Written and illustrated by Blair Drawson. Designed by Shari Spier. An Odd Sea is a liberty-taking retelling of Homer’s classic. Blair turns a satirical eye on war, sex, identity, technology, misbehaving youth, and the follies of all-powerful gods. The novel is liberally illustrated throughout with Blair’s powerful images. The EPub book, An Odd Sea will be available early September on Apple’s iTune store in the iBook section. Watch for it.
Radical Illustrators was a one-off issue of Illustrators Magazine No. 38 edited by George Snow and Robert Mason and published by the Association of Illustrators in England in 1981. This groundbreaking issue of Illustrators Magazine captured a moment in the art of illustration when young reactionary illustrators were rejecting the straightforward narrative approaches of the popular mainstream press and breaking new ground with radically new visual styles that have long since become the norm in illustration.
Contributors to Radical Illustrators included Edward Bell, Sue Coe, Georgeanne Deen, Catherine Denvir, Terry Dowling, Blair Drawson, Robert Ellis, Carolyn Gowdy, Anne Howeson, Rod Judkins, Andrzej Klimowski, Stewart Mackinnon, Robert Mason, Shinro Ohtake, Ian Pollock, Liz Pyle, Brothers Quay, Sol Robbins, Christine Roche, George Snow and Jake Tilson.
August 14, 2013Here’s Blair’s latest painting titled Garden Of Eden.
In Blair’s own words, here’s the story behind Dreams of Patoot…
“Some time ago I rediscovered a metaphorical Horn of Plenty crammed with images — good, bad, and indifferent. These were my own works, the products of years of work-for-hire, plus many of my ‘self-commissioned’ paintings. At any rate, I had a lot of them. I was called upon to interpret certain causes, tropes, and ideas that found their way into print. Celebrity portraits. Jocular entertainments. Works of fashion, fiction, and friction. Scientific or socio-economic concepts shown in less abstract, more graspable depictions for the common reader. All of these were painted in styles that seemed appropriate to the subject matter, and which varied considerably in tone – from the broadly comic to the gravely austere and beyond. And all were filtered through my own personal artistic sensibilities.â€
“It occurred to me that perhaps there was a story somewhere within these many images. Was there a narrative here, really? And isn’t it working backwards to contrive a story after the fact of the pictures, especially when there are so many of them? The mule goes before the wagon; he doesn’t push it from behind, like an ass.â€
“Yes indeed. But sometimes when one doesn’t really know what one can or cannot do, or where one is, one blunders into a fool’s paradise. Plain enough was that Dreams of Patoot would be no children’s book. Far too many pictures in the cornucopia were of the naughty variety.â€
“The big hurdle was the problem of consistency of characters from one page to the next. Obviously, the raw material had been originally done for any number of purposes and applications. How then does one contrive a flow of action that shows a central character that the reader can identify and follow from scene to scene, no matter how outlandish the setting? The answer: one doesn’t. The key was contained in the word ‘outlandish’.â€
“Make the story a sort of sci-fi one! Set the action some place, to something like what we are used to — but not the same! And give the denizens of that place the ability to change their appearance, willy-nilly, and at any moment!â€
“Ergo: the Periodic Form Changement.â€
“And while you’re at it, have some fun with language! Make up bad translations that demonstrate the silliness of idioms and expressions which we use every day.â€
“And while you’re at that, might as well take some pot shots at the customs and mores that we live by. But entertain them too! Give them Plafunda! Give them Plafundatongue! Give them Patoot!â€
Blair Drawson’s interactive visual narrative for the iPhone is now available for downloading from the iTunes Store.
It’s finally here! Blair Drawson’s interactive visual narrative for the iPhone is now available for downloading from the iTunes Store.
July 11, 2013
The launch date for Blair Drawson’s interactive visual narrative for the iPhone has been confirmed for July 11. This app, featuring more than 400 of Blair’s illustrations, is a science fiction story centering around a distant planet called Plafunda, similar to our own in many ways, yet significantly different in others. The central character, Patoot, like young citizens everywhere, has friends and relations, and they all have their own distinct storyline separate from, and parallel to, the main narrative.
The app, along with the story, allows you to save and share Blair’s illustrations. Watch for the launch of the App in the iTunes store.
Blair Drawson, Reactor and Thinknao have teamed up to create Dreams Of Patoot, featuring more than 400 of Blair’s illustrations in an interactive visual narrative specifically made for the iPhone and iPad. The story centers around Patoot, a young citizen of Plafunda which is a distant benevolent planet similar to our own in many ways, yet significantly different in others. Patoot, like young citizens everywhere, has friends and relations, and they all have their own distinct storyline separate from, and parallel to, the main narrative. That’s the interactive part.
We are anticipating an early April launch of the App in the iTunes store. Stay tuned for more information.
February 6, 2013These Reactor mini Artist Portfolios make a wonderful Xmas gift at $50.00 each portfolio. Each portfolio features five beautiful prints at 3 x 4 inches in size.  Great for framing individually or all together as one large piece.  The mini Portfolios by Blair Drawson and Alëna Skarina are Erotic prints. Jeff Jackson’s mini portfolio is about the famed architect “Le Corbusier”. Drop by the Reactor Studio to purchase or to have a look at them.
Â
  Â
 Â
View an online facsimile of the Fall 2010 issue of Global Brief magazine at www.fishauf.com/GB5. Design and art direction by Louis Fishauf with contributions from Henrik Drescher, Blair Drawson and others.
design: Louis Fishauf | cover spot: Brad Yeo | illustrations by Henrik Drescher and Blair Drawson
