Porsche Artwork

Here are a couple of ideas for a client who has requested some designs for various models of Porsche automobiles to be used as greeting cards for his dealership. These are rendered digitally and I will also render these as original acrylics, with the gesso applied on thickly to allow for spontaneous texture.

The Face of Mental Health

This was my entry for the Canada Post Corporation contest that was open to the public last year to create a stamp for mental health awareness. I placed fifth which is an accomplishment considering that it was a nation wide contest.

My stamp is designed to be aesthetically pleasing and interesting while trying to project the idea of mental illness as an important issue in our time. The face represents the many people who suffer alone. In my mind, a stoic resignation lends itself well to a generic projection that in my mind portrays the wide spectrum of people that are afflicted in one way or another by mental health issues. The hand represents the hope that we can embrace those who struggle with mental health issues. The left eye symbolizes the stigma associated with mental illness in society. The keyhole represents a portal to the mind, with which we can make strides to understanding mental health issues in order to help and accept those afflicted with it.

Please visit the site of the Canadian Mental Health Association for more information: http://www.cmha.ca

The first image is my base drawing for the design. The second image is the digitally rendered final concept.

Pacific Thunderbolt

This thumbnail sketch depicts a P-47 N from the 413th Fighter Squadron, 414th Fighter Group, taking off from North Field, Iwo Jima in 1945. I would like to do this one in acrylics and to have a strong light source and shadow. I would also like to portray a sense of speed or movement so that the aircraft will have a sense of coming out of the surface of the painting. Not sure which actual aircraft I will depict yet.

“Sun Setters over Japan”

I've finally come up with a title for my recently completed painting depicting the P-51 Mustang of Major James B. Tapp, 78th Fighter Squadron, 7th Air Force. The “Sun Setters” were the VLR Mustang pilots of the 15th, 21st and 506th Fighter groups, VII Fighter Command.  They flew 650 mile missions to Tokyo and back, earning membership to the “Tokyo Club”.

War Paint

I took a book out of the library last year and I came across a photo that depicted a couple of ground crew repainting the tail of a B-29. I thought that depicting the Enola Gay in this way would be something different for that subject matter. It shows the Enola Gay being modified for it's top secret mission to drop the atomic bomb. On August 1, 1945, it was given the circle R tail markings of the 6th Bomb Group as a security measure to avoid misidentification with actual 6th BG aircraft and to confuse the enemy. More info on the Enola Gay in the link below.
http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/EnolaGay/EnolaGay.html

Here are some in-progress shots of the painting as it developed. I ended up re-doing the entire background as the original background was a bit busy and took away from the composition of the piece.

Lancasters Climbing Out

I'm also nearing completion of a small acrylic depicting Lancasters climbing out. Here's three "in progress" shots of it. This is a fairly generic image in that it doesn't depict any particular squadron or moment. It will be something that I hope you will find aesthetically pleasing enough to hang in your home if you're an aviation enthusiast or if you know of one, I will post a picture of it framed once it's complete. Please contact me if you are interested in it.

Green Day Portrait Concept

A concept layout portrait of Green Day executed in photoshop. I would like to produce this one in acrylic on board and I will post that when it's complete.

Three Amigos

A drawing of my brother and sister-in-law's Maltese dogs Gizmo, Tanya and Sascha. This is a companion piece to an earlier portrait of their Shih-tzu, Brandy, who passed in 2006.