Houses for Ghana

This piece is upcoming to be sold to benefit Art Blocks for Ghana:

http://artblocksghana.blogspot.com/2010/11/wilson-swain.html

The show is themed around the idea of 'Home'. Having finished the piece, I realized the painting mirrors my own living situation: 4 sections in a single building, but individual space.

Whomped

Stay tuned for more on this piece for Gallery Nucleus' Harry Potter tribute.

Veruca Salt

Years ago I started this series with the intention of completing all five Wonka Golden Ticket Winners, along with Willie, himself. I finally finished Veruca, the spoiled darling who got thrown down a garbage pit by nut-cracking squirrels.

Below is a recap from the rest of the series.

Knig Knag

The Two Roots.
Christian Morgenstern
(In English):


Two large fir tree roots and old
talking in the forest.
What up there in the tops noisy,
that is exchanged here.

An old squirrel sits in
and well-knit stockings for the two.

One says: knig. The other says: knag.
That is enough for one day.







Die zwei Wurzeln
(in German)

Zwei Tannenwurzeln groß und alt
unterhalten sich im Wald.
Was droben in den Wipfeln rauscht,
das wird hier unten ausgetauscht.
Ein altes Eichhorn sitzt dabei
und strickt wohl Strümpfe für die zwei.
Die eine sagt: knig. Die andre sagt: knag.
Das ist genug für einen Tag.

Unattended Baggage

Police Report: Most of our passengers were distracted by the giant robot ravaging the city when I noticed the small piece of luggage left unattended and brimming with bottled water, nail clippers and sewing scissors. I radio'ed the tower immediately.

This is my piece for an art auction benefitting 826LA and promoting Dan Santat and Mac Barnett's new book, 'Oh No'. The gallery show will feature work by illustrators posting our eye witness accounts of the science experiment gone wrong. Different perspectives almost always bring a fuller understanding of an event, so I preferred to show an authority administrator losing all perspective. Hands above your head, fingers in a diamond shape.

Shake Your Fist at the Sky

This two-sided piece will be going up for bid on the ripples project August 10th.
Mark your calendars. It benefits animals hurt by the oil spill in the gulf.

The Spider Women

Sometimes an image gets stuck in my head, and the only way to get it out is to paint it. Years ago, very sick, I had a fever dream where the spider woman came to stop time. She brought death with her. In this version, I've added some sisters, akin to the Fates--a creator and a web spinner. I'm not sure if they still bring death, or even destruction. After all, spiders keep other poisonous insects in check.

Character Design

Hydra

In honor of friend, Andrew Mitchell's new draw 50 mythical creatures book.

Farm spots

Boas

I'm illustrating the phrase, 'Sometimes I wear them to Lunch' for an SCBWI contest.

As a kid, I would watch after my high school art teacher's house while she was on vacation with her family. I was to water the plants, feed the birds, and look after the snake. Preferring I not have to feed live mice to a snake, the family put two small white rodents in the snake's cage before leaving--one for each week they were gone. They figured the serpent would attack when he got hungry. Unfortunately for the snake, two mice were more than he could handle and I spent the next two weeks feeding mice after burying a snake. I felt horrible, of course, but I secretly rooted for the mice.

As tribute, I've painted an Annie Oakley-esque class pet with complete control over her natural enemies. It's the way to be.

Staying connected

An online charity auction benefiting a penpal program between students in Sierra Leone and inner city New York will soon be going live with this image, painted on a wooden postcard.

http://btorpostcards.blogspot.com/