JKB FLETCHER

I instantly fell in love with these incredibly life like paintings by JKB Fletcher, which combine superhero references with the female form. See more of JKB Fletcher's work.

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JEFF SIMPSON

Amazing paintings here by Jeff Simpson. Amazing form and content. These are a combination of digital painting, photoshop and acrylic painting. See more here.

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MACIEJ KUCIARA

Here's a taste of some of the most amazing concept art I've ever seen. This guy must have an incredibly imagination! More here.

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BRADLEY R-MER: BATTLE OF THE PLANETS

As a kid I loved Battle of the Planets, but my memory of it is a little hazy. Seeing artwork like this brings it all back for me though. Such an awesome piece here by Bradley R-mer. More of his work here.

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CHRISTIAN WAGGONER

The internet is an enormous place (massive understatement) so massive that despite almost using it all day every day for the last ??? years I'd never come across these master pieces. If you have the coin and they aren't sold out you can buy them here.

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KILIAN ENG / DW DESIGN

Through my recent interest in retro futurism in both art and music I've come across Kilian Eng's work a lot – and I thought it was about time I posted some of it here. I love it, I think I prefer his more technological pieces, where lights and space travel remind me of all the good things about good sci-fi. Check out his tumblr page for loads more of his work.

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KEVIN CYR: VAN SERIES

I cam across this series by Kevin Cyr a couple of years ago but then came across it again after looking through an old magazine (not that old) recently. I'd forgotten how much I love these paintings. There is something very honest about them. The detail provides a story, a history. It gives them a unique personality. The vehicles themselves are reminiscent of a past time and exude a sense of nostalgia. Looking at these paintings makes me realise how soulless vehicle design has become today. In his artist statement Kevin mentions that these paintings are a way to "document a time and place, and to make still a part of the ever-changing environment." and that he has always "been interested in painting vehicles and scenes that have defined the evolution of the American landscape." See more of Kevin's work here.

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FRANCOISE NIELLY

While I was recently in Paris I spotted a painting by French artist Francoise Nielly. I was walking across the road from a gallery that was closed with the inside lights off, yet the expressive bold colour and texture was enough to catch my attention and fascinate me. There is something very fresh and energetic about her work. The unique colour palettes have been carefully chosen and when executed with her painting style are at their loudest.

I strongly recommend checking out Francoise's website, there is an enormous amount of inspiring work. It was a privilege to see just one of her pieces in person (despite being outside the gallery looking through a window) I hope to one day see an exhibition.

Website here, behance here.

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TRADITIONAL ARTS: YONAZ KRISTY

This piece by Yonaz Kristy struck me as something from a dream or a fairy tale. It's a little sombre but also feels quite warm and comforting. I really like his use of watercolour as a texture and the heavy line work. See some more examples of his work here and her blog here.

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POMESONE: CANVAS ART

I found this piece by Pomesone on Behance. I really like it because it reminds me a lot of work by Nawer, which I love, actually utilises a 3rd dimension as well as artificial 3D graphics on a 2D surface. On his profile Pomesone explains "I often try to open the frame of the object to go into space".

I hope to be getting back into my garage soon to play around with my paints on similar styled artwork (I'll probably just stick to a 2D canvas for now though).

Check out more of Pomesone's work on behance.

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CRISTIAN BLANXER: OIL & ACRILIC PIN UPS

I really like this piece by Cristian Blanxer, which is part of a series that features female subjects in various poses, some being erotic, while others like this one are more subtle. Most of the pieces in this series verge slightly into abstract and surreal art with Cristian's great use of abstract colour and texture, which gives them an almost dreamy feel. I really like the detail in this piece and how the reference to adidas creates a connection from the real world to an abstract world – is this a memory? A dream? Or just imagination? Check out the whole series here and Cristian's blog here.

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ZAN VON ZED: OILS

I spotted this piece by Zan Von Zed on behance this morning. I'm sure I've seen her work somewhere else before. She has such a specific style, and specifically her girls have such a unique look. As an artist whose work is all over the place with no particular style, I always appreciate artists whose work all feel like they're part of the same family. Perhaps one day there will be a Luke Morgan style, perhaps there already is. Anyway I thought I'd post Zan's work because it is awesome and feels like it's from a strange land that exists between dreams and childhood memories. I'm a sucker for pirates too. I'd love to see her do some darker themed work. A lot of her work is oil on wood which give the pieces a wonderfully organic and rustic feel. Zan has a great blog with lots of tasty treats here.

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NAWER NAWONER: N-POOL

NAWERelevator preview from Helena Jinx on Vimeo.

Nawer Nawoner has combined graffiti art with architecture/3D modeling to create something quite unique and inspiring. Please note that these pieces are not digital, they are wall paintings, completed using spray paint, masking tape and stencil. Check out the video above to see him working on another, similar project. I don't know about y'all but this makes me want to fire up C4D, print, spray and play.

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NAXO GARCIA: PORTRAITS

Naxo Garcia's use of light and texture in this piece has resulted in something quite unique and fresh. I think over all he has a great style that instantly sets him apart from every other painter/drawer/artist out there. I really like his subtle choice of colour and use of brushstrokes/line work in defining the female body form. The gaze tops it all off.

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KEVIN PETERSON: GRAFFITI GIRLS

I spotted this piece on Behance this morning. It's one in a series of paintings by Kevin Peterson featuring young girls in graffiti clad environments. The contrasting subject matter (children, graffiti) creates a unique, surreal atmosphere. Children tend to represent all that is innocent and pure in the world, where as graffiti is typically confined to areas of the urban environment that most people prefer to avoid. It is associated with underworld crime, drugs, gangs etc. To push this contrast even further the girls appear to be from wealthy families – much attention has gone into their hair and clothing – making them look even more out of place in this environment. The girls are all solitary, making me wonder if they are safe, and what they are actually doing there. Peterson has a photo-realistic style, which results in a near perfect execution of this series. A good job all round.

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PEACE KEEPER

I just spotted this piece by UK artist Antony Micallef on the carmichael gallery site (amoung many other goodies). I've spent a good part of today in a world where military meets graffiti and this really topped it off. I always find the image of a soldier with gas mask a lot more intimidating than without. Perhaps it conjures fear in a similar way that ceremonial/war masks worn in tribal communities throughout the ages do (and still today no doubt). I've always thought there is a visual connection between gas masks and human skulls too, I think Darth Vader fits in there somewhere also. There's an idea for a new project in all of this.

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