Condeleeza

Here are pieces I illustrated for an English textbook geared towards giving 4th graders more courage to write. They accompany an essay by former US Secretary of State, Condeleeza Rice,  who recounts how she came to have such a unique name. Before she was born, her parents could only guess what sex she would be. Her father was certain they'd have a boy - who'd become a football star - and be named John.

 If they had a girl, her mother wanted a name relating to music. She wrote down various musical annotations, and fell in love with Con Dolce and Con Dolcezza, which translate to "with sweetness". Condeleeza was born out of these Italian phrases.

Was her father disappointed that he didn't have a son to play ball with? To the contrary, his heart melted upon seeing his beautiful daughter in the maternity ward. Of all the babies in this room, she appeared to raise her head, making direct eye-contact with him. Condeleeza Rice went on to serve in one of the most important positions in our government, heading the U.S. State Department. Interestingly enough, she has stated that her dream job to to be Commissioner of The National Football League.

A special thanks to art director, Carmela Stricklett,

at Amplify for this rewarding opportunity.

 
You can view my drawings accompanying an essay by another prominent

African-American, the great Rosa Parks, here.

A View of the Earth

Here are illustrations for a an English textbook geared towards giving 5th graders more courage to write. They accompany an essay by astronaut, Michael Massimino, who recounts his amazing experience fixing the Hubble Telescope. While studying engineering at MIT, he went to see The Right Stuff, a film about the Gemini space program. This experience inspired him to become an astronaut.

He applied to NASA four times before receiving a phone call that he was accepted into the space program. Michael was trained for a mission to fly into space - and fix a faulty instrument on the Hubble Telescope.

Upon arriving at the telescope, their first task was to remove a panel on it's exterior. Unfortunately they discovered a faulty screw holding the panel in place, which jeopardized their mission. After a short panic attack, Michael and Mission Control calmly figured out a solution to safely remove the panel, and fix the faulty instrument.

Screws from the Hubble Telescope loom large in the fate of their mission

Having accomplished his mission, Michael was able enjoy the experience of simply floating in space, taking in the enormity of the universe surrounding him.

Double page spread panorama

Detail of astronaut Missimino taking in the expanse of space

Upon returning to Earth, Michael received a hero's welcome
from his friend and family in Houston.

A special thanks to art director, Carmela Stricklett,

at Amplify for this rewarding opportunity.

 
You can view my drawings accompanying an essay by the great Rosa Parks, 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.

The Year I Got Polio

These illustrations a appear in an English textbook designed to give 4th graders more courage to write. They accompany an essay by Peg Kehret, an award winning author of books for children. She recounts her struggle of contracting polio at age 12, in Austin Minnesota. Fortunately, Peg made a nearly complete recovery.

Before symptoms of Polio set in, the author looked forward to Homecoming parade.

Peg collapsing at school was a sign that something was amiss...

A wheelchair sits ominously in the corner of her hospital room.

In the hospital, Peg dreams of all the fun things she's missing out on...

Arriving home after a nearly full recovery,
 Peg was comforted by her father's accordion performance.

A special thanks to art director, Carmela Stricklett,

at Amplify for this rewarding opportunity.

 
You can view my drawings accompanying an essay by the great Rosa Parks, here.

When I Was Puerto Rican

These drawings appear in a new textbook geared towards inspiring 4th graders to write. They accompany an essay by writer and actress, Esmeralda Santiago, who recounts memories from her childhood growing up in Puerto Rico. Guava trees grow abundantly on the island.  The ritual of eating this fresh fruit, with it's vibrant colors and succulent flavor, made a strong impression on her youthful senses. After moving to New York later in life, Esmeralda missed having this magical treat so readily available. It was a fond memory of her childhood.

Picking guava as a child.

"At night, your mother makes you drink castor oil,
which she says tastes better than a green guava."

Guavas found in NY supermarkets could not match the magical quality of those in Puerto Rico.

A special thanks to art director, Carmela Stricklett,

at Amplify for this rewarding opportunity.

 
You can view my drawings accompanying an essay by the great Rosa Parks, here.

Prince of Los Cocuyos

Here are pieces I illustrated for a an English textbook geared towards giving 5th graders more courage to write, They accompany an essay by accomplished Cuban-American poet and writer, Richard Blanco, who's family emigrated to the United States in the late 1960's.

Richard learned to make paper-plate turkeys in school.

As a child attending school in Miami, he learned about the American tradition of Thanksgiving. Richard attempted to introduce his family to this unique celebration, but their deep roots in Cuban culture made this endeavor a challenge. His family didn't exactly adapt to a classic Thanksgiving dinner, but they ended up having a joyous celebration anyways.

He ventured to the super market to purchase a turkey and fixings.

While at the market, Richard got a strong taste of consumer advertizing.

Attempting  to ride home with a frozen turkey on his bike handle-bars proved to be a challenge...

Richard's attempt at a traditional table setting turned into a crazy mish-mash of styles.

Richard Blanco  became the first immigrant, the first Latino, and first openly gay person 

to be the U.S. inaugural poet (at President Obama's 2013 inauguration).

A special thanks to art director, Carmela Stricklett,

at Amplify for this really fun opportunity.

 
You can view my drawings accompanying an essay by the great Rosa Parks, here.

Slumber Party

Here are more pieces I illustrated for a an English textbook geared towards giving 4th graders more courage to write. They accompany an essay by novelist and poet, Laurel Snyder,  who recounts her experiences as an 8 year old at her first slumber party. At this Halloween sleepover, she had an experience which could have made her feel like a complete outcast. But instead, it turned into a wonderful life-affirming lesson about friendship.

You can view my drawings accompanying an essay by the great Rosa Parks, here.

A special thanks to art director, Carmela Stricklett, 

at Amplify for this really fun opportunity.

Orange

This drawing appears in a new textbook geared towards inspiring 4th graders to write. It accompanies an essay by noted author, Beverly Cleary, who recounts various lessons she learned in her childhood. This piece recalls a day when she was holding an orange, and her father explained how it was a similar in shape to Earth. If your traced around it with your finger around it, you'd find yourself back at the same place you started.

You can view my drawings accompanying an essay by the great Rosa Parks, here.

A special thanks to art director, Carmela Stricklett, 

at Amplify for this really fun opportunity.

Sports Crowdfunding

Here's a new piece for Athletic Management Magazine. The story addresses how high school sports teams can utilize social media to enhance crowdfunding for their programs. A special thanks to art director, Pam Crawford, for another fun assignment!

Recent Sketchbook Observations...

Here are sketchbook drawings from a recent trip to Buffalo. I traveled there to take care of my dad while he was having a surgical procedure (which went very well). Snowstorms were so frequent in February,  I decided it was safer to make the seven hour trip via train.  These are observations of fellow passengers, as well as patients and their families in the hospital.  I generally feel that sketches look empty without people inhabiting them, so I tried to capture at least one soul in each of these images.

A observation on Amtrak train 284, traveling across NY State

Surgery waiting room, Millard Filmore Suburban Hospital, Buffalo, NY

My father, waking up from his surgery. Fortunately, he recovered quickly.

A family waits for the father to be called into surgery.

A few observations from my seat on Amtrak Train 284, crossing NY State.

Thanks for visiting. You can view more sketchbook observations here.

Land of Opportunity

Here are more pieces I illustrated for a an English textbook geared towards giving 5th graders more courage to write, They accompany a narrative essay by African-American writer, Bertie Bowman,  who grew up on a rural South Carolina farm in the 1930's. At age 13, he ran away from home.  Working as a porter on a train, he found his way north to a true land of opportunity, Washington DC. Once there, he never looking back, finding jobs on Capital Hill. He worked all the way up the ranks to become a staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Life on the farm consisted of slopping pigs.

You can view my drawings accompanying an essay by the great Rosa Parks, here.

A special thanks to art director, Carmela Stricklett, 

at Amplify for this really fun opportunity.