“You may have never heard of us, an Impossimal or ever seen an Impossimal, you might collect Impossimals, you might know somebody who collects them or you might have even ended here by accident when looking for cat videos but no matter how you arrived here, this is our little bit of history. Then again, you might be thinking what the hell am I reading, if so, then you're not alone, I'm thinking that too and I'm typing it.
It’s a very simple story, two socially awkward people wishing to retain forever something rather special; the imaginative wonderment and limitless creativity we all experienced as a child in a form that all could enjoy. From this simple premise the Impossimals were created in 2002, growing from a small collection of original paintings to a global phenomenon over many years that now encompasses over 2 million collectors but is still captured with a special heart, a keen eye and a wicked sense of surreal humour returning a little something that we thought we lost as we grew older.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that Impossimals are simple creations though; you may experience nostalgic escapism with the Lost Impossimals and their wonderfully preposterous Eccentricus Britannicus stories or learn of a divided Wonderland with our trippy Lost Alice, or maybe you prefer the off the wall humour of the pure Impossimals, often described as Wallace and Gromit meets Monty Python they parody popular culture mixed with social critique and copious amount of food and drink, either way the Impossimals come in many forms and the boundaries and imagination placed into each and every piece created is limitless in its reach.
Complex, comforting and humorous, puzzling, perplexing and entertaining are other words that sound cool, some, all, or none of these may apply to our creations.
Arty influences come from entertaining authors, publications and off the wall artists; Mad Magazine, Plop!, Basil Wolverton, Bamforths, Gary Larson, Jay Lynch, Cracked, Art Spiegelman, Jack Davis, Don Martin, Jim Crocker, Ken Reid, Al Jaffee, Sergio Aragones, Mort Drucker and Dave Berg to name just a few but really we just rely on a quirky imagination, a warped view and a bent vision of life rather than a need to paint reality. Enthusiastic escapism I prefer to call it but you may prefer something else, either way I know one thing, It’s all painted with a passion and a little bit of crazy sparkle that so easily disappears when we grow older.
BTW, they call us Auteurs rather than artists for some reason because we have a distinctive approach with unbound creation that remains personal. Apparently this is the truth and has nothing to do with a misheard conversation that we are a pair of arses.
We do however have a penchant for wordplay, innuendo, good old fashioned British observational dry humour and an eye that can borderline on eccentric, quirky or just plain daft, so if you're looking for something absurd or insanely stupid you've found the right place.
So settle back and explore the random website, enjoy the gallery and feel free to pin them on Pinterest, shove them on Instagram, push them on Facebook or tweet them on Twitter (I can never gel with the new 'X' branding) or dare I say it post them on Threads with our #impossimals tag to please us immensely.
Or if you're feeling particularly adventurous, print out an Impossimal and present it to random celebrities telling them you've painted their portrait - Don't forget to take a photo of said celebrity with Impossimal and forward it on to us for a reward*”
*rewards vary according to celebrity status and range from 2/6 in old money to a whopping full blown original item from the studio bin.
Since their creation in 2002 the Impossimals have gone from strength to strength and can be found in art collections worldwide in the form of original oils, limited editions and sculpture. Currently they are available exclusively from CASTLE FINE ART where you will also find our creations and the Impossimals alongside (yes, on the same gallery walls!) some of the biggest names in art; Johnny Depp, Bob Dylan, Ronnie Wood, Romero Britto, Billy Connolly, Marvel & Disney.
TM & ©2024 Peter & Jayne Smith, Impossimals®, Lost Impossimals & Lost Alice are registered trademarks of Peter & Jayne Smith. No content to be used without permission
Peter and Jayne Smith are a British artistic duo and creators of one of the most collectable and beloved series of fine artworks. Popular culture, social critique and an insatiable love for finding the fun in life, Peter and Jayne's creations remind us to recapture a little of that cheeky childhood sparkle we so often grow out of.
Together they have created the Lost Impossimals™, Lost Alice™ and Impossimals® series, which feature his beloved characters in a range of humorous scenes and situations. The Impossimals have gained a dedicated following among art enthusiasts for their unique blend of humour, creativity, and artistic craftsmanship.
The talented duo has a range of original and limited edition artworks and sculptures available including their Peep Show collection and the most recent Sip collection.
With Peter as a contemporary still-life painter with a rich background in character graphics, and the duo’s humorous approach to life, their artworks are known for their intricate details and vibrant colours, giving them a surreal and captivating quality.
With inspirations and influences ranging from classic still life masters, to the off the wall authors and artists of rare and collectible publications and lowbrow surreal art movement, Peter and Jayne have a distinct approach to their artwork and unbridled creativity that has remained incredibly personal. Peter’s fusion of classical oil painting techniques and irreverent humour gives his work a decidedly contemporary twist.
Full of ingenious riddles, wordplay and visual jokes, the duo’s surreal yet endearing artworks make an incredible gift or finishing touch to a home. Adult themes of love, debauchery and gluttony are underpinned by a desire to make his collectors smile and remember "the imaginative wonderment and limitless creativity" we experienced as children, which Peter believes is "something we lost as we got a little older."
With an experienced background in character graphics, Peter Smith is an expert in capturing the essence of a person within drawing and animation. Originally intrigued by how few features allowed him to expressively capture and portray a person's character, the Impossimals were born and grew to represent many real people in Peter and Jaynes circle of family, friends, and colleagues.
Since then, Peters Impossimal renderings have captured the cultural imagination of a huge number of art lovers growing into a loyal collector base. By no means simple creations, the Impossimals have grown to encompass a rich backstory and span several expressions of existence. The Impossimals have always been created for and beloved by an adult audience, encompassing classic British wit and sarcasm; representing adult themes and recognisable expressions.
With everyone finding that little something they love, the Impossimals have become the most recognisable characters in Fine Art, no doubt down to Peters fine artistic craftsmanship and the amusing, ironic and all too relevant situational humour they find themselves in! Peter says: “Complex, comforting, humorous, puzzling, perplexing and entertaining, each creation has its own story to tell. It doesn't matter if you are young or old, which path through life you take, if you like art or not, or how and where you hang your art: somewhere, someplace there’s an Impossimal creation waiting just for you.”
Shop Peter and Jayne's latest limited edition and original artworks here.
