Official Website

I've got my website updated and ready to view! Feel welcome to post any comments, as always.
 
Mairin-Taj Caya Illustration

Capturing the West

I have never been to the American West, but I have drawn outside, as well as hiked extensively, and this piece was composed for my second mentorship painting as part of a graduation requirement for PCA&D.
It is both a self-portrait (I put in some personal symbolism) and an exploration of landscape and atmosphere in the watercolor medium, which is still in its infancy concerning my use of it. It is also, in a minor way, an allusion to the earlier days of America, when exploring and mapping the wild, mysterious West was important.

I had a great time figuring this piece out, and I look forward to doing likewise with other works.
This piece will be used for my promotional postcard for Senior Show at PCA&D, as well as my main gallery piece on display.

"Capturing the West", 17 1/2 x 22", Watercolor, 2011.

Thanks to Gary Lippincott, for his helpful advice.
Printed material will be posted soon!

Sample Thesis Work In Progress

I am in for the brief spell of time to work on thesis paintings amidst all the "busy work". Here is a sample sketch and painting for my work on Iron John.
I am really excited about working on the four thesis pieces with the fifth separate show piece. I really hope my results are satisfactory!

Iron John's face is going to be changing a bit in the process - as you can see - inevitably. 

Iron John, Full Title/Cover, 16 1/2 x 25 1/2", Watercolor, 2011.

Iron John, Full Title/Cover, Pencil Sketch, 2011.

Concepts for Character Design

Having to come up with character design for certain people called Newlies from the book The Prophecy Machine, by Neal Barret, Jr., I worked with the character known as the Mycer Seer, a mostly human female Seer, or oracle of sorts, who has mouse-like remnants in her physical and behavioral traits. I took from the sparse descriptions of mycers in the book to accentuate my idea.
I greatly enjoyed working through my thoughts on this, touching on different ethnic influences, ages, aesthetic, and size.

The final concept, shown first, features an acorn necklace and mice-print pattern on belt, to allude to her mouse-heritage, as well as inky mouse-like eyes and subtle, rounded ears. I limited her decoration to earrings, and gave her herb/spice pouches, as the text talks about her musty, spicy atmosphere. 

Final Concept, graphite. 2011.

Final Concept, side, graphite. 2011.

Working Concept, Right Direction. 3/4, graphite. 2011

Less "Seer" version, graphite. 2011.

One of original directions, graphite. 2011.

Another of original directions, graphite. 2011.

Literary note: The Prophecy Machine is one of the worst attempts at effective story-telling I have ever read, lacking in integrity of world aesthetic, character development, setting, plot, theme, and narration. A farce of story-telling.      

Mermaid Sketch

I have always liked the sensual and exotic nature behind the concept of mermaids, and I have doodled various interpretations of them over my short number of years so far, as I imagine I will continue to do so.

This is a "to-the-point" sketch on the subject, which I put down quickly for a Fantasy Illustration class. I am most interested here in the orientation of the mermaid with her oceanic landscape and the various denizens throughout. I kept it simple, partly out of time, and partly out of an interest in what the minimalistic composition might yield.

I am heading for the color stage now, and we shall see what comes of that.

Mermaid Sketch, Mairin-Taj Caya 2011.