Fala

Fala, a Scottish terrier, was FDR's beloved sidekick throughout the latter part of his White House years. The President was given this loyal pooch by his cousin, Daisy Suckley, who raised and trained Fala at her Rhinebeck estate, Wilderstein. This glorious home on the Hudson is now a historical site. Along with other local  artists, I was asked to decorate a cast-iron Scottie-dog to be auctioned off at a fundraiser for Wilderstein. I thought collage might be a fun way to connect the elements of this story together. 

I applied collage elements all around Fala

          

 collaged details of the history, locale, and natural setting of Wilderstein

 

Creating this piece helped me hone my exacto-knife and Modpodge skills...

This is the original cast-iron Scottish Terrier I started with...

This piece will be included in a silent auction on at Wilderstein's Summer House Party, July 8th 2023  5:00-8:00 PM (330 Morton Rd, Rhinebeck, NY). You can RSVP on their website, or call 845-876-4818 for more information. Enormous thanks to my friend and Wilderstein board member, Robin Cherry, for including me in this project. 

 

Fala having an intimate moment with my sweet pooch, Dolly.

 

   Thanks for viewing!

Hispanic Hudson Valley

Here's a recent piece for an article about the burgeoning Hispanic community in the Hudson Valley. Many of these residents are immigrants who are limited by their native tongue. But even with the language barrier, most in this community believe strongly in the American dream. To help them navigate through our culture, Bard College started publishing  La Voz Magazine. This Spanish language publication helps families find resources such as affordable healthcare, housing and ESL classes. You can read this cover story in the Winter issue of About Town magazine.

Below are some sketches for this piece...

Thanks for visiting, and hasta la vista, my friends.

Hudson River Rising

This piece is on my drawing table today - for an article discussing how global warming could affect the Hudson River. I'll be posting more about this piece soon.

"I believe global warming and climate change are real threats to our planet."
Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York

A Riverkeeper Retrospective

The Hudson Valley is considered the birthplace of the modern American environmental movement. Riverkeeper was founded by one of those original activists, Robert H. Boyle, to protect the Hudson River from polluters. This organization advocates for the region through environmental litigation. Here are covers I've contributed to their newsletter over the years.

A patchwork quilt-themed representation of the Hudson River

This art appeared in 2002 Society of Illustrators Annual.

This issue addressed how General Electric's PCB pollutants were affecting the Hudson River.

Detail of a striped bass made of PCB pollutants.

This was part of a successful campaign pressuring GE to remove PCB pollutants from the Hudson.

The slogan "Think globally, act locally" is true.
Riverkeeper campaigns continue to hold polluters accountable,
and help protect this beautiful valley I call home.

You can view my new illustration website here!