COVID TALES

Sharing a little bit of what I've been working on during isolation with Zocalo Magazine’s for COVID Tales. Everything I've be making in my studio right now feels so intense and so personal and really different from anything I’ve created before. Read the full post in my own words here.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my art with our sweet community Gregory McNamee!

Also a reminder that there is still time to sign up for my funfunfun ZOOM painting event that benefits the Tucson LGBT Chamber of Commerce scholarship fund! More details on painting a crested saguaro on the Oct. 24th with me famous artist Lex Gjurasic here! All ages, all experience levels, all people WELCOME!

And finally the reminder of all reminders, MY ANNUAL CYBER STUDIO SALES STARTS SOON! Soon all subscribers to this newsletters will receive an email with the subject: STUDIO SALE. Open it, follow the directions and make your first dibs pick for a 24 hour head start to the sale! After that window of time ends the big sale opens to social media friends…

PAINT CRESTED SAGUAROS WITH ME!

What the heck even is a CRESTED SAGUARO?

Well, it’s a biological anomaly in the cactus that looks like if a regular saguaro had a baby with an alien. Ya dig?

On Saturday, October 24th from 4pm MST I will be hosting this lively painting event via ZOOM. So any and all y’all can participate no matter where you live!

Click HERE for more information and to sign up.

It’s a only a $25 donation that goes to support the Tucson LGBT Chamber of Commerce's scholarship fund. Once you are all signed up, a supply list is provided for you to order from or gather up the materials you might already have on hand.

Below is our project sample that is a crested saguaro that brings big BLM fist vibes!

I can’t wait to paint with you!

Picturing 2020

Its exciting to begin to finally sharing the art I’ve been working that’s kept me afloat since the pandemic changed all our daily lives. Picturing 2020: A Community Reflects is a virtual exhibition with The University of Arizona which is LIVE NOW and can be revisited thru March 2021. More info about Picturing 2020 below (but I’m not sharing the piece here so you go check out all the work in the show!)

View this tremendous exhibition HERE.

To get more insight on my new work like the piece in Picturing 2020 listen to ARTISTORIES.

Artistories!

I had the most wonderful conversation with Eva Romero for Artisories on KXCI. We chattered on about radical happiness, celebration as a sacred act, Flower Mounds and tv shows with too many babies.

I’d love for you to listen to it here!

And to see all my flower mounds, flower fields, and petal globs Ive made since COVID look here and here.

Artistories is a mini-program and podcast, hosted by Eva Karene Romero, focused on connecting you to the people creating the arts and culture experience in our region. It’s a real moment with a real person exploring the story we tell about ourselves, our values as a community, and how they can inspire and guide us. Artistories is a project of The Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona, which is partially funded by the City of Tucson and Pima County.

Q&A🍑

Earlier this week I started a conversation (virtually and over the phone) with James Schaub the curator of exhibitions at Tohono Chul Gallery. Our chat evolved in to an interview about shape in my work which you can now read online. Thanks James for always thinking of my art, even while we are all in isolation. And thanks Tohono Chul for always lovingly hosting my art. I can’t wait to visit the grounds again soon!

Read the full interview here.

Fun photo of me that has nothing to do with the interview.

🎨 PAINT WITH ME VIA ZOOM🏎

Bored at home? Sick of a summer inside? Miss da club?

Join me for a guided painting event to help raise funds for Tucson LGBT Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s University of Arizona scholarship for queer students! Together, with my step-by-step instruction, we will paint a flowering “Super Bloom” landscape that gives big Pride vibes, complete with rainbow! If you follow me on IG you’ll know I’ve been painting landscape inspired work like this since going into social isolation. This is your chance to do so too!

For a donation of only $20 per participant (you can always give more!) you will join me and other supporters of our LGBTQ community via a ZOOM link on Saturday, June 27 at 6pm. When you sign-up you will receive a recommended supply list for the project with direct links to a LGBTQ friendly retailer. If you already own art supplies feel free to use your own.
This project is inclusive to all levels of creativity and skill. Do not feel intimidated, it’s going to be playful. No one will be forced to share their final results unless they feel comfortable.

Register here!
Please share this event with your friends.

More event info

Get your supplies ready and get ready to have fun!

I’M TAKING OVER!

Me (and my cats!) are taking over the Instagram of the Arts Foundation of Tucson and Southern Arizona. I’ve been invited to share what I’ve been working during the pandemic in AFTSA’s Instagram Stories on Tuesday, June 16, from 11-3pm. TUNE-IN and we will have FUN! Also I’ll be doing a mini studio tour and a Q&A, so get your questions ready!
Join us here.

Watch me talk…

Last week I got together with my pals Jax and Will for a chat on the podcast Tucson Talks. Enjoy our fun conversation over zoom as we talk about Tucson(Seattle), IBT’s, Real Housewives and of course ART!

LOOK/LISTEN HERE.

Please note I’m available for any and all podcasts. I’m the ultimate guest. Hit me up!

Don’t forget WEIRDOS, the virtual exhibition, is still up and running thru May 31st. Check out the pieces that are still available and ready for me to mail to you.
CLICK TO GET WEIRD.

🔥WEIRDOS IS LIVE! +MOCATUCSON AUCTION 🔥

It’s time to get WEIRD!

WEIRDOS the exhibition is now live! This virtual exhibition runs till May 31st. Shipping is available and no contact pick-up available to locals.

Click here to enjoy the show.

Nobody Likes a Show-off, mixed media, 2020

Also starting today is the MOCATucson online auction which supports the EXTRAORDINARY educational programs. As you might already know I’ve enjoyed teaching the Art Installation Camp as well as having my own child be a camper. More info here about the auction and how to bid on my painting Heaven’s Gate.

Heaven’s Gate, 8”x8”, mixed media on panel, 2020

WEIRDOS @TinyTown (Online)

Small grouping of WEIRDOS which includes over 60 pieces…

WEIRDOS, my exhibition of new work, is a series of sculptural pieces made from single use materials and is on display, ONLINE! May 1-30, 2020.

That means on May 1st THIS LINK will go live and you can purchase work thru Tiny Town Gallery.

BUT because you are a subscriber to my newsletter you can preview the exhibition HERE, including prices.

Previously scheduled to be installed at Tiny Town Gallery and because of these weird times, WEIRDOS has been moved into the virtual realm. WEIRDOS  created from the charming trash I’ve collected over time is inspired by weekends in New Orleans only eating petits fours and the garbage interwoven in the trees at the beach after Hurricane Katrina. I had envisioned WEIRDOS displayed in a floating array on the wall of the gallery like The Great Pacific garbage patch but now you can enjoy viewing them from home. These pieces are made of reclaimed materials such as Styrofoam, packing materials, plastic and other unconventional materials to bring a delightful second life to single use items that otherwise would be thrown into the garbage.

Sure it’s disappointing to not be able to present WEIRDOS as I had envisioned like a massive ocean garbage gyre of art but adapting in these challenging times is a must for everyone as the era of throw-away culture comes to an end.

WEIRDOS the exhibition is able to be viewed for its scheduled duration at www.tanlineprinting.com. All work is available for purchase. Locals only, no contact, pick-up can be arranged. 
View all my WEIRDOS on my website here.

UPDATES🌸✌️

With day to day life changing so quickly I wanted to give you some updates about exhibition schedule changes that hopefully brighten your day and make my art more accessible to you.

I’m excited to let you know that MOCA Tucson has asked me to participate in their artist take-over on Instagram. Through the tiny screen on your phone you will be transported into my studio, 4/5-4/9, to witness the triumphs, joys and horrors of a working artist’s creative life while in quarantine. I promise it will be fun!
Go follow @mocatucson on IG and @lexgjurasic.

As with many other previously planned exhibitions in this time of global pandemic, my exhibition WEIRDOS had been forced to go from IRL to online. Even though it’s kinda disappointing you won’t get to see these sculptural pieces made from reclaimed materials all floating on the wall at Tiny Town like the massive trash island in the Pacific, we all have to adapt. With this change I invite you to join me online to enjoy the exhibition and hopefully buy a piece! All the works are under $100. And I will offer local only pick-up without human contact. Please do consider the powerful impact of supporting artists directly has right now. It’s a life saver.

More information, links to the online exhibition etc etc etc to follow in a future correspondence, and of course my email subscribers will get first dibs!

Thank you for your enduring love and support! Can’t wait to hug you (with consent) soon!

Just a handful of the 100 WEIRDOS to be displayed online.

¡NOTICIAS!

Spent the other morning creeping around the Tohono Chul Gallery. I’ve been invited to participate in Call and Response, the annual exhibition in which artists create work inspired by specific pieces in Tohono Chul’s amazing permanent collection. And I can’t wait to get to work! Call and Response will be on display this summer. Watch for updates on my blog and via my IG.

Thank you James and Nicole!

And just a reminder that my framed paintings, some still available for purchase, are on display till the end of the month at 5 Points. All info and images here, shipping can be arranged.

Florals @5Points

After positive community feedback upon displaying work last year at 5 Points Market and Resturant I will again be showcasing work starting January 15 thru till the end of March.

This go-round I am highlighting an arrangment of work composed of big blooms and dreamy landscapes. All the paintings are mixed media on paper, framed and ready to hang. The florals measure 22”x30” are $350 framed and the landscapes at 11”x22” are $250 framed. Art maybe purchased unframed and shipping arrangements can be made. Please inquire with questions or availability of a painting thru me.

And definitly take your sweetheart to enjoy the work for Valentine’s Day! 5Points is located at 756 South Stone Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701

Thanks for all the LOVE!

Message me if you see something you like below.

And just a reminder that my bouquet sculpture in the group show Pots!Pots!Pots! is still up at Tiny Town till the end of January.

New Year! Fun Stuff!

Welcoming 2020 with a message of peace and pots and art, of course!

In January I will have a piece of work in a really dynamic group show, Pots! Pots! Pots! at Tiny Town Gallery here in Tucson. My unconventional vessel Grandma Sent Me An Easter Surprise will be on display, 1/10-1/30 along with the other pots by some great artists which are all available for you to bring back home to your house.

Reception for Pots! Pots! Pots! is Friday, 1/10, 6-9pm.

It’s gunna be a good one!

Another fun thing is an interview I did during a studio visit last week with Eric Minh Swenson.

Scroll all the way down to watch it!

See you in the new year. xo

Grandma Sent Me An Easter Surprise, approx. 20”x12”, mixed media sculpture including styrofoam, plastic wrap, gourds, bamboo and found objects, 2019

Sketchy Second Sundays + HOLY DIRT

Well, this is gunna be FUN!

I will be the guest artist at Sketchy 2nd Sundays at MOCA Tucson this Sunday, 12/8, 3-5pm.

Come play with “unconventional materials” and ink while creating a communial piece of art OR just chat, hang, draw solo… I’d love to see what’s in your sketch book!

Plus MOCA is FREE!

Another fun thing is an interview I did with Holy Dirt on Downtown Radio. Holy Dirt is the radio show/podcast of my pals Taylor and Alan, the former propriters of the DIRT store and my previous collaborators in The Golden Pyramid installation.

Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and etc. etc.

AND don’t forget my yearly ONLINE ONLY STUDIO SALE is still going strong with $50 crystal inspired paintings. Click HERE to see what is still available.

It’s The Final Iceberg, 11”x15'“, mixed media on paper, 2019

The POST IT SHOW 15!

Super stoked to have been invited to include work in The POST IT SHOW! at Giant Robot Store.

After years of watching the magic unfold from afar I will be including wee pieces dipicting authentic Arizona saguaros, not those fake city cacti! LOL

The POST IT SHOW! opens Saturday, 12/7 at 2pm.

The 2nd drop of art is on Saturday, 12/14, along with a toy drive!

Each piece of art is $25.

Show ends 12/15 so get em’ while they are hot!

Follow the fun on social media: #POSTITSHOW15

High-5!

10x10, again!

It’s almost time for Tohono Chul’s annual invitational 10x10 Fundraiser Exhibtion. It’s an honor to be invited back again this year. This year I will be contibuting 6 geode that measure. 7.5”x7.5” on paper. As in year’s past all the art is priced at $100 each and 50% of proceeds go to support all the great work at Tohono Chul.

Exhibition runs October 4-December 22, 2019

Below is the smattering of paintings that will be avaiable during the 10x10 but might not be on display all at the same time. So if you see something here you like ask James or Karen to get it for you!

Community Foundation + Reminder

The Community Foundation Campus has invited myself and 18 other artist to showcase work and I’d love for you to join us for an opening reception!

The Community Foundation Campus was created to nurture collaboration and serve as an incubator by fostering growth and furthering the development of the southern Arizona nonprofit community. In the spirit of collaboration, the CF Campus will feature artwork by local artists at our midtown co-working space for the first time, including my painting Neptune which is avaiable for puchase.

You are invited to help us celebrate those who offered their time, resources, and expertise to fill the CF Campus with art representative of southern Arizona's diversity. 

Thursday, September 5, 2019 | 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm 
5:00 pm - 5:30 pm | Networking & Appetizers 
5:30 pm - 5:45 pm | Welcome Remarks  
5:45 pm - 7:00 pm | Open House & Tours 

Community Foundation Campus
5049 E. Broadway Blvd
Tucson, AZ 85711

Please RSVP by Aug. 20 here.

Also a reminder that The Golden Pyramid installation will reveal itself and the deep discounts it holds THIS Friday 8/30 at the Annex during the Summer Night Market, 6-10pm.

Dip into this link to read more about the ART and the fun promotion you don’t want to miss out on.
 

Neptune

48x38x2 inches

mixed media on cut-out wood panel

The Golden Pyramid

THE GOLDEN PYRAMID INSTALLATION GLEAMS IN THE ARTIST SPOTLIGHT AT THE MSA ANNEX!

Image by Alan Dickson

TUCSON, Arizona – It’s a BIRD! It’s a PLANE! It’s a Golden Pyramid? The Golden Pyramid is art installation conceived in collaboration by artist Lex Gjurasic and the creative minds behind DIRT at the MSA Annex.  The temporary exhibition, as part of the Artist Spotlight, runs August 30- Sept 25  in the courtyard of the MSA Annex,  267 South Avenida del Covento with a special event reception during the Summer Night Market on Friday, August 30, 6-9pm.

Presented by the MSA Annex and sponsored by MOCA Tucson, The Golden Pyramid invites interaction with visitors through the social media hashtag,  #GoldenPyramidAnnex. The gleaming structure that will erupt from the earth is a dazzling and potent symbol that creates a global connection on a local level. For the duration of the installation the artists will hide golden nuggets around the MSA Annex that when found and returned to The Golden Pyramid and posted on social media using the hashtag #GoldenPyramidAnnex will be reward participants with 10% off their next purchase at DIRT.

Check out all the cool stuff at DIRT here!

 The Golden Pyramid is an overlap of both Gjurasic’s artistic vision and the philosophy behind DIRT as it is a “mystical exploration that blends physical objects and spiritual services of will; honing the divine.”

Arizona Illustrated

As you know, I helped facilitate 3 weeks of art installation camp at MOCA Tucson earlier this summer. During our 1st week of camp we had Arizona Public Media’s Arizona Illustrated join us and document the program in the attached segment. Please enjoy!

Thank you to Eli, Ondrea, Harrison, AJ, Rachel and MOCA Tucson for creating the space for this camp to happen and allowing me to take part in the fun/mess!

And muchas thank yous to Andrew and Nate from AZPM for capturing the magic of camp so perfectly!

Also, a reminder that I’ll be a particpating artist this friday, 7/26 from 6-7pm at the MOCA Tucson’s Monster Drawing Rally. All work created during the event is ONLY $50 and goes to support great programing like the art education camp! More info about the event here.