Illuxcon and and Darth Vader

Illuxcon was a wonderful and overwhelming display of imaginative realism last weekend as it always is! Below is a picture of my wall in the main show of the event. It was great to reconnect with people and meet many more.

While at the event I became aware that there are a few paintings I haven't posted here yet, such as the following illustration for the Star Wars Card Game titled Force Choke. It could have used a little more light at the top of my Illuxcon wall, but it found a new home none the less.

Force Choke, Oil, 12 x 16 inches - © 2013 Fantasy Flight Games

We Are Made of Stars

“The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.”

This quote from Carl Sagan represents one of the most poetic truths of our scientific reality. That heavy elements weren't created at the beginning of time. They were created in the nuclear furnaces of earlier generations of stars that have since exploded and spread their material across the universe. We are literally made of stardust. This allows us a new and profound feeling of connection to the stars we see in the sky, to the universe, and to everyone in it. I created this new painting to remind us of this, an idea which Neil deGrasse Tyson calls "the most astounding fact" in the video below. I highly recommend watching it and others such as the Sagan Series.

Oil, 24 x 30 inches

Mermaid

Bored, lost in thought, this mermaid is having a restful moment, but she's going to have to snap out of it, and not only because she's coming with me to Illuxcon next week! Come see her at the Allentown Art Museum September 20-21st.

Oil, 18 x 24 inches

D&D Player's Handbook, Part 2

Also appearing in the new 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook are these three illustrations. The first depicts a dwarf coming to the aid of an injured comrade, casting a "Sacred Flame" spell on reptilian monster as the sun sets through the trees, signaling that darkness will soon fall upon the swamp.

Sacred Flame, Oil, 12 x16 inches

Oil, 11 x 14 inches

These next two are character class illustrations depicting a human witch (below left) and a forest gnome ranger (right.) And below to the right is a page from the book showing how these vignette images are printed.

Oil, 11 x 14 inches