Julian Callos Illustration

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"Crybaby" Acrylic gouache on washi with confetti inclusions Approx. 3 7/8" x 5 5/8"

Apparently today is National Mascot Day, so it feels like the perfect time to share my piece for the Fruits & Veggies show, curated by Cassia Lupo and opening June 22nd at Giant Robot Store!

I wanted to create a mascot for abandoned and forgotten veggies in the style of '60s cereal mascots, so meet Crybaby the sprouted onion! 🧅😢

I know it's kind of odd to have such a sad character on such fun paper, but I just love this confetti paper 😅

I had also started working on an additional mascot for bruised/damaged fruit called Bruce Dapple (like bruised apple), a daredevil with a banged up apple helmet and a banana cannon with orange slice wheels, but I decided to just focus on one piece. Should I finish Bruce sometime though? 🤔

It's a bit different from my usual work, but it's always fun to work in this style and create some cute mascots!

[juliancallos]

"Picnic (Strawberry, Clementine, Banana, Green Apple, Blueberries, Grapes)" Acrylic gouache on paper coasters

🍓🍊🍌🍏🫐🍇

All these little guys will be part of the "Salut!" coaster art show, opening this Sunday (June 2nd) and running through June 28th at Nucleus Portland!

This show is always a fun one and I can't wait to see the rest of the work. There will be an opening reception at the gallery on June 2nd, from 3–6pm, and the remaining art will be available online the following day. Check out the show in person if you're in the area!

[juliancallos]

"Scraps II" Mixed media on wooden mushroom Approx. 6.25" tall

Here's my piece for the "Cluster 2" show, which runs from April 5th—27th at Nucleus House in Portland. Each artist in the show was given a blank wooden mushroom to work on and I decided to once again transform my mushroom into an apple! 🍏🐞

Check out my apple from last year here! 🍎

This was so fun to see come together. I especially like the fruit sticker and happy apple logo that I came up with 😃

If you're interested in purchasing this piece, go here.

[Photo of blank wooden mushroom courtesy of the gallery]

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"Grasshopper" Polymer clay, acrylic gouache, and acrylic Approx. 4.75" long, 2" wide, 3" tall

Here's my ode to mint chocolate treats like grasshopper cookies and grasshopper pie for Giant Robot Store's Sweet Tooth show, open now!

I love this little guy! The show will run till April 7th, so go check him out in person if you can and see all the other fun work inspired by sweets and snacks 🍭🍪🍩🍰🍬🍦

If you're interested in purchasing this piece, you can find it here.

[juliancallos]

"Lucky Find" Paint marker on washi paper with confetti inclusions Approx. 5 5/8" x 3 7/8" Here's my contribution to Giant Robot Store's Neko Show, an annual cat-themed exhibition, which opened February 10th and runs till the 25th!

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“The Haunting of Psyduck”

Paint marker and alcohol marker on 5.5” x 7” bristol paper

Original drawing available here!

Psy ay ay! 👻👻🐥👻

[juliancallos]

All my Post-It drawings for Giant Robot's annual Post-It Show, opening December 2nd at Giant Robot 2!

🍒😢🍎🍓😥🍏🌼🍓🍯

[juliancallos]

What's your favorite scary movie?

Show off your love of the Scream franchise with this sticker inspired by the movie-within-the-movie, STAB!

Based on a scene in Scream (2022) in which Ghostface is seen wearing a chrome mask and wielding a flamethrower in a clip from the 8th Stab film (which, in the world of the movie, was directed by Rian Johnson).

4" x 4" glossy vinyl sticker with a mirror/metallic effect on Ghostface's mask! Available here.

[juliancallos]

✨Shiny Mew✨ sculpture for a buddy of mine!

Very proud of how absolutely cute this turned out! 😭

Mew's always floating around, so I wanted to find a way to have him look like he's defying gravity. I landed on this pose that not only allowed me to avoid using any display armatures but also highlights Mew's playfulness.

Mew is approximately 4.5" tall and 3.5" wide and is made of Sculpey, foil and armature wire, acrylic and acrylic gouache, matte varnish, and DNA containing the genetic codes of all Pokémon. 🧬

[juliancallos]

A special message from the Voorhees family to you and yours on this Friday the 13th.

💀

I think Friday the 13th deserves the holiday card treatment, don't you?

PS: I know the hockey mask is iconic, but Jason's burlap sack look from Part 2 is my favorite.

[Edit: Actually you know what, I’m really coming around on the hockey mask and increasingly deteriorating outfit as I go through the series.]

[juliancallos]

"Battle Ravaged Spider-Ham Action Figure with Web-Slinging Action + Bonus Accessories!" Mixed media sculpture Approx. 5.25" tall (excluding base)

Here's my late entry into Gallery Nucleus's "Let's Do This One More Time: Across the Spider-Verse" exhibition, currently on view till August 20th.

This one was a LOT of hard work and took so much time that unfortunately I wasn't able to get it to the opening of the show. It's on display now though and I'm super happy with how it turned out, so I hope you'll check it out in person if you're in the area!

As hard as it was to execute (the web design on his suit alone took forever!) I still enjoyed translating Spider-Ham into an action figure and deciding how a cartoon character like him might show "damage" in the grand action figure tradition of a "battle damaged/ravaged" version of a character (or "dino-damaged" for anyone else who had Jurassic Park toys growing up). I also liked how the accessories turned out, particularly that mallet! It looks plucked right out of a cartoon. By the way, the limbs are meant to look articulated and he has a web-shooter with a button but the limbs don't actually move and he doesn't actually shoot webs so if you end up getting this piece please don't try 😅

Also for those curious, these pieces are made with Sculpey!

🕸🕷🐷

[juliancallos]

My coasters for the 8th annual “Salut!” coaster show at Nucleus Portland! The show runs from June 11th to July 1st.

Tried a little something different and played around with colored pencils. Enjoyed the color blending and how the paper texture shows through.

If you aren’t able to make it to the show in person, you can view the show online here and see any pieces I have available at the gallery here.

🍓🍓🍓😢

[juliancallos]

“Delicate Balance” Acrylic and acrylic gouache on BFK Rives mounted on cradled wood panel 6″ x 12″ x 1.5″

“Existential” opens tonight, 6–9pm, and spans both Antler Gallery and Talon Gallery in Portland. The show, curated by Thinkspace and Antler/Talon, will feature over 100 works by over 70 amazing artists; 10% of all sales will be donated to Born Free USA to help raise awareness and funds for our world’s endangered species.

My piece is inspired by glass frogs. More than half of glass frog species assessed by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are threatened with extinction and all are vulnerable to habitat loss, pollution, climate change, invasive species, chytrid fungus, and the international pet trade.

The Mashpi glass frog, the species I referenced for my piece, was discovered in Ecuador just last year and was recommended by researchers to be listed as endangered according to IUCN guidelines.

The painting also features a Mashpi orchid and a monkey grasshopper. 🌸🦗

If you’re in the area I hope you’ll check out the show. It’s sure to be a good one!

[juliancallos]

“Scraps” Mixed media on wooden mushroom Approx 6.75″ tall

Here’s my piece for the “Cluster” group show, opening April 7th at Nucleus House Gallery in Portland!

Each artist in the show was given a blank wooden mushroom to work with (see last photo). Naturally I turned mine into an apple. 🍎🐛

Super happy with how this turned out. It’s so cute 😭

It’s been really cool seeing what the other artists have done with their mushrooms. I hope you’ll check out all the work in person if you’re in Portland when the show opens on the 7th!

[Blank mushroom photo courtesy of the gallery] 🍄

[juliancallos]

Sometimes when you have a dumb idea like “What if Woodsy Owl...but Sonic??” you just have to bring it to life, complete with hokey slogan.

Now the world has an advocate for keeping the environment clean and for going really, really fast.

🦉🌲🦔

Available here btw.

[juliancallos]

Sometimes you just gotta DANCE! 🦆💦

I haven’t even played the new game but I love this flamboyant little duck with all my heart. 10/10, no notes.

Catch ’em here!

[juliancallos]

Been having fun doing some lil’ pen and marker drawings recently. Here’s my favorite lazy takoyaki boy Zucker from Animal Crossing.

Grab him to-go!

🐙🍢