useofmedium

Examiner Q&A

2011-12-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

Was recently interviewed by the Examiner, check it out for some dirt on yours truly...

Read the full interview HERE

New Work

2011-11-29T01:16:00.000-08:00

Hey all! Its been a minute since my last post, hope everyones doing well! I'm excited to share some new pieces I worked on during the October madness--Hope you enjoy!

"Thriller"

Acrylic on Panel

In homage to a true zombie classic, "Thriller" (above) was created for Rothick's Galleries annual Monstoberfest show and was later exhibited in this years Zombie Walk in Long Beach. Also created was my piece for the "I Want My Music Video" art show at Meltdown Gallery in Hollywood. Inspired by Fat Boy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" and Fred Astaire, this was really fun to work on. Def would like to participate in more shows in 2012...

"Weapon Of Choice"

Graphite and Acrylic on Bristol

More cool things in the works, stay tuned :)

Duel 2

2011-11-14T23:37:00.000-08:00

Hey all, been a minute, still catching my breath from all the action in October...and November is shaping up to be just as busy...Looking forward to posting some pics & work from the last few shows soon!

In the meantime, here's a recent piece done in follow up to the first "Duel" design I posted a while back. Done in graphite on bristol paper, both "Duel" designs will be exhibited this Wednesday night in the first of a new series of exhibitions curated by Phone Booth Gallery at Art Du Vin wine bar; in addition, I'll also have some Tastebud pieces on display--So be sure to swing by, have a glass of wine and check it out!

Hope all is well, stay tuned for more to come.

--R

October Madness!

2011-10-06T00:03:00.000-07:00

Stoked that Fall is finally here and its def looking to be a busy month! I'm excited to announce that I will have artwork in 4 group shows this October and they all are shaping up to be amazing. The first 2 take place this weekend, the third next week and the fourth at the end of the month. Click on the flyers for more info, each is gonna be awesome, looking forward to them all!!!

Here we go!

-R

Pat & Dan Update

2011-10-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

I recently signed my Pat & Dan prints and I'm really thrilled with how the printing turned out, they look awesome--Thanks again to everyone for all the amazing support!

They are currently on route back to 1XRUN, for those who scooped one up be on the look out, they should be shipping to you soon!

Hope everyone is well!

-R

Woohoo!

2011-09-05T21:11:00.000-07:00

I'm stoked to report that my "Pat & Dan" prints are officially all sold out! Big thanks to those that picked one up and to everyone for all the support!!!

-R

NEW ART PRINT!

2011-09-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

Heyo All!

I'm pleased to announce that my latest art print is now available for purchase at www.1xrun.com !

Inspired by the Black Keys, "Pat & Dan" is an 11x14'' giclee print on 330gsm 100% archival cotton paper with a maximum edition size of 45. All prints will be signed and numbered.

This is def my fav art print yet, the quality of the giclee (my first giclee, as a matter of fact!) is superb and a near perfect match to the original painting!

Grab one up www.1xrun.com

Pat & Dan x 1xRUN

2011-08-12T02:12:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, hope things are well, I return tonite with some very cool news!

I have a new art print in the works of my recent painting, "Pat & Dan", inspired by the Black Keys and created for this year's Design For Humanity event. For this print release, I've been fortunate enough to team up with a great site, 1xRUN, who produces limited edition art prints and will be selling a time-limited edition giclee on their website.

The official release is set for Sept. 1st. with an edition size of 45 on 11x14'' 330gsm 100% archival cotton paper.

I've already seen the proofs and they look awesome--I can't wait! Super excited to collaborate with the 1xRUN crew, they've worked with quite a few incredible artists and I'm very privileged for the opportunity to contribute to their collection of amazing work!

Be sure to check out the official listing at www.1xrun.com and stay tuned for more great things on the way soon :)

--R

My 50ft Woman

2011-07-21T00:23:00.000-07:00

Been a little while since my last post, hope everyones doing great!

I recently finished this piece for a friend of mine, she's a big fan of Allison Hayes and the 50ft cult classic. Far from 50ft tall (this stands at about 8in lol) I was stoked on the way it came out! I've been working specifically with a blue color palette lately and I'm really liking what it can produce, esp. accenting it with some warm colors...also decided to add the tattoo's towards the end of the painting, hope you enjoy!

Some cool things in development, stay tuned :)

R

ART PRINT GIVEAWAY!

2011-06-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

This is way cool--Today only, Inside the Rock Poster Frame is holding a giveaway with one of my Stag prints! Stop by their blog and leave a comment to be including in the raffle.

Best of luck to those that enter and big thanks to IRPF!

www.insidetherockposterframe.blogspot.com/

R

Design For Humanity!

2011-06-20T01:22:00.000-07:00

What a night...Tons of people mobbed through the crowded NY back lot at Paramount Studios for this year's Design For Humanity, which was nothing short of spectacular!

Block by block was a mad house as we made our way to the nearest bar. After grabbing some drinks we immediately caught an amazing performance by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros! From that point on the whole night was jam packed with music, art and of course magnificently delicious, bust your gut, grilled cheese sandwiches. Jodi & I were having a blast and if things weren't crazy enough, later on I discovered my painting, "Pat & Dan" sold during the silent auction!

It was a privilege being able to participate again this year, hanging with all my buddies from work and getting to cut loose during the middle of the week in Hollywood's NYC. Can't wait for the next one--Cheers!

Pat & Dan

2011-06-15T00:11:00.000-07:00

Super stoked to be a part of Design For Humanity again this year!

I've been quite obsessed with The Black Keys lately ( f*%kin awesome band) and chose to pay tribute to the amazing Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney! The final result was the painting above, "Pat & Dan" was created in acrylic and will be exhibited in the annual DFH chairity art show tmrw night at Paramount Studio's in Hollywood.

Painting this got to be super intense as I was working whenever I had free time, luckily I had more than a couple Black Keys' albums to keep me company as I painted right up to the deadline. Haha, I know I have a habit of saying this (one I'm not about to break :) ), but I really had an awesome time developing and painting this piece. Part of the excitement was the challenge of getting it to where I wanted in its last stages, there were definitley some walls to climb, but I'm very happy with the way things turned out. Special thanks to my amazing girlfriend for keeping me going, esp. on that final homestretch, your the best Jodes :)

Looking forward to tmrw night and feeling mighty privilaged to have a spot in such an amazing lineup of incredible artists! DFH 2011, here we go!!!

Cheers!

R

In addition to "Pat & Dan" I also had the opportunity to submit one of my fav pieces, "The Best Of", a tribute to the late Micheal Jackson. Looking forward to seeing them both on display for your viewing pleasure--enjoy!

DESIGN FOR HUMANITY!

2011-06-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

Wow, Design For Humanity is only a day away and this years event is gonna be amazing!

Again taking place at Paramount Studios' famous NYC back lot, this year DFH is benefiting the VH1 Save The Music Foundation and promises to have plenty of surprises throughout the evening! I'm most especially, looking forward to the amazing line up of artists that will have work on display and judging from last year's turnout, this show's gonna be amazing!

Super excited to be a part of things and looking forward to posting my pieces soon :) hope everyone is doing great!

R

For tickets and more info check out the Design For Humanity website HERE

Blue Velvet prints now available at my web store!

2011-05-16T01:05:00.000-07:00

Hey All!

I'm excited to announce I have few Blue Velvet prints available for purchase at my webstore!

Scoop one up while they last at http://ryanmilner.com/store.asp

--R

iPhone Case Collab

2011-05-10T23:48:00.000-07:00

I recently had a cool opportunity to design some iPhone covers for professional motocross rider Ryan Villapoto. This was the first time I got to see my work on iPhone cases and currently has my mental wheels spinning about some cool new applications :)

Definitely the best part of this job was getting to collaborate with my amazing & talented girlfriend Jodi Jones! She and I worked together creating the various design and type treatments for each case, they came out amazing. Keep an eye out for these puppies floatin around town and be sure to check out Jodi's awesome design work here.

Enjoy!

Good times ahead & more on the way soon!

R

The Duel

2011-05-10T23:06:00.000-07:00

Hey all, its been a quick minute, time for a catch up!

Been super busy with things inside and outside work. Im currently gearing up to participate in Design for Humanity again this year and its promising to be epic. Hosted again at Paramount Studio's in Hollywood, this year benefits VH1's Save the Music Foundation and will have Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero's headlining--super excited! I'll be posting my Blue Velvet prints for sale in my webstore this weekend, including updating my main website with new work and cranking on my next art print--so be sure to keep an eye out :)

In the meantime, these next couple blog posts include work that I can finally reveal. Above is a design done for Rook Clothing, created in graphite this was a pretty cool piece to develop. Keep an eye out for a companion piece soon :)

--R

Shrunken Heads & Other Oddities!

2011-04-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

AHHHHH!!! Super excited for this show tonight, thats right--SHRUNKEN HEADS! I'll have some work alongside a bunch of amazing artists--its gonna be a good one, be sure to check it out!

R

Stag Print Giveaway!

2011-04-03T20:34:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! Element skateboards is holding a raffle giveaway with some of my Stag prints! To enter the drawing click HERE

Thanks so much to Element for all the awesome support and best of luck to everyone participating in the raffle!

R

p.s.
If lady luck isn't on your side, I may have a few prints left for sale in my webstore...www.ryanmilner.com/store.asp

"OH, YOU ARE SICK..."

2011-03-14T23:57:00.000-07:00

Phone Booth Gallery's latest group show, "Oh, You Are Sick..." dedicated to eclectic filmmaker David Lynch has officially kicked off and the reception has been nothing short of spectacular!

On exhibition was a most impressive collection of work featuring a wide range of incredibly talented artists! As usual the gallery was packed to the gills; but this time, the people who stopped by had the opportunity to see the remaining designs (well before their release) in the ongoing David Lynch art print series (not to mention scoop one up)!

In addition to my latest art print on display, I also had some time to produce a painting that was part of the main exhibition. This piece titled, "Stay Alive Baby (Do it for Van Gogh)", was done in acrylic on a wood panel and pays a somewhat literal homage to one of my fav. lines in Lynch's "Blue Velvet".

Painting this was a challenge, but it helped me let off some steam after working out the art print design. It was a blast attempting to put my own twist on a classic master work (lol, sorry V.G.)...but if the great reception to the Blue Velvet print and awesome opening night wasn't enough, I was super stoked to learn that my painting sold the very next day!

Saturday night was def. packed with all the essentials: great friends, great art and ice cold PBR :) Congrats to all my mega talented friends and fellow artists who had their work showcased, you guys rock and are a continuing inspiration! Big thanks to Phone Booth Gallery for hosting yet another kick ass event and for inviting me to be a part of their awesome new print series and stellar exhibition!

Here's to more great times!!!

R

Be sure to see the show in its entirety at www.phoneboothgallery.com

New Art Print!

2011-03-08T01:58:00.000-08:00

I'm super excited to announce my latest art print with Phone Booth Gallery! Inspired by the cult movie classic "Blue Velvet" (watch the trailer HERE), this is the first print in a series of 5 (each print is created by a different artist taking on another classic Lynch film) that will be released celebrating PBG's David Lynch inspired art show. I had an awesome time creating this and feel very proud to be included in this exciting series--There are some bitchin artists participating--this is only the tip of the iceberg, you guys are gonna freak!

Many thanks to Phone Booth Gallery for having me participate in this amazing series!

Purchase my latest "Blue Velvet" inspired art print HERE and be sure to make it out to the opening reception of Phone Booth Gallery's "OH YOU ARE SICK..." an art show dedicated to David Lynch this Sat. March 12th.

More on the way, hope everyone is doing awesome!

Fabulisa

2011-03-08T00:20:00.000-08:00

2011 so far has definitely been a year of extremes...good times and incredibly awful ones.

Earlier this year I was shocked to learn that a friend and former classmate of mine was tragically lost.

Lisa Nguyen was a sheer dynamo of the human spirit and certainly among the most unique people I've ever had the privilege of meeting. A designer herself, she graduated from Cal State Long Beach. We had several classes together and I would always run into her at art shows. Always super sweet, loud and energetic, she never seemed to miss a beat.

To help celebrate her fabulous life, her good friend Jennie Cotterill organized an art show in her honor, along with a tribute concert at one of the local bars in Long Beach.

I was incredibly honored to contribute to Lisa's art show (which took place at CSULB), but more so, to have known the incredible tour de force that was Lisa Nguyen.

Rest in peace Lisa. You will be missed and forever remembered.

R

Live Paint Extravaganza!

2011-01-19T01:42:00.000-08:00

Ahhh updates, updates! The 2nd live paint at Phone Booth Gallery was a tremendous success!

Slightly different from the last event, 8 artists each had their own panel to paint on...the volume of creativity was intense, not to mention the gallery was an absolute mad house! The whole night was jam packed with people, movie projections by Mondo Celluloid, awesome apparel by Clocky and of course ice cold PBR. Eventually the night ended with a grand finale raffle that left 8 lucky winners with an original work of art!

It was great getting to reconnect with all my pals and see them in action bringing their paintings to life. As for my piece, I chose to paint tribute to one of my favorite comedian/actor/human beings of all time, the great Bill Murray!

Congrats to all my fellow artists who participated, you guys blew the roof off that place and of course big thanks to Phone Booth Gallery for letting me throw some paint around, sorry for the mess :)

R

As always, the people at PBG made a great video documenting the event, be sure to check it out!

WEB STORE & NEW ART PRINT!!!

2011-01-05T14:17:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!

I'm super excited to announce that my web store is finally up and running!!

And to kick things off, I've just released a brand new art print!

"Stag" is a 2 color silkscreen with an edition of 125, printed on Cougar 100 lb cover and is $25. There is also a silver variant available with an edition of 25, printed on Curious Galvanized (metallic) 92 lb cover and is $50. Both can be purchased at my new WEB STORE

Many thanks to Ohdanielsan silkscreen for doing an amazing job on the printing--they turned out beautifully! And also thanks to Andy Garza of Wireplanet Design for putting together my new web store! You guys rock!!

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about the web store / purchasing, please don't hesitate to ask.

Last year flew by with so many great things and I'm thrilled to be breaking new ground with my work this 2011. I look forward to sharing some amazing things with you as the new year unfolds, in the meantime I hope you enjoy my new print!

Hope 2011 is a great new year for everyone!!!

Stay tuned for updates & more cool stuff very soon :)

--Ryan

Live Paint: PART DUEX!

2011-01-05T13:34:00.000-08:00

This January 15th is gonna be a blast! I'll be back creating with my friends at Phone Booth Gallery for their 2nd live paint event, this time all the work produced will be raffled off individually to a lucky winner. So come chill out, buy a raffle ticket and have a drink with some of your favorite artists...I'll be there too :)

R

Handiedan Q&A

2010-12-11T14:50:00.000-08:00

With the success of her second solo show and special guest appearance at Phone Booth Gallery, I recently had the great fortune to interview the wonderfully talented Dutch artist Handiedan! Be sure to check it out and see her awesome work at Phone Booth Gallery!

R

http://phoneboothgallery.com/pbg/blog?stst

Gear Head Tee Sighting!

2010-12-11T13:18:00.000-08:00

Gear Head Tee sighting at Quiksilver in Santa Monica! Stoked to see this one finally printed :)

Bluebird Tattoo

2010-10-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to illustrate a tattoo for my friend and fellow designer Jeremy Jones based on the Charles Bukowski poem "Bluebird". This was an awesome project to work on! Jeremy did an amazing job researching Bukowski's work and pulling out elements from the poem he wanted me to depict. Once the illustration was completed, it was amazingly reproduced with some accent color by tattoo artist Stanley Corona at Good Time Charlie's Tattooland in Anaheim, CA. Jeremy was cool enough to send me some progress shots as things developed, it came out beautifully.

I'm always super flattered when people enjoy my work, even more from a talented peer. Its a real privilege to create something that will be on someone's body for the rest of their life. Thanks man!

Be sure to check out Jeremy's great design work at bigbrownvan.com

Gearhead Tee

2010-10-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

Finally getting around to some updates--I've missed you all!

Here's a design I did for Quiksilver a while back that I can finally post (don't worry it was pre-billabong) I'll be sure to look the other way if you happen to grab one ;)

www.quiksilver.com

Hope everyone is doing well!

-R

ZOMBIE SHOW AFTERMATH

2010-10-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

I survived (with most of my brain intact)--what an awesome show! My buddy Jasian Liwag (jasian.wordpress.com) did a superb job assembling the all the work and hosted it to perfection at Yojie's Japanese Fondue & Sake Bar. I really enjoyed seeing what people had created for this one, the work was really amazing and it was packed to the gills. This was the first time I've ever taken on the Zombie genre, it was skulls on steroids and I loved it!

For my pieces, I thought up a victorian esq styled portrait of a Zombie gentleman...and because I love challenging/torturing myself with insane expectations within a rapidly dwindling time frame, I decided to paint 3 portraits as a mini series submission. Done in acrylic, "Procter, Gamble & Pryce" was a sweet project to create outside the 9-5 and really helped me reconnect with my personal work.

And speaking of awesome work, my girlfriend Jodi (jodiwithaneye.com) created an amazing silhouette of an evil zombie clock that was one of the coolest pieces in the show, not to mention it was all cut out by hand! Jasian also made killer silkscreen prints of the main flyer image, so be sure to pick one up before they are all gone!! In fact, most of the work is available for purchase and will run until Nov. 11th so be sure to stop by Yojies and feed your Zombie fetish. I'm really looking forward to doing more within this genre, cuz Zombies kick ass. Thanks again to Jasian and Yojies letting me be a part of this awesome event and to all my buddies that had some great work on the walls--I had a blast!

Also, later that night I got to check out an amazing exhibiton hosted by Blue Canvas and Scion where Phone Booth Gallery artist and fellow illustrator Yevgenyia Mikhailik had some of her awesome work on display. Be sure to check out her stuff at www.yevgeniyadraws.com and the fine folks at Blue Canvas.com

Cheers!

-R

ZOMBIES INVADE LA!

2010-10-13T00:26:00.000-07:00

Gonna have a few pieces in this upcoming Zombie themed exhibition! Put together by my buddy Jason Liwag, this show will be hosted at Yojie Japanese Fondue & Sake Bar in LA--its gonna be an awesome. If your around thursday night be sure to stop by for some creative chaos and shabu shabu!

ps

Been a while since my last post, but rest assured things have been good 'n busy! Gonna have some new stuff for your viewing pleasure real soon, so stay tuned--till then hope all is well!

R

Aftermath

2010-08-19T00:26:00.000-07:00

Yes yes, friends, beer & art, damn what a great night! Its been a while since I have painted live, but I had awesome time performing at this Phone Booth Gallery showcase. As always, the good folks at PBG made a great video summing up the evening. Check it out & thanks to Phone Booth for hosting such a killer event--catch you at part 2!

R!

Coming Up!

2010-07-21T00:58:00.000-07:00

With all thats been happening this year, I haven't had the time to participate in any sweet live painting action, so Im way stoked over this latest PBG event! Taking place at Phone Booth's new gallery space in Long Beach this promises to be an epic time, don't miss out!

More new stuff on the way :)

Design For Humanity!

2010-06-16T23:52:00.000-07:00

Man so much has been going on since my last post!

Work had been incredibly busy and the good times continue to roll! I recently got to attend exhibit and artwork at Design For Humanities annual charity party extravaganza!

Sponsered by Billabong, this was an all night romp complete with live bands, fashion shows, grilled cheese trucks, and art galore. This was seriously an epic experience that took place at Paramount studios on their NYC back lot to raise money for the child soldiers, or "invisible children" of Africa that are forced into fighting a long standing war. I was stoked to exhibit a couple pieces that went up for auction to raise money for the charity.

Once Jodi and I checked out the art show we joined the outdoor parties where live sets by Fisherspooner & Kid Sister soundtracked the night. I was continually tripping out as I strolled through the very same streets they filmed Seinfeld on! Even when things ended it was still packed to the gills. A great night for sure with my wonderful lady, awesome friends and co-workers. Many thanks to Billabong, the Carmichael Gallery and the Foundation for Invisible Children for putting together this amazing event.

I'm already looking forward to next years...see more pics :)

For more info on the Foundation for Invisible Children and what you can do to help, click HERE, its well worth the time and generosity to support such a great cause!

More stuff brewing, so stay tuned...R

Off the Hook III Opening Video

2010-04-25T02:17:00.000-07:00

Phone Booth Galleries Off the Hook III was an amazing show with a great opening night! There were so many talented artists on exhibition and Jeremy Eichenbaum worked his magic with another video covering it all, complete with artist interviews including a short rant from yours truly see for yourself & be sure to catch all the amazing work at Phoneboothgallery.com right now!

Precious & Off The Hook III

2010-04-25T01:49:00.000-07:00

Because my iphone runs my life and I recently caught Lord of the Rings on TNT, I created "Precious" (top img) for Phone Booth Galleries annual Off the Hook group show. I loved working on this alot because it helped take my mind off all things 9-5 for a couple days. As much as I love what I do for work, its absolutely necessary to make time for my own art, or I'll simply go crazy :) I also exhibited the original piece "King Me" (bottom img) that was used to produce my Army of Darkness tribute print!

I was way excited to learn that "Precious" sold a few days into the exhibition! Thanks again to Phone Booth Gallery for the support and to all the other amazing artists that exhibited for the mad inspiration--It was good times for sure!

The show ends soon so be sure to catch it while you can at Phoneboothgallery.com & grab up a "King Me" print at MondoCelluiod.com before there all gone!

:)

R

GIF For You

2010-04-25T01:17:00.000-07:00

Recently my buddy Kevin Bannister designed some banner ads for a great blog site Inside the Rock Poster Frame, & because he knocked it out of the park they were stoked to offer him a plug for his website in addition to a few of his pals. I dig GIFs and look forward to producing some more to advertise my work. Thanks to Garry for helping put this one together and of course to Mr. Bannister and Gary at IRPF!

Be sure to check out Kevin, Garry and Harry's awesome work & insidetherockposterframe for amazing art prints, posters and more!

WOrdz

R

New Tees

2010-04-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

So it has been a while since I've updated ya'll, but cool projects are aplenty. I'm finally able to showcase some work that has been under wraps for a while, the top piece "Cache" was done for Element Skateboards and was finally produced for their tee shirt line. They also printed the bottom design, "Wooded" that I painted a while back. Designing for tee shirts can be frustrating because most work is created at least a year in advance...But its always such a great/strange feeling to finally see your work produced, especially when you run into someone wearing it! Grab one while they last at Elementskateboards.com

R

I'M...

2010-04-24T17:05:00.000-07:00

Its time for updates!!! Wow, its been a while since my last post, quite the stretch i know, but rest assured I've been busier than ever! Many amazing things have happened since the start of this year, but by far the coolest was landing a job at Billabong as a full time in house designer! I was so excited my head is still spinning!!!

As born again 9-5er, there hasn't been much time for personal work, however I'm happy to say my next art print its finally nearing completion and will be surfacing soon. I've had the great privilage to design some awesome tee shirt graphics, while working with some of the coolest and most talented people in the apparel industry. There are many awesome things in the works :) I'll definitely be firing off the updates as things are released so stay tuned!

I hope everyone is doing great and remembers that amazing things happen when you least expect it.

Ryan

Army Of Darkness Art Print!

2010-01-23T13:08:00.000-08:00

I had the good fortune to produce an art print paying homage to another one of my fav. movies: Army Of Darkness! Titled "King Me," this silkscreen print was produced to celebrate the movie's midnight showing at the art theater in Long Beach. Hanging at 18''x24'' in a signed and numbered limited edition of 50, they are available for purchase through Mondo Celluiod's webstore for $20. Be sure to stop by and scoop one up today--Big thanks to Ohdanielsan for the amazing print job and to Mondo Celluiod for putting on the event!

Click here to purchase!

Up in the cut

2010-01-10T04:10:00.000-08:00

Jodi & I recently stopped by to check out Phone Booth Galleries opening for Handiedan's latest solo show. Hosted at Blaq Ink Gallery in Huntington Beach, my buddy Jeremy Eichenbaum produced a dope video touring the event.

Check it out above & be sure to check out Handiedan's awesome work at Phone Booth Gallery!

Till next time
R

The other X-Ray...

2010-01-10T03:23:00.000-08:00

Technically this was the first version of "X-Ray" (left) I painted for Papillae Paradise, the chosen version (on the right) followed suit. Ultimately, I didn't think the first version's anatomy & expression fit the Tastebud profile. Haha, a distant cousin perhaps; although, this proves not all Tastebuds are pacifists.

:)

R

Tastebud Blueprints

2010-01-10T03:00:00.000-08:00

Haha thought I'd share this...alot of these scribbles eventually became paintings & part of my previous solo show Papillae Paradise...brainstorming different concepts was pretty damn fun & really helped me break through some imaginative boundaries. Hahaha I must say, the Tastebud family seems to be never ending as my list continues to grow :)

R

All paintings, images, titles, characters and logos are owned and © by Ryan Milner

Charcool

2010-01-09T04:40:00.000-08:00

Another project in works & i gotta say charcoal is rapidly becoming one of my favorite mediums, its so malleable and the range of detail you can achieve is infinite & no drying times :) ...pretty dopesauce i must say.

g'night

r

New Projects

2010-01-09T04:05:00.000-08:00

Its 2010 & I've had the good fortune to hit the ground running! There's a lot of fun stuff in the works so far, here are a couple sneak peeks, hope you enjoy & stay tuned!

The New Year!

2010-01-09T03:35:00.000-08:00

FIRST POST OF THE NEW YEAR--Happy 2010! Pheww, I could reflect and mention all the challenges, macabre & craziness 09 had thrown my way, but fuck it, I rather focus on the good & move forward--with a smile on my face & believe me, there was plenty to smile about last year, but here are a few highlights...

Had the pleasure of freelancing for a variety of awesome clients...

Produced my 2nd solo art show with Phone Booth Gallery: Papillae Paradise...

& got a new website up and running, www.ryanmilner.com...

So many thanks to my family, my amazing girlfriend Jodi (jodiwithaneye.com) & friends for their love and unconditional support. I love you all and when times got tough last year, you were always there to help carry my ass through the weeds :)

I can't wait to show you all whats behind the curtain for 2010! I'm super amped!!!! I've had time to focus my energies towards some new & exciting projects, making more than a few resolutions to maximize the ass kicking awesomeness of this year. For starters, I vow to keep this blog, facebook & twitter constantly stocked with fresh pics and updates to the point of annoance (id say im off to a good start); furthermore, I have a brand new art print in the works & dropping very soon!

So keep your eyes open & them ears pricked for all the latest and greatest in my crazy world, I hope everyone has an amazing year!

Ryan

Become a fan!

2009-12-18T12:26:00.000-08:00

Twitter & Facebook!

2009-12-02T12:07:00.000-08:00

Yes the rumors are true, Zip Illustration & Design has officially joined Twitter and Facebook! Just another way for me to keep you connected with the tomfoolery of my life :) Be sure to follow my tweets and stop by my Facebook profile to become a fan!

NEW WEBSITE!!!

2009-11-23T03:59:00.000-08:00

Im incredibly happy to announce that my new website is up and running! Check out ryanmilner.com & be sure to join my mailing list for up to the minute info, new work, print releases and more!!

Hope you enjoy!

Ryan

Papillae Paradise Review in The District Weekly!

2009-11-14T02:21:00.000-08:00

Back in print again thanks to the great people at the District Weekly and Phone Booth Gallery! This is a awesome little write up by Ellen Grily, Editor at the District Weekly, talking about her experience through Papillae Paradise!

Enjoy!

You can also view the article online along with a bunch of other cool Long Beach stuff & if you have yet to see the show, stop by Art Du Vin wine bar, 2025 E 4th st, Long Beach CA, 90814 or check it out at phoneboothgallery.com

New Website!

2009-11-10T19:03:00.000-08:00

Be lookin'...coming soon...www.ryanmilner.com not to mention my new logo, created by the one and only Jodi Jones, check out more of her amazing work at www.jodiwithaneye.com

:)

Opening Night!

2009-10-28T01:19:00.000-07:00

The opening of Papillae Paradise was amazing!! Thanks so much to everyone who made it out and supported me through all the production, haha, it was an accomplishment born of sleepless nights, a poor diet and pretty much every Arnold Schwarzenegger movie ever made, looped haha.--but I couldn't have asked for a better night!

Thanks to my wonderful family, amazing girlfriend and steadfast friends that helped me through this challenge. Many thanks to Phone Booth Gallery for the opportunity, support and intense promotion; and especially thanks to Art Du Vin wine bar for their incredible accommodations and generosity--This show made my year--Everything came together beautifully. This series was a joy to create and a great addition to the growing "Tastebud" family!

Experience "Papillae Paradise" for yourself at Art Du Vin wine bar located at 2027 East 4th Street, Long Beach, CA 90814. (exhibit will run until late Dec.) Or see it online at Phone Booth Gallery

Stay tuned for a many updates and info!
My best wishes to all and thanks again for an unforgettable night :)

R

Tayst·bûd Process Photos

2009-10-28T01:10:00.000-07:00

Here are a few process shots of the Tayst·bûd print. Big thanks again to Ohdanielsan for making this beauty shine!

Tayst·bûd is an 11'x14'' 4 color screenprint, signed and numbered limited edition of 50 on Classic Crest natural white (80lb. cover), Glows in the dark and are $30

Pick one up at Phone Booth Gallery

Autographed and ready to roll.

Tayst·bûd Print!

2009-10-28T00:30:00.000-07:00

Accompanying Papillae Paradise is the showprint "Tayst·bûd". I had wanted to produce a piece that summerized what a Tastebud character was all about. I fell in love with the idea of creating an anatomy chart which would showcase all their little eccentricites. I really dig the way this came out, especially since this baby glows in the dark!

Thats right folks, a hidden layer within the print reveals an "interior" skull chart--complete with different anatomical call outs that appear only when the lights go out!

This is the first time I've experimented using glow in the dark inks with any of my work and I must say it turned out beautifully. Many thanks to Los Angeles based printer Ohdanielsan for his precise and amazing work!!

Tayst·bûd is an 11'x14'' 4 color screenprint, signed and numbered limited edition of 50 on Classic Crest natural white (80lb. cover) *Glows in the dark and are $30

Pick one up at Phone Booth Gallery

The District

2009-10-27T03:49:00.000-07:00

"The Hangover" was featured on this weeks cover of "The District"--so stoked! My 2nd cover!! Thanks to Phone Booth Gallery and The District magazine for this great opportunity, and still to be featured in the 2nd issue following this one, a review about the opening night of Papillae Paradise!

So stay tuned!

:)

In the lab...

2009-10-27T03:29:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhh, knee deep in paint, coffee and chaos! Here are some shots of my studio space during production for Papillae Paradise...

I always gotta clean like crazy before i start working, haha, my last gasp of order before the giant paint ball starts rolling, everything after is damage control :) ...

I prepped the wood panels by first sanding them with a 400 grit, knocking down any stray wood fibers and giving me a good tooth to apply my primer...

I then sealed the scuffed panels with Liquitex Matte Medium. Once the first coat dried, I lightly sanded it again with a 600 grit to give me a smooth finish (and eliminate any surface imperfections). I repeated this until I had about 3 good coats between my paint and the panel. Big thanks to my fellow artist Robert Pokorny (www.ripgallery.com) for these helpful prep steps!

Some primed and basecoated panels awaiting their "Buds"...

"Paradise", the first "Bud" in the Pap. series, this painting made a great flagship piece for the show...

an earlier detail...

I kept some paintings from the first Tastebud show close by for inspiration ("Batbud" was in the works), notice the chaos of my workspace is begining to evolve, haha...

Ahh, full blown studio chaos (yet i still know where everything is, haha). The first version of "X-Ray" was underway. I had to employ my old PC laptop while my mac was in the shop...

My brushes took a pretty good beating throughout the whole production, it was always a challenge keeping them clean and usable (not to mention my pots and pans), luckily they held up like champs. I love using "Lowel-Cornell" brushes, the ultra-rounds hold an amazing point and can give you a hairline stoke. I pretty much used a #2 round and #4 flat throughout the entire production...

A snap of "Beezlebud's" production. Changing my water and keeping my palettes wet were a constant factor. Haha, in trying to keep a productive rhythm, I attained an almost OCD-like state when it came to set up and clean up night after night...

A detail of "The Hangover", which was used on the cover for the latest issue of The District, a local Long Beach Publication...

I did my best to keeping my palatte consistant throughtout, using Liquitex & Ceramcoat acrylics. I avoided using black as much as possible to keep my colors vibrant and stuck to deeper hues such as paynes grey, hooker's green and a variety of violets. Working with color can really piss me off sometimes, but nothing beats the variations and beautiful washes you can achieve- pure dopesauce...

A really lo-res detail pic of "The Brave" in early sketch, this was the last piece to be finished, completing the Paradise series :)

Haha, throughout the entire production I kept a stellar diet :) and consumed enough Sriracha Chili sauce to power a small rocket ship, here's to the wonderful people behind flavored antacids...

I hope you enjoyed this mini photo journal of my amazing journey creating Papillae Paradise, check out the completed show at Phone Booth Gallery.com & stay tuned for more pics from the opening and other goodies in the wake of all the craziness :)

R

Press Release!

2009-10-19T01:39:00.000-07:00

The homestretch--One week till opening night, things are getting hectic, but I cant wait!!!!!!

In the meantime check out the press release at Phone Booth Gallery for new info about the show!

http://phoneboothgallery.com/exhibitions.htm

2nd SOLO SHOW!

2009-10-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

Let the mayhem begin! Im currently locked away in my apt. working feverishly on my second soloshow with Phone Booth Gallery. With this new body of work I revisit my ever spry Tastebud series, diving deeper into the world of these little guys and bringing you a plethora of new quirky characters. Im getting sooo excited, with tons still to do--I expect to look like Tom Hanks from Castaway by the end of this production, but its gonna be worth it!

Will be periodically posting production photos of all the chaos so stay tuned--

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the opening of this monster (i promise to shave & shower)

WORDY

also be sure to check out www.phoneboothgallery.com for updates, etc--ttys!

Lil' Jon

2009-09-02T00:46:00.001-07:00

Quick sketch...was aimed for a tee design, but could turn into a painting--we'll see...yeeeeaaahhhhhhhhhhh!

Icebergs

2009-09-02T00:32:00.000-07:00

Drew these up for some background illos in my girlfriend's packaging designs. She's a stellar designer! Check out our collab and more of her amazing work @

www.jodiwithaneye.com

Wordy :)

Storyboard Practice

2009-08-31T20:12:00.000-07:00

Been practicing some storyboarding with one of my all time fav flicks...Its always been a dream of mine to work on a Batman movie! I love the way movies come together and how the final product always starts with a frame by frame blueprint--Craziness

Late Night

2009-08-27T04:37:00.000-07:00

This paper sucks.

Henchmen II Preview!

2009-08-22T06:01:00.000-07:00

A little preview of the next Henchmen print...a tribute to one of the best movies ever created, by humans.

D-day coming soon.

:}

Sketch Sesh

2009-08-16T01:32:00.000-07:00

The Booth in action! Haha, good times just sketching around.

Wordz

Solo Show Preview: "Papillae Paradise"

2009-08-15T23:22:00.000-07:00

Tastebuds are back!!

October 09

http://phoneboothgallery.com/upcoming.htm

:]

Nothing was left. Well...

2009-07-13T01:17:00.000-07:00

Haha, a recent piece done for Phone Booth Gallery's Spinal Tap tribute show! It was inspired by my fav scene when band reveals the bizarre deaths of their former drummers, including one, Peter "James" Bond who spontaneously combusts on stage. Classic.

3x5'' acrylic on wood panel.

Check the rest of the show out at www.phoneboothgallery.com

Hope everyone is great!

Phone Booth Interview

2009-07-06T02:00:00.000-07:00

This was a lot of fun. Big thanks to Phone Booth Gallery!! Haha, read about the eccentricities in the daily life of yours truly

www.phoneboothgallery.blogspot.com

Henchmen Series

2009-05-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

My latest print release through Phonebooth gallery-Ye-Yah!!!! So excited, I love the way it came out, the printing is beautiful--I'm a huge batman nerd and after seeing Heath Ledger's amazing performance as the Joker how could I resist...

"I Kill The Bus Driver" is the first of a new series of prints I'm creating and was inspired by the mask Ledger wore during the bank robbery in the beginning of The Dark Knight. At 16x20'', this 6 color screen print has an edition of 45, is signed, numbered and printed on Boise Smooth Opaque 100 lb. cover. Scoop one up at www.phoneboothgallery.com/prints.htm

The Henchmen series pays tribute to a variety of villainous followers from movies, comics and folklore...production is in the works, so stay tuned!

Wordy :)

The Ultimate

2009-04-19T03:51:00.001-07:00

I recently finished this commission of the late Tommy Bolin! It was acrylic on canvas...around 3'x5' this was a monster to work through, but a real joy to paint. The rendering of the figure in smoke clouds was challenging, a lot of push & pull. I learned a lot about adapting my technique to a considerably larger surface area and actually found it to be more comfortable! I can really easily become a prisoner of noodling in the details, working big forced me to focus more on shapes as a whole; using bigger brushes and strokes. I dug painting tribute to one of the ultimate guitarists in Rock n' Roll.

Wordy!

SERIOUSLY why so?

2009-03-30T14:08:00.001-07:00

Due to some recent developments, I've decided to push my May solo show to October of this year...however Phonebooth gallery and I will still be dropping a nice little screen print come May 1st! So keep your eyes glued to the computer and...look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me...

Wordy :)

Freelance for your mom...

2009-03-16T02:05:00.000-07:00

Been doing some freelance jobs....skulls sell, art is is my bosom buddy.

Gathering means for a new website...stay tuned.

wORdy

Back to Basics

2009-02-28T03:55:00.000-08:00

Some recent life drawings, gotta get back into the Sunday sketch sesh...

wordy :)

WhY SO SERIOUS?

2009-02-25T02:38:00.000-08:00

Haha--A little sneak preview for my next solo show! Im really excited about it, cant wait to see it all come together...if you cant figure out the subject matter, you have to wait till it drops in phonebooth gallery this May. But stay tuned for more sneak peeks as production gets off the ground...already have the show print in the can...stay tuned!

WORDY :)

Lucy

2009-02-23T15:51:00.000-08:00

Painted this for a friend of mine, I included the sketch so you could get an idea with where I started...a lesson to all of you: Never drink and promise artwork to people.

Haha, at least I followed through, small price to pay for the best drinks in town.

Wordy :)

All paintings, images, titles, characters and logos are owned and © by Ryan Milner

The Art of War

2009-02-23T15:26:00.000-08:00

Gangbusters.

The Cuckoo Nest

2009-02-23T12:27:00.000-08:00

Just cycling through ideas and wanted to share, mostly brainstorming for shows, etc...Cant wait to start a new book...F&*k it I just might because of the new year- to quote my buddy Ash "09, time to shine" baby!"

Wordy :)

i dont know why, but how badass was Mark Kistler's crayola ammo belt?

Sweet n' Sullen

2009-02-23T03:26:00.000-08:00

Well, its been a while since i've been up to date with this jalopy...since my last couple of posts I've had some ups and downs, but I gotta say art has always been a constant in my life, gotta love it.

Working for Sullen certainly placed me back in skull mode; but it was a blast & my skills flourished! During my time there I learned so much about myself, grew as an artist, and got to see my designs finally put onto tee shirts! So many thanks go out to Ryan Smith and all the hard working crew for this unbelievable opportunity and privilege! My best wishes to you all.

Having transitioned from Fourth World Clothing onto to Sullen Clothing & onward, things are getting more and more exciting. The best is yet to come!

Wordy :)

Hair Of The Dog That Bit Me

2009-02-23T02:50:00.000-08:00

I gotta say this was a f*%kin blast to paint! Done for Phonebooth's Shining show...(which was a banger!) haha! I must have watched the movie 5 times in a row during the course of working, haha! Even better-it gave way to my first magazine cover ever and was distributed all over Long Beach! It was a trip seeing Jacky boy all over my home turf--Mega props to Phonebooth Gallery and everyone else for all the love and support!

www.phoneboothgallery.com

Gonna keep the posts a poppin so bookmark this bad boy--Wordy :)

All paintings, images, titles, characters and logos are owned and © by Ryan Milner

Because its true...

2008-08-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

I loved the evolution of this piece up to the final product above. I painted it for a show at the Light Gallery in Newport, CA on a found album, 'the Best of Michael Jackson' and started out with the intention of painting a whole portrait...trying to avoid the traditional stereotypes. The more research I did, the more I felt sympathy for the guy, tweaked since childhood into this powerhouse entertainer. So I eventually settled back on the first concept i had--funny how that works ;) Painted out the track listings, aged the jacket a bit, then painted the nose...the type and boarder are original elements. Eh-he-hee!

;)

Smile More...

2008-08-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

possible concept for my next print...stay tuned for a drop date :)

Eggs & Sausage!

2008-08-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

Yet another badass group show from Phone Booth Gallery, "Eggs & Sausage & A Side Of Toast", an art show dedicated to Tom Waits! Possibly the best subject matter to ever draw inspiration from, I was so stoked to be a part of it I was practically wetting my myself!

These are a couple sketches born from feverish excitement, however, I got so wrapped up with ideas and the notion of a final product, by crunch time, work and other priorities were beating me senseless. But, as luck would have it, I happened to have a Tom Waits portrait already to go if a situation like this should ever come along :) ...a few coats of varnish and I sent that baby off to the front lines. Even funnier, it sold close to the last day of the show, haha, guess things do happen for a reason~R

All paintings, images, titles, characters and logos are owned and © by Ryan Milner

Bre'r

2008-08-01T15:13:00.000-07:00

Went to see my buddy Bre'r preform @ Open bookstore. He's currently touring the US showcasing his musical talents. Inspiring work man, keep killin it!

Check Bre'r out @

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=228838624

Tie Dye Skull

2008-08-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

I'm learning more and more how to integrate my photoshop skills along w/ traditional illustration. This project is a great example of the possibilities that exist. I painted the skull in acrylic and morphed the tie dye scan over it through layers of erasing, brushing, etc. wordy~R

All paintings, images, titles, characters and logos are owned and © by Ryan Milner

Open' Sketch Sesh

2008-08-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

God it feels nice to get back to sketching around, my buddy Anthony has been taking me to some poetry readings-Really good stuff, the art of words can be quite a mind f@#k! Be sure to check out OPEN bookstore if your ever on 4th st in Long Beach.

All paintings, images, titles, characters and logos are owned and © by Ryan Milner

Fortune For You

2008-08-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

Details of characters I painted for carnival themed fortune teller posters...i've always been fascnated with the circus, in between getting the crap scared outta me by those f*@king clowns--Most of the inspiration for this project came from old school posters of freakshow performers, now there's a career.

All paintings, images, titles, characters and logos are owned and © by Ryan Milner

MonO Distortions!

2008-07-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

My friend Garry turned me on to the technique of mono distortion print making. These were way fun to produce and I was so excited with their success! Each print, isn't really a print at all, but an original piece of artwork. Each one is totally unique (its a mind f*@k i know)! Its the purposeful replication of the same style, color and theme that creates the print-like characteristics. I did an edition of 10 with a few AP's. Big thanks go out to Phone Booth Gallery, and OMG posters for rep'n these babies...I hope to cut another print soon, so stay tuned :)

All paintings, images, titles, characters and logos are owned and © by Ryan Milner

TASTEBUDS!

2008-07-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

Wow, life has been incredibly busy and my blog time has seriously been lacking! Over the next few days I will be posting like a madman until I'm back up to speed...so check back often!

My Tastebuds show went incredibly well! Thanks to Phone Booth Gallery giving me the opportunity to exhibit my first ever solo show. Their continued support means so much, thank you for believing in me! They have had several shows since mine if you haven't seen their site check it out, you will wet your pants and possibly your rug:

www.phoneboothgallery.com

For my exhibit, I was able to produce around 13 pieces, many new and improved, and also did a small run of mono distortion prints and some bag schwag...I hope to continue this series as things plug along, getting the chance to see things evolve is really the best part of this whole process. Here's a few things that were featured, the entire show is still in phone booth's archives, so check it out if you get a chance ~R

All paintings, images, titles, characters and logos are owned and © by Ryan Milner

Solo Show

2008-04-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

My very first, big thanks to Phone Booth Gallery for this great opportunity! Hope to see you all there!

All paintings, images, titles, characters and logos are owned and © by Ryan Milner

Hybrid Culture.

2008-03-24T01:29:00.000-07:00

@ a tard n' feathered event...I didn't do the collage on this, but gave it some facetime...really cool maniqin...I definitely would like to start working on more 3D surfaces, this was fun.

All paintings, images, titles, characters and logos are owned and © by Ryan Milner

Coffee People

2008-02-19T10:14:00.000-08:00

Shorehouse Sketch Sesh.

2008-02-07T05:13:00.000-08:00

Random doodles while chillin with friends and eating bad food...good times.

All paintings, images, titles, characters and logos are owned and © by Ryan Milner

YoHo.

2008-02-04T02:45:00.000-08:00

SK8 Show

2008-01-20T18:01:00.000-08:00

The deck I painted for the sk8 show @ the light gallery. I really dig the way the type turned out, this board ended up nothing like I had originally pictured, but I'm stoked on the end result. Cheers to all my buds who came out and submitted great work, the opening kicked ass! Love to you all!!!

All paintings, images, titles, characters and logos are owned and © by Ryan Milner

The Kingdom

2008-01-06T23:37:00.000-08:00

This was done before the one below it and inspired me to give each face its own character...art is rad.

All paintings, images, titles, characters and logos are owned and © by Ryan Milner

The Ripening

2008-01-06T23:16:00.001-08:00

It happens to all of us...I really dig the way this came along, it was a battle on how to compose it. The more I draw these heads the more the variation of style seems to occur. Ultimately I wanted to use the lil buggers as part of a bigger scheme than just floating heads...so I decided to stick em on a tree and the other stuff fell into place...well its late, nighty nite.

All paintings, images, titles, characters and logos are owned and © by Ryan Milner

The Kava Lounge

2007-11-23T11:31:00.000-08:00

Coming Up this SUNDAY...if ur in dntwn SD hit er up!

Bluesy

2007-11-22T23:28:00.000-08:00

Used in the Calander spread below, still gonna work on it, could eventually be a nice stand alone piece...wah wah wee wah!

All paintings, images, titles, characters and logos are owned and © by Ryan Milner

Knock On

2007-11-22T22:59:00.000-08:00

Painted this for a calendar spread I designed in my workshop class...above is the final composite, will be printed @ 18'' by 24'', allot of elements are hand illustrated then tailored in the comp...blood sweat and tears, this project kicked my ass.

All paintings, images, titles, characters and logos are owned and © by Ryan Milner

The Street Crowd

2007-11-22T22:22:00.000-08:00

One of the latest in the series, this was done during at a live paint in Long Beach, inspired by all the crazy people walking around. I dig the size, I'm hoping to work bigger and continue to see this style evolve onto other things...will be posting the next couple pieces soon, stay thristy my friends.

All paintings, images, titles, characters and logos are owned and © by Ryan Milner

Rosie's Revenge

2007-11-22T22:04:00.000-08:00

Hahaha, The final straw Jetson! I did this for a Robot themed show @ cal state, I'm not very good at drawing robots so I thought I'd put a spin on one of my favorite characters, this ones for you Walt. wordz...

SsssSketched.

2007-11-22T21:21:00.000-08:00

Some stuff from my new book, mostly people watching...Yes, I'm a creeper. Enjoy.

All paintings, images, titles, characters and logos are owned and © by Ryan Milner