Mike King (US)

Mike King (US)

Mike's artwork is as impressive as his answers are short (so will be this introduction :)

 

Hello, of course as every Crewk interview, first question: what are we

listening to when we come to visit you?

   PUBLIC ENEMY, IT TAKES A NATION OF MILLIONS TO HOLD US BACK

Can you tell us more about yourself, who are you, where are you from,

what do you do?

  I AM MIKE KING, FROM PORTLAND OREGON,

  I ATTEMPT TO MAKE WHAT MUSICIANS DO SEEM A LITTLE MORE INTERESTING THAN IT ACTUALLY IS

When did you start drawing?

  VERY YOUNG

Did you follow any course or did you improve by drawing in the margins

of your schoolbooks?

  I WAS A POOR STUDENT, I DID AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE IN SCHOOL

  I MOSTLY LEARNED DESIGN BY DESIGNING

Today are you living from your art, or do you do something else for a living ?

  ART IS MY ONLY JOB

Are you collaborating with magazines/fanzines, regularly?

  NO

Where does your influence come from?

  I LOVE MODERN ART AND TRASH

Is there any artists/graphistsyou particularly like, what are your influences?

   PAUL RAND, SAUL BASS, JEFF KLEINSMITH

What are the principal steps in your work ?

  THINK AND THINK AND THINK AND EVENTUALLY DO

Do you do everything by hand or on computer?

  YES (?)

How long does it take you to do a poster?

  IT SEEMS LIKE FOREVER

You have a very distinctive style, are you doing only what you feel

like or if tomorrow somebody asks you an oil painting with horses

running out of water with a sunset backdrop, is it a problem or are

you up for it ?

  I AM A COMMERCIAL ARTIST, SO I DONT ALWAYS DO WHAT I FEEL LIKE

  I DO NOT PAINT, SO THAT MIGHT BE A PROBLEM

For which band have you already worked for?

  ELLIOTT SMITH, THE DECEMBERISTS, BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE, NEW PORNOGRAPHERS, WIDESPREAD PANIC AND MANY MORE

For which band would you love to work?

  NICKI MANAJ AND JOHN ZORN

Do you choose the artists yourself?

  SOMETIMES

What is the most difficult part in designing a poster ?

  PRINTING

Do you think you are part of a "Graphic Scene", if so who else ?

  SURE, EVERYONE ELSE

You will attend Flatstock 2012, is it the first time you take part of

such an event ?

  I HAVE ATTENDED EVERY FLATSTOCK THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THE US, EXCEPT ONE

What are you expecting from it ?

  A NICE TIME

A bit of self-promotion, take advantage of it, it's free, where can we

see your work , on the web or in real life?

  COME SEE ME AT FLATSTOCK OR AT www.crashamerica.com

The best praise you received lately?

  YOU ASKING FOR THIS INTERVIEW

What can we wish you for the future?

  SUCCESS AND HEALTH

Burlesque of North America (Wes Winship & Mike Davis) (US)

Wes Winship (left) and Mike Davis (right)

Burlesque of North America (Wes Winship &Mike Davis) (US)

Of course, as they are 2 it is easier to cover a wide range of style but I have to say that, amongst many other things, one of the great talent of those two guys is to be able to do a really different poster everytime ! Listening to things from Mister Sabbath to Black Oizo is also a true point of originality. Well, let's face it, I really dig their work and won't spend more time trying to find out why, just check !

 

Hello, of course as every Crewk interview, first question: what are we listening to when we come to visit you?

- at this moment I'm listening to a mix of all Galt MacDermot joints done up by DJ Green Giant. In general though, if you popped into our studio, you'd hear anything from Mr. Oizo to Black Sabbath to Doomtree to Alan Hawkshaw to Marc Maron's WTF podcast to Minnesota Public Radio.

Can you tell us more about yourself, who are you, where are you from, what do you do?

- we began as a casual crew of illustrators and designers who got into postermaking and graphic art for hire, then built what we had into a full-time design and screenprinting studio, creating posters, logos, t-shirts, album packaging, stage design, and more for Arcade Fire, Target, Nike Sportswear, Rhymesayers, The Melvins, The National, and many others. We are based in Northeast Minneapolis MN, but work with artists from all across the globe. Wes Winship and I are the principals and creative directors and we have two full-time printers and one full-time project manager / shipping she-wizard.

When did you start drawing?

- early childhood. It seems like something I've always been doing.

Did you follow any course or did you improve by drawing in the margins of your schoolbooks?

- both. I was always drawing all over my notebooks in school, but also learned quite a bit through formal design training.

Today are you living from your art, or do you do something else for a living ?

- Burlesque is our full-time gig. It's what we get out of bed to do every day.

Are you collaborating with magazines/fanzines, regularly?

- No. We occassionaly do illustrations or other visual contributions to magazines, but it's not a regular thing for us.

Where does your influence come from? Is there any artists/graphists you particularly like, what are your influences?

- All over. We are constantly looking at classic film posters, psychedelic concert posters, postage stamps, sports team branding, product packaging, movie credits, magazines, experimental video, and album artwork from all eras and all points of the planet for inspiration.

What are the principal steps in your work ?

- talk with the client, figure out a creative direction, research, sketch, research, sketch, research, sketch, refine, show to client, finalize artwork, prepare for print, output films, expose screens, count and stack paper, mix inks, prepare the presses, print, print, print, cut, count, stamp, sign, number, pack, ship, lunch break.

Do you do everything by hand or on computer?

- Both. Everything we do ends up on the computer, but we usually like to include some kind of hand-drawn element, photograph, painted splatters, or any other little bit pulled from beyond the computer if we can.

How long does it take you to do a poster?

- We just started and finished one inbetween answering the last two questions. There goes another one.

You have a very distinctive style, are you doing only what you feel like or if tomorrow somebody asks you an oil painting with horses running out of water with a sunset backdrop, is it a problem or are you up for it ?

- People generally come to us in search of a style they've seen from us before, so we generally don't get too many horse oil painting style requests. However, we're always up for a challenge!

For which band have you already worked for?

- Arcade Fire, The Melvins, Converge, Baroness, MF DOOM, Isis, Diplo, Dosh, Zebulon Pike, Seu Jorge, Gayngs, Andrew Bird, Cubic Zirconia, Atmosphere, Lyrics Born, Jesu, Doomtree, High On Fire.

For which band would you love to work?

- Justin Bieber.

Do you choose the artists yourself?

- We are fortunate to be able to work with artists we really look up to. It's a mutual choosing I suppose.

What is the most difficult part in designing a poster ?

- Knowing when the design is "done."

Do you think you are part of a "Graphic Scene", if so who else ?

- I guess so. We do a lot of different work so we are part of lots of different little scenes. We love the Flatstock / gig poster scene and getting to see our talented friends like Jay Ryan, Daniel Danger, Dan Macadam, Delicious Design League, etc.

You will attend Flatstock 2012, is it the first time you take part of such an event ? What are you expecting from it ?

- Nope, this will be our 15th or 20th Flatstock. We love going! Always fun to meet the other artists and poster enthusiasts, plus escape Minnesota's shit weather for Austin's awesome sunshine and great food. It's like Summer camp for us.

A bit of self-promotion, take advantage of it, it's free, where can we see your work , on the web or in real life?

- Anyone can stop by our studio in Minneapolis at the corner of Broadway & Stinson, or just see us online at http://burlesquedesign.com

The best praise you received lately?

- Anytime anyone visits our website or orders a poster or anything from us, I take that as a very high praise.

What can we wish you for the future?

- Wish us to be able to keep doing what we love to do every day!

Thanks Benoit! Merci!

 

Gregg Gordon (Gigart) (US)

Gregg Gordon (Gigart) (US)

As everything is already said on his facebook profile, I will just copy-paste it as an introduction of this interview of one of my fav poster artist ever: "Since founding GIGART in 1996, Gregg Gordon's artwork has been seen on TV, featured in magazines and newspaper publications, and utilized as an integral part of a number of national ad campaigns and concert merchandising efforts. Corporate clients such as TBWA/Chiat/Day, Landor Associates, Spin Magazine, KROQ Radio, Live105 Radio, Interscope Records, J Records, ESPN, Bill Graham Presents, DreamWorks Records, and many more, have repeatedly turned to GIGART for their poster, logo, album cover and package design needs. In addition, Gregg Gordon's designs are consistently among the most popular pieces featured in art shows and festivals around the country. GIGART's reputation for creating quality work on time and on budget makes it a premiere choice for all your illustration and design needs."

Hello, of course as every Crewk interview, first question: what are we listening to when we come to visit you?

I have been really into Spotify lately. I get to hear tons of music that I might not have heard before.
I am big into listening to Playlists based on a few bands I like and definitely the classic rock radio.

Can you tell us more about yourself, who are you, where are you from, what do you do?

I was born in 1971, down in Los Angeles near Hollywood on Sunset Blvd.
Grew up right outside of LA, and then kept moving further and further North.
I have been living in San Francisco now for about 20 years, and work as an illustrator / graphic designer.
The main work I do has been in the music industry: (concert merchandise, rock posters, album art, radio stations)
I also create for many corporate clients, having worked on a number of national ad campaigns, featured in magazines, newspapers and more.

When did you start drawing?

I have been drawing since I can remember. There are many artists in my family, and my mom was a teacher and would teach art while I was growing up. I also remember drawing all the monsters from the Dungeons & Dragons books, and was a huge fan of Star Wars. So I think that is where a lot of my imagination came from.

Did you follow any course or did you improve by drawing in the margins of your schoolbooks?
I studied graphic design and illustration at San Jose State University.

I got an internship at Sony Signatures up in San Francisco my junior year. I had to change my major, and switch around my schedule, but that job is what got me doing what I do today. After college, I worked at Sony for a few years, and then Winterland, creating concert merchandise for an endless list of bands such as KISS, Ozzy Osbourne, and Pearl Jam, to Britney Spears, Prince, and even Barbra Streisand, just to name a few.

Today are you living from your art, or do you do something else for a living ?

Yes, I am living off my art.
In the past few years, I have been creating more art and products on my own that I am selling online and getting into many stores around the country. That is a direction that I plan to keep moving towards.

Are you collaborating with magazines/fanzines, regularly?

I am always up for drawing illustrations for magazines. I have worked with Spin, Revolver, Maxim, many local papers.
I have been part of some cool fanzines such as, I Want Your Skull, but nothing regularly.

Where does your influence come from? Is there any artists/graphists you particularly like, what are your influences?

I am a huge fan of illustration. There are some really talented people doing amazing line work and detail.
I am a fan of the craft, but also of the ideas and thought that people put behind their work.
To list a few artists today that always inspire me with their illustrations are EMEK, Alan Forbes, Ken Taylor, Dwitt, Zeloot, Methane…just to name a few. I am lucky to know a lot of talented artists and learn from them (and get jealous of them) every day.

What are the principal steps in your work ?

When I get a gig to do a poster for a band, I like to find out as much as I can about them.
I listen to their music, read their lyrics, see other work done for them. I really try to make my art fit the band I am designing for, and be original.

I sketch up ideas first. Once I know which direction I am going to go, I layout the poster with all the info, draw a tighter sketch, and then start my final inking. I draw almost all of my illustrations by hand with pen and ink on Bristol Board. Once the black and white inks are done, I scan them into the computer. From there I work with colors, make tweaks, corrections, work with type and more. Once finished, I get the artwork ready for print by making the color separations on the computer.

Do you do everything by hand or on computer?

As I mentioned in the question before this one, I draw all my illustrations with pen and ink by hand, and then scan them into the computer to finish.

How long does it take you to do a poster?

Coming up with the ideas and concepts take me longer than creating the actual poster.
If I have a solid idea, I can bust that poster out in less than 3 days. It really depends on how elaborate the illustration and poster is.
Some might be quicker than others. If the deadline is not a rush, I sometimes take my time and keep revisiting the piece, making lots of changes until the poster is just right. I do not print my own work, so all of my time is put towards the artwork. I print all of my posters with D&L Screenprinting in Seattle.

You have a very distinctive style, are you doing only what you feel like or if tomorrow somebody asks you an oil painting with horses running out of water with a sunset backdrop, is it a problem or are you up for it ?

I think of myself as a commercial artist. I have been since back at the days I worked for Sony.
I have no problem drawing anything someone asks for. I actually like getting direction if it helps the piece.
With that said, I have been very lucky to get a lot of freedom with my work, and really enjoy sharing my ideas and making them come alive.

For which band have you already worked for?

I have been working with bands for almost 20 years now, so my list is long.
To name a random selection of bands: Ween, Ozzy, Primus, Pavement, Green Day, Iggy Pop, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, Train, Liz Phair, Britney Spears, Bob Dylan, KISS, Slayer, NSYNC, Neil Young, QOTSA, Maroon 5, and so many more…

For which band would you love to work?

David Bowie, Bjork, Arcade Fire, The Flaming Lips, Sonic Youth, Tool

Do you choose the artists yourself?

I do go after bands that I am interested in, tracking down their management and seeing if I can get the gig.
But I have been lucky over the years, that my work and posters have attracted bands and artists to contact me.
I always think of my posters as big business cards. I really never know what my next project will be or what band might contact me.

What is the most difficult part in designing a poster ?

No so difficult, but more challenging, is coming up with a great image, concept, and design.
Something that really fits with the band, and is new and original. I am a big fan of illustration and detail.
I also love color. So I try to fit all of that in my posters when I can.

Do you think you are part of a "Graphic Scene", if so who else ?

I think I am part of the "Poster Scene" I guess. I am always on the website: Gigposters.com and have been in many events with tons of the other poster artists from around the world. I have been in more than 15 Flatstock Poster Shows, helped out with Flatstock 1 when these events were just getting started. I am also featured in many books that highlight the poster scene.

A bit of self-promotion, take advantage of it, it's free, where can we see your work , on the web or in real life?

GIGART
http://www.gigart.com

Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/gigart

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/GIGART/6578869795

Etsy
http://www.gigart.etsy.com

The best praise you received lately?

I have started posting process photos of me working on posters. I post them on Facebook and Twitter.
It gives people a chance to see how I work and the details in my line work and inking. I have gotten a really good response and hope to do more of that with future projects. So follow me on Facebook to see the process.

What can we wish you for the future?

That I keep trying new things. Keep challenging myself. And always have fun doing what I love to do.

Thanks for answering my questions and see you soon on the website !!

Chloe Lum & Yannick Desranleau (Seripop) (CDN)

Seripop (Canada)

It's been a while since last time we met canadian artists on the blog, but if you read the site on regular basis, you may have noticed that Seripop was really often consider as a really important actor of today's poster scene, and, you do not have to look too long at their work to see that they are really unique by their way of drawing and their choice of colors...

What are we listening to when we come to visit you?

Probably Cecil Taylor , Dewey Redman , Morbid Angel , Magma , Ornette Coleman ,Voivod , Satanized or Bill Orcutt.

Can you tell us more about yourself, who are you, where are you from, what do you do?

 We are Seripop aka Chloe Lum and Yannick Desranleau , from Montreal. We've been collaborating for 10 years under this moniker and what we do seems to constantly shift and change. We have done poster art , design, editorial illustration and contemporary art. Lately our main work is large scale screen printed installation work that we are showing in galleries and institutions.

When did you start drawing?

 Not too long ago. we were both uninterested in drawing until around 2003. Before that we were both more interested in collage and mediums that did not required the direct action of the hand (video, performance, etc). 

Did you follow any course or did you improve by drawing in the margins of your schoolbooks?

We both studied Fine Art at Concordia University, in Interdisciplinary Stidies. This was and exploration of art practices through post modernist theory. Not much chance to push our drawing chops. We learned on the job.

Today are you living from your art, or do you do something else for a living ?

 Full on , full-time. With the odd printing job .

Are you collaborating with magazines/fanzines, regularly?

 - We do work pretty regularly with Pilot Literary Magazine out of Toroonto (http://www.thepilotproject.ca/ ) ,  we've been doing stuff for every issue for the past 2 years now. We illustrate short fiction with flu creative control, it's a dream gig.

Where does your influence come from? Is there any artists/graphists you particularly like, what are your influences?

 There is a plethora of influences that affected our work. There is a rich history of local postermaking in Montreal and that was a big reason for us to start; but also just the generic concept of maing posters as a sort of intervention in the streets was something we found very motivating--- so the concept in it own was a big push for us to start, and develop our own ideas throughout.

What are the principal steps in your work ? 

 Thinking , talking , sketching ,  then brute labour

Do you do everything by hand or on computer?

 Most of our drawing / text / fills are done by hand , then we use photoshop as a paste-up board.

We tend to be very implicated in the printing process as wee, by giving specific directives to printmakers/offset printers or by screenprinting our own work.

How long does it take you to do a poster?

 It varies but it's usually a week from initial sketches to completed print

You have a very distinctive style, are you doing only what you feel like or if tomorrow somebody asks you an oil painting with horses running out of water with a sunset backdrop, is it a problem or are you up for it ?

Since we  don't do many commissions these days we are very selective in the jobs we take on and require a certain creative liberty. I think people looking to hire designers/illustrators should hire someone who does the type of work they require , not expect the artist to re-invent her style.

For which band have you already worked for?

 Deerhoof , Fucked Up , EGYPTRIXX , Sightings, Death From Above, MSTRKRFT, and so on.

For which band would you love to work?

 Country Teasers or any free jazz giant would get us excited to do another poster. Discharge and Penderecki. The Metropolitan Opera?

Do you choose the artists yourself?

 Sometimes , and sometimes they choose us.

What is the most difficult part in designing a poster ?

 Always trying to challenge ourselves and not stick with a formula.

Do you think you are part of a "Graphic Scene", if so who else ?

Felix Morel , Daniel Ludke (DNML) , Sonnenzimmer , Bongout , Walter Scott , Jesjit Gill , Jacob Horwood , Lisa Czech , Dominique Petrin +++++++++++++

A bit of self-promotion, take advantage of it, it's free, where can we see your work , on the web or in real life?

http://seripop.com/

for sale here : http://www.etsy.com/shop/Seripop

And in real life at Blackwood gallery at the University of Toronto Mississauga campus http://www.blackwoodgallery.ca/Blackwood_exhibitionscurrent.html

The best praise you received lately?

The best praise we've gotten recently was to receive a production grant . It means that we are able to take on much more ambitious  works  and spend more time on them lately.

What can we wish you for the future?

We we are wanting to continue to do even larger scale works  and be able to take them outside as temporary public art pieces .

Thanks for answering my questions and see you soon on the website !!

Steve Johannsen (US)

Steve Johannsen (US)

No need to tell really more than Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band and Gov't Mule to make you understand which kind of guy we are meeting today. Yeah, Steve is definitly a rock art artist, a true one, with great talent, and if you add to that a great sense of humor that allows him to take famous old posters or covers and make them new posters (Obey style or Family Dog logo for example) you surely have already understood I am a huge fan of his art !

Hello, of course as every Crewk interview, first question: what are we
listening to when we come to visit you? 

In my studio you might get silence...or selections from many different music genres. I get bored with most radio and playlists I've heard too many years, no matter how good the music was. Give me something new. Selected music might include stuff from...Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band, Gov't Mule, Widespread Panic, Wilco, Ruthie Foster, Steve Earle, Del McCoury, John Coltrane, Planet of the Abts, Giant Panda...

Can you tell us more about yourself, who are you, where are you from,
what do you do?

   I am Steve Johannsen, full time, versatile artist. I've loved experiences of trying many different creative media. From traditional art with pencil, colored pencil, pen and ink, watercolor oils to carving, scratchboard, woodburning and computer digital art.

  I've had my art business since 1974 in one form or another. Full time or on the side, I've worked extensively in commercial printing, with silk screeners on apparel and posters, with ad agencies, drafting firms, sign painters, photographers and other related fields.

  I grew up in a small town in NW Iowa before moving to Denver in late 1972 for art school and got my start in printing in 74. I moved to W. Colorado late in 1976, where I soon started up my own first art business and began a new family life. In 1987, we moved to Oregon, where I worked for a huge commercial printer while doing select art on the side. Following a layoff in 2002, I have been working at my art full time since.

  When did you start drawing?

  Must have started with childhood crayons and has never stopped since. I was getting more serious in Jr.High. I took some extra courses, portrait help from a local barber-artist, and was already hitting up the high school art teacher for help. Mr. Marlin Hansen was a major force in helping me believe that I could be able to do extraordinary things with my art if I kept at it.

Did you follow any course or did you improve by drawing in the margins
of your schoolbooks?

  Following high school, I moved to Denver where I attended the Rocky Mountain School of Art for 2 years. I studied under Phil Steele and Jim Valone. We did alot of life drawing and anatomy studies and I took more of the graphics courses because I naively believed that doing commercial art just meant you made money doing art. Exposure to all the other students was the best lesson for a small town kid. Different ages, backgrounds, regions of the country, ethnics and levels of creative passions was very enlightening and inspirational.

   I was also young and on my own for the first time, so might not have gotten out of art school what I should have. But for the most part, I've continually self-taught myself most of what I can do.

Today are you living from your art, or do you do something else for a living ?

  My art is my only job. It is a constant and insecure struggle to find and compete for projects. Some folks find me, others I have to dig up on my own. I had to learn to become my own salesman, copywriter, project coordinator, bookkeeper, gopher, janitor and still hope I get some fun time playing artist.

  I get to use all my life's and career experiences for part of my whole package to clients. From artist through coordinating final production on projects too.

Are you collaborating with magazines/fanzines, regularly?

I have in the past but haven't been actively pursuing any lately. 

Where does your influence come from? Is there any artists/graphists
you particularly like, what are your influences?

   My influences have come from every minute of my life...several generations of pop culture. Very young I admired the traditional art like Michaelangelo, daVinci and covers of action books. I enjoyed comic art, pinups, action illustrations on books and magazines of their time. Soon the art world connected to music grabbed solid hold on me. Psychedelic poster artists like Griffin, Mouse/Kelly and others blew my mind at how 'totally open and wild' their subject material could be.

What are the principal steps in your work?

   I need the client to 'feed my head' with their ideas, info, uses and any pertinent stuff about their project.

I kick thoughts around in my head for a while, maybe do some online reference research, then start sketching out by hand. I exchange email proofs and work together til everybody's happy. Then I finish final art and engineering for individual pieces to send to vendors to produce.

Do you do everything by hand or on computer?

  I still like doing my preliminary sketching  or master art by hand whenever possible, but now days, I bet 80% of my art is done through computers.

How long does it take you to do a poster?

  Average posters may take 2-4 days of hard work, long hours.

You have a very distinctive style, are you doing only what you feel
like or if tomorrow somebody asks you an oil painting with horses
running out of water with a sunset backdrop, is it a problem or are
you up for it ?

  Fortunately, I do like the challenges of trying different subjects, different art styles and media...just to shake things up and keep it interesting. I like looking at each project with open eyes and figure out what direction I can choose to follow on this one. I like bouncing between the drawing table or easel to the computer desk. So, with personal art...I enjoy portraits, landscapes, animals, buildings, historical stuff and more. I enjoy seeing what I can do to make someone else's vision a reality. It makes me try things I may not choose on my own.

   Same thing with graphics art for posters, T-shirts, logos, print design and more, too. There's endless possibilities.

For which bands have you already worked for?

   Grateful Dead, the Dead/Other Ones, Furthur, Phil Lesh &Friends, Bob Weir &Ratdog, Hot Tuna, Allman Brother Band, Gov't Mule, Warren Haynes Band, Leftover Salmon, Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers, Mark Karan &Jemimah Puddlleduck, Rose Hill Drive, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad.

For which band would you love to work?

   There's plenty of bands and performers I'd love to get creative with...too long of a list. Call me!

Do you choose the artists yourself?

   Sometimes I choose who to go for. It does feel pretty darn cool when I get to do work for someone I do really like or have a long listening history with. I take the time to show and tell something I hope will really dazzle someone who will give me a shot. Other times a band or merchandiser may contact me about a possible project to submit for.

What is the most difficult part in designing a poster ?

   Finding that 'perfect' design for a piece can be very difficult. It can be an easy inspirational gift in a moment of thought...or a long frustrating process that may never meet your hopes. But when I do find something that I really like...it's then become the best part. 

  Sometimes the process of drawing and engineering properly on the computer can become difficult, at times boring...but that's what it takes to get it done right and done well.

Do you think you are part of a "Graphic Scene", if so who else ?

Not really. I work alone in my home studio without much interaction with other artists these days.

A bit of self-promotion, take advantage of it, it's free, where can we
see your work , on the web or in real life?

  You can find my artwork and portfolios on my website...steves-art.com, on facebook at the Art of Steve Johannsen...through some other online poster sellers, galleries, or contact me at my studio.

The best praise you received lately?

  I recently did a scratchboard illustration for a screen printed poster for Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad. When Chris O'Brian, drummer, poster lover, received their first box of posters shipped he wrote me, "Amazing! I can't tell you how cool this is for me. I'm the coolest dude I know right now! THANK YOU SO MUCH STEVE!"

What can we wish you for the future?

  I want to do more posters and band merch, more festivals...explore some new rock portrait directions...paint more, sketch more. I'd like to connect with a couple more steady clients and am looking for possible places to license my designs for use manufactured on misc. products and merchandise.

  I just want to continue trying new things, having more fun with art and earn a better living doing what I love.