"Carnival Justice" iphone skin

I just got the photo in the email of the first product between myself and Tyler over at MUTT toy company. I was contacted a month ago to send some art his way that I might like to see on some iphone skins and today this popped in my mail box.

This is gonna be the first of many things that I will be working with Tyler on, he is a rad dude and has a killer work ethic. People who work hard and like to make things happen rather than waiting for opportunity to knock, are the types of people I like to surround myself with. Get the "Carnival Justice" iphone skin here:

http://mutt.bigcartel.com/product/carnival-justice-by-matthew-ryan-sharp

sketches.

Not a lot of painting going on right now but I am actively drawing and filling sketchbooks. I will be using these completed sketchbooks for something next year.

Have a good holiday.

digital.

I don't get a chance to mess with Photoshop a whole lot at my day gig outside of color correction and minor photo re-touches. I just thought I would play around with some blending modes, channel mixing and textures on different layers.

Bears, Babes & Super Nachos.

So, the lady and I went to our first Bears game yesterday against (my home away from home) the Cleveland Browns. This was a great first game because I like both teams so, I won either way. We had a stellar time hanging out with totally drunk football maniacs, eating super nachos and watching the game from row 6. Good times with a good girl (soon to be wifey!) and some good eats. We can't wait to go to another.

Chicago Bears 30 - Cleveland Browns 6

Yikes, that hurts. At least the Browns have a rad color scheme going for them.

The Benefit of Exhaustion.

Both Pieces are 2 X 3 feet. Mixed media on wood. Currently on exhibition at my "Rogues of the Midwest" show @ the Hot Pop Gallery in Milwaukee, WI.

Post show after thoughts.

So my solo show opened last night and the turnout was less than impressive. The weather was decent, it wasn't very cold and I was told that it was promoted well in the area. I know that I personally promoted the show via my site, blog, Myspace and my email list. I would be willing to bet that Adolf Hitler had a better turnout at his funeral.

The great thing about the show was that my wife and her mom drove down and surprised me at the opening along with my good friend Dalibor. I also got to spend a great deal of time talking shop with artist Matt Cipov, which was really great to do. I also sold 3 pieces with such a small turnout which was a nice shock.

The show is up until January 21st, so we will see how the show does in a gallery that has normal business hours during the pre & post holiday season.

Kinda bummed, but I am trying to keep positive.

Gimme your vote.

I designed a back for the good folks at EQ unit.

http://www.equnit.com/equilibrium/

vote for me if you would like.

I love this dude.

Doze Green.
His art took a bit to grow on me but when I read his interview in Juxtapoz a few years back, I fell in love with his attitude.

same old, new stuff.

All this will be at my solo. Just some studio sneaks.

Coming to Hot Pop Gallery on October 23, 2009

More info in the next day or so.

More progress.

Big week & weekend.

Alright, no pictures this post...just a recap and my thoughts on some things.

Last week I found out that the company I work for is issuing everyone who makes over $25,000 an 8% PAY CUT company wide. So, I came into the newspaper industry 2 years ago, heavily under paid as is (newspapers are the lowest paying design field right after Kinko's or Office Max) and now I am getting a pay cut which equals 80 bucks less per check...awesome (insert sarcasm here)

Along with this, the gentleman who is interested in buying the company I work for (to save us from liquidation bankruptcy) has issued all sorts of stipulations and demands for the union employees in order for him to feel comfortable making the purchase of our company. So, if by September 29th, the company is not purchased by the interested party we go back in front of the bankruptcy judge. The judge will either issue us a extension to get out of debt or....shut us down and force us to liquidate by the end of October...awesome (insert sarcasm here) The liquidation and closing will most likely happen 2 weeks before my wedding. Long story short, I am seeking out the best warehouse position so I can transition into a new job asap and avoid this unwanted stress. The graphic design field is so brutal right now, I am just going to go back to mindless warehouse work for the time being.

Alright, so enough depressing, bad economy, job-loss crap. Here is some good stuff:
2 weeks ago, Jenn and I got our motorcycle licenses and this past weekend we went looking at bikes at Conrad's HD, Willy World and via the internet. While both of our dream bikes are Harley's (mine is the Iron 883 in Black Denim) neither of us want to get our "Dream Bike" as our "First Bike". So, I think we decided that we are gonna get Honda Rebels and then get them customized and equipped with a bobber kit in order to give the bike a more classic/vintage look. More on that as the details progress. On Saturday Conrad's HD was having their 25th anniversary bash...good times, sweet bikes and lots of chaps!!

Sunday we went to the Sandwich Fair and this marks Jenn & I's 6th year going and it was just as awesome as the first. The Wisconsin Cheese Hut, Wild Bill's Soda and the most insane demolition derby we have seen yet made this year a pretty awesome one. After the fair we came home and watched the Bears lose....the hype around Cutler has been trumped by that sorry-ass season opener performance. Hopefully, this was a fluke game and Jay Cutler gets his shit together before the next game.


I wonder what this week will bring?

Work in Progress...this ones a biggie.

Finishing up on this piece here. This one measures in at 2ft X 3ft and has a 4" cradle and a 1/2" face. This is the biggest piece I have done thus far and is proving to be pretty labor intensive with all the details. I should have this finished in a day or so and then I can start the next one. This is just a early progress pic.

A mild summary of my upcoming solo show.

Rogues of the Midwest - A solo exhibition of new work by Matthew Ryan Sharp

Matthew Ryan Sharp is a painter, illustrator and graphic designer that lives, works and "makes things" in the semi-clean outskirts of Chicago where he resides with his wife and three pugs. If you were to ask Matthew what exactly it is that he does, you may get a response similar to: "I paint stuff on things". This response is not very in depth but it is fairly accurate.

Matthew drips, draws, sprays, splatters, pastes and paints his character-based social observations on wood, paper or any other surface he may have "found" in a dumpster/local construction site.

The new body of work that was created specifically for this show is a step in a new, more detailed direction that consists of multiple layers and a more cohesive visual narrative compared to previous works. If you do not enjoy the color brown, ice cream, nostalgia, mustaches, top hats, dapper gentlemen, suspenders, clowns, mimes, booze, bowler hats, knives, playing cards, ghosts, inverted crosses, skulls, name tags, magicians, imperfect painting techniques, carnivals, vagabonds, drifters, the color orange, midwestern living, large teeth, the dustbowl or acrylic paint...you probably will not enjoy this exhibition.

Hopefully these new paintings will brighten up your day, but if not, thats cool too.


Hot Pop Gallery - Milwaukee, WI
Friday October 23rd, 2009

New Baby Pug

So, the lady and I decided that we wanted another pug and we picked her up from the airport this past Friday. She made the trek from Arkansas to St. Louis and then jumped on a plane to Chicago. She is such a great puppy, the first couple days were rough while she got adjusted and while her older pug-brothers got familiar with her. Everything is returning to normal after a restless and slightly chaotic weekend for Jenn and myself.

She had her first vet visit yesterday and got a clean bill of health from the doctor...so that is a huge relief for both of us since we were worried sick when Lunchbox got so ill.

I present to you our newest baby Pug: Ena (Irish for "Little Fire) since she is a apricot fawn and has more red-tones in her coat than Lunchbox.

Slightly Premature.

So this the front flyer for a show the Project Detonate and myself curated. We hand picked these artists because either we like working/showing with them, have never shown with them or we really respect what they do and want to help get them some more exposure. Jon and Gina at T & P Fine Art in Philly are really great people to work with and I had the pleasure of showing at the gallery when it first opened...really stoked on this show.

This show is not until February but I kinda needed to update my blog and I don't wanna post too many images for my solo show (October 23rd, 2009). I figure I would toss up this flyer I designed to fill up space.

Info for my solo show as well as the flyer for it will be coming in a few weeks.

NowThen Magazine.

So, about 3 months ago I was asked by the designer of NowThen Sheffield to be the featured artist for a upcoming issue. NowThen Sheffield is a free magazine that focuses on the best independent art, music, political issues and businesses from across the pond. I was honored to be asked to do this since I have never heard of the magazine and also since it was 2 U.K. illustrators that suggested my name to the magazine.

Unfortunately, physical copies are only in the U.K. but I will be getting some once they are sent to me from the printer. However, the magazine is available online and downloadable in a multiple page PDF here:

http://www.nowthensheffield.blogspot.com

PC users, right click on the cover image.
Mac users, option click on the cover image.

Animal Rights

So anyone who know me knows that I am a huge animal rights person, hence the reason I am donating a portion of my proceeds from ALL of my art shows next year to different animal rights organizations. Great Video about 200 rescued dogs finding new homes. Take some time to watch.







Check out these great organizations as well:

http://www.bestfriends.org/
http://network.bestfriends.org/golocal/chicago/news.aspx?pID=11883
http://www.northernillinoispugrescue.org/Home2.asp

Best internet video........eva.

So I have been kinda burned out and bummed on the day gig lately and I am actively seeking a new career move. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful to have a job but I am not fully using my potential or skill level. Every time I start to get annoyed, I watch this. If you don't have a dry sense of humor, you will not find this nearly as great as I do.

I guess I work for free.

So, rarely do I discuss the annoying aspects of being a painter/illustrator or graphic designer that has work readily accessible on the inter-web, because nobody likes an artist that moans and groans...right? Well, my good friend Project Detonate got into the conversation today about being approached by shitty cry-core, emo bands, established clothing companies, non-existent clothing companies, vinyl toy brands, record labels or motorcycle companies wanting free design work so "You can get your name out there..brah" Here is a sample yet pretty accurate email composed by experiences we have both had:

"Like hey man, totally need some shirt designs for my band, we're a cry-core band from Nebraska, just go nuts, though we are in a tight budget, maybe you can do it for free, then when we get signed to vagrant records we can cut you a check, or take you on tour? whichever man let us know like totally into it, just totally let us know, toats? yeah its short for totally. so like toats! Oh yeah BTW, you will get full credit on our Myspace page and Facebook...we will also do a super gnarles Twitter Tweety Twat. I hope you are down, we are all in college so the budget is tight but we can totally hook you up with stickers and put you on the guest list."

The reason I am posting this conversation is this: I don't paint, design or draw for free. I would never have the nerve to walk into Taco Bell and ask for free Cinna-Twists with the promise of "A sweet Myspace bulletin" Unfortunately, we do not live in a world where "props" on your Facebook blog is gonna pay my mortgage.

Within the past year, I have been approached by clothing brands, record labels, toy companies, motorcycle brands, chip companies and "serious art collectors"....90% of them either wanted free work, heavily detailed work on a $40 budget or...I actually had one guy just contact me and ask me if I had any available free paintings.

Whenever I get commissioned for designs or a painting, I always go above and beyond and generally include fun little extras because I like and appreciate doing those things for people who help support me. So please, unless you are serious about hiring me, hold the smoke and mirrors for David Copperfield and the "internet fame" for that fat piece of shit Perez Hilton.

Progressing through things.

some new stuff I have been working on for my upcoming solo show at Hot Pop Gallery in Milwaukee, WI.
I think the show is gonna be called: "Rogues of the Midwest"
10.23.2009

Florida return.

I am back from Florida. The show went well, met some cool people, hung with some good friends and sold a few pieces. I will write more detailed about the show once the jet-lag wears off. I 'm totally exhausted, thanks to everyone involved. Here are some pics.

Going to Florida.

So, the time has come for the 3-man show that I am a part of with my parter in crime Project Detonate and Bil Betsovic. We will all be getting into Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Thursday to hang & prep the show (opens on Saturday, July 11th)

After we set the show up, we are gonna roam the streets looking for interesting things to do. If you read this and live in the area, come on down...if not, all the work will be online and you can check it out via the web. I personally will have a ton of framed ink drawings as well as a handful of new watercolors.

Coming Soon

Flatcolor Gallery in July.

The good folks over at Flatcolor Gallery in Seattle asked me to be a part of their 2nd show at their gallery space. Pretty stoked, the gallery space looks amazing and working with these guys is really great. If you are in the area on July 2nd, swing by for sure. All my pieces will be recession friendly.

June 12, 2009

Coming to C.A.V.E Gallery next Friday.