Los Angeles Artist Sam Graham

New Website

2011-10-25T14:52:00.000-07:00

The Website Has Moved!

Check out the New Website: Museum of Sam

hi son

2011-09-26T15:04:00.001-07:00

‎"Trumpet Face" 18" x 24" Acrylic on Canvas.

2011-01-08T22:48:00.000-08:00

Click to enlarge:

sketch for painting (in progress)

2010-12-08T15:04:00.000-08:00

click to enlarge:

"Four in One" Acrylic on Canvas 18" by 24"

2010-12-02T21:55:00.000-08:00

Click to enlarge:

Sketch for a painting...

2010-11-06T23:13:00.001-07:00

Click to enlarge:

"Meeting" 18" x 24" Acrylic on panel

2010-10-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

click on image to enlarge

"Greeting"

2010-08-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

Acrylic and mixed media on panel, 8" x 10"

Click to enlarge:

Lanterns of Sorrow

2010-07-31T14:55:00.000-07:00

I made a promotional poster /collage

for the art collective "Lanterns of Sorrow"

You can check it out here.

Click to enlarge:

Update

2010-06-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

I am still plugging away on these paintings...
No promises on when I will post one, I want to take my time with these ;)

I hope to at least post another sketchbook image (or two) soon! I feel these can definitely give insight into my process.

Thanks for checking in!

-Sam

Sketchbook Image:

2010-05-26T00:16:00.000-07:00

Here is an image from my sketchbook from March-May 2010

Click on the image to enlarge:

Enjoy!

Sam

Sketchbook images to come...

2010-05-25T01:46:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted any art in a while... I am working on some images and they are going to take a little time -but I will post some more drawings from my sketchbook when I get a chance ;)

For those of you who don't know, I always carry a small black notebook with me to sketch ideas for designs of creatures. I try to push myself continually to come up with unique ways of depicting faces and bodies -to express strange psychological states.

The sketchbook is an important learning place for me to stretch and reinvent my visual/anatomical "vocabulary" and is essential asset to my art-making.

"Whiskers" in Cannibal Flower show in LA

2010-05-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

I hung "Whiskers" (see below) in "Cannibal Flower's" group show: tonight in downtown LA. Here are the details: http://bit.ly/bEldkT

(click to enlarge:)

8" x 10" mixed media

My Joshua Petker Opening Photos from Corey Helford Gallery: Juxtapoz Magazine online

2010-05-10T13:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks again to Mr. Petker and friends for posing for these pictures.

Thanks also to Jan and Bruce Helford, Angelique Groh and Katie Zuppann

Click on the image below to visit the gallery featured on Juxtapoz Magazine online:

"Whiskers"

2010-05-05T23:09:00.000-07:00

8" x 10" Mixed Media on Panel

(Click to enlarge:)

"Mask"

2010-04-25T21:17:00.000-07:00

Mixed media on paper, 5" x 8"

Click to enlarge:

I'm in a Group Show: May 1st, The Hive Gallery, LA

2010-04-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

If you liked my piece "Television Eyes" (see below)

you're invited see it in person at The Hive Gallery

next Saturday May 1st in downtown LA.

Here's a link to the show announcement

My photos I took at the Lola opening at Corey Helford Gallery

2010-04-17T01:49:00.000-07:00

Click here to see:

"Electricity Brain"

2010-04-07T00:54:00.001-07:00

Acrylic on Canvas, 9" x 12"

Click to enlarge:

"Television Eyes"

2010-04-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

Acrylic on Canvas, 9" x 12"

Click to enlarge:

Preview of Sketchbook Page

2010-04-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a peek into one of my sketchbooks,

a current one I began in March 2010.

Enjoy!

Sam

"Saucer Eyes" Acrylic on Canvas, 9 x 12"

2010-03-28T02:14:00.001-07:00

[SOLD]

Click for larger:

"Head Humps" Acrylic on Canvas 10x12

2010-03-28T02:12:00.000-07:00

Click for larger

"Manifest Equality" video for Juxtapoz

2010-03-08T21:45:00.000-08:00

I shot a video tour (2min) of the "Manifest Equality" art opening gala event in LA for the Juxtapoz online blog.

Click here to see it featured on Juxtapoz.com:

http://tinyurl.com/yabqfjb

Heres the video, itself:

AORTA SHOWS AT HIVE GALLERY

2010-02-17T23:38:00.000-08:00

AORTA VI is now accepted at the HIVE GALLERY!! WOOT! --- We will be exhibiting our "Alice in Wonderland" piece there on March 6th. More information to come once the Hive posts their show announcement! ....WOOT!

My new graphic design!

2010-02-14T00:17:00.001-08:00

New graphic design I did for my art collective Aorta VI

My photos of Mararian Opening on Juxtapoz Website

2010-02-10T16:47:00.000-08:00

Check out the opening night Photos

On the Juxtapoz Magazine website

I took for the Michael Mararian and Miso show

at Corey Helford Gallery:

Here they are

Fourth Magazine Mentions My Art

2010-02-03T15:26:00.000-08:00

Fourth Art and Culture magazine mentions me in their coverage of The Hive visionary art show "Bee Here Now" in downtown LA. I am in the pictures as well.

"The only artist I have the pleasure of meeting tonight is Sam Graham, an emerging artist who strives to capture spiritual themes in pieces like “Trimorphic Head.” The painting portrays a colorful four eyed creature made from wax, pastel and acrylic."

Click here to see the article.

I'm in "Cannibal Flower" Jan 30th

2010-01-15T16:04:00.000-08:00

I have a piece in this "Brian Robertson" show put on by "Cannibal Flower" on Jan 30th in downtown LA. It's from 9pm-1am You have to pay $ but I think only $6 if you wear a costume of some sort. Includes Dj, live performance, and live painting!

I will be showing this piece:

(click to enlarge)

"Mandala of Heads," color pencil, 18x24"

I am in "Bee Here Now" Group show at "The HIVE"

2010-01-03T02:33:00.000-08:00

I am going to be in this Art Show at "The Hive Gallery"

in downtown LA entitled, "Bee Here Now,"

a visionary art themed show.

--- Come check it out!!

I am going to have my piece: trimorphic head showing there:

"Headless"

2009-12-21T13:33:00.001-08:00

Click to enlarge:

Mixed Media, 18 x 24 inches

"Ecstatic Head"

2009-12-21T13:28:00.001-08:00

Click to enlarge:

acrylic, 30 x 78 inches

"Peak Experience"

2009-12-21T13:25:00.001-08:00

Click to enlarge:

wax pastel, 14 x 16 inches

Mandala of Heads

2009-12-21T13:21:00.001-08:00

Click to enlarge:

color pencil, 18 x 24 inches

New piece! "Head Train"

2009-12-21T13:15:00.000-08:00

Click to enlarge:

9x12 inches, wax pastel on canvas paper

Sketch

2009-12-12T22:54:00.001-08:00

Click to enlarge:

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

Trimorphic Head

2009-12-11T23:48:00.000-08:00

click to enlarge:

New piece..."Trimorphic Head"...wax pastel and paint on canvas...9x12"

"Pregnant Fetish" web comic by Sam Graham

2009-12-09T22:27:00.001-08:00

click to enlarge:

digital

12/9/09

"Meditation Nation" web comic by Sam Graham

2009-12-08T22:36:00.001-08:00

Click to enlarge:

new web comic
12/8/09
digital

"Comic Man" web comic by Sam Graham

2009-12-07T13:41:00.001-08:00

click to enlarge:

New web comic

12/17/09

digital

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

2009-12-04T21:51:00.001-08:00

Click to Enlarge:

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

"Brain Bird" by Sam Graham

2009-12-04T07:50:00.001-08:00

Click to enlarge:

Brain Bird. New Comic by Sam Graham.

Digital

12/3/09

"Gasoline Eyes" web comic by Sam Graham

2009-12-01T21:35:00.001-08:00

New web comic by Sam Graham.

See more comics at

http://heysamgraham.blogspot.com

December 1, 2009
digital

"The Beatles Bird" new web comic

2009-11-30T12:47:00.001-08:00

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

2009-11-27T09:36:00.001-08:00

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

2009-11-25T20:31:00.001-08:00

Click to enlarge:

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

2009-11-24T16:58:00.001-08:00

Click to enlarge:

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

2009-11-23T15:56:00.001-08:00

Click to enlarge:

New comic "Real Life Mario"

2009-11-20T22:19:00.001-08:00

Click to enlarge:

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

Nov 20, 2009

The IBM Cat Droid

2009-11-19T19:51:00.001-08:00

Click to enlarge:

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

2009-11-18T21:49:00.001-08:00

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"

2009-11-17T21:44:00.001-08:00

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"

2009-11-17T01:08:00.001-08:00

Click picture to enlarge!

New Comic I made at Whole Foods!

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

2009-11-06T06:17:00.000-08:00

"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.

Sam Graham on "The Tonight Show"

2009-10-30T20:52:00.001-07:00

(I'm the guy in the blue hat.)

Excerpt from poem

2009-10-22T11:32:00.001-07:00

Deified entities spin out of the sky,

falling to earth like asteroids

blowing up cities

fear and flame overtake the earth

Our eyes explode into maelstroms

ladders twist upward into space

gods and planets weaving around them

whirling like lightning.

(An Animated) Meditation on the Absolute

2009-10-13T16:17:00.001-07:00

This is a digital painting that I did in photoshop and then animated it. I created the music as well.

I am interested in meditation as well as putting the viewer in a meditation while watching, hopefully to put them in touch with a "spiritual" part of themselves which is something I am interested in investigating -I don't necessarily say it's definitely true. But perhaps my art/animation takes one to that place or illustrates it, and may (or may not) make the case for whether it's possible or not.

I am interested in creating figures that illustrate a "larger than life" or powerful energy source as emanating from them -or perhaps that they are experiencing within themselves. This, all in an effort, to explore aspects of a "spiritual" part of ourselves and whether it is possible or a part of our identities.

I am much more apt to suppose that if there were an "absolute consciousness" or "entity" that existed in the universe, that it/he/she would be part of our identity (and vice versa), but not separate from it.

I am interested in investigating how our identities may interlock with this "consciousness," -if said consciousness exists. I try to be as un-dogmatic as possible about my ideas and thoughts, which is why I like art, because it is more of a "show" and less of a "tell" type of experience.

The figure on the right is not hanging from a rope as someone supposed, but that is the line representing the corner of the room.

So those are my interests in general and behind this piece. I don't want to say too specifically what I was going for with this piece because I would hate to "tell" you what to think. I will say that with this video I am much less interested in creating a narrative in the traditional sense as I am in creating a psychological mood or ambience.

Contact

2009-10-11T13:52:00.000-07:00

Snazzysam@gmail.com

New Poem: "Labyrinthine Heads"

2009-10-01T12:43:00.000-07:00

Labyrinthine Heads
by Sam Graham

A skeleton dangles from a hanger
down the hall a young boy cries for his mother
and crawls on red carpet.

in a maze of corridors
separated by doors

A young man wandering through
lets his fingers trail along the shadowy walls,
glide over the rough pink paint.
A tuba bleats as he rounds the corner:

There stands a darkened shadowy figure
staring at him in a wavering cloud
-instantaneously red thought-beams pulse out at him from the figure
like lasers.

He wakes up under thick pounds of embroidered covers
in a hot sweat
His hand reaches out and grabs at nothing in the air.

His cool eyes are bloodshot.
With a haze of green seeming to float over them.

In the other room, a pink kitchen (which the sounds emanating from it indicate)
are noises of pots clanging, a stove-top burning, the shuffling of feet, a refrigerator door opening and closing, lids being removed from jars and put back on again, and things being put down on a tile counter

Back in his room, fan blades swish through the air, high above his bed.
Now they seem lower: cutting into his head.

“Bread. Bread!” he says.
“What’s that, Dear?” says a voice from the kitchen.
“I need bread!”
“Here you go, honey” she walks into the room with a bowl of hot bread, steam rising off of it.
“Do you want to have sex now?”
“Oh! Would I ever! -Eat your bread! I thought you wanted it.”
“You’re an empath. You didn’t even hear me when I asked for bread, but you brought it to me already hot.”
“I know, my dear. Your thoughts fly into my head like a honey bee brings pollen to a hive.”
“Aren’t you sweet.”
“Comb your hair, dear.”
“When I get up, I will. When I go out. This door. -Take off your bra.”
“Do you want to grope me?”
“I always want to grope you.”
“With your hands?”
“Yes: I want to wash them.”
“Why is that?”
“Because they are supple, I want to see them glisten.”
“In the sun?”
“Under multiple light sources.”
“What a fun idea. You must be very bright.”
“I like to think so. Perhaps I’m enlightened.”
“That’s why I married you.”
“Why?”
“When I first saw you, there was a halo around you. Then I said to myself, ‘this must be the man I will spend the rest of my day with.’ And here we are now, and it’s already 12 o’clock!”
“Well, despite what they say, miracles really do happen!”

“Yellow consequences...yellow, green, and gold -consequences...”
“I don’t follow.”
“When you read to me aloud from your workbook, you showed me a whole new side of yourself.”
“Back on the homestead?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, those were writings from when I was little. Because I wrote them when I was little.”
“I figured as much.”
“Grey horned owls, gooses, ganders, lovebirds, tortoises, gilded parakeet, frothing antler horns, mangy dog-ear necklaces, and tulip grins. These were the objects of my youth.”
“Fancy that.”
“Yes, fancy that. Can you imagine me playing in the bushes all the time, my hands tied behind my back, the young boy across the street playing hooky, and watching me rot.”
“His name was...?”
“James. He had a wicked grin on his face all the time. His blood had a high nickel content.”
“Probably from drinking all of those orange peels.”
“He really liked the bitter part of the fruit.”
“Everyone enjoys a different aspect of nature.”

“I love you, don’t you know that?”
“I’ve always known that. Ever since I was a little girl, I heard your voice calling to me like a trumpet from the forest, behind bushes, out of the water hose...”
“I was always great to you, wasn’t I?”
“The greatest! I can’t tell you how many times I cried over you, cried that I didn’t know you yet.”
“How crass. That this world would throw us apart for so many years, even though we already knew each other. How could such cruelty exist?”
“Cruelty is the nature of this place. Cruel and hard. Our bare feet step on nothing but rocks. We slip on slime and crack our skulls on them. Our bones and our backs break. Our torment is never-ceasing. Our solace is each other.”

“When the earth breathes, I hear you screaming. You yell my name from your dirty corner. The red syllables stretch out of your mouth and crash down into mine, filling my mouth with your blood. I swallow your cries and feel them crashing against my chest. Cymbals and timpanis.”
“This world is grey. Grey-eyed and densely packed with nutrients. Our families have long lost us. We are mortal fairies stuck on this island to die and try to procreate.”
“Our descendants will curse us for creating them. They would have rather been mute, incalculable, dust. Unconscious as earth.”
“Their cries reach us now, although they haven’t been birthed yet.”
“We must do something to stop their pain. They far outnumber us. The sky blackens with their tears.”
“Orange fetal dust, crumbling out of a meteor, glistening with silver satin, gristle dripping off and staining a very white carpet.”
“In this new apartment building, everything must go/grow.”

“Naked men in tractors bulldozing us.”
“Their masculinity drops like a thermometer in the cold.”
“Insincere doubt.”
“Leftover pain.”
“Cretins tossing and turning in a frying pan.”
“Their flat-handed gloves are talcum powdered. They’re older, and treatment injected into their veins.”
“Veterinarians could have never been so proud of us. We single-handedly solved the crisis facing the dog and cat litters endangered in the streets. Their flesh hangs loosely off of their faces. Their yells can be heard echoing off of the flat brick walls and out into the sea. Our faces are covered in crust and cornmeal.”
“Bed time for us, but we must detach ourselves from each other so that we can resume our separate lives and account for our missteps along the way.”
“There is a bad dragon in our midst and we must fight it or we will perish along with our hosts.”
“Okay. We will leave then. Leave for the city-town.”

Facebook "graffiti" drawing # 3

2009-09-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

"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!

2009-09-19T01:56:00.000-07:00

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

Video of My Large Painting

2009-09-16T03:21:00.000-07:00

I filmed this pretty impromptu, because that is all I have time to do right now, but it will give you an idea of the scale of this painting which I actually painted last year, but just felt the need to film it so I could just get it out there so people could see it already.

Enjoy,

Sam

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

Facebook "graffiti" drawing # 2

2009-09-16T03:08:00.000-07:00

"Painting" using the facebook "graffiti" application:

Wanted to find an accessible way to share my art

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

(and also because I can do that!)

Facebook "graffiti" drawing # 1

2009-09-16T02:17:00.000-07:00

"Painting" using the facebook "graffiti" application:

Wanted to find an accessible way to share my art

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

(and also because I can do that!)

Spiral Piece

2009-08-27T01:45:00.000-07:00

Finished a spiral-face piece. It's really cool, at least I think so. People have seemed to like it a lot. It is incorporating some more of the connected-face motif I've been doing for a while now. I am currently in the process of photographing it. It is a little difficult which is why it is taking me so long to do. Be patient, and keep checking back.

Thanks again!

Sam

P.S.

In the meanwhile, you can check out some of the links on the left, if you haven't already, which are archived creative works I've done over the past year or so. Or you can check out "Aorta VI's" flickr. "Aorta VI" is an artist collective that I'm in - it basically has a bunch of art that I collaborated on. Be careful, there may be some adult content. Also, we're just getting started, so some of the art work is a little rough. Enjoy!

Existence as Punctuation Marks

2009-08-24T13:50:00.001-07:00

Is the nature of existence a period or a question mark? -or an exclamation point with the top bent out of shape?

The Animistic/Monistic Universe Entity

2009-08-22T02:15:00.000-07:00

Animism: everything is conscious. Monism: all is one. Put together would this mean everything is an entity?

Univerpsyche

2009-08-05T04:03:00.000-07:00

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

Simultaneous time

2009-08-05T03:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-02T12:10:00.001-07:00

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

2009-07-29T04:02:00.001-07:00

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...

2009-07-15T00:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-11T02:56:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-19T19:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-16T00:23:00.001-07:00

(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

2009-06-07T00:43:00.000-07:00

(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

2009-06-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

(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"

2009-05-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

(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"

2009-05-26T10:56:00.000-07:00

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"

2009-05-26T00:22:00.000-07:00

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"

2009-05-24T23:40:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to say, "hey"

-Sam

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

New (old) drawing! "Cupcake"

2009-05-21T12:22:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-18T13:41:00.001-07:00

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"

2009-05-15T21:16:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-12T01:53:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-10T23:31:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-08T14:25:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-05-06T15:02:00.000-07:00

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"

2009-05-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-24T18:10:00.001-07:00

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

2009-04-19T10:53:00.001-07:00

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

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

2009-04-07T17:47:00.000-07:00

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

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Multiface 2 on VodPod

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

2009-04-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-25T03:30:00.000-07:00

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!
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My Blip!
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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

2009-03-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

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

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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

2009-03-17T17:28:00.001-07:00

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

2009-03-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

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