chrysalis
Winter’s grasp is broken
by Spring’s circle of enchantment
and Beltane rituals
Holiday with Cthulhu
Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s brilliance and his most charming creation Cthulhu – Here is a series of photos created with my friend Adam for the holidays.
Yuletude Greetings from the Elder Things and Deep Ones!
Eggnog
Group Action
Mistletoe
…
…
©
© AndyToad
Cryptid Miscellanea
Earlier this summer I was asked by illustrator Bil Donavan to take part in a mythology themed drawing night at the Society of Illustrators. It sounded like fun so I gathered together some of the creature costumes that I’ve created over the past few years and took them to over to the Society. Working together with three models I created a motley crew of fantastic beings that were then drawn by the illustrators in attendance. Such fun! It was such a great experience to see my designs come to life and be rendered in pen, ink, watercolor… – with such amazing illustrative talent! Below are a few images that were graciously shared with me by the artists.
Illustration by Clifford Faust
Illustration by Clifford Faust
Illustration by Joan Chiverton
Illustration by Clifford Faust
Illustration by Stefano Imbert
Illustration by Clifford Faust
Illustration by Joan Chiverton
Illustration by Joan Chiverton
Illustration by Clifford Faust
The Minotaur modeling photo: Bil Donavan
Illustration by Stefano Imbert
Old Man From the Sea
Photographs of a costume recently made with Baxton Alexander.
It came from the deep to watch the sun set photo: Andytoad
Shell skirt and mask photo:Andytoad
mask detail photo: Andytoad
Voyagings
gif stills from Eidolon: Raven Sequence (2013)
……………………………..From Night-Gaunts by H.P. Lovecraft
Gruss vom Krampus!
…
Happy Holidays! Yuletide Greetings!
Krampus _ photographs by AndyToad
…
My friend Adam and I recently got together for a photo shoot with the goal of depicting Krampus.
Krampus? You remember – the figure from Germanic lore associated with winter solstice, season change and fertility. Krampus chases away wicked spirits, assures a bountiful growing season, symbolizes a right of passage. Realize he comes from a pre-Christian time before pagan iconography was assimilated, adapted, and sometimes demonized… Eventually as different belief systems came and went, and sometimes tried to get along, Santa Claus and Krampus started playing the roles of good cop – bad cop. Krampus bears a switch and a basket/sack to carry off naughty children. In modern times there seems to be a resurgence of interest in the idea of Krampus. Austria has some fantastic festivals in his honor. Someday I have to make it to a proper Krampuslauf!
…
Some old European Krampus greeting cards
…
Some more of our Krampus below. (Photographed in Akron, Ohio, November 2012)
Happy Halloween Hurricane
Rebekah as a Death Bug _ Photo: AndyToad
Watermill Center Residency with Christopher Williams
Watermill Center _ photo: Gregory Spears
…
Recently I returned from a week long stay at The Watermill Center where I was in residence with Christopher Williams and Gregory Spears working on our upcoming “dance-opera” Wolf-in-Skins. During our time there we worked to further develop the choreography, music, and designs for Wolf-in-Skins. Watermill provided an enriching experience, an awesome opportunity to be amongst my collaborators for an extended amount of time and to focus on our work. In an amazing space. (Thank you Watermill!)
…
The Knee at Watermill Center _ photo: Gregory Spears
…
In my studio space at Watermill _ photo: Gregory Spears
…
The Watermill Center’s large collection of world masks, objects and photographs offered me much inspiration as did exploring the library’s vast book collection. I spent the majority of my time at the center sketching, planning and refining the costume designs for the race of The Fay and The Hounds of The Fay (both played by dancers), and the Ellyllon (played by opera singers).
…
Friends in my studio _ photos: AndyToad
…
The sacrifice totems _ photos: AndyToad
…
Some sketches by AndyToad
…
Ellyllon shapes by AndyToad
…
In conceptualizing the costume design Christopher and I have set some guidelines for the look of these primordial characters. The Fay come from a time of mystery and elegant magical craft whose history has trickled down to us through myth. The time of the Fay roughly corresponds to our geological time period known as the Stone Age.
The Ellyllon are very ancient elemental entities, older than The Fay. The Ellyllon are the storytellers, the voices guiding the narrative. They are Shapes and shadows in the process of forming and un-forming.
The aforementioned races exist in a time prior to human mastery of fabric and tailoring. The Fay and Ellyllon “garments” are more hide and skin-like – shells, vegetation, skin, bone, teeth, amber… organic and manifested in unknown ways.
…
Costume Textures _ photo: AndToad
…
Hound mask in progress _ photo: AndyToad
…
Christopher with dancers Matthew Flatley and Caitlin Scranton _ photo: AndyToad
…
Wolf-in-Skins in progress showing _ photo: Jake Schlichting
…
Wolf-in-Skins in progress showing _ photo: Jake Schlichting
…
Observing a hound in progress _ photo: Jake Schlichting
…
Hound in progress _ photo: Jake Schlichting
…
…