Pure Imagination

This piece was developed for a joint Gallery Show based on the works of children's author Roald Dahl, at Creature Features in Burbank California.  I was not too familiar with Dahl's works, with the exception of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', and only then have I seen the films.  I decided early on that I was going select imagery from the original film adaptation starring Gene Wilder since I remember it fondly from my childhood.  For this piece I also wanted to do something a bit less traditional, or out of my comfort zone, and combine imagery with typography.  I have a love for calligrams, so I decided to take the lyrics from the hauntingly beautiful song 'Pure Imagination' sang by Wilder in the film, and create the image of a Wonka Bar from them.  The image is entirely digital, done in Painter by hand, and I didn't use any preexisting typeset or fill.

UPDATE 3/26/18:
To purchase this image, please visit my etsy store here:
Pure Imagination

Spirited Away

This piece was the second of two images I did for Yay! LA (Magazine), and their series Yay! LED (Legends Everyday), an online showcase of several very talented artists wrapped around the themes of Fantasy, Science Fiction, Comic Books, and other Various Media (Movies/Video Games).
As my second selection I chose Hayao Miyazaki's 'Spirited Away', a coming of age story revolving around a young girl and her journey into a mysterious realm.  I have always been a fan of Anime since the early days of watching ‘Akira’ on the Sci-fi Channel, but it wasn’t until college that I was exposed to the masterful works of Hayao Miyazaki.  As a budding artist, Miyazaki’s films managed to resonate with me much more than the traditional workings of American animation, with original content and thought provoking stories of human nature. For this particular piece I wanted to capture the essence of Miyazaki’s beloved ‘Spirited Away’, by illustrating key elements, and characters that played an influential role in the story.  Early on I knew I wanted to frame the image in the shape of the paper shikigami, and attempt to visually retell the tale. My goal was to keep the viewers eye moving while retaining the whimsical innocence of the original art style, and manage to interject my own spin aesthetically.  
The image is entirely digital, developed in Painter, with adjustments made in Photoshop. 

UPDATE 3/26/18:
To purchase this image, please visit my etsy store here:
Spirited Away