Summer graffiti

A few months ago I got together with my friends Greg Simkins, Deph and Maxx242 to paint a large wall in the hot I.E. Summer. For me, it was the second spraypaint piece I've worked on in a decade, and it felt a little foreign at first. It's crazy how many colors are available now. I finally felt like I could translate my own paintings into wall pieces with all the colors we have access to. Those three guys rocked it, and I felt honored to be painting with them (I did the skull). Seeing this makes me want to do more!! (click on images to see them BIGGER)

Craola AKA Greg Simkins...

Deph One...

Maxx242...

My skull. I used a scissor lift for the first time- it's pretty tall!

Slowin' down

The past few months (and really the last two years) I've been going nonstop. There was either a convention to prepare for, projects due, poster orders needing filled or a show to plan out and paint. It's been nonstop work, and I love it and know I'm lucky, but it takes it's toll too. Time to slow things down a bit. I don't have a show planned for the first time in eight years but it feels right.

To anyone I have been flaky with the past month, I apologize and there is a reason. I was pretty jacked up with a bad cold that I couldn't shake. It got bad enough that my wife made me go see the doctor. I was diagnosed with Intermittent Asthma! It is brought on by catching a cold or a flu or too much dust and causes breathing problems by constricting the tiny airways in your lungs. It's the best kind of asthma you can have, but the doctor warned me- you can still die from it if you don't treat it. It's hereditary, but could also be from living in Riverside for so long (L.A.'s smog settles here). I always thought I was just prone to getting longterm cough because I don't get enough sleep. I thought I was just unhealthy. Nope, it was asthma. When I finally went in I was breathing at 50% of my lung capacity. No wonder I felt like shit. For weeks I had just felt like sleeping but I had too much work to do.

So I'm controlling it now and feeling much better. I think I've had this since college over ten years ago, so it feels good to know what I have and do what I need to do to take care of myself. So once again, to those who I flaked on, never emailed back, or didn't return your call, I am sorry! I'm still catching up.

I'm going to post in here more often- I have posts I started for things like Miami Art Basel Part 2 from 9 months ago. For now here is a look into Summer 2010. It went real fast.

Summer started off with a mad rush to finish paintings.


My girls are getting older. It warms my heart to see them play together and love each other.


My dad and I built a huge (and heavy) crate to ship work to NYC.


I went to NYC.


Apparently it was Gay Pride Week.


Back in the I.E. painted a wall with some friends.


Went to the Illustration Conference in Pasadena. Langham Hotel was pretty sweet.


Went to the Comicon in San Diego.


Ralph and Beth had a baby girl!


Santa Barbara Zoo was fun.


Summertime cannon climbing in Templeton, CA at the Soto family reunion.


Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens was beautiful.


Doll museum was pretty fresh..


Sleepy kidlets on vacation.


After all the traveling I sent out about a billion prints (felt like it).


I went to Vegas with The Wild Ones but I was sick and slept more than I'd have liked.


Can't believe how fast the Summer months skipped by. What really trips me out is we have a Kindergartner now! What??
Jeff

Friends We Love- Jeff Soto video

My friends Moni and Mike met up with me in June while I was finishing a mural in NYC. I love this video, I like the little kid dancing! Thanks M+M!

Jeff Soto :: Off The Wall

Check out their other videos, man, some great stuff!

Comicon signing schedule 2010

I will be at the San Diego Comicon this Friday and Saturday only. Come by the Hi Fructose booth (#4939) and check out all the in production work for The Seekers and the exclusive and super limited Ghost Seeker. There are 100 made of The Ghost Seeker, with only half of those available at the booth.

I'll be around to sign the new Volume 16 of Hi-Fructose, draw, chat, and share Comicon stories. Schedule below:

Friday
11am Hi-Fructose booth #4939
3pm Hi-Fructose booth #4939

Saturday
11am Hi-Fructose booth #4939
4pm Hi-Fructose booth #4939



Also swing by the Murphy Books (booth #4833), I will have some prints available and it's the only place to pick up a copy of my Storm Clouds book. I don't have any set hours there but ask around, I might be stopping by from time to time.

Have a safe and fun Comicon!

Blackbook Sessions 8

Myself along with a bunch of others will be painting Saturday in Ontario, CA as part of the Black Book Sessions event. Come check it out, it's supposed to go from 3-8pm. And if you're an artist between ages 9 and 25 there is an art competition. Here is some more info: www.blackbooksessions.org
Okay, gonna go dust off the old spraycans- some of these are very old! hahah...

The Vader Project

I have been so busy running around, painting and catching up (with just about everything), that I forgot to mention this. The Vader Project auction is tomorrow- Saturday, July 10th. Some pretty nice pieces in the collection, and there is a catalog that has been published that is very cool.

Here is a link to mine: http://www.artfact.com/ Happy bidding...
Jeff

New Prints...

Some people have noticed that I've been releasing more screen prints than ever before. I haven't really planned it like this, but I've had some fun opportunities come my way and just went with it. It's been a nice and welcome change of pace from all the painting. Here's info on the two newest prints...

Pearl Jam, Arras France poster
This is an eight color screenprint that measures 18" x 24" and printed on creme colored archival paper. Signed and numbered edition of 100 will go on sale Tuesday July 13, around noon. $60 + shipping at Potatostamp.com. **I am in California= Pacific Standard Time**



Scrap Yard Power Droid
This is a 7 color screenprint that measures 24" x 36". Signed and numbered edition of 50 will go on sale Tuesday July 20, around noon. $90 + shipping at Potatostamp.com. **I am in California= Pacific Standard Time**

Scrap Yard Power Droid Screenprint

I had the opportunity to work on a Star Wars print with my friend Mitch, it was a double no-brainer, Star Wars and screenprinting! Yeah! Two things I love! I got to pick a moment or a character or a situation, and I ended up going with the Power Droid, also known as a Gonk Droid.

Star Wars was a pretty big deal for me as a kid. I was only 2 when the movie came out, and I can’t even remember if I saw it or not in the theater. The characters and story were known to many of us mainly from the toys! The toys! Oh they were wonderful, and we played with them for hours (and wore out the BEST and Sears catalogue)!

One of my favorite action figures was the Power Droid, and I didn’t really know much about the little guy, but for some reason he (I pictured it being male for some reason) captivated my imagination. I realized at some time that he’s barely even in the movie, which added to his mystique. Over the years he functioned as the worn out, floppy-legged power supply for numerous Transformers, GI Joe’s and Construx. He is small and cute, and found a place in my childhood heart. I still have the little guy. This piece is an ode to the Power Droid!

As usual, I did all the drawing by hand, and scanned everything into Photoshop. You can see some of the layers below. At 24" x 36", 350 dpi and 10 layers (while working on it), it was a pretty large file.


Here's the final- Scrap Yard Power Droid ended up as a 7 color screenprint that measures 24" x 36". I have some to sell, check back soon....

Pearl Jam Arras France Print

Here's a little process blog entry for my new Pearl Jam- Arras, France poster.

First I make a lot of sketches, and came up with one I thought worked (other ideas might be used in the future, so I don't want to show them just yet). Once I have a good design, I try to figure out how to layer the colors. I have to do this ahead of time, maybe because I am new to this but sometimes it gets so complex I can't figure out what layers should be over each other. I like to know how things are going to be screen printed.


I use the computer to scan in all the sketches, and rough color all the layers (above). I take that layered rough color sketch, and print up an actual size drawing of the main line art (in this case 4 sheets taped together). Then I take that to my light table for inking.


I worked on a new font called "Neon Boner", it is my first font I have created and was a real pain in the ass.... but I am happy with how it turned out. I did the type on a different piece of bristol in case I needed to reposition things.



After the main linework and text was finished, I used them to trace for the other colors. Then everything is scanned into the computer (can be nightmarish sometimes!), and colors tweaked. I did 95% of this piece and all the layers by hand, which I have been told is the old fashioned way. That's fine by me, I like working the old fashioned way! I recently bought a Wacom but enjoy the actual drawing and inking so much that I don't see myself using it except for the tedious things I usually do with a mouse. But we will see...

The final is an eight color screenprint that measures 18" x 24" and printed on creme colored archival paper. I got them a while back and am very pleased! Screenprinting is getting a bit addictive, as the final prints have all been looking nicer than I expect.

Maxx242- Pearl Jam prints for sale

I'm working with my friend and long time artistic collaborator Maxx242 on some upcoming secret projects. He just put up these Pearl Jam prints for sale. Check it out:

Maxx242- Pearl Jam- Buffalo NY, 2010. 18" x 24", signed and numbered edition of 75. Click here to purchase.

Maxx242- Pearl Jam- Auckland, 2009. 18" x 24", signed and numbered edition of 75. Click here to purchase.

Back from NYC

Thanks to EVERYONE that made this one of my best trips to NYC. I had a great time, ate (too) good, met nice people everywhere and even got to paint in the city.

Now I am catching up and decompressing, if you've been trying to contact me be patient, I am working on it. Stay tuned I have some fun things in the works...
Jeff

Jeff Soto 'Lifecycle' June 26-July 24, 2010

I'm excited to be showing a new group of paintings at Jonathan LeVine Gallery in just a couple weeks. My last NYC solo exhibition was back in 2007- it has been awhile and I'm looking forward to exploring New York and seeing some of my pals! If you're in town the opening is Saturday June 26, 7-9pm.

This new body of work feel like a tipping point or breakthrough to me- I've been exploring new themes, new techniques, pushing myself out of my comfort zone and possibly breaking the surface into a new direction. I usually don't feel like this but it's been a rollercoaster ride, full of discoveries and failures, emotions and hard work. This show has been more personal than those in the past, as I've had to dive into the subjects of family and life and death. It has also been extremely rewarding and I'm excited to share them. I'm going to keep painting and exploring this new path but this will be my last solo exhibit for a while. So come by if you can!

Press/image enquiries contact Maléna Seldin: malena@jonathanlevinegallery.com
For buyer's list/preview info contact Darcie Vukovich: darcie@jonathanlevinegallery.com
Everything else: www.jonathanlevinegallery.com

As an added awesome bonus, a friend and one of my favorite painters, Dave Cooper is also showing, don't miss it...


Jeff Soto
'Lifecycle'
June 26-July 24, 2010
Jonathan LeVine Gallery
529 West 20th Street
New York, NY 10011