Shawn Dooley Art

Tickets are selling fast for Fan Expo Chicago. Use the link below to buy your tickets so I will earn credit towards my booth next year.
[email protected]" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://conventions.leapevent.tech/x/FAN_EXPO_Chicago_2024/[email protected]

It’s that time again. Sanding, sanding, and more sanding. I have a lot of work to do before August 2.

Hey Guys,

Are you looking for tickets to Flashback Weekend Chicago Horror Convention and FAN EXPO Chicago? Links to those tickets are on my Linktree. They're at the top of the list. If you use this link for FAN EXPO Chicago, I get a price break for next years show.

https://linktr.ee/Grue_Gallery

grue_gallery | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree Linktree. Make your link do more.

My serene colors leave an indelible impression. Captivating work and serene colors. Garshk! you make me blush, Mr. Scammy McScammer.

Was out of town at a wedding most of the weekend so I spent tonight sitting on the sopha drawing because I haven’t been able to draw for a while and and I didn’t have the energy to do much of anything else. This weird little piece was the result.

We’ll have a booth at these shows. Links to tickets below as they’re available.

http://www.flashbackweekend.com/tickets.html
[email protected]" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://conventions.leapevent.tech/x/FAN_EXPO_Chicago_2024/[email protected]

Had a great night of music and art during First Fridays in downtown Aurora.
It started at The Venue with Kathleen and Sherry singing with the The Ron Porter Band. They all sounded great.
Stopped into the Gary Brown Art gallery to check out some art then ended the evening at Two Brothers Roundhouse for The ArtBar. I hung out with some great people and I may have sold my piece. Thank you Alfredo Castil for keeping the ArtBar going. It has helped me to break out of my shell and hang out with fellow artists and it pushes me to try different art techniques.

Here's what I'm displaying tonight. This is just a physical version of a digital painting I did earlier this year on Procreate. You can see the digital version on my socials.
Before you go to The ArtBar, check out The Ron Porter Band at the Venue in downtown Aurora, 6pm - 8pm. My wife Kathleen and my friend Sherry will be lending their vocals.
The ArtBar: June
June 7 7:00 pm -11:00 pm
Two Brothers Roundhouse
205 N Broadway, Aurora, IL 60505

I’m taking a break from the digital drawing and went back to the sketchbook.
I’ve never been very good with portraits but I decided to give this a shot. While I was waiting for our sushi I decided to start drawing William S. Burroughs. I’ve always thought he had an interesting face. A very sad face. If you know anything about his life you would understand why. He was a very troubled person. He had a lot of demons.
I did this last night and tried not to be overly meticulous. It definitely turned out better than I expected. I can draw faces but trying to make that face look like a specific person is very difficult for me. It’s right about this time that I start to hear my brain say, “Yeah, this turned out alright, but it was a fluke. You could never do it again.” Shut up brain!

Existence is the canvas upon which we question, each stroke of inquiry revealing the intricate masterpiece of our being.

Here’s some Hellboy for this Friday morning.
Procreate drawing using art by Mike Mignola. I think my source image was flipped because I started drawing the wrong hand. I didn’t realize it until I was almost done with the drawing. His Right Hand of Doom was from a different source image.

I am Haunted by the ghosts of my past. Always nearby and just within reach.
The weight of guilt has worn my bones and has slowed my pace.
The blood upon my hands, a tale of deeds unsought,
No water’s rush can cleanse this crimson stain.

Happy Existential Crisis Sunday. I know, the alliteration sucks. I’m working with what I’ve got here.

My weird cicada piece found a home last night. Thank you Patrick.
The ArtBar: Cicada MAYhem
May 3

Artbar is tonight.
This piece was a good excuse to attempt an image transfer technique that I've been wanting to try. Basically, I wanted this to look like an oddity that you might find hanging on an entomologist's wall or someone collecting Lament Configurations. It would have looked a little different but some of it wasn't working so I had to come up with a quick fix. The problem with experimental art is that I'm never 100% sure if it will work.
The ArtBar: Cicada MAYhem
May 3 7:00 pm -11:00 pm
Two Brothers Roundhouse
205 N Broadway, Aurora, IL 60505

Happy Tuna Tuesday! Sure, that’s a thing.
I never understood the idea of a product mascot desperately trying to become part of your meal as if it will bring them some form of spiritual fulfillment. Charlie Tuna with a severe case of vo********ia. It’s very existential.

********ia

This Friday. I’ll have something in this show but it’s still in the works.
The ArtBar
May 3 7:00 pm -11:00 pm
Two Brothers Roundhouse
205 N Broadway, Aurora, IL 60505

It’s Monster Monday because, why not.

As of yesterday, The Grue Gallery will have a booth at FAN EXPO Chicago August 16 - 18. Two weeks before that, we will be at Flashback Weekend. August is going to be crazy busy. FAN EXPO is a new show for us and we're super excited to be a part of it.

Upcoming art showings in 2024

It must be very stressful being the Dark Knight. He could use a mani pedi.

Today I attended my second figure drawing class at Water Street Studios in Batavia.
One of my weaknesses as an artist is drawing the human anatomy. Shapes, proportions, HANDS!!!! ✋ I’ve never had any formal art training and my goal is to try improving my artistic shortcomings.
This class is way outside of my comfort zone. For instance, I had to get over the discomfort of staring at someone for an extended period of time. As a kid I was told not to stare but, in this case, I’m supposed to stare because I have to draw this person. It’s very weird. I’ve also learned that I sometimes draw better when I draw fast and don’t over think it. Sometimes

I did this quick rough drawing while on our short vacation this week. I wanted to try out some new brushes and textures.

Here are my three pieces on display tonight. All very different styles.
One is acrylic and color pencil on wood and cardboard, and the other two are digital pieces done with Procreate. I tried to make my McDooley's image took more like an actual whiskey label and the other digital piece was used for the promotional material for this show. The third piece is a very different experimental thing using a carboard box and acrylic.
Come check it out and have some adult beverages while you're at it. I won't be there until much later in the evening.
The ArtBar
April 5 7:00 pm -11:00 pm
Two Brothers Roundhouse
205 N Broadway, Aurora, IL 60505

Happy St Patrick’s Day. ☘️ 🇮🇪

This weird skull design is a repurposed pencil drawing from the late 90s, Early 2000s I think? It was just a quick little drawing that didn’t even fill an entire page in my sketchbook. I just thought it was an interesting design and decided to give this insignificant little skull drawing some new life since I’ve been doing a lot a digital drawing lately. Years ago, I posted it on my MySpace page and someone used it as a tattoo design.