Art in Focus: 'Judgement'

In Tarot readings the 'Judgement' card is all about new beginnings, the reevaluation of your own life and following the right path for you. You have life changing choices to make, you have reached a crossroads and have the chance to follow your true calling and intuition. Trust your own judgement, follow it and embrace your new beginning. When making your decisions be sure to follow your head and your heart. 'Judgement' can also have messages of being cleansed and refreshed, ready to face the world anew.

Typically the 'Judgement' card depicts the dead rising from their graves to face final judgement. The Archangel Gabriel summons them with his trumpet and their souls are ready to face judgement, for better or for worse. The scenes are usually rather joyous with only salvation depicted. This simple and largely christian scene is the most common depiction of 'Judgement' across traditional Tarot decks.

When designing my version of 'Judgement' I wanted to maintain the theme of reward and punishment which is featured in a number of my cards. I drew on a lot of christian traditions relating to the last judgement and the apocalypse. All of the dead across the globe are rising again to face their final fate and be judged and cast into hell or ascend up to heaven. Those who deserve damnation are being condemned mercilessly by a demon into the Mouth of Hell. The Hellmouth is a recurring element in a number of my Tarot and is used as the physical representation of the gate to Hell. A man prays and begs as he awaits his fate, but it is too late to change the course of his life and atone for his bad karma.  
The trumpets protruding from the clouds represent 'gods trumpets' from the book of Revelation, which signify the beginning of the end and the last judgement. Seven trumpets are said to sound ushering in the end of the world. With each trumpet comes a different catastrophe or disaster. The final 3 trumpets are called the 'three woes', and what my tarot depicts is the third trumpet being sounded, opening up both heaven and hell.
The landscape is barren and bleak, as the events of the apocalypse have decimated its beauty. All that remain are the dead waiting to face their final fate.

I had a very clear idea of what I wanted the completed 'Judgement' to look like from the very beginning of my sketching. Because the cards are closely related I worked on 'Wheel of Fortune' and 'Judgement' simultaneously, and wanted to have some of the same key features in each card. It was however 'Wheel of Fortune' which proved difficult to resolve, but thankfully 'Judgement' lead the way to a greater design. 

Reckless Love Jacket Replica

After a number of months I can finally say that the jacket commission which I have been working on is complete! The commission is one of the most detailed and specific projects which I have ever undertaken, and I'm pleased to say my client was happy with the end result.

My brief with this work was to create a replica of Olli Herman's jacket (of Finnish Glam Metal band Reckless Love). The client had specific details in mind which they wanted altering slightly, and some additional features such as logos adding. I created the custom piece using a combination of photos of the original jacket, the official band logo and sketches/diagrams indicating stud placement, numbers and configuration as reference material.

Creating the back piece involved several layers of air brushing, combined with controlled stippling and splashing. On top of this came hand painted layers of blocked in colours, line work and detailed fine logo work, all painted using a mixture of leather paint and Createx wicked colours. The artwork is sealed with layers of varnish to limit the effects of time on the creation. Across the jacket are small additional pieces of paintwork, as well as 438 studs of assorted shapes and sizes, each of which was applied to the jacket by hand.

Working to create this jacket replica has been a very rewarding, enjoyable challenge! Many many thanks to my client for giving me the opportunity to work on such a different project! Its been fab!

Custom Jacket

Currently I am working on a project very different to my usual work, and in a very different style.

Recently, a client asked me if I'd undertake a commission for her, a painting on her new leather jacket, with the aim to creating a replica of rock star Olli Herman's (Reckless Love frontman) jacket.
Jacket painting is something which I have only ever done for myself in the past, and never have I undertaken such a large design, but I always welcome a challenge!

The flamboyant design calls for some serious airbrush work, which is the perfect excuse for me to get more acquainted with this marvelous machine.

Danse Macabre Facebook

We are now present in the world of Facebook!

After investing quite some time in building the Danse Macabre Facebook over the past few months the time finally seemed right to for the page to go live. Hopefully this means more frequent studio updates for those interested, and allowing my art to reach new audiences.

Check out the page here:

https://www.facebook.com/DanseMacabreDesigns

Bunch of Fives

The artwork for the 'Bunch of Fives' collection is finally complete, and has just been submitted to the printers. So as I wait with a mixture of eager anticipation and horrific nervousness to receive the cards, the time feels right to reveal all that Ive been working on, and the concept behind the collection.

The 'Bunch of Fives' collection is designed to be an exciting, different approach to expression and greeting cards. Each design is inspired by Traditional Tattoos and incorporates traditional imagery, as well as age old symbolism. Every card expresses a different sentiment, which is intended to be very personal, but versatile.

The initial idea for creating the collection came from the feeling that this art form and style rarely receives the attention it deserves, and that alternative people have no access to creative, different greetings cards which truly express what they think and feel, or which reflect their art, culture or personality. My aim in creating the collection was to design a range of cards which did exactly this, in a fun, honest way.

I feel really pleased with the finished designs, and the support Ive received has been absolutely phenomenal. Thank you all!

Below are the eight designs which I chose to send to the printers:

Studio progress: Bunch of Fives

The new 'Bunch of Fives' project is moving forward at great speed. I'm really pleased with how everything's coming together. Its been a very rewarding challenge to work in a different style to that which I'm accustomed to.

Many of the designs which I am currently working on have been developed from sketches in my 'Ideas book'. The 'Ideas Book' is a bible like book which I carry absolutely everywhere and is thoroughly jam packed with anything my head conjures up. This unholy relic has a vast backlog of work which needs realization, some of which is being developed now.

The idea factory has been working overtime of late (both day and night at times) so expect lots of weird and wacky things. I really cant remember a time when I felt more creative or was having more ideas, which is a truly wonderful thing, I just need considerably more hours in the day!

Brave new world ...

I have begun work on an exciting new project! The concept is a great little idea to keep me on my toes, and challenge myself creatively. It is worlds apart from the majority of my work in the studio, I don't want to risk getting lazy or complacent. The project revolves around themes which I am very interested in; age old symbolism and imagery, and Traditional Tattoos. The latter of which is something I never usually get the chance to incorporate into my work (and is a style Ive never drawn in before!). My aim with this project is to create something fresh, new and different, all to a very strict deadline. More to be revealed soon ...

Lord of the Flies

'Lord of the Flies' is a unique design which I have been working on in my spare time for a few weeks. The one off piece, a conceptual wall hanging based around historical art symbolism, began life as a mixed media study, using watercolour, metallic ink, coffee and my beloved biro.

The design went from study to wall hanging with the help of the Mimaki TX2, which I have been operating during my Print Technician Internship. Capturing the fine details with perfect precision, digital print is ideal for work like this which is so fine and detailed. It is also quite fitting that I end my internship, in which I have helped many students on the road to creating their degree show collections, by visualizing some of my own design dreams!

The design features numerous flies, beetles and animals which are historically associated with evil and the Devil, some of which still carry these connotations today. All of these creepy crawlies can be seen radiating around the central figure, Beelzebub. The design has a purposeful feeling of growth, as gnats, stag beetles, rhinoceros beetles and other weird and wonderful insects emanate from the over-sized Musca Domestica, whom is playing the role of Satan in this strange scene of worshiping, devoted insects.

The concept for this piece came to me a while ago, along with a number of other strange play on words design ideas which use nature to tell a tale in a slightly twisted manner. It feels great to have finally visualized this idea and be back developing my strange ideas, fantastical fabric created just in time for Christmas!