Artists Statement

 

 

 

Here goes.............

Regarding: 'The Anicurio Collection'

 

Life can be so hard for us all sometimes. I want to bring something new and magical to people. Bring back a sense of wonderment and charm.

My artwork is simply pencil on paper. (Graphite and charcoal.) It's intentionally traditional but laced with expressions that are timeless.

I draw anthropomorphized Victorians and vintage characters. This is continuing an artistic style that's around 150 years old. However, most practitioners of this style would cartoonify them. This can often be seen in vintage publications, editorials, and postcards. However, I choose to retain the original and natural expression of the animal. I think with the proper context and composition, their true personalities can shine through. So, I prefer not to exaggerate their features. Retain their dignity. My aim is to convey a deep sense of a genuine personality. Not just a wacky cartoon animal in a suit.

Regarding my process, I often begin by thinking about what type of animal I want to draw. What the personality of that animal might be. It's social class of the time. It's (human) body type. Each of my characters is carefully selected. I give names and background stories for them all. Some have long, complicated histories.

Then, I browse old photos, trying to find inspiration and references. Some I repurpose directly from the old photo, others I use various props and backgrounds. Finally, I compose the images into one rough draft. Additionally, I add quick study sketches. This will be the reference for the drawing. Each price takes from 15-30 hours. Once finished, I sometimes choose to age the piece. Not always, but when I feel it needs it. (This is the nail-biting part). I bathe it in a tray, like developing an old photo, in everything from tea, coffee, soy sauce, and lemon juice and then dry it with a heat gun.

Now I'm in the expansion stage of this world. My book 'The Anicurio Collection' is written, and their world has started to merge. 

Oil Paintings:

This is a very different style from my pencil art. It fools a lot of people. When I show this collection people don't know it's still me. I've even had people contact me wondering who this 'new artist in town' is? ha ha.

And so, I must preface with saying that this to is a closed series, (like my Anicurio Collection). It doesn't really have a fancy title. I sometimes call it my 'Big Heads' collection. It's from a period of my life from about 29-45. These oil paintings each deal with one moment, one story, or one emotion only. 

It all really started with a piece I painted called 'Queue'. It was  about a group of people standing (queuing) at a bus stop. I used to do a lot of that back in my native England. I always thought it was strange and a little sad that although we were all there huddled together in the cold, there was never any recognition of each other. It was as though if you did actually have the nerve to break the ice and start a conversation, the other person would simply jump backwards, startled, and say "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."

I didn't really have a style at the time. I just saw these curious figures in my head and wanted to paint them, just for fun. And so after I finished it, I was left wondering what to paint next, and in what style? But emboldened by my first attempt, I decided to further, and see what would happen with these characters I just created. Who were they? what were they to each other? where would they all be in 20 years from now?

'Queue' became the nexus for my whole style. I've since taken all of these characters and continued them in other paintings. Some as couplets, and some as a whole series of events throughout their lives. You can flip the pages back and forwards, like a photo album of their lives. 

In fact, two of the characters on the painting I mentioned at the beginning, are older now. You can see them in a piece called The 'Telly'. But behind them, on the wall, is the painting of them from all those years ago........'Queue".