Get Totally Awesome!

It's ON!

2010-04-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings! A couple of new paintings below:

It's ON | 12" x 18" | $120

We've Got Your Back | 12" x 18" | $120

Hope you all are having a good Spring! Remember to eat all the pizza you can...It's the best way to get ready for a sizzlin' summer. Until next time...On and on 'till the break of dawn!

-Benj

Stoked on Stoked

2010-03-28T20:27:00.000-07:00

The Stoked 2 silent deck art auction at Art OMI was a big success. I was really impressed with the effort and enthusiasm people had for their projects, the event, and the proposed skatepark in Chatham.

I liked this guy Chris Stain's deck. Combo stencil, spraypaint and screenprinting.

I also liked my friend Ryan Blessing' bird deck.

And speaking of birds, this person made a birdhouse. Super creative...Lots of people were into this one. Photo: Jamie Kennard

And there's mine up top, giving love (and art) a bad name. Ha.

Jamie and Tracy came out from Woodstock! Always awesome to see these kids.

And the organizers - Mr. Kris Qua (L) and Shari Franks (R). Can't thank them enough for the opportunity and for throwing such an awesome gathering.

Here are a few pieces I did about a year ago...These are for sale, so please contact me if you want to hang a piece of plywood in your living room.

Living Off the Land | 12" x 24" | $60

You are Awesome | 12" x 24" | $60

Look What the Cat Dragged In | 12" x 24" | $60

Peas & Carrots | 12" x 24" | $60

Getting Stoked

2010-03-11T08:49:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, and sorry for the lack of updates lately! Belinda, Charlie and I welcomed a new baby into our life back in November, and I took a break from painting for awhile...So my first new project is this skate deck I did for Stoked 2, a silent deck art auction happening at Art Omi in Ghent, NY on March 27th. 75 artists will be showing, and benefits from the auction will go towards building the Chatham Skatepark.

Here is a flier for the event...Come out if you can!

...Later.

Harvesting the goods

2009-10-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

Happy fall, everybody. This year I am participating in Grand St. Arts' Boarded Up! exhibit again. This painting is currently slapped onto one of the exterior windows of their space in Albany, along with paintings by a bunch of other local artists. It's a cool exhibit, and great to be a part of an organization that has brought a lot to one of Albany's lower income communities.
The New Mayor | 36" x 48" | Acrylic on Wood Panel

This show will be up for a few months, and then the pieces will be auctioned off at the exhibit's closing party during the winter. Captain Capitol!

I also have three pieces in the Pink Nightmare show that opens this Saturday in Boston, at Orchard Skate Shop. This is a group show featuring a slew of my Silly Pink Bunny friends, and is being curated by Isaac McKay Randozzi, whose photos you should check out. If you are near Mission Hill this Saturday night, stop by the Orchard Shop at 1625 Tremont St. Get some!

Unleashing the Funk

2009-08-12T19:58:00.001-07:00

Like Jane's Addiction said back in high school, summertime rolls and with that I am rolling out some new paintings, below. I also have a little show happening at Hair Art Salon and Spa here in downtown Saratoga, so come check it out if you are in town and maybe get that mullet trimmed down while you're at it. New stuff is in the works as always, so stay tuned...Check out the blog for stuff that's still available...And as always, get awesome!

ZX-7 | 8" x 10" | $60

R42 | 8" x 10" | $60

5:J5 | 8" x 10" | $60

I'll Be Back | 8" x 10" | SOLD

Early Bird

2009-06-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

Just finished painting these two cabinet doors for my cousins Boo and Kim. I have been really into drawing birds lately, maybe because it's finally warm enough outside that they actually show up in my yard. More birds to come on GTA in the next few weeks!

Roc City

2009-06-08T13:40:00.000-07:00

If you are in the Rochester area this week, be sure to check out the latest edition of CITY, who hired me to do two illustrations for their issue announcing this year's Rochester Jazz Festival. Had a lot of fun working on these, and more of the imagery can be seen on their site.

Donuts vs. Nachos

2009-06-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

Both are awesome. Who's hungry?

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. Life has been busy, but good, and I've probably been spending more time outside than inside painting. Below are some pieces I did a few months back. These are currently on display at the Flavour Cafe in Troy, but available for sale.

I Make Donuts | 24" x 6" | $120

I Make Nachos | 24" x 6" | $120

Also a final thanks to Eric h Lehman, Surface Salon and 1975 for hosting my show in Rochester the last few months. I managed to sell a couple things, but more importantly played a small part in a great up-and-coming art community. New stuff is in the works, so keep your internet turned on. Who's bad.

Hotheaded

2009-03-29T20:18:00.000-07:00

This is another piece on display at the Sixes & Sevens show in Rochester. Hotheaded is for sale and ready to heat up your living room! Hope you all are having a great start to Spring.

Stop...Hammer time!

Hotheaded | 14" x 48" | $300

Sixes & Sevens Opening

2009-03-09T06:44:00.000-07:00

Belinda and I took the journey out to Rochester last Friday for the Sixes & Sevens opening reception and it was a lot of fun, with a really good turnout.

Tony's stuff looked awesome, I think our stuff really complemented each other.

Me, Erich and Tony.

No. 3 For Here | 16" x 48" | SOLD
Dog 2000 | 16" x 48" | SOLD
Fantoastic | 16" x 48" | SOLD

Tough as Leather | 24" x 6" | $240

Let's Make it Happen | 24" x 6" | $240

Totally Goin' for it | 24" x 6" | $240

The opening reception was a really fun time and it was completely worth making the 3-1/2 hour drive both ways that night. Thanks so much to Erich for putting on a great event and promoting the upstate art scene, Tony for banging out some killer work and agreeing to show with me, thanks to Lee for providing a great space that is sure to host more great events, and thanks to Nate and Angie for helping document the night, and Belinda for always being supportive of my painting, taking some pictures, helping me make the drive. Also thanks to cheese, grapes and cupcakes for helping feed everyone that night.

People have been letting me know that they enjoy the email updates, but just a reminder that this blog has a permanent home at www.gettotallyawesome.blogspot.com so you can always check back here to see all of the previous posts. Keep on truckin'.

A Day in the Rock

2009-03-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

I spent the day in Rochester yesterday, hanging the Sixes & Sevens show with Erich. Erich was a trooper, he had literally just pulled in from a night in DC and was ready to go.

Erich laying it down.

I was totally stoked to see some of Tony's new work too. The last thing I saw of his was an old muffler with a funny face painted on it, and that was like ten years ago.

Anyway, below are some previews of some of my stuff. I have 23 paintings in this show, and all are for sale. If you like French Fries and soda, I have a painting for you! Or maybe you like grumpy alien robots with scuba gear.

Get Totally Awesome | 16" x 48" | SOLD

No. 3 For Here | 16" x 48" | SOLD

Girl 1 | 8" x 10" | SOLD

Girl 2 | 8" x 10" | SOLD

Girl 3 | 8" x 10" | SOLD

If you happen to be in the greater Rochester area this Friday, please come check out the opening! I plan on wearing jeans without holes in them, so it really should be a special night.

Who Wants Some | 14" x 48" | $250

If you are interested in purchasing any of these, contact Erich through the gallery's website - www.1975ish.com. The show will be up until the very end of May. Thanks so much to Erich and Leigh for setting this show up, and also thanks so Nate Pallace for coming in and taking pictures while we hung. I am totally geared up for getting down.

Sixes and Sevens

2009-02-17T20:54:00.000-08:00

I am totally stoked to announce a show I will be participating in at 1975 in Rochester. Sixes and Sevens opens up on Friday, March 6th and will be a two-person show featuring me and Tony Bachiaciciahhahaiacahahiacci. Nothing is better than a Jewish guy and an Italian guy hanging their art in the same room, and I am grateful for the opportunity that my good friend and fellow nacho-lover Erich Lehman has given me to show in his space with Tony. Below are some little drawings I will be showing...More to come before the show.

Robots

Dino

Dog

Mi Amigo Large

2009-02-12T06:26:00.000-08:00

Mi Amigo Large is a 2 ft. x 5 ft. painting I did last summer for Boarded Up at Grand St. Arts in Albany. The painting hung on the outside of their building for the summer, and then was auctioned off in September to help raise money for renovation of their space, which occupies an old church in downtown Albany. A whole bunch of local artists participated, and you can see all of the work here. Grand St. Arts is a truly grassroots organization, run by some totally awesome people, that has done some really cool and interesting events for the local community.

Last week I hung some stuff in the Flavour Cafe in Troy, so stop on by and peep it if you're in the neighborhood. Get some!

February is a great time to get awesome.

2009-02-02T06:52:00.001-08:00

SOLD Nachos, Anyone? 8x10, $75 plus $5 s/h

SOLD Donut Valley Explorer 8x10, $75 plus $5 s/h

SOLD The Sunshine Bus 8x10, $75 plus $5 s/h

SOLD Adventure Machine 8x10, $75 plus $5 s/h

Not only is this the birthday month for some of the mostest specialist peeps in my life, but I am getting ready for a big show next month that I am really excited about. More on that later, but in the meantime, here are four paintings for sale. Each is 8x10, and 75 dollars plus 5 dollars shipping which might just include a surprise sticker inside. Don't hate the playa, hate the game!

Hot for Teacher

2009-01-21T11:19:00.001-08:00

And really, who isn't?

This is 8 x 10, and available for 75 dollars. Email me if you are interested, thanks!

42 and 31

2009-01-12T12:19:00.000-08:00

These are Robots #42 and #31. Each is acrylic on paper and for sale for 50 dollars which includes framing and shipping! Email me if you are interested. Get funky.

Getting Totally Awesome!

2008-12-31T09:24:00.000-08:00

Welcome, and thanks for checking out my new art blog. I took some time off from painting for a few years, but have spent the last 2 years cranking out paintings and drawings pretty regularly and actively showing as well. If you like weird machines,

dinosaurs,

stuff from the 80's,

robots with butts,

or other weird machines,

then you might like some of what you see here. I will be including pricing and availability for most pieces too. Thanks to Takeyce for her help in getting me motivated and setup here in internetland, make sure to check out her artwork as well.