“A Suspicious Man”

I find in any story, whether it be a movie, a novel, etc. the most interesting character is often the bad guy, the villain, the crook. Here I’ve portrayed a suspicious looking character, against a blank white surface. The painting is in his face, it’s all about his expression and appearance with almost exaggerated cliches of what a suspicious man looks like.

Acrylic paint and gesso on wood panel

“The Wicked Witch”

This is a graphic drawing of a wicked looking nun. I was aiming for sort of a comic book villain type of look, using the black and white contrast only. She’s just a character I’ve formulated inspired by my anti-religious beliefs, and portrayed in an entertaining fashion.

Pen, Sharpie markers

“Anarchy in the USA (A letter to Rush Limbaugh)”

I don’t think I’ve ever been so insulted and disgusted than I was after hearing Rush Limbaughs ignorant, non-sensical, and offensive tirade against birth control and Sandra Fluke. It’s unbelievable to me that these extreme right-winged conservatives are still at war with woman’s rights, and debating things which they have time and ime again displayed a very vague and misinformed understanding of. We are regressing from forward movement in equal rights. I’m offended at the notion alone that a hate filled man like Rush Limbaugh is respected as such a figure of political and social guidance in the states. Here’s my cheeky response, depicting a young woman, nearly nude, sticking her hand down her pants and making horn fingers, while laying on her back, legs spread, surrounded by birth control pills. It has become anarchy in the states to want to use birth control, both as a contraceptive and for other health reasons. So, let anarchy reign.

Oil and acrylic paint on canvas

“Glass Lungs”

This is one of the very few three dimensional pieces I’ve ever done. It’s composed of found materials, cigarette butts and shattered vodka, gin, and rum bottles. It’s a containment piece commenting on the toxins many of us ingest regularly in pursuit of a “good time”. Either ignorant of, or ignoring the long term consequences and harm these immediate pleasures bring.

Glass, glue, wire, cigarette butts

“The Modern Revolutionaries”

This is the resulting painting from the photoshoot. I decided to cool down the skin tones to a sort of burnt navy palette, mostly consisting of pains grey, to create the sort of post - apocalyptic dystopic aura that I feel relates to the theme of revolution, protest and change. This was my acknowledgment of the numerous protests occuring around the world these past few years. A tribute to the uprising, for those willing to fight for what they believe is justice.

Acrylic paint on wood panel (24” by 34”)

This is a piece I did a couple weeks ago. Just a little blurb of my subconscious, the tattoos all over her body are a variety of doodles, quotes I like and the occasional meaningful symbol. As for the words in the speech bubble, she’s saying “You bastard! You sent a sensitive man, pumped full of acid, stumbling into a corporate business meeting full of very unimpressed Canadian people”. It’s a line I got from a Vice magazine article “Turning 30… on Acid!” that I found extremely amusing. I just liked the line.

Acrylic paint, conte, and pen on Mayfair paper

“Me and Mia”

This is a portrayal of an alter ego of mine, the elusive “Mia Wallace” character from Pulp Fiction, one of my favourite movies. I posed for a photo wearing a wig and makeup. The position i’m in was my attempt to portray the scene in which she snorts coke off the bathroom counter, classy. I then drew from the photo using graphite, charcoal, and conte.

Charcoal, graphite, conte on paper

“Prague - View from balcony”

This was another assignment, landscape. I chose to paint from this photo I took from the balcony of my hotel in Prague last summer. The rooftops were amazing, colour wise and texture wise. I also liked how the business of the urban setting below contrasted against the clear blue sky. The birds were a personal addition. The yellow house on the right is a bit wonky…

Oil on canvas

“Cigarette Burns” 1/3

This is the first in the series of my friend burning his own tongue with a cigarette. I asked him to model for me, to do something interesting for me to paint. He came up with this idea all on his own. Made for a very interesting series of images. What a good guy. I decided to do this first image in a realistic style, capturing the tense moment right before he burns his tongue.

Oil on canvas

“Cigarette Burns” 2/3

This is the climactic moment in which he touches lit cigarette to fleshy tongue, experiencing what most people try to avoid - searing pain. I tried to represent the impact with bright colours and a more pop art style of painting.

Oil on canvas