ART: Local Artist Danny Devine Opens "Just My Imagination" (A Draw 365 Show)

Danny Devine in his studio 

Before I met local artist Danny Devine, I was already very familiar with his work.  I've had friends say wonderful things about him, I've seen his work everywhere, we even spoke on Facebook, but it took about 2 months for us to actually meet.  He was like this phantom artist who I was a huge fan of and that I desperately needed to talk to!  Finally, we were able to align our schedules for a much anticipated interview.  This interview came at a great time because this Saturday (March 31st), Danny will be opening a show called Just My Imagination (A Draw 365 Show) at Gallery 4 in Shadyside from 7-10 pm.  This show focuses on a year long project where Devine made a piece of art everyday for 365 days. When I met Devine, I realized how much of a down-to-earth, and very friendly person he is! Finally, one balmy Pittsburgh night, over a few PBR's, Devine hashed out the details of his work...

The PGH Look:  Alright, so you go by Danny Devine, do you want to explain a little what that means?

Danny Devine: That is my government name.

TPL: Like your real last name is Devine?  That's awesome.. 


DD: My mom and dad hooked me up.

TPL: (Laughs) That is the best natural name I've ever heard.  Are you originally from Pitsburgh? 


DD: I am from Highland Park.

TPL:  So we talked a little bit about you going to IUP and there you studied printmaking, but how long have you been doing what you've been doing? 


DD: Uhhh...like art?

TPL: Yeah like this form of art..

DD: Well..I did that water color when I was 3 [points over to a water color painting on the wall], so I've been doing it for a while.  I started drawing heavily, on a regular basis when I was 16, I went to Peabody, did graffiti in the late 90's/early 2000's and that required a lot of drawing, then I went to college and honed skills in other forms of art - I got a little more abstract, a little more intellectual.

TPL: What made you want to do the street styled type of art, I guess this kind of goes into a different type of question: The things you were showing me downstairs [where Danny is keeping all his pieces for the 365 Show], are very in-depth, the lettering has lots of layers and perspectives, and detail..why that style of art, how did you come about doing that?

DD: Ummm. [pause] I don't know?  It's just kinda what I've always done, since I was like a teenager.  I was drawing letters and then taking them to a different..like the script letters, I started doing that in 2003 - I've done a lot , there's like thousands and thousands of those, and they're popular and fun to do, and kinda therapeutic now, now I'm kinda sick of them but if I get a commission, I'll probably do it [laughs] just cuz it's fun.

Day 1 of Devine's "Draw a Day" project 

TPL: Downstairs you were telling me how sometimes, you like to keep your letters black and white, in fact in 2008 you did a coloring book called "Alphabetastics.."When people look at your art do you want people to understand it, or take what they find from it?  

DD: Umm, I'd like them to take what they find from it, the coloring book was fun because it took months to do and I could do it where ever I went and it was good for studies, and like adding and subtracting things, from the layout where it wasn't a whole word it was just like a letter so you could do whatever you want to the page and it developed the style pretty significantly over that period in  time.  And I think more people have bought it and not colored it honestly...

TPL: Do you still have more copies of that?

DD: I have one right there [points to the mantle] and I'm hopefully going to get like 50 to 100 more for the show.

Alphabetastics by Danny Devine 

TPL: Who are some of your biggest influences?  

DD:  Hmm....that's a tough question...in regards to my style or just like work ethic?..

TPL:  I guess both, just who are some people, they don't even have to be famous artists or anything, it could be anyone.

DD: Well my friend Matt Hunter, who is a local artist, he taught me how to do what I do, pretty much.  He like...we started doing art together when I was 17, he was 16, then we kinda developed....he's very very good [laughs] he's f***in awesome.  And just working with him made me push myself a lot more than I think I would have......like I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing without him.  And my friend Cameron Clayton, his illustrations and his black and white style, and just his attention to detail and composition is absolutely f***ing insane.   And I really like his work.  I dunno, there's tons of early pop artists, like those Vogue magazine covers [referring to an old book of vintage Vogue magazine covers on his desk] those are awesome.  Just in terms of like sheer volume it's probably the pop artists because they just like cranked it out.

One of two drawing desks.  

TPL: So what is your opinion of the graffiti scene both locally and internationally?  


DD: People are pushin' it pretty hard.  I like street bombing.  It's fun.

TPL: What is that? 


DD: Like uh, just tags and throw-ups and so forth.  On the streets, on highways, I haven't done that in a very long time so I have to live vicariously through them you know what  I mean?  And it's fun to look at, it's fun to see like new stuff, there's so much of it that's just bad and awful, but I enjoy most of it.  Pittsburgh had a crazy scene there for a while, it's always.....kind of.....fizzled out, like some people went to jail for long stretches of time.  So that's when I kinda hung it up.

TPL: Right.  Umm...So do you prefer working alone or do you like to collaborate?

DD: Uh, it depends on the project, like I have friends that I like to draw with like my friend Matt, I love drawing with him.  I've done collaborations, collaborating on big wall murals is fun but I haven't been doing that recently, I just like to draw by myself and paint by myself.

Danny Devine's drawing desk  

TPL: What is you favorite piece of work you've ever done?

DD:  Oooo.  I have no idea......Hmmm....

TPL: You showed me a piece just downstairs from the 365 that you said was your favorite...

DD: Well, I think my favorite piece that I've done was the first felt Primanti Brothers sandwich I did.  Did you see those?

TPL: Ooooo, no!

DD:  Awww man, they're f***in so funny.   I did them to order, I only did like 28 to start but.....[shows me the felt Primanti Bros sandwich]


TPL:  Oh that is so cool! 

A felt Primanti Bro's Sandwich by Danny Devine  (and the Vogue covers book too) 

DD:  So you order whatever you want off the menu and they're like 20 bucks, and then like if you want fried egg on it, it's 50 cents, if you want double meat it's like a dollar, like whatever it costs on the menu. So I think that was my,  that was my favorite, just cuz it was so quirky...

TPL: It is, it's very different from anything I've seen you do.

DD: Yeah it's kinda funny, I did a felted piece of Gucci Mane's face for a friend in Boston once.

TPL:  So, next Friday you are opening "Just My Imagination...."

DD:  Next Saturday...


TPL: Next Saturday!  I'm sorry, next Saturday you are opening "Just My Imagination: A Draw 365 Show," so what made you want to the draw-a-days?  How did you come about doing this?

DD: Umm..I was kind of. [his phone buzzes] Mm. Hold on. Someone is heckling me about something.  [pause] Oh no!  One of my pieces is being ransomed!  I gave away the one piece to my friend, in the beginning [laughs then reading] "$300 or your show fails"  [laughs]....like the ransom money....[laughs] no no no,  it's being dropped off somewhere for me.  I'm sorry what was you're question?

TPL: Just how did you go about doing the 365, what made you want to do a draw-a-day?

DD: There's this kid that, his name is the Almighty Swerve, I dunno his real name, not exactly sure where he's even from, but I followed him on Flikr and all these other places and he was doing his 365 and just seeing - he was doing like faces everyday - and the progression, how much better he got.  I kicked around the idea for a while, and then I had a pen pal in New Mexico that was kicking around the idea to take a picture of graffiti on a freight train everyday for a year, so we started it at the same time.

TPL: How did you stay motivated for a whole year?  Did you find it hard sometimes to do something like that everyday for an entire year?

DD: Yes.  Some of them are really bad, not really really bad, but just really simple.  Like that one right there [points to a small drawing] took me like 45 seconds or something but then like the one the next day took seven hours to do. I have a lot of awesome friends.  And we show our affection for one another by making fun of each other and if I would have quit, I would have gotten heckled for forever.

Pieces for the 365 show.

TPL:  Oh that is a good group of friends you got there!  So you were saying that a lot of your pieces are based off of love, do you find that a lot of your pieces are just like inspired by everyday things happen in your life or where do you think you get most of your inspiration from?

DD: They're definitely pretty autobiographical. Like funny or quirky things, or romantics things, or there's some that are kinda heartbreaking, or just difficult subjects drawn in a more pop style to make them kinda better, therapeutic stuff, and then just some stuff that's just balls out funny/weird.

TPL: I remembered you did the New Year's Eve flyer - I was at the New Years party at Free Ride.

New Years Flyer by Danny Devine 

DD: Yeah, that drunk ass keg?  [laughs] Drinking a martini?  Ah, I missed that show.

TPL:  Did you?

DD: I did!  I always miss the shows I draw flyers for.  I drew a flyer for this show on Saturday, and I'm definitely, definitely going to it [laughs].  I dunno, drawing everyday, I missed a lot of stuff, and I should be used to it- doing something everyday but it's just, I took a lot of commissions, and just trying to work a second 40 hour week on top of that is definitely, on top of working 40 hours a week! It's definitely time consuming.  You don't sleep very well when you try to make your brain work like 16 hours a day, everyday.

TPL: I ask this question in all my interviews, just because this is The Pittsburgh Look, and we're trying to give Pittsburgh a good name here, so what is your favorite thing about Pittsburgh?  

DD: I love everything about Pittsburgh.  I decided that I didn't want to go to grad school, I didn't wanna move anywhere else and I wanted to stay here because Pittsburgh has everything I need at this point.  You can drive 25 miles outside the city and there's just depressed buildings and abandoned train tracks, and steel mills that are either abandoned or still going that are completely photogenic, just absolutely beautiful, and I think that now that Pittsburgh's the new Portland or whatever, I like the more post-industrial stuff more. I like rust, I like bridges, I like river spots, there's nothing like drinking beer under a bridge when it's like 60 degrees out with your friends, like that's just, that's it.  There's nothing else that's better than that.  You know the sense of like adventure and camaraderie still exist in Pittsburgh, heavily.  And it's not with everybody but there's a pretty hefty amount of people that are doing it and sometimes leaving their mark in little places, it's like "Motherf***er, I thought I was the only one there.."

TPL: What are some of some of your favorite spots in Pittsburgh, not even to do your thing, but just to go to?

DD: I have a new found appreciation for overlook spots, cuz I'm from the East End, there are no overlook spots.  One of my best friends lives in Mt. Washington so I've seen some pretty interesting overlook spots, anywhere you can see a dope-ass sunset with like a bridge in the background, that's just like silhouetted that's probably it.  That's my spot right there.

TPL: Is there anything else you would like to say about your show?

DD: Yes! My show opens on Saturday March 31st from 7 to 10 pm at the Gallery 4 which is an absolutely phenomenal gallery, like the owner, the employees, they're all awesome, they actually care about art and they care about showing art that most places won't show.  That's what really great, like after a short conversation with the owner Joe Veltri over the phone, I realized that it was an amazing fit for me to do my show there and for me that was a HUGE deal, finding where I was gonna show all this s***and I was like "do you think this is all gonna fit?" and he said "we'll make it fit," you know, like salon style in the 30's...we'll make it fit.  So yeah, I got some good sponsors for it, they got Artists and Craftsmen Supply hooking up all of the matte board, Copies For Less Downtown is doing all the printing, and yeah it should be fun!

TPL: Well I'm excited!  I'll  definitely be there!  Thank you so much!  

DD:  Thank you!

JUST MY IMAGINATION (A DRAW 365 SHOW) THIS SATURDAY MARCH 31ST FROM 7-10PM AT THE GALLERY 4 IN SHADYSIDE!!!

March 2012 (1st Ever!) Monthly Editorial: Spring Classics Get a Shot of Throwback

One thing that first lead me to becoming a blogger was my love for fashion editorials. I remember wanting to 'save' each editorial I have ever loved in magazines on to my desktop and into a folder for future reference.  I would look up the specific magazine, month, volume, and viola, there it was!  On top of finding what editorial I initially wanted, I would also find these amazing bloggers who were expressing their personal style in their own photo shoots! I figured why not?  I wanted to take chance at making my own fashion editorials too. I looked at it as an opportunity to allow myself and the many talented and up-and-coming people I know,to gain experience and beef up our portfolios.

The first monthly editorial comes at a very pivotal time of the year: the days are slightly warmer,  we've set our clocks an hour ahead, the first signs of Spring are beginning to appear and everyone is anticipating what summer has in store for 2012.  It's a great time for networking and catching up with old friends. In fact, Spring is a perfect time to recreate and make things new again; whether it's a song you haven't listened to in a really long time or an awesome dress you've neglected for the past 8 months (or a couple years) but still love, it's always nice to bring out something nostalgic and make it new again. This month's featured boutique, Highway Robbery Vintage, is the perfect example of recreating old things into new.  The oh-so-adorable Southside boutique is making waves as Pittsburgh's newest  hip-vintage goldmine (read more about them here). The setting for the shoot is one of the most well-noted record stores on the East Coast - Jerry's Records in Squirrel Hill which was named one of Rolling Stones "Best Record Stores in the USA" in 2010. This season it's all about mixing the old with the new and enjoying the things you love and have loved for a long time! Enjoy! 

The Girl at the Record Store 

 In Mint Condition - 60's Mint Shift Dress $29, Floral Beads and Spike Necklace $39   

It's all about lace this season -especially in Spring's pastel colors.  Contrast the ladylike  look of lace with strappy sandal heels to avoid a matronly look!

         Lounging Around - Gimbell's Off White Crew Neck Sweater $24, 90's Chic Mom Shorts $22  

                           The Boss - Jerry Weber has been selling records for over 33 years.  His all-vinyl approach to music has      kept classic music of all genres alive and kicking in the Pittsburgh area rather than a thing of the past. Jerry's Records is one of the most highly noted record stores in the East Coast. It is home to over 1 million albums and "12 singles on top of 45's, EP's, and 78's.  It has listening stations to sample out any album you'd like, and they're even known to give out a few "mystery crates" of miscellaneous records.  This June, Jerry's Records will be hosting "Vinylpalooza" at the Irish Center of Pittsburgh, where there will be over 50,000 records, $1 LP's, and a large selection of $1 Soul/Funk 45's.

                             Top Shelf - Spring weather can be quite unpredictable!  Have the best of both worlds (warm temperature with sudden rainstorms) by pairing a cozy wool sweater with shorts and killer boots like these!

The Listening Station - 70's Violet Floral Blouse $18

"Idol" Hands - 60's Color Block Open Front Cardigan $22

THE TEAM

My Amazing Team for March!! 

Sarah Powers (model) 

My dear friend Sarah Powers is a woman of many hats. She has been modeling since she was 14 years old, has traveled almost the entire country (she was once a stewardess), is an official Motley Crue band-aid, and is one the most fun and loving Mommies in the Burgh! She has been a friend for almost 6 years and has been an inspiration to me since the day I've met her!  She is one of the strongest, most intelligent, creative and carefree people I know.  

Robert Hester (Photographer) 

Robert Hester officially got his start in photography in the summer of 2001, as a staff photographer for the Computing Workshop at world-renowned Carnegie-Mellon University. Some of his digital pictures were put in a feature page called, Robert Hester's Photo Journal. The page chronicles the various activities, as well as take an inside look at a day at the workshop at the workshop's CMU Summer Computing Workshop website. The experience at the computing Workshop led him to take a non college-credit course on digital photography at CCAC Boyce Campus in Monroeville, PA in the winter of 2002. Robert also took a college-credit course on photojournalism, and basic photography, at CCAC Boyce in the winter of 2003. He also had the opportunity to teach a digital photography course to some students of the Computing Workshop at CMU that summer. Since then, Robert has been taking pictures of just about anything you can take of. From landscapes, to people from all walks of life. As well a city skylines of Downtown Pittsburgh, and Cancun, Mexico. To see 

Joshua Sean Rudy (Makeup Artist/ Asst. Creative Director)

     Josh has been doing makeup for almost 5 years now.  On top of his amazing talent for makeup artistry, he is also a professional tattoo artist and piercing specialist.  His major personality and flare for style is extremely unique and undeniable.  Josh has worked on many fashion shoots, hair shows, music videos, and fashion shows around the Pittsburgh area. It's only a matter of time til this kid gets his own show!! 

Samantha Rezk (Highway Robbery Stylist) 

Samantha Rezk likes chunky rings, baggy sweaters, and trail mix. She has been a freelance stylist for a few years and enjoys the creative end of the fashion industry. She is currently approaching graduation at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and is eager to see what is next for her career. Her style is bohemian eclectic and it’s perfectly undone, yet somehow fits all together. If you’re looking to learn more about the free-spirited, fashion lover, check her out on her personal style blog www.stylethrice.com!  

***If you would like to work on a Monthly Editorial with me, be it modeling, styling, photography, makeup, or something I haven't thought of yet, please email me at thepghlook@gmail.com***