10:28

gouache

2012-01-19T23:41:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd post this new gouache piece that I just finished. "propaganda"

LA WEEKLY

2012-01-13T18:20:00.000-08:00

I'm posting these pages, even if it's a little late. They were part of a comic issue released by LA WEEKLY. This was my first printed comic, and I hope there will be more.
I'm selling the original illustrated panels for $50 each on my etsy store. Check it out if you haven't visited in awhile. I have other new pieces there as well.

Kengarduno.etsy.com

Thanks for continuing to read this blog!

neglected.

2011-12-23T01:26:00.001-08:00

I rarely get a chance to update this blog anymore! I've mainly been using instagram to post online, and I've just created/linked a tumblr. I'll try to continue this blog, but if anyone is interested in following with a more constant flow of updates, please check out and follow my new tumblr (gardunoman.tumblr.com), or find me on instagram (ken1028).

Thank you for checking in!

etsy

2011-10-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

Again, I must apologize for not posting as often as I used to. I was pretty busy with projects, and life changes but now things are finally slowing down a bit. I've gotten a chance to make work for fun again. I've actually been doing a pretty good amount of that lately. I've also finally updated my etsy store with some smaller original works, including the pieces below.

I'm also going to try adding my shirts to etsy, making it easier for anyone interested to order one. Until next post!

www.kengarduno.etsy.com

good stuff.

2011-09-27T00:40:00.000-07:00

This is one of my latest projects. I was contacted once again by Paul Buckley ( who also did the design layout on this cover) for the second novel by Shane Jones. I'm happy that I got a chance to do his second novel cover after doing the cover for his first book, Light Boxes.

APE

2011-09-24T14:50:00.000-07:00

Again, I have to apologize for not updating this blog. I've been busy working on projects, and now I'm preparing for the APE convention in San Francisco this coming weekend. This is a new shirt I will have available at the convention.

Email me at Kengarduno@yahoo.com if you're interested in buying a shirt for more details.

GPK

2011-09-02T11:37:00.000-07:00

I apologize for my lack of posts here on the blog. After my show, I had a pile of work that I had to catch up on. I have lot's to post in the near future. I'll also get back to making personal pieces soon. In the meantime, I'm posting this piece for a Garbage Pail Kids show tonight at Gallery 1988. This was so much fun for me. I used to be crazy about GPK when I was a kid, so it was great to get a chance to do this.

I've mentioned this before, but if you're on Instagram, look me up. I've been updating there much more often. If you're on Instagram, my username is Ken1028.

preview

2011-08-18T09:36:00.000-07:00

If you're interested in seeing the preview for my show, please contact Kim at LeBasseProjects. Her email is kim@lebasseprojects.com

games

2011-08-14T13:59:00.000-07:00

I made this Castlevania themed piece for the Iam8bit show that recently passed. If you're in the LA area, you should drop in on the gallery and check out the space.

This Friday is my solo show. If you're in the LA area, please drop in. I'll be posting more info and reminders this week.

Thank you for reading.

iMOCA

2011-08-08T12:22:00.000-07:00

I was recently asked to make a new shirt design for the indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art. I've been in contact with the museum since I participated in a show there. The spaceship will be on the back of the shirt, and the other image will be in the front. I had a really good time working on this one.
Thank you, Shauta!!

something quick

2011-08-06T17:14:00.000-07:00

I've been distracted with preparations for my show, but I've also got a few jobs that I've been working on lately. I'll have to find an image of the last job I finished, but for now, I'll post this latest spot illustration for the good people at LA Weekly. Thanks again, Darrick.

I have many more things to post coming up soon, including a link to the preview of my show for those who might be interested in checking it out.

press release

2011-08-03T02:07:00.001-07:00

‘Golden Structure’
A solo exhibition by Ken Garduno

August 19th – September 10th, 2011
Artist reception: Friday, August 19th, 7-10p

LeBasse Projects :: Chinatown
932 Chung King Rd.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
www.lebasseprojects.com
Tel: (213) 621-9988

Los Angeles, CA – LeBasse Projects :: Chinatown is proud to announce ‘Golden Structure,' a solo exhibition from Los Angeles based artist, Ken Garduno.

In his new body of work, Garduno continues to explore themes of how people respond to one another, particularly in relationships. Influenced by the overly dramatic Spanish Novelas, Garduno puts into question our own relationships and suggests that real life can easily turn into soap opera-like situations.

Garduno sheds light on our tendencies to construct unrealistic expectations of our loved ones and explores the disintegration of these ideals. The exhibition title, ‘Golden Structure’ is based on an idea of this precious structure that slowly ages and falls apart.

In Garduno’s new exhibition, the artist returns with a matured body of watercolor and ink paintings. Known more by his monotone color scheme, Garduno’s characters are brought to life with a refreshing Technicolor palette. The artist shows us the difficulties in maintaining love and its relationships, as well as the tendencies to take things too far and serious. The central figures create an unsettling dialog riddled with jealousy, betrayal and a pronounced sense of sexual tension.

limited edition

2011-07-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

I made a new zine for con called "Dreaming your human".(not "Dreaming you're human"!) I only made 25 copies and I have about 6 leftover. I also have some shirts left from the con. I decided that I would offer the zine free along with purchase of the shirt to the first 6 people. After they're gone, I may reprint them at a later date, but will probably use an alternate cover. So, to get a copy of the first printing of this zine, send $25( + 5 for shipping in the US, 10 anywhere else) as a "gift" to my paypal: kengarduno@yahoo.com

This is a bad photograph of the shirt and zine below.

I mostly have smalls and mediums left in the shirt, with only a couple large left.

Novelas: Golden Structure

2011-07-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

That's the official title for my solo show at Le Basse Projects, Chinatown. It's on Friday August 19, 2011 from 7-10pm.
http://www.lebasseprojects.com/?page_id=2807 Come on out! More info and previews will be given soon.

Rewind and delete.

2011-07-21T17:32:00.000-07:00

I just got word from the gallery that my show is back on the 19th of August. I apologize if this is causing anyone any issues with making it to the show! I'm hoping that there will be no more changes, but I'll keep you all updated.

Thanks!

Dear blog.

2011-07-21T00:03:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry that I've been neglecting you. I'm currently in San Diego for Comic Con, so if you're going, visit me at F1. While I'm writing this out, I should also mention that my solo show at LeBasse gallery in Chinatown has been changed to August 20th. Hope to see you at either!

comic con shirt

2011-07-11T13:09:00.001-07:00

Comic con is just under two weeks away. I decided to make a new shirt for the convention. They will be extremely limited, so if you'd like one, email me at kengarduno@yahoo.com. If you're not going to make it down to the convention, it's probably best to preorder one just to make sure they don't sell out!

crazy 4 cult 5

2011-07-09T02:01:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention the annual Crazy 4 Cult art show at gallery 1988. I just got back from the opening. This is my piece from the show.

august 19th

2011-06-30T11:56:00.001-07:00

That is the official date of my upcoming solo show. I apologize for the lack of updates. I have a lot to do, so I'll see you all very soon.

teaser

2011-06-04T11:07:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned in a previous post, I've been hard at work making new pieces for my upcoming solo show at Le Basse Projects in Chinatown. This piece will be in a group show at LeBasse Culver City for the art walk today. It's a preview of the series I'm working on for the show. "fission"
More updates are coming soon.

tv tray

2011-05-18T01:30:00.000-07:00

I've been hard at work sketching out my show. I've just gotten to finish my first piece for the show, but a preview won't be available any time soon. I did take the time to work on a commission for a friend of mine. She had an old tv tray that she wanted me to paint on. I have to admit that when I first saw the tray, I was pretty intimidated. It had an existing diamond pattern that she wanted to show through a bit. Working with those instructions, I brought out my acrylic paints (which I don't get a chance to use often) and went for it. This is what happened.

3 more

2011-05-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

these are the last 3 pieces from the WWA show.

another preview

2011-05-13T13:42:00.000-07:00

The work for the show is online at the galleries website. If you can't make it to the show, you can view the work online there. "matriarch"
wwagallery.com

preview

2011-05-11T14:25:00.000-07:00

This is one of the pieces I made for the group show I'm in coming up this friday at WWA gallery in Culver City. "coordinates"
Hope you can make it!

back talk

2011-05-07T12:40:00.000-07:00

I think I've mentioned on a previous post that I can never get links to work for posts on this blog. Hopefully you don't mind using the old copy/paste method to check this out! This is a short interview that is up on the Juxtapoz website.
http://www.juxtapoz.com/Current/back-talk-with-ken-garduno

Check this out also. I'm featured if you scroll down a bit.

http://industrialsquid.tumblr.com/

on the side

2011-05-04T02:57:00.000-07:00

I've started working on sketches and ideas for my show, but I took some time to make this piece today. I've been working this idea out in my head and decided that it was time that it came to fruition. "rider"

group show

2011-04-26T15:05:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was to take part in a few group shows before my solo show in August. This is one of the shows. It's at WWA Gallery in Culver City, Ca., and is curated by Industrial Squid. They're a nice group, and the space is really cool. I have five pieces in the show...hope you can make it!

brushes

2011-04-25T03:49:00.000-07:00

It takes me awhile to break in a new brush. Just as they've reached perfection, it usually means that they're close to be retired. This is a cycle that I've gotten used to after years of inking with a brush, especially when doing pieces like these below with fine lines. "adaptation m and f"

linework

2011-04-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

I did this late last night, and was too tired to scan it after I finished. It's quite relaxing for me to work solely in black ink.

check your bulk mail sometimes

2011-04-19T00:11:00.000-07:00

American Illustration notified the illustrators that made it into their annual(30) book today. I saw a couple posts on facebook about friends that made it in, and since I didn't have an email notification, I assumed I didn't make it in. "Oh well, I'll try again next year", I thought. I have to admit that I was pretty disappointed. A few minutes later, I thought that maybe I should check my "bulk mail". As soon as I opened it, there it was. I made it into the annual after all with this image! "birthday party"
I'd like to thank the judges for including me in the annual. This will be my third time being published in American Illustration.

sketch pile

2011-04-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

I've been neglecting my daily sketchbook posts, so they've piled up. Here are some of my recent pages from my sketchbook.

in the near future

2011-04-12T11:57:00.000-07:00

I finished this piece late last night, but I was too tired to scan and post it. I'll be adding it to my etsy store momentarily.(kengarduno.etsy.com)
Now that it's confirmed, I can mention that I have my next solo show scheduled for August of this year at LeBasse Projects in Chinatown (Los Angeles). I went to check out the space this past weekend, and I'm pretty excited about it. Mark your calendars!! That means I may not get a chance to post as many finished pieces as I have been. Rather, I'll probably be posting mostly sketches in the coming months while I prepare for the show. I also have a few cool group shows coming up including the Edward Scissorhands group show, a group show at WWA gallery in Culver City in May, and a few other that I'm not remembering at this moment. I also have Comic Con coming up in July, so it's going to be an interesting next few months. I'll post more info on the upcoming shows as I get it.

japan

2011-04-09T00:26:00.001-07:00

My friend Christina Conway put together an awesome charity auction with the proceeds going to aid Japan through an organization called Give2Asia. Artists were asked to paint an Ema, so this is my contribution. This is a great opportunity to own original art, as well as helping the people of Japan. If you're interested in bidding, I'm posting the ebay link below. I think the bidding starts at $25, and goes on for 6 days.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120709492261#ht_737wt_1141

reject?

2011-04-01T03:24:00.000-07:00

Not really. This piece wont be included in the five pieces I'm going to have in an upcoming group show. The other piece I replaced it with seems to meld better with the others. I'll post more info on that show soon. "Crimsona"

mars

2011-03-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

This is my latest piece for the illostribute.com blog. The post probably wont be up for about a week, but you should check it out when it is. This piece is a tribute to the vintage travel posters of David Klein.

rainy days

2011-03-25T03:47:00.000-07:00

This is another gouache piece that I finished today. Rainy days are great painting days.

bar sketch

2011-03-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

As the blog header suggests, this is a sketch done last night at a bar. It's a bit tricky to sketch under low lighting...even when you borrow a few candles from neighboring tables. I've been tempted to bring my own portable light with me to sketch at bars since the lighting is usually pretty bad. The ambiance more than makes up for it, though.

last night

2011-03-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

I made this before I fell asleep last night. It's drawn with ballpoint pen with added gouache washes. "Accumulation"
Also, I was notified that I'm a featured artist on bluecanvas.com right now. If you're on that site, add me on! Also, if you have an iphone and you have instagram, add me there too. (ken1028)

gouache attack

2011-03-20T19:58:00.000-07:00

I had a great time working on this piece last night. Gouache used to be difficult for me to use. My previous experience with the medium was painting swatches in a design class. It's a lot more versatile a medium than I once thought. "Chaos"

you guessed it.

2011-03-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

Here are a few recent sketches...

a few things

2011-03-15T03:03:00.000-07:00

1.I had the rare opportunity to work from a model tonight. My friend Mercedes was visiting from New York, and was nice enough to sit for a quick portrait. I was pretty rusty at first, but I think I warmed up on this drawing. I used a combination of ballpoint pen, acrylic-ink wash, and marker on this piece. I'm going to try to work with her one more time before she leaves. I miss doing drawings from life, so hopefully opportunities like this happen more often!

2.Some friends of mine started a new art/culture magazine. The first issue was just released this past weekend, and they've included a couple of my images. Check out Debaclemag.com to find out where you can get your hands on a copy.
3. I'm part of this group show coming up. It's going to be great. If you're to be in the area, I'll see you there.

blue

2011-03-14T02:32:00.001-07:00

This is another marker sketch that I did yesterday. "Evette"

copic round 2

2011-03-12T13:23:00.000-08:00

I didn't get a chance to post this last night. I like that I can easily do artwork anywhere with the markers. I've been doing a lot more sketching at local bars.
I have to get back to my acrylic-inks soon. I"m going to take full advantage of this experimentation time. I have some group shows scheduled in the next few months, and if everything goes according to plan, my next solo show coming up in august. There will be more info on that later...

on a roll

2011-03-09T02:30:00.001-08:00

I think it's pretty obvious that I'm really enjoying my sketchbook. I'm loving the freedom. I'm actually carrying around art materials now that haven't seen the light of day in YEARS. Today, I broke out the copic markers. I'm a little bothered by the way they bleed right through the sketchbook pages, but I'll get over it. I hope I don't snap out of this experimental sketchbook phase anytime soon.

Gouache and...

2011-03-08T02:44:00.001-08:00

I got a bunch of gouache a while back, and it's been sitting around since. I've made an attempt to use them a few times, but I get easily turned away when the medium doesn't do what I want it to. I've gotten used to acrylic-inks and I'm pretty comfortable using them. Tonight seemed like the perfect night to give the gouache another try. This is what I came up with. "Bernadette"

This is my sketchbook work of the day.

tonight

2011-03-07T04:06:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick sketch that I just finished.

blue mountains

2011-03-05T02:55:00.000-08:00

I finished this piece last night. "unmasked"

and then there were 2

2011-03-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

I got this in the mail today. It's the latest cover that I worked on for Penguin. I'm really pleased with the design. If you've followed my work for awhile, you may remember this piece. The original piece is called "Birth of Color".
I'd like to thank Paul Buckley, once again, for his wonderful design work as well as having me involved in another of his projects. Thanks, Paul!!!

break

2011-03-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

I thought I would give the sketchbook posts a break and post this new piece that I finished last night. "Dweller"

Blame the weather

2011-02-26T12:40:00.000-08:00

That's right. It's another sketchbook post.

sketchbook love

2011-02-25T03:56:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple more sketches...

ball point

2011-02-21T03:54:00.001-08:00

I wanted to paint tonight, but I didn't get around to it. Instead, I took the easy route and worked in my sketchbook. I've been using my sketchbooks a lot lately, which hasn't happened in a VERY long time. I forgot how much I love working with ballpoint pens. I've posted a couple of sketches that I just finished.

someday

2011-02-14T02:34:00.000-08:00

This is another "being" character in my ongoing series. I would love to someday make a sculpted version of these characters. "Guardian"

to the point

2011-02-08T01:55:00.000-08:00

I don't have many words to add to this post tonight. I just wanted to post this latest piece. "Narcisse"

mail

2011-02-05T13:40:00.000-08:00

I just got this in the mail today. I did a cover for a Penguin book awhile back called Light Boxes by Shane Jones. Since the book came out, I've been contacted by numerous publishers from different countries to use the cover for their editions. I especially liked this redesign of the cover, so I asked the art director is she could send me a copy. As you can see, this edition has a box cover...so awesome! I'd like to thank Alice Beniero of ISBN Edizioni for sending and designing this!

My second Penguin cover that I worked on(designed by Paul Buckley) comes out next month, so I'll make sure to post more about that soon!

tribute #2

2011-02-05T12:15:00.001-08:00

This is my latest contribution to illostribute.com. This time, the selected artist is Al Hirschfeld. I owe much of my inspiration to his work. My earlier works were heavily inspired by Hirschfeld. He truly was( and is) the master of linework. The post at illostribute.com probably won't be up until sometime next week, but i'm sure it will be worth checking out. I decided to pay tribute to the artist by drawing him under the influence of his style.

continuation

2011-01-31T03:19:00.000-08:00

I'm really enjoying working on these past couple "experimental" pieces. In the past, I've done pieces like these to loosen up, and I usually get something really important out of them. It's a way of me getting even more familiar with my medium and process. This piece is called "Elders plague"Thank you for the kind comments and support. I may not get a chance to respond to the comments, but I do read and appreciate them!

it's weird.

2011-01-27T04:02:00.000-08:00

I know. Sometimes my mind flows in an abnormally strange direction and my hands try their hardest to keep up. This is another experimental piece. I call it "contamination"

sometimes

2011-01-26T02:53:00.000-08:00

It's not very often that I do something in a sketchbook that I feel is worthy of a blog post. I've been sketching more often, so maybe that will change. I did this sketch while having a few drinks at a local bar, and I'm pretty happy with it.

comedy

2011-01-22T03:33:00.000-08:00

I just found this video on Gallery 1988's blog. It was written by Jensen Karp of 1988, and shows my Tony Danza painting from one of my previous posts.

Bromance w/ Michael Cera, Tony Danza & Martin Starr from Michael Cera

Awesome.

cheerleaders

2011-01-19T20:50:00.000-08:00

They make a fun commission.

late night paint party

2011-01-18T03:57:00.000-08:00

Actually, it wasn't much of a paint party. I worked in complete silence tonight and made this. "Messenger"
I'm dropping him off at my etsy store.

a bit early for this...

2011-01-17T16:41:00.001-08:00

I was asked to be in a tribute to Edward Scissorhands show coming up at gallery Nucleus. This is my contribution.

I'd like to thank Sebastien Mesnard (littlewhitebat.blogspot.com) for including me in the show. The art so far is pretty awesome, and can be viewed at scissorhands20th.blogspot.com/

I'll post more info on the show as it draws closer. As far as I know, it's sometime in April.

The boss.

2011-01-11T14:09:00.000-08:00

Who is it? This guy.This piece is also part of the show at gallery 1988 along with the Conan, Crystal, and Letterman below.

another post so soon?

2011-01-09T01:38:00.000-08:00

That's right!! This is the piece I had in the LeBasse group show tonight. "The illusion of sanity"

the other two.

2011-01-08T00:36:00.000-08:00

The art show was pretty fun. These are the other two pieces I had for the show...

I was asked to do another piece tonight, so I may have one more in a few days!

guess!

2011-01-07T02:42:00.000-08:00

First of all, I'd like to mention how much of a difficult time I had on this. Doing a likeness is pretty difficult, so I did another version of this comedian and had to scrap it because the likeness was off. This is the first of three comedians that I did for the show. I was only going to do one piece for the show, but was asked to do a couple more. This also happens to be the last one that I finished. I'm pleased with the outcome. The
I'll post the other two after the show tomorrow!

shows

2011-01-04T02:38:00.000-08:00

I'm part of a couple group shows coming up this weekend. The first show is on friday night at Gallery 1988. "Is this thing on" is a tribute to comedians and I have a couple pieces in the show.

On Saturday, I'm part of a group show at Le Basse projects in Culver City.

I'll post my pieces for these shows within the week.

makin' a mess

2011-01-02T03:31:00.000-08:00

As I was taking my usual walk tonight, for some reason the thought of coming home and experimenting with charcoal sounded appealing. I've been thinking about this for awhile, but I decided that tonight I was going to go for it. It was a nice break, once again, from my usual work method. It was nice to get my hands covered in charcoal, and using my fingers as a blending tool was pretty cool. It's been awhile, and hopefully it won't be too long before I use them again.

If it's not already obvious, I love to do portraits.

Here comes the bride.

2010-12-30T03:44:00.000-08:00

I did this piece in my free time tonight. It's nice to take the time once in awhile and paint something just for fun. I haven't had a chance to do that lately. I call this piece "Bride of Traveler".
Many more updates soon!

back in action

2010-12-29T02:27:00.000-08:00

Actually, I've been in action lately. I haven't had anything ready to post, though. I just finished this commission, and it may have been the most fun I've had working on a project in a long time. The patron wanted a portrait of his girlfriend, so he sent me some reference and let me do my thing...
I hope to get more commissions like this in the future!

just a sketch??

2010-12-21T12:15:00.001-08:00

Thats' right. I think this is the longest i've gone without a post recently, and all I have to show for it so far is a quick sketch. I just wanted to have an image to go along with my words, so I drew this up really quick. I've actually been pretty busy working on multiple projects. When it rains it pours in my world, and it's raining a bit. I have a few shows coming up, some cool freelance stuff, and some commissions that I'm working on...not to mention the holiday season that is going to take up some time!

Anyhow, I have new works coming along very soon. Please stay tuned, and happy holidays!

-Ken

This should be cool.

2010-11-30T12:17:00.000-08:00

I'm going to be in a pretty cool group show coming up. I'm trying to be a bit more selective on picking shows from now on, but this lineup was too good to pass up! I wish that I could be there for the opening...
These are the pieces that I'm sending up.
"Trails"

"The lesser of two evils"
My thanks goes out to Ryan De La Hoz of Double Punch, for including me in the show and being a cool guy and rad artist.

Kengarduno.com

2010-11-27T04:14:00.000-08:00

It has a bit of a facelift if you haven't been there in awhile.

pigs fly

2010-11-26T12:37:00.001-08:00

As promised, here are a few images of the shirt design that came out today from GK1988. The shirts are very limited. For the design, we were asked to take their logo and redesign it in our style. This is what I came up with.

Follow this link to take a look!
http://www.glamourkills.com/substore/gk1988

small gift

2010-11-26T02:09:00.004-08:00

I painted this small piece as part of a gift for my girlfriend's birthday, which also happened to be Thanksgiving. I've been painting her something for her birthday for the past 8 years! The shirt that I mentioned below will be released in a few hours, so I'll post again then. Meet "Claudette".

tshirt fridays

2010-11-23T12:06:00.000-08:00

I have a new tshirt design coming out this friday that is part of a partnership between gallery 1988, and Glamour Kills. This first line of shirts from GK1988 has a cool lineup of artists (Greg “Craola” Simkins, Alex Pardee, Lora Zombie, Brandi Milne, Ken Garduno and Jordan Buckley), and the shirts are very limited.

Check out gk1988.com for their release this friday.
I'll post the shirt as soon as I can.

-K

I am a passenger.

2010-11-18T02:14:00.000-08:00

Actually, I haven't been a "passenger" on public transportation in Los Angeles for many years. I do, however, remember what it was like riding the RTD (precursor to MTA for you younger folks) in my high school/early college years. This piece for the latest issue of the LA Weekly is an homage to my early days of bus riding...

As always, my thanks goes out to Jason and Darrick at the weekly!

facelift and sketches.

2010-11-11T14:12:00.000-08:00

I'm in the process of updating my website, so I haven't really had a chance to work on new pieces. I'll make sure to post when my updated website goes online. For now, I'm posting these random sketches that I've done this week.
This first sketch is a portrait sketch from a random online picture. I'm trying to work on likeness, and I was pretty happy with this sketch.
These next two will eventually make it to finished pieces...

AND...one more set that i just found. They are also soon to be finished pieces.

By the way, if anyone out there is on Instamatic, look me up under ken1028.
Thanks for checking in!

more.

2010-11-07T15:03:00.000-08:00

I just got my twilight zone illustrations back, and I've added them to my etsy store!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

keepin' up

2010-11-03T03:21:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in awhile because i've been busy working on a pretty great project. Unfortunately it doesn't seem like the project is going to work out, though. I'll probably post sketches and give you all some details later on. For tonight, I thought I'd make a piece to keep the blog running. "Crowned"
UPDATE: This piece was just added to my etsy store, along with some other new stuff. Take a look!
www.kengarduno.etsy.com

merge

2010-10-21T03:10:00.000-07:00

I worked on this piece while I was catching up on a few episodes of Boardwalk Empire. It's a sketch that I drew up a few days ago. I wanted to mix a regular person from my world with one of the alien creatures I've been drawing lately. More to come! "Hybrid 1"

new print and zine

2010-10-18T03:30:00.000-07:00

I just returned from the convention, and I thought I'd post a few pics of my new 4-color silkscreen print, and my new small "girl" zine. First, this is an image of my silkscreen. It's approximately 6"x8". I'm really happy with the way this one turned out. I think it may be the first successful multi layered print that I've done. It was printed by my good friend and master printer, Danny Askar. If you ever need great quality prints, track him down. I call this silkscreen edition of 50 "happy endings".
This mini zine measures around 4"x 5" inches. It contains images of some of my favorite girl drawings from the past year.

I'll be adding these new products to my etsy store in the next couple days. my etsy store can be found at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/kengarduno
I have a limited amount of the zines left, so if you're interested, make sure you keep an eye on the etsy store in the next few days.

Sleep time!

APE

2010-10-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the last minute notice, but I've been busy working on stuff since I got back from NY. I'll be up in SF for APE, splitting a table with good friends tom haubrick and emilio santoyo. Come by booth 522 and say hi if you plan on being there.

come to this...

2010-10-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

I should mention this before it's too late. If you're in the area, this show will be worth checking out. My alma mater is having a show with a pretty cool artist roster, and I was asked to participate. It's this coming Wednesday.

LA Weekly

2010-10-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

I was asked a few weeks ago to illustrate a section of the latest LA Weekly for their "Best of 2010" issue. I had a great time with this assignment. I had to do some 1970's reference research, since that was the decade I was chosen to illustrate. I just got back from New York last night, and I picked up the issue on the way home from the airport. It looks great, thanks to the skills of Darrick Rainey of the weekly.

First, a couple of rejected sketches:

This first image is the full page section opener. The type was changed in the final printed version, but I don't have an image of that. I think it was a great decision by Darrick. The new digitally added type has much more of a 1970's vibe than my hand painted type.

These next three images are the spots that are peppered in throughout the section. Pick up the issue if you get a chance. The other artists he used are really cool too!

Lastly, on a unrelated subject, I wanted to post a page from my sketchbook. I rarely sketch in a sketchbook anymore, but I had 6 hours of free time on the airplane from NY to LA. It's pretty much the only sketch I've done in the last seven days, so I thought I'd share.

Until next time...

sexy time

2010-09-25T01:59:00.001-07:00

I got a chance to finish one of my sketches on one of my previous posts as a commission. I'm pretty happy with the turnout. The final piece is around 14"x 18".

illostribute.com

2010-09-23T01:18:00.000-07:00

i've been asked to contribute to a cool new illustration blog called illostribute.com. it was put together by toby neighbors (hepcatink.com). his idea for the site is to pay tribute to illustrators past by creating original works inspired by their works. unfortunately, i was too late to pay tribute to jc leyendecker on the first blog post, but i'm happy i had a chance to make a piece inspired by the works of norman saunders. saunders' did many pulp book covers, so i had a great time creating this piece. i'm not sure where "death hand man" came from, but it seemed fitting for this illustration. check out illostribute.com when you get a chance. the norman saunders should be up in the next week or so...

i'm headed to new york on october 1-7. it will be my fourth trip to ny. i'll be roaming around the city, so if you have any suggestions on cool things to do while i'm there, let me know!

a little something...

2010-09-14T02:25:00.001-07:00

I don't want to go too long without posting, and since I can't post what I'm working on yet, I thought I'd post some recent sketches that I've done. I'm pretty sure all 3 will make it to a final illustration. I'm thinking of using "the savage" for a future silkscreen, and "space gangs" as a possible tshirt design. Nothing is confirmed with these plans.

Thank you for the nice comments on previous posts. I haven't had a chance to respond on each post, but comments are always appreciated.

strange title

2010-09-08T01:48:00.000-07:00

this piece is the result of sketching frustration. i was unhappy with everything that i was sketching today until this piece finally came through. i'm not sure how the title of the piece came to me this time, but as soon as i finished it, the first words that came to mind were "birthday party".

LA weekly

2010-09-02T03:11:00.001-07:00

This is my latest illustration for today's LA Weekly. I'm really starting to have a good time working in color. Many thanks go out to Jason Jones at the weekly."Stereoscopic"

pacsun

2010-08-27T04:04:00.001-07:00

i realized that i haven't posted anything about my latest tshirt design. the design is not new, but it's one of my personal favorites. the shirt will be available at PACSUN in the next few days. check your local pacsun for availability! the shirt comes with a button with another of my favorite images. i've posted a pic below of my shirt design modeled by my good friend eric davison.
i also posted a piece i just finished tonight...

i have some artwork coming back to me soon, so it's time to make space again. if anyone is interested, email me at kengarduno@yahoo.com and i'll send you some images along with a special discounted price list as soon as i get the available works back.

ginger

2010-08-18T03:27:00.000-07:00

i've been working in color pretty often lately. it's a nice break from doing the darker pieces that i've been working on in the last few years. i don't plan on abandoning those mostly gray works, but it's always good to keep exploring!

"spell-caster"

i've added this piece, as well as "being" from the post below to my etsy store...
kengarduno.etsy.com

kachina

2010-08-11T01:58:00.001-07:00

i've loved kachina dolls as far back as i remember. i remember my grandmother had a few displayed that somehow have been stuck in my mind ever since i was a kid. i was recently watching a show that mentioned something about a possibility of a connection between kachina dolls and travelers from other planets. that thought has been running in my mind ever since. i'm sure this will be the first of many...hopefully at some point i'll make my own version of kachina dolls. "being"

it seems like awhile...

2010-08-08T02:48:00.000-07:00

it's probably only a week, but it seems like a long time since i've last posted. i needed a little break after comic con, but now it's back to work! i was asked by a very nice art patron to do a commission similar to a previous painting i did. i wanted to switch it up a bit, and i'm happy that he asked for a colorized version. i'm always happiest with the results of a commission when i'm asked to "do my thing", and that was the case for this piece, which i've titled "the morning after".

very long post

2010-07-27T02:29:00.001-07:00

comic con was a blast! it was great meeting so many cool new people, and indulging in some of the best mexican food that california has to offer.i've posted my remaining images from the group zine that i mentioned in the previous post. i'll post a pic of the cover as soon as i get a chance, as well as make the remaining copies available to those interested. the greyscale images below are from the zine, and the color portraits are mini paintings that i had available for sale.

i have some prints leftover from the following 4 images. the prints are archival on hahnnamuhle fine art paper. the first two are approximately 8.5"x11", $20 (+$5 shipping in the us, $8 international). i'll send along a copy of my limited edition zine with an order of either of these first two prints...

these next prints are on 4"x6" hahnamuhle fine art paper postcards, $10(with same shipping rates as above).

contact me through email if you're interested in any of these prints.my email is kengarduno@yahoo.com.
i've also added the remaining original paintings from the convention to my etsy store. i have a link to my etsy store on the right in my links...

thanks for reading this ridiculously long post!!

see you in about a week?

2010-07-20T02:14:00.000-07:00

i won't be posting to my blog for about a week, while i'm down at comic con. i thought i'd post a preview of a few things i'll have available at table F1. first, this is a piece that will be in our group zine "fauna vs. flora". the zine has work from some good friends, as well as a couple new friends. The artists included in the zine are Tom Haubrick, Travis Jackson (who also did a great cover for the zine), JAW cooper, lacy mccune, katherine brannok, and myself.a mini painting,
and a small 8 page zine that i put together by folding this painting. it's a limited edition of 38.

i hope this blog entry isn't too confusing. i'm too exhausted to go back and edit! see you all soon...

comic con...and a cool show tonight!!!!!

2010-07-17T03:13:00.000-07:00

it's less than a week away... i'll be sharing the booth again with my good friends tom haubrick and eric davison. drop by our booth and say hi! our booth number is F1. if you've dropped by our booth before, we're at the same space.
i've got a bunch of stuff that i'm bringing down with me, so come check it out.

i'll post a bunch of new work soon.for now, i'll post this piece. it's for a show i'm in at WWA gallery in culver city. my piece is posted below the flier...

i should mention this...

2010-07-12T01:34:00.000-07:00

i've been holding out on posting this until it was confirmed. this has to be one of the coolest things i've been asked to do. i was contacted by Shauta Marsh of the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art to take part in a group show put on by the museum. I'm really excited to be a part of this. I've copied the following text from the museums website:

The Private Collection of Ginger Gaylord in Mt Comfort Gallery
This show will bring to Indianapolis three of today’s top illustration based “pop surrealist” artists, Ken Garduno (http://www.kengarduno.com/), Angie Mason, (http://www.angiemason.com/), and Christopher Umana.
Ginger Gaylord is one of the pseudonyms a Chicago-based art collector uses when she purchases a piece of art. Gaylord prefers to use a pseudonym because she desires to keep the contents to her collection private. As Gaylord frequently says, “If people don’t know who you are or what you have, people won’t want to steal it.”
Gaylord has long had her pulse on who will take off as an artist being one of the first people to buy a Jackson Pollock and Robert Williams piece.
Curator, Shauta Marsh, met Gaylord in 2008 while working at International Tattoo Art Magazine on a piece about an artist Gaylord had recently collected.
When given the offer to curate the show, Marsh contacted Gaylord looking for artists with an illustration base. “I find illustration, narrative art most appealing,” says Marsh. “Most of us start as children with picture books, then graduate to chapter books. We make pictures in our head as we read. With these works of art, it works in reverse. I see a picture and develop a story in my head. On a well done piece of narrative art, it interacts with your mood or what is going on in your life so a different story emerges each time viewed.”
The artists in this show are a few of the most recent artists Gaylord has collected with an illustration focus. iMOCA is pleased to offer Indianapolis patrons the opportunity to own the work of these artists.

thanks, Shauta! i wish i could be there to thank you in person! check out indymoca.org for more info about the museum, and if you are by chance in the area, check out the show!

crazy for cult

2010-07-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

the show is tonight, at 1988 gallery. i thought i'd post my piece for those of you who can't make it to the show tonight. i chose one of my favorite movies from one of my favorite directors...

thank you to all who read and comment my blog!