Maid of the Mountains

Another new ink drawing. This time, I'm taking the size of the piece down a notch, which makes it slightly easier to complete in a timely fashion.

Maid of the Mountains, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 24" x 18".

Four

A new drawing of four figures. I don't have much to say about this one, though hopefully it has much to say for itself.

Four, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 28.5" x 22.5".

Reaching for the Edge

Another new large-ish drawing. The figures are becoming a bit looser, I think (which I'm happy about).

Reaching for the Edge, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 28.5" x 22.5".

The Ancient Tomb

With this small acrylic tondo I was aiming for a Bocklinesque (the painter of the Island of the Dead) atmosphere...evoking a nocturnal, haunting sense of mystery, with suspense and yet tranquility. Whether I succeeded in all of that or not, I think it works as an interesting piece.

The Ancient Tomb, 2016, acrylic on plywood, 6.75" diameter.

Spidery

This is another tiny tondo (circular painting) I've done recently. This one is a little grotesque, but because it's so small, has an endearing quality. I'm presenting it below in simulated actual size (depending on your monitor resolution, etc.) and in a larger version. I think the larger one holds up pretty well.

Spidery, 2016, acrylic on plywood, 2.6" diameter, approx.

Spidery, enlarged version.

Tiny Babel

A miniature version of the Tower of Babel, which struck me as amusing. This took a couple of days to complete, as it went through numerous changes. I scanned this into the computer directly...I think it actually looks better in real life, but was too small for me to take a photo successfully. I have presented the piece on this page at around actual size (on my screen at least, your mileage may vary).

Tiny Babel, 2016, acrylic on plywood oval, 3.25" x 2.25" approx.

The Fall of the Tower of Babel

Another version of the Tower of Babel (I have done quite a few), this one in small tondo form. Inspired by the Pieter Breughel version, as most of my Babel images are. Painted on plywood that was only lightly primed with white acrylic, so the paint was absorbed quite fast.

The Fall of the Tower of Babel, 2016, acrylic on plywood, 6.75" diameter.

The Skies and Seas of Heaven

Another small tondo painting with angelic, mystical qualities.

The Skies and Seas of Heaven, 2016, acrylic on plywood, 6.75" diameter.

Head in Profile (The Doge as a Young Man)

Another small acrylic tondo of a head, this one in profile. It reminds me somehow of Bellini's Doge portrait, which is something of an iconic touchstone for me. More heads coming...

Head in Profile (The Doge as a Young Man), 2016, acrylic on plywood, 6.75" diameter.

The Man With the Painted Face

A new small tondo (circular painting) of a man's face, intended for submission to the Limner Gallery's "Show of Heads" coming up soon...I'll mention on this blog if this or another piece is selected.

The Man With the Painted Face, 2016, acrylic on plywood, 6.75" diameter.

New Background Image, from "Return to Babel"

I've just given my blog a makeover, including changing the template, color scheme, & putting in a new background image, excerpted from my monochrome painting, "Return to Babel" (which you can see in its original state here). I colorized the painting in Photoshop to give it a subdued greenish hue. I'm making this image (below) freely available, if anyone wants to download it for use on their own blog or desktop wallpaper or whatever (non-profit uses only, please).

From "Return to Babel", 2016, original painting on plywood, 20" x 37.5" approx.

A Storm Gathering on the Horizon

Another new drawing, from today. A sense of foreboding, for some reason(s). Also, I seem to be drawing birds quite often these days. Not sure why.

A Storm is Gathering on the Horizon, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 28.5" x 22.5"

More New Drawings

Here is a sampling of my new series of drawings, done on Bristol Vellum, mostly. You can see the full series here.

The Angel of War, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 28.5" x 22.5".

The Conjurer, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 28.5" x 22.5".

The Demagogue, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 28.5" x 22.5".

The Alchemist's Domain, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 28.5" x 22.5".

The Geneticist, 2016, brush & ink/wash on canvas illustration board, 20" x 16".

The Bringer of Peace, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 28.5" x 22.5".

Morpheus and His Column of Dreams, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 28.5" x 22.5".

The Last Navigator, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 28.5" x 22.5".

Our Lady of Creation, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 28.5" x 22.5".

Sebastian, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 28.5" x 22.5".

Sleepwalker, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 28.5" x 22.5".

Treeman: Resurgence, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 28.5" x 22.5".

The Twins, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 28.5" x 22.5".

Updated Tumblr

This is just to mention that I've recently updated my tumblr blog & given it a facelift, thanks to the "Elinor" theme from Themeber. It's had the same non-responsive (not mobile-friendly, that is) look for several years now, & this update gives it an endless-scrolling & loading, mobile-friendly overhaul. I also especially like the "Random" option in the menu, which as you might guess, gives a randomly chosen image from my stream of images, which I've found highlights artwork that I'd forgotten was there (there is a lot of work present).

I also tend to upload digitally enhanced versions of my drawings to the tumblr, rather than the straight ink drawings, just to change things up a bit. I find that the digital "faux woodcuts", as I sometimes call them, give a different perspective on the drawings, equalizing things like line weights, & giving the images a slightly "distressed" feel, which has its pros & cons.

You can see it all here: http://mymythsandmonsters.tumblr.com/

The new look Tumblr

3 Personages Under a Cloud

This is a drawing for the new series of large-ish drawings that I did yesterday. I'm looking to do more complex compositions with multiple figures. This is one. More to come.

3 Personages Under a Cloud, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 28.5" x 22.5"

The Angel and the Tree of Life

Another new drawing from my "Summer 2016 Large Drawings" (for want of a better title) series. This one features an angel & also the tree of life, which I don't think I've ever combined before. Which is the point of this series, I suppose, to go beyond themes I've explored before, as well as new themes & ideas. And more...

The Angel and the Tree of Life, 2016, brush & ink/wash on paper, 28.5" x 22.5".

On the Drawing Table #4

Today's subject is an unfinished version of "In the City of the Gods", a somewhat apocalyptic image. You can see and compare the finished version here. If you look closely, you can see the unerased pencil construction lines. Shortly after I took this photo, I erased them.

Pandora 2016 & 2004

Here are two different variations on the same subject matter, the Greek mythological story of Pandora's box. There are 12 years separating the versions, but the medium used, ink on paper, is the same, and the dimensions are similar. I find it useful to revisit themes from time to time, to see if there is a different way of approaching the same idea.

Pandora, 2016, brush & ink/wash on posterboard, 28" x 22"

Pandora, 2004, brush & ink/wash on paper, 24" x 19"