the split personality development

Evan Benedict the Egg Hunter

2012-01-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

Hello again.

Heres a painting that has taken me a couple of months to get right, looks finished to me after looking at it for the past week or so so i thought id share it.
The Evan name is inspired from the new member of my girlfriends family making her an auntie for the first time, though since hes only a few months old he wont be hunting for eggs any time soon, not even this coming easter.

At first i found it a tad tricky to find how i wanted the eggs to look but it sort of came to me when i sort of zoned out for a second looking at one of the doors in my house. All the knots in the wood started to look like faces which gave me sort of eureka moment.

Heres an image so you see what i mean and also by showing this proves that im not a disturbed individual.

And here it is...

At the same time another Mr Malky image has been completed. Wont waffle on about this one to much all i will say is that them trees took ages!

To end heres a tune that was the final track on Fabric's latest combination mixed by Visionquest.Its called the song with no ending by wildcookie.I imagine some of you may find the title fitting if youre still reading this...

The Gift

2011-11-07T11:34:00.000-08:00

Hello

For the past eight months or so i have been working on a interactive story for the ipad called 'The Gift', written by Jos Carlye for Persian Cat Press.

Its for younger children so its a lot more on the happier side compared to my other exploits. As you would imagine they don't want to be giving the kids issue's in later life. This has been a detachment from my normal work but has been a refreshing change.

Sorry haven't got any images to show but heres a trailer

You can find out information about it here and an interview with myself here

Please note that normal service will be resumed in my next post meaning me waffling on about my personal work.

Since 'tis' the season to be jolly i wish you all a happy christmas and will check back in the new year.

Cheers

Mr Malky on the platform

2011-06-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

Hello again

As of the beginning of next week and for the following two after Mr Dan and Mr Malky will be able to be seen on a poster at Liverpool St Platform in Central London.

As you can see they both have changed a bit for a couple of reasons; one being that in the story (if your new to this the intention is this to be a picture book)they both start younger than what you have previously seen, secondly (which keeps happening at the moment) my painting keeps improving which in one way is good but is also a tad annoying as i then look at all my old pieces and think there shocking. This means i then have to go back and change them all which is what you can see below.

These are the only two that i think are good enough to keep, the others i have to redo. You never know at this rate i may be able to get it done by 2025, fingers crossed ay;)...*

*Probably not the best thing to say as im still in the hunt for a publisher but hey ho

Well if you made it this far i still have your attention so instead of rewarding you with a Blue Peter badge i thought id through some music your way. The group are called Three Trapped Tigers who i think are pretty ace.
The video is from a Japanese kids show called Kure Kure Takora which after watching a few on you tube is the biggest mind job and makes your worryings on the affect teletubbies might have on your children (if you have any that is) not seem too bad. I love it, enjoy.

Mural on the tube...

2011-04-15T04:44:00.000-07:00

As of the 18th of april a condensed video of mine and Tom calnans mural will be shown on a digital projected screen (2m high x 3.7m wide) for a week. Its located on the Westbound Central line platform at Liverpool Street station, London (hurrah).

Its part of the "Art in Motion" project curated by 'Art Below' which features us and other artists continually played over a 30-40 second period, showing the creative process behind all of our work.

More info can be found by clicking this bit

And here's some pictures of it below as i know looking at just words can be boring, well for me anyway...

*had to re-edit this blog and add this bit because the trainline decided that because there is the use of spraycans this work is apparently promoting graffiti, which looks bad on them. There is a good chance that it may not be shown. If not there will be some posters in the tube of my work instead some time in may so dont miss your train waiting for it to show and it errmm dont...

Just before it gets tropical

2011-03-22T08:03:00.000-07:00

Dont post any for a while and then you get two in a short space of time, bit like buses (according to my nan).

Got to the stage where at the moment i think i have finished this which has been a long time coming.At the moment feels quite relieving since i started it in november. It has been a proper pol-lava. Was getting worried that the wintery image was going to melt as the weathers started get a bit warmer of late, must of changed the colour scheme about 10 times till i got to this...

Then after a hell of a lot of reflection decided it still sucked because it was a bit to bland. The narrative of the piece is trying to explain Mr Dan's paranoid state to the point of where he doesn't know if what he is seeing is real, so the little blue people became rocks that looked like them and Mr Malky grew devilish horns. If they are actually there or not i guess you would have to ask him.
It therefore changed to this...

All these images of late; and what i have planned will link up into a story documenting Dan and Mr Malky's travels, so the plan is to have this published. As its personal work and im quite a busy chap at the moment getting to a completed stage on this (and the fact that i keep changing them) is quite far away. The time some of these take to do i may be quite old and dusty by then. May have to hold some of these back from being blogged, dont want to give it all away now do i?

The portraits will probably keep coming, that is if my family can keep putting up with being insulted through paint on a piece of canvas.

another piece of self-indulgent reflection...

2011-02-28T05:33:00.000-08:00

Been a while hasn't it...

Thought it was about time in my artistic/painting career to have a go at a self portrait.

It all stems from the recent shift in how i see myself now compared to, lets say probably 8 months ago.

My work and general attitude change is quite dramatic really considering i now paint illustrations for childrens books compared to my previous graffiti/street art persona (as im writing this i have just changed my image heading which has some spray cans in, oh the irony).
Dont get me wrong i will still be happy to paint any murals asked, love to do it but labelling me under that term of artist just isn't me...
I hardly ever do it anymore, cant even remember the last time i went out and divulged in any proper illegal activities so having my old graffiti art name alias (mecha) is quite bloody pointless and to be honest i always felt like a right cock when anybody called me that in public.

So here it is...

At first i thought my initial approach would of been a photo realistic attempt but i decided to go for a more opaque/strokey piece of work which involved quite a lot of the use of a palette knife. Thought it suited the more surly and extreme nature of the final piece.

So yeah, mecha-one tatty bye bye to that...

Champagne ideas on a Coca Cola budget..

2010-11-08T12:04:00.001-08:00

Hi Again

Mr Malky the Marshmallow man has been on my mind for quite a while recentley, so i decided to paint him again.

The picture is kind of in tandem with his recent outing beforehand where he was floating in the sea, this time i have chose to paint him and myself in an ice cave, had a thing about painitng arctic conditions for quite a while now. Think it has something to do with the isolation i can think i suffer from due to my warped sense of reality compared to other everyday Heart fm listening folk.
Could also be something to do with the bubble i often find myself in when it comes to painting which im finding has a tendancy to alienate me from others. But hey im no psychiatrist so your more than welcome to make your own mind up.

Because of the pleasing results i thought this brought i didn't think the first image i painted a while ago was up to scratch. So i touched it up slighty...

I thought it would be good to have smoke coming out of his eyes to get across the point a bit better that he was cooking up. I mean if you were a giant marshmallow only used to arctic conditions you'd be hot to right?

Both pieces are being exhibited at the Beaux- Arts Salon,SNBA 2010, La Louvre, Paris,which is between the 16th and 19th of Dec. Though i was pleased to be headhunted to be represented the entry fee for this was a sodding fortune hence the explanation of my title. Think i may have to sell a kidney, though i dont think im going to get for it considering all the abuse its had over the years.

Rise of the Peties

2010-10-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

After my painting of me and 'Mr Malky' the past few months have seen some defining developments for Mr Dan.

My painting approach has altered pretty dramatically with glazes being a thing of a past, also i have finally decided to ditch the more gothic approach.Id rather the narrative be a little more hidden to be honest nowadays, don't really want everyone thinking im too disturbed a character, otherwise i may get a knock on the door from people holding a restraining white coat wanting to take me to a padded room.

In case your wondering what the bloody hell peties are, they are a type of penguin, (though i doubt David Attenborough will be narrating over there existence any time soon). penguins are my favourite creatures, i think there ace. I have always wanted to paint one but i didn't think i would do them the justice they deserve, though pondering this i thought what would it be like if they had fruit pastilles for eyes (you know, as you do)...

...So i did it.

Quite pleased with the result, enjoying the results that my more expensive, high quality pigment oils are creating, though one problem is that now I'm becoming a bit of a paint snob, I'm now not buying any pigment that's below a series 2.

It was recentley exhibited at the Islington Contemporary Art and Design fair and is now on its way to Italy at the Primo gallery as part of there Cuore Pop/Pop Heart exhibit on the 06-25 November which im quite pleased about. Mr Dan's now going to need some travel insurance...

tricky attempt to not offend some family members...

2010-09-23T11:34:00.000-07:00

While pondering new work with my headphones on a tune's lyric came constantly looping over and over to my attention. This for some unknown reason reminded me of my sometimes adorable, yet also cheeky little imp of one of my junior cousins

'and a smile on my face is a devious smile and all'

(you see it doesen't always take music deep narrative content to inspire. This is a pretentious free blog peeps)

This then led me to paint Jamie in a light which i hope my Auntie doesn't find to offensive as she might kick my ass....

This work and other pieces will be able to view at the Islington contemporary Art and Design Fair 2010 @ Islington, London from the 1st to the 3rd of october.
details of the show can be found on their site

A Meeting With Mr Malky...

2010-07-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest outing for the reflective memories of Mr Dan. The guy he's playing with by the sea is called Mr Malky, a Marshmallow made creature who has a tendancy of messing around by the fire a bit to close.

Though this image is fairly simple composition wise it has been a pain in the ass to get the balance of colour's right, i have changed it 5 times and looking at in now i'm still not sure, have decided to put it away for a while to regain some sanity.

I do like Mr Malky though, think him and Mr Dan could be spending a lot of time together.....

Live Painting Shennanigans....

2010-07-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

Though i'm normally fond of a tropical climate it was bloody hot on Saturday, nice to bask in and enjoy, not really the best conditions to paint in. Not being able to find a shaded spot i got stuck in anyway and now have a one part sunburn't piece of my arm to thank for it.
Thought id opt for a change, normally i tend to prefer painting female portraits, this time i chose to paint my grandad which he reluctantly agreed to.
Messsed about with having a heavy black outline around the image to create a semi-realistic/comic affect. In my opinion its not my finest work (then again my live painting never is) but the approach has opened up different possibilities in how i can take my portrait approaches forward. Anyway think my grandad didnt mind it.....

Now about to apply another heavy wad of after sun cream on my arm.

The fading narrative mual

2010-06-27T05:47:00.000-07:00

Heres a video created by Me and a artist called Tom Calnan a while back for a show at Volte galleries in Wolverhampton. The collaborative piece is called 'Drip therapy' which is a pretty fitting title when you see how its constructed.

enjoy

Getting the ball rolling

2010-06-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

Greetings, howdy and welcome.

This blog is basically going to be about my two conflicting sides of work that i have been stubbornly pursuing since i contracted the painting bug a few years ago.
One of these is a relentless art therapy pursuit, documenting stuff about myself through images of a little guy called 'Mr Mekha', the flipside is portrait studies under the alias of 'Mr Khema'. Archives of my work can be viewed on my site which should give you a better clue of what im on about.

There may also be other stuff on here that makes me tick depending if i get over a small amount of readers that seem interested, (thats it dan, dream big son) which will be put on in the foreseeable future.

Will have to warn you that my literacy is not my strong point so sometimes what im trying to explain may sound like jibberish.

Nice, we may bump into each other again.
Dan