THE IMAGEMAKERS HANDBOOK

I WILL BE POSTING SELECTED WRITINGS FROM MY THREE VOLUME BOOK, THE IMAGEMAKERS HANDBOOK -  TO BE RELEASED MID-2015.

 

THE POWER OF THE IMAGEMAKER

Be it a painting or poem, sculpture or song, every piece of art is a discovery—an invention of the imagination—compelling the artist to become an intrepid voyager on a journey through life and self. Not taken for the glory of any final destination of victory, but chosen for the privilege to pursue a passion with purpose.

In science and engineering, the discovery of a life-saving drug or the invention of a time-saving device is an accomplishment that travels far beyond its creator; a gift born of effort and excellence to enhance and evolve the lives of others. As an Imagemaker, you should strive to bestow no less: to evoke emotion or provoke thought, to strengthen or shatter an existing idea, to cast light on what is unknown or bring truth to what is misunderstood. Sometimes to answer a question—sometimes to ask one.

Your creative voice is a universal form of expression—not only capable of crossing boundaries of language, culture and the ages—but transcending the human failings of hate, fear and ignorance. To be in possession of such a unique and potent gift is to not only be blessed with great potential, but also to be charged with great responsibility.

I often find myself in great museums searching for brush hairs and fingerprints embedded within history’s masterpieces. By discovering this physical evidence of the creative process, I am brought closer to that instant in time when these timeless treasures became real—that mortal moment when another human being, from another time, was immersed in the same pursuit to which I have devoted my life—to create images which not only fulfill potential, but transcend existence.

As the world struggles and strives to evolve, new images are needed every day, making the artist as essential and valuable as any doctor, professor or soldier in the preservation and perseverance of the human race. As with any  pursuit, art has been used and abused to advance agendas, to help stop wars and to start them, to record history and to alter it—yet at its best, the act of making art has helped make what seemed impossible, possible.

MUSE PROJECT

MUSE PROJECT

I have begun working on the next album for the band MUSE.

I will be doing the photography, illustration, and designing of the package. I will also be doing some motion work that will support the still images.

To be able to collaborate with a global music force is a challenging and exciting endeavor. I have had the opportunity to do similar projects with Tom Waits, U2, Queen Latifah, and The Bogmen.

The album title is DRONES - a word offering a dark and intriguing exploration of the potential virtues and abuses that come with control, responsibility, and purpose.

A few steps involved:

  • contacted by the band's management, Q-Prime, which I've worked with a lot during several Metallica music videos.
  • along with several other imagemakers, submitted my ideas based on the band's themes for the album.
  • had a face-to-face with Matt & Dom from the band.
  • After a bit of time I was chosen to take on the project.
  • I was sent lyrics to the songs and listened to some tunes to get a feel for the mood.
  • Presented sketches of ideas for approval.
  • Now beginning work on some finished images.

What makes a job like this such a blast is the amount of creative freedom that is allowed by the band. With this freedom comes the responsibility to serve the intent of the music while also being able to express my vision of the sounds and words. Another thrill to this kind of gig is the chance to hopefully contribute some memorable images to the decades-long history of album art.

I am grateful to MUSE for putting their trust in me to visually support a project that they have invested so much time, effort, and creativity.

I will be posting developments along the way.

NEW SITE NEW PROJECTS

 

Welcome.

The new site will have a store and blog that will be updated on a regular basis.

  • The store will be a virtual gallery selling original paintings, original photographs and digital prints.
  • The blog will post updates and insights on current jobs and projects—as well as some select writings from my 700 page, three volume, The Imagemakers Handbook - planning on a mid 2015 release.

I am working on a few new projects—some of which are included in the site, while others will be added as they evolve.

  • TOM WAITS BOOK - a collection of over 200 pages of photographs. paintings, drawings, digital images and live performance shot—as well as conceptual images of everything from a Tom Waits jetpack to and x-ray of his suitcase.
  • DEAD ANIMAL PAINTINGS - an oil, acrylic, and watercolor meditation on our furry, feathered and scaly friends who have met their end by anything from a speeding car to natural causes.
  • SURFER PAINTINGS - a collection of studies on the spiritual skill of riding the waves.
  • HEAD PAINTINGS - boxers, zombies, clowns, misfits imagined from the mind's eye.
  • INSECT PAINTINGS - anything that crawls, buzzes or flutters.

Here we go.