The cover for Hi-Fructose Magazine Vol. 41 comes from painter Greg “Craola” Simkins, an artist based in Los Angeles. In this post, you can take a look at how he created the piece that would become this cover. See those photos and a video below. Simkins was last featured on HiFructose.com here.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tlp4bxdY_qE&w=600&h=415]
In a statement on his website, the artist clarifies how he comes up with his imagery: “As our imagination takes over, we tend to leave what is ordinary and go outside of ourselves to visit these places. This is why I paint and what has inspired me over the years to grow as an artist. It is the constant search for what else is on the outside.”
Before embarking on a career as a full-time artist in 2005, Simkins worked as an illustrator for clothing companies and other brands. He also worked on video games like “Tony Hawk 2X,” “Spider-Man 2,” and “Ultimate Spider-Man.” Among his early influences, as a kid growing up in Torrance, Calif., Simkins cites cartoons, animals, stories, tattoos and “mind-numbing trips to grandma’s house.”
Crafted in Chinese ink and mineral pigment on silk, 
Nora Keyes, artist and lead singer of art-rock acts like Fancy Space People, The Centimeters, and Rococo Jet, combines painting and collage for intricate, multidimensional pieces. The absorbing work can be scrutinized from feet or inches away, maintaining the viewer’s gaze at every corner. The work can feel otherworldly, yet entirely human in their contemplation and introspection.
