The Gnome Show

It's been a while since I've posted! These two pieces were done for a "Gnome Show" brought to you by Elroy Art Space back in January! "Gnome Brau Hefe-weisse" is the first painting I did in 2012! "Gnome Roasters" was a fun follow up that I sold as a digital print. Both are available as limited edition digital prints and the original "Gnome Brau Hefe-weisse" painting is still for sale!

"Gnome Brau Hefe-weisse" 6 x 6 Acrylic on Masonite "box lid" / Digital Print 6 x 6 (8 x 8 including border)

"Gnome Roasters" 6 x 6 (8 x 8 including border) Digital Print

"Penalty Kick 2010" World Cup Commemorative

This year was busy and provided a variety of work. One job brought me to Colorado Springs for two weeks where I did this commissioned painting. Match Services, based in Zurich, Switzerland, offers IT support and coordinates communication between the stadiums for World Cup. They set up shop in Colorado Springs and hired me to do some painting for their new offices. Here are some "behind the scenes" photos on top of the finished product.
-Ben

Broad Strokes

"Penalty Kick 2010" World Cup Commemorative / 3' x 7.5' triptych / Acrylic on Birch Ply Panel / Commissioned Painting

Close Ups

Starry Nation

Starry Nation from Benjamin W. Burch on Vimeo.

I hope your not getting tired of my ecards cause I sure am heck not tired of making them! So much fun!

Scootiki

This years Tiki show put on by "Elroy Art" Agency was a group show hybrid of tiki and scooter culture. Below are my contributions to the show. They didn't get hung because they sold online before the opening day! The buyer was going to be in Portland before the show and wanted to pick them up. Oh, well! The one right below this post is inspired by the Evel Knievel colors.

"Evel K'Tiki" Acrylic on Masonite 6 x 6

"Poi Mouth" Acrylic on Masonite 6 x 6

Doggone Birthday

Doggone Birthday from Benjamin W. Burch on Vimeo.

Sometimes when it comes to design, limitations imposed inspire freedom. That's what I did for this card when it came to the amount of colors used.

Warm Fuzzies

Warm Fuzzies from Benjamin W. Burch on Vimeo.

When getting an assignment, I don't always know exactly what I'm going to do. One way I figure it out is to find the music I'm going to use first. The music helps me get the mood and timing for a animation the way I want it. This time, however, I was asked to work with a sound designer in London. I had to time out the animated piece in a animatic. A animatic is a rough outline as to where and when the animation is going to happen. This got sent to the sound designer in London who was able to time the music out to the animatic and then sent back to me to finish design and animation. Mark Stephenson was the sound designer and he did a fantastic job! Definitely a true talent! I hope you agree.

Flip The Bird V

The fifth annual Flip the Bird show focused on Astoria's bicentennial. Ben Adams and I fought all odds to get this show together! On top of continuous work deadlines and demands (Ben with Laika's Paranorman and myself with my own studio work), Ben Adams broke his painting hand a couple weeks before the show! We still managed to pull it together. Above is the T-shirt design and below are my contributions.

"Blue Heron" Acrylic on Ply 8 x 14

"Surf Scoter" Acrylic on Masonite 8 x 12

"Belted Kingfisher" Acrylic on Ply 8 x 8

"Exploration" Acrylic on Ply 11 x 17

"Sophisticated Taste" Acrylic on Masonite 11.75 x 20

"No Vacancy" Acrylic on Masonite 11.75 x 20

Love Cats

Love Cats from Benjamin W. Burch on Vimeo.

One of my newest clients this year is a ecard company. Birthday Alarm has been a absolute dream to work for as I am given just about as much freedom as a artist can ask for! Who would have thought it would have come in the form of ecards! Ha, ha! So much fun! Start an account! It's a easy way to remember friends and loved ones for birthdays and holidays!

Merry Chimney Sweeps

Merry Chimney Sweeps from Benjamin Burch on Vimeo.

Hope this holiday greeting finds you well at the end of 2010.
May warm wishes and good fortune find you for 2011.

Sincerely,
Benjamin Burch

Common Fig

Common Fig from Benjamin Burch on Vimeo.

This was a project I was hired to do this fall. The animated short promotes a new networking site for independent professionals. Check out the video. Above are also the character designs.

Atomic Tiki Show

Here are a couple of paintings I did for a tiki group show at Elroy Art space in Portland at the end of the summer.

Bandido Loco

"Dia De Los Muertos" group show at Lunar Boy Gallery .

The Goonies Show

With hardly a break between shows, I had pitched the idea of doing a Goonies themed group show to Deborah Starr. As the owner of Lunar Boy Gallery in Astoria Or., Deborah what more than thrilled to have a show that coincided with the 25th anniversary of "The Goonies". Not only did I co curate but I painted for it as well.

"Rich Stuff" 17x22 Acrylic on Birchply This is the digital version. I'll post the painting later. You can compare and contrast! For Sale


T-shirt design I did for the event.

Flip The Bird IV, A Change Of Seasons

Ben Adams and I were at it again in April with the 4th annual Flip The Bird Show! This year it seemed fitting to paint around the theme of the four seasons. We were super, super fortunate this year to have the insanely talented Lou Romano and Nate Wragg join us! Here are a few of my paintings.

"A Delicious Snack Amongst the Springtime Bud" 12x12 Acrylic on Panel


"Summertime Recreation" 12x12 Acrylic on Panel


"Much To His Chagrin, Mr. Tibbits Missed The Last Train South" 12x12 Acrylic on Panel

Jazz Cats

Since I'm on the whole cat craze, I'll post this digital illustration. Because of my style, I've managed to turn the heads of some mid century modern painters. El Gato Gomez is a fantastic and super talented artist based out of Pennsylvania (not to mention a big cat fan). I was totally flattered when she asked to do a art trade with me. Many of my paintings start out as digital illustrations so I can experiment and tweek value and color (command z is a very powerful tool). When I get it the way I want, I paint it!

DoJump's Tiger Lily and Sunny Lu

Tiger Lily and Sunny Lu was a production put on by Portland's acrobatic theater directed and written by Robin Quivers. Set in Portland it illustrates the memoirs of Sunny Lu who narrates the trials, tribulations and times of he and his brother, Tiger Lily. I designed and animated segments within the play.

DoJump's Tiger Lily and Sunny Lu

Animated and designed for Do Jump acrobatic theater. The house was projected on the back scrim of the stage. I animated the cats in the window as if they were looking at the goings on outside the window while buskers performed and a tap dancer danced on a wooden box. It cycled while people filed into the theater and before the performance started, I animated a rain storm which cued the street performers to run off stage. It was great to see the whole thing come together!

Print Show

Hey Everyone! Would love to see your smiling faces as my print show this Thursday!

Wild Space A Go Go

A job I just finished for a Musical due to open in April.

Ciao Belle

Title Illustration in a series based on my trip to Italy. Still in the works!

Madeye Mulligan

Baguette

Marooned Magoon

"Maraca!!! Scourge of the Seas"

First in a series that I started. Keep your eyes open for a set of four "clicks" magnets from Ipop publishing and prints from yours truly! Have a great Friday!

Storyboard Exerpt From "Smack Talking Goldfish"

When I finished this job, the clients requested that I hold off on posting these so I sat on them for a while. These are some of the boards that I did for some online stop motion shorts to promote milk. You can see all the shorts by clicking on the link above. I boarded them all except for the "Charm" one. In this particular skit. A ominous eagle surveys his domain for a tasty morsel. Little does he suspect that he is about to happen upon a dirty mouthed goldfish, who has been drinking milk of coarse.

Autumn Plumage

8x12 Acrylic on Masonite
I did this little guy recently for a dear old college buddy of mine. He got married a couple of weeks ago and I thought he and his fiance could use a painting.

Tiki Blues

11.5x20 Acrylic on Masonite
Hey folks! I did this one a while ago but just recently had a friend photograph it. Thanks Janice! This one has been hanging in my apartment but I think eventually it could use a new home. It was a lot of fun to paint and I can't wait to do some more tiki pieces!

Smash The Hive

This is actually a job I did back in the beginning of August. A local sound editing company asked me to do illustrated characters of them for their website.

A Daring Rescue

I was asked to donate a piece of art work for "Purrcasso", a annual art auction to help raise money for the Berkeley, East Bay Humane Society.

Boules League T-shirt Design

A Night On the Town

This is one from my pirate series.