Californian artist, illustrator and animator extraordinare Lori D. (who also skillfully provided the foreword to the new Concrete 2 Canvas book,) has a show opening next week in Melbourne, Australia. Entitled Hither and Yon, it opens on Friday 7th September at The Narrows contemporary art space, and it explores the relationship between travelers and the kind strangers they encounter along their journey.

Click more info to see the flyer for the show and to read the little bit of text I was asked to write about the show which appears on The Narrows website:

Jim Houser is one of my favourite artists and I was super stoked to have him contribute to my new book. He currently has a show of new work at the Johnathan Levine Gallery in NYC. I'm very taken with his intricate, homely, patchwork quilt of an installation, made up of words and pictures, presented in a careful choice of colour palette. The show also includes the addition of originally composed music for a complete visual and aural delight. The gallery website have put up photos from the show where I pinched the one below. Check the rest out HERE

Another contributing artist from the first Concrete to Canvas book is Max Estes, a highly skilled cartoonist and illustrator from Milwaukee USA. I emailed him the other day and asked him to tell me what he'd been up to since the book came out, and he very kindly obliged. Click More Info below to read all about his creative escapades and check out his daily blog at: http://mylifeasabunny.blogspot.com

The other week we bought these prints from US artist Andy Kehoe's website, and they arrived yesterday. Really pleased with them. Can't wait to get them framed and up on the ever decreasing wall space. Click more info to see the other print.

'Shelter of Beauty' 8x10":

The phenomenon that is the Beautiful Losers continues with the BL movie. It features interviews with the likes of Ed Templeton, Thomas Campbell, Twist, the late Margaret Kilgallen and the rest of the BL gang, but focusing more generally on the artists, their backgrounds and the DIY spirit and subcultures they emerged from, rather than the exhibition itself.

It's being premiered this weekend in LA at the Swerve Festival. You can check out the trailer for the movie HERE. Hope it will be out on DVD soon as I can't wait to see it.

There is also a mini Beautiful Losers exhibition documentary that's available to watch online HERE. It gives an insight into the background to the show when it hit Milan, and some behind the scenes footage of the artists - click on the artists section and view individual artist segments.

Also check out www.iconoclastusa.com and their online store for limited edition items from artists in the BL show. Great stuff.