Casey Searles

State Fair: (tr)EATS

2010-07-23T21:08:00.001-07:00

Attending the Indiana State Fair makes my heart shimmy with joy. I love that for a couple of weeks the state sets up a temporary world, rendered in the brightest colors, with seas of stuffed animals suspended in the air.

I wasn't brave enough for this.

The air smells like candy and fried food. They fry everything, including pizza and Pepsi. I imagine fried Pepsi is a piece of fried dough with a burst of fresh Pepsi at its core. Yep, like a Gusher, but warm, doughy, and caffeinated. Maybe it's just Pepsi flavored dough, though. That just isn't as funny to me. I'm sure, just like me, you are now imagining the injuries that could have occurred due to a hot, Pepsi burst to the face. Can you envision having to go into work the next day and explaining that splatter wound to your secretary? Perhaps for safety reasons this is just Pepsi flavored dough. My favorite fair treats are corn on the cob, elephant ears, and cotton candy. Cotton candy is just so pretty.

"Oh, to live on Sugar Mountain

With the barkers and the colored balloons"

-Neil Young

Build your own Slushy Station: Ultimate Freedom.

AMERICAN LOBSTER

2010-05-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

Did you know that some lobsters live to be 50 years old?

Well, they do.

They also molt. This makes it difficult for our inquiring minds to know how old they really are. I want to molt.

Here are some lobster prints I have been working on.

These are American Lobsters or Homarus Americanus, a species of lobsters found on the East Coast of the United States.

They are all monotypes and all were rendered using only primary colors (yellow, red, and blue).

Each print is about 12"x 18".

Lobster 1

Lobster 2

Lobster 3

YETI TIME!

2010-05-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

Oh hi!

I know that we are all curious about the mysterious population of Yeti-folk living in our world. I'm sure there's an X-file on them somewhere, hidden from our greedy, little fingers. I wonder if it shows that they love to eat cheese flavored crackers and children, at the same time. OR maybe they are extremely cuddly and vegan. Who knows?! I hope that beneath their furry exterior they are totally foxy and ready to p-a-r-t-y. Here is the manifestation of that hope.

Meet Betty!

Betty Yeti
12"x18", Silk Screen with white water soluble crayon

Happy MAY!

xoxooxo

llama+thanksgiving eve=party

2009-11-25T13:03:00.001-08:00

Llama

12"x 18", Three Color Monotype

Here is a llama. I'm thinking that this is a lady llama. I'm not sure what her name is-- maybe Eleanor or Tansy? What would you name this llama? Also, why aren't there more words that start with double l's?

HAVE A LLOVELY THANKSGIVING, LLITTLE DARLINGS!

Hello Again and Happy Turkey-Week!

2009-11-23T12:06:00.001-08:00

HELLO!

Oh, OK. I know it has been WAY TOO LONG. Sorry 'bout that. I could offer a long, excuse-laden list of reasons, but that would be more for me than you.

In honor of turkey-week and my love of gratitude exercises in general,

I am going to start by stating how thankful I am for:

- fresh starts, in blogs and other-wise

- for anyone reading this blog

- for all of my loved ones

- health!

- fantastic and sometimes unexpected creative opportunities

- all of the millions of other things to be thankful for in every moment

It has been a while. I honestly don't know how this blog has fallen so far down my list of priorities, because I have so much to share!

Blog, I now free you from your under-the-stairs-Harry Potter-style-banishment.

I move you to priority seating!

Are you convinced?

Here is a preview of what's to come!

Here is John Adams from the series of presidential portraits I just completed.

It is a three color monotype.

Happy Thanksgivin'!

*gobble gobble*

Art, Cheese, Friends, Spirits, and Flourish!

2008-05-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

As, I blogged about before, a space called Flourish in a town called Chicago showed some art. Included in the show was art by Kate Korroch, Andrew Heber, and Me! (Casey Searles). Here are some pictures from Flourish:

I know, I'm a cheeseball. But we're on a sign! Sweet, right?

It's a great space and they had wine tasting.
I didn't drink too much before my show, don't worry.
Just a taste....

Here is a blurry shot of Flourish's retail space.
They have many thoughtful books and gifts.

Here's Kate! She's my tulip.
She's a great artist and organizer of events!
Check out her blog: http://katekorroch.blogspot.com/
Oh, that's Andrew in the background!

oh, hey there.

2008-05-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

Cupcakes are YUMMY
2'x3', acrylic on canvas

Hey blogsphere, it's been awhile. But I'm back, and still addicted to sugar. This is a painting I made on a day off last month. I made this using layers of gesso, acrylic paint, and pastel. I put it in the "Explore the Wild Show" at Flourish. Also included, were some of my monotypes and two pieces that I made years earlier.

Here they are!

Joe, 18"x18",
colored pencil on paper

Nora, 4'x2'
house paint on butcher paper

I made these two in high school. My mom had them in her house, when she moved to Canada, she let me have them. Now, like the good daughter I am, I'm trying to sell them.
My next post will have some pictures from the opening.
Thanks for looking.

the bunny boat soon will be making another run...

2008-04-30T19:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Bunny Boat

Three Color Monotype

8.5"x 11"

Derived from "Busy Bee Coloring Book"

First of all, in order to make sure this title was correct I had to google "love boat theme lyrics." I couldn't remember if the love boat would soon be making another stop or another run--it's run.

Has anyone ever looked at the rest of the lyrics?

Well, let's just say I'm now even more in love with love and boats.

take a peek.....

Love, exciting and new

Come aboard, we're expecting you

Love, Life's sweetest reward

Let it flow, it floats back to you

Love Boat soon will be making another run

The Love Boat promises something for everyone

Set a course for adventure

Your mind on a new romance

And love won't hurt anymore

It's an open smile on a friendly shore

It's love

Welcome aboard

It's love!

--Paul Williams and Charles Fox

I have only vague memories of the Love Boat from when it was shown as re-runs in my early childhood. I certainly didn't recall it being a salve for all of love's wounds. Then again, I was probably seven. But ladies and gentlemen, this is a bunny boat. Don't worry, I'm sure that yes, there is still love in their hearts and the shore remains friendly.

hello, i'm a gender neutral lamb

2008-04-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

baaa

Weee Leettle Laamb 8"x 11" Monotype

This is another stencil print. I made it for my boss Jenny, who recently gave birth to her second baby, a sweet, little boy. I hope she liked it!She also has a two year old girl, so I tried to make the colors as gender neutral as possible so that it might seem like a gift for both kids.

cock-a-doodle

2008-04-09T21:38:00.001-07:00

Print-a-Doodle-Doo, 10"x13" three-color monotype

I made this print during one of my first classes back at Lillstreet.
I based it off of a drawing that I created
while watching LOST on my computer.
Have I mentioned that I was completely engrossed in LOST?
For a while there, I learned how to do most things while watching it on demand on abc.com.
I can cook, eat, fall asleep, get dressed, and draw roosters all while learning the secrets of the island and creepy Ben Linus.

Here is a close-up detail of the face.
The colors are a little less muted in person.

So, thanks, LOST!
I really love you....so far.

just the two of us...

2008-03-29T21:35:00.000-07:00

Quest for Gummiberry Juice
11" x 15", three color monotype

I love bear cubs. There isn't a concrete explanation for this feeling. Well, they are very cute, but then again so are most baby animals. Maybe it's because I like to personify them and imagine them going on adventures. I bet they produce extremely cute bear cub giggles when they're having fun. I'm also pretty sure that when they hibernate, they have the sweetest little bear dreams about catching fish in rivers of honey.
Yep. You'll probably be seeing more bear images.

have a bear-y sweet day!
ok?

The Tallest of all Land-Living Animal Species

2008-03-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

Doodley Giraffe, 11"x15" monotype

I made this print during my last class at Lillstreet. I used a cut-out of a giraffe drawing to create the image. The rest of the picture is filled with doodley circles. I'm pretty sure that, yes, doodley is a technical term, so you should all use it often. I like how the doodles peek through the last layer of pink.

I hope to make more stencil prints soon. So far I've made stencils of high heels, a lamb, a bike, and an elephant. I'll keep you posted on how they translate into print form. Any other stencil ideas?

Thanks for peekin' in on my progress!

Skeletons Love Dessert...and Hot Pink

2008-03-26T08:51:00.001-07:00

rrooaarrr!!

Pink Skeletons, 11"x 15", Photo-Transfer Monotype

Here are some of the prints I made during my second class at Lillstreet.

We learned how to take a photocopy of a drawing or a photograph and turn it directly into a print. The process was messy and a bit labor intensive, but I'm really excited about the ideas it created for future prints. I used a bright fuchsia as my ink color, because honestly who doesn't love a pink skeleton?

The next print I made uses the same color and two skeleton images with the addition of a cupcake drawing. It is the same drawing that I used as a guide in my previous post.

Skeletons NEED Cupcakes,
11"x 15"photo-transfer monotype

I had some more time left and I wanted to use the pink color more so I decided to make another print. The fish images are from magazines, the diver is inspired by one of my coloring books. It's silly.

Don't Worry Fish, I Only Use this Harpoon for Trash!,
11"x 15", photo-transfer monotype

Cupcakes!

2008-03-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Cupcake Love, 8"x 12" monotype

Hello blogsphere!
Who loves cupcakes?! I dooooo!

There are many sense memories tied to different cupcake moments in my life. I still remember making peppermint chocolate cupcakes with my mom for my fifth grade class and breaking her mixing bowl from crushing peppermint candy too hard. I guess it was a sacrifice to the cooking gods, because I still dream about those cupcakes. Despite the occasional baking accessory casualty, cupcakes are always a special treat to make and eat.

This is a three color mono-print, meaning that each layer of color is printed separately. I printed the first layer in yellow, then followed with a layer red, and finished with blue.

detail!

I made this during an open studio on Valentine's Day. I used a heart doily as a stencil. Going into this process, all I knew was that I wanted there to be a doily and a cupcake. I think sometimes detachment from the outcome makes the a piece more exciting to make. I love seeing something in a piece that works but was completely accidental. Then again, sometimes detachment yields yucky results, so...I don't post those on my blog!

Thanks for lookin' world!