My Work in CSQ Magazine

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artist as brand, artwork, cyber security, digital media, elan musk, hyperloop, illustration, Levinland studio, technology

CSQ magazine is a great publication with all sorts of great innovative looks to business leaders and new technology. Gadgets, cars, travel etc is all covered in this incisive magazine. The articles I illustrated were extremely interesting especially the “hyper loop” look into the future of travel.

SANTA DROPS INTO A FEW FAMOUS PAINTINGS

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art, artist as brand, artwork, Botticelli, Carvaggio, christmas, innovation, Lautrec, Levinland studio, manet, midnight Mass, monet, Rousseau, Santa Claus

Photographer Ed Wheeler has been very busy this holiday season preparing a feast of amusing artwork, giving familiar masterpieces a distinctly festive feel with a touch of digital trickery.He has spent the last few years taking self-portraits while dressed as Santa Claus – and inserting them into famous paintings.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2526518/Photographer-inserts-selfies-dressed-Santa-famous-works-art.html#ixzz2oVzgiMmt
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Words And Images: The art of Patty Haft

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artist as brand, artwork, Beverly Hills, Disney, illustrator, innovation, levinland, Levinland studio, lon levin, Saban Entertainment, sony, technology

Earlier this year my good friend and fellow artist Patty Haft agreed to come to my design agency and mentor our people in recovery in the art of marketing and sales. She was a great help to me and those people as she advised, cajoled and prodded budding creatives to learn to how work as a professional in a design agency.

I’ve known Patty since high school when she was one of a group of young girls we guys used to admire at on the beach in Santa Monica. Years later I hired her and her husband, illustrator Dan Long to work on many projects for me when I was the executive creative director at Saban Entertainment. To return the favor she and Dan hired me as a VP of Entertainment Advertising at their ad agency in Valencia. Patty and I spent many days pitching business to all sorts of entertainment companies and worked on many campaigns for Disney, Sony and others. Over the years we both got divorced and remarried and divorced again but maintained our friendship.

When I asked Patty to help me earlier this year I had no idea she was in a major transition in her life. As she tells me now her search for what she wanted to do in the future galvanized as she worked with us at BTS Communications. The result of which is shown here. Artwork pieces that use discarded paper and recycles them into beautiful pieces of art that are fun to look at and have messaging in the art with the use of pictures, graphics and typography. All of her pieces are three dimensional and some move.

Patty is a graduate of Art Center in Pasedena where she majored in illustration and design. Her career has been in entertainment advertising where she successfully ran her own agency along with her then husband Dan Long. Now she is enjoying the creation of fine art.

As we talked over some Mexican food at Sharkey’s in Beverly Hills Patty told me she was going to start exhibiting and selling her work in the late Spring at local fairs and art walks, which I enthusiastically supported. I will follow up with Patty as the months go by and update you on the results of her efforts.

Getty Museum Lifts Copyright Restrictions on Digital Archive

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artist as brand, artwork, digital media, digital photography, Getty, illustration, lon levin

This article could be a very valuable piece of information to you if you use or want to use archived photography. I’m wondering if this will have a ripple effect on the usage of photos and art found on the net. For me it’s another tool that will expand an artist’s capabilities and push the trailblazers to keep ahead of the “copyists”.

The Path to the Top of the Mountain

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artist as brand, artwork, cartoon, cartoonist, cartoons, innovation, inspiration, levinland, lon levin, Mark Susnow, technology

I just got this pearl of wisdom from Mark Susnow www.inspirepossibility.com and it ties into a cartoon I wrote the other day so I’m posting these thoughts for you the reader. I live by these words and have found them to be true. We can do more than we think, we have to trust ourselves and others and move ahead despite your doubts.

For the last seven or eight years I have enjoyed a recreational activity that gives me exercise and satisfies my longing to be in nature. When I ride my bike on the mountain I feel exhilarated, refreshed and proud of myself. Putting on my biking clothes, oiling my bike and riding down the street are the beginning of a ritual that has evolved over time. Within 10 minutes, as I climb the trails of Mt Tam, I feel transported to a different world, one in which I leave behind all of my worldly concerns. In this world I feast on the beauty and tranquility of nature with its wildlife, majestic redwoods, flowing streams and the smell of fresh air. As part of my ritual I end my ride at the health food store and enjoy a healthy drink. It was there that I ran into my young friend Bobby who is an avid rider. He rides his bike daily to the college but isn’t that familiar with some of the trails on the mountain. I offered to show him some of my favorites. Soon after we set a date for our ride, I started thinking about what trails I could show him that would be challenging for him but not too challenging for me. A few days later we started on our ride. For the first part of the ride, we began climbing a trail which was part of my usual loop. And then I knew it was time for me to stretch and ride higher. As I looked up from the place on the trail where I usually stopped I wondered if I could climb higher. In my mind I surveyed the incline to be 25-30 degrees at its steepest point, which was much steeper than what I was used to. It’s amazing how changing our thinking changes our experience of almost anything. I knew that the steepest part of the climb was the beginning. If I could climb beyond that phase then there was no reason I couldn’t climb all the way to the top of the ridge. As I started climbing my focus shifted from the top of the ridge and how difficult the climb might be, to what was immediately in front of me. In the 2 or 3 yards directly in front of me I did not notice any slope at all even though I knew there had to be one. As I continued the climb in this manner, instead of feeling tired I was able to maintain my energy and when I looked ahead I was almost at the top of the ridge. Because I was able to climb higher than before I was able to see things for the first time. When I reached the pinnacle I was able to see for miles in every direction. The view had always been there but I had never put myself in a position to notice it. For the first time, I felt the interconnectedness of my surroundings; an interconnectedness that was always present even if I wasn’t able to see it.

Were it not for my change in thinking and sense of adventure I would have stopped miles ago. And that’s what so many of us do-we stop when it begins to feel uncomfortable instead of continuing to explore the unknown. In my work with many of my coaching clients, I ask them what their biggest regret is. The most common response is that they didn’t risk enough. Certainly that has been true for me at various times in my life. As you successfully take risks, you become more confident in what is possible and what you can accomplish. You’re more willing to get out of your comfort zone and explore new horizons. This expanded sense of exploration, extends to all aspects of your life including opening your heart and risking feeling more. That’s when you feel most alive and fulfilled. Often its subtle shifts in thinking that make it possible to reach and experience higher levels. That was certainly true for me. My shift from thinking about the difficult trail ahead to what was immediately in front of me, enabled me to reach the pinnacle. I know that you have your own mountain to climb. Sometimes when you think of the big picture the task ahead seems daunting and you don’t know where to begin. You might feel that whatever you do will just be a drop in the bucket. Here’s a suggestion that has worked for me and many others that I work with. Start with just one little thing and then continue to make little changes consistently. Over time you will see a dramatic difference in the quality of your life. Do something new or different everyday for at least ten days. You could make it into a game. It could be as simple as taking a different route to work or getting up earlier and meditating. It could be listening to some new music. Or something as basic as brushing your teeth with your other hand. It definitely gets you thinking about other things you do routinely and don’t pay attention to. As you begin to make these changes on a regular basis you will notice that you become more comfortable with the concept of change. As this occurs, you wonder what else you can change. And that’s when you will be willing to risk exploring the unknown.

Does Nudity In Artwork Promote Sexual Discrimination?

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artwork, fine art, illustration, innovation, levinland, lon levin, moxi, nude sketch, nudes, nudity, painter, sex, sexual harassment, suicide Girl

As part of my mission to bring artwork and art related subject matter to you the reader, I look for interesting issues about the art world. Some of the time I am stunned by what I read and this case I found about sexual harassment in the workplace fits that bill. Seriously folks, this is 2013, and this is clearly a piece of fine art and not some taudry, exploitive piece of porn created to excite the “senses”.

But judge as you will I am only the messenger.

 

The Issue: Sexual Harassment and Artistic Expression

In 1964, Congress passed Title VII of the Civil Rights Act which, among other things, prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, and gender. Since its passage, courts have interpreted gender discrimination to encompass sexual harassment in the workplace. Two types of sexual harassment may constitute violations of Title VII: harassment that involves the conditioning of concrete employment benefits on sexual favors, and harassment that, while not affecting economic benefits, creates a hostile or offensive working environment. To maintain an action based on a hostile work environment, a plaintiff must show that he or she is the victim of actions, behaviors, or statements that were so severe or pervasive that a reasonable person would find the environment abusive. Many states and localities have adopted similar prohibitions of sexual harassment.

Given that sexual harassment can often involve expression, there is an inherent conflict between laws prohibiting sexual harassment and the First Amendment right of free speech. In addressing this issue, courts have held that the goal of abolishing sexual discrimination in the workplace is important enough to justify some restrictions on work place speech. Even with this compelling goal, however, restrictions on workplace speech must be narrowly tailored to prevent arbitrary enforcement by government officials according to their own personal tastes (see also Zoning Laws and Artistic Expression). These restrictions are relevant to artistic expression in that they can affect the kind of art displayed in the workplace.

The Case: Henderson v. City of Murfreesboro (TN)

In 1996, Laurie Crowder, an assistant superintendent for city schools in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was walking through City Hall on her way to a professional meeting. On display in the City Hall rotunda was an exhibit of dozens of paintings by local artists. One piece in particular caught Ms. Crowder’s eye: a 12-by-16 inch oil painting by artist Maxine Henderson. Entitled “Gwen,” the impressionist painting depicts a seated nude female, legs crossed at the knees, with her left arm draped across her chest.

Ms. Crowder was highly offended by the piece and the next day submitted a sexual harassment complaint to the city legal department. She asserted that the painting was “pornographic” and “very offensive and degrading to [her] as a woman.” Crowder wanted the painting removed. Though the city attorney did not believe the painting constituted a federal violation under Title VII , he did feel it violated the city’s internal sexual harassment policy and removed the painting himself. Maxine Henderson brought suit in U.S. District Court claiming the removal of her painting was a violation of the First Amendment. The court agreed, but without deciding the substantive issue of whether or not the display of “Gwen” constituted sexual harassment. Instead, the court held the removal was unconstitutional because it was done pursuant to a policy that was not narrowly-tailored to prevent sexual harassment, i.e., the Murfreesboro policy lacked written and specific guidelines as to what could be displayed on city property. Without such guidelines in place, city officials would be able to arbitrarily decide which artwork could be displayed in government spaces according to their own personal tastes.

ClownBoy

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artwork, cartoonist, digital painting, drawing, illustration, illustrators journal, innovation, Levinland studio, lon levin

This “clown boy” will hopefully appear in a children’s series under development now. It’s an example of a character conceived of more than 20 years ago sketched out and finally illustrated in color a little while ago. Point being, don’t give up on yourself or your characters. You just never know.

Aspire to be Challenged

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artwork, cartoons, childrens book, digital media, digital painting, illustrators journal, innovation, levinland, lon levin, sketching, skippy john jones

The artwork above was assigned to me as a challenge. I wanted to be able to do licensed artwork and faithfully copy someone else’s artwork. I enjoyed the experience and learned a lot from the experience but I was not chosen to work on this project in the end.

I found the article below and I highly endorse it. I could not (obviously) put it better myself. But I’ll add that to be creative and venture forth you have to be bold and self-assured. Those who are can inspire the rest and lift their spirits. Challenge yourself to be more, not a lot but a little and step by step you can attain great heights!

All creativity is based on quantum leaps and uncertainty. At particular moments in time, truly novel ideas emanate from the collective bed of information. These ideas did not originate in the fortunate individual, but in the collective consciousness.This is why significant scientific discoveries are often made by two or more different people at the same time. The ideas are already circulating in the collective unconscious, and prepared minds are ready to translate that information.

This is the nature of genius, to be able to grasp the knowable even when no one else recognizes that it is present. At any given moment, the innovation or creative idea doesn’t exist, and in the next moment, it is part of our conscious world.

In between, where was it? It came from the virtual domain, at the level of the universal spirit, where everything is potential. Sometimes this potential creates something novel, but in this realm all possibilities already exist.

So, if our bodies are recycled earth, our emotions are recycled energy, and our thoughts are recycled information, what is it that makes you an individual? How about your personality?

Well, the personality doesn’t originate with us, either. Personality gets created through selective identification with situations and through relationships. What we call personality is built on a foundation of relationships and situations.

According to many of the great spiritual traditions, one of the great truths is that “I am the other.” Without the other, we would not exist. Your soul is the reflection of all souls.

Adapted from The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire, by Deepak Chopra (Three Rivers Press).

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/creating-soul.html#ixzz1O9T84Sz5

Slightly Bent Cartoons

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artwork, cartoon, cartoonist, digital painting, illustration, illustrators journal, innovation, levinland

FROM BELIEVING TO BELONGING

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artist as brand, artwork, illustrators journal, innovation, levinland, Levinland studio, lon levin, Mark Susnow

I choose this sketch to illustrate this blog because it fits the theme. When you feel like you belong somewhere even if that somewhere appears odd to the outside world trust your instincts and go with it.

The last five months have been very transitional for me. I started a business journey that all at once made me feel like I was finally in the right place. Each day when I get up to work my activities confirm that initial feeling I had. The agency I’m at now (KW Brentwood) is a place where I’ve been given the opportunity to use my skills to help others and grow as a person and a manager of my own business. This morning I re-read an email blast from my friend Mark Susnow and it speaks to this very subject, so I’m passing it along to you.

We’ve all had dreams at different times in our lives. Without them our lives wouldn’t be the same. We wouldn’t have accomplished much of what we have so far. We wouldn’t be living the life that we are living today.

But it’s a balancing act. Sometimes these dreams and visions get in the way of our experiencing the present moment. In my conversations with many like-minded travelers, I am reminded that many of us have forgotten how to have fun, how to play like we did when we were kids. To help us remember what it’s like, I encourage people to reflect upon their childhood. What did they do when they weren’t in school? When they had a choice to choose an elective, what did they choose and what did they say no to? Growing up I had a choice between music or an elective that involved making things. I’ve played music my entire life, but am not very good when it comes to making or fixing things.

Think about what you did to have fun. It helps to have a good imagination. Sports were a big part of my life. I had visions of becoming a professional athlete. But as I got older, and competed against other kids from different areas of the city, no matter how active my imagination, I realized my limitations.

Growing up, both sports and music were a big part of my life. No matter the sport, I had my teams that I rooted for. It’s amazing how important I made that weeks game. Not only did it give my life meaning, it was an escape from the rest of my life. Much of the time I found myself rooting for the underdog. Sometimes the only ones giving the underdog a chance were the underdogs themselves. When the underdog won, I felt so good. It reminded me of what was possible in my own life. It reminded me of how powerful believing in one’s self can be.

One of our local basketball teams, the Golden State Warriors were perennial underdogs until seven years ago. They rehired an old coach who miraculously turned them around by getting them to believe in themselves. It was contagious. The fans started believing too. In fact that year they made the playoffs and the team slogan became WE BELIEVE. As you entered the stadium you were given a yellow t-shirt, one of the team’s colors, with the slogan WE BELIEVE printed on it.

Well it didn’t last. The team reverted to their old ways and became underdogs again. Within three years the team was sold and the coach fired. Ownership completed a turnover in the team’s roster. This year they’re back and having a great year. But there’s a different feeling. It’s no longer WE BELIEVE; it’s now WE BELONG. The distinction seemed profound. It’s been on my mind. How is this subtle distinction relevant to the rest of our lives?

The dream or vision keeps us moving forward and gives us a reason for living. But at times it takes tremendous effort to keep the dream alive, especially when we might be the only one having the dream. Even when we have our share of doubts, we keep going. Ultimately it’s getting to that place in our lives when we courageously stand up to the uncertainty in our lives. Even in the face of this uncertainty, we experience moments of grace when we have occasional glimpses of a life that at one time we could only imagine. But there is still the striving and the insecurity.

At some point there is a shift in consciousness. The feeling of believing morphs into a feeling of belonging. Our expectations for ourselves, and the acceptance of our greatness, emerge. We now say to ourselves, “This is where I belong.” At times this shift is elusive. While we do feel a sense of community, it’s much more than that. It’s a feeling of acceptance. It’s a feeling of peace. It’s a feeling of knowing this is where we belong. We are home.

My team, the Warriors, initially believed that they could be an elite team, but they hadn’t experienced it. When they momentarily had a glimpse of it years ago, a seed was planted that if cultivated properly could grow into who they are today. They have an expectation of winning. They have an expectation of excellence and greatness. They’ve cultivated their garden. They are ready to reap the harvest and share it with others.

We all have a longing to be part of something greater than ourselves. The feeling of belonging transports us from the “I” to the “We.” From that feeling of WE, we experience a profound sense of connectedness. A connectedness to community and a power greater than we are.

So with my team, it’s no longer a once in a while kind of deal. They’re for real. They belong. So do you. So do all of us.