3:25 PM

The Art of Comedy -- First Thursday Art Walk in June

The Comedy Underground and Urban Craft Uprising joined forces to bring you The Art of Comedy. This gallery show takes place in the lobby of the world-famous Comedy Underground and features artwork that is either humorous in nature, or made by stand up comedians.

This month we feature the artwork of Jenna Colby.

“Bubbles popping and bare feet.” Ask Washington-state artist Jenna Colby to describe her work, and you don’t just get a string of adjectives; instead, you get a lovely little “word picture” that lets you know just how her art feels.

"Blue Ruin Gallery. Pittsburgh, PA"

View Jenna's work at: http://www.soopajdelux.com/ and soopajdelux.etsy.com

And as always, a barrel-full o the funniest indie crafters this side of the Factoria Mall join us in the lobby of The Comedy Underground to show off their hilarious wares. Support us by supporting them. And they'll support you. Or something. Someone will do something to support someone else. Or everyone will. Or we'll all just have a beer and pay for it ourselves and then go our separate ways. One of those things will happen.

Hilarious Indie Crafters of the Moment: 

Ceramics by Urbana

Decapitated Dollies by Scary White Girl Designs

T's by Midairdesign

Underwear by Shesho Designs

Shower Art by Ugly Baby

Shirts, Buttons and Pillows by Man Made Monsters

The exhibit will be followed at 9 PM by an evening starring two of my personal favorite stand up comics -- Feature: Hari Kondabolu and Headliner: Gabriel Rutledge. You may have seen Hari on Jimmy Kimmel Live or Comedy Central's Live at Gotham and Gabriel was the winner of the 2005 Seattle International Comedy Competition. 

Jenna Colby - Biography

http://www.soopajdelux.com/

soopajdelux.etsy.com

Jenna Colby is a self taught artist who has always been creative through different mediums, but decided to focus on painting three years ago. Originally from Ohio, Jenna has traveled and lived in both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, but has called Seattle home since 1999. Growing up in a small town Colby was always fascinated with cities and has been influenced by her travels and the people she has met and observed. “I make it a point to take note and assign a story to the passer by, giving each moment in time purpose and creating color.” After developing and beginning to show her work, Jenna came into contact with the work of artists like Mark Ryden and Yoshimoto Nara. Thinking back, she says, “Their work really moved me. It made me nervous, giddy . . . I’m not sure if there is a word for it. But after experiencing that feeling, I decided that is what I want to do to others. I want to make other people feel that way.”

"Art Star Gallery. Philadelphia,PA"

Jenna Colby's work is clearly reminiscent of Mark Ryden and Yoshimoto Nara--anyway, that's what I thought as soon as I saw it--but is sweeter and more ethereal.

"Urban Craft Uprising. Seattle,WA"

“Bubbles popping and bare feet.” Ask Washington-state artist Jenna Colby to describe her work, and you don’t just get a string of adjectives; instead, you get a lovely little “word picture” that lets you know just how her art feels. Jenna seems to know a thing or two about states of mind. Even her exhibit title—It’s Not Real: Dream Diaries, Secret Messages, and Other Clues from Far Far Away—lets you know you’re in for something special when you view her work. Delicate, ethereal, sweet, Jenna’s paintings capture a curious personality in a brief moment of time ready to take you on an internal voyage. Her take on it is this: “A random passerby on a random day in a random moment has a story to tell, a history, a set of beliefs and intentions, all happening, all true and real, but unnoticed by most.” It is these moments that Jenna freezes in her colorful yet airy portraits of characters who are twiggy in form but bursting with emotion, sensation, and moodiness. That is her intent—to communicate the language of mood. “I make it a point to take note and assign stories to the passerby, giving each moment in time purpose and creating color within supersaturated environments even if the color exists only inside.” Now residing in Bremerton, Washington, Jenna once made Pittsburgh her home for a period of three years: “Pittsburgh woke me up and started me on my way. I have carried the lessons learned in that town with me and although I just lived there for a few years, I feel like I am from Pittsburgh.” And so she’d like to share her work with its residents with the help of Blue Ruin Gallery. Enter into the charmed world of Jenna Colby’s airy, emotional portraits.

"Blue Ruin Gallery. Pittsburgh, PA"

9:33 AM

Balderdash Makes Kathy Martin a Winner!

Last week I hosted a Balderdash contest where people had to give a synopsis of the movie title "Wide Open Faces." The funniest one gets a surprise package of indie craft goodness from....me! This week the winner is from Kathy Martin Studios. Here's her entry: 
"Wide Open Faces is a rags to riches tale. The casting director of an online reality show is challenged to get the least likely contestant ever to go on "Last Chef Stirring". The direct must chose a bum off of the streets and turn him into a gourmet pro fast! The challenge that decides it all: The Open Faced Turkey Sandwich Face Off! ....now if they can only get the guy to wash his hands after he visits to bathroom we'll be in business!"
Ha! Nice work. Very nice work. 
I'm going to take a week off from contests and devise something really, really clever. Or just enjoy the nice sunshine.
I'm off to the studio later this afternoon for my latest bARTer Sauce trade. EeeeeeeeeeEEE! I'm so excited! 
1:42 PM

Balderdash Winner & New Contest

Last week I ran a contest for the funniest definition for the word Zazzera. Kayla from The Eclectic Element  made me laugh very hard with her answer: 
Zazzera: Noun,
1. A popular new wave of dance moves where you thrust your butt into the air and sidestep like the north american crab.
Warning: Best not used under the influence.
Ex. I walked into the club and when the music came on, I made like a crab and did the Zazzera.
Congratulations Kayla! You'll be getting a cool surprise package from me in the mail.
Now for a new contest. This is from the last game I played with a group of friends. I'll give you all of our answers for inspiration. Then, you leave your own answer as a comment to this post. The funniest one gets a surprise package of indie craft goodness from me.
This one is a movie called Wide Open Faces. I googled for images with the phrase "Wide Open Faces" and got the one above. Enjoy.: 
1. A big, mouthed soda jerk takes on gangsters at a vacation resort.
2. An unintentional comedy, Wide Open Faces, consists mainly of people yelling, "Spaces or Faces?" "Places or Faces?" and "What?". It went straight to dvd. 
3. A circus movie about deformed performers who travel the world. 
4. A documentary about the world of competitive eating.
5. The horror of dental malpractice is exposed.
6. A quack surgeon attempts to make a face wide enough to be carried on the wind.
Now it's your turn. Leave your comment on this post with the synopsis for the movie, "Wide Open Faces" and the funniest one will hear from me next Friday.
Now, remember to check out Shower Art - waterproof art you can hang in your shower with a suction cup - and bARTer Sauce - and experiment in trading for art and odd objects. You'll probably be glad you did. And if you're not .... well ... um ... who cares.
Happy Friday.
5:36 PM

More Balderdash...now with more dash

What the honk
I concur. 
This is the image I found when I searched Google Images for "Zazzera"  - which is - coincidently - the word for my new Balderdash contest.
Here's how it works. I post the definitions of the word Zazzera that my friends and I came up with when we played Balderdash and then you add your own as a comment. 
The funniest one gets a surprise package from me. It's mostly a surprise, but it's sure to include my favorite soap: Estrella Soap
It's seriously the best. 
And you might get some gocco-ed postcards handmade especially for you by me. 
And you might get some Shower Art
Anything is possible. 
Here's what we came up with for Zazzera: 
1. Available for children's birthday parties, weddings and barmitzphas. 
2. Phrase heard often in the jungles of Africa which means, "You missed a spot." 
3. A word invented in 1789 by Daniel Webster when he realized the section for the letter z of his dictionary was a little thin.
4. A priceless gift to give at a wedding to the bride and grooms parents in Egypt. 
5. The little sister of Zena the Warrior Princess who wasn't nearly as popular.
6.  A zebra who has lost track of it's herd. 
Okay - now your turn.
9:43 AM

Balderdash Contest Winner

Holy Bazongas. 
I'm happy to report that we have a winner for the Balderdash contest. You were supposed to write the movie synopsis for the film "Ladies Who Do" and the funniest response was promised a mystery fun prize from yours truly.
Well, we DO have a winner. Oh my gosh do we have a winner. Heather's got it. She made me laugh out loud more than once which means she is hilarious because I'm a jaded stand up comic who rarely finds humor in anything.
You win Heather. You win. Congratulations!
Here's Heather's Synopsis: 
Ladies Who Do Fight Zombies. Suburbs, early Saturday morning, wake to find the world has turned upside-down by crazed undead who crave human brains. (Why is it always brains, not Big Macs or ice cream?) 
Following the plot of nearly every zombie movie, the women seek refuge in the local mall. (Could we find someplace with MORE doors and windows than a mall?) While the women are there they do the usual mall shopping scene. 
Next, they convert the mall shuttle bus into a pink zombie-proof transportation device. Armed with straws from the food court, they ward of the zombies by shooting eyeliner and lipliner pencils (sharpened to deadly points using the electric pencil sharpener in the mall business supply store.)
There are some close calls. One of the ladies accidentally inhales on the straw and hurts the back of her throat making her gag really bad. Some of the straws have small cracks in them ruining the perfect shot. And a batch of ammo eyeliners are actually eyeSHADOW sticks and won't fit into the straws.
Despite the odds, they make it to an unpopulated island where they are safe and have lots of great shoes.