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Laura's Temptation - The Goblin Market,

"Innocence can't be created, conjured or developed, it only is and only ever will be, until the world we are bound to, tied to, binds us, envelopes us, clothes us in the blanket of adulthood and every last drop of innocence is squeezed out like the juices of a mulberry, filtered into a fine wine, for the crows of the world to feast upon the weak."

This is something I wrote for a script/screenplay I am writing with print-maker artist, Madeline Graham, in a collaborative adaption of Christina Rossetti's poem, 'The Goblin Market', which we are making into a film and coinciding artwork for Paragon Studios in Belfast.

The drawing is just a conceptual sketch for other things to come, which I may or may not finish and colour. I will be posting more drawings and images in the coming weeks/months until August, when we will be exhibiting the artwork.

Chris,

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I haven't posted anything on her for a while now (this is becoming a regular pattern) but I am hoping to be uploading much more in coming months, things regarding a printed children's book, a collaborative art exhibition with Madeline Graham and comic book, among other things.

This little guy is named 'Trever', he's just like me, a bit of a nerd, oddball and loves his fantasy genre movies and video games. I drew him because I want to be working towards a more graphic, illustration suited drawing style for children's books, comics and other illustrations. Here's hoping it goes somewhere!

Enjoy!

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Another piece by Rishab Soni, aka Shabydesign, who is a fantastic artist that I enjoy viewing artwork by. I love the colours, composition and graphic style; the ghost outlines are of course his staple/signature that lends the images a dream-like feeling or sense of time and space. Perhaps it is a reflective mark made by the artist, like an after-image of a moment out of grasp. Food for thought.

115.2013.S

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“What Drives You?” by Matt Vaillette

Prints on society6

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'Flight of the Cheetah', digital painting

Here's a quick painting I did based on a dream I had and an bizarre real life experience the other week ... watching a real cheetah be skinned by a taxidermist. It was all part of an experiment and the cheetah died of natural causes of course, but watching the cheetah's skin and fur be stripped away from it's flesh was fascinating as it was disturbing. So naturally, I sketched the hell out of it in my little drawing pad and stood there for three hours without sitting, observing the process and drawing it happen in front of me.

I do believe that taxidermy, when done right, can be a beautiful thing. It can take an animal that (hopefully died of natural causes) was once living and turn the melancholy of its death into something beautiful that celebrates the life that once was.

Watching the skin stretch and unfold like a pair of tights or clothing around the flesh, made me think about many different things such as taxidermy and the morals of keeping animals locked up, or hunting them down for selfish desires ... man can be a terrible thing. So I dreamt (much later) about the cheetah's skin flying away, stretching and moving in a surreal manner as the soul of the cheetah lives on in the fur, detached from the body and still alive.

This image was in no way meant to celebrate the skinning of animals for their fur or hunting of any sort, nor condone taxidermy, but to make others think about the animals that are hunted in this manner and how we, as humans are affecting life on our beautiful planet.

Christopher

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'Time Stops for No One', digital painting, tattoo design

I created this tattoo design commissioned to me by a lady named Alison who cut my hair last week, first time I met her too! She asked what I did and if I was off work, which I always find is an awkward question because I want o say "Artist", or "Illustrator" but sometimes that doesn't cut it, so I just said I'm "sort of an artist" looking for work. She asked If I had ever designed a tattoo, I said no, she asked If I would and gave me a few ideas to chew on and behold, the final result.

I mean I have no idea if I'll be paid anything, perhaps a free haircut or something, but If It means that a piece of my art is out there and planted on someone's skin then what can be better?

Christopher

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By Madeline Graham

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This is one panel from my little comic, "Wyatt & Wilder", it's getting there! One panel at a time . . .

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Madeline Graham, Fine Artist Interview, printmaker ...

This is a video interview of artist Madeline Graham, who is currently studying Fine Art printmaking at University of Ulster. She explains how her work came to be, from conception of her ideas to her processes and printing techniques, to her inspiration and development as an artist. Graham is in her third and final year of study, and will be graduating later this year.

I already plan to collaborate with her on an art project!

I don't know her at all, she's not my girlfriend!

No really, her work is amazing and that's not a biased opinion. You should check out her work here at http://madeline-graham.tumblr.com

Christopher

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Solipsist, by Andrew Thomas Huang

Another feast for the eyes, Solipsist is a short film by Huang featuring psychedelic and beautiful organic imagery that celebrates nature, form and colour in a surreal and dreamlike environment. Being a textiles art graduate, I really appreciate the costume design and 'creature effects', made using textiles, mixed media and found objects, coalescing together into organic structures and animal life forms. It is fascinating and mesmerising to watch, reminding me of the wonders of mixed and textiles media being used in interesting and exciting ways, brilliant stuff!

The 'making of' video offers further insight into how the animations, costumes and sculptures were brought to life with special effects and CGI.

Christopher

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Just found the wonderfully mad artwork of Leif Podhajsky, thanks to Madi. He creates surreal and psychedelic visuals and still images made from digital collages and mixed media pieces. There is a sort of spiritualism and hyper reality to his artwork that allows you to contemplate everything about life, the world, art and the music his artwork is attached too. It's no wonder his artwork dons the album covers of tame impala, coinciding wonderfully.

I watched this video piece in its entirety in a sort of trance, listening to the track and mesmerised by the visuals. If this isn't some sort of trance inducing psychedelic vision of nature in perfect symmetry then I don't know what is but it is beautiful. I'm struggling to find words to do it justice, it is just amazing. Take a look!

This is the sort of thing I'd love doctors to show you and ask you what you see, like Rorschach tests. Or what the mind produces when your in a dream/trance and it is being projected outside.

Christopher 

A selection of LIVE VISUALS and experiments i do for different bands.

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Just read this great little blog post on studygroupcomics.com about old comics and Alcatenay Mazzitelli’s, 'Metallum Terra', Issue one comic.

I never knew about this guy's work before, but the art and concepts captured here are great and works of a real storyteller. Interesting little read, and of course studygroupcomics which is an interesting site for independent comics, serials and short stories really tapping into that alternative world to comic books.

Check out Haunter too by Sam Alden, it's a psychedelic adventure comic about an archer fellow exploring a surreal and colourful but deadly world full with creatures, ancient temples and secrets to be explored. I'm a real fan of the art style being created here and the minimalist approach to the art and writing as there is very little dialogue, only expressed in little speech bubble exclamations and symbols. 

Check the site out if you can ...

Christopher

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Madeline, digital painting ...

A painting of my girlfriend, practicing painting on Wacom tablet.

Christopher

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'Wilder' sketch, digital sketch ...

When trying to think of how 'Wilder', a young boy in a comic, 'Wyatt & Wilder', that I'm making, I looked do Dave McKean's illustrations in 'The Savage' for inspiration. It's a brilliant little children's book/graphic novel which was a huge inspiration in me deciding to make children's stories in a comic book-meets-children's novel format.

The little boy, drawn differently each time, is an amalgamation of my girlfriend's little brother Max, myself and the 'Savage'.

  Christopher

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A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to produce a new piece of art to be used in a series of prints to accompany the release of the new Tomb Raider game (which just came out this week).

Obviously I said yes because otherwise this would be a pretty meaningless blog post, and also: it’s Tomb Raider. Whatever you might think of the later games, if you’re my age (early thirties since you ask), you probably played the first games - and the overwhelming memory of making lara swan dive into pools/caves/etc informed my illustration.

You can find this print on sale at two pop up shops that are happening in NY & SF this weekend alongside pieces by a REALLY great roster of artists - Victo Ngai, Kyle Smart and Sam Wolfe Connelly amongst others.

See the full line up and read the press blurb over on the Tomb Raider facebook page here, and big thanks to AD Marc Scheff for involving me in the project!

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Gotta love this pencil drawing of a bear by anniedrawsanimals, lovely detailed and textural work and bears are just awesome. He looks friendly too and maybe would give you a hug.

(I have this thing were I call everyone in my family, 'bears', based on how well they bear hug.)

Christopher