secret Elizabeth McGrath Preview!!!

Shh... Don't tell anyone, but PopDrawer's spies have reported back with a first look at Elizabeth McGrath's upcoming show at Sloan Fine Art. This is the only place you can see the newest genius of Liz on display (that's right, we're talking to you Boing Boing).

The show, Shadowless Summer, opens on the ides of April (the 15th), and the dozen or so sculptures are eye-popping, as usual. PopDrawer LOVES Liz McGrath, and her work continues to stun us. Take a peek at these awesome examples.

And if that isn't enough, Alix Sloan has lined one of PopDrawer's favorite emerging artists, Tasha Kusama, for the project room. We'll try to sneak a preview of Ms. Kusama's work if we can get our spycams into the project room.

Meanwhile, enjoy!





Sloan Fine Art

Great New Toys from Amanda VIsell and Michelle Valigura

Awesome goods from Switcheroo Studios, brought to you by Amanda Visell and Michelle Valigura. All items will be released at 7 PM on Thursday March 26th, including the Birthday Dragon (complete with the little girl, present, and a matching print - edition of 25, $400), a metal bird available in five eye colors (which comes with an original sketch on wood - edition of 50, $60), and a plush grenade ($18).









Switcheroo Studios

Ana Bagayan, Eric Finzi, Gregg Gibbs, Matjames Metson Group Show

Right now at Billy Shire Fine Arts. One our absolute faves, Ana Bagayan, in a group show with Eric Finzi, Gregg Gibbs, and Matjames Metson. Plus, Ana is offering a limited edition print for sale! Here's a peek of the show.


Ana Bagayan


Ana Bagayan


Matjames Metson

Group Show at Billy Shire Fine Arts

Wow. That's what I'm thinking...

Seonna Hong, Caroline Hwang, and Saelee Oh at Sloan Fine Art through April 11th with their show "I Know What You're Thinking..."

What else is there to say?
















Seonna Hong

























Seonna Hong


























Caroline Hwang




















Caroline Hwang



























Saelee Oh























Saelee Oh






"I Know What You're Thinking..." at Sloan Fine Art

NEW Edwin Ushiro Print at Paper Tiger

So much great stuff going on in the art world, so little time to blog. But we don't want to pass this up...

Another ethereal, mystical painting by Super-Talent Edwin Ushiro has been turned into a print by the very wise folks at Paper Tiger. If you follow PopDrawer you know Mr. Ushiro is one of our favorites, and we spoke to him a few months ago a possible interview in the near future. Hopefully our schedule and his will mesh sometime soon. Meanwhile we must satisfy ourselves with this lovely new work.



The print, titled "Birth of Unreckoning" is described thus by Mr. Ushiro: "In Hawaiian mythology, Madame Pele is the Hawaiian Goddess of fire, lightning, dance, volcanoes, and violence. Throughout my childhood in Hawaii, I have heard numerous reports from residents who have had an encounter with Pele. Many sightings forewarn an eruption of Kilauea (one of the world's most active volcano)." Feast your eyes on this gorgeous Close Encounter with Pele.

The 12x12" print is a tiny edition of just 25, printed on archival textured fine art paper. It's a very reasonable $100, and it's a stunner. We can't wait to bring you an interview with this amazing artist, but meanwhile don't miss out on this print!

"The Birth of Unreckoning" by Edwin Ushiro at Paper Tiger

Natalia Fabia at Corey Helford

On the eve of the 81st Annual Academy Awards, Natalia Fabia wins this year's award for most intriguing show title. "Hooker DreamEscape" (see?!) opens this Saturday, February 21st at the Corey Helford Gallery. The eye-popping candy-coated works are part of Ms. Fabia's second solo show at the Culver City gallery. As described by the release, Ms. Fabia "continues her tales of seduction by revealing the forbidden desires and secret fantasies of her modern-day belle de jours. Providing tongue-in-cheek “dream-escapes” with jewel-toned forests and candy-colored landscapes, the artist creates the ideal environment for her bold seductresses to indulge themselves in life’s little pleasures."

Sounds fun! (I mean the show, of course).








Natalia Fabia's Hooker DreamEscape at Corey Helford Gallery

Bob Dob at Billy Shire Fine Arts

Bob Dob comes to Billy Shire Fine Arts tonight, Valentine's Day, with his new show "Blue Skies." Take your honey to a nice dinner in Culver City and buy him/her a Bob Dob painting. What better way to say "I love you?"



Bob Dob's Blue Skies at Billy Shire Fine Arts

Amy Crehore's Preview and Show

Amy Crehore's latest show, Dreamgirls & Ukes opens Friday night the 13th of February at Thinkspace Gallery in Hollywood, and you should go if you're in the hood because Amy's band the Hokum Scorchers will be tearin' the house down surrounded by a bevy of new paintings and hand-painted lovingly restored ukuleles and banjoes.

But in case you can't make it in person, here is a special preview of the show. And you can snap up these works early if you act fast.

I'll be showing around 9. Hope to see you there!



Amy Crehore's Dreamgirls & Ukes at Thinkspace

New Alex Gross Limited Edition Prints

Three gorgeous new giclees are now available from Alex Gross, each in a small edition of 50. The prints range in size from 18"x24" to 21"x21" to a mondo 33"x40", and range in price from $149 to $299. The images are typical of Mr. Gross' rich work, blending nearly photorealistic details with surreal backgrounds, swirling in vintage Japanese and American imagery. Gorgeous stuff, as always.



Alex Gross Prints

Aaron Smith at Sloan Fine Art

Aaron Smith

Sloan Fine Art kicks some art world ass in 2009! And the ass-kicking begins this Wednesday with the amazing Aaron Smith, and soon-to-be-star Sarah Bedford in the project room. Aaron Smith adds a new twist to his neo-neo-classical repertoire (that's right, he's invented a neo art category) in his show "Mandrakes, Martyrs & Muck Snipes." According the press release, "Smith paints baroque and gothic sculptures as well as decorative objects preserved in museums around the world," and the results ba-rock. (Our apologies for that.)

In the project room, Sarah Bedford's paintings bring together cold rocky grays and vibrant yellows and blues to portray a wild, yet geometric view of the natural world that is eye-popping and energizing.

And this is just the beginning of a jaw-dropping season at Sloan Fine Art. Read this lineup and weep: Seonna Hong, Caroline Hwang & Saelee Oh, Liz McGrath, Marion Peck! And one of my favorite up-and-coming artists Tasha Kusama, of whose work I have a particular affection since the piece on Sloan's website happens to hang on my wall.


Aaron Smith


Sarah Bedford

Aaron Smith and Sarah Bedford at Sloan Fine Art

Whitecanvas

Do you really need another social networking site?

You do if you're an artist looking to showcase your work, and looking to connect with and be inspired by artists in your medium and others. Whitecanvas.com, a new social networking site for artists is, well... just read the previous sentence. And the site is already home to an array of fascinating artists such as Gary Baseman, Ed Moses, fashion and costume designer Christian Joy, director/puppeteer Toben Seymour, and photographer Melanie Pullen, among others. Whitecanvas has produced some great videos about each of them and their work and inspiration. Whether you're an artists or just a fan, you can't miss these videos. Here's Gary Baseman's...



Whitecanvas.com

Interview with Amy Crehore

Amy's Crehore's new show Dreamgirls & Ukes is going up in just over one week at Los Angeles' Thinkspace Gallery, and to mark the occasion the gallery's Andrew Hosner has conducted a question and answer session with the artist-of-honor.

Stop by the Sour Harvest blog for a fascinating discussion and a sneak preview of the show that will feature new canvases and hand-painted restored ukuleles.



Interview with Amy Crehore

Mark Ryden's "The Snow Yak Show"

Two great things that taste great together -- the art of Mark Ryden, and Tokyo. There's enough visual stimulation there to burn your retinas. Hopefully the Tokyo art crowd will Corey-Hart it and wear their sunglasses at night to shield their eyes from the power of the eye-popping art combined with the "white fur" dress code.

The opening of Mark Ryden's "The Snow Yak Show" is coming Saturday, Feb. 7th at Tomio Koyama Gallery, with a book signing attended by Mark Ryden the same day.

Can't make it to Tokyo this weekend? Here's a tiny preview...





Mark Ryden's The Snow Yak Show at Tomio Koyama Gallery

MicroBlogging

As evidenced by our lack of posts in January, we are up to our megabytes in other pursuits, both professional and personal. But we have no intention of abandoning PopDrawer now or anytime soon. So in an effort to continue blogging but also put forth the necessary time and energy towards the rest of life, we will be adding micro-posts to our repertoire. Starting this week, we will try to post more often, but in shorter lengths.

That's not to say we won't spend considerable space on some special events -- we will! But for now they will be fewer and further between.

But here is a little preview of the things we plan to cover. Lots of great art-related news percolating in this fresh new country (at least it seems that way -- fresh and new, that is). And here's a sneak peak...

Art as Investment, Part 1

Jessica Joslin

Stock market below 9000. Millions of homes in foreclosure. Great way to start 2009. Terrible time to invest your money, if you have any left. Or is it? There are plenty of bargains in the stock market, but what if it plunges further? Home prices are falling, but couldn't they fall further? I've made plenty of investment mistakes in the last 15 years, but the one investment that has so far proven infallible is the one that was never intended as an investment -- ART. Virtually every piece I own is now worth more than it was when I purchased it, in most cases a lot more.

That doesn't mean I have any interest in collecting on the interest, so to speak. The art works are part of my life, part of my family. I have no intention of selling. And that's why art is such a good investment. "Buy and hold" is the mantra of virtually every investment adviser, and what is nicer to "hold" than a beautiful work of art? (Just be sure to contact your insurance company to report the value of the art in your home, whether you rent or own, and if you rent, consider renter's insurance).

And now may be the best time in years to buy, when most of us are holder tighter to our wallet and purse strings than ever. It's a tough time to be a gallerist, which means it's a good time to be a buyer. Prices are stabilizing due to fewer buyers, but the abundance of quality art is at a peak. The incredible success of the fine art market over the past few years has helped hundreds of talented fine artists find representation. The variety is such that almost anyone can find something to love and cherish. Of course this doesn't mean that every work of art purchased is going to rise in value. But no matter the monetary value of a beloved work, it will always have tremendous value in your heart and home as long as you buy what you love.

With that in mind, we begin 2009 with a number of stupendous new shows, all great opportunities to acquire something to brighten your life in these troubling times. First up, two concurrent shows from LA Gallery godfather Billy Shire and director extraordinaire Annie Adjchavanich. Just open is Mark Todd and Alan Forbes at La Luz de Jesus, and opening next week is Jessica Joslin and Esther Pearl Watson at Billy Shire Fine Arts.


Mark Todd

At La Luz, two artists deconstruct two popular art forms, the comic book and the rock poster. With "Fragments" Mark Todd (betrothed to Esther Pearl Watson, by the way) creates a new set of faux comic book covers (and a few extra surprises) with his distinctive folk-meets-post-modern interpretation for his most diverse show yet. Meanwhile Alan Forbes, well-known for his rock posters (over 400 to date!) plays with some of his favorite horror-inspired images to create a truly creepy collection called "Unmanned Vessels." "Fragments" and "Unmanned Vessels" has just opened, so there's a good chance you can snag something if you act quickly.


Alan Forbes

Next Saturday January 10th sees the opening of Esther Pearl Watson and Jessica Joslin at Billy Shire Fine Arts. Ms. Watson, coming off of her recent museum show at The Oakland Museum of California uses her characteristic Outsider Art style in "Visions of the Future" to depict a series of lovely tableaus that might be a child's vision of her own future or an elegiac adult's remembrance of her past. In striking contrast are the steampunky animal sculptures of bone, brass, bits and bobs crafted by artist Jessica Joslin. "Clockwork Circus" is a collection of Ms. Joslin's amazing constructions that "draws from the whimsical, decadent aesthetic of the fin de siècle circus."


Esther Pearl Watson

Coming next: Investments (er... art shows) in New York and Jerusalem!

Mark Todd and Alan Forbes at La Luz de Jesus

Jessica Joslin and Esther Pearl Watson at Billy Shire Fine Arts

More Last Minute Gifts, and a Special Appearance!

PopDrawer favorites Bwana Spoons and Amanda Visell offer up some of the most unique holiday gifts one could ever get for their discerning artistic loved ones. From Bwana there's the Wildasaurus Rainbowasaurus resin toy, or Steven the Bat Belt Buckle. From Amanda there's the Apocalyptic-Ephunts or the Pink Elephant Belt Buckle. Put them together and what have you got? Bibbidy-Boppity-BOOM! -- a two print set from Amanda's Switcheroo Workshop, where each went hog wild with the other's characters. Two signed giclees for $140.

But wait, there's more! If you act NOW (meaning tonight, Saturday December 20th) you can see both Bwana and Amanda together at the Switcheroo Workshop in Pasadena from 7-10 PM, absolutely FREE! You heard me -- FREE! Switcheroo presents and evening with Bwana Spoons, featuring the release of the rainbowasaurus, original art, secret projects, and fun!



Switcheroo Workshop

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