Birds of Africa

 

In recent months, I've been feeling creatively stuck. Part of the issue is that I work primarily in B&W, which can get monotonous. To shake things up, I pulled out my gouache paints, Prismacolor pencils, and markers. It was a lot of fun to fill the paper with color, and work loosely, without pressure.

I had a lot of fun drawing some birds of Africa!

Emmett Till

 

 Embedded within the lines, colors and shape of every map lies a story. Within every state in our union lies a history. Behind every face is a life. While drawing this portrait of Emmett Till, I was struck by the hopeful spark in his eyes. After his shocking murder in Mississippi, Emmett’s mother had the courage to show him to the world in a drastically different light. In exposing what racial violence really looks like, she helped propel the US civil rights movement light years forward.

Iowa Haystacks

 

I drew this piece in tribute to the Agricultural heart of America, Iowa. While creating this drawing, I kept thinking about the legendary painter of Iowa landscapes, Grant Wood. This is part of a series called World Tour - in which I use 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.

Flaco the Owl

 

I was touched by the story of Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl who escaped his long-time enclosure at Central Park Zoo in February,2023 . People were concerned that he wouldn't survive out in the concrete jungle, but Flaco proved to be a deft big-city hunter. With his knack for freedom and survival, this plucky underdog gained a lot of fans. He gained the status of a folk hero, being spotted all over the city. Sadly, after he was found dead in February 2024, rat poison and severe pigeon virus were detected in his system. This owl will be missed, but his legend will live on. As my daughters stroll through Central Park, I imagine the wisdom of an owl perched upon their shoulders, guiding them on their path. Their freedom is fueled by this high-flying spirit, who soars above crosstown traffic. Long live Flaco.

Prints of this piece are available here, in my Etsy shop.

10% of profits from each print will be donated to World Wildlife Fund.

Palestine Sunbirds

 I was messing around with a drawing of Palestine sunbirds. Our prayers are with the people living in Gaza - who desperately need shelter, food, medical aid, and peace. We need a ceasefire now.

African Cat Power

 

Africa. It runs on cat power.  

Prints of this piece are available here, in my Etsy shop.

10% of profits from each print will be donated to World Wildlife Fund.

  

Palestine Mountain Gazelle

 

Here’s a drawing of mountain gazelles, the national animal of Palestine, which is listed as an endangered species. Our prayers are with the civilians of Gaza - who desperately need food, shelter, medical aid, and peace. We need a ceasefire now.

Amelia Earhart

 

This aviator went missing somewhere in the Pacific. But this high-flying spirit was so inspiring, even a Barbie doll was created in her image.

Polar Bear

 

Without a doubt, the mighty polar bear lives in the crosshairs of climate change. Because the environment they thrive in has been so dramatically altered by global warming, these magnificent creatures have been classified as a vulnerable species. 

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

Small Works Show

 

I’m thrilled to have this tiny turtle drawing, measuring 5” by 7”, included in the juried Small Works show at @440gallery , 440 6th Ave, Brooklyn, NY. The opening is December 2, 4-6 PM. To any of my Brooklyn friends, I’d love to see you there. Enormous thanks to the juror, Grace R Freedman, for including me in this exhibit.

Mollie Burkhart

 

I was very moved by both the book (by David Grann) and film adaptation (by Martin Scorsese) of Killers of the Flower Moon. Molly Burkhart, of the Osage indians, was the emotional center of this horrific chapter of American history. I drew this piece in tribute to her.

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

Trilobite

As a kid growing up in Buffalo, I used to go fossil hunting in creek beds east of Lake Erie, where we’d find trilobites aplenty. These tiny marine arthropods may have died off 251 million years ago, but they left their stamp all over Western NY.

Vladimir Putin

I drew this portrait of portrait of Vladimir Putin for Foreign Affairs Magazine (@foreignaffairsmag) . It accompanies an in-depth and nuanced critique of his foreign policy. Enormous thanks to art director, Ed Johnson, for this assignment.

Bengal Tiger

 

India, home of the Bengal tiger, is forecast to be impacted soonest and hardest by the extreme effects of climate change. Along with the human toll, we will lose beautiful creatures such as this. There's still time to turn things around, but we need to follow the lead of wise people, many of whom are very young, like Greta Thunberg. She's not speaking for herself. She's speaking for the multitude of her generation, who   want to have a hopeful future, and save our f#*king planet.

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

(10% of profit from each print sale will be donated to the World Wildlife Fund.)

 

Emperor Penguins

Here's a portrait of Emperor Penguins. Without a doubt doubt, this iconic bird is the true emperor of Antarctica. As I was drawing this, temperatures in Antarctica were 70 degrees above normal. What does this portend for these majestic creatures? This is piece will be included in an exhibit at Mattatuck  Museum in Waterbury, CT, starting January 18th. The show is titled Sea Change, See Change, and it's designed to inspire action in dealing with climate change.

Prints of this piece are available here, in my Etsy shop.

(10% profit from the sale of each print will be donated to the World Wildlife Fund.)

Albert Einstein

 

While drawing this iconic physicist, it seemed as though I was getting lost in a tiny universe. Albert Einstein’s head may have been in the stars, but his heart was firmly grounded in humanity.

Prints of this piece are available here, in my Etsy shop

Kiwi Bird

 

If New Zealand had its own version of Godzilla, I imagine he'd look something like this. All jokes aside, this country is at the very top of my bucket-list to visit. I'd love to explore all the culture, grand landscapes, and exotic nature which this nation has to offer (I'm also a fan of such bands/musicians as The Chills, Lorde, the Verlaines, and the Clean). When contemplating a subject for this map, I felt this unique national bird felt like the proper tribute. My next-door  neighbor (who's from Australia) once mentioned that the nickname for New Zealanders is "kiwis", and that put a cherry on top of this theme.

Sign prints of this portrait are available here, in my Etsy shop!

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!

Mapping Exhibit Announcement

 

I'm thrilled to announce that this portrait, John Lewis, Civil Rights Hero, has been accepted into a juried show at 440 Gallery, 440 6th Avenue, in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The theme of this exhibit is Mapping, and the opening reception is June 29, 5-7 PM. Enormous thanks to jurist, Maddy Rosenberg, for recognizing this piece for inclusion with other great artists. Hope to see all my Brooklyn friends there!    

American Bison

I grew up far far away from Wyoming, in Buffalo, NY. The The American Bison is a symbol of my home city, so I've always had a strong affinity for these beautiful animals. It's frightening to think they were nearly brought to extinction in the late 1800's. Thankfully, these majestic creatures are roaming Yellowstone Park and ranches of Wyoming once again. No doubt, it's on my bucket-list to visit this epic western state.

 

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