FAP 4 MCAW

(Black biro on a 139mm x 89mm postcard)

I was going to call this piece "bloodlines" due to the darker area within it, but as I shaded and over-shaded it, using the same techniques as in previous works, I found that the lettering in the bottom left began to take shape. It meant that it could have no other title, so I highlighted those words. But those bloodline areas themselves do help to break up the chaotic nature of it and give it more shape.

Guardian Spirit - XYA

(Blue Biro on 125mm x 75mm notecard)

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With this third Guardian Spirit work, I decided to add a touch of Dreamscaping to the shading. It doesn't look too bad. There are a few things which are off about the whole piece, but that never bothers me.

 

Who wouldn't want a pistol-packing angel like that at their shoulder?

Rubbish Bin Of The Mind

(Black biro on a 139mm x 89mm postcard)



In recent weeks, I've been experimenting with a form of random drawing based on the way dreams start to form as you fall asleep. Some melt into full view, some can be like small screens that appear which grow larger, whilst others can take form from the cellular shapes you see when you close your eyes.

It's some of these aspects that I've been trying to transfer into my artwork. I found the most effective way to do that was to lightly shade the area and then overshade, time and again to allow shapes to randomly form, then try and make sense of them in a kind of self-imposed Rorschach Test. Sometimes turning the card this way and that until some kind of basis for the artwork establishes itself. The first of these that you see above was done with a biro, and the nature of the shading for it seemed to dominate the boxy shapes which formed.

Some would call the style Surrealist Automatism, and it's a perfect example of it which isn't as doubtful as others in the genre. But I prefer to call it "Dreamscaping" to separate it from that doubt, and also because I think it's a better name for it. I've drawn transmorphic images before, but they've been based on specific themes which I've started with, whereas these have none with no idea how they're going to turn out. This certainly makes them ideal as skav artworks, even if they do take much longer to complete.

Guardian Spirit - XENDRA

(Red Biro on a 125mm x 75mm notecard)

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With this second guardian spirit piece, I decided on using a red biro, which seemed to influence the type of character that I drew, just as the Xorina piece had done. The character is a powerful sorceress, which is shown by her only using her little finger to casually conjure fiery lightning. A good piece, even though her left arm does look a bit bent.

Guardian Spirit - XORINA

(Green biro on 127mm x 76mm notecard)

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An unusual artwork, and the first of a few that I'll be doing. It's inspired by those that believe in guardian angels and spirit guides. I suppose it's really no different to those that believe they've been abducted by aliens. An idea that some higher being has, for some obscure reason, singled them out as something special. A constructed personal sense of worth in a world where they feel they have none. It's quite sad really, in that aspect, so who am I to begrudge them their little fantasy?

 

What I find amusing about them, though (especially with regard to spirit guides) is why they tend to be mostly American Indians aiding those with no heritage of such. I have this strange scenario in my mind of all these Indian spirit guides lining up to clock in and out of duty, with one suddenly turning to another and saying: "What the fuck are we helping these bastards for?"

 

In reality, these "entities" could be anything you want them to be. After all, it's your delusion, so why not treat yourself to something different? Like a sexy little elf-woman with a sword, for example.



Hammered

(Black biro on a 125mm x 75mm notecard)

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Another image of an everyday phrase juxtaposed onto a comic-book style frame. In this case it's the kind of phrase that you hear on a bus when someone's on their phone. That's if they're not texting it.

If you're the type of person that does receive calls on buses in which you know you're going to have to say something like: "I'm on the bus...I'll be about ten minutes" and you hate doing that, then please feel free to attach the above image as a response to your annoying little caller to save you the humiliation of saying it out loud.

The One-Eyed Man Is King

(Red biro on a 139mm x 89mm postcard)

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When technology is so prolific and beyond the comprehension of many, it can easily intrude on our everyday lives, whether we like it or not. And when this happens, the one-eyed man is truly king.

I thought I'd enter this into the Guardian's online "A to Z of Art" which they ran in December of this year. It got chosen (and I think published in the newspaper). Here's the link to their page:

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2016/jan/04/smash-the-system-your-art-on-the-theme-of-disruption-in-pictures

Glad someone else thought it was good :)

BlamGirl

(Black biro on a 125mm x 75mm notecard)

 

A pop-art style comic-book frame juxtaposed with a common everyday phrase.

The Joker : Punch & Judy

(black biro on a 140mm x 88mm postcard)

 

The disturbing obsession that the Joker has for Batman always seems to end with him being hurt, one way or another. But, being so criminally insane as he is, he'll always try again and again, because that's the way he does it.



Prophecy 01 : VERECIDE

(blue biro on a 125mm x 75mm post-it note)

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With the introduction of total mind immersion virtual reality will come a secondary option for the suicidal. Rather than killing themselves, they may choose to commit "verecide" (or vericide). A word that simply means to kill reality. And in doing so, they'll be able to exchange their miserable lives in the real world in favour of their own personal heaven in a safe, booby-trapped, virtual one.

Deadly Silence

(Black biro on 125mm x 75mm note card)

 

As long as he keeps on talking, the balloon will keep him out of reach. Luckily for him, he can arse on about that bollocks forever.

Conspiracy Of Silence

(Black biro on a 75mm x 75mm post-it note)

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As you can see, I've based this idea on the three wise monkeys, which works well for the mad world of alien conspiracies..

 

Seti Rapunzel

(Black biro on 125mm x 75mm memo paper)

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A SETI themed image.

If she tried a little harder and just took a few risks, then she might escape from her self-imposed, archaic tower prison. Perhaps then she could expand on her limited knowledge of the universe. But she chose the easier option of staying, preferring to let her long hair flail chaotically in the wind with messages tied to the ends. In her mind, someone's bound to notice in time. She hasn't been doing this long and she's already weary of it.
Once, she was wowed by a vague contact, but she heard nothing more from it and her letter for it has slipped from her hand. She only just holds onto the letter for that "special" contact, the one she hopes will bring her complete salvation. But that too may be lost if she loses all interest.

The trouble with the waiting game is that it's not as easy as she first thought. She's still far too young, far too impatient, and her hair is still far too short to make contact. And when that time comes, if ever, it will only be through chance.

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I had one or two problems with this piece. I'm not talking about the mistake on the left hand (which looks odd, I know, but I never worry about such things). I'm talking about when I came to laminate it. The damn thing mangled in the laminator! The only way I could remove the piece was to take the laminator apart, which I did, destroying it in the process. The artwork was in one piece and I managed to peel off the laminate pouch as, thankfully, it wasn't stuck on that well. But it had been creased. Best thing I could do was put it in another laminating pouch and iron-laminate to flatten it. There's still a couple of creases running down the middle, but it's alright. I'm just glad I scanned it first. Considering the loss of the laminator, this has to be the most expensive skav art piece so far!



Eric Flashbone

(Black biro on 74mm x 51mm card)

Just a strange character that I did on a small off-cut piece of card (I don't like to waste anything!)

Small House For Sale

(black biro on 97mm x 74mm memo paper)

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You see a lot of abandoned drinks cans left by people who haven't figured out the complexities of using a nearby bin. Either that or they're being charitable by giving shelter to tiny people.

"An abandoned local landmark renovated into a cosy little home fit for one person or young couple. Set in a prime window-ledge location, overlooking a panoramic view of a back yard. A good tolerance of cats, rats, and pigeons is essential."

Chuckin' Out Time At The Cough Inn Pub

(Black biro on 105mm x 74mm card)

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For the first post in this blog, I thought I'd go for an image that is more of a social satire on a disappearing way of life. On the back of which I've written:

"With all the pubs closing down, you're more likely to see sights similar to this in town and city centres these days. But when the average local was more frequented, you'd see such diabolical creatures lurching along the roads and footpaths of estates, late at night, with only a confused homing pigeon instinct left for an intellect. Pale, dishevelled, and grunting incoherently. It's difficult to believe that these mindless shades were once rational human beings. Nevermind the complete and utter horror that they could be people you once knew."

I think the regular late night plague of "pub zombies" that was common across the UK has greatly diminished over the past years. Maybe that's a good or bad thing, I dunno.