8.25 inches by 12 inches
acrylic paint and ink on watercolor paper
February 19, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
SLAADI: Spumescent Slaad
They mean business. Colossal harbingers of total, apocalyptic warfare, Spumescent Slaadi are engines of pure filth, destruction and chaos. Massive, groaning, twitching bodies sprouting tumorous stovepipes spewing the raw material of Limbo onto any plane they breach, these Spumescent Slaadi exist to even the playing field and make conquest a feel a little more like home for the mobs from Limbo. That is, when more than two or three Slaadi can get their acts together long enough to plan something that lasts more than a few minutes.
8.25 inches by 12 inches
acrylic paint and ink on watercolor paper
February 19, 2012
8.25 inches by 12 inches
acrylic paint and ink on watercolor paper
February 19, 2012
SLAADI: Fizzing Slaad
No one, not even the most experienced planeswalkers, understands these Slaad. Their origin is unknown, their aims are shrouded in mystery, and their powers and abilities are an enigma. Spinning heads dotted with mutiple eyes and trailing small but cheerfully delightful explosions, they appear, then disappear then reappear again. What can this all mean?
8 inches by 12 inches
acrylic paint and ink on watercolor paper
February 18, 2012
8 inches by 12 inches
acrylic paint and ink on watercolor paper
February 18, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Friday diversions
EDITED to fix the Caustic Cover Critic PhotoShop link below.
Again, this week has been busier than most. I may have some exciting news on a new project which will hopefully be published as the next book soon though, so I have been taking care of business. I'll keep you posted.
In the meantime, my Fizzing Slaad is just about complete, and I expect to finish the Mellfluous Slaad, Bleached Slaad, Quantophrenic Slaad and Spumescent Slaad this weekend, so you'll see all of those early next week. Promise. So now it's time for another delightful edition of the Friday diversions post, where I round up all the links, loose ends and other stuff I didn't have time to share during the week.
First, Lauren Camp has posted the third and fourth installations of a four part interview she did with me. You can read the third part here and the fourth part here. Many thanks to Lauren for sharing so much room on her blog with me, it is deeply appreciated.
In other exciting interview news, I was recently profiled in the official school newspaper of my old high school, which was very cool and surprisingly emotional for me. I don't have any copies yet, although a good friend of mine is snagging a few for me, but here is a photo of the issue in which I appear...
I graduated in 1987, and when I was on staff the school newspaper was a rather flimsy Xeroxed affair, although we did pour our hearts into it. Now though, this thing looks like a real paper. I can't believe how far they've come. Thank you to student journalist Nina Hill and the staff of The Record for featuring me like this.
Some of you may hopefully be familiar with the incredible War and Peace Project currently underway by a group of artists led by Lola Baltzell and going by the very appropriate name Team Tolstoy. Their goal is to create an original collage from each page of her old Russian edition of War and Peace and Team Tolstoy has grown over the months to encompass an even wider circle of artistic collaborators. They were kind enough to invite me to contribute a collage last year and I enjoyed the experience enormously. My wishes came true when they invited me back to create a second collage, which you can see at here on the War and Peace Project blog. The entire series of images is unique, unexpected, breathtaking and brilliant and at 682 and counting there is plenty to see.
As you know, my Moby-Dick illustrations are very dear to me so in many ways selling them and shipping them away is bittersweet. It always does my heart a great deal of good when the new owners send me photos of my illustrations framed and hanging on the walls of their new home. John P. in New Jersey sent me some dazzling photos of a whole suite of my pieces on his walls, so take a look...
It was especially exciting for me to see my art next to that massive and incredible octopus, which John tells me is a piece by the artist Alex Beard.
Finally, if you have been a longtime visitor to this blog, ever heard me speak, or spent some with me talking about art, you know of my ferocious hatred of digital art and PhotoShop. And yes, I understand these things are just tools, and they can be used well, and they have a role in commercial art and design. Nonetheless, nearly all of what I see leaves me feeling like I need to puke and explode. Over on the always worthwhile Caustic Cover Critic blog (which is worth a daily visit, absolutely) the Critic has this succinct little post illustrating a very bad example of PhotoShop and articulating quite nicely some of what bothers me so badly about it. Read on.
Have a good weekend, all. More art, hopefully some exciting news, and the imminent arrival of Josef Albers' Interaction of Color: New Complete Edition (yes my friends, it is coming!) next week.
Again, this week has been busier than most. I may have some exciting news on a new project which will hopefully be published as the next book soon though, so I have been taking care of business. I'll keep you posted.
In the meantime, my Fizzing Slaad is just about complete, and I expect to finish the Mellfluous Slaad, Bleached Slaad, Quantophrenic Slaad and Spumescent Slaad this weekend, so you'll see all of those early next week. Promise. So now it's time for another delightful edition of the Friday diversions post, where I round up all the links, loose ends and other stuff I didn't have time to share during the week.
First, Lauren Camp has posted the third and fourth installations of a four part interview she did with me. You can read the third part here and the fourth part here. Many thanks to Lauren for sharing so much room on her blog with me, it is deeply appreciated.
In other exciting interview news, I was recently profiled in the official school newspaper of my old high school, which was very cool and surprisingly emotional for me. I don't have any copies yet, although a good friend of mine is snagging a few for me, but here is a photo of the issue in which I appear...
I graduated in 1987, and when I was on staff the school newspaper was a rather flimsy Xeroxed affair, although we did pour our hearts into it. Now though, this thing looks like a real paper. I can't believe how far they've come. Thank you to student journalist Nina Hill and the staff of The Record for featuring me like this.
Some of you may hopefully be familiar with the incredible War and Peace Project currently underway by a group of artists led by Lola Baltzell and going by the very appropriate name Team Tolstoy. Their goal is to create an original collage from each page of her old Russian edition of War and Peace and Team Tolstoy has grown over the months to encompass an even wider circle of artistic collaborators. They were kind enough to invite me to contribute a collage last year and I enjoyed the experience enormously. My wishes came true when they invited me back to create a second collage, which you can see at here on the War and Peace Project blog. The entire series of images is unique, unexpected, breathtaking and brilliant and at 682 and counting there is plenty to see.
As you know, my Moby-Dick illustrations are very dear to me so in many ways selling them and shipping them away is bittersweet. It always does my heart a great deal of good when the new owners send me photos of my illustrations framed and hanging on the walls of their new home. John P. in New Jersey sent me some dazzling photos of a whole suite of my pieces on his walls, so take a look...
It was especially exciting for me to see my art next to that massive and incredible octopus, which John tells me is a piece by the artist Alex Beard.
Finally, if you have been a longtime visitor to this blog, ever heard me speak, or spent some with me talking about art, you know of my ferocious hatred of digital art and PhotoShop. And yes, I understand these things are just tools, and they can be used well, and they have a role in commercial art and design. Nonetheless, nearly all of what I see leaves me feeling like I need to puke and explode. Over on the always worthwhile Caustic Cover Critic blog (which is worth a daily visit, absolutely) the Critic has this succinct little post illustrating a very bad example of PhotoShop and articulating quite nicely some of what bothers me so badly about it. Read on.
Have a good weekend, all. More art, hopefully some exciting news, and the imminent arrival of Josef Albers' Interaction of Color: New Complete Edition (yes my friends, it is coming!) next week.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
SLAADI: Radiant Slaad
The patron saints of the Slaadi, the Radiant Slaadi are those rare Slaad who have survived repeated errands bestowed upon them by the Lords Ssendam and Ygorl. As a reward for their services to Chaos, their heads are severed on the Spawning Stone and they are cast adrift across the multiverse, given the role of acting as intermediaries between the various denizens of the inner and outer planes and the great Lords of Chaos that the Radiant Slaadi serve.
8.25 inches by 12 inches
ink and marker on watercolor paper
February 12, 2012
8.25 inches by 12 inches
ink and marker on watercolor paper
February 12, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
All "Moby-Dick" art for sale
I had hoped to get all of the remaining Moby-Dick illustrations listed in my Etsy shop but that seems to be impossible. It takes quite some time to create a listing for each individual piece, and time seems to be the one thing I have less and less of these days.
Anyway, I did get quite a few pieces listed, so now there are 129 Moby-Dick illustrations in the shop, including some of the most iconic. The prices range from $10 all the way up to $300, with the vast majority at $100 or under. Take a look and see if there's anything you're intrigued by.
Also, for now, I am simply putting up links to the rest of the pieces that are available for sale but not on Etsy right here in this post. Here are the details - I always ship in a US postal service priority mail box to protect the art and I include delivery confirmation and full insurance. That makes shipping $10 in the United States, $20 everywhere else. I know it might seem a little high, but these illustrations are very dear to me and I would be crushed if they were damaged in transit, which is why I use a box to ship. Payment should be made via PayPal or, if you really want to, you can mail me a money order or cash.
If you would like to give any of these pieces a good new home, send me an email at mattkish87@gmail.com and let me know which ones you would like. You can also of course email with any questions at all and I would be happy to answer. I can work out partial payment plans as well if you like a bunch but can't pay all at once. I will diligently update this post to cross out the pieces that have been claimed.
Okay, here are the 108 pieces that are left that are not in my Etsy shop, along with prices. Click on each link to see the illustration as well as the dimensions, the media, and the quote each illustrates...
page 250: SOLD
page 251: $100
page 260: SOLD
page 272: $70
page 273: $20
page 282: $100
page 283: $90
page 284: SOLD
page 285: $70
page 286: $40
page 287: $30
page 289: $80
page 290: $20
page 291: $30
page 294: $60
page 295: $70
page 296: $10
page 298: $40
page 304: $60
page 308: $30
page 312: $30
page 314: $120
page 315: $30
page 318: $40
page 325: $90
page 328: $100
page 331: $30
page 332: $70
page 335: $100
page 337: $20
page 343: $40
page 351: $80
page 352: $30
page 353: $40
page 354: $70
page 355: $40
page 356: SOLD
page 361: $10
page 366: $110
page 367: $110
page 370: $60
page 378: $100
page 379: $70
page 382: $50
page 385: $70
page 387: $30
page 389: $110
page 394: $40
page 396: $80
page 398: $90
page 401: $80
page 404: $20
page 405: $80
page 410: $20
page 411: $20
page 415: $40
page 416: $90
page 417: $80
page 418: $80
page 419: $80
page 420: $80
page 422: $60
page 432: $15
page 439: $20
page 441: $70
page 442: $80
page 444: $90
page 448: $50
page 450: $60
page 451: $40
page 452: $60
page 454: SOLD
page 455: $30
page 456: $80
page 459: $70
page 462: $90
page 466: $60
page 468: $80
page 471: SOLD
page 473: $30
page 474: $100
page 479: SOLD
page 480: $30
page 481: $50
page 482: $40
page 483: $15
page 485: $80
page 487: $30
page 488: $140
page 489: $150
page 490: $15
page 491: $60
page 492: SOLD
page 494: $90
page 496: $40
page 498: SOLD
page 503: $70
page 504: $30
page 509: $80
page 511: $110
page 515: $100
page 529: SOLD
page 532: SOLD
page 536: $150
page 537: $10
page 539: $80
page 540: $50
page 552: $150
Anyway, I did get quite a few pieces listed, so now there are 129 Moby-Dick illustrations in the shop, including some of the most iconic. The prices range from $10 all the way up to $300, with the vast majority at $100 or under. Take a look and see if there's anything you're intrigued by.
Also, for now, I am simply putting up links to the rest of the pieces that are available for sale but not on Etsy right here in this post. Here are the details - I always ship in a US postal service priority mail box to protect the art and I include delivery confirmation and full insurance. That makes shipping $10 in the United States, $20 everywhere else. I know it might seem a little high, but these illustrations are very dear to me and I would be crushed if they were damaged in transit, which is why I use a box to ship. Payment should be made via PayPal or, if you really want to, you can mail me a money order or cash.
If you would like to give any of these pieces a good new home, send me an email at mattkish87@gmail.com and let me know which ones you would like. You can also of course email with any questions at all and I would be happy to answer. I can work out partial payment plans as well if you like a bunch but can't pay all at once. I will diligently update this post to cross out the pieces that have been claimed.
Okay, here are the 108 pieces that are left that are not in my Etsy shop, along with prices. Click on each link to see the illustration as well as the dimensions, the media, and the quote each illustrates...
page 251: $100
page 272: $70
page 273: $20
page 282: $100
page 283: $90
page 285: $70
page 286: $40
page 287: $30
page 289: $80
page 290: $20
page 291: $30
page 294: $60
page 295: $70
page 296: $10
page 298: $40
page 304: $60
page 308: $30
page 312: $30
page 314: $120
page 315: $30
page 318: $40
page 325: $90
page 328: $100
page 331: $30
page 332: $70
page 335: $100
page 337: $20
page 343: $40
page 351: $80
page 352: $30
page 353: $40
page 354: $70
page 355: $40
page 361: $10
page 366: $110
page 367: $110
page 370: $60
page 378: $100
page 379: $70
page 382: $50
page 385: $70
page 387: $30
page 389: $110
page 394: $40
page 396: $80
page 398: $90
page 401: $80
page 404: $20
page 405: $80
page 410: $20
page 411: $20
page 415: $40
page 416: $90
page 417: $80
page 418: $80
page 419: $80
page 420: $80
page 422: $60
page 432: $15
page 439: $20
page 441: $70
page 442: $80
page 444: $90
page 448: $50
page 450: $60
page 451: $40
page 452: $60
page 455: $30
page 456: $80
page 459: $70
page 462: $90
page 466: $60
page 468: $80
page 473: $30
page 474: $100
page 480: $30
page 481: $50
page 482: $40
page 483: $15
page 485: $80
page 487: $30
page 488: $140
page 489: $150
page 490: $15
page 491: $60
page 494: $90
page 496: $40
page 503: $70
page 504: $30
page 509: $80
page 511: $110
page 515: $100
page 536: $150
page 537: $10
page 539: $80
page 540: $50
page 552: $150
SLAADI: Slangrel Slaad
On rare occasions, when a Slaad loses an arm or a leg or even a finger or toe, the severed piece stays alive almost like an earthworm. On even rarer occasions, two or more of these severed Slaad slabs will encounter one another, bind themselves together, and form a new being...the Slangrel Slaad. These ghastly, attenuated monstrosities reeking of slime and death are repulsive even to other Slaadi, and are even more troubling because of their bizarre ability to literally travel anywhere at all across all planes of existence. Worming their abhorrently thin bodies into the cracks between the planes, they burrow through the worlds suddenly appearing where they are least expected, and often least desired.
8 inches by 12 inches
ink on watercolor paper
February 12, 2012
8 inches by 12 inches
ink on watercolor paper
February 12, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
Friday diversions
My Slangrel Slaad is not quite done on account of me having only about 30 minutes of free time IN THE ENTIRE DAY yesterday. Worry not, I will be working on Slaadi art all weekend, so you'll see much more soon.
And yet, I feel a delightful sense of responsibility to you, my wonderful visitors, and I would like to give you all something to feast your eyes and minds upon as the weekend nears. So I present you with this list of Friday diversions...
First, Dan DeWeese was kind enough to write up a fantastic interview he did with me at the lit / art / film / culture magazine Propeller Quarterly. You can read the entire thing right here. I liked doing this one because most of the interviews I have done have been emailed lists of questions for me to answer. Nothing wrong with that, but it is difficult to develop a sense of conversation and to build on prior questions. Dan and I shared quite a few elaborate and wide ranging emails, so this one turned out nicely.
Next, this post on the incredible and constantly surprising web site 50 Watts reproduces a number of pages from the stunningly gorgeous 1948 children's comic The Magic Underground Castle by artist Rokuro Taniuchi. I obviously cannot read Japanese, but it almost doesn't matter with art this beautiful. Here is a page...
Next, a series of delightful and short (most around a minute) videos from artists I admire enormously. Here is Stille Nacht I: Dramolet by the Brothers Quay...
Here is a music video for the song "Are We Still Married?" by His Name Is Alive, again by the Brothers Quay. My wife finds this video subtly but enormously disturbing...
One last video, an excerpt from Jan Svankmajer's fantastic film Alice, full of animated bone creatures. A bit longer at almost 7 minutes, but worth the time...
In blogs that I love to visit, Scrap Princess of the Monster Manual Sewn From Pants has started a new blog called Kludge Witchery, a home for her non-Monster Manual Sewn From Pants delirium. Or, in her words, "totems of an automated machine blindly aping sorcery." Awesome. My favorite posts so far? This one full of absolutely deviant constructs like this...
And this one showing some of the clothing she makes under the name Toilet World. Good. Very good.
Finally, in totally and shamelessly self-serving news, I've added dozens more Moby-Dick illustrations to my Etsy shop and will be adding many more this weekend. Why? I want and need to learn much more about color. How to use it, how to control it, what it means in paintings and so on. And the book fetishist in me really very badly wants to buy this ludicrously expensive book from Amazon...
Josef Albers' Interaction of Color: New Complete Edition. My wife will understandably and necessarily strangle me if I just spring for this, so it's sell sell sell all the art I can. Fingers crossed.
Have a fantastic weekend, although there will be more art and more Slaadi tomorrow. And Sunday. And so on...
And yet, I feel a delightful sense of responsibility to you, my wonderful visitors, and I would like to give you all something to feast your eyes and minds upon as the weekend nears. So I present you with this list of Friday diversions...
First, Dan DeWeese was kind enough to write up a fantastic interview he did with me at the lit / art / film / culture magazine Propeller Quarterly. You can read the entire thing right here. I liked doing this one because most of the interviews I have done have been emailed lists of questions for me to answer. Nothing wrong with that, but it is difficult to develop a sense of conversation and to build on prior questions. Dan and I shared quite a few elaborate and wide ranging emails, so this one turned out nicely.
Next, this post on the incredible and constantly surprising web site 50 Watts reproduces a number of pages from the stunningly gorgeous 1948 children's comic The Magic Underground Castle by artist Rokuro Taniuchi. I obviously cannot read Japanese, but it almost doesn't matter with art this beautiful. Here is a page...
Next, a series of delightful and short (most around a minute) videos from artists I admire enormously. Here is Stille Nacht I: Dramolet by the Brothers Quay...
Here is a music video for the song "Are We Still Married?" by His Name Is Alive, again by the Brothers Quay. My wife finds this video subtly but enormously disturbing...
One last video, an excerpt from Jan Svankmajer's fantastic film Alice, full of animated bone creatures. A bit longer at almost 7 minutes, but worth the time...
In blogs that I love to visit, Scrap Princess of the Monster Manual Sewn From Pants has started a new blog called Kludge Witchery, a home for her non-Monster Manual Sewn From Pants delirium. Or, in her words, "totems of an automated machine blindly aping sorcery." Awesome. My favorite posts so far? This one full of absolutely deviant constructs like this...
And this one showing some of the clothing she makes under the name Toilet World. Good. Very good.
Finally, in totally and shamelessly self-serving news, I've added dozens more Moby-Dick illustrations to my Etsy shop and will be adding many more this weekend. Why? I want and need to learn much more about color. How to use it, how to control it, what it means in paintings and so on. And the book fetishist in me really very badly wants to buy this ludicrously expensive book from Amazon...
Josef Albers' Interaction of Color: New Complete Edition. My wife will understandably and necessarily strangle me if I just spring for this, so it's sell sell sell all the art I can. Fingers crossed.
Have a fantastic weekend, although there will be more art and more Slaadi tomorrow. And Sunday. And so on...
Thursday, February 9, 2012
SLAADI: Bleeding Slaad
Bloated and obscene, Bleeding Slaadi appear on the Prime Material Plane as vast crimson-red airborne monstrosities gently raining blood on the landscape below. It is said that their appearance is a harbinger of volatile times, but since so few have seen them and retained their sanity, this has been difficult to verify.
15.5 inches by 10.75 inches
acrylic paint and ink on found paper
February 8, 2012
15.5 inches by 10.75 inches
acrylic paint and ink on found paper
February 8, 2012
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