Rhymes With...

I attempted to illustrate nine words that rhyme. Can you figure out what those nine words are? For the first person who submits the right answers, I  will draw a custom 6" by 8" portrait of their pet, or a subject of their choice. You can leave answers in the comments box below. Thanks for trying!

The original drawing - graphite and charcoal on Strathmore medium drawing paper.

Are you scratching your head? If you've got an idea, please leave your answers in the comments below.  Thanks for your participation! I'll post the correct answers in a few days.

Update: You can see all the correct answers here.

You can see previous Weekly Lists, here and here.

Marist Tribute

Tim Massie is a beloved man at Marist College. My portrait of this outgoing administrator (and teacher) was presented to him at an honorary luncheon. Mr. Massie contributed much to the Marist community with his expertise in journalism and communication, as well as his enthusiasm for learning. He is compared by many to Lowell Thomas, a legendary journalist/broadcaster who's curiosity and numerous activities made him uncategorizable. Mr. Massie will be missed at Marist College!

Here are some ideas for this portrait:

My clients liked various elements of the above sketches, and sent me this 'cut & paste' version - combining all the elements they liked:

A pile of sketches on my desk.

Thanks to Leslie Bates for another excellent assignment.

You can see some fun pieces about social media for Marist Magazine right here.

The Weekly List: Joe

There's nothing average about Joe. This name can refer to some of our greatest leaders, athletes, musicians, and dogs. On another end of the spectrum, some of the most insidious, evil and cancerous characters are named Joe. Heck, there's even a cup of coffee named Joe! This guy is all over the place. Here's my weekly list - an attempt to draw a bunch of Joe's.

Joe Strummer - founder of "The Only Band That Matters", The Clash

Dr. Joseph Mengele - German SS officer and a physician in the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz

Joe Cool (Snoopy's alter-ego)

Vice President Joseph Biden - contemplating gun control?

Joe Paterno - legendary football coach who's legacy was tainted by a horrific sexual-abuse scandal.

Joe Dimaggio - Legendary N.Y. Yankee (who was once married to Marylin Monroe)

Cup of Joe - a name possibly derived from 'a cup of jamoke' (a compound of Java and Mocha)

G.I. Joe - action figure

Joe Camel - former spokes-camel for Camel Cigarettes

Joseph McCarthy - U.S. Senator who exploited people's fear of communism

Thanks for viewing.

I'd love your suggestions for other Joe's I should add to this list.

In case you missed it, you can view last week's list right here.

Inventors of Ethernet

Robert Metcalfe and David Boggs are the inventors of ethernet. They developed a standard for connecting computers over short distances. This portrait appeared in a calender showcasing great innovators in technology. My client, Softmart, is a leading provider of software licensing, IT hardware and asset management tools to organizations.

For sketches, I worked with past and present references of Mr. Boggs and Mr. Metcalfe-integrating their likenesses with ethernet technology. Art directors, Dan Zuena and Ray Gideon, liked this 'coaxial cable spiral' theme, showing the inventors, circa 1973. This calender page is for August, so I utilized a Summer pallet of colors.

August 2013 Softmart calender page

Now, whenever I turn on my personal computer network,  I give thanks to Mr. Metcalfe and Mr. Boggs (for their contributions to technology). Their portrait reminds me of two TV heroes from my youth; they're like the Starsky & Hutch of IT!

I tend to utilize multiple drawings on vellum paper to construct an illustration. With this project, I had so many scraps of drawings sitting around my studio, I decided to collage them together. I like the translucent affect  created from this experiment.

Thanks to Dan Zuena and Ray Gideon for another fun assignment.
You can see my contribution to last year's Softmart calender, a portrait of Jame Fergason 

(inventor of LCD technology), right here.

You can view my new illustration website here!

Bobby D.

One morning I was tuned into the Howard Stern Show. He announced that the great 'Bobby D' would be a guest in studio the next hour. Bobby D? Who's that? Bob Dylan? Bob Dole? Bob Deniro? It turned out the be the accomplished actor, Robert Duvall. In any case, the wonderful ambiguity of 'Bobby D' stayed with me - and inspired this tribute drawing.

1. Robert Deniro - my favorite goodfella of all time.

2. Bob Dole - the kind of moderate statesman who's sorely missed in today's congress.

3. Robert Duvall - a great actor, director, and tango dancer.

4. Bob Denver - star of a TV show I wasted much of my childhood watching.

5. Bobby Darin - Singer of one of my favorite songs, Beyond the Sea.

6. Bob Dylan - "I live like a poet and I'll die like a poet."

I'm certain I've overlooked some important  Bobby D's on this list.

Please write with any suggestions.

Thanks, and please come back and visit!

Update: You can see a new weekly list right here.