Back from NY, and back into the groove =)

I just got back from filming a show in NY for MTV called The Engine Room http://www.mtvengineroom.com I was one of 16 digital artists from around the world chosen to compete in creative challenges.

Watch it when it premieres on Sept 15 :) . It premieres on MTVu, so if you can't watch it there, you'll be able to catch the episodes on the website.


In the meantime, I'm getting back into some web work, back into art making, and of course back into the PaintByWord groove. If you're bored or have time at all, send me some words that start with the letters M and N; email them to me at atorneros@gmail.com.

Thanks!!!!!

Art + Party = ARTillery, this Saturday in SF

I am PUMPED about this show this weekend!!! If you are in the area please come out and party with us-- and I do mean party as the gallery has a bar and all the body bumping baby making music to move the masses. And most importantly, lots and lots and lots of amazing art.

What you need to know:
ARTillery - Presented by Assembly Line Artists
@ The Space Gallery SF
www.spacegallerysf.com
1141 Polk St. (@ Sutter)
7pm - 11pm - art exhibit
11pm - 2am - party time!
Get there early and get a free gift bag!

Refer to the flyer below:

June show @ Gallery1988 SF!

I'm excited for the Gallery1988 show in SF.. Not only is the lineup amazing, but the show is happening right after I graduate and officially move back to the Bay Area so I'm happy that I'll be able to invite my family and old friends to come get crazy with me ;)

And I'm actually in the Bay as I type this.. A while ago I started up CircleDot Creative, a web/graphics design firm and I'm up here moving into my office since the lease starts June 1! http://www.circledotcreative.com

Gallery1988 SF
"Everyone in Together"
June 20, 7-10 pm
(Click to enlarge)

I just wanna do hoodrat stuff with my friend.

This heat is killing me. It doesn't help that when it gets this hot in my neighborhood it starts smelling like hot trash. I really want to go to the beach but I'm not sure if I trust the water in Santa Monica.. Anyway. In this crazy weather I still found just enough energy to be productive, and I got started on a few paintings. I never work on one painting at a time.. I kind of just work on two or three or even four simultaneously. It's easier that way (for me at least) and it makes me feel more productive...

So here are some pictures of my process so far:


I love painting on wooden panels! I get my panels made by a good guy named Chris Bundy, order stuff from him at Paint on This (btw I just redesigned his site literally two days ago) and let him know I sent you.

This is one of my favorites of the bunch so far. Sometimes I don't even want to paint over these because I just end up liking the background texture too much. I think in the future I might want to do a few abstract pieces that are just straight up color and texture, without the figurative subjects and hopefully someone out there will dig it.



Recently I've been really into making digital collage composites as guides for my paintings. The one above is something I put together yesterday, and I'll end up drawing that image up onto one of the wooden panels... I need to replace my printer's ink cartridge.

Updates on my process coming soon :)

15% off The City prints through 5/24!

Drained

Dear Artist's Block,

You nasty little beast. Working day and night on design work, and staring for hours at a computer screen is draining..and when it's time to finally get to work on some art, the creative juice is all gone. At least that's my story as of right now.

I have quite a few shows coming up, but lately when my pencil hits my paper, nothing happens. You're such an asshole! Please go bother someone else.

Love,

Allison



Someone send over some inspiration por favor?

22nd Annual JazzReggae Festival

I've taken a little break from the art to work on a big website for the JazzReggae Festival in LA, put on by the Cultural Affairs Commission at UCLA. It's been my favorite web project so far. It's a huge two-day festival that takes place on Memorial Day Weekend, and this year the headliners are The Roots and Stephen Marley. I personally can't wait to see Immortal Technique, he's one of my top fav hip hop artists. And if not for the artists, go for the beautiful people and the MMMmmm SCRUMPTIOUS food. The lines for the food stands are long but it's worth the wait. :)

Click here to visit the site:
JazzReggae Festival

Costa Rica! TOYS!!!

Happy Easter, bunnies!


As I get ready to head out the door to catch my flight to Costa Rica (!), I didn't want to leave without giving you a little preview of my pieces for Gallery 1988's Toys Show on April 1st. Based on one of my closest childhood girlfriends... Barbie. ;)

So here ya go.


Oil, acrylic, and epoxy resin on wood. 16x20 inches

Peace out, college!

I just finished my last day of classes at UCLA!!

But since I'm done early I still gotta wait till June to finally walk in my cap and gown.

:)

Women's History Month, "Revolution" Show Preview Photos

** 'This is what a FEMINIST looks like.'... not all of us are angry bra-burning, man-hating, flannel wearing characters (ok, I actually like flannel IF it's cute..but still.) I love my boyfriend, I need my bras to hold what little I have in place, and I love embracing my femininity. As hokey and cheesy as it may sound..we come in all shapes and sizes, ha. ;) **


Last night was the opening reception for "Virgin, Mother, Slut" at UCLA. It was an amazing show produced by my own roommate, Ashley Tucker, who happens to be the President of the Bruin Feminists for Equality. The theme touches upon the three main female stereotypes of women in the media. As a Filipino-American woman, I decided to paint my own take on the Asian Female stereotypes in America as presented by the media: The Dragon Lady and The Lotus Blossom.

So for a quick second, let me just school you on the concept behind these two paintings....


There are two main stereotypes of Asian women in America. One is of the 'Dragon Lady', an Asian woman of exotic beauty, who is scheming, calculating, catty, sneaky, hypersexual, back-stabbing, and untrustworthy. Next you've got 'the Lotus Blossom', the quiet, silent, submissive Asian girl, passive, eager to please, and prudent. Over time this stereotype evolved into that of the 'Model Minority'... the straight A overachiever, obedient to the wishes of her parents...both types are silent in different ways. I used my own face for these paintings because I've been personally subject to both of these stereotypes. And of course, neither stereotype fits who I really am.

Both of these pieces, Dragon Lady and Lotus Blossom, will be up for sale at the Revolution show at Mauve in Newport Beach. They are both 16"x20" acrylic on cradled birch wood.

And if you were curious about the process that I took.. Here are some pictures!

I took this janky little Myspace photo as a model guide:

And the way I usually approach the painting process goes like this--I throw around paint and acrylics and other stuff onto the wood/canvas/paper, then leave it overnight to dry. I wake up in the morning and let the random composition inspire a concept/drawing... It's an unpredictable process, but it's a win/win situation because it's as if I'm doing what the paint wants me to do, instead of forcing a concept and getting disappointed if the outcome isn't exactly how I want it to be.



See you on Saturday! There's an afterparty at the show, hEyyyy

ON SALE: "The City" Limited Edition Giclee Prints!

Signing and numbering the prints in the back of Gallery 1988

I've been so pumped about this! I'm happy to finally say that limited edition giclee prints of "Skittle Joe's Goodtime Headquarters: The City" (or what most just call, "The City") are now on sale through Gallery 1988. They are only $75 and look and feel almost better than the original -- and for those of you that bought City prints from me in the past, those are nothing compared to the ones that Gallery1988 is offering here. The ones I had been selling previously were just high-res digital poster prints on flimsy paper..

Allison Torneros

"The City"
11 x 14 inches
giclee print on archival paper
hand signed and numbered edition of 88
$75




Click here to go to Gallery 1988

Call or email gallery1988@aol.com to order.

Justin Nambiar Photography

Duh, I don't know why I didn't post about him here before. I just wanted to introduce you guys to Justin Nambiar, a good friend of mine from high school. He is an amazing photographer who has worked with Ford Models, and is a contributor to Malibu Magazine and Surface Magazine.. and only 20 years old. He began his foray into photography by shooting nature landscapes, but later developed a love for fashion and band photography. Any of you in California that may be interested in a shoot with him should drop him a line before he makes his move out to New York! View his portfolio site here.


A very OLD picture (circa 2005??).. that's me in the middle!

Garfield.. minus Garfield?!

Once you remove Garfield from the famous Garfield comics, you get a peek into the funny, yet lonely suburban life of Jon Arbuckle. Garfield minus Garfield.

Upcoming Shows, March - April

So eggcited! Here are a few group shows that I'm in, which are quickly approaching...

Virgin, Mother, Slut <>@ UCLA Kerckhoff Art Gallery
March 8, 2008
5:00pm - 8:00pm
Los Angeles, CA

Revolution
@ Mauve
March 15, 2008
Art Exhibit Hours: 7pm - 11pm
After Party Hours: 11pm - 2am
507 E. Balboa Blvd.
Newport Beach, CA

Toys
@ Gallery 1988 LA
April 1, 2008
Opening April 1st 7-10pm
Runs through april 25th, 2008
7020 Melrose Ave. (at La Brea)
Los Angeles, CA 90038

---

Flyer for Revolution:Flyer for Toys @ Gallery 1988:

graduation, life, and my hopes and dreams..

:)


me and my roomies at BrewCo! just some of the people I will miss after graduation


With that said, I'm going to give you a big update on what's been going on with me..

--Things in my life have been going incredibly well as of late, and I'm so thankful! I feel like I'm living a triple life: Artist/Designer. Entrepreneur. Student. It's rad and I would say that I wouldn't have it any other way, but I could definitely do without the 'Student' part. But thankfully, I'm graduating a quarter early from UCLA. Only three more weeks and I'll be doing what I love full time--making art and continuing to develop my design business. I can't wait, I really can't. freaking. wait.



--I completed my first huge commission (72 square feet can you believe it?!!!!) for a private client in Las Vegas through the Jennifer Marie Gallery. It turned out awesome and I'll be posting pictures of the process very soon. The best part was that I had total creative freedom. It was stressful trying to get it done and having to ship such an incredibly large painting out to Nevada, but it turned out just the way I wanted it to which is a success in itself.

--I'm definitely looking forward to all the shows I'll be doing with Gallery1988 (both LA and SF), the first being the Mattel-sponsored Toys show which opens Tuesday April 1st. Also looking forward to releasing giclee prints of 'The City' through the gallery as well.

--Bunch of shows lined up til 2009!

--And on a more random note, I'm planning on getting another tattoo and I'm excited (sorry mom and dad if you're reading this. haha!!!)


AT