It's on like Warhol Donkey Kong

http://www.parkerpopshop.com/ ...I just finished the first set of 4 new paintings titled "Warhol Donkey Kong" (14"x16"x2" spraypaint on canvas) in a series of 8.The title is pretty straight forward & understated...I first had this idea about a year ago, but was to busy to implement it then.I did my R&D for it 4 months ago & they sat, ready to be cut & wrapped up quick.I had to take my time on this particular idea & make sure I got it right, not right but perfect.Spending hours,days & weeks staring & thinking of composition, position, color palette & overall originality of the idea...

The best & or most original idea doesn't mean anything if it's not properly executed.With this thinking I sat on it, but once I was cutting the stencils I was flying.All the separate layers were lined up just right & came together better than I could have hoped for.I even "knocked one out" at 83 gallery in Columbus while I was working a shift there,#3 was completed there in just 3 hours,most of it dry time.If I had to guess I'd say from cutting stretcher bars, stretching the canvas, cutting stencils, paint & signature there's probably about 5 hours in each...

All four will be on display this month.Number 1 is at the Mac Worthington gallery of contemporary art http://www.macworthington.com/, number 2 is at 83 gallery http://www.83gallery.com/ & number 3 is at Brothers Drake Meadery http://www.brothersdrake.com/ , all of which are in the Short North arts district in Columbus, Ohio.Meanwhile number 4 will be on display at the "Through the lookin' glass" art show in Charleston, South Carolina on June 18th,where I'll also be live painting.

I'm not really gonna dive into the concept of this series' of paintings as I don't think I need to.The idea speaks for itself, it's not an ink blot test.I look forward to doing the set of 4 soon, but first I need to do some other subjects & get away from it for a month or 2.It'll never be fresh to me again obviously as I did it, so a break from the subject is understandable.I wanna thank everyone who's complemented all of them & I love to make people laugh when they see art & how I can diffuse snotty "Fine Art" , it's still fun & as long as I'm a smart ass....I'm gonna paint like a smart ass....

A temporary goodbye to Cleveland's Pop shop

I started showing at the Pop Shop Gallery in Cleveland almost exactly a year ago after moving to Columbus & Ohio in December of 2009.Remember the first 2 1/2 hour drive up to drop off art work for the $5o dollar show, a show where I sold two Kool-Aid's & my wife & I fell in love with the Lakewood area.Before that I thought it was very cool to have found a gallery devoted to pop art, especially in Cleveland & with the first few emails back & forth owner/artist Rich Cihlar found it funny my email was parkerpopshop as that's what I named my fledgling business in 2009.We had never heard of one another (obviously), just a case of two artists with a major commonality in influence with pop art & it's "movement"...




Before I even walked in the gallery screamed of pop goodness what with the neon signs,stickered up door with tint & Mullens the bar right next to it.You walk in & see all the art,shirts,crafts & the bubblegum machine filled with pop pin's,thinking it's an indie pop sanctuary!You start to talk to Rich & Jeff (his right hand man) & it's just Kool laid back pop biz as usual just outside Cleveland.I showed there the rest of 2010 & every experience was awesome.Fellow Columbus artist & friend Arlo Moon began showing there & we even drove up to pop shop together on one occasion as well as being in 3 shows together there...
After almost a year Rich asked if I wanted to participate in a 3 man exhibition at ARTificial gallery, which is a gallery within a gallery or basically another room (large) for the gallery's 5 year Birthday.How does a pop painter say no to that?An idea of his was for us to stencil the walls with corresponding work in the "Connect the dots" (above) show.We drove up on a Saturday with 15 paintings & spent a good 4 hours talking & working together to prepare the show.Upon completion Rich gave Jen & I a bottle of his homemade apple wine (deli sh) we drank later that nite back in the studio in Columbus.A few weeks later we attended the show & also Lakewood Park on lake Erie.Our favorite place in Lakewood,along with pop shop or Starbucks,a park where one could take peanuts & be overwhelmed by a squirrel army of 50 strong.They'll come right up to you & almost eat it out of your hands.Several art drop offs & pick ups were spent this way with me playing Ace Ventura, while Jen & Chey went down to the lake or were playing at the playground, good times for sure!!!

The POP SHOP GALLERY in Cleveland will be having it's last two shows in the physical gallery coming up in June & July.The temporary closing of it's location is due to owner & Artist Rich Cihlar & his wife expecting their first child in September.Rich will be spending a great deal of his time with his child over the next few years & a big congratulations to the expecting couple.The gallery will still be active in Cleveland arts & of course Rich isn't gonna stop painting in his soon to be done new studio.Jen & I drove up to pick up work this past Tuesday & got to talk more with him of the overall transition of being a dad & the gallery as well as the building's future.Breakneck gallery as well as the Cleveland craft coalition will be taking on the space at 17020 Madison Avenue one in the Pop shop space & one in the ARTificial space, shows will still take place & local artists save a spot to promote their art.The last two shows (for now) at the pop shop gallery Will be the $50 dollar show & the Avenging Cleveland show, after that the before mentioned Breakneck & Cleveland craft will be taking over the space.Do yourself a huge favor & don't miss these two last shows because once it's gone you're gonna miss it,I'm gonna miss it & so will Lakewood.A big congrats to Rich,his wife & the artists taking on the space & doin their thang.

Before leaving Tuesday with art work in tow bound for home in Columbus,Rich & I traded paintings...My "Kool-Aid" (yellow #1) for his "Aint it cool" (Fonzie) skate deck.Making it the first time I've traded my work with a fellow artist.I mentioned how much I liked the deck at the connect the dots show or pre-hang or both & Rich suggested we trade.It now hangs in my studio & an awesome painting that will remind me of Rich,Jeff,Jerry Shirts,Lakewood park & the times spent there...Thank you POP SHOP for the memories we've had for the last year & Cleveland keep bein' Rockin'!!!!!!