Joel Nakamura illustration – Eater of Bad Dreams

This is a new piece by Joel Nakamura, and it is his interpretation of "Baku".  Baku are Japanese supernatural beings that devour dreams and nightmares, and they have a long history in Japanese folklore and art.

Joel Nakamura - Baku

 Joel donated prints of this piece and a miniature painting to be auctioned at an event called Hanami After Dark, which benefits TOMODACHI, an initiative led by the U.S.-Japan Council in an ongoing effort to support Japan’s recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake.  The event is one of many taking place during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC.

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Marco Wagner's portrait of Justin Vernon ... aka Bon Iver

In light of Bon Iver's Grammy win earlier this week, we thought we would share with you this portrait that Marco Wagner did of the band's lead singer, Justin Vernon:

Marco Wagner - Bon Iver: Justin Vernon

 In his free time, Marco often illustrates musicians that inspire him.  In this particular case, Marco had gone on a holiday road trip during which he drove 2000 km and the only music he listened to the entire time was Bon Iver's album, "For Emma, Forever Ago".  Not only did he never tire of the music, but it inspired to him to create this personal piece of Justin Vernon.

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Marco Wagner's Turkey (Krocan)

Since Thanksgiving is upon us, it seemed appropriate to feature this gorgeous piece by Marco Wagner.  The title of the painting is Krocan, which is the Czech word for turkey, and Marco created it for a contemporary art fair in Essen, Germany.  C.A.R.: Contemporary Art Ruhr was held in an amazing old factory in the "Zeche Zollverein", a former industrial area which is part of the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites, and is one of the anchor points of the European Route of Industrial Heritage.

Marco Wagner - Krocan

In Marco's own words, "My body of work shows the world of hunting and killing, man and nature, fun and food.  I chose this theme as it provides a huge range of imagery that I wanted to transform and interpret.  Furthermore this theme was helpful to feel free and try out new techniques like ink-drawings, linocut, oil colors, etc. You can say it was a trial and error experience.  Especially the Turkey (krocan is the czech word). My aim was to simplify the complex feathers of this animal and play with decoration and color. The technique is acrylic and bronze color on board."

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