PRESENTS!!!

Below are a series of images I made as gifts this year! Most of them make me feel crazy and weird and awesome, so I hope you enjoy seeing this sort of magic as well! Happy holidays doods! Stay rad into the future for life!!!!

Mind Song: A sound & vision

A short time ago Amy Kuttab gave a duo Kate Rose & Stevie Padden a one off, one night only presentation at the Pony Club Gallery. This very special presentation was an installation that put you inside a very small cave where inside, the very quiet Stevie would much like the wizard of Oz appear. Unlike Oz, Stevie would attach you to some electrodes & then seat you to view a digital representation of your brainwaves along with digital sounds controlled by your brainwaves in sync on the forward wall of the cave. Yes it was indeed that rad! I could talk for hours on the feeling you get sitting across from a visual representation of your inner self. It is intense in a most beautiful way! Its concept had already been in a script for a church of awesome thought comic I had devised but not drawn yet, so it was exceptionally strange to be able to live out one of these art fantasies I usually only get to draw.

For your viewing pleasure Stevie had kindly recorded my scan & song from the event, and allowed me to post it for you all to see.

The Cave from Stephanie Padden on Vimeo.

Short Run Radness!!!

I dont know how to express how totally RAD! The SHort Run festival seriously was!!! I am sad it is over and wish I was still experiencing all of its magic forever. I will most certainly do it again next year!
Dave Nuss at the wheel, Andrice on Shotgun & Jesse passed out on to my side we got on the rode to some crazy tunes! A few hours into the night we stopped for a most elaborate and satiating chow at Quality Burrito in Olympia.
Okay so now we are in Seattle! 1st off, I give my hats off to Seattle hospitality! I am pretty shy to just plant myself somewhere with people i dont know, and Jesse got us (Nuss, he & I) a place that fits that description in order to stay the night prior to the festival. I felt secure knowing I had my doods Jesse & Nuss, but I was still nervouse. We arrived that night to find ouselves in the raddest Victorian picturesque windows for miles everywhere mansion that had a real lived in but magic secret world throught the coat closet feeling! I was in heaven!!! Jesse Found the 2 cats emediatly and had them with there eyes rolling back in there heads in extacy while Nuss kept it rad with his smarts and conversational radness! Our Hostess with the mostess was a Librarian named Allison who also lived in the house with a handful of other people. We only really met a few of them. We slept in 2 connected rooms on some mega cozy couches in rad slumber. By morning I was ready to get awesome but wanted to explore the house so bad! Jesse told me I should wake up Nuss, So i put my Halloween mask on and went running for him & instead found Our Hostess Allison 1st! She didn't seem a bit fazed by this weird display as though me in a mask was much like any other strange & awesome magic that moved through the house. She in the cheeriest tone comfotable in her P.J's asked if I would like some coffee & apples! SOOOO NICE!!!!
Well taken care of we left for the show. Upon arrival we were met with familiar smiles of our pals Jason Fischer & Robin, then through the doors even more smiles from the whole crew that made the festival happen. A gorgeous display of blue ribbon award looking badges that were our name tags, & a delicious t-shirt designed by Mad Max Clotfelter! Solid!!! Then we were hugged by a ton of friends with more smiles! thoroughly hugged we met our tabel & set up! The hours flew by like shinning minutes with epic fun and a crazy amount of sales!!! I maybe sold more then ever!!! MAYBE EVER EVER!!!! It was great! People were just so excited about what we and the fest had going on! Even radder was the crazy amount of people familiar with both Nuss & I's output! Everybody knows Jesse, because he's so rad & he brings the chaos, But people were also excited about Revival House press & My comics! How did they know!? Magic!!!! I also was selling my Pal Graham Kahler's books, who couldn't make it himself, and people were completely enamored with them!!! Everything came to a close faster then I could wiggle some rad fingers in yer face!!!
Before we knew it we were at a cozy dinner at some bar, and then to the Fantagraphics shop Art show that I still cant believe is real & that i was in it!!! WHAT!?!?!? YEAH!!! I got mad compliments all over and was going crazy in the half off back stock room & ended up snaggleizing an arm full of awesome books that I have already started devouring! It was hard to keep your head on, everything was so rad!!! I got to get ridiculous with Seattle buds and home buddies alike, & have a ton of meaningful intelligent conversations all in one crazy bash!!! It was like I lived years of radness in a matter of a couple hours!!!
All In all I am In It To Get Awesome again! Things feel up & I want to cartwheel my way into the great beyond!!!
Lets do this everyday!!!
Thank you Short Run ladies, you are the leaders of the pack!!! Keep It real everyday the the radness lives inside you in the most epic way!

Halloween must never end!!!!

A capture of my transformation by Matt Davison!
CACKLE CACKLE CACKLE!!!!

Short Run!

Hey Doods, I thought I would flash this up here again for the coming "Short Run" one day small press expo of mighty proportions in Seattle! At the fest I will have a new mini composed of short church of awesome thought pieces that previously appeared in small run within the pages of anthologies, and some that haven't surfaced in print as of yet. This includes an 8 page color piece that is about another dream Grant winner (familiar from my previous Church of AT dream grant mini).
Above is its cover and an example of within!
Below here is the piece I made that will be at the opening party on the walls of the Fantagraphics Head quarters gallery!!! I may also have a limited run of small prints of this available at my table if you are into that sort of magic! I hope to see you all there and to get rad as always! full details are in my previouse post.

Get excited!!!!

Fantagraphics Dance art!

Here is a poorly cropped Teaser for an image that will be extensively colored for an upcoming art show at the Fantagraphics (!!!) Gallery in Seattle WA. The show is in support of the 1st Small press Expo called Short Run, which is in part run by my pal Kelly Froh. I met Froh years back when we were paired for a comics reading at my Multnomah county library. I am extremely excited that she has given me the opportunity to be in this show, I don't know what she see's in me to be so kind but I owe her big time!
I will be tabling at Short Run as well with bro's Dave Nuss who is one of the best small press publishers for my money with Revival House press. He released one of the greatest comics of all time (the second section will be available at Short Run) called Everything Unseen! I am also tabling with Brolordias Jesse Reklaw who will bring the party & the magic (cards)!

SPIRALING IN TANDEM!

Hey Guys, I will be participating in a couple of coming 1st thursday art shows contained within the Everett station lofts!
I will be showing some very seedy art works at the pony club in Jason Fischers erotic monster party known as Monsterbation!

Also this month I was invited by a very special man who is better known as "Double Plus Good" 10 Mile Stereo by DoublePlusGood
a force of dance in the magical & tropical synthesized universe of music! I have been a secret fan for sometime so it is very exciting to be working for him and his recent baby SoHi tek gallery & record label. A friend of his is an entrepreneur with a passion for YOYO's and has hand made several YOYO's for artists to turn into spiraling works of art.

Below is the front & BACK OF MINE:)
You can purchase these beautiful YOYO's at the show for a very affordable price! There will also be Pro YOYOers Doing there thang at the gallery opening night!

Please come out through the rain to get Sexy & then get dazzled with YOYO ACTION!!!

The opening party's are 6 to 10pm 1st Thursday of spooky OCT.

Wylde Birthdaze!

I had to share these, they all make me feel so good! Above is a portrait of the beautiful Kanye that I made for Julia's birthday. Julia is a mad fan of the man which you will all son find out from her upcoming new mini comics.
Below are some awesome art people made me for my own birthday:) Bak made me this Wylde Birthdaze image that I unfortunately/fortunately (as it was my dream breakfast) got birthday breakfast grease on! It now proudly hangs on my fridge:) Below that are some collaborative cake doods Amy, Andrice, David Youngblood, Caroline smith, Bak & Theo all made me. I wish I could dnace with & slowly devour both of them! AAAAAAAND THEN! Below that is THE FUTURE! Theo said he fashioned this dood to represent all the stuff I love. I can safely say Theo that you captured all of the elements, you fashioned the perfect devotional knee slide pose, you got eyeballs, beast magic, most excellent explosive action vibes and of coarse a most magnificent keytar of synthaliciouse blastular proportions!!! He looks the way I feel about the members of my beloved Earth Wind & Fire:) One day Theo we may have to make a comic of creatures like this loosely based on EW&F & there soul core cosmic adventures in sound in our minds??? I would melt!

Thanks doods!

Brothers

My brother sent me this magic mix & Sci fi epic story he made with it about us & life. It brought a rainbow of light to my days! I hope you all can get rad on this too!

Thanks Brolordian!

Awesome, But YOU by Murf Murf

For Dylan & Emily

I've been feeling very worried, and a great deal of discomfort lately. When the tragic loss that came with my friend Dylan not being with us to guide us with his wisdom with love and a deep care for everything that is beautiful, I feel lost. I feel like I have to work harder now & I can only pull from him in memory & spirit. I cant take the bus to him & play show & tell to feel secure or learn about all of the wonderful things there are to see do and be and share feelings.

What I do know how to do is to come together and create a piece of beauty to hopefully inspire others to feel good, and lend yourself to those you love in support yourself to. Try to create beauty where beauty is fading in an effort to keep it alive because that is all that matters.

In a truly emotional & loving spectacle several friends of Dylan & myself gathered and poured ourselves into making something magic to help bring some love at this very difficult time for Emily who I and I know all of you love so much. Making this image for her was the best I have felt and made me so happy to see my friends working with the same joy passion and care for her. I don't know if it makes sense to create blog post about these things. But I guess what I'm trying to say from this experience is, please everyone come together for each other and try to create beautiful things & be there for each other & find those positive magic moments life has to offer when things are harder then you can have foresight of.

I love you all

Theo, Jennifer, Daria & Amy thank you so much for being there for me & for Emily and doing something beautiful.

Jennifer thank you for these photo's.

Reality Check!

I completed this just a few daze ago. This is a scanned version that is cropped off about a half inch from all sides at the capacity of my scanner. I feel real solid about this magic. It is what I am sending to San Fran for a Fantasy themed art show curated by Elf World creator Francoise Vignault. I am calling this piece "OKO ONO I see rainbows".
Also speaking of OKO, a very special art show opens tonight at the OKO gallery (2774 NW Thurman St. PDX, OR) by a very rad friend named Elizabeth Pusak. You must see it and party with it!!! If you cant make it tonight, the gallery keeps regular hours and is very magic! GO TO IT!!!
Fuck negativity!

Hey Kyle Its Yer Berfday!!!

Surfing on a Frizbee
http://www.mediafire.com/?a56m3fr5v8d0bc6

My Brother Kyle's Berfday is tomorrow!
On behalf of my one and only Blood Bro, I have made him this mix that you can download from the photo above or the link below. I Hope for my Bro to sit down on the beach, plop this mix digitally on his dome and get chill like the winds holding a frizbee in the Air, which is the visual metaphor I perceive my brother as.
Mega love Bro, Happy Birthday!!!
I'm telepathically glowing in my metaphysical form beside you and smiling with my face so close to yours that my breath moves your blond facial fuzz:)

Portland Zine Symposium 2011

The family Style & Tugboat press respectively

Virginia Payne of Milkyboots & Sparkplug comics

A Julia sun burst

Mega Bros Chris, Jason, & Tim Root!

I am currently in a post Portland Zine symposium mope. But This mope is different then the usual post PSZ mope. Regularly this event ends and I realize I have suddenly found myself alone and in what seems like immobile silence after spending nearly 3 days (including the Friday prior) going totally insane with friends both from & out of town, putting myself out there for people to judge, purchase, or pass all in the storm of a buzzing convention hall filled with the most stinky beings imaginable. So there is a crash. A lonesome crash, where you don't know what to do. You cant remember how to be alone or without crowd noise & you are not sure if you can or want to be. Its like a break up in a relationship. This time Is different. This time I broke up with PSZ. I found myself on the last day showing up uncharacteristically late and not enthusiastic. I was not excited to see anyone, and the previous day of selling only 2 books before the symposium began that was followed by no sales and no one even looking at my books let alone even engaging me aside from return venders that are friends, left me with little to look forward too. I had just made a new book I had hoped I would sell out of the extremely limited print run i made. It was full color so it needed to make its expenses back. Normally this would be a sure thing, I only made 20 copies which is a normal amount for me to run through at a convention. I also had a bunch of comics I made including "Dream Grant" which is only a few months old and not in a ton of Portland hands. But sure enough no one even batted an eye at any of it aside from the 5 or so out of town venders I only tend to see at these events. By the afternoon on Sunday this had taken its toll & I suddenly was wondering why I was even there. The people walking around purchasing things were only picking up the material that is the typical or even stereotypical fair that one would joke about all zinesters being made of. I suddenly realized, I am not a zinester. Zinesters came up asking for trades & I only did it a couple of times to find myself with material I would never pay attention to. This material seemed to only require a high school level of skill (which is not to say my writing skills are great) & was totally self absorbed. On top of that the "art work " inside was merely a bunch of cut out illustration from various sources used WITHOUT permission, which for me is totally a really offensive punch in the face. I was so mad, and I realized I had just been sitting there surrounded by this, and a bunch of bad vibes coming from my piers loosing money & wasting time that i could be spending making something that is actually rad, and have a rad time! The final blow was when one of my piers was gone from the table & a customer came to buy one of their books & i couldn't find a visible price anywhere (on top of the fact that on day one they said they'd rather not make a table price list to keep things organized). I sold the book for 2 dollars short on accident only to get scolded. I packed up tossed 2 dollars of my own in compensation & walked out of the loading dock after securing some luck & self esteem with the Sparkplug comics table who sells a lot of my books. I was bummed, and now broke from no sales & lots of PSZ partying. I don't want to do this again. This is not my crowd & I am not a salesmen. My self esteem was crushed, feeling like I make garbage that is invisible yet deterrent. My relationship with PSZ & Zines is done. BUT...................... Below is a Monster drawing I started just before leaving, that made me feel a little better!

Then I drew this one as soon as I was settled elsewhere!!! & then I made 2 more monsters!!! It felt good!!! Fuck IT! YEAH!!!

By 2 nights later I had watched BMX Bandits & started the image below for a super rad fantasy themed art show in San Fran that is coming up! IT FEELS GOOD!!!! FANTASY IS GOOD!!! Drawing is good!!!

Stay rad!!! Don't get lost in culture and don't let it bring you down!

Sean Christensen is not as "Beefy" as Suzette the intern had pictured

Below is a blog post for The Portland Mercury Blog....... Meta? Its loosely an interview and definitely a beautiful & creative Ad for Amy & I's Split show "Serious Mysterious". I feel very good about this format of illustrated conversation & an event.

Amy Kuttab, Sean Christensen and I All Have Different Opinions on Amelie

Posted by Suzette "the Intern" Smith on Thu, Aug 4, 2011 at 1:58 PM

• Suzette Smith
• Sean Christensen not as "beefy" as pictured.

The Pony Club gallery is filled with ethereal acid house. Amy Kuttab is sitting, floor-haloed in hammers and nails like the patron saint of carpentry (that's Joseph, for those of you that didn't attend Catholic primary). Sean Christensen is trying to decide whether to label a painting "The Big One," or "I Don't Want to Label the Big One."

"Oh, I made this two-hour mixtape for us to hang the show to," Sean Christensen smiles. I snap-label him as the sort of man that makes mixtapes for specific events.

This can be held in comparison with my friend's mother, who always makes tapes labeled, "Cool ___ Vibe." Her reasoning is we could have a "Cool Chill Vibe," a "Cool River Vibe," or a "Cool Scraping Off Wallpaper Vibe" over and over. After today, as far as Sean Christensen is concerned, this mixtape is going to Carousel. (How many Logan's Run references can I make before my internship ends?)

"People love 808 drum machines," I say, trying, as always, to turn the conversation to hiphop. "I remember I thought 808 was an area code for some fancy neighborhood, but it turns out Kelis just loves her drum machine."

"There are a lot of bands with 808 in their name, but I think this was the first one," Christensen educates. Later Christensen and I get into a disagreement about the film Amelie. Amy Kuttab and I valiantly rally around Amelie's honor and I agree to watch Truffaut's Antoine Doinel series. Both Amy Kuttab and Sean Christensen present themselves as people who really know their stuff, but want to tell you about the things they love sweetly. I am not bullied into Truffaut.

With their new show, Serious Mysterious, Kuttab and Christensen open the pages of their very own storybook and present spirits not easily referenced.

"You can't look at it and say, 'That's a unicorn.' Or even, 'That's a crazy-looking unicorn.' Your fantastic creatures don't really have a point of reference," I observe.

"We had the idea and I sort of stuck to it this time," Sean says about his paintings of what may be persons made of black lava or river water or night camo.

Except for the naked women—naked women are something we can reference.

"Oh, good, it looks like they're hugging," I say of Amy Kuttab's painting arrangement.

"Cool, I want them to be hugging," she smiles.

Serious Mysterious will be hanging at Pony Club until August 27, but you should go to the opening tonight, August 4, 6-10 pm. Sounds like it's going to have good music too. Manny Lennox of Atole will be performing solo as Braincrush at 7:30 pm, and Sara Dyberg of Pikara unlocks her fiddle loops and musical hypnosis at 8:00 pm. Pony Club is a collective gallery in the Everett Station Lofts, 652 NW Everett, #105.

SERIOUS MYSTERIOUS!!!!

Hey Doods, the time is almost here that the openning party for my split art show with Amy Kuttab is to commence!!! First Thursday is seriously drawing near, so get ready to get rad!!! Above is a looky look at a new book I have made that compiles all of the images in the series that will be on display as well as a little extra that will not be on display, mysterious......... The book is full color and only $5 to own all of the images i created! That's crazy!!! Its in my typical format, fit to carry in your butt pocket, or any pocket really! hella limited, if there are any left I will also have them at the portland Zine Symposium this coming weeknd! Come find me there too and I will have lots of other magic books & comics.

Below is the flyer image and everything you need to know and not know about SERIOUS MYSTERIOUS!!!!

In a time and world where our every curious impulse or quandary may be satisfied via the ever growing communal knowledge base technology systems, Sean Christensen and Amy Kuttab seek to revive the spirit of mystery. They have created a series of paintings and illustrations concerning the wonders of this world and of the world unseen, wonders which we do not understand, and as a species may wish to never fully comprehend. As a sp...ecial treat on First Thursday August 4th, Manny Lennox of Atole will be performing as Braincrush, his solo art of vocal stylings and multi-boombox magic at 7:30, and Sara Dyberg of Pikara will grace us with her fiddle loops and musical hypnosis at 8:00 pm and beyond. Please join us at Pony Club for an evening of unanswered questions and constant seeking of the infinite.

seanchristensen.blogspot.c​om
amykuttab.blogspot.com

The show is up from August 4-27
Gallery hours August 4th 6pm-10pm for the opening, 1-6 wed-sunday the rest of the month
Pony Club Gallery in the Everett Station Lofts
625 NW Everett St
#105

Art sale! ooooh and.....

Tomorrow I am participating in a sale with a load of older art & books of my creation for insanely cheap prices! Its at a pop up shop for last thursday on Alberta st. It features mega pal Andrice Arp, Emily Nillson, Virginia Paine, & Amy Kuttab. The shop is located on : The northside alleyway between 28th and 29th on NE Alberta Portland, OR

Click on that above local for more info.

Come get rad & buy some rad too!

I have just finished this thing, and i feel weird about it, but to humor myself I have taken this tiny cell phone image of this piece that in reality is about half my body in height. Its ready to go for Amy & I coming split show at Pony Club Gallery 1st thursday.

Come to My window

ABOVE IS THE PROMO PHOTO FOR THE NEW T.V. SERIES ABOUT MY FAMILY LIFE.

ABOVE IS A NEW IMAGE I COMPLETED A COUPLE DAYS BACK FOR THE UPCOMING SPLIT SHOW BETWEEN AMY KUTTAB & I AT THE PONY CLUB GALLERY. CAN YOU SEE THIS?

THE IMAGE ABOVE WAS DRAWN AT THE BEACH WHILE MY FRIEND JESSE AND AMY WERE PLAYING GUITAR TOGETHER. I BELIEVE IT WAS PARTIALLY INSPIRED BY AN IMPROV PUNK OUT SONG BY ZACK SOTO FROM SOME TIME BACK. ALSO I HAD JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE WITH MY SISTER WHO AS A BABY WAS LIKE A SHARK, AND THAT BEING AT THE BEACH I WAS THINKING ABOUT SHARKS. SHARKS!!!! HERSHY SHARKS!!! ITS AMY & JESSE'S NEW BAND?

BELIEVE IT OR NOT WE ARE PLAYING GOLF! DARIA SHOWED US HOW!

AMY FOUND BEACH CHARCOAL AND HAD US ALL ENLISTED TO MAKE THE ROCKY BEACH INTO A CARTOON HALLUCINATION!!!