Fine Arts Portfolio

Self Portrait - October 1990
Mixed media
(the blue streaks are photographic artifacts)

{Trout Gulch, Aptos, CA}
This is my only self-portrait as Thor Clemens. The background of this is another self portrait on it's side. The iris of the third-eye also contains a self portrait. On later inspection this turned out to have silver Norse deities surrounding the head, and the hand, I discovered (after the experience of being such myself during tantra) is fingering a vagina revealing the Virgin Mary basking in the flames of hell.

The Simpsons - BBQ - July 2000
Drafting Pen over Pencil
(missing text & color layer as shown)

{Los Angeles, CA}
My neighbor asked me to try out for an artist position at Bongo comics where he was a colorist for the Simpsons comic. I served jury duty with a writer on the Simpsons show during this episode. The test involved creating drawings to fit a script they supplied. This unfortunately was another of my dark phases which culminated in discovering that a person could actually lose their soul energy. I was hoping to further contrast the heaven-hell motif with blue sky and red flame backgrounds. The characters may be a bit off. That is in part because I experimented with some profile angles and expressions not normally seen in the comic. You'll notice I used 3 point perspective and distorted fish-eye views which staff hasn't time for. I also filled the comic with little gags, for instance the cat can be seen snagging a steak in the first frame, and again dragging it under the couch end-table while the dog looks on. Selma lights a cigarette ofyf the toaster which evolves to hell flames in a later frame. The neighbors are hosting some sort of old testament animal sacrifice in the background. Needless to say, I didn't get the job. They didn't get that I would work in a different style for production, or perhaps realized that I would totally subvert their scripts to my own metaphysical counseling ends. 'Off model' was the explanation given to me by the neighbor who wasn't ever up to deeper conversation than Simpsons personalities and video games.

Heidi's Shell - October 1988
Mixed media

{Chanticleer, LiveOak, Santa Cruz, CA}
This was a sort of valentine to a housemate I romantically lusted after for several years during my marriage. She was my my wife's best friend. I got terribly obsessed after my divorce. The polka-dots are done in lip and fingerprints.