Julian Quaye at
An Auntie
G publication
Copyright of paintings by Julian Quaye November 2016 - all rights to works remain with the artist.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed
Contents Introduction The Paintings The creation of Carolyn ‘Ginger’ Grant Private Commissions About Julian Quaye
Signed limited edition prints are available from Julian’s on line shop at www.julianquaye.co.uk
Social
Julian is a highly collectable Bristol artist. Within six months of his first exhibition he was picked up to be auctioned alongside Damian Hirst and fellow Bristol boy Banksy in Dreweattes Urban Art auction in 2012. Julian’s vision is that all his anthropomorphic characters will one day be a story book for adults and children alike and even a possibly a film. In this book you can read some of the stories behind his work here at The Berkley and also have an insight into his process of creating his pieces. A typical example of his work is 'The Aviator': a penguin in early period pilot's uniform at the North Pole. Or to put it another way, a bird that can't fly dressed in flying kit and standing at the wrong end of the world.
The Paintings
Sexy Selina Mixed Media on Canvas 50 x 70 cm
Selina’s got a bit of a wayward past. Illegal transportation of catnip over county lines amongst others. Could be shady, because ‘Lucky Lou’ has something on her which she doesn’t want her ‘Beau’ Inspector Aberline to find out about.
Lucky Lou in
Aberline in
‘A Little Bird Told Me’
‘An Inspector Calls’
Carolyn ‘Ginger’ Grant Mixed Media on Canvas 69.5 cm x 49.5 cm
Carolyn 'Ginger' Grant. Cat burglar and jewel thief. Compromised by Albert Hitchcock of Albion Yard; to carry out the odd occasionally 'dubious' task. Aided by her trusty 'Tweeters' and cohorts the Magpies Kym and Novak. The real ‘Ginger’ came to Julian as an entry for his competition for cats to be included in the motley crew of ‘The Mognificent Seven’ . However, she was far too beautiful for this rapscallion gang. Captivated by her he painted her portrait anyway.
The Cult of the Illuminated Telling Box Mixed Media on Canvas 64cm x 74 cm (framed)
Aharon Langan Krouli (George Archibald Bishop). The Golden Masonic Order of the Pachyderms. Vain custodians of all the ‘Old Knowledge’ and practitioners of the Law. The last link to the Old Gods…
The Elephant in the Room
Jonas Mackay the Tattooed Caledonian Whaler Mixed Media on Canvas w 53 x h 64 framed
Jonas was painted in 2015 for an exhibition featuring tattoo related art. In the background you can see an octopus battling Bristol’s SS Great Britain.
Bruce Mixed media on canvas w 51cm  x h 76 cm
Bruce: Bruce Jerome Ratner lll. Slightly unhinged philanthropic playboy. Whose family fortune is founded on the harvesting of a rare exotic guano, the manufacturing of explosives for the mining industry and the development of a new form of long distance communication aided by wire.
Northern Lights Mixed Media on Canvas 50 x 70 cm
Over the centuries there have been reports of mysterious ‘Ships of the Air’. Many who have reported seeing these strange exotic crafts have been ridiculed and occasionally ostracised by their local communities. Some have even claimed they have met the pilots of these skyfaring craft and accompanied them back to their ice clad land. Others have even said they have found the remains of downed ships, only for the wreckage and themselves to disappear in the dead of night…
Say ‘Hello’ to my little friends Mixed Media on Canvas w 36x h 46 cm
There’s something rotten in the village of Cullompton. Robert Warren Lubetkin, crooked bureaucrat. “Objectionable paperwork can always be miss filed…For a small gratuity”. Bad bunny brother of Mr Snuggles.
Mr Snuggles is Straight Outta Collompton
Buster the Dane MK I Mixed Media on Canvas w 60 cm x h 70 cm
Dog of war Buster in his Dress Uniform. A veteran of the skirmishes in the ‘north’ against the lawless feudal hordes of feral felines.
Signed limited edition prints are available online at www.julianquaye.co.uk
The creation of
Carolyn ‘Ginger’ Grant
Reference material
Background and initial blocking
If you would like to see more about how this piece was developed please visit www.julianquaye.co.uk
The real life Ginger.
The initial pencil study of Carolyn ‘Ginger’ Grant resides with Ginger and her owner in Florida.
Private Commissions By Julian Quaye
Anthropomorphs How I came to do my first anthropomorphic character - Lou in ‘A Little Bird Told Me’ was almost accidental. I was looking through my reference material and I spotted a picture of a Weimaraner and put it with a photograph of Tennessee Williams - they just seemed to fit. This is quite a good way to think about preparing to commission animal pieces - in finding heads and bodies that match.
Backgrounds Many of my portrait pieces are as if they were painted in a Victorian / Edwardian photographer’s studio. Sometimes they will have complex elements in the background - as in the case of Boris - Westminster by Gaslight with chair, easel, Penny Farthing,
or some more simple as if just in front of a plain background like Buster the Dane.
Others are in a more natural habitat like in Barney goes ahunting
or with landmarks like Glastonbury Tor in Owl and Pussycat II .
It’s not just animals A couple of years ago I was asked to do a private commission for a client who wanted to give her partner a dirigible for Christmas. ‘The Asherah’
For a handy guide to how to commission me please pop by my website under ‘My work‘ on www.julianquaye.co.uk
About -
Julian Quaye
“90 percent of painting is half mental.” JQ
Julian Alexander Quaye’s current works illustrate his love of ironic juxtaposition, and his interest in Victorian and Edwardian colours, with his series of human-form animal portraits. A typical example of his work is ‘The Aviator’: a penguin in early period pilot’s uniform at the North Pole. Or to put it another way, a bird that can’t fly dressed in flying kit and standing at the wrong end of the world. Within three months of exhibiting for the first time he was picked up to be included in a contemporary urban auction alongside Damian Hirst and Banksy by Dreweatts in summer 2012. Quaye is a commercial artist with over 25 years experience. He began as a graphic designer in the 80s, producing screen-printed designs for clothing. By the 90s he was specialising in custom freehand airbrushing; anything from motorcycles and crash helmets to murals and backdrops. Always keen to develop his skills further, he studied the arts of trompe l’oeil, marbling, graining, colour washing and traditional
sign-writing. His mixed-media artwork, sign-painting and murals incorporate many of these techniques to unique and distinctive effect. When asked about his influences in creating his animal series of paintings, Quaye cites the wit of surrealist Rene Magritte with the animal drawing styles of Beatrix Potter, Walt Disney and Warner Brothers, encapsulated in a portrait in the manner of American realist painter Edward Hopper but with a liberal dose of kitsch. Quite a recipe. All the paintings form characters for the narrative for an illustrated book in the future. ‘It will be Steam Punk meets Beatrix Potter’ says Quaye.
Julian Quaye ‘Eventually, I would love my work to become an animated film. In the meantime, I am working towards it becoming a series of illustrated story books. The illustrations are a mixture of mixed-media paintings and pen & ink drawings. At the moment, it is a story that doesn't have a beginning or end but it is emerging as I work on the pieces and the characters develop and form the story. It always starts with the painting.‘
www.julianquaye.co.uk
An Auntie
G publication