Appaloosa Horses of Idaho

 

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've been focusing on drawing various official US state animals. In this case it's Idaho, known for Appaloosa horses,

 

Drawing as Meditation

 

In this topsy-turvy world, drawing can be a wonderful way to center yourself.

Beyond the Curves Exhibit at Gallery 40

I’m thrilled to have the piece below included in a juried group show Gallery 40, 40 Canon St, Poughkeepsie, NY. The exhibit, Beyond the Curves, is a celebration of courageous, outrageous, and trailblazing women. My drawing depicts Mollie Burkhart, whose story inspired Killers of the Flower Moon. The show opens tomorrow, July 6th, 5-7 PM, and runs through July 28. Check it out! 

Patti Smith

 

Without question, Patti Smith is one of the most iconic Jersey girls to emerge out of the Garden State. Attending one of her concerts, which are filled with inspiring songs and poetry, is like witnessing a force of nature. Her message is to use your voice to help make this world a better place. Patti has the power to make us, as citizens, realize we have the power to make a difference on this planet. For that reason, she's one of my heroes.

Jimmy Carter

 

Here's a tribute to a peanut farmer from Georgia, who in retirement, built houses for people in need. Throughout his life, Mr. Carter was involved in many humanitarian causes, and, oh yeah, he also served as 39th President of the United States of America. 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.

Gabriel García Márquez

 

 I attempted some magical realism while depicting one of my daughter’s favorite authors. No doubt, this beloved Colombian belongs in the pantheon of Latin American writers. 

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.

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.

Hopi Indian Woman

 

 
This portrait of a Hopi woman was drawn on an 1893 map of Arizona. Without a doubt, Hopi Indian culture is so unique and wonderful, its influence travels to galaxies far far way. 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.

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!

Secretariat

 

No doubt, the spirit of Secretariat looms large in Louisville. I finished this drawing a few days before the 2023 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. I discovered later that this year's race marks the 50th Anniversary of this racehorse's legendary Triple Crown run, an extraordinary achievement.

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

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!

Stephen King

 

Just as the boogeyman was jumping out of the closet, Stephen King was emerging out of Maine. At age 14, I picked up my first collection of short stories by this author, Night Shift. Foolishly, I brought this book on a camping trip, deep in the New England woods. While reading in the isolation of the forest, his stories scared the crap out of me, and I loved every minute of it. Decades later, I'm still hooked on the King of Horror.

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

James Gandolfini

 

 

He ruled this turf with killer acting chops.

Rest in peace, James Gandolfini.

This is part of an ongoing project, where I'm 

attempting to draw a picture on every 

map in an old Rand McNally atlas.

Stay tuned for more!