Illustration

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Illustration

The Moon’s Magical Mythology Captured in an Illustrated Book by David Álvarez

In Noche Antigua (Ancient Night) an opossum and a rabbit work together—and against each other—to create and maintain the sun and the moon. The book, written in Spanish and illustrated by Mexico-based artist David Álvarez (previously) is based on elements from ancient myths in several Central American cultures. Álvarez captures a sense of quiet magic with the simplified forms and hushed tones of his illustrations, which seem to glow from the illumination of the moon. You can see more of the artist’s work on Instagram and his Etsy shop, and find a hardcover copy of Noche Antigua on Amazon.

Art Illustration

Layered Paintings by Betsy Walton Build Memory into Colorful Explorations of the Pacific Northwest

Artist Betsy Walton loosely imitates the landscape of Portland, Oregon in paintings infused with geodesic rocks and female subjects dressed as spellbinding goddesses. Walton works in layers, leaving some areas of the paintings bare with minimal sketches, while others have been painted, mixed with new media, or patched over multiple times.

“I paint over old versions of images so that there is a kind of memory to the painting,” she explains to Colossal. “I like being able to create an image that slowly unfolds. My hope is that a person looking at the finished work is able to have a long relationship with the image—lots of nuance to discover over time.”

Although Portland’s winters have become a primary point of inspiration, Walton likes to also bring in elements of travel by including flora that exist outside of the Pacific Northwest. She also includes natural phenomena or invisible structures that we might not see in everyday life, such as winding tree roots or the ribs of a female subject. “In each painting I am working through a kind of mindfulness process wherein I try to stay faithful to my ideas as they arise, even if I can’t explain it or it seems like a hard turn from where I started,” she explains. “It’s a delicate dance between unconditional acceptance of new ideas and subsequent editing phases where I try to refine the image and gain more clarity in the expression of the image’s story. ”

Walton’s first solo exhibition will open in May 2020 at Stephanie Chefas Projects in Portland. You can view more of her paintings on her website and Instagram.

Art Illustration

Sketchbook Vol. 1 Provides an Intimate Look into the Minds of Fourteen Contemporary Artists

Dina Brodsky (previously) started keeping a sketchbook at the age of 18, when most of her content was a collection of scattered thoughts and scribbles. Today, the artist and curator has transformed this practice into wildly detailed pages that combine architectural watercolors with notes written in an organized script. As curator-in-residence at Sugarlift in Long Island City, New York, Brodsky has organized an investigation into other contemporary artists’ notebooks in an upcoming interactive exhibition titled Sketchbook Vol 1.

The show presents sketchbooks as art objects rather than artist’s preliminary plans, giving the audience a chance to thumb through the notes and images of artists such as David Morales Hernandez, Diana Corvelle, Nicolas V. Sanchez, Paul Heaston, and Brodsky’s own sketches. “I think an artist’s sketchbook is integral to their process—it’s where ideas are born, where their days and thoughts are documented,” Brodsky tells Colossal. “It’s a living, breathing record of their life, both as an artist and a human being. They also tend to be something private, that artists make purely for themselves, and rarely part with.”

Full-sized works from the artists will also be on display, so one can look at how sketches and notes provide context for a final piece, while also appreciating each sketchbook as a artwork on its own. “Together the books amount to more than the sum of their parts,” she continues, “they are rather an intimate look into the mind of an artist.” Sketchbook Vol 1. opens Saturday, January 19 at Sugarlift, and runs through February 8, 2019 by appointment. You can also peek inside Brodsky’s sketchbooks on Instagram. (via Colossal Submissions) 

Illustration

Black and Red Calder-Like Illustrations Combine Geometric Shapes into Spiders, Jellyfish, and Birds

When Adam Goldberg, founder of Santa Monica-based studio Trüf Creative isn’t crafting work for a client, the designer likes to engage his creativity with an ongoing series of minimal illustrations titled FAÜNA. The pieces combine black and red shapes and linework to form stylized versions of animals and insects, such as the one-eyed spider above or polka-dotted fish below.

Although Goldberg is directly inspired by artists such as Joan Miro, Alexander Calder, and Wassily Kandinsky, he is also influenced by the client work he has completed over the years. “The simplicity, geometry, and composure that we try to achieve with our branding work rubs off on the artwork,” he explained to Adobe Create Magazine. “I think more in terms of composition and balance more now than I ever have — and that’s because of the branding work.” You can see more of Goldberg’s agency work on Trüf Creative’s website and Behance.

Art Illustration

Layers of Realistic and Invented Winged Creatures Combine in Surreal Illustrations by Vorja Sánchez

Vorja Sánchez (previously) combines imaginative interpretations of birds, wolves, and hybrid creatures into surreal paintings and mixed media works that are diverse in both style and form. In the follow up to his popular work Bird Dialogues, the Spanish illustrator layers winged animals of all colors and breeds, presenting realistic drawings alongside half-formed birds that spring from the deep corners of his brain. You can see more recent illustrations of real and invented creatures, in addition to less public murals and less formal sketches, on Instagram and Facebook.

Art Illustration

Birds Sit Delicately on Vintage Sewing Machines and Typewriters in a New Illustrated Series by Steeven Salvat

French artist Steeven Salvat (previously) creates meticulously rendered drawings of animals inhabiting the same world as machinery, such as his previous crustacean series. His project Perchés showcases different breeds of birds using antique objects as areas for temporary rest, like the above owl which sits atop a typewriter. “I wanted to highlight the contrasts between lightness and brutality, fragility of nature and immortality of objects,” Salvat tells Colossal.

The artist works with watercolor on pastel paper, which he then draws millions of lines on top with .13mm Rotring pens and China ink. He collaborated with the Parisian studio Sergeant Paper to edit five drawings from the series in a signed and numbered limited edition of 100, which you can purchase via his online shop. You can view a time-lapse of one of his included drawings in the video below.

Art Illustration

Affirmational Text Art and Doodles Combine in Immersive Murals by Shantell Martin

New York-based British artist Shantell Martin is known for her black and white doodles which combine patch-worked faces with straightforward messages. Martin’s multi-dimensional works address complex issues such as identity, intersectionality, and other topics relating to the modern human condition. Her public murals and immersive gallery presentations are made intuitively, building fields of loose drawings with a meditative style. Martin teaches as an adjunct professor at NYU Tisch in the Interactive Telecommunications Program, where she combines visual art with personal storytelling and technology. You can follow her global drawings on Instagram and take a short peek into her process in the video below.