Talented Friends – SHEM ANDRE BYRON
Posted by terrance | Filed under Happenings, Talented Friends, The Tutor
This is the second post in a series where I honor some of the individuals who are not only important in my life, but who I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with in an artistic capacity.
Shem Andre Byron
musician, writer, visual artist, dynamic front man, Trekkie, action figure fiend
In a world where a half-painted canvas leads to bloody thoughts of a barn where the bite marks on the horses appear to be human, it’s nice to know that artists like Shem Andre Byron exist.
It was day two of a three-day shoot filming my Bob Ross-meets-Ted Bundy art tutorial, The Tutor. Clutching a soiled paintbrush, I was halfway through the most important task of the day: creating a painted still life that would serve as the centerpiece of the fourteen-part art series (every Tuesday, a new lesson is released at http://www.TheMoltingComic.com/blog).
sHeM, The Tutor’s co-writer and director, was behind the lens of a camera, filming me as I began to struggle with the daunting task of staying in character while creating—in real-time!—a piece of art that would hopefully not suck and ruin the project, a project that he and I had invested a lot of time and money into producing.
I had prepared myself for this moment and believed (perhaps foolishly) that I could bang out a painting without major complications… but things were not going as planned.
Firstly: due to limited camera angles within the cramped set, the required layout of the easel I was using, in relation to the subject I was painting, left me with an obstructed view. In other words, I could not see the damned still life without stepping three feet from the canvas!
Secondly: my art supplies could not be positioned as near to me as I would’ve wished. This was also due to spatial limitations of our set.
Lastly: I hadn’t considered that this was my first attempt painting while standing.
The realization of these unforeseen obstacles, combined with the pressure of performing, caused me to go into a panic… first in my head, and then (I’m embarrassed to admit), out loud.
sHeM calmly cleared the set, looked me in the eyes, and told me to take a minute and breath. He went on to say that we could start the painting over if need be, and take as long as necessary to get it right, but that I was too talented not to complete the task at hand.
It was exactly what I needed to hear, the perfect blend of reassurance and strictness. I took five, exhaled deeply, and made that painting my bitch.
I’ve known sHeM for close to ten years now, and it’s this unusual blend of sensitivity, integrity, and talent that defines him and his work as an artist. A Renaissance Man with an unbelievable work ethic, I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with sHeM on more than one occasion.
Readers of my new comic book series have undoubtedly failed to make a connection between the cut and youthful man featured in this blog and the hobo-like dad, Abe Pryskind, featured in The Molting… but they are one and the same. Yes, sHeM is the photo model used for Abe’s character. Every three months or so, he puts on a sweaty bandana, lights up some smokes, purloins a shopping cart, and the two of us spend an afternoon “molting”.
An avid comic book fan, sHeM embraced this opportunity to be immortalized as an illustrated character, but his geekery does not end with comics; sHem also has the most impressive action figure collection I’ve ever seen, and is a gigantic Trekkie to boot! The life-sized, screen-accurate captain’s chair featured in my Fantastique Magazine article, “Fantastic Finds: Adult Toys That Require Batteries”, is the centerpiece of his toy showroom.
sHeM is also a musician and tremendous frontman. His current record, “The Etiquette of Two Lanes Merging”, is a smart, sexy, and catchy concept album, which is currently available on iTunes.
sHeM and I will be sharing a stage together this Saturday night (July 24, 2010) at San Diego’s Gaslamp Theatre for a special screening of The Tutor with an audience Q & A. So… if you’re in the Southern California area this weekend, come meet Shem and I, and witness a debut from The Tutor with a live audience. Tickets and info are available at Fandango.
You can find out more about sHeM, view his artwork, and download his music at www.ShemAndreByron.com. You can also be friends with sHeM on Facebook.
(The Tutor set photos by Suthi Picotte)
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July 21st, 2010 at 5:36 pm
BWAHAHA.
Joseph, Shem is your father.
no, no, wait, wrong fandom.
That’s f’in cool, man.
And I continue to applaud this use of your blog.
Shem is my hero.
~’Peaches
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July 21st, 2010 at 5:41 pm
YAY SHEM! I’m glad he’s who you did, next, after Staci, because he’s pretty much made of awesome. And…probably my one rival in the world of collecting a ridiculous amount of action figures. There has to be at least ONE competition I’d win at, in the Action Figure/Toy Olympics.
Can hardly wait to see you guys at Comic-Con.
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July 21st, 2010 at 6:33 pm
I don’t know man, those don’t look like any of my Adult toys that….requ…batt… j/k! What’s wrong with me tonight, lol!
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July 21st, 2010 at 6:40 pm
[...] Terrance Zdunich » Blog Archive » Talented Friends – SHEM ANDRE BYRON [...]
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July 21st, 2010 at 6:47 pm
Shem is just awesome. I love Shem. I have not met Shem, but one does not need to meet Shem to love Shem. If I did meet Shem, I think I’d want to hug him.
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July 21st, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Team Shemmy. For the win. <3
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July 21st, 2010 at 10:12 pm
Very nice.
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July 21st, 2010 at 11:57 pm
Shem seems totally awesome!! And you know it has to be true if he has a life-sized captains chair! XP
And at least you didn’t puke on your painting like I ended up doing when I freaked on the FCAT…Then again it could of been the Mcdonalds…ANYWAYS…Awesome person to awesomely work with on a totally awesome project! ^^
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July 22nd, 2010 at 10:52 am
Terrance losing his cool?!? NEVER.
You’re such a Cool Cucumber, it must have been insanely frustrating to merit flipping YOU out!
Cheers to Shem for performing above and beyond the call of camera duty! Richard and I will think of him every time we read The Molting
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July 22nd, 2010 at 3:16 pm
An artist standing a painting at easels have been so ingrained in our psyche it seems natural but I know very few, if any, artist friends who use an easel. I tried one out in high school because I wanted to be a “real” artist and it soon feel in to disuse as I spent most of my time at a drafting table. Some incline is nice but the extreme angle of an easel gives me wrist cramps.
Kudos to Shem for helping you keep it together
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July 22nd, 2010 at 3:39 pm
I miss Shem.
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July 22nd, 2010 at 10:21 pm
Technically it’s not Friday yet, but I’ll be going to bed soon. So just wanted to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY TERRANCE!
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July 24th, 2010 at 11:21 am
The fact that you can get frustrated or panicky shows how much you’re putting into this project, rather than doing it just to be done. Real art (be it visual or performance) comes from the self, and you’re giving us a bit of soul.
It’s great that you’ve got someone like sHeM to help you out when you need it. Sometimes when you hit those ruts there’s nothing like a friend to cram some loving sense down your throat.
Also, how is it that you guys can be so cool, but so damn geeky as well?
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July 25th, 2010 at 6:48 pm
Well, the finished product is really,really great! You would never know that you had a meltdown. I’m glad you have Shem around to assist. I am a firm believer in taking deep breathes. I use that technique all the time, due to my nervous nature. Great blog once again!
When exactly is your birthday? I thought it was in August? Happy Birthday in advance then!
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July 25th, 2010 at 8:43 pm
I think your fanbase would rather have a lesson a few weeks late than have you sacrifice your sanity (or what’s left of it.)
sHeM once wrote me a really funny letter out of absolutely nowhere- that all I’ve ever heard from him, but it was definitely nice.
I can’t believe this is the third year I’ve wished you a happy birthday, but there you go… and many more.
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July 27th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
[...] Shem’s recent collaborator on The Tutor, Terrance Zdunich wrote an amazing article about our very own, multi-talented, artistic genius, Shem. Check it out: http://www.terrancezdunich.com/blog/?p=4348 [...]
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July 29th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
sHeM is absolutely amazing, and just as humble when it comes to his talents as Terrance is. I was privileged enough to get a few pictures with sHeM the night he joined TZ for the very first screening of the very first “The Tutor” episode. I am proud to have his signature on my shirt from that night, and photos to say “Hell yes… I am immortalized with the likes of these amazing artists”. Fuck… yeah.
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