Recent Shows at iam8bit Gallery in LA

Last week was a busy week for the iam8bit folks! They had two gallery openings, one featuring the 10th Anniversary of video game Psychonauts and the second show was celebrating their own 10 year anniversary!

The Psychonauts show featured work from artists, concept art from the early years of the game development, and Tim Schafer - the founder of Double-Fine was there too! Here is my painting from the show.

Another Day At Camp

9x12 inches

Gouache, ink on wood panel

©Nicole Gustafsson

SOLD

Prints are also available at iam8bit

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The 2nd show that opened last week was iam8bit's 10th Anniversary show! I am super happy to have been showing with the gallery since 2011 and pumped for Jon, Amanda, and all the iam8bit crew for this celebration in the galleries history. This show featured over 150 works remixing their favorite retro video games memories. 

I chose to feature Donkey Kong Jr for NES a game that has me frustrated and hooked all at once. I can never get very far in this game, but I sure keep coming back for more!

Jr. in the Jungle

9 x 12 inches

Gouache, ink on wood panel

©Nicole Gustafsson

Original painting available at iam8bit

New Prints available at iam8bit gallery

Just wanted to share that prints from my "Worlds Collide" show are now available at iam8bit gallery in LA. We picked some of our favorites from the exhibit and they are just in time for the holidays! Each print is signed and numbered limited edition of 50.

There are also a few original paintings from that show that are still available: here 

Space Fortress

9x12 inches (image size)  |  11x14 inches (paper size)

Signed/Numbered limited edition of 50

Available at iam8bit

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Evening Home

8x10  inches (image size)  |  10x12 inches (paper size)

Signed/Numbered limited edition of 50

Available at iam8bit

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Island Mountain

12x12  inches (image size)  |  14x14 inches (paper size)

Signed/Numbered limited edition of 50

Available at iam8bit

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Leviathan Cove

16x16  inches (image size)  |  18x18 inches (paper size)

Signed/Numbered limited edition of 50

Available at iam8bit

Worlds Collide - Artwork

Last Saturday was the opening to "Worlds Collide" a two woman show featuring paintings by Nicole Gustafsson and sculptures Chelsea Bayouth. I flew out to the show and had a wonderful time. It's always wonderful to finally meet people that you've talked to online, and to see new friendly faces. Also I want to give a huge shoutout to the wonderful folks at iam8bit. Jon, Amanda, Noah, Billie, and all the gallery staff were awesome to work with and helped bring this show together.

I created 15 paintings that were paired up with Chelsea's sculptures. My paintings featured worlds and environments to play off of the creatures. For the creation of my works I looked to geographic land formations, mineral structures, tree and plantlife, ancient fossils and bones, weather patterns. I used these inspirations to form individual "worlds" or fictional places. Creating unique spaces and environments in paintings is one of my all time favorite themes to work with as an artist. It was such a joy to play around with space, color, and lighting in these works.

The works are currently available online at iam8bit to purchase. The show will be available for viewing in person at iam8bit gallery in LA until Sept 28th.

 Aquatic Cosmos

10 x 20 inches

Gouache, ink on wood panel

SOLD

Bear Skull Island

6 x 6 inches

Gouache, ink on wood panel
Available

 Blaze

10 x 20 inches

Gouache, ink on wood panel

SOLD

 Leviathan Cove

16 x 16 inches

Gouache, ink on wood panel

Available

 Crows Nest

10 x 10 inches

Gouache, ink on wood panel

SOLD

Evening Home

8 x 10 inches

Gouache, ink on wood panel

Available
SOLD

Firefly Biome

10 x 10 inches

Gouache, ink on wood panel
Available

 Island Mountain

12 x 12 inches

Gouache, ink on wood panel

Available

Macaw Skull Island

6 x 6 inches

Gouache, ink on wood panel

Available

 Moonlight Isle

16 x 16 inches

Gouache, ink on wood panel

SOLD

Pastel Vale

9 x 12 inches

Gouache, ink on wood panel

SOLD

 Space Fortress

9 x 12 inches

Gouache, ink on wood panel

Available

 Trace Passage

12 x 12 inches

Gouache, ink on wood panel

Available

 Warren

16 x 16 inches

Gouache, ink on wood panel

SOLD

Weavings of Starstuff

16 x 16 inches

Gouache, ink on wood panel

Available

Worlds Collide exhibit opening at iam8bit

Many of you know that I've been working away on a project, and I'm happy to announce "Worlds Collide". This is a two woman show featuring awesome sculptures by Chelsea Bayouth and paintings by me. The show opens this Saturday in LA at iam8bit and both artists will be in attendance. I've worked many years with iam8bit and am super excited for this show.

Worlds Collide 

Opening Reception: Sat, Sept 20th from 7-11PM

2147 W. Sunset Blvd, LA California 90026

iam8bit.com

Join us in celebrating the fantastical relms of Nicole Gustafsson's Nimasprout & Chelsea Bayouth's Stellarium, fused together for a unique artistic collaboration!

Here are a few sneak peeks of my works-in-progress for the show. You'll have wait to see the finished pieces in person, or the entire show will be online after the opening reception :)

I created all my paintings with gouache and ink on wood panel. It's been a while since I have done paintings on panel, but I wanted to have a difference look with this show and shy away from traditional framing. If you live in the LA area come on over Saturday night! Hope to see some of you there :)

Future of Gaming at iam8bit

Tomorrow is the opening to "Future Of Gaming" exhibit at Iam8bit. Industry leaders give quotes on their thoughts on the future of gaming, and artists like myself illustrate the quote. I was teamed up with Kim Swift (co-creator of Portal) and illustrated her quote:

"The future of gaming is going to always be with us on mobile devices that are a part of our daily lives, and will infect and project onto the world around us. We're on the advent of some truly impressive mobile devices-- input systems that detect the acoustic variances on where you tap your palm, tiny microprojectors on glasses, cameras that detect where you're looking, virtual and augmented reality, not to mention increased processing speeds. Imagine games that can project onto any surface, anywhere to create an instant display and use voice, eye direction and touch controls for inputs. Then picture the game taking into account the environment it’s being projected on to determine things like level layouts, and those projections interacting with other people’s game projections. I imagine that games will be everywhere around us.”

Game Night, 8x8 inches, gouache and ink, ©Nicole Gustafsson 2014

This exhibit originally launched at DICE summit in Las Vegas last February, and now it's showing in LA during the E3 expo this week! Go see the exhibit in person at the opening Tuesday, June 10th from 7-11pm (show runs until June 22nd).

RSVP at iam8bit: https://www.facebook.com/events/526267940811104/

See a writeup of the event via AWN.com here:http://www.awn.com/news/iam8bit-curates-future-gaming

Grace and Ritual: Hidden at iam8bit

A bit late posting about this show, but the exhibit has been extended for memorial day weekend, so there is still time to see it in person! Grace and Ritual is an all woman show featuring a diversity of styles.

"Grace and Ritual: Hidden"

iam8bit

Opening May 9 - extended to May 25th

LA, California

Eventide

5.5x7.5 inches

Gouache and ink

©Nicole Gustafsson

Currently available at iam8bit 

Nightfall

5.5x7.5 inches

Gouache and ink

©Nicole Gustafsson

SOLD

D.I.C.E. Summit 2014

I had the honor of contributing a piece to The Future Of Gaming curated by iam8bit at the DICE Summit in Las Vegas last week. 10 artists were asked to create an art piece based on a quote by individuals in the gaming industry. My quote was from Kim Swift who said:

"The future of gaming is going to always be with us on mobile devices that are part of our daily lives, and will infect and project onto the world around us. We're on the advent of some truly impressive mobile devices--input systems that detect the acoustic variances on where you tap your palm, tiny microprojectors on glasses, cameras that detect where you're looking, virtual and augmented reality, not to mention increased processing speeds. Imagine games that can project onto any surface, anywhere to create an instant display and uses voice, eye direction and touch controls for inputs. Then picture the game taking into account the environment it's being project on to determine things like level layouts, and those projections interacting with other people's game projections. I imagine that games will be everywhere around us."

Game Night, 8x8 inches, gouache and ink, ©Nicole Gustafsson 2014

I loved the idea of characters interacting with other players and that gaming could be projected anywhere. My painting I created for the show features a group of gaming gals hanging out playing a game together. For the "game" I used woodland characters that I've been developing in my artwork over the years.

Playing video games can be such a fun experience with friends and other gamers. Some of my favorite memories of video games are playing NES games with my sisters and friends growing up. Going to PAX I see impromptu games springing up everywhere while people wait in lines or just chilling, it's an exciting time for video games and I love seeing the new technology and innovation mixed with passionate creativity.

Photo of The Future of Gaming via iam8bit

Photo of The Future of Gaming via iam8bit

Photo of The Future of Gaming via iam8bit

To learn more about the D.I.C.E Summit visit their website: www.dicesummit.org

New Print available at iam8bit

Mr Men and Little Miss were the theme of the recent show at iam8bit in LA. You may have seen a previous post with the show poster I designed and my paintings for the show, and here is a limited edition print based on my painting!

Everybody's a Somebody

Giclee print on archival paper

Image size: 13 x 13  |  Paper size: 15 x 15

Signed/Numbered limited edition of 30

Available at iam8bit.

Getting the prints all ready to sign!

Mr Men and Little Miss at iam8bit

The opening to "Everybody's A Somebody" was last week featuring work by over 50 artists paying tribute to the world of Mr. Men Little Miss. Here are my contributions to the show!

Everybody's A Somebody

13 x 13 inches (image size)

Gouache, ink on paper

©Nicole Gustafsson 2013

SOLD

16 Little Miss

9.5 x 9.5 inches (image size)

Gouache, ink on paper

©Nicole Gustafsson 2013

Available

16 Mr Men

9.5 x 9.5 inches (image size)

Gouache, ink on paper

©Nicole Gustafsson 2013

Available

The show is up at iam8bit in LA until September 8th, go check it out if your in the area!