Friday, February 28, 2014

Pea Pickin Hearts

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Influenced by the sounds of the 1940's and 1950's Pea Pickin Hearts are an Appalachian-inspired Americana duo from Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

http://www.peapickinhearts.com/

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Craig Davison

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Craig Davison masterfully captures the wondrous and incredible imagination of children in his art. Looking upon his pieces reminds us of a time when something as simple as a stick could be transformed through imagination into a Lightsaber, a blaster gun, or a magic wand.

http://www.craigdavisonart.com/

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Russ Baum & Huck Finn

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Recently we had the opportunity to speak with Russ Baum, from the Folk Rock duo Russ Baum and Huck Finn, about their music, stage show, and the impact their fans have on them.

Starving Artist: How would you describe your music and stage performance?

Russ Baum: We describe our music as folk-energy and mayhem.  The live performance fits the same vein, it's a fast forward non-stop set of music that pops a new song out every three minutes.  Acoustic sounds with a punk rock pump and a laid back vibe.

Starving Artist: You guys have been doing some really extensive touring, where has been your favorite place to play so far?

Russ Baum: We've got a few favorites out there but we've got to say Hard Rock CafĂ© in Key West was definitely at the top of the list.  We were on our Brent Fricke "Key of Mayhem" tour and landed on DeVall st. in Key West just in time for spring break.  The party was insane and we lived it to the fullest for sure!  We love the Bluebird in Bloomington and other venues of that stature but we won't ever forget the honky tonks like The Desperation Depot in Amity,IN or Whits Inn in Whiteland,IN for giving us our start when nobody else would.  We're very thankful to our venue owners.

Starving Artist: There are a lot of Russ Baum and Huck Finn fans out there, what kind of impact do your fans and their energy have on your performance?

Russ Baum: When they show up in large numbers it has a huge impact!  It pumps us up and really feeds fuel to the fire.  The show is always energetic whether there is one fan or a couple hundred fans and we appreciate our fans one at a time but when you have a group singing your words and/or dancing along it's a feeling that we can't describe in any way other than euphoric and amazing!  It's the fans that are our driving force to succeed.  Without them we are nothing but a couple of weirdo's dancing and singing to each other.

Starving Artist: Are there any musicians that have had a big influence on you?

Russ Baum: I have been influenced by artists my entire life.  It's taken quite some time for me to understand how much impact they really had.  Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day was huge for me, Willie Nelson was a childhood influence that came out of me as an adult, Jack Johnson was another big impact and Jason DeVore of Authority Zero had a huge impact on me being that he married my step-sister and became a great friend.  He (Jason) has been part of a worldwide touring punk act for almost two decades and is a awesome guy to have on my side.  I also love Townes VanZandt and his folk music writing.

Starving Artist: One of the biggest problems that musicians and artists have these days is promoting themselves and getting their work out to people. Do you have any tips for other musicians out there?

Russ Baum: First tip is to take every show seriously and act like a professional.  That means treat it with respect and you will earn respect.  Promoting can be done on so many levels and the sky is the limit.  Think it through and make sure you're ready for the attention you are trying to gain.  Study marketing to get a better grasp on what's happening in the business world.  Forget that you're an artist when doing these things and try to think with logical thought instead of with your emotions.  A well thought out plan will always get you further.

Starving Artist: Are there any upcoming shows or events that music fans should keep an eye out for?

Russ Baum: Thurs. March 20th at the Bluebird in Bloomington
Sat.  March 22nd at NYX Nightclub in Broad Ripple for the Authority Zero after party
Sat. March 29th at Coldcock Whiskey's Cabin Fever Weekend - 3 day festival at the Clarion Waterfront Hotel and Resort in Indianapolis

All shows are posted on http://www.russbaumandhuckfinn.com/, and here's a link to hear our new song "Reign in the City" from our upcoming album
https://www.dropbox.com/s/k8ln024k132e6rn/REIGN%20IN%20THE%20CITY%201.5.mp3

A huge thank you goes out to Russ Baum for giving us his time for this interview. To check out Russ Baum and Huck Finn please visit http://www.russbaumandhuckfinn.com/

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Simplied Wood Craft

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A hobby gone out of control? - or a really good reason to play out in the shop? Having spent a large portion of his life as a precision machinist and woodworker, Simplied Wood Craft creates ceramic knives with custom made wooden handles, all wood locks, book presses, pendants, and other curious items in exotic and interesting woods.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/SimpliedWoodCraft

Monday, February 24, 2014

Overworld Creations

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A shop for folks with the capacity to geek, Overworld Creations make retro video game pixel art using fuse beads and cross stitching.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/OverworldCreations

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Canson City

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Canson City is a visual artist from Lima, Peru. Using a cut and paste style of collage making he combines pictures from many sources to create beautifully spooky art.

http://cansoncity.tumblr.com/

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Art Of Luna

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Art of Luna is an illustrator and painter based out of Dallas, Texas. With a skilfully steady hand and vivid color schemes he creates incredibly detailed works of art.

http://www.artofluna.com/

Friday, February 21, 2014

Sweet As Sin

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Sweet as Sin creates tantalizing tastes of artistic endeavor and aims to start a revolution of kindness from the streets to the gallery.

https://www.facebook.com/SweetWeeSins

Thursday, February 20, 2014

2me

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2me is a self taught visual artist who specializes in charcoal and pastel portraits. Learning through observance he believes that though his work may never be perfect he will always push it to be the best that it can be.

https://www.facebook.com/2medrawings

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Flow Of The Dmo

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    In a room full of paintings we sat and talked over cigarettes. A black light and a small spotlight, for highlighting detail, burned on an artist's easel. "It's all about attention. It's all about what you put into it." Dan Mosier told me. "If somebody cares and puts the time into it you're going to notice the difference." Dan is a painter from Indianapolis who works with black light reflective paint and is very involved in the live art scene, where artists will create their works in the same venue as bands and DJ's playing music.

    We spoke about his day job as a craftsman and how it's hard to find time to create art while working full time. "Around here thing's get messed up, and people need shit built. Ya know? I can build it." Dan explained. A 40 hour work week though doesn't leave a lot of time to paint, which is a problem a lot of artists run into, especially when you have a pretty wild lifestyle. "I party a lot, ya know? There just aren't enough hours in the day."

    Live art is something that Dan is very passionate about. Music is a big influence in not only his art but every aspect of his life, so getting to paint in the same venue as music being performed is an incredible experience for him. "It's like tapping into two different energies." He told me."You have the music and you have a crowd of people, so you're tapping into two different things." Things can get wild and overwhelming at times though, which is why he likes to find his own spot out of the way and set up shop. "Put me back in a corner with some light, that's where I want to be, especially when you're creating art."

    I've seen a lot of artists in my time writing for Starving Artist INC. and I can say from experience that Dan is a talented up and coming painter who art fans should keep an eye out for. He has the ability and the drive to make some incredible pieces and will no doubt be blowing minds with his skills for a long time to come. When asked if he had anyone he would like to give a shout out to Dan told us "I definitely want to give IndyMojo a shout out, they're bringing in some great music. Turtle Matt, he's doing a lot of cool stuff for electronic music in Indy. Also Russ Baum and Huck Finn, they've always given me a place to paint and treated me like family."

    A huge thank you goes out to Dan Mosier for giving us his time for this interview. To view his paintings or to contact him please visit his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/dmoflowz

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Meraki

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Meraki are a Funk Rock band from Dundee, Scotland. Founded as a collection of hard working, dedicated and seasoned musicians who all share a passion for the work they do, their music is a vibrant mix of funk, rock, and blues. Meraki are currently in the studio working on a mini-masterpiece, due for release in 2015, and hope to release a few teaser tracks this year.

http://www.merakimusic.co.uk/

Monday, February 17, 2014

Noizee

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Playing a customized guitar fitted with a bass string Noizee blasts heavy rock riffs through some incredibly loud amps. Currently playing bass on tour with Richie Ramone, drummer for the punk rock icons The Ramones, fans of awesome thrashing rock can expect to be seeing lots of her in the near future.

http://noizee.net/

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Dragonfly De La Luz

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Dragonfly is a journalist and critic for SKUNK Magazine, West Coast Cannabis Expo, and a global correspondent for Cannabis Planet TV. Describing herself as a self-styled chronnoisseur, Dragonfly travels the world in search of the best cannabis and evaluates strains ranging from the popular and plentiful to the rare and exotic. Her incredible writing skills and her hands on style of writing make her an inspiration for journalists worldwide.

http://gettinghighwithdragonfly.blogspot.com/

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Jonny Arnold

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Jonny is a visual artist from Oxfordshire, United Kingdom. From brick walls to skateboard decks, from canvas to sketchpad, Jonny creates beautiful works of art on everything he sets his pencil or brush to.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Art-By-Jonny-Arnold/178390508932736

Friday, February 14, 2014

Blek Le Rat

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Blek Le Rat was one of the first graffiti artists in Paris, and the originator of stencil graffiti art. He began his artwork in 1981, painting stencils of rats on the street walls of Paris, describing the rat as "the only free animal in the city", and one which "spreads the plague everywhere, just like street art". He has had a great influence on today's graffiti art and "urban art" movements, the main motivation of his work being social consciousness and the desire to bring art to the people.

http://blekmyvibe.free.fr/

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Allison Lee

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Allison is a self taught painter from Jeffersonville, Indiana. Using primarily acrylics her work is full of bold lines and warm colors which bring together eerie imagery that is reminiscent of a fever dream.

For more information please e-mail allison@meixell.ne

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Jonas Ryan

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Jonas Ryan is a self taught abstract impressionist painter with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Dabbling in everything from oil and acrylic paintings to sculpting and album covers Jonas mixes incredible colors and forms into everything that he creates.
https://www.facebook.com/JonasKofuku

Monday, February 10, 2014

Skint

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From political pieces to detailed portraits Skint crafts incredible paintings that mix clever concepts with skillful spray painting abilities.

http://www.donewithacan.com/

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Scorched By Britt

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Scorched by Britt creates custom wood burned art that specializes in horror, Sci-Fi, comic book art, and other art of the strange and unusual.

http://www.scorchedbybritt.com/

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Ultra Pulverize

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Deep from the farthest reaches of the future Ultra Pulverize has come to annihilate the musical world with their own unique style of Electronic Synth-Punk Rap. Rocking an incredible skill on their beat machine, keyboard synths, and topped off with vocals that spit like laser cannons from space their music may possibly blow your eardrums to shreds with the power of pure awesome.

To check out their music visit their website at http://ultrapulverize.com/ or check them out at the Louisville Arcade Expo on March 7th.

Friday, February 7, 2014

8-Bit Builder

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8-Bit Builder creates computer case mods for those who have an interest in old school gaming being reinterpreted in the real world, one bit at a time. These one of a kind computer cases channel retro video game characters from such games as Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros., and Final Fantasy.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/8BitBuilder

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Miss Led

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Obsessed with clean lines, curvature and arresting portraiture, she is perpetually evolving in the exploration of drawn and painted imagery. She’s illustrated everything from book covers to advertising campaigns, covered walls in high end boutiques and incredible properties on canvasses that range from cars, barges, and even department store windows.
 
http://www.missled.co.uk

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Paper-Cloud

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Today's featured artist is Paper-Cloud. An advocate for the Free Art Friday scene Paper Cloud creates drawings, crafts, and all manner of creative art to bring beauty and joy into the world.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paper-Cloud/104083619662231

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Wunkywerks Guitars

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We're back! After taking a hiatus for the birth of our son we now return you to your regularly scheduled daily dose of awesome art!

Today's featured artist is Wunkeywerks Guitars. Using the simple, straight forward building techniques of cigar box luthiers Wunkywerks makes guitars with custom designed bodies using re-purposed, recycled and up-cycled materials.

https://www.facebook.com/wunkywerks/