Unobserved: A Celebration of Obscure Holidays

I just got a couple pics of the new book with one of my works in it. Its caleld Unobserved: A celebration of obscure Holidays. It features me along with over a hundred other contemporary tattoo artists. The promo pictures look amazing. The book seems to have come together even better than everyone had though. Great work guys!
they will have preordered up soon. the first 20 preorders receive two limited edition prints with the book.
I believe they will be sold for 40 dollars plus shipping. But more info will be up on the website:
www.unobservedbook.com

In Progress

I started this new thigh piece on my friend and co worker Lacie Frain the other day. Pretty stooked how the line work went. Ive been toying with line weights more lately. I really like the dynamic it puts on images. instead of a constant line weight throughout the entire piece. More photos to come of this piece as we work on it.

SOC #3

This is another example of starting with a basic image and then branching off of it as quickly as i could. each step was just the first thing I thought of in my head and then trying to make them all interact with each other. I tend to get some really weird results. But its fun and never gets old. 8x10

Slow Sean is Painting Season

Its been slow as a motherfucker in the shop lately. So instead of complaining Ive busted out a few of my SOC paintings. This one I finished yesterday. Skull owl on Bell. 8x10

Stream of consciousness

so Ive been doing a lot of these paintings and tattoos where its simply a stream of consciousness type of thing. I start with one basic idea for an image and expand on it as it develops in my head. without an overall theme that is premeditated. I dont know what I'll end up with when Im done and thats the fun part. Im doing some half sleeves based on this soon. More info on that soon.
Ive done work like this since college. After all these years I finally feel like I have a grasp on this idea more than ever. Its definitely matured as a form of imagery.
Also, I enjoy seeing people look at the work and seeing all the different images that make up the overall depiction.
let me know what you think

Vaquero frame up on Eastern Bikes site.

http://www.easternbikes.com/products/frames/13
designed this frame for the Vaquero pro bike on Eastern Bikes website.

http://www.granroyale.com/softgoods/penny-tee
as well as this t-shirt with one of my graphics of a Penny Farthing. Via Gran Royale Bicycles.

get one or both.

new tattoo

Did this tattoo yesterday on an old friend from college. Hes a good dude with a shared love of skulls, roses and snake tattoos. I was more than happy with how this turned out. and he sat like a champ. took about 3 hours to finish. Probably one of my most recent favorite tattoos Ive done.

new 11x14

This is just a steam of conciousness type of painting. Just started to draw the original line drawing. then painted the piece without overthinking anything. tried to do a slightly looser style of painting. A little burnt out on the strictness of tattoo falsh.

cutout

wooden cutout project I did today. this is the first time trying to paint on wood. for sale at www.mattkerley.com

Both Eyes Open

Daruma dolls are rad little japanese gods that you wish to. when you wish on the doll you paint in one eye. When the Daruma God grants you your wish you are supposed to paint in the other eye. Granting the Daruma his vision back. This is where the phrase "Both Eyes Open" comes from.
Theyre one of my favorite japanese things to paint/draw/tattoo

Ben Corday

one of my favorite tattooers in history is Ben Corday. I repainted one of his designs. He could draw some of the best girl heads ever. Elegant and soft mature designs. He was ahead of his time.
This is one of my favorites.

Gran Royale shirt design

This is a painting that I did a while back that Eastern Bikes picked up to use for their new line of fixed gear and cruiser bikes called Gran Royale. Everyone at Eastern are rad dudes with a rad product. check out the Gran Royale line if your in the market for a new Fixie. www.granroyale.com

Sailor Jerry Swallow

I was asked recently by my good Canadian buddy Polly hatter of Deluxe Tattoo to paint a 11x14 flash sheet to donate to Sailor Jerry Swallow's new shop in halifax. Along with 49 other tattooers (including Polly and Jerry), All of these flash sheets will be made into a book later this year. Again, I am very stoked to be a part of this project and also stoked to help out one of the living legends in modern tattooing!!

Traded

I traded this piece to Scott updike. Based loosely on a Sailor Jerry Collins line drawing.
Painted and mounted to wood. Tried a different take on painting with this also with the mounting process that I am use to. Im going to start experimenting more with the overall outcome of my work.

5x7 Trade to Cory Schofield

I trade a small painting and a print to Cory Schofield in Austin Texas. Hes a good dude, and a hell of an artist. check him out if you havent already.
I got a shark. He got a boat. It works

We Are 138

This is for the show "We Are 138" which is art inspired by Misfits songs. Being a huge fan of the Misfits, this is an honor to have my work celebrate their work. I belive Phat Joe said this will be printed in a book. More info on this will be available when I get it.

This is for the book Unobserved: A Celebration of Obscure Holidays. Should come out around the end of the year.
More info up on this blog as soon as I get it.

Winged Rat

I did this painting for an art show in Portland. More info on that coming up.

I WON THIRD PLACE!

at the North Carolina Convention in Greensboro. I won Third place in tattoo of the day on Friday. It was a blast. I met a lot of great people. got a lot of awesome prints. what an adventure.

Flash Mag - Nov

I just received a copy of the November issue of the Flash magazine. I got a full page in there with one of my old old paintings in it. Its a painting I gave my buddy Tim Huscroft the last time I passed through Johnson City, TN.

New painting

I recently did a day at my friend Nate Hall's tattoo shop in Greensboro, NC called Legacy Irons. to show my appreciation I painted him this little banger. I hope he liked it! if not, itd make for a sweet coaster.

Pharaoh's Dachshunds 11x14

I had the idea for this painting the other day. I wanted to mix some classic tattoo flash with dachshunds. i love both. I was going to make a whole flash sheet with classic images mixed with weiner dogs. but I thought this was the most clever. I might still do the panther idea if I get bored enough.

FOR SALE!

I am making a series of these wood mounted prints. These prints are mounted on wood, then coated in a thick resin coating. Ready to hang. They are available for sale on my website. www.mattkerley.com
they are in the "for sale" category. $20

Painted this for my good buddy Rob Rutherford. Hes a great dude and an even better machine builder. hes doing a seminar for the greensboro convention september 10, 11, and 12. This for the cover of his book that he will be giving out as part of the seminar. it will also be sold online. more info on that as soon as I get it.

another shot of it.

Did this cobra wrapped around a ship in a bottle today on my good friend from Colorado. Really fun tattoo and I used my new Rotary on it.
Good times

Stay True Tattoo Co. Guest Spot!!

I will be tattooing at Stay True Tattoo Co. from August 9th-11th. if you want to get tattooed during one of these days message me on my site or give the shop a call. Cant wait to tattoo in Tennessee.

16th Annual Greensboro Tattoo Convention

I will be tattooing at the 16th annual Tattoo convention in Greensboro, NC. September 10th, 11th, and 12th.
If you want to get tattooed during one of these days just message me on my website. www.MattKerley.com
for more info go visit www.littlejohnstattoo.com

Self portrait kid slug

painted this today between tattoos. thats handsome ol me.

Snake vs. Broad

girl fighting snake tattoo done today. fun stuff!

new rotary machine

I just ordered this rotary machine from mike at Premadeneedles.com
its aluminum. weighs only a few ounces. and is silent. Im pretty stoked to not worry about carpal tunnel syndrome.

U.G.L.Y. skull Nikon

Did this U.G.L.Y. skull on a good friend recently. I havent done many of these guys since the Greenville days. Theyre still fun to design and tattoo. She is a photographer so we mixed up an U.G.L.Y. with a Nikon digital camera.

bird skull painting

did this today at the shop. 7x9 acrylic on wood. had the idea this morning for the design when i woke up. had to get it out.

Gnarly Birthday snake

yesterday was my good friend Paige's birthday. she wanted a snake tattoo. so I gave her one that was bigger than she wanted. your welcome.

Paneagle battle royale

Tattoo I did today. Fun tattoo on a rad dude.

NEW SHOP SHIRTS

sizes s-xl at the shop. if you need a bigger size or color just message me and I'll hook it up.
$20 at the shop.

Sluggish Ruggish

Gnarly shit

Im gonna stick to drawing gnarly stuff for a while and see where that takes me. comes more natural than clean line "pretty" images like birds, flowers, etc.

new viking painting

did this at work today. a little slow today. made good of my time.

New piece of the day

I painted this tonight in about an hour. Im trying to practice mounting, laminating, Taping and putting hanger grommets on each piece. Im tired of just framing a piece. Too costly. let me know what you think.

Ive been messing around with tiny paintings lately. Just a fun little break to do twenty minute excercises at the shop when Im bored. Check them out and let me know what you think.

New Convention Banner!

Check it out! just got my new banner in the mail. 3'x5' vinyl banner.

New Convention Banner!

New banner being printed for conventions. Simple yet affective.

Trade to Timothy Lebron, CT

This was what I painted tonight for Timothy Lebron. 7"x7". if youre wanting to do a trade hit me up on my website www.MattKerley.com

Trade to Matt Mebane

Painted this the other day. Mounted it and finished it off today.