Wednesday Work: speaking of Matte Stephens...

Rupert and Leonard wait for the tram on their Swedish holiday.

You've seen Matte Stephens' paintings and work whether it be for American Express, IBM, Disney or The Boston Globe - or from our last blog post - to name a few, but have you seen Matte Stephens' felted "action figures"?

Mr. Owl and Uncle Rutherford

Felted Action Figures.

I am not usually all too interested in those things (styles, ideas, etc) that I see everywhere. They often seem ungenuine, or at the very least less accessible to the individual, to myself as a person. They instead just become a commodity, an extension of the corporate working to establish something else, usually a product.

While I enjoy Stephens style, my enjoyment was purely an aesthetic one until I saw these little guys. These felted "action figures".

I'll say it again: felted "action figures".

Whimsical and endearing, I especially like the way they move from felted form to 2-D medium. See the felted figure above, and their corresponding gouache paintings below.

Mr Owl.

Uncle Rutherford.

Not only action figures and portrait paintings, Stephens weds his work with titles imbued with a sort of magic realism.

Titles like: "Felted Rooster School Bus and Mr. Owl".

And, "Alfred, Louis and Francios after 12 years of preparation were surprised to find a cafe at the top of Mount Everest".

I like that Matte Stephens' work consumes him.

Large Owl paper sculpture.

In this image titled "Large Owl paper sculpture", notice not only the sculptural object, another extension of Mr. Owl, but also the clock on the wall behind it. Stephens' style all-consuming of his reality.

These seem less like paintings for paintings sake, or ads for hire, and more like these characters, combined with their background stories and daily lives depicted in various paintings, it seems this is not work for Stephens, but in fact, that these are Stephens' friends.

This inspires me, not only as an artist, but as a person too. To see not only that which is before me, presented to me, available to me in my daily routine, but to see more, to create those things and those stories that allow me an outlet - that give me a little magic; it is a unique occurrence indeed.

The further on into adulthood I go, I am beginning to see just how important it is to be reminded of the potential and the magic all around us.

Thank you, Matte Stephens.

Lumberjack Breakfast.

Lillian playing with abstract thought.

See more of Matte Stephens at his blog, here. Buy some of Matte Stephens work from his etsy shop, here.

DEFY Monday: Finding the Exit Strategy...

Sometimes, you need to work until you can't work any more. When we can see our 15 hour workdays turning into our dream, we tend to just keep on trucking. We ignore the signs that we might be working too hard, when stress levels are peaking and all muscles are aching.

Then, all of a sudden, there's a little voice that says, "hey, yeah, you, the workaholic, please, Take A Break!"

But, where do you go to relax when you can't go home, when home is your project?

You find an exit strategy, you get out, get gone, and find a way to let your mind go beyond painting, shelving, and cleaning.

(Source)

Relaxing In San Francisco, a Matte Stephens Illustration

Exit Strategies:

1. Kraftwork

(No, not the amazing electronic German band, the bar!)

Why we love it:

• Great Divide, Raspberry Ale: We don't normally prefer fruity beers. But this one, we love. Not too sweet, and it's super refreshing on a hot summer night.
  
  
  

• The Menu: Everything you wanna know about what beer to order is right there, blueprint style!

2. Laying on the floor, the Mountain's all-time favorite exit strategy

• Stretch
• Cry
• Get a whole new perspective while you stare into the sky (or in our case, a ceiling!)
• If you're lucky, this whole horizontal thing will turn into a catnap.

3. And last but not least, when it's all too much, leave for a day or two.

• Call a friend or relative that lives close-by (not too close,) and take a mini-vacation.
• No close relatives, no problem. Just grab a tent, a flashlight, and a few essentials, get in your car, and start driving. Drive right on outta the city and right into Mother Nature's arms. Have a wonderful night's sleep under the stars.

Source

Ok, now that we've figured some things out, like when to say when!...

We're back to work!