horror

Horror Equality

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So the Friday the 13th series of movies began with a mom mad at counselors for letting her child drown, wanting to prevent this from happening to other children, and going all murder hobo as a result. Since then, the series has been focused on Jason and the creative ways people shuffle off this mortal coil. I re-envisioned Jason’s mother as a 20-something who followed the same path as the original movie. Fan art – yes. Inspiration was actually watching ‘Camp Crystal Lake Memories’ about making the entire series of movies. Honestly, I wasn’t invested in this series until I saw the making of. It’s mostly the passion of the actors that made me want to create this artwork. It won’t win any awards, but it’s certainly plugged in with the times.

A Vespertilian Thing

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She was no Mary Poppins. You felt it right away, there was something off about her, her elegance, how she smiled eerily at your vampire stuffed animal, ironically above you now – “Hold on,” your subconscious screams, “I’m not even old enough to know what irony is!” You begged them to hire anyone but her, but your mum and dad needed an overnight nanny, and they fell for that Sesame Street accent. “Oh, how cutely foreign,” your mom giggled, “privileged wankers!” Your subconscious meekly raises its hand, but you cut it off. “I know!,” you hiss curtly under your breath. Now, In the dark of it all, you’re paying the price. Plus side? Live forever. Negatives? They don’t make sunblock strong enough for what you’ll become. It’s enough to drive one batty!

The Doll

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When your doll points to something behind you, be very, very afraid. Inspired of course by horror movies en Español. I may take a break. I feel like I’m repeating myself with modern angst. As much as I’ve prodded the bounds of the supernatural I’ve never seen it’s presence, which is kind of a shame; I’d like to believe. Anywho, there’s not really a niche for this kind of art anyway, so maybe a break is in order.

Postpartum

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Can art still shock and offend? Can it still cause questions to be asked? Can it drive a conversation? In today’s digital artwork, which for some reason just finished a four-hour rendering (maybe the rig was offended), I explore the dark side of the Romanticism movement. I’ve drawn on David Caspar Friedrich, who IMHO is the nexus of the movement, as well as adding an element of taboo. Of course, the work is dark (sunset plus phones/mobile devices make it harder to see), so pay attention to your surroundings. The point? I read an article yesterday on depression that led me down a rabbit hole, wherein I ended up in the squishy field of Postpartum Depression. Of course, as a man, it’s something I don’t have to deal with, but wanted to do a PSA foe the ladies that if you’re in that pit, you’re not alone. Get it treated before it turns into postpartum psychosis, which happened in this artwork, as all life is precious. Resources abound. SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. 1-800-662-(HELP) 4357.

Breakfast at Pharaohs Revenge

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Yesterday I created a piece called “Breakfast at Pharaohs,” you may not remember it. In a nutshell, the Queen took power from the Pharaoh via assassination and posed a-la Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. In today’s artwork, like a ghost-pepper omelette coming back to haunt later in the day, Pharaoh gets his revenge. Today’s teaching moment – don’t eat ghost-pepper omelettes and in a culture heavily based on making sure your actions in this world get you a good spot in the next (such as the ancient Egyptians), make sure that tomb is sealed tighter than a bank vault. Otherwise, you may be screaming for mummy.

Better on a bigger screen

Video of Recent Art

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I’m truly sorry I’ve not done anything in the last couple of days. I’m working through proposals at work (to pay for my art!) and skin cancer to boot, but last night at 3ish, I made this video of recent art (going back to October (ish). I’ll get creative again soon! I kind of want to do a full length video of all the artwork I’ve done, but it would be significantly longer than 2 minutes – more along the lines of an hour. Maybe over the holiday weekend.

She Loves Me Not

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The idea for this digital art popped up around 2am, when my mind was playing out scenes of queerly anomalous and calamitous theatrics that awoke me from my prodigious sleep. I dare not expose my eyes at such an unholy hour to the preternatural light of a monitor to render such visions into artwork. So, with patient resolve, I waited until the sun lifted the veil of night to present this to you.

The title is a reference to the inexpressible horrors enamored paramours inflict on flowers as ancient mythical superstitions of love circulate in their minds. “They love me, they love me not”, is often said, as they mindlessly pluck petals from the decapitated flower in hand; with the last petal attesting to the binary nature of ones feelings towards them. Then, assured of the result, they move on to the next flower or wander away, cheerfully humming, whilst leaving destruction in their wake.

This is all tongue in cheek, of course. I wanted to see if I could put a Lovecraftian spin on an innocuous action. Did I succeed?

Happy Reunion

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There’s a movie reference in this one. John Carpenter made one of the quintessential horror movies in 1982, the Thing, with Kurt ‘Call me Snake’ Russell. In 2011 a prequel was made, starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead (sigh, heart). She survived the movie but we don’t really know if she was infected (aka the thing) or not. The dog that runs out of the Norwegian camp of the 2011 film towards the American camp of the 1982 err sequel is definitely infected. So I was like, “what if she was the alien and met back up with the other aliens at camp?” So, at heart it’s a girl and a dog happily reunited.

For those that are, like, “what’s up with this dude and horror?” I’m working through a thing. It’s called 2020.

Asenath Waite

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“Edward was thirty-eight when he met Asenath Waite. She was, I judge, about twenty-three at the time; and was taking a special course in mediaeval metaphysics at Miskatonic. The daughter of a friend of mine had met her before—in the Hall School at Kingsport—and had been inclined to shun her because of her odd reputation. She was dark, smallish, and very good-looking except for overprotuberant eyes; but something in her expression alienated extremely sensitive people. It was, however, largely her origin and conversation which caused average folk to avoid her.”

From “The Thing on the Doorstep” by H.P. Lovecraft.

I was listening to the story on Spotify and decided to do a rendition of her. Ia!! And all that rot.

Metamorphosis

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Deep in the depths of the dark house a change it coming. She didn’t master it the first time, yet through practice she has gotten the conjugation of the elder god conjuration to work perfectly. Suddenly, a noise and she notices the viewer looking at her.

I’m working through some disappointment today. I reloaded my operation system recently and thought I had saved everything. To my horror, I realized, the location where the years of digital art creation files have been saved, was not offloaded (it was buried deep in the program structure), and so everything I’ve created, all these worlds are no longer living, no longer able to be viewed and modified. In effect, they have become memories, like photos, frozen in time.

But on a positive note, I’m really getting into Space music, like ambient soundscapes, Lauge, Stellardrone, Applefish, et al. It kind of helps with the creation process.