Paint By Word

CircleDot Creative - new logo

2008-11-20T10:14:00.000-08:00

Damn. It's been crazy busy lately!! And I feel like I say that or something like it every time I blog. But I'm serious. I just started up another project with some buddies, which I can't talk too much about, but it shall soon be revealed in the months to come.. *evil laugh* Last month I brought on 3 ridiculously amazing assistants to help us out (Brianna, Ian, and Brittany), so with just a little bit less weight off my shoulders, I have a tiny second to blog. :) Oh! I should probably explain the image up there, right? ^^ 8 months ago when I graduated, I decided to make CircleDot a full-time endeavor. I used my Creative Internet class at UCLA as a way to work on my company's website and identity. But because it was initially done for a class, I didn't really have time to give the designs much thought. So now I'm working on a website re-design (the new site should launch in the next few days or so), and last night I just finished reworking my logo, even though the original logo wasn't even a year old. I feel like this one represents more of my style.

The old logo. Get outta here!

President Obama 2008

2008-11-04T22:53:00.000-08:00

WE DID IT.

Oh. Wow. Excuse my language, but FUCK YEAH!!! Words cannot express how proud I am of my country at this moment, for electing Barack Obama into office. I really wish him the best of luck, it's not going to be an easy job taking on Bush's legacy, but someone's got to do it. I'm just glad it's him. I'm really, really sad that Prop 8 passed though. As your quintessential f*g hag (haha, just kidding), I have tons of very close gay friends whose rights are still limited, like second-class citizens. It's only a matter of time though.

Finding out that Obama won was pretty anti-climactic for me. I was at the mall (a place that I rarely even visit) and wasn't keeping track of the time. I wish I was at home to see it on my tv screen. Or at a bar clinking beer glasses and cheering my ass off. My stomach hurts from the free Krispy Kreme donut and Starbucks coffee. I claimed my free coffee twice today. Once would've probably sufficed but I'm a dumbass and got one more cup later in the day just because I knew I could.

Since June I've been working with ProjectHope 08 for the Obama Campaign, designing their website/e-commerce store. We just put out a 14-month collector's calendar that I designed to commemorate the glorious event (and thank god he was elected, or else we would have looked stupid for making it). It's not exactly my usual style, but it tells you which day of the week/month it is, which is pretty essential to any calendar.

Tonight: Gallery1988 LA's "Cover Band"

2008-10-07T08:24:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder, tonight is Gallery1988 LA's opening reception for Cover Band, where over 50 artists take classic album covers and go nuts to create new pieces of art.

Here's the info you need:
Gallery1988 LA
7020 Melrose Ave.
7-10pm

Here's my entry for the show in all its gory guts and glory:

See you tonight!

Episode 4: Website Challenge!

2008-10-05T23:06:00.000-07:00

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max laughs his head off in this bonus scene:

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You NEED to check out WeAreScientists.com, Max had every reason to cry from laughter. Their essays on there are f*cking hilarious!!!!

TNA = Team North America!

2008-09-30T14:40:00.001-07:00

So the third episode of the Engine Room has aired, and I hope you're enjoying it so far, if you've been watching at all. For those of you that haven't caught it yet-- the episodes are only 8-9 minutes long, and you can watch them all following this post.

Sucks that the episodes are so short. I love watching it though, observing from both a production and a regular viewer's perspective. Out of all the footage (hours upon hours of footage!), it's pretty funny seeing which clips they actually decide to put on the air. Sigh. I really miss everyone from the cast. Everyone was so goofy and fun and talented and really good looking.

On MTVEngineRoom.com, you can watch bonus scenes, view portfolios, and check out each team's challenge entries on their respective team pages.

EPISODE 1 - WORLD PREMIERE:

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EPISODE 2 - ALL HANDS ON DECK

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EPISODE 3 - MIX & MASH

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BRAND NEW WEBSITE DESIGN!

2008-09-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

yowwwwzaaa... AllisonTorneros.com v.4! I hope you like the new layout, I tried to make it flashy yet simple, and easy to navigate, keeping the entire site to only 3 pages. I still might be making a few small changes here and there, maybe change up the background color and lighten it a little, I don't know...

Visit allisontorneros.com!

First episode is up on the MTV Engine Room website. (I swear I'm not a bimbo that runs around in her underwear all the time, haha)

Engine Room premieres TOMORROW on MTVu!

2008-09-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

I never imagined myself participating in a reality tv show... Until this one came along! MTV and HP teamed up to create a show a show about creativity + computers. 16 digital artists were chosen from around the world to compete on teams of 4 in creative challenges. I'm one of only 4 girls on the show, and one fourth of Team North America.

This premieres TOMORROW on MTVu, and on different MTV channels in Asia. If you don't live in Asia or you have no access to MTVu, you can catch the full episodes ONLINE at http://www.mtvengineroom.com.

Watch the 3 minute teaser clip here:

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Happy Birthday Mikey!! + two paintings..

2008-08-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

My crazy ass obsession (ass obsession?!) with Michael Jackson still holds strong even 16 years after first discovering him on TV as a 6 year-old kid. Today he turns 50, which is about 12 years old in MJ years..

This year was also the 25th anniversary of his famous Thriller album, and I have the great liberty of using the album artwork to create some MJ-inspired art for Gallery1988 LA's show, Cover Band, which opens October 7th. Artists in the show choose an album from Rolling Stone's Top 500 Albums of All Time, and create artwork using the album itself as a canvas, kind of like a collaboration between the artist and the record.

hi!

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In other news, there are so many things I've been wanting to post but haven't because 1.) I've been in NY with limited access to the outside world 2.) I've been too busy or 3.) I'm lazy. So I'm going to start as far back as possible..

In June I was part of Gallery1988 SF's show, Everyone In Together. Both pieces sold before the show's opening (yay!). Here are a couple pictures of the process, sorry for the low quality pics these were all taken on my camera phone:

Base layers are put down

Getting the background texture just right

Then the people start to emerge! The girl on the right is based off of a picture of my girl Misa

When I started painting, the girl looked like Britney Spears. I tried to change up her face as best I could, and she ended up looking like Tila Tequila, or something.

Up on the gallery wall

I love red dots!!! :)

That Is Not Okay
12 x 12 inches
acrylic on wood

You Can't Game Tracy
12 x 12 inches
acrylic on wood

And... here's a pup that I saw in a pet store window. Seriously.

Looks like a freakin gremlin right? A cute one...

*heart melts*

Back from NY, and back into the groove =)

2008-08-19T11:45:00.000-07:00

I just got back from filming a show in NY for MTV called The Engine Room http://www.mtvengineroom.com I was one of 16 digital artists from around the world chosen to compete in creative challenges.

Watch it when it premieres on Sept 15 :) . It premieres on MTVu, so if you can't watch it there, you'll be able to catch the episodes on the website.

In the meantime, I'm getting back into some web work, back into art making, and of course back into the PaintByWord groove. If you're bored or have time at all, send me some words that start with the letters M and N; email them to me at atorneros@gmail.com.

Thanks!!!!!

Art + Party = ARTillery, this Saturday in SF

2008-07-07T21:39:00.000-07:00

I am PUMPED about this show this weekend!!! If you are in the area please come out and party with us-- and I do mean party as the gallery has a bar and all the body bumping baby making music to move the masses. And most importantly, lots and lots and lots of amazing art.

What you need to know:
ARTillery - Presented by Assembly Line Artists
@ The Space Gallery SF
www.spacegallerysf.com
1141 Polk St. (@ Sutter)
7pm - 11pm - art exhibit
11pm - 2am - party time!
Get there early and get a free gift bag!

Refer to the flyer below:

June show @ Gallery1988 SF!

2008-06-01T11:23:00.000-07:00

I'm excited for the Gallery1988 show in SF.. Not only is the lineup amazing, but the show is happening right after I graduate and officially move back to the Bay Area so I'm happy that I'll be able to invite my family and old friends to come get crazy with me ;)

Gallery1988 SF
"Everyone in Together"
June 20, 7-10 pm
(Click to enlarge)

I just wanna do hoodrat stuff with my friend.

2008-05-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

This heat is killing me. It doesn't help that when it gets this hot in my neighborhood it starts smelling like hot trash. I really want to go to the beach but I'm not sure if I trust the water in Santa Monica.. Anyway. In this crazy weather I still found just enough energy to be productive, and I got started on a few paintings. I never work on one painting at a time.. I kind of just work on two or three or even four simultaneously. It's easier that way (for me at least) and it makes me feel more productive...

So here are some pictures of my process so far:

I love painting on wooden panels! I get my panels made by a good guy named Chris Bundy, order stuff from him at Paint on This

This is one of my favorites of the bunch so far. Sometimes I don't even want to paint over these because I just end up liking the background texture too much. I think in the future I might want to do a few abstract pieces that are just straight up color and texture, without the figurative subjects and hopefully someone out there will dig it.

Recently I've been really into making digital collage composites as guides for my paintings. The one above is something I put together yesterday, and I'll end up drawing that image up onto one of the wooden panels... I need to replace my printer's ink cartridge.

Updates on my process coming soon :)

15% off The City prints through 5/24!

2008-05-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

Drained

2008-04-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Artist's Block,

You nasty little beast. Working day and night on design work, and staring for hours at a computer screen is draining..and when it's time to finally get to work on some art, the creative juice is all gone. At least that's my story as of right now.

I have quite a few shows coming up, but lately when my pencil hits my paper, nothing happens. You're such an asshole! Please go bother someone else.

Love,

Allison

Someone send over some inspiration por favor?

22nd Annual JazzReggae Festival

2008-04-18T11:24:00.001-07:00

I've taken a little break from the art to work on a big website for the JazzReggae Festival in LA, put on by the Cultural Affairs Commission at UCLA. It's been my favorite web project so far. It's a huge two-day festival that takes place on Memorial Day Weekend, and this year the headliners are The Roots and Stephen Marley. I personally can't wait to see Immortal Technique, he's one of my top fav hip hop artists. And if not for the artists, go for the beautiful people and the MMMmmm SCRUMPTIOUS food. The lines for the food stands are long but it's worth the wait. :)

Click here to visit the site:
JazzReggae Festival

Costa Rica! TOYS!!!

2008-03-23T21:06:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter, bunnies!

As I get ready to head out the door to catch my flight to Costa Rica (!), I didn't want to leave without giving you a little preview of my pieces for Gallery 1988's Toys Show on April 1st. Based on one of my closest childhood girlfriends... Barbie. ;)

So here ya go.

Oil, acrylic, and epoxy resin on wood. 16x20 inches

Peace out, college!

2008-03-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

I just finished my last day of classes at UCLA!!

But since I'm done early I still gotta wait till June to finally walk in my cap and gown.

:)

Women's History Month, "Revolution" Show Preview Photos

2008-03-09T14:18:00.000-07:00

** 'This is what a FEMINIST looks like.'... not all of us are angry bra-burning, man-hating, flannel wearing characters (ok, I actually like flannel IF it's cute..but still.) I love my boyfriend, I need my bras to hold what little I have in place, and I love embracing my femininity. As hokey and cheesy as it may sound..we come in all shapes and sizes, ha. ;) **

Last night was the opening reception for "Virgin, Mother, Slut" at UCLA. It was an amazing show produced by my own roommate, Ashley Tucker, who happens to be the President of the Bruin Feminists for Equality. The theme touches upon the three main female stereotypes of women in the media. As a Filipino-American woman, I decided to paint my own take on the Asian Female stereotypes in America as presented by the media: The Dragon Lady and The Lotus Blossom.

So for a quick second, let me just school you on the concept behind these two paintings....

There are two main stereotypes of Asian women in America. One is of the 'Dragon Lady', an Asian woman of exotic beauty, who is scheming, calculating, catty, sneaky, hypersexual, back-stabbing, and untrustworthy. Next you've got 'the Lotus Blossom', the quiet, silent, submissive Asian girl, passive, eager to please, and prudent. Over time this stereotype evolved into that of the 'Model Minority'... the straight A overachiever, obedient to the wishes of her parents...both types are silent in different ways. I used my own face for these paintings because I've been personally subject to both of these stereotypes. And of course, neither stereotype fits who I really am.

Both of these pieces, Dragon Lady and Lotus Blossom, will be up for sale at the Revolution show at Mauve in Newport Beach. They are both 16"x20" acrylic on cradled birch wood.

And if you were curious about the process that I took.. Here are some pictures!

I took this janky little Myspace photo as a model guide:

And the way I usually approach the painting process goes like this--I throw around paint and acrylics and other stuff onto the wood/canvas/paper, then leave it overnight to dry. I wake up in the morning and let the random composition inspire a concept/drawing... It's an unpredictable process, but it's a win/win situation because it's as if I'm doing what the paint wants me to do, instead of forcing a concept and getting disappointed if the outcome isn't exactly how I want it to be.

See you on Saturday! There's an afterparty at the show, hEyyyy

ON SALE: "The City" Limited Edition Giclee Prints!

2008-03-05T15:27:00.000-08:00

Signing and numbering the prints in the back of Gallery 1988

I've been so pumped about this! I'm happy to finally say that limited edition giclee prints of "Skittle Joe's Goodtime Headquarters: The City" (or what most just call, "The City") are now on sale through Gallery 1988. They are only $75 and look and feel almost better than the original -- and for those of you that bought City prints from me in the past, those are nothing compared to the ones that Gallery1988 is offering here. The ones I had been selling previously were just high-res digital poster prints on flimsy paper..

Allison Torneros

"The City"
11 x 14 inches
giclee print on archival paper
hand signed and numbered edition of 88
$75

Click here to go to Gallery 1988

Call or email gallery1988@aol.com to order.

Garfield.. minus Garfield?!

2008-03-04T11:19:00.000-08:00

Once you remove Garfield from the famous Garfield comics, you get a peek into the funny, yet lonely suburban life of Jon Arbuckle. Garfield minus Garfield.

Upcoming Shows, March - April

2008-02-27T20:58:00.000-08:00

So eggcited! Here are a few group shows that I'm in, which are quickly approaching...

Virgin, Mother, Slut <>@ UCLA Kerckhoff Art Gallery
March 8, 2008
5:00pm - 8:00pm
Los Angeles, CA

Revolution
@ Mauve
March 15, 2008
Art Exhibit Hours: 7pm - 11pm
After Party Hours: 11pm - 2am
507 E. Balboa Blvd.
Newport Beach, CA

Toys
@ Gallery 1988 LA
April 1, 2008
Opening April 1st 7-10pm
Runs through april 25th, 2008
7020 Melrose Ave. (at La Brea)
Los Angeles, CA 90038

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Flyer for Revolution:Flyer for Toys @ Gallery 1988:

graduation, life, and my hopes and dreams..

2008-02-25T13:58:00.000-08:00

:)

me and my roomies at BrewCo! just some of the people I will miss after graduation

With that said, I'm going to give you a big update on what's been going on with me..

--Things in my life have been going incredibly well as of late, and I'm so thankful! I feel like I'm living a triple life: Artist/Designer. Entrepreneur. Student. It's rad and I would say that I wouldn't have it any other way, but I could definitely do without the 'Student' part. But thankfully, I'm graduating a quarter early from UCLA. Only three more weeks and I'll be doing what I love full time--making art and continuing to develop my design business. I can't wait, I really can't. freaking. wait.

--I completed my first huge commission (72 square feet can you believe it?!!!!) for a private client in Las Vegas through the Jennifer Marie Gallery. It turned out awesome and I'll be posting pictures of the process very soon. The best part was that I had total creative freedom. It was stressful trying to get it done and having to ship such an incredibly large painting out to Nevada, but it turned out just the way I wanted it to which is a success in itself.

--I'm definitely looking forward to all the shows I'll be doing with Gallery1988 (both LA and SF), the first being the Mattel-sponsored Toys show which opens Tuesday April 1st. Also looking forward to releasing giclee prints of 'The City' through the gallery as well.

--Bunch of shows lined up til 2009!

--And on a more random note, I'm planning on getting another tattoo and I'm excited (sorry mom and dad if you're reading this. haha!!!)

AT

Deserted

2008-02-19T11:40:00.000-08:00

For one of my classes, I made a weird little animation based on a short story I wrote, which is loosely based on a true story (death hike 2007, Yosemite)... This is the cooler version--the true story is way more ridiculous.

A woman rolled out of bed and landed in the desert. The air was hot and dry, and her throat stung with dehydration. The fiery sand stabbed at her like needles beneath her feet. Tiny grains weasled their way into her mouth, burning cavities in the enamel. Her head pulsated with the symptoms of a hangover and the pounding electrobeats of the night before. With only half a bottle of water in her satchel, she began her way down the desert path. She could have retraced the steps back to her mattress, but she was too far along down the dune now to remember that she had one. Two hours passed, and like a robust angel, a portly man driving an ATV crossed the horizon to holler at her. She looked at him without a word. "You are nowhere near where you need to be!" he yelled, and sped off, laughing maniacally. She tried to curse back, but the sand had filled her lungs and began overflowing out her mouth. With heavy disappointment, she stopped in her tracks. Everything had been in vain. She began to dig a ditch in the ground with her now empty water bottle. She laid in the ditch, and fell into a deep sleep, patiently waiting for the next scene to arrive.

Assembly Line Artists

2008-02-19T10:01:00.000-08:00

I just connected with Laurens Cui of Assembly Line Artists last week, artists formerly known as Full Tank, and was really interested in the amazing work that his group was putting out. Assembly Line Artists is a collective of 15 artist from San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle, and they describe themselves as a "collaborative network of diverse artistic development, giving support, and empowerment amongst each artist". The group consists of graff writers, designers, illustrators, painters, and photographers.

Here's the history on how ALA began, written by Rens himself:

When I first moved to LA, my friend Brian and I used to hang out on my porch, get high, listen to music, and draw. It was wonderful, especially on rainy days when it was easier to elaborate on ideas, and mellow out to the mood of the environment and music. My porch became into a sanctuary for us, to the point where we drew so much, that we used to carry a binder around with our work.

One day, Brian had mentioned that we should put up our drawings online to showcase our work more out to the public. I agreed to the idea, and started working on transitioning everything into the web. During the process, I thought about all my friends who were also talented in the skill of art. I called everyone up and asked them if they wanted to form an online art club, which later, became a collective art crew, giving birth to FULL TANK.

We kept the name Full Tank till 2007, when we realized that everyone started symbolizing tanks in their art pieces, or anti-war semantics. Aside from those reasons, over the years, we split up and started developing individually. During the winter season of 2007, Mike Ruiz, Jerrod Veron, and I got together in San Francisco and decided to bring everyone back together. We decided to die out Full Tank, and start the new year with a new name. We came up with a few, but was skeptical about every concept we came up with. Then one night, we were getting high at Jerrod’s house, and Jerrod had an idea. He had mentioned Assembly Line, and the reason behind it, is that we’re so united as a group, that we can take each other’s art work, pass it down the line, and no matter what, it’ll be a sick final masterpiece product(sort of like pen pal painting but within the group). After that night, we gave birth to Assembly Line. Although I’ll admit, we hardly ever colab, I would say we’ve developed as a group so much more than when we were Full Tank.

Virgin, Mother, Slut < Woman: Pop Culture Stereotypes and the Female Form

2008-02-14T16:19:00.000-08:00

My roomate Ashley is putting on an art show at the Kerckhoff Art Gallery at UCLA and is sending out a call for art (you do not have to be in LA to participate in the show). If interested, shoot her an email at the email address listed.

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We are looking for talented artists to participate in our art gallery "Virgin, Mother, Slut < Woman: Pop Culture Stereotypes and the Female Form." It will combine a visual display of current advertising AND a series of self-portraits and perspectives on females. Our vision is wide, so please feel free to include anything you feel could be relevant. Art can be in ANY form.

The gallery opens with a gala on International Women's Day in Kerckhoff Art Gallery on March 8 and closes on March 14, 2008. However, we need to select the art ASAP.

Please submit art to criticalvisiongallery@gmail.com or upload it here. We are trying to make selections as soon as possible.

ALSO, please invite anyone you know who would be interested in contributing to the gallery.