Hand-drawn Holiday Cards

Every year, I draw custom holiday cards for my family.  

Here are a few from this year's batch. 

You can view more cards from previous years, here and here!

Please visit my website and Etsy shop to view more cool stuff!

May you find much Peace and Love in the new year!

Fred Rogers

He transformed a tiny Pittsburgh neighborhood into a universal place of kindness, empathy, and acceptance. Mister Rogers is an American gem.

Signed prints of this piece are available here (in my Etsy shop)!

Princeton Dispatch art

This piece for Princeton accompanies a story about a debate between progressive public intellectual, Cornel West, and conservative legal scholar, Robert George. Their dialog  focused on the “truth-seeking” mission of liberal-arts universities. You read the story here!

Please visit my website to view more fun illustrations.

Indigenous People of Tierra Del Fuego

Here's a portrait of indigenous people of Tierra Del Fuego.
It was drawn on sheet music composed by Robert Schumann.

Please visit my Etsy shop purchase signed prints of my drawings!

Please visit my website to view more fun projects!

Jack Kerouac

Born in Lowell Massachusetts, he was destined to go on the road. Jack Kerouac emerged from this New England town to become a poetic voice for the beat generation. 

Prints of this piece are available here!

Smokey the Bear

Here's  a portrait of Smokey the Bear, drawn on a Yosemite Park. In light of all the devastating fires in California, I was compelled to draw the conscience of American Forests. He reminds us that only WE can prevent forest fires.

Prints of this piece are available here!

Ruth Bader Ginsberg

Straight outta Brooklyn, it’s the Notorious RBG. This quiet supreme court justice makes all her noise with a brilliant legal mind. She is a true role model for both woman and for introverts.

Signed prints of this piece are available here!

Congresswoman Ihan Omar

From Somali refugee to fighter for human rights, 

she’s Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.

Please visit my website to view more cool stuff.

Please check out my Etsy shop to purchase cool prints. 

Dave Chappelle

Washington, DC is known for cynical and partisan politics. Thankfully, DC also known for bringing us this brilliant standup comedian, Dave Chappelle!

Prints of this piece are available here!

Homage to Chinatown

This drawing pays homage to a 1974 film which still haunts me to this day. Chinatown (directed by Roman Polanski, and starring Jack Nicholson) 

Prints of this piece are available here!

Nick Cave

Here's a portrait of legendary Australian musician, Nick Cave. This dark poet composes some of the most melancholy music on this mortal coil, yet, the results are sublimely beautiful. This is inspired by 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.

Signed prints of this piece are available here!

Please visit my website to view more fun portraits.

Malcolm X

Here's a portrait of iconic civil rights leader, Malcolm X, drawn on an old map of the streets of Harlem. One book that has always stayed with me is The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Learning about his struggle (and transformation) has great value. If you haven't done so, please give this book a try.  

Signed prints of this piece are available here!

Please visit my website to view more fun portraits.

Samuel Beckett

Here’s a portrait of renowned playwright, poet and writer, Samuel Beckett, born in Dublin, Ireland.   This piece was drawn directly on a 1966 road map which my parents used to navigate this beautiful country. This is piece is inspired by a series called World Tour - in which I used pages from an old atlas as canvases - painting images relating to the place on each map.

Signed prints of this piece are available here!

Please visit my website to view more fun portraits.

Philippine Tarsier

The Philippine Tarsier is yet another endangered species on our fragile planet. These tiny primates (no taller than six inches) are under threat due to deforestation. Paradoxically, they are also protected by indigenous tribes of these islands. They believe tarsiers are the pets of forest spirits, and harming them would bring bad luck.

Please visit my website to see more fun portraits.

Or check out my Etsy shop to purchase signed prints of my work! 

Greta Thunberg

Greta Thunberg sees the big picture. This 16 year old environmental activist understands that wishful capitalist fairytales will not heal our ailing planet. The collective cooperation, ingenuity, and sacrifice of our nations is essential to addressing this existential crisis.

You can purchase a signed print of this piece here (in my Etsy shop). 20% of proceeds from each sale will be donated to 350.org, a group which is working to end the age of fossil fuels and build a world of community-led renewable energy for all

Beyonce

I recently dug up an old page of sheet music at my local recycling center. After hearing her beautiful rendition of Ave Maria, I drew this portrait of Beyonce Knowles.

Please visit my website to see more fun portraits.

Or check out my Etsy shop to purchase signed prints of my work! 

The Wolf Man

On a recent visit to my local recycling center, I came across a mysterious book, Esoteric Astrology, which was published in 1913. It was filled with strange diagrams, as well as astrological charts of notable people. This portrait of the Wolf Man was sparked by a lunar consciousness chart.

Prints of this piece are available here!

King Edward VII of England

On a recent visit to my local recycling center, I came across a mysterious book, Esoteric Astrology, which was published in 1912. It was filled with strange diagrams, as well as astrological charts of notable people.  Here’s a portrait of the former King of England, Edward VII, drawn on his birth chart. More to come soon!

Please visit my Etsy shop to view more interesting portraits (signed prints are available)!

Or visit my website to see more cool stuff!

Georges Sand

On a recent visit to my local recycling center, I came across a mysterious book, Esoteric Astrology, which was published in 1912. It was filled with strange diagrams, as well as astrological charts of notable people.  Here’s a portrait of French novelist, Georges Sand, drawn on her birth chart. More to come soon!

Please visit my Etsy shop to view more interesting portraits (signed prints are available)!

Or visit my website to see more cool stuff!

An Egypt Travelogue

As an struggling artist, I rarely have the budget to travel across my state, let alone travel the world. With a lean wallet, I must satisfy my wanderlust  through spiritual means, as opposed to physical means.  I utilize maps as canvases in order explore other cultures. Here’s  an imaginary travelog I created on a map of Egypt, incorporating animals, antiquities, and artifacts. I hope you enjoy it! And, If you don’t have the financial means to travel, I hope you can find a spiritual path to experience what other cultures offer! 

Signed prints are available here in my Etsy shop!

The Sphinx

Egyptian hyena and woman

Egyptian Aardvark

Egyptian artifact

Signed prints are available here in my Etsy shop!

Poolside

A ballpoint pen, a sketchbook, and my local community pool. 08-18-19

Harriet Tubman

I’m thrilled to be included in an group show of Protest Art at TSL (Time and Space Limited) in Hudson, NY, Aug 31st - Sept 29th. Our country’s morally bankrupt  leadership may have taken Harriet Tubman’s face off the $20 bill, but her contributions are forever woven into the fabric of America. This piece is graphite on fabric, 22 in by 30 in. The opening is August 31st, 7-9 PM. Hope to see ya there!

Harvard Colloquy

Here's a portrait for Harvard's Colloquy Magazine. It accompanies an interview with Emilio Kouri,  professor and chair of the history dept. at the University of Chicago (as well as a Harvard graduate). In this conversation, he discusses the social and economic history of rural Mexico, and how it was impacted by the Mexican Revolution.

Special thanks to art director, Morgan Jordan, for affording me such a special opportunity. I am obsessed with incorporating my drawings into maps, and was thrilled to apply this approach to an illustration assignment. With access to thousands of copyright-free maps, I can create artwork in this style for your illustration needs.

 Below are some of the sketches submitted for this assignment:

Trust Your Fastball

This illustration for Harvard Magazine accompanies an essay by Chad Oldfather. In 1987, he moved from his small town in Minnesota to attend this hallowed ivy-league institution. Overwhelmed by this daunting new setting, he had to learn how to overcome his feelings of intimidation. As a fan of the Minnesota Twins, Chad found inspiration in an unlikely source: an article about a new pitcher on the team, Willie Banks. He identified with the struggles of this player, and learned (metaphorically speaking) that he just needed to trust throwing his fastball again. In other words, he needed to take chances, let it rip, and let the chips fall where they may. This approach helped propel Chad through a solid college experience, law school, and a successful career in legal academia.

My own daughter, who just graduated from college, is about to embark on her first big job opportunity in Cambridge, MA, and will live a few blocks from Harvard. I will share this essay with her, as a reminder to throw her fastball when need be!

Below are sketches I submitted:

A special thanks to art director, Jennifer Carling, for this inspiring assignment.

Lord Tennyson

On a recent visit to my local recycling center, I came across a mysterious book called Esoteric Astrology, which was well over 100 years old. It was filled with strange diagrams, as well as astrological charts of notable people.  Here’s a portrait of the 19th Century poet laureate of England, Lord Tennyson, drawn on his birth chart.

Please visit my Etsy shop to view more interesting portraits (signed prints are available)!

Or visit my website to see more cool stuff!

Frida Kahlo

Here's a drawing of an iconic artist known for her many magical self portraits. Frida was inspired by Mexico's rich history, culture, and natural elements, so it was an easy choice for me to depict her on this map.

Signed prints of this portrait are available in my Etsy Shop!

Honoré de Balzac

On a recent visit to my local recycling center, I came across a mysterious book, Esoteric Astrology, which was published in 1912. It was filled with strange diagrams, as well as astrological charts of notable people.  Here’s a portrait of French novelist, Honoré de Balzac, drawn on his birth chart. More to come soon!

Please visit my Etsy shop to view more interesting portraits (signed prints are available)!

Or visit my website to see more cool stuff!

Elvis!

Here's a little portrait of the King, Elvis Presley! 

Signed prints of this piece are available here!

Noam Chomsky

Noam Chomsky is a professor, linguist, philosopher, social critic, and political activist - all wrapped into one person. I drew this portrait of him on a map which includes Lexington, MA (where he called home for many years), and Cambridge, MA (where he taught at MIT for many years). His opinions are both knowledgable and humanist,, and I look to for a realistic (and sober) view of world affairs. I admire him greatly. This is part of a series called World Tour - in which I use maps and pages from an old atlas as canvases - painting images relating to the place on each map.

signed prints of this piece are available here!

Russian Troll

Behind this mask lies a world-class-troll, sewing seeds-of-division in the American soul. 

Farming out chaos to skew every poll, and crushing virtue into coal. 

While our gangster leaders live on this dole,  let’s flush ’em all down the bowl.

Federal Reserve Bank of NY Map

I had the pleasure of collaborating with an amazing designer, Megan Mardiney, in creating this ambitious map installation. It’s located in the museum at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 33 Liberty St., Manhattan. The NY Fed helps implement US monetary policy.  

This map represents the region they encompass: NY State, Puerto Rico. the Virgin Islands, as well as parts of CT and NJ. The NY Fed maintains a healthy dialogue with the people, businesses and local governments throughout this territory. They promote sound economic decision-making.  

This museum educates people about the role of the Federal Reserve, as well as how our economy functions. The vignettes on this map represent various industries, landmarks and animals of the region. You can read more about my process of making this map here. Enormous thanks to Megan and Kerwin Adduru, for including me in this wonderful project.

Thanks for visiting. Please check out my website to view more cool projects.