New Painting Icarus

This is a new piece, I'm working on an entire portfolio having to do with mythology and fairy tales. My message is that in our day and age, people strive to take the magic out of life and this is my way of bringing it back. Childhood is a wonderful thing and I strive to see the world like a child, making it worth living in every day! But on the flip side, because I am an adult, I deal with the horrors in my life and also the adult themes in my life such as sexuality, porn, murder, and others. So, let's see how it goes! All pieces will contain something adult, whether it be sexual or macabre and all will contain something child-like, a myth or fairy tale that children hear about regularly.

The first piece, Icarus.

Daedalus built wings for him and his nephew/son Icarus and sealed them to their bodies with wax. They flew up and away from the Minotaur's labyrinth and were flying somewhere far away because Daedalus had been exiled to the labyrinth by a jealous king. Daedalus fell asleep while flying, but not before he warned his son/nephew Icarus not to fly too high, for the wax would melt by the sun and he would fall to his death. As Daedalus was sleeping, Icarus wanted to see the wheels of the chariot (the sun), he wanted to meet Helios who flew the chariot from east to west each day and see the flaming horses, so he flew high up , trying desperately to see the chariot. Eventually the sun grew too hot and the wings melted from his body, casting his body toward the earth. Icarus's screams woke Daedalus just in time to see Icarus hit the sea and he watched the boy die before his very eyes and the sea swallow him up.

Not a very good children's tale huh?

This is just the inking, I'm still working on painting it as soon as I get a few done. Part one of the new portfolio!

Ben

Grad School

Hey Everyone,

So, I've started researching and setting up phone appointments with a few grad schools that I'm looking at. All the ones I applied to in December turned me down unfortunately, so I've knocked them off my list and I'm going with a different kind of education. I'm going to try a low residency school, which means that I'm going to be taking all my textbook classes online and then working on my artwork on my own while sending pictures and critiquing with my profs online or by studio visit. I'll only be spending 1-2months on campus and while I'm there I'll be taking intensive workshops and skill based classes with a lot of time in the studio. I had seen this kind of education before, but for some reason I didn't apply to it because I didn't think it was for me. But now, after being out of school for a few months, I realize how much I need to be able to have a life/job while I'm in school, I can't just pack up and leave for 2 years. I would have no way to live, pay bills, or get anything accomplished and that sort of education has already turned me down anyway.
With this new application process going on, I need to build a new portfolio. I'm disgusted with the things I'm making right now for some reason. I'm not saying anything, I'm just making stuff to please myself. I'm not expressing what I really feel, which is just rage and anger usually....I had to take myself off my medication for financial reasons (the medication I got when mom died) and so...I have to re-deal with everything now because the pills just sugar coated my mood. So, I'm thinking of new things to make and make quickly because the deadlines are in September and January!! Guess I better break out my spray-paint again and my stencils!!

So, that's what's up with me. I'm also still doing the pet portraits in digital, check out my last post!! 40% of the proceeds go to my local humane society!

Ben

P.S. Roommates make me want to do horrible things....so annoying having Shamu and the Fail Whale as roommates.

Taking Commissions for Pet Portraits

Doing some pet portraits, if you want one they are $35 and I'll send you the hi-res file for printing!

Email me at bcoffmanart@gmail.com if you are interested!

Ben