“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

“Cigarette Burns” 3/3

The third in probably my favorite painting series of mine to date. This is the final shot in which he’s experiencing the unpleasant after taste of the cigarette burn. This one I did in a more textural fashion, chunking the paint in some areas.

Oil on canvas

“Bus Stop”

Another nighttime photo, same  night as the other, still freezing. Downtown Toronto bus stop. I developed this one on rather large paper which is cool.

Film SLR

“Jagger Backstage”

A pen and ink drawing I did in my sketcbook of Mick jagger backstage at a concert in the 70’s. I loved his costume. The red, black, and blue ink thing is inspired by one of my favourite contemporary artists Hope Gangloff. I saw her gallery in New York. Chill stuff

Pen on paper

“Still Life”

This was the first oil painting I ever did so cut me some slack. I also find still life painfully boring, but it was an assignment. We also didn’t get to choose the objects and were thus subjected to painting a collection of what seemed like circus items.

Oil on canvas