Going ''Up And Down The Rabbit Hole'' is a system labyrinth in itself

 

Some of you may have read this earlier blog, in which I posted some previews of my new series ''Up And Down The Rabbit Hole'', which, although its title might have you believe otherwise, is certainly NOT about or related to the whole ''Alice in Wonderland'' story. I also promised to write a blog about which children's books and stories did make a lasting impact on me, enough to inspire me both as a child and as an adult, and enough to influence Witty Art in some way or another. 

Well, that's a blogpost I am currently still working on - as I want and need to take my time for that one. So you will all still have to wait for that one just a little bit longer.

BUT I can show you some works from this series ''Up And Down The Rabbit Hole''. This time, I chose to work exclusively with graphite pencil, just adding a bit of charcoal when I felt it was necessary to create some contrast or a bit of depth to the drawing. Yet, at the same time I wanted to produce some clearly defined, cartoon style lines, creating a pretty much graphic result in the end. 

As the phrase ''to go down the rabbit hole'' (yes, courtesy of Lewis Carroll, ofcourse, so much for claiming not to be inspired by Alice, huh?) basically means ''to enter a period of chaos and confusion'', and is basically ''a metaphor for an entry into the unknown, the disorienting or the mentally deranging'' or even a ''slang expression for a psychedelic experience, from the same usage''. There might also feelings of ''adventure and discovery and maybe even some excitement', while stepping into unknown.

The whole point with rabbit holes, is you often don't see them. You don't always have a well-dressed, well-mannered rabbit-in-a-rush leading the way. Or there might be a rabbit, but you just don't recognize it and you're not even aware that you, in fact, have already entered its burrow and you are well on your way into the unknown.

And for some, that means adventure and excitement, full of opportunities and possibilities. For some, it means a period of worry and uncertainty, of anxiety and depression even.

Because entering the rabbit hole comes with change, sometimes severe change or a series of lifechanging events. And, unlike Alice who in the end just wakes up from her dreams (or hallucinations), you cannot go back. A real life rabbit hole basically has its own event horizon, its own point of no return, once you have entered, you will have to experience the whole journey, every single step of the way.

And while you are walking ahead, climbing, stumbling, falling down and getting up, you will discover that there is not one, but an seemingly endless series of rabbit holes to go to, all intertwined, all connected - a whole damn' system labyrinth of it.

It will take a lot of steps going forward and backward to keep on going - untill you will find your way out.

More EarthRocks & MoonSwings travelled to a happy new home!

A while back, I wrote about the new additions to my series ''EarthRocks & MoonSwings''. Started back in 2012, I never thought that this Galaxic Bromance would turn out to be one of my most popular and best-selling series.

Part of the reason why this series is so succesful, I think is because of its almost unbearable overdosage of cute - this is a series primarily about unconditional friendship, of a bond that can't be broken, for being there for each other, no matter what. Relationships like those are very hard to come by, as Life constantly shapes and influences friendships and puts them to the test.

So, when asked to draw more of these because one buyer had absolutely fallen in love with them and really wanted to give one to his brother who was getting married, I felt motivated to draw a couple more. And in total, 11 new ''EarthRocks & MoonSwings'' have seen the light! Will add them to the Series Galleries soon!

And guess what, almost immediately after sharing them on my Facebook page, another buyer stepped forward and purchased one, too. And so, a couple of weeks ago, ''EarthRocks & MoonSwings #44'' moved to its happy new home - and judging by the picture buyer sent me the other day, I think they are in really great company!

On working with rediscovered materials and yes, more new Witty Art!

 
So, the previous post showcased a couple of brandnew Witty Art Singles - and, surprise, surprise, so does this one. As I said before, there is a LOT of new work waiting to be featured on this blog, so might as well share all previews as soon as possible. Which is now ;-) 

Perhaps I should write just a bit on the techniques and materials I used for making many of these drawings. Ofcourse, my favourite material without a doubt is still ink and will forever and always be ink and it's fair to say that without my treasured dip pens I'd be lost. Also, a couple of years back, in 2014, I wrote this blogpost on my undying, eternal passion for ink. Nothing has changed since then.

But other materials managed to grab my attention off late, as I rediscovered working with pencil, charcoal and especially conté crayon again. I love how it helps me to add more or a different sense of depth to a drawing, to play with light and dark, if not dark and darker, but still keeping it 'light'. I love how these different materials interact and often fight each other, as their characteristics either work with or against each other.

Last year, I kind of rediscovered working with mixed media again and did so in series such as ''Redemption Day Is Not Installed'' and ''Once Upon A Time... Never Happend!'' 

So far, to be able to work again with different mediums and materials together, mixing and exploring them, has certainly enriched my work, as I rediscovered skills I'd thought were gone and lost. Turns out, I didn't. For sure, ink is still ny number one love but guess there are some pretty good runners up there now! So, I hope you will stick around to see where this path will take me too.

If you wish, you are free to explore older Singles from the years 2011-2014 and from 2015 up till now.

Brandnew fresh previews of brandnew Witty Art Singles!

Apart from working on several older and new(er) Witty Art Series, such as ''One Step Forward (How Many Steps Back?'' and the most recent additions to ''EarthRocks & MoonSwings'', I've been also busy creating new Witty Art Singles: artwork that are no part of a specific themed series or featuring a fixed main ''lead character'' in it. Which does not mean they are not somehow bound by underlying themes and threads, they most certainly are - but in a far more 'loose' way than is the case with my series.

So, I actually have a huge volume of work not published here on this blog before, though I showcased some previews on my Instagram feed. I now feel it's about time to share some out here, as well. Well, some previews, that is.

What I am most pleased with, is the development of my artwork. Yes, it's still definitely signature ''Witty Art'', so still definitely me all over, but I can also see a certain artistic growth over time. I hasten to add, for me ''growth'' does not necessarily mean ''growing up'' or ''maturing''. To me, ''growth'' here means the deepening of my work, as more and more layers get exposed, more and more layers seem to be added as well. As in: often I still don't know what awaits me when I start drawing and the final outcome often still surprises me.

So, I honestly hope, that by keeping on drawing, I will keep on surprising myself and therefore, I hope I keep on surprising you, the viewers, too.

The adventure that is art, and in this case, Witty Art, my art, coninues. And I could not wish for more than for you all to join me on this beautiful adventure! 

If you wish, you are free to explore older Singles from the years 2011-2014 and from 2015 up till now.


 

'One Step Forward (How Many Steps Back)': ALL 16 of them!

After having shared a couple of previews with you all, I am now proud to show the whole series ''One Step Forward (How Many Steps Back)'' on this blog. This is a series I am very happy with, as the main character (and yes, this is yet another rabbit or in Witty Art vocabulary: just another UnBunny) came out on paper exactly like I portrayed him in my head: kind of lean, but not mean and determined to just get those steps right - whether they are in fact the wrong ones or whether they take him boldly forward or backward - or nowhere at all.

So, without further ado and with no further comment, here they are, all 17 of them (for now). Let me know what you think, I'm curious!

Unapologetic, unfazed, uncompromised: Lost Bear stands tall and braves all!

As many of you know, 'Lost Bear' is one of my most personal series up to date. Now, most of my work is either somewhat or even highly, yet not overly personal - well, I'd like to think so, at least, otherwise no one would put up with it as there wouldn't be any room for the viewer's perspective at all! 

But, in any case, 'Lost Bear' is very close to my heart. Some people have even gone as far as stating that these drawings are, in fact, little self portraits of some kind.

So, are they? .. Well, I am not going to elaborate on that here, except that the feeling of being disconnected of the world and therefore in many ways adrift, even lost is not unfamiliar to me.

In an earlier blog, I described him as 'Perpetually Glad To Be Unhappy'. He certainly was back then, when I first created him, now almost two years ago. And he still is today. Now, that is not because he is one who likes to overindulge in drama but because he is intrinsically wired that way. It's his natural state of mind. He just isn't capable of being happy but that doesn't mean he is miserable. He's also very glad to be just who he is. 

Lost Bear has no desire what so ever to have happiness forced upon him like some kind of miracle cure. You won't see him participate in today's modern culture of 'having to be happy' at all cost, even when that means you are faking it and, with every fake smile, become even unhappier than you already were to begin with. 

I'd like to add that above anything else, this brave little Lost Bear is a survivor, none the less. He won't run. But he won't hide his pain and struggle either. He will stand tall and face the world, even if that world doesn't want anything to do with him. He will do so weeping, screaming, sobbing, yelling. He will do so laughing, smiling, grinning. He will touch you and make you smile. He will blow your mind and captivate your heart. He will do so because he is everything most ordinary people aren't.

Perhaps he's not for everyone - but he does not want to be, nor does he claim to be. Take him, or leave him, or leave him alone and in peace. But accept him for who he is. 

He is Lost Bear. Unapologetic. Unfazed. Uncompromised.

NOT inspired by Alice in Wonderland: ''Up And Down The Rabbit Hole'' (a preview)

Just wanted to share a couple of previews of a new series with all friends and followers of Witty Art out there. A series of A5-sized black and white pencil drawings, some with an added touch of conté crayon or charcoal to them. Again, featuring a rabbit like creature. As this time I am not that certain of what the underlying themes are, as sometimes they are just as elusive to me as to those viewing my work, I've apptly named this series ''Up And Down The Rabbit Hole'', courtesy by Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland ofcourse.

Not that ''Alice'' was a direct source of inspiration. As great as my appreciation is for having come up with legendary characters such as The White Rabbit and The Cheshire Cat, somehow, I have never been really fond of the story of Alice in Wonderland. Why exactly? I really don't know. There were other books and stories that captured my imagination as a child and somehow, Alice and all that she gets up to, never managed to do so, despite having the book several times as a child, a teenager and later, as an adult as well.
 
Mind you, I do value it highly as an important work of literature and storytelling in its own right.
But most ''popular'' children's books and fairy tales were more or less wasted on me, to be honest. Well, apart from some extraordinary exceptions to the rule, and I can reassure you those have enormously influenced my life as well as my artwork. More on that particular subject in a later blog (and a long overdue one).

For now, I will happily work further on this series, and will see where this one takes me - perhaps up and down a few undiscovered rabbit holes of my own, I suppose. In which case, I will happily let my very own colony of UnBunnies lead the way!

Lost and now found: another 'Lost Bear' off to a happy new home!

More wandering Witty Art found its way to a happy new home off late!And when I say ''wandering'', how can it be anything else than one of those ever wandering, glad to be unhappy ''Lost Bears''? Well, sure enough, here is another one of them little brave bears who managed to get himself a very a nice warm and happy new home. 

My dear friend Leon Keekstra, food and hospitality expert and a qualified barista trainer as well and in my home town Rotterdam also known as 'De Stadsbemoeial' (self-acclaimed City Meddler) spotted this little fellow ''Just Merrily Holding On'' during the opening of my autumn exhibition at Hostel Ani & Haakien last september. And he just to have it, so bought right there and then. 

It took a while, but the other day I was finally able to bring his very own piece of Witty Art to him - and as you can see on the picture below, he was ever so glad to receive it. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that his house will be the most welcoming for this once Little 'Lost Bear'!

''EarthRocks & MoonSwings #35'': a brotherly wedding gift

Very proud to show this piece of Witty Art, a special commission for a special occasion: a wedding gift from one brother to another.

Buyer spotted my earlier created series of 'EarthRocks & MoonSwings' on this blog and figured that this display of galaxic bromance would the perfect gift to surprise his brother with on his wedding day. Only problem being, the drawings from the first series created back in 2012-2013 he had his eye on, had all been sold - so, what better motivation than to create a couple of new ones, especially for this occasion? 

So, I created a number of 11 new works in total, of which I showed a previous preview here on this blog. Ofcourse, I will display them all later in good order, but first, I wanted to share with you the one that turned out to be the buyer's choice. 

And as always, I was surprised, as Nr 35 was not the one I myself thought he would choose, but he and his wife admitted it was a difficult task, as they had fallen in love with all of these 11 new adventures of Little Earth and Little Moon. So, we agreed that they'd be back in January next year to choose another one, for themselves. 

Mind you, they have to exclude Nr 44, as that one is already picked by another buyer ;-)

For those of you who are struck with curiosity now, you will have to contain it somewhat longer, before I will post them all here. Or .. hasten yourself to my Instagram Profile (and follow me there, if you like) as I have already started posting them ''en groupe'' there!

When you have no option but baring it all: 'Bear Naked'

Some previews of another series I am currently working on. One I have to admit, I am really, really into right now. And again, as is the case in my series 'Lost Bear' and 'Lost My Bearings', the protagonist is a brave little bear with a challenge. This time around, he this time facing the challenge of having to come clean. To show himself to the world, just as he is. Good or bad, wrong or right, no extra additions or distractions, nothing to hide behind. To be accepted, or not, for who he is - not for what others aspire him to be.

A brave little bear faces the world and bares it all.

Here he is: 'Bear Naked'. 

Hope you will enjoy these previews - if you have no patience whatsoever and are too curious on how this series will develop further, I already posted some of the first drawings on my Instagram account. Which, by the way, you might just want to follow (if you haven't done that already) for (almost) your daily fix of Witty Art.

Hope to see you there!

'One Step Forward (How Many Steps Back)': going forward and still nowhere

 
In an earlier blog, I briefly introduced my new series 'One Step Forward (How Many Steps Back)' and how, to me at least, it reflects life as it just comes and goes along. That, no matter how hard you try to move forward, there is always something that seems to either hold you back. Or, when you finally have made that bold move forward, you face all kinds of setback, preferably not one, and not just a couple, but a whole bunch. At.the.same.time.

The optimists amongst us will refer to these setbacks as ''challenges'', most of us call it ''obstacles''. I prefer to see them as hills you must climb or find another way around them - either way, you have to deal with them, before they turn into steep cliffs that are almost impossible to conquer. Unless, your mind has the resilience and the ability of a skilled boulderclimber.

On the other hand, sometimes those dreaded setbacks, that feeling of ''one step forward and then two, or three, or even more steps back'' might just turn out to be very valuable experiences, as they actually buy you time. Even at moments you feel there isn't any and you have to make split-second decisions under huge pressure. Ofcourse, sometimes, there will be moments like these and you just have to go with ever decision or choice seems best in that particular situation- but more often than not, you have more time than you think.

I have learned the extremely hard way that being thrown back a couple of rounds, is not the worst thing to have happened to me, even when I felt terribly frustrated because I desperately wanted to move forward with certain things. I have found out that every setback actually helped me forward in the end, even when at the time I felt I was getting nowhere. I have discovered that with every throwback came time to think things over before rushing ahead.

Time, in which I learnt that the bold move forward for me actually wasn't such a good move at all. That, because of pure pressure and feelings of anxiety, despair even, I'd completely lost track of which direction I was heading into and had not even questioned myself on WHY I was going there. That taking one step forward and then two or three steps back made me realise that I wasn't just going in a less favourable or even wrong direction. I was worse off. I was boldly but blindly going nowhere. 

It's that insight, or rather: the whole process of getting there, that prompted me to start this particular series. Featuring, once again, a rodent-like anti-hero trying to come to terms with the whole phenomenon of going forwards and then backwards; and forward, only to find he's basically stuck, unless he admits he needs to take a step back, or two or more, to see where he's at - and which direction he should or should not take. 

And it's when you refuse to acknowledge that, that you find yourself in the position you wanted to avoid at all costs: stuck as stuck can be. Not able to go ahead, because you don't have the willpower to step back and take a look at where you are going.

It's that you will ask yourself: ''One Step Forward ... How Many Steps Back?''

So, instead of always rushing ahead, stepping back actually can be a good thing. Because if you don't do it yourself, and actually make the time to do so, that Sweet Little Bitch called Life will do it for you.

Trust me, she will. She most definitely will.

Even a Little 'Lost Bear' is the colourful type in his own lost and found way

My series 'Lost Bear' is rapidly turning out to be one of my most popular ones. And I am very happy with that, as this brave little fella is really one of my own favourite Witty Art Characters, and perhaps one of those I hold closest to my heart. Now, someone once told me that most of my characters reflects various aspects of my own personality, and to an extend, that might be true but with 'Lost Bear', such is definitely the case - I have to be honest, to both you, friends and followers of Witty Art, and to myself. 

Now, there is a lot to be said about why 'Lost Bear' is so close to my heart that he actually embodies a great part of me personally, but I am still figuring out a way to share that with you, in such a way it feels comfortable for me, as an artist and as a person. But rest assured I will find a way. 

In the meantime, I can reassure some of you that not all is doom and gloom in 'Lost Bear's' world. Yes, lost he may be, but he is pretty good at the art of wandering and as I explained before in this earlier blog, he actually prefers it that way. 

So, here's some proof of the fact that even a Lost Bear is a colourful type, in his very own lost and found way .. new additions to the series, with some added colouring ;-)