Friday, July 23, 2010

Soft Torus



OK, back to teh pretty, you wouldn't want to think that I had gone over to the Dark Side, oh no. The truth is, I have been creating horrific illustrations and sketches of various kinds for many years, but I just don't show them because, like, I don't want to offend people or make them think I'm creepier than I already am. I mean, I like the science fiction of drug-addled William Burroughs. If you've ever read his "The Wild Boys," you know what I'm talking about. I like Lovecraft a lot. A whole lot. It pisses me off that fans have robbed Cthulhu of his dignity by making cartoons and plushies of him.

Most of the art that you have seen from me, including on this Blog, has been censored, since I never know who is watching it and could get offended or scared. That would be even more true of anything I post on Facebook. There are levels of darkness and creepiness. I can turn the dial up or down. Same with pretty and nice, these are all variables that an artist of any competence can change. A digital medium makes it easier to do. I never create art in an empty space. All the art I do is meant to be seen by other people. So it means a lot to me that I got four (4!) positive comments for my "Cells of Hell." I got more positive comments from the viewers on deviantART, where things like that are encouraged, not just tolerated.

There's plenty more scary creepy art of mine that could be shown here. After all, I am building a digital portfolio for modern fantasy illustration, and I try it out here first. Your support of my work means a great deal to me but it also means that I will do more. Sooner or later I'll run out of vintage space pictures to post.

Meanwhile, here's your nebula picture, entitled "Soft Torus." The title refers to the torus (doughnut shaped) halo of glowing gas around the bright new star in the lower left.

"Soft Torus" is (audience supplies words) acrylic on illustration board, 7" x 10", November 1991.

3 comments:

Mike (Altus) said...

Can you link us your deviantART page?

Tristan Alexander said...

First, this is pretty and I do like it. Second, WHY censor yourself here? I don't understand, the whole point (to me anyway) of having a blog/weble is to be able to do what YOU want with it! As an artist I would think showing as wide a range as you can would be a big pluss! Who would be offended? I am one of your most "loyal" followers on here and I want to see the dark stuff, the silly stuff, ANYTHING you do!

Amanda Walker said...

Your "pretty" pictures are technically very nice, but mostly soulless and antiseptic. More angst! I know you've got it in you :-), now put it into your painting! Let viewers decide whether the like it or not--that's up to them. But censoring yourself is no better than making art and then hiding it in the garage where no one will ever see it.