Her work also includes conservation sketching expeditions, which allows her to visit African conservation organizations, sketch on-site and learn in detail about conservation issues. Her resulting sketches and paintings are then used to raise awareness and funds for the organizations’ fieldwork. “It can be a real challenge to depict complex issues like the human-wildlife conflict in a painting,” Nicholls writes on her personal website, “but it has given my art layers of meaning, as well as layers of color.”

According to Nicholls, while her studio paintings consist of multiple layers, her sketches require confidence and speed. “I usually work in pencil or pen first, then add watercolor,” she explains her creative process. “I don’t have an easel or a chair because I usually stand when sketching people, or need to be in a vehicle when sketching wildlife.”

She adds that field sketching is a life drawing class in the purest sense of the phrase. In addition to being great fun, it also allows her to meet fascinating people, has given her a great understanding of wildlife anatomy and behavior, and improved her artistic skills. The best part? Her work also helps African conservation organizations, as Nicholls says she makes sure to make a donation from the sale of every original painting, original field sketch, and limited edition reproduction.

The post Alison Nicholls Studies the African Wildlife Through Her Paintings appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Based in Port Elizabeth, he’s been hard at work ever since, working as a freelance illustrator and growing a small fanbase on Instagram. His illustrations – vibrant, colorful, and altogether unique – are a blend of a vintage aesthetic with futurism.

According to Mars, his work is the result of intuition. “I have always been strict about following my instincts when it comes to the drawing and coloring of artworks,” he says. “My art is mostly influenced by emotions and dreams, a spontaneous burst of creativity spurred on by my most inner thoughts and momentary isolation.”

“I am inspired by dreams and people I see around me,” he adds, saying that he’s “obsessed with capturing the aura of a person who has left a lasting impression on me.” But his inspiration also comes from the outside world, from “raw images of African tribes and culture,” and “European styles of illustration.”

The result is something you’d want to keep your eyes on.

The post Jayson Mars’ Illustrations are What We Hope the Future Looks Like appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“Art has been a part of my life from as far back as I can remember,” he writes on his website.

“My childhood home was filled with paintings, sculptures, and artifacts of many different cultures from around the world,” he adds. “These works, along with my love of sci-fi and fantasy art, inspired a lot of my early creativity.”

According to Lewin, he also inherited from his father the love for storytelling. “I loved listening to his stories of the old country in Jamaica while we worked. He also taught me a lot about ancient societies, science, and history.” Eventually, he began creating his own stories, with pencil and paper his first medium of choice. From there he moved to graffiti which in turn, lead him to painting.

His paintings demand attention, with his subjects looking straight forward, powerful, and enchanting. To this day, Lewin says his favorite aspect of the work is storytelling, with each of his pieces portraying a different story. “Each piece has it’s own story to tell and for different viewers, the story might change,” he writes. “I try not to interfere too much with that process. I try to let each piece evolve on it’s own.”

“I’m not always sure of the meaning behind each piece, but I’m also not too concerned about that either,” he admits. “I’m more into the process of creating. I love getting lost in the details. It can be very similar to meditation. I love the concept of the artist as the conduit. Transcribing visions onto a canvas.”

Take a closer look at some of his visions.

The post The African-Inspired Portraits of Paul Lewin appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“There is so much out there now, so in turn, young and incredibly talented Africans inspire me today,” she shared.

Among the different mediums she mentioned as her inspiration are Kisii soapstone sculptures, Maasai beadwork, Kikuyu weaving, and Swahili lesos. “I love that something that could be called ‘modern minimal’ is a traditional craft of my people,” she explained.

Indeed her designs look like a blend of modernism and traditionalism, making for an eye-popping effect. “What I love most about being creative is that it’s the thing that can take a situation from hopeless to endless in possibility,” said Obaga. “Creativity is inherently human because we don’t know the future. We’re creating each moment as we live it.”

Prepare to be inspired.

The post Artist Blends Graphic Illustrations with Traditional African Art appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Butler studied fine art at Howard University, and lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. Her intricate work raises questions about cultural identity and the importance of tradition.

“My portraits tell stories that may have been forgotten over time,” Butler writes on her gallery’s website. “When you see vintage lace and aged satin it tells you the story of delicacy and refinement of times gone by. When you see African printed cotton and mud cloth it tells the story of my ancestral homeland and the cradle of civilization.”

Her interest in portraits began while skimming through family photo albums. “I have always been drawn to portraits,” Butler explains. “I was the little girl who would sit next to my grandmother and ask her to go through her old family photo albums. I was the one who wanted to hear the story behind every picture. This inquisitiveness has stayed with me to this day. I often start my pieces with a black and white photo and allow myself to tell the story.”

Scroll down to see some of her work.

The post These Quilt-Like Portraits Raise Questions About African Identity appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Her work also includes conservation sketching expeditions, which allows her to visit African conservation organizations, sketch on-site and learn in detail about conservation issues. Her resulting sketches and paintings are then used to raise awareness and funds for the organizations’ fieldwork. “It can be a real challenge to depict complex issues like the human-wildlife conflict in a painting,” Nicholls writes on her personal website, “but it has given my art layers of meaning, as well as layers of color.”

According to Nicholls, while her studio paintings consist of multiple layers, her sketches require confidence and speed. “I usually work in pencil or pen first, then add watercolor,” she explains her creative process. “I don’t have an easel or a chair because I usually stand when sketching people, or need to be in a vehicle when sketching wildlife.”

She adds that field sketching is a life drawing class in the purest sense of the phrase. In addition to being great fun, it also allows her to meet fascinating people, has given her a great understanding of wildlife anatomy and behavior, and improved her artistic skills. The best part? Her work also helps African conservation organizations, as Nicholls says she makes sure to make a donation from the sale of every original painting, original field sketch, and limited edition reproduction.

The post Alison Nicholls Studies the African Wildlife Through Her Paintings appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Based in Port Elizabeth, he’s been hard at work ever since, working as a freelance illustrator and growing a small fanbase on Instagram. His illustrations – vibrant, colorful, and altogether unique – are a blend of a vintage aesthetic with futurism.

According to Mars, his work is the result of intuition. “I have always been strict about following my instincts when it comes to the drawing and coloring of artworks,” he says. “My art is mostly influenced by emotions and dreams, a spontaneous burst of creativity spurred on by my most inner thoughts and momentary isolation.”

“I am inspired by dreams and people I see around me,” he adds, saying that he’s “obsessed with capturing the aura of a person who has left a lasting impression on me.” But his inspiration also comes from the outside world, from “raw images of African tribes and culture,” and “European styles of illustration.”

The result is something you’d want to keep your eyes on.

The post Jayson Mars’ Illustrations are What We Hope the Future Looks Like appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“Art has been a part of my life from as far back as I can remember,” he writes on his website.

“My childhood home was filled with paintings, sculptures, and artifacts of many different cultures from around the world,” he adds. “These works, along with my love of sci-fi and fantasy art, inspired a lot of my early creativity.”

According to Lewin, he also inherited from his father the love for storytelling. “I loved listening to his stories of the old country in Jamaica while we worked. He also taught me a lot about ancient societies, science, and history.” Eventually, he began creating his own stories, with pencil and paper his first medium of choice. From there he moved to graffiti which in turn, lead him to painting.

His paintings demand attention, with his subjects looking straight forward, powerful, and enchanting. To this day, Lewin says his favorite aspect of the work is storytelling, with each of his pieces portraying a different story. “Each piece has it’s own story to tell and for different viewers, the story might change,” he writes. “I try not to interfere too much with that process. I try to let each piece evolve on it’s own.”

“I’m not always sure of the meaning behind each piece, but I’m also not too concerned about that either,” he admits. “I’m more into the process of creating. I love getting lost in the details. It can be very similar to meditation. I love the concept of the artist as the conduit. Transcribing visions onto a canvas.”

Take a closer look at some of his visions.

The post The African-Inspired Portraits of Paul Lewin appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“There is so much out there now, so in turn, young and incredibly talented Africans inspire me today,” she shared.

Among the different mediums she mentioned as her inspiration are Kisii soapstone sculptures, Maasai beadwork, Kikuyu weaving, and Swahili lesos. “I love that something that could be called ‘modern minimal’ is a traditional craft of my people,” she explained.

Indeed her designs look like a blend of modernism and traditionalism, making for an eye-popping effect. “What I love most about being creative is that it’s the thing that can take a situation from hopeless to endless in possibility,” said Obaga. “Creativity is inherently human because we don’t know the future. We’re creating each moment as we live it.”

Prepare to be inspired.

The post Artist Blends Graphic Illustrations with Traditional African Art appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Butler studied fine art at Howard University, and lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. Her intricate work raises questions about cultural identity and the importance of tradition.

“My portraits tell stories that may have been forgotten over time,” Butler writes on her gallery’s website. “When you see vintage lace and aged satin it tells you the story of delicacy and refinement of times gone by. When you see African printed cotton and mud cloth it tells the story of my ancestral homeland and the cradle of civilization.”

Her interest in portraits began while skimming through family photo albums. “I have always been drawn to portraits,” Butler explains. “I was the little girl who would sit next to my grandmother and ask her to go through her old family photo albums. I was the one who wanted to hear the story behind every picture. This inquisitiveness has stayed with me to this day. I often start my pieces with a black and white photo and allow myself to tell the story.”

Scroll down to see some of her work.

The post These Quilt-Like Portraits Raise Questions About African Identity appeared first on PlayJunkie.