Thanks for all the continued support! I am doing well and hope you all are doing well too!

I am finely feeling good enough to work on art again. It's going to be coming along rather slowly though. I'm on overtime hours at the moment (at my day job), and my spare time is mostly devoted to visiting with all the friends that I didn't get to see last year.

I hope to make lots of new art in the future, and I hope that it is well received.

Hugs,
 Spinestealer

As many of you know, I do a large Solo or Duo show once every year graciously hosted by Hyaena Gallery in Burbank, CA.

My 2009 Hyaena Gallery show has been cancelled due to medical reasons.

However, I could not be more thrilled by the talented artist chosen to fill my September slot. Erin Martinez, of Art in Blood, will be displaying her new body of work due to my leave of absence. Please visit Erin's work at Art In Blood.

The show will go on though! My work will now be shown March of 2010, in Erin's stead. We are very fortunate in that we both felt a need to switch exhibit dates. So although I will be unable to do a large show for 2009, I intend to make my 2010 show spectacular!



Thank you to everyone who has been supportive. I haven't released new work as of late, because I am concentrating on my syndrome (which is physical, not psychological).
And I'm aware that a lot of artists fall of the map once they stop being prolific. But I still get very heartfelt wishes from fans and friends, and that continues to encourage my creativity. The love and support is so very much appreciated.


forever searching for a cure  ~Spinestealer

Thanks to everyone who visited my table or bought a piece of my artwork at the Black Market. I really appreciate it! It seemed like a good turnout this year even though most of us are stressed for cash.



I'm leaving for a week, starting wednesday. So I probably won't be able to respond to messages for that time, but feel free to write and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.


And when I come back, I should be coming back to job :D




I love everyone!!! Have a fun week


<3

Please don't take it personally if I haven't written you, called you, or texted you in a while. It's nothing personal, so please don't take it as "Spine doesn't want to talk to me".

On top of me already being super forgetful, I've been crazy busy. I just moved into my new apartment and am still trying to unpack and settle in (and throwing away lots of stuff). Took my friend to his surgery this week. I also have to prepare work for bats day, which is in less than a month!! o.o I'm really trying to scramble on that one, and should have shirts made by the end of this week. We spent a lot of time preparing the right image for it. And I've also been working post-production shifts, between driving back and fourth from the LAX area to go on job interviews and orientations for a different company. I'm juggling two potential jobs, one part time job, my vending table, and moving all at once. So please, please write me or text me or whatever. Sometimes I need a little help, and I do want to talk to all my friends. I know it seems like I'm a workaholic, but I really don't like to be. I only work this much to make rent out here and to afford art supplies. My friends are the most important thing to me, and I try my best to find time and money to hang out.

Upcoming Shows include:



I will have all my Valentine's art up for sale at Club Hell (cash and carry). So those who come will get the first look and the first chance to purchase what they like. Any remaining work will be posted in my Etsy shop the next day (Jan 29th) for all to purchase. I will also have $10 prints, Framed originals starting at $25, and large 11x14 pastel drawings. Anyone who mentions "Spinestealer" at the door gets in free before 10pm.

I'm very excited to announce that I have left my day job to pursue art full-time! I've come to the point in my life where I don't have enough energy to be working two jobs anymore. I worked three jobs in 2006/2007 and since then it's just been wearing me thin working a full job and doing art and shows on the side. My day job failed to offer any transition into a new career since they've had us working overtime the last 2 months (and overtime in general).

Now I know....this is a horrible time to do this! The economy isn't in the best shape to be quitting a job with security. But I've been getting a huge amount of support from friends, fans, and fellow artists. They believe in my work, and believe this is what I was meant for. I am going to work my ass off, like I do, and hope that that will lead me to success.

My two most important goals are to be a self-employed artist and to own a small home for my family. Recently, that nice cushion of money I've been gathering could have been placed as down payment on this house we found for cheap. But at the time that we wanted to purchase it my health was slowly declining because of the stress at work. We decided it best to give up the dream of a home for now, and focus on getting my career in order.

I am now the healthiest I have been in the last four years. An amazing feat! I'm still a little unsure how to feel in my new skin, but I hope this lasts forever.

I have a lot to lose, and of course there is a chance of failing miserably. But it is well worth it to take this risk. Someday I want to feel that I was worth saving.


Thank you so much for giving me the encouragement I needed to finally do this

My love goes out to all of you

Bats Day was wonderful! And I met so many amazing artists that were vending, I can't wait to tell you about them. My art sold well. 'The muffin' paid my way into Disney, heehee. I will finally get to rest (a bit). I'm working 11 hour shifts at my day job for the next couple months, but atleast I am not too booked with art shows, and can take care of things around the house and start raising more money to send to my friend. My next show is a group show at Hyaena in December. Should be fun :D

A couple months back a gallery approached me about doing a themed show with them. I sent them messages via myspace and email saying that I would be happy to participate and I began working on pieces surrounding the theme. My time is very precious, I already work a 65-80 hour week. I shouldn't have taken the show on, but I knew that if I worked really hard I could fit in some extra hours and get some great pieces done. I used up time I should've been spending on more art for bats day, or making more cards to donate to my friend who is in debt. I was just really in love with the theme of the show. But the gallery (that approached me) never responded to my emails, sent me any kind of form for commission or a simple message saying, "we'll include you in the show, send us the work when it's done".

Well guess what. That nice commission cut they would have gotten from my new work will be going to Bill Shafer of Hyaena Gallery, because the pieces will be in there shortly. I have sold every piece I've ever put up for sale, so I guess it is their loss. I'd rather stick with galleries that can manage their business well, and treat artists with the respect they deserve.

 

www.Hyaenagallery.com

I'm working on a very big project! Not scale wise, but in the sense that it will have a lot of details to it. It will still be a little larger than most of my works, and I was originally planning on making it huge, but the boxing I found for it was too perfect a setting to modify.

It feels so good to get back to mixed media. I feel so much more focused, and it's been a while since I got so worked up over art. The materials are costing me so much o.o  but hopefully it will be worth it when it's finished. I'm really tempted to post "in-progress" pictures, but I think I want to keep it a surprise ;)

Thank you so much to everyone who bid on or spread the word about the pieces I posted on ebay. $97 raised and rising! The person who is receiving the money is so thankful and says this is the first they've been hopeful in a very long time. Along with the money I'll be sending them an early "christmas" gift of some art supplies, so that they can make art of their own and hopefully use it as an outlet for their feelings as well as make some money from it to pay for their living expenses in case this whole 'late disability check' fiasco ever occurs again. So if they do decide to make art frequently, I'll be managing their work; placing it in galleries that accept it or posting it online on my website.


XoXo

I'm posting several pieces of inexpensive original artwork on ebay. If you're looking for small christmas gifts or have been wanting to own a piece for a while, here is the perfect chance. All the pieces are listed at just $5 to start.

Spinestealer on Ebay
..

I love and support all my artist friends. Each and every one.

I don't support people (especially strangers) trying to force there opinions on others.

I respect those who were offended by the Stu Mead show. I respect those who liked it. Hey, it's not the kinda work I enjoy but oh well, enjoy what you want to. I did not attend the show simply because it didn't interest me. My preferences happen to be for Krys Sapp, Chuck Hodi, Bastet, and many of the other artists that were shown this year and in years past at Hyaena Gallery. So I try my hardest to attend those shows if I can.

I do not respect those who call people pedophiles for liking the work, and assuming they have issues. Have you ever looked at a piece of artwork and found an alternate meaning to it? Do you look past the aesthetics of art at all or are you stuck at face value?

So I must be a pedophile for liking Kukula's work? Or the work of Camille D'errico? Or is it just because Stu Mead is a man? If he had added some pinks and purples, and a couple flowers would you have liked it then? If he had gotten a boob job and called himself a "woman in the making" would you think that maybe he was thinking like a female when he drew the work. Talk about double standards.

I refuse to assume what he might be thinking as he creates. For all I know, maybe he is horribly terrified at the thought of young children being sexually active, and maybe this is his way of coping with it. Don't all good artists try to draw from their own fears and worries to get over them? He himself stated that he was not in any way trying to condone child abuse.

And on the topic of double standards. How dare anyone who would call any of my female artist friends "crafty hens". You obviously haven't seen the work you slander so easily. Quit being an art critic and go back to your day job.

I've tried to keep my mouth shut but this crap has just been going on too damn long. I don't like being stuck in the middle. I don't like being questioned and having my moral fiber examined. So to the people who aren't involved in any way with this situation, shut your fucking mouth. No one wants to hear your opinion, and no one needs any further name calling added to the pile. All of the artists who were formerly apart of Hyaena Gallery, and all those who are currently a part of Hyaena Gallery are still on good terms, and we still love and respect eachother and stand strong in our individual beliefs. Do not try and force your beliefs on us, for or against the Stu Mead exhibit. You're not helping

I must say, this has been a very interesting and confusing month.

Some of it being mildly comical, like poo water leaking from our ceiling.

But alot of serious matters have come up this month involving family, friends, and my personal well-being. It seems that everyone around me has taken a hard blow this month. From car crashes, to health scares, and tough decisions.

Even I was slammed with having to make a decision about whether or not to go through with a medical procedure that could affect the next several years of my life. Luckily, I decided (with the help of my loved ones) not to go through with it. Just within this year I have fully recovered from all the damage my nerve condition caused, and there is no way I will potentially ruin all that I have regained. I know my doctor's may say it's the wrong decision, but they have never helped me anyways, only pushed me onto other doctors. Now that I have recovered I am so very happy to feel like my old self again, and so happy that I have two wonderful people that stood by me and loved me unconditionally through everything.

I'm so happy to hear that things are getting better for others as well. Including my sister over a year sober now, and doing so well in her life! I am so proud of her. And my other sister is pregnant and having her first sonogram soon, so she's super excited. I will be an uncle next year :D

On another note;

It's been getting harder and harder to get out lately, and I miss my friends dearly. My day job has been draining me of my energy, and I just come home and kinda work on art (if I can). Work is such a de-motivating place, but I know I can't book more art shows at the moment because I don't have the time. Art really makes me feel fulfilled. I wish I could get more small doses of it. It's hard when venues are on busy streets (hollywood blvd mostly), that are so far from where I work/live and I have to make a mad dash to get there before a certain set-up time. Then you add paying for parking, dealing with alot of drunk people depending on the venue, and late hours...it's just too much for a weeknight sometimes. I usually have alot of fun, but in this heat it is horrid. So I'm sticking close to home lately. There are still some cool places to hang out in my area, but I do miss the nightlife, and I especially miss hanging out with my friends.

I'm really hoping things settle down for everyone else too. I am always here for my friends, to help in any way that is possible. If you're a friend that works with me than you can just stop by my desk and rub the lucky piggy! (courtesy of Mindy)

hahaha

My new piece:


It measures a little over 3x4 inches. A one of a kind original. The rust is not a rust finish, it was hand painted in layers of acrylic.

Some background:
You might notice this is the first coffin that is not missing limbs. The concept of the previous death scenes were portraying criminals or those who were mistaken as criminals. Their fellow townsfolk did not want to waste money on full caskets for "scum", so they cut of their legs and buried them in children's caskets (which were plentiful), often leaving them buried alive. In their last moments they wrote what some might call an act of contrition. Although, it is nothing close to an admission of guilt, simply an explanation as to why they did what they did.

"You left me to rust" has his limbs, because he was not convicted of some petty crime. He may have been betrayed by someone he had his full faith in.

Maybe Norton was falsely accused...



And this one may have had good intentions that went awry....


And maybe this one took desperate measures to save someone else...


And maybe we'll just never know....what do you think..?

"Beyond Repair" will be closing in three days, so head out to Hyaena before then if you want to see the work in person ;)

Now it's time to prepare for Bats day! And alot of people give me crap like "why are you bothering with that now, it's so far away...", but they don't know that it takes alot of time when you are an artist who is not selling a whole lot of manufactured products. Keep in mind that I rarely make molds, all my sculptures are handmade, all my paintings worked on heavily before they are able to be purchased.

Lately, I haven't been in an artistic mood, so I'll be releasing small things here and there, but I want to focus more on Bats day if I can. I am excited to get back into more of my 3-D work though. I know some people have been waiting patiently (and some impatiently) for more sculptures and shadow boxes. So thank you so much for encouraging me to work on them! I probably wouldn't want to work on them as much if they weren't appreciated.

 

More to follow!