This week I took a little break from painting to work on a 3-part series for Bloomberg View. Having short, quick deadlines 3 days in a row was actually a welcomed change, since I’ve been really struggling with one painting in particular.
In other news, there’s lots of awesome stuff coming up for the remainder of summer that I can’t wait to share! Hope you’re having a good one.
(click image for corresponding article)
‘One President’s Economic Legacy Is His Successor’s Burden’
‘Democratic Presidents Are Better for the Economy’
‘When Ideology and Tax Cuts Mix, the Economy Loses’
If you enjoy bad jokes & poorly taken filtered photos, check me out at K_Essenpreis
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Things have been a little crazy around here this past month.. I recently moved (I know, again) to a little house in Chicago, as well as taking on a few freelance gigs and doing 5 new events with Reed Krakoff in NYC, Boston, Beverly Hills & San Francisco.
Anyway, I’m very excited to be participating in the Steve Martin tribute show, Exuuuuuse Meeeeeeee at Gallery 1988 Venice. Unfortunately there was a bit of a catastrophe in my studio (a real-life version of the game Mouse Trap is more like it) and the piece I had been working on was completely ruined. Without much time to fix it, I decided to leave the painting flat-lined, & just contribute this tiny one below.. Which is sort of a continuation of my last Steve Martin piece that can be seen here.
Steve
8.5in x 8.5in, Flashe on wood, sealed in resin
I’m so thrilled to be participating in the very special Avenger’s event, Assemble, this Thursday, May 3rd. Put together in collaboration with Disney, Marvel, and Gallery 1988, it will be held at 7021 Melrose Ave in Los Angeles from 7-10pm, the night before the movie premiere. Lots of awesome artists and people are involved (flyer here), so be sure to check it out if you’re in the area!
Hulk Goes Green
13in x 13in, Flashe on wood, sealed in resin
Captain America on Saturday Morning
13in x 13in, Flashe on wood, sealed in resin
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I’m really honored and excited to be participating in Gallery 1988′s 8th Anniversary show, Memes! I had a hard time narrowing down my ideas for this one, so I decided to do bunch of little pieces, showcasing some of my favorite memes.
Mouth 4 Eyes
6in x 6in, Flashe on wood, sealed in resin
Princess Beatrice’s Hat
6in x 6in, Flashe on wood, sealed in resin
Double Carbs
12.5 in x 5.5 in, Flashe on wood, sealed in resin
Free Candy Van
12.5 in x 7.5 in, Flashe on wood, sealed in resin
Fuckin Magnets
10in x 10in, etched corian tile, letters sealed in acrylic paint
I Like Turtles
10in x 10in, etched corian tile, letters sealed in acrylic paint
May 3rd, 7pm, 7021 Melrose Ave. And very hush-hush.
(More info soon)
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This week has been busy with a few fun, quick deadlines. The first an illo for the Boston Globe’s Book Review Section, of By Blood by Ellen Ullman. It takes place in the 1970′s, where a college professor becomes fascinated with the conversations of a patient in the office next to his.
The next was an illustration for the NY Times Sunday review. It went through a few changes, and eventually got a bit censored to a more PG version. I suppose bunnies humping on Easter might not appeal to most readers.. ;)
version #1 on wood:
version #2 with color background
final version minus the naughty bunnies:
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So excited to be included in the upcoming Alfred Hitchcock tribute, Suspense & Gallows Humor at Gallery 1988 Venice. Not only is this one of my favorite tribute shows, but I was also able to base a piece on one of my all-time favorite movies; the 1963 classic, The Birds.. Can’t wait for this one! Opens Friday, April 15th.
click to enlarge
details:
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The past few weeks have been spent working on my tribute to Alfred Hitchcock, an upcoming show at Gallery 1988. Here is a little peek at the progress of my piece so far.. More coming soon!
1/4 complete:
3/4 complete:
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I did a quick little illustration for the Bloomberg View’s OpEd page yesterday.. I forgot how fun a short deadline can be!
I had a few hours to finish this piece on how the Fed/Bernanke can be compared to Eeyore & Tigger.. if they ever had to solve the Hundred Acre Wood’s economy.
sketches:
Art Director: Phil Lubliner
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UPDATE: For those inquiring about purchasing, they are now available here!
When Gallery 1988 asked me if I’d like to participate in their second installment of Is This Thing On?, I jumped at the chance. Last year I depicted the great Steve Martin, but this year I decided to take on my other favorite comic, the late Mitch Hedberg.
I was first introduced to Mitch’s stand-up years back, by my roommate who used to play his recordings while we worked in the studio. I was instantly in love. His wit, play with language, and absurd observations paired with an odd, but enduring delivery made for a great comic who continues to be missed.
I once read that Mitch suffered from almost paralyzing stage fright and often wore sunglasses while on stage, so he could close his eyes while speaking. I thought about this a lot while sketching up ideas for my piece, and decided that a straight-forward portrait of Mitch would not suit him. To me, his words are really what he’d most likely prefer to be remembered for, so I tested out a new technique and created 8 small, wood etchings of my favorite quotes. All wood panels are sealed in resin.
(click to enlarge)
kinda crappy shot of them in resin:
Is This Thing On? 2 opens Friday, March 9th
Gallery 1988 Melrose
A few months back I worked in collaboration with the amazing Chinese fashion/lifestyle magazine, Little Thing, to do an issue based on the theme, twins. The entire issue was dedicated to all things in two, from the fashion spreads, to the artwork, to the products featured. I just received a copy yesterday and even though I can’t read it, it really looks incredible (I mean, there’s even a popup feature.. eeeeep!).
So honored to work with such a great magazine.
cover, issue 25
pop-ups!
Twinsville
girls x’s 2 in my work
blah, blah, blah, BRUCE, blah, blah
