life

made with gel ink pen for a future art book about mediterranean way of life

Tiny little sketch of the hamburger I've been longing for. Done in watercolor on cold pressed paper 3" x 3"

102 years ago, another pandemic raged across the globe. My latest comic is all about what we can learn from the 1918 “Spanish Flu” (written by Sarah Mirk + Eleri Harris). Check out the rest of the story on The Nib! thenib.com/1918-spanish-flu

Gus

Living, breathing, and creating with nature When you wake up to the gentle sights and sounds of the pond, trees, plants, birds, bees, and dragonflies, inspiration flows effortlessly. So, when the owner asked for a menu design for @SarayaGoa Art Café, I thought—why not let nature speak for itself? Using pen and ink, I captured the beauty of my mornings here—each stroke reflecting the lush surroundings that make Saraya unique. Instead of focusing on just food items, I filled the cover and inside pages with illustrations of the vibrant life around us. Dining here means eating among the green, surrounded by the diverse plants of our permaculture gardens. This study is a tribute to the beauty that shapes every meal at Saraya.

Part of a personal side project for an illustrated calendar of Literal Butterflies.

Sujoy Bera 3D Visualizer Interior Designer

Doodle from an IG post by Whalebone Magazine

"Dragons breathing flame On my counterpane That doesn't frighten me at all.: ~ poem "Life Doesn't Frighten Me" by Maya Angelou . Please google or connect to link to read the complete poem - it is one all children hear:) this one is illustrated by a master artist: https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/05/03/life-doesnt-frighten-me-maya-angelou-basquiat/

An art prompt contribute over at lovelifedrawing.com ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

made with gel ink pen for a future art book about mediterranean way of life. In the streets of Napoli we can find these little virgo statues in every corners and big men shirtless

Originally inspired by the occult fiction of the seventies, this began life as a cover concept for a commercial horror anthology. It later transitioned away and became a personal project, granting me more freedom with its content, and a return to one of my favourite themes – the offsetting of monstrosity with beauty.⁣

To be perfectly honest, the latest lockdown announcement here in Scotland was bound to influence my art in some form or another... Needless to say this is going to be one looooong winter, one that’ll have me blasting “Here Comes The Sun” by The Beatles once it ends, or at the very least stabilises.

Swimmingly is such a good word! I personally swim like a brick, so usually try not to describe things in my life as such. Inspired by a photograph by a photograph by Michael Carlebach. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqk3W01uzUv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Where do I begin with this one? This is a drawing of my dad and I; the picture was taken back in 2006, a happier time, I suppose. I don't commonly think about my dad, I don't necessarily think about how much I miss him or how I wish I could see him again, so it was odd for me to sit and look through old photos. I don't really know my dad; I do, but I don't. My dad was physically part of my life for 10 years, the second half of those were not the best. Mental illness, self medicating for years, debt, heroin, arguments, threats, uncertainty. I feel like I remember the negative more because I was older, my parents couldn't hide it from me like they used to. At the same time, when he was sober and stable, life was good. Life was great, things felt complete. So here I am, 6 years since he died. I don't want to say his image is fading, but I know less of who he was than I did before. I see the good from some (the ones who praise him, who act like he was a saint), and I see the bad from others (the one who felt the pain). I suppose I no longer see my view, my memories aren't there anymore. I don't necessarily feel sad, the anger has faded, and I can't say I'm happy. Maybe I'll figure it out one day, but, for now, it is what it is.

30 APR 2023

Thankfully attempt number 2 came out better compared to attempt number 1, thank God!. I will say that I accidently went a little ham with the ball point pen on the first object.

Butterfly # ?? : The Swallowtail this was hard! Firstly trying to illustrate a swallowtail without decapitating a poor swallow... then trying to fit these two together. More paint splatter effect for a bit of zing

Yet another senseless lynching that has me here with a broken heart. Like my other paintings on this subject, I wanted to focus on life. Tyre was dynamic and energetic, so I wanted to paint him soring. I also wanted to paint him defiant in the face of his oppressors. He was a skater, and they are no strangers to defiance. Thankfully, I found some excellent references to help me with the composition. Aesthetically, I wanted the comp to be modern, colorful, and hopefully impactful. I went for a pop art, illustration, and false-color vibe and minimized blending and refining layer edges. I painted this in Rebelle 6 and Photoshop. Much respect.

Another illustration for today! Available limited edition digital download of 20.

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.

A great deal of upheaval in my personal life, including making steps to better my mental health as well as reflecting on changes in my work life (potentially) and also my living situation, have dominated my headspace as of late. Long story short, Buddha reminding us all to still any madness in life got me to work here as did the obvious itch to get some drawing done!

Ink wash and fineliner in my watercolour sketchbook.

Wild Roses in varying stages of life. Graphite in pocketbook sized Moleskine

Life Drawing class, 2008. Large sheet paper.

Lily's a dragon who's tired of her weather-controlling duties, so she picks up witchcraft to make life less dull.

Juvenile Cedar Waxwing - Digital Sketch with Samsung Galaxy S8 Ultra Tablet and HiPaint App. Thank you Wendy Poole Levasseur for the photo reference ❤