Today’s featured art gallery is Drawings by Phil Lewis.
Bright colors and journeys into the imagination fill this gallery of wonderful creative drawings. The swirls, shapes, and details catch the eye and draw the mind into a fantasy world.
Imagekind Gallery Drawings
Copyright (C) 2008
Here you can purchase prints of my work in a variety of sizes. Image Kind prints with the highest quality archival inks with a wide selection of paper options to fit your budget. Please browse and enjoy...thanks for viewing, have a great day!
The Peacocks
The peacock is another animal I have always been fascinated by. With its iridescent feathers and psychedelic colors, it's a visually stimulating bird to say the least. Although I have to admit, I have had a phobia of peacocks since I was really little. When I was about 5, I was at a petting zoo and one of the peacocks attacked me and bit my arm. I guess they are not usually aggressive, but this one sure was. This piece was an attempt to get beyond that fear, and appreciate the peacock for how beautiful it is. I have also been inspired by the work of Alex Grey lately, and I wanted to incorporate some patterns and symmetry drawn from his style. In some of my recent work I have been using a lot of oranges and reds. To balance that out, I wanted to do something with a much cooler color palette, hence the blues and teals in these peacocks. So please enjoy, but not too closely...you never know when one of these guys might turn on you and poke your eye out...
The Elephants
All aboard the Psychedelic Safari! It was only a matter of time really, first giraffes, then camels, zebras, and now the grand-daddy of them all...the elephant.
The Frog Pond
The closer you look into things...the more you'll see. I have found this particularly true in nature on bark and leaves. When you view them from a distance, you see one level of patterns and textures. The more you focus in, the more details within the patterns become visible. If you want to get crazy and bust out the microscope, then that's a whole different ball-game. I didn't quite feel the urge to work microscopically on this one, but I was thinking a lot about depth and layers.
With the patterns on this leaf, I started pretty big, and just kept working them smaller and smaller until something more became visible...
The Night Owls
I started drawing this piece on December 21st... the winter solstice, and the longest night of the year. This year, it happened to be a full-moon. I have also always been intrigued by owls, they are so mysterious and elusive. Living in a relatively secluded spot in the mountains, I have been lucky enough to see a couple this winter. So here we have the longest night, the fullest moon, and the some super-sneaky night owls...
The Birdhouse
Sometimes it's hard to explain imagination. There's no limits or boundaries Characters and situations often occur without rhyme or reason...it's a lot like dreaming. I'm not exactly sure what compelled me to draw these blue jays and their birdhouse, but the image was very clear in my head, and I didn't stop to challenge or question it. Plus I'd only be arguing with myself, and who's going to win that one?
The Joker
I received a ceramic cheshire cat as a gift a few years ago. It lives in my studio and I have always liked it's energy. Alice in Wonderland is a favorite story of mine, and a huge influence on my artwork. I also have "Six Bird Hunters in Full Camouflage" by James Christensen hanging in my house which certainly played a part in the direction of this piece. I felt the time had come to tie these influences together.
I wanted to give a different spin to the Cheshire Cat character. In Alice in Wonderland, he is mischievous, almost menacing... this one is a little more friendly and forgiving. I also really enjoy the classic dichotomy between a cat and a goldfish. The fish always seems so helpless against the huge cat, but cats usually hate water, and therefore can't really get after the fish. It's a peculiar relationship.
I wanted to create a delicate tension between the cat and fish that accentuates this situation, yet remains in a perfect balance. The cat looks so harmless with it's sheepish grin, like it couldn't hurt a fly, let alone a fish...yet, is he really? or is it all just for show? And the goldfish, he should be terrified in his position, but he has this arrogant, sort of cocky grin like he has nothing to fear and is on top of the world. Are these two friends? Or enemies? I'll let you be the judge...
The Octopus's Garden
In my last 5 or 6 drawings, I have noticed a serious progression of swirls and circles. Pretty much every line I draw, somehow ends up in a swirl or a circle. Even the lines that are somewhat straight...eventually go round in the end. Every time I start a new drawing, I try and expand on what I did in the one before, and with this piece I wanted to push the swirls and circles as far as they could go. What could be swirlier than an octopus?
For a step-by-step explanation on how I created this piece, please visit my blog... http://www.phillewisart.com
The Giraffe Project
There is something about Giraffes that I find facinating. They are such huge animals, yet they are so mellow. Not out to cause a scene, they just hang out in the shade and munch leaves all day. What is a giraffe really? Part horse, part Koala Bear? Long necks, big ears, horns??? Whatever the case, I find them interesting. I also have these African giraffe sculptures I often find myself staring at. They have moved with me everywhere I have lived in the past few years, and they always make the place feel like home. The Giraffe Project is a tribute to my giraffe sculptures, and giraffe lovers everywhere.
Sugarloaf Sunset
I have lived in many amazing places throughout my life, most of which have been very inspiring visually. Usually after about a year I get this urgent feeling to create a piece of artwork that captures my daily surroundings.
For the past year I have been living in the mountains just west of Boulder, CO below Sugarloaf Mountain. The Sugarloaf Community is nestled beneath the mountain and has a fairy tale quality that is very much the "Quintessential-Colorado". Most days come to a close with huge dramatic sunsets that explode over the mountains...peaceful, inspiring, unreal...
So here we have a sunset over Sugarloaf Mountain...as I see it...
The Zebra
When I initially started working on this piece, my plan was to draw something entirely black and white. A zebra seemed like an excellent choice, and along the same lines as the Giraffes and Camels, so away I went with it.
Lately I have been concentrating heavily on negative space. Especially when working with black and white. If there is no color, then the areas that don't get filled in with the black ink, have just as much impact as those that do. With that in mind, I wanted to give the black stripes of the zebra more detail and depth, which lead me to developing extremely intricate patterns within the black sections.
Well, when I finished the black ink, my original idea got shot right out the window...me, not use color? Yea right.
So here we have a zebra in full-color against a Serengeti sunset. I doubt you would find a real-life zebra that looks like this in the real-life Serengeti, but that's the beauty of art right? It doesn't always have to make sense!
Enjoy!
Lord Gush
The winter of 2007 was one of the biggest snowfalls in Boulder history. During one of the blizzards I was trapped in my house for three days straight. I went a little crazy...to put it mildly, and this drawing was the end result. About 30 hours of drawing in three days...
Parrots in a Palm Tree
I have this crazy "Pony Tail" palm tree that is about 15 years old and 7 feet tall. I actually inherited it from a landlord in Boulder about 4 years ago, so it's traveled with me for a while now. About once a year I rotate it 180 degrees and the branches will bend around themselves back to towards the sunlight. It's amazing. It also casts some awesome shadows on the wall at night. Ever since I first saw it, I knew that I would have to incorporate it into a drawing someday. It really reminds me of the trees from the Dr. Suess books, which are definitely one of my biggest influences.
I also took a great photo of these parrots a few years ago in the Cayman Islands, and since I have been drawing crazy-colorful animals lately...I thought I would bring these guys into the mix. So here we have "Parrots in a Palm Tree"...enjoy.
Stanley Park
One winter I took a road trip up to Vancouver, Canada. We stopped to walk around Stanley Park one afternoon. We started the hike in some really deep woods and the trees were so thick that you could barely see the sky though the branches. The first clearing we came to was on top of a cliff overlooking the ocean and mountains in the distance. There was this dead tree right in the center of our view. Out on the last branch there were two bald eagles looking out over the ocean. They were less than 100 feet from us. It was a very peacefull and amazing experience. It is one of those images that was so inspirational, it is burned in my memory and I will never forget that moment.
Aspens
This was by far the fastest drawing I have ever done. I finished it in just two sittings over about 10 hours. Just like the aspen trees are one continues system of branches and roots, the lines seemed to just follow each other across the page until it was finished.
In all of my work I start with only the black ink, draw the basic layout, and then go back with color. Reminiscent of the Dr. Suess coloring book days as a little kid.
Northern Exposure
This is a selection from the Patchwork Quilt album graphics. I created this section by combining different elements from some of my other pieces, and adjusting the hues and color balances to match the retro-western vibe of the cover artwork.
It was a lot of cut-and-paste with the different sections, and then sewing them together in the negative spaces. There is a ton more artwork that goes along with this piece, but this was one of my favorites that looks great when removed.
I titled it Northern Exposure because, for the life of me, all I can see in this, is a giant smiling moose face, which makes me think of the old TV series, and makes me laugh every time.
The Flatirons
Anyone who has ever been to Boulder, whether you live here, or you’re just passing through, chances are, somewhere you have a photograph of the Flatirons. They are an amazing natural landmark that can be seen for miles. Around town, they are an ever-present reminder of how beautiful and unique a place Boulder is. As you hike up the Chautauqua trail, most often with multiple dogs (and if they’re not yours, they probably live nearby) the rock faces tower high above and bring a sense of peace to even the most pre-occupied. Within minutes you’re immersed in Pine trees and in a world of your own.
The faces of the Flatirons have many different faces themselves. At dawn they can be drenched in sunlight, and in the evening, all that’s left are their silhouettes, jet-black against the fading light. Some mornings they will be engulfed in fog, other days there’s not a cloud in the sky. However it is you find yourself amongst them, their natural beauty and power with undoubtedly spark inspiration.
Tahoe
I grew up on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe and this is the image I have in my mind of what the lake looks like from the North. More specifically from a spot known as "Trippy Rock" up in the mountains above the town.
The Eastern shore of Tahoe is mostly National Forest land and there are not many buildings or houses. There are countless small coves and secluded beaches perfect for camping and wakeboarding. The shore is lined with huge granite boulders and pine trees right down to the water. Tahoe is very temperamental and in the morning the water will be smooth as butter, only to become 4 foot waves crashing into the shoreline by mid-afternoon as the wind picks up. At night however, the lake is almost always calm and reflective. The view here as the moon rises over the Eastern rim is always an amazing sight and easily my most vivid vision of Tahoe...one of the most unique and magical places in the world.
Colorado Sand Dunes
The Great Sand Dunes National Monument in Southern Colorado is one of the most amazing geological occurrences I have ever witnessed. What could be crazier than giant sand dunes hundreds of feet tall stretching out for miles right at the foot of snowcapped fourteen-ers? When you are hiking into the dunes it seriously feels like you are in the middle of the desert, something right out of Star Wars, only to summit the great dune to an unobstructed view of the Sangre de Cristos. I have hiked the dunes in many different climates, from blistering heat, to raging blizzards, it is always a crazy adventure. I have even taken my snowboard up in the middle of the summer. Whatever the conditions, the dunes never fail to provide an unforgettable hiking experience through one of the most stunning natural playgrounds in the world.
Super Trip
This piece was pure exploration. I spent about three years working on different sections. I became very frustrated at many points. I felt like it was going nowhere and I just kept putting it aside to finish later. Then one day I decided to take a thick black pen (which I rarely use) and basically attack what I had going. The result was a much more expressive composition. I then returned with the small pens and finally finished...
The result is a rather violent piece with many different sections, as I worked on this in many different moods. It looks to me more like a mosaic of feelings and emotion, that was at many points... frustrating. Another thing about my perfectionist nature is that I do not like to leave things "unfinished", so in the end I really appreciate this piece because I was able to overcome my frustrations and finish it.
Sanitas
This is my rendition of the Mt. Sanitas Valley trail in Boulder, CO. I used to live on 4h St. in Boulder and went hiking on this trail with my dogs every single day. The trail started two blocks from my house and I have been up there in just about every weather condition you can imagine. Through the seasons the views of this part of the mountains change dramaticaly...they are all beautiful, but I have found Fall to be my favorite. For about two weeks towards the end of October, the trees seem to be on fire with radical hues of yellow and orange.
The Front Range is an amazing part of the country where the rolling plains meet the Rocky Mountains. I feel it is important to see where you live from a vantage point. It gives me a sense of scale to visualize just exactly where my daily life takes place. Every time I look at this piece, I am reminded of where I am in the world and of the beauty that lies in my own backyard.
