SMALL: arts on burgundy gallery show

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My friend from my illustration course has asked me very kindly if i would like to participate in a show which shall be held in the gallery section of his work which is a framing and arts supply shop. there is a section which is at the front of the store which contains works for public viewing. the theme of the group show is small. the requirements are that the work size limit for the show is 45cm square including the frame.

My individual concept i have developed for the work is exploring the idea of the Okami or wolf in the Yokai folklore.

Firstly, yokai is a form of Japanese folklore consisting of a huge list of characters which come in the form of spirits which inhabit many different things, such as objects, land or animals. These spirits all have specific personality traits and ways they respond to the living.

 one in particular is the spirit of the wolf or the Okami. this breed of wolf has been extinct since 1905 and was the smallest breed ever recorded measuring up to only knee height.

 Kami is a strange spirit for they can either be very helpful or quite dangerous depending of the purity of the person they encounter. they live next to or on mountain ranges and help direct lost wonderers home. once home, they can turn on the wonderer and kill them if they have an evil soul.

I plan to develop the image using my depiction of the physical form of the creature. Traditionally, the spirit looks quite similar to a white wolf but mostly hidden in the shadows with decorative patterning adorned on their forehead. Since this is a form of mythology, the possibilities of the visual component are endless. It will have somewhat the form of a wolf but transformed to look more like a strange monster unlike living animals which we know of.

I plan to use much colour and layering patterns to enhance the appeal of the image.

So far, here are my reference images I have collected:

 

 

 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Masasumi_Okuri-okami.jpg

 

 

http://www.emptykingdom.com/author/konahrtist/page/3/
(by Aanton Marrast)

 

 

http://www.john-chae.com/#POSSESSED-AND-PERVERTED
(by John Hee Taek Chae)

 

 

http://www.juxtapoz.com/current/the-works-of-mu-pan
(by Mu Pan)

LINK TO FRAME AND ART SUPLY SHOP
http://www.artsonburgundy.com.au/

 

cost of horror show last year: photos

Here are some photos of the setup which i had for the cost of horror show which i participated in last year. i was just going through my collection of albums and realised i never posted them on my blog. So here they are. They are exploring my vision for the aftermath of the apocalypse.
http://costofhorror.blogspot.com.au/

 

 

A poem for portraits and landscapes

Crisp silence

Brilliant light

Confident little folk come to say hello

An introduction of words which I have never heard before but understand

Come to me and tickle my nose

Familiar smell

Warm hug

CONCEPT THOUGHTS

As I allow myself to travel around my imagination, I met some strange creatures along the way. They kept me company as I roam. Each of them have such strong personalities. They sit for me so I can complete some portraits of them. We exchange information about each other, or favourite time of day, what we would most like to see if the rules of logic did not apply, our favourite stories and such.

I also like to do landscape paintings as a way to document my time here. As I search, every day getting closer to the centre of my mind, I am happy because I have been able to find a place that I can go when times get tough. I know that I can always rely on this brilliantly colourful world to heal wounds or to keep me company when I am feeling lonely. It is a place where I can go for a second while I am waiting in a line or where I can stay for hours.

 

This body of work was a way to document my imagination. A way to describe to the outside world what goes on inside my brain. Through an abundance of external inspiration, such as animated television shows, outsider artists, overheard conversations and comic books, I developed a world which I became extremely familiar with and fond of. I would constantly catch myself drifting away to this same place most days, being comforted by the brilliant light and colour which revealed itself to me. Though not at all a new idea, I always found imaginary far away places to be a highly successful way of entertainment. I always gravitated towards books, films, or even music which explored a whole new world that had different logic to ours. A logic that never really had to be explained because it was what was the norm.

PORTRAIT OF MY LITTLE MONSTER

YAY! so i have finally finished the first painting of my new collection for my solo exhibition! It is a thing i met on a journey to the center of my brain. It was very pleasant and didn't mind sitting for me for the portrait.

Title- Keen portrait 2013
Acrylic on wood 790mmx790mm