GRAPHIC NOVEL SUMMER '12

I wanted to send a SHOUT-OUT to my students of my Summer '12 Graphic Novel class at the Art Institute of California-San Francisco.  You guys did a fantastic job and I am proud of you and your fantastic work.  In an intensive eleven weeks together I watched you crank out original stories, characters and artwork to complete your graphic novel projects.  Layouts, pencils, inks, coloring, cover and masthead... it took hard work, dedication and you did it all with passion, talent and elbow grease.  I want to applaud you, thank you and let you know it was an honor to watch you work.  I hope you take your ideas and your work and continue to push them both forward.

photo: ©Copyright Trey Gallaher 2012
All Rights Reserved.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

 

Just a little glimpse at a piece I have been working on recently.  This is part of a series I have been working on for a over a year now. I'm hoping to have a show sometime next year.  These works are quite a bit larger than most anything I've done recently and working in oils is slower and requires more process drying-time.  I included here a drawing study of one of the figures depicted in this painting titled "The Beginning".  Enjoy!

Images and Artwork: "The Beginning"  ©Copyright Trey Gallaher

ON THE COVER 2

Gracing the homepage of my website this month is a detail shot from this recently finished illo I completed titled "Sorceress". While working on this piece I was thinking about science fiction and fantasy writers whose work I am familiar with. I had recently watched an interview with the great concept artist Ian McCaig and remembered him being inspired by the American mythologist and writer Joseph Campbell. A few Google searches and thirty minutes later I was immersed in Mr. Campbell's life and work.

An amazing visionary, pioneer and savior of world mythology in the modern age, Joseph Campbell would have many interests and influences from the likes of Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud and Wilhelm Stekel. Campbell was great freinds with fellow writer John Steinbeck and even lived in Monterey, CA next door to the legendary "Doc" Ricketts of all people. Campbell would go on to originate the term monomyth or what would later become known as the The Hero's Journey and what has now become a standard in contemporary story writing structure.

Being totally blown away with Joseph Cambell's dedication to story writing and the survival of mythology in modern day society I decided to include a famous quote of his to accompany my illustration. They seemed to fit nicely together.

"Follow your bliss, and the world will open doors where there were only walls."

- Joseph Campbell (1904-1987)



For more information on Joseph Campbell click --> HERE

To see the detail shot of this work on my homepage click --> HERE

Artwork: "Sorceress"
                9" x 12" oil on paper
                ©Copyright Trey Gallaher

JOURNAL 5: KINDNESS, SOULS & EINSTEIN

From the journal "Hummingbird".

Artwork: ©Copyright Trey Gallaher. All Rights Reserved.

ON THE COVER

Recently I finished this pastel painting I call "The Guardian". I have had this piece working for years and had gotten away from it for a while. My new years resolution was to clear out some old pieces that have been waiting to be finished... starting with this one.

Years ago now my dear friends Gary and Guinevere had their first baby, Koen (now six). It was an amazing transformation to watch that little life come into the world and change so many lives for the better around him. Even in his earliest stages of life he was bringing smiles and joy to everyone and I saw my friends change in ways I couldn't exactly describe. Something different was happening, the focus, the protective nature, the intensity, the love, the hope, and the joy were bringing a new perspective on the world and our future.

I had set out to to do several pieces on this subject matter. I didn't want to focus on the baby, but on the social, cultural, and emotional aspect of going through this transformation in one's life; becoming a parent. This is not a picture about the baby, but about the people around the baby.




This month I am putting this piece on the cover (homepage) of my website as a tribute to Koen's sixth birthday, and also to honor another new life that has entered the world recently named Cameron. My friends Clayton and Stephanie have been recently blessed with a new life that is a smiling happy bundle of joy... and the transformation begins again.




"The Guardian"
27x20in. (68.6x50.8cm)
pastel on paper

Homepage --> www.treygallaher.com

Artwork and photos: ©Copyright Trey Gallaher

TAKE A MOMENT

Just stop your busy lives for a moment... take a deep breath and look around. You might catch that gentle sweet smell of bubble gum wafting through the air. This time of year brings this special bloom for just a few short weeks. Amazing! Don't miss it, and have a great day!



























Photos: ©Copyright Trey Gallaher

SOLILOQUY: BARRON STOREY

If you are in the LA area this weekend, check out one of the most innovative, original and inspiring artists you will ever meet. Barron Storey help shape my artistic talents and to this day remains an icon among artists, a great teacher and I'm proud to say, a friend. Barron has had an amazing career and has created cover art for some of the most prestigious publications in the country from Time Magazine, to Heavy Metal, to American Heritage. I grew up seeing his art on the cover of Lord of the Flies in my locker in high school. He has worked for the National Geographic, NASA, and has a piece in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. You will never find another like him... so check out his latest show at LeBASSE in Culver City.

OPENING RECEPTION: Friday night Feb. 11, 2012 is the opening from 7-10.

Artwork: ©Copyright Barron Storey

JOURNAL 4: AFRICAN MASKS

Sometimes a great way to get inspiration is to take a trip to your local history museum, art museum, or natural science museum for a look into our past, present and future! Here in San Francisco we are lucky to have all three close by. One of the most creatively inspirational places for me is the African Masks exhibit in the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park. Many great artists have been influenced by masks from Africa including the great Picasso and his influence on cubism. The shapes, the textures, the rich deep colors are incredible and remind one of the Earth's history and how long we have been making art that influenced the way we think and feel. The craftsmanship using bare hands and primitive tools and colors can make art with a timeless beauty that even today will chill you to the bone and remind you of what it means to be alive.

The next time you get a chance when you are in San Francisco, swing up to the second floor of the de Young and see the permanent collection. Spend some time being haunted and inspired as you stroll through it. But in the meantime enjoy these sketches I brought home with me in my journal.



















































Drawings: ©Copyright Trey Gallaher

YEAR OF THE DRAGON

Being the year of the dragon... I had to post this one, a blast from the past!

I completed this watercolor many years ago now and have long since evolved in many different directions since, but this has always been one of those pieces I return to from time to time remembering how far I have come.

This was a "biggie" for me in it's day both in it's physical size and magnitude coming in at almost 22x30 in. (big for a watercolor). Art is weird that way, it's not just an expression of that moment in your life but a record of who you were and what you have become. It took some time to complete this one, and I labored over it back in those days, but it taught me the value of not only watercolor as a medium, but sticking to it and holding true to your vision. I am still proud of this one and how far I have come!

Below are some detail shots (click to enlarge). Enjoy... and Happy New Year!















































































Artwork: "New Years"
watercolor on paper
22x30 in.
©Copyright Trey Gallaher