"Headless"

Click to enlarge:

Mixed Media, 18 x 24 inches

"Ecstatic Head"

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acrylic, 30 x 78 inches

"Peak Experience"

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wax pastel, 14 x 16 inches

Mandala of Heads

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color pencil, 18 x 24 inches

Sketch

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Digital sketch I did when I had no other idea for a comic.

"Pregnant Fetish" web comic by Sam Graham

click to enlarge:

digital

12/9/09

"Meditation Nation" web comic by Sam Graham

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new web comic
12/8/09
digital

"Comic Man" web comic by Sam Graham

click to enlarge:

\

New web comic

12/17/09

digital

"Divine Secrets of the GaGa Sisterhood" web comic by Sam Graham

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New web comic about Lady GaGA by Sam Graham a Los Angeles comic artist and Cal Arts graduate.

"Brain Bird" by Sam Graham

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Brain Bird. New Comic by Sam Graham.

Digital

12/3/09

"Gasoline Eyes" web comic by Sam Graham

New web comic by Sam Graham.

See more comics at

http://heysamgraham.blogspot.com

December 1, 2009
digital

"The Beatles Bird" new web comic

New web comic by Sam Graham about a Beatles Bird, ala John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison, the rock stars from Liverpool who were in the greatest rock and roll band of all time.

Digital, 2009.

11/30/2009

"Aint She a Doll" - new web comic

Click to enlarge:

(Sorry for the glitch, it is now fixed)

My attempt at a romantic comic...

11/27/09

digital

"Turkey Tears" - Thanksgiving Comic

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THANKSGIVING COMIC by Sam Graham about a man who encounters a homeless man and feels bad about it.

November 25, 2009
digital

"Smile" new funny comic by Sam Graham

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A New funny funny by Sam Graham about a man who walks into town and is confused why everyone is smiling at him.

November 24, 2009
digital

Plane Sense

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© Sam Graham
November 23, 2009

About an irrational man on a plane.

Drawn on photoshop

New comic "Real Life Mario"

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The humor of trying to enact Mario and Luigi in real life

Nov 20, 2009

The IBM Cat Droid

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New Comic! "The IBM Cat Droid" -- Inspired by IBM's release of a chip that mimics a cat brain.

Digital, November 19, 2009

Why We Get Fat and Bald

Click to enlarge!

Comic about the fun times that occur when you visit your hometown

and see people from high school!

November 18, 2009

Drawn in photoshop

New Funny Comic! "Dinner With Mom"

November 17, 2009

Comic by Sam Graham

Comic about funny encounter I had with my Mom

trying to make dinner at my parents house.

Drawn in photoshop.

New comic! "Crazy Lady at Whole Foods"

Click picture to enlarge!

New Comic I made at Whole Foods!

Upcoming "J.W." Episode 5 "Psychedelic Barf" - News and more

"J.W." News:

-Upcoming "J.W." Episode 5 "Psychedelic Barf" Release date announced!

Release date: December 5, 2009.

-For that episode, I have begun work on the sound track/sound design
with professional sound designer Gaston Rene

See past "J.W." episodes at http://youtube.com/heysamgraham

Other news:

-a video (live action) short is in development with Jared Blunk
(one of my fellow collaborators from "Aorta VI" comics)
about a man with a neurotic inner monologue-
inspired by both of our struggles with anxiety,
it will try to showcase the comedic aspects of these experiences.

Facebook "graffiti" drawing # 3

"sketch" using the facebook "graffiti" application:

of man sending a beam out of his eye. Originally posted on Facebook.

Wanted to find an accessible way to share my art

Press "play" to watch the process of it being "painted!"

It doesn't play on some computers!

"Dog and The Man" CLASSIC!

Here's a good ole' classic from back in the day, probably 2006 or something:

"Dog and The Man" by Pj Kneisel and Sam Graham a.k.a.: "The Lanterns of Sorrow."

ENJOY this treat!

-Sam

Univerpsyche

It is possible that all of existence is taking place in some super-cosmic psyche -our psyches microcosms of it.

Simultaneous time

If all time is simultaneous, there's an infinite amount of you's in all past and future moments. Is linear time/self a trick of perception?  

Video Game

This reality may be like a video game we’ve played for too long, forgotten that we are playing a game, and think nothing exists beyond it.

Sam Smash Page

I know its been a while since I put art up, so here is something I have been working on which prevented me from doing the aforementioned: 

I considered this a "study" or "research," because I was trying to create a work based on what my sketchbooks look like, and wanted to see how it would turn out. 

Click on it to visit my flickr album and see larger versions of this plus closer details.

Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles artist, photographer, animator, writer, and musician

Working...

Hi guys!

Sorry I haven't updated in so long. I am working hard on something -so I haven't been able to put anything up any new work as of yet. But be patient!

In other news I got to meet an artist I really like named Alex Pardee at a charity art show called "Celeritas," at a motorcycle-type space called "Suru" on Melrose. Really great show, I recommend you see it if you enjoy art and motorcycle related things. 

I want to be an artist's assistant right now, so if you know of any opportunities, please forward them my way. Any other art related opportunities as well.

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles artist, photographer, animator, writer, and musician

Blake

If all is infinite, as Blake said, then self would be too. What, then, would separate us from "gods?" Perhaps we're merely unrealized ones?

Francis Bacon at the Met in New York

I more than halfway across the country right now which means I am that much closer to New York, "the land of art."

I am very excited about a Francis Bacon retrospective showing there at the Met; he is one of my favorite artists and the chance to witness so much of his work in person, that I previously only seen on the pages of books was a chance that I couldn't pass up.

("Self Portrait" by Francis bacon '71)

I am going to try to expose myself to as much art as possible when I am in New York and hopefully will be able to share with you, "my gentle readers," some of the cool shows and artists that I see.

Don't forget to say "hey!"

-"Nevada" Sam Graham

Sam Graham is a los angeles artist, photographer, animator, writer, and musician

Tortilla Chip and Tootsie Roll Sculpture

I like to use the extra food that isn't eaten at restaurants to make art out of. This is a funny little character that I created at my favorite Mexican restaurant Sion's in Manhattan Beach using an uneaten tortilla chip and the tootsie rolls that they gave us after we were done eating (that no one wanted.) So I thought this was a good way to do something useful with the extra food. I hope you enjoy (my Mom got a kick out of it!)

Don't forget to say, "hey!"

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles artist, photographer, animator, writer, and musician

Totem with Eyeballs

(Click image to go to flickr where you can see it in larger sizes)

This is a totemic figure that I created in my sketch book -I fancied it so I decided to turn it into a completed work which is what you see here. This is an example of a cartoonish style that I have been working with as of late. 

Don't forget to say "hey!"

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles artist, photographer, animator, writer, and musician

Aquamarine and Orange Multi-faced Head

(Click to see it larger on flickr)

This is a digital painting (using photoshop) of the multi-face'd character I have been working with for a while now. It's inspired by Tibetan Buddhist art. In particular, this art form's multi-limbed and multi-headed characters that express a "spiritual" or "enlightened" state.  I am interested in the fact that Tibetan art uses a vocabulary of "multiples" to get at this concept, and with this series, I am endeavoring to adapt this concept of multiple features to express a spiritual state in my own way.

My brief 1 AM example of what I mean by "spiritual state": a blissful altered state of consciousness in which selfhood seems to transcend your familiar self. Unfamiliar abilities, or knowledge might be encountered. 

Don't forget to say, "hey!"

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles artist, photographer, animator, writer, and musician

Grape

(Click to see this photo in larger sizes on flickr.) 

Here's a cool photo I took in Orange County of a model in very low light conditions. I call it "Grape." 

Don't forget to say, "hey!"

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles photographer, artist, animator, writer, and musician

"Midnight"

(You can click on the image to go to "flickr" to view it in "all sizes")

With these new images I have been thinking a lot about Francis Bacon, and his process of working spontaneously and allowing chance to come into play. As per Bacon, I started without a clear idea of where I was going to end up -trying to capture something transient. 

Here's are some details of the eyes:

Don't forget to say, "hey!"

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles artist, photographer, animator, writer, and musician

"I"

This is a new image that I created -primarily on my birthday, May 16th. You can click on the image to be taken to my "flickr" page where you can look at the drawing in "all sizes."

Don't forget to say, "hey."

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles artist, photographer, animator, writer, and musician

"Black Magic"

lips wet with your saliva

speak to you in dark rooms.

you are listless

you give somebody your hand
a concealed door twists open

you walk inside..

the orchestra plays on
rusty horns
the song of your life..

you dance

there’s a spotlight on you

you twist around

there is a skeleton 

holding your shoulder

you look into its
sockets..

you drop to your knees

and spin deep into the floor

into a dark red crevice.

New Colorful Image: "Swirl"

Don't forget to say, "hey"

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles artist, photographer, animator, writer, and musician

New (old) drawing! "Cupcake"

This is a drawing I unearthed recently and worked on a little bit by adding shading and the like. I think I originally drew it in photoshop. 

Originally it wasn't shaded as much, so I added some shading to it using the "burn" tool. It was also originally black and white, so I tinted it blue to give it some semblance of color.

I enjoy this drawing, I hope you do to!

Don't forget to say "hey!"

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles artist, photographer, animator, writer, and musician

"Alley": Photo from Paso Robles Workshops Taught by Strobist's David Hobby

Another photo from Syl Arena's "Paso Robles Workshops" taught by David Hobby (Strobist.) This is of my friend Stephen. I have a light coming from behind him creating the cool texture on the metal and a warm colored light coming from the right hitting his face.

We had a great time shooting this, except that we shot it in a dank rat infested alley way.

Don't forget to say, "hey!"

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles photographer, artist, animator, writer, and musician

New Drawing: "Shine"

Here is a new drawing I did today! It links to my flickr page where you can see it in super size if you so wish.

Don't forget to say "hey!"

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles artist, photographer, animator, writer, and musician

What I want to create -o please o please let me do it!

If I could have one thing, it would be to be the best artist I could be. To create to the best of my ability. To make profound and interesting works that titillate the imagination and excite the mind. To create explorative works that pose hard questions with no easy answers. Works that throw the nature of reality and the purpose of existence into question. Works that illustrate new ways of seeing the world, a unique perspective on who we are, and what our purpose is. Works that take you on a journey -into yourself.

The works should be “psychedelics” in the sense that they alter your sense of time, place and self, and show you new meanings in what was previously thought to be fully understood. The works should unlock parts of yourself, showing you a you that you didn’t know existed, or didn’t understand yet. They should be adventures into unknown places, or places of uncertainty. Perhaps a place that is more native to dreams than our waking lives. Perhaps dreaming is our native place. Perhaps in death, we enter our native space.

Model Photo from Paso Robles Workshop with David Hobby

Here's another photo that I took during Syl Arena's Paso Robles Workshops taught by David Hobby of Strobist. This model was really great, especially since it was her first time modeling on this shoot! We shot this photo in an old victorian house, but you can't tell that by this picture. 

To light this, I used a single flash (being set off wirelessly by a pocket wizard) to her right, and diffused it by shooting it through the shower curtain. To make the light bluish in the background I used a trick I learned at the workshop. The trick is, you put the camera's white balance on incandescent, which makes the image more blue to compensate for orange light. Then you gel the flash to be more orange (CTO) to make the subject look like they are in white light, but everything else -not hit by the stobe- will look blue. Specifically, I wanted the window light to look bluish to contrast with the warmish light on the model. 

Don't forget to say hey!

Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles photographer, artist, animator, writer, and musician

Impromptu Photoshoot!

I took this photo during an impromptu shindig at my house last wednesday night. I decided it would be fun to do a portrait of my friend Nick. I set up the lights using techniques I acquired during the Paso Robles Workshops with David Hobby (Strobist) and Syl Arena (Pixsylated). 

The photo is of my friend Nick Arciaga, another Los Angeles artist. He studies visual art at Art Center, a private art college in Pasadena, CA. According to Wikipedia:

Art Center is particularly known for its Transportation Design (automobile) and Product Design programs. It also has notable photography, graphic design, advertising design, illustration, fine art, film, environmental design and entertainment design programs. 

Nick went to Mira Costa High School with me in Manhattan Beach, CA.

This photo was shot on a Canon 40D using two flashes, one with a red, and another with a green-colored roscolux gel on each of them. The flashes were set off wirelessly using pocket wizards and held up by Manfrotto stands.  

Don't forget to say "hey!"

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles photographer, artist, animator, writer, and musician

"Ikon of Sam" revisited: 1 yr+ art project

I've returned to working on my ongoing sculptural drawing, "Ikon of Sam,"(see above) which I've been working on for a year and a half -since January, 2008. This piece was featured in my 2008 Cal Arts thesis exhibition of the same name (see below).

After taking a break this year, and working on flash animated works -I returned to working on this piece last night! We'll see where this goes!

Don't forget to say "hey!"

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles artist, photographer, animator, writer, and musician

My photo featured on the Strobist!

I am happy to report that a photo that I took (see above) from Paso Robles Workshops is featured on the Strobist Flickr. The photo lighting workshop was hosted by Syl Arena and taught by David Hobby of the popular Strobist lighting blog. Syl Arena fed us amazing food and made our experience wonderful. Thanks again to them both! (See below, our class, photo by David Hobby.)

I thank David Hobby for posting my photo I took which has gotten me a lot of great exposure (no pun intended.) David Hobby was a really amazing teacher, and you really should check out his site Strobist if you have any interest in D-I-Y, MacGyver-like, off-camera lighting techniques. 

Don't forget to say "hey!"

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles photographer, artist, animator, writer, and musician

500 views for "I Shagged an Alien"

http://heysamgraham.blogspot.com

My flash animation "I Shagged An Alien" is up to almost 500 views on Youtube -partially thanks to me posting it on animationforum.net  -I got almost a hundred hits so far from my post there! Now I'm one step closer towards getting a better internet presence -also hopefully soon a presence in some Los Angeles art galleries or Los Angeles animation festivals. Thanks Braun for the suggestion to post on that forum! Braun studied art with me at Cal Arts. (It is ironic that while I was matriculated, I never took an animation class in the Cal Arts animation program which is world renowned.)

I know my animation may not be up to par with a lot of the animation that they have on animationforum.net, in part because I self-taught myself animation only about two months ago. In response to my post on the animation forum, "Ferx" said, 

"Not bad, like the idea. Think you need to work on character animation, to put the life note to your characters, but this animation is a good start  Keep it up."  

Thanks for your feedback, Ferx!

I am so happy that I have been able to get so much great response, especially on Youtube! "I Shagged an Alien" has almost 20 comments as of now, and I have almost 50 subscribers, so my animation can't be all that bad.

Anyhoo, if you like my art, tell your friends! Thanks again for stopping by and reading my blog!

Don't forget to say "hey!"

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles animator, photographer, artist, writer, and musician

"Lucy " | J.W. ep 4 by Los Angeles Artist, Los Angeles Animator Sam Graham

Sam Graham is a los angeles animator, photographer, artist, writer, and musician

"Water Coffin" | J.W. ep 3 by Los Angeles Artist, Los Angeles Animator Sam Graham

Sam Graham is a los angeles animator, photographer, artist, writer, and musician

Multiface 2 | By Los Angeles Artist, Los Angeles Animator Sam Graham

http://heysamgraham.blogspot.com

The latest flash animation from Los Angeles artist, animator, photographer Sam Graham entitled "Multiface 2."

The further evolution of the multiface. I used the "Rugrats" zoom out effect again, which I love. I did the soundtrack myself using Apple's garageband. I did the voices for the character, and I got the weird fluttery beepy sound off of my 80's casio putting it through a variety of weird effects on garageband. I drew and animated the whole thing in Adobe's flash. I have just recently learned flash, so I think I have made pretty decent progress. As I stated in my last video description, I came from a 2D still image background, so animation is a new step for me. I studied visual art at Cal Arts, or California Institute of the Arts, which is located in Valencia, CA. I appreciate you stopping by and checking out my newest "moving drawing."

Don't forget to say, "hey!"

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles animator, photographer, artist, writer, and musician

Follow Me On Twitter!
Check Out My Youtube Channel!
My Vimeo!
My Blip!
On Mefeedia
Multiface 2 on VodPod

Multiface | By Los Angeles Artist, Los Angeles Animator Sam Graham

http://heysamgraham.blogspot.com

The latest flash animation from Los Angeles artist, photographer, animator Sam Graham entitled "Multiface."

Watch as I use the "rugrats effect" of zooming outward from an extreme closeup of an unrecognizable object that you eventually discover what it is. My flash animation, I have just recently learned how to flash animate, so please judge my work by that standard. I did the soundtrack as well using my (I love it!) vintage casio keyboard that I got for $20 at the Salvation Army.

I envision this video as being sort of like a moving drawing. I started doing 2D art, and have since ventured into this "time-based continuum" branch of creative expression. I do drawings like this all the time, especially, as of late, this kind of person with many heads that are morphed together, aka, "multiface." So, I thought it would be interesting to animate it, people have been telling me they'd like to see my work animated for a while now, but I stubbornly resisted until recently.

This animation was created on an apple imac, one of the great inventions from Steve Jobs. You should check out this video on an iphone where it looks really cool. Check this space for more animations from Los Angeles animator/photographer. Don't forget, say "hey."

Don't forget to say, "hey!"

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles animator, photographer, artist, writer, and musician

Follow Me On Twitter!
Check Out My Youtube Channel!
My Vimeo!
My Blip!
On Mefeedia
Multiface on VodPod!

"I Shagged an Alien" | Episode Two by Los Angeles Artist, Los Angeles Animator Sam Graham

http://heysamgraham.blogspot.com

"I shagged an Alien" Episode Two of J.W. An animated series by Los Angeles animator Sam Graham

Drawn, animated, voiced, and soundtrack by Sam Graham. This was animated using adobe flash on an apple Imac computer with an intel processor. I put the animation clips together in the old Imovie HD (which is much better than the new imovie, thanks Steve Jobs! :/ )

Don't forget to say, "hey!"

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles animator, photographer, artist, writer, and musician

Follow Me On Twitter!
Check Out My Youtube Channel!
My Vimeo!
My Blip!
On Mefeedia
I Shagged an Alien on VodPod
I Shagged an Alien on Blip

Dino Meat! | Episode One by Los Angeles Artist, Los Angeles Animator Sam Graham

http://heysamgraham.blogspot.com

J.W. is an animation series by Los Angeles animator Sam Graham. This is episode one, Dino Meat. In this episode J.W., (or Jonathon Wilkinson) decides to travel back in time to satisfy a food craving. Hijinks ensue.

Drawn, animated, voiced, and soundtrack by Sam Graham. This was animated using adobe flash on an apple Imac computer with an intel processor. I put the animation clips together in the old Imovie HD (which is much better than the new imovie, thanks Steve Jobs! :/ )

Don't forget to say, "hey!"

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles animator, photographer, artist, writer, and musician

Digg this!
Follow Me On Twitter!
Check Out My Youtube Channel!
My Vimeo!
My Blip!
On Mefeedia
Dino Meat On Mefeedia!
Dino Meat On Yahoo video!
Dino Meat on Vimeo
Dino Meat on truveo
Dino Meat on Aol Video!
Dino Meat on VodPod

Monster, Man, Bug | By Los Angeles Artist, Los Angeles Animator Sam Graham

http://heysamgraham.blogspot.com

The latest flash animation from Los Angeles artist, photographer, animator Sam Graham entitled "Monster, man, bug." This is bunch of strange characters that I drew together in a scene on a hill in an unknown place. This animation was created on an apple imac, one of the great inventions from Steve Jobs. You should check out this video on an iphone where it looks really cool. Check this space for more animations from Los Angeles animator/photographer. Don't forget, say "hey."

Don't forget to say, "hey!"

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles animator, photographer, artist, writer, and musician

Digg this video!
Follow Me On Twitter!
Check Out My Youtube Channel!
My Vimeo!
My Blip!
On Mefeedia
Monster, Man, Bug on Vimeo!
Monster, Man, Bug In Al's VodPod
Monster, Man, Bug In Al's Vod 2
Monster, Man, Bug In Sam's Vod Pod

Salvation Army | by Los Angeles Artist, Los Angeles Animator Sam Graham

http://heysamgraham.blogspot.com

Los Angeles animator Sam Graham visit to the Redondo Beach Salvation army. Home to such everyday necessities as a Shaq shirt, popcorn, and a Swiffer. This video was shot on a flip mino video camera and edited on an apple imac in classic imovie hd, a program so good, they don't make it anymore.

Don't forget to say, "hey!"

-Sam

Sam Graham is a los angeles animator, photographer, artist, writer, and musician

Follow Me On Twitter!
Check Out My Youtube Channel!
My Vimeo!
My Blip!
On Mefeedia