catfish_charlie

“Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things that escape those who dream only at night.”
      -Edgar Allan Poe

Title: "Dream by Day"
Medium: oil pastel on bristol
Size: 3 1/2 x 2 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to eBay store)

I've said before that I think of my tree paintings as portraits more than landscapes. I believe these two demonstrate that concept fairly well; clearly each is unique in personality. The first painting is for sale now, the second one will be listed tomorrow evening (June 22).

Title: Zen Shimpaku
Medium: oil pastel on bristol
Size: 3 1/2 x 2 1/2"
Status: For Sale (click image for link to auction)



Title: Majestic Kapok
Medium: oil pastel on bristol
Size: 2 1/2 x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale Soon(click image for link to store)

Cats behave with a certain aloofness, a smugness which makes one wonder what it is they think they know that we do not. Perhaps they are able to see into our future, which may explain why they never seem particularly impressed by us.

Title: Cataclysm
Medium: oil pastel on bristol
Size: 2 1/2 x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (click image for link to auction)

Title: Worlds Apart
Medium: oil pastel on bristol
Size: 2 1/2 x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (click image for link to auction)


Text from the auction;
A rocky crag is overlooked by steep cliffs, separating two weathered trees. Two of a kind, the hardened mountain pines seem to be reaching across the gulf towards each other, hoping for companionship or mutual strength in a rugged and merciless environment.

I do not like to think of my tree paintings as landscapes, but rather I prefer to consider them expressive portraits. The subject is the tree, and my goal is to portray its spirit; its strengths, weaknesses, the trials it has faced and the character it has developed. Most of my trees are not drawn directly from real subjects but are the product of my experiences amongst trees with similar features. My experience studying the art of training bonsai trees also projects a visible influence on the design and composition of my tree portraits. But behind the subject there is also a statement; a metaphor, or an expression of some sort.

Extreme close-up of painting;


I'm frequently asked how I am able to get so much detail in these small paintings, whether I use a magnifying glass, and so forth. Truthfully, it's rather easy for me because I have been drawing finely detailed pictures all my life. I don't use any magnifying glasses or any other mechanical magnification, though I do have 20/20 vision and I like to have plenty of light to work with.

Here are my latest two paintings. The first one is the Jabberwock (from the poem Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll), and the second is a "bonsai" style shimpaku juniper tree.

Title: Jabberwock
Medium: Oil pastel and colored pencil on Bristol vellum
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)



Title: Rocky Perch
Medium: Oil pastel and colored pencil on Bristol vellum
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)


'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

~Lewis Carroll

I've painted the Cheshire cat, White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and even the lizard, Bill. I guess it's about time I got around to painting Alice!


Title: Alice
Medium: Oil pastel and colored pencil on Bristol vellum
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)

I've got a couple more Zodiac ACEO paintings up for sale, Aries and Leo. Only two more to complete the series!


Title: Aries
Medium: Oil pastel and colored pencil on Bristol vellum
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)



Title: Leo
Medium: Oil pastel and colored pencil on Bristol vellum
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)


Also, I got a bit of practice doing my latest art form, Mehndi;

I have never used Henna as a medium before but there is a very natural flow to it that I find enjoyable. I'm sure I'll get better in time, but here are a few of my earliest attempts. I've been not only practicing the techniques involved with using the medium, but also improving the recipe to get darker stains that last better. I've got a pretty good batch mixed up right now that stains to a dark cherry color, and promises to last for a couple of weeks at least. To see more pictures, look behind the cut;( Pictures Here )

Here are the latest two from my Zodiac series, this makes 8 finished- only 4 more to go! Pisces is up on eBay, Taurus I will list tomorrow.

Title: Pisces
Medium: Oil pastel and colored pencil on Bristol vellum
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)




Title: Taurus
Medium: Oil pastel and colored pencil on Bristol vellum
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale Soon (Click image to go to eBay store)



And because I needed a break from constellations I decided to paint a blossoming cherry tree (the crabapples around here are inspiring!)

Title: Awakening
Medium: Oil pastel and colored pencil on Bristol vellum
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)

Two more completed today, I am listing Scorpio for sale today and Libra tomorrow. Next to be finished will be Pisces.


Title: Scorpio
Medium: Oil pastel and colored pencil on Bristol vellum
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)



Title: Libra
Medium: Oil pastel and colored pencil on Bristol vellum
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale Soon (Click image to go to eBay store)

I am creating a series of art cards based on the Greek Zodiac. I have chosen to create them in no particular order. The first four are finished, the others are in process and should be completed within the week, I'm posting them on eBay as I finish them. Here are the first four;

Title: Cancer
Medium: Oil pastel and colored pencil on Bristol vellum
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)



Title: Gemini
Medium: Oil pastel and colored pencil on Bristol vellum
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)



Title: Capricorn
Medium: Oil pastel and colored pencil on Bristol vellum
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)



Title: Aquarius
Medium: Oil pastel and colored pencil on Bristol vellum
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)

Well I decided that Red needed some company after all, so I went ahead and painted the Wolf.


Title: The Wolf
Medium: Oil pastel and colored pencil on Bristol vellum
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)

I had a great response to Red Riding Hood, and I enjoyed painting it as well so I decided to do a similarly styled piece with a different subject. Here is a mermaid with a different twist; the Sirenes were said to lure sailors to their deaths.

Title: Sirene of the Abyss
Medium: Oil pastel and colored pencil on Bristol vellum
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)

I had a request for another vampire girl. I decided to tie in a literary twist this time.

Title: Red Riding Hood
Medium: Oil pastel and colored pencil on Bristol vellum
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)

I have been so busy working on commissions that I haven't been able to paint much for myself lately! Most of my "spare" time has been setting up a Cafepress store. So, without further ado, I will publicly announce the URL for anyone interested in seeing my work on mugs, T-shirts and greeting cards;

http://www.cafepress.com/klturner

Please bear in mind that while I have spent several days getting this set up, there is still a lot more material to get installed, so make sure you check back again later to see what I still have yet to add! Also, once I get the basics going I will be making custom HTML and graphics to pretty up the look of the store.

And since I haven't posted any new art recently, here are a couple of new pieces. The first one is an abstract, this auction closes tomorrow;

Title: Captured in Gold and Wine
Medium: Oil pastel on Bristol vellum
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)


This second one is a departure, or maybe a step or progression, I'm not sure. I have never painted a self-portrait before, and I really never thought I would since I have plenty of photographs and don't really care to curse the world with yet another physical representation of my image. But I felt compelled to paint a different kind of self portrait. This shows the way I "see" myself right now in life- of course this portrait would look different if I were to paint it again a year from now because I see myself as ever changing. I used a graffito technique with oil pastels to make this. It is not yet for sale, but I may put it up for auction tonight. I also may decide to paint a larger and more refined version of this.

Title: Self Portrait
Medium: Oil pastel on Bristol vellum
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale Soon

A nursery rhyme "quadtych". These four ACEO sized paintings can be displayed seperately, or alongside each other to form a single scene. Nursery rhyme illustration is new territory for me, but why not?

This is what they look like side-by-side; you can click this image to see the auction as well.


I put the full-sized individual images behind a cut, to see them just ( click here. )

I've gotten behind on this journal! I've been busy painting commission pieces, which is good and bad. Of course the business is good, but it keeps me from producing as many original pieces from my own imagination. Nonetheless, here is a piece that I finished last week. It's got one day left on the auction. This is a lesser-known character from Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, the Mock Turtle;

Title: Mock Turtle
Medium: Oil pastel on cold press watercolor paper
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)


I also never got this piece posted here which is a bit of a shame;

Title: Brothers
Medium: Oil pastel on cold press watercolor paper
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: Sold


Next I am working on a series of nursery rhyme themed paintings. I should have the first installment finished tomorrow. I still have a couple more Wonderland pieces to get out of my system as well, plus a few more Lovecraft influenced pieces are currently in the works!

Here are a few new pieces I have completed recently.

This first one I'm pretty happy with the end result. It's an interpretation of Cthulhu that is slightly different from my normal portrayals of this entity. It looks pretty good even enlarged quite a lot- there is an enlarged image in the auction description.

Title: Dreaming No More
Medium: Oil pastel on cold press watercolor paper
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)


While I'm on dark subjects, here is an auction that will end soon;

Title: The Quiet Woods
Medium: Oil pastel on cold press watercolor paper
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)


A little lighter mood;

Title: Beyond Reach
Medium: Oil pastel on cold press watercolor paper
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)


There are more, but I'll wait to post them until tomorrow so I don't flood everyone's friends pages with pictures.

Here is a piece I made this afternoon. Although it is rather simple, I am very pleased with the way it turned out! I'll have it up for auction tomorrow.

Title: White Rabbit
Medium: Inks, colored pencil and oil pastel on cold press watercolor paper
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale soon (Click image to go to eBay store)

Well here it is December, days are short and nights are cold and life lingers on. I have a couple of new pieces to post tonight. I have been getting numerous requests for more Cthulhu mythos artwork, so this first piece is in response to that. This is a Byakhee, an entity from Lovecraftian fiction.

Title: Agent of Hastur
Medium: Inks, colored pencil and oil pastel on cold press watercolor paper
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale (Click image to go to auction)



This next piece is one that sort of fell out of my subconscious as I sat to paint with no subject in mind. So far, my subconscience has not given me a title for the piece, so it remains untitled at this time. Perhaps my subconscious would be willing to surrender the title if I bribed it properly with the prospect of a nap.

Title:
Medium: Inks, colored pencil and oil pastel on cold press watercolor paper
Size: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Status: For Sale Soon (Click image to go to eBay store)


And one last thing, I finally have an update on the caterpillar painting. This is pretty much the way I work on my projects- a little here, a little there until I finally feel like proclaiming it "done". Which this is not, yet- done, that is. But it is progressing. I used iridescent blue to create a pattern on the background representing the smoke from the huka.