Custom Raffy Available

"Sparkle Stripe" is the first piece I've created on the Kidrobot Raffy platform. It was made for a custom toy exhibit at the Jarvis Rockwell Gallery in North Adams, MA. Part baby giraffe, part psychedelic pony, this whimsical beast is painted with metallic and pearl acrylics and measures approximately 4.5"x5".

This piece is now available in my Etsy shop.

God bless,

Bryan Collin

No More Custom Toys (sort of)

I've been thinking for a long time about all of the comments, questions, and suggestions I regularly receive from fellow artists, fans, and gallery curators. After chewing on a great deal of information I began to feel that I needed to abandon either my fine art or my toy art. Although they are both forms of art, the genres carry different vibes and often attract the adoration of different people. I know that a great number of people who like my custom toys really aren't much into my paintings and illustrations. On the other side, most of the collectors whom I've worked with for years just don't connect with the custom toy realm.


(Toy Art) "Qee to the Moon" :: acrylic on 4" tall Mini Qee


(Fine Art) "Play Some Purple For Me" :: 16"x20" acrylic on linen

After putting both the fine art and toy customizing worlds on the chopping block, I felt a little like Abraham with the knife hovering in my hands over Issac, hating what I felt I had to do but willing to do it anyway. Then, like the angel that provided Abraham with another sacrifice, I had a vision of one river that flows to a fork where it parts ways with itself. The one river then has two different names but both are fed from the same source. This gave me the notion that it is time to divide my arts, rather than kill one.

Now you will have a choice to follow what I am doing with paintings and illustrations or with custom toys, or both. Those of you who only want to see my 2D and fine art work may continue to follow me here and you will no longer see posts regarding my custom toys. Those of you wishing to follow my toy customizing adventures will need to jump over to www.facebook.com/colorchemist3d where I am now working under the name Color Chemist. You may also want to follow on Twitter at @ColorChemist3D where I will be posting links to news, shows, and custom toy photos.

Thank you all, both friends of my 2D and 3D art, for the encouragement and support. I love both realms of work and I am excited to continue each by traveling both rivers!

God bless,
Bryan A. Collins (a.k.a. Color Chemist)

Mutation: A Vinyl Show at Black Maria Gallery

Mutation: a vinyl show
August 15th through September 5th, 2009
Opening Reception: Saturday, 15th of August, 7:00 - 10:30pm

Los Angeles – Black Maria Gallery is proud to present “Mutation”, an exhibition featuring a selection of some of the most sought after artists in the art toy scene today, proving that vinyl is the new canvas. Participating artists include: 64 Colors, Brent Nolasco, Bryan Collins, Button Eyes, Camden Noir, Draifet, Jeremiah Ketner, Kalypzo, Kat Brunnegraff, Kendra Binney, Kill Taupe, Motorbot, Mark Basa, Nathan Hamill, Okedoki, Podgy Panda, Reactor 88, Rosie O’Donnell, Shaun Wightman, TyleR & Zombie Monkie.

Urban vinyl toys have been saturating the art scene for the past several years. Some pieces have even become part of permanent collections in museums such as MOCA and recently sold via high-end auction houses like Christie’s, commanding thousands of dollars.

A hot generation of vinyl toy artists has been steadily infiltrating the art scene with their unique visions. These designers take a common “platform” toy, and through their creative and sometimes wicked sense of imagination, transform what is ordinary into the extraordinary. These pieces mutate into a custom art object, becoming highly sought after and truly one of a kind. In the custom vinyl world, there are no limits on what can be created.

“Actress/Comedienne Rosie O’Donnell will be showing several custom Munnys with all the proceeds going to her charity, Rosie’s Broadway Kids.

http://www.rosiesbroadwaykids.org

Rosie’s Broadway Kids is an arts education organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children through the arts.
Using professional teaching artists, Rosie’s Broadway Kids offers classes in dance and music and a professional theater experience for children who might otherwise not have the opportunity. Its goal is to inspire excellence, motivate learning, uplift the human spirit, and to instill a lifelong appreciation of the arts.

“Mutation” will remain open through Saturday, September 5th, 2009.