In part I of our interview, Tristan shared what influences as a youth helped spark his creativity in the artwork he designs.  In part II of this series, we get his take on the future of art and technology, as well as what projects he has in store for the future.

CB: Do you get a bigger thrill to have someone recognize your work, or for them to get excited at the work itself?

TE: It’s all about the work. Hands down. I’ve never prescribed to a signature style so sometimes people don’t always recognize my work instantly, which I’m fine with. At exhibitions and events, I definitely get a thrill from talking to new-comers seeing my work for the first time. That’s the best.

 CB: With the speed in which things progress these days, what do you see in the future in regards to combining art and technology?

TE: Wow, big question! I guess the coolest thing is how well you can integrate art into your everyday life right now. From cell phones to laptops and more, you can design yourself and your possessions in a really personal way. Your taste in art can represent your own personality in so many ways, I think people enjoy using it to identify themselves. Art on a laptop can be a flag for who you are and what you love. How cool is that?

CB: I understand Thunderdog Studios was started five years ago.  Looking back, has the company grown and developed as you had originally intended?

TE: Not at all! I originally thought we’d be a giant creative agency doing huge work with a large team of people. We tried that and it didn’t work for us. As the years have gone by, I’ve learned a lot about myself and realized that I prefer the idea of being a small company doing big things. When you have too many people, you spend all of your time managing people and not enough time actually doing the work! I really love having a small, intimate team and being flexible for whatever comes our way. Right now, our focus is on taking our art into entertainment, but we still love making toys, producing art events and we still do a lot of commercial work. I’m really lucky that we’re able to function as a large company but actually exist as a small, close knit team.

Photo courtesy of Thunderdog Studios

 CB: I actually grabbed one of my son’s 3D glasses to check out some of your 3D artwork on Thunderdogstudios.com.  It’s very engaging. What is it like working in that medium and do you see yourself moving into 3D animation at some point?

TE: 3D art is the coolest thing in the world. I’ve had a love affair with 3D art for about 10 years now! We were actually lucky enough to animate some of my work in 3D for Comedy Central a couple of years ago. It worked really well!

 CB: Some of your work seems to have a bit of a Hip-Hop flair within it, some pieces remind me of “Wild Style” and old school graffiti artists. All of which have a foundation in music.  What type of music or which musicians do you listen to when you are in your creative mode?

TE: Ah, let’s see. I normally need big, chunky beats to keep me alive and aggressive when I’m doing the work and pulling all nighters. Dancehall reggae, electro and old school, hard-core hip hop does the trick. Barrington Levy, Bounty Killer, DJ Assault, Mr. De, Big Daddy Kane, Z-Trip, Egyptian Lover for example…

 CB: You always seem to have a full plate and your hand in all sorts of new projects, is there anything on the horizon that your fans can look forward to?

TE: Of course! We’re actually working on an iPhone application right now, which is very exciting. Our next toy, Billy Bananas, is dropping this spring, and I have a couple of solo exhibitions coming up later in the year. Keep an eye on our blog for details!

So there you have it, big things popping from Tristan Eaton and Thunderdog Studios in the near future. 

For even more information, the Dell Lounge “Canvas” series is about to kick off with a behind-the-scene look at Tristan as well.  For a sneak peek, check the trailer for the series below.

Tristan Eaton has been blowing up the global art scene for quite some time. In this first of a two-part series, Tristan Eaton of Thunderdog Studios shares background on his roots, his inspirations and what it has been like working with Dell in creating his beautiful artwork for our Dell Studio series of laptops.

CB: How long have you been creating art and where did you get your start?

TE: I’ve been making art all my life. When I was about 7, my parents took me to some art classes that really opened my eyes. From that point on, I knew it was something I could do. As a kid I was really productive. I always had an ambitious project that I was working on, like a mad scientist. Comics, characters, posters, murals in my bedroom, everything! My parents were probably pretty amused by it all. I started to get serious in Detroit around 1996 when I was 18. I started working for The Highway Press Silk-Screen shop and illustrating for Orbit Magazine. Around then I designed my first toy for Fisher Price as well. I loved doing freelance illustration work and pushed myself on everyone in the city! I ended up doing freelance projects for the local radio stations and nightclubs and local music groups. It worked out great because I would illustrate a poster then print it myself at the silk-screen shop. Those were the good old days.

CB: Having lived in London, Detroit and now New York City, how have those cities (if any) had an effect on your creativity in the work you do?

TE: Definitely. California gave me the graphic world of surf and skate culture, which has always been a big part of my life. From Powell Peralta to Santa Cruz, the skate companies used the slickest and most powerful graphics, all beautifully illustrated. London opened me up to Graffiti. I’d take a train and a bus to school every day from Chiswick to Kingston and soak in pieces on the trains and lay-ups all the way. My older brother and most of the local raggamuffins in West London got into Graff after skating and I started to really understand the culture. Then of course, there’s Detroit. Detroit was a free-for-all. You could do whatever you want, whenever you want in the urban decay of the city. That led to a lot of street art experimentation, but more importantly Detroit lead me to a few artistic heroes who helped me along in my career. Most notable: Mark Dancey, Glenn Barr and Tom Thewes.

Photos courtesy of Thunderdog Studios

CB: In visiting the Dell Studio during CES 2009, many people were amazed at your creativity with the laptops, murals, T-Shirts and toys that were on display. Each was a huge hit. What was your inspiration for the beautiful mural that was created onsite?

TE: To be honest, I had no planning in advance. I brought with me a series of large prints for wheat-pasting, but I knew they would only be for background. So, the first day I applied the wheat-paste graphics and painted over them to create a muted, abstract background allowing me to hand paint something on top. The next day, I showed up and started drawing. Over coffee that morning I imagined how fantastic it would be to paint religious figures as super-heroes. They are super-heroes to a certain extent, right? I felt there was some humor and irony in the idea, so I jumped right in! Two days later it was complete!

CB: In creating designs for Dell laptops, have you noticed any increased recognition of your work as a result?

TE: Yes! I noticed hundreds of blogs out there talking about the project, which is awesome. I’m very grateful.

Photos courtesy of Thunderdog Studios

CB: How does your approach to a piece change based on the canvass you are working on? In other words, do you approach a piece destined for a laptop cover differently than you would for another object, or a wall, or a traditional canvass?

TE: Yes, there’s a big difference. When designing for a product, you have to consider the appeal for someone buying the product. What works on a wall doesn’t always work on product. I try to keep that in mind most of the time, but really my focus is simply on making good art that I’m proud of. Especially art that feels like an honest and logical next step in the progress.

Check back later this week for part II of the interview.

A tip of the hat to the young Dell customer who posted this helpful video on YouTube:

While others were wandering the crowded floor of CES, those in the know where relaxing, drinking frosty beverages and checking out the latest Dell consumer products at the Dell Suite in the Fantasy Tower of the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

Smoothie?

The Dell Suite included all the latest artwork from Dell Design Studio, and many prints were on hand for those who wanted to get an up close look. Inspiron and Studio laptops were on display, along with the Inspiron Mini line, all of which showcased the latest designs that Dell has to offer.

Inspiron and Studio laptops

Early morning press briefings included the announcement of our new Dell Studio XPS 13 and Studio XPS 16 laptops, the first Studio laptops to bear the XPS high-performance designation. Both the Dell Studio XPS 16 and Dell Studio XPS 13 feature beautifully crafted genuine leather and anodized aluminum accents on top of a high-gloss Obsidian Black finish.

Dell Studio XPS 16

Studio XPS 13

One of the many murals adorning the walls of the Dell Studio included one from artist Tristan Eaton, whose work can be also be seen on our Dell Studio line of laptops. Tristan amazed those in attendance by creating a mural from scratch over the course of CES.

Tristan Eaton mural

Of course the highlight of CES 2009 was the announcement of the new Dell Laptop Adamo. For more information, check out the up-to-date links from our own Lionel Menchaca and his post on Direct2Dell.

Vegas Baby!!

This was certainly the chant stuck in my head as I struck out for the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. However after a 3 hour delay in Houston due to unknown mechanical issues with our plane, a 2 ½ hour flight next to an inebriated woman who drank too much during said delay, I was happy to finally arrive in Las Vegas with my sanity.

For those that don’t know, the Consumer Electronics Show is the premier event for audio, video, mobile electronics and computer technology. If you are interested in the most up to date information available on the latest gadgets and emerging technology, this is the event to attend. Over 130,000 people are expected to attend the event this year, which is an 8% drop from years past due to the failing economy. Having said that, you certainly couldn’t tell people were concerned with the economy given the packed aisles and crowded booths on the convention floor.

For those of you who haven’t seen the posts about new products we introduced in Vegas, Jennifer provided an overview several of them here while Lionel blogged about Adamo and the Mini 10.

I was able to capture a bit of video myself from the announcement using my cell phone and Qik. For a quick peek, take a look.

This being my first time attending CES, I can certainly say the event is massive. Much larger in scale that even the online maps represent. Having been limited to only a few hours on the convention floor this morning, plans are in place to pounce early and bring a large connection of photos from the event for my next post.

Friday night, it’s the It Won’t Stay in Vegas blogger party hosted by Robert Scoble. This promises to be an exciting event and a good time will be had by all for sure.

The connected device that made the “netbook” market more interesting is now available online in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan. Following a successful introduction in Japan, the Dell Inspiron Mini 12 debuts here starting at $549 in your choice of white or black, and a 40GB, 60GB or 80GB hard drive (available configurations vary by country).

For the OS-minded shopper, the Mini 12 currently comes with Windows Vista Home Basic, but expect Ubuntu and Windows XP versions by the end of the year.

With a starting weight of only 2.72 lbs. and only 0.92 in. thick, current standard features on the Inspiron Mini 12 include a built-in webcam, 1GB of RAM, built-in Bluetooth and 802.11b/g wireless, a sharp 12.1‑inch WXGA display and an ample keyboard.

As I mentioned in a previous post, netbook purists continue to be intrigued by the Mini 12, with even diehard Apple fanboys conceding that the new Inspiron Mini 12 could give potential MacBook Air shoppers at least $500 worth of reasons to reconsider.

The hottest topic of conversation around this incarnation of the Inspiron Mini seems to be that at 12 inches, it challenges the arbitrary borders of netbook-dom, with Shane McGlaun at Ars Technica drawing an analogy to Baby Huey (cute, lovable, kid-friendly – I’ll buy that much).

Technical, taxonomical distinctions between netbooks and laptops notwithstanding, the secret behind the Mini 12’s unique appeal is very simple: Affordable, portable, comfortable keyboard, easy to use for casual connectivity, great curb appeal. When you look at it that way, how you categorize it doesn’t compute.

Check it out on our Flickr page.

The usual ferment of speculation about the holiday retail landscape is in full swing, and Dell has a great story to tell with the up-tempo rhythm of award-winning new consumer products Dell has achieved this year continuing through this holiday season. Consider just a few of the recent and upcoming launches:

· We’ve updated the Studio 15 (starting at $599) and Studio 17 (starting at $749) laptops – both inside and out. We’ve added Centrino 2, plus a few other cool features like a gestures touch pad that enables circular scrolling and zoom and RGB LED display (Studio 17 only).

· And, from a personalization perspective tomorrow we will expand out Art House series options from Mike Ming to include three unique (PRODUCT) RED artwork (additional $75) choices from three very cool artists. Each purchase of a Studio laptop with the (PRODUCT) RED artwork donates $20 to the Global Fund and is connected directly to saving lives in the fight to eliminate AIDS in Africa.

· Speaking of (PRODUCT) RED, we just updated our XPS One – adding a 24-inch full HD display and a special 65W Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 quad core processor, and a new color –Pure White (which is actually (PRODUCT) RED).

· One of the “hottest” products available today is the very cool Studio Hybrid, Dell’s greenest consumer PC. It’s small (80% smaller than typical desktop minitower) and uses up to 70% less energy. Since its small size allows for it to be put in more visible locations, you can also personalize it with color or bamboo or leather sleeves.

· The Inspiron 13 is truly an unsung hero in our product portfolio. While it comes in one color, that Pacific Blue is a serious head turner. More importantly – where else can you get a sleek, sexy thin and light that weighing around 4.5 lbs with starting price of $649? This is a student’s dream machine.

· Inspiron Mini 9 ($starting at $349) and Mini 12: Certainly the Mini 9 has been well received – both the XP and the Dell-customized Ubuntu versions. The Mini 12, announced on Oct. 26, will be available on dell.com very, very soon.

· Traveling to the other end of the product spectrum – gaming – we recently announced that the Alienware Aurora desktop is available in 200 Best Buy stores and on bestbuy.com. We’ve also launched our first quad core gaming laptop – the Alienware M17.

· Next week we will expand our desktop portfolio with four systems based on the new Core i7 architecture. Three of the four systems will target gamers who tend to appreciate the latest and greatest performance technology. The fourth system is unique – it is NOT targeted toward gamers but instead should appeal to the more advanced digital divas (or those who aspire to be such), and given it’s sub-$1,000 starting price point, it should be on the list of those who are looking to purchase a PC that will be relevant for the foreseeable future.

As far as speculation about Zing goes, the interest in Dell’s digital entertainment strategy is encouraging, but there is significant confusion and misinformation in the blogosphere and in press reports about it. As we said a few months ago, our strategy focuses on content offerings and delivery platforms that mix Zing software, remote access and pre-configured media bundles across all of our devices, including licensing agreements with entertainment distributors. It has never been about a music player.

Dell’s approach extends personalization beyond the box and into delivering exceptional content and experiences. The innovative Music & Movies bundles we launched a few weeks ago are clear and promising examples of what’s happening at Dell in digital entertainment. We’re very proud of our emerging role as a change agent, so stay tuned as we continue to generate new ideas and new approaches to personalization.

Burt Helm’s recent article in BusinessWeek got me thinking. He seemed spot on in identifying the subtle and not-so-subtle value-driven changes under way in luxury category marketing. But there are upside implications for players — current and contending — in the luxury space as well. In Dell’s case, it’s a unique opportunity to leverage its heritage as a value brand to capture the attention of luxury and “aspirational” shoppers. PCs are no longer considered luxury items, but consumers still seek out unique, high tech/high touch products that express their personal style. Dell is now in a position to use “deals” to capture the frugal luxury shopper’s attention, while also delivering unexpected design and personalization options (per Reena Jana’s BusinessWeek article this week).

The netbook category will certainly be one to watch, with even diehard Apple fanboys conceding that the new Inspiron Mini 12 could give potential MacBook Air shoppers at least $500 worth of reasons to reconsider. According to reports in the blogosphere, Apple’s done introducing products before the holidays. We’re not—you’ll see Dell introduce new products and services throughout the holiday season. Apple might not be willing to build a $500 netbook, but Dell is very good at it. The Mini 9 is available now starting under $400, and the Mini 12 will be here soon for under $600. And we’ve seen many customers who agree with Dave Winer on the topic… these devices offer portability and more flexibility than any smartphone available today.

As you continue to survey the marketing landscape this holiday shopping season for innovative strategies, take a look at dell.com/everyday, a new purpose-built consumer site that features daily deals and tools for finding the best values in consumer electronics — PCs, TVs, digital cameras, content and accessories. And soon after the integrated Community platform launch that Lionel and others have been blogging about, you will see more integrated approach between Dell.com and the new Dell Community.

It’s about Dell’s brand heritage, but also an invitation to discover Dell products and online shopping in new ways.

Note from Lionel: Earlier this morning, I got an e-mail from Jack the Bartender who let me know he had just published a mini review of his Mini 9. Thanks Jack, glad you like it.

How do you follow up on a headline-grabbing design introduced by Karolina Kurkova? Go bigger, brighter, bolder — and add a subwoofer.

Dell today kicked off a season of great products, great designs and great deals with the launch of the XPS One 24. Available in the U.S. starting at $1,699, the updated design boasts a 24-inch, edge-to-edge 1080p HD display and premium JBL dual stereo speakers for immersive entertainment experiences.

The XPS One 24 integrates an array of features, including HDTV, DVR, optional Blu-ray Disc player and recorder, component stereo system, video phone, and media library.

In addition to the larger display and premium sound capabilities, the XPS One 24 features NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT video graphics for eye-popping visuals and Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 quad core processor to easily handle complex multimedia activities.

You can check out some first impressions at DesktopReview.com.

And this season, white is the new (RED). Dell offers two Pure White XPS One 24 (PRODUCT) RED configurations, a version with Windows Vista Home Premium starting $1,699 and one starting at $2,299 featuring Windows Vista Ultimate (PRODUCT) RED and other upgrades. Each purchase of an XPS One 24 (PRODUCT) RED system contributes $50-$80 (depending on the configuration) to the Global Fund. To place that in perspective, a $50 contribution can provide nearly four months of life-saving treatment for an individual living with HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Dell’s also launched the new www.dell.com/everyday Web site, a one-stop holiday shopping destination for daily deals and personalization ideas. Be the first to know about the deal of the day via tweets at http://twitter.com/DellEveryday , or check out the Everyday Deals Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dell-Everyday-Deals/56260914096. You can also sign up to receive alerts via SMS, e-mail or RSS.

“Oooooo, pretty!”

That’s usually the first reaction I get whenever I show Dell’ new Inspiron Mini 12 to someone. My favorite reaction was watching my husband and daughter go back and forth between the Mini 9 and the Mini 12 trying to decide which was their “favorite” when I brought them both home for one night recently.

Today or tomorrow (depending are where you are) we expand our “Mini” family with the Inspiron Mini 12. It is debuting exclusively in Japan, and a limited number will appear this week on the shelves of several retail stores there – including Bic Camera, Kojima and Sofmap. We expect the Mini 12 to be available worldwide on dell.com by the end of November with a starting price under $600.

When looking at the Mini 9 and the Mini 12, each of course, has their strong points. Each is small, thin, light (less than 3 lbs.) and easy on the shoulder in terms of schlepability. And both were purpose-designed for on-the-go connectivity. The Mini 12 obviously has a bigger “footprint” than the Mini 9 – but the extra space is put to good use, with a bigger keyboard and bigger screen (12-inch vs. 9-inch), and bigger hard drives (40,60, 80GB).

Like the Mini 9, the Mini 12 was designed with burst activities in mind. The device is powered by another of Intel’s Atom processors – the one known as Silverthorne – so it gets great battery life (our lab is benchmarking approximately 3.5 hours 3 hours with the 3-cell battery, more than 7 hours and about 6 hours with the optional 6-cell battery). It’s great to carry for the day, jumping online, checking email, uploading pictures, and surfing the net, or connecting to your primary PC via Dell Remote Access.

Update: My original battery times were based on early testing information. See the strikethrough details in the previous paragraph for updated details. My apologies for the oversight.

When I recently showed off the Minis to my co-workers , I compared them to Mini Coopers (I may be setting myself up for some schooling by the auto enthusiast crowd here). They are cute, they are great for buzzing around town in, but they are not designed to tow a trailer. The Mini 9 and 12 are similar – use them all day long to get around and stay in touch, but use your primary desktop or laptop to do the heavy lifting like multitasking (e.g. having multiple applications open at the same time), picture and video editing, file conversions, database manipulation, or, of course, high end gaming.

When the Mini 12 does become available on dell.com, it will likely be with Windows Vista first, with the Dell customized interface version of Ubuntu following by the end of the year. It comes with a built-in Webcam (with Dell Video Chat), Blutooth, and Wi-Fi standard. And let’s set the record straight now regarding WWAN – like the Mini 9, the Mini 12 is not “mobile broadband” ready today. Stay tuned, however, as we a working as quickly as possible to make that happen (it’s like herding cats as I understand it/ It involves extensive testing and qualification by several different folks including the FCC, the wireless carriers, and our own wireless and engineering teams). For those who want a Mini and mobile broadband today – I recommend you look at any of the USB solutions from wireless carriers.

Since the Mini 12 isn’t available here yet, we haven’t sent any out for review, but we expect to in the next week or so. In the meantime, Lionel’s Direct2Dell post has gathered links to a few online stories about the Mini 12.