Meet the characters of artist David Kcenich in the “Bruce and Friends” Show
UPDATE: There will be another public reception on Saturday, January 24 from 4-6PM
The Gallery @ NoHoSAC is a contemporary space that is the perfect backdrop to display the work of our local visual artists. The gallery is located in the NoHo Senior Arts Colony and the space is shared with the award-winning Road Theatre Company, making it a “colony of arts.” The next show at the Gallery @NoHoSAC will feature the works of character artists/animator David Kcenich with a free opening reception on Tuesday, December 23 from 6-8PM.
WHAT: David Kcenich “Bruce and Friends” Show
WHERE: NoHo Senior Arts Colony. 10747 Magnolia Blvd, CA 91601
WHEN: Tuesday, December 23 from 6-8PM
ARTIST INFO: www.DMKartoonz.com
Meet artist David Kcenich, a character designer and animator with more than 24 years of industry experience.
“My decision to show my work came rather reluctantly. I tend to keep my work private and not on display. I did have a few pieces at a gallery in Laguna Beach but not a full gallery show. I always thought about showing my work but never felt like I had enough to hang in a gallery. After meeting with my dear friend, Amanda Talbot, who I worked with for years at Disney and is currently organizing shows for The Gallery at the NoHo Senior Arts Colony, I realized I had more than enough. She offered me a spot in the rotation for a show in March 2015. I said I could get enough pieces for that, then she called last week and said she had a December opening and here I am. She stopped by my place and helped me sort out my work. Having a gallery show is both extremely exciting and terrifying. Having my work on display for my friends and peers to view leaves me feeling vulnerable. This is my first show and I just hope people will take the time to view my work and really enjoy the Cartoon Show.
The show details: I originally planned on showing a collection of my watercolor Illustrations and finished paintings. After meeting with Amanda and her impressed reactions towards my line work and my strips the plan shifted to my Cartoon and Comic Strip work. My show is called: “BRUCE & Friends.”
BRUCE is my alter ego and main character of the cast from the GANG in MY HEAD. He has been developing inside me for the last 30 years. I never submitted his comic strip ideas to syndicates because I am constantly adding new qualities to him. I will have on a collection of Original Strips (Sunday pages, Dailies and Single panel strips) on display at the show. The Friends portion will broken down in different sections: Illustrations (pen & ink/watercolor), Cartoons and Doodles (pen & ink, watercolor, pencil drawings), Political Cartoons (ink/colored pencil) and finally on display will be selected pages of my completed Cartoon Illustrated book: Has Anyone Seen My Valentine? (original inked line drawing with a Digital color version of the finished page matted). I will also have a finished version of the book at the gallery for the viewing public. I plan on having a sign-up sheet to pre order copies of the book. I hope to get it published. I will go the self-publish way if I get enough pre orders and do a limited run. I will also offer commissioned work on selected pieces if people are interested. I plan on having 35 total pieces (15 framed and 20 matted).
My dream project: I worked in animation on feature films and television projects as an Effects animator and Character animator for over 24 years. Working at the Walt Disney Animation Studio was a dream job as a profession. My personal dream is to become a syndicated Cartoonist ( to have “BRUCE” introduced to the syndicates and be published, that’s a dream) and have my own Cartoon books published. Finally to be recognized as a successful Cartoonist.
Advice to the aspiring Cartoonist: When I was at Disney working on Tarzan, I visited my family for the holidays in Pennsylvania. While I was there I was interviewed by the local newspaper, The Citizen’s Voice. They ran a story about me and later I was asked to come back in a few months to be the guest speaker at the Teacher of the Year awards. I flew back and I had to speak in front of business owners, education board members, teachers, my family and current students. I talked about my difficult journey from a small coal mining town to being an animator at Disney. So many people tried to talk me out of it but I had a dream. I turned to the table of students and my advice to them was: Do your best no matter what path you choose. If you pump gas for a living, be the best gas pumper there is. If you want to be a Cartoonist, believe in yourself. Follow your Dreams, because if you don’t have Dreams you will have nightmares.
I have been an animator, by profession, for over two decades but I will always call myself a CARTOONIST. Cartooning is an art form that I believe has been looked down upon by other artists. There is an impression that Cartoon artists and their work aren’t at the same level as fine artists. I was blessed with the opportunity to learn from such Cartoon and Comic art legends as Will Eisner, Harvey Kurtzman, Gene Colon, Charles Burns and Illustrator, Philip Burk while attending the School of Visuals Arts in NYC. I met and chatted with famous Cartoonists through the years. I have worked with talented artist at the studios I worked at and learned and developed artistically along the way. I have developed my own Cartoon style that I hope people will enjoy viewing at the gallery. I hope I can show that Cartoonists are real artists. I hope you will enjoy my CARTOON SHOW.”
You can view his work here: www.DMKartoonz.com
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