Sketch-Book work!

Red Balloon

The Naughty Nurse and red condom... modeled after a vintage ketchup ad, I cross-over new and old styles & concepts. Playing with sexuality and playful comedy, it reminds me a lot of old-bugs bunny and Roger Rabbit cartoons - even that of Benny Hill.

"Red Balloon"
Acrylic on paper, 9.5" x 9.5",

The Voyage Ahead

This piece depicts the lone astronaut contemplating the voyage ahead of him. The mystery, unknown and complications of discovering new worlds and life in the vast indefinite world of space would have anyone worried of what lies before them. Like the dark shadow that would fall upon an apprehensive traveler, he himself casts that shadow. Similarly as a black hole would swallow up anything in it’s path – he may fall into despair of his own fears and uncertainties.

"The Voyage Ahead"

Mixed Media and Digital, 14" x 14"

Sketch Book Images

The Butterfly Effect

Here, I have Illustrated a girl (my sister, Miranda), who is so enthralled by nature, that she herself becomes that which she is captivated by and charming to her. She, who is gray and monotone in complexion, sheds and disperses her flesh into many butterflies - becoming one with nature. This is one of my first florescent-colored paintings in quite some time. It was great to free myself from the muted colors I usually use, as well as getting away from the simplicity of my prior gray scale color pallet. i hope to continue using such brilliant colors!

"The Butterfly Effect"
Acrylic on paper, 12 x 16"

A poem to the art...

How lewd you are
To destroy the self
In passing time and memory [I question, why?]

How cruel you are
You laugh at the self
Is it the praise the passion, the never ending high?

Never die without me...

Sketch Book Images

Here are a few pages from my current - soon to be finished, sketchbook! Enjoy!

The Sorrows of Young Werther

This is an illustrated book cover of The Sorrows of Young Werther (Original German title: Die Leiden des jungen Werthers), by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Written in the Romantic Period (18th century) Germany, Goethe wrote an almost autobiographical story of love and life's despair. The main character, Werther, travels to a small town in the German country side, where he falls madly in love with a women who is engaged to a stable and loyal man. From love to heart break, to ultimate hopelessness, Werther commits suicide to ease the pains of his reality (so the book implies).

"The Sorrows of Young Werther"

Acrylic on paper mounted on board and Digital, 12 x 16"

Hell Hounds

The New Year has come, and I've been diligently working on some new work. "Hell Hounds" was a means to explore both traditional methods as well as digital. After reading quote after quote of the writings of John Milton, "Hell Hounds" is a small piece of his philosophy and style of literature. From the ideas of Paradise Lost, I was able to place myself in a mind set of his views and torments of man-kind.

(Original painting)
Acrylic on paper, 12.5 x 16.5"

"Hell Hounds"

Acrylic on paper and Digital, 12.5 x 16.5"

The Forester

This Illustration depicts a young man within a serene forest, blissfully absorbing the little rays of light that shine from the forest canopy above him. Initially, this piece was created as a simple reminder of the wonders and joys of nature, and how appreciative we should be of it and what it provides; a calm piece of mind!

"The Forester"
Graphite on Stonehenge paper, & Digital, 11 x 14"

Under Troubled Waters

This is my first fully rendered digital piece since the summer, when I worked on the stain-glass window designs for the musical Bare. 'Under Troubled Waters' illustrates the will and hard work it takes for a loving relationship to abide, and the challenges and pressure one may encounter when involved romantically with a "significant other". I decided that depicting a scene under water would best suit this idea, with the lack of oxygen (suffocation), and high pressure of deep waters, would push the concept further.

"Under Troubled Waters"

Graphite on stonehenge paper, & Digital, 9 x 12"

Paradise Lost. Book ii. Line 146 (Lodestar)

This illustration is based on a the poet/author, and philosopher, John Milton's quote from the book Paradise Lost:

"For who would lose,
Though full of pain this intellectual being,
Those thoughts that wander through eternity,
To perish rather, swallow’d up and lost,
In the wide womb of uncreated night?"
-Paradise Lost. Book ii. Line 146.

His writings inspire deep contemplation and spiritual thought, which I have used as a conceptual "lodestar" (pun intended), in redefining my illustrations. Essentially, the quote defines the "Human Condition", as the human race toils and crawls to discover self-importance, and meaning in one's life!

(Original painting)
Acrylic on paper, 11 x 14"

"Paradise Lost. Book ii. Line 146 (Lodestar)"
Acrylic on paper and Digital, 11 x 14"

Das Parfum: Die Geschichte Eines Mörders (Perfume: The Story of a Murderer)

I created this piece for a mock cover of the book "Das Parfum: Die Geschichte Eines Mörders" (orginal German title), roughly translated as "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer", by author Patrick Süskind. Using the motifs, symbols, and iconography of the story, I have created my own version of the book's cover. I plan to eventually add text to further strengthen the composition and overall concept of the illustration.

"Das Parfum: Die Geschichte Eines Mörders"
Mixed Media on W/C Paper and Digital

See No (evil)...

Finally, I have a scanner of my own! I can finally get to posting work again on my blog. So here's one of my most recent works titled, "See No (evil)...". The flying creatures of the night, hover around the figure's head, while he's wrapped in a black blanket of warmth and false-security. I used the expression "blind as a bat" to push the concept forward, in support of the figure's gesture and expression. Hope you enjoy!

"See No (evil)..."
Graphite on paper, 16 x 16"

Ladies & Gentlemen, Dash Snow Speaks!

I found this pretty interesting piece of video footage of an interview, by the one and only Dash Snow! Listen to what he has to say briefly, and absorb the ethereal life that once was Dash...

Untitled (His name is my name...)

Here's a project long over due for a blog presentation. I completed this sculpture this time last year. The concept is simple: Jesus Christ, covered in gold and wrapped in fur, begins to decay and even rot from his once glorified self. The piece has no real titled, however I do feel that I, myself as an aging man, have also fallen from my 'glorified' youth and beauty, and am beginning to decay, hence the sub-title 'His name is my name...'.

"Untitled (His name is my name...) "
Mixed media sculpture: Plaster cast, gold leaf, fur, saliva, wax, paint, dead gnats , approx. 9.5 x 11 x 9"

Until The Light Takes Us

I was recently on appletrailers.com, when I came across an interesting film trailer for a documentary called "Until the Light Takes Us". This film tells the history of Black Norwegian Metal, the people and sub-culture behind the music and it's ideals/'philosophies'. This is interesting because I based an Illustration project on this subject, called "True Norwegian Black Metal (Varg Vikernes and Gaahl)". I'm very excited to see this film and how accurate I portrayed this phenomena.

True Norwegian Black Metal (Varg Vikernes and Gaahl)
Ink on paper, 22 x 30"

Not Yet Titled (Jack of Clubs)

My fellow graduated illustrators have invited me to participate in a show designing a deck of cards. Each and everyone of us received a specific face card, mine being the Jack of clubs, and eventually display them within a gallery. There has been talks of even having these cards published and printed into actual playing cards. Lets hope so!

Not Yet Titled (Jack of Clubs)
Ink and gold leaf on paper, 8 x 10"

Child's Play

Here is a new piece, derived from my map works, titled "Child's Play". I am simply exploring the designs and details used within my map work, on a more basic and iconic scale. Working with a fetal skull stencil, and the use of my own semen on the piece connects these two subjects within the realm of birth, life, and death.

"Child's Play"

Ink, Artist's semen, and glitter on paper, 9 x 12"

The Late Great Dash Snow, we shall miss you dearly!

Dash Snow (1981-2009)

To those of you who do not know who Dash Snow is, he was a New York based artist who's career was short lived due to a drug overdose. His art consisted of Polaroid photos of his party days, Dada'esk collages, obscure sculpture work, and silent films. However, his greatest contribution to the art world was his and fellow friend and artist, Dan Colen's instalation, "[Hampster] Nest".

He was born into a wealthy family, and took his life into the grungy city streets of New York, where he befriended fellow artists Dan Colen, Ryan McGinley, Nate Lowman, and other contemporaries. Dan, Ryan and Dash were considered "Warhol's Children". Spawning from the same life style and artistic integrity as Andy, they evolved and expanded what Warhol truely had foreseen in the contemporary art world. Dash's work was one of a kind! His early photography was like that of Nan Golden, documenting his life in a click of a shutter. He explained that him and his friends used to get 'wasted', and took Polaroids to remember their adventures the next day. His "Nest" installation was based off of his and Dan's hotel room excursions, where the two would turn on all the taps flooding the room, rip of hundreds of phone books, and drink and do drugs unil the two felt like they were hampsters. Dash truely did live his life on the edge!

When a friend of mine mentioned that he had passed away, I was disapointed. Disapointed because I never had the chance to view his work in person, knowing he was still alive (and perhaps having the chance to have met him). It was also disapointing because he had a baby girl last year or so, who he and his partner Jade named Secret Snow. Perhaps it is odd that I am mourning over a person I did not know personally, however I knew his art work and history. He interested me to no end, and perhaps I even looked up to him as a muse to my own work and life style. He was only 27 years old, and was only on the art scene for three to four years now.

For more information of Dash Snow, visit the following sites:

http://www.viceland.com/int/v11n5/htdocs/hamster.php?source=db

http://www.deitch.com/projects/sub.php?projId=219

http://tinyvices.com/dash_snow.html

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/dash_snow.htm

http://www.peresprojects.com/artist-works/dash-snow/0/

http://www.viceland.com/wp/2009/07/dash-snow-1981-2009/

http://nymag.com/arts/art/profiles/26288/