Red Nose Day Art Auction

Last week, I picked up a paintbrush for the first time all year.

After the epic "52 paintings in 52 weeks" challenge, I was put off painting for a while, but this week I found the passion again. Last year I donated a few pieces of art to a Red Nose Day charity event, and I managed to sell three paintings. This year, I designed four pieces and sold two of them!

Photos of the art to follow

52 Paintings In 52 Weeks

In the first week of January this year, I decided I was going to paint 52 paintings in 52 weeks.

It wasn't quite that simple though - I wanted to paint every track in Linkin Park's four studio albums, using only black and white paint, and while using the same character in every painting. Why did I set this challenge for myself? At first, it just "seemed like a good idea at the time", but I actually learned a lot about time management and how to finish what I start.

However, there was a slight obstacle to overcome - I'm no painter. Sure, I took art back in high school, but my paintings were really nothing amazing. I had some great visions for each of my paintings, but not quite the skills to pull them off. Throughout this project, there were a lot of good paintings and a lot of not-so-good paintings. Despite this, I think as a body of work, this project is pretty impressive. Today I laid out all the paintings across my floor and took a photo.

Seeing all these paintings made me realize, I dedicated a shit load of my time into this project! Hours and hours of planning and work went into these, and I'm actually proud I followed through with this. I painted one painting a week for a whole year. In the past when I used to paint for leisure, I'd probably paint three or two paintings a year. So, I guess I smashed that record!

This project has left it's mark on me - particularly the fact I have black and white paint everywhere. My favourite jeans are all covered in paint, along with my desk, my camera...and my carpet. Yep, black paint on cream coloured carpet. Not a good look.

So what's next for me? I'm going to focus my energy in my back into my writing, and my new band project. There will be more Graffiti Dragons demos coming in the near future, and yes, my debut novel The Underground will be on the shelves mid 2012, and available for digital download.

Last but not least, I would like to thank those people that have followed me with this project. I hope you have enjoyed watching the evolution of Shadowy Guy, and I hope you continue to follow me with my new projects! Also, thank you to Linkin Park for all the inspiration you guys have given me throughout the years, but also I thank you for not releasing a new album this year. If Linkin Park had released a new album, man, that would have thrown a big curve ball into my 52 paintings in 52 weeks project. Ha!

Have a wonderful new year  : )

- JD

# 52 The Messenger

It's taken an entire year - fifty-two paintings in fifty-two weeks - but at long last, I have completed the final painting. When I started this project almost a year ago, it seemed like a brilliant idea. I began the first painting in the first week in January with such enthusiasm, but the novelty soon wore off - the second week into the project.

Why did I decide to do a painting for every song on Linkin Park's four studio albums? I'm no painter, but I wanted to take up the challenge, and to be honest I really didn't think I would actually follow through with it. I'm terrible with time management and I never reach deadlines. So, to have to start and finish a painting every week - that would be a huge challenge for me. Through the past year I have learned it is possible for me to reach deadlines through determination and dedication.

So, when I finally finished the last painting today, I felt proud of myself for actually following through with something. Also, The Messenger is a fantastic song, and I have been looking forward to painting this one all year. Why? It's how I always intended to end the project. And now, you'll understand why I chose to paint using only black and white. At last, we see colour!

"The Messenger"

I had planned this painting from day one. Even when I started this back in January, I knew this is where I would end up. After a tough journey, Shadowy Guy is now leaving the city of ruins behind him, and is continuing on a new road. Already, the future is looking brighter for Shadowy Guy as he stumbles upon a red flower. Ever seen that film Pleasantville? I definitely drew inspiration from the black/white and colour concept. The Messenger is such an uplifting song, it feels great to be finishing the project here.

Also, I'm going to take a photo of all the paintings together in a few days. So keep an eye out for that!

- JD

# 51 The Catalyst

It's Christmas Eve, and this morning I finished the penultimate painting - The Catalyst. This song is almost like two tracks in one. It starts off in a chaotic frenzy of synth, bass and drums and then ends into a fine masterpiece of genius.

"The Catalyst"

This painting follows on from the previous ones. There's been a lot of destruction in the past few paintings, and here Shadowy Guy has boarded up windows. He is huddled underneath the frame and wishing he was elsewhere. "Lift me up, let me go," is what Shadowy Guy is mentally telling himself. And what's going on behind that boarded window? You'll find out in the final painting next week.

51 paintings done, just 1 more to go!

- JD

# 50 Fallout

Only a week out from Christmas, and things are pretty crazy. Yet, somehow, I managed to find the time and paint this;

"Fallout"

Following on from the previous painting, here is Shadowy Guy, uh, swimming in the smoke. It's a little more abstract than what I had intended it to be, but I had a lot of fun. Earlier on in the week I put black and white paint on a piece of plastic, and when it was dry I peeled it off the use later. Once I'd finished painting Fallout, I then stuck the pieces of dried paint in different places over the canvas. I really like the effect!

Just two paintings to go!

- JD

# 49 Iridescent

I started this painting in the early hours of the morning, and finished the final touches a few moments ago.

"Iridescent"

Lyrically, "Iridescent" tells a story, and I wanted to take a key scene from that story and use it here. I decided to leave a fraction of the canvas bare to make it seem as if this "burst of light" was slowly taking over the canvas. I really like this effect.

Only three more paintings left!

- JD

# 48 Wisdom, Justice, And Love

Painting finished! Only a few more weeks to go and it's all over.

"Wisdom, Justice, And Love"

By now you've probably realized that I like to keep things simple. This is the case here too. Shadowy Guy is in a "magnificent house of worship" because, well, his conscience has left him no other choice. This painting will follow on the the rest of the series. I'm actually really looking forward to the next painting.

- JD

# 47 Wretches And Kings

When I listen to "Wretches & Kings" I feel as though this track is the missing link in the evolution of Linkin Park. Not everyone will agree with me on this, but let's face it - the journey from Meteora to Minutes to Midnight was a big step. And of course, A Thousand Suns was an even bigger step. I absolutely love Wretches & Kings because it showcases how much they have evolved and grown as a band.

"Wretches & Kings"

For those that have seen my most recent post, you will agree I took a much different approach when painting the song for a second time. Of course, the painting is still created with using and mixing white and black paints, and Shadowy Guy as always has made an appearance - but this time I wanted to capture the action behind the song. Lyrically, there is a lot of powerful imagery, and I wanted to use that when making this painting. I'll admit I had a bit of issues painting a tank - had no idea what one looked like and had to google an image - but I'm quite pleased with the painting overall.

- JD

Preparing for Wretches

As you know, the next painting on the agenda is "Wretches & Kings".

This track is probably my second favourite from A Thousand Suns, and so naturally, I want to do a good job at it. This may come as a surprise, but this is not the first time I've attempted to paint Wretches & Kings. Last year, I entered an Australian t-shirt competition to win a meet and greet with Linkin Park. Yes, I didn't win, but I wasn't at all surprised because my entry was weak. Here's the painting I entered;

I had a good idea, but I simply couldn't pull it off. This time around, I'm hoping to do a better job!

- JD

# 46 Blackout

If you were to try and fit the song "Blackout" under just one genre or catergory, you would surely fail. It's a song with a blend of everything, and at times it can almost seem like two songs in one. I was having a bit of trouble with coming up with ideas - because there is so much happening in the track - but I figured it'd be best to strip back all the layers and get to the point...BLACKOUT!

"Blackout"

Alright, I'll admit this was the easiest painting to put together, but I still like it it. In fact, as long as I'm being honest I'll also admit it only took ten minutes to paint, but I like the simplicty. Also, you'll notice little white dots around the outside of Shadowy Guy's eyes - and yes that was a mistake - but sometimes mistakes work.

- JD

# 45 Waiting For The End

Been a crazy week (I swear it's got something to do with the full moon) but here's the next painting!

For this one, I've appropriated "The Thinker" into the painting. Shadowy Guy is having a good 'ol think while "sitting in an empty room, trying to forget the past." This painting is pretty simple - and yes, I had a lot of trouble painting Shadowy Guy like that - but not a bad effort overall.

Next up, B-B-B-BLACKOUT!

- JD

# 44 Jornada Del Muerto

With the completion of my art project just around the corner, I decided now was the time to experiment a little. Today, I knew I wanted to try something different. It could have turned out badly, but I'm actually thrilled with the results. I tried a minimalistic/simplistic technique, and for this painting, I think it worked.

"Jornada Del Muerto"

Roughly translated Jornada Del Muerto means "Journey of the dead man". This is what you are seeing here in this painting, and it links on with the story I've been creating around Shadowy Guy. Yes, this painting is very basic, but I believe it works. Also, there are lyrics sung in this Linkin Park interlude, but I have chosen to leave them out because 1, I'm not sure how to spell the lyrics (it's in another language) and 2, I wanted to keep the simplicity of the painting.

- JD

# 43 Robot Boy

When I first heard "A Thousand Suns" in full, it took a long time for me to warm to some of the songs. However, there was one exception - Robot Boy. From the very first time I heard the track, I took an instant liking to it. And it remains one of my favourite songs from the album. The harmony and melody makes this song something quite amazing.

"Robot Boy"

Shadowy Guy takes a different form in this painting. He is, of course, a robot. For me, the lyrics in the song are very powerful and it was hard at first to pick a line to use in this painting. Shadowy Guy is looking pretty down here, and I used a blend of different greys to give it that "rusted" look. I'm actually very pleased how this one turned out, and using a white background really helped make the words stand out.

Until next time!

- JD

# 42 When They Come For Me

So, this is the painting I almost mistakenly made last week. I finished this one today just a few minutes ago, and I'm actually pretty pleased with how it turned out.

"When The Come For Me"

So I decided to have a little bit of fun with this one. If you've ever seen Linkin Park play this song live, you'll agree it's incredible. The drums are awesome and so that's why I incorporated it into the painting. Also, there are so many different parts of the lyrics that I wanted to use in this painting, but "Try to catch up motherfucker" was the clear winner here.

- JD

# 41 Empty Spaces

I almost made a crucial error with my painting project this week. For days had I been planning and sketching ideas for the next painting - which I believed was "When They Come For Me." So I rolled out the paints and prepared to start, and just as I was about to put paint to canvas, I realized my mistake. I have been painting album order from my memory, and I almost totally forgotten about "Empty Spaces." Sure, it's a eighteen second track with crickets, explosions and a chanting voice...but it's part of the album, and part of my project.

"Empty Spaces"

So, at first I thought I'd just paint an empty space, and somehow place Shadowy Guy in the painting too. For many of my paintings I have several ideas, but I was finding it hard to come up with some decent. So, I listened to the interlude a couple of times, and this is what I came up with. It's a scene directly from what I heard in the track, but I kept the detail basic to give it that "empty" effect. Only took a short while to put this painting together, but hey, I think it works.

- JD

# 40 Burning In The Skies

Off to Melbourne tomorrow, so I finished this painting last night.

This painting pretty much speaks for itself, but once again the photo quality isn't great and I'll have to wait until daylight to get a better one. Hopefully you can still make out the images here, and in case you can't, that's Shadowy Guy standing across from a city in ruins. And yep, you guessed it, this painting is a follow on from the previous.

- JD

# 39 The Radiance

This week has been an uphill battle, and many things have gone wrong - including my Internet dying. It's quite strange actually, because I never realized just how much I depended on the Internet, and since I was without it, the world seemed to slow down. I can vaguely remember life without the Internet, but these days I use it so much that I almost need it to function. I use it to send and reply to emails, check the weather, conduct research for my books, download music from iTunes, keeping in contact with distant friends and the list goes on.

The next painting on my list is "The Radiance." I finished the painting on Thursday, but it's taken me a while to upload it. The Internet has only just repaired.

"The Radiance"

Once again this painting follows through with the previous painting. Here we see an atomic explosion, and Shadowy Guy has made an appearance in the bottom right hand corner. I apologize for the poor quality photo, but it was night time when I took it and it was the best one I could get. Hopefully you'll be able to take your own meaning from this painting and connect it to the previous paintings.

Next up, Burning In The Skies.

- JD

# 38 The Requiem

It has been a very busy week. Firstly, I *finally* finished writing my novel "With The Enemy" - it took just over two years to write, but I'm extremely pleased with the end result. Secondly, I'm in the process of publishing my first novel "The Underground" AND a children's book "Snoozy Sam." Oh, and my music? I'll be recording two demo tracks in a few weeks time. Yep, everything is happening at once, yet I've still managed to complete the next painting.

Minutes to Midnight is now finished, and now it's time to start the journey that is A Thousand Suns.

"The Requiem"

This painting is a follow-up from the previous painting. The last we saw of Shadowy Guy, he was drowning. And what's happening now? I'll let you decide that point. Throughout this painting project, I have tried to link the paintings together, in order to tell a story, and over the next few weeks, that story will begin to tie together.

- JD

# 37 The Little Things Give You Away

I have completed the next painting earlier this week for two reasons - 1, I'm going up to the coast for a couple of days and 2, I couldn't wait to get started. The Little Things Give You Away is my favourite Linkin Park song. The lyrics, the melody, the music - everything is perfect. In my eyes, it's about as perfect as a song can get. I was lucky enough to have attended the Linkin Park Underground Summit event in Sydney last year, and Mike and Chester did a few acoustic songs - including The Little Things Give You Away. That moment is one I will treasure for the rest of my life. There was just a hundred of us, Mike playing the guitar and Chester singing, and to be there witnessing my favourite band play my favourite song was incredible. Also, to any Linkin Park fans out there, make sure you get yourselves to a summit event if you can, even if that means travelling overseas. It will be an experience you'll never forget.

"The Little Things Give You Away"

This is now my favourite painting in my series. I knew I wanted this to be a good one, and it took me three and a half hours to complete. Basically, this painting is about Shadowy Guy drowning, trying to reach out for help, but the 'person' above the surface won't help him. This is the "don't wanna reach for me do you, I mean nothing to you" part of the song. Also, I used a lot of water when painting, because I wanted that blurred effect as if the viewer is looking through water too. I had to redo some aspects of this painting three times, but I'm very happy with the end result. 

- JD

# 36 In Pieces

In my eyes, In Pieces is one of the stand out tracks from Minutes To Midnight. It's a great track, and builds up beautifully. A few years ago, I wanted to make a short film with lego pieces and make a video to accompany the song - except I never got around to it. Maybe I will one day though ;]

"In Pieces"

My concept is pretty clear here. You know, "In Pieces" - hence the puzzle pieces. One thing I will say though, I left this painting until today to start and finish, and it was very rushed. By the time I had finished, it was dark outside and I usually like to take photographs of my paintings in natural lights. However, since I left it to the last minute I knew I would have to upload the photo tonight, so this photograph is pretty lousy. Next week, I will be painting "The Little Things Give You Away" - and that is my favourite Linkin Park song, so I better make sure it's perfect.

- JD