May 2008

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Now I Got Worry (StressMonkey)

May 29, 2008 in Art - Recent Work, ` | 12 comments

StressMonkey cut paper art by Patrick Gannoncut paper / wood 11 7/8″ x 8 7/8″ ( 30cm x 20cm)

During High School I went through a strange 6-month patch where my whole world seemed to revolve around turtles. Not real live turtles. The theme of turtles. A friend tried to nickname me “Turtle” (it didn’t take). After a car accident, a vet I worked with concocted this amazing story about how a turtle had been the cause. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were huge. The list goes on. In fact, the list got so long that I decided it could not be coincidence. The universe was trying to give me a message, and that message was “TURTLE”. I still have no idea what it all means.

Nowadays, turtles have taken a backseat to monkeys. Monkeys are great. They share so many behaviors with us “higher” primates, it’s easy to see ourselves in them. And they worry. Or at least seem to. That’s where “StressMonkey” comes from. It’s my nickname for anyone who thrives on stress. There’re alot of us around. Read the rest of this entry »

Design Festa Recap

May 25, 2008 in Exhibitions & Events, Japan, News | 4 comments

Last weekend, May 17th and 18th, Design Festa took over the massive Tokyo Big Sight convention center. I’ve visited the event twice before, but this was the first time I had a booth to show my work. A few months ago when I first signed up, I intended DF to be a sort of coming out party in Japan; my self-introduction to the folks in Tokyo. As it turned out, this was actually my third event here in Tokyo in as many months. Design Festa, with about 7,000 exhibitors from every field and genre of the arts and 60,000 visitors was by far the largest crowd I’ve ever met.Patick Gannon at Design Festa, May 2008

Overall, DF was a great, if exhausting experience. I met an incalculable number of people, talked continuously about my work, gave away all my business cards, and even managed to sell some new stuff. New button-badges, postcards, and giclee prints all made their debut at the Festa. I hope to have them in the online shop soon. As soon as I can figure out the best way to do it. I even managed to talk to an art director or two. My only regret was that I was so busy at my table that I had barely any time to walk around and look at anyone else’s work. Links to the artists and craftsmen I did meet are at the bottom of this post. Read the rest of this entry »

Flung Wide Open to the Snarl

May 22, 2008 in Art - Recent Work, ` | 10 comments

Flung Wide Open to the Snarl cut paper art by Patrick Gannoncut and torn paper / wood 8 3/16″ x 4 1/8″

Every once in a while I like to do a piece that is wide open to interpretation. This may be one of those. I know that I had a specific concept in mind when I was sketching. However, I’m always curious to hear what other folks read into an image.

Designing all the curlicues for this quirky guy was quite a bit of fun. He actually started out simple. That didn’t last long. A while back I did an illustration project involving celtic knots. They made their way into the loops and twists of his neck. Not in any strict way, mind you, but more as inspiration. The over/under rule just plain looks good. Read the rest of this entry »

The Electric Narwhal

(sold)

May 14, 2008 in Art - Recent Work | 9 comments

The Electric Narwhale cut paper art by Patrick Gannoncut and torn paper / wood 10 cm x 15 cm

The secret is out.
When the dark storm clouds gather, the thunder rolls and the lightning crashes, it’s a sure sign that a pod of electric narwhals is reeling through the skies above. Incidentally, the word narwhal comes (via a number of stops along the way) from the Old Norse word “Nar”, meaning corpse, because of its color. It was a corpse whale. I bet you’re glad I didn’t draw that.

The inspiration equation for this piece reads as such: The B-52′s “Rock Lobster” + one week of non-stop rain / a tokyo train ride = The Electric Narwhal. Which would be a great name for a band. Or a bar. Or a drink. Or a child.

Illustration Friday

Come on Down to Tokyo Town, Booth C-162

May 13, 2008 in Exhibitions & Events, Japan, News | 4 comments

This coming Saturday and Sunday, May 17th and 18th, 2008, Design Festa is taking over Tokyo Big Sight, and I’ll be part of the invasion force.

Stop on by to check out the art and have a chat. I’ll be selling some very cool, never before seen…stuff (which will be making their way into the web shop as soon as I can remember how to code again).

So, you’re all coming, right? I knew I could count on you.

A Fan of Black

May 7, 2008 in Art - Recent Work, Exhibitions & Events, Japan, ` | 4 comments

A Fan of Black cut paper art by Patrick Gannoncut paper
10″ x 15″ (at the moment)

From where do the seeds of inspiration come?
I can’t answer for anybody else, but each time I sit down to sketch, I seem to pull an idea from a different place. Sometimes I’ll have a theme or concept in mind before picking up my pencil. Or I’ll do some free sketching, and a character or scribble will leap out and demand to be developed. Other times, the texture or color of one of my papers (or a piece of wood) will lead to an idea.

Or, as in the case of this ninja fan, creativity springs out of a crushing deadline rocketing down at me. Read the rest of this entry »

He of the Flame

(sold)

May 1, 2008 in Art - Recent Work, Japan | 9 comments

He of the Flame cut paper art by Patrick Gannoncut paper / wood 10 cm x 15 cm

There’s nothing like a nice, long soak in an onsen to smooth that furrowed brow. It also works wonders for that dry, craggy skin. Of course, no amount of hot spring water is going to help when you’re made of molten rock.

“He” is the right half of the fire-god-themed diptych. It’s always interesting to watch a piece develop, even when you’re the one making it. My original sketch didn’t include Mt. Fuji. The sweep of the hair in She Who Brings the Fire suggested it, creating the atmosphere and much of the concept in the process. Now I just need to come up with a cool title. Here’s what the two pieces look like together:

Fuji Flame Diptych cut paper art by Patrick Gannon Read the rest of this entry »