Archive for the ‘Artwork’ Category

This is “Big Thomas”. He’s a little bunny dude that is one of the 48 illustrations in my fancy pants coloring book. If you don’t have one yet than I can only imagine how boring your nights are. Seriously, coloring will make all of your problems blow away like dust in the wind. Here’s a better look at him.

I colored him digitally using the Procreate app on the iPad, which is probably the best art making app available. It’s so much fun. Before being a black and white illustration in the world’s coolest coloring book Big Thomas started his life as a painting on wood.

I wanted to include him in the book, which meant removing all the colors and also adding some black outlines to some of the shapes. When you look at the side by side comparison you’ll see what I mean. All the polka dots and bubble/cloud border (or whatever you would like to call it) needed to be outlined or they just wouldn’t exist anymore. And they NEED to exist because polka dots and bubbles are super fun.

Check out how fancy Big Thomas looks in the printed book.

If you would like a copy for yourself (and why wouldn’t you?) or a copy to gift to your bestie (they’ll love you for it), the printed version is now available on Amazon for $16. Click here to order. Sorry, I ran out of my personal copies and I probably won’t be ordering more anytime soon. For now, Amazon is the only place you’re going to find the printed version. Let’s be honest, it’s not as if people are reselling my stuff on Ebay or Poshmark.

The book is also available as a digital PDF. Color traditionally or digitally! These days a lot of us are drawing on iPads. With this PDF version you will be able to send a page to the Procreate App and color it digitally. You can also print out the pages on your home printer and color them with crayons, pencils, or whatever drawing tool fits your fancy. The PDF is available online for $5 at vivapaso.com.

But wait, there’s more…

BONUS!!!
I have two coloring book pages available as a FREE download. You can print these out and color them traditionally or send them to your device to color digitally. Simply click on the image and you are on your way!

Here’s my digital coloring for the sharp toothed big eared character.

Thanks for taking a look! If you have any questions about the book let me know.

See ya!
– Jeff

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Not ready to leave this wonderful blog yet? Check out this totally random post from ten years ago.

Tired of reading? Watch this video of the time I accidentally painted Dwight from The Office.

Hello, Internet. I hope you’ve been well.

It’s been a long time since I posted anything here, but damnit…the inactivity is only because there are 38 other social media things to post on. Keeping up with them all is just impossible. In case you never visit my YouTube Channel I am making this post specifically so you can watch all the snazzy things I’ve uploaded over the last few months or so…or year. I mean, you could just go to the YouTube channel, but you’re already here where it’s nice and cozy, so grab yourself an ice cold sarsaparilla, sit back, and enjoy watching the paint dry. Here we go!

This first one is me painting a trucker hat.

This next one is from when I painted about 20 little 3″ x 3″ canvases last year.

Then there was that time I hand painted old paint cans.

These were not as big of hit as I was hoping. Maybe it’s just me, but I totally think that everything I make will sell within minutes of putting it on Instagram. The video goes kind of quick, so if you’d like a better look at them click here.

I made this video for 7 new paintings I released on the same day.

Drink up! Here’s a series of paintings on wine stained paper.

Here’s a quick backstory for the videos you’ve watched so far. I started 2022 off with a bang. Full of that New Year Enthusiasm I tasked myself with a very ambitious goal to release a new series or art product of some sort every 2 weeks. It was going great and the goal made me stay focused and super productive. I managed to pull off 12 of these “Art Drops”, which is to say that I made it all the way to June 22, before I stopped. During that time I only missed one drop and that can be blamed on poor planning since I was out of town for a week long vacation. I should of done mail art where I send hand drawn postcards to people from wherever I was. Anyway…the big ambitious goal came to a dead halt when I decided to make a coloring book. That was one project I could not pull off in two weeks time, so I ditched my biweekly art drops for an even bigger project. If we’re Facebook friends or you follow me on Instagram you must be sick to tears by now hearing about this darn coloring book. It’s pretty much all I’ve posted about since August 2022. Ok, moving right along. More videos!

Here I’m working on an acrylic ink piece and yes, this ended being a page in the coloring book.

Of course, you can’t forget the “Painting On Paint Swatches” thing I do from time to time.

Making some coasters.

This one is from awhile ago, but I did a new edit of the video so I could post it as a YouTube “shorts”, which, like the title of this post says, is all the rage.

Naturally, another painting on a paint swatch. This one has over 900 views on YouTube, which is super good for me there. Even better, for some crazy reason, but totally acceptable to me, is that it has over 15k views on Instagram. I guess the algorithm really liked me that day.

Remember all that talk about the coloring book? Well…

Me digitally coloring a page from the coloring book. The story with this one is that I had an unfinished painting, but I liked where it was going and wanted to put in the coloring book. Since finishing the painting would take too long I simply photographed what I had done, sent the photo to my iPad, and then drew the character digitally in black and white. After the book came out I started coloring some of the illustrations because it’s super fun and also to show people that a digital coloring book is a real thing that actually works.

This last one is a little perplexing, but also an interesting look at social media. I’m not talking about the content of the video. It’s simply me peeling a vinyl sticker off a wood panel to reveal one of my little characters. The social media BS I’m referring to is the fact that on YouTube this video has only received 29 views since it was first uploaded in January 2022 and on Instagram it currently has 9,415 views. Those numbers aren’t even close to being close. It makes zero sense to me, but if I was a social media manager or self proclaimed social media guru I would use this video as an example of why you “need” to post on multiple platforms to get your word out. Enjoy!

Hopefully that was fun for you. I know I had a good time. Until we meet again…

– Jeff

This is Brady.
He’s 5″ x 7″ – acrylic on wood. If you’d like add this 5 eyed man to your collection he is $80 and is available online at Viva Paso.

That’s the simple description. If you love reading, you are in for a treat because there are a bunch of words ahead. Of course, after reading this and getting a glimpse inside my head you might be totally turned off the idea of reading for fun. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen though. Now strap in and enjoy the ride.

We’ll call this the Random Bonus Description.
I don’t use brown often, but because it is a neutral color it always seems to create a great color combo with almost any other color you choose. I think blue and brown are great together. About the 5 eyes.

I didn’t choose 5 for any particular reason. I just thought it would be more interesting than the the typical “blockhead” paintings I make with 2 eyes.

I usually come up with the title for my paintings after I photograph them. When I get to the point where I have to save the file on my hard drive is when I decide on a title. Having a bunch of files named something like “IMG.98237” just bothers me. Anyway, I started looking up what number 5 symbolizes and what spiritual significance the number has. Turns out there is quite a bit, but the one thing that I kept seeing over and over was that number 5 is related to personal freedom, motivation, and determination. There is a lot more too, but those 3 things are what seemed to stand out the most. I tried to come up with a silly or thought provoking pun, but nothing was working, so I looked up names that mean “freedom”. Brady was on that list and that’s how it became the title for this painting. To add more random thoughts to this I thought about Gary Vee when I came up with this title because in a lot of photos he holds up his hand with his 5 fingers spread out. You can tell that it’s very intentional. The number 5 is significant to him for some reason. Maybe it’s just his favorite number. I’m not sure, but I thought it was an interesting correlation with Gary that the number is related to motivation and determination. When I started typing this and I wrote about the blue and brown color combo it reminded me that Gary V had a shoe collaboration with K-Swiss and the shoe had blue and brown stripes on it. He named the shoes “Clouds & Dirt” and the blue and brown are a pretty obvious representation of that. I don’t remember how Gary worded it, but I think it was something like the clouds represent the dream and where you want to be and the dirt is the hard work it takes to get there. All of this seems pretty random, but I like to chalk it up to synchronicity because I like the idea that things happen for a reason or that things that are seemingly random actually have a meaningful connection.

I’m not really sure what possessed me to write all of this. It sort of started because I laughed at myself about how much time I put into coming with such a simple title and I thought, “If only they knew that actual research went into this.” I thought it was funny because there is no way anybody would see “Brady” and think, “Oh yeah…doesn’t that name mean freedom and the 5 eyes represent freedom. That explains the title. Gee, that Jeff guy sure is a clever one!” I truly am not a fan of art speak. It’s a big turn off for me because I like art to be fun. If this comes off as boring pretentious art speak mumbo jumbo please know that is not the intention at all. This is more like sharing the thoughts whirling around my brain at 3:30am when I can’t sleep.

That’s it for now. Thanks for reading!
– Jeff

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Support this blog! If you have found my ramblings at all entertaining over the years and would like to treat me to a donut it would be much appreciated. While I’m working on setting up a Patreon page you can still send a little something to the virtual tip jar of your choice:
Paypal
Venmo
Thank you so much for the support! Now that I’ve closed my retail shop I’m strictly online and every little bit helps.

For more good time fun be sure to:
Watch some videos!
Follow on Instagram: @jeffclaassen

Writing this a bit late, meaning…this series dropped on March 16. Anyway…
For this drop I pulled out thee ole’ watercolors and Micron pens. I made 10 new pieces for this series. All of them are 5″ x 7″ with an abstract watercolor background and Microns for all the black lines. These are available unframed online and if you find yourself in Paso Robles, they are available framed. Sorry, I just don’t want to risk the glass breaking during shipping. Ok…on to the art!

First is a little video preview. There is a quick clip of what these look like framed, so you might want to check it out.

“Date Night”
5″ x 7″ – watercolor and ink on paper
$60 unframed – order here

“Let’s Have A Sleepover”
5″ x 7″ – watercolor and ink on paper
$60 unframed – order here

“Satisfy Me”
5″ x 7″ – watercolor and ink on paper
$60 unframed – order here

“Sprung”
5″ x 7″ – watercolor and ink on paper
$60 unframed – order here

“Garden Boy”
5″ x 7″ – watercolor and ink on paper
$60 unframed – order here
Here’s a quick time lapse of making Garden Boy.

“Brody”
5″ x 7″ – watercolor and ink on paper
$60 unframed – order here

“Bernard”
5″ x 7″ – watercolor and ink on paper
$60 unframed – order here

“Shelly”
5″ x 7″ – watercolor and ink on paper
$60 unframed – order here

“My Sassy Angel”
5″ x 7″ – watercolor and ink on paper
$60 unframed – order here

“Ego Loss”
5″ x 7″ – watercolor and ink on paper
$60 unframed – order here

And there you have it! A new series of 10 paintings. I hope you enjoyed them.

– Jeff

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If you Instagram, say what’s up @jeffclaassen.
If you YouTube, binge watch all my videos at: youtube.com/jeffclaassen
And, of course, if you want to see the artwork in person visit my shop:
Viva Paso
1628 Spring St
Paso Robles CA 93446
Open Wed-Sat, 11am-5pm

This is drop #04 for 2022. I’m trying to do these every other Wednesday. More on the details of that later, but because of poor planning and being out of town I missed the last one. Hopefully, this one is good enough to make up for the loss. Anyway…

I am very excited to have 10 new wine paintings. I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoyed making them. And now for the details.

These are all hand painted one of a kind original paintings on watercolor paper. They are 18″ x 24″ and are all signed and dated on the back. I also write the title on the back. The paper has been stained with wine and all the black lines were painted using an acrylic ink.
These are $100 each, plus $11 shipping, unframed. Sorry…shipping prices have gotten a little out of control. These will ship rolled up in a tube and will be delivered by USPS. You can also choose “in store pickup” if you’d like to come by my shop to save on shipping and pick yours up in person. If you choose in store pickup, please come during our scheduled business hours, which are Wed-Sat. – 11am-5pm.

Ok, enough talking. Let’s see some art!
If you see one you would like simply click the image to order. And remember, these are one of a kind originals, so once they’re sold they are gone forever.

Belle The Kitty – order here

Burgundy Becca – order here

Irvine The Whale – order here

Loopy Bunny – order here

One Too Many – order here

Rehab Month – order here
There’s a little bonus prize for this one. If you can figure out why I made “Rehab Month” the title for this I will send you some free art goodies. Just send me DM on Instagram with your answer: @jeffclaassen

Rosey Rosé – order here

Spencer – order here

Stella – order here

Valerie Vino – order here

And there you have it. 10 brand new wine paintings! These paintings have been my whole life the past couple of weeks. A lot of late nights listening to music and putting ink down on the paper. Thank you for taking the time to look at these. If you order one it will ship out with 24-48 hours.

Also, I’m using my Viva Paso shop for this drop because it’s a lot easier to keep track of things on there.
Thanks again!
– Jeff

I don’t know what is crazier. That I have been turning my art into stickers for over 20 years or that I have never made die cut stickers in that 20 year span. It’s no doubt that die cut adds a level of fanciness that any sticker collector can appreciate. Embracing that added fanciness I am happy to add die cut stickers to my repertoire.

To be a proper “drop” I wanted to do more than just a sticker pack, so after tossing around a couple of ideas I thought it would be fun to include a surprise one of a kind original Post-It Note drawing.

In my 20 years of selling artwork I have never offered Post-It Note drawings for sale and I’m not sure if I will again, so this might be your only chance to add one of these to your collection. The drawing will be a total surprise. I probably haven’t even made it yet, but that’s the fun part. You don’t know what the drawing will be, but I can tell you it will be black ink on a 3″ x 3″ Post-It Note. Please keep in mind, you will probably not receive one of the Post-It Notes from the example photo, but I do promise that what you receive will be the same size and done in a similar style.

This sticker/drawing pack is limited to 25.
$16 each, plus shipping.
If you’d like one of these packs please place your order HERE.

This is a list of what you will receive:

1 – “Some Bitch Stole My Lunch Money” die cut sticker, 3″ x 2.23″
1 – “Inez The Bunny” die cut sticker, 3″ x 2.73″
1 – “Puzzled Girl” die cut sticker, 3″ x 2.61″
1 – “Sketchy Pirate” sticker, 3″ diameter
1 – “Sketchy Kitty” sticker, 3″ diameter
1 – One of a kind original drawing on a Post-It note, 3″ x 3″, signed and dated on the back

All of these stickers are:
– Full color on vinyl
– High quality, scratch resistant
– Great for phone cases, water bottles, laptops, bikes, helmets, skateboards, etc.

Thank you so much for the support!

Happy sticking!
– Jeff

* In case you missed the link earlier, please CLICK HERE to place your order. Thank you!

This drop was officially on January 19, but I did the main promotion on Instagram and Facebook. With a new drop coming tomorrow I figured I better mention this Screen Print Bundle before Drop #03 just so these drops don’t get all mixed up. It feels better to keep them posted in chronological order. Ok…so, on with the goods!

2022 DROP #02 – “Responsibility Is For Losers” Bundle!

This is a brand new limited edition print. It comes with a matching pin and 3 stickers.

There are only 10 prints available, so when I say limited, I mean very limited. Each print has a one of a kind spray painted background. No two prints are the same. It’s so fun making prints like this because each one is essentially an original. They all have the same main character printed over an abstract background. To keep the edition cohesive I only used three colors: turquoise, lime green, and black.
Bundle includes:
1 – 16” x 20” limited edition screen print, signed, numbered, and dated on the back.
1 – enamel pin, 1.25” tall.
3 – full color vinyl stickers, 3” diameter
$60, plus shipping.
Available now at vivapaso.com

Number 1/10

Number 2/10

Number 3/10

Number 4/10

Number 5/10

Number 6/10

Number 7/10

Number 8/10

Number 9/10

Number 10/10

And there you have it! Thank you so much for taking a look at this new edition. If you would like to order one of these please visit: vivapaso.com

Thank you so much for the support! I hope you enjoy this new print as much as I enjoyed making them.

– Jeff

PS.
Since it’s been almost 2 weeks since this first dropped I have now made the pins and stickers available individually.
Order pins here.
Order stickers here.

Thanks again!

I spent the weekend working on a new edition of prints. It’s a very small edition of 10. The official launch time is 12pm on Jan. 19, 2022. Here is a little sneak peek at 2 of the prints.

Each print has a totally different spray painted background. It’s so fun making prints like this because each one is essentially an original. They all have the same main character printed over an abstract background. To keep the edition cohesive I only used three colors: turquoise, lime green, and black. I used stencils for some and others I did some free hand spray painting.

Here’s a quick 33 second preview to show you a little bit of the process.

This will be the second “Art Drop” for 2022 and this time around it’s going to be a bundle that all focuses on my “Responsibility Is For Losers” character. The bundle includes one limited edition print, an enamel pin, and a sticker. The pin has never been available online before. I’ve been holding onto it for awhile because I knew I wanted to do something other than just a random “check out this new pin” announcement. I just didn’t know what until this screen print idea hit me a few days ago.

This drop will be happening on the Viva Paso site. I hope you like the new edition as much as I liked making it. And please keep in mind, there are only 10, so if you see one you like get it before it’s too late.

See you tomorrow!
– Jeff

I’ve got a lot of catching up to do. I only wrote two blog posts in 2021 and those were in January. Needless to say, this blog has become a ghost town. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook got most of my online attention in 2021. If you follow me on any of those then you are probably up to date with any new artwork I made in 2021.

Here are some screen print works I made towards the end of Summer. This first one is a one of a kind original on a donut box.

“Faces In The Sky, With Donuts”
17.5″ x 23″ – acrylic and screen print ink on donut box
$100, signed and dated on the back.
To order: add to cart

I also used this same image for a small run of limited edition prints. When I say “small” I’m not kidding. I only made 6 of these in this color combo. The blue background is different on each one making each print its own unique art piece.

“Faces In The Sky”
16” x 20” – screen print ink on paper
$40, signed, numbered, and dated on front.
To order: add to cart

On the order page you’ll see a drop down menu so that you can pick the exact number/background print you would like. Also, 16″ x 20″ is a standard frame size, perfect for do-it-yourself framing, so you can avoid custom framing costs.

Here’s a video to show you part of the process of making this edition.

If you have any questions about these art pieces, let me know.

Thanks for looking!
– Jeff

First post of 2020. I’ve started the year off being as productive as possible. Before 2020 was upon us I told myself I was going to focus on making bigger paintings, but here I am making a series of 3.5″ x 7″ paintings. In my defense, I had some paintings in the works that weren’t quite finished, so I am working on those and then I really would like to make some bigger paintings this year. Anyway…for now I have one new piece to show you.

This is Ginger. She’s 3.5″ x 7″, mixed media on wood with epoxy resin coating. She’s available in my online shop or in person at Viva Paso – 1211 Pine St in downtown Paso Robles.

You know, come to think of it, I have more than one new piece to show you. I finished these next two a few weeks ago, so you might have seen them on Instagram, but if not, here ya go.

“Gilligan”
3.5″ x 7″ – mixed media on wood.
Available in my online shop.

“Mary Ann”
3.5″ x 7″ – mixed media on wood.
Available in my online shop.

Yes, I am using all the characters names from Gilligan’s Island. I have a few more to go, so be on the lookout for Lovey, Thurston, The Skipper, and The Professor.

Enjoy!
– Jeff

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What, that’s not enough for you? Fine…
follow me on the IG: @jeffclaassen.
and on TikTok: @jeffclaassen

I have been obsessed with making these little 3″ square paintings. Here’s a little video showing the newest batch.

All of these are one of a kind hand painted originals. They are 3″ x 3″ canvases and are available on my site for $30 each. Yes, the awesome little easels are included.

If for some reason watching a video makes you cringe here are photos of the paintings in all of their 3″ glory.

“Prankster” – adopt me

“Gordie” – take me home

“Denny” – let’s hang out

“Philip” – hold me

“Joel” – let’s get donuts

“Ace” – fly with me

“Teddy” – kiss me

“Chris” – let’s be friends

“Lydia” – be my roommate

“Vern” – be my roommate

And there you have it…that is what 10 mini canvas paintings look like.
Thanks for checking them out!

– Jeff

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If that wasn’t enough for you…
– I’m now on TikTok
– Follow on The Gram: @jeffclaassen

About a year ago I messed around a little with making some appropriation art. There’s something about it that doesn’t totally sit well with me, which is weird because there is a lot of appropriation art that I do like. It just makes sense that if I like some of it then I should make some of my own. Why not put my own spin on appropriating popular images? Because, let’s face it, there is a lot of questionable appropriations out there. I certainly wouldn’t be able to single handedly ruin the art form. I don’t really have to dig too deep to realize why appropriating makes me a little queasy. Simply put, it’s just low hanging fruit. There are so many artists, especially on Instagram, who seem to have made an entire career out of painting other peoples images. Some of them do it in a clever way with their own unique twist and others are straight up knock offs. The outsiders perspective (mine, at least) is that all of them are laughing all the way to the bank.

Quick interruption, shouldn’t the phrase “laughing all the way to the bank” be phasing out by now? To get with the times we need to start saying, “laughing all the way to Venmo” or “laughing all the way to Square” or “laughing all the way to PayPal”. Ok, moving on…

And it makes sense that some artists have made appropriating a career. It’s the same reason there are so many remakes/reboots in the movie industry. The path has been paved. Why risk making something new that nobody knows about and attempt to make that new thing popular? It’s so much easier to take something that is already popular with a built in fanbase and just remake that. Like I said, it makes me a little queasy, it’s low hanging fruit, and in way it sort of lacks integrity. After I drew my first appropriation piece (my take on Jiminy Cricket) it took me about three months before I posted it on Instagram. Before that I only showed it to maybe three people. The people I showed it to were supportive of it, which was nice, but I still waited awhile before posting it online for the whole internet to see. I finally got over my apprehension because I realized I’m the only one thinking this much about it, meaning nobody cares. And at the end of the day, making art is fun and if I enjoy the process of making something that’s the important part for me. If the outcome is a success that’s just a bonus. Also, what I did wasn’t a straight up knock off. I added my own style to the original source, which, in the world of appropriation art, is taking something that exists and making it your own. That’s a big difference compared to the artists out there taking something that exists and copying it. I tried my best not to do that.

I could go on and on about this topic, but I’ll stop for now and file it away for another time. Anyway, I posted this Bugs Bunny piece on Instagram back in May and all I wrote for the caption was, “What’s up, Doc?” and now I’ll expand on that. I grew up watching Bugs Bunny. I know a lot of people my age did, but I was really into it. I even had that Looney Toons book with the real life animation cell in it. That totally fascinated me. I had no idea how cartoons were made and when I saw that animation cell in the book it was pretty mind blowing. What I’m trying to say is that I chose Bugs Bunny to appropriate because he really meant a lot to me and I’ve been a true Bugs fan for as long as I can remember. This wasn’t just a mindless decision based on the fact that Bugs Bunny is popular.

I have yet to make an actual painting appropriating a popular character from our culture and I’m not sure if or when I will. For now, since I’m sticking to the digital realm with my appropriation art, I thought it would be fun to throw the characters into my own photos. Here’s the original photo that I used for the Bugs Bunny piece.

I took this photo in the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park earlier this year. It might seem random, but to me it makes perfect sense for Bugs Bunny.

I’m curious what your thoughts are about appropriation art. Not just mine, but the art form in general. Let me know.

Hope you had a fantastic weekend.

– Jeff

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Want to see more?
Check out Jiminy Cricket. I chose him as my first one because he’s not only a cool looking character, but the shape of his head was perfect for the faces I paint.
And also Fred Flinstone. I chose him because I watched the Flinstones when I was a kid and I mistakenly thought Fred’s head was also the perfect shape for the faces I paint. It turned out super ugly, so I hope you get a good laugh at it.