the name of this blog is stephen

Recycle Your Plastics!

2011-09-25T23:31:00.000-05:00

The company I recently began working for makes plastic things. A lot of plastic things. You probably don't realize how often you are using their plastic things... which means that's a LOT of plastic. Unfortunately, until very recently, it was un-recyclable plastic... NOT ANYMORE!

Now all those plastic things can be shipped to Florida and turned into plastic railroad ties... so not only is that plastic not going into landfills, it's slowly rebuilding our decaying rail system! Two birds with one stone! BAM!

I was able to make some fun posters and tradeshow banners announcing all this.

Giacomo Fiore - Colors

2011-09-24T11:11:00.000-05:00

Last spring I designed a cd jacket for a classical guitarist named Giacomo Fiore. I just happened to acquire a copy of it. If you're a modern classical guitar fan you should most definitely purchase a copy. If you're not a modern classical guitar fan, you should buy a copy anyways and support the arts. DO IT!

You can find & purchase Giacomo's releases to date here.

This Weekend: FLOTZILLA(s) at OhNo!Doom

2011-06-02T19:43:00.005-05:00

This weekend (6/4/2011) boasts the opening of a new group show at OhNo!Doom gallery in Chicago, featuring some face-melting metal inspired artwork by locally and nationally known artists! The show is aptly titled "Friends of the Beast", and will include some work by yours truly.

All who enjoy art and/or heavy metal or who just happen to live in the Chicagoland area are encouraged to attend! DO IT!

Update: The original framed artwork, along with a lot more artwork, is available for purchase from OhNo!Doom's e-store until the end of this month. Support the arts!

Out-O-The Woodwork Group Show

2011-02-06T02:12:00.008-06:00

Hello friends and followers! As some may have heard through the grapevine this past week, I am presently displaying two paintings at a marvelous little gallery known as OhNo!Doom in Chicago this month.

If you can't make it to the show, you can see the pieces a bit larger here on my blog, or here in OhNo!Doom's web shop.

I hope you like what you see.

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall."

2010-11-08T22:01:00.006-06:00

There are some new arrivals in S.(Rollick)Mart... Some original watercolors as a matter of fact. Check em out!

Hipster + Sandwich

2010-09-15T23:01:00.003-05:00

I painted this a couple months ago after watching a dirty hipster eating a sloppy sandwich. I felt it was just too funny not to post, so I present to you a quick painting that I simply call "Hot Mess".

Update: Prints of this piece are now available on Etsy.

Shop smart. Shop s.rollick.

2010-09-07T19:54:00.003-05:00

Back in February, I mentioned that I was setting up a place on the web to sell my wares. Well my idle threats have finally become reality, and you can find prints and original pieces for sale in my new store! Don't forget to bookmark, or just click on the button to the right of this entry --> whenever you're checking out what's new in the world of Stephen Rollick.

Inventory is somewhat limited at this moment, but originals and new prints will be arriving from time to time. Bear with me.

Hangzhou Sunset

2010-09-05T11:30:00.003-05:00

About a month ago, my lady friend Nikki moved to China. Her going away present was a watercolor of the sun rising over Uptown.

This project was a two part project though, and Nikki's end of the bargain was to find a photo of the sunset in China (since she is a fledgling photographer) and send it to me so I could make my own version of it. I am pleased to say that part 2 is finished, and now I finally have something to hang on the walls of my own apartment!

Nikki has a blog of her travels and some of the breathtaking scenery in China here.

Uptown Sunrise...

2010-07-29T22:15:00.004-05:00

As explained in the title of this post, this is a quick watercolor of a sunrise over good old Uptown (represent!). My lady friend, a lifelong Chicagoan, is moving to China next week and will be taking a little bit of the windy city to China with her, since paintings are easy to roll up and get through customs and are waaaaaaay cooler than photos to hang on the blank walls of one's apartment. This is only part 1 of a two part project though, so keep your eyes peeled for part 2!

Birds in the city

2010-07-07T22:55:00.005-05:00

Its been quite some time since anything new has gone up here... my apologies. Despite the fact that I've been working like a mad man lately, this is the first painting I can freely distribute at this point in time. As some of you know, I've been quite busy working on a somewhat enormous project which I hope will see the light of day later this year. So in the mean time, I've completed my first large scale watercolor in over a year, since wedding season is upon us and I am too poor to afford presents. I hope you like what you see, and I hope the recipient doesn't read this before this weekend. Stay tuned!

GicleePrints Update...

2009-12-14T10:50:00.005-06:00

Update: The aforementioned prints have arrived, presently available for $30. Prints are 20.75"w x 10.5"h with a 2" border on each side and look pretty damn nice in frames! Drop me an email if you or anyone you know may be interested. Order now before they end up in my etsy store (presently in development...) and have to become more expensive!

12/14/2009: I will be having prints made of the moldy oldy you see above, sized 20"x 10", priced $30, available for 2010. Contact me if you're interested!

Nietzsche—finished

2009-11-09T00:50:00.002-06:00

After messing around with this for about 3 months, I believe this portrait is finally finished. I chose Nietzsche as a subject for several reasons: 1.) I recently have read several of his books, 2.)I have yet to see anyone paint a portrait of him in a pose other than the few photos of him that are in existence, 3.) that moustache of his is badass, and 4.) agree with him or not, the man changed the way the world thought merely by writing the three words you see above. An influential character, no matter what your beliefs may be.

See previous posts for more information about the process involved in its creation.

Nietzsche update...

2009-11-06T09:50:00.002-06:00

Nietzsche, thus far. Palette knives are the name of the game.

Its New Project Update Time

2009-10-13T11:38:00.001-05:00

I have been working on a portrait of Friedrich Nietzsche. I decided to put up the sketch I've been working with since I haven't posted anything in a while, in case you the reader has been curious. Its a bit more abstract in terms of shape than most of the work I've done recently, but I think that perhaps a more abstracted figure will allow me a little more freedom to work with, as well as more freedom for the viewer to interpret what they are looking at. I welcome feedback, and will be posting more as the project progresses.

The Bad

2009-09-13T10:36:00.004-05:00

After weeks, (7 to be exact, lots of breaks though) of painting this series, I am proud to present the final part: The Bad, (a.k.a. "Angel Eyes" or Lee van Cleef). Not to worry though, I will be hitting the ground running once again and getting some new paintings ready to hit the web.

Lemme know what you think!

Coffee again...

2009-09-11T10:06:00.004-05:00

Last month, I put together a comp of an idea I had for a redesign of a local coffee roaster's bags and cups. Unfortunately, they didn't go for it. However, I feel that after doing that much work, I should at least get a portfolio piece out of it so here it is. This is also presently appearing on my portfolio site.

The Ugly...

2009-08-22T10:55:00.004-05:00

After a week off, and about two weeks putting this guy together, I am pleased to announce my portrait series is 2/3 finished. Second up: The Ugly(also known as Tuco, or Eli Wallach to those who actually follow his career...)

The Good...

2009-07-31T08:42:00.008-05:00

I have been planning/sketching/talking about doing a portrait series of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly for several weeks now. Yesterday the talk began to become a reality. First up: The Good (also known as Clint Eastwood to some). Keep an eye out for parts 2 and 3!

Lights, Camera, Projection!

2009-07-30T10:08:00.002-05:00

Last week I bought an opaque projector on eBay. It came yesterday. Already I find myself thinking "how does one live without one of these?"

A Subject Close to My Heart: Coffee

2009-07-28T05:53:00.003-05:00

My good friend Roberto recently acquired one of these things that you can take out the paper insert and put in your own artwork. Pretty nifty little things, I remember making one for my mother for mothers' day when I was about 6, before there was Starbucks.

In any case, this involved the super-glossy paper that came inside the mug, one of these, a Bic pen, and a 10 minute time limit. This is the result. A portrait of a strung out Roberto, drinking coffee that has attracted flies(Starbucks coffee? What?).

I love artsy fartsy challenges.

Design Samples?

2009-07-14T18:20:00.004-05:00

In my pursuit of obtaining a job I've been portfolio building. I actually dug out some old design school projects and took photos, retouched the photos(since I am not so great at taking photos...) and made space for them on my portfolio site.

The first photo is a real moldy oldie. It's a book on Erik Spiekermann done for my intro to typography class. The second picture is of a biographical book about the Death of Bruce Lee. See my portfolio site for a full explanation.

This takes some explanation...

2009-07-01T10:09:00.000-05:00

I've been passively working on this for several months. It takes some explanation...

I was taking a photography class last fall and was taking photos in the KSU Library, somewhere around the 9th floor. Crawling around looking for a shot, I noticed dozens of flies laying on the ground... not dead, just laying there. It was one of the strangest things I've seen.

Cats Everywhere

2009-07-01T00:45:00.000-05:00

I made a quick painting recently of a friend's cat. I also did a lot of quick studies. If there was ever a class about drawing things that aren't creepy to look at, I think I missed it. Here are a few examples, just because I feel like this blog needs some pictures.

Welcome one, welcome all.

2009-06-30T22:57:00.000-05:00

Hello to anyone who has stumbled upon my new blog. I've created this for several reasons...

1.) for anyone who isn't my friend on FB, you're missing a lot of things i put on the internet for people to potentially steal (this works out though, since i get either exposure from copyright infringement distribution or money from copyright infringement lawsuits.)...

2.) since I pretty much have all the space in the world on here, I can put pretty much anything i can think of on this space. Hope you like sketchy sloppy messes...

3.) posting shit on here is waaaaaay easier than actually making web pages for my personal site.

So as you can see, I seem to have thought of everything. Tell your friends.