Pam Grier, "Foxy"

Pam Grier - Foxy

Portrait, 11 x 14 in.

Lead on Paper

When I set out to do a Pam Grier piece I was originally going to do one from the Jackie Brown era - as that is probably the best things she's ever done despite her prolific career.  The more I thought about it though the more I thought I needed to at least start with a piece that paid homage to her films such as Fox Brown, Coffee and Doll House.  I started off with a small 8.5 x 11 in lay out but her hair wouldn't allow for that.  It was huge and even adding the extra inches I didn't quite get it all.  If you grew up watching her movies like I did it's time to snag up one of these amazing prints and get your wall snazzy yesterday!

Lon Chaney Sr. - Phantom Of The Opera: "Phantom"

Lon Chaney Sr. - The Phantom Of The Opera

Portrait,15 1/2 x 10 /2 in.
Lead on Paper

Another piece in the ongoing series of Classic Universal Horror Monsters is in my opinion - the original Horror monster.  Before there was Lugosi there was Chaney, before there was sound there was Chancey, before there were make-up artists there was Chaney.  We still don't honestly know how he achieved the upturned nose make-up for The Phantom of The Opera to this day, though these days most people believe he used very thin wire to upturn his snout.  Seemingly impervious to pain in the service of achieving a realistic appearance on screen Chaney is considered by some to the first character actor.  Whatever your opinion on the man might be it's hard to argue that he is anything but a legend among horror fans.  Once he haunted the screen, they say he still haunts the opera set which is miraculously still standing today, but if you want he can always haunt your wall!

Johnny Depp: Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas - Raol Duke, "Colonel"

Johnny Depp - The Colonel

Portrait, 13 1/2 x 10 1/2 in.

Lead on Paper

The essence of gonzo in it's purest form - or is it?  Johnny Depp, a Kentucky native, is seen here in his leading role as Raol Duke aka Hunter S Thompson in 1998's Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas.  Though released to mediocre reviews and a disappointing box office, the film has gone onto to become a cult classic.  It was selected as a modern classic by The Criterion Collection Company and won a Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival.  Now, twelve years later we are still waiting on the companion piece to this film, The Rum Diary which is slated for release in the next year or two.  You don't have to wait until then though, get gonzo - grab this print, stick it in a suitcase and smuggle that sucker home!

Bruce Campbell - Evil Dead: Ash, "Woods"

Bruce Campbell, "Woods"

Portrait, 8 1/2 x 11 in

Lead on Paper

I guess it all depends on what circles you run in, but if you know anyone that I do then Bruce don't call me "Ash" Campbell has been one of the biggest names in and out of little Hollywood, and has been for nearly three decades!  Due to Campbell's working relationship with director Sam Raimi on their Evil Dead trilogy and cameos in such films as Spider-Man 1,2 and 3, as well as Dark Man he has become a house hold name.  In more recent memory he has been starring as Sam Axe on the television show, "Burn Notice" for some time now.  Despite all of that I will forever remember him as the star of Within The Woods.  A 30 minute short film version of Evil Dead that was shot on 8mm while Bruce was still on college to attract investors to the aforementioned film.

Holding his spattered chainsaw just out of frame you can almost feel the blood oozing off the page in this illustration.  If you grab a print of this one be careful, it looks like it might drip a little!

Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight: The Joker, "Face"

Portrait, 8 1/2 x 11 in

Charcoal, Soft Pastel and Oil Pastel on Paper

After completing the Jack Nicholson 1989 "Splash" picture I knew I had to do a Heath Ledger companion to the piece.  I re-watched The Dark Knight and decided that this had to be my first color piece.  I went with a mixed medium approach, blending charcoal, soft and oil pastels to achieve the finished product.  It wasn't easy - the minimalistic approach to color was a fun thing to play with in this piece but it really made me want to do one with his bright green hair.  I'm really happy with the finished product in this case though, Ledger's sardonic eyes peering out from the shadows and that demonic smile perfectly silhouetted.  I can't wait to start getting prints of this one done, they are going to look just amazing!

Johnny Depp: Pirates Of The Caribbean - Jack Sparrow, "Sparrow"

Portrait, 8 1/2 x 11 in

Lead on Paper

If there ever was a man outside of the Chaney family that could 'wear' the title, "the man of a thousand faces" it is Johnny Depp.  Over his career he's taken more and more control over his own career and taken it some really interesting places.  In this picture I decided to do a portrait of Johnny Depp in The Pirate's Of The Caribbean as Jack Sparrow the head pirate and arguably the lead of the films so far.  Eyeliner and dreadlocks have now become synonymous with Depp and I don't think he minds one bit with that scraggly little goatee hanging out on his face months after the completion of the films.  And have no fear if you feel left out at the end of the film because you don't have any wicked pirate booty for yourself you can forget about it now!

Mike Smith: Trailer Park Boys - Bubbles, "Hat"

Portrait, 8 1/2 x 11 in

Lead on Paper

I did this piece for Vulturefest down in Makanda this year.  Trailer Park Boys is probably the most brilliant show I've ever seen and of all the characters Bubbles is undeniable the best.  Mike Smith started on the show as a sound-engineer having had limited success in his Canadian grunge band Sandbox, who recorded two albums on EMI.  Due to some wonderful coincidences he ended up landing a starring role on Trailer Park Boys and is working on a new show with the cast from TPBoys now.  Watching TPB lately I was struck with how much I liked Bubbles when he was in his snow gear so I decided to stick him in that here.  His little beanie cap just cracks me up, not that his face isn't enough that is!  I can't wait to see this suckers hanging in the living room, now that's a conversation starter!

Hunter S. Thompson, "Gonzo"

Hunter S. Thompson, "Gonzo"

Portrait, 10 1/2 x 12 1/2 in
Lead on Paper

Thompson led a troubled life and might not have been a picture of sanity to most people, but he's a personal hero.  He was always ahead of he game, one step in front of everyone else.  His life was an incredible journey, kicked out of his home town after he was arrested, Thompson subsequently joined the army where he began his illustrious career as a journalist.  Though he worked at Rolling Stones magazine for several years, and was even teamed with Ralph Steadman the artist who would follow Thompson on his rise to the top, but failed to hit it big until there was an 'incident'.  Thompson was sent to cover the Mint 500 motorcycle race but instead turned in a bizarre op-ed piece of what would later become known as "gonzo" journalism.  The manuscript was the outlines of what would become the know American Literary Classic, "Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas"; which know stand along with other titles like "On The Road" and "Naked Lunch" as quintessential counter-culture reading material.

Joel Gion - Brian Jonestown Massacre, "Dig"

Joel Gion, "Dig"

Portrait, 10 x 10 1/2 in

Lead on Paper

Can you hear the tambourine man a callin?  Joel Gion from The Brian Jonestown Massacre, or at least he as back as of the time of this portrait, made me reconsider my opion of tambourine players in a band.  He served not only as a musician but also a bouncer and the glue that very nearly held everything together.  Typical of Joel, nothing about this drawing was typical - his glasses weren't the hardest part of this picture, it was that hand that nearly drove me nuts.  For some reason getting the proper foreshortening on it was just a massive pain in the neck.  In the end though I was really happy with how this ended up.  Everything about this besides that hand was an absolute pleasure to draw.  You normally don't get to draw mutton chops or a hair cut like that on anything but a comic book character, and even then it's hard to pull off - I mean you just can't dream that kind of thing up!

Tom Waits, "Dark"

Tom Waits, "Dark"

Portrait, 8 1/2 x 10 1/2 in

Lead on Paper

So far the final installation in the Tom Waits series he is depicted here in the mid-90's while working on one of his plays, The Black Rider with writer William S. Burroughs of "Naked Lunch" notoriety.  It was this era in Tom's life that made me know he was going to knock his role as Satan in Doctor Parnassus out of the park.  Going well back to his Mystery Men days, this classic fedora and suit look just screams lounge lizard but there's so much more to Tom.  This was the very first picture that I did in the Conte Pierre Noire lead pencils that have become the basis of most of the work presented on this blog.  A fortuitous combination of subject and medium to say the least.

Clint Eastwood - The Man With No Name, "No Name"

Clint Eastwood, "No Name"

Portrait, 10 1/2 x 13 in

Lead on Paper

Before he was Dirty Harry, Clint Eastwood became known as The Man With No Name supplanting the legacy of John Wayne for several generations. 

Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper

Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper, "Easy Rider"

Portrait, 11 x 14 in

Lead on Paper

This was a really fun piece to do.  Peter Fonda hurtling along the road on his Chopper, Dennis Hopper lurking in the background.  I also had to get Jack Nicholson's helmet in there or it wouldn't really be Easy Rider now would it?  I chose to do this in a slightly larger format that most of my other stuff so I could really get some more of the bikes and that helmet into frame which I think makes the picture.  It's one of the strongest compositional pieces that I've done and I'm super pleased to be able to finally offer prints of it!

Marilyn Monroe, "Personal"

Marilyn Monroe, "Personal"

Portrait, 8 1/2 x 11 in

Lead on Paper

Few personalities have captivated America like Marilyn Monroe.  She defined the term super-model for perhaps the fist time, but that's not what this portrait is about.  I really wanted to do a picture of Marilyn Monroe as a person, not an object, something rarely seen in my opinion.  It's a million miles from the toothy Hollywood grin that made her a household name, but there's something tangibly beautiful and sincere about this piece.  On a lighter note, Something Had To Give and this print is available now, cause Some Like It Hot (I had to do it!).

Gene Wilder - Young Frankenstein, "Fronkunschteen"

Gene Wilder - Young Frankenstein, "Fronkunschteen"

Portrait, 8 1/2 x 11 in

Lead on Paper

The companion piece to Marty Feldman's Igor, Gene Wilder can be seen here in his role as Dr. Frankenstein, though he might prefer you not know that.  It's true Wilder was one of Mel Brooks' go to guys and it was no surprise to see him turn up in Young Frankenstein, but he seems much more suited for the role than some of his other Brooks films.  His looks lend themselves to the black and what color scheme of the film perfectly and the dark eye make-up commonly associated with those early films looks so natural on his face he might be able to pull them off in public, then again maybe not.  You can be sure you could pull this print off in public though, cast out of his castle and the town the doctor needs a place to sleep it off people, it's been a long day!

Marty Feldman, "Playboy"

Marty Feldman, "Playboy"

Portrait, 8 1/2 x 11 in

Lead on Paper

I just can't get enough of that face!  Graves Disease was responsible for Marty's trademark bulging eyes but there was something else lurking beneath that disarming grin, responsible for his lasting legacy as a comedy genius.  It's not hard to picture him running amok on the BBC or teasing Frankenstein's monster - but there was a real guy behind all that, a man with some enormous mutton chops.  I tried to really conjure the essence of Feldman here, presenting him as seriously as I dared with out compromising the pictures integrity in some fashion.  I just got the fist prints of this back and I have to say I am more than impressed with them than I anticipated, and I had some high expectations - simply put, this is a hell of a print.

Marty Feldman - Young Frankenstein, "Abby Normal"

Marty Feldman - Igor, "Abby Normal"

Portrait, 8 1/2 x 11 in

Lead on Paper

This Marty Feldman piece is the first in a series spotlighting the film, "Young Frankenstein" by Mel Brooks.  It's one of my favorite films and has to be one of the funniest films ever made, due in no small part to the mad genius that is Marty Feldman.  His face might look like a caricature but he had some serious skill to back up those boyish good looks.  Just watch Young Frankenstein and try to imagine any one else as Igor.  Feldman can be seen here procuring a brain from the morgue in one of the films most famous scenes as he break the fourth wall, looking directly into the camera.  With all the trouble up at the castle lately it looks like he might be looking for somewhere new to stay, care to help him out a little?

Julie Newmar - Batman: Catwoman, "#1"

Julie Newmar - Catwoman, "#1"

Portrait, 8 1/2 x 11 in

Lead on Paper

Perhaps best remembered for her role as the original Catwoman on the 1960's Batman show with Adam West, Julie Newmar wanted to be a comedian but ended up working her way into some feature films before establishing a fruitful television career that would plateau in many ways with her role as Catwoman on the Batman series.  Keeping that in mind I found an early version of her make-up with much more of her face exposed.  She would eventually wear a mask but I didn't want to obscure her fact that much.  I also did a companion piece to this one of her earlier pin-up years that I will post soon.  In the meantime, you know where to find this print; same bat time, same bat channel er, bat blog that is!

Jack Skellington - The Nightmate Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King, "Smile"

Jack Skellington - The Pumpkin King, "Smile"

Portrait, 8 1/2 x 11in

Lead on Paper

Tim Burton has done some amazing work - and his designs are the largest part of many of his most memorable films. Edward Scissorhands and so many others started off in his sketch book and were brought to life through his vivid imagination.  A Nightmare Before Christmas might be his largest undertaking in this category though, as it was the first full length animated film he had designed from the ground up.  He did a great job of not buckling under the pressure in this case, resulting in some amazing designs.  Jack Skelligton is one of the coolest designs out there.  Sheik and cool, complex in his simplicity - it was a real pleasure to draw him.  I stuck him in the woods for a little background and plastered a silly smile on his face as that's how I remember him, though I must admit I'm a more than a little tempted to do a companion piece that's a little more ominous than this one. In the meantime, bring a little Halloween, or Christmas - whatever you like, home with you for the holiday seasons in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Predator, "Alpha"

Predator - "Alpha"

Portrait, 8 1/2 x 11 in

Lead on Paper

This piece is in loving memory of Stan Winston who left us with so many wonderful creations and images and asked so little for himself.  His designs have been stuck in the heads of a million people all over the planet and there's definitely a reason why.  This is specifically the predator from the original Predator film as Stan designed that helmet himself and while others have imitated it they have never successfully improved on that design; why mess with a good thing?  Recently "Alpha" also showed up as the wounded predator in the 2010 film, "Predators" and it felt as good a time as any to do a serious piece showcasing just how beautiful and sheik the design really is almost 30 years later, a functional work of art as nearly all of Stan's creations invariably were.  He will be missed.

Peter Sellers - Dr. Strangelove, "Strangelove"

Peter Sellers - Dr. Strangelove

Portrait, 8 1/2 x 11 in
Lead on Paper

The multi-talented Peter Sellers is probably best remember for his zany role in Stanley Kubrick's 1964 classic, Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb as an American recruited ex-Nazi scientist.  You can almost smell the smoke from Sellers cigarette as he mutters in a  raspy snarl,  the loud squeak from the bearings on his wheel chair drowning out soft obscenities.  It had to be hard getting around the set in that clunky old prop but it won't be hard to get him into your house with the help of prints and posters!