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Miyazaki Totems

A Studio Ghibli / Hayao Miyazaki-themed group show opened at Spoke Art Gallery in San Francisco on February 2nd. My contributions to the show are two 8″ x 24″ original acrylic paintings on canvas (sold as a set). The “Miyazaki Totems” were a lot of fun to work on – It was an opportunity to re-visit my favorite Miyazaki films and put my spin on many of his beloved characters.

Prints can be ordered HERE on impsandmonsters.com

Spoke-Art Gallery
816 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 796-3774 * SF@spoke-art.com

 

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Two New Miyazaki – Sendak Mash-ups by Justin Hillgrove

Its been a couple years since my last Miyazaki/Sendak crossover and I’d been itching do another these last few months, though I think what really sparked the desire was listening to “Howl’s Moving Castle” again on audiobook (for probably the seventh time). I finally sat down in June and started looking over my worn out copy of “Where The Wild Things Are” (easily my favorite Children’s Book of all time) and started roughing out what new spread I might use. There were two spreads in particular that I could not decide between, and in the end I decided to paint them both.

I started with rough pencil doodles to figure out what Miyazaki characters would best fit the roles they’d be playing, and then I spent three days cleaning up the drawings and inking them while in my booth at the Edmonds Arts Festival in June 2015. Afterwards I picked out a couple canvases (18″ x 36″ is probably my favorite size canvas to paint on) and then spent the next few weeks painting…


Hungry and Homesick

“Hungry And Homesick”

18″ x 36″ acrylics on canvas. 2015.

Another in my tribute series mashing up “Where The Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak and some of my favorite Studio Ghibli (Hayao Miyazaki) characters: Kamaji, No Face (Spirited Away), Totoro and San (Princess Mononoke). There are a kodama and some soot sprites in there too.

PRINTS AVAILABLE HERE

Hungry and Homesick


 

Well Eat You Up

“We’ll Eat You Up – We Love You So”

18″ x 36″ acrylics on canvas. 2015.

Another in my tribute series mashing up “Where The Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak and some of my favorite Studio Ghibli (Hayao Miyazaki) characters: San (Princess Mononoke), Totoro, No Face (Spirited Away), Ponyo, Turnip Head (Howl’s Moving Castle), Haku (Spirited Away), and an Ohmu (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind). There are kodama and some soot sprites in there too.

The title is part of the text from the page of “Where The Wild Things Are” that this painting is based on.

PRINTS AVAILABLE HERE

We'll Eat You Up - We Love You SoClose Up

Close up details…

WIP

Work in progress…

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“Afternoon Tea With The Neighbors”

Afternoon Tea With Neighbors

Afternoon Tea With The Neighbors

30″ x 48″ acrylics on canvas. 2013. ORIGINAL SOLD. Prints available here:
http://www.impsandmonsters.com/shop/tributesandparodies/afternoon-tea-neighbors/

A tribute mashing up the mad tea party from Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland” and some of my favorite Studio Ghibli (Hayao Miyazaki) characters: Howl as the Mad Hatter, accompanied by Calcifer; Totoro as the March Hare; Ponyo as the Dormouse; No Face as the Caterpillar; Kiki as Alice, accompanied by jiji; Yubaba as the Queen of Hearts; Chibi Totoro as the White Rabbit; a Cheshire Catbus; And a few other characters and a bunch of references hidden throughout the painting.

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Sketch-A-Day #148

Sketch-A-Day #148

Sketch-A-Day #148

Sketch-A-Day #148 © Justin Hillgrove

This sketch is a tribute to two of my favorite things, Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Tea Party and Studio Ghibli /Hayao Miyazaki’s (My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Ponyo, Kiki’s Delivery Service and Princess Mononoke)

The painting for this sketch is currently in the works! In fact, I spend last weekend in Issaquah Salmon Days working on it so keep your eyes peeled for progress pictures!