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.

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.

Sitting In at Princeton

Here's a new piece for Princeton - about a student reporter embedded at a sit-in in the school president's office. The students were protesting the university's use of Woodrow Wilson's name on a campus building. They were also shining a light on his racist views. While the president's office was in lock-down for 32 hours, the reporter (Gabe Fisher) was able to blog real-time updates about negotiations between students and the school president, Christopher Eisgruber (standing). The sit-in sparked a passionate debate about race, legacy, political correctness, and the concept of scrubbing history.

In this illustration detail, the university president leans against his desk on the left.

Below are ideas I submitted for this story...

A special thanks to art director of Princeton Alumni Weekly,
Marianne Nelson, for another fascinating assignment!

You can check out my new illustration website here!

Baggage of History

In recent months, news stories relating to race have reverberated through our society. While there are those who argue that we live in a post-racial society, many Americans believe that racism is alive and well. How much influence does America's horrific history of slavery have on our psyches today? Do we somehow internalize this ugly baggage? Do we continue to be informed by it? Are there lessons to be learned from it?

Thanks for visiting. Your can view more observations from my sketchbook here.

Rosa Parks

I just completed over fifty drawings for textbooks geared towards giving 4th and 5th graders more courage to write.  I illustrated essays by variety of fascinating people, from former Secretary of State, Condeleeza Rice - to the astronaut who fixed the Hubble Telescope. My favorite essay was by Rosa Parks, who's crime of sitting in the wrong seat on a bus became a rallying cry for the civil rights movement. As in the picture above (of Rosa Parks' childhood home), these drawings depict pivotal places (and moments) which helped define who she was.

As a child in the 1920's, Rosa attended a wooden schoolhouse.

White children were bussed to far nicer schools

White students used to throw trash at Rosa and classmates as they walked to school.

During segregation, African-Americans were required to enter and stay in the back of the bus.

My depiction of the seating chart for the bus Rosa Parks was arrested on.

From Rosa Parks' perspective, a view of her bus driver with police officers.

From Rosa Parks perspective, after her arrest. The officers were very respectful towards her.

A special thanks to art director Carmela Stricklett at Amplify, 

who helped guide me through this massive (but very fun) project.

You can view my new illustration website here!

"Memories of our lives, of our works and our deeds will continue in others."

~ Rosa Parks

Word Play

This oddball sketchbook drawing was inspired by the classic Camper Van Beethoven song, Take the Skinheads Bowling. Thanks for visiting, and happy bowling!

Word Play

Although we've come a long way, it's clear that racism is still a serious issue in America. This odd bird of a drawing was inspired by the words of rancher Cliven Bundy, NBA franchise owner Donald Sterling, as well as the hideous actions of former  Kansas Klan leader, Frazier Glenn Cross. The Southern Poverty Law Center tracks "hate groups" around the U.S. Here's link to a hate map they created, showing where these groups are active.

 

Klan Colors

How would white supremacists react if a rainbow descended upon their rally?

World Tour (part 3)

I continue to hopscotch around the globe (with inspiration coming from an old atlas). 

Here are recent drawings I've dug out my suitcase to share with you...

Scottish Pictish

Stereoscopic Palmetto State

Tierradentro, Colombia

Kowardice? Cowardice.

George Orwell

In case you missed earlier adventures from my World Tour, 

here's the first leg, and here's the second leg.

Prints of all of these pieces are available here!

Thanks for viewing.