SUMMER IS HERE

                             Approaching my second year in downhill skateboarding, I hope to avoid the steep learning curve that involved embracing curbs and haybales the last year. This road rash is from Chilliwack Mountain. Unfortuneatly I will be missing Danger Bay for my Gramma's 100th birthday, although I'm looking forward to 24 cousins in cowboy boots and old stories from the Canadian prairie ranch ( my mom's so Albertan she flew back over 6 months pregnant on the plane to have me born in Alberta after we all moved to BC by her favourite doctor). Needless to say I love skateboarding and my family is a BC family now. Races I'm hitting up this summer are: VERNON, MARYHILL FESTIVAL OF SPEED, CATHLAMET, SULLIVAN's CHALLENGE, and probably another one I can't remember. Next week I'm skating Giant's Head again with Brian, skipping the Britannia race (its 200$ this year!). I'll be staying at Brian's place in Summerland, its off the grid nick named, Gnarnia. Oh boy. And the Penticton skate park is a dream too.

Why I should make contracts/ Why I make a great murdered prostitute ('the fatty, Courtney Love type)

        Amidst being made a dead prostitute for a new series on Fox this fall, I've been doing illustrations for friends and the random company that approaches me. I suppose this makes me an illustrator. After biking home from set and all the prosthetics are taken off and airbrushed deadness removed by Emmy award winning make up artist Charles Porlier, I work on drawings for downhill skaters and clients like top ten world champion Patrick Switzer. Now, don't get me wrong, P Swiss is a nice guy and hard working athlete and student, but he didn't honour our spoken contract. So now I'm forced to write agreements up by hand.

         He saw the 4 or 5 drawings I did for him, (I slyly inserted his initials into the design), which he specifically asked to be 'free flowing and abstract'. He liked one of them and agreed to pay me a meagre 50$.  He handed me a used set of Otangs (excellent wheels, one of his sponsors), some of Zack Maytum's killer bushings and I agreed to clean up the one he liked (photoshop) and send two options to him. I did just this in the next few days and he turned around and said that his friends, or sponsors I suppose, didn't understand the drawings so could I start on a new one.

      The new one he suggested was a Shamrock with his initials. He was using the initials idea I used with this new idea, but essentially asking me to abandon the work I did. So I said sure I'll start on new ones for 150$ if you pay me for the drawings I've done. Nope. 150$ is too much for the new work and since he didnt want to use the designs I've all ready done, he won't pay me the 50$ he agreed to.
        Now, I have a hard time charging for design or illustration work cause, honestly, I'm getting a degree in fine art at a killer school but I'm not a pro-trained designer or illustrator. But for Christ's sake people love it when I tattoo them and I've been drawing and painting for over 11 years, so I expect a deal's a deal. And this was exciting because normally downhill skaters only have there name and sponsors on their leathers. In this situation, it would be the first time an 'artwork' would be sewn with leather onto the leathers and not stencilled in some funny way or painted on.

Anyways, I'm sharing the drawings that I did for him, partially as proof, and partially to get feedback on my work, if your a professional person, then I appreciate input on making contracts. Now I'm working on a logo for my friend's company in Portland in exchange for a return train ticket to visit them and compete in a downhill skateboard race in the summer. Some people respect deals out there. I shoulda known when P Swiss said he thought sculptor Richard Serra's huge works were a waste of metal, when I showed him the Art 21 series show. Now if only Charles Porlier will send me the pics he took for me lying dead in a kitchen then I'll have a more interesting blog....

Its great to wake up to German strangers asking what makes you cry...

         I was catching up on sleep between filling out a million applications for scholarships and residencies and jumping from the coffee shop job to movie sets when a man called and asked if Miss Glenna Evans was available. Actually he wasn't that polite but the ensuing questions were the wierdest and most demanding questions as to the nature of my intentions as an artist and how i work in groups. Quickly I realized this must be part of the European Exchange Association I applied for this summer.

       Caught me off guard. This residency is available only for students going from 3rd yr into their last year of undergrad. 40 students are chosen from 24 different countries around the world to work together. So after questions as to why my work doesnt really have that much danger, which I learned meant what do I do to take risks, and I really WISH I had said "Well what painters do you know walk on stilts?" but I fumbled and managed some politically correct bland answer I'm sure, particularly to his questions as to what makes me cry and what makes me mad.

     When he asked me what questions I had for him I asked him "What makes you cry?" German stranger answered "stupid questions". Awesome. We were on a roll. He even asked if I was single! I lied about that one, just cause you never know if they're thinking about paying your long-distance calls home to your man. And its just for 5 weeks right? I can survive that. Pshh.

         Anyway I guess I've been shortlisted for this getaway in an abandoned tuberculosis clinic in the woods outside of Berlin, but I have yet to read the email. Part of why I'm interested, and this event is a far cry from a holiday, is that part of the fees are sponsored through ECUAD. So, he's got more calls to make and I have everything else to do, including a logo for BOAT FARM (my close friend Justine's vegetable market-on-a-boat in PDX Oregon, and some drawings for downhill world champion skateboarder Patrick Switzer and his leathers.

RAD OPENING AT DIANE FARRIS

The gallery was packed and I was hot, I mean, it was really hot and I talked to a lot of people. No, really everyone had a great time, even my boyfriend from Chilliwack was caught on video smiling away in the crowd. Dad made a surprise appearance with flowers and my sister Reegan was stunning. There were some other longboarders in the show, a LHL goalie and some very diverse pieces. Many thanks to my roomate Jeremy Green and Sean Mills who came out to support. Otherwise not too many people from school came! I was interviewed by the Vancouver Observer, and one of Dianne Farris' videographers put together a nice little video.
Here we are:
Twitter/Art+Social Media from Steve Tan on Vimeo.

Showing at Dianne Farris for April

As part of a group show based on working from social media sites, I'm showing several works at the Dianne Farris Gallery for the month of April. Opening Thursday April 1st from 6-8 pm. Come out, come out.

Yesterday I drew this little mass of sums during our 6 hour long critique in advanced painting.
Our professor said "I'm not here to be a humanist cheerleader" in response to a suggestion that one should paint whatever they want.

Intro video featuring my drawings from Dr Sketchy

Bryan Jones produced this little ditty documenting a recent Dr Sketchy night featuring my drawings. I'm 'the blonde' drawing the skull piece with Bloody Betty shown right before.

Bloody Betty models at Dr Sketchy's

My first night at Vancouver's own Dr Sketchy life drawing nights, held in my hood at the Wallflower eatery. Betty graced my drawings with her spittle while delivering a raucaus performance based on overdosing amidst the post modern grit of burlesque. Great show for 10$ with good beer, but the longest poses are 20 minutes, could be longer.

These originals are selling for 200$ each. Includes signing and postage.

movin' in

I recently got a part time apprenticeship at Lotusland Tattoos on West Broadway so I'll be working out of there. Gimme call!! I'll be posting pics of work from there and some flash as well.

Check them out!
http://lotuslandtattoo.com/portfolio.html

Penguin for Midget

Little penguin on her left hip.

midterms are over

Sean puts the pout into please.

15 mm for James

Shading! A happy bike polo teammate.

Fresh color

Hot Air balloons are actually never blue, because you couldn't see them in the sky! But Andy's is.

Large Torso piece

I just finished a large fully black bike cog on Jim.

Chelsea's finger. BANG!