"The Orchid"

"The Orchid"

water colours on illustration board

9 1/2 inches x 15 inches

It has been a few months since I have posted any new work, but this is because I have started many projects and, of course, haven't finished any of them. This, however, I managed to conceive and create all in one day.

I have begun a new series of water colour paintings with the theme of flowers. This one, entitled "The Orchid" took approximately 6 hours to complete. I have begun work on the next in the series, "Snap Dragon" and hope to have it completed in the next few days. I am really enjoying these new pieces.

Drifting in the Current

For the last several days I have been preparing myself for the variety show Nacer Del Agua at the Lyric Theatre here in Hamilton. For the first time in my life I was painting live on a stage during the show in front of a large audience.


The only criteria I was given was to include the theme of water. I went through several ideas over the course of a month, none I was really satisfied with. Then at 3am on Friday, inspiration struck and I quickly sketched out several ideas of a Nyad: a faerie like creature that lives in lake and rivers.


In the end I drew 4 different version and decided on this one. I loved her high arching shoulder, and how she seems to be caught in mid movement, her hair turning into the shape of a gold fish. It seemed the most beautiful and ethereal of all the sketches.

Let the Arting Begin...

It was at the beginning of the month that I moved into my apartment: the first time I have ever had my own space completely to myself, and I must say it is pretty fantastic. I went from living in a student house shared with 8 other kids, all 18 and all living on their own for the first time. I was in a small basement room which made it very difficult to paint, let alone live a sane life. I have only been in my new place for 3 weeks and I have noticed a definite change in my quality of life for the better.


It is wonderful to have space to do art again, and half of my living room is permanently set up as an art nook and I am well on my way to updating my portfolio.


The painting I am working on in the photo is actually a test piece for something quite exciting. Next weekend I will be part of a variety show at a local theatre here in Hamilton, that has many acts including music pieces and arial silks routines to the theme of water. During the whole performance, which will be about an hour and a half long, I will be on the stage painting live from start to finish. Completely nerve-wracking but very thrilling. It will be the first time I have ever done anything like this and I am hopeful it will grant me the attention of the people of Hamilton in the art scene to help me break into it more. And who knows, maybe I will even be able to sell the painting and make a little money!

Folk 'n' Roll

At the beginning of the year, I was commissioned by a band to do the Album artwork for their second Album. The theme was hitchhiking on a desolate road where no one will pick up the hitchhiker. 


I wanted to give the images a grungy, almost crude feeling to them, which the band really enjoyed. All in all, everyone was pretty happy with the results.


The Plain Steel, Front Cover: 2011
- water colour, ink
- 12x12 inches, illustration board

The two pieces in total took a long time to complete, probably over 20 hours, and both pieces each were started once and then restarted after the first attempts weren't coming out the way I wanted them to. I had a very difficult time trying to capture the tail lights of the cars driving past with water colours, and I am still not really satisfied with them, but as of now I am not sure how I can improve on them. It is something I am going to try to figure out some other time.


The Plain Steel, Back Cover: 2011
- water colour, ink
- 12x12 inches, illustration board

Her Roots Run Deep

This is a paid commission piece I did back at the beginning of the year. The man who commissioned it had been flipping through my sketchbook and noticed all of my drawings of women becoming trees, and asked for a large painting in that theme that he could hang next to all the H R Giger prints he had. Thus, this painting came into being. It was rather fun because the piece was entirely experimental as I tried many techniques I never used before, including blowing jets of air on the paint to create the branches. This piece is one of the most  organic paintings I have created to date.
(note: this is not the completed version. Completed version will be added to the blog soon)

Her Roots Run Deep: 2012

- water colour, ink

- 20x32 inches, illustration board

RIP, Uncle Bernie

Sadly, on December 24, 2011, my Uncle Bernie passed away. He had been sick for a long time and was fighting so hard, but in the end succumbed to several infections while his immune system was all but gone. I painted this as a gift for my cousin and aunt to remember him when he was healthy, happy and full of wonderful life. I can only hope that I have done him justice with this portrait.



Bernie: 2012
- water colour
- 20x32 inches, illustration board

Bare and Weeping

December of last year found me finally rooting myself again, moving to a new city to be near new friends and start new adventures. I had just bought a new set of prismacolour markers and to celebrate the new me, I drew this picture of a tree woman shedding the frostbitten leaves of winter, ready for spring to come again and bring on the new growth.

Bare and Weeping: 2011

- prismacolour markers, ink

- 9x12 inches