Japanese influences

As you may have spotted before, I love Japanese prints, especially those of the style called Ukiyo-e, which I think is the Meiji period after the Edo like at the end of the Samurai, very Last Samurai without Tom Cruise faffing about- actually he was ok in that film.

Personally I love the prints which are a historical record of the Sino-Japanese and the Russo-Japanese wars.

Japanese compositions are so dynamic and this time period is fascinating as the imagery is a mixture of eastern and western influences.

Also, Japanese visual culture seems so inventive even 120 years ago, check out these two images!

I think this is just marvelous, the medical treatment of a damaged ship!

And this is right out of Macbeth, look at how the Tsar Nicholas awakes to see this nightmare of damaged armaments before him

The two below are from the Russian conflict, the upper image has old school Ninja types sabotaging Russia's major advantage, the train.

The lower image: the horrific results.

Well, having looked at all this, I'm not sure you can draw a direct line to my work but it is a mystic talisman that I gravitate to on some level. My sketchbook uses more of this narrative.

Graphic Imagery

This is one of the most insane images I have ever seen. This picture is part of an amazing show at the Japan Society in New York.
I'll elaborate on this later, its a late night and I have to get some shut eye. It is a good lead in to the recent TCAF, toronto comic art fair which had amazing artists like Seth and Clowes

But for those who likes things a bit more old school, here is another image by master Japanese printer of the 1800s Utagawa Kuniyoshi, first rate bad ass and certainly a inspiration for manga.

An unfinished Japanese style book

Japanese foldout Moleskine, I started this when I got back from China, based on things I saw, my images etc, but I never finished it and now it is just too long ago.