Cappuccino's Daughter

cappaccinosdaughter
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

This may be a little small to view as a thumbnail (click to enlarge). Earlier I did a painting from Rappaccini's Daughter--the story about a man who's fallen in love with the poisonous feminine creation of an evil botonist. For silliness' sake, this time I drew the daughter of an evil coffee shop owner whose daughter is caffeinated to the touch. That's a distillery on the table and a mad Daddy Starbucks in the corner.

The house at top the Slippery Slope

House at the Top of the Slippery Slope
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

I posted this image as the splash page on my website, but I like to post explanations, so I'll tack it up here too. I originally had little squirrels sitting on the porch, but thought better of it and changed them to cats...well, a cat. The second cat came by request from a friend of mine who thought there was more intrigue with two. I thought about putting silhouettes in the windows, but for me it left too many questions. Somehow, like a puzzle, I prefer having all the elements visible, and then it's just a matter of locking them into place. That said, there probably is someone inside.

Pea & Princess

Princess Pea
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

I went to visit an unfamiliar branch of the public library earlier this week and they were having a sale. I bought the craziest little book of popular princess stories for a dime and it started off with Hans Christian Anderson's well known tale of the pea, the test and the mattresses. I had a spare remnant of illustration board left at this size, so I drew an image. I may explore more princesses from the book, but for now I'm still focusing mostly on animals in clothing...as one will.

Rappaccini's Daughter

Rappaccini's Daughter
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

It's a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. A young man falls in love with the daughter of an evil botonist. It's a form of romantic, victorian horror, but read today I think it has the slight edge of humor. The woman is poisonous and is kept from the world. The man is lured in and turned poisonous too. It all ends badly. I added an extra scientist and a glass house.

Heave! ho.

Dangle Sheep
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

I'm designing postcards for a mailing and I needed an image for the backside of the earlier 'Sheep in the Jungle'. I'd wondered how the Mrs. was going to climb that mountain to her husband. Her casual attitude in the first image made me think she'd be difficult to faze. I gave her a sandwich 'cause I figured--being hoisted is as good a time as any to eat.

Space Monkeys

Space Monkey
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

This is vaguely Flash Gordon meets Planet of the Apes. The little martians started out as simple green bugs, but I decided they worked better as the more complex green *monkey* bugs. This piece was produced to go on auction. I often get attached to my work and have a difficult time letting go. The monkey at the far left is either booster rocketing to save the tiny little monkey in the upper right or saying goodbye after the cord snapped.
I may yet explore more with the phases of the moon. Somebody's moon. And the colors of the space scene were inspired by Fozzie's newly painted Studebaker in the Muppet Movie. Yeesh.

Old Pease Porridge.

lions
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

Nine days old Pease Porridge, in fact. I don't think I'm getting the rhyme quite right. They're lions in the kitchen.

My dad used to make us toast and rolled oats growing up ('porridge' in laymen's terms). I think I used to believe that was about all he knew how to make. But these days, since retiring, he shares cooking duties with my mom and likes to get experimental. I, on the other hand, am a master at putting things in the toaster. Toaster pastries = dinner in my world. Feel free to join me but bring a bag lunch.

Unicorn

unicorn
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

I'm not a huge fan of the unicorn, but I'm in a themed show at Nucleus Gallery this month. I started out with an impulse to paint a 'Mom, can we keep him' moment, but somehow the story changed to a variation on 'What the Butler Saw'. I think of all of those movies where the mythical beast comes and rescues the beautiful children from the clutches of evil. I also think about all the little girls that idolize horses and what it is they could possibly want to escape from. I guess I'm imagining the world where the beast could save the child, but maybe won't.

I Hate Other People's Kids

I Hate Other People's Kids
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

This new book by Adrianne Frost featuring my illustrations was released today. It's available nationwide at your finer booksellers, published by Simon and Schuster, filed under humor. Pick up a copy and tell your friends! Then have them tell their friends. And be sure to shift unsold books to most prominent position at Barnes and Noble.

Spidermonkey

Spidermonkey
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

Starlight, Starbright
First star I see tonight
I wish I may
I wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight

I'm not sure what a real spidermonkey looks like, but the branches are meant to be weblike. He's a little sad but I suppose you don't wish for things when you're contented

Sheep

sheepjunglefull
Originally uploaded by Wilson Swain.

Picture a manly sheep starting off on a new life of adventure in the jungle. He settles a spot in the wilderness and sends word back home for his wife to join him. This image shows her journey. Think 'Out of Africa' meets 'Uncle Wiggley' on the banks of the nile.

The husband is up in the upper rightmost corner mowing the lawn. Native sherpa-like frog guides are the most logical beasts of burden in a world of anthropormized animals. Anything else smacked of slavery. I argued that sherpas get well paid.

The Owl & The Pussycat

The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
'O lovely Pussy! O Pussy my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!'