The Shaman

He emerged from the darkness and immediately the horde grew silent. None would question the authority of the tribal Shaman. If the tattoo'd one chose to go to war, they would follow. It was what they all wanted but only the spiritual leader had the power to invoke the ancient spirits and cast favor on the warriors in battle.
 This is for a current art challenge. You can find out the details of the challenge here
http://theartorder.com/2012/03/28/dragons-eye-view-and-an-art-test/
 Update 5/5
Someone pointed out to me that the antler over the right shoulder seems superfluous and out of place.  I tend to agree. Thanks Andy! Here it is without.

Norsemen vs the Dreaded Zombie Virus

The norsemen spent weeks raiding up and down the coast. This stretch of shore looked like a good place for another incursion. Many of the warriors from the north went ashore to collect tribute and strike fear into the locals. The few that remained behind became anxious when the war party did not return by the next day. Dusk was approaching when they heard the first sounds of  shuffling and the low clink of rusted mail. From over the dunes the horde descended like a nightmarish swarm of bees. No matter how many cuts or thrusts to vital areas, the undead kept coming.
 The next day the beach was littered with the corpses of the norsemen. They began to stir. One by one they dragged there broken bodies inland the join the horde.

 Inspiration can come from the strangest places. This piece was inspired by of all things a fantasy football league.. Yes thats right. This past year's league superbowl came down to a clash of teams called  'The Norsemen' and 'The Dreaded Zombie Virus'. When I read that matchup I immediately thought " hmm, that would make an interesting painting"
oil on masonite w. digital, 24" x 36". In progress

Sketchbook Saturday

Here are a few pages from recent sketchbooks. There's no better way to loosen up and explore potential subjects and compositions than to pick up a pencil and start doodling.You never know where a few scribbles might lead. A few of these have already led to paintings for future posts.

The Jabberwocky

Here is a quick version of the Jabberwocky which was mentioned in the Lewis Carroll tribute a few posts ago. There have been a few great film jabberwockies. Terry Gilliam's wonderfully disgusting monster from the film of the same name and more recently Tim Burton's dragon-like creature from Alice in Wonderland.