Good news everyone,
I finished a new painting. I call it "Reaching for the Starman". It's a tribute to an amazing artist named Jeffery Catherine Jones. I copied part of one of my favorite paintings of his, the spaceman on the left, and added my own style on the right. The figure on the right means different things, but mostly it's about me reaching to the stars of the art world for inspiration. I'm donating this for a Kickstarter project to help fund the final editing of a documentary made about Jones. I saw a version of it in Kansas City when I was there for Spectrum Fantastic Art Live! It was a very deep and fascinating movie that really moved me. When I found out about the Kickstarter project, I had to help out. This little painting is a way for me to give back for the inspiration that Jones had on me and my work.
The film is called
Better Things: The life and choices of Jeffery Catherine Jones. It's a fantastic look into a very interesting period in the history of illustration and fantasy art, and the life of one of it's giants. I didn't know her work by name, but after seeing the film I realized I've seen her work before and was already a fan. The "Spaceman" (my inspiration for my new work) had been my desktop wallpaper for at least a year. The solitude and the earnestness of the figure spoke to me. The form is fluid and alien. It's reaching for something, but what? It's vaguely American, but it could be another race all together. Sitting on a crescent moon, our figure in the helmet is perched in a surreal seat. It evokes the painting of an old master who I can't remember, where God is crouching with one arm down holding a compass and creating. This painting makes me think when I see it and I hope that my tribute does the same for you.
