a Little Bit Steampunk...

HMAS MARS 1

(Oil, 8x10")  Framed.   Price: $165.00   SOLD

When I was doodling a few months back, I played around with Steampunk rocket ideas.  There's a lot of Victorian science fantasy creativity going on out in the art ether. Since we've become so blase about the instant gratification technological future we're living in, the past has become more romantic. So we're looking backward to find adventure, fantastical machines and places, and a wider imaginative vision. In short, we're bored, and need something 'different' to challenge our imaginations. For my generation, it was the space race of the 50s and 60s which fired our minds and sense of adventure, populated with larger than life futurist heroes as astronauts. "Going out there" meant so much more back then than it does now in our increasingly narcissistic environment. Anyway, I came up with HMAS MARS 1.  After all, in the Victorian age, English literature was providing fantastic visions by way of H G Wells and Jules Verne, just to name two. It is primarily to  these two authors, that the romantic modern 'Steampunk' genre owes its roots. The Industrial revolution that fed these authors works also takes firm place in it also. So, I decided to do a Steampunk version of my trusty pointy rocket ship...going to Mars, of course. The ship itself has almost insectoid 'fins' with their segmented hydraulic cushion gyros. Portholes resembling those of a diving bell or deep sea diver, lots of rivets and copper/bronze plating, and a pipework 'exhaust' system. The green glowing light and gas lend themselves to the 'mysterious gasses' that would be needed to support life and engines during the long trip to the red planet. The colour scheme is nostalgic oranges, blue green, green and black. Kind of like Steampunk by way of 1950s movie cinemascope adventures.

The palette consisted of: Titanium White, Cadmium Lemon, Cadmium Orange Hue, Pthalo Turquoise, French Ultramarine, and Burnt Sienna. The photo above  does not do the finished painting justice.

Below, is the original drawing for this painting. I've been having quite a lot of fun drawing up my paintings, lately. 

HMAS MARS 1 (Drawing)

(Graphite pencil, 8x10")  Matted.   Price: $40.00   SOLD

Anyway, thanks for stopping by. There is one more painting to post, so drop by again soon.
Cheers,
Marianne