Showtime

Hello Lurkers-

I'll be showing some cool new non-fox related stuff at the best custom made jewelry store in SLO, Baxter Moermon. "What non-fox related stuff?" you're asking, mostly because you are bored at work. Well, this one for example:

 I've decided to continue on my architecture kick, painting mostly bite-sized paintings for home or office use! Here are the details about the show:
Stardate: January 3, 2014
Where: Baxter Moermon 1118 Morro Street, SLO (next to the horrible Granada hotel)
Time: 5-9
Bring: Money, Rootbeer, Cookies

I'll be selling prints, the same sort of originals/prints you can buy on my SQUARE store. If you have the means, do stop by, won't you?

ALSO: blah blah FLICKR blah blah INSTAGRAM.

 

The Neal Breton Art Online Store.

An Uncomfortable Touch… of Class.

That's right, lurkers, I have opened a shop on Square. Now you can buy originals, prints, and other fun stuff from the comfort of your own underpants and I'll ship it right to you!

Hey, What Have You Been Up To?

Lurkers-
What have you been up to? Did you miss me? I took November off apparently, it slips my mind to write on the ol' blog sometimes. Poor taste on my part, considering I am giving out my business card at an alarming rate. Imagine the amount of gum stuck to those cards, the teeth that have been picked, the overstuffed wallets made uncomfortable!

Anyway, I hate that "tell me about your life in three sentences" question. I always end up saying something stupid, like "well you know" or "living the dream" or "nuthin' much". Lame. Since the blog is made for that kind of stuff, I will now start sending people here. No answers, just flip them a business card and walk away.

I've been busy here at Fiasco!, Jeff and I had a very successful indiegogo campaign, and we are slaving away on all the collaborations people had donated money to...and by slaving, I mean it's Jeff's fault we haven't started. Right under the bus, Claassen. TAKE THAT!

I am officially moving on from the Skulk/Deer series. The great thing about the studio/gallery in Paso is that you get feedback from the average Joe n Jane on the street. That's also the bad part, and honestly if I have to explain these pieces to someone who is undeserving (read as: snarky & ignorant) anymore I'd rather light them on fire. The paintings, I mean...I think.
The sour-faced elderly, the drunks pointing, the parents ripping their kids away from our space; the picture taking without permission, that horrific song about foxes have beat it out of me. It was a social experiment and I have painstakingly reached my answer: Oakland, Portland and LA get this series and the Central Coast most certainly does not.

 

In other super fun news, while I was begging for indiegogo money, I wrote an old pal of mine (hey Nancer) and got lucky. It just so happened that my old boss who runs some things at Paramount Pictures gives a gift bag to the hard working assistant types. Nancy thought it would be cool if I made a special print of the Paramount landmarks for said goodie bag. Check it out!

I know you wish you had one, but you just can't. There were only 125 made and they were all for those special assistant type folks.

In other other news, it looks like I have some crazy shows going down in 2014. Ok, they aren't crazy; they are just shows. I'm trying to dazzle you with marketing-speak. I'll be showing at Baxter-Moermon in January, and March will be hectic- Sally Loos AND the second installment of the Young Savages group show in Paso.
I've also temporarily been handed the responsibility to hang work at a little place called Eatz in downtown SLO. The walls are purty and they made this building picture I did look pretty pimped out. So if any of you lurkers are artists, you should write me and show me your wares. I'll do my best to make you famous.

Lastly, I am planning on making some prints of my Los Angeles period work.

 Limited edition of 10 or so, I don't know. They will be shiny and pretty and 5x7", perfect for your cubicle or manhole cover, or wherever you people work. I'm also slightly interested in doing some commission work, so don't be a stranger. Or do, and keep having crappy art around you. Happy festivus, right?

 

 

 

Check out the Flickrs, it's exploding with new stuff...if you have a Flickr account, be sure to add me to see everything you're missing. I've also got an Instagram (@nealbretonart) Look at all the opportunities to lurk interetically at yours truly!  

This Post is for Jeff

Dear Jeff-

Fiasco! Gallery is a hoot, But could you take out the trash just like, once or something? ..and watch the thai-iced-tea stains all over the counter...sheesh. But seriously, this blog is for you, buddy. You've done a lot, helped me make stuff I wouldn't normally make, like buttons and cool prints.
So I said I'd blog about our cool Indie-go-go crowd source funding campaign, so here goes:

Lurkers--
Please give us money so we can pay our security deposit. $6 gets you a bottle opener key chain contraption, $25 gets you an official Fiasco! teeshirt:

look how excited that dude is to rep our threads!

$30-50 gets you some cool limited edition prints and original one-of-a-kind art. So, dig deep, we are helping Paso get cooler.  It's Thursday, and there's only 10 days left! Thanks in advance for your support, lurkers!

So there you go, Jeffaroo. Don't say I never did nuthin'.

Happening Things Explosion!

Lurkers-
It feels like I don't have enough time to tell you about all the stuffs going on, and that have gone on. Hang on to your hats, if you are wearing one. If you're not, go get a hat, put it on, and hang on to it.

July was fun: Electric Popsicle was a big hit, we sold about 10 paintings and made Brick House Goods a cooler place to hang out in. I sold my Obstacle 1 painting to good pals Dan & Louise. Many thanks, guys!

August was crazy: Good buddy Jeff Claassen and I opened a working studio/gallery aptly named Fiasco Gallery, within the hallowed halls of Studios on the Park in Paso Robles. So far, we been lucky enough to get good press, and a lot of positive reinforcement. Spending time with JC in the studio is like some kind of painting summer camp.
The Skulk series continues to be a topic of conversation with people of all ages and types. At this point, it's like 60/40 shocked/awkward/rude to positive reaction, but that 40% makes a big difference when you're sitting in a studio painting your ass off.

September promises to be interesting, I am part of a 4 person group show at Steynberg Gallery. I'm pretty honored to sneak in with those ladies, and it promises to be a good show. The opening is Friday, September 6th from 6-9pm.
Saturday, September 7th is Fiasco Gallery's Super Grand Opening 7000! It just so happens that Rebel Empire (Zac & Ethan from The Ragged Jubilee) are playing some cool tunes, and Leff Street Brewhouse and Soda Works will be pouring some awesome Fiasco Ginger Brew.
It will be then that we will be promoting our upcoming, super-important Kickstarter throwdown. Your support will not only help keep the burgeoning art (counter)culture in Paso alive, but with our funds we hope to help the SOTP teen group and open a small art supply kiosk. Funds will also help promotion of the emerging artists program at Fiasco, where one artist gets to show off their best work for a two month period. As with all Kickstarter programs, you even get something cool if you donate. Everyone wins!

October I will unveil my latest batch of craziness on Linnaea's. I previously thought I was going to show the Skulk series, but I have changed my mind. You'll just have to wait for the pictures. Which reminds me, check out the Flickrs, it's exploding with new stuff...if you have a Flickr account, be sure to add me to see everything you're missing. I've also been dragged into the world of Twitter (@nealbreton) and Instagram (@nealbretonart) Look at all the new opportunities to lurk interetically at yours truly. Until next time...

Well Lurkers, it's been a crazy month or so. It was like being on tour for a little while, except less smelly and a lot more rewarding. Oakland proved to be a great show, the people were nice and I even sold a piece or two. Santa Barbara was, well, a learning experience. My pieces didn't hang the way I wanted them to, through no fault of the venue, and it's hard to explain without giving too much away, because the pieces themselves will get a facelift and probably end up being shown at Linnaea's in October. Ok, I can show one of the pieces, here:

I have such respect for people who create structures. I was always one to appreciate a nice looking building historically, but I think it's probably the architect types around me currently whom have made me think about living space and how spaces can be living things themselves as we populate them with trees, animals and people. These paintings also give me a new venue to experiment with color and line weight, which is always fun.
In my journey last month I was happy to make the acquaintance of several artists and collaborators from LA to San Diego. The DIT (do it together) Alliance will hopefully prove to be an amazingly positive experience for artists from SD to SLO if we can help it. So many people, younger than me by at least 10-15 years, running non-profit venues, setting up shows, and giving opportunity to those that have talent or passion but don't know where to put it. Google these places: The LA Fort, The Dial (Murietta/Temecula), Che Cafe, Almost Holden, Bridgetown DIY, the LA Zine Fest and etc.
After all this craziness, it was nice to take a trip to Portland. I missed this city, and about three days in I said to my friend Kate the Biking Giraffe "why don't we just...live here?". I think a city like that with so much stunning art, food, coffee, transportation/bikeability would definitely ensnare anyone who visited..unless you are a native Californian, then you would complain it's cloudy or something.
 I got a job at a cool store in town. You should maybe visit it on July 5th if you are in SLO:

Look at all those fancy art stars! Also, a DJ named Velanche who is awesome, AAAND craft brewed rootbeer by Leff Street Brewhouse (which alcohol might be added to upon request). It should be a fun night, if jerks don't show up.
Ok, back to work for me. I just finished a bunch of cute drawings for the New Times 55 Fiction and my hands are all inky and colored. I'll drop a link later...or you could check the Flickr page for a sneaky preview!





ps: shout out to NR, thanks for getting back in touch.

UPDATE!
If I have any lurkers/enemies in the Santa Barbara area, you will be on fire to know that I am showing some really really really different/abstract sculpture-like pieces at a new shop that is soon to open up on Hayley Street.

Thursday, JUNE 5
6 to 9 pm
Get Loud Music grand opening!
414B E. Hayley Street, Santa Barbara CA 93101
Featuring Neal Breton and Martin Diaz.
Showing for one full month.

Additionally, I am happy to announce that we will be continuing the "Savage Collective" show at Brick House Goods! One day in Paso's park simply wasn't enough. Here are the details:

Brick House Goods presents
ELECTRIC POPSICLE: a group show thing.
Friday, JULY 5
6 to 9 pm
1119 Chorro Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
>>free popsicles, a super cool DJ, and limited edition teeshirts!<<
Featuring artists Drew Davis, Nick Wilkinson, Reid Cain, Lauren Buzzetti, Jason Hudson, Isaac Yorke and more!

Opportunities To See Art In Real-Life Person

Here are some ways to see some of my art with your own eyeballs:

Brick House Goods, 1119 Chorro St  San Luis Obispo, CA 93401- Showing the Elementals, a series that needs to be seen up close to be appreciated, in my opinion due to my terrible photography skills. They are open 7 days, from about 10-6. They will be showing the work until June.


Paso Robles Festival of the Arts- Emerging Artists Collective booth, in the Park at 12th and Pine Street. A one day event, starting at noon until 4 pm on Saturday, May 25th.


17 Jewels Salon,  4801 Telegraph Ave Oakland, CA 94609 -Showing new works on canvas. Opening Friday June 7th.

..and then a coffee break.


Steynberg Gallery, 1531 Monterey St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401- A show featuring Peg Grady, Lena Rushing and Josephine Crawford. I'll be mopping up afterward, please try not to spill anything. Showing in September 2013.

The Linnaeas cade show is in October. They're located at 1110 Garden st. I'd have links for you but my computer just died and I'm finishing this post on my phone. Huzzah, technology. This is why I still write stuff down on paper.

Oh, Yeah?

If you think you have anything better to do, you don't. Come and find me and win whatever I have in my pockets that I am willing to give you. Enemies--this would be a great time to come out and tell me what you really think of me...for a mere $5 door charge. See you there if you dare.

PS: I'm showing the coolest Skulk series painting that I will not be posting on teh Flickr, so go ahead and cry yourself to sleep if you miss this show.

I am the Kilgore Trout of the Central Coast Painting Set

Hey Lurkers-

Things coming up in the near future:

I'll be filling in for the lovely and talented Anne Laddon at Studios on the Park this week, from Thursday April 11 through Saturday April 13 from 12 to 6. "Filling in" means I'll be painting in her studio, spilling Tab on her couch, attempting to sell her pretty pretty landscapes while I construct my Skulk series. I'm honored to have been asked. If you're in the area and sick/bored of what SLO has to offer (as I am), come to Studios on the Park, 1130 Pine Street, Paso Robles, CA.

I have also been put in charge..."in charge"...of wrangling more artists for a festival in Paso Robles. The Paso Art Festival has included an Emerging Artists Booth. It includes a hand-picked unit from the Young Savages group show. Each artist will be displaying 3 fairly new pieces of art, or I will be super disappointed in them.
Quick glance info:
Saturday, May 25th, from 10am to 4pm, in the park located directly across from the Studios on the Park building.
It's free to attend, so bring some money to spend on some cool paintings.

My friend Dave thinks he's being funny by writing a blog about fake sightings of me. Ok, so maybe it is pretty funny. Check the Flickr soon. That is all.

-N





"My biggest problem is that I am nice to the wrong people. If I had to draw them, I'd make them all look like coffin nails."- James Connecticut  (from the novel "The Soundtrack to Rows of Burning Monuments".)

Savage Press & "Personal" Works

Several news sources had good things to say about the Young Savages show held at Studios on the Park in Paso Robles.
The San Luis Obispo Tribune article can be found here.
The San Luis Obispo New Times article can be found here.
Tom Cochrun wrote a review of the show in his March 13th blog.
The Paso Robles Press article written by Hayley Thomas can be found here.
The show will be coming down on the 31st of March, do take a trip to Paso if you have the means.

I'd like to thank the following people for making the job of curating such a large show much easier: Joshua Brinckerhoff, Anne Laddon, Sasha Irving, Jennifer Grant, Amy Fordyce, Kelly Stewart, Bill Benica. These people were the unsung heroes in promoting one of the most successful group shows I have been a part of.




I can't paint knife-wielding foxes all the time. My other, more personal work has some ambiguity to it, mostly falling into nature themed areas.

Currently, you can see a handful of these pieces at Brick House Goods in San Luis Obispo, a slick, tasteful, clever furniture and housewares shop in the middle of downtown. An article with a word mentioning the display can be seen here.

The Skulk, Unraveled.

At the close of one of the most comprehensive group shows I have been a part of on the Central Coast,  I am relieved to have completed such a large task of coordinating between talent and venue. It was great to be a fly on the wall, listening to how artists & patrons--people--perceive works of art. I heard several comments on my latest acrylic work, the Skulk series:

Skulk 2, acrylic on canvas, 16x20"

Of the people I happened to catch commenting on it, I was given a prognosis of heavy issues with my mother or with women. Despite varying opinions, these pieces are not about women at all. I do not recall ever explaining my work in great detail within the confines of a blog or an interview, but here goes.
The very first drawings of the Skulk was part of a larger series of totem/herald illustrations I did with gouache and ink on watercolor paper. (See Flickr here) They were very popular and the entire series sold, including my very first acrylic painting after a 5 year hiatus from the medium. The buyer, a woman, felt empowered by the image. She had major changes going on in her life and the painting spoke to her. I felt great about selling it to such a recently freed spirit, and had a good hunch that if I made more paintings similar I could probably reach more people and, let's be honest, sell more pieces.
The idea was put on the shelf until I spoke with the director of the Studios on the Park. As we were talking about putting together the group show, she mentioned that I should do a solo show of some sort. Reviewing my Flickr site, she enjoyed several things, including the totem series. When it came time to turn in my work for the show, she pushed me to make a larger version (4 feet by 5 feet!) of the 16x20" Skulk painting, which later sold to a very classy woman who owns Deer Run in Cambria, CA, a cunning curio shop with amazing art and other artifacts.

Skulk 3, acrylic on canvas, 48x60".

What is it about these figures that evokes such reactions? Foxes, as I have noticed, are very popular imagery at the moment. The Young Savages show yielded not only my foxes, but artists Isaac Yorke and Beth Reninger also created fox-themed pieces. If I was the least bit hip, I would of probably avoided using them. Fox imagery is extremely varied from being messengers (Native Americans) to omens of rain (Japan) to bastions of intelligence (Celtic). They signify various afterlife connotations depending on the religion. Maybe it's the color--red--which can signify passion, desire, intensity.
If I was going to tell you that I thought of these things as I created the initial Skulk drawings, I would be relying on some heavy reverse engineering. It's simply a matter of common sense, a mixture of the peripheral fox knowledge and the need for a group of some kind of animal to be clever and slick enough to travel in a group on the prowl, not out of revenge, but on the offensive. Because they could, not because they needed to.
As this series unravels, and will most likely be shown at Linnaea's Cafe in October, I hope to create an entire room of these empowered figures, which in turn will create a visceral response to the viewer as they submit themselves to the will of the Skulk.

Hello Lurkers and Lurkettes-

It's been a productive year so far, I'm excited to say. Three big shows are in the works, which will keep me pretty busy this year. The newly relocated Tigerlily Salon on Higuera will be hosting a group show. I usually hate theme related shows, but this one seemed pretty cool and it has a lot of my fave peeps in it. Enticed yet? Yeah, whatever. Eat Your Heart Out will include my pals Lena, Sawdust, Lisa, Lakin and Issac. Show's on Friday, February 1st from 6p to 9p. Here's a dandy flyer:

In other news, I was asked to curate a show at Studios on the Park in Paso Robles. The Young Savages showcase will provide exposure for about 25 emerging or burgeoning artists. The list is super long, you should look at this flyer:

It's like...everyone, right? Well, almost. There are some really good artists that I didn't ask, but they will make an appearance at a later show. The main point of the show was to infuse a little youth into the gallery scene up there. I thought it was funny for them to ask me to lead a youth movement show, as I am no spring chicken, but "Mid-to-Late-Thirties Savages" just didn't have the same ring to it, despite the truth of it all.

Either way, I'm excited to see what some of the newer, twenty-something artists that we've invited into the fold will come up with. You should be too, many pieces will be under $200, and 2013 is a great year to buy original artwork from some up and comers. The show is on Saturday, March 2nd, from 5 to 8. Check the flyer for the address, lazy butts.

So, I've decided to go back to painting acrylic on canvas. I know I said I'd never do it, internet, but I didn't have a choice. I'm sorry, but you won't be disappointed. Check the Flickr for more info, in the meantime here's one of hopefully many pieces I make this year:

Haven't shown this one, titled The Uneasy Alliance, just yet, but it is for sale. Inquire within if you are interested. Goodbye for now, lurkers, thanks for stopping by.