Sam Morrison's Blog

Recent Sign Designs

2008-07-18T23:23:00.003-04:00

These are a couple recent sign designs I've created. Each sign involved a lot of manufacturing steps and a lot of hand painting. Despite the effort, designing signs is immensely rewarding.

Potential Roadside Attraction

2008-07-12T17:50:00.001-04:00

Working in a sign shop generates a lot of unique waste byproducts. This is about 10 pounds of excess adhesive vinyl from a 100 piece sign project we're in the process of completing.

We have tentative plans to keep adding excess vinyl to the ball. Then marketing/promoting it as a roadside attraction: "Southwest Michigan's largest ball of vinyl!"

We still have a ways to go, but it's a start.

Stenciled Guerrilla Art - Southwest Michigan

2008-07-04T22:50:00.004-04:00

Placed in Fulton, Michigan

Placed in Mendon, Michigan

I've been experimenting with "street art" stencils lately. The deer painting was my first attempt. I used acrylic on cardboard. Eventually I'll try spray painting.... These pieces were left in public places for people to find.

NoLa RISING Art Submission

2008-06-28T12:22:00.008-04:00

Recently I submitted a cardboard painting to the NOLA RISING Free Art Campaign. According to the NOLA RISING website: "NoLa Rising is a post-Katrina art campaign encouraging people in all faubourgs of Greater New Orleans to publicly display works of art, regardless of how simple or untutored it may seem to be, for the purpose of rebuilding and restoring the human spirit in our city. NOLA is a unique and beautiful city that has historically embraced the spirit of personal freedom that supports the growth of the artist, musician and writer ... the goal of the NoLa Rising Project is to showcase that spirit."

Many thanks to Rex Dingler for taking the photo of the woman who chose to take my painting home.

Additional photos of the free art event can be seen here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nolarisingproject/sets/72157605511425717/

For more information on NOLA RISING visit their blog:
http://nolarising.blogspot.com/

Photo Credit: Rex Dingler

Guerrilla Art - Chicago

2008-06-21T11:31:00.004-04:00

Painting in progress

Finished painting

The paintings new owner

A couple weeks ago, fellow Kalamazoo guerrilla artist Bonus Saves and I, collaborated on our largest cardboard painting to date. The cardboard painting measures conservatively 4 foot by 8 foot. I painted the large two faced character and Bonus incorporated his blue characters.

Bonus is very active in the Chicago street art scene so he took this piece during one of his visits. As with all our art it's free for the taking. On this rare occasion the finder contacted Bonus with a photo of her new found art. In the world of guerrilla art having the finder make contact with the artist is pretty rare.

Tehran Sticker Art Project

2008-06-14T12:50:00.005-04:00

I was recently invited to submit some street art stickers for the "Tehran Sticker Combo" project. Admittedly, I'm not "into" sticker street art, but the opportunity to have my art seen on the streets of Tehran is too good to pass up. Fortunately, I have access to a full color vinyl printer/cutter at work.

If any artists would like to get involved, here's some addt'l info "lifted" from the flickr group:

Tehran sticker Combo Will be the Project for late july 2008 in tehran -IRAN
The project will be in two divided parts Indoor combo board and Outdoor Bombin’ the urban sildwalks .
DEADLINE IS 20 . JULY

All Street Artists Around the world are welcomed to participate the with their hand made / Printed stickers .
-Send as much as you can.
(We will keep some for “Combo Indoor” and use the rest for Outdoor combos.)
all participated artists will be listed and linked from the event page : www.kolahstudio.com/KSC : “coming soon”
-Please Do not send huge stickers/posters or wheatpaste.
-please add your Tag+url/Email on a paper and attach it to your pack .
Photos of Indoor and outdoor Combo + List of Participated Artists will also get published in bRAINSTORM PDF magazine issue 10 in August 2008.
check
www.kolahstudio.com/Underground/?p=662

Free Art Totem - Kalamazoo, Michigan

2008-06-07T23:29:00.002-04:00

Fellow Kalamazoo guerrilla artist, Bonus Saves, braved tornado warnings and high winds to put up this "free art totem" in downtown Kalamazoo.

Artists top to bottom: Me, Me, Bonus Saves, Bonus Saves, Tigapics, Nobody, Starhead Boy, & Slurkle.

Photo Credit: Bonus Saves

Guerrilla Art - Kalamazoo, Michigan

2008-06-01T09:52:00.004-04:00

This is a collaboration between fellow guerrilla artist, Bonus Saves and myself. Bonus painted the blue characters and I contributed the "volleyball" characters. The art was painted on recycled cardboard and stapled into place. As always our art is free for the taking....

Photo Credit: Bonus Saves

Completed Portrait Commissions

2008-05-24T18:18:00.004-04:00

Recently completed 12"x16" acrylic on canvas portrait commissions.

Drawings of Junger, Twain, Crane, Fitzgerald, Orwell and Tolkien

2008-05-17T22:58:00.008-04:00

A new batch of author inspired drawings done on pages from their books.
From top (L to R):
Sebastian Junger (A Perfect Storm), Mark Twain (Huckleberry Finn), Stephen Crane (Red Badge of Courage)
From Bottom (L to R):
F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby), George Orwell (1984), JRR Tolkein (The Hobbit)

Similar drawings can be found in my etsy store:
www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5080156

Poe, Thoreau & Steinbeck Drawings!

2008-05-10T20:56:00.002-04:00

New drawings for my etsy store. The author's portraits are drawn on pages from their books.

www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5080156

Guerrilla Art - Phoenix, Richmond, Honolulu, Southsea

2008-05-03T10:00:00.001-04:00

Guerrilla Art - Honolulu, HI

Guerrilla Art - Phoenix, AZ

Guerrilla Art - Southsea, United Kingdom

Guerrilla Art - Richmond, VA

"Guerrilla Art" is art placed in public places for people to take home and enjoy.

Through a network of other guerrilla artists, my art has been placed in numerous cities (worldwide). Most recently my art has been seen (and taken) by people in Phoenix, AZ; Honolulu, HI; Richmond, VA; Southsea, UK.

In the coming weeks I'll be creating art to be sent to Singapore, New Orleans, Winnepeg and Australia.

Guerrilla Art - Free Art Totem

2008-04-25T21:00:00.004-04:00

PHOTO & VIDEO CREDIT: BONUS SAVES

Fellow Kalamazoo guerrilla artist, Bonus Saves, just put up this "Free Art Totem". Among the pieces are a couple of mine, as well as a piece from Tigapics (of Germany).

Illustration Friday - "Primitive" Tiki

2008-04-18T21:57:00.003-04:00

I've been feeling the need to get away from the computer and put pencil to paper again. I suppose that fits IF's "primitive" topic too.

Street Art Exhibit - Tel Aviv

2008-04-12T12:20:00.001-04:00

About a month ago I had the pleasure to participate in the 2nd Annual Inspiration Art Exhibit held in Tel Aviv. The exhibit featured the work of nearly 100 street artists from all over the world.

View the works of the other artists here!

A Busy Week of Logos & Banners

2008-04-04T22:28:00.002-04:00

Here's a batch of banners and logos I designed and illustrated this week.

Guerrilla Art - Richmond, Virginia

2008-03-28T22:31:00.003-04:00

Richmond, VA has an up and coming Free Art movement entitled the "Real Small Art League". The league is headed by a gal named Tiffany Glass Ferreira who has a unique approach using google maps to track free art pieces.

If anyone is interested in having their art placed in Richmond, VA visit this site for more information:
www.iknowtiffany.com/

Guerrilla Art - Tel Aviv

2008-03-22T16:49:00.003-04:00

Here are a few of my guerrilla art (FREE art) pieces placed on the streets of Tel Aviv.
Special thanks to Inspire (aka. Idiot the Wise) for the placements and the photos.

Third Coast Airbrush Stencils!

2008-03-16T13:24:00.006-04:00

For the past 7 weeks I've been busy creating a product line of laser cut airbrush stencils. So far I've created 145+ designs featuring human/animal skulls, tribal patterns, tikis, bones etc.

For the time being, the stencils will only be available through the Third Coast ebay store. Each week new designs will be introduced (at special one-week only prices). By signing up for the newsletter you can receive updates on new designs.

Here's the link to the ebay store:
http://stores.ebay.com/Third-Coast-Stencils

Art Available for Licensing

2008-03-09T12:26:00.010-04:00

Over the Christmas and New Year's Holidays I decided to prepare some of my art for potential licensing usage. As a result I created a simple web site. Although I haven't spent time marketing the site, it is currently live.
http://artbysammo.weebly.com

Frozen Lake Graffiti!?

2008-03-01T20:30:00.005-05:00

Frozen Sunset Lake (in Vicksburg, Michigan) has been the scene of some tagging and "graffiti" lately.

I created the top work of art by walking around on the ice. Normally I shy away from walking on frozen lakes but it's been so cold (for such a long time) that I wasn't too worried about falling through. By the next morning ice fisherman had already drug their sleds over the image.... oh well... it was still really fun to create.

Not long after I created my work of art someone else got the idea to tag the lake. (bottom photo) Instead of using their feet they took a shovel and wrote in very large letters "Estefania Needs Husband"... that made me laugh... I think they should get the prize for originality.

Global Free Art Project

2008-02-23T11:41:00.004-05:00

As mentioned in a previous post, I'm creating art pieces for the "It's Yours Take it" FREE ART project.

The project has been described as: ""It's yours, take it!" is a global free art project taking place in 5 cities. Stateside we have Chicago,Illinois, Honolulu,Hawaii and Phoenix, Arizona. Outside the land of consumption is Tel Aviv, Israel and Portsmouth Hampshire, UK.

Sneak peeks of the pieces can be seen here: www.flickr.com/groups/itsyourstakeit/

There are future plans for more Free Art events in additional cities worldwide. If interested, drop in on the flickr group and sign-up.

Drawings of Steinbeck-Thoreau-Orwell

2008-02-18T20:33:00.002-05:00

Some recent drawings I did of Steinbeck, Thoreau and Orwell.

Tel Aviv Gallery & Free Art Projects

2008-02-08T20:55:00.000-05:00

The top two mini canvases are headed to the Legal Action Gallery in Tel Aviv curated by my Flickr buddy "Inspire" aka "Idiot the Wise":
www.flickr.com/groups/inspiredlives/discuss/7215760367532...
www.legalactiongallery.com/exhibition.html

The bottom mini canvas is also going to Tel Aviv as part of my other Flickr buddy Bonus Saves "It's Yours... Take It" 5 city free art project: www.flickr.com/groups/itsyourstakeit/
In addition to Tel Aviv, I'll also being creating pieces of free art for Chicago, Phoenix, Honolulu and Southsea (UK).

Guerrilla Art - Belfast, Northern Ireland

2008-02-02T23:19:00.000-05:00

Special thanks to my flickr buddy Dogtired who left some of my guerrilla art in the Belfast Queens University Book Shop and accompanying grounds.