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.
Here's a traditional art sketch card, produced on a 4 X 5 inch blank licensed card. The cut lines are set at 2.5 X 2.3 standard trading card size. Artwork is Copic marker and Prismacolor colored pencil. This card was created as a random insert for the 2018 Rittenhouse Archives Star Trek Captains collection Card series. This card features my favorite Star Trek bad guy Harcourt Fenton Mudd or Harry Mudd. See more at Sketchcardsandcovers.com
Just finished the excellent EXPLORING Kourse (Sketchbook Skool), I had to set my own agenda. I am trying to get used to using watercolors. I like it when they don't fill the page entirely. Here is an archerfish trying to catch an insect by spitting at it,
Of all the things to jumpstart my inspiration for this, I never had an eye-test and a fresh set of glasses the day after the Samhuinn Fire Festival took place… but alas, here we are!
A child stands on the boardwalk holding a helium balloon, depicting Donald Trump’s turkey neck tied to a string. The child stares up, contemplating the ugly balloon.
This piece critiques the modern tendency to hide identity behind brands and consumerism.
* Visual Focus: The mask is partially obscured by a fitted baseball cap, with the bill pulled down to cover one eye. The cap itself is a symbol of brand identity and fast-fashion culture. The uncovered eye retains an unsettling, almost mechanical gaze.
* Symbolism:
* The Cap: Represents the societal practice of hiding behind brands and allowing consumerism to dictate self-worth and block out unwanted truths. The act of seeing is deliberately curtailed.
* The Mask: Emphasizes that the consumer identity is often a façade-a manufactured mask that prevents others from truly
"seeing" the individual, while simultaneously restricting the individual's full sight of the world.
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.
"Nowhere Fast" is a compelling still life that blends mundane domesticity with surreal, slightly ominous undertones. The scene is anchored by a wooden table where a spilled glass, a pack of matches, and an ashtray with a smoldering cigarette suggest a moment of interrupted pause or quiet, long-term stagnation. Dominating the foreground is an oversized, weathered cigarette carton boldly labeled "WARNING", its subtle but unsettling presence hinting at a consumption that leads nowhere.
In the background, a vintage RCA television set displays a stylized amanita mushroom, a recurring symbolic motif that adds a layer of psychedelia and altered perception to the otherwise drab setting. The earthy, muted color palette and soft lighting create a feeling of weary introspection, capturing a sense of being perpetually stuck in a cycle. The piece masterfully uses everyday objects to explore themes of vice, time, and the quiet, slow march toward an uncertain destination.
Chump is vampire, her eyes glow green due to her abilities. When she feels threaten, angry or upset her eyes will instantly start glowing. She can summon a green fog that causes an poison like substance to infect your skin. If your standing in her fog too long, well I guess see you in Hell.
このユニークなデザインは、私のショップで黒と白のユニセックス T シャツとして入手できます | Este diseño único esta disponible en camiseta unisex en color negra y blanca en mi tienda | This unique design is available in black and white unisex t-shirts in my shop:
https://yuni-kipoh-store.printify.me/product/20040865/little-frogs-ranitas
Happy New Year! I am thankful for the time I have, for the people in my life, and what God has done. After a life long struggle with alcoholism, I have been sober for 2 and half years now. God helped my to quit and to be set free from it. There is so much more to life and so much I want to do. I have also struggled with living in the past and regrets, but I have been making progress with being in the moment more and being content. I'm looking forward to today and what this upcoming year brings.
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
