First Look: Dave Dorman Original Wizard of Oz Art Premieres This Weekend at VISIONS OF OZ Show in L.A.

LOS ANGELES, CA—March 1, 2013— Dave Dorman’s “Dorothy Daydreams” original painting will be included in the upcoming Creature Features Visions of Oz gallery art show being held at the Heritage Square Museum in Los Angeles, California from March 3 – 31. Dorman’s painting, rendered traditionally in oil and acrylic mediums, is a visual homage to the L. Frank Baum literary classic Oz books.

Said Dorman, “It was an honor to be invited to participate in this tribute. For Dorothy Daydreams, I returned to the spirit of L. Frank Baum’s young protagonist, capturing some of her desire to escape the harsh and desolate reality of her Kansas dustbowl farm for the fantasy of a much more colorful, imaginary world.” Dorman will be showing the art progressives from pencil illustration to final painting this weekend on this blog.

Dave Dorman’s “Dorothy Daydreams” Painting. Oil and acrylic on canvas. 24″ x 36.”

Creature Features curated this multimedia exhibit, showcasing more than 100 works from a diverse group of artists. The collection includes illustrations, paintings, sculptures and full-sized recreations of favorite Oz characters. Also included in the exhibit will be historical memorabilia such as rare editions of the original L. Frank Baum books, props, concepts and artwork from various Oz-themed film & TV projects and many more surprises.

Museum tours are $10; OZ exhibit-only admittance is $5. For more information, visit CreatureFeatures.com/VisionsofOz or call (323) 225-2700. Heritage Square Museum is located at 3800 Homer Street, Los Angeles. The museum’s website is http://heritagesquare.org.

About Dave Dorman

Eisner, Inkpot and Bram Stoker Award-winning illustrator, writer and creator Dave Dorman was voted the #1 Star Wars Artist of All Time by fans of the property worldwide, and his art book Star Wars: The Art of Dave Dorman was an international bestseller. His landmark, critically acclaimed graphic novel, Aliens: Tribes, won him an Eisner and Bram Stoker Award as well as changing the way the publishing ad entertainment industries viewed the medium. Dorman’s own critically acclaimed Intellectual Property,  The Wasted Lands—the Sergio Leone-meets-motorcycle western epic tale of good vs. evil in a dystopian society recovering from “the Iron Wars”–continued to raise the bar in the graphic novel publishing arena and set a new standard. Another Dorman I.P., Dead Heat, is the Bram Stoker Award-winning horror anthology of his tales of the protagonist motorcycle zombie known as “Hitch.” Dorman’s autobiography, Rolling Thunder: The Art of Dave Dorman (IDW Publishing/Desperado Publishing) encompasses an estimated one-third of his illustrious art career, which includes licensed works of such classic properties as G.I. Joe, Indiana Jones, Predator, Robotech, Batman, Captain America, Spiderman, Judge Dredd, Transformers, Green Lantern, Green Hornet, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, World of Warcraft and many more. Corporate clients include 20th Century Fox, Rhythm & Hues, Hasbro, Wizards of the Coast, Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image, IDW, Upper Deck, Topps, FASA Corp., and many more.

Dorman is a sought-after instructor who has taught at American Academy of Art, Savannah College of Art & Design, Reverie (Massive Black/ConceptArt.org), Columbia College and The Gnomon School. His video art tutorials are available at The Gnomon Workshop. 

 

Media Contact:

Denise Dorman, Publicist

WriteBrain Media

P: 630.845.4694

E: denise@writebrainmedia.com

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New Dave Dorman Art: See it Live Tonight at Rotofugi!

Dear Friends,

I’m finishing up the last painting for my show, opening tonight at Rotofugi. It is FREE to come to the gallery and see my art and join me at tonight’s opening. For those of you with GPS, they’re located at 2780 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614. For those who can only make it into town for C2E2, please join me next Friday, April 13th for a special C2E2 Weekend showing at 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Here’s one of a few new pieces of art I’m exhibiting tonight at the show – this piece I’ve called AHAB’s WIFE and it’s oil and acrylic on canvas, 24″ x 36″. Let me know what you think of it.

AHAB's WIFE by Dave Dorman 2012

Here’s a sneak peek of the online catalog from Rotofugi with sizes, pricing and availability of each painting: http://www.rotofugi.com/gallery/exhibits/2012-dorman/

Here is a link to my Pi a la Mode Art Catalog, signed by me: http://davedorman.com/picatalogue.shtml

I hope you can join us tonight…or next Friday night during C2E2. I am dedicating this show to my wife, Denise Dorman, whose support, promotion and enthusiasm for my work is unyielding. As always, I thank all of you for your support and interest in my art.

Dave.

Dave Dorman in Chicago Tribune Today

Dear Friends,

Thanks to all of you who came by my table yesterday at WindyCon. It’s very rewarding to get feedback from all of you on my work and it keeps me excited about the work I’m doing.

Today journalist Sarah Frink wrote an article on me in today’s Chicago Tribune about the odd jobs I held while trying to break into the business and learn my craft. Here’s the link to the article: http://trib.in/v8lxHz 

Of course, if you already read my memoir/art book, “Rolling Thunder, The Art of Dave Dorman,” by IDW Publishing/Desperado Publishing last year, you already know most of this story.  The book is now marked down to $20 for the regular version and $50 for the signed, limited edition version. These make great holiday gifts for that special person in your life who loves comic book art, sci-fi, fantasy and horror art, plus I included a lot of my personal fine art work in the book as well. Be sure to check it out if you don’t already own a copy!

I hope all of you are having a great Sunday. I’m back to the old drawing board today. If you want to connect with me on my social networks, here are my profiles:

http://facebook.com.davedormanartist | http://twitter.com/davedorman | http://linkedin.com/in/thedavedorman

Thanks for reading,

Dave.

Dave Dorman Steampunk Girl Art and News

Dear Friends,

Good afternoon on a chilly Chicago Wednesday. This coming weekend I will be exhibiting at the WindyCon November 11 – 13th at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center in Lombard, IL. I will have some great deals on my art for holiday gifts, decorating the Man Cave for Thanksgiving and more! Kudos to those of you who have the moxie to decorate your dining rooms with my artwork. If you have a cool display of my artwork in your home, email a jpeg to my wife and publicist denise@writebrainmedia.com and she will post it on my blog with your permission. Speaking of art, here’s a new Steampunk girl piece I completed recently that I call “Pi.” I will be posting progressives here shortly.

"Pi" by Artist Dave Dorman

In other news, I am doing an interview with the Australian Alpha Nerd podcast this Friday. I’m unsure as to when it will be available for downloads on the iTunes store, but I will definitely mention it here the moment it’s up. If you have any questions you’d like for the hosts to ask me on air, please post them here and I’ll try to get all of your questions answered.

I want to congratulate a friend of mine, whose name I cannot mention, for winning the sniper competition this past weekend in West Virginia. He is a wonderful artist and weapons instructor for a major police department in Washington, D.C., but that’s all I’m allowed to say. I know he will read this.

If any of you are watching WALKING DEAD or FRINGE, feel free to discuss with me. I’m also watching DEATH VALLEY, which is Reno 911-meets-zombies. In other words, a lot of fun. I caught up last night on the TALKING DEAD talk show, and that show is a lot of fun. I wish the producers would answer the question raised on the first episode of TALKING DEAD: why there are all of those dead people rotting away in their cars on the interstate. That needs a little more explanation.

As always, thanks so much for reading and please be sure to find me on all of these social networks:

Facebook: http://fb.com/davedormanartist | Twitter: @DaveDorman

Linkedin.com/in/thedavedorman (I am an open networker and happy to connect with you)

Thanks for reading,

Dave.

The Most Personal Dave Dorman Project I’ve Ever Done: Project 52

Dear Friends,

Today is my 52nd birthday and today I’m giving myself a gift: giving back. I’m announcing my personal project, called PROJECT 52, which gives back to the brave military men and women and their families who sacrifice on behalf of our great country, the place I call home and still believe in my heart of hearts is that shining city on the hill.

I am painting 52 military paintings to be published in a fine art book, with a portion of the proceeds from the book going to USACares.org. I am also planning a Project 52 traveling gallery art show to be held at military bases throughout the U.S. Here are 2 paintings from Project 52, inspired by photos I’ve been collecting of our conflict in the Middle East – photos from Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan.

Dave Dorman's Project 52, Painting #1

Dave Dorman's Project 52, Painting #2

Depending on the dollars you donate, you will receive one of the following:

VIP Perks

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Project 52 Supporter ($5 minimum)

You or the person of your choice will be listed in the Project 52 fine art book with your donation of $5.

0 Claimed

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Dedicated Supporter ($25 minimum)

You may honor the special person or soldier in your life with a two-line dedication in the Project 52 fine art book with your donation of $25.

0 Claimed

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Bronze Level Donor ($50 minimum)

You will receive a signed copy of the Project 52 regular retail edition fine art book when you donate $50 to the project.

1 Claimed

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Silver Level Donor ($100 minimum)

You will receive a signed, dedicated copy of the Project 52 Limited Edition fine art book with your donation of $100.

0 Claimed

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Gold Level Donor ($250 minimum)

You will receive a signed, numbered copy of the Project 52 Limited Edition Lithograph on acid-free, archival paper. This can be personalized if you so choose, as well as a signed copy of the Limited Edition fine art book.

0 Claimed

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Platinum Level Donor ($1,000 minimum)

The first 52 people who give at the Platinum level will receive one of the actual Project 52 Paintings once the gallery tour of duty throughout the military bases is completed, plus the fine art limited edition lithograph, autographed and a signed, Limited Edition fine art hardcover book.

0 Claimed   (52 More Available)

I am humbled at this moment in asking you all reading this for this very huge favor. I’m unaccustomed to asking for money like this. I’m new to crowd funding, but I’m told for all of us artists, it’s the “new normal.” Basically, I’m asking everyone I know to donate at least $5 to fund this project. Even $1 would be helpful. Surely, I have 52,000 fans out there worldwide. Help me spread the word.

The goal is to reach $52,000, which will pay for me to take some time off from full-time commercial work, and to get this special limited edition fine art book published and distributed as well as the lithographs printed. Everyone who donates something receives something in return.

Here is the link to contribute: http://www.indiegogo.com/Project-52

I thank you all for reading, and I hope you join me on this “Team Dave” journey. I will be keeping everyone abreast of my progress on this blog.

I also want to mention that my autograph session at Blick Art Supply in Wheaton, IL is scheduled for Saturday, October 23rd from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. I will be there with a supply of ROLLING THUNDER: THE ART OF DAVE DORMAN books – 4.5 lbs. of my career in art and me blabbering on about my weird life. So, I hope you can all come out & keep me company there.

Thanks again for your interest in and support of my work.

Dave, the birthday boy.

New eBay Items Are Up

Dear Readers,

It occurred to me that some of you may want to know when I post items on eBay, so I will start posting those links on my blog for you. I just posted a few pieces tonight, and here they are for your shopping pleasure:

TRIXIE
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270615839571&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT
IRRADIATE Magic card
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270615843031&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT
Unpublished Fantasy
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270615845448&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT
AVP#4
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270615830815&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT
AVP Captured
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270615833689&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT
AVP Movie
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270615836275&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT
Dorman book
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270615850597&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

Dave Dorman Announcement: You Read It Here FIRST!

Dear Friends,

As promised, here are some pictures of my first paint brush, gifted to me by my father and on Sunday by my wife & son; it’s now a permanent shadowbox display in my studio, keeping company with my Little Nemo calendar and my clock:

Dave's 1st Paint Brush Hanging on Wall in Studio

This was my best Father’s Day gift, second only to my son. And here he is:

Me & My Mini Me on Father's Day 2010

Here’s a close-up of the shadow box:

My Father's Day Gift This Year

Speaking of Jack, he was inspired by a recent visit to a planetarium and created this little piece of art:

Dave Dorman's 5-Year-Old Son Draws His First Astronaut

As he described his drawing, a family argument ensued as to which planet was looming in the upper right, with Jack insisting it was Uranus. Unfortunately, my wife cannot keep a straight face if her life depended on it when anyone utters the planet “Uranus” (the traditional pronounciation), so now Jack knows the magic word to say to Denise at the worst possible times, like the library, or…while she’s receiving communion.

If you received the most recent Imagine F/X magazine issue honoring Frank Frazetta (a.k.a. my favorite magazine), the picture of Frank & me that I shared with you in a previous blog is on Page 8, with a quote from me on how Frank inspired my work. It was his Conan the Barbarian work that first grabbed my attention, and it was Frank Frazetta who taught me to paint. I’m so glad I was able to tell him that in person.

In other news, our friend and Denise’s client Stan Bush, who has the #1 Geek Anthem of All Time (Transformers theme song, The Touch) just got his song ” ‘Til All Are One” in the new Transformers game from Activision, which came out yesterday. Huge congrats to Stan on that coup. We will have him on our pop culture podcast, “It’s Comic Book Day” in a forthcoming episode. This is a free download on iTunes, so be sure to sign up for it. You’d be surprised at all of the people Stan’s written for, performed and recorded with – a who’s who of rock ‘n roll. Even better, he’s genuinely a decent person in a tough business.

Rumor has it I will be on Dennis Miller’s radio show in July, so once Denise firms up the details, I’ll let you know when to listen in. Actually, you should always tune in to Dennis Miller (that is, when you’re not listening to my podcast) – the guy’s LOL hilarious every day and his choice of diverse and interesting guests is never dull. 

I want to give a shout-out to one of my favorite podcast/media personalities, Mike Dodd of This Week in Geek. If you haven’t discovered his podcast yet, definitely check it out. Denise & I may be making a regular appearance there soon, so be sure to check here for news on that.

And now, I’ve saved the best news for last. You read it here first! All of you know about my new book, Rolling Thunder: The Art of  Dave Dorman. I’m proud to announce that 10% of my earnings will go to mine and Dennis Miller’s favorite charity, USACares.org. I will have another really fun surprise announcement to make about my new book in an upcoming blog post, so again, be sure to check back with me. Here is a shot of my signed, limited edition version book cover:

Signed, Limited Edition Book Cover

As always, I thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the art.

Dave.

Dave Dorman Demos Storyboarding Sunday

Dear Chicago Artists, Art Directors & Friends,

This Sunday, June 13th at 7 p.m., I will be doing a storyboarding demo for Chicagoland’s “Commercial Artist Forum” group, which I’ve been involved in for a few years, when my friend, Blick Art Supply regional manager Kevin Sandstrom, first formed the group, at my wife’s suggestion that what we desperately needed was a “creative salon” for artists. Today it is run by Colin Pritchard, of Rocket No. 9 (my wife’s & my webmaster) and Fotios Zemenides, who owns Zemenides Fine Art Gallery.

Here are the event details, if you can attend. There is an $8 fee, covering drinks, refreshments and the model’s fee. Bring your sketchpads!

831 N Wilke Rd.
Arlington Heights, IL 60008

Location: At the SEC of Wilke & Northwest Highway across the street from the entrance to the Arlington Race Track

In the Arlington Park Plaza shopping center (there is a Fast Food Joint, Radio Shack, Liquor Store, Cat Clinic, & Pawn shop in the center)

R.S.V.P. Space is limited, so please confirm your spot with denise@writebrainmedia.com

As always, thanks for reading,

Dave.