Robert S Connett - Night Trawler

¤ Robert S Connett's "Night Trawler" can be found on his "flickr" page on "flickr". You can also find R.S. Connett's work on deviantART as "vmaximus" -- "vomit maximus" in his gallery there. Do not forget to click on the "All Sizes" link at the top of the image to see the large size version to take in the impressive detailwork of this artist.

¤ Taken aback -- obscure, fanciful, or just plain crazy -- I'm not quite sure. One thing I do know however, is that this artist isn't afraid to push the boundaries of what we consider to be artistic. But that's what I think gives this artist his appeal. The dark hulking colosus in the middle of the work looks like its an invention from a Sci Fi movie set being sent to its final resting place. The other inhabitants of the water look like they've just stumblied upon modern man gone wrong.

~ Mags

¤ I prefer this artist's later works and his works with places and things, to those of people, beings, and animals -- but that is my bias. People need not like all of an artist's works to like the work of an artist. I recommend looking at what the artist has to say about his own work under the images on flickr. He has a talent for writing as well as painting.

Connett puts great detail in his work -- working with magnifying glasses and jeweller's glasses to accompany the hair fine brushes he uses. In "Night Trawler" there is nowhere you can look and not see something of interest, something to make you wonder about what it is doing there. There are themes from other paintings repeated here: I see the people with telescopes that I recognize from the "Spying on the Dark City" painting; I see the city of glass from "Spying on the Dark City" and "Dreaming by the City of Glass" as well as other pieces; and themes from other paintings.

There are many stories being told in "Night Trawler" and though many are put their by the artist, many more are set to be created by the viewer.

~ Darrell.

Jonathan Earl Bowser - Cathedral of Illusion

¤ "Cathedral of Illusion" is one of Jonathan Earl Bowser's fine paintings that he is offering for sale as a Giclee print on his site, "The Goddess Art of Jonathan Earl Bowser". Details from "Cathedral of Illusion"¹ may be found on this page¹.

¤ "Cathedral of Illusion" is a tapestry of glorious parts which make up the whole. Let me explain: The unseen cathedral has a golden pinkish glow under a simple but elegant archway that could be mistaken for heaven. The "water of life"¹ (Mentioned in the detail page on the painting.¹) has had a lot depth added to it to make the rocks seem incredibly life-like. The moss covering on the rocks gives it a delightful touch. The "red king"¹ looks like he is the king of all he surveys -- very focused but determined at the same time.

My absolute favourite portion of the painting is the "Maiden of the Rose Window"¹ -- her hair looks like it is caught up in the winds of hope -- her complexion looks like pure silk -- her armbands look like they contain eye piercing jade -- her cuffs are cut in a diamond shape which would reminder her of her royal status..

~ Mags

¤ Jonathan Earl Bowser is one of my favourite "fantasy" artists. I put "fantasy" in brackets because he doesn't quite fit in with a lot of the artists I was following for fantasy cover art and gaming art. That was the genre of art I was following for quite a while after I discovered being able to look up the artists on the Internet many years ago.

I love the feeling Bowser puts into his work and the detail he puts into it as well. In some ways it is very realistic, but in others it is a step beyond reality. He does some really incredible landscapes and he also does very excellent studies of the female form. The two come together in grand harmony in his "Goddess Art". He also has that desire and talent to blend one subject or item into another to create something greater than the two separately. In this image he blends the cathedral-like forest with cascading brook rolling down an aisle in the trees into an actual aisle descending from the interior of a cathedral with the stained glass cathedral windows illuminating all in a magical light.

The lady in early medieval garb stroking a white dove, while a red bird -- I see in a detailed image it is a small red raptor, perhaps a hawk? -- appears about to alight on her shoulder adds a centre point and the greater meaning to the piece. There is a page with details of the image¹ including the artist with the original painting on the site. The titles to the individual detail images on the "Details¹" page make you wonder about the story behind the image. They make you think there "must" be some story inspiring the details.

But then it is the detail that make this artists works stand out.

~ Darrell

__________
¹ Detail page for Cathedral of Illusion.

M.C. Escher - Double Planetoid

¤ M.C. Escher's "Double Planetoid" is an illustration of this well known artist that can be found in a number of galleries and collections. We are highlighting it on "The Oldest Escher Collection the Web - Since 1993" "World of Escher" and "Jill Britton's Escher Gallery". "World of Escher" has information on the artist. "Jill Britton's Escher Gallery" has the best and clearest images. "The Oldest Escher Collection the Web - Since 1993" has a good collection as well as links to works inspired by Escher. Please note that we chose to use a larger image for a thumbnail because smaller ones simply do not work for this illustration. (Link to "The Official M.C.Escher Website".)

¤ I'd like to credit my best friend, Darrell Penner, for introducing me to the work of M.C. Escher. After looking at his work for a little while, I realized that all of his shapes on one side of the planetoid are exactly the same as on the other. He takes tremendous care and pride in the fact that everything is symmetrical and drawn like a mathematician.

He is well respected by scientists and mathematicians and I just wonder if it is because of his exactness and attention to detail. I have glanced at some of his other pieces and he manages to put ordinary objects in places where they ought not to be, and somehow yet this still seems to work just fine. So if you are someone that likes symmetrical works of art, then Escher is the man for you.

~ Mags

¤ M.C. Escher's masterpiece, "Double Planetoid" might not seem so impressive to many people today, until they realize it was not done using computer aide. Escher was born in 1898 and died in 1972* and computers were not being routinely used for artwork until well after 1972.

Escher's work was done using techniques of woodcutting and lithography. These processes involve creating a master printing plate or block by hand and printing the piece from that. Each line on Escher's works were originally guided by hand!

Escher's work, like "Double Planetoid" contrasts geometry and nature along with -- in some cases -- optical illusion. He does in this case use optical illusion to create a feeling of depth, but that is something we are very used to. "Double Planetoid" takes two interlocked tetrahedron where one is a fantasy planetoid -- rough and covered with tropical plants; lizard and saurian-like creatures living on the cliff-like structures -- while the second is a fortress a Templer Knight might be proud of -- all tied to an internal point of gravity. The primitive tropical tetrahedron does not connect at all with the fortress tetrahedron but rather the fortress bridges it with arches which emerge from holes on the landscape of the primitive land.

You can see the lithographic lines used to create shading and shape for the print when you look at the full sized work. There is a very different feel between the sort of line used on each of the two tetrahedron.

You really have to view the full sized image from the "Jill Britton's Escher Gallery". At least it is the same size as the prints in the book of prints I bought in my youth, perhaps only a few years after Escher's passing. I have bought few art books in my life, but the book of Escher prints was the first I bought and one of my favourites! This is one of my favourite works as well. ...though I do love the "Curl Up" creature with the "baby feet" that rolls up into the wheel to travel by rolling as much or more...

~ Darrell

__________

* "World of Escher"

wangli (feimo) - Dynasty Declining

¤ "Dynasty Declining" is a piece done by wangli who is known as "feimo" on deviantART. She also has a blog on sina.com -- though that is in Chinese hosted a Taiwan server -- http://blog.sina.com.cn/feimo http://blog.sina.com.cn/u/1250749625. I do not believe the two sites are different.

This composition is made up of bluey-black echoes of darkness. I like the artist's technique and her realism within her art -- however the piece takes the life out of my soul. The only section worth a mention are the gems adorning this stony hearted figure. The arrow on the ring looks like it could do some real damage. The spikes on the brooch attached to the vest chain looks like with ease they could draw blood.

Although this piece of art doesn't make me tingle, if you want to go and check out the rest of this artist's gallery you will find her buffet of artistic cuisine on deviantART..

~ Mags

Is this dark figure dark in soul in an evil way -- or in the melancholy way of an Elven "Hamlet". Of course like author choosing a "dark and stormy night" the artist choses the colours they paint and draw with, and the shapes they use. Still this could be the sharp melancholy of a tragic figure. The name "Dynasty Declining" gives us some idea of what the artist is aiming at. "Dynasty" to me implies a long line of ruling or power of some sort and of course "Decline" means coming down from a height of some sort or down a slope. There is decorative artistry taken to an extreme in the weapon being held and the very delicate hints of lace at throat and cuff. How usable would this weapon really be? I realize looking again, that I hadn't realized how the skull in the corner fits in with the "Hamlet" theme. Has this Elven Prince lost his Father before expected?

~ Darrell

Katherine Dinger - My Loyalty (Stark Knight)

¤ This is "My Loyalty" by Katherine Dinger. She does warn, before giving link to her gallery of paintings that there is some nudity in her paintings -- Artwork of Katherine Dinger - New Paintings so please be warned. It was a bit hard to find the gallery as on the "Gallery" page which is titled on the page "Digital Paintings" you have to find the link "for more work head over this way" to reach it. The Gallery page also has a slightly confusing "Back Home" link that takes you to another site of hers, "Pocketmole" which doesn't seem to directly link to the site "The Paintings of Katherine Dinger". Perhaps one is the newer incarnation of the older -- whichever is which -- however I am including both and "The Paintings of Katherine Dinger" includes the paining of interest: "My Loyalty". Katherine Dinger is also known as "jezebel" on deviantART and you can find a large gallery of her work there. The name of the file on some of the sites is "Stark Knight" though the title she gives it specifically on deviantART is "My Loyalty".

What device on the surcoat of yon knight is displayed?

There is a peaceful look on the man-at-arms in this image by Dinger of a 13th century warrior. I might say innocent, however often peaceful and innocent can be confused. The man looks at peace with himself, but might well have seen much and done much. (My guess is 13th century based on armour and sword -- the design on the sword blade could be many things though.)

It is an interesting composition -- with the shafts of light coming down as if in blessing; with the subservient posture; sword held point down, though not gripped like a cross -- in that posture it seems like the knight has either taken on or completed a quest. The image is done from an intimate viewpoint which could be that of a sovereign, whether Monarch, Clergy, or of Romance -- for this would be a time of Troubadour's and Courtly Love. I would tend to think it would be Monarch or Clergy given the trappings of light rays and peaceful intent.

The device on the surcoat is very much hidden. I have passing acquaintance with heraldry and can not readily make out the charge displayed on the coat. Perhaps it is just an artistic piece or perhaps a "badge" of sorts and not a heraldic one at all. It looks a bit like it could be a man being swallowed by some beast, arms and head raised above the upper torso with lower torso and legs already engulfed -- or perhaps Jonah being swallowed by a giant fish-like whale? It might even be some odd floral decoration or decorative sword hilt? I guess it is the herald in me pondering that.

For a warlike figure it is a peaceful composition.

Reading the artist's notes on deviantART I see it is a painting done for a card game, "Game of Thrones".

~ Darrell

I fell in love with this piece some time ago by Katherine Dinger. She has taken extreme care in bringing this piece to life. In particular my eyes zeroed in on the exquisite technique used to create authentic looking chain mail fit for an aspiring knight about to go to war. I took great interest in the detail and time she has taken to add more depth to this piece right down to the leather heraldic image upon the knight's chest. The last thing that impressed me was the detail on the sword and the markings which it displays. I can't decide whether the sword's features come from the Viking period because the sword seems part one thing and part another.

If you like an artist that is able to mix up styles and genres -- well then, Katherine Dinger is the artist for you -- because like Forest Gump says "Life is like box of chocolates, you are never sure what you are going to get." One thing is for sure, she will always use an element of surprise.

~ Mags

Jason Chan - Waterfall

Jason Chan did this image which is a part of the collection in his gallery on jasonchanart.com You will find this one in the third row, fourth column, under the first heading "Illustrations". He also has a more current blog, Jason Chan Art.

I like "Waterfall", perhaps because I like children, archaeology, the colour green, finding gentleness combined with strength, hidden places... perhaps because of all these things by themselves and in combination in this composition.

I love the gentle stone meso-American giant presenting the delicate flower to the child held in the palm of his hand. The fresh youth of the young girl is contrasted with the robust antiquity of the moss covered stone monolithic form of the giant. I wonder about the Olmec head in the water and the... perhaps Aztec figure by the falls? The figure himself does not seem to be quite Aztec even though made of Aztec materials with Aztec iconography.

I wonder where this is and where the little red headed girl came from? Judging by the signature I suspect this wasn't done on the computer or at least not done 100% on it.

I think I'll have to have a better look at more of Jason Chan's work when I get back onto a broadband connection.

~ Darrell

If you're not careful you could get taken in by the shear magnitude of this cumbersome, gentle giant and not notice the little girl and the importance she plays in bringing this piece of artwork to completion. The mere fact that the cumbersome gentle giant takes extreme care to pass on a gift of simple but profound beauty and meaning says a lot not only about what the artist is trying to get across, but sheds light on the artist himself and his positive outlook on life in general.

~ Mags

Jan Oliehoek (oilcorner) - Baby Dragon

Jan Oliehoek (oilcorner) describes himself as a Photo Manipulator and you can find his work on both deviantArt and Worth1000.com.

It is such a privilege for us to feature such a well versed photo manipulation artist on our blog. When I first stumbled across this image I thought the creature on my computer screen was real. I sat there for an hour just completely awestruck at this artist's ability to breath life into an image that began its existence as collection of photos. A background as a writer does have a tendency to let your mind create alternative worlds out of thin air. From this image I was able to conceptualize a whole new historical time line and a possible book plot. So if this image can effect me so powerfully, it is my hope that your soul will start to sing as well. I don't often say this about many of the artists that we feature, but I absolutely cannot wait for this artists next spark of creativity as I think he is a creative genious.

Thanks again for allowing us to review your work. I hope we have done it justice.

~ Mags

I was very impressed with this image when Mags introduced it to me. I am a photo manipulator myself and can appreciate the technique and talent that went into this piece. The artist, oilcorner, did a fine job for that contest on Worth1000.com and the full sized image doesn't lose anything at all. You would expect to be able to buy these cute little smokers at a really good pet store.

oilcorner mentions in his deviantArt page on the image that the image actually has been stolen by someone pretending that they had created it -- however oilcorner can provide the source pictures that he used to create this "fake". "Source pictures" are often used to prove an image was a fake in the case of celebrity fakes and similar things -- however they can also be used as veracity that someone created a given fake photo.

One of the important steps in creating a good manipulated image is having good source material and I can see that oilcorner has a good eye for that. I also see he has a very good sense of scale. There is a lot of work that went into this besides cutting and pasting and a bit of colour, hue, saturation, brightness, and contrast matching. There are bits that had to be very much modified -- which takes artful painting using the tools provided in Photo Shop and similar programs.

The only thing perhaps that I might add... might be a blister, burn, or singe mark on the fingers. But perhaps that would be "gilding the lily"? I think it is virtually perfect as is.

~ Darrell

Pauline Jones - With a Soft Thud

"With a Soft Thud" is from Pauline Jones' website "Images of Elsewhere". It can be found in the 10th Gallery there. Pauline Jones has another site where she has more recent works at "Pauline Jones: a painter"

A lonely beach, perhaps just after dusk and what do we find on the sands? Perhaps the crescent moon having fallen from the sky?

It makes me wonder if that makes the image even lonelier with the few lone pines a bit separate from the other trees farther back. I can't quite make out if those are the lights of a harbour town across the waves or people with lanterns in boats approaching? If they are people in small boats approaching, are they people who are approaching to help the crescent moon as if it were a beached whale needing rescuing?

The dark rows of thin yet still dark clouds and the flat waves on the water lend to a moodiness that is repeated by the blues of the pallet that the work is done in. It does remind me of some evenings I have spent on beaches with an uncertain breeze on water and in trees.

Pauline Jones puts a lot of feeling into her works and I enjoy what I have seen. There is a lot of variety in her galleries.

~ Darrell

I find this piece of artwork by Pauline Jones to be visually stimulating. My immediate response to this creative inspiration has this luminescent crescent moon fallen from another planet's solar system -- as it looks like it has haphazardly landed upon our shores. Maybe some other planetary creature is missing its home because it has now crashed down here.

~ Mags

Michael Komarck - King Arthur (2005)

This picture screams fantasy all over. In particular the portions that grip my attention are the shield and sword. While the dragon on the shield appears to be heraldic in nature, the overall design on the shield does not seem to be typical heraldic design -- of course it might be, especially applying rules of heraldry foreign to English or Scottish Heraldry. The sword and shield appear to be a bit of an odd couple with the sword being a two-handed or hand-and-a-half (bastard) sword -- judging by the grip.

Looking at the illustration of King Arthur one clearly sees that he is a reluctant warrior choosing the path of war as a last resort. This could be seen as cowardly or gentlemanly depending on your view of history.

It is my hope that you will go and check out the rest of Michael Komarck's potpourri of surprises as it will be like tasting creativity for the first time.

~ Mags

"King Arthur (2005)" by Michael Komarck is an interesting illustration found by Mags on Michael Komarck's own "Michael Komarck Illustration" site.

The style of this piece is what I am used to seeing in game books and on collectible game cards. I rather enjoy the crisp clean style and am a sucker for winter fantasy/medieval scenes. I find they offer much for the artist and for the viewer's eye with the muting and interesting light-scapes that can be created with snow and mists. The combination of cold and armour is also rather intriguing to me. I must admit to having set a medieval fantasy role playing game campaign in an arctic winter setting and having run a number of scenarios in winter storms.

Of course the image is in the "collectible cards" section of the site which fits the style... perhaps Komarck is the artist who has done a number of the pieces of gaming art that I recall and enjoy? The work is labelled as for the CCG Anachronism. CCG stands for Collectible Card Game. I really do like other pieces from that collection as well. Personally I am more interested in collecting the cards than playing the game -- something I have only done once or twice and I think with a different CCG.

I think that looking through Michael Komarck's work will be refreshing and well worth it especially to those of you who are unfamiliar with pen and paper role playing gaming. For those who are familiar I think you will still enjoy seeing this artists work.

~ Darrell

Chris Becker - The Hanging City

The second I glanced at Chris Becker's "The Hanging City" I could not take my eyes off the links in the chains. The thought came to me -- What would happen if just one single link snapped? A great analogy as we as humans have forgotten what it means to stick with one another in all kinds of weather. We need to get back to sticking with one another for the long haul. We are all important and often a single link can break a chain.

~Mags

This image makes me think of the flights of fancy I take when I let my imagination run a bit daydreaming. I'll lay back and look at normal objects and they will cease to be normal objects... in this case I am reminded of a hanging light fixture. I might transform such a light fixture into a hanging city in my imagination. Of course there might be a part of my mind wondering just what the city would be hanging from. Still, the city is beautiful and has an airy oriental feeling to it. The composition is interesting with the highlights of the metal and misty shadows in the distance. I wonder how the composition would work on a dark and stormy night...

~ Darrell.

Ida M W Larsen - Airship Captain

Airship Captain is an 8x10.5 inch signed open edition print by Ida Larsen. It is a beautiful self portrait by the artist which I hazard would fit into the category of "Steam Punk". This is a stunning image of a striking woman in a stunning laced corset and leather flying helmet -- with sky and hot air balloons behind her. The point of view of the sky has an odd perspective to it. There is a far away, sad, wistful look in her eyes. Is there even land below or just more cloud and more sky. Steam Punk is a form of Science Fiction which is set in a fantasy Victorian/Edwardian period -- where spaceflight has been achieved using Jules Vern-H.G. Wells sorts of technology. It became popular in the 1990's. Feisty women often vie with stalwart men in the heroics and villainy in these stories.

A gallery of Ida Larsen's work for sale can be found on Etsy.com.

~ Darrell

My overall impression of this artist's work is that realism is vitally important in getting the concept across to the public. An example of this can be found in the expression or lack of in her face. I just wonder if she is thinking of dreams she once had that through the passage of time have faded into the distance.

~ Mags

Frank Melech - Die Besucher (The Visitors)

This is another image from the series of works by Frank Melech called Die Besucher which my computer translates out as "The Visitors".

It has a realistic quality and then a hyper-realistic quality, depending on what part of the composition you are looking at, or how closely. The textures give a part of the hyper-reality. I love castles placed in crevices and obscure places, and I love images where there is greater detail to see the more you look. This picture has that -- plus that other quality of telling a story, or providing a canvas for telling stories. I can only wonder if "the visitors" are meant to have been from that combination tree-fungi-flying saucer nestled against the cliff side? Or is it they who are the denizens of the keep -- only indicated by the satellite dish on the roof and the bright light in the one window by daylight?

I might not care for all the artist's works, but I do like very many of them -- and this is one I like. I find it inspirational.

~ Darrell

The eroded rock layer that looks almost like a pathway reminds me of an ancient stone cross embedded in the rock.

~ Mags