You have to start somewhere

I love monsters.
I have since I was very young. I remember in kindergarten they gave each child a blank plate and markers to color it with. I went right to work. I made a big blue cookie monster like character with mean eyes and sharp fangs. I think there may have even been blood. A very concerned teacher came over and said, "Jude you do understand you are making this for your Mom, right?"
True story, sorry Mom.
I am not sure what gene in DNA says this person will like horror, monsters, and gore. But I can tell you it started very early for me. I cannot say I ever enjoyed being scared but I do remember always loving the monsters. My favorite school library book was a huge tome called "Everything you ever wanted to know about monsters but were afraid to ask." I could not get enough of monsters.
It should not come as a surprise that for quite some time I entertained the idea of become a special effects makeup artist. I became very wrapped up in the illusion of creating monsters. I had loved puppetry at a very young age and had quite a collection. The marriage of monster make up and animatronics seemed like the perfect place for me. But I am not a very good craftsman. My brain just did not work that way. Soon the frustration and fear, (we will be talking a lot about fear of creation in upcoming posts) caused me to walk away from that dream.
I found a new creative playground in digital art. It excited me enough to decide to pursue an education and career in computer graphics. I applied my talent and skill to the creation of computer games and did so for about 15 years to varying degrees of success. I felt a desire begin to grow in me in 2006 to paint. I really wanted to paint pictures and make artwork like the illustrators I admired like Frank Frazetta and Basil Gogos. In truth I really wanted to be a better artist. I felt like a technician not an artist.  It should come as no surprise that when it came to subject matter the 1st thing I wanted to paint was monsters. So this blog is a place for me to celebrate my love of monsters. A place for me to show off my own work artwork as well as the things and people that inspire it.
Cheers
Grimbro