William T. Ayton Art Blog

Shadow Bay review in Hudson Valley News

2012-02-13T12:26:00.000-08:00

This just in:

And I quote:

"How to read a book if you don't understand what it is? I plan to email the author or illustrator, both of whom live in Rhinebeck, and ask them to tell me what a "noir visual novel" is. Meanwhile, I'll simply call it a graphic novel and that it's X-rated, so the kids don't get their hands on it.

"Shadow Bay", written by Donald J. Rothschild with over 300 illustrations by William T. Ayton (Epigraph, $17.95) has, as its anti-hero, David Fisher, a ne'er-do-well sportswriter for the local weekly newspaper — "the skinny little one" — and well-hooked bettor on the horses. He skips his meetings at Gamblers Anonymous, soon hooks up with a married hottie and fellow bettor, gets fired, loses all his money, and...yup, there's a murder. Follow this couple to Florida, where they open a restaurant and...oh, dear. "Life is a bitch with a harelip, and sometimes you gotta pucker up."

More on this one after I've spoken with the authors. Meanwhile, I wonder what other new and puzzling genres I'm missing out on."

From the "Good Stories" section by Ann La Farge. Hudson Valley News, Feb 8-14, 2012.

The Heart of Time & From The Deep

2012-02-08T16:57:00.000-08:00

These are 2 new digitally colorized drawings. The orginal brush & ink pieces are 14" x 11".

The Heart of Time, 2012.

From The Deep, 2012.

Orpheus in Red

2012-02-04T16:03:00.001-08:00

Another digitally colorized drawing of Orpheus preparing to enter the underworld:

Orpheus in Red, 2012, digitally altered & colorized drawing.

The Fisher King...digital pulp color

2012-02-04T05:14:00.000-08:00

Here is a digitally enhanced & colorized version of the recent Fisher King drawing (original drawing size was 14" x 11")...the color is deliberately a little lurid, to mimic comic books (or pulp magazines) or also medieval colored woodcut prints, which is probably more appropriate in this case.

The Fisher King, 2012, digitally altered & colorized drawing.

Smoker variations

2012-02-03T13:58:00.000-08:00

Here are 3 versions of the drawing "Smoker" -- the original brush & ink drawing (size 14" x 11"), the b/w Photoshop altered version (using the "stamp" filter to approximate a woodcut) and the colorized version:

Smoker, 2012, brush & ink on paper, 14" x 11" (above)

Smoker, digital "woodcut" version (above)

Smoker, colorized version (above)

This is Nowhere

2012-02-03T10:05:00.000-08:00

Another brush & ink drawing (14" x 11") digitally cleaned up & colorized. These 2 images (this one & the one in the preceding post) are for a specific purpose, which may be revealed...

Nowhere, 2012, digitally altered ink drawing. Below, the monochrome version:

No-One, again

2012-02-02T04:44:00.000-08:00

Here are 2 versions of the same image. Both have been processed in Photoshop...the original "No-One" drawing was too large (14" x 11") to scan in directly, so to compensate for the loss of line quality, I ran it through a Photoshop filter (the "stamp" one, which simulates a rubber stamp or similar). The second image I added digital color to, on a separate layer, which has the added bonus of making it easier to try out color variations. It also gives it a kind of faux lithographic feel.

And in living color:

The Old Man of the Mountains

2012-01-31T10:04:00.000-08:00

This is a theme I've worked on before, that of the human head emerging from or going into rocky mountains:

The Old Man of the Mountains, 2012, brush & ink on paper, 14" x 11".

Cyclops Diver

2012-01-31T08:42:00.000-08:00

Another mythological drawing in the forever ongoing "Cyclops" series. This one was also directly inpsired by the previously posted image, "The Rise of the Other".

Cyclops Diver, 2012, brush & ink on paper, 14" x 11".

The Rise of the Other

2012-01-29T15:40:00.000-08:00

An enigmatic figure drawing:

The Rise of the Other, 2012, brush & ink on paper, 14" x 11".

Below: digitally altered version:

Tree Man Hibernating

2012-01-29T14:03:00.000-08:00

Another addition to the Tree Man series.

Tree Man Hibernating, 2012, brush & ink on paper, 14" x 11".

The Man Who Discovered a New World

2012-01-29T11:50:00.000-08:00

Another small drawing for the continuing World series.

The Man Who Discovered a New World, 2012, brush & ink on paper, 10" x 7".

Young Bacchus

2012-01-29T10:11:00.000-08:00

Another in an ongoing, occasional series of archetypal mythological heads, this one being a youthful Bacchus/Dionysus:

Young Bacchus, 2012, brush & ink on paper, 14" x 11".

The Return of the Fisher King

2012-01-26T20:24:00.000-08:00

Still fishing, the figure from Arthurian Grail legend:

The Return of the Fisher King, 2012, brush & ink on paper, 14" x 11".

This image was originally part of a collaboration with LA-based artist NC Mallory which can be seen here. The standalone sketch is here.

'Puckish' Head

2012-01-26T18:56:00.000-08:00

I thought this one looked Puckish...Done on the yellow card, of which, unfortunately, I have a plentiful supply. Don't really like it. This head I worked on for quite a while, in several stages. I'm still not sure if it's good, but here it is...

Puckish Head, 2012, brush & ink on yellow card, 11" x 8.5".

A Simple Man

2012-01-26T17:04:00.000-08:00

A simple ink drawing of a man's head:

A Simple Man, 2012, brush & ink on paper, 10" x 7".

The Heart of Silence

2012-01-23T09:50:00.000-08:00

This is another iconic "eyes closed" type of drawing...it also has the subtitle, "a drawing to heal your soul", which suggested itself to me while I was drawing it. I like the idea that some of my artworks might be or become energy storage units of some kind...

The Heart of Silence, brush & ink on yellow card, 11" x 8.5", 2012.

Shadow Bay posters for Friday's reading

2012-01-11T16:53:00.000-08:00

These are a couple of promo posters I came up with to publicize Friday's reading at Oblong Books in Rhinebeck:

The reading begins at 7:30. All are welcome. Donald will read a chapter & we will show the corresponding images, after a brief intro to the book with select images from earlier chapters. Should be a good evening...

Links:

Big in Brazil

2012-01-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I do a Google reverse image search to see if my artwork has appeared in any odd places...just did one tonight & found the flyer(?) below, from Salvador (Bahia) in Brazil. It looks pretty good, even though the colors have bled a little, probably because of the JPG compression. I don't know if this exists in printed form, but I'd like to get hold of a hard copy if it does...if anyone can find one & send it to me, I'd be quite happy...

The painting is, of course, my Narcissus from 1991.Happy New Year to all, by the way.

Time Looking Up at the World

2011-12-30T14:34:00.000-08:00

I've been out of circulation a bit recently...tied up with house & family stuff, etc. Here is a new drawing to finish off the old year:

Time Looking Up at the World, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 11" x 8.5".

Shadow Bay now searchable on Amazon

2011-12-22T13:57:00.000-08:00

Another update in the Shadow Bay (noir visual crime novel collaboration with writer Donald J. Rothschild) saga — the Amazon listing now has the "look inside" option enabled, allowing viewers to get a feel for the inside of the book. An exciting moment in the history of publishing, for me at least. Please click here for the Amazon page.

3/4 Profile

2011-12-13T11:02:00.000-08:00

Head in 3/4 profile drawn again with the liquid graphite pencil, which is a much better idea in theory than practice...

3/4 Profile, 2011, liquid graphite on paper, 11" x 8.5".

Shadow Bay goes global

2011-12-07T05:19:00.001-08:00

Below is a partial screenshot of Amazon Japan—we may sell zero copies in Japan (I hope otherwise), but I still get a kick out of seeing something I've worked on displayed like this, on a web site in a country I've never visited and in a language I don't understand...it's a small world after all, as someone once said.

The Liquid Eternal

2011-12-05T16:31:00.001-08:00

Done with a Sharpie "Liquid Pencil", which is a liquid form of graphite. The idea is that it doesn't smudge (much) & can be erased like a normal graphite pencil...however, it tends to blot & has problems making a line without skipping...so, not a complete success, technically speaking. The drawing came out quite well despite that, though...

The Liquid Eternal, 2011, liquid graphite on paper, 11" x 8.5".

The Alchemist Observes & The Alchemist Bleach'd

2011-12-01T08:10:00.001-08:00

2 versions of the same small drawing, one digitally altered:

The Alchemist Observes, 2011, brush & ink on a scrap of cardboard, 7.75" x 7" aprox.

The Alchemist Bleach'd, digitally altered version of the image above.

UDHR Article 4

2011-11-30T13:38:00.001-08:00

From the UDHR series of paintings...International Human Rights Day is December 10.

UDHR Article 4, 1991, acrylic on paper, 25" x 20" approx.

"No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and
the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms."

Shadow Bay posters

2011-11-14T06:04:00.001-08:00

These are some 11" x 17" posters of the Shadow Bay cover I had printed at Staples the other day to put on my studio wall -- we had a cocktail party the other night. Still waiting for the cover image of the book to show up on Amazon...

We shall be doing a reading of Shadow Bay in January, probably at Oblong Books in Rhinebeck. More info on that soon.

Shadow Bay available now from Amazon

2011-11-08T08:35:00.000-08:00

The noir visual crime novel collaboration with writer Donald J. Rothschild has just become available on Amazon. The book & blurb are listed, but due to the process involved, the cover image will not appear for a while, so here it is again, below.

That's the whole cover tamale, front & back...click here to find the book on Amazon.

"Fueled by their mutual addiction to gambling on horse racing, a seemingly innocent twice crossing of paths by Long island sportswriter David Fisher and clam house owner Joann Landy leads them to lust and murder. Shadow Bay takes you into a neo-noir world where the morality of everyday life is compromised. Shadow Bay is a story told with the graphic twist of three hundred and eighty illustrations."

Fair Narcissus

2011-11-07T17:09:00.000-08:00

Another entry in the occasional Narcissus series. This one was drawn with the pen brush, which had run out of ink, so I used it as a regular brush, dipping it in the ink pot. It gave a slightly ghostly, ethereal effect.

Fair Narcissus, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 11" x 8.5".

And here it is again, aged a few centuries in Photoshop:

Shadow Bay proof copy

2011-10-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of the proof copy of Shadow Bay, currently the only copy in existence. There are a few small issues we need to fix, which explains the four or so sticky notes peeking out there...

Shadow Bay is coming soon...

2011-10-28T05:47:00.000-07:00

We still seem to be in the phase of squashing bugs & fixing typos, but Shadow Bay should be released in all its glory quite soon. We have a proof copy, which looks very good with its matte varnish cover...better than glossy...In any case, here is the cover again & a few interior images...some of the images in the book don't work so well without the text, but these seem to stand alone quite well.

The full cover.

David Fisher (main protagonist) keeps an eye on the horses in chapter 3.

David Fisher comes face to face with a big scary (dead) fish in chapter 2.

Fisher gets a fleeting glimpse of the normal life that passed him by, from chapter 5,Shadow Bay, written by Donald J. Rothschild and illustrated by myself, will be available soon. Please check back in a week or so.

Here is the back cover blurb:

He had felt it from the moment she looked back at him... they were the same, they had the same hunger, had taken the same hits, they’d been told to stop it, shape up and step up, but the hunger still remained. “Somehow I missed that train,” he said. “That everyday normal train. Somehow it pulled out without me.” She took a drink and slid below the covers... “I guess I missed that train too.”

Emergence & Sleeping in the Hall of Silence

2011-10-27T06:53:00.000-07:00

A couple of new ink drawings:

Emergence, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 12" x 12".

Sleeping in the Hall of Silence, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 14" x 12".

Leonine in Amber

2011-10-24T13:05:00.001-07:00

This is a drawing of a head that I wasn't sure about...however, digitally amberized it seems better...

Leonine in Amber, 2011, digitally altered drawing (original is 12" x 12").

Creature from Another Realm

2011-10-24T06:17:00.000-07:00

A drawing of an angel or similar...

Creature from Another Realm, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 12" x 12".

The Conspirators

2011-10-22T14:20:00.000-07:00

They look like conspirators to me...

The Conspirators, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 12" x 12".

Angled Head

2011-10-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

New ink drawing of a head that has some sculptural properties that I like.

Angled Head, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 12" x 12".

Sappho Descending

2011-10-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

A new large-ish ink drawing from a series of heads...

Sappho Descending, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 24" x 19".

Shadow Bay Final Cover

2011-10-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

Here is a JPG of the final cover (front, back & spine) of Shadow Bay, the noir visual crime novel collaboration with Donald J. Rothschild. The book is basically done & the files are being sent to the printer. We should have a proof version of the book in our hands in a couple of weeks. After that, another couple of weeks or so should see it widely available. Thanks especially to Georgia Dent for her work on the layout of the cover.

More details to follow. Please check back.

The Evolutionist

2011-10-19T05:36:00.000-07:00

This was a drawing from around 2008 that I don't think I've put up online before. I also, just the other day, did a digitally colorized version, so I'm putting both here below.

The Evolutionist, 2008, brush & ink on paper, 14" x 11".

The Evolutionist is Blue, 2011, digitally altered drawing.

Ancient Orpheus in Amber

2011-10-17T05:40:00.000-07:00

Here is an "amberised" version of the preceding drawing. I did this digitally, of course, as it's non-destructive as opposed to staining & artificially aging the orginal drawing...I like the appearance of the passage of centuries on the surface of the drawing...it gives a greater sense of depth & history...

Ancient Orpheus in Amber, 2011, digitally altered drawing.And here, for my own amusement, if nothing else, is the "Leda" drawing treated similarly:

Leda in Amber, 2011, digitally altered drawing.

The Old Age of Orpheus

2011-10-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

Another mythical ink drawing in the Orpheus series:

The Old Age of Orpheus, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 24" x 19".

Leda of Delft

2011-10-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

This is a digitally reworked version of the preceding drawing that I modified in Photoshop. The final result reminded me of Delft blue pottery, hence the title. Delft is also the city of Vermeer, of course.

Leda of Delft, digitally modified drawing, 2011.

All the Mysteries in All the World

2011-10-15T06:39:00.000-07:00

A Leonardoesque head...loosely inspired by his Leda drawings:

All the Mysteries in All the World, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 24" x 19".

The World Made Whole Again

2011-10-14T19:20:00.000-07:00

Another small drawing for the World series:

The World Made Whole Again, 2011, ink & acrylic on cardboard, 10" x 8".

Breughelesque Head on Pink

2011-10-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

I had been looking at some Leonardo drawings of heads via Google...so, thus inspired, I went into my studio to draw a head, perhaps. The result reminds me more of Breughel, which is still not bad...

Breughelesque Head on Pink, 2011, brush & ink on construction paper, 12" x 12".

Below: the same drawing with the pink tint of the paper digitally removed.

The Immortals

2011-10-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

New monochrome acrylic painting for the World series:

The Immortals, 2011, acrylic on plywood, 48" x 48" approx.

Below is the working sketch for the painting, which was pinned to the wall next to it as I worked. I don't often use preliminary sketches, usually working on a piece from an idea I have in my head & letting the image take shape organically, but this time I had a sketch, which did change quite a bit:

The Immortal (working sketch), 2011, brush & ink on paper, 11" x 8.5".

Where Everything Connects w/Eyes

2011-10-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

I wanted to try out the preceding image below with the eyes painted in, so here I've added them digitally...

Where Everything Connects, 2011, acrylic on canvas, 48" x 48", digitally modified.I'm leaning towards painting the eyes in, but I'm going to sleep on it.

Where Everything Connects | She

2011-10-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

This is a new large painting that relates to the Yggdrasil/World Tree series, as well as containing references to Medusa, the Minotaur, and several other images & themes from over the years. I was intending to keep this quite minimal, but it did grow to be a bit more complex than I originally imagined.

Where Everything Connects | She. 2011, acrylic on plywood, 48" x 48" approx.

The Boy From Atlantis

2011-10-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

This is a new smallish color acrylic painting...I've long been fascinated by the idea of Atlantis as discussed by Plato, and possibly even more so by the seemingly futile attempts of humans to find it...

This painting was done specifically for the Journey to Somewhere collaboration on Flickr with Barry Farmer.

The Boy From Atlantis, 2011, acrylic on board, 14" x 11".

Mondo Tondo

2011-10-02T13:20:00.000-07:00

A new tondo (circular painting/artwork) on cardboard for the World series:

Mondo Tondo, 2011, brush & ink on cardboard, 11" diameter.

Ayton.net home page redesign

2011-09-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

I've just reconfigured my main web site (www.ayton.net) home page to make it more user-friendly and attractive. I think the new version now makes more sense from an end-user perspective & leads the eye around in a more logical way. Here it is in Google's Chrome browser:

I've been working on my web site for around 10 years now, adding more and more to the original code & updating it where possible. It now comprises hundreds of pages, & even I am not sure of all that is on there...

Apostle

2011-09-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

A new large-ish ink drawing, that has a few flaws, but is still worth putting up here, I think.

Apostle, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 23.5" x 18".

The Boy Who Created Darkness

2011-09-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

Another head drawing:

The Boy Who Created Darkness, 2011, brush & ink wash on paper, 12" x 9".

Sketch of a Man's Head

2011-09-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

Another loose-ish brush & ink wash sketch:

Sketch of a Man's Head, 2011, brush & ink wash on paper, 12" x 9".

Sketch of a Woman

2011-09-28T06:33:00.000-07:00

I'm currently working on large-ish monochrome paintings (see recent posts below), so it's useful from time to time to do a smallish drawing to keep in practice, as it were.

Sketch of a Woman, 2011, brush & ink wash on paper, 12" x 9".

And the World Gave Birth to War

2011-09-27T05:38:00.000-07:00

A new monochrome painting, this one done over a color painting that didn't work out...however, it bleeds through in places, and that works in the context of the piece. For the World series, it also fits in with the War Room anti-war pieces.

And the World Gave Birth to War, 2011, acrylic on plywood, 48" x 48" approx.

Re-Creation of the World

2011-09-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

A new color acrylic painting for the World series.

Re-Creation of the World, 2011, acrylic on plywood, 19.75" x 19.25" approx.

Working Sketch

2011-09-21T07:26:00.000-07:00

I'm currently working on some quite large monochrome paintings (see postings below). Here is a working sketch for an upcoming one:

Working sketch for a painting, 2011, pencil & ink on paper, 9" x 9". It will probably change significantly.

The World & All Its Souls

2011-09-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

This is another quite large new painting, for the World series:

The World & All Its Souls, 2011, acrylic on paper on plywood, 48" x 33".

The Book of Souls in Direct Art magazine

2011-09-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of Direct Art magazine (volume 18) has a 2-page spread on The Book of Souls, the drawing/digital art collaboration with Chicago-based artist Tim Lowly, whom I met via Flickr. The spread takes up pages 4 & 5, & features (clockwise from top left): Kiki, Diana, Marshall & James. The magazine should be on sale anytime now (September 2011) & can be found in larger Barnes & Noble & Borders stores, I believe.

Below is a shot of the cover, with artwork by Andrea Kowch:

World Inside a Tree Inside a World

2011-09-19T05:41:00.000-07:00

This is a new, large-ish monochrome painting I did for the ongoing World series:

World Inside a Tree Inside a World, 2011, acrylic on plywood, 48" x 48" approx.Another version of Yggdrasil, the World Tree.

2011-09-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

Another new ink drawing of a head.

Singer, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 12" x 9".

The Alchemist

2011-09-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

One of several pieces with the same (or similar) title. The point being, I suppose, that one wants the alchemy — the magic — to occur, at least a little bit. Otherwise, one just has a good (or otherwise) drawing...

The Alchemist, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 12" x 9".

The Actual Location of the Isle of the Dead

2011-09-16T08:29:00.000-07:00

Another contender for the World series, this one containing a version of Böcklin's Isle of the Dead.

The Actual Location of the Isle of the Dead, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 12" x 9".

Shadow Bay cover evolution

2011-09-16T06:13:00.000-07:00

Below is what will most probably be the final cover of Shadow Bay...details should be available soon...

Today Earth Died

2011-09-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

Another somewhat apocalyptic image for the World series...the title is a reference to a Jim Steranko comic book from the sixties (Strange Tales #168 from 1968, to be precise).

Today Earth Died, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 12" x 9".

I've used this title before on a small drawing.

The Nuclear Powered Boy

2011-09-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

This (again) might be a study for something else, or it might stop right here.

The Nuclear Powered Boy, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 12" x 9".The runaway son of a nuclear A-bomb, probably...

Thanatos Awaits

2011-09-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

This is a new ink drawing for the World series, which also overlaps with Greek mythology.

Thanatos Awaits, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 12" x 9".

Killer

2011-09-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

A darker image from back in 1992:

Killer, 1992, brush & ink on paper, 25.5" x 19.75" approx.

Small World in Equilibrium

2011-09-13T10:09:00.000-07:00

Another one for the World Series.

Small World in Equilibrium, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 12" x 9".

The Whisperer

2011-09-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

Another loose-ish ink drawing / sketch of a head & a hand that could be a study for something more finished...

The Whisperer, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 12" x 9".

The Nihilist

2011-09-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

A new ink drawing entitled "The Nihilist", which is probably a misnomer, as nihilism is a philosophy based on the rejection of moral values, etc., rather than the belief that violence is a viable means of effecting change (though that is sometimes implied)...I was attracted to the word itself more than anything...

The Nihilist, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 12" x 9".

Colossus Trapped Inside the World

2011-09-12T13:59:00.000-07:00

A new ink drawing, possibly for the World Series...

Colossus Trapped Inside the World, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 12" x 9".

Works from the Holocaust series of 2005

2011-09-12T07:48:00.000-07:00

Below is a selection of preparatory studies and also more finished studies from a series of works on the Holocaust that I created in 2005. The original intention of the series was that it form a collaboration with a composer who was preparing musical works to somehow go along with the paintings. He created a number of musical "sketches" for the collaboration, but came to a point where he felt somehow blocked and could not continue. For my part, I created what became a series of 4 triptychs which formed a sort of chronological and imaginative retelling of the Holocaust events. Below, I have posted a selection of the images; some of the rough preparatory paintings, and some larger, more finished pieces. In many cases, I find that the earlier works are more immediate and powerful. The ultimate aim was to produce the triptychs on a much larger and probably more detailed scale, but due to the usual budget and space constraints, this has up to now failed to materialize.

I should add the usual disclaimer that, of course, this series of artworks is against fascism and genocide, and in no way seeks to encourage such atrocities to ever occur again.

Note: an overview of the Holocaust series can be seen on my web site here.

The Final Solution, 2005, acrylic on board, 24" x 24" approx.

The Liberation, 2005, acrylic on board, 24" x 24" approx.

City of Broken Windows (study), 2005, acrlyic on board, 12" x 9".

The Final Solution (study), 2005, acrylic on board, 12" x 9".

The Ghetto (study), 2005, acrylic on board, 10" x 8".

The Train (study), 2005, acrylic on board, 10" x 8".

The Liberation (study), 2005, acrylic on board, 10" x 8".

It's a Lonely World

2011-09-10T13:33:00.000-07:00

Over the years, I've made a goodly number of artworks depicting the world in some way, whether apocalyptic or not. Today I decided to put a selection of them into a Flickr set called The World Series. Below is the latest in the series of such images.

It's a Lonely World, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 12" x 9".

World Caught in the Branches of a Tree

2011-09-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

Another variation on Yggdrasil, the World Tree from Norse mythology...

World Caught in the Branches of a Tree, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 12" x 9".

They Hatch

2011-09-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

This was a drawing started in the early 2000s (2003, I think, but not sure on that), which I abandoned at the time, as it seemed rather complex. However, anything complex can usually be broken down into fairly simple components...In any case, it's another variation on the "figures inside a head" theme.

They Hatch, 2003(?)-2011, brush & ink on paper, 25.5" x 19.75".

Monument to Humanity

2011-09-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

This was a drawing from 2009 that was never completely finished, until today.

Monument to Humanity, 2009-2011, brush & ink on paper, 23.5" x 18".

Dream of a New Empire

2011-09-08T07:31:00.000-07:00

This is a new ink sketch that might become a larger drawing or painting:

Dream of a New Empire, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 12" x 9".

The Lunatic

2011-09-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

Another disturbing/disturbed drawing of a head:

The Lunatic, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 11" x 8.5".

The Idiot

2011-09-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

An ink drawing of a head.

The Idiot, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 11" x 8.5".

Turning the World

2011-09-05T07:50:00.000-07:00

A new smallish figurative ink drawing:

Turning the World, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 11" x 8.5".

Menagerie

2011-09-01T15:47:00.000-07:00

This is the third trilogy of ink drawings (see recent posts).

Menagerie, 2011, brush & ink on paper, each image 11" x 8.5" (combined size 11" x 25.5")

Place of Ancient Heroes

2011-08-30T11:49:00.000-07:00

Another triptych of ink drawings, drawn side by side & at the same time, then joined together in Photoshop:

Place of Ancient Heroes, 2011, brush & ink on paper, each drawing 11" x 8.5".

A page from Shadow Bay

2011-08-28T06:45:00.000-07:00

Here is a screen grab from a PDF of the Shadow Bay ("a noir visual novel") layout (page 119) showing how the text & images work together. This is one of many page layout options from the book -- some of the images take up a full page, in a few cases there are up to 5 or 6 small images on a page with the text. Kudos to Georgia for a great layout job...with around 380 images there was a lot to work with there...

Click the image for a more legible version. Note: the upper drawing is the new replacement image posted a couple of days ago (below).

Hands and Gun

2011-08-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

Another image related to Shadow Bay...this may be on the back cover...

Hands and Gun, 2011, acrylic on board, 10" x 8".

Study of Three Heads

2011-08-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

This was a kind of experiment where I drew the 3 heads at the same time, moving from one to the other, then scanned them & combined them in Photoshop. I think it worked out quite well...I could have taken one long piece of paper to draw the 3 heads on, I suppose, but this way there is a little interruption in between each image that adds some kind of element, I think...

Study of Three Heads, 2011, brush & ink on paper, each image is 11" x 8.5", for a virtual combined total of 11" x 25.5".

A stray image from Shadow Bay

2011-08-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

The following image is a little hint that something might be happening with the Shadow Bay noir crime novel collaboration with Donald J. Rothschild. This is a new image I did today that is a possible replacement for one of the original images. More anon.

Head in Gray

2011-08-24T07:02:00.000-07:00

Another head, "painted" in ink...

Head in Gray, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 11" x 8.5".

Sun Arise

2011-08-23T16:01:00.000-07:00

This may be the final drawing for the reconstituted In Humanity series, one of the orginal drawings from 1991.

Sun Arise, 1991, brush & ink on paper, 16.5" x 11.75".

Human Weapon

2011-08-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

Another drawing from the archives for the newly reconstituted In Humanity series.

Human Weapon, circa 1992, brush & ink on paper, 16.5" x 11.75".

If an Empire were a Monster

2011-08-23T15:16:00.000-07:00

...it might look like this. Rejected (probably) drawing for the In Humanity series from 1992.

If an Empire were a Monster, circa 1992, brush & ink on paper, 16.5" x 11.75".

When Worlds Collide

2011-08-23T05:33:00.000-07:00

Another image orginally intended for the In Humanity series (as was the one in the previous posting).

When Worlds Collide, 1992, brush & ink on paper, 16.5" x 11.75".

The Man with the Synthetic Head

2011-08-23T05:29:00.000-07:00

This was a drawing from 1992, originally associated with the "In Humanity" series.

The Man with the Synthetic Head, 1992, brush & ink on paper, 16.5" x 11.75".

Welcome to the City of the Future

2011-08-21T14:38:00.000-07:00

This apocalyptic acrylic painting was done in 2004 and seems as relevant today as when I did it around 7 years ago.

Welcome to the City of the Future, 2004, acrylic on board, 14" x 11".

Yggdrasil version 2

2011-08-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

A further development of the Yggdrasil (Tree of the World) image...I really need to move up in scale on this.

Yggdrasil version 2, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 12" x 9".

Yggdrasil

2011-08-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

This is an ink sketch for my version of Yggdrasil, the World Tree from Norse mythology. It's an early version & I will probably do more.

Yggdrasil, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 12" x 9".

The Wandering Man

2011-08-19T06:29:00.000-07:00

This is possibly an unfinished piece, or a study for a larger work.

The Wandering Man, 2011, brush & ink on cardboard, 12" x 9".

A Man and His World

2011-08-17T08:14:00.000-07:00

A figure drawing on cardboard...from the backing of a pad of drawing paper.

A Man and His World, 2011, ink & acrylic on cardboard, 12" x 9".

Nocturnal Orpheus

2011-08-16T20:08:00.000-07:00

Ink & acrylic drawing on blue-gray paper. Occasional Orpheus series.

Nocturnal Orpheus, 2011, ink (brush & brush pen) & acrylic on toned paper, 12" x 9".