MAP (Out of Order)

This is the piece I have selected to go in the "Out of Order" show at the Maryland Art Place. I switched out the frame that it was in before with this one and I think it looks better. I'm excited to see what other work is in the show on Friday and the things people will be bidding on.

They're Back (Evergreen Cafe follow-up)

I took down all my work at the Evergreen Cafe the other day. It was very crowded when I went to de-install and I had to climb over people to get the art off the walls and ask people to vacate their booths and abandon their food momentarily. Overall I think the show was a success in that my work got some exposure and people were forced to experience a different style of art not normally on display there. While some of the feedback in the comment book suggested that certain people found the work to be too "creepy and demonic" for the atmosphere of the Evergreen, I also received some positive responses and even one or two constructive comments. I sold one drawing and got some compliments from some of the staff there.

A special thanks to all of my friends who took the time to come out and see the show! It really made it all the more meaningful : )

Now all the work is back here in the studio, which I spent the day cleaning the other day to make room for it all. The Maryland Art Place "Out of Order" show is coming up, and I will most likely be selecting something from my ample supply of already framed art to put in the show. I'm looking forward to it!



All the work, not yet unpacked.

The Final Week

This is the final week to see my art at the Evergreen Cafe in Baltimore. So far I've only gotten two inquiries about purchasing and I've been told some people have written in the comment book. It will be interesting to see what people actually wrote in there. I'll be going over there Thursday evening for an unofficial closing, but will resist reading the book until it all comes down on Friday. Hmmm...maybe I don't want to read it.

I've slowly been doing some art this week. Just a bunch of small things, but it's been enjoyable. With all my recent work still in the show, my studio, which was chock full of stuff earlier last month, is empty right now. After Friday however, the room will be flooded with framed pieces that I will have to store somewhere. In the meantime, take a look at this picture I took yesterday of the studio wall. Very bare.

Shipped to NY

Just sent this package out today. It's a drawing from a sketchbook that I just sold to a guy in Syracuse who saw my art on the Monster Brains blog. Thanks again to Aeron for featuring me on there!

Spring is Near!

So after about a week and a half of being pretty sick (got a flu virus or something) I actually did some art. Yesterday I completed a drawing and today as well. It's been dreadfully gloomy outside lately with yesterday being a small exception, and the grayness has really made me lethargic and unmotivated. After going full speed working on stuff all the way up to putting up my show, I've been rather inactive on the art side of things lately. It was nice drawing again today. I think I get a "high" from doing art. It gets my serotonin levels up or something. Is that the right word?? It really is amazing though how much better it makes me feel when I'm kind of down.

I've decided that this year I am going to participate in the MAP (Maryland Art Place) art show "Out of Order". I missed it last year. I didn't even really know what it was, but this year I am ready. I'll probably use a piece from the Evergreen show when that comes down soon. It's all framed and everything, so it's ready to go. Basically, what this event is, is a chance for artists to sell work and MAP to raise some funds for their organization. Artists are free to hang one piece of art (it's not juried) for the show and for one night, people will bid on these works (silently). If the work sells, the profit is split 50/50. Not bad. All the artist has to do is set a minimum bid. I had read that last year most of the stuff that sold was priced between $200-$600, so I'm going to choose a piece that I feel is within this range. I'd really like to sell something.

In the meantime, I'm posting the two drawings from yesterday and today. They're small works. I'm taking a break from the big complex drawings for a little bit until I feel up to doing one of those again. Enjoy : )


"Satchel of Bones" India ink on found paper 4 3/4" x 7 1/2"


"Joyous Flight" India ink and micron pen on found paper 8" x 11"


detail 1


detail 2

The Lumper

Got this image on The Lumper blog run by Thinkmule. It's a great blog that features work by all different artists. Check it out!



http://lumper.blogspot.com/

"Everything But the Kitschen Sync" show tonight in L.A.

"Everything But The Kitschen Sync"

Opening Reception
Friday March 6, 2009
8:00-11:00 pm

4633 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027

Wish I could go to this but alas I'm too far away. It should be a good opening though. I've heard they have good parties.

Monster Brains!

Aeron Alfrey was nice enough to post an entry about my work on his blog Monster Brains today. Check it out if you get a chance!

http://monsterbrains.blogspot.com/2009/03/jon-macnair-new-works-consulting-wise.html

My work at Evergreen Cafe

If you are local, please check out my work at Evergreen Cafe which will be up from February 28th-March 27th!

501 W Cold Spring Ln
Baltimore, MD 21210

http://evergreenart.blogspot.com/

I finally put up my show at Evergreen Cafe last night. I had a lot of much needed help with the installation of it, and with four people it still took several hours. A lot of time was carefully spent deciding where everything should go. Miraculously, all 26 pieces were included in the show, which I wasn't expecting. I thought I'd have to leave out probably five or six works, but we squeezed them all in somehow. I'm hoping someone will see something that they feel compelled to buy.







If you see the show, don't forget to leave some comments in this book.








Not hung as crooked as it looks. The wires make the frames bow out sideways a little.








Here's a cheesy picture of me post installation.


Below are some pictures of all the work laid out in the studio.

Off to L.A.!

Just sent these three pieces off to La Luz de Jesus Gallery in Los Angeles the other day. I hope they make in there in a timely manner. It will be my first time showing work in California. I've actually never been there myself, but one day that will happen. The work is for their annual "Everything but the Kitschen Sync" group show that will be going on from March 6th-29th. Hopefully I can find some pictures of the event!



Here's the info for it:

“Everything But the Kitschen Sync” 12th annual juried group show.

March 6 – March 29, 2009
Reception for the artists: Friday, March 6, 2009 8 pm - 11 pm

La Luz de Jesus Gallery
4633 Hollywood Blvd Los Angeles,
CA 90027
www.laluzdejesus.com

La Luz De Jesus Gallery proudly presents its 12th annual juried group exhibition, "Everything But the Kitschen Sync". This gigantic, no-theme exhibition will feature work from what we feel are some of the most relevant artists working today. We have invited commercial illustrators, tattooists, scenic painters, students, and animators to submit work of a more personal nature. The show includes artists we have previously exhibited, who consistently produce some of the most interesting paintings and sculptures in town. The show also includes a large selection of work from a brand new batch of undiscovered, underground talent. This is a wonderful forum for us and for our audience to check out the latest art trends and get the first glimpse of tomorrow's stars. It is also an incredible opportunity for art collectors to peruse more than 150 pieces of juried artwork by over 100 artists all in one viewing, and obtain undiscovered art at recession busting prices. Please join us this March in supporting the latest and most original efforts from the nation's alternative art scene, bring friends and family, everbody is welcome, please share widely, thanks :) See You There.

Participating artists: RON ADKINS ADAM ALANIZ DAVID AMOROSO LEA BAROZZI STEVE BARTLETT LUKE BERLING LISA BRAWN SCOTT G. BROOKS DAN BROWN MICHEAL BROWN MARK BRYAN CHRISTOPHER BUZELLI TRENT CALL SEAN CHRISTOPHER MELISSA CONTRERAS JESSICA COOPER JEREMY CROSS BRYAN CUNNINGHAM GLEN C. DAVIES SKINNER DAVIS RICHARD DAY ALEX DELEON MARTI JONES DIXON EBEN DODD YVETTE DUDIOT DAVE DZIEMIAN BRUCE EICHELBERGER DANIEL ELSON PATRICK FALICIA BARRY FITZGERALD MARY FLEENER YANA FRANK MARK GLEASON BRAD GREENWELL MAX GRUNDY TAMARA GUION CONRAD HABERLAND GALE HART DANNY HELLER SCOTT HOLLOWAY JACK HOWE BREEHRANEK CHARLIE IMMER JENNIFER JELENSKI KRISTINE KADLEC AYAMI KAWASHIMI MARAM KIM MICAEL KOEHLER NORBERT H. KOX DENNIS LARKINS CRAIG LAROTUNDA CARL LOZADA CHRISTOPHER LYLES DAVE MACDOWELL DION MACELLARI TIM MACLEAN JON MACNAIR LIZ MAMORKSY APRICOT MANTLE SARA ANTIONETTE MARTIN JEFF MCMILLAN PAUL NAGEL NIKKI NASH HADLEY NORTHROP RICHARD OLIVER CHASE OSBOURNE MISATO OTAKE KATERINA PERDUE CHRIS PETERS BRIAN POOR JENN PORRECA MICHAEL PUKAC DONNA THASDAO PUNGPRECHAWAT LINDA QUAKENBUSH BONNI REID ALLISON REIMOLD DAVE RICHARD SAMVEL SAGHATELYAN MARIA SANA RUSTY SCHERELL KIM SCOTT PATRICK SEGUI MARIE SENA DALE SIZER BRANDON STEEN SEAN STEPENOFF ADAM STRANGE JASON SYNDER JARED THARP PAUL TORRES MAGDA TRZASKI POL TURGEN MARLANA VASSAR ANDREW VERHOECKX HEATHER WATTS JASMINE WORTH CRAZY AL EUNAYA MORGAN RUBENIMICHI STAR27

I got mail!

I rarely get mail so I was ridiculously excited when I got a package from A5 magazine the other day, all the way from Israel. I love the way they packaged it as postcards, double-sided with text in two languages. It was especially interesting to see where all the participants were from.






Below is my submission:

Pittsburgh City Paper Winter Guide

I'm finally posting the illustrations for the Pittsburgh City Paper Winter guide, and here they are.


Here's the cover


Here's the inside


and here are the three spots






Here are the original digital files. Colors always look a little washed out on newspaper print so I thought I'd post this too.


And here are the sketches I gave them

Pocketful Magazine

Just found out my submission is part of the new issue of Pocketful Magazine! The theme was "O Brave New World."

Here is some info about Pocketful taken from their website:

"Pocketful is an illustration magazine which is issued two times a year and is printed on demand (POD). What we have in mind is simple. There are a great number of illustrations out there on the internet. People-like us- from different corners of the world put their works online, just to share them with others. But those works don’t appear that often on the illustration magazines we read. So we basically thought having a new illustration magazine which aims to put together and print those illustrations would be a good idea."

You can get it on Amazon HERE!

This is their website!

Interview on The Mongrel!

Check out this interview I was asked to do by Michael Hsiung. It's on a cool blog called THE MONGREL!

Postcards from the Edge (update)

Since I didn't get to attend the 'Postcards from the Edge' event that I had participated in, I decided to scan flickr to see if anyone had posted pictures of the show. After a little sleuthing I found a picture that had my postcard in it.

Tonight I found out that my work sold!

Photos are courtesy of John Hanning. Thanks John!

can you spot my entry on the bottom row?


my postcard is on the left

Here is some info VISUAL AIDS sent out to participating artists:

"1,656 artists from around the world donated work that was viewed by over 1,300 guests. The event was the most wildly successful PFTE yet, cumulatively raising an extraordinary $75,000 for Visual AIDS's work between art and AIDS."

A5 Magazine

The drawing I submitted to A5 Magazine was accepted and is going to be printed in their next issue! The theme was "childhood". The issue will be printed at the beginning of February and I can't wait to get my copy! I will post pictures when I receive it.

As with ANTI magazine, this was my second time submitting work to the publication and my first time being accepted. I guess second time is the charm.



the issue will be printed in grayscale.

ANTI Magazine

My image, "Some Sort of Mystical Explanation", was chosen to be part of Issue 8 of ANTI magazine which "aims to showcase outstanding visual content as an online magazine and also through future exhibitions all around the world." ANTI is an online PDF publication.

The theme was "GLASSES, EYES, LOOK"


This was my second time submitting and my first time being accepted.

You can see the issue HERE.

Baltimore Magazine January Issue

As promised, I am posting my Edgar Allan Poe illustration that I did for Baltimore magazine. Here it is:


Here is the printed version:


and the contributors page:


Also, you can read the article online HERE

I hope everyone has a Happy New Year!

They're out there

So I decided to google myself (because I do that periodically) to see what comes up and found that my work has appeared on quite a few blogs. As a maker of art, you always wonder if people are actually looking at things that you make available online and who these people are. Pretty much until now I have never noticed my work appearing on other peoples blogs. I found several:

http://www.phantasmaphile.com/2008/12/jon-macnair.html
This one is on a blog called "Phantasmaphile" and they write:
"Jon MacNair's pictures of monstrous beings have a certain joy to them which I find surprising and appealing. They feel like the sort of creatures one might find doodled in a school notebook, but then enhanced via an adult eye."

http://alter-native-vision.nnm.ru/jon_macnair_south_korea
This one is one a site that I think is written in Russian. They posted quite a lot of my images and there are some comments in Russian(?) down at the bottom. I used a translation site to decode and I think one person said "lovely" and another said "BOMB!"

This one is written in Italian
http://www.artsblog.it/post/2617/le-visioni-mistiche-di-jon-macnair
Badly translated it reads:
"The mystical visions of Jon Macnair"
"Jon Macnair is an artist and illustrator who lives in Baltimore. his drawings represent creatures monstrous, mystical visions, between Bosch and Lovecraft. Some of the figures are telling applicants and seem single Secret History of the world and humanity. Other images conclusions may be drawn from the page on flickr and blog of McNair. The bug is, always careful finegarten. 2d of Jon Macnair"

This one took me a while to figure out that the language is Romanian
http://www.chestionabil.ro/comments~archive~jonmacnair~11~2008~2191.html
One person commented on my image by writing "what is beautiful and God loves"

Here's a blog in english called "Monster Brains"
http://monsterbrains.blogspot.com/2008/11/jon-macnair-flying-over-mountains-of.html

my link is posted on this site:
http://coolamerica.blogspot.com/2008/12/good-art.html