MODERN SAINTS

MODERN SAINTS

THE PEOPLE PORTRAYED IN THIS SERIES ARE PEOPLE WHO SEEMED TO HAVE EVERYTHING, BUT NOT HAPPINESS OR REAL ONE TO ONE LOVE.

MARILYN PATRON SAINT OF UNREQUITED LOVERS AND ROMANTICS

Did anyone ever have so much love without personal happiness. I wonder ?

DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES

PATRON SAINT OF THE SICK AND UNWANTED

During her life if you were an AIDS sufferer or down and out or one of our many barely tolerated minorities, Diana was a symbol of how authority and the powerful should behave. What a shame that she seemed to never have real love apart from the obvious love from her sons. Compassion and tolerance cost nothing and if you love someone make sure they know it. We still love you Di, you were not perfect, but you were human as are we all x

Book Covers 2011/2012

This is the beginning of a new project For Swansea Metropolitan University, a collection of book covers.

Marianne Faithfill and David Dalton's co-authored autobiography faithfull

This book is a classic. It entails all the highs and lows of Marianne's chaotic ride through the psychedelic life of the "Swinging Sixties". Her friendships with multiple celebrities of that era The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd. Then onto the dark years of the seventies to her triumph with "Broken English" in the eighties. Unlike a lot of rock stars who apollogise for their flaws Marianne shrugs and says "Well you know me Darling, I'm very selfish, I did it regardless". I have never read a book that felt so much like having a delicious gossip with a very close friend, absolute genius as of course is Marianne.

The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley

Details the life and times of pscychedelic explorer and his experiments with halucinogenics, mushrooms, LSD and Mescaline. A real boundary breaking book, the Doors took their name from this book, what better recommendation. 

Abarat, Absolute Midnight by Clive Barker

A world where time zones really take on a new meaning, an archipelago of islands that are always the same time of day. From Midnight where all dark associated beings are happiest to Noon where all the great summer things rule and back. Join Candy Quackenbush and her chums on a fun, often creepy jaunt through the Abarat.

Mater Motley, original sketch

Anyone who knows me will know that I love Clive Barker's work, his books, films and artwork all give the same feeling of luxury discomfort and tension. Am I a sick puppy? You bet! This image is my imagining of Mater Mottley, Christopher Carion's souless, evil grandmother. She takes centre stage in Absolute Midnight and she is fabulously evil. This is only my initial sketch (Above), I would like to stay true to the original colours of the Clive Barker illustration for the final piece, below...

Final Image for Abarat Book Four: Absolute Midnight

Fantasy and Psychedelia

Death and The Maiden

Gone Hollywood

Gone Hollywood

Bette Davis as Baby Jane Hudson, enraptured by the doll of herself as a child

Marilyn Monroe

Lillian Gish  

Claudette Colbert

Louise Brookes

Mae West

Bette Davis

Bette Davis as Jane Hudson in

"Whatever Happened To Baby Jane ?"

Above is the initial sketch in a of designs for stamps

This is the same image cleaned up in adobe CS5. The eyes have been made smaller

and Jane now has that trapped in the headlights look that I wanted.

Joan Crawford

This is my untouched sketch of Joan Crawford as Blanche Hudson in "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane". In this scene Jane Hudson (Bette Davis) has just served Blanche her pet budgie on a bed of salad. I can only think it was the wrong dressing.

The same sketch cleaned up, once more the spotlight adds a feeling of Joan's helplessness and horror at being left in the care of her dangerous and mad sister Jane.

EAT THE BIRD BITCH !

These sketches finally began to really work when I added them together. This is not a sceneFrom "Baby Jane", In the film Jane serves up the bird to her crippled sister and goes out of the door. She closes the door and leans against it, listening with a mischievous look on her face. Then Blanche lifts the lid of her tray and as she screams in horror we go back to Jane who rubs her hands together and gives a demented laugh as she stomps happily into her own bedroom.

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton

Initial sketch

Edited in CS5, at the moment I like the initial sketch better

Merle Oberon and Lawrence Olivier

Merle Oberon as the tragic Cathy and Lawrence Olivier as the brooding, vengeful Heathcliffe. This film although almost corny now remains an all time favourite of mine.

Kathryn Hepburn and Spencer Tracey

Nevermind what film these two stars are paired in their chemistry is always stella.

Lauren Baccall and Dick Bogart

Bogie and Baccall

What a combination. I love Lauren Baccall, in film in interviews, she is always interesting always in control, but most importantly honest and charming.

I Hope That I have caught their chemistry here.

Farrah Fawcett and Lee Majors

This is a lovely publicity shot of Farrah and Lee. They look so happy, but only months later they began divorce proceedings. Who says the camera never lies?

Scarlett O'Hara and Rhet Butler

Clarke Gable and Viviene Leigh in Gone With The Wind

New Military Art

After re-visiting The Land Remembers, I was reminded of a friend who was killed in Afghanistan Tobie Fas Fous. I spent sometime looking at images and felt very moved that these young men are giving their lives to protect people who are a mystery to them. It provided these mental images, I hope it doesn't offend anyone, I love our guys and hope that no more of them die in this awfull war

When The War Is Over And The Soldiers Are Gone The Land Remembers (Revisited)

A Friend of mine works for The Australian Veterans charity and he was explaining the effects of Agent Orange, Napalm et cetera on the land and the soldiers and civillians involved in that war. It was horrific to hear of the side effects that the veterans and vietnamese are living with to this day almost 40 years later. He also told me that the dust from napalm is carcinogenic. I sometimes think humanity is a disease and the Earth is dying of it.

New Surrealist Artwork

66 Years On Armageddon Road and We Haven't Learned A Thing or Hiroshima Nagasaki Mon Amour En Morte

This image could also be under the military images. I am very anti-war but support our soldiers and their fight to protect freedom where they are fighting. War in general though has generally proved useless and in the middle east especially so. However this image is in relation to man's constant striving towards a more total destruction and the blind way that we keep creating new ways to kill each other instead of working on getting along together. The other odd thing about this was that I arrived in Japan on the anniversary of the Hiroshima/Nagasaki Bombings and we were flying over Hiroshima and I got a chill thinking that it was probably very like the view on the day it happened. Finally this is not anti-american or anti anything other than self destruction of our species via dangerous weapons and technology.

Angels Eggs Spawn Free Will In Parallel Universes As The All Seeing Eyes

Cries With Joy And Sorrow

This is my latest painting, I worked out what I wanted in Photshop (See Below). It is about the duality of the soul and that we all come from the same genetic material, good or bad come from our experiences and inclination, is temperament learned or intrinsic to our being.

Pretentious Moi?

Angels Eggs Spawn Free Will In Parallel Universes As The All Seeing Eyes

Cries With Joy And Sorrow

This Was the prototype for my latest painting, I worked out what I wanted in Photoshop before adding any details to the actual oil painting. Which saved a lot of time and distress.

Below is another example of the above, using photoshop to get an idea and improve on it before commiting to "real" media.

Head In The Clouds, Feet On The Ground

The above image came into my head while listening to the late great Poly Styrene's Last CD "Generation Indigo", it has a line about having your head in the clouds and your feet on the ground and this nightmare image flashed into my head so strong, that I had to pull over and sketch it before it was gone. The response to this has been everything from horror to outright laughter, I like that.

This is the version I have painted, it is done in accrylics, oils and ink. It is still a work in progress and the idea feels as if it is almost becoming political, blind authority, corruption and decay. I am working on her children and will upload those sketches too before loading the final image. It goes without saying that I will dedicate this image to Poly Styrene and The X-Ray Spex, Love you guys and miss you Poly x.

She Would Charm The Creatures Of Land Air And Sea

This is the prototype for painting number three of my latest burst of creativity. Can't wait to get it on canvas.

The above image has now changed again and this image below is now the final version, until it is done in oils.

I Tried To Run But Was Turned To Stone By The Tiger Print Elephant Eclipse With Mayans And Minge

Another Initial image from my latest crop of surrealism, hope you like it

                                         This is just the initial sketch but I am itching to paint it !

Ectoplasmic Elephant Breach In A Southern Sunset With Confused Birds And Relaxing Dieties

This is a creature looking for a painting to be in, Working on it lol

Above are some more of my currently homeless art creatures

This is a sketch of a strange seventies nightmare I had as a teenager

This is my Whalephant, I only have the idea for this creature at the moment, but I am working on a home place for it in a setting or scene.

These are my elephflies and Giraffe Moths also waiting for a nice jungle setting I think