The Grand Dutchess

It was a thrill to draw this commissioned piece for my friends at the Grand Dutchess Bed & Breakfast. This exquisite Victorian inn sits in the heart of my Hudson Valley town, Red Hook, NY.

Yoda

Yoda is one of the most beloved and powerful Jedi Masters in the Star Wars universe. He lived to be 900 years old, but his wisdom lives on throughout many galaxies. No doubt, "the force is strong with this one." This piece was inspired by a series called World Tour - in which I use maps as inspiration for drawing people, animals, and Jedi masters.  Prints are available here!

Marlene Dietrich

Heres a portrait of the Marlene Dietrich, drawn on a map of Berlin. In the first half of the 20th century, Marlene Dietrich was one of the biggest movie stars in the world. This talented actress/singer/diva was also known for her humanitarian efforts during WW 2. She helped German and French exiles find housing, as well as advocating for their citizenship in the US. As a bisexual woman, she enjoyed spending time at drag clubs in 1920s Berlin (her home town) . Materials: Pen, dry brush, and pencil

Prints of this piece can be purchased here.

detail of the portrait.

The original drawing framed

Cate Blanchett

This amazing actress hails from a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. She's so talented, her portrayal of Bob Dylan (in the film,  I'm not There) seems to embody Bob Dylan even more that Bob Dylan can embody Bob Dylan. Her name is Cate Blanchett, and she's one of the great thespians of our time.

Prints of this piece are available here.

Édith Piaf

Heres a portrait of the Little Sparrow, Édith Piaf, drawn on a map of Paris. I was introduced to this legendary singer's music while sketching in my life-drawing class (at Parsons School of Design), and was utterly charmed. This immensely talented woman has earned an iconic status in France, and around the world . Materials: Pen, dry brush, and pencil

Prints of this piece are available here!

Sumatran Rhinoceros

This is a Sumatran Rhinoceros. Due to poaching, it is believed that there are less than one hundred of these magnificent creatures left on our planet.

Prints of this drawing are available here.*

*25% of proceeds from prints will be donated to the International Rhino Foundation (rhinos.org)

Egon Schiele

Here’s a portrait of Austrian painter, Egon Schiele, drawn on a map of Vienna. I discovered this brilliant artist while studying drawing in the 1980s at Parsons School of Design. His work has inspired me ever since then. A protégé of Gustav Klimt, he was a true master of capturing the human form. Materials: Pen, dry brush, and pencil

Prints of this piece are available here!

Charles Darwin

Here's a quick study of Charles Darwin, who's study of Galapagos finches helped formulate his theory of evolution. Please visit my website to view more cool stuff!

You can purchase a print of this piece here.

In Bloom

I was recently looking through a book of copyright-free engravings from the 18th century, and came across a page of flowers. It got me thinking about a song, In Bloom, written by one of the voices of my generation, Kurt Cobain. More than two decades after he died, Nirvana's music is still as relevant as ever. I was compelled to draw this tribute to him.

Prints of this piece are available here.

Face of a Nation

Our nation has a mean-spirited face. Let’s vote for a makeover!

All Americans, On November 6th, please vote for sane candidates 

who will make our country a kinder and better place.

H.P. Lovecraft

Here’s a portrait of legendary horror author, H. P. Lovecraft, who hailed from Providence, Rhode Island.  Prints of this piece are available here!

Jamal Khashoggi

Saudi Arabian journalist and reformer, Jamal Khashoggi, rest in peace.

Lux Vidal

Here's a portrait for a new client, Sarah Lawrence College, in Bronxville, NY. It depicts alumna, Lux Vidal, a noted anthropologist. She has devoted her life to studying indigenous tribes in the Amazon region of Brazil. She became a forceful advocate for supporting the rights and culture of the Xikran tribe.  Not only was this a fascinating assignment to collaborate on, it gave me an opportunity to incorporate one of my favorite elements into the artwork, maps! A special thanks to designer, Hannah Fichandler, and editor, Jean Smith, for this fantastic assignment.
Below are sketches I submitted for this project:

Thanks for visiting. You can view my illustration portfolio here!

Celebrate Irvington Poster

Irvington, NY is a Hudson Valley town with a lot of culture and an interesting history. The writer who created Rip Van Winkle, Washington Irving, called this beautiful community his home. I was thrilled to illustrate this poster for their annual street festival. Thanks to art director, Elena Erber, for this fun project!

Thanks for visiting. You can view my full portfolio here!

Interactive Community Poster Art

These characters appear on an interactive poster which is up at the Eileen Fisher Lifeworks Center (in Irvington, NY). The poster asks the question,  What quality do I want to express more of in my life and community? Visitors are encouraged to write their answers directly in the speech bubbles on the poster.

A special thanks to art director, Elena Erber, for this very community-oriented assignment!

Please visit my website to view more fun illustrations!

Eva Perón

“I am only a sparrow amongst a great flock of sparrows.”

- Evita Perón , former first lady of Argentina

Prints are available here!

Ernesto Che Guevara

Before declaring any manifesto, a passport fluttered open, revealing Ernesto. 

Vagabond forging a motorbike-route, he’d peel out hard, on united fruit. 

Asthmatic slumping on his chopper, humanity drained, traded for copper. 

Before tee-shirts exploited this face, banana republics, a branding disgrace.

Barack Obama

Here's a portrait of one of my favorite U.S. presidents, Barack Obama, created on a vintage map of Hawaii (where he was born). This is part of a series called World Tour - in which I use pages from an old atlas as canvases - painting images relating to the place on each map.

Prints are available here!

That's me holding the original framed portrait of one of my heroes.

Howard Stern

From all five boroughs of a neurotic mind, seven dirty words are gleefully enshrined. 

Subway tunnels connect to Freud and Jung, trains emerge, irreverence on the tongue.

A legend’s lines flow across this chart, with a juvenile sound, rhyming with heart.

Prints of this piece are available here.

Strange Brains

This recent piece for The Wall Street Journal accompanies a story called Strange stories of extraordinary brains and what we can learn from them.  By studying people with unusual mental conditions, scientists are further able to unravel mysteries of the mind. This assignment had a super tight deadline, so I pulled an all-nighter to get it done. Thanks to art director Manuel Velez for a super fun assignment. You can read the article here. Below are sketches.

Thanks for visiting. You can view my portfolio here!

Leonard Cohen

Enough with trade wars and tariffs. America needs more great Canadian imports, like Leonard Cohen. This legendary singer/songwriter, poet, and novelist was born and raised just outside Montreal, Quebec. We lost him last year, but this true artistic spirit's legacy lives on.

Prints of this piece are available here.

Sinead O'Connor

Here's a portrait of Irish singer, Sinead O’Connor. While drawing this piece, I kept contemplating the tragic losses of public figures, Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. Like many, I kept thinking, how can these people who seemingly have it all, choose to take their lives. There’s a saying, “You don’t know if the roof is leaking unless you’re inside the house”. It’s too bad we can’t see inside the internal landscape of anyone’s psyche. They might be stuck in a dark emotional valley, and don’t have a map for climbing out of it. It’s a good reminder to be kind to others, and stay tapped into our empathy. It might make a difference in their lives.

Prints of this portrait are available here.

India ink on a map of Ireland, 20" by 30"

Mother Earth

This drawing is based on an 8000 year old neolithic fertility figurine, which was unearthed two years ago in Çatalhöyük, Turkey, one of the oldest cities in the world.

You can view a big gallery of my map drawings here.

Martha's Vineyard

Vineyard and vine, encompassed by bluefish and brine.

A piscine emblem framed by the sea, ivy leagues wave at me. 

Crosstown traffic hums below, deaf to summer’s calypso. 

detail of this drawing

In 1970, my family vacationed in beautiful Martha's Vineyard.  A few months ago,

my father gave me the original map we used to navigate the island. I used it as a

canvas to paint this ode to our fishing friends.

Prints of this piece are available here!

ink and gauche on a map, 22" by 35"