@mushtoons why are you so good at making au mikeys, huh? /lh

IN THE STUDIO | BOSS DOG 

Artist Mike McKennedy aka Boss Dog recently moved from the comforts of his Portland, OR studio to a new creative space situated in Twentynine Palms, CA. We’re stoked to check out what his newly set up studio space is like, what his typical day in the studio is like, and what projects he’s currently working on.  Find out more about Mike McKennedy in our more in depth –Art School interview with Boss Dog! 

Photographs by Samantha McKennedy

Where your space is located: On the border of Joshua Tree National Park in Twentynine Palms, CA

Can you describe to folks a little about your studio or creative art space? Well, it's weird because I just moved in. I moved from Portland, OR to Twentynine Palms, CA just outside of Joshua Tree National Park. My old space was covered in artwork and posters by my favorite artists, but I haven't put much up on the walls here yet. I am excited for a new beginning and just want to accumulate new stuff naturally. My wife Sam helps me run Boss Dog and we do most of the work that pays the bills from home. It works for us. We like each other and our dogs and kinda just like to chill and do our own things so it's nice.

What’s a typical day in the studio like for you? Right now I fluctuate between balancing commissions, working on my own stuff as Boss Dog, contributing to the animated movie The Planet of Doom, and being a part of a new restaurant called Black Seed Burger Cult. I use the word balance lightly because I don't know if I have figured that part out yet. I am way behind on deadlines for Planet of Doom, but I am getting close to finishing my part. 

Check it out @theplanetofdoom –This year I am trying to do less commission work and focus only on Boss Dog. I have stuff coming out with Zumiez soon and Boss Dog is ramping up more and more. I am currently trying to figure out if I am more of an artist or a graphic designer or what they call a "brand" or some permutation of all three!!!! It's all growing pains. I am also super busy with Black Seed Burger Cult in Portland, OR. Myself and a gentleman named John Black (@barelyhumanart) are doing the design and there are two other owners named Mikey Williams and Donovan Collins who are the creative chef geniuses who will run the joint. So, I bounce around between all that. Whatever is causing the most stress at the moment is what I try and put some work in to!!

What type of things do you keep around the studio to inspire you ? What art are on your walls? I like tchotchkes. I'm not Jewish but I sort of believe in Golems. I like having things around that symbolize protection from another realm. My wife would tell me to cut the crap and just admit that I love toys. But, if you come to our house every room has a golem in it somewhere. It's usually a M.U.S.C.L.E. figure haha. They are protectors. My brain is usually preoccupied with a world that has strong magical protectors in it. So my art room has a lot of stuff in it I see thru that lens. As far as art goes I love old He-Man, Snoopy, old biker shit, Frazetta, and of course the millions of current day artists who inspire me! As I type this on the wall behind me is a huge tapestry by Jason Cruz. That dude rules.

What are you currently working on in your studio space? What are you jammin’ to while you work? Today I am doing a hand drawn font for the burger place I mentioned. The magicians behind @kern.club are going to make it a working font. They are rad. I listen to an equal amount of music to podcasts. The last five bands I played on Spotify are: 2 Chainz, Nipsey Hussle, Credence Clearwater Revival, The Band, and Megadeth; last five podcasts I listened to are: Jalen & Jacoby, The Jump, The Nod, Heavyweight, and Reply All.

What art materials would we find on your desk? I usually do a lot of messy gestural drawing in non photo blue pencil. Everything I do is with the intention of eventually transferring it over to a computer. So, I use a lot of blue pencil or use a light table to ink over my pencil drawings so there's no graphite. I don't know how to use an iPad. So I draw on paper, use a light table to draw and redraw my images on new pieces of paper to my eventual liking, then scan the final in. I clean the linework up in Ai and then switch over to photoshop. I am too stubborn to try it any other way so that's just how it is for me now! So besides non photo blue pencils I use almost exclusively sharpies, regular pencils (nothing fancy, just whatever I can find at the grocery store) Micron .08 and Micron .03 and Uniball white pens from Japan. Those are all my jams. When I paint -- which I haven't been doing too much of lately -- I use liquitex acrylic paint and Molotow acrylic paint pens. Also he's not a material but my dog Bud is always at my feet when I draw. He says he wants to be an artist too but all I ever see him do is sleep. So we'll see about that one.

Whose studio would you like to peek into?  I absolutely love Skip Class as an artist. I think his process is rad. I can never figure him out and that's a good thing. He's present as fuck and just lives it. Check him out @skip.class. Also John Black (@barelyhumanart) isn't just a friend he's a co conspirator and just someone whose process I really enjoy. Lastly I think Matt Kerley is one of those genius minds that inhabits weird places and does a ton of different things well. He’s an incredible fine artist, tattooer and he makes rad clothes. He is on Ig as @mattituder​.

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