A Bad Crit

First Friday

By: Magtotoart

After being separated from the art world for several months, I am attempting to make my triumphant return in small pieces. It is not as simple as making a big bang entrance like, “Hey all you m-effers! I’m back!”. A lot can change in the art world in that amount of time. I had to slowly scope out my options and have a few practice rounds before showing up at an art show that I was really pumped about and blowing up the scene.

I figured that the First Thursday/Friday/Saturday weekend would be a good opportunity to check a few shows out and snap some pictures. There were sure to be lots of events with lots of people which would allow me to hang in the background before I started asking questions, handing out business cards, and chatting up artists. A warm up round if you were.

My first official first Friday turned out to be a bit of a bust. A decent show overall, but not necessarily up to the caliber I was once used to. The work was good, but the gallery was small, which made it hard to get around. The crowd came and went, but it was more of a social event than an art show. I got the feeling that a lot of people that were there knew each other. Here are a few highlights of the Big Umbrella Studios show, “Bestiarum Vocabulum: The Book of Beasts” which featured art by Grant Gilliland, Rick Katagawa, Raymond Sanchez, and a few more. A show all about monsters from all over the world.

“Teen Wolf” by Raymond Sanchez

“Dawn of the Dead” - Raymond Sanchez

“Frank (Donnie Darko Rabbit)” - Raymond Sanchez

Above are the three paintings closest to the entrance. Each using a movie monster theme. I admire the choice. Zombie movies are always a hit, as is Donnie Darko. And Teen Wolf is a good choice if you’re going to use a werewolf. I was glad to see that there were no Twilight or True Blood References.

Here’s a few more of my faves from the night: