CHRIS RYNIAK

2011: THE YEAR IN REVIEW

2012-01-25T12:09:00.000-08:00

It's probably common knowledge by now that 2011 was pretty terrible for me. I've never in my life wanted a year to go away more that last year. I LIKE time...it's an awesome commodity...except last year...2011 can eat it.

Most notably, 2011 brought an end of my 13 year marriage, a relationship that began some 19 years ago. In the immortal words of a very wise Louis C.K. "No GOOD marriage ever ended in divorce, only the bad ones do." I'm going to leave it at that.

Along with becoming a statistic, I found myself having to find a new place to live. So I bought a new house, with a studio 10 times the size of my last one. I'll mark this as the high point of the process.

I could go on and on about all the things I've had to adjust to, how sad I am, how difficult all of it has been, but I won't. It sucks, it's the worst thing I've ever had to endure, period

Aside from that insanity, I managed to get work done...like a lot of work...and I have no idea how, seeing as my brain was mush for the better part of the year.

What will follow is a list of shows and events that I attended or participated in as well as images of work that I completed, toys that I released etc...in a total random order. Because I'm brain lazy, forgive me.

Monsters & Misfits:3-person show Takayama Japan
Imaginary Menagerie : 4 person show, OhNO!doom Chicago
Late Season: 2-person show, Stranger Factory ABQ NM
SDCC2011
Dragon Con 2011
Designer Con 2011
and probably a WHOLE bunch of other things I forgot...again, brain mush.

Posting my drawings was new for me last year. I managed to post well over 100 original new drawings.

2102...well, it's going better than last year already. Lots of new toys and merch coming out, less shows, but more accessible stuff in bigger editions! Stay tuned

NEW SHOP LINKS

2012-01-07T06:11:00.000-08:00

I just updated the links in my shop section! Now you can find Coloring books, mini sketch prints and more!

HERE!

SNOWEATER

2011-12-27T09:06:00.000-08:00

I did this little custom crumbeater for a very special Christmas gift. The photos don't show how much glitter is on this critter, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to use glitter on everything now. *SPARKLES!!!!*

GRAND TOUR

2011-12-24T12:31:00.000-08:00

2011 marked a huge year for me in both my professional and personal life, with some big changes, new beginnings and opportunities. I thought I'd take this post to get caught up on the biggest thing, my new house, which I've dubbed "Fort Monster".The house is a 3-bedroom, mid-century, 1-story, rectangle Ranch with a full basement. I didn't NEED 3 bedrooms, but since the kids are here 3 days a week, and they are opposite sexes, I wanted to avoid teen-year sibling drama.

This is my "remote" studio in my living room, it's an 1890 jeweler's bench...my first grownup piece of furniture. I figured that I've been a professional long enough to warrant this purchase.

"Black and White" collection in the built-in.

Living room, with Christmas tree...and Chloe. I refinished all of the hardwood floors on the main level. As rewarding as doing it yourself is...I NEVER WANT TO DO IT AGAIN.

Large skull collection leading down to the "Monster Dungeon Studio" in the basement.

Monster Dungeon Studio. This is the best part of the house by far. The studio is almost 850 square feet, with a bathroom and a bar. The ping-pong table that came with the house makes a super handy-yet-wabbly worktable.

My old tanker desk from my Dad's shop has given me years of reliable use. I do all of my sculpting and most of my painting here. Unless I'm doing something really large, I rarely use an easel anymore.

Dessicated cat's head.

Skull cabinet. This collection is ever-expanding. Most of the skulls were either found or given to me, I try not to buy them unless I find something really spectacular...like a juvenile ostrich, I couldn't pass that one up.

For a vegetarian, I sure do own a lot of dead animals...

This human spine unexpectedly came to me in the mail the other day, no really.

I wish I could say that I found this nest with a human molar in it, I can't...but YOU can.

Ah, the bar. What testosterone-fueled household would be complete without a full bar in the basement? Well, mine would be actually, considering how little I drink. It's pretty awesome nonetheless though. My pal Steve is endlessly jealous and says things like "it's not fair" and "this bar is totally wasted on you"...I like it when Steve gets mad, his mustache twitches.

Here I house one of every production figure that I've made to date. I'm missing the green Crumbeater and Bubblegut, but everything else is accounted for.

Yes, that IS a clear purple Freyja...and no, it's not for sale.

I have two shelves of Big Muscamoots, I think there are only a few people besides myself who have every one of them. I never thought in a million years that they would be so sought after.
Well, that concludes the tour of the inside. Maybe come springtime when the outdoors of Ohio don't look like dog poo, I'll give a tour of the exterior and grounds.

Old is new

2011-12-23T20:18:00.000-08:00

Thanks to some prodding from my colleagues and the increased functionality of this particular hosting service, I've decided to make this my main website. From here you can access my full, and frequently updated Flickr galleries as well as convenient links to my accounts on various social networks. I also have links to where you can purchase my merchandise online.

Stay tuned for updates, previews, sales and general bufoonery.

MERRY KRAMPUS

2011-12-23T05:42:00.000-08:00

Daily Sketchbook (s)

2011-04-08T12:09:00.000-07:00

catching up again...

Daily Sketchbook....

2011-03-25T05:44:00.001-07:00

...more turtles!

Daily Sketchbook..

2011-03-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

Working on some turtle based characters...

Daily Sketchbook...

2011-03-23T06:13:00.001-07:00

Just a couple of process pages of a sculpture that I never produced. I'll often draw and re-draw things multiple times with slight changes to see all of the possibilities before I start on the final piece

Daily Sketchbook Mega update...

2011-03-21T07:31:00.000-07:00

Yeah..sometimes I forget stuff....like to upload all of these drawings.

Daily Sketchbook...Taquito Tuesday

2011-03-01T06:08:00.001-08:00

Game Time...

Daily Sketchbook...Fromage' Friday

2011-02-25T09:13:00.000-08:00

...another request.

Daily Sketchbook...Wasabi Wednesday edition

2011-02-23T05:47:00.000-08:00

The Birdkeeper

Daily Sketchbook...Taco Tuesday edition

2011-02-22T06:24:00.001-08:00

For SaL...

Daily Sketchbook...Icy Monday edition

2011-02-21T05:49:00.000-08:00

Tumador...

Daily Sketchbook...Floating Friday

2011-02-18T05:49:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the hiccup yesterday...back on schedule today.

Daily Sketchbook....Wednesday

2011-02-16T05:42:00.001-08:00

Daily Sketchbook...

2011-02-15T10:00:00.001-08:00

Daily Sketchbook...

2011-02-11T06:12:00.001-08:00

For Dinky.

Daily Sketchbook...

2011-02-10T05:55:00.001-08:00

Daily Sketchbook...

2011-02-09T05:31:00.001-08:00

BUBBLEGUT!

2011-02-08T18:29:00.000-08:00

This little guy has been in the works since November, release date is forthcoming.

Based on a painting that I did for my last solo show, BUBBLEGUT will soon be available to eat all the cupcakes in your house.

STAY TUNED!

Daily Sketchbook....

2011-02-08T05:40:00.001-08:00

Downriver Snybora.

Daily Sketchbook...

2011-02-07T11:59:00.000-08:00

Pudgefly.

Daily Sketchbook...

2011-02-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

Daily Sketchbook... (Saturday edition)

2011-02-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

I don't have a scanner hooked up at home, so I shoot these with my SLR. I think I prefer them this way though.

Daily SKetchbook....

2011-02-04T08:33:00.000-08:00

Daily Sketchbook

2011-02-03T12:21:00.000-08:00

I was feeling generous, so here is a whole spread...

Daily Sketchbook

2011-02-02T11:00:00.001-08:00

I've had this going over on my Facebook Fanpage as well as twitter for a couple of weeks, but I figured I would dump them here as well. I'm trying to post a new one every day, mostly because I rarely ever let anyone see my sketches, and I draw every day...that's a lot of work that people aren't seeing!

so here it is...

2011-02-01T18:42:00.000-08:00

In full production mode for the biggest show of my career thus far... IN JAPAN!

Monsters and Misfits
Japan Art Exhibit
Kathie Olivas // Brandt Peters // Chris Ryniak

Opening ceremony: April 12
Public opening: April 13-30th

For the next month I'll be filling every spare second working to get this show done a month early for shipping to the land of the rising sun.

TWITTER CONTEST!!!

2011-01-28T12:01:00.000-08:00

Contest/giveaway time! In honor of my son's TENTH birthday I'm feeling generous...

Help me get to 2000 followers on twitter by Jan 31, I'll send an original drawing to one lucky random follower.

Follow me @chrisryniak

THANKS!

MORE Surreal Salon...

2011-01-20T18:21:00.000-08:00

The virtual catalog of the exhibition is now online:

http://flipflashpages.uniflip.com/2/18170/46953/pub/

I'll be heading down south this Saturday for the opening, and giving a lecture the following day at:
Baton Rouge Gallery
center for contemporary art
1515 Dalrymple Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
225.383.1470

Should be a good time, the entertainment lineup for the opening alone is pretty impressive. See you this weekend!

Surreal Salon

2010-10-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

This year I was asked to be the Juror for the SURREAL SALON in Baton Rouge. I will be attending the event Jan.22 and be giving a lecture on my own work.

About the Surreal Salon:
Prizes will be awarded to the top five works included in the Third Annual Surreal Salon, as selected by the exhibition’s juror, with $2,000 in cash prizes being distributed.

Submissions for the Third Annual Surreal Salon must be received by 6 p.m. on Tuesday, November 23, 2010. So get your stuff in if you think you've got it!

Please visit the official site for details.
http://batonrougegallery.org/pages/sureal_salon.html

This Got Ugly: NYC & CMR 4-eva

2010-10-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

Get ready for a hot mess of pictures from my trip to NYC...I'm too lazy to put them in order.

I'll sum it up for you...
When I arrived in the city my show only had 3 pieces out of 21 left unsold...which is a first for me...and a great, yet surreal feeling.
I got to hang out with some super great artists and folks during the opening...which extended into the wee hours and ended with epic breakfast food at 4am.
I checked out some galleries up in Chelsea, one of which was BOLD HYPE ( I happened to have a piece in the current show) which had a GREAT group show on display. Charlie Immer was a huge standout...had I not been a boring, responsible adult with cash to spend, I would have bought it on the spot.

The rest of my trip was full of Taxidermy, Karaoke, Toys, more Toys and LOTS of food and PROPER Latte's.

Super thanks to the most AWESOMEST folks Vin and his wife at MPH for being super gracious and professional as hell! And to everyone else to took time out of their lives to hang out with me. Travis,Lou,Michael, JRYU, Santos, Andrew, Joshua, Allisson, Meg, Saki Waki, Kelly, Morgan, Scott C. and all the people my old brain is forgetting. THANK YOU!!!

...and...

...yeah...that's right.

Till next time NYC.

THIS FRIDAY IN NYC!

2010-09-22T18:12:00.000-07:00

I'm heading out to NYC tomorrow morning for the opening of my first solo show featuring customs AND paintings. Dig the flyer...

INFO:
Dates: Friday 9/24 - 10/24
Opening Reception time: Friday 9/24 6-9PM
Address: 210 Forsyth St. NY NY 10002
646.290.6866
www.myplasticheartnyc.com
www.myplasticheart.com

Dragon*Con wrap-up

2010-09-16T09:20:00.001-07:00

Dragon*con 2010 came and went with all the awesomeness that I remembered from last year. I got a chance to catch up with the fans who are all really great people, and I also was able to meet a bunch of artists that I've only known online for years. All in all, it was another good experience, one that I hope to make an annual event for me.

Here are only about one fifteenth of my photos...enjoy the craziness.

Dragon*Con details

2010-08-30T06:20:00.000-07:00

This Friday(SEPT 3) marks the opening of DRAGON*CON in Atlanta where all manner of dorkery and awesomeness is sure to go down. I'll be spending most of my time at The
Circus Posterus Booth: Comics and Pop Artist Alley // BOOTH EC1 & EC2

(Artist Skelve Series: Chris Ryniak // Cuspid Skelve will retail for: $165 (each) // ed. 30) there will be 12 on hand at the show, limit one per customer.

I will also have books and prints available at the booth as well as 10 new original drawings retailing at $75 each

SATURDAY (SEPTEMBER 4): Saturday @ 11 AM… Fine Artists and Creature/monster, and character designers: Travis Louie & Chris Ryniak will be sketching and signing…

ALSO SATURDAY (SEPT 4) I'll be part of this panel:
Title: Breaking the Molds, Pushing the Boundaries of 3D Art
Description: Enjoy an hour with the cream of the crop of today's object art elite.
Time: Sat 01:00 pm Location: Hanover F - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)
Voltaire, Brandt Peters, Kathie Olivas, Doktor A, Chris Ryniak, Tom Taggart
The panels are always fun and informal and full of swearing and insider information, good times.

hope to see you all there!

Dragon*Con drawings

2010-08-24T11:26:00.000-07:00

This year at D*C I'm going to be offering a bunch of affordable 5x7" drawings at the Circus Posterus booth. I've never sold my drawings before, I usually keep them banished to the depths of my sketchbook where nobody will ever see them...well not anymore!

Why look, here is a small selection of them now, how convenient. Thanks internet robot!

Dragon KAHHHHHHNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!

2010-08-22T15:37:00.001-07:00

Wrapping up some goodies for Dragon*con which is Labor Day weekend in Atlanta..

THIS COULD GET UGLY

2010-08-18T17:29:00.001-07:00

Going to be in NYC September 24th? Hey, well so am I! I'll be there for the opening of my first solo show featuring customs AND paintings. Dig the flyer...

..also dig a teaser of a custom Buff monster:

dig the info..
Dates: Friday 9/24 - 10/24
Opening Reception time: Friday 9/24 6-9PM
Address: 210 Forsyth St. NY NY 10002
646.290.6866
www.myplasticheartnyc.com
www.myplasticheart.com

dig?

Junior

2010-08-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

work in progress on a custom Junior.... This might be the most intricate custom I've ever done to date.

HOUSEKEEPING

2010-08-17T16:54:00.001-07:00

With the vast array of websites that I have to contribute to across the interwebz (Flickr,Twitter,Facebook, CP forums, my website) I find it hard to update any of them on a regular basis. So I'm TRYING to consolidate everything into a standalone site that I can update from anywhere that will feed ALL of the other sites. Things have just gotten TOO scattered, I want to build something that you can find EVERYTHING in one place.
It'll be HERE for now, with a link to my Flickr photostream for archived images.

If anyone has any suggestions on how to do this better or more clean, let me know, I'm pretty inter-dumb.

THANKS!

SDCC 2010 Schedule

2010-07-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

Thursday 7/22 Super7's Booth #4729(between 2pm to 4pm) CIRCUS POSTERUS TAKEOVER !!!!!!! WITH KO, BP . CMR AND TRAVIS LOUIE. Dune & Abyss Freyja, Customs and prints!

Saturday Rotofugi..?? Not confirmed but there is something special brewing and it involves a certain Special Lake Monster

Sun. 7/25. Munky KingBooth 4539 from 11am-12:30pm.
Vannen SDCC Signing with Alex Pardee ,BRIAN EWING, Chris Ryniak, Travis Lampe & more.

ALSO:
Cardboard Spaceship Booth #4534 will have limited edition collector art cards available that include the art of myself and 19 other great artists. I hear they are priced to be easy on the pocketbook..

DKE booth #4732will have the ART HUSTLE Scavenger hunt...Not sure what that entails, but I was included in the first Art Hustle Trading card series...so there is a chance you might be able to score something CMR related..More details as I get them.

ALSO...I'll be wandering about, buying Totoro toys and hunting down Adam Savage with my son...becuse we too, are super nerds.

keeping tabs

2010-03-13T18:21:00.000-08:00

So I've been pretty terrible at keeping my blog updated... mostly due to the fact that I'm a moderator of my own forum on the Circus Posterus Message boards.

That being said, pretty much everything CMR related is happening there or on my Twitter feed nowadays. It's gotten very difficult to maintain them all. The Chris Ryniak Forum is by far the most organized and easiest to follow for any and all of my updates regarding news toy releases, shows, custom photos, merchandise and general discussion.

Come on over and see what's going on:
HERE!

Follow me on Twitter HERE!

I'll do my best to keep this blog going in the meantime though. Lots of new stuff coming up soon!

PERVIEW ONLINE!

2010-02-06T10:16:00.000-08:00

The preview for my show "The Burgeoning" at Copro gallery, Feb. 13th is online NOW!

click HERE!

~

I'll be making the trek from the arctic shores of Cleveland to attend the opening, hope to see you all there.

2009: the Year in review

2009-12-29T09:17:00.001-08:00

Portrait of the artist as a fish.

~

This year was a big one for my art career. I've been doing this stuff for about 10 years and this was the year where things finally started falling into place...here are a few of the highlights..

•FIVE PAGE article and interview in HI FRUCTOSE MAGAZINE
•30 page article and interview in MyNameIs magazine in the UK
•6 SOLD OUT colorways of the Big Muscamoot vinyl toy
•SOLD OUT Freyja Resin figure
•NEW hardcover book, self published with an outstanding forward by my good friend and amazing artist Jeff Soto.
•San Diego Comic Con, 3 signings, toy releases, art exhibit and live painting.
•Dragon Con, book release, SOLD OUT resin release, book release and discussion panels.
•VERY successful Two person show in Montreal at Galerie d'art Yves Laroche
•Released collaborative Resin statue with Jonathan Bergeron
•Exhibited at a legitimate fair during Art Basel Miami
•Released a limited edition WATCH with VANNEN watches
•lots of paintings
•lots of custom toys
•lots of blog interviews
•a few video interviews (thanks Toybreak and KidRobot!)
•also multiple appearances, portfolio reviews, demos and lectures in the Cleveland area.

On the downside, I lost one of my best friends I ever had this year to Lung Cancer. Lucky was our 13 year old Rat Terrier that was with us since before we got married and before both kids. It still stings whenever I see something that reminds me of her, and imagine it will be that way for some time.

I spent WAY too much time in my studio, and away from the sun and my family. 2010 is going to be different for me though. I've made the decision to paint VERY LITTLE this year. I WILL be focusing on sculpting, toy design and customization though, but it will not be to the detriment of my quality of life. I'm feeling great about this decision already, and am looking forward to regaining some sort of balance rather than just working all the time.

I have to thanks my wife, kids, parents, and brother for being so patient and supportive despite my being absent from nearly everything this year. I also have to thank Jeff Soto, Kathie Olivas, Brandt Peters, Klim and Scott, Steve, Stephanie Walsh, Yves, Ximenna, Johnny, Turf, Omen and the rest of the Canadians, Travis Louie, Dok A, Sas and Colin Christian, George and Ayleen Gaspar, Steve Brown, Kirby, Whitney, Joe, Brian Morris, Kirsten Anderson, Buffmonster, Tara Mcpherson, Voltaire, Alex Pardee, Jensen, David Stowe, Mark Murphy, Martin Wittfooth, Flannery Horan, Nathan Spoor, Amanda Spayd, Megan Pearson, RYAN and Jessica Frease, John Stokes, Jessse Hernandez, Kevin Peterson, Lola, THE CHUNG, BGI, Attaboy and Annie Owens, Shawn Barber, Clay Ferguson, THOM TRAINOR, Billy Messina, Nichole East, DKE, Dave Pressler, The Cleveland Family, the Circus Posterus Boardies and anyone else I forgot.

Onward and Upward!

LOST in your eye

2009-12-15T19:55:00.000-08:00

Finally able to show my painting for the LOST Underground Art Project at Gallery 1988.

66 Questions

2009-12-15T05:51:00.000-08:00

The fine people over at JUST ANOTHER ART BLOG recently did an interview with me. Check it out if you want to know what the "M" in CMR really stands for...

CLICK HERE FOR INTERVIEW.

Freyjas on sale

2009-12-09T19:37:00.000-08:00

This might be the last chance to get the Green Freyja: edition of 40. There are only a few left available, and they will no doubt go fast!
GO to the link below and follow the directions at the top of the page, Freyja is listed at the bottom. GOOD LUCK!
http://circusposterus.com/WinterSale.html

Retail 85$

THE BURGEONING: solo show

2009-12-08T06:53:00.000-08:00

~

The Burgeoning
will be my first solo exhibition in California. Martin Wittfooth will also have a solo show in the large room at the same time. I will have 12 new paintings as well as several dimensional pieces available.

February 13th opening reception 8-11:30pm
Show runs through March 6th
Copro Gallery
2525 Michigan Ave, T5
Santa Monica, CA

SKETCH THEATRE

2009-11-14T03:46:00.000-08:00

Lat summer at the San Diego Comic Con I did a little Sketch for the great people over at Sketch Theatre. This makes me really want to do a time lapse of a painting coming to life, my process is ENTIRELY different than drawing.

CHRIS RYNIAK: SKETCH THEATRE 01

MIami Art Basel

2009-11-05T03:39:00.000-08:00

BOy, I've been neglecting my blog! I've been working on a lot of projects and shows, but I will get back to regularly posting soon!

This year during Art Basel in Miami, I will have two new pieces on display at the Yves Laroche Gallery booth inside the Aqua Art Miami fair.

Art Basel runs Dec 3-6
Aqua Art Miami
42 NE 25th St. Miami FL 33137

BOOKS AVAILABLE NOW!

2009-09-21T06:46:00.000-07:00

So it took me a little while, but the books are up for sale now over at my new STORE!

~
Foil-stamped hardcover, 70+ pages filled with over 60 images including paintings, sculpture, toys, process and inspiration PLUS a forward by Mr. Jeff Soto.

Once again, go HERE to pick up your copy!

back in the lab...

2009-09-10T21:20:00.000-07:00

Well I'm back from Dragon*Con, and now have to catch up on a bunch of shows I'm working on for the winter, so posts might be a bit sporatic.

In the meantime, check out my ugly mug in this little interview video that the Toy Baroness ambushed me with...

Dragon*Con Booth Crash – Circus Posterus with Chris Ryniak
by kidrobotrules

DRAGON*CON SEPT 4-7th!!!!!!!

2009-09-02T05:17:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, just wanted to give a heads up on what I have going on at Dragon*Con in Atlanta this weekend!

I will be selling merchandise at the Circus Posterus booth at the Hyatt Regency / Grand Hall East / Booths BT1 & BT2 in the Comics and Pop Art Alley section of the event.
I'll have my new book, new resin figure, mini prints, stickers, a few of my new watches and NEW exclusive prints from Circus Posterus!

I'll be signing at the booth on Friday, September 4 (3 PM) for 1 hour

PANELS:
DIVINYL - The Brilliance of Art Toys: Voltaire, Tara McPherson, Brandt Peters, Kathie Olivas, Dok A, Chris Ryniak -- Saturday, September 5 - Time: 4 PM (Hanover F) / 1 hour

LOWBROW LOWDOWN - The Future of Lowbrow: Baby Tattooville, Alex Pardee, Sas Christian, Colin christian, Travis Louie, Chris Ryniak, Warner, HC -- Saturday, September 5 - Time: 5:30 PM (Hanover F) / 1 hour .......... *****SPECIAL GUEST MODERATOR: Mark Murphy of Murphy design

I hope that's enough! See you in HOtlanta!

FREYJA

2009-08-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

PRESS: CIRCUS POSTERUS TO RELEASE LIMITED EDTION CHRIS RYNIAK RESIN SCULPTURE ‘FREYJA’ AT DRAGON*CON IN ATLANTA.

Renowned painter-sculptor Chris Ryniak has earned high praise and world acknowledgement as a ‘creature creator’. In its simplest definition xenomorphic means unusual or strange form but there is nothing simple about Chris’ artworks that are in high demand by collectors globally. His creations and imagery are at once compelling and provoking, executed with the power and mastery of an artist who brings fantasy to life…

Ryniak’s ‘Freyja’ project is best described in his own words: “Long before the civilization of and the natural world thrived. With an uncompromising power to create, destroy and re-grow to fit the needs of its self-sustaining planet, nature was a perfect machine, billions of years in the making. Freyja is the embodiment of that power that many have grown to ignore to pursue the cerebral endeavors of humanity. Protector and custodian of the flora and fauna that continues to flourish while the world of man inches toward extinction. Freya waits patiently until the day when the world is balanced once again.” The original form was sculpted by Chris Ryniak and hand cast by Mana Studios in siltec resin (hand painted, signed and numbered by Chris). The Dragon*Con colorway marks the sculpture’s debut and will be in an edition of 40.

This piece is just less than 7” tall and will retail for US$85.

Time to Watch...

2009-08-15T06:19:00.000-07:00

Last Year at San Diego Comic Con, I met David Stowe, who was putting together an all-star lineup of artists to create a new line of watches. Fast-forward one year, the first release is set to go for sale online within the next few weeks. The four artists picked for the debut are Brian Morris, Chris Ryniak, Damon Soule and Buffmonster.

This project was interesting and totally different for me and the end result is a super quality watch with really nice packaging at a great price.

Keep your eyes peeled over at vannenwatches.com to get yours!

Gardens of Misfortune: Recap

2009-08-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

July 29th kicked off the opening for my two-person show with Jonathan Bergeron at The Yves LaRoche Gallery in Montreal, QC.

First of all, Yves Laroche with the help of his amazing sidekick Ximenna Becerra, and cast of gallery employees, runs a class act operation. The only downside to working with such a legitimately dedicated gallery, is that I will constantly be holding every other gallery to their standard of excellence. I think a lot of galleries in the US could stand to learn a lot from Yves' model...starting with uncompromising integrity.

The opening was full of great people that were more than willing to speak English with me despite my total lack of French vocabulary. I intend to learn enough to get by before I go back to Montreal, which will hopefully be sooner than later.

You can view the entire show online HERE. Last I had heard, most of my paintings were already sold, you'll have to contact the gallery if you're interested in a specific piece.

Along with the paintings, I have two exclusive Giclee prints available through the gallery, each hand-signed and numbered on paper SO high-quality I'd almost call it fabric! :

Mycellium: availabe HERE.

Oviparity: Available HERE. (This print is GIGANTIC, 21" x 20"!)

ALSO, we released our exclusive faux-bronze collaborative resin statue:

MISFORTUNATE TRAVELERS: Available HERE.

In conclusion, this was the best gallery experience I've had thus far and cannot thank my new Montreal family enough for their warmth, hospitality and professionalism.

**Also, I have to thank my pal over at Montrealvinyl for the photos that I stole for this post, check out his photos of opening night HERE.

THEFT is for ASSHOLES

2009-08-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

This is an open letter to the piece of maggot shit that stole my custom Stitch from the Mindstyle booth at San Diego Comic con,

Good press or not, you're a fucking dick, even if you are a woman. You're no fan of mine, and you're not helping me at all. MY fans support me by being gracious and awesome enough to spend their hard-earned cash to help support my family (WHICH I TAKE TIME AWAY FROM TO CREATE THINGS LIKE THIS CUSTOM STITCH).

YOU are a cowardly pile of garbage and I hope your CHILDREN get cancer of the eyes because of your actions. Go ahead and keep the custom, you deserve it asshole. I'm done being nice and having to take the "high road", because I'm pissed. I hope one of you friends turns you in because you suck.

Love,

Chris

(sorry to all of my friends and REAL fans for all of the swearing, I had to get that off my chest. PLEASE, if you know who did this, turn their ass in, that would make you cool.)

COMIC CON releases, signings and more!!!

2009-07-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

Looks like I have a full schedule this year out at the San Diego Comic Con, with signings and releases at multiple booths....not to mention an Art opening and a live painting event.

Here's the rundown:

THURSDAY & FRIDAY
Hi Fructose booth #4939
1 pm
exclusive HF print

FRIDAY
Probably going to be at the Sketch Theatre booth
between 4 and 7 at some point

SATURDAY
Rotofugi booth #4930
12 noon-1:45
Releasing Fire on Water Version of BIG MUSCAMOOT

Click here for all of the big Muscamoot details...there will be several versions available, including unpainted FACTORY REJECTS!

OUTSIDE OF THE CON...

THURSDAY

Munky King and Hi-Fructose will bring you Munky Bidness (flier) on Thursday, July 23rd (8:30 – on) @Basic Urban Kitchen + Bar featuring live painting + music. Attaboy, Buff Monster,Food One, Carlos Ramos and Chris Ryniak will be painting live throughout the evening. For your pleasure, Buff Monster and Food One will be painting on lovely ladies as their canvas of choice. Add in music by Simmo (DJ R-Rated and DJ Colby), plus gift bags for the first 50 people and you know where you need to be Thursday night.

Basic Urban Kitchen + Bar
410 Tenth Avenue
San Diego CA 92101

Friday
Planet Illogica Extravaganza featuring art, music, fashion and great friends.
Wonderhaus : 1441 L Street : San Diego : CA : 92101 :
www.wonderbreadhaus.com

MONSTER? JULY 11, COPRO!

2009-07-02T09:49:00.000-07:00

Suprisingly,
not a lot of press is going on about this show...what's up with that? I have one piece that will be on display, dig the sneak peek....

~
ANYWAY.....

Travis Louie will be curating “Monster?” a group art exhibition opening at Copro Gallery on Saturday, July 11th at 8pm.

“Monster?” will include work by more than fifty amazing artists including Annie Owens, Brom, Chet Zar, Dan Quintana, Kris Kuksi, David Stoupakis, Fred Harper, Heidi Taillefer, Kris Lewis, Martin Wittfooth, Miles Teves , Xiaoqing Ding, Jessica Joslin and Ron English...plus MANY MANY MORE!

Copro Gallery

2525 Michigan Ave. T5 (Inside Bergamot Station)

Santa Monica, CA

USA

TODAY IS THE DAY!!!!

2009-06-04T21:07:00.000-07:00

BIG MUSCAMOOT (seaweed variant) releases at ROTOFUGI TODAY!!!

These are VERY limited, so stay on your toes!

also, got a little mention on the latest episode (79)of TOYBREAK! Thanks George and Ayleen, you guys are the bestestest-est!

BIG MUSCAMOOT first RELEASE June 5th!!!!

2009-06-02T04:06:00.000-07:00

FINALLY!!! My first official toy release!

Releasing FRIDAY JUNE 5th at Rotofugi Chicago, NOON central!

Online at ROTOFUGI.COM later that same day.

for more info:

http://thelakemonsters.com/

WORK MODE

2009-05-15T03:47:00.000-07:00

I've been really bad about updates and my old college friends who never call me were complaining that they don't know how to keep up with my life when I don't update my blog....so here I am...updating! Happy? Jess?

Still grinding away here for my two-person show in Montreal, on the FINAL painting! This new body of work is a departure from my previous work, and is something that I feel more comfortable with than anything that I have done previously. Here is a little teaser:

Top secret projects in the works are getting closer to their unveiling, I cannot wait until I can blab about all of this stuff because it's mad exciting!

Quick THANK YOU to the students of Norton High School for being such a great audience and behaving while Old Man Ryniak babbled about himself. You guys are the awesomest.

ALSO, I have a couple of things available at the STEVE BROWN GALLERY site, go now!

Been so long

2009-04-28T03:27:00.001-07:00

Hello again everyone! So sorry for the lack of updates, it's busy season in the CMR studio.

I've been working on a lot of projects that unfortunately(or fortunately, I guess) must remain veiled in secrecy until their official releases.
Summer always brings the insanity that is the San Diego Comic Con...which always brings ME to San Deigo...to wade through the ocean of people smelling like corn chips. Nevertheless, I WILL be in attendance again and most likely signing once or twice as well as attending some satellite events. More details as they roll in.
My two person show with Jonathan Bergeron (aka Johnny Crap) at the Yves LaRoche Galley in Montreal has finally been titled. GARDENS OF MISFORTUNE. Johnny and I are working on something special to be released at the gallery, hmmmm what could it be? You'll just have to wait, but it's worth it, this is something totally new and crazy. I'm also having the paintings that I have done thus far shot next week, and I MIGHT just leak another sneak peek. The show opens July 29th, I'm dragging my whole family out for this one, hope to see you there!
TOYS!!!! I've seen the first paint tests of my figure, BIG MUSCAMOOT for the Lake Monster series, and they look awesome! The release is coming..soon! you'll hear it here first. I'm also working on the prototype for the third monster as we speak. You should be seeing some representation of all three of the figures at the aforementioned Comic Con this summer, if not releases.
Speaking of toys, I'm up to my earballs in custom commissions, I'm booked solid through the year, which is crazy! I have to say, the toy collectors are an awesome, rabid, tenacious bunch of people, and I have to thank them for all of the support they have given me this last year, it was very unexpected.
This is a commissioned custom Dunce by Gary Baseman that I finished recently:

And as always...EVEN MORE stuff is coming out soon, really...like REALLY. stay tuned.

And sorry about the lack of pictures and the abundance of words, I'll do better next time!

BUG JAR #2 !!!!!!!

2009-03-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

From Shoparooni!!!! Don't sleep!:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cleveland artist Chris Ryniak, whose "Big Muscamoot" vinyl figure is due to be released by Rotofugi & Squibbles Ink any day now, will launch the second installation of his new “Bug Jar” series of customized vinyl figures this Friday at Shoparooni.com!

The Bug Jar Series will feature customized mini figures from MINDstyle, Kidrobot and other companies. One custom figure will be released each month, and the figure itself will not be revealed until the buyer has received it. Each will be a unique, hand-painted and sculpted custom figure from lines such as Kathie Olivas’ Scavengers and Kidrobot’s Dunnys.

The second custom, a hand painted, hand-sculpted 3" Dunny named “Midwestern Mud Tracker,” will be released tomorrow, Friday, March 27th at Shoparooni.com between 9 PM and 11 PM, EST. Retail for this Bug Jar release will be $200. There will also be some very special Bug Jar releases at the upcoming Dragon*Con in September at Chris’ table in Artist’s Alley.

The last Bug Jar release, a custom Scavenger figure, sold in just a hair over 3 minutes! Better be quick on the draw for this one! And, as a nice little bonus, if a second person gets their order in before the figure is pulled, they will get a free Chris Ryniak postcard set, courtesy of Chris and Shoparooni.

http://www.shoparooni.com

http://www.chrisryniak.com

http://www.thelakemonsters.com (Big Muscamoot reference)

Teaser Images:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoparooni/3384004168/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoparooni/3384536803/

grindin...

2009-03-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

Tons of stuff going down in the lab right now, hence the lack of posts. Just thought I'd throw yallz a bone with the painting I did for The SuperSchool show out at Copro Nason that opened a few weeks back. Thanks LOLA!

~

More news, toys, customs, paintings, rantings, ravings and nonsense to come!
SPRINGTIME!!!!

From the Deep

2009-02-23T15:53:00.000-08:00

A while back, Rotofugi and Squibbles Ink approached me about an artist based toy project they were thinking about. They gave me the position of sculpting all of the prototypes, all of which would be LAKE MONSTERS...needless to say, I was okay with that.

Months later, I'm proud to present the first production sample of my monster BIG MUSCAMOOT! (With a little interweb searching, you might find out what the name is a reference to.) The photo is a raw unpainted vinyl of one of many upcoming colorways.

This is my first produced toy, something I've been waiting the better part of my life for. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out, thus far, I have yet to see one in person, and what they will look like painted.

No official release date just yet, but I'm already well into the sculpt for the next figure, news on that soon! Keep an eye on THE LAKE MONSTERS website for more info and photos of the sculpted prototype.

Tons more other stuff in the works, as always... keep it locked.

BOING!

2009-02-18T17:24:00.001-08:00

Things have certainly snowballed since my last post! I never expected so much attention SO quickly!

The previously mentioned blog feature on the HI Fructose blog was just featured on BOING BOING today! I couldn't believe it when I saw it!

Also, as of yesterday, I'm officially going to be appearing at this year's Dragon*Con in Atlanta!!!

The lineup so far is as follows:

Attaboy!

Gris Grimly!

Jim Mahfood!

Tara McPherson!

Brandt Peters!

Kathie Olivas!

Annie Owens!

Derek Yaniger!

and - in his very first US appearance -

Doktor A!

So much greatness in one place, plus more stormtroopers than you can shake a Mynock at! It all goes down Labor Day weekend in September. I'm already planning a slew of surprises, stay tuned!

On the customizing front, what was formerly a Benny and Redbird, is now THIS:

Lots of other things going down, but my head is spinning, so that's enough for now!

thanks to everyone, yes EVERYONE!

A look inside

2009-02-12T15:52:00.000-08:00

Why blog for yourself when you have the awesome NATHAN SPOOR on behalf of HI-Fructose Magazine to do it for you? Check out the scoop by clicking HERE. Thanks to Nathan, Annie and Atta, AGAIN!

The new newness

2009-02-08T09:28:00.000-08:00

The Pitfall

18" x 24"

Acrylic on Panel

Yes, as always with my work, things are changing. I'm really happy with the direction things are heading in, and I feel like I'm making some breakthroughs. We'll see how it all comes together. More new paintings in the works, as well as lots , yes LOTS of dimensional stuff.

Keep it locked.

Archived works now available...

2009-01-26T06:59:00.000-08:00

~

So I've decided to unlock the vaults and release some of my older works into the wild. Local Cleveland awesome shop/gallery/boutique SHOPAROONI is handling the sale of all of these pieces. Available works range in date from 2004 to 2008, and prices range from $200 - $1000. All works are ready to hang and are either framed or painted on custom-built cradled wood boxes. Check HERE for detailed shots of the work from multiple angles.

Also, they have a full range of CMR swag, from books to figures and mini-print sets. Go get you some while the gettin is good.

LINKAGE!!

HI FRUCTOSE!

2009-01-20T13:24:00.000-08:00

~

The day has finally arrived! The folks over at Hi Fructose magazine have been awesome enough to feature yours truly in VOLUME 10, and gave me 5 full pages of goodness...

It's on shelves now! Available at all Borders and Barnes and Noble bookstores. Go get you some.

ALSO...

Thanks to everyone for your kind support, words and prayers about the loss of our beloved pup Lucky. It was very trying and sad, but we're all hopeful that she's in a better place now, doing backflips once again :)

Coldest day of the year...

2009-01-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting in my living room this morning instead of being at work today for a lot of reasons. I'm sick, I kept my son home from school, and I'm watching my dog live the final few hours of her life. 3 months ago she was diagnosed with lung cancer and was given 2 months to live. Last week she was re-evaluated and is now deaf, has tumors in her brain as well as in her abdomen and is going into congestive heart failure. 13 years ago when we bought a little Rat Terrier puppy from the pet store, we had her for 2 days and she went into the vet with Parvovirus, which is almost always fatal... we named her Lucky when she was at the vet for 5 days and pulled through. Since then she has been the best dog that ANYONE could ever ask for. We never had a single problem with her, and she loved everyone equally. She's been around since before we were married, before I graduated from college and before I had kids. Lucky has been and always will be a beloved part of my family and we're all going to miss her terribly.

I'm terrified of bringing her to the vet today, because I know I won't be bringing her home.

Hit the deck

2009-01-04T09:33:00.000-08:00

Just finished up this jerk for a local skate deck show that I totally should have said no to because of time constraints, but I'm a sucker, and can't say no to people. I tried some new stuff on it though that I'm liking.

Siberian work camp

2008-12-21T20:15:00.000-08:00

Back from the fun and sun, I've been digging in and getting shit done.

First off, I was blessed with the honor of being asked to contribute a custom to Disney’s STITCH EXPERIMENT 626 PROJECT Custom Art Tour .

They gave ME this:

I gave THEM this:

Next up, I'm in a custom Guitar show later on in March, but they sent me the guitar mad early, so I killed it to get it out of the way.

DIG:

Next week, in the midst of the Christmas glow, I'll be preparing all of the panels for my two person show in July so I can get my focus on.

Don't forget HI Fructose in January!

And more announcements coming soon!

Adventures in Vice City

2008-12-17T17:05:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks back I was lucky enough to have made it down to Art Basel in Miami, thanks to my good friends Kathie Olivas, Brandt Peters, Sas and Colin Christian and Mark Murphy. Without their hospitality I would have never even thought about going . So, Thanks pals!

and then...some stuff went down.... In NO particular order at all...because I'm feeling mad lazy...

Overall, it was low key for me..which was good, I needed some recharge time to hang out with like minded folks and talk about what it is that we do, and out place in the world. Although they may be scattered about the globe, these people are my family, and I'm proud to be part of it.

So far as the art goes, sculpture reigned supreme, and the Asian art wing of the Scope fair put the rest to shame.

I have a lot of things in the works, still have some stuff to button up for this year, then on to next year...where it's gonna get crazy! Keep a look out for the next issue of HI FRUCTOSE, where I will have a featured article!

Happy non-denominational holidays or recognized event!

The juice

2008-12-12T12:05:00.000-08:00

Online Magazine, the CITRUS REPORT, has just posted an interview wiht yours truly. For more stalking material check it out HERE.

Just in time for Christmas...

2008-11-30T15:37:00.000-08:00

The good people over at Shoparooni have pretty much become a one-stop-shop for all things Chris Ryniak. Along with prints,toys, books and postcard sets, they also have a few small SUPER CHEAP older pieces of mine available. Check out the goodness HERE.

My Hammy Bound

2008-11-24T10:31:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year again, where all the forces of the Art universe descend on Miami for Art Basel.

I was lucky enough to be asked to exhibit 4 paintings at Mark Murphy's KNOW exhibit.(info after the images) I WILL be in attendance this year, becuse I heard too much "where were you last year?" And I missed out on what's always a good time. Here are the 4 that I will have on display.

Murphy Fine Art Editions featured at Gen Art Vanguard Fair 12/4-127

Please join Mark Murphy and 92 inspired artists present over 100 paintings installed at the Gen Art Vanguard Fair during this year's Miami Art Basel : Gen Art will be presenting unique panel discussions and a blow out preview party on December 4th : Please RSVP for this event with the email listed below : See you there and thank you for your advanced support :

Location
Charcoal Studios
2135 NW 1st Ave
Miami, FL 33127
Wynwood Arts District
www.charcoalstudio.com

Dec. 4, 2008:
VIP and Press Preview: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Panel Discussions: 2 p.m.- 4:30pm
Public Reception: 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

To RSVP for preview please email Andrea Aberegg at aaberegg@genart.org

Dec. 5, 2008:
General Admission: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Gen Art Official Party: 8 p.m. - 12 a.m.

Dec. 6, 2008:
General Admission: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Dec. 7, 2008:
General Admission: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

The San Francisco Treat

2008-11-14T08:47:00.000-08:00

In other Fecal Face news... The good people over at FECAL FACE DOT GALLERY are showing two of my pieces in their upcoming group show, opening NOV 20th. I'm pretty honored to be showing with the heavy hitters in this show, and this will also mark as my first exposure in SF. Check the info above!

Talkin bout muh-self

2008-11-12T07:54:00.000-08:00

I just realized that I never posted the link to the interview I did with my good pal Jeff Soto for FecalFace.com.

It was the best interview, Jeff knows me pretty well, and knew which questions to ask to really make it feel natural. it's long...but Jeff said "it's okay dude, it's a good read".

SO, take some advice from Mr. Soto and go read it!

CLICK HERE !

This is Halloween...

2008-11-09T18:54:00.001-08:00

Yes, yes...I took a week to update after all my big Halloween talk, so here it is, in all it's glory. We threw the biggest party we've ever had, wiht upwards of 50 ghouls in the house with some AMAZING costumes.

King and Queen Ryniak

Stuperman and the Whitemare.

Owl pellet dissection table in the dungeon.

The tomb has almost had it, it will go under serious renovation for next year.

Ladies, Cleveland is where the Marryin' men are.

New lighting!

Bestest couple EVAR.

..uh huh.

So there you go for that kids. Til next year.

I had and or have a bunch of show updates to share, but I'll wait til tomorrow to get to that, my back hurts.

The eve of the eve ...

2008-10-29T19:59:00.001-07:00

TWO DAYS!

Final preparations are underway for the big event of the year around here.

Half of the accumulated Jack O' lanterns.

This is the first time I've put any effort into my own costume. The mask in itself is the centerpiece, but the rest of the costume is no less intricate. More photos once I actually put it all on.

Doing some tests with the UV lighting display in the kitchen. the bright green water is a highlighter ink.

My wife wanted our costumes to match to some degree, so I made her these antlers. She sewed an amazing mideival dress for hers. Her ability to sew these things from nothing never ceases to impress me.

I'm did a painting on a bottle of Miller High Life ( which is the self-proclaimed CHAMPAIGNE OF BEERS) for a charity show at the Skatepark of Tampa. more info on the show later.

These are for Mark Murphy's KNOW exhibition at the Gen Art Vanguard fair during Art Basel in Miami. I still have some touch ups on these ones to do, and one more to go.

Snowdangles...

Carrion feeder and child.

So that's SOME of the stuff I've been up to. not to mention WASHING THE SKUNK SPRAY OFF OF MY DOG LAST NIGHT! If you've ever been at ground zero of a skunk attack, you know how much of a sensory assault this can be...I wasn't prepared for how intense it really was. Way to go Nature!

More photos of costumes and the house after the big day. Go get you some candy!

11 Days ...

2008-10-20T03:33:00.001-07:00

That's right folks, ELEVEN DAYS until the ONLY holiday that matters around here, well to me anyway, I think the kids like Christmas. Many preparations have been undertaken thus far, but there is still so much to do!

I went through a long list of options with the boy before he decided on being a scarecrow. Usually my wife makes all of their costumes, but I actually got to make his this year, I think it's coming out pretty well, he can't wait to hide in the cornfield out front and make kids poop themselves.

The yard is almost the same as last year at first glance, I put money into some logistical changes, like LIGHTS THAT WON'T START A FIRE! That and about 18 more pumpkins and some other surprises..shhhhhh. Plus we're putting a lot of focus on the inside of the house for our big annual party this time around, needless to say, there is more to come...

Precious moments...

Yeah, I read Martha Stewart Living, there, I said it.

Wait for it...

POW!!!!!

This isn't exactly Halloween related, but I guess I do make art too. I customized this PLUSHFORM for the upcoming MIDWEST PLUSHFORM SHOW at Shoparooni. I had bigger plans than this, but I liked where it ended up, so I stopped here...which is unlike me.

Ubiquitous "in natural habitat" shot.

Stay tuned for more Halloween in the next couple of weeks, oh and maybe some art too. Priorities, people!

More pressing matters...

2008-10-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

So I get this package in the mail, I open it up and SWEET POTATOES it's full of the my letterpress prints from Letterpressed! these things turned out absolutely amazing, every bit of detail is debossed into the paper perfectly. Working with them was a great experience and I hope to do more with them in the future.

If you really want one go over to to Letterpressed to pick one up. If they sell out, I have a handful over here too.

quick break

2008-10-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

In between the insanity that is my work schedule, My folks took us and the kids to Dinseyworld for their annual "Halloween Party". Here's how it went down...

Trish nabbed some inhabitants of the Land of the Lost. Chaka, not present.

Weevil window cling.

Yeah, you go ahead and try, George, you can't ruin Boba Fett for me.

Ben: aka Flapjack Chloe: aka Purdy

Inspirado!!!

Chloe cleared the dance floor for her special brand of Polka.

The Death Star destruction as viewed from the moon of Endor.

It was a really good time, not crowded, and went by too fast. But I found myself stressing about all the shit I had to do back in my studio, which makes me wonder again: why do I keep this shit up? It's really starting to wear on me, and I really don't know what the end goal is.

Bah, enough of me whining. Lots of stuff coming up soon, will post photos when my nostrils are above water.

Pressing Letters

2008-09-16T15:59:00.000-07:00

I thought I done told you that there were more goodies on the way. Letterpressed has just announced that one Mr. Chris Ryniak is to be #12 in their current line of artist series letterpress prints. No exact date announced as to the release as of yet...BUT you can take a gander at the purdy, two-color design.

Chris Ryniak is a sell-out

2008-09-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

The awesome people over at Hi-Fructose just made the t-shirts that I designed for them available for sale on their site. Sorry to say that they're SOLD OUT! Thanks to everyone who snagged one at the Copro Nason show and Comic Con, I totally didn't expect them to move at all. You still have a chance to grab the other two great designs by Attaboy and Noferin HERE

But not to worry...CMR decks are available now through ARTSPROJEKT.

Prints and other goodies are on their way SOON!

Nature Fight!

2008-09-04T15:50:00.001-07:00

Oh yes, there's been some quality crittering going down here in the midwest...let's have a look shall we?

I can't take credit for this one. My pal Mandi spotted him from 150 feet away.

This guy was really patient for me while I figured out how to use my camera.

This adult Cicada just about had it for his lifespan. Things are getting quiet while they drop out of the trees.

Frawg.

Crawdad.

Dad, with Crawdad.

These guys were hanging out in the stream under some rocks. I was pretty stoked just to find a larval salamander (the equivalent of a tadpole to a frog) but then...

...Chloe picked up a rock on shore and found this! Adult Two-lined Salamander. these dudes were everywhere once we knew where to look. SCORE!

Worm Moustache.

More salamander action.

Yeah, this was my face before the 1.5 mile hike uphill. I had 60lbs of Ben on my shoulders for most of the hike.

Hung out at my Buddy Steve Brown's house. Steve own a kickass shop on the East-Side of Cleveland called SHOPAROONI. Steve is a human monkey.

His Sharpei couldn't be any less of a dog. So rad.

His Great Dane eats kids, whole. Notice the shoe.

I haven't found a Mantis since I was a kid, almost stepped on this one.

Frawg Part 2: The Revenge.

HOLYOHMYGODLOOKATHOWFUCKINGBIGTHATSPIDERIS!!!!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BABIES!!!!!!!!!!!

CMR decks available NOW!!!!

2008-08-30T07:07:00.000-07:00

The brainchild of pro-skateboarder/entrepreneur/artist, Andy Howell , ARSPROJEKT has made available SPECIAL FOR YOU, Chris Ryniak Signature decks. There are 4 designs that I've taken from my paintings and reconfigured to fit "just right" on the deck, no weird crops here! At $89.95 each, these are better than any old print, they're on MAPLE and employ a totally new printing process that allows for a much higher quality printing than previous methods of heat transfer decals. The days of getting an original of mine this size for under 100 bucks are long gone, so I'm glad to have these available for those with shallow pockets. Go get yours! HERE!

do the math

2008-08-21T03:12:00.000-07:00

Lab 81 in Italy is rolling out this new set of 3.5" figures and asked me to mess some up for them...here is what happened next...

Before:

After:

Hiney view:

Stuffed Crust

2008-08-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

First things first: a few weeks ago, I heard a rustling in the leaves on the ground in the backyard..upon further investigation I found this!

The very first LIVE cicada nymph I have ever seen. It was seriously like finding the Holy Grail for me. I named him Dumpy and let him go. The next morning I found his molted carapace, so in a way, I still have him. RADNESS!

Next I went to Chicago for an art show, but I'm not really going to talk about it, because it was BY FAR the least awesome thing that happened this past weekend.

Chloe, moments before laying waste to the city below.

Ben, WHILE laying waste to the city below.

I got to go to the Field Museum again, which might be one of my favorite places in the world.

They have every animal I wanted to see, ever, sadly dead, but for science! Behold the Bintarong, NEED!

For the little girl who asked her dad what this animal was: It's an Echidna, one of only two egg laying mammals called Monotremes. **snort**

Monkeys done got teeth too.

Mandi Spayd collaborated with me on this (and another carelessly handled and now damaged) sculpture. I have to thank her and her husband for keeping me from unleashing Gamma rays.

Who's that dude with the beard? Oh, hey, it's my little brother-in-law, Anthony! I've known him since he was four, he can't have a better beard than me.

Mi Familia.

I have to thank my Mom and Pops, Dan, Trish, Ben, Chloe, Anthony the Spaydenburgs, Melissa Forman, Scott Radke, All of the ART DORKS and Pizza for making this trip actually worth it.

Some seriously insane stuff in the works, including merch, international shows and tons of new work. Stay tuned, this year is about to get nuts.

Windy City

2008-08-07T06:26:00.000-07:00

I'm heading out to this group show that I'm in this weekend that has gotten little to no promotion whatsoever for some reason. It's a shame considering there are going to be some spectacular pieces in the show. If you're able, come check it out, several of the artists will be there.

Enjoy it While it Lasts
Opening: August 9, 7-10pm

Work from:
Chris Ryniak
Brendan Danielsson
Meagan Ridley
Joseph Fiedler
Chris Mostyn
Kim Scott
Heiko Muller
Justin DeGarmo
Jason Murphy
Jad Fair
Katie Ridley
Chris Mostyn
Melissa Forman
Amanda Louise Spayd
Scott Radke
Dan Ryniak

2568 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614
DvA Gallery

Stay Classy , San Diego.

2008-07-29T18:25:00.000-07:00

The trip to Comic Con was full of screwed up plane reservations, good food, centaur ghosts, stormtroopers very little sleep and awesome people that I'm lucky enough to call my friends.

I'll start this off with a photo that I stole from John Stokes, of my signing at the HI fructose booth.

Stole this photo from Soto, I was such a fanboy here, I got to meet my skate/art hero Andy Howell. What makes it even more rad was that we were in the superhero show together, pretty great considering he was one of the major reasons that I wanted to do art when I was a kid. Thanks Andy!

The rest of these I took myself. They're all out of order, but the weekend kind of felt that way anyway.

SotoFish, Guerilla style.

DJ Lance Rock. Check the kid behind him.

Hey, that guy has his hand up Triumph the insult comic dog's ass.

Chung and Joel Nakamura behold Mark Murphy's Henry Darger. I'm pretty sure Mark may have killed someone for this painting.

It's not a party til someone shits a baby ruth in the corner.

Mark was less than amused.

But went in for a closer look anyway.

Then this happened.

Attaboy.

Esther Pearl Watson and Mark Todd get their craft on.

Martha Stewart's got nothin. NOTHIN!

Travis Louie.

Comic Con is awesome for snagging free nerdy shit. My kids have since claimed it all.

The Hi Fructose tees I designed turned out nice.

Travis Louie has the signature of a dead president, never ceases to amaze.

Mark Murphy unleashes BLUE STEEL.

Brandt Peters and Kathie Olivas are full of awesome.

So there it is, kind of. And because of it, I'm busier than ever with plenty of new crazy stuff in the works. I just wanted to thank everyone that made me feel welcome and part of an amazing art community and an undeniable movement of creativity. til Art Basel.

Get your Comic-ON

2008-07-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

In addition to the Yoka bear show, I'm also involved in what's being anticipated as THE art party of Comic Con: the SUPERHERO exhibition, curated by book designer/publisher extraordinaire, Mark Murphy. Don't miss this one.

"THE LAST CZARNIAN" is my ode to the greatest anti-hero ever, LOBO. This painting took me off in a crazy direction with a lot of momentum.

Thursday July 24 from 7 PM to 12 PM
SuperHero Exhibition and Party
Warehouse Space : 1616 National Avenue : San Diego : 92113
featuring Live Music : The Modlins and SSI
Sponsored by Effen Vodka, HiFructose, Ninthlink, Murphy Art Books

ALSO, at Mark's booth at comic con:
Saturday, July 26 : 11am – 12:30pm and 2pm – 3:30pm
My pal Jeff Soto will be signing his new book Storm Clouds

Sunday, July 27 : 11am – 12:30pm
The uber-talented super art couple, Kathie Olivas and Brandt Peters will be signing their new book, Ghosts and Martyrs.

I will also be signing/sketching at the Carboard Spaceship booth on Thursday, July 24 at 3:00 pm. I have a fancy new postcard set, and probably a few old books on hand.

See you out there, fellow nerds.

Can you dig it?

2008-07-19T13:28:00.000-07:00

Here is a yet another custom that I did for my new friends over at the awesome SHOPAROONI. The platform is called an EGO, here it is BEFORE:

And after:

I was playing in the dirt with my daughter and noticed this very busy and GIGANTIC, Great Golden Digger Wasp, digging a hole for her eggs. I pretty much watched and filmed the whole process, but like a dummy turned the camera off for a second when she flew away, only to come back a few seconds later with a dead katydid to drag into the hole. She then laid her eggs and buried the whole thing.

Behold, nature:

Beasts of Bourbon

2008-07-06T17:06:00.000-07:00

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Show info:

If you're out at SDCC, swing but the opening, should be a good one!

all up in yo grill

2008-06-30T18:24:00.000-07:00

Super top-secret toy custom sneak. This is my favorite one thus far. And I was totally going to turn this one down, that'll teach me.