Wasted Beauty

http://www.thelotuseater.com/

Chet Zar

http://www.chetzar.com/

Brian Despain

http://despainart.com/

Dan Quintana

http://www.copronason.com/dan/

Jimmy Pickering

http://www.jimmypickering.com/

Laurie Lipton

http://www.laurielipton.com/

Image from http://www.copronason.com/

These stunning images are illustrations by Sam Cotton, recently featured in the Exposure section of Computer Arts Magazine. The UK based illustrator works using a combination of digital and traditional techniques, with a talent for bringing realism into contemporary art. His captivating illustrations are “fashion-based”, gaining a sense depth through the use of the different mediums.

Enough cannot be said about these illustrations, and I was rather excited to find the pair that I did in Computer Arts, but thanks to the powers of the internet, more of his work can be found on his online portfolio:  http://www.hundredpercentcotton.co.uk/

That picture just makes you stop and stare.  With millions of things vying for your attention all at once, you soon find that the confusion creates a level of excitement that completes the piece.  The above picture is entitled “My London”; aptly put when you take into consideration the volumes of pop culture that London spits out every year.  Remember the punk fad in America?  Well they’re the ones we got it from back when the middle-class wasn’t too happy about the establishment.

But I digress; the piece is done by the artist Vince Fraser, a 37 year old London based digital artist with huge roots in 1970’s pop culture.  On closer inspection of the vibrant piece you can find major symbols used in London’s pop art; that is to say commercial symbols taken out of context and recontextualized into art.  The double-decker bus, the yasar-arafat scarf, the buggy car, and more if you take the time to see for yourself.  The most interesting part of this work, and as you’ll find throughout the rest of the pictures I’m going to post, is the heavily laden afro-centric themes of the funk period.  I don’t know how big Funk was in London, but he manages to capture it with such skill that even my father and his afro would enjoy it.  Below are other images by Fraser.

If you want to see more of his work you should check out his website: http://www.vincefraser.com where you can find his myspace if you ever want to get in contact with him.  I wish that I could get the chance to collaborate on a project with him.  And in Fraser’s own words: “Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others”.

I am beyond pleased that I found this artist; he is by far one of my favorite artists, if not my favorite.  I stumbled his website and I have been seriously considering buying one of his prints.   Enough gushing on my part; the most notable thing about his prints is the realism coupled with surrealist themes and motift\s.  Mechanical humanoid creatures and terribly horrific demons await you in this impressive portfolio.  I personally know nothing of Keith Thompson, but his work speaks volumes to me in regards to his creative imagination, attention to detail, and patience (coloring these unique prints must have taken days).  Below are more examples of his work with links back to his website:

PRIPYAT BEAST

“When the secondary explosion occurred at the reactor, spewing an almost immeasurable torrent of radioactivity into the jet stream, surrounding locales could only survive long enough to form mass graves for their dead.” – Keith

KARAKURI

“Commissioned long ago by the 7th Tokugawa, a great patron of Karakuri design during the Edo period. Used to entertain guests with its charming grace as it carefully presents its hosts with tea, the Karakuri has also been used sparingly in Noh theatre, much to the shock of the audience when they discover the true nature of a seemingly masked actor” – Keith

UK based illustrator Tom Bagshaw’s digital painting talents and process were featured in the latest issue of Computer Arts Magazine. His visual style combines the look of traditional painting with the feel of fashion photography as well as elements of contemporary graphic design. Together with interesting subject matter, these qualities make Bagshaw’s body of work truly unique. More of Bagshaw’s work and prints are available at his online portfolio website Mostly Wanted.