"Incantation"

"Incantation" / 9 x 12" / ink on paper

How appropriate that on the 13th day of June, I throw some witchcraft into the mix! What surrealistic spell is this young woman casting? What's that maw-faced, knife-wielding creature lurking behind her? And is that silhouetted man in the foreground approaching for good or for ill??

This piece was created purely by stream of consciousness. It's fun to do that, sometimes... letting go so the image can draw itself... so it can tell its own story.

Dave C.

"Balustrade"

"Balustrade" / 9 x 12" / acrylic & ink on paper 

I don't know what it is about it, but I'm especially fond of the word "balustrade." And I'm even more fond of swashbuckling sword fights, where heroes leap atop a balustrade & deal razor-sharp vengeance upon their enemies!

- Dave C.

"Arabica"

"Arabica" / 9 x 12" / acrylic & ink on paper 

Here we go again! Welcome to Series 4 of my daily illustration blog, Alphabet Attack! I'm kicking off this run with a piece dedicated to that most magical beverage -- coffee!

I've been a fan of the bitter brown, since I was a wee boy. My late, Southern Baptist grandmother used to make instant coffee in a battered, stainless steel saucepan, then temper it with a splash of condensed milk. And while I don't remember how old I was when she finally allowed me to take a sip of it, I do know I was hooked from that very first taste.

Nowadays, I tend to take my coffee black. But even with sugar & cream -- be it dark roast or light beans -- a hot cup of coffee makes my morning quite supreme!

- Dave C.