For a measly $60, you can now buy a limited edition Blaine Fontana “Fernwood Keeper” print. Limited to 250 copies, this signed and numbered giclee print is a fashionable square size of 24″ x 24″. It’s size, striking colors, and dramatic composition make it a perfect piece to make an impact on any wall.

Go to his store — http://www.blainefontana.com/storefront.html — ALL DAY today and get 20% off all prints, with the exception of a couple of pieces. It’s a good deal.

www.blainefontana.com
www.blainefontana.com/storefront.html

On a recent trip to Peru, I was keeping my eyes peeled for contemporary Peruvian art, and was lucky enough to stumble across Mullu, a boutique and art gallery in the towns of Cusco and Pisac. One particular artist, Eugenia Werner Muñoz, had some work showing at two of the Pisac shops and, I later found out, also designs most of the clothing found at the shop. Her newest series of works, pictured above, blend contemporary pop art with traditional Peruvian elements, including the local currency and women wearing traditional native dress. In a place like Peru, where traditional art and elaborate textiles seem to hold precedence over contemporary art, coming across the work of Muñoz and of Mullu was an exciting treat.

If you’re ever in Peru, they have two locations in Pisac and one in Cusco, and the Plaza De Armas branch in Pisac offers some very tasty food.

www.mullu.com.pe

Once upon a time, there lived a Redefine blog reader who had nothing to do.
Skipping rope and Freeze Tag were tasks far too complex for this reader to comprehend, much less attempt, for Reader’s ass was glued to a chair and Reader’s eyes glued to a screen.

“Oh, how I wish I could see the outside world,” Reader wept. “To do something other than sit and check my email is only but a dream…”

Suddenly, an alien-esque subject appeared before Reader’s eyes. Her hands, large and bold, were not at all threatening due to her eyes being closed in prayer. Or maybe her serenity was just a natural reflection of what surrounded her, dream-like sequences of untold places and colorful landscapes.

“Remove yourself from that chair, fair Reader,” she beckoned, “and visit Subliminal Projects next Saturday to see the new works of the ever-so talented Sam Flores. He will surely break this sorry curse you find yourself in every weekend.”

Reader Obeyed, realizing that this was where he was going to get his happily ever after.
And by jove, he is right.

www.samflores.com
www.subliminalprojects.com

(Photo courtesy of SlightlyNorth on Flickr)

If you’ve been to the U-District in Seattle lately, you’ve probably seen a building covered with all sorts of graffiti on the corner of Roosevelt Ave. and 50th Ave. This is the handiwork of Seattle’s art collective, The Free Sheep Foundation, and dozens of Seattle artists, including Kinoko, No Touching Ground, Baldman, Ego, Shade, Angel 179, Boz, and Weirdo (just to name a few).

The TUBS Memorial Mural Project is a project that temporarily affixes art to a building that is slated to be demolished. Here’s a beautiful statement of purpose from the Free Sheep Foundation itself:

Currently on view, Free Sheep Foundation is proud to host an exhibition memorializing the forthcoming demolition of the former TUBS building in Seattle’s U-District. Highlighting graffiti-style murals by over 20 artists (please scroll down for list of artists) and window installations, FSF would like to invite the public to view this artistic intervention with the same heart as viewing cherry blossoms in Spring. This temporary project is meant to serve as a beautiful display of color in the waning days of a building’s demise, as well as a re-interpretation of site and celebration of the City. In partnership with the property owners, we offer this gift to the neighborhood and the world, embracing our rapidly transforming urban landscape.

Historical records of the site are available since 1905, when it was developed as a residence and small commercial space. In 1923, the building was redeveloped as a grocery store, eventually becoming the Big Bear Store, then the Lucky Store, and in the early ’60’s, the P&C Serve U Grocery. During this time, the site was also shared by a car dealership. In the mid-70’s, the building became renovated and housed The District Tavern (one of the earliest rock music venues in Seattle) and Fotomat Drive-thru. In 1982, TUBS took over the building as its most recent tenant-to-date; operating a spa with rental rooms of hot tubs and saunas, and offering tanning and massage services. Soon the site will be developed into a 60 unit apartment building with ground floor retail.

Free Sheep Foundation thanks Handsome Murals, Art Primo, and University Volkswagen/Audi for their generous support, without which this project would not be possible.

King 5 News also did a recent segment on this project, which can be viewed as a negative view on the work of artists who have donated their time and energy to this project. You can view it here.

Head on over to the U-District on April 26th from 2:00pm to 6:00pm for what is bound to be an amazing, amazing art opening which will never be repeated again.

www.freesheepfree.org
www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_031909WAB-seattle-graffiti-increase-SW.501509ed.html?btm

Currently showing the above piece, Vacation, at the Bold Hype in Orlando, Florida, Ken Garduno is an artist who caught my attention with his great line art and unique illustration style. His characters are contorted, full of whimsy, and scarcely adhering to the rules of the physical world as we know it, creating starkly memorable figures who pay slight homage to surrealism.

www.boldhype.net
www.kengarduno.com

Photographer Lydia Panas will have an opening at Seattle’s Wall Space Gallery starting April 26th! The exhibit will show off some pieces from her Garden Series, with a piece pictured above. Panas’ works center around the lives of her family, friends, and acquaintances; she intends to capture humanity and emotion through her works, and it shows.

www.lydiapanas.com
www.wallspaceseattle.com

Talk about an awesome idea for a website, and a perfect thing art/music hybrid project for Redefine to cover: PAINTMYALBUM.NET!

Diarmuid and Anthony, who have a passion (if one can call it that) for redoing classic album covers using Microsoft Paint, are now challenging you to help them reach their goal of redoing 2,000 covers by December 23rd, 2009. The album covers range from completely ridiculous (such as Michael Jackson’s Bad, above) to fairly impressive (such as a rendition of a Flight of the Concords’ disc). Art styles of all types are absolutely welcome, and this duo has their eyes on the prize. Be a good person. Help them fulfill their completely juvenile yet fantastic dream.

Send your album covers to paintmyalbum@gmail.com!

www.paintmyalbum.net

Austin’s Hideout is an improv comedy club, concert venue, art gallery, and coffee shop all in one. A recent stint in this all-in-one haven led me to the eye-catching works of Hope Perkins, who, in this particular case, morbid curiosity and neon colors transform the taxidermied heads of animals into cleverly-named, slightly strange works of art. Truly awesome.

www.hideouttheatre.com
www.hotpinkpistol.com