Gallery
Below are recent or favorite pieces of illustration and other fine art.
Recently, I got into Tombow (water-based markers) and Artist Trading Cards. The characters above are from my novel in progress Haunts of Loarne. They’re not merfolk in the story (though it’s magic so who knows!), but I thought it would be whimsical for them to be in this piece. Above, you’ll see Alice Night (betta fish), Ophelia Crispin (orca), Aldebaranne Lucero (salmon?), Christoffer Raster (traditional), Yvanna Fortier (shark), and Gilbert Wolfgang (lionfish).
In the early 2020s, I entered ArtPrize a couple of times. None of the times I entered was I able to secure a spot to display the pieces. The last illustration I submitted to ArtPrize was a painting called “Life As Story”, which features the purple tiefling here along with story elements, interior lighting, and semi translucent paper clouds. This piece is a kind of bittersweet send-off, a peaceful understanding of grief. It pulls elements from the original painting and ties them together with new elements such as the floriography pictured.
Ever since I was a kid, I loved drawing type – I typically call it “fauxlligraphy” since it’s not done with the traditional swoop. There’s a silly meme that floats around the internet every now and again that aims for design irony. It’s – you guessed it – frog clip art on a cloudy background, with red “Graphic design is my passion” in Papyrus font. I just had to complete the set with snarky graphic design sayings, like the one to the left.
To reconnect with things around me, I like to take walks in local nature centers. When I go to these centers, such as the Fenner Nature Center, I take photos of landscapes that have “visual texture”. Often, places that have visual texture have a sense of natural destruction. A cracked open log, strewn sticks, vines growing around a tree. The forest is many, and many speak to each other. This neo-Impressionist work says: I may be dying, but at least I have you.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a fan of Pokemon, and I love the idea of not just collecting these fellas, but also just making some up. So here’s a fun scene with some mushroom creatures. I just think it’s cool that there’s so many different types of mushrooms. Each of these creatures is designed after a real mushroom!
It’s important to remember that art is often here to communicate important messages. Not always consciously (although this piece was)! I firmly believe that I have the responsibility of speaking up and speaking out, along with artists who feel the call. This digital painting is referenced from a real photo. From the river to the sea!
I love making Artist Trading Cards! Above are flowers that are associated with queer identities and history. The cards are in Tombow and colored pencil.
There are violets, roses (in rainbow of course!), lavender, carnations, and pansies.
