Mykol Blackwell grew up among the colors and seasons of a small New England town. At an early age he moved from the inner city to the outskirts of town, and his playground became endless forests and a huge reservoir. He became a lover of the natural world -- its cycles and designs.

In his twenties, his travels led him west and he eventually moved to Santa Cruz, California. His playground became the magnificent ancient redwood forests, and the beaches and surf of the Pacific Coast.

During this time, he was turned on to the writings of Joseph Campbell. His art evolved further into myth and legend, not only from the past, but from the future and his own imagination.

He moved to Humboldt County, where he was inspired by his surroundings and his continued personal, spiritual, and metaphysical studies. He began to sculpt dragons and other phantasmagorical creatures from pieces of wood which seemed to magically present themselves, wishing to be brought to life.

He also kept drawing and painting, and this evolved into a series of oil paintings, which he dubbed “Totem Souls.” Inspired by Campbell’s words, “If we want to save this planet, we need to create a new mythology..." he combines human and animal anatomies, creating visionary glimpses born from the melting together of ancient Celtic and Native American myths and his own mind’s eye.

Mykol’s work has been shown up and down the coast of California. He has designed hundreds of T-shirts and posters, including his own "Humboldt Nation" line. He has illustrated two coloring books, "The Headwaters Forest Story" and "The Johnny West Circle X Ranch Coloring Book." This last one led to building and selling 1/6th scale "Old West" building facades, for collectors around the country. He also designed and built castle dollhouses and wrote and illustrated children’s stories of his own.

You can meet the artist at his opening on Friday night, Oct. 7, at Persimmons Garden Gallery in Redway. His work will be shown during the month of October.

photo caption:

Great Horned Owl Man by Mykol Blackwell