Four of my latest surreal collages.

"Elysian Fields"


"Every Act of Creation is First an Act of Destruction" (Picasso's quote inspired me)


"Manufactured Paradise"


"Confabulation"

Handel, I like your collages more and more! How do you begin with them? Do you know how they will to come out before you start them?

I'm trying to learn how to draw since for weeks or so now...pretty good progress.

Thx! I usually start with a base image that I like, and then I build around it. Sometimes, I end up not even using the base image. I just juxtapose lots of pics, and eventually something forms. Towards the end I add the final touches which are more strategic, so I can give the whole thing a meaning.

handel i can't get enough of your collages. such great, epic juxtaposition... truly ready for albums covers in the prime time. now i'm bustin out quick charcoal and going over it with oil(first pass in blue). hopefully i'll get it soon, feels close

All great stuff... I love this thread! Mailorderdeity, you seem to be reconnecting with your technique, nice to see the stages.

Handel, I'm blown away. All of your collage work it top quality but you've sort of crossed a line where it's so seamless it kind of hovers between being collage and surreal illustration... Visually intense but totally unified. I especially love the exploding executives!

Here's a bird eye and a caterpillar I have on easel. Just something to add to my mental/visual library, both done in oil. The bird eye with alkyd medium and the caterpillar with stand oil medium. One basic blocky scrub-in first layer for the caterpillar (which is taking forever to dry) and one pass on the eye which will probably be done with another layer. I have stronger colours on my palette as of yesterday so I'm hoping to punch up the chroma a bit.

orion really dig the Caterpillar. you mentioned the oil taking forever to dry... i have a suggestion if you want it. i've found a way to speed up oil painting to hours rather than days. i learned it trying to speed up my bike frame paint job. i use the non-smelly grahams walnut oil with alkyd in it. stuff is amazing. takes about 30 hours to cure for a second coat... but if i cut it 50% with xtramild citrus thinner and then place it in the oven at 180-190f i can second coat without disturbing the undercoat in about 2-4 hours depending on thickness. it's truly changed my approach to painting as i still feel in the mood in that time. i just work on another piece for the 2 hours in-between.

M.Graham walnut alkyd or straight walnut plus another alkyd ? It's hard to find walnut alkyd here in the UK but I wouldn't mind trying it out to see how I like it. Most of the time I use liquin because it's fairly thin feeling and not too 'draggy'.

Thanks for the tip, really digging your oil pieces by the way!

Not a traditional piece of art, but I'm not very traditional

The cover of my journal:



*edit..... Ahhhhhh, man; they're upside down and I can't fix it........sorry; crane your neck, and send me your chiropractor's bill.

Where did that drawing/painting on the front come from? Did you do that? That is the best representation of a very consistent vision I get on very many of my trips. It is ridiculous how close that work is to what I see.

I just realized its a DMT molecule! Man, that is cool.

That is an Alex Grey painting I cut out of a book and mod podged to the journal cover. Alex Grey is freaking amazing.

Great choice! It must put you in a good, productive frame of mind to grab your journal with a cover all decked out like that.

here it is orion.. i can't recommend it highly enough. i've tried just about everything on the market: liquin, zec, damr varnish, lead, cobalt etc... this doesnt' smell at all like liquin does, just smells like walnut oil, but the alkyd is already in it. it flows perfectly, super smooth. if you mix 30-50% about with citrus thingger it is amazing!

tried to capture a few of my elvish acquaintances in their natural habitat

Mailorderdiety, I see, I'll keep my eyes peeled for some. I'm also looking to mix up some traditional mediums, I have some pretty interesting recipes I want to trial out, I'll post some paintings with them here in the future.

anon_003, that is one damn fine depiction of an elvish cactus jelly octopus strawberry mind-melt maze!

I did another pass on this eye, took most of the jagged edges away with another layer and a final glazing layer to shade the lumpy texture of the bird's skin. I think I'm getting better at making things look more solid and realistically lit. I keep wanting to punch colours up even more but the natural light is so unpredictable here, I can never tell when something is too light or too dark! Must get some 5000k lamps...

i can almost feel the texture of that bumpy eyelid, Orion

my most recent drawing, took about 11 months to finish (i was busy with many other things during that time):

EDIT: it's showing up kind of small on my screen, so here's a link to a larger image: 'Magic Leaves'

All the time and effort that went into the detail really payed off blue lunar light. Great stuff there.

OooooO I love it blue!

I really enjoy that style. So many things to look at and I really enjoy how these types of drawings melt together seamlessly.

Blue, I've been staring at the blow up of that image on your page for a long time now, probably longer than any other piece I've ever stared at...and I'm still dumbfounded. It's just getting more and more mind boggling. Your art is easily some of the most incredible work I've ever seen. Thanks so much for posting it here!!!

I would love to know more about the story behind how that one coming into being

This is just amazing! So much detail! Thank you very much for sharing. I would be very much interested what materials and techniques you used.