Prescription for Abuse

This drawing for About Town accompanied a story about prescription painkiller abuse. The National Institute of Drug Abuse estimates that over 5.3 million Americans abuse these drugs yearly. This goes under the radar because users can easily mask their addiction. My editor liked this solution because the user's identity is hidden behind a prescription. All the speculation surrounding Whitney Houston's tragic death served as an eery backdrop to drawing this picture.

Thanks to Paul De Angelis for another though-provoking illustration assignment.

You can view my new illustration website here!

Stock Market Scrabble

 

Illustration assignments are often indicators of economic trends. As an example, this is my third drawing in recent weeks about ETF funds; investment vehicles that are becoming increasingly popular on Wall Street. This image accompanied a story about the importance of naming a ticker symbol for a new fund. Picking a catchy name can draw attention to your product, much like a vanity plate on an automobile. For the Wall Street Journal editors, this 'Scrabble' theme best captured the story's spirit. I hope you get a kick of these ideas I ticked off for this assignment! 

You can view my new illustration website here!

The Secret Cellar

Here's a peek at some drawings that will appear in The Secret Cellar, the newest installment of the Red Blazer Girls mystery series. What goes on in this this spooky cellar? Are vintage French wines hidden down there? What creepy characters are lurking in the shadows? Oh, rats! I can't tell you. For answers, you must read Michael Beil's fabulous book when it comes out later this year. One secret I can reveal is that it was really fun dreaming up these images.

You can view my new illustration website here!

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My daughter Abigail is a big fan of this series,
so I can't wait to give her a copy of The Secret Cellar!