The Wraith

Despite appearances to the contrary this woman is actually a shimmering wraith. She may appear substantial but that is only a trick of the light. See her from another angle however and you realise that you can see straight through her spectral form. There are many differing stories attached to this apparently friendly ghost but they all agree on a few basic facts; she can sometimes be found shimmering on the ramparts of Castle Rushen, she’s female, and her appearance is an omen of forthcoming events (although opinion is divided on whether her appearance foretells good or bad events to come). Well, there you have it. We’ve done the paranormal footwork so you don’t have to…

Cheers

id-iom

Title: The Wraith
Materials: Spraypaint, charcoal, acrylics and paint pen
Size: A2

Blue in the face

Did you know you can actually get a medical condition called argyria (which comes from consuming silver) that can actually turn your face (and the rest of your skin) blue? Now, that is something i didn’t know before starting this.

Well, it would seem that the subject of today’s painting has either been consuming large quantities of colloidal silver (for it’s possible health benefits) or has been stuck in the middle of another conversation about intelligent design and has literally been talking until he’s blue in the face. We all know the feeling you sometimes get when in mid-conversation that no matter what you say the person you are talking to isn’t really going to listen to a word you’ve got to say. No matter what you say and how smart or well-informed your argument is you may as well save your breath, not bother and move onto something a little more interesting for the sake of everyone concerned…

Cheers

id-iom

Title: Blue in the face
Materials: Spraypaint, charcoal, acrylics and paint pen
Size: A3

It’s been a blast…

‘It’s been a blast…’ is something of a bittersweet commission that we were asked to create for someone as a little parting gift to their boss. Something unique was required to commemorate the 12 years they spent working for the same company as it was now time for them all to move on. I think there were some up and some downs but, as I understand it, mainly ups and it’ll be with something of a heavy heart they’ll be saying goodbye. It’s been a blast indeed…

Cheers

id-iom

Title: It’s been a blast…
Materials: Screenprint, spraypaint, stencils and paint pen
Size: A3

Related articles

• They will come… we must fight! (thisisidiom.wordpress.com)

They will come… we must fight!

Manx anti-Nazi propaganda c.1939

I decided that I wanted to produce something that looked like a vintage anti-Nazi propaganda poster for the Isle of Man and one of the perks of being an artist is coming up with some outlandish idea and then being allowed to bring it to reality regardless of any other factors – and today’s piece is a good case in point. I had just finished Ian Tregillis’ enjoyable alternate history book ‘Bitter Seeds’ about British warlocks fighting Nazi superheroes in WWII and thought to myself that Nazi bashing is pretty much encouraged in other media – books (like Bitter Seeds), computer games (like the Call of duty mini-game where you have to kill as many Nazi zombies as you can) and film (Inglourious Basterds springs to mind). So I thought I’d jump in on the action through the medium of art.

As the Laxey Wheel is one of the most iconic and easily recognisable of the island’s historic landmarks I thought it would be a good place to start. Throw in an improbably large evil Nazi owl descending from a darkening sky with it’s talons outstretched  to snatch at the wheel and you’re off and running. Then all you need is some patriotic sounding text and you’ve got yourself some fake Manx propaganda c.1939. Right, what’s next?

Cheers

id-iom

Title: They will come… we must fight!
Materials: Screenprint, spraypaint, stencils, watercolour and paint pen
Size: A3
Please email if interested

When sinners become saints

I know that ‘When sinners become saints’ sounds like some low rent daytime TV game show that comes on after Jeremy Kyle but this picture was somehow meant to be elucidating the notion that each of us has the capability to be either good or bad depending on circumstance and that ‘bad’ people can do ‘good’ things (and vice versa). It’s rarely as clear cut as we are often lead to believe. I think that’s about as highbrow as I’m going today so tomorrow normal service will be resumed and we’ll probably have a picture of an anthropomorphic badger with an over-sized gun (or something equally frivolous. No guarantees!)

Cheers

id-iom

Title: When sinners become saints
Materials: Acrylic, paint pen, spray paint and charcoal
Size: A2
Please email if interested

The not-so-pretty Princess

The not-so-pretty Princess

Now i’m not saying she’s entirely without merit but she’s just not as pretty as all the other girls – or at least that’s what the fairy tales would lead you to believe. She needn’t worry though as she’s actually already married, apparently to quite a catch I hear, although I’ve never met the man.

The whole thing came about by pure chance as I only met the Princess whilst I was out for dinner. Her husband couldn’t make it and myself and the people I were with decided to ask her if she’d care to join us and she was delighted to accept.  I was quite taken with her so decided to paint her up the following day. I, of course, had been drinking that night however so was working from memory. This is the result.

Cheers

id-iom

Title: The not-so-pretty Princess
Materials: Acrylic, paint pen and spray paint
Size: A3
Please email if interested

The Boy with the Red Face

The Boy with the Red Face

Well, well, look what we have here. It looks like someone has been caught doing something they shouldn’t by their mum. The red face and sullen eyes are an obvious giveaway but just look at those tears as well – that’s a sure fire sign if ever I saw one! The only thing I’m not sure about is what exactly this lad has done – but don’t worry, we can always make something up…

Hubert, for that is what we shall call him, was on his way to the shop to fetch some ciggies for his mother. When the proprietor turned his back Hubert decided to steal some Disney Princess ‘Princess Glamour’ Sticker Collection packs from the counter but Hubert wasn’t a skilled thief. Needless to say the owner caught him and promptly escorted him back home after leaving the shop in the hands of Mrs Clompton who had only just popped in for a pint of milk.

The story continues of course but i think you can fill out the rest of the story yourself and how he ended up like he is in the painting…

Cheers

id-iom

Title: The Boy with the Red Face
Materials: Acrylic, paint pen, spraypaint and glitter
Size: A3
Please email if interested

City of Dreams – Whitecross Street Party 2013

City of Dreams – WXSP 2013

On Sunday we packed up the idiomobile and made our way to the Whitecross Street Party to paint for the second time (thanks to Teddy for inviting us back again) and what a day we had. To say the sun was out is a bit of an understatement to say the least, one half of id-iom was certainly feeling the effects after having a little too much fun the evening before. That said at least we managed to finish the piece even if it was with sweat running down our faces like Niagara falls.

City of Dreams – WXSP 2013

For this piece we decided to go with a girl in the colours of the Joker. I can’t tell you why though because i had nothing to do with this design. Whilst the other half of id-iom was busy designing, cutting and getting ready for Whitecross, I was sunning myself in Mallorca on a cheeky little 4 day holiday.

Some of the other artists involved over the weekend included: Mydog sighs, Miss Wah Wah, Fletch, Leeks, Parlee, Nathan Bowen, Zadok, Dep, Airborne Mark and Jimmy C (to name but a few).

As is always the case when a bunch of artists are kicking around the same street corner we all end up getting a little giddy. My case in point is the electrical junction box that was situated just next to where we were all painting. We’d put Poet Mouse on it last year and I was glad to see it was still there. Once that had been noticed everyone decided to get in on the action. Oooops!!

Electrical Junction box – WXSP 2013

Electrical Junction box – WXSP 2013

 

Cheers

id-iom

If I asked you to jump off a bridge, would you?

I think the answer to the question ‘If I asked you to jump off a bridge, would you?’ would be something along the lines of ‘Am I going to be attached to a bungee cord’ or ‘how high is it? Is there water below?’. However, if the bridge in question was some kind of bridge/woman hybrid I’m not entirely sure of the correct response. Especially if she herself was asking. She could be an evil yet alluring bridge/woman hybrid who gets some deranged pleasure by watching people leap to their doom from her sturdy girders. I think I’d require a little bit more information before taking the leap…

She’s about 63 x 48 cm in size and has been completed using screen printing, acrylic paint, stencils and paint pen on a vintage National Geographic map of the southwestern United States. I just love working on these old maps…

Cheers

id-iom

Materials: Screen print with acrylic, spray paint and paint pen
Size: 63 x 48 cm
Please email if interested

I love kittens but it’s hard to know what they’re thinking…

So surely we all love kittens? Well I certainly do and I even have a little Manx cat of my own as way of proof. But often it can be hard to work out what they are thinking. Well, I think I’ve cracked it…

I was trying to come up with something typically gritty, urban and insulting to get up and so somehow (naturally) ended up with this badass bit of graf…

Cheers

id-iom