Studio View w Bunnies

Where the bunnies multiply - My studio inside Monastiraki

Recent Bunny Paintings 2017

Here are a bunch of recent bunny paintings. 

They all date from this year. I had a rather large acrylic painting on panel outburst come unbidden in deep Montreal January. It was a good way to get through the mid winter and magically I was able to sell some online which countered the rather poor performance of my retail space which is routine come the freeze.

I have been making my peace with these little bastards. I have left far behind me some of my high art pretensions and embraced the fact that I enjoy these things and it's ok to make them. I used to have no problems at all in this area but sometime several years ago I started thinking way too much about things like the art world. Even while I knew perfectly well the non hierarchical glory of things like mini comics, zines and mail-art.

In any case, the bunnies are here and they are multiplying. I tried rebranding them as demons a few years ago but they've bounced back as bunnies. Sure they could be mice or bears or owls or bats too. they are made of joy and nightmare. Some are gleefully happy, others brood. They aren't psychotic or malicious though.

I make sure that the facial expression is one I can honestly sanction before declaring it done.

Some below may not be finished, most are. 

I'm sure there are other things I wanted to write concerning these things but i think that may be it for now.

Thanks for reading this far and thanks for taking a look at the critters below.

You are welcome to contact me via my brick and mortar shop, Monastiraki (drop in or email) to inquire about availability, sizes and prices.

EmojiBunnies : heartsick and revolting art for the weary citizen

I spent the day yesterday painting acrylic bunny creatures on either found pieces of wood scraps or right over other bunny paintings on panel. I paint over a bunny if I find that it's facial expression is somehow lacking.
In any case I feel I had a productive day. I usually post crappy photos of my painting on FB to show my friends and maybe get someone interested in buying art.
I've made peace with painting bunnies.

What I haven't made peace with is the bullshit violence that occurs all around the world.
Yesterday there were a few attacks in London. I was home when I settled into the angst of responding to this bullshit in my own way.

The kid was sleeping and my dear one was out for the night having supper and cocktails with friends. I was home alone and still felt the creative fires burning. I turned to my handheld device and a cheapo drawing app to express myself vis a vis terror attacks, environmental degradation and all around heartsickness at the handful of prickish billionaire industrialists and their buds that make up the global scene of warmongers, slave traders and culture killers.

Here are those digital responses, pop art masterpieces composed of the appropriately relevant emojis, bombs, trucks, shit, fire, planet earths, soccer balls, disco balls, etc.
Some of my finest work ever if I do say so myself:

Colour Me All Of Us ! My new colouring book

I recently completed a colouring book. It's 20 pages long with an introductory poem about how fun and easy it is to colour things. Now I'm well aware of the craze but must say that this is not an adult colouring book. I mean adults can colour it of course but I made it with the thought of entertaining kids. Sure, there are odd jokes in it that maybe only big people would notice but it's meant for kids. the lines are thick and chunky an the drawings are mostly of bunny creatures being the silly cartoon characters that they are.

I drew the whole thing on photoshop, using a large brush or eraser and switching back and forth between black and white, zooming in to clean up lines, changing brush size to taper lines. The process is a little like whittling. I'd draw a thick black line and then use an equally thick white line to carve the first line down a bit making it wonky and uneven. It's a fun process, easy to do, with minor head aches.

After each drawing was done I'd plunk in my little name logo I designed for the project and then print out the page, I brought a stack of paper to the copy shop and had the whole thing printed on smooth white cardstock and then had it spiral bound, the intro page printed in hot pink. A first edition of 200.

I've been selling these things for 20 bucks, offering a decent set of 12 markers as part of the package.

The whole thing has been pleasant, well received by my friends and family and has provided for me a necessary respite away from the pressure I have recently given myself to produce my next graphic novel, which is so far nowhere to be seen. Getting back to simple and fun cartooning has been a breath of fresh air. sometimes i get so serious minded about my art practise that nothing gets done.

This got done. If you want one message and paypal me at yesmonastiraki @ gmail.com and ask for shipping details. Thanks.

Maybe my favourite one. I like to think of this one as vintage European kids art.

Ice Cream Angel Tramp

Modern Puzzle face finger pointing that-a-way

Bold and brash critter hollering !!!!