A Mother to Us All

This was my entry to Threadless' 'Next Big Tee' challenge, for which the prize was 10K. I didn't end up winning (and this didn't end up printing), but after it was all finished, I can honestly say I was very proud with the result.

In case you hadn't already guessed, this is a design showcasing Mother Nature, with all her seasons and splendor, elements and eloquence. If something of mine was going to print for the challenge, I wanted it to be something that I appreciate and fear; something that I care very much for and want to see flourish.

© 2013 Jeremy Owen

- J

Devotion

One year ago today I took my girlfriend to go see Beach House. We’re weren't officially together then, but that concert was one of the defining moments leading up to our relationship. Beach House is her favorite and is one of my favorites also. The show was incredible, and they even played her favorite song, Heart of Chambers.
For a surprise Christmas present (which also included: an encouragement book found at Goodwill, a Threadless thermal, dvds for Black Swan and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (some of her favorite films), a mix-tape, and, of course, detailed instructions on how to open the gift (which was wrapped in an enormous box), I made her this unofficial concert poster for the concert we went to. The logo is an homage to the font from Beach House’s first album cover (as I love the font so much).

I wanted this to be something that very few people knew about for a while (as it was intended mainly for her enjoyment), but, after a year, I figured it was time to share (though I did ask her first).
Lastly, thank you Beach House for pumping out the quality jams that ultimately drew us closer together. We'll be at your next Seattle show. You can count on it.

Artwork © 2012 Jeremy Owen

-J

We've Got You Now!

This is my entry to the Aqua TV Show Show challenge on Threadless. Even though I haven't seen every episode, the characters, though simple in nature, are instantly recognizable. It's always a great opportunity to put one's own stylistic spin on pop-culture characters, and this one was no different. The time-frame for this one was a little under a week from sketch to final product, and I'm fairly content with the result.

VOTE FOR IT HERE

Characters © Adult Swim

Artwork © 2013 Jeremy Owen

-J

Eternal Lightning, Infinite Thunder

This is my entry for the The Mighty Thor contest on Threadless. Even though I'm not particularly familiar with any of the Thor mythology (either historical or in the comics world), I've still always been struck by the powerful silhouette and majestic nature of The God of Thunder, and I wanted to portray that with this piece. Even though you can't see his face (or some of his more distinguishable features), I wanted to make it easy to identify who it is just from his powerful stance and choice tool.

I'm getting faster at laying down vast amounts of details in my work (as well as pushing toward a slightly more impressionistic flair with my style), and I'm quite content with how this one turned out. Hopefully I can discipline myself to churn out work a bit faster and in higher doses. Here's to hoping!

Thor © Marvel

Artwork © 2013 Jeremy Owen

-J

Terror From Within

This was one that I finished a while ago, for The Flaming Lips Contest on Threadless. Although The Lips are one of my favorites (and the fact that I didn't win), this one pushed my boundaries (in terms of both stylistic flair and concept). I'm not used to drawing nude women (or posting the nude women I draw), but the contest asked for a design based around the newest Flaming Lips album, entitled 'The Terror'. Consequently, I decided to combine my fear of women (which was extremely prevalent in my life growing up but has since relinquished), the fear of falling behind technologically (as doing so (in the art world especially) can cause drawbacks in not only execution but also in motivation and growth), and the fear of the unknown (symbolized by the monstrous shapes emerging from the blob).

© 2013 Jeremy Owen

- J

Just Another Regular Day

Regular Show is one of the best and most creative cartoons to hit the small screen in a long time. It is absurd, strange, and, ultimately, hilarious, drawing on 80's sensibilities and style flair (along with the hair-brained imagination of J.G. Quintel) to create something very unique. It's one of the shows that inspires me to create new and wacky things, and I've seen every episode (so far) (and can't wait for the DVD release in June).

I found out the Threadless was doing a sponsored contest for the show, and I went completely bananas. Here was an opportunity for me to pay homage to something that I admire and love. And, although I went through many stages of 'I can't do this', this piece is what eventually formed. It's in my own style (for I didn't want to copy the look of the show TOO closely (I expected most entries would)), and I'm sure that'll knock me in terms of chances of being printed. Still, I'm happy with it; it is an homage after all.

I like when the swirly, purple-y space from the title card is featured in episodes of the show (such as More Time, Do Me a Solid, More Smarter), and I wanted to incorporate that into my piece. And, whether or not this prints, I'm proud of it; not only is it subject matter that I love: it's also the first piece I've done solely with my Wacom Tablet (no scanned paper drawing). With the good feeling behind this one, I'm sure I'll be able to get a hold on the Wacom soon. In the meantime, enjoy.

VOTE FOR IT HERE!!!!

Characters © J.G. Quintel

Artwork © 2013 Jeremy Owen

-J

LUNCH

For THREADWARS: ROUND III: WHAT'S INSIDE

© 2013 Jeremy Owen

451

This one is for Threadwars IV: Round II: Classic Literature (as I was fortunate enough to make it to the next round). This piece is based on one of my favorite books, Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury's sci-fi classic about a dystopic future where books are outlawed and the ones who harbor them (and the knowledge they hold) are hunted as fugitives.

Artwork © 2013 Jeremy Owen

“Do you understand now

why books are hated and feared?

Because they reveal the pores

on the face of life.

The comfortable people want only

the faces of the full moon,

wax, faces without pores,

hairless, expressionless.” 

- Ray Bradbury

~J

Love First Yourself

I have been body conscious my whole life, and have suffered with the resulting repercussions. It's never fun being uncomfortable in your own skin, so I wanted to highlight the issue of body-love with this one. It takes a lot of courage to love yourself, despite what everyone considers 'normal' or 'acceptable', and I admit: I'm not quite there yet. But I'm learning (thanks to some amazing people in my life), and for me, that's a huge step. I know this design won't solve the problem of body-image consciousness, but if it can change at least one person's outlook of themselves, I'll be overjoyed, because, whether you think so or not, you are beautiful.

VOTE FOR IT HERE

© 2013 Jeremy Owen

Love you.

~J

Rethink Violence

This is for the first round of Threadwars VI. The theme for Round 1 was Violence, but, after an extended period of time trying to come up with a concept, I realized that I don't dwell on subjects like violence often, at least not as a theme for something I'm working on. In accordance, I chose to highlight anti-violence instead (which the administrators of the contest said would work just as well). It's not as refined as I'd like (it was completed in a week (and in an even shorter period of time since I didn't have ample opportunity to work on it throughout said week)), but sometimes it's nice to crunch for a deadline. It puts emphasis not only on focus but also on the importance of subject matter (the difference between what is necessary and what is icing). Essentially, this one doesn't have an over-abundance of icing, but I think the cake, although partially faked, isn't half bad.

© 2013 Jeremy Owen

I love you all.

~ J

Writer's Block

This is a collaboration with soloyo on Threadless. He came to me with this idea at the 2011 Threadless Meetup after a keynote presentation highlighting 'creative block'. We tried to go for a broader range of subject matter (as is apparent from the process blog here). Nothing worked until we decided to settle on writer's block, which is something that Nestor (soloyo) struggles with often, being a writer and all. Once we had a firm direction, everything fell into place, minus my drive to finally finish it (again, 2011). Subject matter in mind, I think this of all pieces was not one to rush. Still...sorry for the wait, Nestor.

VOTE FOR IT HERE

Concept © 2011 Nestor Gomez

Artwork © 2013 Jeremy Owen

Sky Castle

This is a remake of another artist's design. It's part of the Remake Community Challenge, which is exactly what it sounds like. This is one that I wanted to do a few years ago, but I'm glad I held off. My style is constantly maturing/changing, and I feel that, if I had decided to try to accomplish this piece, I may not have been able to do it justice. I'm still not sure if I did, but, personally, I'm happy with how it turned out. The original, a piece conceived by the immensely talented Julia Sonmi Heglund, can be found below. Happy new year. Here's to a much more regular posting schedule.

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Concept © Julia Sonmi Heglund

Artwork © 2013 Jeremy Owen

Original:

~J