Illustration friday: propagate

finally got round to doing something for illustration friday's topic, its also my last week on the animation this week, so it was excellent practice for going back to doing this full time, I'll do a big update soon, proberbly in the next week or so.

wordless narrative

Going through old files, updating my portfolio and I came across this:

I used to do a lot of these odd little sequential narratives, they are good fun, just making the story up as you go along is good fun, on a side note, this piece actually got me some storyboarding work once.

my top 10

The other day while talking to a very nice girl who was buying one of my pictures, she asked me out of all the artworks I have ever made which was the one I loved the most. This got me thinking. I have done plenty of images that I have not liked that much, but art that I've loved... that's much tougher so I have decided to show here, in no particular order, my top 10 images that I have created:

The government hates creativity: I did this the day I got a somewhat rediculous tax bill right after new year in January 2009. I was miffed, this made me feel better, the fellow who bought the piece, told ne he felt the same way and I believe he was an ex government employee, I ended up doing 3 paintings like this.

The Day I realised my own mortality: again another one which has appeared here before, but I like it because it just sums up how I feel from time to time, its resuring when someone buys a piece like this as you feel less insane for making the statement.

The Last dream: I was mostly really pleased with the sea in this one, and how painterly it all turned out, which in five inch square I found difficult, I had grown a bit bored of mixed media when I did this one towards the end of 2008, it kind of made me fall in love with painting again, though at the time of writing this I'm growing bored of painting so who knows where to next.

We all came from fish: I did this mid way through the 100 paintings phase, just a silly image I like because it was all getting quite serious and i was terrified I wouldn't be able to deliver 100 paintings on time.

Dying: This is on odd one, very dark, but people loved it, I could have sold it six times over, I made a limited edition print of 50 and sold them all on pre-order, its awhile since I looked at this one, I do feel good about it, I will I think rework it somehow.

Born of Tree: I think this was the first image I did for my first exhibition, for a long time its what I used to promote that show as well, a lot of people ask me what the antlers in my work symbolises, they mean responsibility, leaves often mean the opposite, freedom care freeness.

If the body is just a shell, then where is my soul? I now this has appeared on here more than once before, this image just worked well for me, it looked like it did in my head, I remember the gallery being concearned with the grizzly nature of the piece, in the end though it was well received and I was kind of sorry to it go when it was sold.

I'm more of a Night person: This was one of the last paintings I did for my first exhibition, at the time I was really hoping to create an image for the poster, at the time I found I was doing more work at night than any other time so that was definitly where it come from, odly this is the most successful piece I have done to date, it won 2 painting awards, also I never sold it instead I gave it away to a good friend of mine.
Live or Die by caffine: created for my first exhibition in 2007 this piece, took maybe an hour at most to come up with and then to create, it happened on one of those rare days when I get an idea every 4 seconds or so, I think I did about 6 paintings that day, this was also one of the first images to sell at my exhibition.

Evolution: this is possibly the oldest image in my portfolio, done somewhere near the start of 2006 or possibly even the end of 2005. I like this as even though it didn't turn out like the image I had in my head, I nailed my mixed media style with this peice, something I had struggled with for quite some time.

So there you have it, these are my personal faves, not technically the best but I like them all for diferent reasons, maybe you agree and maybe you don't.

goodbye 2009, hello 2010

my apologies I have been very slack the last few months, the work on the animation has been pretty much all I've been doing of late, but that will change very soon so as of Feb 28th 2010, out department will be finished on the project and will thus be disbanded, I have mixed feelings about this on one part I will miss the people I have been working with for the last 15 months on the other hand I will like to get back into the art side of things full time. on that note I have many grand ideas concearning that, but for now here is a highlight of 2009:

I've not been slaking!!!

Rest assured I've been kept very very busy of late, I'l post an update very very soon, along with some new images, my work is heading in a whole new direction now.

Look what came in from the printers today!!!

I gotta say I think that Yee and myself have done a fantastic job on the zombie book, I just got the first issue back from the printers and I have to say it does look rather swish. just one more book to get ready for the show now. If you would like to order a book please let me know or come on down to the launch on October 5th at the Here and Now gallery down in Falmouth, cornwall. Yay!

No sooner than One exhibition is done and over, the prep for the next begins a new, I have to say though of all the shows this year that my work will appear in (around 7) this is the one I'm looking forward too the most. not only is it in the town where I went to uni, but it is also with my good friend, collaberator and fellow illustrator Yee Ting Kuit.

we have also launched our own small press and will be producing comics, books and magazines together under the name Chalk & Cheese.

What makes this show even more special (and not to be missed) is the fact that we will be releasing two books at the show as well as showing you some wonderful artwork.

our first two titles will be Chalk & Cheese issue 1 the first issue of our new bi-monthly illustration / art magazine. and volume 1 of Zombies like you and Me part one of seven comics.

so this show is not to be missed!!!