A portrait of my girlfriend’s dog Kody

I am working with the publisher Nerdcore on getting my sketchbook released as soon as possible. i know it was scheduled for release in August, and believe me i am the most disappointed that this still hasn’t released yet. We have ambitious plans for the cover, which was more time-consuming than anyone imagined, then the printer in China closed down, apparently a casualty of the global recession. so now the book is somewhere in line at a new printer who is totally bottle-necked with books from other closed down printers.

The most frustrating thing about this process is that there is nothing for me to do about it. i have been contacting the publisher over and over again asking if there is anything i can do to expedite the process, but it is totally out of my hands. On top of all this, Chinese New Year is around the corner, so the printed closes down for about a month.

Nerdcore is now shooting for New York Comicon this spring to release. they are also offering additional free exclusive Ledbetter goodies to everyone waiting patiently on the pre-order list. Thank you again for waiting!!

if you’re unfamiliar with Jason’s work the best place to look is google images. also look here:

http://jasonjacenko.deviantart.com/

http://jacenko.com/

http://www.no-vacancy.com.au/

Straight outta Buffalo i headed down to Miami for Art Basel. What a change!! the heat and humidity were well received! And talk about art overload. i must say i came home insanely inspired. ive included some random shots from the trip, not much art because its been covered by so many other people.

Self-produced Magnet set coming soon!!

Everything i know about Miami ive learned from Scarface, Dexter, Miami Vice, and Ace Ventura. Cant wait to see it for myself!

I am participating in (and attending) Art Basil this year with the help of M Modern gallery. 4 recent works will be available at the GenArt Vanguard Art Fair. Heres the info:

VANGUARD Fair in Miami from December 4th through 7th located at CHARCOAL STUDIOS in the Wynwood Arts District.
M Modern will be showing works by the following artists:
Yumiko Kayukawa, Matt Dangler, SHAG (aka Josh Agle), Jophen Stein, Amanda Visell, Heather Watts
Michelle Valigura, Martin Hsu, Joe Ledbetter, Brandon Steen, Chris Reccardi, Zoey, Lynne Naylor & More…

Here are the Important Show dates and Exhibition Hours:
Dec. 4, 2008: VIP & Press Preview 10 am - 4 pm
Public Reception 5 pm - 8 pm
Dec. 5, 2008: General Admission: 10 am - 6 pm
GEN ART OFFICIAL PARTY 8 pm - 12 am
Dec. 6, 2008: General Admission: 10 am - 6 pm
Dec. 7, 2008: General Admission: 10 am - 6 pm

Here is the address:
Charcoal Studios
2135 NW 1st Ave.
Miami Beach, FL 33127
ph: 760 774-8474 & ask for Jay or MiShell
www.charcoalstudio.com

NOTE: If you were hoping to attend the VIP reception please email M Modern Gallery: mmodern@gmail.com and they will see what we can do to accommodate your request.
There will be a lot of other galleries that show in our art genre worth checking out here as well. So you can actually get your fix of art in one simple location. We look forward to seeing you there!

“Face Off #2″ is my new painting for the Vivisect Playset show this coming weekend. In keeping with the animal testing theme i decided to experiment with 4 of my favorite re-occurring characters and have them all swap heads. Im trying to play around with subtle graphic elements, so ive added “dotted line trails” to create some movement and also perhaps to illustrate the characters’ confusion. it was also a small technical exercise in playing with depth by washing out the background, to make the characters pop a bit more and give the piece more atmosphere.

18×24, acrylic and colored pencil on board.

please contact Gallery 1988 San Francisco for purchase inquires:

gallery1988sf@gmail.com 

Gallery1988 San Francisco
1173 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA  94109
(415) 409-1376
www.gallery1988.com

WOW! I cant believe Vivisect is in its 5th year! I remember Luke Chueh inviting me to be a part of the inaugural show at the brand new Gallery 1988. I met Luke while being involved in Cannibal Flower shows for over a year. For the uninitiated, Cannibal Flower is LA’s monthly dose for underground art-stravanganza. A gem of talent, and not-so-talented just hidden below the surface. a testing ground and a place for artist to make mistakes, and test ideas more freely than on the walls of any established gallery. To me, it always felt like the real heart and soul of art in LA; warts and all. 

So thanks to Luke Chueh, Vivisect Playset 1 was really my first go at a “real” albeit brand new gallery: Gallery 1988. The first show consisted of Luke Chueh, Dave Pressler, Peter Gronquist, Thomas Han, and myself, and exceeded anyones expectations. i remember it being one of the most exciting times in my art career to date. Many thanks to Luke, Jensen and Katie, and Im excited to be in the 5th consecutive show!!

heres the info:

LUKE CHUEH & GALLERY 1988 SAN FRANCISCO PRESENTS : “THE VIVISECT PLAYSET FIVE”
For five years now, Luke Chueh and Gallery 1988 curated and hosted The Vivisect Playset, an art show that featured artists who regularly employed animal characters in their work to illustrate the human condition. The show has illuminated the talents of several artists, helped set the foundation and direction for Gallery 1988, and even conceived a series of toys, produced by StrangeCo.
This years show features works of Angry Woebots, Anthony Ausgang, Charlie Immer, Paul Barnes, Jonathan Bergeron, Lindsay Campbell, Luke Chueh, Matt Dangler, Dia, Daniel Elson, Brendon Flynn, Mayuko Fujino, Ghostpatrol, Peter Gronquist, Walt Hall, Moira Hahn, Thomas Han, Melissa Haslam, Mari Inukai, Kamala Dolphin Kingsley, Joe Ledbetter, Lauren Moyer, Alex Pardee, Peek-a-boo, Isaac Pierro, Scott Radke, Amy Sol, Ben Strawn, Roland Tamayo, and Amanda Visell
OPENING RECEPTION: Friday, December 5th, 2008 (7-10 PM)
December 5th - December 23rd, 2008
1173 Sutter Street. San Francisco, CA  94109. USA
Phone: 415-409-1376
www.nineteeneightyeight.com