Last November, San Francisco based illustrator Jeremy Fish (covered here) suffered from a brain aneurism that changed his life and approach to artmaking. The twenty works featured in his exhibition "Anger Management" at Black Book Gallery in Denver were created between surgeries to treat his condition. Fish has had to seek new ways to reduce stress, including visiting an anger management specialist, inspiring the series' title. In new ink, acrylic on wood, and custom skate deck pieces, Fish draws his cute and creepy animals like owls, beavers, jackalopes, and candy skulls with brainy motifs.
Trippy magicians and warriors find themselves in an unnamed land with black skies in Martin Ontiveros' current exhibition, "Strange and Unlovely" at Pony Club Gallery. Based in Portland, the artist and self-described metal-head (HF Collected Edition 3) has created a world of bizarre denizens throughout his painting career. Featuring new ink illustrations, mainly monochromatic, the show indulges in their fantastic strangeness. Check out more photos from the show after the jump!
Werewolves, dancing aliens and 8-legged cats are just a few of the comical characters in Theo Ellsworth's show "Solvers", now on view at GR2, Los Angeles. It will come as no surprise that the Montana based artist and graphic novelist is inspired by all things fantastic. For this show, Ellsworth etched 73 whimsical illustrations of impossible creatures and objects. His wood-carved paintings are like a cross between our elementary schoolbook doodles and Where the Wild Things Are, drawn in Maurice Sendak's cross hatched style. Looking at Ellsworth's intricately detailed work is almost dizzying. A web of continuous lines and shapes energize his characters and bring their chaotic world to life.