Stock Market Scrabble

 

Illustration assignments are often indicators of economic trends. As an example, this is my third drawing in recent weeks about ETF funds; investment vehicles that are becoming increasingly popular on Wall Street. This image accompanied a story about the importance of naming a ticker symbol for a new fund. Picking a catchy name can draw attention to your product, much like a vanity plate on an automobile. For the Wall Street Journal editors, this 'Scrabble' theme best captured the story's spirit. I hope you get a kick of these ideas I ticked off for this assignment! 

You can view my new illustration website here!

The Secret Cellar

Here's a peek at some drawings that will appear in The Secret Cellar, the newest installment of the Red Blazer Girls mystery series. What goes on in this this spooky cellar? Are vintage French wines hidden down there? What creepy characters are lurking in the shadows? Oh, rats! I can't tell you. For answers, you must read Michael Beil's fabulous book when it comes out later this year. One secret I can reveal is that it was really fun dreaming up these images.

You can view my new illustration website here!

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My daughter Abigail is a big fan of this series,
so I can't wait to give her a copy of The Secret Cellar!

Order in the Court

Illustrating legal concepts can be more challenging than interpreting the Constitution.  I've lost many a hair on my head trying to visualize stories loaded with legalese.  Morris Stubbs at American Lawyer Magazine is a saint for assigning me a very straightforward project.  For a section called IP Roundup, I was asked to represent various companies/products involved in recent 'intellectual property' rulings.  It was fun to show businesses as diverse as Apple, Bratz, and Eli Lilly sitting before the judge. I enjoyed creating order in this two dimensional court!

Here are some ideas I submitted for this assignment.

You can view my new illustration website here!

Byrdcliffe by Design

Before Woodstock, N.Y. became synonymous with a musical and cultural revolution, this Catskills town was known for its arts and crafts movement. The Byrdcliffe Arts Colony, founded in 1903, is at the heart of this creativity.  Artisans gather there to study painting, pottery, sculpture, ceramics, and other crafts. I was approached to design  a promotion for their upcoming artisans fair.  It was fun to doodle ideas suggesting all the beautiful hand-made items that will be available. My inspiration for the portrait above came from an iconic poster of Woodstock's most legendary resident, Bob Dylan. The illustrator responsible for this poster happens to sit on Byrdcliffe's board of directors, and his name is Milton Glaser.

A Byrdcliffe state of mind.

This bird flies high with a haul of great Byrdcliffe products.

A potter's wheel acts an as axis for beautiful hand-crafted items.

Emphasis on hand-crafted products (within your grasp).

Branch out with beautiful handmade products by Byrdcliffe artisans.

A special thanks to Kimberly Daley for this rewarding opportunity: - )

The 'Byrdcliffe by Design' artisans fair takes place February 18th - 20th   11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

You can find out more about it right here!

Musical Mares

You never know what to expect from your next illustration assignment.  I certainly didn't foresee interpreting a horse as a singing star on Broadway! But thanks to John Van Cleaf, art director at Rutgers Magazine, this became reality. He asked me to illustrate a story about horses who've had roles in famous musicals. I'm no expert on Broadway, but it was fun to assimilate an equine element into some familiar theater posters. Who knows, maybe my next assignment will be drawing Birds of the Bolshoi Ballet?

It's time for equestrians and thespians to unite,

and support the musical mares of Broadway!

You can view my new illustration website here!

Brave New World

Our technological world is evolving rapidly, forcing publishers and writers to think outside the box (or in the case of this drawing, inside the box). This illustration for Rutgers Magazine accompanied a profile about alumnus, Dan Blank. His business helps authors and publishers navigate the shifting terrain of technology; E books, Tumblr, kindle, ipad, twitter, etc. Such a service has great value in this "sink or swim" economy. I hope you get a kick out of this illustration and the ideas leading up to it, which interpret traditional writing  with a modern twist!

Writing from the perspective of the virtual world.

An old typewriter cranks out html code.

An old-school scribe writing on an ipad.

A traditional writer dives into ipad-pool.

Edgar Allan Poe, a raven, and an ipad.

Here's a mock-up of the artwork in context.

A special thanks to art director John Van Cleaf, who consistently assigns me with fun projects!

A Home Amongst the Trees...

This residence is nestled right at the entrance of the Catskill Forest Preserve in the Hudson Valley. I drew this portrait for the owner, who's a true lover of botany. Whether drawing inside or outside of this home, I was constantly reminded of its beautiful natural surroundings. No doubt, this is a feature the owner appreciates.  I've read that David Hockney does extensive drawings of his home environment to gain a deeper understanding of it. That's great advice for anybody who loves to draw! I hope you enjoy this virtual tour..

{ If you see the world as beautiful, thrilling and mysterious,

as I think I do, then you feel quite alive.} 

- David Hockney