Any Cake Left? - Twin dobermanns

The Illustration Friday 'Identical' topic prompted me to post a variation of one of my cards from the Beestycard Zazzle shop.
This is not exactly an original illustration as it is appropriating a 19th century etching that I found.
This expression on the pup's face reminded so much of my childhood dog that I couldn't go by it without somehow stealing it, reworking it and giving it a new 21st century life.

The Sketchbook Project

The Sketchbook Project is at the Painted Bride Art Center in Philadelphia, PA, USA from August 23-25.

The Sketchbook Project is a mobile library of artists’ sketchbooks contributed by thousands of creative people from across the globe. It encourages artists from diverse backgrounds — working artists, full-time parents, busy professionals, students — to share their process with each other and the public.


My Encyclopedia of Grim effort is in this shelf somewhere.

Offshore Breeze - Suspended in blue

Between the sky and water.
Warming westerly supples the spine.
Gently held by rolling swells.
Waiting for the perfect.
Suspended in blue.

Sprinkler

I remember when this photo was taken.
A very hot summer Sunday. Hair freshly combed.
As Mom took this photo she said, "Don't get wet."
We were going to my cousins shortly.
I stood there silently, not doing anything wrong.
Mom said a little louder, "You better not get wet."
I was just standing and thinking, geez.
"Go put your shirt on and don't get wet!"
What? huh, all this talk and standing in the sun makes me feel warmer.
Walking in through the back door Mom yells, "I'm warning you!"

Heartspace - Encyclopedia of Grim

The heart space a space of infinte richness or infinite emptiness.
Love found can make it feel like it's filled with the wonders and joy of the universe. Love lost can make it feel like it's filled full of nothing.

This is a drawing from the Encyclopedia of Grim.

The Rabbit Star Shining Bright

This one is for the kids.
On the way to the rabbit star.
Statistics:
• Name: T Leporis
• Type: Vitamin B class star – visibility good.

Abbreviation	Lep
Genitive	Leporis
Pronunciation	/ˈliːpəs/, or colloquially/ˈlɛpəs/; genitive /ˈlɛpərɨs/
Symbolism	the Hare
Right ascension	6 h
Declination	−20°
Quadrant	NQ2
Area	290 sq. deg. (51st)
Main stars	8
Bayer/Flamsteed stars	20
Stars with planets	3
Stars brighter than 3.00m	2
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly)	3
Brightest star	α Lep (Arneb) (2.58m)
Nearest star	Gliese 229 (18.83 ly, 5.77 pc)
Messier objects	1
Meteor showers	None
Bordering constellations	Orion Monoceros Canis Major Columba Caelum Eridanus

A3 Show 2012 - Illustrators Australia

Top, Shaman Mask - Angry Red
Below, Shaman Mask - Antler


Illustrators Australia will be holding it's annual A3 Print Show in June this year and I'll be one of the exhibitors. (see image below for dates and times)


I'll be showing and selling the two images above as Glicee prints. They are professionally printed on Acid Free Canson Edition Etching paper, 310gsm and printed using the Epson 9900 series. 
(Limited to an edition of 40 signed prints). 
Image size 297 mm X 420 mm. Paper size 330 mm X 455 mm.
Prints signed, titled and editioned in pencil at bottom. The electronic signature seen on the above images will not be on these prints.
Contact me by email  if you are interested in obtaining one or more. 
The email address is at the top of this blog.


These artworks are based on my Shaman series skateboard designs (See them in the beestycard zazzle store). I was interested seeing if I could apply the rich ornate vertical design of the boards into a more standard print format proportion for this show. It took awhile to work out but I have finished the digital artwork this morning (with a break to sit outside to observe the transit of Venus). When the sun became obscured by clouds in the afternoon I had the first prints from the edition professionally printed by Angus Benham at his printery called Gusha Visual Media over in Brookvale NSW. Thanks to him for such great quality work.

Shaman Mask Old School Skateboard design

Artwork

http://www.zazzle.com/shamanmask_old_school_skateboard-186794250456317721?CMPN=addthis&lang=en&rf=238666164147056874



This is another Shaman Mask illustration applied it to a skateboard deck design. Here it is as it appears in the Old School style at the Beestycard Zazzlestore.

Skateboard design at Beestycard

AngryRed - Mini Skateboard by beestycard

I've had a big play around with my Angry Red Shaman Mask illustration (top) and applied it to a skateboard deck design. Here it is as it appears in the Beestycard Zazzlestore.

Riding Around on my Rooney

What a great old day this Sunday. Sun's out, .......not in much of a hurry really, as it is the weekend. Just enjoying the day and having a ride around on my Rooney. 

A little drawing from the Brownsnake2 Sketchbook.


This has become an intriguing drawing for me because of a odd little coincidence. I drew this fellow on his chopper tricycle while in my bed before drifting off. The following day I spotted an article in the online Sydney Morning Herald newspaper announcing that the designer of the first chopper bicycle the 'Raleigh chopper', Alan Oakley, had passed away from cancer at the age of 85.
Here's a DailyMail article link: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2147366/Alan-Oakley-designer-Raleigh-Chopper-bike-dies-aged-85-cancer.html

Fade to Black

Fade to grey. Then to black.

ImpBoy Hitched

Walking down the banks of the River Styx I came upon this little ImpBoy.
He told me the Harpies stopped him on his the way to the Calgary Stampede and hitched him to a post.
Since the Harpies didn't bother to tell him why he was hitched to a post on the beach of the River Styx Impboy was finding it all a little undignified and was kind of embarrassed.
I decided to tell him a story about me, the Calgary Stampede and Muhammad Ali but since he wasn't in the mood to listen he just sat and sucked on his tail.


A little piece from the theatre of the biographically absurd and the Brownsnake Sketchbook.

Jumping Pup

Jumping Pup

A jump thru hooping hands.
A leap of joy and freedom.

A jump into my owners arms,

for love and protection.

Jumping Pup is from the BrownSnake Sketchbook.

Return of the Cat Juggler

This kind of activity could return to haunt anybody.

It seemed appropriate for this image to be posted under Illustration Friday's 'RETURN' topic as it was prompted by a little mental nostalgia trip I had a few weeks back to when the comedian Steve Martin did a little cat juggling. Here's at a short little video of this comedy moment that has stuck in my brain for the last 30 odd years or so.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ99O8Pjs2c

Cat Juggler is an image from the BrownSnake Sketchbook series of collage.
PS. No kittens were harmed in the production of this image.

Humanity, high yielding - self seeding

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

by John McCrae,

May 1915

Loitering with Intent

This Gumshoe detective seems to be in two minds about what to do next.

Standing, waiting, thinking, what is this guy intending, in his film noir - Mickey Spillane attire to do next?
Is that a street post in Papua New Guinea he's leaning on or is this Gumshoe's Pacific equivalent of the Maltese Falcon. I wonder if he's not hiding a precious, fragile intent in his heart which he shields as he scans his psychological landscape.

Gumshoe is another from the Snakeskin Sketchbook series of drawings.

SBY - Capable hands

When I had a look at the IF topic this week of 'Capable' it immediately reminded me of an article I read in this saturday's issue of The Australian newspaper. 

SBY shepherds Indonesia into a modern society.

by Greg Sheridan, Foreign Editor - The Australian - Feb 25, 2012.

Sheridan writes an interesting and insightful piece about the Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The first line of the very positive story goes; The presidency of Indonesia now fits Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono like a warm glove on a winter's day.

The story goes on to describe the leader as comfortable in his own skin and having a very capable rule in Indonesia. It talked about his initiatives with the rulers of Burma and the relationship between Indonesia and Australia. It was a good read and timely as had recently been thinking a bit about East Timor and the politics of Indonesia since the fall of Suharto.

This collage from the Brownsnake Sketchbook was one I had started last week when thinking about that subject.

Fluid

'Fluid' is from the Snakeskin Sketchbook series.
Fluid, a word that can describe many qualities beyond its liquid origin. Here I'm just trying to portray the fluidity of music, motion and a joyous soul.

Popularity

The trouble with wanting to be popular and attracting attention to yourself is that you have no control of who succumbs to your attractions. You have no control over their thoughts and actions. It is a double edged sword.

This image is also from The Encyclopedia of Grim. This image was actually one that was highly dependant on the random paint marks of the background. I pulled the figures out of the shapes of the colour blocks. A skull shaped yellow area was the catalyst for the leering figure on the left. The white facial area block sitting on the pink body was the catalyst for the figure on the right. The concept developed gently from the ongoing theme of the The Encyclopedia of Grim sketchbook which was the grimacing mouth shape.


Apologies for messing up and submitting two links to the Illustration Friday site.

Encyclopedia of Grim

Winston appears on page one of The Encyclopedia of Grim which is my submission to the Brooklyn Art Museum's Sketchbook Project 2012.
I've uploaded all the pages from my sketchbook to their site and they are available to peruse now.

The project will be touring various cities in the USA starting April 14th 2012 in New York City. The Australian creations will also be shown in Melbourne November 10th - 25th at the NGV Studio, Federation Square, Russell & Flinders Sts, Melbourne Australia. Submissions from the UK will be shown in London sometime in 2012.  DATES and LOCATIONS.

http://www.arthousecoop.com/submissions/59324-encyclopedia-of-grim