Scrawled

GIGPOSTERS Volume 2

2011-12-30T11:22:00.000-08:00

Gigposters Volume 2 is now available, and I was lucky to be one of the 101 designers and artists asked to be a part of it (the eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed both the Unearthly Trance and Gallows prints on the cover!). It's a large, beautifully crafted tome and both volumes are by far the best overview of everbody working in the gig poster scene right now.

"11 x 14 inches - 208 pages - Paperback
Includes 101 perforated and ready-to-hang posters along with hundreds of other poster images and designer biographies. Packaged in an oversized 11-by-14-inch paperback, Gig Posters Volume II is a spectacular compilation of rock show art (and a great way to decorate a dorm room or apartment)."

Get it at Gigposters.com

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM - Supersonic Festival 2011

2011-12-30T10:25:00.001-08:00

Straight after completing the "Celestial Lineage" US poster, the band approached me about designing another poster for their appearance at the 2011 Supersonic Festival in Birmingham, UK. Whilst the brief still centred around around concepts specific to Celestial Lineage, I was keen to produce a piece that stayed true to these themes but that could also act as a contrast and counterpoint to the poster that preceded it.

Whilst the previous US tour poster had portrayed the new aristocracy of the emergent "Cedar Cult" - a priestess releasing her familiar to explore the newly discovered territory of the sky, I was keen to reference the Earth worship found at the foundations of this new society. The concept of "Subterranean Initiation" lies at the heart of this design. In the poster before it, the staff of the priestess (as Hierophant) spans the length of the frame, touching both earth and heavens, representing the desire for dominion over both land and heavens.

Here the male satyr-like figure looks down instead of up, instruments of ritual laid out before him. His staff points to the North-East, traditionally a dividing line between light & darkness in many ancient cultures. This in turn is related to the concept of the four cardinal directions which are often found in varying forms of ceremonial magick (and on Celestial Lineage itself). The shadowed figure here is perhaps the guardian of this place of initiation, at the foot of stairs ascending to the North Watchtower.

Sigils created in relation to the concept of the cardinal points in relation to stars found in the night sky. Going clockwise from upper right, the symbols here represent Alderbaran, Regulus, Antares and Fomalhaut. The black sun of Sol Niger appears overhead once again.

3 colour Screenprint (metallic silver / gold / black)

18 x 24". Printed by Broken Press. Edition of 100.

(Artist copies are signed, but not numbered - limited number available online from scrawled.bigcartel.com)

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM - Celestial Lineage US tour poster

2011-12-30T05:54:00.000-08:00

Wolves In The Throne Room unveiled the third album in their lp trilogy which started with "Two Hunters" and was followed by "Black Cascade". Whilst the misty, lunar atmosphere of the previous albums is still present here, there is also a sense of majesty and perhaps even warmth. A time of transition and the potential for transcendence. In the bands own words "much of Celestial Lineage focuses on earth magick and the power and beauty of nature but it also speaks of the stars and the astral world beyond. The previous records are rather primal and feral - this one is more aristocratic. We wanted to create the Liturgical Music of the Cedar Cult".

The veiled and shadowed figures depicted previously have now moved into plain sight, and have taken position on self-appointed thrones. The foundations of a new orthodoxy are being built. The Hierophant takes female form in a religion that has grown from the earth and now gazes toward the heavens.

This poster was part of the official tour series printed by Broken Press.
3 colours. 18 x 24". Edition of 105.

*Limited number of these prints available for mail order at scrawled.bigcartel.com

NEUROSIS - The Button Factory, Dublin 2011

2011-12-30T03:28:00.000-08:00

The harvest. Death & rebirth.

Solar energy sleeping under the night of Lughnasadh.

Sacrifice of the king.

detail

4 colour Screenprint (metallic gold colour way)

18 x 24"

Edition of 100. Printing by Monolith Press.

(Sorry - no copies available for mailorder!)

VALLENFYRE - logo and symbol design

2011-12-30T02:42:00.000-08:00

Logo and symbol design for death metal act Vallenfyre on Century Media Records.

(Layouts and illustration by Orion Landau).

www.vallenfyre.co.uk

COMPLY OR DIE - "Depths"

2011-12-29T17:08:00.000-08:00

"Depths" layout

"Comply Or Die's second album, 'Depths'. 8 songs, 45 minutes of pure aural ecstacy. More riffs, more shouting, more bottom end and more heavy drums than you could shake a lot of wood at".

This Belfast based trio deliver a sonic melting pot of hardcore punk, metal and noise rock harking back to the glory days of labels such as Am Rep, SST, Skin Graft and the like. The design for this provided the chance to raid my dusty archives of old clippings and psychology textbooks and indulge in some cut & paste action, hopefully evoking the ghosts of the late 80's / early 90's bands that inspired this release.

shirt design

complyordie.bandcamp.com/releases

complyordie.bigcartel.com

THE SECRET + TOMBS - tour poster illustration

2011-05-31T02:19:00.000-07:00

An illustration commissioned for use on the upcoming European tour for Italian band The Secret and NY's Tombs. I wanted to create an image that recognised both bands existing imagery and subject matter whilst setting it in a new context. The solar and lunar symbols here reference both bands recent releases, overt in the case of The Secret ('Solve Et Coagula' LP) and subtle in the case of Tomb's (their upcoming album 'Path Of Totality' is the name given to the shadow cast by the Moon during a solar eclipse). The solar symbol in this case is Sol Niger, the "black sun" of the alchemical process.

The final composition took these ideas and placed it within the related realm of early Gnosticism.

"The Mother Of Dark Light" in this case is Sophia, the feminine aspect of the divine who in error gives birth to the material, visible universe we inhabit and are currently trapped.

The Secret and Tombs European tour starts 26th July 2011.

www.myspace.com/thesecret
www.myspace.com/tombsbklyn

BACCHUS - album art

2011-05-13T12:01:00.000-07:00

For the latest Bacchus release I decided to draw from the deep well of legend and folklore associated with the bands - and my own - native soil of Ireland. Beyond the romantic veneer of "Celtic" heritage that is often hijacked and regurgitated for export within popular culture, there are darker and stronger currents that run beneath our feet.

The front cover is a depiction of the Cailleach - an archetypal winter goddess in Gaelic culture, and a manifestation of the Crone archetype most commonly associated with themes of death and decay. The Cailleach is said to possess only one eye, a common feature of many divine figures. She is said to herd deer, which are also sacred to her. She is associated with stone and mountain, and in many respects is a personification of the dark, long winters endured by our ancestors in which survival was not assured.

Winter yields to Spring and Summer of course, yet the Cailleach must also be appeased during these times. The rear illustration, a ritual "crown" comprised of antlers and tied with wheat stalks, is a creative derivation of the "corn hags" that were created and cared for by a member of the community during the agricultural year; a ritualistic act of folk magick by means of respect. In this the crone is a constant reminder of the cycles of nature to which we are all subject, and have perhaps forgotten to appease...

bacchusband.tumblr.com

PROFOUND LORE SXSW SHOWCASE 2011 - poster

2011-04-12T02:16:00.000-07:00

Profound Lore is a label I respect greatly and to my mind is one of the best examples of what constitutes a truly contemporary "extreme" music label. Featuring a diverse roster of artists, PL is defined less by a specific sound but rather by its attitude; a refusal to bow to trends and sense of exploration is key here.

When the opportunity to work on this poster arose I was initially excited and then daunted. Instead of advertising a headlining band, or creating visuals with an existing singular aesthetic to use as a starting point I was charged with the task of creating imagery that could represent the diversity of sounds at this event - or at least avoid grounding the imagery too deeply in one particular genre.

In contrast to my usual approach to poster design in which I derive the core idea from the bands existing work, I approached this very much as an "art print with type". Whilst I initially toyed with the idea of drawing from Norse myth for the core concept (the venue is called Valhalla), I quickly realised that this might steer it too much in what could be perceived as a strictly "Black Metal" direction. Thematically I felt that I needed an open ended, malleable concept...one that was subject to interpretation. Over the last couple of years I keep being finding myself being drawn to certain recurring concepts, often involving various primal goddess archetypes. Even when reading up for other seemingly unrelated projects the names of both Lilith and Medusa kept cropping up, so I decided to take the hint and explore this.

(i) Sketch development. Once I had done my reading and kicked the idea about for a couple of days, I made a start on the actual design. First I did a series of very rough thumbnail sketches, choosing one of these (top left) to use as a guide for the composition. The 3-panel layout and text placement was inspired by the design work of Vienna Secessionist artists - Klimt in particular - but in breaking the panel borders and spilling the illustration across the lines it perhaps has more in common with modern comic book layouts.

The figures of Lilith and Medusa share many traits, and in an effort to be concise I'll skim over these and leave it up to interested parties to explore this in more detail themselves. Both are Cthonic (underworld) deities. Both have two sisters. Serpent imagery is common to both, as is the presence of wings (these being on the brow in the case of later depictions of Medusa). Both are strongly associated with the "demon star" called Algol. Perhaps more important to my own brief was the mutability of these ancient presences; both Lilith and Medusa seem to perform different functions throughout history. On one hand they are the focus of our darkest fears, whereas other modern observers see them as agents of initiation and even liberation. In this latter sense, Lilith/Medusa becomes almost akin to the Tarot figure of The High Priestess (this connection in turn helped dictate some of the other imagery here, the side panels becoming symbolic of the twin pillars Boaz and Jachin).

(ii) H.Niger. Black hellebore, lyons fote, pedelyon, Christmas rose

"Eastern Alps, but widely naturalized. Used by mankind since neolithic times, and probably as a garden plant since Roman days. Prehistoric burials sometimes contain seeds and capsules, but usage may have been as an arrow poison (it was still used by the Gauls), or for religous, medical or magical purposes. Some of these survived until recently; it was a cure for madness, melancholy and hypochondria well into the seventeenth century, and was planted into modern times by cottage doors as a protection from spells." Excerpt from Plants from the Past : Old flowers for new gardens. David Stuart and James Sutherland.

4 colour print (includes 2 metallic inks)
Edition of 100. (Signed & numbered).
18x24". 270gsm white paper.

Printed by D&L Screenprinting.

Available from scrawled.bigcartel.com

COUGH - t-shirt design

2011-03-14T07:12:00.000-07:00

Subrosa - "No Help For The Mighty Ones"

2011-02-03T06:50:00.001-08:00

Salt Lake City's Subrosa have an diverse range of musical influences describing their sound as “PJ Harvey + Kyuss + Appalachian folk + Coven “. Individually, they also share a similarly eclectic collection of personal interests, ranging from Stregherian Italian witchcraft right through to involvement with Rosicrucian inspired (Sub rosa means literally “under the rose”) orders such as Freemasonry and The Golden Dawn. Obviously, this mirrors my own personal interests and preferred approach to artwork, but guitarist/singer Rebecca Vernon was also set on a very specific narrative – that being the story of “sea waif” Terry Jo Duperault, the unexpected survivor of the ill-fated Bluebelle (wiki link here).

In addition to this, there were many other ideas and concepts suggested for inclusion by drummer Zach Hastis, primarily involving symbolism associated with Thelemic ritual and The Golden Dawn (which conceptually placed this quite closely to my work for Unearthly Trance in certain respects). I often find magickal symbolism to be very dense and overpowering – indeed this is it's very purpose and attraction, but I was keen to avoid swamping the composition with a mass of shapes and symbol. This provided an interesting challenge in many respects – that being to create an image that referenced both the magickal interests (and aesthetic) of the band together with the tragic story of a little girl left adrift on the ocean, surrounded by sharks.

(i) My first task was to explore all the concepts that had been suggested to me. This always involves extensive reading and note-taking from both my personal library and sources on the internet. Although I usually have a basic visual concept in my head at the outset, I personally find this approach more useful in refining my idea than sketching at the early stages. Only once do I feel I've immersed myself enough in the “idea” do I start actual drawing. I find it's easy to become overwhelmed with this type of symbolic thinking – one idea often spirals out into another but the Bluebelle story kept me focused and so I was able to hone the concept, editing ideas out where necessary; condensing and overlapping symbolism where possible.

(ii) The band were keen to have some sort of sigil representing the album title, so this seemed a good place to kick start the actual design work. In this case, I took the sentence “No Help For The Mighty Ones”, removing any repeated letters, and combining the remaining letterforms into an intuitive and easily remembered shape. This sigil then provided the “balancing scales” (Yesod) framework with which I framed the central figure - this tied in directly with the band suggested concept regarding the union & balancing of male and female energies. (As the Bluebelle was sailing in the Carribean at the time of the tragedy, I also checked out visual motifs and symbols associated with Obeah traditions, and this also influenced the final layout of symbols and sigil).

Whilst the initial brief was to depict a girl on a raft, floating adrift on the ocean I had also received various other suggestions for this ; the girl standing on water wreathed in flame, or posed in a specific “Set Fighting” gesture (representing 'Earth'). I was finding it difficult to realise these compositions – either being too literal or potentially convoluted. I decided to concentrate instead on what I personally felt was at the core of the story and concepts described – a depiction of stillness and reflection in the face of great danger. An inititation into the greater mysteries if you will.

I was drawn to the tarot archetype of The Empress, sometimes referred to as “Daughter” of “The Mighty Ones” alluded to in the album title. There were many correspondences that made sense to draw from this symbol. Whilst traditional representations of The Empress tend to have her gazing straight at the viewer, I decided to have her gazing downwards, self contained in a state of reflection (though she is still in danger...her foot hangs precariously off the edge). Instead of a crown of 12 stars, only one hangs above her. The wings sometimes hinted at in earlier versions of the card are now present, but are not necessarily fully grown or capable of flight.

But other clues as to her identity are present. In The Book Of Thoth, the Empress is seen as being representative of Salt, one of the 3 alchemical principles associated with the “Great Work”. The main composition – a circular area bisected by the horizon - references the alchemical symbol for salt. She acts as a a catalyst between the fiery male and tidal female forces of Hod & Netzach...Sulfur & Mercury; the balancing scales of Yesod once again. (During the creation of the artwork, I totally forgot that the band were based in Salt Lake City...though I became very preoccupied with salt symbolism at an early stage of the design process – definitely my subconscious mind shouting at me!)

(iii) Triangle of Manifestation.

(iv) "According to many scattered fragments extant, man's lower nature was symbolized by a tremendous, awkward creature resembling a great sea serpent, or dragon, called leviathan. All symbols having serpentine form or motion signify the solar energy in one of its many forms. This great creature of the sea therefore represents the solar life force imprisoned in water and also the divine energy coursing through the body of man, where, until transmuted, it manifests itself as a writhing, twisting monster - man's greeds, passions, and lusts". Excerpt from The Secret Teachings Of All Ages by Manly P. Hall.

Ultimately, the final artwork is an abstraction of the original brief, but I feel it captures the diverse concepts of the band more successfully than had I embarked on a "literal" interpretation of the ideas provided. For me the process of research - and then re-interpretation - is key in creating an image that resonates.

Interestingly, upon seeing the final artwork, band member Rebecca was struck by the similarity between my illustration and an old painting she owns of her grandmother when young. Although not identical, there are definitely similarities in posture and perhaps even the background texture. I sometimes worry that my preparatory processes – often centred around reading rather than sketching – are counter intuitive, so I find it kind of reassuring when these kind of “coincidences” occur!

“No Help For The Mighty Ones” is released on CD by Profound Lore Records on March 1^st, 2011.

myspace.com/subrosatheatre
www.profoundlorerecords.com

ASG - shirt design

2011-02-02T14:19:00.000-08:00

www.asgnation.com

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM - ATP 2010 screenprint

2010-12-11T02:55:00.000-08:00

Wolves In The Throne Room played an amazing set as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties festival at Minehead last week (curated by Godspeed You Black Emperor!). A sense of profound respect, awe and humility for nature is a concept that seems to lie at the heart of Wolves In The Throne Room. This sense of "mother nature" in her most primal (and dangerous) form is personified in many respects by the goddess Hecate, lunar goddess of the crossroads; torchbearer at the threshold between the worlds of the living and the dead.

Whilst the earliest depictions of Hecate are of a singular form, it is her later development into a "triple goddess" that is predominant today, most notably in the neo-pagan religion of Wicca - though a quick perusal of the works of William Blake, Shakespeare and many others show this archetype to be constantly lurking within the shadows of popular culture. She wears many guises, appropriating the appearance and charateristics of a multitude of deities...Diana, Artemis, Ashtoreth, Medusa...

Sketch in progress. I later revised the dead tree brances to thicker, simpler shapes as I realised I wasn't leaving enough space in the composition for it to read easily, and chose instead to create the "wild" density I was after by concentrating on the foreground roots and flora detail.

"Diadem of 12 Stars"

I used a highly reflective, rich gold metallic ink for the main tree / foliage colour.
A last minute impulse decision saw me printing a 2nd black layer in the final print to create more background texture.

"Now the absence of the soul in sleep has its dangers, for if from any cause the soul should be permanently detained away from the body, the person thus deprived of the vital principle must die. There is a German belief that the soul escapes from a sleeper’s mouth in the form of a white mouse or a little bird, and that to prevent the return of the bird or animal would be fatal to the sleeper. Hence in Transylvania they say that you should not let a child sleep with its mouth open, or its soul will slip out in the shape of a mouse, and the child will never wake. Many causes may detain the sleeper’s soul." - Chapter XVIII 'The Perils Of The Soul", p.182 - The Golden Bough by Sir James Frazer.

I felt that this threefold depiction would allow me a more fluid and dynamic composition in contrast to my last WITTR poster which was an intentionally static and stylised interpretation of a tarot card (The 5 of Wands - "Strife"). In this instance, I wanted to evoke a feeling reminiscent of late 19th / early 20th century illustration. Whilst the composition contains many static elements, I was keen to introduce a more fluid central focus in the form of the "maiden" aspect of Hecate. However, both myself and the band felt that an overtly sexual depiction would not be in keeping with the desired aesthetic - in the end the scroll wrapped around her body was a useful device in preserving modesty, introducing more movement and displaying type inobtrusively. All other elements such as animals and foliage are depictions of flora and fauna sacred to Hecate (and related goddesses) - once again I found an excuse to put a serpent into the design!

Hecate is a constantly evolving force, eluding strict definition and hovering just beyond the bounds of rationality. No one depiction will ever be true and the more you research her, the more myriad her form and origin become.

5 colour print. Edition of 110. (Signed & numbered).
18x24". 270gsm "Vellum" paper.

1 colour print. Edition of 10. (Signed & numbered).
18x24". 270gsm "Vellum" paper.

On sale now from scrawled.bigcartel.com

"Fluxes" art print

2010-10-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

After a month which saw me away from home quite a bit, I'm back to the drawing board with quite a few new projects in the works.

In the meantime I'm getting ready to go in and print this in the coming week. Regular visitors will notice this is a more developed, different colorway of the design originally used by Latitudes.

6 colour print.
Edition of 45. (Signed & numbered).
18x24". 270gsm flecked "Birch" paper.

Edit 1/11/2010 : Now available from my Bigcartel store (link below)!

www.scrawled.bigcartel.com

ROT IN HELL / WAYFARER - split gatefold 7"

2010-09-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

Posting the outer illustration work for metallic HC terror outfit Rot In Hell, this time pairing up with fellow UK disciples Wayfarer. For this release, both bands drew lyrical inspiration from Norse mythology, namely The Prose Edda.

Lyrically, the apocalyptic themes were being expressed in this instance through references to Ragnarok - the end of the world in Norse mythology. Though a time of great strife and upheaval, it also serves as a necessary purging; the cleansing of the old through destruction in order to pave the way for the new. It is a cyclical myth, famously symbolised by the serpent that devours its own tail, in this case being the great world serpent Jormungand.

The artwork is a depiction of Odin's ravens, Huginn and Muninn, representative of "thought" and "memory". There is a school of thought that proposes the idea that a lot of early Norse myth retains attributes that relate directly to shamanism, which was once prevalent in all cultures. "Grímnismál", one of the poems of the Poetic Edda, has Odin (disguised as Grimmir) as narrator and says this of his ravens:

“Huginn and Muninn fly each day
Over spacious earth
I fear for Huginn, that he comes back
Yet anxious am I for Muninn."

It has been suggested that this might be a cryptic reference to the danger of shamanic flight - the fact that one who journeys so far might become lost and never return...

During Ragnarok, both fire and water consume the world. The outer illustration - "Embers Ascend" - represents Huginn as the the dynamic, active and fiery aspect of the mind striving to escape the flames rising from Asgard. The inner illustration - "The Risen Tide" - represents Muninn as the part of the psyche that is passive, reflective and ruled by water. Only the safe return of each ensures that our fragile worldview, crumbling amidst the chaos of Ragnarok, can be maintained.

This release should be seeing the light of day sometime around Samhain / Halloween on Carry The Weight Records.

myspace.com/rotinhellband
myspace.com/hailwayfarer
http://www.ctwrecords.com/

MAN DISCOVERS FIRE - CD slipcase

2010-09-10T04:05:00.000-07:00

outer sleeve

inner sleeve

disc

Man Discovers Fire are all about our not-so-distant, primal past. An existence spent foraging for food, hiding in caves and gazing with equal parts awe and fear at the night sky. In many ways, the themes of the record corresponded strongly with my "Ritual" art print set, and I was keen to explore these themes again, but using a different approach stylistically.

shirt design

The format for the release was a full colour, CD slipcase and I thought this would be a good opportunity to try out a more painterly, looser and "expressive" approach for want of a better term. Like a lot of work I've been doing recently, I conceived the package as a pair of images (as opposed to a front cover with additional illustration), and elements of each composition have been integrated into the other in some way. This was very much a mixed media piece : rough ink sketches and washes were scanned into Photoshop, and from there it was primarily digital painting using custom brushes, with more textural effects hand rendered in Painter.

Something of an experimental piece for me personally, but hopefully I've managed to capture something of the cave dweller within us all whilst doing it.

myspace.com/mandiscoversfiremusic

Unearthly Trance / Suma - US Tour October 2010

2010-08-19T21:15:00.000-07:00

COUGH - "Ritual Abuse"

2010-08-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

Cough describe their latest opus thus : "Ritual Abuse is the result of all the shit and suffering we put ourselves through to continue to write this music. Hopefully you all feel as miserable listening to it as we did creating it."

This was needed fast, so I pretty much went on gut instinct for this one, taking literal cues from certain lyrics along the way, although "70's styled Satanism" was the starting point. I had originally planned to paint the background textures, but flat colour seemed starker and I was afraid of the artwork becoming indistinct at CD size, though Cough fans should definitely seek out the gatefold vinyl version of this which has a bonus track.

(detail)

"Ritual Abuse" was recorded with Sanford Parker, and is released sometime this Fall via Relapse Records on both CD and 2 x 12" vinyl formats.

Cough
Relapse Records

Oracle - art print

2010-07-18T22:44:00.000-07:00

Heavy workload at the moment with lots of things awaiting completion, so posting something that's been sitting around for a while.

"Oracle" 4 colour art print.
Edition of 42. (Signed & numbered).
Approx 11.5 x 23". 270gsm "China White" paper.

Edit 1/11/2010 : Now available at my Bigcartel store (link below) !

www.scrawled.bigcartel.com

Clone - Play Slow, Die Fast Volume III

2010-07-07T23:01:00.000-07:00

Line-up for volume III of this cover version series. Release date TBA.

*Fistula - Something in the way (Nirvana)
*Bad Luck Rides On Wheels - War Machine (Kiss)
*Whitehorse - Crawl (Neanderthal)
*Su19b - 'Pace till death (Bathory)
*Crowskin - I got Sabbath (Turbonegro / Black Sabbath)
*Sollubi - Forward To Death (Dead Kennedys)
*Habsyll - Tep Chaos (Tekken)
*SolarHorn - Talk Box (17)

www.blinddaterecords.de

UNEARTHLY TRANCE - V - album artwork

2010-06-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

Ryan from Unearthly Trance got in touch with me late last year and asked about the possibility of me providing the artwork for their next album. Having worked with the band previously on a couple of screenprinted posters, and talking with / seeing them near the end of their 2009 tour, I was more than happy to oblige. Personally I find UT to be one of the better bands out there right now, drawing musically in equal parts from traditional metal, doom and hardcore whilst refusing to adhere to any of the genre "rules" that accompany these styles.

"V" is the bands fifth album, which was also pretty much the only initial brief, being entrusted to develop imagery revolving around the number 5. When I got the lyrics, they provided vindication for ideas which had arrived right at the outset, which I always feel to be a good sign. I always do a lot of research at the outset of a project, though this often involves reading and note-taking more than sketching - but in this case I had a clear idea of what I thought was needed straight away.

(i) Research, reference books and initial sketches. I tend to take extensive notes at the outset of a project with very rough sketches usually put into cheap notebooks with a Pentel brush pen, which I find good for filling space quickly and intuitively. I've started to draw up an early composition here on layout paper - my idea is quite rigid and ritualistic and the artwork is arguably more akin to a diagram than a "sketch" at this point. The book lying open below my brush doodle is "An Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Traditional Symbols" by J.C. Cooper. I have many reference books of symbols and the like, but this is like a thesaurus for visual research and is the one most commonly taken from the bookshelves - highly recommended!

Regardless, I researched concepts connected to this album extensively, and the resulting imagery is largely inspired by established Thelemic thought (notably The Book Of Thoth), ancient Egyptian and Sumerian mythology, gematria and alchemic documents. Whilst I was often overwhelmed with symbols and correspondences, the task was to constantly condense and filter these down into the relatively simple compositions I had envisaged at the outset. I was pretty much allowed complete creative freedom on the project, both by band and label making this one of the more pleasurable projects to work on with only one small change being required (the conversion of a 6 pointed star to a unicursal hexagram).

(ii) 2nd generation sketches which have been fleshed out and adapted from the originals by inking on new layout paper using the lightbox in the drawing table. Both these compositions were changed again before I embarked on "final" inks which I tend to do digitally using a Wacom tablet. Note the earlier, more stylised version of the "Mendes Ram" design which I later revised in favour of a slightly more "realistic" feel, using various photo references as a guide.

(iii) My final composition for the rear of the vinyl format. For both designs I kept backgrounds separate from foreground until late in development in case of problems. I adopted a looser, crosshatching style for these to avoid visual clutter and detracting from the main foreground illustrations.

(iv) The horsemen arrive in the night...
For the gatefold spread, I chose to employ the crosshatching technique to portray the entire scene, which was a nice change stylistically and I like the way detail is implied and left to the imagination in contrast to the bolder outer covers. One of the few pieces I've done that doesn't employ heavy keylines and is an approach I'm keen to explore in the future.

Being able to handle layout duties for both formats also helped me ensure continuity between both vinyl and CD formats and manipulate type accordingly to avoid an overtly digital look which felt would be at odds with the slightly archaic feel needed.

"V" is a starkly immersive work and is in many ways reminiscent of earlier UT outings without retracing the same steps. Though I do not necessarily speak for the band, Unearthly Trance's music seems to be less about dwelling in darkness than traversing it, using inner light as a guide, and it is this concept that lies at the heart of the final design. "V" will be released on September 28 in North America and October 4 internationally by Relapse Records, on both CD and 2xLP format. A cassette tape release via Humanless is also planned.

www.unearthlytrance.com
www.relapse.com
www.humanless.blogspot.com

Latitudes - shirt design

2010-05-15T01:06:00.000-07:00

Latitudes wanted something "dark" but not overtly "black metal" in look. My first action was to give their latest album, "Agonist" a few repeated listens. Whilst it's a great album full of dynamic twists & turns, my personal favourite has to be the monolithic, bludgeoning grandeur of "Fluxes Of The Womb".

This design was directly inspired by the aforementioned track . Even casual followers will probably notice most of my staple ingredients here - goat, sword, crown, serpent and a preoccupation with the planet Saturn. Perhaps a nod to Durer also. You'll undoubtedly see more of these ingredients before the year is out...they seem to be demanding inclusion right now.

www.myspace.com/latitudesmusic

Terrorizer #196 - "Morbid Visions" feature

2010-05-15T01:00:00.000-07:00

The Dunwich Horror / "10 for 10" exhibition at Belfast Film Festival

2010-04-15T02:17:00.000-07:00

The Belfast Film Festival is now in it's tenth year, and to celebrate this and 100 years of cinema in Belfast, they commisioned 10 designers and artists to produce a film poster redesign of famous (and not so famous) films through the ages. I was one of those asked, and ended up with the task of interpreting the 1970 Roger Corman funded B-movie "classic", The Dunwich Horror. First task was to watch the movie, which it must be said, is not particularly scary. Based loosely on the H.P Lovecraft story of the same name, what it lacks in unnameable horrors it makes up for with a gigantic serving of camp weirdness. There's plenty of reviews and info at IMDB (I've linked this below) but a quick glance at the trailer should give you an idea about what to expect :

I would actually argue that the film is marginally better than the trailer suggests.
Highlights include :

- Dean Stockwell (of Lynch films and Quantum Leap) in exceptionally bizarre mode, complete with afro and moustache shouting "Yog Sothoth"
- A truly odd animated title sequence which looks as if the band Sunn O))) had their own saturday morning cartoon show
- Dark robed albino cultist women
- Filmed in hideously garish C O L O R

Posters at the time largely consisted of an original illustration that bore no resemblance to anything you ever witness in the movie, and I quickly decided that I'd base the design on the main Stockwell character and the "Thunderbird" emblem that frequently appears in the movie. This symbol is arguably one of the most distinct elements in the movie and is probably intended as a reference to the Whip Poor Wills legend mentioned in the original text ("The sound of whipoorwills is the song of the Death in Dunwich!" was one of the original taglines). I exchanged the original tagline for some of Stockwell's dialogue in the movie, and re-drew the symbol as the basis for the poster, combined with some manipulated screencaps from the movie. I also used Microgramma as main header type for this, which I hope helps give it an authentic late 60's / early 70's feel.

The '10 for 10' exhibition opens at The John Hewitt Bar, Belfast on Monday 19th April at 7pm.

Some of the other films included are ‘A Lad from Old Ireland’ (1910). The Blue Angel (1930). Experiments in the Revival of Organisms (1940). La Dolce Vita (1960).

Belfast Film Festival
The Dunwich Horror @ IMDB

THE OCEAN - screenprinted poster

2010-04-14T03:17:00.000-07:00

I wanted to come up with something that referenced both the band name, and also the "Heliocentric" concepts surrounding The Ocean's new album. The band had already developed a strong, literal visual identity for this with celestial maps and appropriated alchemical art. I felt it was important to directly reference these themes, but was keen to avoid merely re-working what I had seen of the album art.

A depiction of a lunar, water goddess is the main thought here - early Celtic belief often regarded bodies of water as thresholds to the underworld, or land of the dead (referenced this here by a subtle skull shape in the upper half of the face). The scallop shell is another pre-Christian symbol incorporated into a lot of Renaisssance era art, often used to depict the setting sun. The transparent sphere and cube are variations on Alpha/Omega symbology. I used a nice metallic base with a hint of blue for the base of this...one of those prints that changes colour subtly depending on lighting and angle.

4 colour print.
Edition of 75. (Signed & numbered).
19x25". 270gsm "Pistachio" paper.

Available now from my store : scrawled.bigcartel.com

EYEHATEGOD - poster - Easter Sunday 2010

2010-04-14T02:07:00.000-07:00

Eyehategod were definitely one of the first bands to successfully merge the weight of Sabbath with Black Flag style punk nihilism. I remember picking up "In The Name Of Suffering", quickly followed by the split 7" with 13, and the "Ruptured Heart Theory" EP. Bands such as EHG and Buzzoven definitely paved the way for the "sludge" bands of today and have a special place in my heart so it was fun to finally get the chance to see one of the pioneers live.

After digging out the aformentioned 7"s, as well as my copy of "Take As Needed For Pain" (their finest moment I reckon), I quickly decided that the old "cut & paste" approach was the only way forward. I flirted with the idea of a new, original illo but ultimately felt that the bands lo-fi design aesthetic suited their sound perfectly...if it aint broke, don't fix it! The end result is a mix of medieval alchemic and Christian imagery, with a riff on the EHG "crown" symbol they've used over the years.

Trivia note: the girl on this is a teenage Jodie Foster - I specifically sought out images of JF because I always thought that the dubious photo on "Take As Needed..." was her - but I've now been reliably informed by the band that this came from somewhere else which I've now forgotten. Regardless, the band played an amazing set and loved the print...

As an experiment I decided to make this 12" album cover size. I constantly get people interested in the prints but complaining that they have to get custom framing done for them. No excuses here...these fit snugly into one of those 12" LP frames you can get at Urban Outfitters and the like.

3 colour print, 12.5" x 12.5" 270gsm natural paper.
Edition of 75.

These are only £5 each (+P&P) - but you can get one FREE with any other print purchase over £12 at my store : scrawled.bigcartel.com

DRAGGED INTO SUNLIGHT - shirt design

2010-03-08T01:40:00.000-08:00

"Lashed to the grinder and stoned to death..."
Manifestation of Lilith during hours of dark.

www.myspace.com/draggedintosunlight

THE ENDLESS BLOCKADE - Fenrir

2010-02-15T00:44:00.000-08:00

More Norse themed work, this time for Toronto's finest exponents of modern power-violence, The Endless Blockade. Fenrir, the great wolf that will run free at the time of Ragnarok...

The Endless Blockade have a new release out in the shape of a split record with the mighty Bastard Noise who have once again incorporated drums and bass into the mix. "The Red List" comes highly recommended and is available from 20 Buck Spin.

www.myspace.com/theendlessblockade

ROT IN HELL - 'Lord Of The Gallows' shirt

2010-01-22T11:46:00.000-08:00

New shirt design for Rot In Hell, the brief being chiefly the archetypal "slain god" legend, which is probably best known through Norse mythology with the story of Odin sacrificing himself for nine nights onYggdrasil, "the world tree". The wings and talons of a dead raven literally tied this design together, which is inspired more by the shamanic roots these stories sprung from, as opposed to stricter interpretations found in other strands of neo-paganism.

www.myspace.com/rotinhellband

HEXXED - "The Synapse Collision"

2009-12-06T01:34:00.000-08:00

Posting some more work I completed way earlier in the year and hopefully should be seeing the light of day soon. Hexxed approached me about artwork for their new release, the main concepts revolving around consciousness, electrical energy and spirit. The name of the band itself seems to suggest an esoteric and ritualistic approach and I'm always eager to explore this route. After deciding early on that I was going to use alchemical ideas and basic sigilisation techniques as a basis, further reading and research also exposed me to the ideas of Franz Bardon, whose brand of Hermeticism and "electrical" and "magnetic" forces seemed to gel with the overall concept of this release.

Wading through AE Waites reference work provided the inspiration for the Hexxed glyph which combined all letters of the band name into a nicely balanced form, surrounded by sigils of the album title and year. As with most esoteric traditions, there's a great deal of overlap with other schools of thought, mainly Eastern mysticism and Thelemic concepts - all of these are referenced in the final design.

This is being printedby Stumptown using 2 metallic inks on black stock - I decided to use the limited palette to dictate the style I adopted for this which I suppose could be described as "neo-woodcut" for want of a better term. Although obviously a contemporary piece, this also helped reference the often archaic source material I drew inspiraion from.

www.myspace.com/hexxedmusic

CLONE - Play Slow, Die Fast Volume II

2009-11-05T02:37:00.000-08:00

Line-up volume II.

*Moloch - lightning strikes twice (Rorschach)
*On Pain of Death - troops of doom (Sepultura)
*Golden Gorilla - absentee debate (Unbroken)
*Aguirre - like weeds (His Hero is Gone)
*Loss - the fog (Goatlord)
*Thou - well fed fuck (Born Against)
*Shadow of the Torturer - judgement of the dead (Pagan Altar)
*Hey Colossus - institutionalized (Suicidal Tendencies)

Check out the Blind Date Records webstore for more info.

POWER PELLUT - 12" vinyl EP

2009-11-05T02:10:00.000-08:00

Another design that was done ages ago, but only saw the light of day recently so thought I'd put it up here. Power Pellut play music that is a "cursory tip of the hat to Unsane, Melvins, Black Sabbath, the Jesus Lizard, and Merzbow", according to I'm Better Than Everyone Records who put this out.

The tunes I heard seemed to have a fairly grimy, almost "garage" feeling to them and I deliberately went for a more "Kozik" rock poster vibe for want of a better description. I had a load of old retro vinyl / hi-fi adverts that'd I'd collected over time - some of these featured beautiful Asian girls in different traditional costumes showing off records and stereo equipment. This was the inspiration for the melting Geisha girl on the front cover - the large moth here replacing the large bow that usually adorns the back of the costume. The "retro" hi-fi vibe was continued on the insert also. Not sure when I decided to depict the amorous flies on the rear cover, but it seemed apt...

IBTE are a vinyl only label, aiming to "rekindle the beauty of the almighty riff in its intended format: needle against groove, analog trumping digital." Some great vinyl versions of older classics seeing the light of day here - all releases are strictly limited with great pressings and printing so will definitely appeal to the vinyl junkies out there.

http://www.imbetterthaneveryonerecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/lonnietreyscott

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM - poster

2009-10-16T09:22:00.001-07:00

I was happy to be asked to take part in the official US tour poster series for Wolves In The Throne Room earlier this year. This poster was for the Georgia dates with Krallice and A Storm Of Light.

This was one of those designs that started off as something else entirely, which I then changed radically at the last moment - but old "Ex Libris" bookplates, more tarot symbolism and water cults were the starting point.

Really sharp print job by Broken Press of Seattle - first time I've had one my poster designs printed elsewhere but very happy with the results.

4 colour print, 25 x 17".
Standard "red" on white paper edition of 80.
Very limited "gold" on cream variant of 27.

Now available at the Scrawled store at : scrawled.bigcartel.com

SEDUCTION - "Black Cranes" EP

2009-10-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

Seduction hail from Melbourne, Australia and play play "noisy, rock 'n' roll influenced Hardcore/Metalcore" in a style that will definitely appeal to fans of labels such as Deathwish, Trustkill and the like. Lyrically, "Black Cranes" deals with with issues ranging from the sorrow and devastation caused by the recent bushfires outside Melbourne, to corporate corruption and the secrecy of those that govern the city itself.

Mixed by Kurt Ballou @ God City Studios, this will be available as both a screenprinted 7" & CD EP.

Check out www.myspace.com/theseductionnoise for further info.

ALTAR OF PLAGUES - Euro tour poster

2009-09-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

Tour poster for Irelands' finest exponents of the new wave of Black Metal - check out their debut LP "White Tomb" on Profound Lore to experience their widescreen rage.

www.myspace.com/altarofplagues

A concept of "tainted sacred water", and basic pre-Christian water cults was the guiding principle here. Feminine waters constrained by an industrial fire...red over the blue.

As is the way with screenprints, colours differ slightly from the digital JPEG, but there's a nice metallic moon and background on the print that gives this a different feel depending on lighting and angle.

Some actual print pics below (click on them for larger image) :

Band sold out their copies on this recent tour, but I now have them for sale via mailorder.

5 colour print. Edition of 95. 19x25". 270gsm Colorplan paper.

Available from the Scrawled store at : scrawled.bigcartel.com

Only Fumes & Corpses - shirt design

2009-09-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

2 colour shirt design for Only Fumes & Corpses. Powerful, passionate hardcore with melodic leanings and an anthemic edge. Definitely wanted to steer clear of typical "war" imagery for this one...instead took a cue from their love of old school tattoo imagery. This differs from that again of course, but folklore surrounding Swallows, and tarot imagery (The 5 of wands..."strife") were the final idea here. www.myspace.com/onlyfumesandcorpses

QUIETUS SECT - "Sanctum"

2009-09-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

Slipcase design for Quietus Sect.
Limited release...check out www.myspace.com/quietussect for more info.

Shadow Of The Torturer

2009-07-16T03:23:00.000-07:00

Keeping busy working on a load of new and ongoing projects...hectic schedule right now. No rest for the wicked!

In the meantime, I was asked to provide an illo for the upcoming Shadow Of The Torturer LP on Blind Date Records, so here it is.

THOU - tour print now on sale

2009-06-30T03:17:00.000-07:00

Thou totally destroyed last night. The band no longer have copies of the tour poster left for sale, but you can of course get one of these hand printed, signed and numbered prints from me direct!

3 colours + gold metallic.
19 X 26", 270gsm Colorplan cream paper.
Edition of 75.

Available from the Scrawled store at : scrawled.bigcartel.com

THOU - UK & Ireland tour

2009-06-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

Thou have been making a name for themselves with their particularly dark brand of avant-garde sludge. Huge tones, innovative structures and intelligent lyrics make these guys one of the more engaging acts doing the rounds - as well as being one of the most prolific with a slew of releases under their belts and many more on the way.

I just finished printing their limited edition tour poster yesterday...they'll have some copies with them on tour which starts later this week. I'll also have copies for sale after the tour...more info & images soon...

In the meantime, tour dates and free mp3's available on their site : www.noladiy.org/thou/

Dragged Into Sunlight - "Hatred For Mankind"

2009-06-16T08:56:00.000-07:00

Promotional poster to accompany the imminent release of the debut album. Expect high levels of aural terror.

myspace.com/mordgrimm
myspace.com/draggedintosunlight

Black Shape Of Nexus / Beehoover

2009-06-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

Tour poster designed earlier in the year for these 2 German heavyweights. Not sure of dates yet but check them out on the web in the meantime.

www.beehoover.com
www.blackshapeofnexus.com

ROT IN HELL / THE PROCESS - split 7"

2009-06-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

Did the art for this a good while back, but it's only seeing the light of day now.
2 doses of pure hardcore venom based around the writings of the Marquis De Sade entitled "The Works Of Fate". Expect severe sonic chastisement from both bands :

myspace.com/rotinhellband
myspace.com/theeprocess

Available from Feast Of Tentacles.

CLONE - Blind Date Records

2009-06-05T01:08:00.000-07:00

I was very happy to collaborate with Blind Date Records on Clone - a series of covers compilations that features modern bands from the DIY / sludge / doom genres covering the older punk / HC & metal acts that paved the way for them. Some of my own favourite bands from "back in the day" are covered on these...a nice (and nostalgic) mix of the old with the new!

Great format for this also...here's some info straight from the label : "The ltd. version of the Volume I (only) will come in a printed wooden box (200 copies) to collect all 4 Volumes. All volumes come in a die-cut stamped, embossed and printed coversleeve, plus 9"x9" twelve-paged booklet, plus insert with the main artwork in 12"x12".

Clone logo + volume I illustration : original line-art

There will be 4 volumes...boxed editions are hand screened & numbered

Mahogany OR Oak box...& the diecut & embossed sleeve with colour insert

The full package & the booklet featuring bands own artwork

Line-up for volume I.

*Salome - blueprint (Fugazi)
*The Austrasian Goat - Mask (Bauhaus)
*Atavist - Mindless (Infest)
*Coffins - Ebony tears (Cathedral)
*Monarch - A look at tomorrow (Discharge)
*La Cuenta - It's in my Blood ! (Bl'ast)
*Fistula - Dead in a ditch ( D.R.I)
*HC Minds - Black Machine (Cirith Ungol)

Starting work on Volume II artwork very soon.
In the meantime, check out the Blind Date Records site for more info on this and other releases.

GALLOWS - Belfast 2009 - screenprinted poster

2009-05-26T09:04:00.000-07:00

This was part of the official tour series for the band's "Grey Britain" tour.
Dark themes on the record appealed to my own artistic leanings - the final composition was loosely inspired by old English heraldic art. This poster was for the Belfast / Limelight date which was definitely one of the most energetic performances I've seen in recent years.

3 colours, 19 X 26", 270gsm Colorplan "smoke" paper. Edition of 90.

Available from the Scrawled store at : scrawled.bigcartel.com

EARTH - Auntie Annie's / Belfast screenprint 2009

2009-05-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

My second poster for Earth...kind of a companion piece to the design last year (check my Myspace, or Gigposters.com to check this out).

5 colours, 19.5 X 27.5", 315gsm Heritage paper. Edition of 90

Available from the Scrawled store at : scrawled.bigcartel.com

UNEARTHLY TRANCE - screenprint on sale now!

2009-05-26T08:24:00.000-07:00

This was a great show - UT rocked hard to a sweaty and packed 13th Note (complete with HHIG cover version!), with Black Sun and Ramesses providing suitable dirge like proceedings beforehand. Band were very happy with the print - inspiration came from the lyrics to "Chaos Star", tarot symbology and Egyptian / Thelemic symbology.

3 colours + metallic silver, 19X25", 270gsm Colorplan "cool tan" paper. Edition of 60.

Available from the Scrawled store at : scrawled.bigcartel.com

BACCHUS & BURNING THE PROSPECT split 7"

2009-04-01T04:45:00.000-07:00

First release from Dublin based label Suburban Mayhem Industries. Dark, downtuned d-beat inspired fury from Ireland and Boston (England) respectively.

http://www.myspace.com/bacchusband
http://www.myspace.com/wetheaccursed

MYRKR - "Black Illumination" LP & CD

2009-04-01T04:21:00.000-07:00

Debemur-Morti Productions are getting ready to unleash the new Myrkr on the world.
Amazing original artwork by Karl of Nastrond - manipulation, layout and design by Scrawled.

This will be available on both LP & slipcase CD version...bleak and atmospheric underground black metal!

BACCHUS - shirt design

2009-02-26T06:33:00.000-08:00

Shirt design for Bacchus : myspace.com/bacchusband

CAMBRIDGE POSTER ROAST

2009-02-26T00:09:00.001-08:00

"Man...these prints suck..."

Gatefold vinyl.

2009-02-09T07:56:00.000-08:00

Some recent projects that allowed me to design for the gatefold LP format. I love this size and format...feels so much more substantial than a CD, and often sounds much warmer. Opening up a gatefold LP often feels like opening some ancient tome... I think these particular albums will look great in 50 years when they're old, dog-eared and dusty...lying in the recesses of some charity shop awaiting discovery. (Alternatively you can buy them freshly pressed from the labels...)

ROSE KEMP - 'Unholy Majesty'
www.myspace.com/rosekemp

Lots of inspiration for this one, mostly provided by the music itself, though I borrowed from British folklore, Italian witchcraft and Austin Spare in equal measure. Really pleased with the vinyl version of this, limited pressing available from Aurora Borealis . Cd version for those without turntables from One Little Indian . Great album...one of my favourites from last year actually.

WRECK OF THE HESPERUS - 'The Sunken Threshold'

www.myspace.com/wothesperus

Utter sonic filth and audio darkness...file under the "funeral doom" tag I suppose, though this has a more avant-garde tone to it that places it above many others...the drumming is also very busy, inventive and almost "jazzy" in places. I hope I haven't put the purists off...if you like it bleak and monolithic, get this. Limited pressing from Streaks Records.

Work in progress - 4th Feb 2009

2009-02-04T14:25:00.000-08:00

GRIEF - November 2008

2009-02-03T00:22:00.000-08:00

This was a print designed for the Liverpool date of the GRIEF + TRAP THEM tour. The bleak sound of "And Man Will Become The Hunted" provided the inspiration here. Not so colourful as the Melvins print before it, but I still managed to sneak in a goats head. After dissapointing experiments with acrylic based metallic inks, I bit the bullet and prised open an aging tin of Sericol oil based ink to print the metallic on this. Apparently the ink I was using is no longer made as it reputedly makes womens hair fall out. Even though I wore a mask, I could still feel a thin layer of membrane peeling from my eyeballs as I printed this. Nice reflective sheen in the end though, which is kind of hard to discern from these pics.

In the end, neither Grief or Trap Them made it to the show - van problems and a frankly insane booking agent scuppered more than one date on this tour apparently. Saving grace of an expensive overnight trip to Liverpool was the presence of Dragged Into Sunlight, who played an amazingly brutal assault on the senses amidst candlelight and heavy incense.Thanks to Tom from DIS who passed on the prints to Grief later that week.

Available from the Scrawled store at : scrawled.bigcartel.com

MELVINS - Dublin 2008 screenprinted poster

2009-02-02T23:23:00.000-08:00

Was pleased to get the opportunity to design my 3rd poster for the rock behemoth known as The Melvins. Whenever I think of Melvins artwork, my defining image is Kozik's "Houdini" cover...kids playing with freakish animals or bugs (my last Melvins print before this was very much a nod in this direction).

Around the time of this however, I'd been listening to a lot of earlier releases, such as Ozma, Bullhead etc. Although I love the recent Melvins stuff, I think there's a darker vibe to these releases, and I wanted to do something that reflected this yet still seemed "playful" in some way. However, what started out as a homage to the "Ozma" cover ended up as Crowley with shades flanked by goats....go figure!

Available from the Scrawled store at : scrawled.bigcartel.com

RITUAL - set of art prints

2009-02-02T12:29:00.003-08:00

RITUAL is a series of art prints that I designed and screenprinted before last Samhain in preparation for the Danse Macabre exhibtion (in Nottingham) and the Day Of The Dead exhibition at home here in Belfast.

Nearly all of the screenprints I've made over the last couple of years have been gig-posters for bands. Whilst I love making gig-posters, I embraced the idea of creating a small set of prints devoid of text, logos etc. I also saw it as an excuse to draw some more skulls.

I'd been reading some articles and books on prehistoric burial customs during the year and was particularly struck by archaeological evidence from around the globe which seems to indicate ritualistic behaviour and symbolic thought originated much earlier than originally proposed. Whilst I was aware of symbolic behaviour in Cro Magnons & Neanderthals, I was surprised to find out of Homo Erectus remains (very much depicted as a typical "apeman" in popular culture) that seemed to indicate that this early human indulged in ritual activity. More reading and web scouring turned up other tantalising evidence and symbolism from pre-history...the end result was the following 3 prints.

i) Upon anvil & under horn

ii) This eternal war

iii) Of Ochre...

Set of 3 handprinted screenprints. Each print measures 35 x 35 cm. 3 colours on high quality 280g Reeves art paper.
Limited edition of #25...stamped, signed, titled & numbered in a sealed, printed envelope.

Available from the Scrawled store at : scrawled.bigcartel.com