Guardian Spirits: ZUN & LITTLE OD

HB pencil on 80mm x 47mm paper)
- NOT AVAILABLE -

(HB pencil on 80mm x 50mm paper)
- NOT AVAILABLE -

Two more Guardian Spirit pieces to give out to people I meet. One depicting the standard alien grey, whilst the other shows an alien creature with a very apt name.

Prophecy 4 : WE HACKED YOUR ROBOT

 

(HB pencil on 123mm x 95mm paper)

- NOT AVAILABLE -

We hacked your robot
Whilst you were away
Out at play

And gone for the day

We hacked your robot

Bought for those jobs

You were too lazy to do

Status-Tech

For the people you knew

And it did all that you asked

Everything it was tasked

Without complain

Or pain

Or gain

It "cleaned" your home

It "fed" your cat

And dealt with all

Your worthless tat

And when it was done

Its work complete

It just sat down

In your favourite seat

To make you aware

That without a care

You deserved what you got

When WE HACKED YOUR ROBOT!

- Human Target -

Star-Keeper

(HB pencil on 120mm x 100mm paper)

- NOT AVAILABLE -

Another dreamscape work where a planetary theme seemed to develop with the glowing orb and the line of spheres near the leaning figure. "Star-Keeper" was then an obvious choice for the title of it.

Merry Christmas 2020 - THE ROUND ROBIN

 

(HB pencil on 130mm x 120mm paper)

It's that time of year again, and 2020 has been a very trying year for everyone. With that in mind, I decided to go all "Victorian" with the image and story I did for my Christmas cards. Pandemic lockdowns do have that restrained Victorian feel to them. So enjoy Mrs Farqua's odd little round-robin message...

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As ever, if you want to read through them, just click on one image and scroll through the rest. If you'd like to view cards (and their stories) from previous years, then click on the following links to them:

2014 - 2015 - 2016 - 2017 - 2018 - 2019

Waiting For Something To Happen

 

(H pencil on a 139mm x 87mm postcard)

- NOT AVAILABLE -

A dreanscape work completed with a H grade pencil. The woman appeared early on in the Rorschaching stage, but the rest of the image remained dream construct.

Guardian Spirits: CELESTE & ÉSHA

(HB pencil on 80mm x 50mm paper)

- NOT AVAILABLE -

(2B pencil on 80mm x 46mm paper)

- NOT AVAILABLE -

I decided to go back to the Guardian Spirit idea I did previously with the Xendra, Xya and Xorina works. I wasn't too happy with the size of them. Even though they're the size they are, I did think they were a bit too big, so I decided to reduce the format for these two. It seems to be a much better size, in my view. I spent a bit of time on them (about a hour and a half on each), but I can simplify that as I do more. I can then hand them out to people I meet, similar to the dreamscape calling cards.

Other, weirder, characters will be considered, keeping to the idea that they're a dig against those who believe in things like spirit guides and guardian angels. It's that notion that if you believe in something like that, then why not treat yourself to something exotic and give all those American Indian spirits some time off. I'm sure they'd appreciate it!

Mad Hair Day

 

(HB pencil on 96mm x 63mm paper)

A dreamscape piece of a very '70s looking character with mad, afro, hair. This one could have turned into all kinds of different images, but as soon as I saw the hair, along with the crude face and shades at the Rorschaching stage, I just knew I had to keep it as that. I could have made the afro hair more realistic when the image began to form, but decided to stay with the snake-like dream construct of it.

It's weird, and that's the way it should be.

The Laughing Monocled Cat

 

(HB pencil on a 138mm x 88mm postcard)

- NOT AVAILABLE -

You'll see an afterlife. This, I guarantee. Whether you believe in it or not, it doesn't matter, it will be there, and it'll be Paradise! Everything you were told it would be and much, much, more. And there you'll exist, in utter bliss, for what seems like an eternity....

Then, one heavenly day, you'll notice the strangest of things: A cat wearing a monocle. It appears out of nowhere and turns up everywhere you go. There's no escaping it, no matter how hard you try. It's just always there, until it's all that is there.

It'll sit, silently looking at you, as all cats sometimes do. Watching you. Studying you. Then you'll see a smile grow on its face. A smile which turns into a chuckle. A chuckle which turns into a giggle. A giggle which then bursts into a mad, howling, laugh.

And it's at this point that the full, horrific, nature of it will dawn on you. That it was all just a sick joke you've been playing on yourself. A delusion of a fading mind as it fires its last neurons before you truly die.

And The Laughing Monocled Cat, that mocking herald of your ultimate finality, will remind you of this by its very presence. It'll lay in wait for you all your life, and be there for you at the end. You can try to dismiss it, or even forget about it, but it will never forget you.

And why?

Because I've just put the idea of it into your head, and in your head it will always stay.

Dreamscape Calling Cards

 

- DREAMSCAPE CARDS NOT AVAILABLE -

The images above are five examples of the quick works I mostly do, but usually dismiss, in between other pieces. They're basic in their subject matter and are usually smaller than other works (which are small in themselves). I decided that, instead of wasting them, I'd draw them on 80mm x 50mm paper and card, laminate them, and give them to anyone I meet who asks for an example of my work. A sort of sample art calling card I can hand out.

Little time is spent on them. In the case of these dreamscape examples, they're no different to the tutorial speed tests I did. None of them takes me more than 30 minutes to do. Usually a lot less.

The Little Black Book (vidi vici veni)

"Megadonna"

"Witch Hazel"

"Jane Playne"

"Captain Jessie Belle"

"Villora-Zar"

"Celeste Goodheart"

"Kitty Kain"

"The Wife"

The Little Black Book Cover

A "Little Black Book" was something of a quasi-mythic thing, long before phones and social media absorbed physical address books. It was associated with promiscuous men and women, who'd record the contact details of their sexual partners. Many would claim to have such a book, but few actually did. Which is why it was rare to actually see one. Someone always knew someone who had one.

Its origins seem to stem from Henry VIII who was believed to have kept a "book of sin." This particular book, however, was probably used more to note his enemies, rather than a book of sexual conquests, but. it was that "sin" part of it which evolved into something which became the iconic "Little Black Book" we refer to today. Now, it's relegated itself to being nothing more than a common turn of phrase.

But, because it was such an iconic thing, I thought it might be a good idea to reference it with the above artwork. The one I've done is obviously fictitious, echoing the almost mythic nature they had. It's drawn with a 2B pencil in a small, eight page, A7 pad I made for myself. The comments, the tallies, and even the reworked latin phrase on the cover, pretty much sum up what they were and how they were used.

They were certainly of their time.