tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63503259457225655272023-11-16T11:00:51.156-06:00A Letter of ResignationJustin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.comBlogger202125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-72159277333418467232015-06-23T11:44:00.001-05:002015-06-23T11:48:43.404-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4E3C82l2EZNBGzaEEPhgY86RxL8y_S3XECYPDggG_vMrrJ1YgA7nqPYd3YlmNFBVsF25AnpT99TawZElq5OJdIIdltdvXWz5DDWP-vtnleGqaXPOTPkiDV0Oho3aaZM8UD0oaKlgV0w/s1600/MG_buffalo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4E3C82l2EZNBGzaEEPhgY86RxL8y_S3XECYPDggG_vMrrJ1YgA7nqPYd3YlmNFBVsF25AnpT99TawZElq5OJdIIdltdvXWz5DDWP-vtnleGqaXPOTPkiDV0Oho3aaZM8UD0oaKlgV0w/s400/MG_buffalo.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>June 23rd, 2015</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hello! Summer is here, and I've been spending a lot of time at the
studio making new things. Mike Gordon of Phish recently played a show
in Buffalo, NY and I did the poster (to the left). For this poster, I
tried printing with a totally different kind of ink. I was really
pleased with the results, and I think I'm going to be switching brands.
The color is much denser, and it was a lot easier to get the
transparent colors to do what I wanted them to do. In person, the black
is slick and glossy looking. Pretty rad.<br />I also had the great
pleasure of working on a poster for Ben Folds' benefit concert last
month for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.<br /> I was contacted
by a violin workshop here in Chicago to make a promotional poster. I
worked quite a bit larger than I normally do, doing various
illustrations based on snapshots I took while visiting the workshop.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /> All three new prints will be available today, <b>June 23rd at 1 PM CST</b>. Check them out in the store at <a href="http://www.justinsantora.com/">www.justinsantora.com</a>.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chicago arts nonprofit <a href="http://www.ipaintmymind.org/" style="color: #6dc6dd; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">IPaintMyMind</a> will be hosting <strong><em>WAYWARD</em></strong>,
an exhibition of my recent screen printed work. It will feature recent
art prints, posters, and even a few original drawings. It will also be
here that we debut a few brand new prints, including a special release
just for this show.</span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
We are still in the early stages of promoting the show, but here is some basic information: Opening reception at <strong>IPainMyMind Gallery @ Green Exchange 2545 W. Diversey ave. Chicago, IL on July 23rd, 2015</strong>. If you're on facebook, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1583896685162287/" style="color: #6dc6dd; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">here's an event invitation</a>. More information and previews to come!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-84600723233188951292015-06-23T11:27:00.002-05:002015-06-23T11:27:39.874-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcD60BT7fShGpZIF1l7s6ACMA53Qhw4bmf4EQUkhYW0uB3W52BWy4X84g-baNbs6vPKlSBU6mmUwE-0acX1dmX5ef1oV6jwZQ0y4MJ5PggUYnMv9HNH3RB7B8d3cPPLdt4yHgvZ_fhNw/s1600/BUB_recordplayer_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcD60BT7fShGpZIF1l7s6ACMA53Qhw4bmf4EQUkhYW0uB3W52BWy4X84g-baNbs6vPKlSBU6mmUwE-0acX1dmX5ef1oV6jwZQ0y4MJ5PggUYnMv9HNH3RB7B8d3cPPLdt4yHgvZ_fhNw/s400/BUB_recordplayer_lg.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>
<br />
<strong>May 7th, 2015</strong><br />
<span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica neue,helvetica,sans-serif;">While
it's great working with bands and galleries, sometimes you just have to
change things up a bit. It has been my pleasure to have recently done
some illustration work for the internet's favorite cat, Lil Bub. I
worked with Lil Bub and her dude to bring you this official BUB screen
print. Portions of the proceeds from each print sold will be donated
directly to <a href="https://www.aspca.org/secure/lilbub" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #606060; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Lil BUB's Big Fund for the ASPCA</a>, a charity that focuses specifically on animals with special needs.<br /> <br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> <a href="http://justinsantora.storenvy.com/products/13078194-lil-bub" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #606060; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">These are six color screen prints, 18x24", signed/numbered edition of 240. $25 each</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica neue,helvetica,sans-serif;">They will be available tomorrow (May 8th) in <a href="http://www.justinsantora.storenvy.com/">my store</a>.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica neue,helvetica,sans-serif;">If
for some reason you are unfamiliar with Lil Bub, she's a unique cat
with feline dwarfism and is probably the most renowned celebrity cat, as
well as one who has used her popularity to raise several thousands of
dollars for animal charities and shelters far and wide. Her adorable
internet presence brings many people joy every day, and I am proud to be
working with her on this very special print release.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica neue,helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>UPDATE: We raised over $1200 for Lil BUB's Big FUND! </i></span></span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-30459177621924163702015-02-27T18:48:00.002-06:002015-02-27T18:49:05.258-06:00I Ate Too Much at the Chicago Diner (again).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRaDuyo0t1MP7QsC4tziyc_c-2HFu4awiBKfD_W3n4x6nC9fTIWBuaLSuQNHsGlCaj68MncPOVuaVIIuyqp9KLj73rOPlfyFKTJuMyrZPpEMm2DYaiCbvNG4zhNzgNxkW-8d7h1Hk8RA/s1600/update2_27_15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRaDuyo0t1MP7QsC4tziyc_c-2HFu4awiBKfD_W3n4x6nC9fTIWBuaLSuQNHsGlCaj68MncPOVuaVIIuyqp9KLj73rOPlfyFKTJuMyrZPpEMm2DYaiCbvNG4zhNzgNxkW-8d7h1Hk8RA/s1600/update2_27_15.jpg" height="320" width="318" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At the beginning of this year, I moved into a new studio space with my friends Landland and Never Sleeping. We have been working tirelessly to get everything organized and set up (mostly so we can all get back to the drawing and printing we all have to do). Everything will have a proper place, and we are doing our best to maximize every square inch of space here. I think we have employed some pretty inventive and functional solutions. I'm really excited about what this new studio and its atmosphere will do for progressing with our respective businesses and creative processes. There's been a lot of amateur carpentry, loud math rock, Home Depot trips, and an endless stream of inside jokes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you're in Chicago, on Friday March 6th, I will be showing some
prints at Saki Records. There's a big party/reception from 6-9PM, and
my friend's band AM Stations will be playing. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I will be down in Austin, TX this March for FLATSTOCK 48. March 19th-21st, from 11AM - 6PM.</span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-78135809526635025022015-02-27T18:08:00.002-06:002015-02-27T18:50:01.734-06:00January update redux<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGtMENR128jG5Q5SU6wPfDbxchlmBojmS5m5KyPKvB2y2gtnyREYZbt30CfNTzNEFapv1U9X8VpRO2LWQf-uHKm0K0lhjnCZ46b2mzmdE7Z22ny31VtukfbnkWsRoWY45aXMicNCP9A/s1600/update1_22_15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJGtMENR128jG5Q5SU6wPfDbxchlmBojmS5m5KyPKvB2y2gtnyREYZbt30CfNTzNEFapv1U9X8VpRO2LWQf-uHKm0K0lhjnCZ46b2mzmdE7Z22ny31VtukfbnkWsRoWY45aXMicNCP9A/s1600/update1_22_15.jpg" height="390" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The blog is back in town.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">To the left is a snapshot of a little sketchbook drawing I did while
my wife and I were traveling recently. I started playing around with
opaque white pens on toned paper, which has proven to be quite
enjoyable. It's definitely nice to have an additional value so readily
available, even when just blocking in rough ideas. More on this later!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">In
other news, I will be down in Austin, TX this March for FLATSTOCK 48,
and for you in Chicago, I will be having a show/reception at the
beginning of March at Saki Records. Lots of really cool stuff is
underway right now. Some very exciting new projects, shows, movement,
the mixing of ink, and the creation of paper goods. Stay tuned.</span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-77707535524812095112014-12-18T23:33:00.001-06:002014-12-18T23:33:22.941-06:002015!<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPp7u28bXf6vm1AoqenMngwzdnHicQpWyK5JERZcwUPeNWi2JgM6jTvE_4H9UOmUmLvpSo_wEOkb_jRR0VMOrEWo7YC5J-oaXo8qntFd2DCTDRBqdqLPTEuJQzsYGQHeYxSLXYLxj3oA/s640/blogger-image--887383262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPp7u28bXf6vm1AoqenMngwzdnHicQpWyK5JERZcwUPeNWi2JgM6jTvE_4H9UOmUmLvpSo_wEOkb_jRR0VMOrEWo7YC5J-oaXo8qntFd2DCTDRBqdqLPTEuJQzsYGQHeYxSLXYLxj3oA/s640/blogger-image--887383262.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>Between art prints and rock posters, I produce 40 or more screen prints each year. In 2015, I'll be staying the course, as well as produce new postcard sets, hand bound limited edition books (very excited about these!), and more. I'm taking 2015 extra seriously. Seriously!<br> <br>DETAILS:<br>Subscribers will get one of everything I print for the entire 2015 calendar year (with matching edition numbers). Between art prints and gig posters, I produce 40-50 prints a year. Subscribers also get some bonuses, like test prints, an original sketch or two, and an exclusive subscribers-only print. I send <span class="il">subscription</span> tubes out twice a year, once in June or July for the first half of the year and the second installation is shipped shortly after the end of the <span class="il">subscription</span> year. Additionally, each subscription package is shipped in sturdy 6-inch diameter shipping tubes.<br>PRICING:<br>For <b>US and Canada</b>, the cost is $475 for the year. <br><b>International</b> <span class="il">subscriptions</span>: $550 (price difference is to cover the postage expense). <br>Regarding payment, I am totally fine with setting up payment plans. A lot of subscribers will pay in full at once, but just as many will pay in two, three or four payments. Just ask!<br><br>Please <a href="http://www.justinsantora.com/contact/" target="_blank">contact me</a> if you're interested in subscribing or if you have any other questions. justinsantora[at]gmail.com</span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-71706322114731171452014-04-08T21:21:00.002-05:002014-04-08T21:21:45.476-05:00New Art Print<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkTb9H4sdI2HEeC-t_kKDjp3iX5SWIfMUnC1qS6U7_C196_rnIw9c7m9XJZ6d-NvC68JImb9jzTZya8Y-lIEosMHp3OI8VYWfEb62JocCG0uTeB1RSCQFsF3GD26MOTa8kN5cNCzIoA/s1600/lifeboatdetail1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkTb9H4sdI2HEeC-t_kKDjp3iX5SWIfMUnC1qS6U7_C196_rnIw9c7m9XJZ6d-NvC68JImb9jzTZya8Y-lIEosMHp3OI8VYWfEb62JocCG0uTeB1RSCQFsF3GD26MOTa8kN5cNCzIoA/s1600/lifeboatdetail1.jpg" height="640" width="529" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Bn8PHkmXwyW_jui3QhKiwdp8kYibjzl7aOal2LPCoTFKuwaFkrF8P-jSXNyew2MvP5PxGtZZbtr28XQkh-_FI4NFmVWqp0-jJPYmA-jk7O9QMYTI8I1mzVMHUzsX0qEj1FxrW3vmPg/s1600/lifeboatdetail2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Bn8PHkmXwyW_jui3QhKiwdp8kYibjzl7aOal2LPCoTFKuwaFkrF8P-jSXNyew2MvP5PxGtZZbtr28XQkh-_FI4NFmVWqp0-jJPYmA-jk7O9QMYTI8I1mzVMHUzsX0qEj1FxrW3vmPg/s1600/lifeboatdetail2.jpg" height="272" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzbcIIvHZQfl95dCb6lwZF8xk_wAnsXuppnFoFkeyXs-e6ypblrEQZUIdViH0pjCr17J2w3Q79INfOmIykUMUZqsmbksnmF-AvkwU_RMihG9yLG6C76i7QpkP2AospmeIqEgmNId4Mg/s1600/onemillion_lg_site.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzbcIIvHZQfl95dCb6lwZF8xk_wAnsXuppnFoFkeyXs-e6ypblrEQZUIdViH0pjCr17J2w3Q79INfOmIykUMUZqsmbksnmF-AvkwU_RMihG9yLG6C76i7QpkP2AospmeIqEgmNId4Mg/s1600/onemillion_lg_site.jpg" height="209" width="640" /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"One Million Shareholders Can't Be Wrong!"</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Eight color screen print, 10x30", signed numbered edition of 75. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Made in Chicago.</span></span></div>
<br />Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-29626288657026554982013-12-30T14:07:00.002-06:002013-12-30T14:07:39.463-06:002014 Print Subscription<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgz8ijzb5gjdJbJ1nnhdQzejFcs9avgeWQWSA-00CTvpJr82J52I2qyvLj2k2C1D79M10IQTpWdbLw2EWWOkURaSd2rx-FaI8uRnI7FU-vNANY38c3Ugv7LI1SBeN81bnqwHpg8bMoQ/s1600/jamesblakestack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgz8ijzb5gjdJbJ1nnhdQzejFcs9avgeWQWSA-00CTvpJr82J52I2qyvLj2k2C1D79M10IQTpWdbLw2EWWOkURaSd2rx-FaI8uRnI7FU-vNANY38c3Ugv7LI1SBeN81bnqwHpg8bMoQ/s400/jamesblakestack.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Between art prints and rock posters, I produce between 40 and 50 screen prints each year. This coming year (2014), I plan to do the same, as well as produce postcard sets, LP covers, etc. Lots of really cool stuff is planned for 2014.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">DETAILS:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Subscribers will get one of everything I print for the entire 2014 calendar year
(with matching edition numbers). Between art prints and <span style="font-size: x-small;">gig</span> posters, I
produce 40-50 prints a year. Subscribers also get some bonuses, like
test prints, an original sketch or two, and an exclusive
subscribers-only print. I send <span class="il">subscription</span>
tubes out twice a year, once in June or July for the first half of the
year and the second installation is shipped shortly after the end of
the <span class="il">subscription</span> year.<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Additionally, <span style="font-size: x-small;">e<span style="font-size: x-small;">ach subscription package is ship<span style="font-size: x-small;">ped in stu<span style="font-size: x-small;">rdy 6-inch diameter shipping tubes.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">PRICING:<br />For <b>US and Canada</b>, the cost is $475 for the year<br /><b>International</b> <span class="il">subscriptions</span>: $550 (price difference is to cover the postage expense)<br />Regarding
payment, I am totally fine with setting up payment plans. A lot of
subscribers will pay in full at once, but just as many will pay in two,
three or four payments. Just ask!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Please <a href="http://www.justinsantora.com/contact/" target="_blank">contact me</a> if you're interested in <span style="font-size: x-small;">subscribing or if you</span> have any other questions.</span></span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-17658670398195938462013-03-04T22:11:00.001-06:002013-03-04T22:11:25.121-06:00Undercooked kale chips and sleeping cats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTi0IUsEFXG0-rCWXKoGtcRtvg-CHsWgE0STciobzFbPK6MF5Rgo2EZXbQ6-DiKUfPfUHQGrpDV9YSoghh8cntSO05RladrBI0nVFvqolFzFYqnBt1MJ8op7vZibdaRaxFZ-J3N75vjg/s1600/grounded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTi0IUsEFXG0-rCWXKoGtcRtvg-CHsWgE0STciobzFbPK6MF5Rgo2EZXbQ6-DiKUfPfUHQGrpDV9YSoghh8cntSO05RladrBI0nVFvqolFzFYqnBt1MJ8op7vZibdaRaxFZ-J3N75vjg/s1600/grounded.jpg" height="400" width="391" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I'm back from LA and dealing once again with the cold of Chicago<span style="font-size: x-small;">, haha. I had a great time out west for the Gallery <span style="font-size: x-small;">1988 show with JC<span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">R<span style="font-size: x-small;">ichard.<span style="font-size: x-small;"> If you're interested, the entire show has be<span style="font-size: x-small;">en posted online <a href="http://nineteeneightyeight.com/collections/justin-santora-jc-richard?page=2" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I had some pretty incre<span style="font-size: x-small;">di<span style="font-size: x-small;">ble food while we were in LA<span style="font-size: x-small;"> ("we" meaning me and my excellent girlfriend<span style="font-size: x-small;">, Ingrid<span style="font-size: x-small;">). <a href="http://www.tragicsunshine.com/" target="_blank">Kevin Tong</a> <span style="font-size: x-small;">met us for dinner before the opening reception and showed us Cafe <span style="font-size: x-small;">Gratitude</span>, which more or less blew my mind. Our hosts, <span style="font-size: x-small;">Jimmy and Sean (Ingrid's uncle and his partner, respectively)<span style="font-size: x-small;"> showed us a great time, some lovely s<span style="font-size: x-small;">ights, and an interest<span style="font-size: x-small;">ing docu<span style="font-size: x-small;">mentary about the 1980's u<span style="font-size: x-small;">n<span style="font-size: x-small;">derground <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_%28clothing%29" target="_blank">drag</a> scene.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jensen<span style="font-size: x-small;">, Kate, Amber<span style="font-size: x-small;">, and <span style="font-size: x-small;">rest of the crew</span></span> at Gallery 1988</span> all did an awesome job hanging the show, and everything look<span style="font-size: x-small;">ed great</span>. <span style="font-size: x-small;">I finally <span style="font-size: x-small;">met JC Richard in person, and he<span style="font-size: x-small;"> was</span> even nicer than he is in his email<span style="font-size: x-small;">s.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">It feels good to be back, even after such a short trip. I've suddenly got a lot <span style="font-size: x-small;">to finish before leaving for Austin to participate in Flatstock 38.<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Ther<span style="font-size: x-small;">e's some pretty cool stuff coming up<span style="font-size: x-small;">. Real talk.</span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-83454609975580203592013-02-18T09:00:00.000-06:002013-02-18T09:00:05.921-06:00I'm just trying to keep it together here.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutuEssumSVbXbdXsFr1_QERev0aeWx68v2XQCBQUQ4UL2O-Xl_7-vFY0iM-pylJ0HABbqLI8lNnXhniSFT8xwnzoHsoZZwWh3wvKrKx-8i684wW79JX7E9WcHV9ib-iiUUSlILo-bYQ/s1600/JC_-_Santora_Evite_grande.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutuEssumSVbXbdXsFr1_QERev0aeWx68v2XQCBQUQ4UL2O-Xl_7-vFY0iM-pylJ0HABbqLI8lNnXhniSFT8xwnzoHsoZZwWh3wvKrKx-8i684wW79JX7E9WcHV9ib-iiUUSlILo-bYQ/s640/JC_-_Santora_Evite_grande.jpg" width="526" /> </a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">So as I've been mentioning a lot here and on <strike>myspace</strike> facebook, I will be showing a bunch of new paintings and art prints alongside Mr. JC Richard at Gallery 1988 (Melrose). Both Richard and I will be in attendance on the night of the opening reception (March 1st, 2013), and the show will be up through March 23rd. I just took a whole mess of work over to my dear photographer friend Logan to be photographed. I spent a good chunk of yesterday evening cropping and adjusting the photos, so those of you who don't live in the LA area will still be able to see the show on Gallery 1988's website when the show goes live (more <span style="font-size: x-small;">info on that very soon hopefully).</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />Okay! Time to start packing up prints and paintings to send to the gallery, and I've one more new art print to squeeze in for the show. Stay tuned for a few previews.</span></span></div>
<br />Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-90089251629518476642013-02-14T15:14:00.004-06:002013-02-14T15:16:24.269-06:00Preview to the max<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioe8CuVInOwe2561pQKPJcZyGNz1-pQKNZUoIkVZ6dTGPCSCry164snNwQ8-N8RnN6U2eXV-LePEw0IgDAju4l1xvXD3T19I6ELZjMSEBAo8iacGZJ4PnMzEVw3eRfjKgt0DnG7MAM-w/s1600/paintingprintingwood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioe8CuVInOwe2561pQKPJcZyGNz1-pQKNZUoIkVZ6dTGPCSCry164snNwQ8-N8RnN6U2eXV-LePEw0IgDAju4l1xvXD3T19I6ELZjMSEBAo8iacGZJ4PnMzEVw3eRfjKgt0DnG7MAM-w/s640/paintingprintingwood.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's a blurry phone photo of me laying down a hand painted layer on a few wood variants of a new art print. I'm trying something new for the upcoming show at Gallery 1988. There will be (very) limited runs of some of my prints on maple plywood. This particular one has a hand painted color on each wood print.</span></span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-2793665026350224522013-02-06T09:09:00.001-06:002013-02-06T09:09:36.255-06:00The sound of a new world being born<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZPfyoCIZ-x1BabuBNmfAxvujct5QDIMHiBDF4Kpj-xDUpM5yvIuYhwaZ8V91uMTjCXvucdIq1aUGRUE5PB63jIafQwAzrfIYaYKhKjthu4RzRxyg4asOdmLVh39b295EcXZJkRAVfw/s1600/newprintcloseup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZPfyoCIZ-x1BabuBNmfAxvujct5QDIMHiBDF4Kpj-xDUpM5yvIuYhwaZ8V91uMTjCXvucdIq1aUGRUE5PB63jIafQwAzrfIYaYKhKjthu4RzRxyg4asOdmLVh39b295EcXZJkRAVfw/s1600/newprintcloseup.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Oh hi! Here's a close up (poorly lit, not-sharply-focused) picture from a new art print I just finished. The rest of this print, along with other new prints, along with several paintings, along with lots of new work from JC Richard will be unveiled at Gallery 1988 on March 1st. Okay, back to work!</span></span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-39002508917494394932013-01-27T10:33:00.000-06:002013-01-27T10:35:35.610-06:00Rubbernecker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixiWg3xu0dUPMalfIy-5umQ_yrUhN75x3dBDoBLK199GhlRqT0NrTMq-fhyuogANMecmzQ1tZNlRF9SkJg95MXLO6u7MGDirEjb-sExYRo09ywrtNuIwzpAH3y9lzEMna-LgdhcEjt4g/s1600/icewarehouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixiWg3xu0dUPMalfIy-5umQ_yrUhN75x3dBDoBLK199GhlRqT0NrTMq-fhyuogANMecmzQ1tZNlRF9SkJg95MXLO6u7MGDirEjb-sExYRo09ywrtNuIwzpAH3y9lzEMna-LgdhcEjt4g/s400/icewarehouse.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The other day, my friend Derek emailed me a picture he had seen of an empty warehouse on the southside of Chicago that had caught fire during a recent cold snap. The water from the fire hoses froze rather quickly, completely coating the building and nearby lightpoles, power lines, vehicles, etc. in a thick coating of ice. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My lovely girlfriend convinced me to take a day off this past Thursday, so we decided we would take a drive that afternoon and see this building for ourselves. The fire had apparently flared up again, so there were three fire hoses aimed at the building, some police tape and roadblocks on Ashland Street, as well as several members of the Chicago Fire Department on the scene. Nevertheless, we were able to get pretty close to the action and take snapshots of this bizarre and accidentally beautiful spectacle. It has not been reported that anyone was hurt or injured in this fire, as the warehouse was unoccupied (it didn't even have working gas or electricity), so we were able to satisfy our curiosity without feeling too much like morbid camera-phone vultures.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To see an old and nearly forgotten building caked in ice made me think about what our world might look like if a new ice age came to be. I tried to imagine all of our magnificent structures, phenomenal feats of human engineering, transit systems, commercial airplanes, factories, roller coasters, water towers, missile silos--for better or worse--thickly entombed in frost for a future civilization to eventually discover.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'd never seen anything like this before. This has been a relatively hot topic here in Chicago, and between the scale of the fire (reportedly the largest in the city in seven years) and the remarkable appearance of a scorched and iced-covered warehouse; I think this will be a memorable little footnote in the city's history. I know I'll always remember it, and I'm certain some kind of drawing and/or print will come of the many photos I took the other day.</span></span> Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-2102030544166119042013-01-20T11:29:00.000-06:002013-01-20T11:57:51.937-06:00Paint, pressing, pedaling, and punctuation!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.gophoto.it/view.php?i=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHd8xCzL4yRVDoHxXGMkoIKt9RvDAubic_Cig7UCWC01vCufYHqNTa5lPI-PYyHoQ3GktISpJvtel8-WP7_akzAW2Vl15OgDfsd2hAJa59LoFk7V3WeIc49TmUidUI5POw7yj3zWkhqQ/s1600/kitporch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHd8xCzL4yRVDoHxXGMkoIKt9RvDAubic_Cig7UCWC01vCufYHqNTa5lPI-PYyHoQ3GktISpJvtel8-WP7_akzAW2Vl15OgDfsd2hAJa59LoFk7V3WeIc49TmUidUI5POw7yj3zWkhqQ/s400/kitporch.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Here's a little photo of our cat Kit having a supervised visit on the back porch. The little guy loves going outside, but we have to keep an eye on him, as his adventures through the neighborhood would sometimes have him out for hours at a time. He'd always make it back home, but his last big outing was a little too close for comfort. So now we keep him on very controlled visits to the lot behind our apartment building (that, and catnip). I</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">n this case he didn't venture past the steps, which were coated in a layer of very slick ice.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Quite a lot has been going on lately. I have been putting in some pretty serious hours painting, as well as working on drawings for some brand new art prints, all of which will be in an upcoming two-man exhibition at <a href="http://www.nineteeneightyeight.com/" target="_blank">Gallery 1988</a> with the excellent <a href="http://microcosmicmedia.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">JC Richard</a>. I'm excited about these new pieces, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Mr. Richard makes for the show. More on all of that very soon!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/theskywescrape" target="_blank">My band</a> has been working on an album on and off for the past ten months. All the tracking was finished a few months ago, and we all just approved the final mixes last week. It's being mastered now. We're all pretty stoked about it. More on that soon, too.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">It's a cold 17 degrees (Fahrenheit) here in Chicago today. I'm contemplating layering up, breaking out the hat and gloves, and trying to skate a little bit today. The streets are dry, after all. This kind of thing would be best executed with a friend, though, so it's going to depend on other people's availability.</span></span> Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-81877635668113787462012-12-31T17:26:00.003-06:002012-12-31T17:29:26.719-06:00Les Rois Oranges!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4ICWclqzPOrkBeGAPnsMgqQa9x69xdEEZd1f2ADIPymXiqbWVpnAvEmjWDnIvQMvbkbsyQEANmr-jlsxqrWLpVZLKPtYSF1Iw4s8zIaTyLJvvLFq3zf_BDZGL0VBz0ZcrXEgKd_r9A/s1600/Devilmakesthree_fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE4ICWclqzPOrkBeGAPnsMgqQa9x69xdEEZd1f2ADIPymXiqbWVpnAvEmjWDnIvQMvbkbsyQEANmr-jlsxqrWLpVZLKPtYSF1Iw4s8zIaTyLJvvLFq3zf_BDZGL0VBz0ZcrXEgKd_r9A/s400/Devilmakesthree_fire.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I know my posts have been few and far between lately, but I've actually really missed doing posts about what I'm working on and about other miscellaneous adventures that don't necessarily involve my light table or getting ink on my jeans.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">To the left is the last poster I printed in 2012. It's a tour poster for The Devil Makes Three, and they will be available from the band on their upcoming tour. I'll also have some copies for sale on my website in the not-too-distant future.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">2012 has been an eventful year. I printed a whole mess of art prints and rock posters, cramped my hand up doing some of my personal favorite drawings and paintings to date, went skateboarding a lot, joined a band, recorded an album, and tracked countless miles on my bike all over the city of Chicago. Work took me to Spain, Germany, North Dakota, and Seattle. I explored Istanbul on an overnight layover. I skated a massive storm ditch in Albuquerque before a soundcheck while out on a brief tour with the band.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> I feasted on vegan donuts a couple days later in Las Vegas. My girlfriend and I drove our Fiat 500 rental car along I-5 in Washington with the sunroof open and bellies full of Mediterranean food. I attended my first ever Hanukkah party, only to attend another the following night (Hanukkah parties are <i>awesome</i>, by the way). I spent perhaps too many hours in a van, laughing with guys who are quickly becoming close friends of mine. Besides posters, I had the exciting pleasure of being commissioned to do artwork for a beer label, a book cover, a print for a popular TV show, and a few albums. I am still touched and flattered when people approach me with opportunities like these. It's been a weird sort of journey to navigate and learn this trade publicly the way so many artists and designers tend to do. But it's been rewarding.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">It's an uncertain, bizarre, and sometimes incomprehensibly cruel world, but I'm immensely grateful for what I have.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Happy new year to anybody reading this. Let's take care of each other out there.</span></span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-2243019045111469592012-12-27T10:04:00.001-06:002012-12-27T10:09:18.458-06:002013 Print Subscription<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ghoocRrjxCgtOlGttkZwnqjdQ1EX0foS4_xWvX5eBSLwlB9oA4mZ8lttizpKJwkjrOqy8sOnHEVuTDPethsDGl8ho15llPw0Fmha4_eK2L9-IrM0JnuyKx8UuGNOvuU5tFi2dzsl9A/s1600/tubes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ghoocRrjxCgtOlGttkZwnqjdQ1EX0foS4_xWvX5eBSLwlB9oA4mZ8lttizpKJwkjrOqy8sOnHEVuTDPethsDGl8ho15llPw0Fmha4_eK2L9-IrM0JnuyKx8UuGNOvuU5tFi2dzsl9A/s1600/tubes.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">DETAILS:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Subscribers will get one of everything I print for the entire 2013 calendar year
(with matching edition numbers). Between art prints and <span style="font-size: x-small;">gig</span> posters, I
produce 45-50 prints a year. Subscribers also get some bonuses, like
test prints, an original sketch or two, and an exclusive
subscribers-only print. I send <span class="il">subscription</span>
tubes out twice a year, once in June or July for the first half of the
year and the second installation is shipped shortly after the end of
the <span class="il">subscription</span> year.<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Additionally, <span style="font-size: x-small;">e<span style="font-size: x-small;">ach subscription package is ship<span style="font-size: x-small;">ped in stu<span style="font-size: x-small;">rdy 6-inch diameter shipping tubes.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">PRICING:<br />For <b>US and Canada</b>, the cost is $475 for the year<br /><b>International</b> <span class="il">subscriptions</span>: $550 (price difference is to cover the postage expense)<br />Regarding
payment, I am totally fine with setting up payment plans. A lot of
subscribers will pay in full at once, but just as many will pay in two,
three or four payments. Just ask!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Please <a href="http://www.justinsantora.com/contact/" target="_blank">contact me</a> if you're interested in <span style="font-size: x-small;">subscribing or if you</span> have any other questions.</span></span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-80811855003508025892012-10-04T23:52:00.004-05:002012-10-04T23:58:17.731-05:00I make a less-than-ideal penguin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.gophoto.it/view.php?i=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCSCG7FPKgtNF4u9UgwvMTVYXNUSfNB1QwVzTWgGGknKxoYTX4Px4BX2HU3VEmILwCzcYMOw08f0jMo9CqR5M9B5LUUPM5Zr1jyxSIrMiJL1TGOqh-rGAM2nxpc2sIdnBfuSmzJ4NBw/s1600/minothill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCSCG7FPKgtNF4u9UgwvMTVYXNUSfNB1QwVzTWgGGknKxoYTX4Px4BX2HU3VEmILwCzcYMOw08f0jMo9CqR5M9B5LUUPM5Zr1jyxSIrMiJL1TGOqh-rGAM2nxpc2sIdnBfuSmzJ4NBw/s1600/minothill.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This photo was taken this morning from the parking lot of my hotel in Minot, ND. Minot is a very small city located about 50 miles south of the Canadian border. I flew in last night for Minot State University's <a href="http://www.msunotstock.org/" target="_blank">NOTSTOCK</a>. I am here (as is fellow Chicago poster artist, <a href="http://www.thebirdmachine.com/" target="_blank">Jay Ryan</a>) to speak with students and faculty, do screen printing demonstrations, and generally have an awesome time.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I gave a presentation about my work to a group of students, finished an exclusive Notstock print (with help from some kind MSU students), ate bagels, laughed quite a bit, and went swimming in the hotel's excellent pool. Tomorrow, I have decided to print a poster for my own band's show (which is October 13th at Township, Chicagoans!). Jay's doing an awesome print of some beavers.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am overwhelmed by the reception here. Everyone has been incredibly hospitable, friendly, accommodating, and enthusiastic about what we're doing. Things have been pretty non-stop since I got off the plane Wednesday night, so it feels nice to decompress in my room a little bit. There's also a rodeo in town or something, so this hotel is populated largely by cowboys. Weird.</span></span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0Minot, ND, USA48.2325095 -101.296273248.1478955 -101.4542017 48.3171235 -101.1383447tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-33915775158678732262012-09-27T14:04:00.003-05:002012-09-27T14:04:42.467-05:00"Wayfarer 515" original drawing available<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I am auctioning off the original drawing for the recent "Wayfarer 515" print. It is currently on ebay and can be seen/bid on <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/110957656597" target="_blank">right here</a>. Check it out.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Israel/Palestine chapter of <a href="http://www.phr.org.il/" target="_blank">Physicians For Human Rights</a>. It is a non profit, non government organization that works to promote health care, solidarity, and non-violence for people in both Israel and occupied Palestine. <a href="http://www.phr.org.il/default.asp?PageID=145" target="_blank">More info</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">End the occupation.</span></span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-29859679169159077132012-09-25T00:55:00.001-05:002012-09-25T00:55:51.849-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oOMw8e8L15Awp5_beT_og3YCLewujol7FFYwxuW2mx5wi8SWJDign7gWz5kSQVFSyLxMqCpLJ3Cxgvh-gXizFzxX-5p1CqOyEiQ9TmwioI6c6zCQOdrlfSe4zwZ0sIY7Xry5dQD61Q/s1600/megaphone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oOMw8e8L15Awp5_beT_og3YCLewujol7FFYwxuW2mx5wi8SWJDign7gWz5kSQVFSyLxMqCpLJ3Cxgvh-gXizFzxX-5p1CqOyEiQ9TmwioI6c6zCQOdrlfSe4zwZ0sIY7Xry5dQD61Q/s320/megaphone.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flatstock Europe 8 ended with impossibly beautiful weather. I spent the following day hanging out with other poster artists (including some very awesome newcomers from Mexico City), eating pizza, drinking wine, and seeing Boy Division deafen a tiny club on the Reeperbahn.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was touched by the generally warm reception I felt in Hamburg. I spoke with people who had attended or purchased work from our show at Feinkunst Kruger last year or who had bought prints from me at Flatstock in previous years. I stayed with friends who I realized I don't get to see nearly often enough.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm in Istanbul, wrapping up a second long layover here. I watched Al Jazeera all morning and had some food from a pretty fancy continental breakfast. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Time to head home! </span></span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-4405629743202617682012-09-22T04:36:00.001-05:002012-09-22T04:36:13.138-05:00Bagels, pakoras, architects, tea, and chilly evenings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8yFOtZ9iwtLGm6UdEx6_y8FKFwxNgF13ZM_-hC8lKI5DLhR6i7WFNWCmSb15hssNY_RZh9nzEiGKotP2VURSE_aaRK_6b17m7yzIIj9kniu45eHK4cI_QtE5UOpVFO0u968R26DRLA/s1600/hamburgwich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8yFOtZ9iwtLGm6UdEx6_y8FKFwxNgF13ZM_-hC8lKI5DLhR6i7WFNWCmSb15hssNY_RZh9nzEiGKotP2VURSE_aaRK_6b17m7yzIIj9kniu45eHK4cI_QtE5UOpVFO0u968R26DRLA/s320/hamburgwich.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">It's a pretty cold morning in Hamburg, and the last day of Flatstock is upon us. It's a bit rainy, and I'm sure I'm not alone in hoping that it clears up soon. It's harder to sell paper to other people when it's raining.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I've been staying with my friend Ralf, sleeping on the couches in the office of his gallery. As usual, I have been finding lots of great food in this city. There's a Loving Hut right across the street from the gallery, which for those who are unfamiliar, is an excellent place to get an entirely plant based meal. I had some excellent spring rolls and a red curry yesterday.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I fly back to Istanbul for another extended layover on Monday, then back to Chicago. I'll be home for about a week and then I am off to Minot, North Dakota for MSU's NOTSTOCK. I'm really looking forward to this event, as it sounds like a lot of fun.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">For those who have recently ordered prints, I ran into a bit of a schedule overload and was working tirelessly to finish some posters before getting on a plane across the Atlantic. So, this means I will be shipping all orders out as soon as I get back to Chicago this coming week. Also, I am going to be posting a bunch of new items in the store on my site this week, as well. </span></span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-82631212513188915522012-09-19T02:00:00.003-05:002012-09-19T02:00:50.917-05:00Havuç Suyu!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5sb6x2MbXB9_x0ujL2BjsTOyJXfl7PpWflePSR1S_oorPETM5VUR30QSEkSuoC0ogVCI7BoN4oiXlmOgf_EBUq1gZFrrWApsCJz0ShKOTb5QnmuYGYu4WPfQHddOL75151zjcnWjOAQ/s1600/istanbulpano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5sb6x2MbXB9_x0ujL2BjsTOyJXfl7PpWflePSR1S_oorPETM5VUR30QSEkSuoC0ogVCI7BoN4oiXlmOgf_EBUq1gZFrrWApsCJz0ShKOTb5QnmuYGYu4WPfQHddOL75151zjcnWjOAQ/s640/istanbulpano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Greetings from Istanbul! It's been a while since I've done a post, but I am going to make it a point to start posting more regularly. I'm wrapping up a long layover in Turkey and am about to head to the airport to get to Hamburg for <b>Flatstock Europe 8</b>. I'm also drinking some excellent tea right now. I'll post more tonight!</span></span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-17993614464004984242012-08-12T10:39:00.004-05:002012-08-12T10:39:57.820-05:00Maxiumum Hooliganism<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="color: black; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"We were looking for authentic genuineness and simplicity and we found them in our punk performances. Passion, openness and naivety are superior to hypocrisy, cunning and a contrived decency that conceals crimes. The state’s leaders stand with saintly expressions in church, but their sins are far greater than ours. We’ve put on our political punk concerts because the Russian state system is dominated by rigidity, closedness and caste. Аnd the policies pursued serve only narrow corporate interests to the extent that even the air of Russia makes us ill."</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="color: black; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Nadezdha Tolokonnikova, excerpt from her closing statement at the Pussy Riot trial in Moscow</span></b></span></div>
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<b style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Tolokonnikova is part of the Russian feminist punk band/collective, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pussy_Riot" target="_blank">Pussy Riot</a>. They are facing jail time for a protest performance at a cathedral in Moscow. You can read more about the case <a href="http://freepussyriot.org/about" target="_blank">here</a>. Read some very thoughtful, spot on, and courageous closing statements in full (and translated into English) <a href="http://eng-pussy-riot.livejournal.com/4602.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://chtodelat.wordpress.com/2012/08/08/yekaterina-samutsevich-closing-statement/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></b><br />
<b style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The world they describe (and are actively fighting against) is not exclusive to just Russia. I think the above quote can describe many facets of Western societies' selective application of morality as well.</span></span></b><br />
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<b style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></b>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-89621894882149956212012-07-22T15:55:00.001-05:002012-07-22T15:55:20.277-05:00Golden Hill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcOe3k7QsBZztPKbxqynC__WTrsC0V5iS-KfRj8Fk6BQJZcw0AwZi8BC1O2Sfab8_yMjGgcLmbmofbu0R5GbIjtPAJZfNsaEPjyGWP0jk36k0Hu4jlKFlP8PlUKdmQ20XY5yNDxdtTw/s1600/badnewsfor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcOe3k7QsBZztPKbxqynC__WTrsC0V5iS-KfRj8Fk6BQJZcw0AwZi8BC1O2Sfab8_yMjGgcLmbmofbu0R5GbIjtPAJZfNsaEPjyGWP0jk36k0Hu4jlKFlP8PlUKdmQ20XY5yNDxdtTw/s400/badnewsfor.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hello! I spent this past week completing a new art print (pictured to the left), and I decided to document (most of) the whole venture in <a href="http://www.gigposters.com/forums/process/155611-process-thread-eight-color-art-print.html" target="_blank">a new process thread</a> in the gigposters.com forums. This print, along with some other new stuff, will be available this week on my website.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Aside from working on new prints, a couple of illustrations, and planning some travels for later this year; my band is finishing up recording a full length album, and I'm packing a bunch of subscription tubes today.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If anyone who has seen <a href="http://justsomeguyinabar.com/bg/jsmgiab/" target="_blank">the print I did </a>for Breaking Bad's "Breaking Gifs" project, I <i>will</i> have copies of the print for sale later this year. For now, what I have been telling people is to just contact me and request to be added to my mailing list. That's the best way to be in the loop when I set an official release time for the print.</span></span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-87049427927089130572012-06-28T08:20:00.000-05:002012-06-28T08:55:56.943-05:00Coconut water fixes all.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKBd3ml143REjcYlW6fawA8jgVBalehzf_VDyLaYgj-MaFyde9uz7j-gJ-4D3jY7sLEf0qMiRrtXq1CVOQ0h3GYGI3azg8Y8kD2s4j_ikTH8H-MAU8c7r4J2FuD5cg5DZnNjGBA4g3A/s1600/afterthedance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKBd3ml143REjcYlW6fawA8jgVBalehzf_VDyLaYgj-MaFyde9uz7j-gJ-4D3jY7sLEf0qMiRrtXq1CVOQ0h3GYGI3azg8Y8kD2s4j_ikTH8H-MAU8c7r4J2FuD5cg5DZnNjGBA4g3A/s320/afterthedance.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I was asked to participate in a print event called "Picasso Versus Matisse", which was curated by fellow artist <a href="http://www.alancampbellart.com/">Alan Campbell</a>. Each of us was asked to reference the work of Picasso or Matisse in some way. This was something I'd never personally done before, so I would have been unsure where to start, had Alan not suggested Matisse's 1912 painting "The Danse With Nasturtiums". My idea was to focus on the room, removing the dancing figures. This was fun to work on, and I'm glad Mr. Campbell asked me to be a part of this. This print is <a href="http://www.justinsantora.com/index.php/store/store-art-prints/after-the-dance/">available through my site</a> right now, and it's a really small edition. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Also, my multi-talented friend <a href="http://weathermakerpress.com/home.html">Gina Kelly</a> has recently helped produce a collaborative musical animated film entitled <i>Quick and Dirty: A Total Exquisite Corpse Animation</i>. This film features a variety of excellent artists, including (but not limited to) <a href="http://www.dangrzeca.com/">Dan Grzeca</a>, <a href="http://www.guyburwell.com/">Guy Burwell</a>, <a href="http://www.judgeworks.com/">Kathleen Judge</a>, and many more. The filmmakers are trying to get this movie out there to be seen by the mases, into art museums, and submitted to film festivals. Naturally, all of this costs money, so check out the trailer and read more about the project <b><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/88100159/quick-and-dirty-a-total-exquisite-corpse-animation">here</a></b>. You can back this project at many levels via Kickstarter, some for even less than what you'd pay for a copy of a movie (and you'll get a copy!). <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/88100159/quick-and-dirty-a-total-exquisite-corpse-animation">Check it out</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Lastly, I'm heading out of town this morning for a few days with my band. I'm waiting for our guitar player Jason to pick me up with the van and we're off to Columbus, OH this evening for a show. Then we're heading to North Carolina to play Death To False Hope Fest in Durham, which will be followed by a marathon drive back home (unless we can find a last minute opening on a show somewhere in between the South and Chicago!). I've got to get started on some prints (got some crazy art prints in the works) and various illustration stuff, finishing as much as I can before <b>Flatstock 35</b> in Chicago in less than three weeks. Boy, it sure gets here fast! Nevertheless, expect a bunch of new prints to be available on my site early next week.</span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-19862692510418593212012-06-11T21:33:00.002-05:002012-06-11T21:33:37.062-05:00Back scratches, air conditioning, and "Unsolved Mysteries"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gCMa2yHK5FphQp9OFDicdPbVzQpxH1fAM0BrqSFi8ldIBYZQiVa-M8KeM0I59LD1kfnjyOnZcYuqa-m6ZwH1rPb_uhyphenhyphenA8EDcWvM3f7DE-lDFCxqwDyVH3viOkNmlOD-WnkwG9yoEvQ/s1600/wreckagedrawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gCMa2yHK5FphQp9OFDicdPbVzQpxH1fAM0BrqSFi8ldIBYZQiVa-M8KeM0I59LD1kfnjyOnZcYuqa-m6ZwH1rPb_uhyphenhyphenA8EDcWvM3f7DE-lDFCxqwDyVH3viOkNmlOD-WnkwG9yoEvQ/s400/wreckagedrawing.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">To the left is the completed ink drawing for a poster and art print that I'm printing this week. In a series of emails with fellow ink artist <a href="http://www.ericawilliamsillustration.com/">Erica Williams</a>, we were discussing the use of texture and density as a means of conveying value and depth in ink work. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This is something my sometimes flat architecture-based compositions seem to lack. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I think this is most effectively done when drawing more organic forms in ink (like skulls, plant life, animals with fur or scales, etc.) and is more difficult to apply to geometric forms. I've been trying to explore ways in which I can add more texture (and thus depth) to architectural structures, both in the original line drawings and on the films for other colors in the final screen printed version. It wasn't very difficult to get some bit of depth with the rubble on either side of the structure, as the rubble is basically a big organic form comprised of smaller geometric forms. I'm banking on color and texture use on the other screens to give life to the more flat areas in the structure. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve for this one, and I'm hoping they pan out.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.ericawilliamsillustration.com/">Check out Erica's stuff</a>. She's rad.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Speaking of things you should check out, my friends at <a href="http://www.sonnenzimmer.com/">Sonnenzimmer</a> are in the process of raising money via Kickstarter to make what I'm sure will be an outstanding book entitled Warp and Weft. <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sonnenzimmer/warp-and-weft-poster-construction-by-sonnenzimmer">Check it</a>. </span></span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350325945722565527.post-91447012129937670962012-05-24T11:29:00.003-05:002012-05-24T14:18:07.614-05:00Bad poetry, packed bags, and Mexican produce trucks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8lryNAsglBR8VyIT5953lp0EfpuUDDVS1fKNUeXGz38uV2vKNIchyphenhyphenMfVSJDGtAqMeUp8k_IqQDTmADCeHfqCBbeGpDoOokX-4VuZnhxbA47jm6BDJFKJsa0nuZvcCCNoWH7kqr4_Sg/s1600/worthcurb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU8lryNAsglBR8VyIT5953lp0EfpuUDDVS1fKNUeXGz38uV2vKNIchyphenhyphenMfVSJDGtAqMeUp8k_IqQDTmADCeHfqCBbeGpDoOokX-4VuZnhxbA47jm6BDJFKJsa0nuZvcCCNoWH7kqr4_Sg/s320/worthcurb.jpg" width="286" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Oof, so it's been sort of a while since I've done a post on here. I've been doing quite a bit of drawing, some printing, and even some painting. I'm working on a couple of album covers at the moment and getting ready to leave for Spain on Sunday. I'll be participating in <b>Flatstock Europe 7</b> in Barcelona next week.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To the left is a little snapshot I took while out in the suburbs on Mother's Day. Before arriving at my parents' house, I stopped briefly in Worth, IL (a city that borders my hometown) to skate this old curb. I used to skate this curb thirteen years ago when I was a freshman in high school. After a few years of skating at all the familiar spots in my town, I wanted to explore new terrain and see what else there was to discover. I used to skate to the far end of town and walk along a stretch of a main street over the canal and into Worth. As soon as the sidewalk resumed, I skated to the next major street and began looking for new spots. This curb is at a bank drive-up and along with many other ledges and small curbs in the parking lot, was waxed and thoroughly skated before I'd ever found it. I used to love coming here. I'd make a whole afternoon of it, sometimes recruiting friends to join me, sometimes going it alone. I would come home tired and satisfied from the hours of skating I'd put in coupled with the roughly 7 mile round trip.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It's been well over a decade since I've hit this spot with any degree of regularity. At one point, all the wax was sandblasted off this curb, but some locals came and re-waxed it, making it skateable again. I was happy to see that someone in the area is still skating this little spot, though it's definitely not what it was a decade and a half ago. Who knows how long it was around before I'd even picked up a board. There's got to be a pretty long history of Sunday sessions </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(or Saturday afternoon, after the drive-up closes for the day)</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> at this long, yellow, unassuming slab of concrete.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I suppose if you don't ride a skateboard, there's a good chance that you won't entirely understand this. I remember skating here in the spring of 1999 and walking or skating from spot to spot, intermittently daydreaming about starting a band and more importantly what things would be like when I got older. Occasionally coming back to these old haunts and remembering my adolescent uncertainty, wishful thinking, and hope for the future is a small, sort of full-circle affirmation that I've kept a large part of myself in tact while growing up, that I've held onto to who I was, and that who I was then shaped and helped determine how the next fifteen years of how my life would transpire. Still, it's just a fucking curb.</span>Justin Santorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16968542586837270500noreply@blogger.com0