Here's a little process gif of my most recent piece. I took a photo a day while I was working on it, so you can see a little bit of how the piece evolves over time.
Maybe in the future I'll do one of these layer by layer and show a bit more of the actual painting process.
My latest piece for Gallery 1988 is a tribute to one of my favorite video games of all time Shining Force 2. One of the most memorable fights in the game was when your party gets ambushed by a Kraken.
This is what it looked like...
but this is what it FELT like...
Seriously, the fight is intense. It happens fairly early in the game, but it basically represents the point where the game stops playing nice.
I always loved this fight though, partly because it was so challenging, but mostly because it was so unique. Up until this point your fighting small bands of monsters, or the occasional army, but this fight was an army of one monster. The mechanics of the game allow for this monster to be treated as 11 different units all working together to systematically dismantle your team.
Plus the design of the Kraken was just so freaking cool.
Here's a video of the battle in question in case your interested. Fair warning, the video is chock full of swears and angry yelling. Like I said, it was a hard fight.
I loved working on this piece. It was sort of a rush job, less than two weeks from first sketch to finished painting, but that really forced me to be better with my time and commit to my choices.
I really tried to push the contrast in this piece as well, partly as a time saving measure, but mainly as an exercise in working graphically. I've had a bad habit over the years of shying away from contrast in my paintings, never really pushing things all the way to full black in the shadows and full white in the highlights, so this was a chance to do just that.
Honestly, I really like how this piece turned out. It may be one of my favorite pieces to date.
I also took daily photos of this piece while I was working on it, and I'll be posting a process gif soon.
My latest piece is a tribute to an all time classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I really wanted to play up the idea of Frank N. Furter as the sexy, space faring, femme fatale. I also borrowed heavily from the colors and compositions of 1960's movie posters like Barbarella, to sell the camp and give it that classic sci-fi feel.
This piece is for Gallery 1988's upcoming "Crazy 4 Cult" group show, celebrating the very best in trashy cinema. The show opens Friday, November 20th and will feature artwork from tons of talented artists all paying tribute to their favorite cult movies.
I'm super excited to be a part of this show, and I can't wait to see all of the amazing work. This is one of 1988's most popular shows, so get there early if you can.
I'm happy to announce the release of a brand new original print for the Chuck Jones Gallery, celebrating 75 years of Bugs Bunny! How large a closet would someone need to hold all those iconic costumes, I wonder?
Each print is signed and numbered on gallery wrapped canvas. This print is limited to an edition of 75, so get one while you can. Click here for more info.
The Chuck Jones Gallery, has also created a limited edition print of my previous piece High Culture Hare. The edition is limited to 75, so get your orders in quick!
Thanks to everyone who helped make this possible, and keep an eye out for more prints in the near future.
This was my submission to this year's Red Dot auction, at the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity. Looney Tunes cartoons were where I heard my first taste of classical music, opera, and Shakespeare. Everything I new about "High Culture" as a kid, I learned from Bugs Bunny.
I took a quick photo of this piece once a day as I was working on it and strung together a little process gif. Pretty neat, eh?
By the way, a big thanks to everyone who participated in this year's Red Dot auction, it was an amazing show, and you all helped raise money for a great cause.
This Friday, Gallery 1988 presents Idiot Box! A celebration of all things television.
My submission for this amazing show is a love letter to some of my favorites cartoons. I tried to work as many little nods in as I could, some of them a little more overt than others.
Fun fact, The Ninja Turtles were the first thing I ever learned to draw. It's kind of amazing that it took me this long to work one into a painting.
The show is guaranteed to be fantastic, and I urge you all to drop by the gallery and see the amazing work for yourselves.
I just completed my new piece for Gallery 1988's upcoming Postcard show. Even better, I got to make it about one of my all time favorite shows, Adventure Time!
It was super fun to try and channel the feel of old school travel postcards and mesh it with the style of Adventure Time. I really dig how the colors came out, it's so crazy vibrant.
The Postcard show is going to be really neat because not only will the original paintings be on display, but each artist is also creating a limited edition postcard run of their piece.
I'll post more info as I get it, but for now enjoy this mathematical new painting.
I got to do a portrait of Ron Funches as a pug, and everything about that makes me happy.
Gallery 1988's comedian themed show "Is This Thing On?" opens this Friday, February 20th, and it is going to be great. Gallery 1988 always puts on an amazing show, and all of the work I've seen so far has been spectacular.
My latest piece is a new hand painted skate deck for Art Deck Co's recurring "Artists on Board" show. Keeping with the tiki motif of my last deck. I just really like the way they look on the boards, it seems like an appropriate use of the material.
I really like how this one turned out, the colors and contrast are exactly where I wanted them, and the form is really clear.
I don't have specific details on the show just yet, but I'll keep you all posted. Check back soon for more info.
