Year of the Horse

According to the Chinese zodiac, this is the first day in the Year of the Horse! I was planning on designing a new years promotion based on this theme - but got sidetracked by other deadlines. I only got as far as doodling some ideas in my sketchbook. So in honor of the Chinese New Year, I wanted to share them with you.

Update: I decided to go ahead and design a promotional card 

with this Chinese New Years  theme. 

You can check out which sketch I chose, 

and see the illustration here.

Happy New Year:-)

Pete Seeger

I drew these sketches of Pete Seeger as he performed in Woodstock, NY, in 2012. At 92 years old, he was still speaking truth to power - and empowering everyday people - with his songs.  Years ago, my daughters and I got to meet him at a book-signing. He was so kind and approachable, yet passionate about local issues. He spoke at length about motivating General Electric to remove PCB pollutants which had been dumped into the Hudson River. Because of his voice (along with those of many concerned citizens), President Bush's EPA ruled in favor of cleaning up the river. No doubt, Pete will be remembered as one of the founders of the modern environmental movement.

Pete Seeger performing with his sister, Peggy.

Pete Seeger passed away today, but his contributions 
to society will always be remembered.

Commuters

A few months back, my friend Adam shared a photo he'd taken while waiting for a train into Penn Station. The panoramic image, which was shot on the Rhinecliff Station platform, captured such an amazing portrait of commuters. I attempted to capture the same spirit in a drawing. To add some authenticity to this portrait, I used an Amtrak Empire Service - Eastbound Timetable as my canvas. It was a lot of fun.

detail of left...

...detail of middle...

...detail of right

I used various mixed media in executing this drawing.

The photo that inspired my drawing, by Adam Aronson

Thanks to Adam Aronson for providing me 

with such inspiring and universal subject-matter .

Beautiful prints of this piece are now available here!

Wherever you're headed on life's tracks,

safe travels!

Works on Paper Opening

I had a wonderful time attending the Works on Paper opening on Saturday evening - at the Atwater Gallery in Rhinebeck NY. Over thirty talented arts were represented in this show, which is up until February 13th. I revieved great feedback for my Flounder drawing, which was drawn on butcher paper. If you're in the area, I hope you'll take a peek at this fun exhibit. 

 You can view more from this series, which I call Food for Thought, here.

Or you can see a variety of my personal work here. 

Red Hook Recycles

Yesterday, I spotted this sign in front of the Red Hook Village Hall - promoting Electronic Waste Recycling Day. This piece was originally part of a series of drawings I donated to help promote a local energy-saving progam, the Red Hook 10% Challenge. Last month, Mayor Ed Blundell asked me if the town could reuse this art to advertize their recycling drive, and I was happy to oblige. 

Environmentalists say, "Think globally, act locally".  

I'm glad to see my drawings being put to good use.

Burn Calories while Drawing

If I were to sketch a scene while training on an elliptical machine, it might look something like the drawing above. Oh, wait. That's exactly what I did! This is a great way to practice drawing - and burn calories at the same time.

It was also fun to draw scenes while spinning on the exercise bike. I work out at the gym on a regular basis, so it felt right to start sketching observations there. January is a great time to draw at IXL Fitness - because it's full of people attempting to honor their new year's resolutions.

The kinetic atmosphere there led to some very sloppy - but energetic drawings.

You can view more glimpses inside my sketchbook here.

Works on Paper Exhibit

I'm thrilled to be displaying this piece in the upcoming Works on Paper exhibit, at the Atwater Gallery, Rhinebeck NY. This group show's opening is Saturday, January 18th (5 - 8 pm). If you live in the area, please stop in for a glass of wine - and say hello!

I had fun building this shadowbox for the drawing , which doubles as a very shallow aquarium.

You can view more art from this series, which I call Food for Thought, here.

Currency Quiz

This piece in today's Wall Street Journal accompanies a quiz about how international currencies affect your investments. Many mutual funds are invested in foreign currencies - all of which have different strengths when weighed against the US dollar. As an investor, it's important to understand how these various currencies can affect the value of your mutual funds. Thanks to Orlie Kraus and Sheryl Dermawan for helping me find the right balance in this fun assignment!

Thanks for viewing. You can see more color illustrations right here.

Illustrious Equations

The summer heat inspired me to share these equation-themed illustrations. As a child, did you ever use flash cards to practice mathematical tables? I always thought this format had visual potential beyond numbers. By adding or subtracting elements from an image, you can convey fun and provocative ideas. I can see this equation-theme applied to greeting cards, website banners, children's books, and all kinds of projects. In any case, I hope your summer adds up to a happy one!

This was inspired by a story about poodle-couture in Dogue Magazine.

This was inspired by graffiti which had a political organizing theme. I also kept
thinking about the ongoing collective bargaining debate in Wisconsin this year.

Year-end Sketchbook...

I drew the picture above as my dog Lily sat in my lap - shivering in fear - as she awaited her yearly check-up at our local animal hospital. Fortunately, the vet was able to extract a rotten tooth, Lily's up to date on her shots - and is in great shape for 2014.  I love sketchbooks, because they remind me exactly what I was doing at specific autobiographical moments in life. Each drawing is like a marker in time. Here are a few excerpts from the last week of 2013, and one from the new year.

From a beautiful Christmas Eve service...

At the movie theater, waiting for American Hustle to begin...

At 88 years old, mom is allowed to take naps any time she likes, especially on Christmas.

I burned 109 calories on the exercise bike while drawing this scene ( at IXL Fitness)

Thanks for viewing. You can see more sketchbook excerpts here.

Here's to a happy and healthy 2014!