End of Show 2026

So there, sport fans, Al, here with the latest:

Well, the Edge of the Unknown Art show comes to a close. It has provided a bit of information for me and others on how to deal with the setup and closing of a show. And today was going to be the last bit that can be seen in it entirety. But as tomorrow builds on today, that show will fade into the past, along with other shows, both group and solo.

The Anti-Sleeper 9”x12” Scratchboard. Looking to make a larger print of this and two others for future shows.

But this show had an opportunity that hadn’t been part of the past group shows, but not for a solo show.

An ability to support the local community.

Over the years, I had made a plan to follow the setup of one day for community support and offer the money made to the local community, such as a soup kitchen for the homeless. I may not be able to offer the time to work in an area like that, but I can offer my time doing what I can to support the area with what I can do masterfully, artwork.

This was part of my pitch for taking over an area for showing artwork at the bars. But this was ignored because the thought that was needed didn’t want to be addressed. Why? I am not sure, but it was overheard by the owner.

In my opinion, this was a way of saying that I have an understanding of what I am doing.

Just sayin’.

Percentages. Money to be made. Maybe not a lot at first but if people are buying it doesn’t solely go to the originator of the work. So you are contributing.

And there is always things to teach and be learned from every show you ever do, EVERY SINGLE SHOW.

It might be a small thing, but it is there.

There are a number of things that I have listed already for myself, but there are some things that I have written down that other artists might want to take heed of.

Pros and Cons of any show I have ever done, and people notice it when I put it on blast. My God, after the venomous recounting of my shows in Federal Way for the Crypticon one year was, shall I say, an eye-opening, along with photos. LINK to Blogger. Com Tales from the Scratch Pad Thursday, May 29, 2014

Blogger was something that I was using as a placeholder for a website at the time. I have since then curbed my enthusiasm for slamming too hard on people for the way that, as an artist, I felt that I was being treated.

BUT there are things on the horizon, I tell you. Possible vendor shows and tables in the Woodstock area.

I have been in touch with an old table mate of mine, Dan DePaolo.

Life for an artist is always strange, but when we get together, it is always a good time. Drink -n-Draws should be a thing, anyone. Even if it is only a soft drink.

So we are working towards establishing some get-togethers soon, before the end of the year.

New Art Show - "At the Edge of Unknown" - October 6th through November 9th

It's a new art show. I just wanted to bring this to your attention. There hasn't been a show since the beginning of the year, but I've finally got an art show coming up at The Kown No, Bar (formerly known as the Misdemeanor Meadows), and it should be good. I'm already listening to prints, which are needed, and I'm gonna see how well they sell, along with the originals. I just need to get my big pieces of the 18”x24” s in the frames ready to go. I don't want to be placing over a thousand-dollar piece of artwork at a show and have it just turned up missing. That doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever. On top of that, I got an invite for another show via The Good Fit, which is always good. If I could have at least two shows per year, that's even better. We'll see about upcoming shows anywhere else.

UPDATE 10-5-2026:

The time for hanging the art show, and I have had some ups and downs on this.

The downs are that, in haste, I miscalculated the sizing for my big-scale prints from the framer. Nothing can be done now, but I will eventually get that figured out. A costly mistake for me, however.

“Take My Hand” 9”x12” Scratchboard. This was placed in a wooden oak frame.

But other prints are ready to be shown.

Creature from the Black Lagoon Ver.2 8”x8” Mounted Print

Everything is labeled and priced, along with titles and descriptions of whether it's a mounted print or original. Other materials such as the artist’s bio and hanging materials (screws, extra wire, measuring tape, sticky tack, drill and bit) are also ready to go.

The 2fer Show

Hey there, sports fans, Al here with the latest.

To give you a heads up, over the last month or so, Jason Brown of the Goodfoot Lounge asked me to showcase some artwork, along with another gentleman, at a show at Gigantic Brewery, located on Hawthorne and 43rd in Portland.

The show only consisted of us, too, hence the name of the 2fer Art Show, but there’s a reason why I called the “2Fer Art Show, because the building itself is closing down and is relocating to it central location down on 26th and Division.

This is nothing against Jason Brown, and he’s offered me another show. That’s gonna be coming up here next year, which is gonna be great. I’m looking forward to it.

But there is nothing to advertise this event. No hand bills, no virtual advertising (except for what I put out on my own) for this show.

All the images I’m showing for the 2fer Art Show.

This is the reason why I had wanted to throw my hat in as a curator, and being able to take care of business, and being able to showcase others' artwork as well as advertise it and get it out to the general public. That’s what I’d like to do. That’s what it should be done for any art show, but there again is the rub anyway, nothing against Jason.

I just don’t feel like I should constantly have to keep advertising my own shows all the time unless I’m actually doing my own show but it seems like there seems like this could potentially be a stranglehold on curators wanting to share information or anything else for that matter.

This art show will be replaced by another show taking place over at a place called the Misdemeanor Meadows over on 52nd and that’s gonna be with three other artist that I’m looking forward to doing.

And with that thanks, and I am out of here 

Talks, show and revelations

The biggest thing that my friend also pointed out to me at the show was that they were the other artist I didn’t see there at the opening I was the only one there

In the process also was how the artwork stood out from the others on the wall know this was his description not mine. But black and white, especially big, black and white pieces have a tendency to stand out amongst most of the color stuff so they definitely stood out.

12”x16” “Love Machine” now owed by a new collector. Goodfoot Lounge Art Opening Feb 29th, 2024.

At the same time also, there’s a lot of extra work that were done on each one of these pieces whether it be an 8 x 8, a 12 x 16, or an 18 x 24.

People can see the effort that’s done in these individual pieces of work. That’s the reason why my stuff has a tendency to grab people’s attention. My friend had also mentioned to me that if you’re doing the work just to crank stuff out, that’s one thing, but if you’re doing it because you’re driven to it, which I know I am, I love working on artwork, it makes me feel creative and whole and gets a lot of ideas out of my head on the paper or on the board in this case. 

So many more pieces left to mount on wood and varnish. Sorry about the mess. Y’know artists.

Remember have often talked about in previous posts, how are some artists are stuck in the creative mode and not so much and trying to work on figuring out how to sell them selves. That’s where I’ve been. I need to branch out if I’m ever going to make it as an a successful artist I need to branch out and start focusing on how to not only crank stuff out putting great ideas out there but allowing pieces to breathe, and that means by making prints, T-shirts, posters, and stickers. StickerMule

I think that the show was exactly what I needed to have happen to kick me in the ass and start moving again instead of sitting in my little hole coming out from time to time and get some notice.

A New Art Show 2024

As it turns out, a new art show begins next week. I am super excited about showing work again after this last year's show at the Slingshot. Of course, the other place I still need to show up is over at Unlimited IPA.

Charlie, the curator there, and I still have to cross paths, but eventually, I know that will happen. I blame the weather for the lack of getting over there.

It's been a while since I've had a posting of any artwork or otherwise. But seeing that next week, there will be another art show. This time, it will be taking place over at the Goodfoot Lounge. and I will be sharing it with three other artists as well.

The Goodfoot Ad for next week’s art show.

It has been years since the last time I showed any pieces there. This is from around 2008-2010 I believe.

Most of the pieces have been accounted for, priced, and boxed. Here is the listing of the pieces to be shown:

Original Scratchboard pieces:

2 of ten 8”x8” from the Bigfoot Show Last year.

6 of the ten 8’x8’ pieces of artwork from the Bigfoot Art show.

 8”x8”.

"Splash" $80.00    

"Swoop" $80.00

"EVA" $80.00

"Future Expansion" $80.00

"Future Frontier" $80.00

"Portal" $80.00

"Oh Yeah!" $80.00

"Apocalypto Rising" $80.00

"The Kiss" $80.00

"Bacon or Death" $80.00

11"x14"

"In Clutching Claws" $250.00

"Corpse Cop Rising" 250.00

12"x16"

"Sady Starkiss Lounging" $400.00

"Warrior Women" $400.00

"Love Machine" $400.00

"Seven Ravens" $300.00

13"x13"

13”x13” From Halloween Art Show.

"Radioactive Hornets" $300.00

18"x24"

"Juicebox." $1200.00

"Target Earth." $1200.00

"Duality of the Singularity." $1200.00

"Bacon and Eggs." $1000.00

"The Martian that fell to Earth." $1000.00

"The Unknown Co-monk." $1000.00

"Blast Off!" $1500.00

"Beasts of the Beach." $1200.00

"A Pitcher is Worth a 1000 Words." $1000.00

"The Wode Less Traveled." $1200.00

These are a collection over the last couple of years, from the Bigfoot Art Show down in Molla, OR, to the Half and Half Art show I had last year at the Slingshot Lounge. There are a couple of other show pieces that have never been shown except once over the years, from the Brothers Grimm art show and a Halloween Art show. Both are good pieces, but I haven’t seen the light of day (in a gallery show, anyway).
It's only a matter of being able to get it to the gallery/bar that is putting on the show and handing it off to the curator, Jason Brown.

The funny thing was that since Valentine’s Day and posting an image of “Love Machine,” I already have a bid on a piece of work.

Hopefully, people will be able to make it. Here's to keeping my fingers crossed. Come and check it out.

Half and Half Art Show - an UPDATE.

Hey there, sports fans, Al here with the latest;

The new month is nearly upon us (it is now).

So the Half and Half Art show is about to race into next week on Tuesday. It had been pushed back one week by the curator, Ace Troy, of the Slingshot Lounge.

Unfortunately, Troy got back to me after I had already made a poster design and set an invite on Facebook and other invites online. But I should say that that should be expected when you’re dealing with other artists. Communication always seems to be lacking when we’re trying to communicate with each other because we’re all involved in our projects. 

Two of the featured pieces for the Half and Half Art show!

That being said, things are moving forward at a good pace. Again, unfortunately, I am done with my three-week vacation. In that time, I have managed to finish off one commission, start another, complete the work set up for the show, and get a couple more pieces and individual pieces done for another show later on, so it is not nearly a lousy vacation as some people might think. 

Blast Off! t-shirt design!

Get Ahead another t-shirt design.

There’s also been some new stuff dealing with T-shirt designs. So I’m excited about that because I haven’t done T-shirts in a while, and these are being made to order, not unlike prints.

More Stuff!

So along with the black and white stuff there is also the modified color work too!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BiDk1X_hXZ9/?taken-by=alanjohnbennett

A NEW DAY, A NEW SHOW

Well this will be short and sweet. Today is the unveiling of the "NOW IN COLOR (and black and white too!) Solo art show today at NWIPAPDX!

I am very excited for it!