Draw Your Weapon

An excellent start to the new year...

2012-01-04T15:06:00.006-07:00

I received my latest issue of Communication Arts in the mail the other day... The January/February Typography issue, with a feature on me, written by the wonderful Anne Telford.

I've been lucky enough to have been accepted in the last three CA Illustration Annuals, but when I received a phone call asking if I would give the magazine permission to do a feature on me, my heart about fell down into my gut. I've been reading Communication Arts and enjoying all the inspirational art and informative columns within its pages ever since I discovered it in art school. I read previous features on illustrators throughout the years, and fantasized about an opportunity to be among those artists that I admire so much. When that day actually arrived, it was completely unexpected and still seems a little unreal. This is one of the greatest honors I've ever received, and I'm extremely grateful to Anne, for coming out to Denver and for her awesome article, and to Communication Arts Magazine for allowing my work to grace its pages. Thank you, Rebecca! And a big thank you to Wes Bausmith, for the kind remarks he shared with Anne!
Happy New Year, everyone!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-29T17:36:00.007-07:00

If you were in Chicago on New Year's day, and (after a handful of aspirin, and some hair of the dog that bit ya) opened up the Tribune, you would have seen my illustration on the cover of the Sunday section! We don't get the Chicago Tribune way out here in Denver, but it would have looked a little something like this:

This week's Sunday section is chalk full of articles based around "pushing the envelope." Taking risks in order to reap the rewards. Hugo Espinoza, who art directed, had this concept in mind, showing what happens when you open the possibilities and venture out of your comfort zone.

This was my first time working with Hugo and the Tribune, and it was a really nice collaboration. Thanks so much, Hugo!

Matchmaker, matchmaker...

2011-12-23T11:33:00.003-07:00

I contributed recently to the magazine Corporate Knights, a quarterly based in Canada. The "magazine for clean capitalism" had an article explaining the necessity of big companies pairing up with smaller "green" firms.

There are a lot of phrases that go over my head- like "deployment cycles," "liquidation event," "non-diluting capital"- but the gist of it is, investors are a little hesitant to buy into clean technologies, as it is essentially fairly risky. The way forward is for venture capitalists to focus on matching up big companies, who have lots of capital, and small, clean-technology start-ups. The multi-talented, and ever-multi-tasking Pete Ryan art directed this one. Thanks, Pete!

Coming soon... my feature in the Jan/Feb issue of Communication Arts.

Spot on

2011-12-08T16:04:00.009-07:00

Here's a series of spots for Smith Alumnae Quarterly, Winter 2011-2012 issue:

The first page featured questions posed to alumnae, posted on the school's Facebook page. The first question was: "What is your most vivid memory of your first day at Smith." The second was: "When you married, did you retain your maiden name, take your partner's, hyphenate, or other?"

The second page featured a story on students that recently swam the English Channel, and the spot needed to show the route they took. I included the lighthouses of Dover and Calais. The swim actually ended at Cap Gris Nez, which has a very cool lighthouse itself, but Calais being a bigger, more familiar city, I chose its lighthouse. In retrospect, I wish had chosen Cap Gris Nez's lighthouse, but live and learn.

I also finished a few more spots for Radcliffe Magazine, but I don't think the issue's out until January. I'll post then. Many thanks to Ronn, who art directed both of these!

What do you get when you cross a lawyer and the internet?

2011-11-29T16:21:00.004-07:00

No, that's not a joke. The answer is a new course at Harvard Law School: iLaw! It explores policy, copyrights, security, censorship, and other matters of the law, and how they relate to our ever-changing technology and the web. Check it out here in the article I recently illustrated for the Harvard Law Bulletin.

Get it? The scale on the right is flipped upside down and doubles as a mouse! Mouse? Internet? Clever, huh? Thanks again, Ronn!

Not In Our Back Yard

2011-11-28T12:05:00.006-07:00

I finished a cover for Alexander Flores at the Dallas Observer recently. The story is on the very controversial process of hydraulic fracturing- or fracking! The affluent city of Southlake, Tejas has recently been confronted with the process, and residents have been split (not necessarily along party lines) in their reaction to it.

The monster-under-the-ground concept was already pretty established when I was commissioned for the job, but I also threw in one of my ideas. Alexander liked it so much he decided to include it in the interior:

The article really focused on the rift that formed in the town- those for, and those against drilling. I thought about thumbs up, and thumbs down, and eventually fit the natural gas "blue flame" in. The article is a great read, so be sure to check it out. It had been a little while since I had worked with Alexander, and it was a lot of fun to collaborate again. He has a Flickr account set up with all the Observer covers he's done- awesome stuff. Browse them here. It even has the two previous covers I did for him a couple years ago.

Still waiting for other jobs to publish before I can post them. Should be any day now... so stay tuned. Same bat time, same bat channel.

Sukle shout out

2011-10-27T14:49:00.003-06:00

The really cool guys and gals over at Sukle Advertising and Design have a post up on their blog today about my work. Their hilariously-named Lunchmeat Underpants blog showcases their favorite ads, ideas, concepts, illustrations, and other various cultural artifacts.

A while back I sent some of my self-promo stuff to Sukle, and to my surprise, received an invitation to go down to their office here in Denver. They were all super nice and welcoming, and it was a real pleasure to sit down and talk. If you're a Denver local, you're sure to have seen a bunch of Sukle's work around town. One of my favorites was their series of billboards urging residents to reduce their use of water on lawns. Thanks again, guys!

SHHHHHHH!

2011-10-25T13:22:00.004-06:00

Here's a little piece I did for Whole Living Magazine not too long ago, for the November 2011 issue. I'm such a slacker at blogging, the issue probably isn't even out any more. The article explained how sometimes just shutting up and keeping quiet can really lead to a little peace and tranquility.

The author actually went on a retreat to a monastery and kept a vow of silence for two whole days (that includes texts, tweets, and emails)! She initially found the promise to abstain from talking difficult, but eventually discovered the experience was extremely relaxing. I wanted to focus on the abstinence aspect of the experience- not talking is kinda really hard (ever see that Seinfeld episode when Kramer tries to keep a vow of silence, but ends up telling Sally Weaver about George's man-love for a she-Jerry?). I eventually arrived at the concept of being tied up to prevent yourself from talking, and when you pull on the strings, it sort of looks like the meditation position of hands. So... shut up, find inner peace, and watch the butterflies go by. Thanks again, Muzam and Jamie!

Even the pet cemetery voted for Bob!

2011-10-11T14:26:00.011-06:00

Yes, that is a Simpson's quote. Here's an interior illustration I recently finished for Columbia Law School Magazine, for the feature article on gerrymandering and the redistricting process:

One of the issues the article touched on is the way the redistricting process can affect elections. By re-drawing the borders of districts, minority communities can be split up, thereby having no impact on elections. The process can also separate an incumbent from his original constituents, or draw two incumbents into a single district, forcing them to run against each other. This link was passed to me while working on the job, and explains a little more. I wanted to show how drawing the district borders could potentially disrupt people's votes. The client requested that the image involve a district map in some way, so I drew some of the districts in the shape of a hand dropping off a ballot, which is cut off by the newly drawn border.

When you visit the magazine's homepage (until next issue), you might notice that the cover looks a lot like my interior illo. Well, that's because I also provided the cover illustration. The reason I'm not posting it here is because it was changed, fairly significantly and without my consultation, before it was printed. The decision was largely out of the editors hands, and I've already spoken my peace about the matter with the editors, so I don't feel I need to get into it here. The editors were very understanding, and were willing to rectify the situation as best they could. The way it works at some alumni magazines is, aside from editors having final say on design and layout there are also faculty members, deans, professors, that have input. So as much as the art directors and editors may want the magazine to go in a certain direction, this bureaucracy can complicate things.

The art direction and page design was provided by the wonderful Barnett Group. Thanks again, Aileen and David! And thank you, Matthew.

Long time no post!

2011-09-15T17:09:00.006-06:00

I've been really busy these last few weeks, and I'd love to post this flurry of work, but they have all been for magazines that have yet to come out on the racks! As soon as they are published I will post. One project that I'm sure will be out soon (as they were going to the printer as soon as my final was in) was for Columbia Law School Magazine. I'm lucky enough to be gracing the cover, and have a full-page interior illustration.

On an exciting side note, I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Anne Telford, the editor-at-large of Communication Arts, for an interview that will be featured in next January's Photography Annual. I don't want to post too much about it until the profile is published, but suffice it to say that I'm extremely grateful for the honor, and still a little incredulous why I should receive such recognition... But overjoyed nonetheless!

NY Times Book Review

2011-08-08T08:24:00.006-06:00

Here's the NY Times Book Review illustration I finished a couple weeks ago. I was pleasantly surprised to get an email from Nicholas Blechman for another job, shortly after I had turned in my first piece for the Book Review (previous post). This one was for the book The Night Train by Clyde Edgerton, a story about two best friends and aspiring musicians, one white, one black, in Civil Rights era North Carolina.

It's always hard to get good color on newsprint, but for what it's worth, it looks really nice online here. Thanks again, Nicholas and Alicia!

As promised...

2011-07-25T12:36:00.009-06:00

Here is the illustration I finished before we left on vacation, for Nicholas Blechman at the New York Times Book Review. It was for a review of Once Upon a River by Bonnie Jo Campbell. Illustrating book reviews are always a fun challenge. This one involved listening to lots of Neil Young, which wasn't a challenge at all. "Down by the River" seemed especially appropriate.

Thank you, Nicholas! Also coming soon... another piece for the Book Review (which involved listening to some Thelonious Monk)!

Back to work...

2011-07-18T14:49:00.002-06:00

We got back in town late last night and I already miss coughing up salt water, untangling the kelp from around my arms, and scrubbing the tar off my feet (see previous post). Oh well. Time to get back to personal projects, side projects, and work for an upcoming group show at the Black Cloud Workshop here in Denver. NY Times Book Review post coming soon... I promise.

Gone fishin'...

2011-07-09T18:38:00.006-06:00

Well, I won't actually be fishing, but I am going on vacation with my family for the next week. Anybody wanting to talk about illustration projects can call or email me, however, I can't promise I'll be able to return your call/email in a timely fashion. And I won't be able to take on any projects until I get back. I plan on spending as many of my waking hours as I can being pummeled by the waves of the Pacific Ocean. Otherwise, I'll be back in the office July 18th, and with a post on the NY Times Book Review illustration I finished a few days ago. The illustration will be in this Sunday, or next Sunday's Book Review section. Check it out!
Update: The Book Review illo (along with the posting) will be out next week, I think.

Praising poison ivy

2011-06-29T15:33:00.004-06:00

This illustration ran in the Op-Ed section of the L.A. Times this past Sunday. The author wrote a very informative piece on poison ivy- from its benefits to nature, to its appearances through American history. There's also a frightening bit about possible effects on the plant from rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere (Hint: No, its not in any danger of going away).

Read the article here, which also displays my illustration- surprising, as that doesn't usually happen with Op-Ed pieces. Wes Bausmith is the awesome AD who commissioned this, and put the headline in the ivy vine/dress. Very cool.

On a side note, the article to the right of my illo is an excellent piece written by Hagit Borer. Borer is an Israeli-American who will be on board The Audacity Of Hope, an American vessel taking part in the next flotilla bound for Gaza. I recommend reading her article as well.

Up in ARMs at the Wall Street Journal

2011-05-31T16:34:00.004-06:00

This piece for the Wall Street Journal was finished a couple weeks ago, but the story was held over 'til this past week, when it ran in the Weekend edition. The article explains how some people are reconsidering ARMs (adjustable rate mortgages), now that their interest rates are much lower than those of fixed rate mortgages. However, it's a gamble, as interest rates could jump up in the next few years while the mortgage is still being paid off.

Read the whole article here. Thank you, Keith!

Communication Arts Insights interview!

2011-05-24T14:27:00.004-06:00

My interview for the Communication Arts Insights page is up today. From the teaser on the homepage:
"Justin Renteria comments on paleontology, the link between Tylenol and creativity, and the apology he owes to Steph Glaros."

Excellent. The Insights page has interviewed such legends as Edel Rodriguez, James Jean, and Gary Taxali, just to name a few. Check it out here. It's always an honor to be involved with CA- thanks again, Sue!

And coming soon to Draw Your Weapon- new work for the Wall Street Journal...

Nonslick interview

2011-05-16T10:38:00.003-06:00

Pete Ryan is an illustrator, who aside from creating very smart, conceptual work, runs a blog called Nonslick. On this blog, Pete posts interviews with illustrators and designers, and even art directors, with questions that are well thought out, and tailored to the individual being interviewed.

He contacted me recently for an interview, and has just posted it on Nonslick. Check it out, along with the interviews of other artists, from Scott Bakal, to Anita Kunz, to Dave Plunkert and many more. Thank you again, Pete!

Getting metaphorical

2011-05-09T14:50:00.006-06:00

My recent cover piece for the Washington Post's Capital Biz magazine ran yesterday. The story describes the recent multitude of venture capital firms in the area, providing investment for new, smaller businesses. Fairly dry stuff, so I had to get metaphorical on its ass!

And they did a great job of linking the article to the illustration by way of the headline. Brilliant copywriting. Thanks again, Mere! It was a real pleasure!

New Op-Ed piece for L.A. Times

2011-05-02T11:46:00.005-06:00

This piece was finished last week for Wes at the L.A. Times, for the Sunday Op-Ed. It accompanied several stories by various authors writing about books: from the ones they had finally gotten around to reading, to the novels they will probably never finish.

It was awesome working with Wes again. The stories were online, but now I can't seem to find them. If I end up locating the page, I'll return the link.

Comm Arts Illustration Annual 52!

2011-04-28T21:30:00.007-06:00

My copy of this year's Communication Arts Illustration Annual arrived in the mail earlier this week. As usual, it's chock full of great work by some of the best illustrators working today. And as with the previous two years that my work was featured, I'm honored to be a part of it. The series for my recent Zoologica Graphica booklet is displayed on page 190, for anyone interested in checking it out.

And more news with regard to CA, I was contacted recently to be featured on the Insight page of the Communication Arts website. My interview will be up on the site Tuesday, May 24th.

Tout va bien!

2011-04-25T13:49:00.003-06:00

Everything is fine... with regard to the situation concerning public employees in at least three states. Or at least that's what you would think due to the lack of coverage anymore. The airstrikes and predator drones in Libya, and the budget "debate" here in the U.S. have sort of squeezed that story out of the picture. Here's a piece I did recently about what the bills in WI, OH, and MI essentially do to collective bargaining for public employees.

They make it not exist anymore!

Luerzer's 200 Best Illustrators Worldwide!

2011-04-11T13:29:00.005-06:00

I just received my copy of the Luerzer's 200 Best book. I have three pieces featured: one assignment for Wes from the L.A. Times, another for Joey, also at the Times, and one for Ronn for the Harvard Law Bulletin.

I'm honored to be considered by the judges as one of the "200 Best Illustrators Worldwide." To be considered for publication, the illustrator had to create the work within the past 18 months, and be nominated by an art director, or have been published in the archive before. There were 6,075 submissions from 1,139 illustrators in 44 countries.

Speak Out- while you still can

2011-03-30T17:47:00.005-06:00

Here's a poster I designed for fun a few weeks back, when the public employee union fight in Wisconsin was just starting to get heated (I told you things were going to get ugly, didn't I?). It goes along with my earlier plea for people concerned, to call Senators, Representatives, and Governors. The first step in affecting any sort of change, is being heard. In a heartwarming show of solidarity, hundreds of thousands of people in Wisconsin and across the country have shown support for the workers unfairly punished by Walker's budget repair bill. For all you Wisconsin residents, here's a link to recall efforts.

Not only are people finally standing up to the attacks on unions, they are finally starting to get pissed off about the fact that many multi-billion dollar corporations pay NO federal income taxes. Here's a link where you can get involved.

And of course there are those who are still paying attention to the fact that we are at war in three or four other countries, NOT including Libya. I'd love to get off my soapbox, but this stuff is getting really hard to keep quiet about.

Washington Post Food section

2011-03-23T16:58:00.003-06:00

I was pleased to receive a call from Marty Barrick at the Washington Post the other day, for a small illustration on the front page of the Food section. The story explains the importance of keeping old family recipes around, and how passing them down from generation to generation preserves family history.

You can read the article here. This was my first assignment for the Washington Post, and it was really nice working with Marty.

Cover for The Pitch

2011-03-16T12:43:00.004-06:00

Last week I got a call from Sarah Norwood, to do the cover for Kansas City's The Pitch. The story's writer followed a team of competitors in the BonkHardChill, a treacherous race consisting of biking, canoeing, and trekking on foot (in February mind you), through the Lake of the Ozarks State Park. The very first words of the article are a description of the writer flying over the handle bars, and landing in a ditch. I felt this concept was appropriate:

This cover was a lot of fun to work on. I even got the wheel off my own mountain bike and covered it in paint for the track pattern. This was my first assignment for Sarah, and it was great working with her.

A brush with American consumerism

2011-03-07T13:27:00.004-07:00

I did this piece, which was in yesterday's edition, for Josue from Boston Globe Magazine a couple weeks ago. The author describes his stint as a door-to-door vacuum salesman, in a very tongue-in-cheek assessment of American consumerism.

I really enjoyed working on this piece, not just because I thought the essay was great, but also because I got to incorporate a little photo-collage into it. I usually reserve the photo-montage for my personal work, but this assignment just seemed to beg for it. Luckily, Josue agreed. Read the story here.

LA Times Health Cover

2011-02-22T13:24:00.008-07:00

This illustration of mine graced the cover of the LA Times Health Section yesterday. The article discusses the link many researchers are finding between heart disease and depression. Read it here.

Joey Santos art directed this one. Joey, always a pleasure!

Also, the current issue of Juxtapoz has an awesome interview with Emory Douglas, the Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party. I discovered Mr. Douglas' classic work for the Black Panther newspaper a while back, and it's really cool to see some of the new work he's making. You can see a bit of the interview on the Juxtapoz site, but pick up a copy to read the whole thing.

Speaking of struggle, I also want to urge everyone who reads this to call your senators, call your governor, and urge them to voice support for public employees in this country. You can find the contact info for your senator here, and your governor here. I don't like getting too political on this blog, but public employees bear absolutely NO responsibility for the current state of the economy in this country. You can thank Greenspan and Wall Street for that.

As seen in Communication Arts...

2011-02-17T11:31:00.005-07:00

I found out a couple weeks ago that my Zoologica Graphica series was chosen for the upcoming Communication Arts Illustration Annual! This marks the third year in a row that my work has been selected for inclusion in the prestigious annual. Now that a large chunk of the 100 booklets have been mailed out, I'm posting the series here for all to see (the four of you who read this blog)!

I'm extremely honored to be a part of the 52nd annual showcase of some of the best illustration being made today. And I'm really looking forward to seeing all the work that made it in this year.

Guns on campus, for the Globe.

2011-02-14T11:46:00.004-07:00

I actually finished this illustration a few weeks ago, but it was just published in Boston Globe Magazine yesterday. The essay is written by a junior at Harvard University, who argues that students should have less, not more access to guns on college campuses.

One of the author's suggestions for trying to prevent future shooting sprees, is for colleges to alert law enforcement agencies about students that might be dangerous. Shining a light on troubled individuals might help the public be more proactive in preventing violent outbursts, such as the recent shooting in Tucson. You can read the essay here. Josue Evilla commissioned me for the job, and it was great working with him again.

Zoologica Graphica is out now!

2011-02-09T12:31:00.008-07:00

I just sent out about 45 of my 100 limited edition Zoologica Graphica promo booklets (and have already gotten some responses)! I'll be sending out the rest in the next couple weeks.

As I've explained in earlier posts, this is a booklet I designed (including all the handwritten type), featuring a series of four illustrations. The series combines the names of animals depicted, with the medium used to create the image (E.g. a chimpanxerox, made from a collage of xeroxed paper). Eric Hines at Honest Bros helped me put the booklet together, helped with the text layout, and even screen-printed the little wrap-around belly bands.

More news about the Zooglogica Graphica series yet to come...

Zoologica Graphica: A sneak peek.

2011-02-04T10:39:00.003-07:00

Here's a peek at what I've been working on the past couple months:

This is a limited edition of 100, self-promo booklet that I'm sending out in the coming weeks. It's called Zoologica Graphica. I'll post more details and pics after I send some of these babies out. I don't want to spoil it for the recipients by showing it all right now. Stay tuned. Same bat time, same bat channel.

Not quite quick enough on the draw...

2011-02-01T13:25:00.005-07:00

I started and finished a piece yesterday, in response to the developments in Egypt over the past week. I had planned on sending it to newspaper ADs I've worked with before, to see if they could use it in connection to any stories running on the subject. I had a concept in mind in the morning, and started working out the final. I had been checking the Opinion section on the nytimes.com site throughout the day to make sure nothing had already run. As I was finishing the piece, and getting ready to send a jpeg out, I checked the site one more time... wouldn't you know it, the brilliant Christoph Niemann had beaten me to the punch! It wouldn't have been a big deal, as I'm sure there will be dozens of illustrations about Egypt in the coming days, but we coincidentally thought of a nearly identical concept! Here's mine:

Here's a link to Christoph's.
Very different styles, and actually, mine was more addressing the possible repercussions of a revolution in Egypt. Christoph's appears to be illustrating the idea of individuals, working collectively, bringing down the entire Mubarak regime? But after seeing his piece had already been published, I figured it would be pointless to send mine to any ADs. I thought it was a funny story though, so I sent it to Alexandra at the Times, and she agreed it was pretty crazy. Oh well. If I may flatter myself, I guess great minds do think alike.

Also, my limited edition self-promo booklets are done! More details to follow...

A little New Year's piece

2011-01-05T18:25:00.006-07:00

Here's a quick little spot I did for Ivy Simones at the NY Observer yesterday. The deadline was pretty tight- I had the first half of Tuesday, basically- and the article wasn't in yet for us to really go off of... But they just wanted a simple image of a handbag combined with the New Year's Eve ball drop, for an article about a party thrown by the Gilt Groupe.

I had never heard of the Gilt Groupe (and to tell you the truth, I'm still a little uncertain what it is), but it was a fun little job. I liked playing with the pattern of the famous ball's facets to make up the purse's pattern too. And it was really nice to work with Ivy again.

Happy new year, and to hell with 2010!

2011-01-03T11:20:00.012-07:00

Happy new year, all! I wish everyone a great 2011, and let's hope it's better than 2010. The past few years have been pretty tough on a lot of people, but not all! Let's see, over the past twelve months there was an horrific earthquake in Haiti, catastrophe in the gulf of Mexico, and 29 miners were killed in an explosion in a Massey coal mine in West Virginia. There were record corporate profits, but the unemployment rate still hovers near ten percent. The war in Afghanistan continues, and has become our longest, while we fight more covert proxy wars in Pakistan and Yemen, and we discovered that there were around 15,000 more civilian casualties in Iraq than were previously reported. Elected officials continue to display a frighteningly dismal understanding of history, and even go so far as to criticize landmark victories for civil rights in this country. And we lost Howard Zinn!!! I have hope for the next twelve months, but things are already looking pretty gross. Budget cuts while millions of families are struggling, attacks on Social security, further demonizing of Muslims in this country- I think we're in for a bumpy, and stomach-churning ride. Good luck.

Anyway! On a lighter note, I received an awesome holiday gift from Eric Hines at Honest Bros. here in Denver. This hoodie was sent out to some of the Honest Bros. clients. It even came in a really cool box!
I designed a self promo booklet featuring some of my illustration that I'll be sending out soon. Eric has been helping me put it all together, and even screen-printed the cigar band that wraps around the booklet. I just got a proof back from the printer, and it's looking good. I'll be sending them out (and posting photos when I do) towards the end of January. And yes! The hoodie is comfy!

NY Times Op-Ed

2010-12-08T18:45:00.003-07:00

I got a call from Alexandra Zsigmond at the NY Times last week, with an opportunity to do a small piece for the letters section. The fun thing about doing Op-Ed work for the Times is that you usually only have a few hours to do it. OK, so it's fun AND very challenging. This particular piece was to accompany letters written in response to a recent article that showed that hospitals have not made many improvements in safety over the past decade. The basic idea: how to fix the hospitals. My solution:

I like it because it's very simple and graphic. Simplicity is especially nice when you only have a few hours, start to finish. Thanks again, Alexandra!

Not your average dinner conversation...

2010-11-22T12:06:00.006-07:00

I finished this illustration for Grant Staublin at Boston Globe Magazine a few weeks ago. The issue ran yesterday, in the Sunday paper. War correspondent Anna Badkhen writes about a meal she shared with an Iraqi woman, during which they recalled some of their experiences with war, in graphic detail.

Although the act of retelling incidents of death and injury during dinner seems strange to most of us, she explains that they saw it as a way of realizing how lucky they are to have survived. Here's the article. Thanks, Grant!

Great show at Indy Ink!

2010-11-09T16:23:00.002-07:00

Friday night was a pretty big success! By the time I stopped by Indy Ink, half my pieces had been sold. I don't know how many are left, but I believe the exhibition of Andres' and my work will be up all November. Stop in to have a look, and if there are some pieces still available, the Holiday season is just around the corner... I wish I had taken some pictures Friday night, but the thought of bringing a camera didn't occur to me until just now. Rats. Thank you to Chris Huth, Indy Ink, and everyone who came down. And a special thank you to everyone who purchased art. It's a great feeling knowing that someone enjoys your work enough to not only pay for it, but hang it on a wall in their home.

Also, they finally put up a gallery of the work in the recent RE:FORM SCHOOL show in New York. You can look at all of the art here.

Progressive assignment, and ready for Indy Ink

2010-11-02T13:01:00.007-06:00

Here's a recent illustration I did for Nick Jehlen at The Progressive. The article is about Palestinian rappers in Lebanon, and Gaza. The story featured Mohammed Turk, aka TNT of the group Invincible Voice, so I modeled the figure in my piece on him.

Nick was one of the earliest art directors to give me a shot when I was first starting out, and is always great to work with.

I've also framed all my pieces for display at the upcoming Indy Ink show on Friday. Andres Guzman and myself will be sharing the walls of the screen print shop on South Broadway, so come down and have a looksee. I have ten in all: two originals, and eight high-quality giclee prints. All for sale (except my sweet Three Stooges poster seen in the photo)!

NY Times Op-Ed Piece

2010-10-25T09:09:00.004-06:00

I got a call from Alexandra Zsigmond from the NY Times last week, to do a quick illustration for the Op-Ed page. My piece accompanied the letters in yesterday's Sunday Times, responding to a recent article on the culture of poverty. Alexandra thought it would be best not to focus on the roots of poverty, but instead show the struggle to escape it. Read the responses here. Thank you again, Alexandra.

I also had an illustration in the Boston Globe Magazine last weekend. The article's author, a Republican, is torn between supporting her party and her best friend, who is running for office as a Democrat. I worked with Grant Staublin on this job. Thanks, Grant!

Brand new promo cards ready to go!

2010-10-12T13:20:00.003-06:00

I've got some new promo cards that I'm about to send out. Drop me an email if you'd like to be placed on a mailing list, and receive a set.

An invitation, and a piece for the L.A. Times Op-Ed

2010-10-06T10:19:00.005-06:00

The opening night of the RE:FORM SCHOOL show is drawing nearer, and you are hereby invited. I sent my piece last week, which if it sells will go to benefit the Urban Arts Partnership. Unfortunately I was in a rush to have it completed, framed, and mailed out to NYC before October 1st, so I didn't have a chance to have it photographed. Hopefully there will be some sort of gallery on the website, where all of the art can be viewed. I'll post the link if any such gallery is set up...

I also did an illustration for the L.A. Times Op-Ed page the other day. It's a very touching story of a woman's pride in her father, a cab driver originally from Afghanistan.

A short synopsis won't do the article justice, so read the whole thing here. Wes Bausmith art directed it, and was especially helpful, as it didn't have a straightforward message the way most op-eds do.

Wanna see some baby pictures?

2010-09-28T18:53:00.002-06:00

I didn't think so. But if you change your mind, my profile is up on the RE:FORM SCHOOL blog. You can see a few samples of my work (which you've probably already seen here on my blog) and a couple old snapshots, including one with my Los Angeles Raiders hat. I wish I still had that hat. The blog features a few of the participating artists every day. It includes samples of work, some old photos, and answers to questions like, "Who was your favorite teacher and why?" Check it out, there are a lot of really talented folks taking part in the show. And if you live in NYC, be sure to head down to 233 Mott Street for the opening on October 9th.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-09-16T10:56:00.005-06:00

I'll be pretty busy these next few weeks preparing for a couple shows I'll be in. The first is actually a huge group show in New York City. The Hole Gallery is hosting Re:Form School, a project attempting to bring awareness to the condition of our education system.

I received an email a little while back, asking me to participate in the show. I'll be donating my work, which will go to benefit the Urban Arts Partnership. Along with the group show there will also be an art contest open to anyone, judged by a pretty high profile panel including Rosario Dawson, Russell Simmons, Davis Guggenheim and more. In the group show, I'll be joining artists such as Gary Baseman, Cathie Bleck, Jesse LeDoux, Ron English and Denver's own Scot Lefavor, plus many more.
Speaking of locals, I'm participating in a two-man show with Andres Guzman at Indy Ink on South Broadway, first Friday in November. Andres is a very talented illustrator with some amazing drawing skills. Check out his website here. I think the fact that our styles are so different from one another is what will make it a great show. I'll have more details as the shows approach...

Playing Ketchup

2010-09-13T16:15:00.006-06:00

Sorry, bad pun. I've been pretty busy lately, but now that I've got a second, it's time to play catch-up on the 'ole blog. I did a piece for Columbia Law School Magazine a while back, and as far as I know, the issue is out! It was a whole page for an article examining the recent Citizens United case, that says that if you've got lots of money, give it to politicians and they'll probably get elected and do your bidding! Actually the article gave a few different points of view.

The editors wanted the image to correspond with the perspective that the decision won't do much, because our elections are already flooded with rich people's money. I worked with David Barnett for the first time on this one, and it was a pleasure.

I also just finished the cover of the Health Section of the L.A. Times. It should be in today's paper, so pick it up if you're in Los Angeles. The cover stories explained the importance of social networks in people's lives. Remember when your mother used to tell you to stop hanging out with those hoodlums? Well according to recent studies, she had good reason. Behaviors like drinking and smoking and bad diet are practically as contagious as germs. However, the articles focused more on the positive aspects of social networks, and how healthy and beneficial friends can be.

I worked with Joey Santos on this, who was a great help when I was making things too complicated.

Boston Globe Magazine Piece

2010-08-11T14:05:00.005-06:00

I just got back from a fun, and very relaxing vacation. It had been too long since I had taken one, so I REALLY enjoyed it. I finished a couple jobs before we left. The first was for Grant Staublin at the Boston Globe Magazine. This piece accompanied an article about Alzheimer's disease. The author's family has a history of the disease, and with new methods of detecting genetic likelihood he poses the question: "If you could learn in advance you're getting the disease, would you want to find out?"

A well written essay with an extremely sad subject. Thank you again, Grant. The other illustration I finished before I took off was for Columbia Law School Magazine, which will be posted as soon as it's published.

Houston Press Cover

2010-07-22T12:24:00.003-06:00

I did this cover last week, for Monica Fuentes at the Houston Press. The cover story is about a teenage girl that went across the border to Mexico, and wound up getting murdered.

Although it appears that the girl may have been getting involved in smuggling, her family is not so sure, and with the case being outside of U.S. jurisdiction, it's unlikely any answers will come soon. The story revolves around this one case, but it also mentions a few other examples of Americans going across the border, and being killed. It was a pleasure working with Monica on this piece.

Legalize It? L.A. Times Op-Ed

2010-07-19T12:00:00.004-06:00

I just finished this illustration for Jim Brooks at the L.A. Times the other day. Mark Kleiman wrote a very thoughtful, and realistic essay about the problems with legalizing the recreational use of marijuana in California. The gist of it: a state law ending the prohibition would conflict with federal law, and Uncle Sam wouldn't allow it, due to some unintended consequences.

Although ending the prohibition of marijuana makes sense (it's certainly better than wasting time and money on law enforcement, and incarcerating people possessing a product less harmful than alcohol), it would have to be done on a federal level first. Thanks again, Jim!

"A disproportionate use of force"

2010-06-11T10:50:00.008-06:00

I finished a personal illustration the other day, after hearing about the killing of 15 year old Sergio Adrian Hernandez Huereca. Sergio was killed on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande, by a Border Patrol agent. The agent has claimed that several people were throwing rocks while he detained a suspect. The Mexican government has called the incident "a disproportionate use of force."

I realize that throwing rocks at a person is not the equivalent of shooting a person with a squirt gun. Neither is a 15 year old throwing rocks equivalent to a trained law enforcement agent using his firearm with deadly force. The issue is "disproportionate use of force," which seems popular these days. Whether it's Palestinian children shot to death for throwing rocks at heavily armed tanks, 9 civilians armed with broom sticks and clubs, shot to death by Israeli commandos, or an offensive operation in the Gaza Strip that kills over 1400 people (while Israel suffered 13 casualties). Glenn Greenwald explains how people justify disproportionate uses of force in his blog post for Salon.com.

Harvard Law Bulletin Job

2010-06-01T16:04:00.004-06:00

I finished an illustration for the Harvard Law Bulletin a while ago, but I just got my issue in the mail from Ronn Campisi, so now I can post it. The article is about a law clinic at the school for online journalists that need legal aid. Thanks again, Ronn!

L.A. Times Op-Ed Assignment

2010-05-24T16:51:00.005-06:00

I finished an illustration for the L.A. Times Op-Ed page last week, for an essay about ghostwriting. The piece explained the various reactions to ghostwritten political books, and what the author feels are the real problems with them.

I worked with Wes Bausmith on this, who was great, as always .

L.A. Times Health Section Cover

2010-05-11T13:17:00.013-06:00

I got an email from Joey Santos at the L.A. Times last Monday, for an upcoming cover of the Health Section. The job also included a black and white interior piece, and possibly a few spots to accompany other essays. The turnaround was quick, so the spots weren't going to work, but I was able to do the cover and the inside illustration.

The first essay was by a man who discovered that reciting Shakespeare's most famous sonnets helps him to keep pace while exercising.

The second essay was by a woman that loves the act of eating salad. Her husband, however, prefers to blend his ingredients, and drink his salad. As always, it was great working with Joey.

CA Illustration 51 is here!

2010-05-05T14:33:00.004-06:00

My copy of Communication Arts Illustration Annual 51 just arrived the other day. As usual, it's filled with the veterans of the industry, artists I've admired since high school, and lots of new talent as well.

I was lucky enough to get a recent project from the Harvard Law Bulletin accepted. Ronn Campisi commissioned me for a piece in the Book Review section, for a novel about the rise and fall of a college president.

It is a great honor to be included among some of the best illustrators in the field. Thanks again, Ronn!

Westword Cover

2010-04-22T14:15:00.003-06:00

Last week I did a cover for Westword, the weekly here in Denver. The feature story is about Alan Sudduth, a man from Aurora that's serving a 70 year sentence for the murder of a cab driver. However, evidence points to the friend that was with him at the time of the shooting. Not to mention the friend has admitted to the killing, and testified that Alan did not commit the murder. The problem: if Alan tells the authorities who really pulled the trigger, it's considered snitching, and is a serious offense in prison, and in the neighborhoods where Alan grew up.

The issue is on newsstands around town today (the 22nd), so if you're local, go pick one up! I worked with the very talented Jay Vollmar on this.

Dallas Observer Cover

2010-03-24T15:21:00.005-06:00

I just finished an illustration for Alexander Flores from the Dallas Observer. The piece was for the cover story on Dallas County judge, Jim Foster, who was recently defeated in the Democratic primary. Check out the story here.

For any Peter Sellers fans viewing this post and finding the cover eerily familiar, you're spot on! When Alexander called me for the assignment, he already had the concept in mind. The story of Jim Foster is reminiscent of the main character in the 1979 comedy Being There, starring Sellers, and Shirley MacLaine. Alexander wanted readers to make that connection (it's also mentioned in the article), and so decided that the cover should be a remake of the film poster:

The only real change the editors wanted was to the Dallas skyline, and the surrounding landscape. I would love to give credit to the original creator of the poster, but can't find the name anywhere. Anyone who knows it, feel free to drop me a line. Thanks again, Alexander!

Bostonia Piece- The Art Market

2010-03-01T14:09:00.004-07:00

I did this illustration a while back for Bostonia, the magazine of Boston University. The article details a lecture given to art history majors, focusing on the art market: it's fluctuations, the relationship between galleries and artists, and how difficult it is for artists to make a middle class living. The old metaphor of "struggling to keep your head above water" seemed to fit perfectly. Thanks again, Ronn!

Communication Arts: 2010!

2010-02-15T09:18:00.003-07:00

A couple weeks ago I was informed that a project I entered into the Communication Arts Illustration competition was accepted. I entered one piece that I worked on with Ronn Campisi for the Harvard Law Bulletin, and one personal piece. The Law Bulletin piece was chosen, and will appear in the Annual, which will be out in May.

I was hoping my personal piece would be chosen as well, but that's the thing about personal work: it's not always as pleasing to everyone else. Still, having only entered two pieces, I was lucky to get any in. The illustration annual is extremely competitive, and it's an honor to win two years in a row.

Airport Insecurity- Boston Globe

2010-02-08T11:09:00.003-07:00

I finished this piece for Grant Staublin at the Boston Globe a couple weeks ago. It accompanied an essay in the Sunday magazine about security measures in airports. Read the article here. The image quality of my illustration on the website isn't very good, so here's a better one:

The article argues that although the steps that the government and airlines take to prevent terrorist attacks are bothersome and inconvenient, they are also necessary. While I don't necessarily agree with every point made in the piece, as an illustrator, it's not my job to agree with everything the writer says. I do, however, see the reasoning behind the article's conclusion. With my illustration I wanted to ask the question, "just how much security is necessary?" Thanks again, Grant!

Boston Globe Work- Fattened by Pills

2010-01-25T09:54:00.004-07:00

I had an illustration in yesterday's Boston Globe Magazine, for an essay about a hidden cause of obesity in the U.S. The article points out that one of the primary causes of obesity is psychiatric drugs, anti-depression medication in particular. Weight gain is listed as a side effect for many drugs, which is a nice way of saying "a harmful consequence." And as more and more people (including children) are given prescriptions for whatever kind of problem they have, it's only going to get worse.

I worked with Grant Staublin and Chin Wang on this one, which is always a pleasure. I also just finished a different piece for Grant the other day, that I'll be posting as soon as it runs.

LA Times Health Section Cover

2010-01-11T09:46:00.004-07:00

Joey Santos from the LA Times called me after the New Year's weekend with an assignment for the cover of the Health Section. The article explained the two sides of a debate surrounding psychotherapy. On one side are the psychologists that prefer the use of cognitive behavioral therapy when treating patients. On the other are those that prefer a more personal, customized approach.

On the final day I was working on the piece, Joey had a proposition for me: if I could make the deadline, they had some extra room and he really wanted to use another illustration inside the section. He wanted to use another one of my sketches I had turned in, but it would be black and white. Luckily, I finished the final for the first illustration early, and had time to do the second. I'm glad I was able to take advantage of the situation, and it was great working with Joey again.

Harvard Law Bulletin Work

2010-01-06T12:19:00.007-07:00

Ronn Campisi contacted me after he received my Loteria cards, with a couple illustrations for the Harvard Law Bulletin, the alumni magazine for the school. Both were for the Book Review section. The first book, Negotiauctions by Guhan Subramanian, deals with some complicated stuff. You know, game-theoretic approaches to corporate mergers, the usual. So given the complex subject, Ronn wanted to keep the illustration fairly simple. The main theme of the book was deal-making, and finding the right offer out of many possible offers. Finding the best fit, in other words.

The second review was for Stubborn as a Mule, by Richard Fallon. The fictional story follows an overly ambitious, free-market obsessed college president, as he attempts to unseat a moderate Republican Senator. Judging by the review, the theme of the book seemed to be that over-reaching ambition and ego can lead to an inevitable fall from grace. This piece was a two-page spread, so I wanted to use the long format to convey the two stages: ambition, and the fall. Thanks, Ronn, for all your input.

LA Times Food Section Illustrations- Part Deux

2009-12-23T11:52:00.004-07:00

As promised, here is the second part of the commission for the Food Section of the L.A. Times. It's for a great little story about mothers, home-cooking, and working class South L.A. in the 1950s. The author explains how his mother's cooking (the best in the neighborhood) instilled in him a certain view towards food. That it should be about more than filling your stomach. It should be prepared with love, and satisfy more than just your appetite. Read it here.

Given the subject matter, I wanted this piece to reflect stylistic elements of vintage illustration, especially children's books, and design of the 1940s and 50s. It came fairly easy to me, because I usually derive a lot of influence from those areas already. Thank you again to Wes, who is always a pleasure to work with.

On another note, Chris Huth from Indy Ink recently asked me to participate in a group show at the gallery. I've sold prints from Indy Ink in the past, and was happy to join in the festivities. The main stipulation was that all work in the gallery be priced under $100, to tempt people to buy real art, made locally, instead of a gift card to some international chain. For anyone with some last minute shopping to do, and interested in purchasing something made by real live human beings, right here in Denver, check out all the work at Indy Ink on South Broadway. I have three high quality giclee prints of my Loteria pieces up. I believe the show will be up through January, in honor of "Buy Local Month."

LA Times Food Section Illustrations- Part 1

2009-12-16T08:50:00.008-07:00

I was recently commissioned to do two illustrations for the Food section of the LA Times. They were originally to appear in the same edition on Christmas eve, but the publish date for one got pushed up. This illustration ran in today's edition, in an article titled "The pleasure principle in wine giving." You can read the article, which gives advice on choosing wines for gifts, here. Or if you have REALLY good eyes you might be able to read it from the image below.

The stores mentioned are local to the L.A. area, but the wines discussed can be purchased in many areas, if you know someone who would appreciate receiving a gift of wine. I myself am more of a beer man (good beer, like Guinness, or Newcastle), but I'm getting used to wine. Here's a closer look:

I'll be posting the second piece after it runs, I believe on Christmas eve. I had the pleasure of working with Wes Bausmith on these, who is always great. Thanks again for all the great feedback, Wes!

Loteria Self-Promo Cards

2009-11-10T08:52:00.005-07:00

I put these Loteria self-promotional cards together a few months ago, and I've been sending them out every now and then. For those who aren't familiar with Loteria, it's a card game played in Mexico that can best be described as Bingo with pictures. They've garnered some very positive responses from the Art Directors that have received them. It's a set of four cards held in a sleeve that slides on and off. Three cards have an illustration relating to the theme I chose to address (which is environmental issues), and the fourth card is an explanation of the project. The three illustrations also have a blurb on the back giving information on each particular subject.

I've sent a lot out to local firms in Denver, but if I missed you, drop me an email ( there's a link on my profile) with your mailing address and I'll get a set out to you. Or if you don't want the cards, you can just say "hi."

GI Bill Op-Ed piece

2009-10-26T10:13:00.003-06:00

Wes Bausmith at the L.A. Times called last Wednesday afternoon with an op-ed story about the GI Bill's education benefits, and how slow they are getting to student vets. The turn-around was pretty quick (Friday afternoon), so I got to work and turned this final in Friday, which ran in the Sunday Edition. The op-ed was a great piece (read it here), and, as usual, it was a pleasure to work with Wes.

Boston Globe Piece About Asperger's Syndrome

2009-10-01T15:56:00.005-06:00

I finished this piece for Chin Wang from the Boston Globe Magazine not too long ago. It's for an essay by a man with Asperger's Syndrome, an autistic condition. The author explained in his essay the feelings of isolation he experienced growing up, due to his problems interacting with other people. He wasn't even aware of his condition until he was diagnosed as an adult, after someone remarked to him that he displayed the characteristics of Asperger's. I love working on conceptual pieces like this, and Chin was great. The Denver Egotist gave me a shout out for this one too.

Dallas Observer Cover

2009-08-12T17:40:00.005-06:00

I just finished an illustration for Alexander Flores, for the cover of the Dallas Observer. The cover story is about a Mexican woman involved in a legal tug-of-war in a wrongful death suit, after the father of her children was killed in an accident at his construction job. Before settling with the companies responsible, she was stuck in the middle of a battle between two attorneys, feuding over who was really entitled to the settlement money. A great piece to work on. Read the article here. The good folks at the Denver Egotist took notice of this piece and mentioned it on their site. They also included me on their list of recommended talent a while back, after seeing me in Communication Arts' Fresh section. Thanks again Egotist!

Paper Sons Piece

2009-08-03T10:13:00.007-06:00

I just finished an illustration for Wes Bausmith at the LA Times, accompanying an Op-Ed piece by author Lisa See. It's a very informative story, and an interesting piece of American history. Read it online here (sans my illustration). It was a lot of fun looking at old photographs from the early 20th century, when I was researching clothing of the period. The National Archives has a digital vault online with photos, immigration documents, marriage licences, and more. You can browse through it here. And, as always, it was great to work with Wes again.

I also did an illustration for Nick Jehlen from The Progressive recently. It appears in the book review section, where Moustafa Bayoumi reviews Engaging the Muslim World, by Juan Cole, and Sowing Crisis, by Rashid Khalidi.

With my illustration, I chose to focus on the first book, Engaging the Muslim World. As Bayoumi explains, it serves as an introduction to Islam, and the Middle East, and provides a way for the West to get to know Muslim culture, in an attempted cure of "Islamophobia." I felt it was fitting to portray the book as a doorway to a mosque. Thank you to Nick, who allowed me to go in a completely different direction, after I found an old North Korean poster that was very similar to the sketch that was originally approved.

One of my original sketches focused on the second book, Sowing Crisis, which details the ways in which the US and Russia, engaged in Cold War, exacerbated the many tensions, feuds and conflicts in the Middle East. I came up with a concept of the boot prints demonstrating the mess that the two super-powers left behind, and sent Nick the sketch. Afterward, I just happened to come across this old North Korean poster, which coincidentally used the same concept. I showed the poster to Nick, and he agreed that it was too similar, and let me go with a new concept.

One out of 5,470 ain't bad...

2009-07-08T12:03:00.004-06:00

I received my copy of the Communication Arts Illustration Annual 50 the other day, and I've been spending a bit of time wandering through its pages. The art in CA Annuals is always very inspiring. I feel deeply honored to have one of the 207 winning projects (out of 5,470 entries), which includes work by illustrators that I've looked up to since high school (Gary Kelley, Brad Holland, Edel Rodriguez, just to name a few). This is my first time being accepted into the CA Illustration Annual (although I did have some old work exhibited in the Fresh section of the CA website), and it's incredibly motivating to see my piece alongside the industry's best talents. Pick up a copy and enjoy all the great illustration!

Boston Globe Magazine Piece

2009-06-11T11:40:00.003-06:00

I finished an illustration for Grant Staublin at the Boston Globe Magazine a little while back, and haven't been able to post it for a while. My girlfriend, our little girl and I just moved into a new townhome, and we've been spending the last couple weeks gutting it, and renovating. The piece was for an article explaining that many people are trying to escape the bad economy by seeking another degree (with little success). It was fun coming up with a concept for this one, and I really like the texture that came out in the student's face.

Murray Tinkelman does it again

2009-05-20T23:35:00.009-06:00

Illustrators hear the word "style" a lot. One major stress for soon-to-be illustrators during senior year of art school is finding a style (even though most illustrators' style changes significantly after they graduate, and continues to evolve throughout their career). The word gets thrown around a lot. So every now and then, when I hear someone remark to me about my style, I'm honestly a little caught off guard. To this very moment I consider myself still struggling to "find" a style. I don't have a formula for approaching an illustration assignment the way some illustrators do. I solve every problem individually, and without a preordained method for visual communication. I draw inspiration from a thousand different places. I do admit that I have a few top influences. My favorites are posters (from rock shows, to propaganda, to Polish films). But no two illustrations of mine look identical. And sometimes I worry about this. Is an illustrator's work supposed to look consistent? I mean, really consistent? That way an Art Director knows exactly what to expect. I hope not. I came across this post on Today's Inspiration, a blog by Leif Peng, and it put my mind at ease. Murray Tinkelman is the subject of the post, and it displays a few pieces Mr. Tinkelman has done throughout his career. They look like they could have been done by five different artists. "All these examples, taken from the first two decades of Tinkelman's career, suggest that the restless illustrator rarely settled twice on the same visual solution to any given problem," explains Peng. He reports Mr. Tinkelman stating in an interview in American Artist magazine from 1970: "'I enjoy variety and I try to use style in the same way a typographer uses type faces. The style is not dictated by whim, nor by the art director, but by the problem the job presents.'" I named Mr. Tinkelman, in a questionaire I answered for Communication Arts' Fresh page, as a major inspiration to me as an artist. When I was a soon-to-be illustrator, he gave a lecture at my school as a visiting artist. Now, through my monitor, from a quote on a blog, he's managed to inspire me yet again. Thank you, Mr. Tinkelman. Here's a great Tinkelman bio on Zina Saunders' drawger blog.

LA Times Op-Ed

2009-05-05T11:43:00.003-06:00

I just did a piece for Wes Bausmith at the LA Times for an op-ed piece written by Barbara Ehrenreich. It was a great article about unemployment in the U.S., and how Americans deal with it. The gist of it: Unlike the masses of unemployed in other countries, we don't organize in any effort to change the system. We get pretend jobs. A very well written piece, and a lot of fun to work on. Wes is one of my favorite ADs to work with. He always has great insight and feedback.

Village Voice Cover

2009-05-01T13:05:00.004-06:00

I just finished a cover illustration for the Village Voice in NYC. I was working with Ivylise Simones on this one. I worked with her back when she was at the Miami New Times, and it was great to work with her again. The cover story is a really horrific cold case in the Bronx that's just been solved. Its a very sad story that, no matter the outcome of any trial, doesn't have a happy ending. Read it here.

I recently got a call from Joshua Kors, the author of the story. He called to compliment me on my illustration, and to tell me that he appreciated my work. I've never actually heard from any writers of the articles I've illustrated, so it was great to hear from him. Thanks again for the kind words Joshua, and keep up the good work.

Card for Sabrina Vega

2009-04-24T14:59:00.005-06:00

Sabrina Vega, a very talented graphic designer from Austin Texas, has a blog called Sabrina: A design project. Her idea was to send out self-addressed, stamped postcards to various illustrators and designers, to let them put "Sabrina" on the card. After they were sent back to her she scanned them and displayed them on her blog. The first round of 100 cards were sent to such design legends as Milton Glaser and Gary Baseman. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that she chose to include me in her second round of postcards. She just received my card and posted it on her blog.

Here's the card that I sent to Sabrina. I noticed that everyone else was writing the word "Sabrina," so I thought: why not show it in sign language? Check out Sabrina's blog. There are a lot of really cool cards. Thanks again, Sabrina!

Communication Arts Illustration Annual 50!

2009-04-10T11:52:00.010-06:00

Last week I was informed that a recent piece I did has been chosen to appear in Communication Arts Illustration Annual 50. I've been looking at Communication Arts magazine since art school, hoping to one day get the chance to grace the pages of its Illustration Annual. Its an incredible honor to be included in this publication, and I'm looking forward to seeing all the other work when it comes out in July.

This is the piece that will be in Communication Arts Illustration Annual 50. It's a personal work that reflects my feelings towards people that use their religion to justify any act of violence, no matter what faith they subscribe to. It's mixed media on vintage book cover.

SND Award of Excellence

2009-04-06T17:03:00.013-06:00

The first piece of news I have concerns an illustration I did for Wes Bausmith at the LA Times last year. As visitors to my website may already know, I received an Award of Excellence from the Society for News Design for the "Wrong Turf" piece I did. It's a great honor to be recognized by the SND. The illustration was for an Op-Ed story about the author's neighborhood, and its persistent gang problem.

While I'm posting, I might as well add a couple recent personal pieces I've been working on. I started out with a concept in mind, and then an idea for the composition. Then I chose a few colors for my entire palette. I wanted to keep it to a minimum... Six colors or less. Sometimes images work better the fewer tones you have, and a lot of times I like working with four colors or less. The colors for the first piece:

And the piece:

The colors for the second piece:

And the second piece:

The first piece didn't have a specific concept; I was mostly playing around with color. I also liked the face from a previous illustration I did for the New York Times, so I used it in this piece (Those are the perks of personal work: you can do anything you want, including ripping off your own illustrations). The second piece, however, was based on a study that just came out, suggesting that eating more than 4 ounces of red meat a day can lead to early death. Here's some more information at Scientific American.

What's one more blog?

2009-04-06T15:58:00.005-06:00

Having realized that operating my own web page didn't sufficiently propel me into the 21st century, I've decided to join every other person in the world and create a blog. I'll be using this blog to share illustration, news, and thoughts and opinions with anyone who cares to look. The "News" page on my website will probably be phased out in time, as this will be quicker to update. Enjoy!