Light Grey Game Night: Crime Pays

Vincent and Jules. Ursula. Kerriga. Joker. GLaDOS. Loki. Walter White. Omar. Shere Khan. Cobra Kai Sensei. Admit it, sometimes you root for the bad guy. They make their own rules and are just more interesting than their heroic counterparts. If only YOU could be so cool! But... maybe you can? If you feel the overwhelming urge to go on a lighthearted crime-spree, that means it's time for another Light Grey Game Night! So mark your calendar for Thursday, June 16th 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 Crime Pays!

Steal a small fortune of unconventional treasures in the cooperative heist game Burgle Bros., hack the system and make off with juicy corporate secrets in Infiltration, perfect your steely gaze in Ca$h 'n Guns, or pull off an epic Renegade win in BANG! The Dice Game, 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!

Light Grey Iceland Residency 2017

LIGHT GREY ART LAB ICELAND RESIDENCY PROGRAM 2017 info just went live! Applications accepted through JULY 15, 2016. Please Share!

Light Grey Art Lab is a community oriented arts organization dedicated to bringing practicing artists together to exhibit, collaborate, learn and share. We invite artists to apply for a spot in our 2017 residency program.

Join a small team of exceptional creators on a journey of discovery, collaboration and inspiration as we explore one of the most incredible and fragile landscapes in the world. Dipping into the Arctic Circle, Iceland’s landscape is a paradoxically gorgeous mixture of fire and ice, home to diverse varieties of lichen, bird-life, and etherial glaciers. We welcome artists from all over the world to apply for this residency and are looking forward to the diverse backgrounds and perspectives we’ll share abroad.

Our upcoming 6 day / 5 night residency program will take place during the summer season in 2017: This year we have two sessions – July 21st, 2017 through July 26th, 2017 and July 28th, 2017 through August 2nd, 2017.

Explore exotic formations and serene spaces with other creatives, sketchbook in-hand. Learn about the geology, culture and mythology of the land from the Light Grey Team as we travel behind waterfalls and past basalt beaches – at night, we’ll converse and learn through artist-led workshops on practice, theory and technique in our cozy cabin.

Details on applying & more information is available HERE, or to take take a look at past artist-in-residence experiences and teams. Two work-study scholarship positions are available for the 2017 program – details on applying HERE.

Please share with your wanderlust having, creative friends! Thanks for spreading the word!

Please feel free to email with any questions : hello@lightgreyartlab.com

NEVER ODD OR EVEN - Artists Announced!

We are pleased to announce the group of artists who will be joining us for the upcoming Never Odd or Even Exhibition. The exhibition will be opening July 15th from 7-10pm and will include new works by 60+ creatives from around the world. The show explores duality, paradox, palindromes, and reflections.

Participating Artists: Abbey Lossing, Agnieszka Grochalska, Alanna Stapleton, Alex Dos Diaz, Alexxander Dovelin, Alison George, Amanda Lea Burke, Amanda Nordman, Andy Bennett, Anissa Espinosa, Aren Vandenburgh, Ashley Mackenzie, Bryan Paul Patterson, Camille Benyamina, Camille Chew, Catherine Ho, Charlotte Gomez, Chrissy Curtin, Claire Hummel, Cornelia Li, Daniel Gray, Emily Coffee, Emma Lazauski, Frances Alvarez, Gabriella Barouch, Ivy Chang, Jasu Hu, Jeff Lee Johnson, Jessica Roux, Joe Casanova, Julia Griffin, Julie Wilmore, Karina Rehrbehn, Kelley McMorris, Kelly Leigh Miller, Kelly Wagner, Kelsey Eng, Kevin McGivern, Kring Demetrio, Laura Lewis, Leonard Peng, Liz Pulido, Luisa Uribe, Maggie Chiang, Maggie Ivy, Natalie Dombois, Priscilla Boatwright, Rafael Mayani, Rodrica Cogle, Rosemary Valero-O'Connell, Sam Schechter, Samuel Lee, Sara K. Diesel, Sara Kipin, Shawn Pedralba, Shirley Chan, Sishir Bommakanti, Syd Weiler, Tara Phillips, Taryn Gee, Toby Thane Neighbors, Wenjia Tang

Light Grey Game Night: Survival

We've just returned from Grand Teton National Park, and let me tell you; the world is a dangerous place. Wild bears, crumbling precipices, strangers in the woods... you never know what peril you may encounter. It's important to be prepared, so if your adrenaline is pumping and you feel the overwhelming urge for fight or flight, that means it's time for another Light Grey Game Night! So mark your calendar for Thursday, June 2nd 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 Survival!

So join us as we barricade the windows to keep out the zombie hoard in Dead of Winter, battle through bullets, blizzards, and bad vibes in the Grizzled, or stand tall as the final line of defense against an invading alien onslaught in XCOM: The Board Game 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 Cameron Garland

Meet Cameron Garland, a self-taught illustrator and cut-paper artist currently based in the serene city of Edmonds, Washington. Cameron graduated from the University of Washington with a BFA in Art History, but didn’t pursue art as a career until the age of 25, from which point he has been constantly working and creating his beautiful and delicate pieces for freelance clients and galleries.

When he’s not doing work for clients such as Disney Parks, Nordstrom, and Marvel, he’s tabling at conventions, creating personal work, and contributing to gallery shows. Cameron is a very welcome addition to Light Grey’s own Botanica Exhibition.

You can read about Cameron's artwork, process, and inspirations below. You can also see more of his projects on his website here:

https://www.behance.net/camerongarland

What does your workspace look like? Where do you gather the materials for your cut-paper pieces?

I'm not even going to pretend like my workspace is ever clean. It's always a jumbled mess of scrap paper and colored pencils, but I like to keep myself surrounded by toys, art books, and prints I've collected through the years. Right now, I'm tucked away in a spare bonus room while we work on remodeling the entirety of our new home. It's the largest space I've ever worked in, so I'm really enjoying having several desks set up to spread my clutter. My dog also requires her own designated area of the office, because she hardly ever leaves my side.

I've compiled a pretty large collection of colored paper that I've purchased everywhere and anywhere I can find it, and I do my best to keep them organized by color in storage carts that I'm able to tuck under my desks. After some of my favorite colors that were discontinued, I've learned to not be wasteful with my paper and have kept just about every single piece of scrap paper from every piece I've done, no matter how small it is.

What is your process like for these pieces? Each of them have so many tiny details and embellishments, and the medium you work in is pretty uncommon in the larger illustration world, what drew you to this form of art making?

My process is very organic and unconventional, which I attribute to learning the cut-paper medium purely through exploration and experimentation. Often times, I will have a vague idea, and immediately begin gathering the colors I'd like to use and comparing what works. I typically start with what I consider to be the focal point of the piece (usually the most difficult part) and then work outwards, adding details as I go along and expanding on my ideas and concepts. I'm terrible aboutplanning and sketching things out prior to cutting, but I greatly enjoy the "Aha!" moments of unexpected discovery and little surprises that come from this process. I like to just 'going for it' and let the piece evolve as I make it. Doing this also really helps keeps me invested throughout the entirety of a piece, since they can take me quite a while to finish.

What drew me to this medium was how different it felt compared to illustration. From an interaction standpoint, both as a creator and viewer, these 3-dimensional pieces communicate in a very different way than digital/traditional illustration. They exist independently and physically occupy the viewer's space and aren't confined to the flat surface of 2 dimensions, sort of blurring the lines of reality in a sense. I can hold a piece in my hand and study it from several different angles, giving it a very dynamic effect, which is something I really enjoy.

Nature and flora seem to go hand in hand with the dimensionality and graphic elements of your work. Do you draw a lot of inspiration from the natural world? Do you have any specific types of environments that you’re interested in, both artistically and in your own life?

As of late, tons of my inspiration comes from appreciating my new environment, after trading in large apartment complex and office buildings for rich greenery engulfing our new neighborhood in Edmonds. The subtle blending of differing greens and browns, with the sporadic and loud blooming of contrasting hues helps me to see combinations of colors that I never would have been able to conceive of on my own. I draw inspiration from many different environments though, and I do my best to try and break down what makes them so unique. So many hidden qualities get lost in the entirety of the environment, and it takes a lot of time and patience to appreciate it all.

What has been your favorite project so far? Any dream gigs?

Choosing a favorite project is tough! To me it's like asking which of your children is your favorite or who makes the best chicken nuggets... they’re all my favorite! While I love all the exhibition and client work I've done over the past few years, what I've had the most fun doing are a series of tiny themed houses, which is in preparation for a large gallery show I'll be participating in later this year. What I love most about these pieces is not only the challenge they present in terms of scale, but also figuring out new ways to incorporate more and more detail into my pieces, which I always put a HUGE emphasis on. I really enjoy including little hidden components for the viewer to find on their own, almost like a Where's Waldo spread.

Someday do work for a major studio like Laika or Cartoon Network doing prop design or something along those lines, or even doing toy design somewhere, but my ultimate goal is to eventually get a children's book published. And as corny as it may sound, I think I'm currently living out my dream gig and I've been so thankful for each opportunity I get to share my work -- it has really been a dream come true!

What else have you been working on recently? Any big projects or events that you’re excited about?

I just finished up a small collaboration series with long time Light Grey artist, Angela An, which was a lot of fun! I have several unannounced gallery exhibitions lined up for the remainder of 2016, two really big ones with Q Pop Shop and Hero Complex Gallery! Other than that, I've been super busy working alongside my wife and in-laws as we do the bulk of the home remodeling ourselves. So far, nothing has caught fire or exploded, so it's going pretty ok at the moment.

Who are some of your favorite artists? Favorite resources, media, or other inspirations?

So much of my inspiration comes from differing art styles and mediums, it's hard to narrow it down to a few names. My father gave me his comic book collection of childhood comics when I was young, and I have loved comic books ever since!! They are what got me interested in art. I grew to love anything involving Jack Kirby, Mike Allred, Steve Rude, and Paolo Rivera; they are my Mount Rushmore of inspiration. As of late, I've been closely studying the work of Cory Loftis, Benji Davies, Amélie Flechais, Sam Bosma, Louie Zong, Campbell Whyte and Cale Atkinson. I admire each of them for very specific aspects of their work, whether it be their shapes, application of color, sense of design, lines, etc. My love of details and accessories/props comes directly from toys and video games that I grew up with in the early 90's. Mighty Max play sets and Star Wars Micro Machines gave me a huge appreciation for all things tiny, and the original NES Legend of Zelda taught me that it's really the accessories that make the hero.

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

People can find most of my work on Instagram: @campluswhit, but every once in a while I'll stop by Twitter to share little nuggets of incoherent nonsense full of grammatical errors, which is @campluswhit as well. I also try my best to keep my Tumblr updated and answer questions about anything and everything at cameronpluswhitney.tumblr.com.

Artist Interview with Jenn Liv

Meet Jenn Liv, a freelance illustrator and comics artist based in the greater Toronto area. Jenn graduated from OCAD University in 2013 with a BFA in Illustration, and is recognized for her colorful characters, humorous and narrative illustrations, and playful style! In the past several years, she has worked on projects and with clients such as 1001 Knights, Pyrite Press, Jenn Woodall’s recent FIGHT! Zine Round II, BOOM! Studios, and many more. We have also had the pleasure of working with Jenn on Light Grey projects such as Great Personality Exhibition and choose-your-own adventure dating game and the current Botanica Exhibition.

This week, we had the chance to talk with Jenn about her artistic practice, studio collective and love for complex storytelling! You can read the interview below and see more of Jenn Liv's work on her website here.

What does your workspace look like? What creates the perfect creative space for you and your practice?

I mainly work from home, which is pretty average for the most part. However, starting this year, I've been working in a shared studio space called Lunchroom. Lunchroom is a workspace hosted by Toronto-based photographer Gabriel Li. The culture is based around sharing meals together in a family style setting while having a comfortable space to work in. I usually visit the studio about 2 days a week and the relationship I've developed with my other studio mates really does feel like family. We share info and insight coming from our respective backgrounds, and keep each other updated on any projects we might be working on at the time or bounce off future ideas. As of now, we haven't collaborated on anything creatively yet, but we have discussed a few prospective things we'd like to try together as a collective.

For me, the best creative space is one with a relaxed setting and large windows with lots of natural lighting— to remind yourself of what the outside world looks like! Being surrounded by other like-minded individuals is also ideal, so you don't lose touch of what it's like to interact with other human beings! Also, preferably with a cat for an animal companion and of course lots of munchies. Food is the best mind fuel (or just anything fuel, don't forget to feed yourself no matter how busy you are).

Working in the Lunchroom-inspired piece for the Botanica Exhibition — Working in the Lunchroom-inspired piece for the *Botanica Exhibition*

Can you tell us about the piece you created for Botanica? What kind of research did you do? What drew you to your subject? What was your process like?

Lunchroom was the main inspiration for my Botanica piece because of the sheer amount of plant life Gabe has at his place. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to draw the studio because plants have a healing factor to them that helps to soothe any indoor space. I was really fascinated with the idea of bringing in exterior elements to transform an interior environment and I think Gabe's done a great job doing exactly that with Lunchroom. When you're working indoors for hours on end, you want to relieve that tension off your mind by surrounding yourself with natural things. For this piece I wanted to diverge from my usual style of focusing on detailed line work and tried using a more 'painterly' style, going back to traditional roots such as perspective, light and shadow, and drawing subjects from real life. My process involved spending a day at the studio to draw the space observationally, with my fellow studio members Pam Lau (a photographer) and Justine Wong (an illustrator) present in the piece. And of course, Russell the Kitty.

What is your typical process when approaching a piece? Do you have any favorite resources or materials?

Whenever I start a piece, I approach it with the mindset of wanting to try something new or slightly different than the last piece I worked on. This could mean using a new technique I've been wanting to try out or incorporating part of a topic that's been on my mind recently. While I was in school I wanted to become an illustrator who painted all of her illustrations in acrylics and oils. After graduating, I made the conversion to working completely digitally in Photoshop (like many do in our industry) because of the time constraints and so my mother could rest easier knowing I wasn't in constant contact with chemical painting substances. Thanks to Kyle T Webster’s brushes, there are a lot of amazing effects that can be recreated in the computer these days and I actually quite enjoy painting digitally using my tablet.

I also dabble in risograph printing every now and then, which is a nice change of pace when thinking of how to create an image that's restricted to only 2 or 3 colors. Colour Code Printing is a local risograph printer that has done an amazing job with printing my work in the past --Jesjit always delivers the best results!

Pack Mentality by Jenn Liv, Risograph print — *Pack Mentality* by Jenn Liv, Risograph print

A lot of your work seems to depict powerful women of both fiction and reality. Who are some of your favorite fictional or historical figures?

I am drawn to powerful women in all kinds of media and I always appreciate when they are portrayed in a positive light. However, a lot of my favorite female characters are quite the opposite and I wouldn't necessarily call them “ideal” role models. The anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, for example, has a really intriguing cast of female characters with a diverse range of profiles. Despite their talents and intelligence, by the ending of the series they are all broken down and psychologically unstable due to their impossible task of defending the Earth from alien forces and the top brass of their organization. It's their weaknesses and human complexity that make me so drawn to them in the first place.

Harley Quinn is also a recent female character I am very fascinated with for similar reasons. It's easy to dismiss her as a childish yet violent criminal on the surface, but her backstory as an academic individual and her abusive relationship with the Joker just adds so many layers to her character. In short, my favorite kind of characters (not just limited to women!) are the ones that have a 'dark side' or a conflicted state of mind. I love imperfect characters because they feel the most human and realistic to me. Not surprisingly I am also a HUGE Game of Thrones fan and my favorite character is Cersei Lannister.

You also work in comics, what kind of stories do you like to tell? What draws you to sequential narrative?

I've read manga ever since I was young, so that was what attracted me to the medium in the first place. Telling stories is a craft that is so difficult to do well which is why I love studying how others create them, not only in comics but also in film and TV shows as well. I've always approached comic making in a very experimental way both in narrative and visual style. The first title I published was called Beanstalk, which was a wordless black and white comic that was very surreal and abstract. MUAHAHAHA was a brief action comic that featured a female heroine fighting meaningless violence. Moth Bride is a short horror comic I'm putting on hold for now about the time my house was infested with moths for weeks and how it affected me psychologically.

For future comics, I would like to create a full-length narrative with interesting character dialogue and a thoroughly thought out storyline. There are so many genres I want to try out such as sci-fi, horror, adventure, comedy, and slice of life. Ideally, I want to create a story that invokes some kind of powerful emotion in the reader and explores what it means to be human. If I can achieve that in my lifetime then I think I'll be able to rest easier in my grave.

Does the natural world play a significant role in your practice or your life in general?

I would say my earlier illustration uses a lot more flora and fauna imagery compared to now. Recently I've taken a dive into fantasy and pop culture for inspiration, but nature helps ease my mind whenever I need it to. There is just so much visual content and inspiration to be drawn from nature, especially with plants. It just amazes me how many varieties of shapes that plant leaves come in, which makes them endlessly fun to draw. I have a humble collection of succulents in my room but I am not a huge plant person to be honest. I would love to try my hand at farming something one day though (nothing illegal of course).

Who are some of your favorite artists right now? Do you draw inspiration from any other forms of media?

Rebekka Dunlap, Sophia Foster-Dimino, Natalie Andrewson, Kris Mukai, Rebecca Mock, Wesley Allsbrook, Eleanor Davis, and Jillian Tamaki are currently the people I look up to the most, as other female illustrators who also make comics. Dadu Shin, Richie Pope, and Gracia Lam are also artists that I look at a lot because their concepts are just too darn good. I also draw a lot inspiration from Japanese illustrators that come from a manga or anime production background. My favurites are Tatsuyuki Tanaka, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Yusuke Nakamura, Inio Asano, Taiyo Matsumoto, and Seiichi Hayashi.

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

I'm hoping to publish a short novel comic this year that would debut at SPX Expo! I would like for it to be light hearted yet very emotional near the end. If it causes some tear-jerking responses then I will be very pleased.

Do you have any dream projects that you’d like to work on, either personal or commercial?

I've always wanted to make my own cartoon or work on making one with others. That's always been my one big dream in life ever since I was a kid and I do have second doubts about not going down the animation path from time to time. As I get older, however, I'm starting to wonder how feasible that goal really is. But I haven't given up hope yet! Despite how difficult a career being a freelance illustrator sometimes is, I do love being one nonetheless. I have recently downsized my goal to publishing a novel length slice of life/human drama comic sometime in the near future. I have quite a number of story ideas swimming around in my head. The dilemma is being able to find the time in between projects to sit down and materialize these thoughts into fruition.

Anything else you’d like to add? Where can people find your work?

Never give up your dream but don't destroy yourself in the process, e.g. Andrew Neiman Whiplash style. That's my take on the movie; I don't believe you need to push yourself to the limit in order to achieve greatness. But dedicating your life to a passion you really care about is a very admirable thing, e.g. Jiro Dreams of Sushi style.

You can find my portfolio and social media links at http://www.jennliv.com.

Artist Interview with Geraldine Sy

Geraldine Sy's work Fashion — Geraldine Sy's work *Fashion*

Meet Geraldine Sy, an editorial and freelance illustrator living and working in Cebu, Philippines. Geraldine studied graphics and media at a local Cebu college, and currently works as an illustrator at Weekend Magazine. Her artwork is known for its gorgeous and vibrant color palettes, well-integrated narrative, and playful environments!

Geraldine's work has been featured by clients such as Wineist and Tesco One Magazine and displayed in DesignUbec's Art + Design Exhibit 2014 and 2015. Last year she was also selected as one of Photoshop's 25 Under 25 artists for Photoshop's 25th anniversary.

We also had the pleasure of working with Geraldine in our current exhibition Botanica. Below you can get some insight into her process and inspirations! Also, be sure to look here for a ton more of her work!

What is your studio/workspace like? Do you have any objects or collections that are always around while you're working that you feel are important to your practice?

My 'studio' is really just a corner of my apartment where my computer and art supplies are, but In my desk I keep this small frog sculpture that creates a croaking sound when you run a stick through its ridged back. I stumbled across it at a shop and just knew that I had to have it.

Geraldine Sy's work How to Befriend a Mountain for Weekend Magazine — Geraldine Sy's work *How to Befriend a Mountain* for Weekend Magazine

A lot of your work seems to explore landscapes and the interactions that we as people have with them. Is that a large interest to you? Was there a specific moment where it became a subject of interest for you to explore in your artwork?

I have always been in awe of nature and the beauty of nature! Most of the literature and art that I admire has a direct connection to nature, it's an inescapable part of being human. The natural world and our interaction with it was a subject that came up again and again when I created work, and now it has become a big part of my work. I believe that our habitat and its health are things that should be taken seriously.

What is your process typically like for creating your artwork? How do you handle your work flow from ideation, to image, to final piece of artwork?

All of my work starts as a sketch on paper, I've never been able to draw properly directly on a screen or tablet. Usually when an idea erupts from my head, I write it down on a small notebook and sketch it when I have time. Then, I scan and use the computer to color and finalize the artwork. My favorite part of creating is drawing on paper when an idea is very malleable and there are offshoots of one idea that I can eventually expand and work on.

Geraldine Sy's work An Ominous Tree for Botanica, Light Grey Art Lab 2016 — Geraldine Sy's work *An Ominous Tree* for B otanica, Light Grey Art Lab 2016

Can you tell me a bit more about your piece for the Botanica exhibition? The lore that you incorporated into the piece is incredibly interesting, what made you want to illustrate the subject that you chose? Does the subject hold any weight with you personally?

When I was growing up, we had a large tree in our yard and all the old folks say that the tree was haunted -- that other beings lived there. There were stories that some of my relatives actually saw these beings in the flesh! I personally take these stories with a grain of salt, but this myth made the idea of a relationship between the paranormal and trees as something natural to me. As a Filipino, these kinds of folklore are very common, and trees become revered beings that deserved respect. Superstitious people would say 'tabi-tabi po' (pardon me or please let me pass) when passing by an eerie tree or place as a way of seeking passage from any paranormal entities that live there. I decided to illustrate the concept because I think that it is an fascinating aspect of my culture.

Were there any significant moments while creating the piece for the show?

I don't know if you could call this a challenge, probably not, but deciding on a color palette for a piece is an endless process for me. I could be coloring for hours and still not be satisfied. So I think it's really helpful when you have an external source that could look at your work and tell you if it's ok or not. My boyfriend is this person for me, so I ask his opinion a dozen times before I turn my work in.

Geraldine Sy's work Dog-Walking for Weekend Magazine — Geraldine Sy's work *Dog-Walking* for Weekend Magazine

What are some of your favorite hobbies outside of art making? Do they influence your artistic practice? What is your artistic community like?

I have always loved to read. I have a growing library at home, and most of the books I read are adult literary fiction. I think reading has helped me tremendously as an artist – it makes for some mental exercise – and, I like drawing about the books and articles that I have read. Most of the artwork I do actually ties in with a piece of writing.

Geraldine Sy's work Bookends, Personal — Geraldine Sy's work *Bookends*, Personal

What's your favorite project that you've had the chance to be a part of?

There's a lot of projects that were really fun for me, like the Photoshop feature and Behance reviews, and also this great honor of being a part of Botanica! But really, just being around creative people and interacting with them is very exciting for me.

Geraldine Sy's work Mayari — Geraldine Sy's work *Mayari*

Where can people find/follow your work?

You can find me on:
Instagram: @gerri.sy
Behance: geraldinesy
Tumblr: geraldinesy
Facebook: GeraldineSy.Illustrator

Thanks Again, Geraldine!

Light Grey Game Night: Going Once...

You want it. You know you want it. But so do they. And the only thing that's going to decide who walks away with the prize is steely determination and cold, hard cash. As the auctioneer starts hollering, the bids start flying. Like bullets whizzing overhead in combat, you can't tell where they're coming from, but you know they're aimed at you. You try to keep up, but it's too much to handle, finally you you let out a furious bellow with your final bid.

"Going once... Going twice... SOLD!"

You did it. It's yours. You are the proud owner of a complete set of vintage McDonalds Happy Meal Muppet Babies figures. And it only cost you seventy thousands dollars... As your stomach sinks at the realization that you might have got caught up in the frenzy of an open market, you feel the first stabbing pangs of buyer's remorse... and that means it must be time for another Light Grey Game Night! So mark your calendar for Thursday, May 5th 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 Going Once..., where we'll be playing games with auctions, markets, and trading!

So grab your best bidding paddle and throw some cash at extravagant additions to your estate in The Castles of Mad King Ludwig, bid for the right to serve a nobel samurai in Royal Warrant, or furiously overspend in the dexterity auction crossover Going, Going, Gone!, 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: NEVER ODD OR EVEN

THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE THAT PUT THEIR NAME IN THE HAT FOR THIS EXHIBITION! WE WILL BE ANNOUNCING THE FINAL LIST OF ARTISTS SHORTLY!

"Someone's trash is another person's treasure." That's the last thing she said to you as you embraced on the wet steps of her apartment building. The adrenaline of the moment was gone and now you were alone and tender. You could feel the ache with each beat of your heart -- you were raw and longing.

You moved cautiously through the side streets with your arms tucked in the crooks of your elbows. In a daze, you shuffled through the greasy puddles, soaking through your shoes and saturating your socks. It was uncannily similar to how you felt the day after getting a tattoo. You yearned to show the world how so much had changed today, but didn't want to expose it quite yet. What if something happened -- what if you messed something up. You thought about tomorrow. What would happen then? Would you still burn? In a quiet moment you would find yourself lost in thought. Thinking over each moment slowly. Meticulously. It was so clear, yet none of this made sense. It was terrible, and wonderful.

NEVER ODD OR EVEN
Opens JULY 1 • 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 explore the intricacies of duality with us. In life, we suffer the guilt of loving things that are bad, and hating things that are good. Can two seemingly disparate concepts share the same origin? What if something we thought we knew wasn't at all what we assumed?

How does perception color content, and isn't there another side to this story?

Are love and hate actually inseparable? If science and religion had a baby, might it look a lot like quantum physics? Do good intentions matter? Does everyone have a dark side? And what does that mean about how great of a person I really am? How is it possible that the world's deadliest venom also offer some of the most incredible healing properties? Are people really using cancer to fight cancer and if you knew it might save a life, would you knowingly administer it as a treatment? Do a person's vices of drinking, sleeping, and having sex make for a longer life?

Let's explore paradoxical questions in both in content and design. Reversible or mirrored posters are fantastic. Can you make an image that reads both right-side up, and up-side down? Are you interested in creating typographic palindromes? Maybe choose an illustrative approach to conflict, controversy, or paradox. Can you help us see the flip side? In the month of July, we'll be exploring paradox and duality through our programming, podcasts & more. Let's try to truly understand the philosophy of Yin & Yang.

-ALSO-

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 to participate. All of the works for this show will be showcased as digital prints in the gallery (due to the short timeline.) but you are welcome to work in any medium you see fit. Details for size, dates, and other specifics will be sent out to participating artists as soon as the jurying is complete!

IMPORTANT DATES TO CONSIDER:
The call for art ends May 10.
We will be announcing the participating artist list the week of May 13th
Artwork files will be due to the gallery by Friday, June 17th.
The exhibition opening reception is Friday, July 1st

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

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

Podcast: 2016 Japan Diaries - Part Three

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

2016 Japan Diaries - Part Three
Length: 01:05:40
Synopsis: This week's podcast comes to you straight from Japan! Lindsay and Chris headed to Japan in March to explore, learn, shop, hike, and eat. Each night, we took a moment to report back about the things we were finding, the food we were eating, and the cats we were petting. This week picks up right where we left off atop Mount Misen, and continues through our final adventures in Japan. Thanks for tuning in!

Show Notes:
B otanica
Light Grey Game Night

Podcast: 2016 Japan Diaries - Part Two

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

2016 Japan Diaries - Part Two
Length: 01:15:39
Synopsis: This week's podcast comes to you straight from Japan! Lindsay and Chris headed to Japan in March to explore, learn, shop, hike, and eat. Each night, we took a moment to report back about the things we were finding, the food we were eating, and the cats we were petting. This week picks up right where we left off, and finds Lindsay and Chris rocking some karaoke, getting lost in the middle of the night, and of course, petting more cats. Forgive the audio quality and any pronunciation errors as these are the raw, uncut ramblings of some weary travelers, and stay tuned for more to come!

Show Notes:
B otanica
Light Grey Game Night

Light Grey Game Night: Growth

With the opening reception of Botanica here at last, it's official; spring has sprung. And with it comes new horizons, growth, and plenty of allergies. If you've got a nasty rash and you want to scratch your eyes out, that means it must be time for another Light Grey Game Night! So mark your calendar for Thursday, April 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 Growth!

Tend to your farm and raise a bountiful harvest in the classic Agricola, build a sprawling metropolis of high-rises in New York 1901, and grow your sprawling, subterranean village in Above and Below, 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: 2016 Japan Diaries - Part One

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

2016 Japan Diaries - Part One
Length: 01:43:46
Synopsis: This week's podcast comes to you straight from Japan! Lindsay and Chris headed to Japan in March to explore, learn, shop, hike, and eat. Each night, we took a moment to report back about the things we were finding, the food we were eating, and the cats we were petting. This week starts with our long and painful flight to Japan, and continues through adventures in and around Osaka and Kobe. Forgive the audio quality and any pronunciation errors as these are the raw, uncut ramblings of some weary travelers, and stay turned for more to come!

Show Notes:
B otanica
Light Grey Game Night

Podcast: Shuffle Buddies - Samurai Showdown

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

Shuffle Buddies: Samurai Showdown
Length: 01:20:04
Synopsis: Shuffle Buddies is back with another boardgame-packed episode! On this week's episode Chris and Francesca have just returned from Asia, and we've got stories about Japanese boardgame stores, Chinese internet cafes, and a slew of new games purchased in foreign lands. We give an overview on some Japanese games like Deep Sea Adventure, Nine Tiles, A Fake Artist Goes to New York, and Royal Warrant, and then review the Reiner Knizia classic, Samurai.

And remember you can subscribe to our podcast via iTunes!

Show Notes:
B otanica
Light Grey Game Night

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!!