And the 2nd runner-up to the Winner Isssss.....

This is a photo taken by the event organizer Kathleen Baker after I won 3rd Place at the Hale Hot Air Balloon Festival's art battle, also known as Magik Mind Tattooz Art Battle. I chose the Three Stooges because,well, they're awesome and popular. The drawing (which is charcoal, by the way) sold in the silent auction after the battle ended.

PAINT IT NUTTALL NEW TRAILER

This project is still in the works...

Battle to the DEATH! well, not really...

I'm competing in an art battle in Hale ( http://haleyes.org ). Gotta be honest, I hope I win. I actually NEED to win. I have bills to pay and might lose the studio if I don't win or sell what I make at the silent auction (which takes place during and after the art battle). And I worry that it'll be more about the numbers than the quality of the artwork. I won't have alot of people in my corner, so I have to rely on my talent, and sometimes that just isn't enough. Wish me luck and if you're in the Hale, Michigan area, stop by and vote!

Chick-less cartoons

It's been brought to my attention that there are no animated super hero shows with females in the forefront. My daughter like comics and rarely gets to watch any shows that aren't directed towards boys (Super Hero Squad, Batman:Brave and the Bold, etc). If she's lucky, Huntress might have a cameo on Batman or Ms. Marvel shows up on SHS. Even the Justice League cartoons didn't have alot of female-based storylines, but they had more than what's on now! I think DC should come out with a "Birds Of Prey" animated series and have guest spots of other DC heroes, like Batman: Brave and the Bold.
They came out with an animated feature of Wonder Woman, but it was too violent for my 8 year old daughter to watch! I'm hoping that they'll come out with "Tiny Titans" cartoon, based on the comic by Art Baltazar and Franco. It's fun for all ages, very innocent and directed towards boys and girls. Waddya say, Didio and Art? :D

Where I Work

For those of you who can't make it to my studio, here's a glimpse of it. There's more, but I don't wanna spoil it for those who CAN make it!

Not so easy Easy Rider

This is a work in progress. I've been working on it off and on for a year as part of my Jack Nicholson series. I originally chose this image because I was told by a gallery associate that I should do scenery or landscape pieces because that's what sells in their gallery. This was as close as I could get! I always lean towards portrait of figurative work. I did say that I wouldn't do the classic Jack images, and this one is one of the first iconic scenes of his career. But, It's also 36x48 and graphite, so it's a challenge. It also has personality to it. The stern, determined expressions on Nicholson and Fonda's faces along with the precision of the chopper details is very serious, and then you look over and the expression on Dennis Hopper's face,and the fact that he's looking back at the other two breaks through the stern scene and adds charm (As I began drawing Hopper's face, news broke within days that he passed away,making this drawing mean more to me).
I will not post a better photo of this, or any other photo, so if you want to see it, you have to visit it at the studio.

Put the candles in the Cheese Dip!

As soon as I try to take a break from mentioning his name, his birthday pops up!!
Today is the day we Groopers celebrate, not as Labor Day, but Sergio Aragones Day, as it's his birthday! I can go on and on about what this man means to me (and I have here , here , and here ), but the great Mark Evanier summed up some of it on his blog here

Bittersweet: So hard to say goodbye

With every piece of artwork I create, I get a little attached to it. Especially when it's artwork not made specifically for somebody else. It's rare I create work for myself, but when I do and they come out as I want, I get very emotionally charged and connected to the work. And when I sell that artwork, it's very bittersweet. I am making money to support my family, but I'm handing off work that was close to my heart. Case in point: I just set up to sell two of my Popeye series, one of which is one of my favorites. However, the buyer is from the hometown of EC Segar, Popeye's creator, in Chester, Illinois, AND is owner of Segar's childhood home!! the works, shown below, are going to THE PERFECT home! MY Popeye artwork in the town where Popeye was created, and MAYBE even in the house his creator lived in!
If I can mail the painting in time, it might be displayed during next weekend's Popeye Picnic! If you're attending the picnic (this Friday, Saturday and Sunday), ask at Spinach Can Collectibles about the Popeye movie painting!

Tiny Heads

I'm thinking of doing handheld ceramic rattle heads to sell. Could be celebrities, could be personal. Here's an example.

How do you know?

Ok, here's a question and I'd like your opinion. I'll get to the question in a moment.
What makes artwork gallery worthy? Is it quality or subject matter, or both or neither? I have a big problem with celebrities who feel the need to express themselves beyond their comfort zones by presenting themselves as artists (painters, ceramicists, etc). Now, some are quite good and some even went to school for art but chose another career path. Others, however, seem as though they have this "I'm (celebrity name) and I draw perty pictures. LOOK AT THEM and tell me I'm good" kind of feel to them (to me, at least). They are not very good, though but still get attention and even gallery exhibits because of who they are. Bob Dylan recently unveiled an exhibit of his artwork (where I don't remember) and got international attention for it. I saw only 2 of his pieces, and they were good. I like them. But are they gallery worthy? How is his art different from artwork hanging at Enchante Gallery in West Branch, other than the name attached? The work doesn't stand out to me like you'd expect of an internationally published exhibit. BUT, I could be wrong, and I'm sure I am, but why aren't the artists displayed in Enchante Gallery getting such attention?
What work is gallery-worthy?
What piece is better? This one

Or this one?

What about this one

Compared to this one?


Are any of these gallery art? Why or why not? PLEASE give me your opinion!!

Harumph!

There's a filthy rumor going around that today is my birthday. Well, it is. To celebrate, I am not doing anything productive. I would prefer to work in the studio, but it's not an option, so I'm dragging my butt instead.Here's me with my traditional birthday Yorkshire Pudding.

Remembered

Today's the date that brought the death of a great musician almost 20 years ago. Stevie Ray Vaughan is one of my favorite musicians in rock and blues. His voice, guitar and writing are very powerful to me. I've seen footage of him performing and my God, he was such a talent. What angers me about his death is that he cleaned up just before he died. He kicked drugs and booze, released a Grammy winning album ("In Step", with a somewhat autobiographical song "Wall of Denial") and should have continued a fantastic career. Much like Ronnie Van Zandt of Lynyrd Skynyrd, SRV died due to a plane crash. And like Ronnie, Stevie Ray kicked some habits that would have eventually killed him, only to deny the world another part of a powerful music career because of a plane crash. One other celebrity I enjoyed died as he got his act together and kicked drugs- Sam Kinison. He was on his way to or from his honeymoon with his new wife and got in a car accident caused by a drunk driver.
I can't play music and can't sing the songs, but I try to show my appreciation for certain musicians through my artwork, and these are tributes to the Great Stevie Ray Vaughan.

End of Summer Deal

For the next WEEK (8/26-9/2) I am offering 11x14 drawings for ONLY $30!!This is for any subject(s) you'd like. The price usually runs $77! For $30 you can get a 2-subject graphite or charcoal 11x14 drawing! If you'd like more than 2 subjects, it's an additional $15 per subject. Contact me here or on Facebook, at Nuttall Art Studio or e-mail me!

Big ol' update post

Alright, I'm back from vacation and feel less relaxed than when I left!
My hero, my idol Sergio Aragones will be appearing (from the neck up) on FUTURAMA tonight on Comedy Central!
I was hoping to enter an art battle in Hale, but the vacation soaked up all my funds, so I might not be competing.
The West Branch Artist Pool art show at Kirtland, according to the curator, is on his schedule for October, not September. He's supposed to get back to me this week.
The studio will be open this Friday during Fabulous Fridays in Downtown West Branch from 5-9pm. This FF is honoring the Veterans and those who've fallen.
I haven't heard anything about displaying my Popeye series during the annual Popeye Picnic, although I can't afford to go to Chester, Illinois anyway.
The documentary about me is on hold until, well, basically, I and my art career gets more interesting!
I think that's all for right now. Please remember that it's not too early to set up for artwork for Christmas. It's $50 to start a project and you can either pay here and there or pay the remainder upon completion of the project.

YOUR opinion matters! But not really in this case...

I've gotten some positive and negative reviews about my current POPEYE MOVIE series. What do YOU think of it? Visit here and vote!
This series is really for me and for fans of Popeye and/or the Popeye movie from 1980. Just like my Nicholson series is for me and if Jack fans wanna look at it, that's great. Sometimes an artist has to do what the ARTIST wants, regardless of critics, public and so on. But, I'm just curious, anyway.

Why I Draw Jack

I guess I haven't posted the work from my "Jack Nicholson" series. I thought I had. Well, here it is.
I have been a huge fan of Jack Nicholson since my dad made me watch "The Shining" and "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" when I was around 12. Since then, I've been mesmerized by his look, his acting and his personality. I do feel that he is a fantastic actor. I may have been disappointed in some of his movies, but never his performances. He inspired me to want to act. Then my lack of talent and memorization of lines inspired me to stick to my artwork.
I did my final speech in Speech class in high school about Jack. I did a clay bust of him in college (I had to throw it away because I messed up the plaster cast and the clay would've just dried out). I want to portray him away from the typical images of him, or overused images. I will NOT portray the scene from "The Shining"! Or him in "A Few Good Men"! I feel they've become too cliche. Only if the role or scene means something to me will I portray it. I'm still working on the series, but here's a few pieces of said series. What do you think? Oh, and there are some pieces I haven't posted, and you'll have to come to the studio to see them!! So THERE!!!

New paintings, same ol' kids

I figured I'd post these images of the oil paintings I did of my son and daughter. The photos were from a couples years ago, but the paintings I started before this summer. These and many other new pieces of work are at the studio.

I'm back, but then, I never left...

I know I haven't blogged alot lately, and it's (1) because I've been teaching off and on and (2) not much has gone on lately. I have one more week of teaching this summer at the Midland Center For The Arts. I taught last week during the C.O.O.R. MEAP summer camp thing at Kirtland Community College. I was the Photography instructor. Usually my wife teaches it with me, but she was in Midland teaching Ceramics. So I was solo, with help from a couple other instructors who admitted they were photography-blind.
This was the last year for this MEAP program due to budget cuts. I've taught every year for the last 9 years. It's a shame, because I get parents come up and tell me their kid was in my class and now he/she's taking photography in high school or college. And every instructor in the program has similar stories. It's one week that the kids and their parents tend to remember for a long time. And in the case of kids in my class, it's been a positive memory for them. Some kids had siblings in the class and ask me if I remember them. HA!! "I don't even remember YOUR name, and you're wearing a name tag for the class!" was my recurring comment this year. You see, the reason both my wife and I taught was because every year, we have up to 35 students in the class. The average has been about 29 for 9 years, so I've taught roughly 261 students, and it's one week out of the Summer. I can't remember last YEAR'S class, much less 3 or 8 years ago! The sad thing is, most of the years, we would have run-ins with kids, parents or instructors that would sour our interest in teaching the next year, but these past 2 years have been the best kid-wise and all around feel-wise. And now it's over.

More visits than I can shake my blog at!

Since I've added the counter on the blog, I've gotten OVER 400 visits! Thank you readers! Please spread the word about my blog, my art and anything else that's gotten YOUR attention from me and/or my site! I'll be heading into the studio in an hour or so. Michigan Artists will be coming by to check out the studio and maybe take some photos. I figure I should probably "purty" myself up a bit: (curls moustache)
THERE! Perfect!

A Moment to segway from my usual malarkey

I haven't made this very vocal, but I want to mention that I'm trying very hard to break a horrible lifetime habit & I hope, if you practice it, will try to stop, too. I'm abolishing the word "retard" from my vocabulary. I don't get serious about things like this often, but I take this to heart. This isn't a... re-post, this is ME, Jason, writing this. If you know me, I'm NOT PC. Break the habit.
What once was deemed retardation has been categorized into many factors and diagnoses & the word is more insulting & cruel than anything. Don't say something's "retarded", or your friend's "retarded". There are those in this world, in our c...ommunity who have Downs Syndrome, Autistic, or have mental/physical disorders who've been unfairly deemed retarded their whole lives by ignorant people. It is EXACTLY like using a racial slur. I've used the word my whole life off and on, but as I grow older, have kids and see things differently, I see how I have to change that. Nuff Said.

PS This is how I see it. It's not fact. I didn't study this. Feel free to comment, but remember that I'm not evenly REMOTELY implying I know what I'm talking about. Just how I feel about it.