The Fall of Atlantis, Part 3

Despite many troubling signs the Atlanteans continued to fight among themselves. They ignored the screams of the great dragon and the great lord of the sea himself. When the waters rose they ignored that too. When the great wave came the civilization was taken from the earth with a whisper to future generations to watch for signs of complacency and greed that can lead to the fall of even the most advanced civilizations.
Oil on canvas, triptych, 24" x54"

The Fall of Atlantis Part 2

Some citizens of Atlantis wished to rule the skies, some to rule the land and some to rule the sea. The wish for power lead to a constant struggle for supremacy while all around them the world was changing.

The Fall of Atlantis Part 1

This is the left panel of a triptych about the legendary city of Atlantis. What really happened that lead  to the disappearance of the city and it's technologically advanced civilization?

Back to reality. Illuxcon V

Last weekend was the fifth annual Illuxcon in Pennsylvania. This was the 4th time that I have been lucky enough to attend and my second time participating in the showcase. As always this event provides enormous amounts of inspiration and I come away from it wanting to work even harder to find a place in the world of fantasy art. So much so that I went to a figure drawing class on thursday for the first time in years! This year we also bought our first original painting (albeit a small one) by the very talented E.M. Gist. I'm pretty sure this will be the beginning of a collection. I love this painting.

 Next year Illuxcon will be moving to a new location in Allentown, PA and I'm looking forward to it already.
 Here's a link to my mini-movie that was playing at my table this year (minus the new opening footage from the convention itself). If you give it few minutes you will get our first attempts at animation. I doubt it will be the last. Terry Gilliam watch out!
 I also want to say a special thank you to my wonderful wife Kari who edited the movie, helped me out at the showcase and put up with all of my nerves and preparations leading up to the show. I couldn't do it without her!
Now on with the show! Get your popcorn and remember, NO talking during the movie. 7 minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aNXXok1wDk&feature=plcp

ps the soundtrack is courtesy of my dad Pete on concertina and me on guitar from one of our recent basement sessions. Hope you don't mind Dad!!

Ready for Illuxcon?

This weekend Illuxcon V takes place in Altoona, PA! This is my favorite art event of the year by far. It is a gathering of the many of the best artists in the fantasy art world. There will be opportunities to attend lectures, workshops and reviews. I will be participating in the Showcase exhibition for the second time. At my table I will be showing my new portfolio book, a number of original oil paintings and new mini-movie as well as having prints available. If you are attending please come see me at the showcase friday night. Hope to see you there!
 The picture above is an early test display setup. Things have changed a number of times since this test but it gives an idea of what the display might resemble, minus the video element.

The monster

 After the death of its maker, Victor Frankenstein, the monster's remorse for its crimes is so great it removes itself from society and leaves the world behind by drifting away on an ice flow in the Arctic Circle.
 In the film adaptation directed by James Whale the end comes at the hands of the classic mob with torches and pitchforks. Mary Shelley's original ending is a much more personal and emotional end for the thing known as the monster.
Above is a version of Mary Shelley's monster from my archives. Oil on canvas, 2008
Below is a sketch of James Whale's flat-top monster from a few weeks ago

Creatures from black lagoons

Can anyone tell me why no one has tried a remake of the classic Creature from the Black Lagoon film?There have been numerous remakes and interpretations of Dracula, Frankenstein and the Invisible Man. The Mummy was a hugely successful franchise. Why no Creature? Perhaps it's just too much of an iconic creature design. Combine that with the obvious need to have much of it based underwater and perhaps you have a few answers.  I hope someone does give it a try even though it would be difficult to match the beauty of the original and the mesmerizing underwater chemistry between the creature and Julie Adams
 (or her stunt double).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ariuokNFhSw
 This is my creature. He is from an alien world where water is vanishing and the big blue marble looks like a good place for a fresh start. Not a remnant from prehistoric times like the original. He does like dark lagoons though.

The Werewolf Hunter

There were only a few who know what lived in the manor on the hill and even fewer who would dare confront it. It was only vulnerable during the full moon and silver was its only weakness.

 "Werewolf Hunter". oil & digital

Invisible

October will be a month of things from the archives. Hopefully things that relate to my favorite scary month. I'm an absolute SUCKER for the classic black & white horror films that I will watch again and again every year, either on tv or from my personal collection. This week, the invisible man!

Elvish diplomacy

The elves and men gathered at the foot of the mountain demanding a portion of the treasure left behind by the death of the great dragon. Reasoning was tried at first but the threat of force was always behind it.

Creature Double Feature

A intergalactic pterosaur  envoy and a nightmare smoke apparition this week.

sketchbook saturday

The Ranger

Most of the forests in the area were patrolled by a single ranger. The kobolds knew this but still dared to try to sneak there way through in search of easy pickings in the village on the other side. The trouble with rangers is they can use the simplest of camouflage elements to blend in with there surroundings until just the right moment.

Watercolor Week

Having recently rediscovered my love of watercolor here are a few samples from the past. Watercolor is a very tricky medium especially for someone like me who lacks patience at times. Unlike oil painting the key is to minimize the building up of layers and to make every mark count. You can destroy a good watercolor by overworking it and unlike oils you really can't just paint over mistakes. It has been said that the most succesful watercolors are those that are accomplished with the fewest strokes. Look at the watercolors of John Singer Sargent and you will see what this means
.http://watercolorspainting.com/john-singer-sargent-a-review/
I recently picked up my pans again and look forward to having some new watercolors to post soon.

From the archives, The Tower

Here's a bit of the progression of an oil on masonite painting from last year.  Being an Air Traffic controller is said to be among the worlds most stressful professions. I wonder why that might be.

More digital doodles

Just a few digital doodles this week.

The march

When the decision to go to war was made the horde assembled and moved quickly over the mountains and through the gnarled woodlands. They could smell the enemy and dawn would bring the first strikes that would mark the beginning of the conflict.

Creature double feature

For this months creature feature it seemed important to include a bit of environment for these. The aquatic one was inspired by seeing a video of a fisherman catching a 12 ft white sturgeon in a river in canada. It made me wonder what else might be gliding along in the dark river waters of the world.

Into the green

There were tales of the great serpents that lived deep in the forest. The hunters knew that snakes and lizards like to warm their cold blooded bodies in the dappled patches of the woods where the warm glow of the sun pierced the forest canopy. When the great, green creature showed itself the hunters knew they should have brought more men to deal with the coiled and scaley thing that rose before them..
 Oil on canvas, 18" x 24" w. digital

The Battle of the Ice

The Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein is best known to most people for his film 'The Battleship Potemkin' and its widely copied scene known as 'The Odessa Steps sequence' during which a baby in a carriage rolls down a set of stairs as troops march to crush a rebellion. My personal favorite Eisenstein film is 'Alexander Nevsky'  in which Russian forces must repel the invasion of Novgorod by Tuetonic Knights.
 This sketch in progress is influenced by the scene entitled 'The Battle of the Ice'. Here is a clip with very dramatic music by Prokofiev. It is an epic film and I highly recommend it for its visual grandeur and powerful musical score.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2YYfjpphMU
 ps I realize it's not practical having large horns or antlers on a helmet but sometimes it's more about what looks good. Here is the original thumbnail from a previous sketchbook saturday.

Sketchbook Sunday

Just a few quick doodles from the sketchbook this week.
New finished pieces coming soon!

From the deep

The day had been a success. The nets were full enough to last a week or more. A great ripple shuddered against the small craft. The sun was sinking below the horizon and suddenly things didn't feel right. The great monster broke the surface like a bolt of lightning and the only thing left to do was row.

oil on masonite w. digital, 12" x 12"

In the dark

Once in while you get the opportunity to see what it might have been like trying to be an artist in the days of old.  Wow! Here in Virginia many thousands of us lost power on friday night due to a storm with 80 mph winds. With temperatures nearing the 100 degree mark, Saturday was spent mostly in the studio trying to make the best of it. My studio does not have a skylight on north facing windows so it was a bit like working in a cave. Unlike Rubens or Caravaggio I did have the benefit of my trusty battery powered headlamp, lantern and a radio to assist but if you've ever tried painting like this  you know how difficult it is and must have been for those working by candle power alone. The  conditions they worked in were not like today and that makes the brilliance of there work even more astonishing. Next time you visit a museum , think about the conditions the artists were working in. It should make you appreciate the work a little bit more. Or even better, the next time your power goes out, get out the candles (safety first!) and paint. You'll see what they were missing and appreciate what you have even more.
 I am fascinated by how artists worked before electricity. I tried to find some information on how studios were lit B.E. I couldn't find very much but here are a couple of links.

http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=200094

http://www.waldemar.tv/2010/12/the-art-of-darkness/

 I should also add that working while listening to the little radio was quite pleasant. I heard a great edition of The Prairie Home Companion with guest Arlo Guthrie and then a great show called Hot Jazz Saturday Night that was dedicated to  Red Nichols and the Five Pennies. I had never heard of them but they made the darkness more bearable. Have a listen!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJGZTF74Hzc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uocFYLNg4xE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFFw1o68AJ4

And now for something completely different..

Bless the great Ray Harryhausen. There are a few artists that have influenced the world of science fiction and fantasy art like no one before them.  Jason and the Argonauts. That's really all that needs to be said, right? From the harpies and Talos the colossus, to an army of skeletons and the hydra,  the artistry of the stop motion animation still makes me giggle with delight. It has been many years since my early attempts at sculpting but here's an attempt at a simple maquette. I'm working on a painting and instead of just making up the form and lighting I thought I'd try a little something different, for me anyway. An hour of playing around with sculpey and a few photos and there is plenty to be taken away for the painting.  It is a bit backwards, Starting the painting, then intermediate sketches, now a sculpture for reference? Whatever works. We'll see.  Sketch #3 is the only one done after photographing the maquette. There will be many more and this process gives me may ideas for the future. I should note this process was also influenced by seeing how James Gurney uses sculpted models as reference for some of his work. It was fun to revisit the 3rd dimension!
 By the way, sculpting is not as easy as Ray made it look! If you want to be simply amazed look at the works of Thomas Kuebler and Jordu Schell!

http://www.tskuebler.com/

http://schellstudio.com/

http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2012/01/really-rough-maquettes.html

Among my collection of art books, this one is an absolute treasure. I get chills when I see his signature. I recommend this book to everyone!

Little Dragons

The pair of newborn green dragons had grown to 15 feet from tip to tail. One was obviously bigger but the little one loved to harass and chase. The falls provided them a safe place to spar and hunt the smaller creatures of the forest. Soon their wings would be strong enough to fly and then the real fun would begin!
 18" x 24", Oil on canvas/digital

The Battle of Acid Creek

From the archives. A true Gamma World adventure.

Travelling through the wastelands the mutant adventurers came across what looked like an ordinary stream. The first attempt to cross was met with the realization that the stream was highly corrosive to any metal, and we had a lot of metal. Suddenly a giant crustacean-like creature scuttled over the bank and attacked. Thanks to some accurate fire from the old flintlock rifles and the sting of the electro sword the monster was defeated and its body used to create a bridge to cross the foulness of the acid creek

Creature Double Feature

Tales from the back yard. Something resembling this little guy landed on a leaf a few inches from my face in the garden a couple of days ago. His head was shaped like an upside down saucer and looked like an alien helmet.

This sea dragon was inspired by the spikes of this little beauty that lines the edge of the woods out back. I'm not sure what type of plant it is but Yikes!

Golden Lair

Like the great trickster Anansi, the arachnoid used its cunning and guile to lure the wayward and greedy into it's golden lair. Few could resist the lure of the sparkling caverns and the riches they contained. The man-spider possessed enough magic to alter it's appearance.  Only in the depths of its lair would it reveal its true form and the real nature of its intentions.

White Paintings

Here are a few example from a series of painting done a few years ago. The idea was to execute each painting in a single sitting. The subject revolved around a series of sword wielding figures. Like engaging in a real duel,  the idea was to execute the picture using as few marks as possible. The fewer it took, the more successful the struggle. The more it took the more difficult the paintings became. It was a minimalist approach that kept me focused on simple shapes and most using the most efficient brushstrokes to describe the characters and actions.