This event featrures the opening reception of painter James O’Brien in the Main Gallery as well as painter Ann Howland in the Speak Easy Gallery.

This is my first solo exhibit (technically) in New Hampshire and hopefully I will get off my duff to pursue some more this year. I am quite excited. The reception is from 6-8pm.

Here’s the Facebook page for the reception with all the details.

In addition to original work, I will have prints and post cards available. So any and all interested in supporting New Hampshire artists and the  Rochester fine art community, please do stop by!

I’m an artist first, regardless of what my day job tells me. I consciously decided to make the most out of my particular talents a few years back. Motivated to express myself, to have fun and reach out in some way to world. Yet that motivation is not an easily maintained resource. It does come and go, no matter how strong your grasp might seem. Especially at the end of this year I kind of felt a bit adrift creatively. Then something happended, by sheer coincidence.

I’m on the internets alot. It’s a given, and hindrance sometimes (always?). I was browsing some post on twitter about comics and I saw a link to a title I hadn’t touched on in ages…Reid Fleming, World’s Toughests Milkman. As a child of the 80s it was a tremendous time for the direct market, and I couldn’t think of a more singular reason I wanted to draw than the comics I read during that time. In fact I would ride my bike from Hampton, NH to Seabrook to get my fix from Chris’ Comics . Sometimes even in the rain. The first two comics I purchased was a collection of EC horror title and you guessed it…Reid Fleming.

Reid is the creation of Canadian Hall 0f Fame cartoonist David Boswell.  It was to me everything Marvel and DC wasn’t, which is all I had really been exposed to at that point in my life. Pretty much any title that could be found at the supermarket or convience store. This was a work of art that was both mature and irreverant, and a product of love. Much of it went over my head at that age. Even so, for a kid who loved comics and had a desire to create them it was strong catalyst. I thought hey I could do this too. It was one of those moment’s where being a fan was inpsiring.

Years later my motivation to be an artist would spike, then slowly recede to almost nothing because of all those outside distrations. It was like I forgot that moment and all the others before it. Not just a creative spark, but the kind of pure joy and interest that motivates you to do something you love. While at this point I far from those days, seeing that old familiar name made me remember about those times and the motivation I felt.

I even visited the Reid Fleming site (awesome) and was flooded with memories of inspiration. So maybe it’s small things that keep the momentum going, the random things, the things in the past. Whatever it is, motivation is out there and if you just remind yourself you were a fan once it makes it that much easier, and gratifying to be a creator.

As a follow up to my previous post on the film Apple Pushers, a second trailer has appeared on Youtube. That is indeed Edward Norton doing the voiceover over my animated illustrations at the 51 second mark. Awesome work by Marc Dole and Hatchling yet again. It’s pretty amazing what they did with my drawings. Can’t wait wait to see the movie in the near future.

From it’s humble start this August of 2011, Red River Theatres Xtreme Friday Night Film Series has officially carried over into it’s fourth month.Facilites Manager Barry Steelman took a risk with this kind of programming but his film choices have been on point, showcasing some the best independent genre films in the world. All in your backyard NH, where no other theater would touch these titles outside of Boston. It’s been a pleasure to create these posters and I hope you will join me on the 25th for Rare Exports, only in Concord at NH’s premiere indy theater.

UPDATE: Head over to Facebook to join the PKDPP group page and here to subscribe to the podcast.

This thing just won’t quit! What started as a one time voyage  into b-movie waters has now extended into October with the latest four films in the Xtreme Friday Night Film Series. Red River Theatres  Facilities Manager Barry Steelman has done a superb job again with his selections here. I’ve seen John Woo’s Red Cliff and the excellent  Korean “monster movie” The Host, but I’m very intriqued about the buzz behind Bellflower and Point Blank. a super tight French genre thriller. I think this poster might be my favorite of the three I’ve designed. Bellflower is running TONIGHT, but you can catch the rest at NH’s finest indie non-profit theater every friday this month for a paltry 7 bucks and they serve beer and wine. It’s a no brainer.

Over this last winter I got a chance to work with NH filmmaker and animator Marc Dole of Hatchling Studios in Portsmouth, NH. The project was for the upcoming film Apple Pushers:

“The Apple Pushers, written and directed by Mary Mazzio, narrated by Edward Norton, and underwritten by the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, follows immigrant street vendors who are rolling fresh fruits and vegetables into the inner cities of New York (where finding a fresh red ripe apple can be a serious challenge). These pushcart vendors, who have immigrated here from all parts of the world for different reasons, and who all have sacrificed so much to come to this country (a near fatal crossing of the Mexican border, as an example) – are now part of a new experiment in New York to help solve the food crisis and skyrocketing obesity rates in the inner city.”

It was a pleasure to work with Marc,Rob and Karlina.  I have to say it’s pretty damn cool to have some of my artwork make a brief appearance in this kind of film. For more info on the movie go here .

The film will be officially released in October of 2011.

Here’s a snippet of the illustrations in action on the Hatchling website .

Here it is, the poster for the September run of Red River Theatres Xtreme Friday Night Film Series.Check the last post for trailers for all these fine films along with a night of entries from the SNOB festival. Enjoy!

The Troll Hunter:

Susperia:

Four Lions:

Dead Alive:

Dario Argento’s Susperia is one of my favorite films of all time, a masterpiece of the horror genre as well as the brilliant Dead Alive, an early Peter Jackson favorite.Throw in the dark comedy of Four Lions and the thrilling monster movie aspect of Troll Hunter and you have an excellent lineup of friday night films. Join me tomorrow for the screening of Stakeland at Red River Theatres and keep an eye out for the new poster for the XFNFS part deux!