SHOP TALK: Rob Schamberger Newsletter 25AUG24

Painting white flags blue.

Aug 25, 2024

Hi. My name's Rob Schamberger. I'm that guy who paints rasslers. And other stuff. 'Cause a winner don't quit on themselves.

WORDS

Last week Katy and I went to the National World War One Museum for the first time. It was a deeply moving and educational experience about The Great War and how it continues to echo through to today. I’ve started making smaller paintings of our adventures, something that started with our trip to Italy back in May.

Above is a piece inspired by their exhibit about the trenches, this one focused on the French soldiers who were thrust into that hellish reality. I wanted it to feel properly gritty and muddy with the color palette and something I’ve started experimenting with in splattering masking fluid down before I start, to get all of those little white specks.

The museum is beneath the 40-foot tall Liberty Memorial Tower, which is adorned by four Guardian Spirit statues carved by Robert Aitken. Each holds a sword and represents Honor, Courage, Patriotism and Sacrifice. They’re beautiful art deco sculptures that I definitely wanted to make a couple paintings of.

I was working out some ideas for this first one and was particularly happy with how the color palette came together.

And then I took all of what I felt worked with the first one and applied it to make a piece I’m rather fond of with the second one.

The National World War One Museum is a powerful testament to the sociological realities of holding multiple, often competing truths. It’s about the dangers of nationalism and also about the power of people coming together to help one another. It’s one of those lessons that will continue to resonate. It was our first time going there but I’m sure it’s something we’ll revisit again.

DID I MENTION I WENT TO ITALY A FEW MONTHS AGO?

Probably haven’t.

The statue I saw in Florence that’s easily stayed with me the most has been Benvenuto Cellini’s 1545-1554 masterpiece ‘Perseus with the Head of Medusa’ in the Piazza della Signoria. It’s one of those where I looked up and was just in awe of it. Possibly the first time that a statue’s affected me that way.

I had done a smaller study of it a couple months back but wanted to revisit it with a more involved painting, incorporating the surrounding architecture into the composition. It’s a bronze sculpture, so it’s oxidized over the centuries into this lovely bluish-green color, depending on how the natural light is hitting it.

Here it is side-by-side with the study, for comparison’s sake. I used to really scoff at the idea of doing sketches and studies, but this is easily the biggest change to how I think about and make art from my time studying there.

ORIGINAL PAINTING ALERT

On Thursday, August 29 at 12PM CST instead of a new print we’re going to launch THREE original paintings at ShopAEW. These will be for Toni Storm, Mercedes Mone and Dr Britt Baker, DMD. Toni and Mercedes are both 11” x 15” and will be priced at $300 each. Britt is a little bigger at 12” x 16” and will be priced at $400. Lineup and prices subject to change between now and then but probably not.

Knowing my collectors like I do, if you want one or all of these I recommend setting a reminder and getting in there the second they become available.

UPCOMING AEW/PWT PAINTINGS

Mark Briscoe
Mariah May
Dustin Rhodes
Kamille
Bryan Danielson

Card subject to change.

Rob’s Art on ShopAEW
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Rob and Jason Arnett's novella Rudow Can't Fail!
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Rob’s prints and shirts at Pro Wrestling Tees
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Instagram
Threads
Cara
YouTube

WHAT I LIKED THIS WEEK

I finished listening to the audiobook for Star Trek: Lost to Eternity by Greg Cox while working a few days ago. It’s a story that goes across three time periods, one shortly after the fifth movie, another during the original series, and the most ingenious one during the current day. The current day narrative is centered around a true crime podcaster and her producer as they try to find out what happened to the bay area marine biologist who disappeared back in 1986. It’s a fascinating way to revisit the events of the fourth movie. The way that Cox brings all of these narratives together is fun stuff, too.

I also listened to the audiobook for Paul Scheer’s memoir Joyful Recollections of Trauma, finishing it up yesterday. As a longtime listener to his podcasts (and getting savaged by him a bit once when I shared my Lorenzo Lamas story), I was looking forward to this. All I can say is that I wish I didn’t identify with it so much.

Katy and I just started watching Bel-Air season three but it feels like they fixed a lot of the things we ultimately didn’t love about the second season. It seems more character-based so far and we’re all about this turn that Vivian has taken in regards to Carlton’s recovery.

I finally read This Country by Navied Mahdavian after having it sit in my To-Read pile for months and it’s a beautiful thing. A graphic novel memoir about the child of Iranian immigrants who moved with his wife to rural Idaho in early 2016. There’s the beauty in how they connect with the vast land there and their neighbors, but there’s also the cultural divides that keep widening as the Trump years take hold in the community. Mahdavian is a cartoonist for The New Yorker and other prominent publications, which definitely prepared him to find this lovely balance of whimsy and gravity that makes this book work.

I had completely forgotten that I had participated in the crowdfunding for Dracula volume one by Matt Wagner and Kelley Jones, so it was a delightful surprise when it showed up in the mail a few days ago. Jones is one of those artists who’s deep in my creative DNA, going back to his work on Batman back in the mid-90’s. His chunky lines and German expressionist-inspired contrast changed my brain chemistry when I first saw them. So the idea of him collaborating with one of my favorite writers on an adaptation/ reimagination of Bram Stoker’s classic vampire I was all aboard.

For the People

YOU GOOD?

Okay, let’s have a complicated conversation. We’re adults and we’re capable of that.

So, on Tuesday I made this painting of Kamala Harris and posted it on IG and Threads saying that I hope it’s my first painting of a US President. No more than that. It got A LOT of love but it also had a vocal minority of people who did not like it and wanted me to know that they didn’t. Quickly the replies turned nasty and personal so for the sake of my emotional health I turned off the comments on IG for that post. (Threads has stayed positive.) A handful of people started replying to my other posts to make sure I knew they were unhappy with me. A couple hundred people unfollowed me on IG that night.

And you know what? That’s okay. Here’s how I view it:

My art is an extension of myself that’s informed by my experiences, memories and emotions. I’ve also been in therapy for a few years now to find better balance and to embrace being who I am on all levels. If an aspect of me openly living my true life doesn’t fit with someone else, that’s fine. It’s not about me or that person, it’s about us not being the right fit for one another. Ultimately I make my art for myself and it’s a beautiful thing that it connects with many people, but I’m not going to change who I am so that it connects with ALL people. That’s not my role as an artist and it would be unhealthy as a human being.

Like, I expect to lose some subscribers after this goes out. That’s valid for those individuals and I have no ill will towards them. And for everyone who sticks around, I thank you. We’ll keep building something beautiful together.

(But seriously, I’m an openly queer artist who talks about his mental health and makes paintings about his feelings. My making this painting of Harris at this point in time shouldn’t have come as a surprise, y’know?)

Love you more,
Rob