Pen and Ink
“The Lamniforme Contortions #1”
18” x 24” Pen and Ink
This is a puzzle. It is a puzzle of Great White Sharks, each one bent and twisted to fit within the parameters, like a horrific game of Tetris, with gaps in-between. This was design, this was contrast, and really just a practice in the impractical, and a step toward Insipid Surrealism.
“The Lamniforme Contortions #2”
18” x 24” Pen and Ink
Rarely does a sketch make it out of the sketchbook and into the world. This one did, with the final project beside it, “The Lamniforme Contortions #1”. This is my only sketch (currently) hanging in an Art Gallery, so I suppose it belongs on this page as well.
“Constanta Casino”
18” x 24” Pen and Ink
A beautiful abandon casino in Romania that’s been rebuilt and remodeled and repurposed repeatedly since is wooden timber construction was first built in 1880. It is an amazingly beautiful building that sits on the coast of the Black Sea. It has been a casino, a military hospital during WW2, and a community center. I drew it in a prerenovation state ( after this build it became heavily art deco) and surrounded it with the cold crisp air coming off the sea, and the stretching out nothingness that frames the building perfectly.
Raised in the hard headed patriarchy of the 1980’s, Midwest and Catholic to add insult to injury, I had to unlearn a fair amount of behaviors that didn’t suit my world views. This is a collection of the men who not only believed these bias, these fundamental differences that placed people in a hierarchy of value, are represented by these nearly non-representational faces, each having a distinct feature to represent them. Overall, it’s a dark totem of belief that I still struggle to overcome.
“The Faces of the Men who Raised Me”
18” x 24” Pen and Ink
“Dread Astronomy”
8.5”x11” Pen and Marker
It was a scarecrow at the edge of a outer world farming planet, the form taken from scrap, an old suit that leaked oxygen in an environment that would kill you, old pullies and radiators from tractors no longer repairable. The children had their fun in positioning him in silly poses, until the ships started to appear over the horizon. The scarecrow was the first to see, as no one else paid any attention, it had been peaceful for too long.
“Beneath or Below”
18” x 24” Pen and Ink
I have been berated many times for not having purpose behind what I draw ( this isn’t true for everything, but sometimes form outweighs function). This is just a bundle of kelp with a mouth and eyes wrapped around something inorganic, and for some reason has tentacles. If you find meaning behind this, please share, if it’s better than pointlessness, that I’ll replace this and we will all feign intent.
“Carcinization”
18” x 24” Pen and Ink
Another drawing inspired by the b movie posters of the 50’s and 60’s. This picture includes a variety of Crab Species, Lobsters, and Horseshoe Crabs. I learned too late that horseshoe crabs are not real crabs, more closely related to ticks and scorpions, and it destroyed my theme.
“Entromoloical”
18” x 24” Pen and Ink
This was a bug study that took over my life for about 20 hours over week or so. It is incredible fun drawing bug wings, I highly recommend it. it was only meant to keep my hands busy while I waited for my oil paints to dry, but quickly and without fuss, the oil paintings were pushed aside as this became my prime obsession. Its really just a study on bugs and composition and contrast.
“Analogous Horrors”
8.5” x 11” Pen and Ink
Man, I love the Artwork on the posters for the old Creature features from the 50’s and 60’s. Tired to mimic that, was going to put a woman screaming in horror in the corner, but I preferred the moonlight grass on the hill. All humans are dead apparently as their cities burn. Also , I do realize the irony in putting a car made in the late 60’s into a style of poster popular in the late 50’s.
“Reach”
18” x 24” Pen and Ink
I don’t know what this nonsense is. I had been up for 30 or so hours working on a watercolor ( of squids, cause I love them) and knocked my paint water glass all over it and washed it out. I had maybe 7 hours left until class ( this was my final) and had to do something. I don’t remember what I had said about it during discussion, because, and is has been mentioned by many) that this seems overtly sexual. It was not my intention, but yes, I see it. I think that meaning has wiped away all other meaning I once had for it.
“Analog vs. Analog”
8.5” x 11” Pen and Ink
Of Course with the Advent of new technologies there will be an emotional backlash from adherents to the old forms, this has been true for all of history ( for reference, check out some of the backlash that books got when they were made available to the masses due to the discovery ( or invention?) of movable type). This is just that, except that the space between the Gramophone and the Boombox skips many historical steps ( 8-Tracks are not allowed in this picture!). I think that’s part of the ridiculousness, how can we, in the now times, image that what is essentially garbage, could have been such a cause?
“It Speaks Through Me”
8.5” x 11” Pen and Ink
It’s been thought of as a political statement, but I found it much more personal, just wearing my tie and suitcoat with my plastic head and body parroting the words of the monstrosity with a million eyes that seek to compel action or thought with Judgement and an Omnipresent surveillance. Either way is fine.
“A Prayer for Growth”
18” x 24” Pen and Ink
First, complete and utter love for the Hindu culture, I had to Represent water and life with Ghana, heading this Rube Goldberg like pipe and waterwheel system to grow and feed the Knowledge ( Krishna ) and the Wisdom (Ganesh). I brought in as much symbolism and elements from the classic images as i could. ( there are little mice around here somewhere ), so that I wasn’t just stealing imagery but also intent.
“Sunk”
18” x 24” Pen and Ink
A diving helmet left at the bottom of the ocean. The glass broken, the diver absent. The brass and leather dull, barnacles and small aquatic creatures make the foreign object part of the reef. Distortion-less bubbles reveal hidden patterns and the promise of the past, where the brass has yet to tarnish, the diver yet to meet his fate.
“Tardigrades”
18” x 24” Pen and Ink
Tardigrades can survive nearly anything, and now they may be living a very dehydrated life on the moon (speculative). Figured the little water bears needed a glamour shot, even though I have had to explain at length that these are not assholes.
“The Bastard of Always Been”
18” x 24” Pen and Ink
This is just a catastrophe of detail. There is so much going on. I am aware of the Cliché of “War Pigs”- (thanks Black Sabbath) but I really like the life / death ( and skeletons again!) with the right side mirroring the left side … almost. You have a Soviet Side ( flying American Planes) on the Left ( The Pigs are dressed in North Korean Uniforms, holding together with the thinnest of plot threads) while the Right Side is the American War Machine. ( As indicated on the barrels of the Deck Guns). Oil Monsters and a city skyline is between the two.