Monday, November 3, 2014

Something Beautiful


An Artist Statement (of sorts)

People sometimes ask me “why don’t your girls smile? Are they sad about something?”.
This often puzzles me. 
As a pop surrealist painter, to me my little girls are not “girls”. They are my Waifs. To me they are Symbols of the innocence and fragility we have all had a connection to at one point or another. 
       Some of us lost it gradually, naturally, some of us gave it away willingly, and some of us had it stolen away, but we all remember a time when we were so small and the world was alive with strangeness and wonder. With the confusion of unknowing, and with the bliss of innocence. My girls symbolize this, and their somber little faces and alien proportions cry out to the viewers “it is gone, it is gone!” Their faces Know what we now know.
 It’s beautiful and sad, but beautiful. It’s something we all share.

As an artist, my driving goal is: in everything I do to Simply Create Beauty and to Tell a Story. I love to connect with people through my images. That Connection is my driving force in creation.
    I want to touch you. I want to give you a moment, maybe just a millisecond scrolling through a feed or turning a page - a moment of prettiness.
 A moment of strange lovely.
  I am not trying to shock you. 
No blood and guts. No organs or religious symbols. 
I’m not going to smash something in your face and say “Look at this! Understand it!” I want my work to be something we share. Something for both of us. 
Whether you see a somber little girl sad about something, or a symbol of innocence riding a dinosaur, whatever our shared truth it’s something we have together.

Something Beautiful. 

Friday, September 26, 2014

Some Days Are Just Like That....

Do you ever have one of those days?

I was having one today.

I got up this morning and couldn't find my "list book". 
    My list book is a little pocket-sized reporter style lined Moleskine notebook in which I make lists and lists of all the things I need to do - today, this week, this month, this quarter... it's the ONLY way in hell I can keep all my spinning plates balanced. 
And I couldn't find my damn book. 
I searched e v e r y w h e r e. Everywhere. The cars, the roof, under the cat. Every conceivable and inconceivable place that it could possibly be hiding.
No book.
Finally (and this is early afternoon by now mind you) I decided that there was nothing for it but to drive all the way across town and buy a new one. 
Do I have a dozen blank little notebooks hiding all over the studio? 
Absolutely.  
Are they pocket-sized reporter style lined Moleskine notebook? 
No. They. Are. Not.
With illogical tears welling up in my eyes I drove. 
I KNEW the exact style of the book should not in any way matter. I knew this completely. But that sensory issue, slightly OCD little girl inside of me simply could not cope. 
I got out of the car at the bookstore and realized I was wearing two different shoes. 
With a mis-match-shoed walk of shame, I scurried into the shop, found my book, bought it and instantly - a flood of relief filled me. I had my book. The world was right. It was 2pm, and I had wasted a ton of my day and hadn't gotten a damn thing done yet, but that didn't matter. 

I don't know why some days I can keep one million things together smooth and cool and some days - that little girl who just need her book - HER book- takes over.  
I guess every now and then you just have to give the illogical a little rein and give yourself a break.
Some days are just like that.


Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Curiouser and Curiouser......

So my new show Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass is just a few weeks away, so I thought this would be a good place to post all the details!


Here's all the important (and not so important) info:
Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass 
will open
September 5th 2014
6-10 pm
at
Monster Gallery 
1702 English Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46201
There will be a closing reception on September 26th from 7-9


If you are interested in an online collectors preview of Alice please send your email address to:

The preview will be available to all inquiries September 4, 2014 9pm EST
An email with a private link will be sent.
PLEASE NOTE: Not all of the Alice pieces will be available in the online collectors preview - there will be some pieces that will be available at the public opening on September 5th first - then will be available later online.  

Here are some places where you can see sneak peeks!
Mab's Instagram
Mab's Facebook Page

Okay - On to the fun stuff! The night of the opening:

  • The first 100 gallery attendees will receive an exclusive Alice pin


  • There will be signed Limited Edition prints given away every hour


  • There *just* may be some special prizes given randomly to people who come in costume
 (if I can get them finished in time!)

There is a Facebook Events page for the opening - there for any updates or changes:
Alice in Wonderland - Mab Graves Facebook Event Page

I am SO excited (and freakin nervous!) for this show and I hope to meet some of you there!

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble...

I am painting full time right now on my Fall solo show (Alice in Wonderland!) so I won't have many original pieces available until then. I'll try to be better about posting updates and sneak peeks in the meantime!
Those can always be seen on my Instagram feed ^_^
Until then, here's my schedule:

UPCOMING 2014 SCHEDULE 

March 1st – “This is Not a Love Song” – Dax Gallery, Costa Mesa, CA
March 7th – “Beta Cell Bash” (group show) – New Day Gallery, Indianapolis, IN
March 29th – “Celebration of Nature” (group show) – Gallery Nucleus, Alhambra, CA
April 12th – “Universe: The Art of Existence” (group show) – Modern Eden Gallery,  San Francisco, CA
April 22nd “Romantic Heroines” (group show) – Junie Moon – Tokyo Japan
May – “Art Deck” – (group show) ArtDeckCo  – Portland, OR
June – “Wilderness” (group show) Auguste Clown Gallery – Victoria, Australia
September 5th – “Alice in Wonderland” (solo show) – Monster Gallery – Indianapolis, IN