Time Out New York

Crimes of Passion - Time Out NY

My latest illustration can be found in the Seek section of Time Out New York, issue #704! Pick it up or read it in the Sex and Dating section of their website. It accompanies fun, inspirational stories about people committing "crimes of passion." These are some great, if sneaky, ideas about how to weasel your way into private events and parties. So let's save some money and have a good time!

I got to work with Time Out's awesome designer Kathryn Brazier on this one, and she was looking to play up the sneaky-slinkiness of a couple committing an act of "derring-do." I also had a personal goal: to give some love to the blondes and redheads of the world. I have neglected you... Here are some preliminaries:




A great phrase, derring-do. I would like to commit courageous acts of derring-do with a disembodied narrator cracking puns at me the whole time. (I'm thinking this guy: Moose and Squirrel.) Incidentally, I was confused about the spelling of derring-do... I had always assumed it was daring. So I looked it up and found this interesting literary mishap. Also in this article: handy tips on how to swash your buckle.

Thank you Kathryn and the folks at Time Out New York!

Weekly Dig

Social Butterflies and Candy Cigarettes - Cover of Boston's WeeklyDig

My illustration "Social Butterflies and Candy Cigarettes" has been featured on the cover on Boston's Weekly Dig! It's the cover girl for their "5 Drink Minimum issue." I believe this is an annual thing; The Dig's writers  go out into the Boston night life, have five drinks, and attempt to write about their evenings from the midst of lushie-drunken stupors. There should be a similar "requirement"  in all jobs... and, as my own boss, I will take it upon myself and force me to drink five drinks, create some art, and blog about it. Hope you guys like stick figures of sharks doing monkeys, and other such depravity.

This cover will soon be available for purchase here as a framed 8.5"x11" for $20 + shipping. So, if you've always wanted to buy me lunch but never had the nerve to ask, do the next best thing and support me financially by buying this print. The millions of lunches ensuing from the checks I receive will feed my body and nourish your soul. Thank you family, and you friends... and you most of all, Anonymous.

I want to give a big thank you to the Dig's Art director, Tak Toyoshima, for being freakin' awesome.  As well as a special thank you to Genevieve Sass for having a big mouth.  And to make up for that sorta back handed, but heart felt, thank you: Go check out her design work at Lilac Creative and get yourself a nifty new blog makeover!

The Climb

Climbing - Topic for Illustration Friday

The above illustration features my good friend Jay Thompson. Somehow, I convinced him to climb into a tree and model in some very difficult positions for an previous illustration. The payment was probably in Riesen dark chocolate chews and Pappa Johns bread sticks... I'm feeling ashamed and amused by this cheapness. Mostly amused.

It was my original intention to re-work and improve some of my older illustrations. But I had this great out-take shot of Jay hanging wearied from the tree branch, and decided to work with it instead. I don't know why I love this idea of a dude in a nice clean suit climbing a tree. I wonder how long he's been hanging there. Will he try for the top? And, assuming he hasn't just given up, once he finally reaches his goal what will he do? What's waiting for him up there? A good view? Is he a peeping tom? Does he plan to jump? Was this a dare? Is there gold in them thar branches? I don't know, but I like to think about it.

Though I'm usually not depressed, I'm not feeling particularly optimistic today. I spent a lot of time sending out e-mails, looking at job postings, and trying to find a cheap apartment in LA somewhere. *Special note to my mid-west friends: I do mean "cheap" in Californian terms. There is story after story on NPR about California's economic troubles. and oh. Oh nice. It might be fun to mention that just now I heard a news story about the peanut-butter recall while eating a peanut-butter toast snack. I'm doomed!

Also, I'm really missing my car today.



It was towed away back in August... and while my bike is hands down the best decision I've ever made-ever; I just miss driving alone singing along to tapes and the radio. (yeah, tapes!) Not having a car has been a non-issue till these past few weeks as Jesse and I have been looking into new jobs and a new apartment. Chances are that as soon as these things are found, the heartache I feel for my old blue Chevy will die. But right now I cant help but reminisce. I cant believe I got so attached to a car that months latter I still mourn it, it seems silly. Please tell me about your weird, materialistic attachments. Make me feel normal!

Pale

Pale - Topic for Illustration Friday

Hummingbirds are mother nature's color sampler tools. Would I lie to you?

I finished this illustration on the Jan 21st, 2009. Not a bad birthday for an illustration! Obama's first official day in office was the one and only thing the world was talking about yesterday. It seems only right I send my congrats as well, and dedicate this piece to the day. I imagine Big O is feeling pretty overwhelmed tonight, what with all the briefings and meetings piling up. I wonder if he's gotten to the fun stuff yet... like that part about the massive government cover-up concerning UFO phenomena. I wonder still, will he keep his promise to make government more open and accountable to us? I'll give him a few days to let it all sink in of course. I'm sure he's learning secrets so extensive they will forever change his perspective on the universe. I expect my Interstellar Telleporter delivered within 5 - 7 business days with signature confirmation, Mister President.

I'd also like to dedicate this to my boy, Jesse. Jes just got his masters studying Experimental Animation at the California Institute of the Arts, and his brand-new beautiful website can be seen here. Check it out and tell your friends. You know, all those friends you have working in animation studios. Yeah, those ones. He just got an animation gig at Duck Studios for a few weeks, and the 21st turned out to be his draining first day as well. Only thing is Obama gets Air Force One while Jesse gets a 2 hour train/ bus commute. I bring this up mostly to drive home the point that Obama needs to give us all teleporters.

Here he is with fellow animation wizards, Daniel Ash and Dillion Markey, on their last day and CalArts.

Proud Mary

I don't pretend to know why Tina does the things that she does. I'm just here to document it.

A few months back my good friend Truly wrote on her own blog that she was having visions of Tina Turner terrorizing vintage illustrated Chinese villagers. I thought that was the funniest thing and laughed out loud. In fact, months later, I'm still laughing out loud whenever I think of it and things have started getting uncomfortable in public places. So this had to be done, cause it's too funny not to be done. Truly, my quirky minded friend, this is for you.

I also posted this on Illustration Friday. For those who might not be familiar, IF is a website that presents a weekly illustration challenge for anyone who wants to participate. Every Friday a new topic is chosen, and it is left up to you to interpret in your own fashion. Once you're done you can post and link to your masterpiece of illustration genius on the site, or just spend a few joy-filled hours browsing the other posted work. This weeks topic was Contained. (NOT Tina Turner as you may have guessed. ha!) Some people cant be contained, others you can just stuff into jars and save for later. Yeah it's silly and a bit irreverent, but it's the first image that popped into my head when I read "contained."

In other news, I got to see this Cowboy chasing a cow statue while visiting my family in Texas.

It was neat.

PRISM Submissions & Voter Hysterics

I have made, and am currently working on, some new illustrations for PRISM international! The mag wont be out for awhile, but here is a little taste:


This will be featured in their 2009 Spring issue. I wanted to post this early and let everybody know that PRISM is currently looking for fiction, nonfiction and poetry submissions for this issue. It has a visual arts theme and here is some extra info about it from their fiction editor, Michelle Miller:

Dearest PRISM friends, foes and contributors,
We are putting together our Spring 2009 theme issue, exploring the relationship between literature and visual art. We have already received some really exciting illustrations, graphic stories and poems, but we want even more.

Because you're brilliant, we're hoping that you'll send us some fiction, nonfiction or poetry with a strong visual element, whether your piece deals with art directly or leaves us with a strong and delicious mental image.

Please consider sending something our way. Submission guidelines can be found on our website at www.prismmagazine.ca

And stay tuned for information about our 2009 fiction contest, and our very first ever full-scale poetry contest, coming this week.

Michelle Miller
fiction editor.

So get your writing on, and while youre at it: Get your vote on!

That's right! Today is Nov 4th- finally time to get out the vote. I did it bright and early today, and didn't even have to wait in line. It's a beautiful brisk day here in CA, my mood is high and my veins are pumping a combination of adrenaline and java. After punching it for Barack ,and giving a big fat NO-hole to Prop 8, Jesse and I hiked over to Starbucks for some free voter-coffee. (Maybe later we'll get voter-ice cream from Ben and Jerry's.)

It's nice to feel excited about an election, and I hope we can keep the momentum. No matter who wins, there will be change. I don't think any of our candidates (and guess what: there are more then 2... who knew?) will lead us down the road to ruin... just repeat that 10 times and take deep breaths. But "darned it" I will plug for Obama all the way! So will Dean. Dean is my cat. She loves Obama... don't let the wink fool you. She's just being ironic.



P.S. I've also gave my web page a facelift. Please let me know what you think, or if you have any suggestions!

UTNE Reader

I have created a new illustration for an article in the latest issue of the UTNE Reader!


(UTNE Cover, Sept - Oct 2008 issue)


(Page 87)

The illustration is for a short piece by Denise Herrera called The Purloined Library. It's a sweet story in which she recalls the best thing she's ever stolen: a fifth grade social studies book, and a dictionary.

For this illustration I worked with UTNE's Art Director, Stephanie Glaros, who was very fun to collaborate with and had clear and helpful ideas about which aspects of the story to focus on. She mainly asked that I illustrate the memory side of the story, and the urgency of the little girls act of stealing. Now, I hate showing my sketches to people... I find it a little embarrassing... but I'm trying to get over this phobia because it's just silly. Anyways, I'm going to post the preliminary sketches I sent in for this project so you can see how this illustration got started. Please don't judge them too harshly, they are such young and tender souls.







You can see these aren't straight up thumbnails... I really don't do well with stick figures. I think taking the sketches a step further, such as drawing a fairly realized face, helps me get excited about it. Once I pick a couple that I like, I scan them into Photoshop and add some color, a piece of a photograph or maybe a texture if I have it on hand. But the most important part of my process doesn't involve paper, pencils, photographs or even Photoshop. Oh no.



Well... maybe paper.

I hope someone finds this helpful or even remotely interesting. Special thanks to UTNE and Stephanie Glaros for the opportunity! I'm really sorry that this "thank you" comes moments after making a poop joke. : )

Final thought: What's the best thing you've ever stolen? If it's a good story maybe I will illustrate it. Extra credit if your story involves ninjas and explosives.