Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Anthony Fantano

 

His melon is so filled with colorful music commentary, it could fill the state of Connecticut. This is Anthony Fantano,  the internet’s busiest music nerd. I’ve discovered so much great new music by watching his youtube channel, The Needle Drop. Check it out!





Friday, September 10, 2021

Cole Porter

 


Do an of you know how to Begin the Beguine? Maybe the brilliant songwriter, Cole Porter, knows the answer. Better yet, maybe the answer is right in the song. I better start listening to it!


Signed prints of this piece are available here, in my Etsy shop!





Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Henry David Thoreau


Sometimes it takes an eternity for one of my Etsy listings to find the right audience. But I’m thrilled to be sending out my very first print of this Henry David Thoreau portrait (I always include a bunch of fun postcards with every order). Thanks to all my customers!  

Signed prints of this piece are available here, in my Etsy shop!

Roscoe

 


Periodically, I draw pet portraits as commissions. I created this one of Roscoe, who recently passed over the rainbow bridge. As his family mourns his passing, they wanted a depiction of Roscoe in his favorite field, overlooking the Hudson Valley countryside.

 Please visit my Etsy shop to view more fun portraits! 



Saturday, July 24, 2021

Kurt Cobain

 


In serendipitous fashion, this city and musician helped to put each other on the map. The phenomenon of Kurt Cobain and his band, Nirvana, helped shine a spotlight on the vital Seattle music scene.  This late-great singer/songwriter will always be associated with the beautiful city he called home. This is part of a series called World Tour - in which I use maps and pages from an old atlas as canvases - painting images relating to the place on each map.


Signed prints of this piece are available here, in my Etsy shop!

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Mayan Face

 


In 1979, my parents visited the ancient Mayan site of Tikal in Guatemala. Recently, my father gave me the original map of the grounds, and I used it to channel this drawing.

Signed prints of this piece are available here (in my Etsy shop)!

A scan of the original drawing


Me holding the original 22 in by 22 in map drawing


Robespierre

 

On a recent visit to my local recycling center, I came across a mysterious book, Esoteric Astrology, which was published in 1913. It was filled with strange diagrams, as well as astrological charts of notable people. Heres a portrait of a key proponent of the French revolution, Maximilien Robespierre, drawn on his birth chart. Happy Bastille Day! 

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Giovanni Verga

 

Giovanni Verga was an Italian writer who's novella, Cavalleria Rusticate, was the inspiration for the classic opera, Rustic Chivalry.

Enrico Caruso

  
 

Here's a portrait of the great Italian singer, Enrico Caruso, drawn on a page of an opera he starred in, Pagliacci.   

Sunday, June 27, 2021

Ian Mackaye

 

 
This musician has always been front and center in the Washington, DC punk scene. The founder of legendary bands such as Minor Threat, Fugazi, and The Evens, it’s Ian Mackaye. His integrity and DIY spirit are truly inspiring. Oh yeah, and the music kicks ass.


Signed prints of this portrait are available here (in my Etsy shop)!

Norman Rockwell

 


Emerging out of the Berkshires, it’s an American master. From his studio in Stockbridge, MA, Norman Rockwell captured our country’s spirit  in iconic paintings. I am blessed to live within an hour’s drive of the museum named after him. As an illustrator, I could never find a better place to get inspired.



Nina Simone

 

With songs like Mississippi Goddam, she energized the civil rights movement of the 1960s. We’ve been missing Nina Simone for some time now, but her music is still the perfect soundtrack to the protests of this past year.


Signed prints of this portrait are available here (in my Etsy shop)!

10% of proceeds from each print will be donated to Black Lives Matter.

Friday, June 18, 2021

James Gandolfini

 


He ruled this New Jersey turf with killer acting chops. This map not only represents some of the stomping grounds of his most iconic character (Tony Soprano), but also Mr. Gandolfini’s hometown of Westwood, New Jersey. His immense presence is sorely missed in this world.


Signed prints of this piece are available Here (in my Etsy shop)!

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Jean-Michel Basquiat

 


The son of a Haitian-immigrant father, and a mother who's family hailed from Puerto Rico, this acclaimed American painter has deep roots in in the Caribbean. No doubt, that rich background boils up in his spectacular paintings.  


                            Signed print of this portrait are available here, in my Etsy shop! 

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

The Beatles


While drawing this portrait, I kept imagining if this is what a Zoom call, in London, in 1968, might have looked like? No doubt, whenever these four musicians were on the same map, they changed our musical landscape in a most magical way.  

Sign prints of this portrait are available HERE (in my Etsy shop)!
 
War is over...if you want it  ~ John Lennon


Peace and love, peace and love   ~ Ringo Starr


Love is all you need  ~ Paul McCartney


With our love, we could save the world   ~ George Harrison


Monday, March 15, 2021

PJ Harvey

 
In this past year, I rediscovered the simple joy of listening to great albums. I’m trying to pay respect to artists who’ve helped me through this pandemic. Here’s a British singer/songwriter, who’s album, Let England Shake, is a poetic and powerful antiwar statement. PJ Harvey


Signed prints of this piece are available Here (in my Etsy shop)!

Saturday, February 27, 2021

Langston Hughes


 

It’s been eye-opening to read a lot about African-American history this past year. I kept learning about folks who escaped the racist regions they were brought up in, and navigated their way north, to more enlightened parts of America . Born in Joplin, Missouri, one legendary poet/activist would participate in this great migration. He would find his voice as a member of the Harlem Renaissance.  


Sighed prints of this piece are available here (in my Etsy shop)!

Friday, January 22, 2021

Willie Nelson

 



For some strange reason, whenever I think of Texas, Wille Nelson comes to mind. No doubt, he has legendary status as a musician, activist and weed proponent. Given these credentials, it makes sense that Texas is in a Willie Nelson state of mind.


 Prints of this piece are available here (in my Etsy shop)!


10% of proceeds from each print will be donated to Farm Aid, a charity which he founded to help farm families in need. 

 

Thursday, January 21, 2021

Josh Allen

 


This NFL quarterback (of the Buffalo Bills) perfectly embodies the spirit of my hometown. On the  field, Josh Allen has the exceptional talent and leadership to bring home a Vince Lombardi trophy.  Off the field, his charitable work (at places like Oishei Children's Hospital, where I was born) has made a huge difference in the community. No doubt, Josh Allen has all of Buffalo (and me) talking proud!

Signed prints of this portrait are available here (in my Etsy shop)! 

$ 17 from each sale will be donated to Josh Allen’s charity, The Children’s Hospital Foundation of Buffalo.


Sunday, January 10, 2021

Lloyd

 


Here’s a pet portrait commission I drew for friends who recently lost their sweet dog, Lloyd. He loved playing outdoors, and this is a depiction of him as a puppy.