James Norbury
I'm James and I am better known for drawing Big Panda & Tiny Dragon. Maybe you didn't know that I have been writing and drawing since I was tiny, and love creating a huge range of work in many different styles.
I live in south Wales (UK) with my wife Ruth and lots of cats.
In my spare time I enjoy guitar, games, karate, reading and finding out more about Japan which I would love to visit one day.
Having struggled myself, I chose to study spirituality (Buddhism in particular) and discovered a number of ideas and ways of looking at life which I found extremely helpful and transformative.
I started Big Panda & Tiny Dragon to share those ideas with other people.
I work in a number of mediums but with Big Panda and Tiny Dragon, I create most of my work with black ink, a brush and watercolours.
I take inspiration from many sources including the work of zen painters, mangaka and ukiyo-e artists.
I enjoy a creating a range of art. I have completed part one of a graphic novel called Seeds of the Automata (available here)
I also paint abstract landscapes, fantasy art, science fiction (mainly cyberpunk), figure drawing and cartoons. I will be adding galleries soon where these can be viewed.
The theme that connects most of my art and writing are ideas of dystopia and loneliness. Even in my Big Panda and Tiny Dragon work, the characters are solitary wanderers in a peaceful, empty world.