Juxtapose! The Graduate Thesis Show of Ethan Mongin and Alan Hawley

After two years, the big day is finally coming! My graduate illustration show is just on the horizon. The culmination of three months of intense work will be revealed to the general public the week of May 8. The show is going to be amazing! I'm going to make a future blog post that explains the thought process behind my thesis, so I won't go into too much detail here. To sum it up, I've taken Alice Through the Looking Glass, Oliver Twist, and Treasure Island and illustrated them in a style of artwork I like to call "Victorian Cartoonism". My show mate Alan Hawley is a master of comic book realism. He will be showing paintings that combine science fiction elements with religious figures from Hinduism, Christianity and Norse Mythology.

You can check out the show at Studioplex in Atlanta, GA.

The gallery will be open May 8 - 13, from 1 - 5 p.m. daily.

We will have a reception on May 10, from 7 to 10 p.m.

Check out our facebook page for more information.

Color The Arts Show

The Columbia Arts Council is going to have a super fancy shindig on Friday, April 29. Yours truly will be a featured artist at an exclusive art show sponsored by the Board of Directors of the Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties. This event is specially designed to act as a fundraiser for the future development of Columbia's art district and as an exhibition of the best artistic talent Columbia has to offer.
For further information, check out the event online at ColorTheArts.info.

Fluke! Comic Book Show

If you've never heard of Fluke, you've never lived! It's a fun time. A random building crammed full of who knows how many artists showing their handmade mini comics and other art wares. My wife and I went last time and it was great fun. It's a small enough venue to get to know the artists. It's well worth the drive.

That Guy With The Glasses Is AWESOME!

When I start a project, I become obsessed. I'm certain other artists understand what I mean. The project becomes "All" in my mind. It is what I am thinking about about when I wake up in the morning, while I'm driving to work, and while I'm interacting with other people. For the period of time that I am working on it, the project becomes symbiotically attached to my consciousness. My mind thinks only of how I can best complete the work in a way that surpasses both my and my audience's expectations.

Sometimes a person needs a break from such intense bouts of obsession....

That's when a good movie or television show proves invaluable. When played in the background or during a work break, it gives the mind a moment of relief.

I've noticed that most of my artist friends use Hulu or Netflix as their primary source of entertainment. I've recently found a website that provides me with more entertainment than both of those sites. It's called That Guy With The Glasses.

www.thatguywiththeglasses.com

That Guy With The Glasses is pretty much dedicated to nerds and cinofiles who like to make humorous critiques of popular entertainment from the 80's and 90's. The critics are everyday people who enjoy making idiots of themselves in front of cameras while pointing out the often overlooked stupidity of Hollywood, comics, and video games.

What's great is that each reviewer concentrates on a particular genre of entertainment and has a distinct style and sense of humor.

My favorite shows are Atop the Fourth Wall, Nostalgia Critic, and Comic Book Issues. Their creators are hilarious. They poke fun at terribly drawn comic books, old cartoons, and the entertainment fads of the 90's. They provide more laughs and logic than anything mainstream television has to offer.

If you get anything from this blog post, it's that you should check out That Guy With the Glasses the next time you need a break from your work. If you're a comic book geek like me, you'll love Linkara's videos. He's hilarious and classy. The website is an awesome testament to how great backyard grassroots entertainment can be.

Graduate Thesis Exhibition Poster

This poster is a design that I'm working on for my thesis illustration show. I've been working with the idea of juxtaposition in my personal illustration. I like the idea of taking literature that has traditionally been portrayed in realism and portraying it in toonish form. Alan works realistically, and I work very cartoonish so I've worked the juxtaposition theme in my work into our show and into our promotionals.

Painting Commission

Here's a painting that I worked on during the week of Christmas. It was a very very last minute commission request, giving me just short of 48 hrs to work.

Website Illustration

I've recently been working with a local educational website. While the kinks in the site are still being worked out, I've been cleared to show off some of the artwork.