Podcast: 2015 Iceland Diaries : Part Three

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2015 Iceland Diaries : Part Three

Length:

01:37:28

Synopsis:

Once again, the Light Grey Art Lab team returns to Iceland! We're hosting two, back-to-back, week-long artist residencies in southern Iceland, right at the base of the infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Our two groups of amazing artists (Team Moss and Team Lichen) each spent an entire week exploring, conversing, and learning together. In the third part of a multi-part 2015 Iceland Diaries series, Jenny, Lindsay, and Chris are now left cruising the lonesome road. Each night we take a moment to reflect on the day's events, share stories, thoughts, and more. And it's not over yet! Make sure to check back for plenty more adventure!

Show Notes:

#TeamMoss2015 - Instagram

#TeamMoss2015 - Twitter

#TeamLichen2015 - Instagram

#TeamLichen2015 - Twitter

2016 Iceland Residency Information and Application

Podcast: 2015 Iceland Diaries : Part Two

Download the MP3, stream directly on Stitcher, or subscribe via iTunes!

2015 Iceland Diaries : Part Two
Length: 00:50:20
Synopsis: Once again, the Light Grey Art Lab team returns to Iceland! We're hosting two, back-to-back, week-long artist residencies in southern Iceland, right at the base of the infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Our two groups of amazing artists (Team Moss and Team Lichen) each spent an entire week exploring, conversing, and learning together. In the second of a multi-part 2015 Iceland Diaries series, both residencies are now over, and Jenny, Lindsay, and Chris take some time to reflect on the experience, with plenty of Dungeons & Dragons references thrown in for good measure. From here on out, the Light Grey team is on their own, so be sure to check back for plenty more adventure!


Team Moss


Team Lichen

Show Notes:
#TeamMoss2015 - Instagram
#TeamMoss2015 - Twitter
#TeamLichen2015 - Instagram
#TeamLichen2015 - Twitter
2016 Iceland Residency Information and Application

Podcast: 2015 Iceland Diaries : Part One

Download the MP3

,

stream directly on Stitcher

, or

subscribe via iTunes

!

2015 Iceland Diaries : Part One

Length:

00:34:42

Synopsis:

Once again, the Light Grey Art Lab team returns to Iceland! We're hosting two, back-to-back, week-long artist residencies in southern Iceland, right at the base of the infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Our two groups of amazing artists (Team Moss and Team Lichen) each spent an entire week exploring, conversing, and learning together. In the first of a multi-part 2015 Iceland Diaries series, Jenny, Lindsay, and Chris take a moment each week to reflect on the travels, discussions, logistics, memorable moments and more. This episode only covers the first few days of the adventure, so be sure to check out the next few episodes for plenty more!

Show Notes:

#TeamMoss2015 - Instagram

#TeamMoss2015 - Twitter

2016 Iceland Residency Information and Application

Light Grey Art Lab in headed to Iceland!

We are currently packaging our bags, sketchbooks, and hiking boots as we embark on a creative journey through Southern Iceland. The Light Grey Team is prepping for two weeks of adventuring, artist-led workshops, and collaboration for the Light Grey Iceland Residency Program! We will be leading artists through some of the most sublime, active, and unusual landscapes on earth. They will experience glacial ice, volcanic rock, basalt columns, lush vegetation, costal animals, and microscopic lifeforms. As we explore together, we will also share our creative expertise through conversations, workshops, and on-site sketching. 

During our travels, we will be unplugged from our normal daily life. It will be a chance to make artwork, share with on another, and grow as creatives. You can follow along with our travels as we post the Light Grey Podcast, send updates from Iceland, and share photographs.



Big News! The application for the Light Grey Iceland Residency 2016 is now available! If you are interested in traveling with us for next year's program, please check out all of the details and submit your application on the Light Grey website here! 

We are looking for diversity in industry, location, backgrounds, and creative workshops! This year, we also have the ability to open up two scholarship opportunities for artists who may need financial assistance to make the trip possible. If you have additional questions, feel free to send us a note: hello@lightgreyartlab.com. Applications are due August 30th.

Autoptic Comic Exhibition Opening & Kick-off Party!

The Autopic Feastival, France's ChiFouMi and Light Grey Art Lab are pleased to announce the joint exhibition Nothing Will Ever Be The Same: Comics 2015 a group show featuring artwork by five internationally recognized cartoonists.



Join us for the opening reception on Friday, August 7th from 7-10pm hosted here at Light Grey Art Lab. This event celebrates originals, books, and new projects by contemporary cartoonists Charles Burns, Aidan Koch, Antoine Marchalot, Laura Park, Helge Reumann, and a solo collection by Belgian artist Dominique Goblet.

The exhibitions double as the kick-off party for the Autoptic Featival. Autoptic, an independent publlishing and cartooning festival, will take place August 8th and 9th in the Aria building. All of these events are free and open to the public.

You can find out more information about the exhibition hosted at Light Grey Art Lab on the Facebook Event Page here. You can also find information about Autoptic and ChiFouMi, the French Comic residency, here!

Podcast: Ignoring the Middle

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Ignoring the Middle

Length:

00:30:57

Synopsis:

Lindsay, Jenny, and Chris are about to leave Minneapolis for Light Grey Art Lab's 2015 Iceland Residency. Naturally, that means we're struggling to deal with a bloated checklist of work that needs to be done, details that need to be planned, and deadlines that need to be met. On this week's episode, we talk about how and when you decide to commit to new plans, and the satisfaction that comes from completing them... and, most importantly, the work it takes to get from that first step to the last.

Show Notes:

Iceland Residency 2016

Patches + Stitches

Light Grey Game Night

Patches + Stitches Opening Reception and Teagan White's Artist Talk- Recap!

Artwork by Courtney Wirth

Thanks to everyone who made it out last week to the opening reception and celebration of the Patches + Stitches Exhibition! We kicked off the evening with an artist talk and discussion by illustrator, Teagan White. Teagan walked us through her practice, sources of inspiration, and how her work has developed over the years! You can find the artist talk on the Light Grey Podcast here!



The artist talk with backed by the Patches + Stitches Exhibition, which features handmade originals and limited edition woks by 70+ illustrators and designers from around the globe. These unique collections include similar materials, textiles, and fabrics, with drastically different results! Guests were able to walk through the gallery perusing the variety of techniques, hand done typography, ornate details, and delicate originals!



Patches + Stitches will be on display at Light Grey Art Lab through July 18th! Stop by to see these great pieces and check out the entire collection on the Light Grey Shop. You can also view more works from the opening reception on the Light Grey Flickr page here. Thanks again and we hope to see you soon!


Work by Meg Hunt

Podcast: Finding Each Other

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Finding Each Other
Length: 00:58:22
Synopsis: On this week's podcast, Lindsay, Chris, and Jenny talk about that moment you realize you've found your people. The people that, until that moment, you might not have realized even existed, but who share all the same obsessive and esoteric interests as you. When should you wear your heart on your sleeve, keep a few secrets when creating a dating profile, or reveal the number of cats you own to the world?

Show Notes:
Patches + Stitches
Learn how to Knit Geo Prisms with Cleo Malone
Light Grey Game Night

Artist Interview: Erin Lux

Meet Erin Lux! Erin is an Illustrator based in New York, creating work that focuses on character through shape, texture, and striking color combinations. Raised in suburban Pennsylvania, Erin moved to Baltimore after high school to study illustration at the Maryland Institute College of Art. As a recent graduate, she is getting started on her freelance career and has worked for clients such as Time Out New York and Blue Moon Beer. Right now, Erin is currently working on zines, participating in group shows, and enjoying her new home in New York. When she isn't drawing, you could find her playing video games or checking out the occasional punk show!

Erin is currently one of our Patches + Stitches artists, and has worked with us before for our Stacks exhibition. Today, we are thrilled to be talking to Erin about inspiration, life post-grad, embroidery, zines, and much more! You can see more of what Erin does on her website or blog!

What does your workspace look like?

My workspace is a mess right now. I have a tiny desk and set of draws in a corner of our living room that's constantly surrounded by clutter. I keep saying I'll make my space clean and pretty, but I already made a spot like that in my bedroom, and I never want to work there. (See photo for comparison.)

On left,workspace, on right, clean desk

What are your favorite materials?

I work mostly digitally, but I love experimenting with different traditional materials when I have a chance! Lately I've been doing more work with sumi ink for black and white projects, like zines, but I want to figure out a way to mix it with my digital work too.

I see that your work focuses a lot on simplicity and shape. Who are some of your favorite artists to look at for inspiration?

I look at lots of contemporary illustrators for inspiration- too many to list. I think I'm most inspired by my peers! I'm lucky to keep in contact with a handful of classmates from MICA, and seeing their work always gives me new ideas.

Besides illustration though, I look at caricature artists when I feel like my work is getting stale. From the ages of 15-22, I spent every summer working as a caricature artist at a theme park and learned so much by looking at other artists. Some of my favorites are the Beasthead's, Aaron Philby, Tomo Tabata, and Andy Uruza.



Tell us about your process. What are things that get you excited to create?

A big chunk of my motivation comes from the desire to share my work with others. I get excited when I'm making work that I think will connect or resonate with people. I've learned that if there's anything I've been feeling or any kind of imagery that moves me, chances are I'm not the only one. So for my process, I usually start out with a collection of images that I have up on my computer while I sketch. I gather color references, mood references, pose references, anything that I want to go come through in the final piece. I usually thumbnail in my sketchbook, but it's Photoshop from there on out.



You made a lovely zine for our Stacks exhibition. What appeals to you about making zines?

Zines are great because whenever I have a really silly or self-indulgent idea, I can make it into a zine, and since the ones I make fall on the quick and dirty side, I can have fun with it rather than laboring over the drawing part too much. I'm sure it doesn't apply to everyone, but for me, zines aren't supposed to be masterpieces, so it frees me up to just have fun and not worry too much about the end result, which is really satisfying!

You have made a piece for the “Stitches “ side of the Patches & Stitches show. Could you tell us a bit about your process for that piece? How is working with embroidery different or similar from you are used to?

Embroidery feels so different from everything else I do! I almost had to treat it like a screenprint, separating my reference image into color layers and working from there. I drew it all out like a paint by numbers, traced it onto the fabric, and then filled everything in, piece by piece. I like that most of the thinking happens at the beginning, and once that part's finished I can go on autopilot, it's very relaxing.


The Mana Tree

What inspired you for your patches and stitches piece?

I'm a huge fan of classic jprgs, and I get a little emotional looking at the graphics from that era (I think I've shed a tear or two over Hiro Isono's Secret of Mana illustrations), they're so beautiful and have so much nostalgia wrapped up in them! The artists really hit a sweet spot with SNES graphics, when 3d was starting to become a thing, but games hadn't all transitioned to it yet. I've had an idea floating around for a while to dig through some of these old games to find "landscapes" that I could recreate. Embroidery ended up being the perfect opportunity for it since the limitations of embroidery are a cool parallel to those of pixel art!



What has been a valuable piece of advice you have received as an illustrator?

It's something people say a lot, but "make what you love" has been crucial for me! Every once in a while I'll catch myself falling into doing the kind of work that I think I should be making, vs what I really want to make. When that happens I have to stop and reset myself, figure out what I want to draw more than anything and do that. Because it's true! The weird things you draw that you think no one else could ever find funny (but that you think are hilarious), usually end up being your most important work!

A funny thing to prove this, my zine, "The Real Hot Dads" came about when I was working my theme park job and noticed I was seeing more attractive dads than usual. I started doing quick little sketches whenever I saw one, hiding behind my easel with a folded up scrap of paper. I even went as far as to buy sunglasses so I could stare without being noticed. My coworkers and I thought it was hilarious, and I loved putting the zine together, but I never thought anything would come from it.

Fast forward, (and stick with me here) the finished zine ends up mentioned on a comics blog, which is seen by a professor from a local college, who then goes to my tumblr, finds my etsy shop and orders something from me. In the email, she mentions some alt-comic artists we're both into, and from there invites me to a talk she's running, featuring one of those artists. And then in a final bit of irony, the artist's talk ended with her emphasizing the importance of doing what you love verses what you think you should do. Afterwards, we all went to dinner- the professors, the artist, and I, and I realized all the cool things that had happened that day were because I liked drawing hot dads.



You are a recent graduate! How do you keep involved with your creative community?

I'm lucky enough to live in New York right now, and even though I miss being surrounded by illustrators 24/7, I've been able to go to lots of creative events and meet other art people. It was great to go to MoCCA this year and be able to hang out with artists afterwards! I also live with another illustrator from MICA, and it's been great to have a built in support system for that type of thing.

Are there any exciting projects on the horizon for you right now? What would be a “dream project” for you?

Right now I'm finishing up a bunch of projects, so I'm excited to have the time to do some personal work! I'm working towards doing more editorial work, but I'd really love to collaborate with a writer on a comic someday. I love drawing comics and designing characters, but I'm still learning the writing part, it would be a dream to find someone with the opposite problem!

Thank you Erin! You can see Erin's piece, The Mana Tree, for Patches + Stitches up at the gallery, or on our online shop! You can also follow Erin and her artistic endeavors on her Tumblr, Behance, or Twitter!

Podcast: Teagan White Artist Talk

Download the MP3, stream directly on Stitcher, or subscribe via iTunes!

Teagan White Artist Talk
Length: 00:44:41
Synopsis: This week's podcast features Teagan White's artist lecture, which took place at Light Grey Art Lab this past Friday, prior to the Patches + Stitches Opening Reception. Teagan is a freelance illustrator, who does commercial work, children's books, and gallery work, with clients ranging from Penguin Random House, Nike, and Wired Magazine. Teagan's work gravitates to nature-inspired imagery, and she talks about her connection to the natural world, how she gathers inspiration, and how she balances her client work with personal exploration.


Show Notes:
Teagan White: Website - Tumblr - Twitter
Patches + Stitches: Online Gallery - Shop
Light Grey Game Night

Light Grey Game Night: Subterfuge

Don't look nervous, just play it cool. Cool as a cucumber... It's you against them, and so far you've been doing an okay job maintaining your "innocence". You've just got to stick to your story, make solid eye contact, and keep your lies straight. A couple more rounds and you'll be home free. Wait, someone's asking you a pointed question. Think of something!

...

Crap! Nothing! Quick, flip the table and run! This panic-induced escape must mean it's time for another Light Grey Game Night! So mark your calendar for Thursday, July 9th from 6:30 - 9:30 pm!

As you might remember, we're attaching a theme to each night to help people narrow down what games they might want to bring (although you're still welcome to bring whatever you'd like!). This week's theme is subterfuge!

Join us as as we sneak through a high-security compound, hiding just out of sight in Specter Ops, struggle to keep the spy clueless in Spyfall, and lie through your teeth to sneak a bag full of crossbows past the law in Sheriff of Nottingham, among plenty of others! If you have a favorite boardgame, bring it!

So grab your friends, family or favorite stack of board games, and come play with us! RSVP via our Facebook event, and feel free to share! The more the merrier!

Podcast: Tough Grannies

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Tough Grannies
Length: 00:52:39
Synopsis: Patches + Stitches opens this week, and the juxtaposition between gritty themes and traditional craft techniques has Lindsay, Chris and Jenny asking just what it takes to be a tough granny. We discuss our grandma/grandpa personas, the divide between art and craft, and what it takes to transition between the two.

Show Notes:
Exploration & Inspiration: A Workshop With Teagan White
Patches + Stitches
Light Grey Game Night

Podcast: In the Desert

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In the Desert
Length: 00:39:00
Synopsis: We're back from Light Grey Art Camp, an artist retreat to Bryce Canyon and Zion, Utah! After a fun-filled week of hiking, drawing, adventure, and slowly drying out in the arid desert heat, Lindsay, Jenny, and Chris reflect on our experiences of traveling with a group of artists, seeing the night sky in perfect clarity, and the joys of pushing past your comfort zone.

Show Notes:
Exploration & Inspiration: A Workshop With Teagan White
Patches + Stitches
Light Grey Game Night

Patches + Stitches Opening Next Friday

Patches + Stitches will be opening this coming Friday, July 3rd! We will start off the show with an artist lecture by Teagan White from 7-8pm, followed by the opening reception of Patches + Stitches which will go until 10pm!


Preview by Teagan White

We are absolutely excited to be presenting this two-part exhibition that celebrates the tactile nature of textiles- craft, decadence, patterns, and personal identity! The show will be featuring artwork by 70+ international illustrators, designers, screen printers, and creatives! Works include original and limited edition patches, buttons, needlework, appliqués, and much much more!


Preview by Ashley Yazdani

Be sure to come by Friday night to check out the show and meet some of the amazing participating artists! More details can be found on the Facebook event page.

Artist Interview: Yinfan Huang

Meet Yinfan Huang. Yinfan is a freelance illustrator based in New York, creating whimsical and playful work influenced by world travel and folk art. She grew up in a city called Guangzhou in Southern China, and briefly studied animation and printmaking in Chinese college before she came to the US to pursue her BFA in illustration at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She has worked for clients such as 3M, Anorak Magazine, Children's Theater Company, and more.

We're excited to chat with Yinfan about her inspirations, travels, ongoing projects, and more! We have had the pleasure of working with Yinfan for the Smart exhibition, Anymistics, and presently Patches + Stitches. We'll talk about her interest in textiles and soft sculpture, and details about her piece for the Stitches side of the Patches + Stitches show. You can see more of Yinfan's work on her website as well!

Tell us about your workspace! How does your environment affect your creativity?

Because I work traditionally, having a quiet workspace with lots of light is important for my practice. Right now my workspace is in the living room and bedroom of my apartment. It is perfect for my current situation, but I would love to have a separate studio someday.



Your work focuses heavily on playful colors and textures. What is your approach to using materials to accomplish this?

I have a deep appreciation for everything handmade, so I want to keep the tactile quality in my work. Colored pencil has a soft feeling to me and I like to use it for illustration. I also use materials like wool, felt, and clay for my 3D work- they just feel natural for me to work with. Even for my digital work I tried to keep the handmade touch. I like bright and playful colors, which make me feel happy, and I hope my work makes people happy as well.

There is a sense of happiness and innocence in your creations. How do you get inspired and stay motivated to make your work?

I get inspired a lot by the places I live in. Walking in the city and taking the subway provide me with endless inspiration. Although I have spent most of my life living in big cities, the early years of my childhood living in a small town has played a big role in my life. I still connect deeply with nature and animals, I think that’s why my work has an innocent feeling to it.


Moving from China, to Minneapolis, and now living in New York, has moving around influenced your work in any way?

Definitely! like I said before, I am influenced largely by the environment I live in. Moving to the US has broadened my horizons and made me grow as a person and an artist. Minneapolis is a beautiful city with great nature and nice people, which gave me so much freedom to play with my work. However, it got to a point where I needed to have more energy and a bigger art community around me, so I decided to move to New York. Living in New York has given me so much inspiration and my work has improved a lot because of that. I often have ideas when I was traveling, either on plane or train. I would like to travel more in the future, but moving is always a huge pain!

Now that you are located in New York, have you had any opportunities to collaborate with other creative people who live there?

I recently collaborated with my friend Xinyun Huang for my on-going creative project pomegrandate Boy. We took the life-size plush toy I made to different places in NYC and took pictures of him. We’ve made postcards out of these photos and we’ll sell them at the Renegade Craft Fair on June 27th which I’m excited to participate in- it will be my first craft fair in New York!

Who are some of your artistic role models?

Maria Kalman is one of my favorite illustrators I discovered when I first moved to the US. Her work is so innocent yet sophisticated with poetic text, which has inspired me a lot. I also like the art of Kiki Smith, Marc Chagall, Japanese textile designer Katsuji Wakisaka, Swedish graphic designer Olle Eksell,Marc Boutavant, Japanese designer Yoshie Watanabe. Just to name a few!


Anorak Magazine, "Happy Wishes"

What has been your favorite project recently?

The UK children’s magazine Anorak recently asked me to do a two-page activity illustration for their Cats & Dogs issue. The illustration I did is called “Happy Wishes”, which was inspired by one of my personal illustrations called “ List of Happiness”. The art director gave me the freedom to design the whole double-page spread. I drew some happy scenes on the left side of the page, and put some empty boxes on the right hand side for kids to fill in with their own wishes. It was such a fun project to work on!

You work a lot with textile and soft sculpture. How does this kind of work relate to your illustration work?

I started making clay sculptures and plush toys when I was studying animation in China and we had to make puppets for a stop-motion animation. Years later, I first made a 3D piece for one of my illustration assignments in MCAD, which made me realize I could incorporate 3D materials into my illustration to make it look more interesting. I think my 2D illustration and 3D work inspire each other which creates a nice balance for me. I’m so glad I have something else to work with besides drawing on paper or on the computer, that way I will never get tired of doing illustration!



Patches and Stitches is a show that will celebrate the beauty and breadth of textiles. Could you indulge us a bit about your piece for the Stitches side of the show?

Seoul Memories is a hand-embroidered piece I created based on a sketch from when I was traveling Seoul, South Korea in 2011. I remember I was sitting in a coffee shop near Ewha Woman's University and I drew a quick colored-pencil sketch of the view by the window. It was one of the best trips of my life and I think that drawing captured my impression very well. So I decided to transform my memories into a tangible format as embroidery. It was a challenge for me because this is my first time doing a fully illustrated embroidery, and I tried different stitching technique in this piece. It took me forever to finish but I am very happy now that it is complete.

Thanks Yinfan! You can see Yinfan's piece, Seoul Memories, at the upcoming Patches + Stitches exhibition, which will be happening July 3rd at 7PM at Light Grey Art Lab! You can also check out Yinfan's website or blog to see more of what she is up to!

Artist Interview: Emory Allen

Meet Emory Allen. Emory is an illustrator and designer based in Minnesota. He is known for his fun character design, custom lettering, and stylish incorporation of animation into his work. Emory has worked with clients such as Star Tribune, Target, and Wall Street Journal and his work has been recognized by Adobe, HOW, and The Huffington Post. Emory has participated in past Light Grey Art Lab exhibitions including Dream Arcade, Guts, and the upcoming Patches & Stitches exhibition here at Light Grey Art Lab in Minneapolis, which will open July 3rd!

Patches & Stitches is a two-part exhibition that embraces the tactical side of textiles. The Patches side celebrates the grunge and grit of jacket patches, while the Stitches side highlights a more delicate approach to textiles with Embroidered work. The show unites texture, techniques, and tradition, with defiance, personal identity, and experience. We are proud to present Patches + Stitches, featuring new works, originals, and limited edition collections by 70+ artists from around the world. The Opening reception will be on Friday July 3rd from 7pm to 10pm at our location at 118 East 26th Street in Minneapolis. Learn more about the exhibition on our website!

You can view more of Emory's artwork on his website or his blog here!



Hey Emory! Can you tell us a bit about yourself? What are some of your interests?

I’m an art director at NEIGHBOR by day and freelance illustrator by night. I love my flat-faced cat, my girlfriend, and Magic The Gathering. As of this July, I’ve been living in Minneapolis for 7 years. Which officially makes it the longest I’ve lived in one place.

What kind of media has influenced you the most throughout your life? Did you watch a lot of cartoons or read any comics growing up? What are some of your favorites?

Growing up I loved everything Jim Henson and I watched Cartoon Network pretty much non-stop. It wasn’t until my dad bought me issue #1 of Nine Volt that I really started getting into comics. I also spent a few summers playing Final Fantasy while rocking out to Alice In Chains. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve sadly fallen off of a lot of that stuff. I don’t think I’ll ever get too old for video games though!


Nerd Nation

Where do you find the most inspiration? What influences things like your color choice or the kinds of shapes that you integrate into your art?

When I started finding my illustration voice, I was (and still am) enamoured with screen printing. A lot of what I was looking at had limited but vibrant color palettes that made the pieces come alive for me. Three colors can say just as much as 1,000 colors if you use them right. As far as shapes, I always draw on grid paper. There’s something about self-imposed constraints, like using a small number of colors or working off a grid, that I find really fun. It’s a challenge to tease an illustration out of just a few elements. It’s almost like I’m discovering an illustration rather than creating one.

What’s your process like? Is most of your work done digitally?

I always start in my sketchbook. Pencil and paper is so malleable—I can burn through ideas and compositions relatively quickly. I erase and draw and erase and draw over and over until I’m happy with the composition. After that though, it’s all digital. I scan in my sketch, create the piece in Illustrator, and add textures and other effects in Photoshop.


Snackodile Hunter

Looking through your work, I see a lot of whacky and fun characters. How important is it to you to incorporate characters into your work? How do you approach designing your characters?

Creating characters is so much fun because they can bend and stretch in ways that would be criminal if done to a human :) Kidding aside, creating characters makes me feel like a kid watching Fraggle Rock again. I mention that show specifically because it was basically a world within a world within a world, each overflowing with characters and personality. That fascination with fun characters and worlds is something I hold dear.

Besides personal work, do you try to have fun with your client work and professional projects?

Of course! Whether it’s personal or professional, I bring my same passion for illustration to every project.

Do you have a favorite piece of work or project that you have worked on?

I recently completed my first short animated film—something that has long been on my wish list. The film is called Triolet For Laika and it was completed as part of Motion Poems. I never had the confidence to tackle one on my own. So, what really sets this project apart for me was being able to work with a few of my talented friends. I’m extremely grateful that they were willing to help me with a passion project and I hope to repay the favor some day!


Swept Away

You seem to work in many different disciplines (illustration, animation, design). How do you find a balance between them? Do you often like to incorporate the three into each other?

Being able to play and explore is a huge part of the reason I’m in this line of work. Some of my favorite projects have come from combining a few of my different interests. For example, my continuous daily drawing project, An Exquisite Beast, was born by mashing illustration and web development together. My short film came from combining illustration and animation. Now that I think about it, a lot of my other interests support my love for drawing.

Do you think that it’s important for a working artist to be skilled in multiple artistic fields?

It’s definitely important for me personally. I can’t really speak for what’s going to work for other artists.

You’re going to be participating in the upcoming Patches & Stitches exhibition. Do you work with tactile design often? What made you want to be a part of this show?

Because I do so much work digitally, I jump at any chance to create something I can actually touch. In the past, that’s meant screen printing or papercraft. This show gave me an excuse to explore a bit of embroidery (and dust off an old jean jacket). Now that I know what’s involved, I’ll be definitely making more patches in the future!

Are you working on any exciting new projects currently? Do you have a “dream project” that you’d like to work on in the future?

I’m in the middle of 100 Days of Merit, a project where I design a merit badge for something I’ve done that day. Four of patches from the project are going to be in the Patches & Stitches show! Triolet for Laika is based on a poem of the same name, so I would like to write and direct an original animated short.

Other thoughts?

When in doubt, add bacon.

Thanks, Emory!

Again, you can find more of Emory's artwork at his website or his blog here! You will also be able to see his work at the upcoming Patches & Stitches exhibition, opening July 3rd at 7PM at Light Grey Art Lab, 118 East 26th Street in Minneapolis, and Emory's patches will be available to purchase from the Light Grey Art Lab Online Shop here!

Light Grey Game Night: Dungeon Delve

Hey, summer's here! Temperatures are rising, you can't go outside without sunglasses and some SPF 1000 sunscreen, and the entire city is out, smiling and laughing and soaking up the summertime vibes! If it sounds like reason enough to you to go hide in a deep, dark, dank dungeon, that must mean it's time for another Light Grey Game Night! So mark your calendar for Thursday, June 25th from 6:30 - 9:30 pm!

As you might remember, we're attaching a theme to each night to help people narrow down what games they might want to bring (although you're still welcome to bring whatever you'd like!). This week's theme is Dungeon Delve!

So come prepared creep through the darkness in Dungeons & Dragons: The Legend of Drizzt Board Game, explore a tiny, adorable dungeon in Mice and Mystics, bust up a SPACE dungeon in Star Wars: Imperial Assault, or wimp out and make some other fool go in your place in Welcome To The Dungeon, among plenty of others! If you have a favorite board game, bring it!

So grab your friends, family or favorite stack of board games, and come play with us! RSVP via our Facebook event, and feel free to share! The more the merrier!

Podcast: Look To The Stars

Download the MP3, stream directly on Stitcher, or subscribe via iTunes!

Look To The Stars
Length: 00:44:53
Synopsis: We've been busy studying astral bodies as we create the oracle deck guidebook for the Cosmos project, while simultaneously packing and planning for next week's Light Grey Art Camp at Bryce Canyon & Zion, Utah. We're eyeballs deep in the symbology, science, and mythology of the heavens, and on this week's podcast we talk about the process of working on through the Cosmos project, finding and interpreting celestial metaphors, and what it means when you're looking to stars for guidance.

Show Notes:
Star Tracker App: iOS - Android
Exploration & Inspiration: A Workshop With Teagan White
Iceland Residency
Light Grey Game Night

Opening Reception of Patches + Stitches

Mark your calendars for the next opening reception and events, July 3rd from 7-10pm! We are proud to present an artist lecture with Teagan White (from 7-8pm), followed by the opening reception of Patches + Stitches and an all creatives meet up!


Process by Chloe Giordano

Join us for a two-part exhibition that celebrates the tactile nature of textiles- craft, decadence, patterns, and personal identity! We welcome you to the Patches + Stitches Show, featuring originals and limited edition pieces by 70+ international illustrators, designers, screen printers, and creatives!

Patches is our bad ass show. It includes dark, limited color, gritty, screen-printed, hand-painted, embroidered and dyed patches- clever takes on the imagery we all know and love and phrases we can't resist! These artists have taken back patches, insignias, and embroidered designs to the next level!


Sneak Peek by Luisa Uribe

Stitches is our beautiful show. The work is decadent, elegant, and decorated in flora and fauna. It includes intricate needlework, the knots, beading, sequins and appliqués. These colorful pieces and modern designs challenge our ideas of old-school embroidery! Reinventing the classic expectations of one of the world's oldest textile techniques!


Sneak Peek by Vanessa Port

Come explore both sides of this show and meet some of the incredible participating artists! These events are free and open to the public.

Light Grey Art Camp

Light Grey Art Lab is headed to Bryce Canyon!

We are packing our bags, sketchbooks, and cameras for a week of adventuring in some of Utah's most sublime and inspiring spaces! We will be traveling alongside some incredible creatives as we visit Bryan Head, Zion National Park, the Red Cliffs, and Bryce Canyon for the 15th Annual Astronomy Festival.

Light Grey Art Camp Attendees include Adam Hoppus, Angela Rizza, Angelica Russell, Ari Farley, Beth Sparks, Camille Chew, Caroline Hadilaksono, Claire Hummel, Delia Evin, Francesca Buchko, German Shible, Hannah Lee Stockdale, Justin Oaksford, Katlyn Griffin, Lauren Duda, Lisa Ou, Lucy Engelman, Madeleine Flores, Marisa Seguin, Michelle Thies, Mike Yamada, Natalie Wong, Ryan Michlitsch, Shanti Rittgers, Teagan White, and Zoe Keller.



Photographs, sketches, and stories are coming soon! Also, the gallery will have regular hours this week. Stop by to see the Iceland Residency Exhibition and find out more details about our 2016 travel programs: hello@lightgreyartlab.com.