Game Night at Light Grey Art Lab

Mark your calendars for next Thursday night, January 9th!
We are hosting a Light Grey Game Night from 6-10pm.



Playing games with fellow artist friends and neighbors is one of our absolute, favorite things to do! We invite you out for an all-inclusive game night that will include old school boardgames, D&D, Pathfinder, Clue, Pandemic, Game of Thrones, and the Rolemodels: the Battle for VykTornaahl, just to name a few! We will have all of the games and all of the coffee and tea to keep you battling through the night!


Bring your dice and characters if you have them : )

Feel free to invite friends and family, and we will see you here!

Artist Interview with Alexia Tryfon

Meet Alexia Tryfon, a talented visual developer and concept artist, living and working in Vancouver, Canada. Alexia is known for her interesting characters and imaginative backgrounds, as well as her completed works for gaming companies and exhibitions. Alexia is currently an artist in the Rolemodels Exhibition and in the upcoming 6 Degrees! We are in love with her mystical and playful style, and cannot wait to celebrate all of her work.



Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I grew up on a small island country called Cyprus. I was lucky to grow up in a place full of cultural history. In school, we'd go on field-trips to see churches built during the Byzantium era and visited museums filled with jewelry and statues dating back 3000 years. I think the history still affects my art.

I attended OCAD in Toronto where I got my Degree in Industrial Design. I loved Industrial Design but after working in the industry for a few years I needed a change and decided to get into concept design and visual development.

Can you tell me a little about your studio practice? What you are inspired by at the moment?

I work from home most of the time. In my studio i have a large collection of inspiring art books that both my husband and I have purchased over the years. I've collected books ranging from Dali, Van Gogh, Escher, Rockwell, Payne to the art of James Jean, Peter De Seve, Pascal Campion and James Gurney. The house and the studio walls are filled with artwork from my favorite artists. I love being surrounded by color and have paintings that tell a story or depict a moment.


In the Rolemodels Exhibition, your prompt was a little different than most in creating a landscape verses a character. Can you talk about your process in developing the Fire Kingdom? What were your considerations and mood you were trying to set?

Initially, the 'Fire Kingdom' was going to be depicted as a inhospitable desert. I decided instead to see fire for its beauty not for its destructiveness. Growing up in a place where snow was rare and rain was scarce, there was something about home that made it beautiful none-the-less. Here, the light is very different and everything has adapted to the heat of the sun. I thought of fire as something beautiful, full of life, dancing in the dark and the warmth that everyone wanted to be around.

The Fire Kingdom became that place. A place where the ground is lava, always changing, always moving. Where life grows out of it, uses its energy and blooms and bursts with blue flame. There, the animals have adapted to it. The stag you see in my piece takes the energy from the lava, igniting his antlers with blue flames in a vibrant courtship display. There are also jellyfish in this sky that float in the air from the heat rising up from the ground. Crystals that help the light travel further as the lava runs passed them. The ecosystem exists because it is fueled by the fire.



You are really talented at creating these dynamic and other worldly landscapes. Are you inspired by travel or your own landscape?

I love traveling! I was very fortunate to grow up in a family that loved art, and I was able to visit so many museums around Europe, although I don't think I appreciated them as much until I was older. I also loved exploring and finding new hidden places around our home. Snorkeling with my dad and going into caves and caverns in the summer. I guess I have always loved observing nature, so each piece I create I try to imagine what it would sound like, what it would be like.



Do you have different approaches in creating landscapes verses characters?

Creating landscapes is second nature to me. Honestly, no pun intended. I always have difficulty creating characters and I actually joined this project to push me out of my comfort zone! Character design takes me longer then any landscape piece and I get overwhelmed sometimes in what style of character to create and the technicalities behind it. But when I create a landscape it feels more natural. Okay, pun intended that time.

During Rolemodels, we are celebrating all of our real life heroes. Who are your mentors or art role models?

Role models, to me, need to be real people. People I can actually speak to and get feedback and advice. My first role model was my mother. She was always running me around getting art supplies, pushing me to be better, and was supportive of any decision- She kept me honest about it.

My husband is someone who I really admire. He helps me focus and has pushed me to pursue avenues I did not believe I could take, avenues I did not think I was ready for and he has been there to pick me up when I fall. And I fall a lot. I'm clumsy. And he continues to be my first line of defense for bad ideas.

On a professional level, a role model I have only recently met in person, Pascal Campion turned out to be everything he proved to be on paper and more. I had communicated with Pascal over email and finally got to meet him at San Diego Comic-Con. He is delightful and full of life. You can recognize his work anywhere. The simplicity in his rendering, his lighting and his subject matter and how each and every single piece he creates has so much heart is something I have always tried to perfect in my work. He is honest, friendly and gave me some wonderful advice that I'm still working through.

To every artist I'd say, it's not about having the role model, but having lots of them, who push you in different ways from different walks of life.


If you had the chance to create any project, what would you make?

Realistically, I'm creating this app with my husband that I am very excited about and have been working hard at it for everyone to enjoy.... but I've had a dream where each and every artist, young and old from around the world come together in a old city to paint the whole city, each and every inch with whatever they like, with any and every color under the rainbow, while drinking lemonade out of fountains and eating fruit from the trees. Whoa, I gotta stop eating goat cheese before bed!

What is upcoming for you? What can we expect to see in the coming months?

At the moment I am working on an app for kids. My husband and I created a company named 2BLoo Studio where we are creating a game for children. I'm also making a children's book with a friend about a little girl superhero. Starting in January I will be doing the backgrounds for Atomic Cartoons new IP called "Pirate Express Ship" with TELETOON Canada.



Thanks, Alexia! You can see her piece along with the other artists from the Rolemodels Exhibition on the digital gallery here. You can also check out Alexia's upcoming work for the 6 Degrees Exhibition on the online shop and digital gallery here. Or check out her own website.

Artist Interview: Joe Lillington

This week, I had the opportunity to talk with artist, illustrator, and student, Joe Lillington. Joe is one of the many artists in the Rolemodels: The Battle for Vyk' Tornaahl exhibition, and has contributed works in several past Light Grey shows, such as Station Zero, Macro + Micro, and SMART. Hailing from London as a current illustration student at Falmouth University, Joe spends most of his time working on his studies and freelance, as well as collaborating with his fellow artists and friends on a zine collaborative called Fold. In the interview, Joe shares his thoughts and inspirations of childhood fairytales, collaboration, and his own personal rolemodels!



Can you talk about your process? What mediums to you tend to use the most, or absolutely cannot work without?

At the moment, the medium I use the most is digital, but to work that way I need scanned textures and marks made using painting and printmaking to give a bit more personality to the work. I also usually do the line work with pencil because it’s feels more natural and I think it stops things from getting too neat. Previously I was doing a lot of gouache painting, which is a medium I like to pair with my digital work.

It looks like you are currently working on a children's book!  Can you talk a little bit about your own childhood adventures, dreams, or ambitions?  Who are some heroes from your childhood that have continued to inspire you to this day?

The type of story I liked when I was younger are similar to the stories I like now. I especially liked Fantastic Mr Fox (I listened to the audiobook every night for a very long time), Asterix and The Hobbit which I still find inspiring and fun. I think these stories feed my interest in creating children’s books now, I want to make an interesting story set in a fun and engaging world.


Your work tends to invoke the style of a fairytale, and includes fantastical obstacles such as dragons and heavily guarded castles.  How do you overcome everyday obstacles, especially when it comes to being a current art student?

I think you just have to stay calm and not get too stressed about things, even if there’s lots to do or a problem with something. I make lots of to do lists to keep track of everything on post it notes, and if I'm really stuck I take a break and play a game or something.

You are part of a collaborative called Fold which includes you and a few other students from your university.  Can you tell us about this collaborative and what it is you all do?  Do each of you have different roles, or do you all work together to devise new ideas?  

Currently the Fold zine is a bit like a game of Chinese whispers. The first person is given a piece of text, which they use as a starting point to create an image. The second person then creates an image inspired by the first person’s image, without seeing the text. The second person then passes their illustration to the next person… and so on. We only see all the illustrations put together at the very end. We all work together to push new ideas and think of new content and developments for the zine, but also have certain jobs behind the scenes.


Are you continuously trying to network with other artists?  Do you feel that a sense of community and collaboration helps motivate you to work harder and take on larger projects?  Do you have any teachers or mentors that have inspired you or pushed you a long the way?

I like working around other people because it’s good to be able to bounce ideas. . .if you work by yourself and without any contact, I think your work suffers. I’m currently working with my friend Birdie Cheeseman on LillingtonCheese, creating collaborative artworks and an online shop.


Do you have any current role models of your own?  Who are some of your favorite artistic influences and how have they continued to inspire you to keep creating?  

I’m really inspired by older artists like Brueghel, as well as Medieval Manuscripts and woodblock prints. I like work that has a strong sense of place with lots of details. There are also tons of illustrators whose work I really admire, it’s good to see when other illustrators/artists are producing lots of work because it inspires me to do lots to keep up!

Thanks, Joe!

To see more of his work, you can find his website here. For process and sketches, check out his blog, and catch up with Fold Zine for zine giveaways! You can also purchase a print of his piece on the Light Grey Art Lab Shop.

Artist Interview with Matt Rockefeller

Meet Matt Rockefeller, an illustrator, animator, and student, living and working in Baltimore, MD. Matt has created work for several Light Grey Exhibitions such as Station Zero, Rolemodels, and the upcoming show 6 Degrees, and it has been an honor getting to know him! In this interview, we were able to ask about his style, sources of inspiration, real-life heroes, and creation. His work is wonderfully captivating and continues to instill a sense of wonder in us all!


Can you tell me a little about yourself? Your background, where you are from and what you currently do?

I was born in Tucson, AZ and grew up in the unique landscape of the Sonoran Desert. I lived there until I moved to Baltimore, where I currently attend the Maryland Institute College of Art as an Illustration Major with a concentration in Animation. This past year, I completed an internship at Zenimax Online Studios working as a UI Artist on their upcoming game The Elder Scrolls Online. Earlier this year, my friends (Leonard Peng and Xanthe Bouma) and I conceptualized an idea for a gallery show at MICA called “Small Creatures Such as We” which recently had its opening on campus featuring over 700 3x3 illustrations by 15 MICA illustrators.

Can you talk a little about the character you created for the Rolemodels Exhibition?

This character is actually a part of a story I’ve had brewing that involves a boy and his dog finding a portal that takes them to space and eventually other worlds. I thought it was a good fit for my fantasy alter ego (since the characters were initially based on my dog and I), and I developed him into a sort of mythical explorer who travels eternally through these different environments. I love exploring, seeing new people and places and stopping to see the small details, so I thought that a character who is in a constantly shifting environment would be perfect!


Matthew the Curious: Explorer of Worlds

What was your process like creating a character modeled after yourself? Did you give it off of real life attributes or enhance feautures? What do you think this says about your personality?

It was really interesting! I based my general appearance off of myself and focused more on the clothing and armor to define the character. I definitely heightened my physical coordination and build a bit though; I guess I wish I were more physically active, since I tend to sometimes forget to go outside instead of drawing. I also typically wear ordinary clothing from day to day, so the choice to draw such a complex outfit might reveal something about where my true confidence lies.

What are some of your favorite character types to draw? stories to create?

My stories usually involve extraordinary things happening to ordinary people. I find that I can relate to these types of stories, and they feed my inner thirst for adventure. I love to draw mysterious, isolated characters who slowly, over the course of the story, reveal their complex history and warmth of heart. At the center of all of my stories, though, are the places my characters travel to or live in, since the setting can often be just as rich in personality as the characters themselves.



You are also a great draftsman of spaces. Are there types of spaces you are attracted to? moods you are trying to set?

Growing up in Arizona, I was constantly shifting between different landscapes – the vast plains of dead grass, the quiet, pine covered mountains, and the unbelievable cactus ‘forests’. Everything was so vast and inviting, and I try to recreate that feeling in my work. There is so much about the world that is beautiful and mysterious, so I am constantly considering light, time of day, history, and a place’s unique biology when drawing the setting for a story. I want to draw attention to the place- that there is something more to it than what is seen.


How important is collaboration in the things that you do? Do you work as a team? Share ideas? Work on projects together?

Having recently put together a gallery show with 14 other illustrators, I have a reinvigorated appreciation for collaboration. We were able to create a staggering amount of work, and I was continually inspired by the variety of ideas and personalities. Working on projects with others allows something entirely new to come to the surface. There’s nothing like having a group of artists whose tastes and opinions you can rely on when you feel unmotivated or stagnant. I’ve learned so much from my peers, and I hope to continue working with them after graduation!

Who are your real life role models?

My freshman year at MICA, I had Kali Ciesemier as my first illustration professor. She’s definitely been a rolemodel and mentor for me as an artist. She is very dedicated and hard working, and also takes the time to answer questions and share information about her process. She’s very genuine and open, which I try to emulate. Daniel Krall, another one of my professors at MICA, has also been an incredible mentor. He’s hilarious, friendly, and honest, and his ability to generate ideas and talk through problems is unbelievable.

I also have endless respect for what Hayao Miyazaki has done with his vision for animated films. I strive to some day have a fraction of his imagination and storytelling ability.



What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

“Never give up! Trust your instincts!” –Peppy Hare from Starfox 64. This one’s stuck with me for a while.

In all seriousness, the suggestion to always remain curious sticks out to me as being particularly relevant, to art and life in general. There are so many interesting people, creatures, places, and ideas to be uncovered; it would be a shame to lose that sense of wonder that makes life so exciting.

What are some of your favorite resources for inspiration?

I find most of my inspiration from books/comics, animation/film, and videogames- anything that can immerse me in a different world altogether. I find that I am drawn to visual storytelling due to its expressiveness and flexibility. I also have a book featuring woodblock prints by the Japanese artist Kawase Hasui, and I constantly reference these when I’m searching how to convey a mood in my environments.

In addition, being outside, hiking, camping, breathing, all of these things can pull me out of a rut and bring my motivation back.


Can you tell us about any projects that you have in the works or things we can look forward to seeing?

I am currently finishing the first half of my senior thesis, which involves narrative illustrations featuring folklore from around the world. Next semester I will be developing my own folktale/ legend of sorts that is inspired by these stories and draws from my own experiences. Perhaps I will develop this or another story into a book or graphic novel in the future, so you can look forward to that!

Thanks Matt!

You can check our more of Matt's work on his website here or purchase his piece for the Rolemodels Exhibition here.

Game Night Recap

Thank you to everyone who came out to last Thursday's Game Night at Verdant Tea! We had a great group of people show up, and it made for a super fun event filled with tea, food, and lots and lots of games!


The night started out with several simultaneous games of The Battle For Vyk'Tornaahl! There were a lot of folks who were new to the game, but everyone picked it up quickly. There were some close games, and even the seasoned vets took their bruises and bumps before the battles ended.


As the night went on, players split up and chose from an enormous stack of games. Ranging from reliable classics, to theme-heavy cooperative games, to heady eurogames, there was definitely a game suited to everyone's tastes!


Thanks again to the staff of Verdant Tea for hosting the event (and joining some of the games!). It's an awesome place to play, they even have their own stack of games to play at any time! To see more pictures from the event, check out the Flickr Set!

Artist Interview: Hannah Christenson

I very excited to introduce Hannah Christenson, a freelance illustrator based in Arizona, and a graduate of the Brigham Young University - Idaho in 2011. Hannah has worked with Tor.com, Fantasy Flight Games, and Galileo Games among others. Her favorite jobs have always been fantasy related, and she has been generous enough to talk to us today about world building, strong heroines and heroes, and of course, her piece in the current Rolemodels: The Battle for Vyk'Tornaahl exhibition!

Can you tell us a little bit about your Rolemodels persona? What elements of their personality and class traits are the most reflective of yourself?

I chose a warrior with lots of armor and a ridiculously huge shield. I'm a very quiet person who probably puts up a lot of armor around myself. My personality isn't very sneaky or graceful like I imagine other classes to be. I can see my imperfect, lumbering self in the warrior class. I'm sure I was influenced at least in some way by all the cool fantasy stories and fairy tales that I've ever read, but perhaps what I was thinking of the most was "What is the opposite of a bikini-clad warrior in the snow?" and I kind of went with that and had some fun. There is a time and a place for bikinis, but it wasn't this time or place!

You mention going on many great, yet sometimes perilous adventures while you were growing up.  Do still find your self taking on risky yet exciting challenges, especially when it comes to your art?

I grew up in the country in south Texas where there were rattlesnakes and alligators literally in my back yard. When I went outside to play my mom would tell me to watch out for snakes instead of to watch out for cars. It was great and it taught me to be cautious and prepared, but also to take risks if you want to go play. I suppose you could say that's helped me in the art world with doing my best and not being afraid to email that art director I've always dreamed of working with.  

When it comes to world building and creating environments and persons, what resources do you tend to look to?  How much research goes into designing your characters and building scenery? What are some places, books, or websites that you go to for a jump start?

I love going to the used book store and finding all kinds of books on armor and the stuff that goes under the armor, weapons, photography of environments, various anatomy books, animal books. Of course you can use the internet to research all these cool things, but books are always around to inspire you later on as well. I like to go to Parka Blogs for art book reviews. 

Can you tell us about your process?  How do you go about making decisions on creating such expressive figures within consistently dynamic compositions?  How do you make sure that each element is convincing and suitable for the stories that you try to tell?

My process probably doesn't differ from that of any other artist in that I start with a thumbnail and go from there. It's important to thumbnail and get your good and bad ideas out. Personally, if I myself were to be convinced of the believability of a character in any story, I would look at the environment first and see how the environment has shaped the character. What is the environment? Does the character dress appropriately? Live in an appropriate house? Have the items that one would need in order to live in that environment? What's her job? Does she dress and have the right equipment for that job? It's easy to fall down the details rabbit hole, but it's important to at least consider those basics.  

Much of your work seems to deal with themes of high fantasy and powerful female characters.  Is there a reason why these subject matters take such a significant role in your work?

I try to make what I want to see more of. There weren't a ton of female role models for me in fantasy when I was a kid. My local library was very small and they would only have one copy of a particular book (I had to wait FOREVER to read Harry Potter) so sometimes I'd imagine that all the good books were out. I want to see more ladies in lead roles, powerful roles, roles where they're given names and pasts. They don't all have to be armor-clad warriors either. I just want to see female characters that are written and depicted as people.

When it comes to obstacles such as art block or a lack of motivation, how do you conquer them?

Just keep working. Work on your own stuff, that secret project you dream about. Personal projects are incredibly important. They help you in so many ways. They help you improve your abilities, it's cathartic, you're producing something you love and you're passionate about. You can put it in your portfolio to get more work that you love. Cory Godbey wrote a great post about personal work, go read it! My own personal project that I've been tinkering on for a long time has helped me get jobs, break down art block, and helped me find bits of myself that I'd hidden away. 

What are some things that you arm yourself with before jumping into new projects?  How do you psych yourself up when embarking on a new illustration, or maybe there are some artistic tools or supplies you simply cannot work without?

I prefer to work digitally, so it'd be pretty hard to work without my Wacom 4 and some version of Photoshop. One thing that helps me start and finish a new illustration is a checklist. Even a very small one! My current checklist says things like gather reference, paint owl face, block in colors. It helps me stay on task and not get distracted by the shiny internet.
Tell us a little bit about your own role models; who are your artistic influences or even people who simply inspire you to keep creating?

Bear with me, this is cheesy, but my husband is my biggest supporter. When I create something I feel is incredibly stupid, I don't meet my goals, or I fail at something I had secret high hopes for he's there to push me back up above the waves. He does a good job at helping me keep my chin up. As far as artistic influences, there are so many amazing, truly inspiring artists out there that set such a wonderful example of hard work, persistence, and determination. Of course their individual work is amazing, but their sheer willpower is inspiring.  
Can you tell us about any new projects that you are currently working on, or are excited to start working on?

Outside of freelancing I'm currently working on my own secret project after hours. I can't share a ton about it but I'm excited about it. It involves a lady, some magic, some adventures and dog all in a webcomic format!   

Thank you so much Hannah! 

To see more of her work, take a peek at her website as well as her blog! Her piece is also available to purchase in the Light Grey Art Lab Shop!

A Tribute to Some of Our Favorite Rolemodels- Our Ladies from Fact + Fiction

This month we have been celebrating all types of heroes and heroines in light of the Rolemodels Exhibition. Rolemodels features our real-life art colleagues and champions as portrayed in their fantasy alter-ego self portraits. It is a show about legends, personality, and special abilities, as each character comes together to battle in the Rolemodels: Battle for Vyk'Tornaahl.



As this show has got us thinking about some of our own heroes and mentors, we are also reflecting back to a collaborative artist book from last December, Girls: Fact + Fiction. This incredible project is all about the ladies that have shaped the way of history, captivated our hearts in books, and achieved unbelievable feats. They are the ladies we look up to, dream of becoming, and the ones who motivate us to create.





Girls: Fact + Fiction has gorgeous full spread illustrations of Beatrix Potter, Joan of Arc, Julia Child, Lana Del Rey, and Cleopatra as some of our favorite factual women. The fiction side, displays some of the most lovable and inspiring characters such as Mother Nature, Barberella, Amélie, Xena, Hermione Granger, Nancy Drew, and Nausicaa. It is a diverse and epic collection that represents the heroines as well as the 100+ artists that illustrated them.



We are still very proud of this project and thrilled to announce that we will be sharing the book this weekend at the Craft'za Convention! You can check out the limited edition book in person and page through the beautiful pieces.



You can check out more information about the Girls: Fact + Fiction Exhibition and Limited Edition Book here, as well as see information about the Rolemodels: Battle for Vyk'Tornaahl here on our Light Grey Art Lab website.

Game Night at Verdant Tea

Gather your ranks, your townsfolk, your fearless leaders, and your foes for a fun and energetic game night at Verdant Tea!

For this event, Light Grey Art Lab is combining forces with Verdant Tea to host an open tabletop gaming night! Everyone is welcome, and participants are invited to learn the brand new collaborative artist game, Rolemodels: The Battle for Vyk'Tornaahl, Pathfinder, D & D, Labyrinth, and more! Stop by from 7-9pm.

You can check out more details on our facebook event page here



Verdant Tea
2111 E Franklin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404

"More than a tea house, Verdant Tasting Room and Tea Bar is a cafe, neighborhood hangout and collaborative event space, all-in-one. Whether you’re meeting friends over a cup of tea, enjoying seasonally inspired breakfast and brunch, attending morning meditation and qigong, or indulging in local ice cream and chocolate, you’ll find our doors open, ready to welcome in new friends and neighbors."

Rolemodels Opening Reception Recap

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Rolemodels opening reception last Friday! It was a great kick-off to a boisterous Halloween weekend, with plenty of people coming dressed in fantasy costume, which we loved! It was awesome to finally be able to play The Battle For Vyk'Tornaahl card game with everyone, and it was made all the more special to be playing right alongside actual armor-clad, blade-wielding warriors!

With 99 Heroes and Villains lining the walls of the main gallery, and four massive landscapes alongside full-sized cloth banners depicting the sigil of each Kingdom, as well as a giant map of the Realm of Vyk'Tornahhl, visitors had plenty to absorb. Throughout the night, people poured over the details of each piece, and stopped to read the history and backstory of their favorite characters. As an added and surreal treat, many of the participating artists came dressed as their own characters, too!

Jenny was manning the bar pouring colorful drinks of all types. Besides a fitting set of beer (Rogue Dead Guy Ale, Warrior IPA, Magic Hat, and Ranger IPA), we offered mixed drinks like bright red Heath Elixirs, mysitcal blue Mana Potions and the dark-as-night Black Magic.

And, of course, there was a table set up with pick-up games of our brand new card game, The Battle For Vyk'Tornaahl, being taught and played all night long. Anyone willing to learn could sit down and play a round of two of the game themselves. It was great fun, with most people getting a grip on the game after only a few minutes of explanation. I won't lie, although we were just playing to learn and have fun, a few of the games turned into fairly heated battles with plenty of smack-talk and mind games... but of course everyone was a great sport in the end!

Again, thank you to all the artists who participated in the show, and to all of you for making it out to celebrate with us!

You can see more pictures in our Rolemodels flickr set! And as always, you can see all the work from Rolemodels exhibition on the Light Grey Art Lab website and purchases artwork from the show on the Light Grey Art Lab shop!

Rolemodels: The Battle For Vyk'Tornaahl Sneak Peek!

We recorded this video to give you an idea of what to expect from The Battle For Vyk'Tornaahl card deck now that the official release is sooooo close! Of course the deck comes with 99 cards featuring the amazing Rolemodels artwork (plus one rules reference card), but did you know it also comes with a 100-page guidebook? Or that it comes with a 20-sided dice to play the game with? Or a box? You might have guessed the box.


Also, be sure to keep you eyes peeled for The Battle For Vyk'Tornaahl how-to videos coming soon. We'll have an overview as well as some in-depth stuff, so you can get an idea of how the game works!

And of course, you can purchase a deck for yourself, or any of the artwork from the show, on our online store!

Rolemodels Opening Reception Friday!

Whoa! Rolemodels opens this Friday, October 25th! And everyone's invited! This is an epic show filled with 100 pieces of amazing art! Not to mention we're officially launching our brand-new card game, The Battle For Vyk'Tornaahl, featuring all the artwork from the Rolemodels show!

This show has been a long time coming, and we couldn't be more excited. We've been so busy making costumes and props (and playing The Battle For Vyk'Tornaahl) that the month has flown by! But what better way to celebrate that an opening filled with art, games, food, costumes, friends and fantasy?


This will be most people's chance to check out The Battle For Vyk'Tornaahl, and we're excited to finally be able to share it with everyone! We'll have an area to learn and try out the game at the opening, and don't worry, despite the 100 card deck and 100 page guidebook, it's actually really easy to learn. You'll be able to battle against the best of 'em in no time!

Again, the opening reception runs from 7-10 PM. We've got a lot of fun stuff lined up! Play the game, of course, but also drink some Goblin's Cure or Witch's Brew mixed drinks, and wear a costume for a chance to win free artwork or a copy of The Battle For Vyk'Tornaahl card game!

For more information and to RSVP, visit our Rolemodels Facebook Event Page! See you there!

Podcast: Behind the Scenes - Rolemodels The Battle For Vyk'Tornaahl

Download the MP3 or Subscribe via iTunes!

Behind the Scenes - Rolemodels The Battle For Vyk'Tornaahl
Length: 01:19:25
Synopsis: The Rolemodels exhibition opens this Friday, and The Battle For Vyk'Tornaahl decks are in our hands and ready to ship (which you can order now)! On this week's podcast, Lindsay, Jenny, Francesca and Chris talk about the genesis of the Rolemodels project, why your character choices might reflect something about yourself, and how went about the daunting task of designing a brand new card game from the ground up.

Show Notes:
Buy The Battle for Vyk'Tornaahl
Rolemodels Gallery
Board Game Geek

Artist Talk and All Creatives Meet and Greet

Mark you calendars for November 1st! We have two incredible events back-to-back!

We have invited two amazing artists, Claire Hummel and Colin Foran from Microsoft Studios to lead a three-day workshop on concept art, world building, and design! Claire and Colin will be sharing their experience as concept artist and art directors in the gaming industry, as well as their years of personal practice and freelance to guide students through a weekend of collaborative creating, business discussions, shop talk, and more. Participants will assume the roles of craftsmen and demi-gods as they work alongside our guest artists to create content for experiential worlds inspired by the methods and techniques of the industry.

To kick off the weekend, Claire and Colin are holding a free public lecture here at Light Grey Art Lab from 7pm-8pm. They will discuss their personal and professional projects, what it is like working in the gaming industry, thoughts on collaboration and more. Get a peek into into the realms of video game creation from two artists who worked on projects such as Killer Instinct, Galactic Reign, and Bioshock Infinite- the games and characters we all love! The lecture will be followed by a short Q & A, where guests are invited to ask questions about the artist talk.

For more details see the full event details on the Facebook Event Page here.

Immediately following the lecture is the ALL CREATIVES MEET AND GREET! Grab your business cards, promotionals, and sketchbooks for an all-artist mixer. You can meet some of your favorite local and traveling artists, talk about work, brainstorm, or just say hello! This is a chance to reach out and recognize all of the fantastic artists in the area! This event will also take place at Light Grey Art Lab in the main gallery from 8:30-10pm. We hope to see you here!

About Colin Foran
Colin Foran is an Illustrator and Associate Art Director for Microsoft Studios. During his time in publishing, he has designed and directed for a number of Xbox and Xbox One titles including Galactic Reign, Killer Instinct and Sunset Overdrive. Designing characters, environments, and props for games ranging from casual Kinect titles to shooters, he brings a wide range of influences to his work. Outside of publishing, Colin is active in side projects including games, studies, and several gallery shows with both Light Grey Art Lab and Ltd. Gallery in Seattle, Wa.

About Claire Hummel
Claire Hummel grew up in LA, went to school in Rhode Island, and ended up in Seattle where she now lives with her two snakes, Xocoyotzin and Rodney. She's currently working as an Associate Production Designer for Microsoft Studios, and has worked on a number of game titles over the past few years including Bioshock Infinite, Ryse: Son of Rome, and the recently announced Fable Legends. She spends her free time drawing cowboys, dinosaurs, mummies, and quite a few historical princesses.

ROLEMODELS GIVEAWAY! : 4 Card Games!

EDIT 10.21.13 : THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT HELPED SPREAD THE WORD! We'll be announcing the winners of our giveaway momentarily! Stay tuned for some more great ROLEMODELS content on the blog!

We're hosting a pretty darn big GIVEAWAY in celebration of the ROLEMODELS exhibition and the release of the Battle for Vyk' Tornaahl card game inspired by the heroes, kingdoms and lore within!

We need your help spreading the word about this month's ROLEMODELS festivities - and finding out who your own role models are! And in exchange for your kind generosity, we'll reward you with riches beyond your wildest dreams!

ROLEMODELS Exhibition Opening Reception & the Battle for Vyk' Tornaahl Game
We'll be having the biggest, craziest party ever for the Rolemodels opening reception on Friday, October 25th! A celebration fit with Flagons of Mead, Costumes Galore, and Standard-Bearers for the four kingdoms of Vyk' Torhaahl! You can get your photo taken alongside the heroes and lands or learn to play the card game alongside your allies and foes! Come see the RPG alter-egos of our creative role models - along their stats, their allies - and get to know them through their choices of class, alignment, statistics and lore.

Make sure to get your costumes ready, as we'll be having costume contests throughout the night for more chances to win the Battle for Vyk' Tornaahl Card Game!

What better way to spend your Halloween weekend!

ROLEMODELS Reception & the Battle for Vyk' Tornaahl Card Game Release Party
7 - 10pm
118 E. 26th Street #101
Minneapolis Minnesota 55404
612.239.2047


THE GIVEAWAY!


The Prizes:
We are giving away 4 copies of the Battle for Vyk Tornaahl Card Game!

Submit your info in the comments section below by Sunday, October 20th!

1. In the comments section below, post your name, email and website (if you have one!) and you preferred RPG class!
2. List of 4 of your favorite creative role models! Tell us what class you think those artists would be! (Cleric, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Warrior, or Mage)

We will be creating some fun content based on your decisions!

3. Help us by sharing this blog post on twitter, tumblr, or otherwise with #LightGreyRoleModels and tell us where you shared it!


**********
Example:

Lindsay Nohl (Paladin)
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
lightgreyartlab.com

1. Jennifer Davis (Cleric)
2. Wes Burt (Ranger)
3. Dave Cooper (Mage)
4. Andres Guzman (Rogue)

Shared on Twitter @paperbicycle and Tumblr tumblr.com/lightgreyartgallery


**********

...and then we'll do a drawing using a random number generator and announce the winners on Tuesday, October 22nd!


THE RULES and other stuff:

The decks will be shipped to our four winners free of charge! (The game and the shipping is on us!)

You are welcome to enter more than once : if you are interested in sharing more of your favorite artists, or care to share our post another day - but you can enter only once per day, and must share new creative role models, and re-post the blog entry. It will increase your odds of winning, but each person is only able to win once.

In the event that we have a winner that can not attend the workshop we will bestow the VIP seat upon the runner up.

Thanks for your help in telling us about your own role models & for assisting us in spreading the word of our biggest event of the year! You guys are amazing! Best of luck and please let us know if you have any questions!


questions?
hello@lightgreyartlab.com
---Lindsay

Rolemodels: Opening Reception Details

All New Fantasy Playing Card Game & Exhibition

Pack your crested armor, dust off your old cloak, and get your troops ready for battle!

Light Grey Art Lab's upcoming exhibition will take you on a journey through the ancient forest, over the rigid mountain spine, and through the land of fire, as you explore our fantasy land of Vyk' Tornaahl and the honorable, magical, and devious characters who reside there.


Detail of Murd of Lamb by John DeLucca

The Rolemodels exhibition is a fantasy portrait show, highlighting artist's personas, role-playing characters, and sharing more about themselves through their choice of weapon, talent, or epic legend. This show features the work of 99 artists, illustrators, games designers, and concept artists who hail from Microsoft Games Studio, Fantasy Flight Games, and more. These artists have traded in their pens and brushes for magic wands, massive broadswords, and supernatural abilites. Rolemodels celebrates each of these artworks, along with the artist and role model who created it: our real life art warriors.


A sneak peek at Toron the Unseen by Bart Tiongson

Rolemodels runs from October 25th through November 30th, with an opening reception on Friday, October 25th from 7pm-10pm. Visitors are invited to dress in fantasy costume in celebration of their RPG alter-egos and Halloween. Light Grey Art Lab will be transformed into a place of legends, our Hall of Heroes, featuring portraits and landscapes by 99 artists, an ancient map of Vyk’Tornaahl, banners of the four kingdoms, and a space for playing the Rolemodels: Battle for Vyk’Tornaahl card game.

You can see a sneak peek and read more about the Rolemodels card game here: Rolemodels: Battle for Vyk'Tornaahl



This is also our Halloween party, so get ready for an exciting evening! We will have Witch's Brew and Goblin Cure drinks, artwork give-aways, and costume contests! To see more information about the opening reception, visit our Rolemodels Facebook Event Page.


Ansel the Half by Henry Christian-Slane

Click here to see the full list of participating artists!

We can't wait to see you here!

ROLEMODELS : The Battle for Vyk' Tornaahl PRE-ORDER!

We have been biting our tongues and keeping it in for the past couple months and we can't stand it any longer!
We just officially launched the pre-order for ROLEMODELS: The Battle for Vyk' Tornaahl, a limited-edition card game featuring all the incredible alter-egos from the 99 participating artists in our October exhibition! The deck is $25 and features 95 Hero cards, 4 Kingdoms, 1 handy rule card, a D20, and a small 100-page perfectbound book on the lore, land, characters and instructions on how to play the game.




We believe that the nuances of our personalities can be seen in the characters we choose to play. RPG games hold a special place in our hearts and for the upcoming ROLEMODELS exhibition, we've asked our creative role models to help show us their inner hero / heroine. From the righteous paladins, to the back-stabbing rogues --- ROLEMODELS brings you a look at the characters inspired by the personalities of the artists you know and love. While not a literal self-portait show, we find the decisions we make while crafting our characters to be very telling of how we see ourselves and who we long to be.

ROLEMODELS
Opening Reception & COSTUME PARTY!
Friday, OCtober 25th
7 - 10pm
118 E. 26th Street #101
Minneapolis MN 55406 USA
612.239.2047

We will be unveiling a slew of interactive extracurriculars, gameplay videos and plenty of goodies around one of Light Grey's biggest shows of the year! The ROLEMODELS opening reception falls conveniently on HALLOWEEN WEEKEND - where we'll ask our patrons to come dressed in their best mail, share a flagon of mead (or ranger beer) and party with us while we nerd out IN COSTUME.


THE GAME:

The realm of Vyk'Tornaahl is in a state of flux. Heroes battle for power in a strategic game of gathering allies, defeating foes, bluffing competing champions and ultimately vying for the rule of the realm of Vyk' Tornaahl. ROLEMODELS: The Battle For Vyk' Tornaahl is an easy-to-play game for 2 to 4 players.



The deck is available for $25 and can be pre-ordered through Friday, October 25th. The games will be shipped after the opening reception.
If you'd like to grab a deck, head to our shop and see the sneak-peek!

All the details are here!



For a full list of contributing artists, see this post!

More details on the upcoming exhibition and other fun things soon! :)

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.

REMINDER! Just two more days to sign up for ROLEMODELS - hall of heroes & deck project!

Hey! Just a quick reminder that we only have a few days left for our latest call for art! We are looking for fantasy lovers, RPG fanatics and all-around good people to join us for a super exciting show! Think of the possibilities! If you haven't heard a lot of about it, head HERE and check out all of the details! Please help us spread the word to anyone that might be perfect for our show!

Submit your name, email and website/blog by this Wednesday, May 15th! We'll be jurying the show and posting our final list of artists soon after!
Thanks and if you have any questions (or if you just want to say hi!) send me a note! hello@lightgreyartlab.com

Thanks guys!
Flagons of mead all around!
---Lindsay

Podcast: The Nerd Zone

Inspired by the Role Models and Station Zero calls-for-art, this week we talk about our favorite nerdly passions. Starting with out with our recent introduction to D&D (thanks Evan!) the podcast then veers into some strange places as we dive deep into the nerdiest corners of our brains.

Download the MP3 or Subscribe via iTunes!

The Nerd Zone
Length: 00:56:30
Synopsis: This week we discuss pressing matters like Dungeons & Dragons, Anime Boyfriends, Sci-Fi VS Fantasy, old PC games, and awkward secrets. Inspired by the overwhelming reaction to both of Light Grey Art Lab's newest calls-for-art (Station Zero and Role Models), Lindsay, Chris, Jenny, Jared, and Francesca proudly share some of their nerdiest passions.