05/SEP/24
Well, I never been to Spain, but I… NOPE!!!
Not gonna channel my inner Hoyt Axton / Three Dog Night. You seriously do not want to hear me sing / ruin a perfectly good song.
I do want to tell you that I have three pieces (one of them a one-dog-day) now showing at Blacklight Art Gallery in Valencia, Spain for their collective exhibition in the month of September. Head on over there if you can. Some really great works from other amazing artists will be there, too.
15/MAR/24
I am tickled *pink* that
Chuffed Puzzles picked my painting
“(Trouble at the) Last Chance Gas” to produce one of their exquisite puzzles. I received some samples and I am blown away by the quality. I have never encountered a puzzle made with this much durability and precision. I have turned one of them over to our family’s puzzle connoisseurs, my daughter-in-law and granddaughter, and they give it rave reviews. 1,000 pieces on this BEAST of a puzzle!
15/SEP/23
I made this little painting of an anthopomorphic version of the infamous Independence Avenue Bridge in the Northeast area of Kansas City. The low bridge is constantly being clonked by tall trucks. I thought it would be a whimsical, yet short-lived piece.
I will post pretty much every painting I make on social media- Instagram and Facebook. To my astonishment, this painting took off on Facebook. At last look, it got over 3,200 shares and the attention of a local TV station. Sharon Chen of KCTV5 interviewed me about the piece. Click here to see my 15 seconds of fame.
07/APR/23
Absolutely giddy that I will be having a solo show at
Brassworks Gallery in Portland, Oregon next month. “Butterflies and Monsters” opens Saturday, May 13th. I’ll be there that evening and it promises to be a blast. Don’t know how far away from PDX you are, but if you’re nearby, c’mon down. The show will run through the 26th.
30/AUG/2022
Sorry. I move at a snail’s pace with this website. It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything new on here. That doesn’t mean that anything new hasn’t happened. It just means I’m a bit of a slouch when it comes to keeping up this website. For starters, I should have posted about any number of shows and galleries where my work has appeared. Then there is a whole slew of paintings I have made since the last time I posted anything new on here. Today, I’m pleased to announce that I have made available several new pieces on the Art For Sale page, including the piece shown here entitled
“Badlands”. I have also eliminated a few of the underperforming works.
I think I have said this a zillion times before, so I will say it again; I will try harder to keep posting new events and paintings on this website.
Yeah, yeah. Sure, sure.
22/SEP/2018
"Oberfränggische Giegelakatze” 7” X 5” (17.78 cm X 12.7 cm) Acrylic on panel. A quick one for the upcoming
Wow X Wow Online Gallery group show “Beyond the Untold”. I am making an effort to make smaller, more affordable paintings, some will be made available through Wow X Wow. This particular show will run from the 6th through the 26th of October, 2018.
First of all, I would like to announce that my son Andrew got married to a beautiful, young woman Jessica last weekend. As such, my wife’s brother and sister and their respective spouses came for the wedding from the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria where they live. I love to walk through nature, they love to walk through nature, so we did that the other day. I get much of my inspiration for my paintings from these walks. On my last walk with them, I also got my inspiration from *them*. More than anything, I am intrigued with their dialect of German. I find it very colorful and charming.
Consequently, this image and the name for it just sort of popped into my head. Giegela is their word for chicken and Katze is the German word for cat. There you have it; “The Upper Franconian Chicken Cat”. I made the familiar Amanita muscaria mushrooms prominent because the colors of the Franconian flag are red and white.
04/AUG/2018
“Naschkatze unter den Geleebohnenbäumen” (Sweet-tooth Among the Jellybean Trees) 12.405” X 17.535” (31.5 cm X 44.55 cm) Acrylic on canvas.
I am delighted to have been asked to participate in something called The Monster Project. From their website; “The Monster Project is the undertaking of a passionate collection of artists who share a common goal: to help children recognize the power of their own imaginations and to encourage them to pursue their creative potential.”
Simply put, they get grade school kids to draw pictures of monsters. The pictures are then assigned and distributed to artists all over the world who reinterpret the drawings in their own styles, but within the boundaries of the kids’ original concepts. The idea is that it shows kids new art techniques and lets them see how *their* ideas inspire others.
The artists, younger and older, have their works assembled side by side and published in a book. Proceeds go to the Monster Project and their mission to foster arts education for young people, particularly in places where funding for the arts has been severely cut… which is seemingly everywhere these days.
Plus, this year, a certain amount of the proceeds will go to a children’s hospice in Berlin.
How can you not fall in love with a project like this?
Anyway… I was assigned a drawing by Tuana (age 7)
“Untitled” by Tuana (age 7) 11.69” X 8.27” ( 21 cm X 29.7 cm) Markers, pencil, crayon on bond paper.
I think the first thing that grabbed me was the “Conan O’Brien cowlick”. And then the rest looks like candy and jellybeans are raining from above.
Since young Tuana is from Berlin, I wanted to give my work a vintage, illustrated-German-children’s-book feel. If you’ve ever seen them, many of them lean toward a somewhat creepy vibe. My wife Margot, who was born and raised in Germany, got a set of books written and illustrated by Heinrich Hoffman from her grandparents. Hoffmann’s most famous book is “Struwwelpeter” or “Peter the Slob”. The book is a disturbing collection of short stories, mostly cautionary tales where kids’ misbehaviors were met with dire consequences including some grim deaths.
Margot wanted me to read them to our son Andrew when he was little, at bedtime. Tshyeah. As if. I vetoed the hell out of that request. I told her *she* could go to his room when he woke up at 3:00 a.m. from nightmares.
However, as a tribute to Margot, I asked her what her favorite candy or cookie was when she was a kid. Without blinking, she replied, “Negerkussen.” The name translates to “Negro Kisses”, chocolate-covered marshmallows. In the light of progressive sensibilities (which I tend to agree with) the name of the confection has been changed to Schokokussen (Chocolate Kisses). So the monster holds a *Schokokuss* in its lower right hand-thing.
An exhibit of all the artists’ works including mine will be held at Urban Nation Museum For Urban Contemporary Art, Büllowstr. 7, Berlin, Germany, opening August 17, 2018 from 6-11 p.m. The exhibition will run until September 30, 2018. Check out themonsterproject.org and urban-nation.com for more details.
10/JUN/2018
I’ve had some good press lately, including this
interview by Vaggelhs Makris for LiFO Magazine in Greece.
I’ve posted the original English translation of the interview on this site here.
26/JAN/18
What the aficionados of haute couture will be wearing! I’m making a select number of T-shirts available with my paintings on them. Now you can wear my art for under 20 clams! You can buy with confidence from Amazon.
05/OCT/17
Dreamlogic is the name of a show at
Helikon Gallery in Denver, Colorado. I have two pieces in the show “Paterfamilias” and
“West Lenexa Largemouth Skløørg”. My wife and I had a chance to visit the gallery a couple of weeks ago and it is one impressive gallery and show. If you are in or around Denver, it is worth stopping in and seeing. The show only lasts until October 21, though.
02AUG17
David Berry is an exceptionally talented filmmaker. I am flattered that he decided to make
this documentary about me. His film won second place in the 2017 Independent Filmmaker’s Coalition. Considering who he had to work with, I think that’s pretty good.
10/JUL/17
Happy 40th year as a freelancer to me!
The skinny, shirtless bastard you see here in this dusty Polaroid is me. I am sitting in the corporate headquarters of Thomas A. Gieseke Illustration. My office was a closet in the bathroom of our apartment near the Plaza District of Kansas City. In the summer of 1977, I decided to tell the alcoholic studio owner I was working for to cram it. I was going out on my own to do freelance illustration.
When my wife and I moved out of that apartment and got a house, an art director suggested I send out a mailer with my new address, proclaiming “Thomas A. Gieseke is out of the closet!”
10/JUL/17
Copro Gallery in Santa Monica, California is hosting a group show to celebrate 40 years of ‘Heavy Metal Magazine’. I am proud to have two pieces in the show,
‘Spring’ seen here with the ‘Heavy Metal’ masthead logo, and
‘Lost in Time’. I’m old enough to remember quite well when ‘Heavy Metal’ first came out. I was and still am blown away with the content and quality of the magazine. This show is going to be epic. So many breathtaking artists in it. The show opens on July 15th and runs through August 19. So if you’re anywhere close to Los Angeles, haul your butts on down to Copro to check it out.
04/02/17
Head East, young man. Well, South and East. I am delighted to have formed a limited (so far) relationship with the
Harold Golen Gallery of Miami, Florida. The gallery is located in the
Wynwood Art District. Harold has a couple of my paintings,
“Pie and the Eye in the Sky” and
“Space Kittehs vs. the Aliens”, in addition to several prints on sale. Drop by and take a peek at them, if you’re in the neighborhood.
15/12/16
Oo-la-la, behbehs! To my friends “on the other side of the pond”,
French art magazine ‘Hey!’ #28 has a nice interview with moi with pictures. Pick one up today!
30/06/16
A lovely article by Anne Kniggendorf for the ‘Kansas City Star’ with a photo by Keith Myers.
http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/arts-culture/article86415172.html
06/16/16
The opening of my second show at the
Todd Weiner Gallery, 115 W. 18th St. in Kansas City, is set to go the First Friday in July. “Circus Maximus”, the name
based on my latest painting, runs from 1 Friday, 2016 to Saturday, 30 July 2016. Come on down and check out my art in un-cybernetically real-osity-ness. First Fridays in the KC Crossroads District are a blast. Art, people watching, food, walking, all that stuff. I’ve ordered decent weather, so don’t miss it.
09/09/15
A nice write-up in the
’New York Times’ by science writer Cornelia Dean about the amazing tardigrade, featuring a nod to me and my
“Tardigrade Queen”. Prints and original still available!
06/23/15
Fabtrabulous! Spectembular! Regular words can't describe how monumajestical my show 'Farglebargle!' at the
Todd Weiner Gallery is going to be. This coming First Friday (July 3, 2015) starting at 5:00 pm. First Fridays in the Crossroads area of Kansas City, MO is always a blast. Come on down, if you can make it.
If you can't make it, the show will run until August 1st.
02/19/15
On the left is Todd Weiner, standing with me in front of
"Mon Oncle Monocle" in
his gallery in Kansas City, MO. We will be having solo shows of my work in July and August and they promise to be exciting events. Until then, we will occasionally rotate one or two of my paintings on display there. Stay tuned for details. Hope to see you for the big shows!
11/28/14
It's Festivus time again. Time to get that blues and/or jazz lover in your life my
complete set of Kansas City Blues and Jazz Festival posters. And now is the time to do it. I have reduced the price on the set of 5 posters to the insanely low, koo-koo-del-gaga price of
$49.95. The posters sell individually for $19.95. Now you can get all 5 for half that, if you buy the set… plus free shipping!
CLICK HERE TO GET 'EM!
08/12/14
"Mesodactyl belli" 12" X 12" Digital print on canvas. I have had the pleasure of meeting Michael Gross through Facebook. When I was a skinny kid in the army, 'National Lampoon Magazine' was one of the things that kept me healthily
insane. I connected with its always irreverent, sometimes flat-out-sick humor immediately. I marveled at the way it looked, as well as its content. Michael was the guy responsible for its look.
Michael ultimately left NL and the magazine, in my opinion, suffered for it. But he went on to bigger things, movie producer for a string of films including 'Ghostbusters'. From what I understand, he is staying creative these days with painting and photography. He also gives lectures and teaches. All this… while battling cancer.
However, in the spirit of that twisted creativity of his, he has founded a rather unique charity to deal with it. It's called
'Flip Cancer'. Artists interpret the infamous "rigid digit", "the bird", "the one finger salute"- that universal sign of disrespect commonly known as "the finger" and they're aiming it straight at the plague of our times, cancer.
At some point, a collection of art from various artists (including this piece from yours truly) will be amassed and displayed and an auction of the art will raise money for the Loren Nancarrow Healing Garden Project in San Diego, CA. It is a garden where cancer patients can meditate, but it is also research, equipment, education and outreach.
Here's where you can learn more:
http://www.flipcancer.com
07/01/14
I have made the decision to oversee the production of my prints from now on. To kick it off, I am offering prints of my latest piece
"Grand Emporium". I took a break from the surreal to do a straightforward representational piece. This was the neon sign that hung outside of the venerable institution billed as "K.C.'s Oasis of Rhythm and Blues". The G.E. shut its doors ten years ago. I am grateful for so much of the music I got to listen to when it was open. Check out all the new prints and what I'm up to on my
Art for Sale page.
05/09/14
My son Andrew is helping me man my booth again at
Spectrum Live! at Bartle hall in Kansas City, MO. The show started today Friday, May 9 and runs through Sunday, May 11. This is an amazing show with artists from all over the place. If you're in KC this weekend, you've got to check it out.
03/17/14
Hamming it up with my cousin's two daughters, Sarah and Leah at the opening night of my show at Copro Gallery, in February (top). And folks filing into the show (bottom). Had a great time. Got to meet many old and new friends and sold some art. Best part was getting a chance to sit on the beach in 80° weather, while everyone else was freezing in Kansas City.
01/09/14
I am delighted to say that I am having my first solo gallery show ever. Not only that, it is in, in my opinion, the finest gallery it could ever be, the
Copro Gallery in Santa Monica, California. I'm 61 years old and I am finally being "discovered".
The show begins February 22 and runs for three weeks. If you're in the Los Angeles area, I'd love for you to come out and say hi at the opening.
12/01/13
My latest,
"Primadonna" 18" X 24" (45.72 cm X 60.96 cm) Acrylic on canvas.
This is another one of those that started out as lucid dreaming. I will sometimes go to bed and get these weird images in my head. Rather than ignore them and go to sleep, I try to hang on to them, to "look" at them, to be awake and dream at the same time.
Once I get the vision planted in my conscious mind, I stumble out of bed and go straight to the studio to scribble it out. Just a scribble, mind you. Shorthand.
The scribbles then go into a folder called the 'Idea Pit'. Sometimes, I will fish the scribbled drawing out of the 'Pit' the next day. Sometimes, as in the case of this painting, it might take up to a year before I do anything with them. And some of them will lie in the folder forever, never seeing the light of day.
Once I decide I like an image well enough, I will start the long, grueling path to get it to finish- refined drawing after refined drawing. The final drawing gets transferred to canvas and the painting begins.
11/09/13
"Gruss vom Krampus" 15" X 15" (38.1 cm X 38.1 cm) Acrylic on canvas. This is a piece I've done for the upcoming Krampus show ("Naughty or Nice") at
Copro Gallery, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA. 14 Dec 13 - 04 Jan 14
Krampus is a mythical character from Alpine countries who, at Yule time, dealt out punishment to kids who didn't toe the line. He worked with St. Nicholas. St. Nick, on the other hand, had the more glamorous job rewarding children who were good.
One of the traditions was to send out Krampus cards to little kids, reminding them that they better straighten up and behave or get their little asses whooped by Krampus. They usually included the blurb "Gruß vom Krampus!" (Greetings from Krampus!). So, for the show, I decided to make my own Krampus card of sorts.
In so many versions of Krampus, he is depicted as an over-the-top, hideous monster. The thought of going there for mine never occurred to me. I wanted him, believe it or not, to be more human. Just another regular guy with a shitty job, not blessed with the best of looks, sitting alone in a bar (gasthaus); tired, bitter, lonely, and drunk on a holiday eve.
08/29/13
This is my latest painting. Well, finished last month. I'm kinda slow on staying up with news thing here.
This is called
'The Extinction'. I felt the gloom and doom of the world closing in on me and thought I'd do a painting that showed it, but had a sense of humor about it. I mean, what the hell, you gotta laugh about it sometimes or it will all drive you insane.
07/31/13
In case you were wondering whether I do fine art commissions-
of course I do! This piece was commissioned by my good friend and former advertising big-wig Nick Nicholson. Nick just gave me a theme, "Dog and Pony Show" and let me run with it. 18" X 18" Acrylic on canvas.
06/27/13
Paying tribute to my first artistic influence, Glenna Gieseke, my mother. Mom died last month at the age of 85. In addition to being an accomplished artist, she loved fishing, words and their meanings, and she also had a wonderful sense of humor. I was lucky enough to inherit it all. I will miss her.
05/17/13
Come on down to Bartle Hall in Kansas City, Missouri, today and tomorrow, at Spectrum Fantastic Art Live! and see me. Besides lil' old me, there is some of the most astounding art from artists all over the world.
05/06/13
I am delighted to announce that I will be participating in
Spectrum Fantastic Art Live 2 at Bartle Hall in Kansas City, Missouri, May 17-19. A slew of the finest science fiction and fantasy artists from all over the world will be participating. Last year's SFAL was incredible and this one only promises to surpass it. I will have hand signed giclees for sale, along with an assortment of original paintings. If you're in KC, you must make plans to see this.
04/05/13
An artistic extravaganza of space babes awaits at the 'Planet Sin Show' at the 423 West Gallery in Los Angeles, including my piece
"One-Eyed One-Horned Flying Purple People Eater". The show runs from March 16th through April 6th. Strap on your jet-packs and zip on over there, if you're in flying range.
Report here for details, space cadets!
04/04/13
From the
Garage Sale... What every well-dressed inebriate should be wearing on the 17th. Now with bigger chunks!
Order yours today!
02/14/13
Happy Valentines Day!
Illustration for heart medication ad.
01/25/13
This was an illustration that went into a book of sci-fi short stories called 'Masterpieces of Science Fiction'. This was one of my very first illustrations as a pro. I did this single page and another spread. They were for a short story about a little girl and her robot called 'Robbie'.
I was pressed for time and had to do both over a period of three days. I hated them both. They were a couple of those you wished you had back so you could do them over right and with time to do them right.
Nevertheless, the book publisher got a hand written note from the author of the story saying how much he loved the illustrations. The publisher gave the note to me. Didn't matter. *I* knew the illustrations could have been better. I was so pissed off about the work I did that I threw the note in the trash can.
The author was Isaac Asimov.
*********************
I also did the chrome lettering for the cover.
It was the 70's. The entire decade was littered with chrome lettering.
11/22/12
Just in time for Crixmix! The perfect gift for that jazz and/or blues lover in your life.
I am making a limited offering through eBay the complete set of 5 posters I created for the Kansas City Blues and Jazz Festival from 1998 to 2001. This set includes an autographed poster by Myra Taylor. These posters are also being sold separately on eBay. However, if purchased alone, the Myra Taylor poster sells for $74.95. I am selling the whole set for $99.75 plus shipping. That is $19.95 for each of them, when bought as a set.
There is a limited supply of these posters and, in particular, there are very few of the Myra Taylor autographed posters left. This is a good deal. Once they are gone, they are gone.
Please note that these posters are simply overstock merchandise and, although the posters state that proceeds go to local charities, that is no longer the case.
Buy now with safety on eBay!
NOW FREE SHIPPING ON ALL OLD OVERSTOCK MERCHANDISE!
11/17/12
Thomas A. Gieseke Illustration/Art is now on
Facebook. Click the 'like' button on his page and you will get updates for new work, special deals on prints and artworks, and any exhibits he might end up in.
11/07/12
Welcome to the new look. The old look lasted for about ten years, which could (rightfully) imply that I've been pretty lazy about keeping up my website. The new look was facilitated by a need to market my fine art works.
I've given up on going the gallery route. First, most of them wouldn't have me. Then the ones who would, didn't do much for me. So I have decided to go it alone. Right here. On this website.
I made a new logo for myself.
I felt I needed something a tad more sophisticated, even though I'm still the same old, less-than-sophisticated me. As you can see, this is where the color scheme for the website came.
But, like just about everything I make, it will no doubt be subjected to constant tinkering and tweaking as time rolls on. I'd love to get your feedback.
Thank you for stopping by and keep checking back for new stuff.
