Reverie

This is a recent oil painting I did in support of the documentary film "Better Things: The Life and Choices of Jeffrey Catherine Jones", directed by Maria P. Cabardo. The proceeds from the sale of the work will be donated to help with the film's expenses and it will also be part of a tribute book.

Check out the website and facebook page for this project about the legendary comic book artist/illustrator:

www.macabfilms.com

www.facebook.com/pages/Better-Things-The-Life-and-Choices-of-Jeffrey-Catherine-Jones

"Reverie", oil on canvas, 2013

Dredged up from the vault.....

Woah! Here's some crazy shit I painted probably two years ago now. Not sure I can verbally describe what it's all about. Subconscious, symbolic weirdness. My favourite stuff! Anyway I'd love to hear some subjective interpretations....I call it "Slave to the Stone", oil on canvas, 2011

Everblack

The release of the new album 'Everblack' from The Black Dahlia Murder has been announced and the artwork I contributed has been revealed. The job entailed the full layout for the package including a 3-panel gatefold illustration. It's actually a triptych of three separate oil on canvas paintings which I photographed then digitally stitched together into a sprawling landscape. The three paintings together measure 180cm wide.

Front cover

Full 3-panel gatefold

If you're a fan of the band you can listen to the new song "Into the Everblack" here as well as preorder the album (check out that sexy purple & white marbled vinyl!) -  http://www.metalblade.com/bdm

Beastwars Rip It Up!

An odd job that came up recently was a cover illustration for Rip It Up magazine April/May issue. The mag's  cover usually consists of photographs of featured musicians, so the opportunity to do a far-out digital painting of local Wellington band Beastwars was an opportunity not to pass up. Extra-terrestrial calamari anyone?

http://www.ripitup.co.nz/

Blood Becomes Fire

So, with the new album on the verge of release, I can unveil the recent paintings I've done for Beastwars' second sonic assault "Blood Becomes Fire". In keeping with the format of their debut album I've painted another two complementary gatefold images, my attempt to visually interpret the powerful narrative and conceptual themes of the album. 

As described by the band: 

"The new album serves witness to the end of days, told through the eyes of a dying traveler from another time. It is a work inspired by eternal themes. 'It's a reflection on mortality, death and disease. Sooner or later they come for all of us and we've all screamed to the gods for answers, not that they've ever come.'"

Check out the band's new website here:

http://www.bloodbecomesfire.com/

And a taster of the album:

https://soundcloud.com/destroy-records/beastwars-blood-becomes-fire

Front/back cover

Inner gatefold

Stay tuned for further posts detailing the creative process from pencil sketches through to the finished  oil paintings.....

A slightly alternative wedding portrait

Something dragged out from the vault of last years eclectic mix of artwork. This is an oil on canvas commission for a wedding present to the couple pictured. I decided to put a bit of a fantasy twist on it to make something more unique. It proved to be quite a tricky task working from a number of pre-existing photographs, and as such choosing lighting and the ability to work from life was off the table. Having said that it's always good to challenge oneself and I learned a lot from the process.

This was done early last year, prior to attending the Florence Art Academy Summer School in figure painting (See earlier posts from September for the results). I was truly inspired and learned so much from that trip I've been itching to do some more figurative work from life. Time to remedy that very soon.....

Middle Earth Madness

So a bit of an update to the blog with a slightly different flavour than usual. As part of the gigantic Tourism NZ campaign associated with the release of the Hobbit, my colleagues at Weta Gus Hunter, Paul Tobin and I have done a series of illustrations transforming photography from around New Zealand into illustrations depicting locations and characters from Middle Earth. The idea being to convey that with a little bit of imagination New Zealand is Middle Earth. Here are a couple of my images that have been released so far.

Check out the website to see Gus and Paul's work too:

http://www.newzealand.com/int/

Elven maidens watch soldiers ford the River Bruinen on their approach to Rivendell

Radagast's rabbit drawn sleigh hurtles through the depths of Mirkwood