Huge Update!

Well it's been an absurdly busy month filled with tons of art, exhausting events, exciting new projects, and tons of other chaos.

So we'll start with good old Fan Expo, the mecca and hub for just about everything I care about as an artist. Using all of the knowledge I acquired from running a table last year I was able to DELIVER. An absolutely awesome, exhausting weekend that I won't soon forget.



Immediately following the insanity of Fan Expo 2008 was the [Re] Remix Show at the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto. If you've been following my blog for any amount of time you probably know all about it by now. All 10 artists produced a painting, then each artist chose 3 or more of their favourites and "remixed" it, creating a new piece that echoed the original in some way. It was an incredible success with a very nice turnout as well.

(photo credit Nick Hanekom ) Notice my cowboy painting in its epic frame on the far left.


One of my remixes. Extra points for the space invader on the cell phone.


Last but not least I've snagged a freelance gig in the ever-elusive world of video games, which I am incredibly excited about. I don't know many of the details except it's steampunk-themed and I get to do character art, which is always sweet.


Much more to come so stay tuned.

Something a little different...

A piece for the upcoming Remix show. (see last post) Took quite a different approach then my usual work, but I'm really enjoying the results. Notice how the woodgrain shows through the paint? I avoid priming wood only because I love the texture of the woodgrain, so instead I stained it a few times which added so much life early on that the painting came together effortlessly. More stuff like this in the future.

[RE-] :: Remix!

The final version of my first submission to the [RE-] :: Remix Show at the Gladstone Gallery in Toronto. I'm quite pleased with the results.

Chaos Layout

A page layout I'm working on for Chaos 2. Still lots of work to go but I'm enjoying the 'cluttered desk' look so far.

More Chaos...

It's been far too long without an update.
Just another panel for Chaos.

On the easel tonight

Another piece for the upcoming "Square Foot" show at the AWOL gallery. Fans of my art might recognize this as one of my staple characters.
This is the first time in a very long while that I've painted on an actual canvas. Gah! Wood is a million times easier, especially where fine details and mixed media effects come in to it My local art store had been ransacked for its 12X12 wood panels (I wonder why...) so I was forced.
I must say it turned out quite nice though.

Ogre Punch

The ogre looks like Shaq.

On the easel tonight

Staying diligent with the blog: This is a painting for the upcoming "Square Foot" show in August. I've put 2 sessions into it, and after the first I almost abandoned it. It's a stage I (and most artists) go through where after about the first hour you want to burn the painting and take up accounting. But I just edged past that point in the second session and now I'm starting to enjoy it.

Biggest piece of advice I can give about any sort of art? Get back from your work! Your eye will make more sense of everything if you step way back and view it as a whole. I haven't been doing this enough but now I do it constantly and it makes all the difference in the world.

Oh and practice. That helps.

Another Chaos teaser...

On the easel tonight...

A piece I'm working on for a very special gallery show. Details to come soon...

Absolutely AWFUL photo quality but you get the idea.

Buy my art!

If anyone out there is interested in buying my original oil paintings from the "Ode to Edo" samurai show, you can find them here. You will also find paintings by many of my idols throughout the land of fine art. I encourage everyone to take a look!

On the easel tonight...

My half of a collaboration with my buddy Peter Chan for the Square Foot Show in August. I'm not quite done (lots more detail to paint) but I was enjoying it enough to share with you.

12"x 12" Oil on Wood

Red

She'll have NONE OF THAT.

Ode to Edo a Success!

My first major group show was an incredible success! The art looked unbelievable, the space was overwhelming, and the people were plentiful. Photos to come soon!

In the meantime, here's a sneak preview of my submission for "Chaos 2".

Zombies on a Ladder

Just a quick drawing for the "Square Foot" gallery show in August (I think?). It'll end up being an oil painting, but for now enjoy the ridiculous sketch.
I've been doing tons of art every day so there's more to come.

"Ode to Edo" sneak preview!

I can finally say I'm ALMOST finished... aside from a few finishing touches my submission to the "Ode to Edo" Samurai show is complete! When I was invited to take part is this gallery show I was deeply honoured and BEYOND intimidated. I decided I needed to pull out the big guns if I was going to live up to such a task. I can confidently say that I used just about every trick and technique at my disposal and really pushed the limits of my abilities.

Below is a horribly lit, grainy photo of the work I'm doing for the show. Along the floor are some of the drawings I did for the bargain wall; art jam-style drawings that will be for sale at a very low price (art can be affordable sometimes). =)


PS. It's wonderful that the glare in this photo fell right across the dragon's head.

ODE TO EDO!

Wow, this blog is in terrible need of an update.

So I'm in the most intense gallery show of my life featuring 19 other AMAZING artists. I just finished school and I'm displaying with several artists that are on my top ten list! Intensely inspiring, yet unbearably intimidating.

More info on the gallery show soon, but just know that it's all about the Samurai! There could be no better subject for my first major show.

Here is a sneak peek of a few of the pieces I'm working on. Pardon the quality of the photos as the lighting in my studio at night is quite sad. These are all just works in progress.


I'd like to point out that the dragon painting is 6 feet tall.

Website Overhaul!

Well, it took WAY to long but I've rebuilt my website...entirely, from the ground up. I feel intensely accomplished, though I'm watching the sun rise right now so I should probably think about sleep. Back to work in a few ours...

www.chromachine.com

Another teaser

It's ALMOST FINISHED.

Tranzac video!

The wonderful folks at Cyanix Studios recently documented a gallery show/concert we held at the Tranzac club in Toronto. I'd like to thank John for creating an incredible piece of multimedia gold, beautifully showcasing the event.
Check out the killer video at www.cyanixstudios.com

Danger

One of the most intense expressions I've ever drawn...makes me uneasy just looking at it, which is AWESOME.

Floral Lizards

A digital WIP for a fine art piece I'm working on. I'm falling in love with cheesy floral patterns.

Patterns

Another Samurai I'm working on. Woot for patterns.

Samurai comic preview

Did I mention I've got samurai on the brain? Here's a page from a comic I'm working on based on a Japanese legend in which four warriors (including the only female samurai ever known to exist) stood against all of Japan and it's corrupt rulers.

It should be fun.

Gumshoe

uhhh...couldn't tell ya.

More Samurai

My life's upside down right now, but here's a piece I did for a print sale.

Samurai

Gah, haven't posted in a while...so much busy is I. I got my piece for my Grad book done, just in the nick of time. It's funny because I spent the better part of a week working on a rather epic scene but it just wasn't clicking. So, at the last minute I threw together a watercoloury portrait which I quite fancy. Now that the stress of my grad book is over, I can focus on getting some fine art in line for the year end show, as well as continuing my wacky comic book.

Weeeeee.

Art meets music

Attended the Nuclear Winter show last night in Mississauga ON. What a blast. A Fine showcase of incredible art and intense music. It was also my first chance to showcase a giant painting I'd been working on, so that was really cool. Hats off to the organizers of the event, particularly Paolo Diague (spelled wrong?) and Chris Brett for busting their tails to set this thing up.

Now it's my turn. This Saturday is a crazy gallery/concert in Toronto that myself and a few others put together. Some big bands, breakdancing, TONS of artwork everywhere, an art raffle....it's going to be nuts.

Chaos!

The Chaos comic anthology is finally complete! Well, mostly (you know who you are!)

Other incredible news: THE Stephen Silver has agreed to write a foreword for the book! That's just about the coolest thing I can think of.

I can't wait until I have the book in my hands...I think that'll cause the stress to drain away, replaced with a sense of accomplishment.

Indeed.

Bleed your own blood

Definitely my favourite panel.

Cammy

Decided to do some fan art tonight.







I don't do fan art.

Ever.

So it was a fun exercise.

Owned

I very much like this particular panel.

One more week to go...

Art Jam Auction Closing

In the last few hours of the Art Auction excitement is mounting. This, in conjunction with the Art Jam have been some of the most rewarding ventures of my life, and I thank everyone who helped me deal with the chaos that resulted from it. After midnight, when the auction closes, I'll post the final money count, which has just supassed $1500!

Rock on.

Prism

Another quick update. Stepped into my recording studio for the first time in WAY too long. Music has always been a huge passion of mine, and my collection of various instruments, pedals, and amps make some music stores look silly. Not that I use them enough to justify their existence, but that's another story.

So I'm working on this short animation, and I decided to rock some custom music. So my buddy Ty and I did some collaborating and the results were tres awesome. I should have the sucker done sometime in March.

Chaos

So I've been working on my part of an enormous comic compilation called "Chaos" (think Flight but even crazier) I'm honoured to have been invited to work on this incredible project, featuring some of the most talented young artists in the industry.
Keep your ear to the ground. This is big.

Old School Beats

Sadly I didn't have time to contribute to this show, but that will not stop me from plugging it. The artists that are displaying repainted vinyl covers are some of the best emerging talent in the industry and everyone should check this out.























contact: i@chromachine.com

Snow Day

I can't think of a more appropriate time to start up this blog then on a snow day.

snow day

–noun

a day on which public schools or other institutions are closed due to heavy snow.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006


Contact me: i@chromachine.com