Shawn Feeney - News

Esquire Russia - Composite Celebrities

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:05:15 -0800

I drew a couple composite celebrity faces for the current issue of Esquire Russia (November 2009). The first is a portrait of Drew Barrymore with the features of Catherine Zeta-Jones, Angelina Jolie, and Marilyn Monroe. The second is a portrait of Joaquin Phoenix with the features of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and James Dean. They accompany an interview with social and moral psychologist Jonathan Haidt.

Image scans are in the Sketchbook - try to figure out which facial features belong to which celebrity.

Make My Monday @ Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, Oct. 25th

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:58:37 -0700

I'm participating again in Make My Monday at the Fort Mason Center tomorrow evening. Drinks, DJ, and a bunch of local artists making affordable art for sale.

Also just posted some caricatures I drew at an art party in San Francisco last night, much fun: Sketchbook

POW! POW! and Treasure Island Music Festival

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:34:00 -0700

I'm performing a kind of pop music this Friday involving about 900 thumbtacks at the POW! POW! Action Art Festival: Climate Theater, 285 9th St, San Francisco, 8pm, $15. The festival continues through Sunday.

The Mr. Potato Friend customizable portrait booth will be at the Treasure Island Music Festival this Saturday and Sunday, more info at www.treasureislandfestival.com.

BFF - Set 1, Drawing 41. Jay and Laura

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:49:50 -0700

The 41st BFF drawing is done. It's a combination of Jay and his friend Laura.

Memorial Jack-o-lantern 2009: Michael Jackson

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:09:19 -0700

This year's memorial jack-o-lantern is done, and the subject is Michael Jackson (August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009). Images and a time-lapse video of the carving are on my new Memorial Jack-o-lanterns page. Buttons and t-shirts are also available only until Halloween, Oct. 31, 2009: http://shawnfeeney.spreadshirt.com.

BFF - Set 1, Drawing 40. Stephanie and Kyle

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:17:11 -0700

The 40th BFF drawing is done. It's a combination of Stephanie and her friend Kyle.

BFF - Set 1, Drawing 39. Nicola and Mike

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:52:28 -0700

The 39th BFF drawing is done. It's a combination of Nicola and her friend Mike.

60 Noses/Mouths/Ears Videos

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:00:54 -0700

I posted some slideshow videos of the 60 Noses/Mouths/Ears drawings:

60 Noses video

60 Mouths video

60 Ears video

Book Cover: Magdala

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:40:21 -0700

I recently designed and illustrated the book cover for the new novel Magdala by Valerie Gross. The book explores the relationship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus: "What if Mary Magdalene's path from dutiful priestess to spiritual leader were the central story we considered?"

Magdala is available from www.magdalathebook.com and Amazon.

Astor & Pollux Posters

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:56:43 -0700

Astor & Pollux posters are now available! They are 24 x 18", the same size as the original drawing. Printed on 80# gloss cover stock with a half-inch border (image size is 23 x 17"). Posters ship rolled up in a poster tube, signed if you like. I'm now accepting pre-orders and will start shipping posters on Sept. 1st. Only $10 + shipping.

Astor & Pollux posters

Original Art on Giwaza.com: Gift Registry for Art

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 17:54:39 -0700

I've added a bunch of my original artworks to Giwaza.com, a gift registry for art. You can use this site to rally your friends and family to get original art for you as a gift. Choose a piece you like on the site (maybe for your birthday, holidays, wedding, etc), then initiate a gift to start raising funds for it. At the moment, I've got ten pieces on Giwaza, including Musical Anatomy drawings and the Gorilla Flower Meditation Study. Check it out if there's a piece you've had your eye on.

Shawn Feeney art on Giwaza.com

Make My Monday @ Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, July 27th

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 10:39:36 -0700

I'll be participating in Make My Monday at the Fort Mason Center again this Monday. Drinks, DJ, and a bunch of local artists making affordable art for sale ($5-$50). The Rebar Group's bushwaffle and PARKcycle will also be available to play with. I had a great time at the debut event last month, and this one should prove to be even better. July 27, 6:30-9:30pm, 21+. RSVP at mmm@fortmason.org or on Facebook to guarantee entrance.

Dave and Annie Combined Portrait

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:47:31 -0700

My friend Dave commissioned me to make a combined portrait of him and his wife Annie. It's not part of the BFF project, but it's in that style. Charcoal drawing and photos added to the Sketchbook.

Dangerous Ink magazine - Interview and Musical Anatomy Feature

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 11:23:08 -0700

The new issue of Dangerous Ink magazine (Vol. 2, #3) includes an interview with me and a five-page Musical Anatomy feature. It's available in bookstores in the UK this week and will hit the shelves in the US next week. You can also order it online here. The issue looks great and includes features on Richard O'Brien and Ray Harryhausen - I'm glad to be a part of it!

UPDATE 23 July: Due to a printing error, the publication of this issue has been pushed back a week.

BFF - Set 1, Drawing 38. Roxie and Adrien

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:05:08 -0700

The 38th BFF drawing is done. It's a combination of Roxie and his friend Adrien.

The Five Deadly Venoms CD now on CDBaby

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:04:58 -0700

The The Five Deadly Venoms CD that I illustrated and designed is now available for purchase on CDBaby: http://cdbaby.com/cd/fivedeadlyvenoms. The band is still on tour too, check the dates on their website.

Make My Monday @ Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, June 29th

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:04:10 -0700

I'll be drawing with other local artists at Fort Mason Center's Make My Monday event on the 29th. Free happy hour and original art at recession-friendly prices. 6:30-9:30pm, 21+. RSVP at mmm@fortmason.org or on Facebook to hold your place at the bar.

BFF - Set 1, Drawing 37. Michael and Cathleen

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:39:42 -0700

The 37th BFF drawing is done. It's a combination of Michael and his friend Cathleen.

If you enjoy this project, please consider supporting it on Kickstarter by July 14. This is an opportunity to commission your own BFF-style drawing, get a BFF print or poster. Even if you can only pledge a few dollars, I'll thank you on my site. The project is totally self-funded thus far, and just getting frames for 127 drawings will cost a couple thousand dollars. Thanks! BFF on Kickstarter

Kickstart BFF

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:33:23 -0700

I got invited by Kickstarter.com (a funding platform for creative types) to add the BFF project to their site. It works a bit like public radio fund drives: people pledge a certain amount of money, and you get certain rewards depending on how much you pledge. However, if the fundraising goal is not met, no money changes hands.

I'm trying to raise $5000 by July 14 for the BFF project. This will help me complete the project sooner rather than later (I have 91 drawings left to make), pay for supplies, BFF posters, prints, even books, and help to put together a gallery show when it's all done. Pledging $1 or more gets you a shout-out on my website; $20 or more gets you a signed poster which will include all the drawings arranged in a hereditary tree; $100 or more gets you a signed and numbered limited edition giclee print of BFF drawings available only to Kickstarter supporters; $200-$499 gets you an original BFF-style composite sketch of you and a friend, drawn by me in pencil at 4x6"; and $500 or more gets you a detailed original BFF-style composite drawing of you and a friend, drawn by me in charcoal at 8.5x11" (same quality as the drawings in this project). If the goal of $5000 isn't met by July 14, you don't have to pay anything - on the other hand, you can still pledge even if the goal has been met before then. You can get more details and pledge here, feel free to pass it along to others:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shawnfeeney/bff

If you wanted a BFF-style drawing but missed out on the project, now's your chance! Thanks.

The Five Deadly Venoms - Album Art

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:05:04 -0700

My friends in The Five Deadly Venoms asked me to create the imagery for their debut self-titled album. I made the cover illustration, band logo, CD layout and design. They asked me for an illustration of deadly flowers, and so for inspiration I looked to angel's trumpets, pitcher plants, venus flytraps, and the carrion flower. The album has just been released and the band is about to hit the road. Check them out while they're on tour - this is some seriously excellent 21st century bluegrass, and a beautifully recorded album. I've added imagery from the CD to the Sketchbook and Posters pages.

BFF - Set 1, Drawing 36. Kirsten and Ali

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:32:12 -0700

The 36th BFF drawing is done. It's a combination of Kirsten and her friend Ali.

Raw Shack performed by Stars Like Fleas at MoMA in NYC tonight

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:01:52 -0700

The improvisational Brooklyn music collective Stars Like Fleas will be performing my musical game piece Raw Shack as part of an evening of site-specific performances at MoMA in NYC tonight. Music begins at 6:00 p.m. in The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, with sets throughout the evening both outdoors and inside the Museum. (In the event of rain, all performances take place indoors.)

Original Art For Sale - Gorilla Flower Meditation Study

Tue, 05 May 2009 11:27:59 -0700

Just added to the Store the Gorilla Flower Meditation Study. This is a study for the Gorilla Flower Meditation painting. The flowers are in a slightly different configuration than they are in the painting. India ink on bristol paper, 6 x 12", unframed. $175 + shipping.

New Sketch - Gearblossom

Sun, 03 May 2009 11:45:32 -0700

Gearblossom just added to the Sketchbook. This was made for Callibug Designs Gold Miners fashion collection. Ink & Irish breakfast tea on bristol vellum, 9x14".

BFF - Set 1, Drawing 35. Shane and Andy

Fri, 01 May 2009 14:21:41 -0700

The 35th BFF drawing is done. It's a combination of Shane and his friend Andy.

30 Second Science featuring How Town

Fri, 01 May 2009 13:00:38 -0700

Ariel Hart created a very cool animation about the buggy origins of alcohol using the song "Sunrise-Stained Porch" from my How Town music project. The video is called 30 Second Science, check it out here.

Mr. Potato Friend

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:02:39 -0700

Mr. Potato Friend is a portrait booth with modular body parts I created for the Alchemy event last weekend. A pair of friends selects from various torsos, legs, bodies, and hats, and attaches them to the booth. Then they stick their heads and hands through the appropriate openings and get their picture taken. It's a playful riff on those mermaid paintings you stick your head through at theme parks and boardwalks. I put it together, and worked on the concept with Marc Scheff. I added a page for it in the Projects section, and more pictures are available on flickr here.

Musical Anatomy exhibition extended to May 11 @ CounterPULSE, San Francisco

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:22:46 -0700

The Musical Anatomy exhibition has been extended to May 11! It will now be up during the big May Day Festival at CounterPULSE this weekend. Check it out!

Alchemy, Sat. April 25 @ California Modern Art Gallery

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:15:04 -0700

False Profit and Missing Piece present Alchemy this Saturday, April 25 at the California Modern Art Gallery in San Francisco. It's a carnival-themed interactive art event featuring a fashion show, reactive video installations, sock puppets, and much more. I'm involved in a few ways. At the event, I'll be drawing caricatures of the participants. Mr. Potato Friend, an interactive modular body part installation I made will also be available to play with. Some of my art will be featured on Callibug Design's new clothing and in the Alchemy photo booth. I also designed the flyer.

California Modern Art Gallery, 1035 Market @ 6th/7th, San Francisco, 9pm-2am, $15-20, full bar.

Interwebbings

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:16:00 -0700

In addition to this website, I have a few other channels set up for digital interaction. There's a Shawn Feeney Art page on Facebook, good for discussions and feedback.

I'm also on Twitter @shawnfeeney. I post occasional art and music related links. And yes, I was twittering before Oprah.

On Flickr, I post many of my art images, including sketches, works-in-progress, and event photos that don't always get posted to this website.

And in case you're not already on it, you can sign up for my Mailing List to find out about performances, exhibitions, art for sale, and discounts. I rarely send out more than one email per month.

Musical Anatomy photos and video posted

Sat, 18 Apr 2009 12:01:15 -0700

Posted some photos from the April 6 Musical Anatomy opening. I also posted a video in which I walk through the show in conversation with officerfishdumplings. The exhibition is up at CounterPULSE in San Francisco though April 30.

Smashing Pumpkins Collapsed Albums

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:57:26 -0700

Someone at SmashingPumpkins.com got wind of my Collapsed Albums technique and applied it to all of Smashing Pumpkins' albums. Check it out and see if you can identify them.

Musical Anatomy - CounterPULSE, San Francisco, April 6-30

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:31:12 -0700

The Musical Anatomy series is now finished and all the pieces are online. The show goes up at CounterPULSE in San Francisco this Monday, April 6, with a reception from 5-7pm. The exhibition continues though April 30. Most of the pieces are available for purchase, get in touch if you're interested.

I also posted some early Musical Anatomy designs to the Sketchbook, some date back a few years!

Drawing Mr. Tambourine Man - Video

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:05:21 -0700

A time-lapse video of my Mr. Tambourine Man drawing, of course referencing Mr. Bob Dylan. This drawing is part of the Musical Anatomy series, on display at CounterPULSE in San Franscico April 6-30. Video is best viewed in High Quality mode. I'll post more images to the site soon!

Musical Anatomy - CounterPULSE, San Francisco, April 6-30

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:54:41 -0700

I'm busy working on images for my upcoming exhibition, Musical Anatomy, at CounterPULSE in San Francisco, running April 6-30. For those of you in the bay area, save the date of April 6 - there will be an opening reception that evening 5-7pm.

Musical Anatomy features drawings of musicians whose instruments are natural extensions of their bodies. The show includes references and homages to musicians such as Eric Dolphy, Astor Piazzolla, and Bob Dylan. I've been developing some of these images for a few years now, so I'm excited to share them with you.

Threadless Submission - Fingerwalker

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:48:13 -0800

I submitted my Fingerwalker design to Threadless to potentially be printed as a t-shirt. If you'd wear it, vote for it! Thanks.

How To Draw A BFF - Video

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:34:00 -0800

In this video, I walk through the creation of BFF drawing 1-32 (Stacey and Jenna). It shows the materials I use and the process I go through to make these images. The roughly nine-minute video compresses about four hours of actual drawing time. The video has also been added to the BFF page.

BFF - Set 1, Drawing 34. Yasmin and Helio

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:39:46 -0800

The 34th BFF drawing is done. It's a combination of Yasmin and her friend Helio.

New Limited Edition Giclee Prints: 60 Ears, 60 Mouths 17 x 11"

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 19:44:19 -0800

I've just released new limited edition prints of 60 Ears and 60 Mouths, completing my little facial feature triptych. As with the 60 Noses prints, they are collections of sixty female and male ears and mouths, arranged chronologically from people ages 16 - 90. The original pencil drawings (based on arrest photos) are faithfully reproduced on beautifully textured, 100% cotton Hahnemuhle paper. These sturdy prints (310 gsm) are shipped flat, signed and numbered in pencil. Paper size is 17 x 11", image size is 15 x 9" (one inch border all around). The edition is limited to 300, visit the Store to order. $50 + shipping.

BFF - Set 1, Drawing 33. Max and Catherine

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 01:46:38 -0800

The 33rd BFF drawing is done. It's a combination of Max and his friend Catherine.

Posters

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:32:44 -0800

Just added a Posters section to the site. It includes a variety of posters and logo designs for concerts and art events. Any bands or promoters interested in custom gig posters, drop me a line.

BFF - Set 1, Drawing 32. Stacey and Jenna

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:33:55 -0800

The 32nd BFF drawing is done. It's a combination of Stacey and her friend Jenna. The BFF project is now 25% complete!

Sketchbook 2006-2008 Now Available

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:52:15 -0800

I've just released a collection of drawings from the past two years: Sketchbook 2006-2008. It's a 40-page book consisting of drawings made during the time I worked as a forensic artist for the police in New York. The book includes detailed studies of facial features, caricatures, and composites rendered in a variety of media: pencil, charcoal, pen, pastel, blue highlighter, etc. The odd turtle, snail, and musical flower are thrown in for good measure.

There are two versions available: a glossy softcover for $20.95, and a matte hardcover with silk-finish premium paper for $37.95. You can also preview the first 15 pages online for free.

BFF - Set 1, Drawing 31. Kelly and Matt

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 23:23:51 -0800

The 31st BFF drawing is done. It's a combination of Kelly and her friend Matt.