Nightmarish Visions

January 13, 2021

"Krampus at the Window"

If horror or the macabre is not your thing, then I encourage you, gentle reader, to divert your eyes forthwith. For I am about to descend into a truly dark and eerie place...that is, the cobweb-filled forgotten corners of my mind. And trust me, it ain't pretty!

"The Black Lady"

What is it about horror that appeals so much to the human mind? As genres of entertainment go, it is as much a part of the human landscape as any other. There's probably dozens of reasons for this. Perhaps we confront (and learn to live with) our most primal fears via our art forms, from the safety of our couch or theatre or quilt-covered bed. As a modern society, we may now be protected from the predators of the night that once stalked our ancestors, but fear responses are still well and truly baked into our DNA. Fear can certainly set the heart racing, just ask any adrenaline junkie.

"The Loch Ness Monster"

I must confess a long-standing affinity for horror. This stems from a childhood dominated by five older siblings who would happily shepherd all things macabre into our home when the parents were away. I can vividly remember an early exposure that essentially messed me up for life: It was the anti-smoking PSA "Ashes of Doom" by the NFB, wherein a vampire comes in the window and attacks a chain-smoking woman in her bedroom. The vampire himself then chokes to death on the smoke from his victim. I think I was probably six years old when I saw this, and for years after would not want to be left alone in the upstairs of the house.

"Nightmare" 1984

My art, from it's early days also reflected my obsession with all things eerie. I've drawn monsters, ghosts and demons for as long as I've been able to draw. There's actually something both challenging and enjoyable about horror art. Much of the subject matter lurks in the world of light and shadow, and interesting 'special effects', like mist and fog or eerie glows, abound.

When I eventually gravitated towards film making in my teens, it was the horror movie "Killer" that my friend Bernie and I made in 1981 that was far and away our best cinematic work.

A still from "Killer" 1981

To this day I'll delve into the land of nightmare with my art. I curated a "Haunted Canvas" art show at Montgomery's Inn with a few of invited artist friends of mine. My Scrooge series, with its four Christmas ghosts, gave me ample opportunity to explore the genre even further.

And even my regular artwork summons a certain sense of moodiness and mystery. More than once, I've had people describe it as slightly ominous and even 'unsettling', not unlike Alex Colville's work.

"The Streetcar Yard"

So I don't think the 'terror train' will ever be stopping as long as I'm making art. Once positive note: I never have trouble filling the "October" portion of my annual calendar.