In doing so I have found In an attempt to find my own style of painting, trying many styles that already exist such as cubism, abstract, various styles I feel comfortable with, but I keep attempting to push myself further as though I was trying to solve an impossible puzzle.

​The medium I most enjoy using is oil paint on canvas. To me, there is something timeless and versatile about it. Each time I use oils I learn something new about technique, colour and depth. For example I studied Rothko in order to find out his technique to improve on my own. I failed at first as I don’t think I understood it from only seeing his work in books. Once I had seen one of his paintings face to face, only then I could begin to comprehend the magnitude and depth of his feelings and ideas. Although I would never succeed in re-creating a colour field to the same depth he did, I felt happier that could begin to understand his work. The artist can only show what is perceived, or thought to be seen in as clear a vision as can be achieved through observation, experience, wisdom and metaphor. Beauty is its own paradox.

​But more recently I have been working as a freelance artist, Private commissions, My client base is varied, even though for legal reasons I cannot reveal my client list, it includes: media actors and performers, directors, professional workers, friends and other artists. I had been exhibiting in Galleries but felt the private commissions gave me more freedom to express myself on an individual basis. 

​I have managed to work in a diverse area of styles and demands including book and magazine illustration, art lectures, the music industry including music videos, field recording work, fashion design, Photography, concept artist for computer games companies as well as the more usual formal picture/design studies.

History was made on Friday, April 15th. Edward Snowden, an American whistleblower and most wanted government contractor, sold his first NFT “Stay Free”. 

Snowden's First NFT

Issue #31 was released on Sunday 18th of September 2021, week 15 of the year. “Snowden’s First NFT” cover artwork was designed by Dudly. 

History was made on Friday, April 15th. Edward Snowden, an American whistleblower and most wanted government contractor, sold his first NFT “Stay Free”. The piece is a unique portrait of Snowden, made entirely out of the pages of a US Court of Appeals. The NFT sold on auction for 2,224 ETH, breaking a record on the Foundation platform. All proceeds are going to the non-profit Freedom of the Press Foundation. 

About a month after Christie’s held their record-setting NFT auction, rival auction house Sotheby’s completed their first major NFT event. “The Fungible Collection” by artist Pak was hosted by Sotheby’s on the Nifty Gateway platform. The 72hrs sale resulted in an approximate windfall of $14M USD. Following the anti-crypto suit, the Central Bank of Turkey banned the use of cryptocurrencies and crypto-assets for all purchases. This didn’t prevent Turkish citizens from trading crypto, but prohibited them from using digital assets to pay for any goods or services. One of the reasons being the possibility of criminal use for illegal activities (as though the Lira could not be used in the same way). 

Dogecoin, the coin that started as a joke in 2013, rose by more than 5000% this year. It was, at the time of this cover, the 6th biggest coin based on market cap. 
The idea behind the cover was a humorous version of the Snowden saga mixed with the recent NFT sale. Jokes apart, Ed Snowden, who we deeply respect for his bravery, is possibly the best “celebrity” we can imagine to utilize one of the cornerstone use cases of decentralized technology for an NFT charity auction. 

Issue #31 was also the 1st of the Gazette’s to feature a comic strip-themed cover artwork. There was enough research done on Snowden that Dudly has probably made it to the NSA’s watchlist. The opening scene takes place at Sheremetyevo airport, and if you look closely you will see a tiny detail with a prohibition sign saying: “No Cubes allowed”. To add some seasoning with Turkey’s crypto ban, we positioned world-famous chef Salt Bae in the set. 

We know we’ll never forget the brave deeds of this exceptional man (Snowden, not Salt Bae), who has sacrificed so much of his own freedom for the good of all of us.

The ArtDrop for issue #31 was “Flowers In A Hurricane” by Nota Person, who experiments with cubism, abstract, field, sculpture, pop art, design and photography.

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Flowers In A Hurricane

Artdrop #31