Place of Ancient Heroes

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

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

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

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

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

Another head, "painted" in ink...

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

Sun Arise

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

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

...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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sculptural

Just a drawing that turned out quite well.

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

Owen M and the Souls of Arcadia

The latest entry in the Book of Souls, a collaboration with Tim Lowly. I create the original artwork (in the handmade sense) & he does the photography, layout & digital magick parts...

Owen M and the Souls of Arcadia

Owen M is a neighbor of mine here in Rhinebeck, NY.

The Captive Mind

This is another of a series of heads containing figures. The title comes from a book by Czesław Miłosz.

The Captive Mind, 2011, brush & ink on tinted paper, 12" x 9".

Tendrilhead

An ink drawing of a head on blue-gray tinted paper. Related to the Tree Man series of pieces.

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

The Escape

Another new ink drawing on tinted paper.

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

She grew weary of weaving worlds

New brush & ink drawing on tinted paper.

She grew weary of weaving worlds, 2011, ink on paper, 12" x 9".

Figures Reflected in an Eye

This was a drawing I did back in 1993 as possibly part of the In Humanity series. I've never photographed it until now. While it doesn't really fit in the series, I think it's a strong piece.

Figures Reflected in an Eye, 1993, brush & ink on paper, 16.5" x 11.75" approx.

Broken Egg

Another painting from around 2004, of a giant broken egg among mountains.

Broken Egg, circa 2004, acrylic on board, 12" x 9".

Blue Ruin

This was a painting from around 2004 that I've never photographed before.

Blue Ruin, circa 2004, acrylic on plywood, 12" x 12".

Forbidden Landscape

New small landscape drawing for the Journey to Somewhere collaboration with Barry Farmer over on Flickr.

Forbidden Landscape, 2011, brush & ink (with traces of acrylic) on paper, 11" x 8.5".

Cathedral

This is a small acrylic painting from 2004, in a much larger version than I've uploaded before.

Cathedral, 2004, acrylic on board, 8" x 6".

Ruined City Inside a Giant, Broken Egg

New drawing for the Journey to Somewhere collaboration:

Ruined City Inside a Giant, Broken Egg, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 11" x 8.5".

Land of Wonders

Here is a little fantastic landscape drawn on a piece of artificially aged paper:

Land of Wonders, 2011, ink on stained paper, 11" x 8.5".

Another art scam email

From time to time I get things like this (in this case from a "Pamela Gascoyne" via Gmail):

"Hope this message finds you well. I saw these creatives works on your web site and I will like you to get back with more details if they are still available for purchase.

Orpheus | Angel
2011, 16.5" x 14"
china marker & ink on paper

Faith Healer
2011, 23.5" x 18"
ink on paper

I will appreciate an urgent reply."

At first glance, this might look like a genuine inquiry about buying art. However, there are a couple of red flags that pop up straightaway. The odd grammar for a start, suggests that this is at least not a native English speaker (which in itself is not a problem, of course). I think the real giveaway here is the lack of detail or curiosity...a person actually interested in buying a piece of art would probably be a bit more forthcoming about why they liked the art & wanted to buy it. They would also probably ask for more details about the piece...I myself might be a bit cautious about buying a work of art based on a low-resolution photo on a web site...I might ask for more photos & details.

Luckily, the idiosyncratic grammar made it easy to discover that this was a scam...I merely pasted the words into Google (inside quotation marks so as to find an exact match) & a number of web sites popped up indicating that this was indeed a scam. Here is one:

http://stopartscams.blogspot.com/2011/04/scam-email-janet-miller.html

How could someone wanting to buy some art be a scam? you might ask...well, the way it usually works is that the buyer wants to send you a check for more than the value of the art, as they have a "client in your country" to whom they owe a couple of thousand dollars. They send you a banker's check, you put it in your account. A couple of days later it seems that the money is there, so you cut a check for the "client" & send the money on. You also send the art to the buyer. A couple of weeks later, you find the check you received was a fake & that you are out a couple of thousand dollars & have also lost a piece of art (plus shipping & packing costs), which may be on the scammer's wall, or in a dumpster somewhere.

Luckily for potential artist victims, the scammers aren't very creative with their solicitations. When you're sending out hundreds or thousands of these, they are mainly cut-and-paste jobs, so Googling for the exact language will often find other examples from the same person (or even someone else copying them). If in doubt, do a Google search, for example for: " saw these creatives works on your web site and I will like you"...

Seller beware! I hope this helps someone avoid an unpleasant & costly situation.

The End

The original final drawing from the In Humanity series, which I'm keeping in place, at least for the moment.

The End, 1992, brush & ink on paper, 16.5" x 11.75".

The complete In Humanity series can be seen here.

The Family

A drawing from 1991 for the reconfigured In Humanity series:

The Family, 1991, brush & ink on paper, 16.5" x 11.75".

The complete In Humanity series can be seen here.

Small ink drawing of a head

Probably from around 2002:

Small ink drawing of a head, circa 2002, pen & ink on paper, 5.5" x 4".

Little Bosch Monster

This is a small homage to Hieronymus Bosch that I did on a piece of paper my son aged & textured for me. I've always been fascinated by Bosch's humorous yet terrifying creations, so here is my version of one of them (a pastiche, not a copy):

Little Bosch Monster, 2011, brush & ink on prepared paper, 11" x 8.5".

Drought

This is a drawing from the "In Humanity" series from 1991. I'm currently editing & reassembling that series over on Flickr...

Drought, 1991, brush & ink on paper, 16.5" x 11.75" approx.

Swimmer in a Vortex

This is a drawing I did on a piece of textured paper my son (age 9) prepared for me. He wet the paper & then laid it on a plastic tray that had an embossed design on it. Unfortunately, the texture doesn't come out as well in the scan as in real life.

Swimmer in a Vortex, 2011, brush & ink on textured paper, 11" x 8.5".

Head Starting to Collapse

This drawing was unsigned & undated...I think it's from around 2003...

Head Starting to Collapse, around 2003, brush & ink on paper, 12.5" x 9.25" approx.

Soul at Rest

Another drawing from my archives, this one from 2003:

Soul at Rest, 2003, brush & ink on paper, 14" x 11".

Ascension

This was from a series called "In Humanity" that I did back in 1991. I just found this drawing an a closet & decided to take a new photo of it.

Ascension, 1991, brush & ink on paper, 16.5" x 11.75" approx.

Suspended Above The Abyss

Another one from around 1992 or 1993:

Suspended Above The Abyss, 1992/3, brush & ink on paper, 16.5" x 11.75" approx.

By The Silent Pool

Another one from 1992:

By The Silent Pool, 1992, brush & ink on paper, 16.5" x 11.75" approx.

At World's End

I've destroyed the world several times over the years...here's one from 2002...

At World's End, 2002, brush & ink on paper, 14" x 11".

Dark Sun Shining

New photo of a previously unseen drawing from 2003:

Dark Sun Shining, 2003, brush & ink on paper, 14" x 11".

Reaching Into The Earth

Figure drawing from 1992.

Reaching Into The Earth, 1992, brush & ink on paper, 16.5" x 11.75" approx.

The Tower of Babel

Another old ink drawing of a favorite theme.

The Tower of Babel, circa 1993, brush & ink on paper, 16.5" x 11.75" approx.

The Acrobats

I've been going through some old pieces this morning, as you can see, & taking new photos of them, in some cases these are the first photos that have been taken.

The Acrobats, 1993, brush & ink on paper, 16.5" x 11.75".

Worlds Within Worlds

Another new photo of an ink drawing done back in 1993.

Worlds Within Worlds, 1993, brush & ink on paper, 16.5" x 11.75" approx.

La Petite Mort, 1993

A new photo of an ink drawing done while I lived in Paris, which is one reason why the title is in French.

La Petite Mort, 1993, brush & ink on paper, 16.5" x 11.75" approx.

Healer

This is a small drawing I did a couple of days ago for this week's collaboration with NC Mallory -- this is the 37th themed drawing we've done...

Healer, 2011, brush & ink on paper, 10" x 8".

You can see the combined drawings here and the portfolio of works so far here.

Standing Figure, Watching

I painted this simple figurative image over an ink drawing, which is mostly not visible in the finished piece, but it does add texture.

Standing Figure, Watching, 2011, acrylic & ink on tinted paper, 12" x 9".