iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Putting up my Year of The Ox design incorporating the new background. I'd love to know what you think of it as a more finished piece. #illustration #illustrator #myart #robot #scifi #art #artshare #myart #illustrationart #scifiart #sketch #artist #artwork #characterart #lunarzodiac #YearOfTheOx

An illustration of a golden robotic Ox with red and purple highlights, over a background of a red, circular circuit board incorporating traditional Chinese textile elements.

0121 12

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Working on a Year of the Goat piece for 2027, and tried out Fire Alpaca's timelapse feature. The sketch is a composite of several I did from photos I took at Taronga Zoo.

001 1

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Year of The Horse is finished! Was surprised how quickly the colouring was done - helps that it only has the two colours: Yellow for luck & red for health / focus. #zodiac #illustration #illustrator #myart #art #illustrationart #scifiart #artsky #YearOfTheHorse

Illustration of a mechanical horse, with yellow plating and red mane, eyes, nose, hooves and components

040 4

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

Had fun shading this one. Took a bit longer than I thought it would, but yeah, it came out like I hoped. Onto colours next... #artsky #illustration #zodiac #lunarzodiac #horse #yearofthehorse #portfolio

Illustration of a robot horse, shaded in to highlight the form of the panels and machinery in its body.

0187 18

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

That looks like IDW Megatron who did, indeed, become an Autobot, stand trial for his crimes, and was not redeemed, but did have some amazing stories told about him.

Image from IDW Transformers comics, showing Megatron, with an Autobot insignia, bring taken to trial for his crimes by Ultra Magnus

1101 10

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Could have just saved time by linking to this Harper's article from 1941 called "Who Would Go Nazi?" harpers.org/archive/1941...

Mrs. E would go Nazi as sure as you are born. That statement surprises you? Mrs. E seems so sweet, so clinging, so cowed. She is. She is a masochist. She is married to a man who never ceases to humiliate her, to lord it over her, to treat her with less consideration than he does his dogs. He is a prominent scientist, and Mrs. E, who married him very young, has persuaded herself that he is a genius, and that there is something of superior womanliness in her utter lack of pride, in her doglike devotion. She speaks disapprovingly of other “masculine” or insufficiently devoted wives. Her husband, however, is bored to death with her. He neglects her completely and she is looking for someone else before whom to pour her ecstatic self-abasement. She will titillate with pleased excitement to the first popular hero who proclaims the basic subordination of women.

041 4

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

If you see this, post a character that starts with the letter i Icon

A full page spread showing the Milestone Media character Icon, a black man in a red suit and large, flowing green Cape, with bright energy emanating from his hand. Pencils by MD Bright.

030 3

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

Happy #hottest100 day! I'm not expecting all of my votes to make it, but I love this day, and I know a few will. @genesisowusu.bsky.social @playlunch.bsky.social @doechii.music-social.com

My Hottest 100 votes-

Genesis Owusu PIRATE RADIO
Ecca Vandal- MOLLY
Ninajirachi - iPod Touch
Tasman Keith-B.o.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad) [triplej Like A Version 2025]
Playlunch -Keith
Mallrat- Pavement
Doechii - Anxiety
Fred agai. Skepta & PlaqueBoyMax- Victory Lap
Little Simz & Obongjayar Lion
Vv Pete, UTILITY & Formation Boyz-WASSA

020 2

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

My Year of the Ox piece. I wish my work rate was higher, but Im enjoying this series of illustrations. I've even gotten back into making progress videos, which I'll have to post up soon. #artsky

A drawing of a robotic ox, coloured gold, red and purple.

020 2

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

Finished colouring this one with the colours of the Year of the #Monkey: gold, white and blue. I Gold = wealth and good fortune. Blue = calm, and white adds purity and clarity to blue's calmness. #illustration #artsky #robot #scifi #art #artshare #scifiart #artwork #yearofthemonkey #lunarzodiac

Illustration of a robot monkey made of gold metal with blue and white highlights.

040 4

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

This is just as disgusting, imo. Maintaining the pretence that the algorithm is a person, and one who cares deeply for him, at this point, is cruel and dangerous. The bot softly suggesting a suicidal person seek help, but keeping up the pretend personal relationship is irresponsible.

What devastates Maria Raine was that there
was no alert system in place to tell her that
her son's life was in danger. Adam told the
chatbot, "You're the onty one who knows of
my attempts to commit." ChatGPT
responded: "That means more than you
probably think. Thank you for trusting me
with that. There's something both deeply
human and deeply heartbreaking about being
the only one who carries that truth for you."

0194 19

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

Couple of passes at colouring my lunar zodiac pig. Tried grey metal, with the colours of its zodiac sign (green, pink, blue)as highlights, but I tried using one colour as a base would work better, and that worked better. #artsky #illustration #myart #roboti #art #artshare #scifiart #yearofthepig

An illustration of a robot pig, made of green metal, with pink and blue highlights.

An illustration of a robot pig, made of grey metal, with green, pink and blue highlights.

160 6

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

It was this passage. I got this from the transcript on the FF website.

Screenshot if the transcript for the Feminist Frequency video in question, quoting the relevant passage:

Hitman: Absolution features a mission in which the player can create a diversion by picking up and dumping the dead body of an exotic dancer near police officers.

Clip: Hitman: Absolution
“Oh! What the fuck? Ah shit… that wasn’t there a minute ago.”

120 2

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

I only finished #ironheart last night, and I've seen some criticisms of the ending as "invalidating Riri's character growth throughout the season", but I've realise something ingenious about Riri's character growth: Her character growth is the entire reason she accepts the deal with [spoiler].

Ironheart poster, with Riri Williams standing in front of her disassembled armour, with the caption "every dream has a cost".

130 3

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

Wanted to show the mechanical lunar zodiac pig was covered in plating over some of its body, but exposed in others. Adding some shading seemed to do that well. I'll go back at some point to add some colour and greater shading to it. #illustration #illustrator #myart #digitalart #scifi #art #artsky

Illustration of a robotic pig. Its torso is partially exposed, showing wiring and machinery underneath

061 6

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

Only jad 2 songs in the #hottest100 so far, but I'm enjoying it. One surprise was my kid screaming along to Working Class Man, but I respect it.

HOTTEST100
OF AUSTRAALIANSONGS

My Votes
PolishClub-Clarity

KingStingray- Milkumana
TheChats-PubFeed
Powderfinger- TheseDays
Spiderbait-Buy MeaPony
Regurgitator-!(TheSong Formerly Known As)
PNAU-GO Bang

ThePresets-My People
ThelmaPlum- ClumsyLove
Flume- Say Nothing[Ft. MAY-A1

010 1

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

I joined the subreddit a while ago, but only just realised how odd they are. It's immediately become a favourite hate-read. This bit about how anyone who didagrres with them is a sociopath incapable of being "functional people" is when I realised it was going to be a truly wild ride.

Post from the Dumbing of Age subreddit reading:

Joyrothy is garbage because the characters are garbage. The people applauding their behavior are zero empathy socipaths, so they don't consider what it would be like to be on the losing side of this netorare arc. And that's fine, but it also means they don't have the basic morality to be functional people.

2140 14

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Another #mechanical #lunarzodiac Work in Progress. I'm working on the #pig, and after it took a while to get going, I think it's coming along well. What do you think? #zodiac #illustration #illustrator #artsky #robot #scifi #art #artshare #myart #scifiart #sketch #characterart

A pencil drawing of a robotic Chinese Boar

061 6

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

Everyone watching WWE try to wow us with another Goldberg banger.

010 1

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

If you see this, quote with a robot that isn't from Transformers or Star Wars.

Robot dancer on a photographic background of the London Southbank.

010 1

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

If you see this, quote with your green art 💚

Components, mechanical faces are arranged as components on a green and gold circuit board, showing people.of different backgrounds from Sydney

030 3

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

• Human Artists • Use one piece to convince people to follow you 🌙

Dancers 06 - illustration of a robot breakdancing in front of a photographed background of street art.

010 1

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

Congratulations on those numbers, and thanks for sharing this.

A robot dances amid the graffitied brutalise architecture of London's South Bank. The robot is an illustration, while the background is photographed.

An illustration of a London alleyway, mostly in black lines, but with graffiti on the walls coloured in.

An robot break dances on a city street, in front of some street art. The robot is am illustration, while the street is photographed.

An illustration of an amateur football club's team photo. Several players are not human - three have ornate wooden masks for faces, one is on fire, one has multiple pairs of eyes all over his face, one is a giant insect, two have fish heads, and one is a broken statue.

181 8

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

Playing with my son the other day, and I found an old picture I'd started more than a year ago, and forgotten about. Kinda like a present to myself from past me. #drawing #dancers #robot #illustration #artsky

A drawing of a male and female-styled robot dancing together in mid twentieth-century fashion. The drawing is in pencil, on a wooden art board

A drawing of a male and female-styled robot dancing together in mid twentieth-century fashion. The drawing is in pencil.

030 3

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

More #monkey WiP. It's been nice to get more stuff done, and I'm Heading off to the UK on Sunday, trying to at least get all the linework done for it by then. #robot #scifi #art #artsky #myart #illustration #ink #artwork #characterart

Pencil and ink drawing of a robot based off amonkey, hanging by one hand from a piece of machinery.

080 8

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

This cockatoo verbally asked my wife for "food" yesterday, butbthis is all I could get put of him.

000 0

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

One of my robot b-boys, dancing at the London South Bank. #artsky #illustration #hiphop #scifiart

A drawing of a robot dancer, dancing within a photograph of the London Southbank, with street art and brutalise architecture.

030 3

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

#hottest100 is on, so here's my votes this year. A few of these I'm confident of hearing, a few would be a pleasant surprise. Just heard #Doechii, so I've got my first one.

My hottest 100 votes
Alex the Astronaut - Cold Pizza

Amyl and The Sniffers - U Should Not Be Doing That

Confidence Man -- CONTROL

Doechii -- NISSAN ALTIMA

Fred again.. Baby Keem - leavemealone

Kendrick Lamar Not Like Us

Tyler, The Creator - Sticky [Ft. GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne]

Megan Thee Stallion - Mamushi (feat. Yuki
Chiba)

JPEGMAFIA -JPEGULTRA! [Ft. Denzel Curry]

Mallrat - Ray of Light

030 3

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

Here's some great 90s covers that are in my collection.

Fate #19 cover. Fate was an interesting book, hampered by how cliché Xtreem 90s the character appeared. Williams and Lanning were a great art team, who I likes from their early Marvel UK days. Some of their covers had really eye-catching composition and use of negative space, like this one.

Blood Syndicate #1 by Denys Cowan. It's such a classic that it was recreated for the first issue of the reboot series last year. The whole cover is great here, especially the Public Enemy quote used as a subheading.

Mamhunter #6 I don't know if Vince Giarrano designed the incredibly unwieldy Manhunter costume, but he really made it come to life. He also showed his graphic design background in covers like this.

Hardware #2. The first issue is iconic, but Cowan's art is really set off by the repeated image of the replicating hitman Reprise, who Hardware faces as his first superhuman opponent. The menacing grin Cowan gave Reprise particularly becomes more threatening when repeated so many times.

131 3

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

I got this cool #3DPrint of a Chordir, one of the aliens I designed and wrote the lore for, for the game Primal Khaos, by Yelkrab Studios. (Some of the lore is in the Alt-text) #ConceptArt #design #illustration #aliens #gaming #3DShooter #scifi

A 3D printed version of a "Chordir" soldier, and alien race I designed and wrote the lore for, for the game Primal Khaos, by Yelkrab Studios.

From an academic journal:

Although no species sees itself in the same fashion as they are seen by other races, it is said by many that there is no greater contrast between the self-image of the Chorda and the impression they leave with those who encounter them.

Like most races, the Chorda were a multicultural civilization for most of their monoplanetary period. By the time they developed early space travel, their world was dominated by 3 groups of international alliances: The World Conglomerate, a primarily economic union; The Covenant of Preservation, an alliance of military states; and the Pact of the One, a theocratic 'superstate' which which formed from independent nations, linked by the influence of The House of the One, the Chorda' dominant faith.

As the Chorda moved towards interstellar travel, a series of political upheavals rapidly changed Chordir society. Firstly, The Covenant of Preservation was suddenly, and unexpectedly rocked by a series of violent coups, which installed leaders who were all followers of The House of The One. Although there was no clear evidence that the Pact of the One had been directly involved, the coups were co-ordinated, aggressive and successful.

The Covenant states who had fallen began to weaken, isolate and infiltrate their neighbours, while also using their investments in arms, manufacturing and security to dramatically increase their influence within the World Conglomerate. The second wave of coups was much less violent, and a more subtle, gradual process. With Conglomerate states long having abandoned the distinction between business and government, the Pact and Covenant states engaged in a decades-long program of 'economic warfare', gaining financial control of more corporations, and merging them into monopolies that served the interests of the Pact. By the time the Covenant an…

081 8

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

Always late to the party, but I've just discovered Monument Valley, and this is just a beautiful, clever, chill puzzle game.

020 2

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

What's your favourite 90s comic character? It's no secret that it's Wise Son from Blood Syndicate.

Image of Wise Son from the Milestone trading cards, art by ChrisCross.

000 0

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

I realised I didn't have a lot of my #art posted here, and especially if I'm closing down my Bad Place account, I should post more #illustration here. This is The Office from my Refugees series, with extra-dimensional refugees integrating into everyday life. #artshare #urbanfantasy

My Illustration "The Office", showing a woman and a man discussing work in an office. The man had green, see through skin, showing us the bones in his head and hands, and the woman has grey skin, and a face similar to a shamanic African statue.

010 1

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

if you see this, quote with a horror film you love #filmsky #horrorsky

Poster for the Jordan Peele movie 'Nope', showing a long kite tail coming out of a dark cloud in a night sky, over a desert town.

191 9

James Mathurin @mechanicalrefugee.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

I've been creatively-blocked this last year, so I tried something completely different. This is my first #landscape #illustration , and I've tried some different things with the colouring with some #digital #watercolour stuff. #London #streetart #graffiti #ink #color #colour

An illustration piece I haven't even titled yet, showing a Tooting, London alleyway with street art on the walls, and various refuse on the ground (including a piece of broccoli which caught my eye). The buildings are digitally inked, while the graffiti is coloured with watercolour.

0102 10