Shifting Sands (Star Wars) - Original
- I have been asked so many times over recent years if I planned to create a full-on Star Wars piece with the most requested scene being the beautiful desert planet of Tatooine. I kept my promise!
The colour palette is soft and subtle, beautifully depicting the memories that so many have of the earlier films. I wanted to not hold back and feature key details that draw in so many fans whilst staying true to my style of working.The subject is so well saturated within the commercial art world and I have wanted to do something a little different, to do the films justice and not to portray characters that are different to how they were envisaged and conceived.
The aim was not just to create a scene that was really strong visually but one where you could start to spot subtle yet massive details that would hint at something deeper. An unbreakable bond maybe?
A key aspiration was to create a sense of movement and time passing yet within an arid and stark environment where the winds blow the sand across like waves, exposing objects previously hidden. The question is, are the winds caused by mother nature or from something about to land?
I wanted to create a scene that was moving, where those return from battles passed. By leaving so much to the imagination I hope that yours runs away with you, to re-engage with your childhood memories from a cracking era.
So much has been left open to interpretation here, it has been great fun to be a part of and a long time coming and I hope that I have done justice to such an incredible cinematic masterpiece.
Just as an aside, the song that inspired the overriding concept of objects being revealed and picked up by a strong wind that blew in was actually ‘Vermilion Part 2’ by Slipknot! Random yes, watch the video and you’ll see where I am coming from, possibly!
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- Released: 2019
- Collection: Lost In Hollywood 2
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"
Commissions
When workload allows Mark embraces client commissions and has enjoyed amazing success to date. If you have been inspired by the work that you have seen and have a specific idea or simply a seed then please do get in touch.
Commission EnquiriesRelated Items
88 & Out - Original
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- Released: 2019
- Collection: Lost In Hollywood 2
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"
In Pursuit Of Gold - Original
- The classic James Bond films offer great memories from my childhood, on reflection I started to lose interest in the more recent films as I have always preferred those where they aren’t dominated by over the top special effects. Goldfinger was a particular favourite, it was classy yet had a real sinister undertone to it, the image of the lady dead on the bed covered in gold freaked me out as a kid! Have you spotted her within the scene?! ‘Oddjob’ was another that scared the hell out of me, that bloody hat!
With names like ‘Pussy Galore’ and how my mind works, this piece could have gone in a very different direction but I was determined to create a scene with real class and focus on THE Bond car, the stunning and acclaimed Aston Martin DBS. The presence of the car is more than enough, you can’t mess around with it. The film had so many great locations but my preferred setting was always the stunning Swiss mountains and the Furka Pass that twists and turns through the mountains.
This piece was only ever going to be about the car, surrounded by iconic details to seek out and in front of a beautiful backdrop – it is perfect for you to use your imagination and invent your own narrative as to where Bond is and what is happening. What I feel has worked really well is how the scene has been ‘photobombed’ by some of the native animals that live within the region. Bond could simply be out of shot stood admiring his car or looking out for others and a red stag just happens to walk into shot. That split second makes all of the difference, I love how it interacts with the gold bars on the ground – a nod to my ‘Love Knows No Bounds’ collection.
I absolutely loved reconnecting to this film and this really has fueled my imagination for future pieces - do you expect me to talk?... Time to dust off the box set for now!
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- Released: 2019
- Collection: Lost In Hollywood 2
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"
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It's A Deal, It's A Steal (Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels) - Original
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Moving up a decade and into the late 90s, what a film Guy Ritchie’s ‘Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels’ is. A classic example of an incredibly complex and clever plot that leaves your head all over the place even after you’ve watched it again. It’s genius!
I was drawn to creating a piece based on this film in the same way I was towards ‘Trainspotting’ because of it’s grittiness, quality cast with legendary quotes and also a stunning soundtrack. It has everything and again like I have found myself repeating over and over again to my daughter recently, what a truly great decade the 90s were for music as well as everything else!
Music always plays a big part in my artworks and consumes me whilst I am creating each piece - without doubt the bands from the 90s’ were just endless and listening to them all at full pelt almost meant me rupturing my tendon in my foot again but I came out of it unscathed! It is definitely one of those pieces with the intensity of the detail that makes the process all a bit of a blur!
The general consensus when hinting to others that I planned to take on this movie was for a decision not to be taken lightly, it’s an absolute beast of a film and one that consistently generated a twinkle in the eye before blurting out an often X-rated line from the film!
I took on this piece with the view of achieving the qualities of my ‘The Memory Remains’ piece where a street scene was completely littered with references with the backdrop displaying a mash up of iconic music albums from the era, to create something that you spend an absolute age seeking out all of the details, some blatant, some much more disguised.
Another quality was that there were so many great motors within the film, and I do love my cars! So, the question was which one would feature, being a football man and a Leeds United fan it had to be Vinnie Jones AKA Big Chris’s Rover, what a car and what a complete nutter!
This was a piece that had to be cool, gritty, naughty and a break from the whimsical and beautiful for sure. Without a doubt this was the film that I took the most notes from whilst re-watching, pages of quotes and random objects - I’m pretty sure that they all made it into the final cut, oh and yes I did dare to include it ;)
I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I do, it’s a deal, it’s a steal, it’s the sale of the... well you know the rest!
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- Released: 2019
- Collection: Lost In Hollywood 2
- Specification: 1 of 1 original framed embellished canvas, hand signed by artist.
- Image Size: 48” x 36"
- Framed Size: 54” x 41"