A Little Kaiju Spot

"Rescue"

(8x10", Oil on Stretched Linen)
Price: $300.00

"Battle"

 (8x10", Oil on Stretched Linen)

Price: $300.00    SOLD

"Grotto"

 (8x10", Oil on Canvas Board)

Price: $300.00    SOLD

I haven't had a lot of time for painting the last six months, and the few major attempts that I began have stalled for the time being. Meanwhile, as our annual visit to Chicago for the Godzilla convention, G-Fest was fast approaching, I made my usual resolve to try and paint something new to show people. It's only this last two years that I've actually been able to do so. Self-sabotage when you're trying to be creative is an evil thing and all too common for artists with conflicting demands on their time and inspiration. Still, I really surprised myself this year. I set out to doodle some design ideas from one of my favourite kaiju (Japanese for 'giant monster') series: The Rebirth of Mothra: I, II, and III. These three movies are such a visual feast and have quite a range of Mothra incarnations that include: Armored Mothra, Aqua Mothra, Rainbow Mothra, Eternal Mothra, Larval Mothra, etcetera, beginning with the original coloured Mothra which features in these three little colour sketches. I had such fun painting these with my usual limited palette. They got a lot of love at the convention as well. Currently they are adding their jewel-like colours to my study wall along with my other new paintings from this year. Below are the 6x8" design sketches that began each painting...now gone from my traveling sketchbook, as someone bought all three at the convention. I will just have to draw up some more. After all, there are lots more versions of Mothra to paint...

I was asked once, why I don't paint the other monsters in the Godzilla canon. Well, the answer to that is that my husband paints all of them, including original Mothra with such brilliance and creative dexterity that I just shrug and say: I love them all, but I'm just not interested in trying to paint them. Mothra, however, seems to touch something inside of me that responds with instinctive inspiration. These are little paintings that were done off the cuff and I had fun with. The only other two times I painted Mothra were created sixteen years apart. I thought it was high time to get inspired again, and reach for paint and brushes. The difference in my skill in that sixteen year hiatus is staggering.

Meanwhile, thanks for stopping by. I'll try to post something new soon. After all, Illuxcon is just around the corner...

Cheers,
Marianne