just a reminder....

a reminder that instagram likes to be gigantic when embedded into blogger. 

oh! and that my show is up through friday of this week. hours: 8am-5pm.

if you missed opening night, go take a picture of yourself with the art, and i'll include it in the opening night photos when i upload them to my art page on facebook. no one will know the difference. ;) email it to me at kgull.art@gmail.com. also, if you'd like to get updates right to your inbox, subscribe to my monthly(ish) newsletter by emailing me with "opt-in" for the subject line.

i'm traveling til the end of the month so all is quiet around here, but things will soon be in motion again.

meet the art! (parts of it)

this post is exciting because i will reward you for coming to my blog by showing you previews of my art that you haven't even seen before! none of these have ever even graced my facebook page OR my instagram! :-O put on your best surprised face because here we go:

look at this woodshop! i got the privilege of making some of the cradles for my art with that fine genleman on the left.

all the photos from this post are from my phone so i kind of cringe at the quality, but it was either this or nothing due to tonight's time constraints. so i figured this'll have to do. instagram lets you embed videos, neat! sorry it's huge though; i wasn't stoked to get my hands all muddy in the code to mess with how to make it smaller.....

  and onto previews of the art! again...cringing here because of the slight pixelation. but hopefully you'll come see them in real life where they aren't pixelated. :) i will document properly after the reception for those of you who are too far away to come to the show.  

1 // sleepyhead as a painting!  2 // ...with new words! i love these ones. they were a stream of consciousness one morning.  3 // this lovely lady was tied up in ropes the last time she appeared in one of my paintings so i figured it was time to free her. :)  4 // this painting came as a surprise to me in church on sunday. it really means a lot to me. she is the painting in the video up above. 5 // this is a study for the painting in #4.  6 // another detail of the painting #5 (wow that was confusing.....)  7 // close-up of enos. a very biographical piece as well.  8 // an interesting start to the sister piece for "godly sorrow"  9 // this piece has always had a life of its own. it just came out of my scriptures one day into my pen. then into my phone. and then onto wood. this is before i wood burned it. it looks awesome now.

i'm actually very excited about all the new work i've made for this show because they all have very unique stories. the above are just the seedlings. perhaps i'll do a post about each one. 
to close, you can watch twelve ginormous seconds (gosh instagram, why are you so huge??) of sleepyhead becoming blue. and heck, might as well follow me on instagram since it's sort of yelling at you....
 

meet the artists! (in pixel form)

hanging the show on saturday went surprisingly well. 

and now that the art is hung, i wanted to tell you a little about the artists.

obviously, normandie and i are -- very -- serious artists.

but there were lots of words in the last post, so check out this video that i made to introduce the fabulous normandie (plus sneak peeks of my art). note to self: next time, turn phone 90 degrees prior to filming....

the dear girl also said some pretty kind things about me too, and showed sneak peeks of her art, as well as some other events going on friday for you! we are clever, no?

isn't she adorable?! so if you didn't get enough of our lovable faces in 480p, you can see them in the flesh THIS friday! along with our art, which is arguably better or just as good as our faces. sort of a toss-up. 

surprise, i have a show in a week!

hello again, art world! (world, in general)

i spent the summer doing some photography gigs as well as lots of design stuff and traveling! i apologize it's been so scarce around here.

to make up for it, here are some exciting announcements:

1. i have an art show coming up with the lovely normandie luscher --

call me crazy; i've attempted to [start and] finish many of these...and more 

and it's been a mad house! i'm hanging the show saturday with many things still to get done! on to details--

location: the utah county health and justice building // 151 s. university ave, provo, ut

details: the reception will be from 6-9 pm complete with live music and food.

this is part of provo's first friday gallery stroll, where lots of the art galleries in downtown provo open up and each have the artists and new shows and food and music.

also, there is a free rooftop concert that night just a few blocks away which starts around 7:30.

so i basically planned your whole night for you, full of free art, music and food. YOU'RE WELCOME. ;)

oh, and there is a handy facebook event for our show if you'd like it to kindly remind you.

hopefully i'll stop by the blog with a few sneak peeks this week! (my main focus is actually finishing them in time...eesh....)

2. i was humbled and happy to hear so many people express excitement about my piece, head & heart. i'm pleased to announce that i've decided to make this into a series! i'll be taking commissions to make similar pieces and will customize each, as explained below:

many times we know something is true or right in our mind but for some reason, our hearts just doesn't feel it. it can be a difficult chasm to cross. sometimes it's pretty obvious when our heart gets the message. but other times, that transition comes subtly. this piece explores that concept. if you'd like one for your wall, you may choose whatever goes in her head: what things about yourself are you trying to believe? 

3. lastly, i will be starting to send monthly(ish) email newsletters. if you'd like to opt-in, email me at kgull.art@gmail.com. i promise i won't spam you and will do my best to keep them brief, informative and hopefully a tad entertaining. and they will get prettier as i learn the program i'm using, even though i'm pretty annoyed with the limited typographic options. ;)

three things.

agh!! i forgot to publish this a few days ago! here is what it said....

sorry for the lack of posts!

but sort of not sorry....why? cuz i've been making art instead of posts! for the ART OPEN HOUSE which was yesterday and TODAY FROM 9am-4pm.

i've been feeling sort of out of the loop with art lately, but when i was answering the questions that dear mckenna wooley sent so that i could be FEATURED ON HER BLOG for her awesome "inspire me monday" series, it really helped me to remember why i like doing this art thing in the first place.

so that was sort of neat.

aaaaaand here's that link again. just in case you didn't see it up there. :)

bottom lines:

1. less posts, more art. sorryish.
2. come to the art open house today. it was awesome yesterday. here's a hashtag for you to use, if you're into that sorta thing (and i know you are): #artopenhaus
3. read this post (last call!) if you'd like some insight to my artistic journey of sorts. also, check mckenna's blog often; she features her own great art as well as other guest artists.

help the starving artists!

i am pleased to announce that four of my artist friends and i are putting together an art open house this month! 

it's gonna be a laid-back cozy gathering at an actual house. we will sell art (both originals and prints) and there will be food, live music and some cool announcements on that friday night. 

more details will be added to the facebook event so make sure to RSVP!

in the meanwhile, do you have any requests for art from me?? any specific styles of mine or themes or ideas? i'm literally back to the drawing board and want to create things for your walls! leave you answer in the comments.

website!

just wanted to stop by and announce my new little website! 

www.kristingulledge.com

whatcha think? i just wanted something to keep everything together so that people can find what they're looking for. i whipped it up with basic html and css and then my good friend and amazing programmer trevor reed helped make it mobile-friendly and worked out the glitches. 

also, make sure to check out the design section because it's completely new, and i also have a new photo set up. 

some day i'll get around to designing better portfolio sites, but freelance is keeping me busy so that day is not today. : )

also, as this is an art blog so i feel like you should be rewarded for coming here with a bit of art. i know some of you have already seen it on facebook. thanks so much for your support!

searching for celia

i am so excited that i can finally talk about one of the biggest projects i've been working on!

the back story:: 

over the past year i've been involved in the branding/promo/publicity of a band (which started with my love of their music). undoubtedly one of my favorite branding gigs i've had. searching for celia is a rock-type band...but instead of a singer, they have a violin and cello. they don't even need lyrics. i would haven't believed it myself, but you can read my personal experience with the band if you'd like.

long story short, this is how i see it: their music explores the whole spectrum of emotion which provides a catalyst for thoughts to flow freely, preventing them from staying stagnant or circular. it's invigorating and beautiful. at least, that's what it does for me. i cannot even tell you how many times i've listened them while working on a project or on one of those drives you take specifically so you can think.

the promotion:: 
on february 9 they released their first album at their sold-out album release concert! over a week later, i'm still reeling in how beautiful it was.

i made the promotional stuff; the tree was based off of a painting by band member and artist sebastien gallego. it looked something (exactly) like this:

the album::
i also had the privilege of designing their albums, which were (surprise!!) actually swanky USB's in classy little cases! i thought this was innovative and interesting. it also provided some challenges as well as liberties. 

one of those liberties was that the drives held more space than a cd would, so they've included awesome extras like sheet music for the string parts as well as files to one of their songs that listeners can re-mix with any music editing software. there is a limited edition, so each has its own number signifying its place in the run.

the animation:: 

one more thing...this also meant that i could do the liner notes in a different way. so i decided to animate them. :) i mean...animated liner notes? was there even a question about this?! however, this brilliant idea came to me at 1:30 am, three days before the concert. i'm just barely learning after effects, so you can imagine how much sleep i got those days. (imagining sleep was pretty close to the actual amount i got). however, i was so grateful that my friend and fellow artist ellis elkins, who teaches an after effects class, stepped in and finished the animation after i'd created, exported and placed the assets. i basically directed and he animated. without him, it likely still wouldn't be done.

eventually it was decided that rather than liner notes, the animation would be a whimsical interpretation of a quote from a t.s. eliot play from which searching for celia got their name. it serves as sort of an album preview. here are some screenshots of it: 

we haven't put it online yet, so be sure to buy the album if you'd like to see it soon! the whole thing is a very reasonable $12. usb, packaging, the songs, the extras...all of it. we'll even throw in a flyer that i made for the concert for free. ;) if you don't believe me, city weekly thought they were pretty great too. 

to get your hands on one of these lil' gems, either contact me at kgull.art@gmail.com, or the band via their facebook page or searchingforcelia@gmail.com.

sora and a bonus!

whew! it's been a crazy whirlwind of a month and we're not even halfway done (of which i'm glad).

first of all, i had that show at sora asian dining. let me just tell you: sora is a fantastic little place. the food is super legit and the people who own the place as well as those who work there are some of the kindest you will ever meet. eating there is most definitely a lovely experience.

my show was only from 6-9pm on february 1 and it was little intense getting it up, but it had a good showing! this is sort of what it looked like:

(it's a little confusing to understand the space from the pictures. check the flikr set for a little tour).

as previously mentioned, i started to sell prints there, which was fun. (check this post for details on buying them.)

but one surprising highlight of the night was that i sold my [what's your] MUSE painting! i was so pleased that she got a good home. she now belongs to another fantastic artist whom i had the pleasure of meeting the night of my show, alicia vannoy call. (check out her work here! it's SO fun.)

also, bonus: on the night of this show, the byu illustrators' association (of which i used to be a part) put up their monsters show at muse!

they were so nice to let me contribute as well! here were my little guys:

both of these little dudes are on sale for $40! head down to muse any time this month and check out the awesomeness and diversity that byu's illustration students have put into these fabulous monsters.

~*~

thank you to jessica barry and danielle white for all your help that night. 

also, thank you to sora's awesome waiters josh and matt for your help and encouragement, 

as well as david and june (sora's owners) for this opportunity and your kindness! 

also. a HUGE thanks to annie henrie, for your help in taking down my show at muse and putting up my show at sora a wonderful adventure when it could have been a terrible nightmare.

prints for sale!

to see my little store, click here.

 for now, let's talk prints! these are $15 each (plus shipping if applicable).

i conducted a facebook poll a while back and the sleepyhead was an overwhelming first place, so i printed her first. there aren't many left of this limited edition print of 15 so claim yours while you can! 

8.5x11"

the muse of music was also in high demand, so here she is as well, singing her lil song: 

image is 6x6" on 8.5x8.5" paper

lastly, the secret print! this is a piece i painted a while back but is still one of my favorites. drumroll........

image is 5x7" on 8x10" paper

it's called, "a thing with feathers".

visit my store at http://kristinartdesign.bigcartel.com to purchase!

that one-night art show is tonight!

do you have plans tonight? no? well you're in luck, because i just made some for you.....

1. sora asian dining:: 

i will officially be selling prints tonight at my art show at sora asian dining!

from the results of my facebook poll, i will be selling prints of sleepyhead and muse of music...as well as a SECRET print that i didn't even tell you about!

the sora show is a one-night-only gig, from 6-9pm. 

also the food is fantastic, and i highly recommend you stay a while and make a dinner outing out of it. i heard there is also a band playing, so enjoy music with your food and art! 

2. muse music:: 

also, you should mosey on around the corner to muse music cafe again (because they are fantastic), and check out the art show that's replacing mine--because it's a show from the byu illustration association, of which i used to be a part. read = excellent art.

it's a show based on monsters...what more could you want?! go check out the work of my wonderful comrades! (and...i may or may not have two bitty monsters in there as well). visit the facebook event here.

~*~

i feel grateful that this will be my third time participating in the downtown provo art chase. 

for more info on the art chase, click here and here! 

(they are outdated articles, but they explain what it is)

see you tonight!

one-night only art show THIS friday!

earlier this week i got the confirmation that i'll be putting up another solo art show this coming friday at sora asian dining as part of downtown provo's first friday art chase! 

the actual location is going to be a little bit tricky to set up art, but we'll make it work. besides, sora has fantastic food and apparently a band will be playing as well. read: music, food, art. need i say more?

i hope i see you there so you can get first dibs on some limited edition prints i'll be selling! those who come to the show get first priority.

however, i want to make prints of work that you actually want to buy...so check out the pieces below, then vote right now on my [shiny new] facebook page! 

[what's your] MUSE?

finally, the long-awaited blog with pictures from my muse show!

huzzah:: okay so first off, i found this on instagram. huzzah!

statistics:: the muse show features 4 diptychs from my bfa show, 4 studies from my bfa show, 1 large piece which i haven't previously blogged about (and will eventually), one new smaller framed piece, and 7 new pieces of cradled art plus including one diptych made specifically for the muse show!

for sale:: the following pieces are for sale! you can still go buy them at muse. if one you like is already sold, check out my new commissions page. and please let me know asap if you'd be interested in prints of any of these...i'm considering making some.

first, the new [smaller framed] piece. this is the painting i ended up doing this night! obviously this is a simliar style to my bfa show. i really enjoyed the process.

Godly Sorrow, SOLD

second, i created the following pieces specifically for this show. i realized that they're all muses in their own way. you can check out my muse flikr set for descriptions and details.

UPDATE: muse of music and salinger's muse have both been SOLD.

[what's your] muse:: as previously mentioned, i also created a piece at the actual art show opening. i titled my art show "[what's your] muse", appropriate as we were at muse music cafe. so i painted my version of a muse. then i wrote down the formal definition of "muse" and had anyone who came to the opening write down what their muse is or what they muse about, and i typographically incorporated those ideas into her hair. check it out! (sorry for the poor quality photo. dim lights and such...)

[what's your] MUSE, SOLD

take a look:: remember, muse is only open on the nights they have events after 8pm. this means you have fooooour (4) more nights to check it out as this comes down january 30...or the 31st. treat yourself to a fun event or some tasty food while you're at it!

:: ::

sorry this post took so long to get up. ironically, i got sick the night i put the show up and i've been pretty sick ever since. it got worse and after staying home and/or in bed for the last 9 days, i'm hoping to go snag some more pictures of the show for all of you who can't go. i know you're...um...dying to see. probably check my blog every day. ...probably. ;)

MUSE art show at muse

sorry for the last minute-ness of that last post...with an almost-broken foot and the freezing temperatures, getting the art show up was a miracle, let alone posting about it!

i only have two pictures to show right now, but more will come later! (in the rush of trying to get there in time for the opening, i forgot my camera so i'm currently collecting from friends...).

this first photo was right after we finished setting up for four hours (in the freezing building whose heat had been turned off for the break!)

THANK YOU to normandie, robby and mariah for helping me set up. and mariah, for letting me wear your boots. :) thanks to darcie and debby for being patient in the cold as well!

and this next photo documents the unique part of opening night: i took a painting to work on while i was there and the people who came to the opening contributed their ideas to it. after they wrote their ideas from a prompt i gave them, i incorporated them into the painting. i was pretty happy with how it turned out (again...more pictures later). sorry for the wonky pseudo-illustrative quality of the photo. the settings were wrong on my dear mother's camera so it came out weird-looking. or maybe cooler than it really is? 

anyway, thanks to all those who came to the event! if you didn't, go check out the art if you missed it. it's at muse music cafe and will be up through january. and while you're at it, treat yourself to some sweet concert or maybe the delicious cafe food. make sure to check their schedule though. as it is a music venue, they're only open at night.

solo show TONIGHT

surprise!!

i'm excited to be showing my art at muse music cafe (151 N University Ave, Provo, Utah) as part of provo's first friday art chase. huzzah? i think yes.

included will be pieces from my november BFA show, "the grey area" so if you missed it, here's your second chance! if not, come hang out anyway. there will also be some other pieces as well as maybe some surprises. :)

sorry for the late notice; there were some.....interesting setbacks this week.

bottom line?
free. music. food. art.

[event here]