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


Wednesday, November 6, 2013

A Tale of Two Girls

I am so excited to announce officially - that Mab Studios is growing!
My one-girl shop has just become a Two Girl shop.
Three years ago I met a lady named Darcy Danger.  My life has not been the same since. 
You know how sometimes you meet someone and - it's just right? That's what happened.
Darcy has been an encourager, cheerleader, advice giver, sounding board and dear friend ever since. 
This Summer I was having a REALLY hard time even pretending to remotely keep up (preparing for 7 events this Fall!) - when she offered the perfect solution: Darcy is my new Agent and Manager.
Darcy's history in sales, management, marketing and customer relations matched with her bubbly personality, minute attention to the small stuff and her overwhelming passion for Art made it ridiculous that we had not thought of it sooner.
So what’s new?
The Mab Shops have moved to New Jersey! 
Almost all the shipping will be coming out of Danger Studios in NJ this year. Also,  Darcy is helping me keep up with my emails (left to my own, I get to answer emails once every 4-8 days! I really needed help there >_<) so you will be hearing back from us MUCH sooner than ever before!
What’s the Same?
Everything! It’s all just better.
Everything is still produced 100% by me, I'm just not spending 10 hours a week packing and shipping! 
What's Better?
Everything. Now I can streamline my studio life and spend more time doing what my soul desperately craves - painting. I will be able to create more original works, more cameos and sculpture and branch out into trying new things I've only been able to sigh about. 
If you are bopping around my Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/mabgraves) feel free to send Darcy a note to say hello or ask her any questions! Trust me - she's amazing.
 Here is a shot of Danger Studios where the Waifs now await!

 This is the magical Darcy Danger at the Pretending to be Human opening at Monster Gallery October 2013 (dressed as my amazing Tattooed Lady!)

 Darcy and Mab

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Special Summer Giveaway


As a special Thank You to all my amazing fans and friends, August 4th -11th I am doing a special Summer Giveaway!
Here's all you have to do:
1. Go to my Facebook or Instagram pages (or both to get entered twice!)
https://www.facebook.com/mab.graves?fref=ts
http://instagram.com/mabgraves
2. Click on this pic
3. Share it
4. Like my Pages And just wait! Next Sunday (the 11th, I will be blindfolded and choose 8 winners (and will post them online!) 

You can win:
~ An original Supergirl hand-painted cameo necklace
~ An original "Wolfboy" ATC illustration
~ An original miniature "Frankenstein in a Bottle" pendant necklace
~ An Exclusive mini print of my sold-out piece "The Forest" (the only one like it!)
or 
~ 1 of 4 Exclusive "Goldfish Girl" mini prints (never available for purchase!)

 Original Supergirl Cameo
Original Wolfboy ATC illustration

Miniature original Frankenstein in a Bottle

Exclusive mini-print of The Forest

Exclusive Goldfish Girl ATC print



Thursday, July 18, 2013

Something Wicked This Way Comes...

I finally have my schedule for the fall up!
This Fall is going to be a bit of madness for me so I am going to be rather absent for the next couple months while I paint my little hands off!
Here's the line up:

Mab Grave 2013 Fall Schedule

August 17th – Curiosities – Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco CA
September 7th – Tales of the Sea - Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco CA
September 21st – Mab Graves Solo – Runaways – Gallery Nucleus, Alhambra CA
October 4th – Banned Book Cover show – Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library, Indianapolis, IN
October 13th – Blythecon 2013 – New York, NY
October 25th – Mab Graves Solo – Pretending to be Human – Monster Gallery, Indianapolis, IN
November 16th – Fonzo Show – Dragatomi, Sacramento CA
November 20th – Mab Graves “Little Lost Girls” Paper Doll Book Launch (online)
December 6th  - Grey Gardens - group show - Harrison Center Gallery, Indianapolis, IN
December 14th - Wanderlust - group show - Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco CA

 Sneak Peek of my painting for the "Tales of the Sea" show at Modern Eden Gallery