Sorry about all the Spam

I discovered recently in my attempt to increase my traffic and draw attention to my artwork, I have inadvertently become a spammer.  During all of the updates I have been working on since December, I noticed a drop in my number of views.  Upon investigation I discovered that I've been doing some things that Google penalizes.  I had been reposting some of my work over at my tumblr, Wind of the Gods and duplicating thumbnails for monthly review posts at ARS JWC.  SEO rules are kind of nebulous as to what is effective and what is detrimental.

Sketchbook: Demon

A bat-winged demon guy lit by flames.  The sketch started as just a satyr, but as I continued, it turned into something much more.  I think when I drew him I was at odds with the capriciousness of the universe in my life at the time.  I was just beginning to feel the effects of the Mars Retrograde cycle from earlier this year.

I am also working on a color version of this.  I will update here once it is complete.

{Sharpie}

Thee Prison of Flesh

A friend of mine is in prison.  Thinking of the life he is forced to lead within those walls has made me think a great deal on freedom and what that word truly means.  I wonder at the pressurizing effects of that kind of incarceration on human consciousness. When natural movement is forbidden by physical restraint and social strictures, the feedback creates extreme intensity and behavior that otherwise might not exist within an individual. I wonder sometimes if there is a better way.

Choosing Adult

As I move further into the depths of my personal shadow, it has become apparent that I require greater freedom of expression to explore the themes and subject matter that will allow me to convey my thoughts and feelings.  For this reason I have now designated my blog as an adult blog.

When I began pushing my blogs further, I knew that at some point I might reach this edge.  My goal isn't  to intentionally pursue adult themes for all my pieces. However, if I require the elements of adult themes, I want the freedom to be there.  I've skated that edge with many of my pieces, but now I have chosen to cross over to the other side.

I will be dealing with themes of violence, sex, aggression, hate, personal darkness, and all the other bits we cut away from ourselves and call "not me".  My goal is exploration and integration and sometimes on such journeys, there are images, thoughts, and feelings that challenge and confound.

If I offend anyone to the point that they no longer read my blog, I am sorry for the loss of communication, but not the offense.  Sometimes we need to be shaken to embrace new thoughts and ideas and growth.  I figure those who are interested or intrigued will come and sit by the fire with me and tell me a good scary story that I haven't heard before. Together in that shared firelight we can unburden our darknesses and make them a bit more bearable.

{Digital images manipulated in Photoshop}