Myself and 30+ artists have created art inspired by the terrible Oil Spill in the Gulf for a Seattle event/exhibition called Oil Spilling on the Ridge. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to help restore our precious environment and the animals who are being impacted by this. This event will not only involve fine art, but several fine poets and musicians who have also been moved by this tragedy. This will be a powerful event.

At the new Art on the Ridge at 8005 Greenwood Ave. N., is where the first portion of the event is held. http://www.phinneywood.com/2010/07/07/monthly-artwalk-friday-night/

There will be live cello music, poetry readings, and a meditation for the animals of the gulf. It should be noted that there have been a few fund raisers for the people of the gulf who have been affected by this ecological disaster, but this benefit is for the animals and birds specifically. It promises to be heart-wrenching but positive.

Below is the painting I did specifically for this event. Originally I had envisioned a Gold Eagle dripping with oil in flight. After seeing so many terrible images of birds whose wings were sopped with the black ooze I decided that a more positive image would be more satisfying. Thus, no oil on this bird. Just the majesty of our countries symbolic feathered friend.

Gold Eagle ©2010 BeeryMethod

The second part of this event will be held downtown Seattle at the Columbia Club. Tickets to the event are $35 which go directly to the Nature Conservancy. Paintings from the Oil Spill show will be featured at this event and auctioned off for the cause. Local FOX TV helped to promote this powerful exhibition: http://www.q13fox.com/videobeta/30bf9f2f-6217-4c80-b0f4-9948e4414f22/News/GULF-COAST-FUNDRAISER

To purchase tickets and find more info on this portion: http://oilspillwildliferescue.eventbrite.com/

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I had the pleasure of curating a show for UrbanLightStudios at the Greenwood Collective July 9th. For the show I was able to amass an extremely talented group of Seattle’s best street artists who are simply ‘killing it’ in the Pacific NW. Myself along with 14 other local artists are bringing the surreal this coming weekend.

Like a requiem of forgotten worlds, characters, and legends comes a collection of Seattle’s local street artists who bend the lightwaves of fixed reality. A mash up of styles and media that coalesce abrasive textures, demented beings, and unadulterated underground scenarios comes full throttled in a tricked out menage . This assortment of artists include some of the NW Pacific’s most prolific muralists, illustrators, cartoonists, tattooists, inkers, painters, and culture creatives who truly push through the looking glass and bring back pieces of layered dreams.

Where there is tentacles, beaks, bikers, and skulls there is an alien wonder and strange velvety familiarity. Regurgitating the links to childhood memories and make believe is merely the catalyst for propagating and producing worlds of mystery, urban mutations, and righteous nougat of the soul. Reaching into the inner depths of contemporary visual science while armed with paint cans, brushes, and warped genius this whimsical yet hard edged cartel has amassed the chimera of sub-pop underground culture. If you follow the white rabbit he will lead you right into the peculiar embrace of this eclectic exhibit.

Malice In Wonderland

+ Greenwood Collective

Artists Reception /Art Walk

July 9th 6-10pm

8537 Greenwood Ave Suite 1

Seattle,WA 98103

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Come out to Kiss Cafe Ballard / Seattle, WA for my painting exhibition Agents of Dawn. The second Saturday Ballard artwalk kicks off with a blast of visual mayhem from Beery Method. Stop in at Kiss for some eye-popping oil painting or some of my limited edition prints! They also serve over 100 select beers at Kiss so you can’t go wrong with some great food, extraordinary beers, and my Agents of Dawn show. Hope to see you there!

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February 12 2010 from 6-9pm it all pops off over at Band Vibes space in the Greenwood Collective…that’s right my long awaited character series Hobo Eaters: Agents of Chaos. The show is a collection of my coveted hobo characters that maniacally made their way into Seattle’s streets and the hearts of our NW culture. The collection consists of original pieces that are hand inked and painted with wood stain on various wood panels in a variety of sizes. Besides the originals there will also be limited edition prints, jumbo posters, and a line of limited edition tees that all reflect these grungy agents of chaos. I will be giving away a free print and a free tee randomly to those who sign up at the Band Vibes space. Come join me for a night of bad-ass art and mayhem…It’s gonna be an epic event of diabolical debauchery full of twisted 50’s animated style hobos!

Hobo Eaters Flyer

Artist statement (dirt on the show):

Hobo Eaters: Agents of Chaos

The term hobo-eater refers to an entity who, through ritual means, would take on by means garbage and liquor the sins of a deceased bum, thus absolving his or her soul and allowing that person of the street to rest in peace.

What was once a ritual performed by beggars and vagabonds in certain villages of bygone years is now performed in a reverse of roles by animated entities who take on the form of the hobo whose diabolical lifestyle is reflected upon the appearance of the hobo-eater. The hobo-eater would be brought to the dying vagrant’s curbside or stoop, where a neighborhood drifter would place a crust of dumpster pizza on the chest of the dying and pass a 40 oz. of malt liquor to him over the corpse. After reciting the ritual, he would then drink and remove the crust from the derelict tramp and eat it, the act of which would remove the sins and deadbeat-scars from the dying transient and take it into himself.

Often times hobo-eaters are not only filled with the sins and scars of the deceased but take on a ghostly appearance, ragged with the lines of deceit and chemical abuse of the former vessel. The result is a vaporous apparition whose tattered clothes and grungy attitude is forever portrayed among the urban environment. Thus the ethereal term Agents of Chaos has come as a contemporary descriptor for these aeon old hobo-eaters who are destined to drift the streets perpetually consuming fiendish souls.

Hobo Eaters 2010 Poster

Below are a few of the Hobo Eaters character pieces that are included in the show:

Vapor Trails:

Vapor Trails Ink & Wood Stain

Vapor Trails Detail

Vapor Trails / Bummin & Runnin

Below are some updated photos of some of the work included in the show. To avoid rambling on too much about all the pieces I am simply posting the pics including the detailed shots of the artwork. Enjoy!

GURU: Inspired by ancient sages of forgotten lore. The word bubble is Chinese for “Knowledge”.

Guru

Guru detail I

Guru detail II

Guru detail III

VAPOR TRAILS: Inspired by all the shredding skateboard bad-asses…you know who you are.

Vapor Trails Ink & Wood Stain

Vapor Trails detail I

Vapor Trails detail II

BUMMIN & RUNNIN: Inspired by old 50’s animations, bums, and liquor.

Bummin & Runnin Ink & Wood Stain

Bummin & Runnin detail I

Bummin & Runnin detail II

RUBIX DUDE:  Inspired by particle theory and physicists worldwide.

Rubix Dude Ink & Wood Stain

Rubix Dude detail I

Rubix Dude detail II

THE SHAMBLER:  Inspired by Scrooge McDuck, Robert Crumb, and A X-Mas Carol.

The Shambler Ink on Wood

The Shambler detail I

The Shambler detail II

CODED: Inspired by zen buddhism and hidden meanings.

Coded Ink on WoodCoded detail I

Coded detail IICoded detail III

ROCKET ROCKER: Inspired by the Rocketeer and dark rockers everywhere.

Rocket Rocker Ink on Wood

Rocket Rocker detail I

Rocket Rocker detail II

AGENT OF CHAOS: Inspired by Hells Angels debauchery.

Agent of Chaos Ink on Wood

Agent of Chaos detail I

Agent of Chaos detail II

Agent of Chaos detail III

LET THE WHEELS BURN: Inspired by Mars Volta album Octahedron

Let The Wheels Burn Ink on Wood

Let The Wheels Burn detail I

Let The Wheels Burn detail II

Let The Wheels Burn detail III

THE MANNIKIN: Inspired by Robert Bloch’s short story The Mannikin from his collection Mysteries of the Worm

The Mannikin Ink on Wood

The Mannikin detail I

The Mannikin detail II

The Mannikin detail III

The Mannikin detail V

LUMBERING JACK: Inspired by chainsaws and the Pacific Northwest.

Lumbering Jack detail I

Lumbering Jack detail II

Lumbering Jack detail IV

BLOOD LIFE: Inspired by gangsta females everywhere.

Blood Life Vector Print Poster

Blood Life detail I

Blood Life detail II

Blood Life detail III

Blood Life detail IV

RUBIX DUDE: 3 versions of all characters. 1. Ink on wood 2. Vector digital design 3. Oil painting.

Rubix Dude Oils

Rubix Dude detail I

Rubix Dude detail II

Rubix Dude detail III

Rubix Dude detail IV

Rubix Dude detail V

Rubix Dude detail VI

MICKSTER MCGEE: Inspired by unicycle chimps, hipsters, scenesters, 80’s cartoons, and underground comics.

Mickster Mcgee Ink on Wood

Mickster McGee detail I

Mickster McGee detail II

Mickster McGee detail III

Mickster McGee detail IV

OL TIMER: Inspired by father time, ferrets, chicken suits, tar & feathers, and explicit street vagrants.

Ol Timer Ink on Wood

Ol Timer detail I

Ol Timer detail II

Ol Timer detail III

PHANTOM BEARD & DOOB: Inspired by Norwegians, black death metal, k-9’s, rebels, counterculture, loud loud loud music.

Phantom Beard & Doob Ink on Wood (unfinished)

Phantom Beard & Doob detail (unfinished)

Phantom Beard & Doob detail finished I

Phantom Beard & Doob detail finished II

Phantom Beard & Doob detail finished III

Phantom Beard & Doob detail finished IV

Phantom Beard & Doob detail finished V

Phantom Beard & Doob detail finished VI

Where's the bird?

Doob detail

Phantom Beard & Doob detail III

Phantom Beard & Doob detail IV

LYCOSA MASTER: Inspired by wizards, tattoos, medieval sorcerers, devils, demons, warlocks, giant spiders, and reckless gladiators.

Lycosa Master Ink on Wood

Lycosa Master detail I

Lycosa Master detail II

Lycosa Master detail III

Lycosa Master detail IV

Lycosa Master detail V

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I find it important to share with you a bit of my process when it comes to putting together a themed gallery show and how I translate my original concepts into original pieces of fine artwork as well as refining them into digital graphic outputs for prints, tee shirts, and other printed products. As I put together my Hobo Eaters: Agents of Chaos show for February 2010 I was able to document the process and can now shed light on the toil of time, blood, sweat, and joy that goes into each character design.

For the intro to my process I am going to breakdown how I created Cascade Vagabond which was one of the first characters created from the theme. Cascade Vagabond not only was created as an original piece of art but also ended up as the winter 2009 shop deck for Snowboard Connection.

All designs begin with a light pencil sketch to define the linework that will eventually be the parameters for inking and coloring digitally:

Beery Method : Hobo Eaters

Sketch

After a sketch that defines the characters details I move on to hank inking the characters with Pigma Micron pens on vellum:

Inked

Here is a side by side view:

Inked Detail

After inking I scan the image and vectorize it in Adobe Illustrator. Once all the character is vectorized I move on to adding colors and gradients:

Cascade Vagabond Digital Version

Below is the final image put to product. In this case it is a pro line skateboard. See the blog archive for more close up details:

Cascade Vagabond Skateboard

Here is a breakdown of how I created Rubix Dude who is another character from the Hobo Eaters series:

Sketch / Ink / Original

Sketch / Ink / Original

Here are some close up shots of the materials and process:

Blue Line Sketch

Inked Drawing on Vellum

Ink & Wood Stain

The original piece was done utilizing the sketch by projecting on wood, tracing, hand inking with brush, and painting with wood stain and finish:

Rubix Dude: Ink & Wood Stain

Details

The fact that the above piece is hand inked makes it the “original” and one and only. I can create variations on this design by utilizing the sketch and inked drawing, but every new edition will be different. No one version is alike since I ink by hand using brush and pen. Some versions sit on finished wood, while others are absorbed directly into the grain of the wood piece.

Below is the digital version with added hues, gradients, and tones that make it very different from the original:

Rubix Dude Digital Version

Last but not least I printed up limited edition tees of Rubix Dude by printing transparencies from the vector output and screen printing to garments:

Rubix Dude Tee Shirts

I still have a few of these limited edition tee shirts available. Printed on silver AA fashion fit tees. Please contact me if interested in purchasing!

To continue this thread the following will be most of the characters from the Hobo Eaters: Agents of Chaos series. As to not be redundant I am simply posting the details of the sketches, inked versions, originals on wood, digital versions, and any products created with the designs. Enjoy!

The Shambler:

Sketch

Inked

Sketch / Inked / Original

Sketch Detail

Inked Detail

Original Detail

The Shambler Original

45 Mack:

Sketch / Inked

Inked Detail I

Inked Detail II

Original Detail I

Original Detail II

45 Mack Original

45 Mack Digital Version

Blood Life:

Sketch

Inking

Blue Line & Ink on Vellum I

Blue Line & Ink on Vellum II

Unfinished Inking Detail

Ink Detail II

Blood Life Digital Version

Coded:

Sketch & Ink

Sketch Detail

Ink Detail I

Ink Detail II

Coded Digital Version

Ol Timer:

Ink Beginnings on Wood

Final Inks on Wood

Ol Timer Tee

Ol Timer Digital Version

Rocket Rocker:

This design actually started in reverse. I did a digital rendering in Corel Painter which I then vectorized in Adobe Illustrator and added halftones. This design was eventually picked up by a Seattle skateboard company Nomadic.

Rocket Rocker Ink on Wood

Rocket Rocker Skateboard

Bummin & Runnin:

This design started as a pencil rendering which I then scanned and added a couple layers of highlights and midtones. It was originally created for soft goods production and ended up on tee shirts which are available from Portland OR based Tilteed.

Bum & Run Original

Bum & Run Detail I

Bum & Run Detail II

Bum & Run Detail III

Bum & Run Ink & Wood Stain

Bummin & Runnin Digital Version

Bum & Run Tee Shirts

As this post has become lengthy with photos of my process from concept to finals and even products I am going to put the rest of this series of characters in the following post regarding the Hobo Eaters show and series…

Beery Method Design Studio

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I had a great experience being an artist for February’s 2010 Artifakt – A Valentine/Anti-Valentine themed event that took place at LoFi Seattle the weekend of Valentine’s Day. This salon style event was a mega-bash of super sweet works in a variety of media that spanned the theme of love and well love/hate. Myself along with other local greats Chani Murat, Dear Earthling, iamintricate, Grym, BurnOne, Dave Bloomfield, Keger, Rob Ripley, and Crystal Barbre hung our “hearts” masterpieces. The evening kicked out a huge crowd who also showed up for musical mayhem from Lost Boys vs. HitGirl! (Sean Majors & Marty Mar vs. Miss Funk & Mixtress) http://www.hitgirl.net/, Bryan J. Furious vs. Venus, and Goner vs. B.Fly.

Artifakt - Valentine's themed art and music event.

The piece I chose to do for the show was an amalgamation of media. As I love to get tight with a lot of my illustrative style works the process is a daunting one that involves laying down a full rendering in graphite, inking with some sienna india inks, oil paint washes, and then redefining through the use of sharp color pencils to inflict contrast. The result is an eye-pleasing, three dimensional look that is nothing short of extremely unique.

Fragment Heart

This particular piece titled Fragment Heart was my take on the effect of broken hearts and how one copes with the trials and tribulations of love. It involves a sexy, medusa-like, animaesque-shiva female who holds the radiating pillowy heart which is the icon of love. She grips it close to her chest with snakes writhing from her hair and a look of dispair. Precariously gripped in her hand is a needle which is on the hinge of poking the “Valentine” to blow up the love that once was. It is also a sort of play on voo-doo and what a jilted lover might choose to do when love has gone wrong. She sits on a sinewy blanket of folds that creatively spell L-O-V-E. She is no longer taking what love has to offer…time to move on…time to put love in it’s place…time for revenge!

Here is a breakdown of the creative process:

Graphite Layer

Beginning with a sketch I build upon the image rendering it with graphite pencils to create contrast and depth.

Ink Layer

After fully rendering the piece in graphite (which looks black and white) a thin layer of clear acrylic spray is applied. Once dry, a mid-tone layer of ink is applied to accentuate details in the drawing.

Oil Rub Layer

After ink dries, another thin layer of clear acrylic spray is applied. Next, oil paint is rubbed into the surface of the image. Highlights are pulled out of this layer by means of eraser to create form through contrast and layered depth.

Color Pencil Layer

The tone is now set into the piece with the hue of the first layer of oils. After another layer of clear spray another hue of oils is added. In this case the piece turns from a ochre/sienna hue to a warmer red/rose. Erasing is repeated to create more depth between tones throughout the piece.

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Bringing holiday cheer to all that come out to the Greenwood Collective is a simple pleasure. Kevin Law, owner of Urban Light Studios/Gallery, invited myself along with 11 other fantastic local Seattle artists back to the gallery to display some of our best work with some special holiday sale pricing. This gallery is an amazing space that’s especial stripped aesthetic look really adds to the urban compliment of the work chosen for display. Kevin and Julie are wonderful promoters and the Greenwood Collective building is a radical space to say the least.

One Year Anniversary Show at Urban Light Studios

Located on the bottom floor you will find all the artist niches, studios, and workspace/galleries that are divided up nicely among the resident artisans and creatives. The first floor is divided into themed rooms that are clever and invoke a great sense of wonderment and surprise as you travel from one space to the next. The upper rooms include a tiki bar theme complete with a life-size stuffed lion, an extremely ornate oriental tea room with hand carved furniture, and even a log cabin room that was once the set from Northern Exposure. The rest of the first floor are common areas for the artists and visitors to congregate and visit, have refreshments, and soak in the opulence of eccentric novelty.

It is a real enjoyment to be a part of this “come-back” show and give special pricing for the holiday shopping art lovers. All the artists and spaces are deeply trenched in the Pacific Northwest Style of unique decadence. If your in Seattle this week come out to the Greenwood Collective, enjoy some fine wine, and snag some original paintings by Beery Method to gift or adorn your own modern space!

Apocalyptician

Maelstrom Harts

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New works for sale for this holiday season at the Greenwood Collective. Myself along with fellow Seattle artists will be dishing out a huge dose of aesthetic goodness. Stop by this salon exhibit and pick up some rad gifts for your moms, pops, cuz, kids, or simply something sweet for yourself. All work is priced for the gifting season. The Beery Method will have some great new wood-media pieces that explore some crazy characters done in ink, wood stain, wood burning, and screen printing.

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Beginning the month of December in a fitting way I am part of a group show at the Flatcolor Gallery which is themed on artist’s interpretation of the coming year 2010. This show is a smattering of killer artists from the Pacific NW and down the West Coast. To say the least it is gonna be a hell of a show that is provocative in the nature of what is to come in the soon to be turn of a decade.

My piece for the show is a character based oil painting titled “Rubix Dude”. The dude is my communal ode to our ubiquitous nature of being creatures of habit. 2010 will be a year filled once again with our habits, rituals, comforts, and supreme piety of being. The idea that no matter what the future holds we will all still be in the throws of our daily routines and perpetually playing the “game” of life is one that is consistent in conserving our balance within an utterly chaotic world of perpetual change. We are here as ghosts already sitting in a wasteland of habits, consolation, and maintaining our virtues as individuals in a very congealed world of mass ideas and invocations. Our connections to the ethereal plane of subconsciousness is uprooted by our lackadaisical distractions brought about by technology and collective social destruction.  “Tempest Rituals of Virtuous Decadence”…reads the stars.

Rubix Dude

The exhibition will run from December 3rd, 2009 through January 2nd 2010. Head down to Pioneer Square / Downtown Seattle to see this amazing exhibition.

TWOTHOUSANDTEN

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During my show at Snowboard Connection / Pioneer Square, Downtown Seattle, I gave away some free goodies. In conjunction with Defiant we gave away a free Defiant skateboard, Logo tee, and one of my lovely limited edition prints. When I do shows with the skate shops and retailers I like to get everyone involved in one way or another. This includes the customers, staff, and artists as well. 3 lucky winners who signed into my fanbook walked away with these goodies. Unfortunately I couldn’t leave my nice digital behind so the pictures are super grainy do to the roll of film coming from a disposable. Congrats to Zoe, Jason, and Joseph!

Zoe chose my classic Hendrix portrait print!

Lucky winner of the Defiant Phoenix skateboard!

Joe got all decked out for this pic!

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