Like a twisted children’s story come to life on the very pages you are reading, New York- based Jim Garmhausen’s illustrations come off as wickedly nostalgic. Originally a comic artist, he switched focus to illustrations in order to concentrate on projects with a larger scope and graphic potential. Using mainly paint markers, as well as fine point pens and spray paint, Jim’s drawings come to life on each unique canvas. He describes his work and process:
“My work kind of defies categories. I call it Comic Macabre. It’s darkly humorous and making it is a very intense process for me. A lot of energy goes into the work, and I spend a lot of time thinking about it when I’m away from the studio.
My studio is in the countryside outside of Ithaca. The studio itself is a big unfinished space that allows me to work on the floor, and spread out big canvases. Lately I’ve been working on canvas dropcloths that I age to look used and old, then I paint my characters on them. My work has been described as children’s book characters, or cartoon characters, that draw you in at first, but then are disturbing when you take a closer look. It gets called “wierd” and “dark” a lot, but thankfully people seem to like it.
I’ve also done a lot of public art around Ithaca in the past two years. I really enjoy working outside and interacting with people as I paint. It’s brought in a new energy to my work.”
Take a look at some of our favorite pieces below, and be sure to check out his website for more.
