Friday, May 30, 2014

In Memoriam: Maya Angelou

This week the world lost one of its most inspiring voices of the past century with the passing of Maya Angelou.  The author's work and message captured and encompassed both women's and minorities' struggles for civil rights in the United States and across the globe.  I am gratefully honored to have heard her speak in person when back in 1998, Dr. Angelou visited Austin Peay State University here in Clarksville.  It was my Senior year of High School that a small group of students and faculty took a bus from my home town to attend the event late at night.  I remember on the ride back one teacher commenting on how attending should have been mandatory for all the students who had troubles in our small town with race relations.  Her presence was tremendously inspiring but more than that- it was poignantly sincere and human.  Her reach moved beyond race and gender and to the human spirit in general.  In Memoriam, I drew a portrait of the author, poet and creative this morning to honor her memory here at DREGstudios...

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Visionary dOOdle



Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.  



 Life is only a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves. 



 No artist is ahead of his time. He is his time; it is just that others are behind the times. 




Tuesday, May 20, 2014

iLLUMiNATi dOOdle


He who controls the cash-flow controls the world?  For many a generation now, the conspiracy of the Illuminati has lingered in the shadows like a spook story for the working and lower classes.  The cult of the all-seeing eye watches over us and controls our every move like rats in a maze.  By distracting us with the consumption of cheap entertainment and even cheaper consumer goods, the evil oppressors keep us preoccupied as to not rise up against them.  Is the New World Order real (and what are their membership fees?)  Every last dollar my friend...

Thursday, May 15, 2014

In Memoriam: H.R. Giger

As an artist, I'm heavily influenced by the work of other creatives which I've been inspired by along my artistic path.  H.R. Giger's surreal worlds transported me to another realm of thinking when I discovered him as a teenager.  Most folks recognize his style as the mind behind the creature designs in such films as the Alien franchise and Species.  A much deeper wealth of imagery lies within his life's work.  My introduction to Giger took place in my best friend Dan's basement as I sat on his couch countless evenings after school mulling through the two books he had collecting the artist's dark creations.  Fusing gothic, erotic and surreal- Giger is an art movement all to himself.  This week I was compelled to create an homage in my own style to this legendary artist after hearing of his death at the age of 74.

HR Giger Tribute / Inks on Bristol / 2014 / Brandt Hardin

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Hypersensitivity dOOdle




"The only time you really live fully is from thirty to sixty. The young are slaves to dreams; the old servants of regrets. Only the middle-aged have all their five senses in the keeping of their wits." 

Thursday, May 8, 2014

UNDISCOVER T-Shirts! [NSFW]

I just got a peak at the very first Band T-shirt I've designed for a local group here in town, Undiscover!  Click HERE to visit their Facebook Page and find out how to buy one for yourself!!!

Here are some process pictures of the commission along with the finished design which was used...

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

J is for CAVE JOHNSON ( An Upcoming Project)

The Arts and Heritage Development Council here in Clarkville is producing an upcoming book, "C is for Clarksville on the Cumberland."  They have chosen local artists and creatives to provide artwork for the publication which will serve as a fundraising tool and be available this holiday season.  First the council made a call to the community for ideas on ideas of what should represent each letter of the alphabet. After selecting themes such as "D is for Dunbar Cave," "C is for Queen City," "R is for Wilma Rudolph," etc, the council also made a call to artists who would be interested in creating artworks based on each theme.  Today I was asked (and will be honored) to draw a portrait of Cave Johnson to be included!

Clarksville has produced many fine national, state, and local leaders. One of them, Cave Johnson, served his country as the U. S. Postmaster General, a U. S. Congressman from Tennessee, and a claims commissioner of the United States.

Cave Johnson was born in Robertson County in 1793, but lived much of his life in Clarksville, where he married a widow, Elizabeth Dortch.  She already had three children from her previous marriage, and she and Johnson added three sons to the family.
As the U. S. Postmaster General, Cave Johnson made several changes.  Until then, the postal worker charged the cost of a letter to the receiver of the letter.  Instead, Johnson made the sender responsible for the payment of a letter by requiring the sender to pay in advance by introducing the postage stamp!

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

BLOW a GASKET dOOdle

This is about how I feel today dealing with the flock of vultures pecking and clawing for their pound of flesh off my backside.  The medical bills have been piling up since my recent medical woes took place.  While we consider ourselves lucky to be covered due to the Affordable Healthcare Act, we're still left with a hefty deductible to pay out to a half-dozen companies.  One particular con-artist in action today tried to get me to take one of their "patient credit cards" where I'd pay them in full today only to accrue interest on top of what I already owe.  How are scams such as this even legal?  Only in America where the castle in the sky floats on a cloud of credit and invisible electronic currency... Obamacare is a step in the right direction but we need to fight as a country for a single-payer system and get in the line with the rest of the free world.  The United States can't be the greatest nation in the world when companies are allowed to profit off of peoples' medical misfortunes and then extort them with their credit score and home on the line as bargaining chips.  I'm not-so Proud to Be an American today.

Sunday, May 4, 2014

HAPPY STAR WARS DAY!




May the Fourth be with you...  Here's my very first attempt at some fan art in homage to the "original" trilogy.  I whipped up some Vader action with the trusty pens today on a small piece of bristol board (5in x7in) for this miniature portrait.  Of course, I couldn't resist giving him a third eye.  Just some quick fan art which I left black and white and added the background digitally for some fun contrast- Enjoy!

Friday, May 2, 2014

METAL Art Show SATURDAY NIGHT

Blackbird Tattoo & Gallery will host an exhibit of unholy and epic proportions this Saturday night in Nashville!  I'll be on hand with the usual suspects in local art crimes to tear the walls off the place with 40 local and national creatives.  Festivities including some live mosh-worthy music run from 8PM-2AM so pop in and bang your head with us for a moment...

Here's a preview in time lapse form you can watch of my portrait depicting Pantera's Dimebag Darrell which will be on display for the first time!