via myfoxny.com
Enrico Miguel Thomas, an up-and-coming artist, showcases his amazing talent turning subway maps into pieces of beautiful and thought-provoking art using his tool of choice, Sharpie.
He calls the city of New York his art studio and he draws his pieces on subway maps using Sharpie markers which have been been selling for hundreds of dollars.
One self proclaimed “sad, lonely and bored bear,” Misery Bear still knows the importance of self-expression with his Sharpie marker!
I’ve known for a while now that Sharpie markers are used for a wide range of purposes. From the day to day things like taking notes and writing letters, to customizing outfits and fashion accessories, to all kinds of home decor and wall art, to gift giving and gift wrapping, the list goes on… and while I’ve done the whole labeling my tupperware, files and folders, for whatever reason, it never crossed my mind that a chef could fall madly in love with Sharpie markers too!
In fact, blogger @BehindTheKnife brought this to my attention the other day (thanks Knifey!) I checked out the blog and yes, in fact CHEFS DO LOVE SHARPIE! Don’t believe me, see for yourself. The post is titled “The Love Tool: I Heart My Sharpies!”
For a quick summary, four tops chefs were asked to tell their love of Sharpie markers…
1) Personal chef, Charity Dasenbrock of Santa Cruz, California, says “They’re invaluable for my food labels since they’re highly visible and waterproof. My current client also likes things color-coded, so all the food for one meal gets labeled in one color while another meal gets a different color, which makes it fun for me”
2) Executive chef at The Boathouse Restuarant in Traverse City, MI, Eric Nittolo reveals, “The Sharpie is as important as my knife…” Keeping it in his coat pocket, this chef uses a Sharpie to date products, write ticket orders, write on dry erase boards and even the front of the house uses Rectractable Sharpie markers to take reservations.
3) “Because the kitchen is such a fast-paced wet/dry environment, I need something that I can count on to stay put when I write. I like to know that when I label something or set the rotation that I don’t have to worry about it disappearing..” proclaims Executive Chef Christian Thornton of Atria Restaurant in Martha’s Vineyard. Using his Sharpie for multiple reasons, this chef “gets upset when one walks off.” Therefore, Thornton says, “I store them in my pockets, in every free space in the kitchen and at the hostess stand. I am never without.”
4) Self-proclaimed Sharpie lover, Ivan Pahk, executive chef at Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar in Kapalua & Kihei, Maui, carries a Sharpie at all times. “I have one in my collar at least 16 hours a day. I have one in my office, I have one roped up in the kitchen.”
While you’re at it, Behind the Knife also has a couple other recent posts giving Sharpie shoutouts: Check out Chef Michael Roberts sharing his Toolbox essentials in, and get an insider read on the Food Network star, Anthony Bourdain.
Do you use your Sharpie markers around the kitchen? Share your culinary expertise and tell us how!
Sharpie, with Paper Mate and EXPO is proud to announce a new partnership with TerraCycle, the pioneering upcycling company that finds new ways to repurpose otherwise throwaway items. Terracycle has become quite popular producing a range of products, including bird feeders, planters and pouches made from recycled materials like used soda bottles and juice boxes. In fact, you’ve probablly seen some of Terracycle’s stuff before! Either of there look familiar?
We are super excited about this particular partnership because we’re launching it off in a way that helps the environment AND your community! In doing so we’ve created the world’s first UPCYCLING program for used pens, markers and other writing instruments, which in turn, raises funds for schools, charities and non-profits nationwide. I mean, seriously…how many pens do have you tossed in a lifetime? – Well now you can pitch in and throw (toss, pitch, throw -get it! funny no?) your used pens, markers, etc.. towards good use!
In participating locales, where writing instruments are used most – primarily large corporations and schools -collection centers called “Writing Instrument Brigades” will be set up. At these collection centers, bring in all your used product and for every writing instrument collected two cents will be donated to the school, community group, charity or non-profit organization of that Brigade’s choice. Overall, the collection efforts will reduce landfill proliferation, educate and inspire consumers to get involved, and provice much needed funding to schools nad non-profits nationwide.
The free program is available to any individual or group and is easy to operate. Simply sign up with Terracycle (www.terracycle.net) to establish your Brigade location, then select the school, charity or non-profit group to which you want the collection funds to be directed. Each Brigade prints a pre-paid shipping label from Terracycle’s website to ship the collected writing instruments to Terracycle for upcycling into new products.
This is a, (to quote the great Tony the Tiger) “GRRRRREAT,” simple and easy way for organizations and individuals, alike to help the environment and local communities.
*Make it easy for yourself and collect at your desk, then bring a whole bunch of used Sharpie, EXPO and Papermate markers, pens and pencils to the larger Brigade all at once! See how quickly 2 CENTS adds up! –Here’s mine! (I used Sharpie markers to DIY a white paint can)!
Fill 'er UP!
After all he's done for you...how could you!? Give him the second chance he deserves - UPCYCLE style!
You’ve seen him as a small town criminal along side Thelma and Louise.
He reversed the aging process, striking curiousity around the world…
He was a Vampire long before Twilighters ever hit the stage.
As Tyler Durden’s alter ego, he made the rules - ”The first rule of fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is: you do NOT talk about Fight Club.”
Attracting world-wide media attention, he’s stirred up a play-ground style Hollywood cat fight: Team Aniston vs Team Jolie, anyone?!
He’s outsmarted the Vegas strip with Clooney and Damon, not one, not two, but Eleven, Tweleve, & Thirteen times.
Lookin' Sharp, Mr. Pitt, lookin' sharp..
What do you think, does Beckham have a little competition here??
How can Beckham make a Sharpie look so good?
Artists have all different quirks, types of personalities and styles, hence such creativity and self-expression! For instance, maybe you’re the shy-pensive photographer, or perhaps you know a moody- heart broken sculptor, how about those out-of-the-box, off the wall painters (Warhol anyone?). The list can go on and on… but by chance, have you heard of The Gross Uncle? In short, The Gross Uncle encompasses all sorts of personality and talent beyond compare (see question 3 for an accurate formula). Unfortunately for you, Fortunately for him, there is and can be only ONE “Gross Uncle.” Let me introduce you to him..
Grant Gilliland: Artist, Uncle, Super Model
Grant Gilliland aka “The Gross Uncle” is a cartoonist and illustrator with a style COMPLETELY his own. One cool aspect about this artist is that at your request he will put his Sharpie marker to work, sketching anything you wish and ship it out to you for a measly 20 bucks!! (One-of-a-kind art? Yes please! Placing my order as we stare at monitors) Turning a cool hobby into a career, Gilliland strives to enjoy life, have fun and create work that he loves, while being confident in all that he does. Combining big talent with an even bigger personality, this young artist has a long and successful road ahead of him. Let’s dive right into it and find out more about this Sharpie artist…
Tell me about yourself! Hello! My name is Grant Gilliland; I have a blog called “The Gross Uncle” and I love to draw and make things. I spend the majority of my time drawing cartoons and illustrations for all sorts of reasons…sometimes for clients, sometimes just for fun. I am based in San Francisco, originally from Ohio, a place where I spent a great deal of time playing and being creative. As I recall, I also went to high school there, but really all I remember is skateboarding and making funny home movies with my friends. I also enjoy coffee, bike riding, daydreaming about absurd images, scouring the web for inspiration, and meeting new people. How did you get started as an artist? What kind of experience do you have? I started my artistic career in my high chair, cranking out crayon-styled depictions of geometric cars, amorphous birds, and freakishly proportioned people. I would probably stop a minute to spit up or scream some gibberish towards the sky, then after wiping my face and getting something to drink, it was back to work… Come to think of it, not much has changed since then…besides the fact that I use a regular chair now.
When I was a little older, I took art classes after school and then once I got too cool (air quotes) for those, I started making comics with some of my friends. I went to The Columbus College of Art & Design in 2001 and got super-inspired there - It’s when I started to take art a bit more seriously. After graduating with a Bachelor’s in Illustration, I balanced a part-time job as a barista with freelance work. I started getting my feet wet and figuring out my style and eventually met up with my agent, Scott Hull in 2007. I am still pretty new to the world of freelance illustration and am looking forward to what things I am inspired to make in the future.
Gilliland's work displayed at an art show
How would you describe your personal style? This personal style recipe yields one to two editorial illustrations, one overworked 4×4 painting and about half a dozen blog posts with too much writing, it serves an infinite number of portions if rationed correctly.
Directions: Mix in a blender. Pour over a 4 year art-school education, slowly adding strong black coffee to the batter, while playing a post-punk mixtape in the background. Sprinkle sarcasm over the condensed result. Let bake in the California sun for four years, and enjoy.
Where do you draw inspiration from? I spend a lot of time absorbing podcasts, YouTube videos, music, comedy albums, you name it… I just like hearing creative material from people. If there is a sense that they know what they’re doing and have their own voice, usually I’m game to listen. I get in these modes where I get into a certain podcast and just listen to it nonstop…even if I don’t really like it all that much or wouldn’t want someone to walk in on me listening to it. I will go into the archives and listen to the whole thing – sometimes I will listen to the same episode several times. I guess I’m sort of sponge-like when it comes to most things…sometimes vaguely loofa-like, but rarely. How do you use Sharpie markers in your work? What is your favorite Sharpie?! I like the way Sharpie markers make a nice strong line. I have used other pens in the past, but I always ended up coming back to Sharpie for their consistent quality. I love the way they draw on laser jet photo paper…so smooth! I like the regular fine-point Sharpie marker…I have about two dozen lying around at any given time.
Where did you come up with the idea to sell $20 Sharpie drawings? How does this work? I wanted to sell something on my blog that was affordable and fun for me to make. The cool thing about doing these drawings is that I get to post them on the blog and say who they are for and where they are being mailed. People seem to like the idea, and each drawing is made just for them. Also, it’s really helped me loosen up…the more people that order the drawings, the better they will get because of all the great drawing practice I’m getting. All you need to do to get your own is email me at seegrantdraw@yahoo.com and ask! I am open to creative suggestions and I will gladly draw your dog.
What children’s books have you illustrated for? Just one. The book is called “Theo” and there is a blog where you can check the whole thing out (http://theobook.blogspot.com). The book was conceived and written by the talented author Kentucky Lim. We are planning a whole series of books together.
Theo
So tell me, do you have a gross uncle or are you the Gross Uncle? Maybe I should just ask this: Where did you come up with the name for your blog?
I him! He me! We be me!
…Actually, the whole alias came about one summer when I was thinking about how great and sneaky it would be to have this “alter ego” that I could get extra illustration work as. So there’s Grant with his cute little round style and then there’s The Gross Uncle with his bizarre, awkward, hairy drawings…and all the time it’s just one guy. I basically scrapped the idea when I decided to use the name for my blog, so I just ended up mixing elements from the two styles over time. Nowadays, The Gross Uncle moniker gets used the most when I participate in gallery shows…seems to fit…and it’s easier to say than my last name.
If you could design for any one person who would it be? Why? I would design for the auto-tune machine because that’s the most popular singer these days. Other than that, I have made a character design for my friend Donny Papermaker…he’s pretty famous on the YouTube nation.
I’m curious…What do you think is the “funniest looking appendage” and why? Great question! I like the nose. That’s an appendage, right? There are just so many great ways to make a nose…you can abstract it and add all sorts of funny joints and angles and planes that shouldn’t be there and it can really add a lot in terms of visual punch. If your drawing is looking real good, then you could put a blue nose on a guy and it could work.
Laser Portrait
Hippie Style
Tattoos
Are you currently working on anything that you can tell us about? I’m finally getting back around to working on a cartoon show called “Touch Base with Gregg Sween.” The show is basically a cartoon version of a daytime talk show…it started out as a puppet show that my friend Patrick Kouse and I did last summer. We performed the whole show live at Fivepoints Arthouse in San Francisco – we only did it twice. We haven’t touched it for a year and now I think it’s time for us to get back in touch with our inner thespians (cue laughter here).
Anything I didn’t ask that you would like to add? Yes. Can you direct me to the Instant Sharpie Replacement Hotline? That would be nice. I’d put it on speed dial and then a Sharpie representative can send new pens to my house in 2-3 business days. You accept drawings as payment, right? (Grant, you can reach me (the Sharpie Rep) at 1-800 illlosemyjob) -cue sarcasm here : )
Do you have any advice for other young artists? It’s always important to be into what you’re doing for the fun of it. No matter what circumstances you are under in life, fun plays a major role. Just being in a good mood can really negate and remove (even permanently) any real or perceived obstacles in life. Also just keep the world up to date on what you’re doing…post blog entries about it, take progress pictures, share…being active is more important than being really good.What do you hope for in 2010? There are some major projects that I hope to finish either this year or next…patience can be tough. Honestly, just to be happy and satisfied with life sounds nice…to be happy with whatever I am working on without doubting it and to spend the rest of my time playing.
He desgins shoes too!
Deciding on a new piece of art can be intimidating, yes, but what if I told you that you had the option to pick out EXACTLY what you wanted. You could tailor your art to fit exactly your needs. We’re talking size, shape, color, patterns… Forget about spending countless hours, days, months hunting for one specific piece, not to mention you wouldn’t have to break the bank to get this art. Sounds like a dream come true if you ask me!
Well with the new year comes new opportunity, so why not start off 2010 by hanging a one-of-a-kind “(YOUR NAME HERE)” art work on your wall that actually looks pretty spectacular! All you will need are plain white canvases (it’s up to you how many), Sharpie markers and a bit of creativity and imagination to create art that will update any space!
An option to make this DIY project a bit easier for those who may be intimidated – just do what I did - hunt around online and search for patterns that you like and can recreate. I found my pattern online and used an assortment of Sharpie permanent markers in Red, Navy Blue, Green and Yellow to draw on plain white, hard wood canvases (see pics below) to make my Sharpie wall art. The great part about this is that your options are endless – you can choose to make one giant piece, several small canvases, or collect an assortment of sizes. With so many different Sharpie colors to choose from, when it comes to color and design the choice is completely yours!
Sharpie markers used
Reverse side of canvases
*Another great thing about canvas art is how free your are to arrange the pieces until you figure out what works best for you. Have fun with it!