Coloured caricature commission

CHECK-ME-OUT! Feelin a bit proud. Feelin a bit "I'm totes awesome". Feeling just too damn cocky to be honest. Yay me!

Below is a full colour commission I've just recently completed. Please bare in mind I'm still very VERY new to the world of digital illustration, so my skills are like that of a young child compared to the masters who do this professionally.

Still... I think what I've been able to achieve is still pretty great, and I can only go up from here. Go me! (Am now grinning like an idiot)

Conundrum In Deed : Band logo design

Conundrum In Deed is an exceptionally talented band based in the UK. Their (beautiful, insightful and exceptionally clever) lyrics are expressed in a musical styling that is a fusion of folk, progressive and psychedelia. So they approached me to design a logo that could concisely represent their music.

Initially I was inspired on the idea of an "impossible object" (cos that to me says "conundrum" right?). So I pitched the impossible cube shape - which they liked. Though their brief needed to include "psychedelia" with amorphous organic intertwining patterns (ie. vines, tentacles and bit o' paisley.)

Bandmate Greg Shields, inspired by the concept of an impossible object then suggested "An impossible cube rusting away in the middle of a psychedelic forest, with bare ground and in the middle of the cube a single 'Holy Flower'* wilting in the middle". *('Holy Flower' being the name of one of their songs).

Following that suggestion is a quick step by step look into how I came up with their final logo design...

Basic outline...

...followed by rough colour...

...FINAL LOGO!!

The band love the logo (WOOT and a pat on the back to moi!) 

Already a fan has commented on their new logo as being:

"The love child of Escher and a tripper at Woodstock" (Tee hee, awesome!) 

To hear some of their music, click here 

(My personal favorite song of theirs is "Laughing Man")

My favorite caricatures (and commissions)

Silly Fat Cow and a Two-faced B

A painting idea that I've had dancing around in circles in my head for many many years.

I'd often wondered what people would look like if name calling or insults could be literal, for example, what would a silly fat cow or a two-faced bitch really look like? Perhaps something like the circus-freak-show-clowns that live in Tinsel Town? I'll admit within this painting there is a wee homage to Ms. Spears (whom I'm actually fond of) and Ms. Hilton.

And in hindsight *pauses to think* I think I should have made the cow orange (as in "fake tan orange")

Eureka!!.... oops not quite.

Image property of the Bendigo Historical Society

Margaret Kennedy and Julia Farrell start The Rush

Earlier this year the Bendigo Art Gallery announced The Paul Guest Prize for drawing.

I was excited by this news for a number of reasons, I'd visited Bendigo the previous year to view the touring 2009 Archibald exhibition and I had throughly enjoyed the weekend away indulging in the history of this once famous gold rush city. I was also keen to rise to the challenge of breaking out the old watercolour pencils giving myself a break from painting...

but if I'm really honest, the real selling clincher was the $10,000 prize money - Ha! I mean why not give it a go right?

There was no appointed theme for the competition which suited me. I'd already been inspired by a small slice of Bendigo history; allegedly in 1851 two women, Margaret Kennedy and Julia Farrell found gold which was picked up by a newspaper journalist which was how the gold rush got started in Bendigo. There is not much documentation on this story but I found it quite interesting all the same.

Painstakingly drawn - seriously, it took ages - on A1 drawing board with layer upon layer of watercolour pencil I illustrated my interpretation of Kennedy and Farrell finding gold. Surrounding them are ghost or shadow images of a number of future iconic structures to Bendigo, ie. Bendigo's talking tram, the Town Hall and the entrance to the Chinese Museum.

Below: Bendigo fountain on Pall Mall and the Chinese Museum entrance,

Bendigo's talking tram, lookout tower, the Town Hall

Images property of the Bendigo Historical Society

Click on any of the photos to view larger

My entry was unsuccessful. Am I disappointed? Totally!

I put a lot of care and thought into this work - as I do with all my work. Though I had really tailored my concept for Bendigo specifically thinking that it would appeal to the judging panel at the Bendigo Art Gallery. Obviously it didn't work, and maybe that's even the reason why it wasn't selected because it was TOO "Bendigo".

In all honesty, the images I have don't really do the work justice.The pencil work is so fine and there is so much small detail that it was actually a very difficult work to photograph. To see this work in the "flesh" is quite vibrant and impressive. I'm proud of this work.

Image property of the Bendigo Historical Society

click on photo to view larger

696INK: Erotic Grotesque

The painting above (painted by moi) will appear in the upcoming Erotic Grotesque exhibition at gallery 696INK. I call it "I Love Crabby Women"

Artists participating in 'Erotic Grotesque': Ashlee Duggan, Rev "Blood Painter" Mayers, Mark Powell, Dale Keogh, Beau White, Curran James, Jason Jacenko, Elspeth McIntosh, Matthew Turner, Sally Hanreck, Meg Woodsworth, Wendy Olsen and more

Cancer Council Victoria 2010 Arts Awards ‘Lost and Found’

Cancer Council Victoria has selected my painting of Mum for their 2010 Arts Awards. I’m really proud to be included in this exhibition for so many reasons, one of the biggest reasons is it’s a very personal, sentimental and emotional painting to me.

The exhibition will open on Sunday 11 July 3-5pm @ 120 Collins Street Melbourne and run until the Friday 30 July.

As part of the exhibition there is a people's choice award. For any of you who might like to show your support, please click here to vote. Voting finishes November 2010.

Thank you :)

Moore painting publicity.

After not getting into the Archibald earlier this year, my entry of Richard Moore WAS in actual fact selected by the Salon de Refusés, aka Hidden Faces of the Archibald. But for personal reasons I refused the Refusés.

I'd posted the painting on my blog, and shortly there after I was contacted by someone who wanted to do a profile piece on me and my entry of Richard Moore for the RMIT Alumni online newsletter. I was very flattered and accepted the opportunity to share my painting to a wider audience.

(click here to read profile)

696INK: Grand Opening Group Show (Featuring work by ME!)

Jon Beinart, creator of Toddlerpedes and founder of BeInArt Surrealist Collective asked me (via Elspeth) to submit my Maam Alian works into 696INK’s grand opening group show.

This was very flattering... so I am.

This visual art and tattoo gallery, although small, is an amazing place with really exceptional works by many truly amazing artists. Included in this group show will be Elspeth McIntosh, Jon Beinart and Jason Jacenko and many more kick-arse artists.

Details: Friday 5^th of March, 6pm – 696 Sydney Road, Brunswick, VIC.

Email 696ink@gmail.com to be on the mailing list.

Above flyer artwork by Jason Jacenko.