The Dream Hunters

Limited edition prints of my entry are available for $20 and all proceeds go to the American Red Cross Japanese Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami relief fund.

Please support Japan and get a piece of art in the process!

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This illustration is based on Neil Gaiman's "The Dream Hunters" in which a clever Fox and a sly Badger make a wager to steal a Buddhist Monk's temple home from him. Which ever one chases the Monk away gets to keep his home as their own. In the process of this wager, the Fox takes human form and falls in love with the Monk. If you want to know the rest, you'll need to read the story ^^

I decided to set my illustration in the dream world where the Monk and the Fox spend some time together and consummate their love for each other. I also attempted to incorporate some classic Japanese-esque elements into my composition such as the symmetrical layout of the clouds and figures. The graphic swirls in the clouds and the color palette were inspired from many Ukiyo-E prints from ancient Japan, specifically Hokusai and Hiroshige. Although these elements are taken from the Japanese masters, the illustrative style remains my own.

The Dream Hunters - WIP - Finished Line Art

The final lines are completed. I added another layer of clouds in the background as it felt a bit undefined. Though it is a dreamscape and space has no meaning, I did want to further develop the idea and felt that this really helped to solidify my initial idea. The next phase is the painting. I probably won't take any photos during this phase. My next upload will most likely be the finished painting.

The Dream Hunters - WIP

This is my initial layout and concept for my entry in an art exhibition for Japan relief being held on June 11th in Chicago. The show is themed around Japan's influence on us as individual artists and how it has played a roll in shaping us.

My concept is based upon Neil Gaiman's "The Dream Hunters" which is a tale steeped in Japanese folklore. I don't want to give too much about the image away at this juncture, but suffice it to say I will be posting at least one more stage before the final painting is don. I'll give you a bit more in the next installment....

Caffeinated Distortion

Painting 12/20 for my series "The Devil's Cup". The ellipses in this image are a bit pinched and out of concentric alignment to symbolize my desperate need for caffeine to re-align my head, vision and mind each morning.

I'm such an addict....

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse

This painting was done from a detailed plein air sketch and painting at Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Bristol, Maine. After getting all essential information down in my sketchbook I did this painting on a piece of Clayboard back at "Bold Colorful Life" which was the gigantic farmhouse where I was staying with my fellow painters, the Sons of Turner.

Sons of Turner 2011: Booth Bay, Maine - Day 5

Day 5: Rockland, ME

We took a trip to Rockland which is another port town. This place was a more middle of the road town in terms of population and class of people. The sky was gloomy but the rain held off the entire time we were there.

The Strand is a theatre where they offer HD operas and fine art performances via projection screens. Basically it's a movie theatre for people into the fine arts. MBK sat in Rock Town Coffee and Books and drew the building. He's got an incredible way of free hand drawing object in perspective and nailing it. So jealous...

This sign is not for a diner... it's for the Freeport Museum of Art. This piece is an installation at the top of the museum. It fooled me...

While wandering around Rockland I wandered down near the docks and noticed this at shrine at the bottom of a tree. It was not only creepy, but obviously the home of a worshiper of Dagon, the Philistine fish god.

After Rockland, MBK and a few others went out to procure lobsters for our dinner. Gabriella texted me with "The lobsters are staring at me from the back seat with puppy-dog eyes..." If the lobsters only knew what we had in mind for them back at the house...

Bob went to town on the little guys. At first he was a bit sad to throw the little guys into a boiling pot but he quickly grew accustomed to his role and killed the remaining 8 lobsters.

We did have an opportunity to paint one of our lobster friends before we sent him to his death. We named him "Nom-Nom" since we knew he was gonna be yummy... Morbid?

Little Nom-Nom never stood a chance...

Sons of Turner 2011: Booth Bay, Maine - Day 4

Day 4: Pemaquid Point Lighthouse

The south eastern coast of Maine is divided into little finger-like peninsulas. Boothbay Harbor is at the southern tip of the peninsula that we are staying on, Pemaquid Point Lighthouse is on the tip of the next peninsula to the north-east.

After paying the $2 admission for the day, we wandered the premises and looked inside a few of the buildings available to the public. Inside the first one we saw this winch-like mechanism and an old anchor. This building had an awesome view of the immense, rocky shore.

The winch and the anchor...

Bob sat and worked on a really nice painting. You should see it...

The rocky outcropping looked like a titan had clawed it's way up to the surface and this shore was what remained of it's efforts. No matter how hard I tried to capture the immensity of the area and the long drops off the side of the cliff, these images do not evoke the immensity of the shore.

We had an awesome lunch at the little shop next door and I even got to see a gigantic moose come out of the woods and cross the road in front of my car... alas... no pictures...