Note: This article was originally written for Hi-Fructose Magazine. I’m republishing it here for your enjoyment.

While vacationing in a desert wasteland just south of the Valley of Grins, I found myself deliriously walking toward a cloud of pentapi. These multi-tentacled creatures evolved from the discarded heads of used dolls, a fact evidenced not only by their button eyes, but also by their aggressively vengeful attitude toward humans. Had I not been suffering from seven days’ worth of dehydration at the time, I would have known better than to joyfully embrace one. But as the pentapus wrapped its red, velvety arm around my leg, fully intending to tear it from my feeble body, I heard a man shouting from the sky. I looked up, and who should I see but Australian painter Shane Devries, floating overhead in his magical hot air balloon? Before long, he had parachuted to the ground and warded off every last threatening pentapus with his massive brush, which saved at least 30% of my limbs from being torn asunder.

“I may need a doctor,” I said to him. “But hey, while I’ve got you here, would you care to talk about your magical painting abilities?”

He nodded. The 26-year-old Devries has only been painting for three years, but has already created an impressive collection of art that transports viewers to vibrant locations and eccentric creatures. We talked about his upcoming exhibition, his work on the show Figaro Pho, and more.

Your work is full of vividly colored, bizarre, cartoon-like creatures whose relatively minimalist forms are contrasted atop heavily detailed backgrounds. What influences that combination of elements?

I really enjoy experimenting with each painting and try and make each new piece more challenging for myself as I go along – mostly so I don’t get bored, really, and so that I learn new things and move on from ideas that I feel I’ve explored enough. I think the stuff I’m working on recently is a lot more interesting and complex than the earlier stuff. I deeply admire realism and representational art, so the contrast between the simple characters and the more detailed and realistic surroundings are my way of creating flippant versions of traditional or representational art from my own world. It’s really fun because I get the thrill of learning from age old oil painting techniques, but I get to inhabit it all with bizarre mind-wandering ideas.

Whether it’s small toys or massive, button-eyed birds in teacups, there is frequently something floating in your paintings. Can you tell me about what inspires you to pump your creations full of helium?

The floating idea was more of a discipline really. Last year I was putting together a group of paintings and made a decision early on that every one would have a floating element to it. I find it helps with creativity to set some boundaries so that I get to explore different ideas rather than faff around with heaps of different ones. More often they are better this way too. I think there is something about floating and flying that’s appealing to everyone. I mean, I really wish I could fly, and I always have flying or falling dreams as most people I know do. So I think for those pieces the floating is almost like an emotion we can identify with somehow.

Along with the weightlessness of your characters, they are often found in near-complete isolation, hovering over beautiful but barren landscapes. It’s almost as though we’re getting to take a peek at a very rare creature, or a hot air balloon adventure gone awry. What draws you to create these lonesome adventurers?

(laughs) Yeah, I like to think that they are rare sightings. I think the landscapes are places I’d love to view from that perspective myself and they are inspired from everywhere – my family’s holiday pictures, places I’ve been, etcetera. The lonely creatures are just stragglers and oddballs that have been left behind. I like to imagine that there were once huge migrations of these weirdoes and these are just the ones that couldn’t keep up and wander about on their own.

Many of your paintings look like they’ve pulled straight out of the middle of a story. Do you ever invent back-stories for any of your characters?

Yeah, I like starting stories, but I try never to explain too much. I think it’s fun to let people add their own explanations and interpretations. For a recent exhibition I wrote a poem about most of the pieces and published them in a book. They never expound too much, but add a few questions and add to the fun of the art. I have my own stories, but I like to keep them to myself and let the viewer’s imagination kick in. For some of the characters I like to imagine that they sat with me for a formal portrait. I can’t think of anything more fun than getting to have a line-up of strange individuals to do formal portraits of.

I’ve noticed you’ve gotten to do some artwork for the Australian show, Figaro Pho. Can you tell us about your involvement in that project and how it differs from your usual work?

Yes, Figaro Pho is a great invention of Vishus Productions who are based here in Adelaide. I had a lot of fun helping out with a few minor bits and pieces last year and working with all the talented and brilliant creators there. I only helped with a few episodes that included a few matte paintings, and some really great family portraits that were used in the hallway of Figaro’s manor. I love animation, so to help out was a real treat. The difference of working on a production like Figaro meant that I needed to adjust my individual style and work up pieces that suited the look and feel of the show, and work using digital [media]. Luke Jurevicius and Deane Taylor gave it such a fun and light-hearted look, so it certainly wasn’t a chore.

You’ve also done some work for a couple of children’s books over the past couple of years. What was it like shifting your art to tell someone else’s story?

Kids’ books are a lot of fun, and I haven’t done a lot so far. I think it’s nice when you get a story or a project that means something to you. I try to take on stuff that I’m excited about rather than chasing big paychecks and recognition. (laughs) Sometimes I find myself seriously questioning myself, but I’ve always found it so much more rewarding to work with people I like and on projects that I think are important and downright fun. So for books, I think it’s nice to work with publishers and authors who all want the same outcome and encourage creativity above everything.

On your blog, you mention that you’ve spent a good deal of time traveling around Africa getting your head pumped full of new things to draw. How have your travels impacted your work?

Yeah, I had an amazing trip to Cambodia recently. I thought about art all the time and did a whole lot of sketches whilst there. I came back with a lot of ideas and enthusiasm, but only managed to get one of my planned paintings finished, mostly because ‘real life’ and deadlines kicked in when I got back. But hopefully I’ll get to use some of my ideas eventually. I’ve found that I plan a lot of work while I’m away but get terribly sidetracked when I get home.  (laughs) I need to discipline myself a bit more I think.

Since you began creating art, how has it changed over the years in terms of subject matter and the way you make it?

I think it’s changed, and hopefully it’s noticeable. I haven’t been painting for more than three years so I’m still exploring my ideas, abilities and loves mostly, which has meant that I work on quite a variety of different projects from time to time. But I enjoy oil painting so much and keep falling for it big-time because of its freedom and subtleties. My earlier stuff is quite bold, simple and saturated in light with ideas that are humorous and endearing. But more and more I’m enjoying the challenge of bringing in a lot more complexity and subtle emotion. As I mentioned before, I like the detail and care in representational art, so I think this will be a flavor that will creep more and more into my world.

You’ve got an exhibition coming up this December, and by the look of things on your blog, you may have abandoned floating robots in favor of furry, tentacle-armed creatures that will haunt my nightmares forever. First, how did you know that bearded fish-murderers scare the living hell out of me? And second, what else can we look forward to from your future projects?

(laughs) Yeah, he does look a bit sinister dosen’t he? There’s nothing to worry about though because the fish is still alive and the Mox is a harmless creature – possibly more scared of you than you are of him. I had so much fun working on it and I wrote a little bit about the painting.

It’s not very often that you’d happen a glance
But sighting the Mox is always by chance
Enigmatic in presence and keenly aware
You can never look past his ominous stare

It doesn’t give a lot of explaination but yes, I’m working toward a show, and there will be a couple more of these creatures around. All the paintings will give the idea of a rare and extinct species (like the Mox) and that you are viewing them as proud and noble outsiders who no longer roam the bizarre world they inhabit. It’s going to be a lot of fun! I’m not too sure what the future holds. I tend to work instinctively and I’m keen to keep evolving and inventing. Next year I’m working on another book which I’m very excited about and will keep painting for exhibitions here and interstate.

Thanks for taking the time to tell us about your work. Looking forward to your next exhibition! Now, if you wouldn’t mind putting those limbs of mine in my backpack, I’d like to see about finding that doctor.

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Also from the rally against the FBI’s surveillance of peace groups was Des Moines Catholic Peace Ministry Director, Jeffery Weiss, who gave an interesting speech. Roger Routh again provides video.

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Roger Routh provides this footage from the rally which took place prior to our confrontation with the FBI’s federal security.

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As it turns out, the FBI didn’t want to see us.

The homes and offices of several prominent peace organizers and international solidarity activists in Minneapolis, MN, and Chicago, IL were raided September 23 by members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. During these raids, the FBI delivered subpoenas to eleven organizers, accused them of providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations, and ordered them to testify before a federal grand jury in Chicago on Tuesday, October 5.

The coalition organizers say that a Supreme Court decision in the recent case, Holder versus Humanitarian Law Project, opened the door to the September 23 raids by allowing the FBI to act with a broad mandate to target peace organizers and international solidarity activists who work with legitimate popular resistance movements abroad.

The FBI raids came in the wake of new revelations released last week that the FBI spent hundreds of hours spying on student and community organizations in Iowa City, Iowa that participated in direct action street protests at the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, MN.

And it comes on the heels of a report recently released by the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Justice which found that, between 2001 and 2006, the FBI opened criminal investigations against peace and justice organizations without cause, extended those investigations with weak factual evidence, violated their own policies, and routinely mischaracterized civil disobedience as a domestic terrorist threat to national security.

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A lovely piece of music from a fantastic ambient band, Stars of the Lid, paired with a minimalist video timelapse by Ryan Manning. I can’t quite put my finger on why, but Stars of the Lid have been one of the few bands whose music I would characterize as “healing.” A nice way to start October.

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