Artist Interview: Richie Pope

Richie Pope is another artist participating in our SMART show, and one of our most frequent contributors.  His work has been in six of our previous shows: Pokemon Battle Royale, Tarot, Mystics, and the Occult, Girls: Fact + Fiction, Macro + Micro, Beautiful Forever, and Night of the Exquisite Corpse. He will also be showing in our upcoming sci-fi show, Station Zero, and our RPG self-portrait show, Role Models.  Needless to say, we are very big fans of his work.

Where are you from, and where do you currently live?
I'm originally from Newport News, VA, but I've been living in Richmond for 9 years now. 

How would you describe your art? 

My work combines my sketchbook observational drawings with more imaginative concepts, resulting in very dreamlike images. 

Many of your illustrations are surreal.  Where do your ideas come from?
My ideas really just float around in my head until I can reach up and grab hold of one. Fireflies is based off a childhood memory of catching fireflies with my older sister outside our family's apartment.  I depicted the kid (myself) as a cartoon character. With Adapting to Extreme Conditions, I wanted to play with the idea of someone being out of place, yet finding a way to exist. The result was a man in a deep-sea diver suit waiting for the bus in an underwater neighborhood.  How Cats Find Their Way Home is about the mystery of how lost cats return to their owners from as far as hundreds of miles away. I imagined that cats might have some sort of inner compass.  I also made a visual connection between the shape of a cat's eye and the shape of a compass, so that became the driving idea. 

Over Nine Thousand by Richie Pope
Featured in Macro + Micro Exhibition

How long does it take you to make an illustration? 

Depending on how complex it is, anywhere from 2 to 15 hours. I usually start and finish in one or two sittings. 

What materials/processes do you typically use? 
My illustrations usually start with a quick and loose graphite drawing. I like to use 2B-4B pencils because of their value range. Carpenter pencils are pretty much made of magic.  I sharpen them with a knife to get really irregular tips for a wider range of line width. I just started getting into gouache a couple of months ago. I paint on top of the drawing or on another sheet of paper that I scan in separately. Once I scan in everything, I just start collaging. The final becomes a mix of final drawing, drawings on different layers, stock textures that I made, scribbles and other things. In general, I know where the illustration is going, but there's a good chunk of spontaneity involved as well.  

As one of the artists in our upcoming SMART show, how are you interpreting the title? 
I want to communicate an idea, but how do I do it without spelling it out for the viewer? This question is what drives my illustration work, so I took the same approach with my piece 'Goodbye, Max' for the SMART show. 

Is there a trend in art/culture that is particularly interesting you right now? If so, is it influencing the work you create? 

It's really interesting to see my generation of illustrators and how big a role the internet is playing. It's easy to dismiss the number of ‘likes’ and ‘re-blogs’ as lacking any true value, but all of the recent opportunities that have come my way were because something I drew blew up on Tumblr, Facebook, or other social media. The internet is free promotion if your work is strong enough and seen by the right people. 

What are your main sources of inspiration?
Memories and dreams are a huge inspiration for my work. I like people and situations that are familiar but not quite 'right'. That ambiguity is really interesting to me. Anime (and manga), film, comics and video games find their way into my work. Street art is really beautiful to me as well. It's often so loose and full of energy, like giant sketchbook pages. I'm also a sucker for the composition kings of 60's and 70's illustration.



   The First Bionic Hand That Can Feel by Richie Pope

How do you spend your time when you’re not making art?

I like to make music, mostly EDM/hip-hop stuff. I'm a gamer for life, so video games are a nice interactive way to escape. I also practice scales on the harmonica. I can't play any songs (yet). 

Your lady, Nicole Hamilton, is also an artist.  How would you describe her work in comparison to yours? Do you collaborate often?

Nicole's animation and illustration work is really energetic and loose, which plays nicely with her clean line work and coloring techniques. I draw just as fast, but my line work is more raw and imperfect. We sometimes collaborate on some exquisite corpse drawings.  We had a blog with some of these drawings and actually thought about re-vamping it recently. There was the quintessential Adventure Time fan art that we worked on together. Nicole did the line work, and I did the coloring.  It turned out really creepy, bizarre, and beautiful. Our collaborations really just evolve into their own weird amalgamations of both our voices. Nicole draws a lot from her own imagination, which I had neglected in school in favor of a heavy reliance on reference.  Her work has definitely influenced me to trust my own imagination more, and it's given me more confidence in my work. In other words, she's pretty swell.

What are your artistic and career ambitions?

I want to build my illustration work and brand to the point where I can work on my own intellectual property, whether that be animations, comic work, street art, fine art or whatever. I want people to believe in the world that I'm building. I look to people like Mike Mignola, KAWS, Murakami, Aryz. People have complete faith in them as creatives and that's pretty amazing. It's a lofty goal, but I wouldn't mind being up there in that same league of creative freedom.

 What other artists should Light Grey and our blog followers check out?

Leslie Herman, Cathryn Hutton, Jeffrey Alan Love, Eric Pfeiffer, Dadu Shin, Julia Scott, Allison Smith, Chris Visions. They're all really talented, original and good people. 

We have an upcoming show about inspiration posters?  Do you have any inspirational words of wisdom you'd care to share? 
Take the advice that helps you. Throw out the advice that doesn't. This is how you'll carve your own lane. 

Goodbye, Max by Richie Pope
Featured in Smart Exhibition


Thank you for the wonderful interview, Richie!

You can see more of Richie's work and process  on his website here
And you can purchase the three piece print Goodbye, Max here

Light Grey + The Sketchbook Project! Deadline coming soon!

WE ARE SO EXCITED!

Our deadline for participating in the Sketchbook Project is approaching really quickly, so we want to share the information again and some of our own sketches for the project.

This September, Light Grey Art Lab is pairing up with the Sketchbook Project for their 1703 Miles and Back Tour. This will be the first time the Sketchbook Project has ever been in Minneapolis, and we are thrilled to host and support the traveling sketchbook library!






















Just a sneak peek of some of our sketchbooks! We still have a ways to go, but we're gearing up to submit!

The library will arrive in town Sunday, September 22nd, and will only be in town for one day! We will have a huge get together where everyone is invited to check out sketchbooks, view other artists work, and see the current exhibition, which will include pieces from all of the sketchbooks!

We encourage everyone to participate- it is easy, fun, and you will have a nice new sketchbook to fill out this summer! Everyone who registers will be in the permanent collection of the library, listed as a part of the exhibition, and images of your scanned sketchbooks will be on view for the entire month during our September/October show (soon to be announced!)

***********
Extended Deadline- Please sign up by June 10th!

To be a part of the Light Grey + Sketchbook Project please see submission deadlines and forms here: http://blog.lightgreyartlab.com/2013/01/call-for-submissions-light-grey.html



Another look at Jenny, Lindsay and Chris's sketchbooks! Can you guess which one is which?

Thanks, everyone, we cannot wait to see all your sketchbooks!

Questions? Please email gallery@lightgreyartlab.com

Artist Interview: Lindsay Nohl

Artist Interview with Lindsay Nohl
By Jenny Bookler

One of my favorite things in the world is getting to know new people. I love to sit down, grab a coffee, and talk about all of their thoughts and ideas. I have had the honor of getting to know several of you through artist interviews, online conversations, and in person, and I am always blown away by the breath of artwork, enthusiasm, and interesting personalities- you all are great!

So many of you ask, who runs Light Grey Art Lab? how many of you are there? what do you do? where do your inspirations come from? Well, to answer all of those questions and to return the openness you have shared with all of us, we will be conducting artist interviews within the Light Grey team!

To start this series of interviews, I want to introduce Lindsay Nohl, founder and owner of Light Grey Art Lab and Paper Bicycle LLC and Illustration Teacher at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.  Lindsay is one of the most talented, kind, and hard working people I know, with unlimited enthusiasm and big ideas. I sat down with Lindsay this week to ask about her thoughts, motivations, collections, and upcoming projects:

You are the founder of Light Grey Art Lab, but how would you describe all of the things and parts you manage everyday?
Whoa. I don’t even know where to start. Well -- I come up with a ton of the exhibition and project ideas for Light Grey. (But I definitely couldn’t keep them going without everyone else, that’s for sure.) I usually write most of what people see on the internet. I’m in charge of the Twitter, Facebook and the calls-for-art on the blog.  I suppose I’m the marketing person (Is that even a thing we do?) and I’m the all-around ‘starter’ of things. I usually plan our trips to different places, and often bug the crap out of everyone else here with my “what about this!” ideas, and “let’s put this on the pile!” attitude. I’m really lucky everyone’s always so nice about it. I am totally a brain-stormer. I love brainstorming.

You are often coming up with new ideas and projects to start. What is your primary motivator? or inspiration for new projects?
I have an extremely short attention span, but a really wide array of interests. Plus, I get obsessed with things easily and tend to devour topics like I used to devour bubble tea. For some reason, when I’m hot on something, I’m super hot on it and my obsessions tend to be top-of-mind for me until I’ve somehow satiated my hunger for them. Sometimes I’m motivated to do a project because it’s challenging, other times it’s because I’ve convinced myself that I couldn’t live without seeing an idea come to fruition. Most times I’m inspired by totally serendipitous things like, for example, stumbling upon all of these amazing Sci-fi paperbacks in a local comic shop. I bought 13, then 20 more... and that’s when I was hooked. And Station Zero was born.

Oliver, one of Lindsay's cats, guards these precious Sci-Fi books

Where is your favorite place/atmosphere to make artwork?
I’m all about coffee houses. In fact, I’m also all about different places. I like to be where people are when I’m working. I’m not sure what it is about it, but I just feel energized. I had a corporate design job for a couple years right after school and when I decided to go off on my own I spent the next couple years loitering at coffeehouses all day / night. It was seriously the best. I’m sure I looked like a pack-mule with all of the stuff I hauled around with me, but I LOVED it. And when I’m not working there, I just really like being upstairs in my home studio. It’s super chill. I put the jams on and sing while I’m working. You can’t do that at a coffee house.

It's common for Lindsay's work-space to have everything and anything on it at all times. Here, you can see her prized possession, a white tiger lamp from Francesca. A gift to remember.

What are some common themes and subjects you like to draw?
I’m also an impatient creator, so if I’m trying to do something quick, I usually do one of two things. For the last couple years I’ve been drawing portraits of people - face only. (Or even more specifically just noses and mouths.) or patterns. Most of the things that I’ve shared in my personal portfolio / online are my patterns. I make them at work all the time, but I also make them for fun. I had a project a couple years ago called Daily Pattern for our blog.paperbicycle.com - where each of us in the studio did a pattern a day for 8 months. That’s a ton of patterns. And recently I’ve been creating patterns once a week (give or take!) for a similar project called 101florals. It just ended a bit ago, so I'm eager to start on a new project where I draw things. I have been tossing around a couple new ideas. If there's anyone out there that wants to collaborate on a sketch project, hit me up.

A sketch from one of Lindsay's sketchbooks. Venus Fly-trap!

Tell me about your favorite thing you have ever made. 
Well, I’m one of those artists that hates everything they make a day after they finish it. I revel in my projects for as long as I can, then I get all weird and self-conscious and move on. I’m sure that’s normal, right? So, to answer your question. I’m not su--- WAIT. THAT IS NOT TRUE. My favorite thing that I’ve made so far is Light Grey. (Didn’t see that one coming, did you?)

Besides Light Grey, I think it might be the projects I do for other people. If I'm making something for someone else, I find it so much more exciting. I adore giving gifts and I love the creating something for someone else.

What is the weirdest thing you have ever made (either by assignment or personal)?
Oh man. I have made a few that are mention-worthy. One time I made an illustration of Corey Feldman picking up dog poop. Another time I made 60 gouache paintings of  ‘bad things that people do’ , including pushing people’s faces into water fountains, spitting in people’s food.... but that was in school. I also made a wire sculpture of an opossum for some reason. We all do weird things in college, right? Just recently I did a project where I had to make a pattern out of meat. That was for a very reputable client. (and it was not my idea.)

If you could learn any new skill, what would it be?
Speed reading AND retaining the information. I can read pretty fast but I have a memory like a sieve. I adore books but I have the problem of digesting them and then confusing them with others.

What are your vices and things you cannot live without?
Currently? Eating bell peppers like apples. I’m all about cats. Actually, I’m all about all of the animals. I’m totally a tea person. Lately I’ve been adding lattes to my daily ritual because I drag in the morning. I am a night person, so that also means that I wake up horribly late. Collecting things. I am a hoarder of things. Specifically old paper things like vintage greeting cards, old books, and old wrapping paper.

What do you like to do in your free time?
…. free time. That’s a concept. I teach in my free time? I talk about projects and then do projects? I talk to my parents? I don’t even know anymore. I often have everything so packed in there that I’m not sure I actually have free time. I have a sliver of time when I’m eating at night after I come home from teaching and that’s usually when I put on an episode of something and pig out with Chris. Besides that I like to throw a much needed vacation in the mix and go on adventures to places there are no lines -- where you can crawl on everything, and be the only person for miles around. I also like the days when I sit down in a small space with someone and have heart-to-hearts. I love one on one conversations like nothing else. I'd always make time for those.

Lindsay teaching about succulents

What is your dream place/landscape?
I think everyone in the universe has heard that I want to retire when I’m 40 and move to Iceland and wear the same wool sweater all day, paint and read books in my 2 story library. Maybe I’d have a duck as a pet. All while with my back to a glacier and my face toward the sea. I’m sure it’d weather me as quickly as the first season of Man vs. Wild grizzled up Bear Grylls, but I’d be willing to take that chance.

In an alternate reality (which I only talk about when I am feeling frumpy) I'd live in an a creaky, four-story, turn of the century tudor-style house on a wooded corner of town. I would grow my huge hair out until it was long, grey and gnarly. The children would ride their bikes past my overgrown iron gates and they'd shriek when they saw my silhouette in one of the ivy-framed windowpanes. I would have taken up wood carving and topiary making, and my yard would be strewn with my endless 'projects'. Inside, you'd find me slowly shuffling through secret passages, or pondering my cabinets of curiosities. Stacks of my 'collections' would litter the hallways. Not as much a hoarders-situation as an ill-kept museum. At the back of the house I'd have a huge leaded greenhouse where finches and other songbirds kept my plants company. I'd have a crow for a famili-- I mean, a crow for a pet. My house would be drafty but my 6 cats would keep me warm at night.

What is the best advice you ever received?

My dad has the best sayings. One of them, (which I quoted in the Happiness & Success lecture) was in relation to allowing one’s self to pursue goals that are ambitious or far-fetched. He says “If it doesn’t work out, no one is going to take you out back and shoot you.” to which I say “Good point!” So we might as well just do the things we’re excited about without the fear of failing. I’m not even sure that failing exists. I’m not sure why people stop themselves from doing what they love, or going for something they want. I totally live by that idea and that particular shred of wisdom has given me all sorts of guts to try things I never thought I’d be able to do. It’s also given me more hope that I can do all sorts of other things if I keep trying.

Lindsay and her Dad, Victor.

If you could teach a class on any topic in the world what would it be?

I’d love to teach a class on collaboration, specifically. Now that I think of it, I’m not sure why I’ve never done that before. Think of the possibilities!

What is one of your life aspirations?

I’d really like to visit Europe one day and meet some of the amazing people I’ve met through all of our projects in person. Maybe couch surf my way around, eat all of the delicious food and enjoy myself for a couple weeks. I’m thinking that this might be a possibility some time soon. Might as well try, right?

I’d also like to learn how to meditate. Like, for real. I’d like to remember my dreams. I’d like to author a book about patterns. I guess you only asked for one aspiration. Whoops.

Do you have any guilty pleasures? Things you know you should not do, but do anyway?

I have many pleasures, but I do not feel guilty about any of them. :)

Thanks, Lindsay!

You can see more of Lindsay's artwork here and follow her blog here

Artist Interview: Elisabeth McNair

Elisabeth and her dog Rufus

Our current exhibit, SMART, features a wide array of goofy, clever, and intelligent art. To showcase some of the artists we're particularly excited about, we conducted a series of interviews. Our first is with illustrator and zine author Elisabeth McNair.  She kindly took time out from her schedule to tell us about herself, her creative process, and her inspirations.


Where are you from, and where do you currently live?
 I was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and that's where I'm currently living.


Where/how would you ultimately like to live?
I'm not really sure where I would ultimately like to live. My goal is to freelance full-time, and I think I'd actually be happy living anywhere if I could just work for myself and set my own hours.

The Optimist

How would you describe yourself? (or how might someone else describe you?)
I'm not very good at describing myself, but I love personality tests, especially the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. The profile of the INFP personality type describes me really well.


How would you describe yourself as an artist?
I try to make art that is intelligent but not pretentious, funny but not stupid, and nostalgic but not kitschy.

Good Taste

As one of the artists in our upcoming SMART show, how are you interpreting this title? 
I gave it a lot of thought, and ended up deciding to interpret the title literally, and so I created an illustration about the desire to be "smart." A lot of people, myself included, are plagued by the anxiety that we will never know enough. Information is so accessible and easily-attained through the internet that we consume it faster than we can really absorb it. The piece I made for the show is an observation of the way that we constantly devour culture and knowledge, and how that information becomes wrapped up in our identities, a process that can either bring us closer together or make us feel more isolated.


What materials/processes do you use?
I always begin with lots of sketches. Once I've roughly figured out how I want the illustration to look, I make a detailed pencil drawing. Sometimes I create just one composition, and sometimes I draw all of the elements separately and compile them in the computer. Once the drawing is complete, I either paint it with watercolor and gouache or scan it and color it in Photoshop. As much as I love the idea of something being completely hand-made and original, painting in Photoshop is actually very freeing to me because there's no stress involved--I can change the colors as many times as I want! However, it's important for me to at least begin with a real drawing. I would really love to start printmaking again.


On your website, you site the writer Flannery O’Connor as a major influence. Can you tell us about a favorite story or passage?
In "Mystery and Manners," Flannery O'Connor wrote: “There are two qualities that make fiction. One is a sense of mystery and the other is a sense of manners. You get the manners from the texture of existence that surrounds you. The great advantage of being a Southern writer is that we don't have to go anywhere to look for manners; bad or good, we've got them in abundance. ” I think this idea pertains to any kind of art, not just fiction. There is truth in mystery and humor in manners, and since truth is often painful, it's best to express it with humor.

How much of a story do you create behind your illustration images?
There's usually an elaborate story that no one will ever really hear. Coming up with the story is more fun to me than actually making the illustration.



Are the people in your illustrations based on people you know, imagine, or see out and about?
I never intend for my illustrations to be based on real people, but it's possible that people I know sometimes sneak in!



There are quite a few animals in your illustration work. Can you talk about your relationship with animals? 
I've always loved animals, which is why I'm a vegetarian. Gandhi said that the "greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated." I think that animals understand more than we know, and I wish that our society did a better job of protecting them.


Do you have a day job? What jobs have you held? What was the best? The worst?
Right now, I don't have a day job because I'm attending school full-time; however, I'm doing freelance work and I also sell portraits on my Etsy shop. I have been a substitute teacher, an art teacher, a barista, and I've worked at a pet supply store. The pet supply store was fun because it was nice having dogs as customers. The worst job was substitute teaching.

from the zine 'Fancy Pants'

 You received your B.F.A. in Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking, and now, you’ve returned to school for Illustration and Design. Why did you decide to go back to school?
I've never been good at figuring out how to make a living with my art; in fact, just thinking about it has always made me a little squeamish. I have always had a "day job" and made art in my spare time. I went back to school in order to figure out how to support myself doing what I love.


Where do you turn for inspiration?
The past.



What artists are most inspiring to you? 
Edward Gorey, Maira Kalman, and Yuriy Norshteyn are constant sources of inspiration.


How long does it take you to make an illustration?
It depends on when my deadline is! I can tweak things forever, so if I have the time I could spend weeks on a single illustration. However, if I am pressed for time I can complete an illustration a day.


Can you describe a typical work day?
Every morning while I drink my coffee, I get caught up on my reading. (I'm using Feedly now that Google Reader is being phased out.) If I come across something interesting, I might write about it on my blog. Then I walk my dog, and after that I spend the rest of the day at my desk, until late afternoon, when it's time to walk my dog again. After dinner, I work for several more hours.

'A Year of Not Reading'

I love to read. I also enjoy spending time with my dog, Rufus--I hate to think of how much time I would spend inside if he didn't beg me go on walks! Before I became too busy with school, I played keyboard in my husband's band, Noel Stephen & the Darlings.  (http://nsatd.bandcamp.com)



You have a blog called “A Fine Day For…” Are there any particular blogs you’re fan of? Some blogs I've been reading for a long time are Brain Pickings, Design*Sponge, Pugly Pixel, Swiss Miss, and of course Pikaland.



What’s the most interesting feedback you’ve ever gotten about your work?
Some people have described my work as depressing, which makes me laugh, because I try so hard to make it funny!



What’s the best advice on being an artist you’ve ever been given?
I can't think of a good answer for this, which probably means that I need some advice.


You say on your website that you are open to collaborations and commissions. What would be your ideal collaboration/commission?
My ideal collaboration would be to work with other creative people I admire to create and self-publish a quarterly zine. My ideal commission would be to do a cover for The New Yorker.


We have another upcoming show about inspirational quotes. Is there a particular quote that inspires you?
"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."
 --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Check out Elisabeth's work at:  www.elisabethmcnair.com

Podcast: Talking With Amy Ng, Founder of Pikaland

The SMART opening has come and gone, but the work is still in the gallery until June 7th! This week we talk to the curator Amy Ng, founder of Pikaland. Amy was nice enough to deal with the 13 hour time difference between Minneapolis and Singapore and chat with us about the show, her practice, and her thoughts on... everything! We've been fans of Pikaland and all of Amy's adventures since way back, so it was amazing to finally put a voice to the site. Hope you enjoy!

Download the MP3 or Subscribe via iTunes!

Talking With Amy Ng, Founder of Pikaland
Length: 01:09:12
Synopsis: On this week's podcast, Lindsay talks to Amy Ng, founder of Pikaland and curator of the SMART show. Lindsay and Amy talk about Amy's background, expanding creative boundaries, teaching, new projects and more. After the interview Jenny, Chris and Lindsay discuss what was said.

Show Notes:
• Pikaland - Amy's site. All about design, illustration and life.
  
• 1000 Things to Draw - Amy's new project, which give your thousands of fun and silly things to draw.
  
• Brain Pickings - Interesting writing on... interesting things!
  
• Boing Boing - A site for tech, books, music, games and more.

Thanks once again to Amy for taking the time to talk to us and curate the amazing SMART show! If you're in the area, stop by and see it in person! If you're not, check out the online gallery or online store (in the store until June 7th)!

Light Grey is headed to Iceland!

"Why would you head to such a cold place just as the spring weather is setting in?"

That's the question you're probably asking us right now, right? Well, recently I found out I was a cold weather person. I love green things, but holy crap, do I love ice.

Francesca, Chris and I are heading on an Icelandic adventure! We're renting a 4 x 4 and driving all over the wide-open spaces of one of the most gorgeous locations I've had the chance to visit. Iceland is home to just over 300,000 people (which is just under the population of the city of Minneapolis!) And, as you can imagine, we probably won't be seeing many people while we're there.

Besides the solitude, we'll be trekking through all sorts of insane landscapes.
From this:


to this:


to this:


I'm totally looking forward to taking a ton of photos, drawing what we see, sketching and documenting our trip. It'll be my fun side project while we're on our adventure.
These photos are all from our trip a couple years ago and we're incredibly excited to see all of the things we missed the first time around.

I also hear there are ice caves! (Don't worry, mom, I won't go in them.)
Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know that Jenny Bookler will be holding down the fort while we're gone with help from Jared Tuttle and Victoria Nohl (my sister!)! So if there's anything you need or if you're just looking to chat it up with someone here at Light Grey, send an email to gallery@lightgreyartlab.com and Jenny will be a kind ear.

She's got a handful ahead of her, so if you want to send her a friendly 'hello' and keep her company while we're away, I'm sure she'll be happy to hear from you! We have a lot of fun things planned that are launching next week and the week after, so be sure to keep an eye out for those!

We're headed out on Monday so wish us luck! Here we go!



ADVENTURE!

ROLEMODELS Artists Announced!

Hooray!


THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WAITING THIS LONG FOR US!

We had such a good time looking at all of the portfolios that were submitted for the Rolemodels exhibition and project!
You guys are amazing! We really appreciate all of the enthusiasm you guys have for this show! Our excitement has been fueled by all the energy and conversations we've had with you guys as we are getting this together! With over 360 crazy good artists submitting, you can imagine how hard it was to narrow it down. We're super excited for everyone to join us and really looking forward to the next steps!

This will be our HALLOWEEN SHOW! So, expect ridiculous costumes, fun giveaways, and a lot more excitement as we get closer! We'll make sure to tell you all about the pre-order as soon as we are able!

It was super fun watching everyone pick their classes and alliances and we're on to the next phase!
From here, our list of artists will spec their characters and get their portraits ready for the show! We'll keep you guys posted with new details as they come!

Watch for another call for art to be announced soon! We've been brainstorming some new, fun ones. :)

ROLEMODELS
Show goes up on Oct 18th
Giant Opening Reception Oct 25th (Halloween party!)
On Display through November 15th!


OUR HEROES: (Artist links to come soon!)

Clerics
Kaitlin Reid
Andrew Kolb
Chris Visions
Phoenix Chan
Jonathan Vair Duncan
Nick Blazey
Erik Krenz
Karina Rehrbehn
Shanti Rittgers
Leonard Peng
Gillian Grossman
Sebastian Wittenberg
Emma Trithart
Marguerite Sauvage

Paladins
Graham Judd
German Schible
Nicole Chartrand
Jori Bolton
Jenna Kass
Lindsay Nohl
Jez Tuya
Nathan Nelson
Victor Maury
Sage Einarsen
Henry Christian-Slane
Stacey Lee
Ricardo Lopez Ortiz
Wendi Chen
Zach Montoya

Mages
Victoria Maderna
Nadine Redlich
Ricardo Bessa
Allie Strom
Matt Wentworth
Jen Mundy
Christina Ellis
Ashley Mackenzie
Stefie Zöhrer
Alexei Vella
Colin Foran
Joshua Zentner
Jimmy Malone
Aleks Sennwald
Ciaran Duffy
Jenn Liv
Andrew Olson
Alison Donato
Evan Palmer

Rangers
Matt Rockefeller
Julie Curtis
Jason Rainey
Louise Bagnall
Joe Lillington
Douglas Holgate
Francesca Buchko
Dan Matutina
John DeLucca
Rachel Suggs
Nico Delort
Maike Plenzke
Lisa Röper
Richie Pope
Claire Hummel
Nicole Miles

Rogues
Chris Hajny
Nic ter Horst
Miko Maciaszek
Rodrigo Aviles
Cathryn Virginia
Sam Wolfe Connelly
Thomas Wellmann
Bart Tiongson
Steven Hughes
Stephen Wood
Manuel Kilger
Evan Monteiro
Stephanie Engel
Diego Gisbert
Mildred Louis
Justin Woo
Sophie Blackhall-Cain

Warriors
Amanda Christensen
Michael Meier
Adam Hoppus
Hannah Christenson
Jonathan Hill
Chicherova Olga
Chris Brooks
Linda Tran
Tara Abbamondi
Nate Stefan
Rory Phillips
Derrick Dent
Tom Kyster
Alexxander Dovelin
Jesse Riggle
Lauren Pettapiece

Defending Kingdoms
Alexia Tryfon
Stefanie Kick
Andreas Schuster
Shane Richardson

Thanks again to all of you that put your names in! Did you ever know that you're my heroes? You are the wind beneath my wings.

You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It Opening Reception

Creatives are no stranger to late nights, long hours and the occasional moment of despair. In those moments, sometimes the only thing needed is the right words. Our newest exhibition, You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It, calls on artists to share that nugget of truth that helps them as they burn the midnight oil.

You Can Do It, Put Your Back Into It opens Friday, June 14th, from 7-10 PM! Not only will there be great art, food and music, but we'll be hosting a free poster giveaway! Visitors are invited to share their favorite pearl of wisdom for a chance to win, and all entries will be collected and published online.

So if you need a little creative pick-me-up, or if you just want to see typographic posters by 32 awesome designers and illustrators, stop by and say hi!

RSVP via the Facebook event page!

Remember, the Opening Reception is Friday, June 14th from 7- 10 PM! We're located on the corner of Stevens Ave and 26th Street - right across from the Minneapolis College of Art & Design. Street parking is available on Stevens, 26th and 1st Ave.

See you there!

Light Grey in New York City

Wow! What an incredible weekend! Lindsay and Jenny just got back from New York City! We had the honor of meeting with a ton of Light Grey's past (and current!) participating artists, had the chance to teach a workshop at the Surtex and Stationary Show, we visited galleries, and did a little bit of shopping and exploring!

 
(Walking around Chelsea and admiring all of the skinny buildings)


We flew in on Sunday night where we moseyed around until 8pm where we hunkered down at the TKettle at St Marks Place for our New York City Meet-up. We invited artists from past shows to get together and meet in person, to share stories and meet face to face. It was amazing to see everyone in person, listen to the stories and spend some time chatting it up. It turned out to be a wonderful and welcoming night with fun stories and lots and lots of tarot card readings. We all know our fate now thanks to Jenny's three card readings with the Light Grey Tarot.


(Everyone at the T Kettle on St. Mark's Place)


(Jenny Reading Caroline Hadilaksono's cards)


The next morning Lindsay taught a day-long workshop at the Surtex and Stationary Show on licensing for artists, surface and product design, marketing, trend research, and portfolio development. It was a lively show filled with a ton of inspirational people, things to see and products to covet. There were so many beautiful and intricate fabrics, letterpress cards, and stationery. It was really inspiring and intense. It was amazing how great everything was, and how many talented people were there this year.

We had a great time meeting with some of Lindsay's past students -- some of which had traveled all the way to Minneapolis to show at Surtex!

Between the show and our evening events we spent time visiting Artists & Fleas (which was held at the fabulous Chelsea Market!) coveting all of the fantastic hand made goodies. If you're ever in New York, definitely consider stopping by the Chelsea Market. It's an awesome place to go to see some gorgeous food, wonderful artisan objects, and really fun architecture!

We always underestimate the amount of time we spend on our feet so it was really nice to sit down with some great people that night at Buddakan in Chelsea later that night. We had some great food in an amazing atmosphere.

(Rachel Wingard, Sam Wolfe Connelly, Daniel Fishel, Jared Tuttle, Henning Koczy, and Lindsay Nohl)


On the last day we met up Annie Stoll and Grace Fong and ate Breakfast in Soho at a really cute restaurant called Cafe Gitane. We drank cappuccinos, and talked about everything from conventions, to shared friends, to how amazing the avocado sandwiches were. Best breakfast ever.



We had already packed and checked out by the time we left for breakfast that morning so we were pretty nomadic for the rest of the day. One of our favorite stops was up to the Society of Illustrators where we got to see all sorts of amazing work by new illustrators! Congratulations to all of you guys that got in! We saw quite a few names we recognized (Way to go!) and a ton of great work by people we'd love to hear from some day!

Jared Tuttle, one of the Light Grey Art Lab interns and one of Lindsay's students at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, had a piece in the current show at the Society of Illustrators. It was great to visit and even cooler to see everything in person.


(Lindsay and Jared in front on the Society of Illustrators)



(Lindsay in the Mocca Exhibition)

New York City has some of the best shopping in the world. Before we headed back to Minneapolis we made a few stops to fun stores like Evolution and Pearl River Mart in Soho, and up to ABC Carpet and Home where we coveted all of the beautiful objects and ran on a wild goose-chase around all of it's magnificent floors. Someone had let it slip that Lady Gaga was walking around the fifth floor while we were there and we had hoped to stare at her (casually, of course) -- but, no luck. Instead, we headed out for a bite to eat and a short trip back to the hotel.



It was a really fantastic trip and we are so thankful for the time we spent wandering around, chatting and meeting up with everyone. It was a blast! Of course, there are a lot of great photos that we took from the meet-up and our get-togethers, so if you'd like to check them out, head to our Flickr page and you can see the rest!

Thanks, everyone for such an awesome time!

You can see all of the photos from New York here

Watercolor Workshop: Bones, Beetles & Bell Jars

We had a great time at our Mother's Day weekend watercolor workshop! It was inspiring to meet our small group—somehow we always are gifted with talented people. I can't think of a better way to spend a weekend than watercolor painting a cabinet of curiosities with sketching companions.

The discussion was really pleasant. I got a few hot tips on how to compile my own curiosities-style still life, travel discussion and recommendation and of course, a good portion of shop talk!

 




Painting Mary Jo's collection was a dream, so I may take those tips and build my own still life. And maybe I'll have to update this entry with my finished painting, once it's completed!

You can see more of the workshop on Flickr!

Smart Opening Reception!

This past Friday was our opening reception for Smart, a collection of clever artwork that showcases quick wit, a subtle sense of humor, and a thoughtful approach to imagery from 35 artists! The show is curated by Amy Ng, founder of the delightful and charming Pikaland, and features a series of work by featured artist Brock Davis.

It's a fun and breezy exhibition full of smiles and laughter. Thank you to everyone who was able to make it to the show!



Although many of the artists in this show were international, it was nice to see a few of the local faces at the show, including Yin Fan Huang, and featured artist Brock Davis!




The artwork will be on display in the gallery until June 7th. All the artwork is for sale, and can be bought in person or from our online store. And as always, you can see the artwork now and forever in the gallery on at lightgreyartlab.com.

Once again, thank you to everyone who made it to the opening, and a huge thank you to Amy Ng! Be sure to stop by Pikaland and check out what's new! And say hi to Amy on twitter, let her know what you think of the show!

Podcast: You Get More Done When You're Busy

We're busy. Between hosting an opening last Friday, looking through hundreds of portfolios for upcoming shows, writing/producing a companion book, and trying to wrap up all of our work before flying to NYC and Iceland in the next week... we're busy. And we're sure you are too. So that's why this week we wanted to talk about what that means, how to deal with it, and how good it feels to check boxes off a list!

Download the MP3 or Subscribe via iTunes!

You Get More Done When You're Busy
Length: 01:09:12
Synopsis: You're busy, we're busy, everyone's busy. All the time. C'est la vie. On this week's podcast Chris, Lindsay, Francesca and Jenny talk about how we parse a busy schedule, where to start digging in, and the ultimate rush of crossing something off a list. Sometimes it's tough to start tackling deadlines, fulfilling promises, and following through on commitments but just remember; you get more done when you're busy.


Show Notes:
Spaceteam - We mention this game is similar to what it's like working at Light Grey Art Lab. It's the ultimate team communication game. Chaotic, frenzied and super, duper fun. If you have friends/family/enemies with iOS devices, download Spaceteam. You won't regret it (and it's free, so what do you have to lose?).

WHOA. - We just need a little more time!

Here's a picture of me, pouring through all of the links, late at night. (Just kidding. That's just a random picture of me at my computer.)

Well. I thought I could do it.
All those late nights, all that coffee. All that training.
I thought it was possible, but...

We just couldn't get through all 360+ portfolios for the Rolemodels show before we head to New York.
A sad day indeed for all of us. A moment of silence, please.

Well, guys. I've got high-hopes that we can finish the jurying asap!
I promise I'll update everyone as soon as possible!
Just stay tuned and wish us luck. Good luck to all of you guys that submitted and thanks for your patience!

---Lindsay