Summer Shows

He is enigmatic. He is misunderstood. He is benevolent. He is a primeval archetype. His origins are shrouded in the mists of time...

The Green Man is an ancient motif representing the cycle of the seasons, transformation and the rebirth of spring after a long winter. Most often found carved in wood and stone in European gothic cathedrals, he is represented by the face of a man made up of foliage or spewing leaves.

On July 4, the Nook Collective (hosted by Julia Breckenreid and Steve Wilson) in Toronto are featuring the work of over 40 artists. Should be a killer show. I am thrilled to be a part of this and will be hanging several pieces. I am working with Dimitri Levanov to produce the work in the show.

 

I let loose on these, using a skull as a template and working with collaged ornamental foliage, giving the work a gothic feel while retaining a sense of fun and playfulness.

This one's a bit sinister and sophisticated. I thought each had its own personality. They both look a bit like the tangles of weeds sprouting in my garden this year. All this rain and I am fighting a loosing battle. So while our American friends are celebrating red, white & blue, we will be lighting it up green. Really looking forward to the show. Thanks to Julia for putting this together!

_____________________________________

I also have another show opening at Oeno Gallery. A  plant-themed group show called 'When the Bough Breaks: Re-imagining the Tree'. Oeno is a lovely venue, where I had my Mecanismos and Birdhouse City shows.

Green Fuse

Dylan Thomas wrote about the 'force that through the green fuse drives the flower'. Spring is now out in all its glory, after a long winter. It's nice to get caught up in the excitement and change of the season.

I have been working on a series of assignments about new growth, the idea of good things beginning to emerge. Positive energy and vibrations. It's good to find that energy and harness it in my work.

'Fresh Growth' for Hanley-Wood, Pete Morelewicz, Art Director

I also worked with Joan Ferrell at American Lawyer on a similar feature, The Am Law 100, and developed a series of drawings based on numbers, and new growth. Joy!

The Rise of the Electric Car

Imagine the day when the promise of the electric car is fulfilled. Wouldn't it be great to move beyond our petroleum-soaked economic model and finally emerge into the future?

I received the call for this assignment from Tracy Cox at Sierra Magazine. I wanted to portray a sense of transformation and metamorphosis in the illustration. Creating the rust-covered heap of fossil-fuel detritus was interesting and a bit of a guilty pleasure. So much rich material to mine. The electric vehicle needed to be equally captivating and rich, in a technology and design. I used a Luna Moth as a model for the emerging vehicle, one of my all-time favourite insects. Yes, I do have favourite insects, I was a Lepidoterist in my youth.

For electric vehicle technology to succeed, there are a lot of hurdles to overcome. Coal still remains a leading producer of electricity, and if that remains there will still be a lot of pollution and co2 released as a result. This is one of those cases where the future looks brighter, and there are alternatives that can be used to create that reality. Ending our dependence on fossil fuels won't be easy, but it may be possible.

Here is a detail of the fossil fuel collage

Detail of wings and car

A handful of sketches