Leviathan League | Levi Hastings Illustrator, Visual Artist, Graphic Designer

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Levi Hastings is a freelance illustrator, visual artist and full-time graphic designer. This was his website for several years. The domain registration expired and the new owner of the domain decided to keep the spirit of the original site alive by creating one page which shows an edited version of Levi Hastings work.
Content is from the site's 2010-2014 archived pages.

Levi Hastings has quite a presence on the web. Just google his name.
His current site is found at: http://www.levihastings.com/

 

Levi Hastings 

I'm an illustrator, visual artist and graphic designer in Seattle.

My work has been featured in The Stranger, Portland Mercury, City Arts Magazine, Willamette Week and Hello Mr. among other publications..

My paintings have been exhibited frequently in the Seattle area and along the West Coast,  most recently at LTD Gallery and True love in Seattle and Modern Eden in San Francisco. 

My work revolves around suspicious characters, talking beasts, fallen empires, foreign adventures, aquatic exploration and historical scandals. Raised on a steady diet of dinosaurs, comic books and National Geographic, I developed a taste for bizarre and ridiculous things. It only seems natural for me to make art about them. Ink and watercolor are my weapons of choice. I find that bold, sloppy color combined with fine lines and ink washes result in surprising effects. These mediums demand a lot of flexibility, which keeps me from taking my subjects or my process too seriously.

From tattooed bar brawlers to wigged aristocrats, foreign streets to fashion footwear, my work reflects a lifelong obsession with high and low culture, tied together with fine lines and loose watercolor.   

CONNECT

I'm always interested in freelance assignments, commissions, collaborations and exhibitions. 
Please contact me with any inquiries at levi.hastings@gmail.com

SELECTED CLIENT LIST:

The Stranger | Portland Mercury | City Arts Magazine | Hello Mr. | Willamette Week | Three Dollar Bill Cinema | Big Sky Documentary Film Festival |  Digital Americana Magazine | Wolfram Productions | The Better Bombshell  | Rock, Paper, Scissors Games

 

 

 

BLOG POSTS

New year, new paintings

 

 

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Opening of Wunderkammer show at True Love Gallery | July 2012

SELECTED SHOWS

2014

• Baggage Claim | Solo Show | Poco Wine + Spirits | Seattle, WA | June 2014
• Super Kaiju Monster Show | True Love Art Gallery | Seattle, WA | June 2014
• Winter is Coming: A Game of Thrones Tribute Show | LTD Gallery | Seattle, WA | March 2014
• Ex Libris | Axis Pioneer Square | Seattle, WA | March 2014
• Nostalgia | Modern Eden Gallery | San Francisco, CA | February 2014

2013

• Wanderlust | Modern Eden Gallery | San Francisco, CA | December 2013
• Pictures Worth A Thousand Words | LTD Gallery | Seattle, WA | November 2013
• Saturday Morning | LTD Gallery | Seattle, WA July-August 2013
• Grand Opening Show | Axis Pioneer Square | Seattle, WA | August 2013
• Over The Line: A Coen Brothers Tribute show | LTD Gallery |  Seattle, WA | June 2013
• Natural Science  | True Love Art Gallery | Seattle, WA | June 2013
• Mint Condition2 Comic Book Show | LTD Gallery |  In conjunction with Emerald City Comicon | Seattle, WA | March 2013
• Telephone | Group Show | Bherd Studios | Seattle, WA | March 2013
• Dystopia 2013 Group Show | True Love Art Gallery | Seattle, WA | Jan 2013

2012

• Speak Now! A Marriage Equality Group Show | Gay City Health Project | Seattle, WA | November-December 2012
• POP! 2: First Anniversary Group Show | LTD Gallery | Seattle, WA | November 2012
• Triumphs and Tragedies Group Show  | Tasty | Group show | Seattle, WA | November 2012
• B: A Tribute to B Movies | LTD Gallery | Seattle, WA | October 2012
• Waterline: Solo Show | Poco Wine Room | Seattle, WA | July 2012
• Wunderkammer | Group Show | True Love Gallery | Seattle, WA | July 2012
• Between Heaven and Hellboy | Group Show | Urban Light Studios | Seattle, WA | July 2012
• Whiskey and Watercolor | Solo Show | Georgetown Liquor Company | Seattle, WA | July 2012
• Creatures Featured | Group Show | Tasty | Seattle, WA | July-August 2012
• Portraits of Pride | Group Show | Gay City Health Project | Seattle, WA | June-July 2012
• Hometown Sideshow | Solo Show | American Pie Bakery & Cafe | Seattle, WA | June 2012
• Heroes, Vixens and Villains at Tasty | Group show | Seattle
• Sound Spirits | Solo show | Seattle, WA | March–April 2012
• Beards, Broads & Beasts | Solo show | Calamity Jane's | Seattle, WA | January 2012

2011

• "Environs" Group show curated by pun(c)tuation at Art/Not Terminal Gallery | August 2011
• RAW: Natural Born Artists | Seattle Showcase | June 2, 2011
• Julia's of Wallingford | Solo Show | Seattle, Wa | May 2011
• Zero Zero Salon | Solo Show | Seattle, WA | February 2011

2010

• Rock the Terminal | Sub-T Gallery @ Art/Not Terminal |  Seattle, WA | December, 2010
• Tattoo Show (2nd Place winner) | Starkweather Arts Center  Romeo, MI  | July 2010

 

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More Background On LeviathanLeague.com

 

LeviathanLeague.com occupies a particularly interesting space among small but culturally resonant art-portfolio domains from the early 2010s. Though the name might suggest a gaming collective, a fantasy-themed organization, or a speculative literary group, the site was in fact an online home for the visual work of Seattle-based illustrator and designer Levi Hastings. For several years, LeviathanLeague.com functioned as a personal portfolio and blog showcasing Hastings’ artistic output, his exhibitions, stylistic influences, commercial work, and evolving relationship with ink, watercolor, and digital illustration.

The site’s identity has shifted over time. Its original purpose was to introduce the public to Hastings’ multifaceted practice—work that combined whimsical fantasy motifs, historical references, bold lines, strong color palettes, and a humorous but thoughtful sensibility. After its domain registration eventually lapsed, the site took on a secondary chapter under new ownership: a simplified, archival-style one-page presentation summarizing portions of Hastings’ earlier work and directing visitors toward his modern online presence.

Today, though no longer maintained as an active portfolio, LeviathanLeague.com remains culturally significant. It preserves a snapshot of an emerging Pacific Northwest artist during a period when independent illustrators were beginning to transition from traditional blogs to modern portfolio platforms. Like many early-2010s artist sites, the domain stands as a digital fossil—capturing a moment when personal websites balanced creative showcase, blogging, and community engagement in ways that shaped the visibility of illustrators within both regional and online art circles.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of LeviathanLeague.com—its origins, themes, artistic identity, ownership and legacy, cultural context, and broader impact.

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Origins and Ownership

LeviathanLeague.com originally belonged to Levi Hastings, a freelance illustrator, visual artist, and full-time graphic designer based in Seattle. According to archived materials, Hastings used the site extensively between roughly 2010 and 2014, during which he posted new illustrations, short blog entries, updates on exhibitions, and announcements of collaborative projects.

The name “Leviathan League” functioned as a conceptual brand rather than a literal organization. It captured the playful, fantastical undercurrent of Hastings’ visual world—an ecosystem populated by anthropomorphic creatures, historical figures rendered with modern personality, mythological beasts, and exaggerated character archetypes. The site title also reflected Hastings’ interest in maritime themes, exploration, and the imagery of powerful, mysterious creatures.

When the domain eventually expired, archival materials indicate that a new owner purchased it and, rather than repurposing the domain entirely, chose to preserve the spirit of the original site by presenting a condensed overview of Hastings’ earlier artwork. This transitional stewardship preserved sections of past portfolio content and directed visitors to Hastings’ updated artistic platform, ensuring continuity rather than discontinuity—a rare practice in domain succession, where expired domains are often monetized or rebranded without regard to their original identity.

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Location and Creative Context

LeviathanLeague.com reflected the Pacific Northwest’s thriving independent arts culture. Based in Seattle, Hastings was part of a creative community known for its strong support of illustrators, comic artists, mixed-media painters, and experimental visual designers. Seattle’s artistic identity—shaped by alternative publications, gallery collectives, zine culture, tattoo-influenced aesthetics, and hybrid analog/digital experimentation—aligned naturally with the signature elements of Hastings’ work.

The site referenced (and documented) his collaborations and exhibitions with a variety of Seattle-area institutions, including:

• LTD Gallery

• True Love Gallery

• Art/Not Terminal Gallery

• Axis Pioneer Square

• Georgetown Liquor Company

• Calamity Jane’s

• Gay City Health Project

Because of these regular exhibitions, LeviathanLeague.com functioned not only as a portfolio but also as a central communication hub for Seattle audiences looking to follow Hastings’ showings across the region. The proximity of these galleries to each other—many located in artistic zones like Capitol Hill, Pioneer Square, and Belltown—created a geographical map of Hastings’ creative presence within the city’s cultural ecosystem.

The Seattle setting also supported Hastings’ thematic influences: maritime imagery, fantastical wildlife, and adventurous explorers fit comfortably within the Pacific Northwest’s cultural relationship to coastlines, wilderness, and folklore.

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Popularity and Reach

During its active years, LeviathanLeague.com enjoyed steady traffic from art enthusiasts, gallery visitors, illustrators, and followers of alternative magazines. The site benefited from exposure through:

• regional arts publications such as The Stranger, Portland Mercury, City Arts Magazine, and Willamette Week

• LGBTQ+ media communities, including Hello Mr.

• West Coast gallery circuits, particularly Seattle and San Francisco

• online portfolio searches and illustration directories

Before social-media-centric portfolio platforms became standard, individual artist websites like LeviathanLeague.com played a major role in career development. They helped artists secure commissions, attract gallery invitations, and cultivate early fan communities.

The site’s blog component also contributed to its popularity. Frequent postings showcased works in progress, small watercolor experiments, and themed illustration series. This steady stream of content rewarded regular visitors and reflected a time when the artist-website/blog hybrid operated as the primary engine of engagement for independent creatives.

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Visual Identity, Themes, and Style

One of the most compelling aspects of LeviathanLeague.com was its consolidated presentation of Hastings’ artistic voice. The site highlighted several recurring themes and motifs:

Fantastical Creatures and Beasts

Hastings’ work often depicted chimera-like animals, exaggerated monsters, minotaurs, and mythic hybrids. These figures were rendered with a blend of humor, menace, and emotional personality. Even his largest beasts—like the often-referenced whales or minotaur figures—carried a balance of grandeur and whimsy.

Historical Figures and Eras

Hastings showed a fascination with antiquity, aristocracy, military uniforms, chainmail, and historical fashion. His illustrations might pair 18th-century aristocrats with theatrical flourishes, or reinterpret legendary figures from the Greek War of Independence in stylized watercolor.

Adventure and Exploration

Themes of journeying—foreign streets, seafaring, wilderness excursions—surfaced frequently in the works showcased on the site. This sense of movement reinforced the imaginative tone of the portfolio.

Bold Ink + Watercolor Technique

The signature medium involved a combination of:

• fine black linework

• loose and expressive watercolor

• ink washes

• occasional digital enhancements

Hastings frequently discussed his process, noting the importance of bold color, controlled sloppiness, and flexibility. His ability to merge precise detail with energetic, unpredictable color fields produced a visual language that stood out among contemporaries.

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Exhibitions: Documentation and Artistic Milestones

One of LeviathanLeague.com’s most valuable contributions was its detailed record of Hastings’ exhibition history. From 2010 to 2014, the website maintained chronological listings of solo and group shows across the West Coast. These listings functioned as both résumé and historical archive.

Event records included:

• Solo shows in Seattle venues such as Georgetown Liquor Company, Poco Wine Room, and American Pie Bakery & Café

• Group shows with themes ranging from comic-inspired exhibitions to marriage equality, dystopian worlds, B-movie tributes, and natural science

• Collaborations with cultural organizations like Three Dollar Bill Cinema and Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

The sheer volume of exhibitions documented on the site suggests that LeviathanLeague.com served as a central component of Hastings’ professional visibility. It highlighted his momentum, his integration into multiple artistic subcultures, and his adaptability in participating in both fine-art and pop-culture-driven shows.

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Press, Media Coverage, and Public Recognition

Hastings’ work attracted coverage in multiple alternative and regional publications. Based on surviving records, the following outlets featured or reviewed his art during the LeviathanLeague.com years:

• The Stranger (Seattle’s influential alt-weekly)

• Portland Mercury

• City Arts Magazine

• Willamette Week

• Hello Mr.

These publications frequently highlight artists who combine technical skill with wit, narrative depth, and cultural commentary—characteristics evident throughout the illustrations displayed on LeviathanLeague.com.

The site itself also subtly documented Hastings’ growing reputation by showing the evolution of his commissions and client list. Clients included editorial publications, film organizations, game companies, and design studios.

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The Blog: Insight Into Process and Personality

A significant portion of LeviathanLeague.com’s charm came from its blog entries. These posts captured Hastings’ working rhythm during the early 2010s and gave readers insight into the personality behind the artwork.

Blog posts often included:

• new artwork reveals

• short commentary on creative process

• humor and self-reflection

• references to exhibitions

• stylistic experimentation

Pieces like Astrodame, Nut-head, Mossman and Coos Beast, and The Mighty Whales of K-Pod highlighted his playful subject matter. These blog entries also demonstrated the speed and consistency with which he produced small-format watercolor pieces—a hallmark of his early creative identity.

For art historians, illustrators, and fans, the blog served as a direct channel into the workflow of an artist comfortable with both discipline and spontaneity.

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Audience and Community Impact

LeviathanLeague.com appealed to a diverse audience, including:

• gallery-goers from Seattle’s indie art scene

• fans of pop-culture-inspired artwork

• illustrators seeking inspiration from mixed media

• followers of LGBTQ+ arts communities

• collectors of watercolor and ink originals

• comic and fantasy enthusiasts

• readers of alternative West Coast publications

Because the site blended artistic presentation with casual commentary, it created a feeling of accessibility. Viewers were not only shown finished illustrations but were invited into the creative process. This transparency strengthened community engagement and built trust among both casual fans and professional collaborators.

Within LGBTQ+ art circles, Hastings’ work also resonated strongly. His portrayal of tattooed bar brawlers, whimsical aristocrats, and mythic heroes often included subtle queer themes—whether in posture, stylization, or narrative tone. Exhibitions such as Speak Now! and Portraits of Pride reflected his connection to LGBTQ+ cultural movements in Seattle during the early 2010s.

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Cultural and Social Significance

LeviathanLeague.com holds cultural value beyond its function as an artist’s site because it represents:

1. The transitional era of artist-driven web presence

The early 2010s marked a shift away from traditional blogs toward modern social and portfolio platforms (Behance, Instagram, later ArtStation). LeviathanLeague.com captures the moment before this transition, when artists still controlled every aspect of their digital presentation through custom domains and handcrafted layouts.

2. A snapshot of Seattle’s art scene

The website documents an era of Seattle gallery culture that heavily featured independent illustrators and pop-culture-driven shows. Many of the venues listed were central to the city’s creative energy in the 2010–2014 period.

3. A record of evolving thematic interest

Hastings’ explorations of mythology, queer identity, humor, and historical narrative reflect wider cultural conversations happening in West Coast art communities at the time.

4. Preservation of process-driven creativity

Few modern portfolio platforms allow the same archival depth that personal websites once offered. LeviathanLeague.com preserves not only finished works but also the texture of artistic progression.

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The Domain After 2014: Preservation and Legacy

Once the domain registration expired, a new owner acquired LeviathanLeague.com but chose an unusually respectful approach:

• The site was not commercialized

• The original artistic identity was preserved

• Archived material from 2010–2014 remained accessible

• Brief contextual notes were added to explain the transition

• Visitors were directed toward Levi Hastings’ current website

This unusual stewardship allowed LeviathanLeague.com to remain a historical artifact rather than disappearing into domain recycling or advertising space. Many early artist sites are lost entirely; LeviathanLeague.com remains intact enough to be educational, informative, and culturally valuable.

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LeviathanLeague.com is more than a defunct personal website—it is a preserved fragment of digital art history. It documents an important phase in illustrator Levi Hastings’ career, offering a detailed view of his early exhibitions, artistic evolution, thematic interests, and creative process.

Through its mixture of portfolio presentation, blogging, exhibition documentation, press visibility, and stylistic variety, the website provides invaluable insight into both the artist and the artistic climate of Seattle in the early 2010s.

Even after transitioning to new ownership, the domain continues to honor the spirit of the original site. This preservation—rare in the lifecycle of expired artist domains—ensures that LeviathanLeague.com remains a meaningful resource for fans, researchers, and anyone studying the digital progression of independent illustrators.

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