Category Archives: What’s on Franky’s Mind?

What’s in there…

Artspace: Spring Market

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Hey, I’ll be downtown Raleigh INSIDE Artspace!  I’ll be selling LIMITED EDITION WONDER WOMAN prints and several small CHARGING DURHAM metal prints (along with other prints too).

I have a couple of my 3D Resinance paintings on view (and for sale as well).

Stop by between 11am and 5pm!

ARTSPACE RALEIGH DIRECTIONS HERE

Later this summer, I’ll have NINE of my paintings on display…more to follow!

Wonder Woman

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Just completed a digital sketch of Wonder Woman.  Based on the movie with a bit of “history” included:  Take a close look at the map throughout:  that is an actual World War I map of Belgium.  I took some creative liberties and made it fit the story presented in the film.  Do you remember the name of the city Wonder Woman liberated in the film…it’s in there!

Stop by my booth at this weekend’s OAK CITY COMICON in Raleigh, NC.  I’ll have a limited number of prints and a large METAL PRINT of it ready for sale.  If I sell out of prints, this will be the FIRST 3D resin painting of the 2018 season.

Amber Alley – Chapel Hill, NC

To finish out 2017, I had the opportunity to create another 3D public artwork.  This time, I created “street signs” for a walkway / alleyway for the City of Chapel Hill, NC.  Part of their “Alleyway Improvement Project”

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(3D signage facing Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC)

The city was very specific in what they needed for that area:  directions to and from the main street, through the alley and back to the “Wallace Parking Deck”.  There were 5 places the signs would be positioned, each sign needed to direct foot traffic, “Parking Symbols” needed to be added and I had to address the origins of the area “Amber Alley”.

First, I as I do with all my artworks, I do the research…what was Amber Alley?  I had been to Chapel HIll before and knew that there’s ties to UNC, so eventually I’d need to add something of the school to the sign.  But, Amber Alley…hmmm? I didn’t know much about that.  What I did find was very interesting:

Back in ’99 (that sound funny to me…) an artist (Michael Brown) created a full mural for the back of Amber Alley.  There was a popular restaurant / bar called The Rathskeller or “The Rat” by locals that closed down after many years in Amber Alley. Mr. Brown, who created many other murals in Chapel Hill / Durham area.

http://www.publicartarchive.org/work/amber-alley

It looks like he took the idea of a necklace with “amber stones” and placed imagery in each stone.  Read more about his inspiration for the mural (as well as a walking tour of his other works) HERE.

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Originally, Amber Alley got it’s name for the amber color of the electric lights that glowed “amber” to light the pedestrian walkway, and not from the precious stones.

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(Amber Alley view from Franklin Street – lights)

I forget exactly where on the net I found that specific tidbit of information, but I had envisioned the old gas lamp era of the 19th century.

Next steps: My interest in old / out of print money has always fascinated me. I had researched out of circulation US currency and found a treasure trove of interesting images to work with.  One in particular was the silver certificate from the Educational Series of 1896: “History Instructing Youth”.

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From there, hours of digital collage / 3D work to get all the aspects included into each sign.  A couple of changes as per Chapel Hill and now, the final products hang for all UNC / Franklin Street visitors to see, and yes…in 3D!  (Just need to get those Chromadepth Glasses.)

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These artworks are temporary and eventually they will make their way back to city hall, where they can be reassembled into ONE ARTWORK.  Hopefully, if the interest is there, I’d like to do a larger work for them to install in Amber Alley.

 

Rogue One: Death Troopers

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Rogue One: Death Troopers

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As NC Comicon Durham gets closer, the work continues…. Completed the companion piece to the K-2S0 artwork from last month.  Here’s my 3rd Star Wars action figure 3D resin piece dedicated to the elite Storm troopers from Rogue One:  the Death Troopers!

Looking forward to getting these out to Durham next month (wow, the time is flying by…)

The 2018 “painting season” is coming to a close…so that means I can gear up for all the new orders and start painting right away in the Spring!  Lots of action figures out there…

Boba Fett in CARBONITE… I mean, RESIN!

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Boba Fett finally got “poetic justice”…Frozen in Resin.  I don’t think I could have got the same result as carbonite (definitely need that clear resin for the colors to show through)!  This is my 2nd Star Wars action figure painting with the master bounty hunter himself. If you look carefully, you see Fett as well as a couple of other images.  The action figure was from the HASBRO “Ultimate Bounty” collection.  So, If there’s anyone interested in the other 3 figures from that set placed in a original painting, let me know.

 

Here’s a close up of the figure in the bottom left corner:

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So, if you’re tired of having your favorite action figure in a package in a box and want to give it an “upgrade” in value…2018 painting season is just around the corner…

“Congratulations, You’re being…POSTED”

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Rogue One: K-2S0

Great to finally get this one out to you all.  It’s my newest Star Wars – Rogue One inspired painting.  K-2S0 gets to be the FIRST in my line of actual Action Figures inside the painting!  Yep,  If you look closely at the bottom-left corner of the painting, you’ll find K-2S0 hanging out there.  He’s completely inside the painting.  K-2S0-figure-close-upHere’s a close-up of the figure in the first stage of painting.  When I first thought of the idea of placing a Star Wars figure in the painting, I wasn’t quite sure how, or if, the process would work: “Would the figure melt from the resin curing?”  “Would it change shape and look terrible?”  Would it change color?” I had to try.  So, as I’m pouring into my mold with the resin slowly oozing and swallowing K-2, I heard James Earl Jones’ voice in my head….“We do not want the Emperor’s prize damaged…we will test it, on CAPTAIN SOLO!”  Well in this case, it was K-2S0!

As Han Solo made it through the carbon freezing process, K-2 is “frozen in RESIN”, quite nicely!

So, for all of you Star Wars Action Figure collectors out there…. you’ll need to visit the NC Comicon in Durham.  I’ll have this artwork and (if all goes to plan)  I’ll have 2 MORE Star Wars Action Figure 3D paintings to see…and yes, they’re for sale!

Send me your Action Figures!!!  I can make a custom “tribute” 3D Resin painting of your FAVORITE STAR WARS CHARACTER….Who’s your favorite character?  I still have my Early Bird Set from 1977…

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GOING “Rogue” for next artwork

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November is Comicon in “The Bull City”, so I’ve been working on another 3D Resin-ance painting to display at the show.  As the title says “Going Rogue” on this one.  Can you see what character and subjects are in this frame… Still in the first level stage on this one…come back tomorrow (or a bit later as I need to order more resin!) to see the next stage!

Sunken Treasure Trap

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Summer is winding down fast…finished the “Sunken Treasure Trap” a couple of weeks ago, but just had time to finally get it on to the web site.  Looking forward to it’s first public showing at NC COMICON in Durham later this fall.

Lots and lots of little “treasures” to find in this baby!  “X” does mark the spot…but heed the warning of the “dead man with his vulture”!  How many fish can you find?  “Waldo” is one of the divers in search of the treasure!

Working on an “installation” for the City of Chapel Hill, NC… Will post images and more info when that commission is complete!

Durham Herald-Sun on “Charging Durham”

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(Close-Up – center panel / “Charging Durham” – Durham Herald-Sun – Cliff Bellamy)

Thanks to Cliff Bellamy for placing his article and video on the Durham Herald-Sun web site.  You can hear a very brief description of the addition of the old city map and steps to making this “digial sketch” into a full resin painting.  Here are the links:

The Article:

http://www.heraldsun.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article161563553.html

The Video:

http://www.heraldsun.com/entertainment/article161419588.html

and the same video should appear below.