*UPDATE*

Congratulations to Lauren! We had multiple calls back to back, but she was the very first one! Thank you all for participating!


___________


Hello, Hello!

Nate Wragg's opening is just HOURS away now and....it's time to announce more winner's in todays' Critter Contest!


Now through the month of June, on select dates, we will be announcing 10 randomly generated numbers from the backs of the Local's exhibition postcards. If the following numbers match your critter, CALL NOW!. First one to call us WINS: 626-458-7477     

 

Share This

0 Comments   

Nebraska based artist, Nicole Gustafsson, joins Nucleus' upcoming Baker's Dozen exhibition, showcasing several of her imaginative nature themed illustrations.

Gustafsson was born and raised in Norfolk, Nebraska where much of her youth was spent playing in her treehouse and the park across the street from the family home. These outdoor adventures helped form Gustafsson's love of nature and fueled her imagination. It is this sense of adventure and discovery that is conveyed in her work.

In this brief Q & A with Nucleus, we learn more about her inspirations.




N: What is your earliest memory of making art?

NG: Art is something I've always done, I remember when I was very young looking at Zoobooks magazine and drawing the different animals. I loved looking at unique creatures and the world they live in, I think that is something that has stuck with me as an adult.  My goal for when "I grew up" was to work at a zoo and paint the animals on my lunch break, but it turned out the other way around - I'm a full time artist who hangs out with my cats :) 


'Night on the Town' | Gouache and ink

N: One motif I noticed are the dwellings and homes of your woodland characters, does this have a particular symbolism?

NG: The sense of "home"- a place to call your own and share with loved ones is very important to me. I love seeing peoples houses (in particular artists studios) because it reveals a lot about who lives there. What kind of artwork people choose to display in their house, how they organize their papers, and what types of plants people tend to is very interesting to me, I try to utilize these little clues in my artwork to inform the viewer about who the inhabitant is.

Treehouses in particular are very dear to me because my dad and I built one in an old crab-apple tree in our backyard. This place was very wonderful to me and it was without question "my space" growing up and a very imaginative place to hang out. This sense of space I felt in my treehouse growing up, is focused in my paintings as various dwellings and tree structured homes.



Gustafsson opts to paint creatures as the inhabitants of the dwellings rather than people as animals can be ambigous, and thus more relatable -they can remind you your best friend, kids, or neighbor from years ago.

Gustafsson's illustratve works also often feature plants and trees, their depiction often rendered through soft colors and intricate patterned lineworks. There is a particular quality found in these pieces, a whimsical and fanciful spirit not unlike the tones set by fairy-tales.

N: Who are your influences? Where do you turn to for inspiration?

NG: One inspiration that I keep coming back to is Ukiyo-e Japanese prints. The color pallet, outlines, and wonderful imagery is something that resonates with me.  I also really enjoy following other artists blogs, seeing process pictures and insight into their creations. Some of the artists sites I follow are Jay Ryan, Mall, Corey Godbey, Jaw Cooper, Brendan Monroe, Israel Sanchez, and lots more. It's fun to surf while waiting for paint to dry!
 

'Mountain out of a Mole Hill' | Gouache and ink

Care to challenge Nicole in Super Mario Bros? In her own words, some interesting tidbits about her likes and dislikes.

• I Love succulent plants of any shape and size.

• I always feel compelled to take a nap under the shade of a tree.
• I can beat Super Mario Bros in 11 minutes, but really stink at playing Donkey Kong.

• My favorite candy right now is Gummy Bears.

• I just finished reading the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan and loved it!

Share This

0 Comments   

It's time to announce more winner's in todays' Critter Contest! Now through the month of June, on select dates, we will be announcing 10 randomly generated numbers from the backs of the Local's exhibition postcards. If the following numbers match your critter, CALL NOW!. First one to call us WINS: 626-458-7477





TODAY'S PRIZE IS A 'YETI' print signed by Nate Wragg + Nucleus T-shirt (your choice).



The Winning Critters for June 9th Are:

1384
1708
1435
1496
1456
1480
1661
1582
1796
1524

TUNE IN for our next round of winning numbers on June 11th, the opening day of Nate's first solo exhibition LOCALS.

And here's a special treat for all! A quick preview of what Nate has in store for us this Saturday:

Share This

0 Comments   

Lorena Alvarez's illustrations often consist of flush and vibrant colors, a diverse palette that reflects an overwhelming sense of optimism and joy.  Based in Bogota, Columbia, Alvarez's work has received great acclaim, having been featured in magazines, children's books, independent publications, and advertisement. More recently, she's one of 12 artists exhibiting in Baker's Dozen which opens this Saturday. In a brief interview with Nucleus, we had a chance to gain a little background on this amazing artist.



On her earliest memories making art:

From the moment she received her first crayon, Alvarez immediately began doodling across the walls, a sudden awakening to her creativity.  Her parents, perhaps realizing their child to be gifted, purchased her a set of watercolors, and thus her journey as an artist began.  A year later, after the birth of her sister, Alvarez, like many children, took interest in the idea of a baby within another human being, and began to create drawings that reflected this concept, filling all her notebooks with monstrous dolls with people inside. Of this she notes, " I was trying to explain myself how could that be possible. I wouldn’t dare to say that I was making art then, but the urge to express the way I see things was always there."




On influences and inspiration:

As Alvarez began to develop as an artist, she began to search for a variety of source material, and often found herself drawn to comic books and animated films.  Her works certainly depict the cartoonish and illustrative elements associated with these two mediums. She also gained inspiration from artists such as James Jean, Mary Blair, and Lou Romano.  She also looks to fashion, photography and the performing arts, explaining " I’m more and more interested in exploring the expressiveness of movement and color." She adds that listening to music and traveling are also meaningful experiences as well as good jokes and the company of friends.


On artistic growth:

Using these inspirations, Alvarez has slowly evolved as an artist, and over the past ten years, has managed to develop her voice within the art world, one not limited by boundaries of style.  She sees her portfolio as a work-in-progress, a part of her identity that is constantly changing to reflect her own growth and confidence.

"10 years ago you could see in my high school notebooks lots of big-eyed anime warriors and princesses. When I got into college I discovered many European and American comic artists and illustrators and began to explore with photography and traditional techniques...if I had to compare my work now with the things I did 10 or even 5 years ago I can say I feel more confident using color and dynamic compositions."



As of now, Alvarez states that her proudest moments was when she was accepted into the Graphic Design School at the National University, as her acceptance confirmed that she was following the right path. She also beams with pride about her work with puppets and fellow puppeteers in 'La Procesión,' for it's through this passion that she has overcome stage fright.

The interview concluded with Alvarez sharing some fun facts of her life (In her own words):

• I’m part of an experimental puppetry group “La Procesión Puppet Club” formed by illustrators, visual artists and animators. I’m a puppeteer and I paint some of our puppets. We are rehearsing for a new show these days.
  
  
•  I have my own dance movements, to hide the fact that I can’t dance.
  
  
•  I sing silly songs to the people I love.
  
  
• I’m learning to play guitar.
  
  
• My favorite colors are turquoise and purple.

Share This

0 Comments   

In a previous post on Dadu Shin, we briefly introduced you to this emerging talent, and we just can't get enough! Luckily for everyone, Shin has created 6 beatifully rendered, and unexepectidly witty works for Baker's Dozen, opening this Saturday June 11.

At only 22, Shin's work exudes a sophistication beyond his years, and is already garnering much acclaim through editorial work. However, like any young artist, Shin is still experimenting and learning to solidify his 'voice' in the (illustration) field while striving to create work that is not only aethetically beautiful but conceptually strong.


'It Wasn't Me' | acrylic, mixed media | idiom: To Smell a Rat

Here, we share some of Shin's contributions to Baker's Dozen, and learn more about his process and evolution since art school in this brief interview:

N: What is your earliest memory of making art?
DS: In elementary school we had to do a project on birds of prey.  We had to include pictures or drawings.  I drew birds for days. It was awesome.

N: Who are you influences?  or where do you turn to for inspiration?
DS: In terms of illustrators who influence my work I would say that they change every month.  These days I've been studying the old Disney artists and people like Charley Harper.  They are simply amazing visual storytellers.  As for inspiration I've come to understand that turning to illustration is not a good idea, for me at least.  Before a year and a half ago, when I was stuck on a project I would look at a lot of illustration and then start working, but that was a mistake.  I ended up being to heavily influenced by the things I had just seen.  It wasn't on purpose, it's just what was in my head at the time I put pencil to paper.

Process and the real world are what inspire me these days.  Paying attention to process is great because when working I always find something that will making think "Oh, I kind of like that, got to try that in the next piece." Experimenting is a big part of that.  By the real world, I mean things that simply exist.  There are a lot of crazy things on this planet, natural and man made.  I see these things and love thinking about how I can incorporate them into my world.  So to stay inspired now,  all I have to do is keep on making new work, and keep on keeping my eyes open whenever I walk, drive, swim, or fly from point A to point B.  Laziness is the only enemy now!


'Sick Day' | graphite, mixed media on paper (can you guess the idiom?)

N: How has your work evolved or changed in the last 5 years?
DS: The way I work has definitely changed.  I used to paint, now I use the computer a little bit more.  I love rendering but I've started to appreciate the graphic aesthetic and building a piece through solid shapes.  I'm still trying to combine the two.  The last 5 years I was in school and school is the time for experimenting so my work was jumping around a lot.  My work is still jumping around, I'm just trying to guide it with a little bit more control

N:How are these works in Baker's Dozen different or similar to your other works?
DS: The work is a bit different because although I feel like the ideas are all still very me, the techniques and execution is varied. In my sketchbook I use many different kinds of "styles" and in a way I see these as finished sketchbook pieces.


sketchbook work 2010


sketchbook work 2011

N: What has been your proudest moment so far?
DS: When the amazing SooJin Buzelli hired me to do the cover for PLANSPONSOR. It was basically my first real illustration assignment.  I was extremelyexcited and extremely nervous at the same time.  I had also submitted two pieces to her before that were both rejected. Failure followed by success is even better then just success. She was also number 1 on my "art directors I want to work with" list at the time.

Favorite quote?
DS: Hmm this is hard to answer because I love collecting quotes and I'm always referring to them for advice or inspiration.  One good one that I think everybody should always keep in mind is:  "The core skill of an innovator is error recovery not failure avoidance."  I heard this one listening to Randy Nelson from Pixar.

N: Finish this sentence: The best advice or critique I've received is…
DS:...to do what you want to do and not what you think someone else wants you to do.


'The Other Side' | watercolor, gouache, mixed media | idiom: The Grass is Greener....

and finally...Did you know? 5 tidbits about Dadu Shin! (In his own words)

• Whenever I see little kid drawings, I always think they're way better then anything I've ever done.  Kids are so care free and imaginative when they draw.
  
  
• I grew up on the East coast and love it, but I always wanted to live in California.
  
  
• I'm incredibly inspired and a tiny bit scared that there is so much amazing talent out there.
  
  
• I don't really know where my name comes from.
  
  
• Apparently my name means a lot of random things in different languages. It is also an ice cream company.

Share This

0 Comments