Whaleboat 7" Release Show Poster

AHOY! So, I've been in a candy comatose since Halloween ended and haven't had much solid work to show the masses. However, I'm slowly getting over the "Post-Halloween Blues" and I'm getting some work done and polished up for everyone to feast their eyes upon. A few weeks ago I was commissioned to do a poster illustration for a local band called Whaleboat. I went the fairly literal route (much like the Bear Fight illustration) and drew...well...a whale and a boat. The band has used similar elements in their designs and album art before and I really loved it so I decided to do my own rendition.

Whaleboat's music has a nice shoegazey, melodic sound but is also a bit rough around the edges. Heavy on the reverb and rhythm with a lead singer that wails with emotion, they are a great local act that shouldn't be missed. I've really enjoyed all of their shows that I've been to, so I was delighted to have the opportunity to work with them. Check out their latest single 'The Socialist' below and see you at the show on January 25th!

Whaleboat Facebook

Whaleboat Bandcamp

Whaleboat Website

Things That Go Bump in the Night

Well, it's been a hot minute since I've had any creative news to spew onto the masses but I just got wind that my final submission to be selected for production over at Dottinghill.com went into print a week or so ago. I had assumed they would wait until this moment (Fall/Halloween season) to release it. They look great in the pictures (I'm ordering a few sets for myself as I write this). If you're not familiar with Dottinghill.com it's a site that sells designer temporary water-based tattoos, or "skin-accessories" as they dub them. They are open to art submissions from anyone that wants to join the horde of an already growing number of designs. I suggest you check them out if you haven't already. Also, be sure to look at my two previous designs up for sale on the site.

In more exciting news, I got a piece selected to be in an upcoming exhibit at Black Orchid Tattoo. The exhibit is entitled "Things That Go Bump in the Night" and will feature all Halloween inspired artwork. I'm sure I'll fit right in. The show will run from October 1st until November 30th so there is plenty of time to stop by get yourself inked and gaze at spooky art. The reception dates for the show are October 7th and November 5th which are both the first Fridays of each month. I hope to see some familiar faces out there on those dates.

Gnarmageddon

Bear Fight's first album 'Gnarmageddon' is unleashed upon the masses TONIGHT at their release show at the Jinx. This shit sounds soo good! Hopefully you all think it LOOKS good too, as I was responsible for putting the design together. The art on the front cover was done by my brother, Deighton Abrams, while everything else was illustrated and pieced together by yours truly. Anyways, hope to see some familiar faces at the show. I look forward to the inevitable hangover and ear ringing tomorrow morning.

The Neverending Story: "Fight Against the Sadness!"

After completing my 'Secret of NIMH' art a few weeks back I got inspired to turn it into a series of artworks that I'm dubbing, "Childhood Cinema". The series will highlight those great movie watching moments that I had as a kid that have stuck with me as I've transitioned to adulthood. These scenes in particular have inspired my art or imagination in some way or another. I plan to add more and more to this series as time goes on.

For this entry I depicted one of my favorite movies of all time, 'The Neverending Story'. I picked the scene of Artax' (the horse) death because it was such a powerful moment for my young mind to witness at the time.

Also, the movie's soundtrack is bitchin'.

Here's the scene itself for though who haven't seen the movie (or who want to reminisce and cry their eyes out.)

The Secret of NIMH: The Great Owl

Any 80s kid should recognize my newest piece. It's a fan-art of The Great Owl from the 1982 animated classic, The Secret of NIMH. I grew up on Don Bluth animations (An American Tale, Land Before Time, All Dogs Go to Heaven) and his work is a great influence on my own. The fluidity of his character's movements, the brilliant lighting effects, and the dark, gorgeous backgrounds are some of the traits that made me fall in love with his style. Although my piece was just a quick tip of the hat, I hope you all enjoy it!

Stahlen Mixtapes

Drawing his lyrical style from his hardships growing up in Springfield, Mass. and being raised by his single mother of five, Stalen Wright (stage name 'Stahlen' for pronunciation purposes) is stepping his foot into the rap game. He currently resides in Greensboro, NC and is hard at work sending his music to Roc-Nation in hopes of a record deal. I was commission by him a few months back to create the covers for his first two mixtapes. He had the rough concept of what he wanted and let me color inside the lines, so to speak.

 

 

For the first mixtape (above) I went with a crumpled paper look to try and emphasize 'throw away rhymes'. The "beast mic" concept was what Stahlen came at me with. I liked how it almost symbolizes that the microphone comes alive when he starts to rap. The second cover (below) is almost a carbon copy of the first with a few tweaks/color variations and more of a darker, nighttime feel to it. Be sure to listen to these mixtapes over at his ReverbNation.

 

  

Stahlen ReverbNation

Stahlen Myspace

Stahlen Twitter

Bear Fight's Album Release Show Poster!

 

The countdown has begun! Only two months and six days until Bear Fight releases their first album! This should be a doozy of a night with heavy hitters like Manray and Lazer/Wulf as the opening bands. It's gonna get sweaty and violent!! Matt Collett (Guitar/Vocals) of Bear Fight asked me to come up with a poster design for the show. He gave me the reigns to do whatever the hell I wanted. So, naturally, I did. Boxing bear. Violent and brootal. The party goes down at The Jinx on July 6th at 10PM with a $7 cover (so save them duckets!). Let's tear Savannah a new one!

Bear Fight! Bandcamp
Bear Fight! Facebook
Lazer/Wulf Bandcamp 
Lazer/Wulf Facebook
Manray Website
Manray Facebook