Description

My Diary Bowser by Rob Bishop

This piece of art is etched on maple wood.

Rob Bishop is a Hertfordshire/Essex based mixed media artist who studied graphic design at college and model making at University. Rob Bishop just loves wood. For several years he has worked as a cabinet maker and by combining all his skills he has developed a unique style of artwork that has caught public attention.

Rob uses a mixed media approach to his work which combines digital art, wood work and painting. He will digitally manipulate an image, etches it onto a 12mm maple veneered board then hand paints the piece by using many layers of wood stains, spray paints and lacquer. When satisfied with the image a final layer of lacquer is applied followed by a hand polished finish to produce originals or a series of original variations and finishes with a hand made frame. He produces either a large one-off original or a series of 10 or 45 whereby each image is hand finished and coloured to ensure uniqueness in every piece. Both the artwork and frame are finished with a thumbprint signature. No two pieces can ever be the same each therefore are truly original.

Bowser, also known as King Koopa, is a fictional character and the primary antagonist in Nintendo’s Mario franchise. In Japan, the character bears the title of Daimaō (大魔王, “Great Demon King”). Depicted as the arch-nemesis of the plumber Mario, Bowser is the leader of the turtle-like Koopa race. His ultimate goals are to kidnap Princess Peach and conquer the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser’s defining traits are his monstrous appearance with dragon-like elements, full-throated roar, fire-breathing abilities, and tyrannical personality.

Bowser initially appears as Mario’s opponent in the 1985 video game Super Mario Bros. He was originally envisioned as an ox based on the Ox-King from the Toei Animation film Alakazam the Great, but Nintendo Designer Takashi Tezuka remarked that the character looked a lot more like a turtle than an ox, and the two collaborated to define Bowser’s appearance, leading to the character becoming the leader of the turtle-like Koopas.