resplendent chaos

Eight of Diamonds: the infinite realm of the ouroboros lily

The Eight of Diamonds from the deck of Astrobotanica Playing Cards. Medium: graphite on paper, digital paint - to see more detail from this painting and other forms of nonsense, please visit my Facebook page.

Five of Hearts: life cycle of the frilled tulpa frog

It's been a while since I posted here, but that's because I've been working hard on several art projects going on at once.  I've created a 14 Facebook page where I post in-process images of what I'm working on and also whatever happens to inspire me.  I'll always post images of the finished illustrations here on Resplendent Chaos and also over at Gallery of the Absurd, but if interested in viewing more of my work, seeing more detail and watching the process, come "follow" me on Facebook. Above, Five of Hearts: life cycle of the frilled tulpa frog.  I'll write descriptions of each card once I finish the deck, but for now, here's more info about TULPA.  Medium: graphite on paper, digital paint.

Two of Clubs: the luminous embrace of the forest swamis

Medium: Pastel on vintage sheet music.

Commissioned: Portrait of Chihuahua as Egyptian God Anubis

A family member commisioned me to paint a portrait of my own chihuahua (Fennec the Forest Fox) as Anubis, the Egyptian god associated with the afterlife. A lofty and somewhat silly request, it sounded like a fun challenge so I took it. The entire portrait was painted digitally and then printed onto canvas.

The painting in process as Fennec poses.

The finished painting hanging in a downtown office.

King of Hearts: the unconditional heart of father and child

The encompassing king of hearts with progeny proud,

His wealth of children , all endowed,

With love and wisdom , his blood in their vein,

Cherished children, sweetest  fruit of his reign

Medium: graphite on paper, scanned sea moss, digital color. Poem written by Mark Hayward Jenks.

Detail one.

Detail two.

Five of Spades: multifaceted metropolis enlightens the populace

Medium: acrylic, pastel and gouache painted atop vintage sheet music.

The Toupee-Wearing Parrots of San Francisco

It's no secret that I'm an exuberant appreciator of the myriad ways people choose to present and adorn themselves.  One of my favorite props that men in particular decorate themselves with is the humble toupee. Oh how I love toupees, the more ill-fitting, rattier and unnaturally colored they are, the better. The other day while waiting for a friend outside a restaurant, I spotted a man walking toward me with a canary yellow thing on his head. It was a windy day with bursts of strong gusts and yet his toupee remained solidly glued to his head in an unmoving hardened dome. I was impressed. But then...as he stepped onto the corner, a crosswind managed to dislodge a clump of his "hair" and sent it skyward so that he resembled a cockatiel. An extremely grumpy cockatiel. I was even more impressed. Medium: ink, watercolor on paper, digital color.

Is The Toddler Gigantus Species Taking Over America?

Travelling throughout the West Coast this summer, I noticed an increased number of Toddler giganti inhabiting popular tourist destinations and crowded national parks. They may be identified by their toddler-friendly clothing: baggy, over sized elastic-waist shorts; sport jerseys or colorful coordinating t-shirts emblazoned with Hardy-esque graphics; puffy, spherical, marshmallow-like shoes often worn with laces untied, and always topped off with a ball cap. Goatees are common, and they are often sun burnt and overheated. 

Walking down bustling Market Street in San Francisco, I spotted this Toddler giganti in full-on tantrum mode. Apparently, he was upset because his wife wouldn't let him go into a toy store. "You have enough games at home," she snapped. He stomped dramatically, whining and muttering, "but I want tooo, I waaaaaaaaaant tooooo". She angrily paced ahead of him as he fell behind, gazing longingly into the candy-colored window of his broken dreams. I took artistic license and put a giant lollipop in his hand. And yes, the toy store he wanted to go into is a fantastic place. Poor guy.

Sitting on a park bench in Union Square, I was thrilled when he stopped right in front of me and held position long enough for me to get a quick sketch. His shoelaces were not only untied, they were laced up all wrong. A gift from the Universe, right there in front of me. Medium: graphite in sketchbook, digital color.

Queen of Diamonds: awakening from her deep slumber

Medium: graphite on paper, digital color

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