Light Grey Game Night: The Stage of History

As our good pal George Santanyana once said, 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' Wise words, indeed, but maybe reliving history isn't such a bad thing if it comes in the form of an excellent boardgame! If you feel like following in the footsteps of history's great triumphs and blunders, it must be time for another Light Grey Game Night! So mark your calendar for Thursday, April 7th 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 The Stage of History!

Join us to recreate American's most iconic city during it's formative years in New York 1901, battle for dominance of feudal Japan in Samurai, collect as many treasures as possible as an Egyptian noble preparing for their inevitable death and glorious burial in Valley of the Kings, 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!

Artist Interview with John DeLucca

Meet John DeLucca, a Cleveland-based illustrator originally from Woodbridge, Virginia. At a young age, John decided that he couldn't imagine doing anything other than illustration as a career. After high school, he attended the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, graduating with a BFA in Illustration.

John is currently working as a designer at American Greetings by day, and a freelance illustrator by night. He's done work for bands like Andrew W.K. and Makeup and Vanity Set. Over the last few years he has worked closely with The Protomen, a rock opera band who writes music loosely based of the video game Mega Man. His work is known for incredible amounts of detail, believable world building, and characters that are overflowing with personality! We've had the pleasure of working with John on several projects in the past such as: BOSS RUSH, Rolemodels: The Battle For Vyk'Tornaahl , and his work is currently on display in the ROBO Show!

Below you can read about John's inspirations, process, and favorite robots! You can also find more of his work on his tumblr here.

Take a look and enjoy!

What is your studio/workspace like? What are your favorite materials to work in? What are your favorite/most coveted reference resources?

We have a room at home we’ve designated as 'The Studio' but it’s really more of a storage/guest room, so I do most of my work at a desk and a computer in our living room. As of right now, I mainly work digitally, but early on I painted in oils. Recently, I’ve played with pen & ink and watercolor, but it’s hard to deny the ease of manipulating digital work. It’s both a blessing and a curse, because while it’s incredibly easy to adjust color or composition, the pursuit of perfection can eat up a lot of time.

In a similar manner, when it comes to reference, searching in an analog format just devours time. So, I do pretty much all of my referencing online. It’s such a powerful tool for finding just the right thing. Additionally, I’ll also photograph my own reference using myself or others as models when I need a specific pose or perspective.

John DeLucca's work "Magus" for BOSS RUSH, Light Grey Art Lab and GlitchCon 2014

A lot of your work is centered around incredibly believable characters and environments that seem to come from a real time period and place. What are some of your favorite time periods to make artwork from? Any specific kind of history you're most interested in exploring?

So, I feel like a bit of a fraud here. My love of certain historical eras stems directly from my love of film, and more specifically, genre films. I’m by no means a history buff and my affinity for certain periods tends to be aesthetic. I am very detail oriented, though, so authenticity is important to me and I do spend time researching the subjects or time periods I will be illustrating. I love the look of WWI; the uniforms, the vehicles, even the battlefields themselves have such a unique feeling about them. You can tell the nature of warfare was evolving radically just by looking at it all. The Old American West and Feudal Japan are also among my favorite settings both aesthetically and because both periods operated by rules that are so far removed from society as we know it today as to seem almost alien. History is a master of world building, I guess!

What is your process typically like for creating your artwork? How does your workflow move between ideation/research and putting an image down on paper?

I don’t really like process work, so I spend a lot of time in my head working out the composition; trying to avoid doing a lot of sketches. I’ll do a few sketches, pick the one I like best, and start refining it a bit. Around this point, I try to figure out the details by collecting reference and occasionally doing additional sketches if I have to work out the design of a character or object more fully. Once I figure that stuff out, I do my final drawing. Sometimes, I’ll draw different elements of the composition separately and combine them digitally. For example, I drew the soldiers and the robot separately for my ROBO Show piece so I could be sure that I got the scale I was hoping for. Then, I just go in with color and work that bad boy to death.

John DeLucca's work "U.S.S Paul Bunyan" for the ROBO Show, Light Grey Art Lab 2016

Can you tell me a bit more about your piece for the ROBO Show? Any specific inspirations, challenges, significant moments while creating it? You chose to ground the piece in the realism of WWI, what influenced that decision?

So, this piece is one of a series of work I’ve had beating around my brain for a few years now. I wish I could remember exactly what put it there, but illustrations of robots in historical contexts aren’t exactly new ground. However, I never really felt that other work I’d seen was really nailing it (not to say I did, necessarily). The robots didn’t feel like they belonged in that era; they didn’t feel “authentic”. So, I challenged myself to answer the question “what might this actually look like”? In my research of the war machines of the era, I noticed a lot of hard edged blockiness and straight lines so I brought those into the design. In the early stages of roughing the robot out, I just had a block for the head. Thinking it sort of looked like the bow of a ship, I rolled with the idea that it was basically a walking battleship, and things just started falling into place.

John DeLucca's cover for "The Cover Up" by The Protomen

Are robots something you think you'll continue to explore in your artwork? Any favorite robots? Any favorite real life machines?

This is a whole can of worms, right here. I will absolutely continue doing work featuring robots. I’m a huge fan of robots and have been since I was a kid. I grew up watching Voltron, Gigantor, Transformers, and Robotech, and I’ve been seeking out media featuring robots ever since. I have a pretty good collection of robot toys from vintage to modern, from imported to domestic. The four posters I have hanging in my cubicle at work are Voltron, Terminator, Pacific Rim, and Robocop (I know Robocop is actually a cyborg, don’t start with me). I love robots. If I had to pick a favorite, I would have to say the Veritech fighters from Robotech. They have such a well considered design. They’re the most believable transforming robot I’ve seen.

Do you have any exciting projects you can say anything about?

I’m currently working on my first graphic novel written by my friend Milo Miller. It’s sort of a hyper-violent, biker revenge story. It’s going to be awesome!

What's your favorite project you've ever worked on?

Is it cheesy to say that it was this one? As a totally self-directed art assignment that gave me motivation to bring to life an idea that has been knocking around in my brain for a really long time, the ROBO Show was basically the perfect project.

John DeLucca's work (from Left to RIght) "The Captain", "The Empath", "The Android" — John DeLucca's work (from Left to RIght) "The Captain", "The Empath", "The Android"

What are some of your favorite hobbies outside of art making? How do they spill over into your artwork?

I’m an avid film viewer, and honestly, it doesn’t spill, it gushes over into my artwork. It’s actually difficult for me to not just do movie fan art all the time. It’s the same story with video games, really. I’d love to be able to make the intersection of film and illustration into a career somehow. My dream is to work with Mondo or one of the many other great places producing licensed poster art.

Where can people find/follow your work?

They can follow me at johndelucca.tumblr.com or @johndelucca on twitter.

Thanks a ton, John!

Podcast: Talking with TyRuben Ellingson

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

Talking With TyRuben Ellingson
Length: 01:16:10
Synopsis: On this week's podcast we talk to TyRuben Ellingson, a visual designer and concept artist who has created memorable designs for dozens of films such as Jurassic Park, Avatar, Hellboy, Elysium, and more. Recently, TyRuben has returned to teaching, and is currently serving as Assistant Chair of Communication Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. We talk to TyRuben about his background and how he got started in the industry, how he approaches change and growth as an artist, being smart about allocating your time and energy, the value of ideas and much, much more.

And remember you can subscribe to our podcast via iTunes!

Show Notes:
TyRuben Ellingson : Website - Facebook

Light Grey Game Night: East Meets West

I'm writing this on the JR train en route to Kyoto, nearing the end of two weeks spent exploring Japanese cities, mountains, and back streets. And as I stare out the window at buildings and power lines whizzing by, I ponder; what new boardgames are at The Source right now? That means it must be time for another Light Grey Game Night! Game Night resumes this Thursday, jet lag be damned! So mark your calendar for Thursday, March 24th 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 East Meets West!

So check out of some of the quirky games I found in the Japanese boardgame shop Yellow Submarine, conquer feudal Japan in Samurai, upgrade to the mighty Shinkansen (bullet train) in the Japanese deckbulding game Trains, 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!

Artist Interview with Paul Reinwand

Meet Paul Reinwand, a comic artist and freelance illustrator currently residing in Portland, Oregon. Paul grew up in Redding, California, and after spending some time in public and private colleges, he started his career through a private mentorship with independent concept artist and painter, Pete Mohrbacher. This mentorship helped him recognize the strengths of his work, which led him to shift his focus from painting to comic art. Today, Paul is best known for his unique characters, great line quality, and narrative illustrations!

Paul has worked on projects with 1001 Knights , BOOM! Studios, IDW Publishing, and has a forthcoming creator owned title from Oni Press. We have had the pleasure of working with Paul on several Light Grey Exhibitions including Boss Rush, the ROBO SHOW and our upcoming Botanica Exhibition, coming April 2016.

You can read about Paul's interests, inspiration, and some of his upcoming projects below - Paul has tons of great resources, artists of inspiration, and thoughts on making!

You can also find Paul Reinwand's portfolio work here.

What does your workspace look like? Do you have any interesting collections or items that you feel represent you or your practice?

There's nothing too out of the ordinary with my work space. I work 100% digitally, so I don't have a separate drafting table for analog work right now, though I have been craving it as of late. I have a bunch of concept art books from video games and my favorite shows. I like to think of myself as a designer first and foremost -- it's where my heart still is most of the time.

A lot of your work seems to draw from different elements of media and pop culture. What are your favorite movies/shows/video games?

I have too many favorites to list, but I've managed to kick a pretty bad Destiny habit recently, which is a game that I admire a great deal from a design standpoint. Bungie has really set the tone for a recent influx of combining hard surfaces and elements of cloth.

One thing I have been actively watching and entranced by lately is the second season of the anime Haikyuu. The sense of motion it has is something I would really like to start putting in my own work, and its pervasive sense of hard work equaling success is always inspirational to me. My biggest influences – looking a bit further back – would probably be Avatar, Young Justice, anything from Mamoru Hosada, and the first three Alien movies. The design language within animation has always been a favorite of mine.

Commission – Destiny: Hunter — Commission – Destiny: Hunter

What are some of your favorite robots in fiction? If you could have access to/interact with/pilot one robot from the world of pop culture, which one would it be?

My earliest memories of robots were probably falling in love with Doc Oc's [robotic] arms in Spider-Man. Beyond that, Eva's of Neon Genesis Evangelion or mechs from Zone of the Enders -- anything with a great silhouette. If I had to pick just one, I'd probably choose the Talgeese from Gundam, though Eva Unit 02 would be a close second.

Can you tell me more about your artistic practice- what is your typical process when approaching a piece?

I generally don't do thumbnails for anything but comic pages. When it comes to stand-alone pieces, I will typically start with a color comp. Usually it's just laying down blocks of color with an opaque square brush and trying to make shapes work. From there, I will start noodling over the top with my preferred inking brush at that time, and then i just jump right into the final inks, all while erasing the stuff that doesn't work and redrawing it on the same layer. It's rare that I ever break the ten layer mark on a piece.

I sketch every day, and I usually keep 5-10 photoshop files that are filled with layers upon layers of different sketches where I didn't feel the designs were going anywhere. Then, when I feel like I'm coming up blank I'll open those up and steal ideas from myself. I'm very process driven, so I try to build in redundancies for success wherever I can.

What are your favorite materials? Favorite reference materials?

These days, I do almost everything in photoshop, and while I love playing with other people's brush sets, I usually end up making or heavily tweaking most of my own brushes instead. My number one asked question is about the textures I use, which are just watercolor or high relief concrete pictures set to overlay or soft light, and occasionally I'll use the filter for generating noise.

In terms of reference material, stuff like Jake Parker's Pinterest is a godsend. Also, adding "+tumblr" to any Google image search is a good trick for mixed up search results in your favor. Search-fu is so important to my success.

*Process for Lunch Break, Paul's piece for The ROBO Show*

What were some of your thoughts when creating your piece for the ROBO Show?

What I ultimately ended up with was actually plan-B, for the backdrop anyway. The initial design called for a rusted-out mech covered in foliage, and the heart of the chassis was going to have a glowing fruit or nut of some kind. The back drop was going to be an orchard. I had a whole mythos planned out. . . maybe I'll circle back around to my original idea at some point.

Can you talk about any of your upcoming projects or projects you’re working on currently? Anything you’re really excited about?

I have two books on the slate currently: Murder Ballads, with Gabe Soria, published by Z2, and a second unannounced project which I am beyond anxious to talk about! I'll also be wrapping up issue six of Aloha, Hawaiian Dick with B. Clay Moore (filling in for Jake Wyatt) and have a short story and cover in his recently funded Great Big Hawaiian Dick trade. In addition, I've been working on some other covers here and there, and a pretty in-depth pitch I've been building with Zach Clemente and Kevin Stanton.

Who are some of your favorite illustrators right now?

I've been digging back into Mitchell Hooks, Austin Briggs, and Mike Ludlow lately. I feel like I am pretty late stumbling into comics; all I read as a kid was Alien and Predator stuff, mainly because I'm not very fond of the 80's and 90's superhero aesthetic. Because of that, contemporary comic pros have been a huge influence on my work. My blind purchase comics collection includes anything from Doc Shaner, James Harren, Mitch Gerads and Andrew MacLean, plus the usual living legends among us: Chris Samnee, Stuart Immonen, and, of course, Mike Mignola.

Comic colorists have also been a huge influence! I look at work from the living tri-force of Dave Stewart, Matt Wilson, and Jordie Bellaire. Also, I should definitely mention Jake Wyatt and Kris Anka because they were my direct inspiration for making a go of comics in the first place.

What would be your dream gig? Any specific projects you would like to work on?

Someday, I would like to work on an Alien title. That has always been a dream of mine! Maybe a short in the AvP annual? I've been fortunate enough to have one of my first big pickups be creator owned, so I would like to keep that ball rolling.

Anything else you want to add? Where can people find your work?

I keep a pretty active online sketchbook at konradwerks.tumblr.com, and if you can stand my incessant Naruto tweets, I drop a fair amount of new content on Twitter @paulreinwand too. I'm trying to be better about posting process work on Instagram as well, which is Konradwerks. Last but not least, I have a catchall portfolio at www.konradwerks.com that has page samples and info for contacting me or my agent.

Thanks, Paul!

Artist Interview with Andy Bennett

Meet Andy Bennett, an illustrator and visual development artist based in Kent, England. He studied Animation at Ravensbourne, an art college based in Greenwich, and what Andy refers to as, "...definitely not a wizarding school," though it certainly sounds like one. During his studies at Ravensbourne, he found that the pre-production, more specifically character design and storyboarding, was his favorite part of the animation process. Since then, he has been fully committed to narrative illustration and character design. Andy's work is always a showcase of wonderful color palettes, characters overflowing with personality, and incredible environments.

Andy Bennett has worked on projects such as Pyrite Press and 1001 Knights, and we had the pleasure of working with him on our current Exhibition The ROBO Show!

Below you can read about Andy's workspace, inspirations, and upcoming projects! You can also find tons of his artwork here.

What is your studio practice like and where do you work? Do you have any favorite materials, favorite resources?

I actually work in my bedroom, or rather sleep in my studio. The lines have blurred throughout the years and its becoming harder and harder to keep books and materials confined to one space. I guess having my bed and desk in the same room allows me to pass out or work at strange hours, although I try to keep a pretty regular sleep pattern. Most of the time I work digitally, using Photoshop, Illustrator and my Wacom Intuos Pro, though I do keep a couple of sketchbooks on the go. One is full of notes and character thumbs, the other is to keep my traditional skills from getting rusty. When sketching traditionally, I normally work in blue Col-Erase pencils, they have a variable density and are easily removed in photoshop. Recently, I've been playing with Gouache, it's a hugely different medium that requires a lot more thought than working digitally. Reference is super important to me, I keep a reference blog and my shelves are fairly stocked with all kinds of art and reference books.

A lot of your work is centered around character development and environment. What are your favorite kinds of people and background to draw?

Growing up, I was all about Saturday morning cartoons, comics and anything science fiction or fantasy. My dad introduced me to Star Wars at a fairly young age, I don't think I even understood the story at the time but I was enthralled by everything from the sets to the costumes and the cool glowing laser swords of course. Ever since then, I've been drawing characters, and designing my own Jedi, Pirates or X-men. When I finally got to art school and started seriously looking into character design, it became this really fun challenge, and still is. Whenever I get a chance to do self-initiated work, it tends to have homosexual themes. Growing up unable to see that aspect of myself within the characters and genres I loved was frustrating, but I guess now I'm older it's a fun outlet to explore for myself and is definitely very therapeutic.

Do you enjoy sketching and ideating on site? Do you travel often?

I'm definitely trying to get better at getting out with my sketchbook. I tend to always carry a camera but I know it's not the same. I recently visited the Isles of Scilly, off the coast of Cornwall, and it was stunning and hugely inspiring. The trip was fairly short, unfortunately, so I didn't get a lot of sketching done, but I'm heading back in August of this year. The Island is really remote and it has various ruins dotted across its landscape, including a Neolithic village overgrown with flowers. Ruins, or architecture being reclaimed by its environment is beautiful to me. It's a wonderful place and this time I'm heading there with another artist, so we'll be sketching the whole time I'm sure.

Can you tell me more about the piece you made for the ROBO Show? What was it inspired by and what was the process like?

My piece for the ROBO Show was mainly inspired by 1920's travel posters and cruise ship advertisements. The posters are really bright and twee, they leave so much to the imagination and evoke a real sense of adventure. Once I researched that route, I began thinking about all the travel possibilities Mechs could offer. I thought about Pacific Rim and exploring the bottom of the ocean; I thought about how suits could enable us to traverse tough terrain and climb mountains with ease. Designing the Mech suit was something unnatural to me, and I really enjoyed the challenge. I watched a LOT of Akira for inspiration; I also referenced mountain goats and dirt bikes. That sentence is ridiculous, but I guess inspiration comes from mashing weird things together.

Have you always been interested in Robots? What sparked this interest? Who is your favorite robot?

I have quite a few "Art of" movie books and could spend hours flipping through the pages of Robot, Vehicle and armor designs. I really love how robots can look sleek and modern, or busted and rickety, and I adore how every inch of a robots design can be full of detail and function. Yet, I never find myself drawing robots and I guess this was the perfect opportunity to challenge myself. I don't know if I have a favorite robot, when I found out BB-8 was actually a functioning practical effect I was pretty blown away, and Marvin from the Hitchhikers Guide is pretty cool too.

What is your favorite project to date?

Thats a really tough question. I recently took part in the 1001 Knights Anthology by Kevin Jay Stanton and Annie Stoll. It's a really exciting project involving over 250+ amazing artists submitting people's positive representations of Knights and celebrating diversity. I'm stoked to have been a part of it and i've never been a part of a collaboration so large. I can't wait to see the finished product.

Do you have any upcoming projects you can tell people about?

I'm currently working on a few projects that are in the early stages of development, but you can spot me in a couple upcoming zines. Burl and Fur is going to be incredibly special and has so many great artists involved, it'll be kickstarting fairly soon, so keep an eye out.

Do you have any outside interest that influence your practice?

I'm inspired by pretty much the same things today that I was inspired by as a kid. I still watch tons of movies, play too many video games and read comics when I can. Nowadays though I've become more critical about what I consume; I'm able to pinpoint what I like and dislike about various IP's and incorporate them into my own work.

Where can people find/follow your work?

You can follow me at these places:

Website: http://www.AndyBennett.info
Tumblr: http://andybennett.tumblr.com
Twitter: @MrAndyBennett
Instagram: @mrandybennett

Thanks, Andy!!

Artist Interview with Rafael Mayani

Meet Vancouver-based illustrator, animator, and art director, Rafael Mayani. Though native to Mexico City, he spent his early years in Canada, before returning years later. He studied Industrial design in Mexico City for six years, and then began working at a product design firm. Rafael eventually left his product design job to really focus and dig into illustration!

Rafael then moved to Barcelona to study Visual Arts, and almost immediately got hired at Giant Ant in Vancouver. He is now an Art Director by day and freelance illustrator by night. Rafael's work is bold, colorful, and dynamic incorporating interesting characters and shapes. You can find his illustrations in picture books, editorial articles, and animations. Recently, he has been working with publishers like Usborne and Hinkler.

You can find more of Rafael Mayani's work on his website here.

We've had the pleasure of working with Rafael on the current exhibition: The ROBO SHOW and we are very excited to give you an inside look at his inspirations, process, and much more in the interview below!

What is your studio practice like and where do you work? Do you have any favorite materials? favorite resources?

I work full time at Giant Ant , but during the evenings and weekends I work on personal projects and freelance stuff. Since moving to Vancouver, I haven't really bought any furniture so my home studio is pretty much just a desk and my computer. Until recently, I worked only digitally . . .but lately I've been trying out some india ink as well.

You are originally from Mexico and now in Canada. What is your creative community like? Do you see influences from both cultures in your work?

Definitely! The places where I live have shaped the way I work and the things I illustrate. Although, I feel like it's not so much about the place itself but about the people that I've met in every city and they way they've influenced me.

Now that I'm working in animation, I think that my work has shifted into something a bit more graphic. I try doing more geometry-based imagery and try to do the most things out of very simple shapes.

Your work is so smart and playful! What are some of your main sources of inspiration/motivation?

A lot of my inspiration comes just from seeing other peoples work. Its hard to go through Pinterest and not feel the urge to do something of my own. I do a lot of stuff based on people, movies and books that I like. I started out doing almost 100% fan-art, which I still like doing every once in a while.

Do you often get to work on personal projects/challenges?

I believe that personal projects are the most important part of growing as an artist. Most of my favorite projects are ones that Ive done for myself. I almost never show stuff that I do for clients. I like to set challenges for myself when I create a series of illustrations - that way I can develop a style for that specific project.

What is your favorite project to date?

The Disney Challenge I made (when I was starting to illustrate) is very important to me. It took me a year and a half to finish it (all 52 animated films) and I learned a lot about animation and illustration working on it!

Can you tell me more about the piece you made for the ROBO Show? What was it inspired by and what was the process like?

For the ROBO Show piece, I wanted to have a robot placed in an environment that wasn't where everyone would expect to find a Robot. I found this photo of an enormous Buddha in a mountain in China and was really inspired by that. I wanted to include an explorer that would eventually be the one who finds the robot and tries to bring it back to life. The idea of of Frog Girl (the explorer in the piece) came while I was already working on the final colors, so I had to change her design a bit.

Have you always been interested in Robots? What sparked this interest? Who is your favorite robot?

My brother is really into science fiction books and through him I started to learn about some of Asimov's books and their plots. I've also read a lot of Phillip K. Dick, I just love his short stories and how he can establish an amazing plot within the first paragraph!

My brother has also written a couple of science fiction stories and I absolutely love them.
Also, being an animation fan, I'm gonna say my favorite Robot is a tie between the Iron Giant and Baymax.

Do you have any upcoming projects you can tell people about?

I'll be illustrating the unabridged version of The Jungle book this year. So I'm really excited and nervous about that.

Where can people find/follow your work?

Website: www.rafaelmayani.com
Instagram: @rmayani
Twitter: @rmayani

Thanks, Rafael, it was an absolute pleasure sharing your work!

Botanica - Artists Announced!

BOTANICA ARTISTS ANNOUNCED!

We are pleased to announce the artists that have been selected to participate in the upcoming Botanica exhibition! We look forward to showcasing the new artwork and previews as we lead up to the exhibition, opening April 15th from 7-10pm.

Congratulations to all of the Botanica artists:
A. Sparrow, Adam Pritchett, Alexxander Dovelin, Alice Lee, Alice Yang, Alison George, Alyssa Winans, Amanda Herzman, Andrew Kolb, Andrew Olson, Angela An, Angela Rizza, Angela Taguiang, Anine Bösenberg, Ann Macarayan, Ashley Hohnstein, Ashley Mackenzie, Bekky Sunmi Shin, Brett Martin, Caitlin Ono, Cameron Garland, Camille Benyamina, Catherine Ho, Catherine Unger, Charlotte Gomez, Chervelle Fryer, Cornelia Li, Dane Cozens, Darla Okada, Diana Flores Blazquez, Diyou Wu, Drew Shannon, Emily Herr, Emily Walus, Emma Trithart, Erik Krenz, Erin McGuire, Francesca Buchko, Geraldine Sy, Grace Kim, Hannah Kennedy, Isa Bancewicz, Isuri Merenchi Hewage, James Lavella, Jane Bak, Jared Tuttle, Jen Bartel, Jenn Liv, Jenn Tran, Jennifer Bilton, Jennifer Parks, Jenny Bookler, Jessica Roux, Joana Rosa Bragança, John Wilinski, Jon Marchione, Junyi Wu, JV Calanoc, Kate O'Hara, Katherine Lim, Katherine Walsh, Kathleen Marcotte, Katie Sanvick, Katie Tume, Kelly Wagner, Kevin McGivern, Kindra Nikole, Kora C., Kruella d'Enfer, La Scarlatte (Pauline Teunissen), Lana Chan, Lauren Henderson, Lauren Wilmshurst, Lilian Crooks, Lindsay Nohl, Lisa Manuzak, Liz Pulido, Louie Zong, Luisa Rivera, Lynn Scurfield, Maggie Chiang, Maggie Ivy, Mai Ly Degnan, Malisa Suchanya, Maria Nguyen, Marie Renaud, Marilyn Foehrenbach, Marion Bordeyne, Marisa Seguin, Mary Sanche, Matt Hayton, Matthew Cicanese, Meredith Miotke, Monica Esquivel, Nan Lawson, Natalie Dombois, Nechaeva Evgenia, Niall Grant, Nicholas Kennedy, Nicole Gustafsson, Niky Motekallem, Paul Reinwand, Philippe Poirier, Phoenix Chan, Pierre Kleinhouse, Priya Bansal, Rachel Maves, Rafael Mayani, Rhea Ewing, Sam Rowe, Sander B, Sara Kipin, Sarah Webb, Shawn Pedralba, Sophia Heymans, Sophie Blackhall-Cain, Stephanie Shafer, Sylvain C., Tara Han-Tran Johnson, Trisha Previte, Vaughn Pinpin, Vero Navarro, Xanthe Bouma, Yinfan Huang, Zachary Keenan

We had a HUGE response to this show, so thank you to everyone who submitted! Stay tuned for more info as we get closer!!

Podcast: Surprises

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

Surprises
Length: 01:06:26
Synopsis: We're back after a short hiatus filled with all sorts of surprises, ranging from tantalizingly exciting to heartbreakingly sad. On this week's podcast, Jenny, Chris, and Lindsay recap the final leg of the Ouray Art Camp trip, bring listeners up to speed with what's been happening at the gallery so far this year, and share what's coming soon. Also, as of March, Light Grey Art Lab is now four years young!

And remember you can subscribe to our podcast via iTunes!

Show Notes:
Gallery invites artists to design the robots we never had - MPR News
The Robo Show
Light Grey Game Night

Light Grey Game Night: Wanderlust

Every once in a while you'll be struck with a pang, deep within your stomach. Strange at first, you'll soon feel the irresistible urge to throw some socks and underwear in a backpack, jump on a plane to an unknown land, and start hiking to the far reaches of civilization. This desire to travel is known as wanderlust, and if you're feeling the urge to make like a banana and split, it must be time for another Light Grey Game Night! So mark your calendar for Thursday, March 3rd 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 Wanderlust!

So hop the nearest line in Ticket to Ride, climb the most deadly peak in K2, or run amok across the ancient world in Tales of Arabian Nights, 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!

P.S. - There will be a brief Light Grey Game Night break after this event as we've been so inspired by the theme that we'll be heading to Japan for a couple weeks! Expect game night to return roughly a month from this event. Watch the blog for an official date!

Light Grey Game Night: Aftermath

Now that the Robo Show has unleashed it's devastating payload upon the earth, all that's left is a scattering of survivors and the smoldering wreckage. If you feel like coming together for warmth and camaraderie on a dark, cold night in the unrecognizable wasteland that our world has become, it must be time for another Light Grey Game Night! So mark your calendar for Thursday, February 18th 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 aftermath!

So join us to scrounge the frozen waste for supplies and weapons in Arctic Scavengers, survive alongside the undead masses in Dead of Winter, or establish a new world order in 51st State, 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!

CALL FOR ARTISTS: BOTANICA!

One by one, her soft footsteps fell upon the dusty Earth. And where she trod, each step became a lake. Where she was too tired to lift her feet, her heels dug canyons. At night, she sunk into the land and pulled blankets of earth around her shoulders, the breath from her lips warming the cold roots beneath the early spring chill. As she slept, her dreams surfaced and out of the earth in colorful symbols of her visions. They were shaped like the stars, some like the fingers of an old woman -- others were explosions of color, glassy orbs, soft cakes amongst the night mist.

BOTANICA
Opens April 15 • 7 - 10pm
Light Grey Art Lab
118 E. 26th Street #101
Minneapolis Minnesota 55404
612.239.2047

We are looking for artists that want to shake off the cold and help us create a garden of wonders. Do you have an origin story of how the land we love came to be? Show us Gaia, The Cosmic Turtle with the world on it's back, Hou Tu, Tonantzin, or one of the many earth origin stories. Maybe create a new mythology behind the behavior of mold and fungus. The Earth has an ingrained connection with our health, our ceremonies, our appreciation of beauty, wonder, and longevity. Poultices, decorations, food, clothing and our homes are made of plants, and their presence can't be separated from our lives.

In honor of the coming spring season and in celebration of Light Grey Art Lab's 4th Birthday, we are looking for artists of all types to create botanical wonders (real or imagined). We welcome paintings, drawings, digital work, sculpture, paper craft, embroidery, fashion and jewelry, photography and sequential work for this exhibition (among other media.) In order to make it easier to participate from afar, we'll be printing an exhibition copy of the work for all artists for free that choose not to send a physical work to the gallery for this exhibition. Artists are welcome to submit either physical work or digital work for this exhibition. (Please note that we need all artwork to arrive to the gallery by April 5, no exceptions, so please plan accordingly if you are interested in sending physical artwork.)

If you are interested in participating in our April exhibition, please put your name, a link to your blog/ website, and your email like so in the comments section:
Example:
Lindsay Nohl
lindsaynohl.com
hello@lightgreyartlab.com

IMPORTANT DATES TO CONSIDER:
The call for art ends March 2
We will be announcing the participating artist list by March 6th
Artwork will be due to the gallery by April 5th (sorry, this is a tight schedule!)
The exhibition opening reception is Friday, April 15th

Thanks so much and please feel free to send a note with any questions to hello@lightgreyartlab.com
---Lindsay

Podcast: Shuffle Buddies - Two to Tango

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

Shuffle Buddies: Two to Tango
Length: 02:20:07
Synopsis: On this week's podcast it's another boardgame-focused installment of the Light Grey Art Lab Podcast. Since this is becoming a reoccurring format, we've decided to give it an official title; Shuffle Buddies™! Valentine's Day is here and loving couples can be found hand in hand, strolling the promenade, in the corner booth at the dime store sharing a cherry phosphate, and of course, playing two player boardgames! So in the spirit of the holiday, Chris and Francesca talk about hot new games you can play with your sweetie, and share a list of our top(ish) three 2-player games!

And remember you can subscribe to our podcast via iTunes!

Show Notes:
The Robo Show
Light Grey Game Night

The ROBO SHOW Opens Next Friday!

Next Friday, February 12th is the opening reception for The ROBO SHOW, it is absolutely crazy that it's almost here! From 7-10pm next Friday bring all your robo-loving friends and come hang out with us! You take in all the mechanical mayhem your brains can handle. If you want more information on the show topic itself you can check out the page for it here. Also, there's a Facebook event page for the opening reception right here for anyone that's interested.

Above is a little sneak peek / recap of just a few of the incredible illustrations that make up this exhibition! Everyone who's participating has seriously gone above and beyond with their artwork and concepts! If you're curious you can hover over the images above for the artist's name, and bonus info about their piece!

Thank you all for your wonderful support!

Podcast: 2015/2016 Ouray Diaries : Part Two

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

2015/2016 Ouray Diaries : Part Two
Length: 01:00:10
Synopsis: During the final days of 2015, the Light Grey Art Lab team brought a group of artists to beautiful Ouray, Colorado for a week fun, adventure, and new experiences! In part two of a multi-part Ouray Diaries series, Jenny, Chris, and Lindsay take a moment each day to reflect on the travels, discussions, logistics, memorable moments and more.

And remember you can subscribe to our podcast via iTunes!

Show Notes:
The Robo Show
Light Grey Game Night

Light Grey Game Night: Techo Future

The Robo Show is nearly here, and it's time to kick our battlemechs into high gear and rocket into hyperspace! We're headed to the future, and if where you're going, you don't need roads, it must be time for another Light Grey Game Night! So mark your calendar for Thursday, February 4th 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 Techno Future!

Witness a Battle Royale between mechs, robot dragons, and cyber-bugs in King of New York, adapt alien technology defend the Earth from an interstellar invasion in XCOM: The Board Game, or take advantage of your synthetic humanoid technology to break into mega-corp CyberSolutions Inc. and commit futuristic larceny in Infiltration, 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: 2015/2016 Ouray Diaries : Part One

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

2015/2016 Ouray Diaries : Part One
Length: 01:02:09
Synopsis: During the final days of 2015, the Light Grey Art Lab team brought a group of artists to beautiful Ouray, Colorado for a week fun, adventure, and new experiences! In the first part of a multi-part Ouray Diaries series, Jenny, Chris, and Lindsay take a moment each day to reflect on the travels, discussions, logistics, memorable moments and more.

And remember you can subscribe to our podcast via iTunes!

Here's Jenny packed neck-deep into the load of crap we hauled 1/2 way across the country!

Show Notes:
The Robo Show
Light Grey Game Night

Light Grey Art Camp: Ouray, Colorado- Update!

Ice Climber scaling the wall in the Ouray Ice Park.

We just returned to Minneapolis after a week-long, creative adventure in Ouray, Colorado! For this Light Grey Art Camp, we invited 12 artists to join us in a New Year's trip filled with outdoor adventures, personal 'firsts', snow covered mountains, scenic vistas, and quaint mountain towns!

Yinfan Huang, Anuja Pothireddy, and Lindsay Nohl riding the gondolas in Telluride, Colorado.

We were nestled in a cozy cabin in Ridgway, Colorado where we had plenty of space to create artwork, sit by the fire, and view deer and elk out the living room windows - it was a winter wonderland! Throughout the week, we led several fun workshops, beginning-of-the-year brainstorms, mini projects, and board game nights.

Artists, Jessica Roux and Nick Stratton, at the Ouray Ice Park — Artists, Jessica Roux and Nick Stratton, at the Ouray Ice Park

Each day, the artists had the opportunity to participate in some really unique winter activities. We went skiing in Telluride, Ice Climbing at the Ouray Ice Park, Ice Skating in Mountain Village, swim in the hot springs, and explore the neighboring ghost towns.

One of the many abandoned mining houses from the nearby Ghost Towns.

More photos, documentation, and a recap is coming soon! If you would like to find out about our Light Grey travel programming and artists residencies, you can check out our page here.

The ROBO SHOW- Opening February 12th

Join us for the opening reception of the ROBO SHOW, February 12th from 7-10pm! This upcoming exhibition calls 70 artists to create original designs, mech allies, mobile suits, prosthetics, flying machines, bionics, war ships, and vessels - the ROBO SHOW celebrates real and imagined technology, and the mad genius behind the machines we would love to pilot.

The contributing artists have taken on the role of illustrative engineers. The work featured may be inspired by a range --WWI machinery, science fiction vessels, fantastical objects, space crafts, war vehicles and artillery - these mobile suits belong in distant lands, futuristic planets, and foregone cities.

The opening reception is free and open to the public. The exhibition will be on display through the end of March, and limited edition prints available on the Light Grey Shop throughout the show.

Light Grey Game Night: Fresh Start

Make way! 2016 is banging at the door and no one's gonna stop it! If you're still feeling the effects from New Years Eve, slowly rubbing sleep crust from your eyes and shaking holiday cookie crumbs from your pajamas, don't worry! It must be time for another Light Grey Game Night, and time for a fresh start! So mark your calendar for Thursday, January 21st 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 Fresh Start!

Take a vacation to race around the beautiful Caribbean filling your hull with food and treasure in Jamaica, leave your familiar life behind as you boldly lead your expedition to the Pacific in Lewis and Clark, plan out your new summer abode in The Castles of Mad King Ludwig, or get a head start on family planning with Evolution, 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!