Current work (2010-11

The prints of architectural human anatomy... and things to come

Alright so architectural human anatomy does not actually mean anything, but it would be the best phrase to explain what this series is really about. After creating the first plate (the first image on this post with the big tower) i began to use my imagination to create a dynamic series of copper plate etchings. These following prints are what I see them as the functioning machine and architectural properties of the large, slightly archaic and ruined tower that is depicted in the first plate. The following images are the foundations, the structure, or key components that make the tower a living construct. Which is why I chose to illustrate the subject of each plate as a "body part" of the tower. When you see the images, and their titles, you will understand how each image could be an aspect of the tower.
The real goal for me in the process of making these prints was to get better at creating value that would relate to the space in the imagery. I also meant to focus on keeping a constant theme that would let the viewer easily relate each print to each other. Being able to create a certain atmosphere that was consistent was something i wished to work on as well. Through using certain objects consistently in the imagery, like the tubes and wires or the building block like architecture helped me link theme and atmosphere more easily.

I find printmaking, and specifically copper etching, to be a medium that lets me illustrate and give way to a consistant style in mood and artwork for the future. I also think copper etching could be a unique medium in a world of illustration that is always craving for something new. This series is just the beginning, where i am starting to learn how to create and control a world, and hopefully take this control to the next level, by creating a narrative or some form of storyline by the printmaking i am doing.

alright as much fun as i am having with all the fine art and school work, its time to show what i've been thinking about (constantly) on my own time. Its called Skinwalker, a comic ive been doing concept/ character design drawings for on my own time about a Native American tribe that practices a shamanistic ritual called skinwalking, where they cover themselves in animal hides, and through ritualistic dances and drumming, they enter the spirit of the said animal hide they are wearing, and gains the animals attributes. for example a wolf; fast on foot and very stealthy indeed. Through the shaman ritual, a shaman can enter and gain these attributes. so here is an image i just finished inking today of a shaman in wolf hides, wounded in the chest with a bullet.

a gathering of prints and late summer watercolors

The first four images are from two different assignments done my first semester at MECA. This class was the first time I had worked with printing, and we learned so many different things. The last one with trees that look like human limbs is a copper etching plate assignment, where we had to make the cleanest edition of 10 prints and although this one looks clean, I failed miserably at this. My fingers and ink seem to have a gravitational pull that is not so different from the earth and the moon. Anyway, the first three images was a different process called paper lithography. Through this process I learned how I could take an image from a book or the internet, and get a print directly from a xerox of that image. Pretty cool I thought, until I realized how hard it is to roll a 5 pound brayer covered in ink over crappy printer paper. It wasn't that fun, but I achieved what I set out to do which was to Create ruined and destroyed contemporary architecture by placing the building within my own drawings. I would use charcoal, pencil, pen or any other medium to get the affect I wanted. The great thing is I would do a drawing and be able to get a close match in quality to the medium I was using. So I hope you enjoy them, because I put a lot of work into it.
For some odd reason the weather gods thought it a good idea to curse us with a whole month or two of straight solid rain. Finally it stopped and As the sun came out more in portland, I began going outside more. Although there is a lot more i havent finished yet, mostly because they are filled with fine detail that takes me a lot of patience to finish, the images above is a lot of what I did over the second half of the summer.
I remember spending hours observing these subject matters. I would find a nice comfy spot on the waterfront, and not only observe subject matter, but just my surroundings. I wanted my paintings to be atmospheric, letting the viewer see what kind of day it is. I also want to add that none of my paintings are fictional, they are my interpretations of what I observe directly from nature. I try to find objects in nature that give hand to nice composition, or to set some type of emotion. But I do play with color experimentation, and that sometimes my colors do not hold true to the actual landscape or object I am painting. This is because I believe true color is not necessarily the actual color. There are many different situations during the day that may alter the true color, like weather or time of day. I just wanted to let you know I think about these things.

-Things to come:
Comic book stuff? I really hope so!
unfinished watercolors. . . finished!
printmaking round 2!

p.s. I am officially in a band, and we have been playing for about a month, if not longer. We got our first gig at Genos in Portland, ME, so if you are 21, live in portland or around, come support us and the other bands at the dooryard (our practice space) by coming to our show Oct.2!

watercolors

All summer I have been working consistently on watercolor paintings. mostly done with a small brush and on a 8x12 piece of watercolor paper. Living in portland, ME has given me the opportunity to explore a Nature  through shape and color. Color is something I rarely do (mostly because i think my not very good at it) but with such diverse landscapes here in maine, I found the arrays of colors that summer unleashes onto the many waterfronts and sandy bays very familiar and comforting to work with. Most of the time I would bring a mason jar down to the east end waterfront (you might recognize the old burnt up bridge in one of my paintings) and use the salt water from the ocean to paint with. I found that when my paints dried, it would give it a grittier texture that sort of reminds me of aquatint. this brings alive a painterly quality that I'm really happy with. below are eight works which is not everything i did, but just what i finished this summer. Criticism and comments are more than welcomed.

Gilgamesh's wall of remembrance

I would like to display my past work first. In high school, i explored the Epic of Gilgamesh. I grew interested in it when i first read it as a freshman for some social studies class, nothing special, just read a few anecdotes out of it here and there. But i was amazed by the way history could be stored and saved through time. This story is ancient, and i was amazed by its longevity through time, and how it still has meaning to people to this day. I was always amazed how all stories come to, how true events become word of mouth, and are passed down through generations of people, the stories always to be kept within their minds.
I picked it up again as a senior in comparative religion. We finally read it all the way through in class (my freshmen year after reading the anecdotes i just took it out of the library to read) and i was amazed at the philosophical meaning within the book. I couldn't help but compare what it said about life and death to modern man's own idea of life and death. To me, it was kind of similar. After this i was inspired to create a work of art that would tell the epic of Gilgamesh. Because i was to do this visually, i chose to create a 60 foot mural that would encompass the whole epic tale in one flowing work. scenes bend and twist into each other, creating a smooth transition from one scene of the story to another.