It isn’t just Erik’s Curiosa that’s making its first appearance at PAX Australia this week. Thanks to our partnership with All Interactive Distribution (AIE), we’ve brought an expanded booth to PAX Aus, complete with learn-to-play demos, artist card signings, and an unforgettable showcase of traditional fantasy art, including original pieces from Gothic by Brian Smith: Sow the Earth and Salt the Earth.
These paired works embody creation and destruction, two opposing forces rendered through the same divine gesture.
A Hand in Creation
“The original request was for a single painting,” Brian recalls. “It was to be a godly, translucent hand in the sky with beams of light streaming down through the clouds - a gesture like releasing a pinch of salt. I saw this as being a heavenly kind of painting, angelic, full of wonder and beauty. Uplifting, but also a little imposing.”
That painting became Sow the Earth, a vision of radiant benevolence. A massive celestial hand hovering above a living world, scattering vitality into a river valley below. Its tone is serene, suggesting that creation itself can be both generous and unfathomably powerful.
A Dark Reflection
When Brian shared the piece with Sorcery creator Erik Olofsson, the feedback shifted the project in a new direction.
“Erik liked the painting but thought it was too bright, too positive,” Brian shares. “So he requested a second piece - the evil version of the same hand. That’s how Salt the Earth came about. It turned into a concept of opposing focus, like Angel’s and Devil’s Eggs.”
Where Sow the Earth breathed life, Salt the Earth withers it. A more skeletal red hand tears through a dead sky, sprinkling ruin upon land. Both paintings share a composition, but their atmospheres couldn’t be further apart, one suffused in light, the other in shadow. Despite one conveying peace, benevolence, and wonder, and the other death and destruction, Brian adds, “I see them as equally terrifying in their own ways.”
Power and Simplicity
Known for his bold style, Brian’s approach to Sorcery art focuses on impact over complexity. “More than anything else, I try to create powerful paintings,” he shares. “For Sorcery cards, it’s important to keep things simple and bold. Too much information can be difficult to read in such a small format. For these pieces, I wanted to convey simplicity and power. These are two big hands, with the power to create or kill entire realms.”
The Sorcery Community
Brian joins us at the Sorcery booth at Pax Australia in Melbourne, where you can see these two power pieces in person, get Sorcery cards signed, and get your picture taken with one of Gothic’s most prolific artists.
“Interacting with the Sorcery community has been a new kind of experience for me,” Brian adds. “I’ve made a lot of new friends, and there’s a great deal of support from all around. I’m happy to know there are so many people that find joy in the game and in the art. They motivate me to want to make better paintings!”
Come visit us at booth TT2828 and keep an eye out for more of Brian Smith’s work in Gothic, launching December 5th.
Find more at Brian Smith's artist page
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