Quick 1 hour sketch working with a limited palette for a moody, gritty atmosphere. I always like to think of the story behind a piece before I start, and this one was a reflection of where I see the world going - a dystopian world in which many parts of the city have been abandoned, taken over by urban foliage, and left to ruin as people flee.
Himalayas Set 1 * This is the walk the construction workers take from their village to Mcleod Ganj every working day. So much respect for their tenacity.
This head is from a broken sculpture I found in A church of Rome when I was exploring the city, you can see a lot of these sculpture on the streets when you look around.
I was selected to be one of the local artists to paint a piano that the nonprofit organization city sounds will put on public display in one of several spots in the city.
Apolonia Cacadu (her family is calling her: Polly) is a working girl. Very hard working. During the day, she works part time in three different places, and in the evenings she professionally swings on a swing above the bar counter, in the "Under parrots" pub. Because of this constant running around the city, there is little time for her to eat, and often her daily meal is just a handful of crackers (which she loves) and a few green olives with pepper. That’s why her weight is rather featherlike. She dreams about a trip to the Amazon rainforest and spreading her wings as a dancer (she’s great at dance hall and twerking).
Assignment 2 London Art College - Illustrating Children's Books. Imagine a boy were to find a secret city under his kitchen sink. DPS. Created digitally, freehand drawing in Photoshop.
This Illustration is a revisited self portrait. The breast on my back feed four pencils/tentacles and the color spread from the female body to the page and "travel" all around the surface. The meaning is to show the reciprocity between the artist and the manufact.
This portrait is the darkest in the series, examining the internal malice that persists even when communication is restricted, illustrating that evil doesn't require a loud voice.
* Visual Focus: The mask's mouth is horrifyingly held closed across the center by surgical thread and a needle, which only covers half of the wide, unnerving smile. The stitching reveals a set of sharp, feral teeth underneath. Disturbingly, a pair of prominent horns protrude from the top of the mask's head.
* Symbolism:
* The Stitched Mouth: Represents the idea of selective silence or the censorship of truth. The fact that the stitching only covers half the mouth highlights the "half-done" nature of modern morality. The revealed sharp teeth suggest that even in silence, the capacity for vicious, cutting, or "devilish" speech remains barely contained. Showed directly on the piece by the date being misleading.
* The Horns: A classic, unambiguous symbol of the Devil or pure malice. This is the figure's core identity—it suggests that even while hiding behind a neutral mask and being partially silenced, the individual's "tongue like the devil" and evil intent are still very much present, emphasizing the inherent corruption and hypocrisy behind the facade.
A dense cluster of geometric buildings sits beside the phrase "Offline is the New Rich" highlighting a contrast between urban and online life, and simplicity. To the right, a small house stands alone surrounded by trees and clouds.
Primrose is the oldest, Daphne is the middle, and Dalena is the youngest. The outfits were found on Pinterest/Instagram. The background was hard to come up with. I referenced Martin Ivanov's Gotham City for the background. Their story is still in the works but I wanted to draw them anyway.
I am delighted to share that I Am a Dragon! has been named to the Pennsylvania Center for the Book's 2024 Baker's Dozen: Thirteen Best Books for Family Literacy!
Here is the list
( I am in such a good company!):
- “10 Dogs” by Emily Gravett
- “ABC and You and Me” by Corinna Luyken
- “Bear with Me” illustrated by Kerascoët, Sebastien Cosset and Marie Pommepuy,
- “The Concrete Garden” by Bob Graham
- “How to Count to ONE (And Don't Even THINK About Bigger Numbers!)” by Caspar Salmon and illustrated by Matt Hunt
- “I Am a Dragon! A Squabble and a Quibble” by Sabina Hahn, published by HarperCollins.
- “If I Was a Horse” by Sophie Blackall
- “The Kitten Story” by Emily Jenkins and illustrated by Brittany Cicchese
- “Mr. S” by Monica Arnaldo
- “Night in the City” by Julie Downing
- “Ruffles and the Cozy, Cozy Bed” by David Melling
- “Simon and the Better Bone” by Corey R. Tabor
- “You Go First” by Ariel Bernstein and illustrated by Marc Rosenthal
