The Grand Adventures of Ribbit the Frog

Here is the painting I just completed for the cover of an upcoming book called The Grand Adventure of Ribbit the Frog. I designed these friendly croakers and they are a lively bunch looking to move beyond the edges of the swamp on an adventure. I added some process photos so you can see how I complete a painting. Enjoy!

Stephen Kade Art Fair Schedule 2011

Here we go, another year, another tour of some of the fine cities in southeastern MI, bringing all my stuff to the masses. Bring the kids, grab an elephant ear and come along for the fun. Here is the list:

June 4-5 Art on the Grand, Farmington MI
June 11 Berkley Art Bash, Berkley MI
July 8-10 Art in The Park, Plymouth MI
July 20-23 Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair ( I am the featured artist, so some very cool one of a kind merchandise with my monkey on it for that one!!!! )
August and Sept. some Sundays at the Kerrytown Art Market
September  17-18 Funky Ferndale, Ferndale MI
September 24-25 Birmingham Art in the Park, Birmingham, MI
December 3 Noel Night at College For Creative Studies, Detroit MI

There will be some other shows thrown in there too, I will update here and on Facebook, so if interested contact me there and I'll Friend you so you'll have all the updates. See you out there & don't forget the sunscreen!

Coming Soon: Sock Monkey Society

This collection of little people are just a few pickings from my imagination that kinda fit together somehow. Don't know how, where, or why but I'm working on some sweet and sinister plots as we speak....
OH YEAH,  they will also be a super cool limited edition print coming soon, details to come

P-40 vs. the Future

12'' x 24'' acrylic on canvas

This painting has been in my head for about a year and I finally got around to placing on canvas. I have always been fascinated by the P-40 Mustang. I still can remember in 2nd grade being obsessed with those planes, and here I am 30 years later, still obsessed. So here is my take on the actions over the Pacific Ocean during the mid-forties. Cheers!

Gnomes

Well you know what they say, "When in Rome, Paint a Gnome" I think thats how that saying goes...hmm, maybe not. ANYWAY, yeah garden gnomes, natures little helpers are some cool cats for sure. The legend comes from the Nordic folk, and they swear by 'em, and who am I to question how nature takes care of itself. I just wanted to capture them in their natural beauty, so I grabbed my brushes, layed down in the grass and waited for something to happen, and this is what I found. Funny litttle people, wicked sense of humor, but their language matches their suits, very blue....... Expect more gnome paintings soon, they're having another party this weekend, so I think I'll sit down and have a very small drink with them. CHEERS!

Fine Art Festivals I'll be at the rest of Summer

Just for your information, I am going to be in several more Fine Art shows this summer if you are in the Detroit area you can come by, say hi, and maybe get something free for stopping by- thats right, I said FREE. I am in the Brighton Fine Art Festival on Aug. 8-9th hours are 10-6. I'm at the uber-cool Funky Ferndale festival Sept. 19 and 20th. I'll also be in the Birmingham Fine Arts Festival on Sept. 27 and 28th. Probably have a few more too over the fall but don't have solid dates on that yet. Here is a link to a ultra-cool video that was shot at a show I was in last month called the Shadow Art Fair. Check it out !!
http://vimeo.com/5721887

Sock Monkeys in Space

So I'm sure all of you know that monkeys were the first ones in space, so this is my warped perception of what that might have looked like if they truly had their way up there in the big blue!

Angry Batman - Grrrrrrrrrr

Now here's a guy that always makes me smile. What a sunny disposition with him, and with some pretty cool toys as well. I was thinking this painting is his reaction to Robin dingin' up the Batmobile or forgetting to do his homework or something very teenagery. Yikes, not the best father figure, but a pretty cool pad indeed.