maelstromArt

Spacedman Technician

2011-11-29T00:35:00.001-08:00

Illustrator & Photoshop

Haley & Osmand

2011-11-29T00:31:00.001-08:00

pen on paper

Taser & Finch

2011-11-29T00:29:00.001-08:00

which one's Finch?

pen on paper

Angels Place

2011-11-29T00:18:00.001-08:00

pen on paper

Ship

2011-11-28T00:22:00.001-08:00

pen on card

On Fire Ires' Desire

2011-11-28T00:18:00.001-08:00

pen on paper

Dug Git

2011-11-28T00:16:00.001-08:00

pen on paper

Teddybird

2011-11-28T00:12:00.001-08:00

pen on paper

self portraits

2011-11-28T00:02:00.001-08:00

photoshop

2009

Doodle Up

2011-10-26T02:20:00.000-07:00

pen & marker

Mid Life Crisis

2011-10-11T02:07:00.000-07:00

'Mid Life Crisis' oil & acrylic on canvas

The milkbar down the road from my childhood home had only one stand-up arcade game: Wonder Boy. With his stumpy legs and a grin that never budged, Wonder Boy shuffled through that flat landscape on quest after quest to rescue his eternally-endangered girlfriend. My mate and I learned to make 20c last a long time on that machine, guiding our hero through the various perils of the game with the aid of a fairy, some magic fruit and, of course, a skateboard.

So for me, when it came to choosing a game to celebrate as part of Bleeding Heart Gallery's Emulator, there was no competition.

But Emulator is an exhibition celebrating more than the 8-bit games themselves; it's also about the nostalgia we feel for them, our fondness for the pixilated pastimes we once had. So my Wonder Boy is, like many people who were kids in the 80s, a bloke who's not as young as he used to be but is still young at heart. With a new set of wheels, this is a thirty-something Wonder Boy who is glad to get back in the action.

The intensity and narrowness of the palate available to 1980s game designers was something I really enjoyed. In acknowledgement of that aesthetic, I have imposed cartoon-style figures in oil paint on a photo-naturalistic acrylic background, using the contrast of form, colour and materials to signify the juxtaposition this ageing Wonder Boy feels: the disused world of an 80s-style suburbia comes alive with superimposed icons from the game as, having thrown his axe at the right egg again after all these years, Wonder Boy rediscovers the brightness of his youth.

With many of the characters from the original Wonder Boy and nods to some of the great 8-bit games, this painting takes Wonder Boy to a new level.

Wonder Boy- the making of 'Mid Life Crisis'

2011-10-11T01:47:00.000-07:00

Emulator was held at Bleeding Heart Gallery in September 2011.

The exhibition showcased a number of emerging and established artists from all over Australia.

These artists looked to create their homage to characters, landscapes and levels of our favourite 8-bit, 16-bit and classic arcade games.

I chose Wonder Boy and decided to put him in a realistic setting.

FOOMPTY DOOMPS & THE FEATHERED WHIRL-WRANGER

2011-09-14T03:23:00.000-07:00

This piece exemplifies my longstandinginterest in the possibilities of combining the cuddly with the grotesque. It is part of my series of “Teddybugs” and, like many of them, grew froma spontaneous sketch to become a highly refined piece.

Essential to my process is an appreciationfor strong composition and organic shapes. So, though pieces such as thisdevelop from doodles in an apparently unplanned way, they are founded ontechnical cornerstones such as colour and form.

In varying from my regular practice ofsketching thumbnails to draw this vignette to scale, my awareness of thespecialist aspects of drawing were heightened. And it was in thisheadspace that I reconsidered the challenge of drawing fur.

Fibrous filaments, clumped yet separate,strands and stubble … fur is one of those things which is only appealing incertain contexts: on the body of something we love it draws our hand; off thatbody and in balls on the floor – or in our food – nothing can be worse.

‘Foompty Doomps’ is essentially an animatedfurball, a creature whose lack of physical definition is symbolic of the factthat it is beyond any definition itself. I perceive it to be somewhatdoleful – perhaps bullied – and, like so many shy people, it hides behind itsfur. Paradoxically, however, though it cowers from the viewer, it stillhas courage to make eye contact and seems to implore for connection. Incontrast, the ‘Wispy-Wranger’ in the top right of the frame sneers a little,perhaps believing it is ‘above’ both the ground-hugging fur-ball below it andthe viewer. None the less, there’s something honest and brave about‘Foompty’, something intrinsically likeable, and if you had to pick one of themto be your friend, it wouldn’t be a tough decision.

Evoking empathy in a viewer by enlargingcertain features of a figure is as old as characature itself; animators andcharacter designers distort and distend every part of a figure’s appearance inorder to elicit an emotional response. So, in experimenting withproportion in the creation of these fantastical creatures, I looked for newways to make ugly forms endearing. It is the combination of foompty’s pudgyfluff and focused eyes which make it such a successful character, demonstratingthat, though the body of a figure may seem formless in some respects, clarityof character is as simple as getting the eyes right.

FIERY TAILS: the competition

2011-06-28T04:17:00.000-07:00

Recently at my Fiery Tails show I had two competitions and gave away a couple of paintings.

Entrants were asked to come up with names for my many characters based on two pieces.

Thanks to everyone involved, judging by the response at the opening and the amount of entries everybody had fun!!

Here are the winners...

1. Feary Query

2. Peeky Sneaks

3. Crepe de Flippe

4. Helmetica

5. Whippus Lastus

6. Urple Burple

7. Snuffle-up-apota-saurus

8. Frederik Torchmeista of Flight

9. Dominato

10. Fuquanda

11. Pip Squeek

12. Pipsqueeky Meeker

13. Pilotia Squeekoid

14. Hidey Squeek

15. Blue Tito Squibble

.....names by Donna Gross

1. Absurd of Paradise

2. Phallonious The Great Superfluous

3. Whackrobatic

4. Mary Insane Jane

5. Scatulous Purpurea

6. Wasp Sprocket

7. Aardbork

8. Flatuline

.....names by Bernie & Dom

Surfboard Art

2011-06-22T04:24:00.000-07:00

fishy board- top

fishy board- bottom

abstract board- top

abstract board- bottom

commission boards

both boards painted with posca paint pens in 2011

Skateboard Art

2011-06-22T04:11:00.000-07:00

posca on found skateboard

posca on blank deck- bottom

top

FIERY TAILS

2011-06-21T02:32:00.000-07:00

All pieces completed May 2011.....

'Fiery Tails' .....acrylic on canvas

'Dawn Patrol' .....acrylic on canvas

'Companionship' .....acylic on canvas

'Don't go that way' .....acrylic on canvas

'untitled & unfathomable' .....acrylic & pastal on cardboard

'The Grand Mage of the Teddybugs' .....acrylic & pastel on cardboard

'Hard to tune the Engine Room (Funky Donkey)' .....acrylic on wood

'Handsfull & Grapple' .....acrylic on canvas

'Enchanted Forest' .....acrylic on found painting

'Pookie plugs, pulls & pushes play powering precision portals' ...acrylic on cardboard

'Ready Steady Teddy Bug' .....acrylic on canvas

'Moonrock' .....acrylic on canvas

'Remote Control' ..... acrylic on canvas

'Fair Field' .....acrylic on wood

'She roped me into this' .....acrylic on canvas

'Normans Playground' .....acrylic on paper

'Teddybugfly' .....acrylic on paper

'The Bluebottle Forest' .....texta on paper

'Ed & Ralph' .....acrylic on paper

'The Reingaroo' .....wire, clay, acrylic

FIERY TAILS: the exhibition

2011-05-18T01:34:00.000-07:00

Announcing 'FIERY TAILS' my new exhibition consisting of a whole bunch of new, and for me, an exiting progression of new paintings...

opening night reception Friday 27th May

show runs from Thursday 26th May - Wednesday 15th June 2011

Monstrosity Gallery 93 Bourke Street Woolloomoolloo

monstrosity.com.au

From the profuse scratchings in his sketchbooks, Sydney-based fine artist Jason Howe has created a new series of original and organic characters scribbles from the subconscious.

Jason's cosmic creations produce a hallucinatory vision of escapism. Through theircolour,movement and surreal narratives, his work evokes a journey back to one's youth, where vibrant and sometimes violent action-packed cartoons could make you belch yourbreakfast cereal.

Taking his influences from animations remembered from childhood, his work is infused with an obvious love of the natural world, its history & evolution along with sci-fi and the mysteries of the cosmos.

Jason's exotic canvas, paper, wood and clay pieces bring to mind children's stories filled with curious beings and lands. Sometimes reminiscent of fairytales or warped daydreams, each piece transports you to a magical, idealised and extremely happy place.

photos from opening night, thanks Phil from Monstrosity for the fantastic photos

collab

2011-01-22T22:51:00.000-08:00

i love collabs- you don't know where they're gonna go!

marker A3 with Mie..

Ollie, Ripper, Dag & The Blue Bottles

2011-01-22T22:48:00.000-08:00

Ollie's the big four legged thing, Ripper's holding Dags leash.

marker, textas A3

Scene Seen

2011-01-22T22:44:00.000-08:00

will colour soon, i hope

marker A3

Quickies

2011-01-22T22:41:00.001-08:00

ball point & sharpie

Positive Contact

2010-12-15T00:15:00.000-08:00

from the sketchbook

ballpoint

Four Legged

2010-12-15T00:13:00.000-08:00

Wiggid Twins

2010-12-15T00:11:00.000-08:00

from the sketchbook

blue & black ballpoint

Garden of Love

2010-12-15T00:09:00.000-08:00

blue ballpoint & marker on paper

Up On The Lookout

2010-12-15T00:07:00.000-08:00

from the sketchbook

ink

The Teddybugs

2010-12-15T00:06:00.000-08:00

Heads Up

2010-12-14T23:58:00.000-08:00

from the sketchbook

blue & black ballpoint

Flower Capower

2010-12-14T23:55:00.001-08:00

from the sketchbook

pencil & ballpoint

Abstract Creature Character Concepts

2010-12-14T23:39:00.000-08:00

from the sketchbook

blue & black biro

Dooble & Wob Wob

2010-12-14T23:38:00.000-08:00

pen & marker

The Teddybugs

2010-12-14T23:36:00.000-08:00

Hang Ten..ish

2010-12-14T23:33:00.000-08:00

from the sketchbook

blue & black ballpoint

Locked Out

2010-12-14T23:29:00.000-08:00

from the sketchbook

blue & black ballpoint

Character Design

2010-12-14T23:26:00.000-08:00

from the sketchbook

blue & black ballpoint

Flying Character Designs

2010-12-14T23:23:00.000-08:00

from the sketchbook

blue & black ballpoint

Sketch out the Rhyme

2010-12-14T23:06:00.000-08:00

acrylic on paper

biro

FOOL MOON TOON

2010-10-10T03:48:00.000-07:00

Returning from Sydney, fine artist Jason Howe conducts his 2nd solo show at At Large Gallery Melbourne, bringing down his large portfolio of over 200 sketches/drawings/doodles/characters/abstractions/ideas & designs for his paintings.

As you ponder his bold, fluid and flowing marker line drawings you will see through to the ballpoint pen scribbles, which are the origins, ideas and lines that spark a sketch.

Influenced by cartoons & animation, hip hop, the graffiti art characters of Vaughn Bode & Kenny Scharf and contemporary American pop surrealists Greg Simpkins, Jeff Soto, Joe Ledbetter and Alex Pardee his work will delight, humor, mess with your head & make your mind wonder.

Drawn on a patchwork of recycled stickers, Jason breaks the boundaries of the portrait/landscape style of his sketchbooks to bring you a peak behind the scenes and behind the eyes of a practicing, prolific post-pop hip-hop doodling surrealist.

As well as all original drawings being for sale, Jason will be selling prints, hand painted shirts and caps and will also have a showing of his experimental, colourful animated music clips.

daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 20.

2010-09-24T22:30:00.001-07:00

daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 19.

2010-09-24T22:28:00.000-07:00

Daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 18.

2010-09-16T01:52:00.000-07:00

Daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 17.

2010-09-16T01:50:00.001-07:00

Daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 16.

2010-09-16T01:45:00.000-07:00

Daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 15.

2010-09-16T01:17:00.000-07:00

Daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 14.

2010-09-12T06:28:00.000-07:00

Daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 13.

2010-09-12T06:22:00.000-07:00

Daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 12.

2010-09-12T06:19:00.000-07:00

Daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 11.

2010-09-12T06:16:00.000-07:00

Daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 10.

2010-09-12T06:13:00.000-07:00

Daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 9.

2010-09-12T06:11:00.001-07:00

Daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 8.

2010-09-12T06:08:00.000-07:00

Daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 7.

2010-09-12T06:02:00.000-07:00

daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 6.

2010-09-12T06:00:00.001-07:00

Daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 5.

2010-09-03T03:16:00.000-07:00

Daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 4.

2010-09-02T02:23:00.001-07:00

Daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 3.

2010-09-02T02:21:00.001-07:00

Daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 2.

2010-08-31T04:11:00.000-07:00

Daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge. Day 1.

2010-08-30T03:07:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the upcoming black & white show in Melbourne the Daily Doodle Bug (colouring) Challenge is back! 1 Teddybug, computer coloured, posted every day till 30th September for your visual enjoyment (and my artistic practise)!! Enjoy...

Four Legged Wonders

2010-08-24T01:18:00.000-07:00

from the sketchbook

downtime doodles

2010-08-23T06:57:00.000-07:00

pen & marker on stickers

Fantasy Beasties

2010-08-23T06:53:00.000-07:00

a few favorites

from the sketchbook

Half Shark Alligator Half Man

2010-08-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

Unipegususcorn

2010-08-23T06:51:00.001-07:00

Birds & Beasts

2010-08-23T06:46:00.000-07:00

fantasy characters

from the sketchbook

Characters on two legs 2

2010-08-23T06:40:00.000-07:00

from the sketchbook

Characters on two legs

2010-08-23T06:32:00.000-07:00

from the sketchbook

Character Head Toons

2010-08-23T06:23:00.000-07:00

Lense Nose & his Brothers

2010-08-23T06:21:00.000-07:00

pen

will be coloured one day...

Flower Licker

2010-08-23T06:18:00.000-07:00

watercolour pencil

Katie Holmes

2010-08-23T06:13:00.000-07:00

How? Graff

2010-08-23T06:11:00.000-07:00

whily stilys

?

2010-08-23T06:10:00.000-07:00

dunno

Skull & Crossbones

2010-08-23T06:08:00.000-07:00

Waiting for the flight

2010-08-23T06:06:00.000-07:00

Indo Scapes

2010-08-23T06:02:00.000-07:00

view from the bungalo

pen & pencil

super wave super spot half way there

pen & pencil

surfin toons

2010-08-23T05:59:00.001-07:00

Indo Creaturecreations

2010-08-21T06:20:00.001-07:00

watercolour pencil on paper

Indo Eco Surf

2010-08-21T06:10:00.000-07:00

King Left Queen Right

the 5 indo lads tearing up king left

watercolour pencil on paper

painted while watching the waves from our hut stay, East Java.

Hasem & his 5 friends

2010-08-21T05:58:00.000-07:00

Commissioned by master massager, cook and all round dude, Hassem.

Cooking lobster for the five 'animals'

watercolour pencil on paper

painted while watching the waves, East Java.

Indo Lads Sketches

2010-08-21T05:51:00.000-07:00

four for the indo lads.....

aerial assult

hit the lip

the lookback

almost impossible invert

Mountain Man

2010-07-07T02:10:00.000-07:00

watercolour A3

Syphon Saturdays

2010-06-19T06:20:00.001-07:00

Syphon Saturday year long run of fliers.

SYPHON is Sydney's premiere freestyle rap cypher. If you're a head who's into hip-hop, looking to practise or perfect your freestyle skills, SYPHON's for you. No attitude, no bullshit - just a circle of emcees who are seriously good at coming off the dome.

www.myspace.com/syphonsaturday

www.facebook.com/syphonsaturday

scattered downtime loosener

2010-06-18T21:19:00.001-07:00

Downtime creature comforts

2010-06-18T21:15:00.000-07:00

Ridgeback

2010-06-18T21:13:00.000-07:00

Palpy Poppy Robo Puppy

2010-06-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

mini canvas

2010-06-03T03:08:00.000-07:00

mini canvas for Brisbane group show

acrylic on canvas

80mm x 10mm

still life

2010-05-26T03:25:00.000-07:00

first still life in 10 years.

hopefully more to come soon.

acrylic on canvas

235mm x 330mm

Winter Time

2010-05-26T03:17:00.000-07:00

pen. approx. 90mins

Syphon Squat Sprinter

2010-05-26T03:10:00.000-07:00

pen, marker

Kangadoodlebug.

2010-05-26T03:07:00.000-07:00

pen, marker

quick abstractions

2010-05-26T03:01:00.000-07:00

pen, marker. A5. 5 mins. each.

downtime doodles

2010-05-26T02:47:00.000-07:00

ball point pen. A5

Fishtales.

2010-05-26T02:41:00.000-07:00

pen, marker

a freshly knitted beanie.

2010-05-26T02:33:00.000-07:00

pen, marker

Brewy, Gooey, Sinewy

2010-05-26T02:29:00.001-07:00

glob blob boys.

acrylic on canvas

approx. 150mm x 350mm

Drive Train

2010-04-27T04:52:00.000-07:00

pen, marker & highlighter

20- 30mins

Two Sketchy

2010-04-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Pete & Kel at The Fort!

Check it out if your in Brisbane!

www.thefort.org.au

And big thanks to Clair

check it out: http://www.clairenakazawa.com/

A3 Sketches

2010-04-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

Graphite on A3 cartridge paper April 2010