3x3 Children's Book Competition 2012

Got a nice surprise in the mail last week, the latest issue of 3x3 magazine, featuring works from the 2012 Children's Book competition. My travel series made it into the mix, and is pictured here. I've included larger versions from the grouping below. I wanted to send out a big thank you to 3x3 for the award and recognition, it means so much coming from so beautiful a magazine. Go out and grab a copy today!

Katmandu - Ancient Temples of Durbar Square

Rome - Colosseum

Copenhagen - Canal

Freetown - Marketplace

Tokyo - Habuchi District

I thought it might be fun to include the original sketches (to show how these look starting out). 

Harry Potter wisdom

Trayvon Martin

I had an instructor in school who cautioned us from creating work about serious subjects we're not directly connected to. I understand what she meant and I wrestled with posting this.  But when I heard the verdict last night, my heart sank and I knew I had to say something.
Peace and love to the victims and families of injustice-

June, 26 2013

I had to say something, if only to remember today when I'm an old queen. Ha!

Mercury Summer Stock 2013

Bravo to the talented performers at Mercury Summer Stock on their upcoming 15th Anniversary Season! Very impressive guys, hope it's the best year yet - break a leg!

AG Father's Day Concepts

Fire up the grill and kick back with another cold one, today's all about you Pops!

building sketches

It took moving to Washington to rekindle my love for old neoclassical buildings and architecture. Wish we could afford one of the old beauties in Georgetown or Alexandria.  The hotel sketch was inspired from a recent trip to Florida. The National Gallery was sketched on a gorgeous day, a few weeks back.

Dream City

I wanted the place to have a sort of updated 'Arcadia' feel, like beautiful 18th century landscapes

Welcome Center Concept

Campus concept (I have to admit this one is heavily inspired from Cornell's beautiful clock tower)

Meditation Park concept

Early concept: Art director Mick McCarthy

These visuals were developed for an online health and wellness community concept.  Visitors to the site would navigate through a Welcome Center, campus, library, park, etc.. My stuff can sometimes get a little static, so I tried to give everything a sweeping, lyrical quality and feel. A place your mind could escape to for clarity and a little r&r. In the end, the clients decided to go in a photo direction. So if there's anyone out there in need of illustrations for a dream city, I have a few options ready to go!

NYC kids travel journals

*cover

*reverse

*cover

*reverse

I created these bright and colorful NYC themed travel journals a few months back for Mudpuppy and they're out just in time for Summer! BIG THANK YOU to Cynthia, for the great direction and all the fun work - such a cool idea for younger travelers and those young at heart alike. Both are available for pre-order on amazon, here and here. 

table doodle

I drew this little guy on the paper tablecloth at Macaroni Grill the other day.  I liked something about him and wanted to share here. He's like a cross between Charlie Brown and a little urchin from Gangs of New York.  Maybe I'll make him into my mischievous alter-ego.  No names for the guy yet...  I'm open to suggestions.

a simple favorite

 

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”

-Ben Franklin

I get asked if I still do any freelance work for American Greetings? I do, in fact I enjoy the work very much.  Here is a recent and simple card out on racks now, it's one of my personal favs.  I hope drunken Uncles everywhere, get a little kick out of it.  : )

little boxes on the hillside..

My illustration in today's NY Times regarding the uncertain and often gloomy long term real estate outlook. I wish we had better news to illustrate, still I'm  grateful for the opportunity to work again with Art Director, Minh Uong. Thanks again! Check out the article here.

Bon voyage kiddos!

Just a little peak at a fun travel series I recently worked on for Mudpuppy - more to come!

origami kid's books

Roger, Kitanai, Rudie, Stickman, Charlie, Mag-3000, and Gordon

Family and friends can probably attest, these quirky characters and books were my life, last Summer. I'm so happy with how they came together and excited to share with you today! Big thank you to Ashlee at Capstone, it was a true and fun collaboration, and I look forward to working together again soon. As I posted before, each of the stories center around an (easy-to-fold) Origami character, and offer young readers a fun glimpse into the every day science all around us.  I recently learned that we will be doing four more books, so there's more to come down the road!

more fun from Zamorano!

page from my children's book, Diggin' Dirt.

children's collages assembled together

I wanted to share the latest amazing work from the gifted children at Zamorano Fine Arts Academy.  Don Masse's kindergarten class recently created collages inspired from the leaves and branches in my illustration above. It's such a fun idea, you can tell the kids are having a blast. I wish I could have been there. He then assembled the children's pieces into the charming panorama below.  Check out all the beautiful work and more at shine brite zamorano.

for mom

This made my week, so I just had to share.  I recently learned that the piece below, had been the focus of a project in Don Masse's second grade art class at Zamorano Fine Arts Academy in San Diego.  It's a fun idea, Masse, looks to contemporary artists for inspiration in planning lessons and posts the beautiful results on the aptly named blog, shine brite zamorano. You can check out the wonderful landscapes and all the other fun work here, each tells a story as unique as the talented little hands that created them.  Enjoy!

Happy President's Day 2013

"I've become a private citizen on the banks of the Potomac, in the shade of my own Vine and Fig tree."

-George Washington, 1784

Of course he was the first great President, but first and foremost he considered himself a modest farmer. His journey from Virginia planter to General and Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, then finally to President, is one of the great American stories. It's been a while since I've last tried, but here is my latest attempt at illustrating George.  I gave him a cream colored oval frame, inspired by the White House's interior gilding, bundles of tobacco leaves decorate the base. 

* linework detail

Pohick Church

This one's especially for all the hand-lettering people out there. If ever you find yourself driving into D.C. through northern Virginia's Richmond Highway/Route 1.  Keep an eye out for old Pohick church, a little red brick Colonial, just off the road and surrounded by trees and a cemetery. This Episcopal church has stood at these crossroads for over two centuries. Both George Washington and George Mason attended services here, their family's pews are still marked. Although the interior is a must see, with it's 18th century wood paneling, what I actually find more intriguing about Pohick, what speaks to me the most, requires a closer look outside. As you walk up to the church's stately entrance, you don't see them at first... 

but just as you're about to reach for the door knob, you notice all the writing, chiseled into the stone like ornamental relief.

During the Civil War, the church was occupied by the Union army, at one point it even served as a horses stable. Soldiers looted the interior and scratched their names and rank (some rather elegantly) onto the exterior stonework. It's as if they were saying to posterity, we were here. Remember us too. As you can imagine there were many critics of this 19th century vandalism in it's day, probably even a few today, but I think it's beautiful. The hand lettering is distinctive, with all of its serifs and flourishes, almost artful. Like little whispers in time, the names seem to call out to you from the stone, ghosts from a conflicted past. We were here, remember us too.

Inauguration 2013

We gathered at dawn,
standing shoulder to shoulder,
under that old dome,
it's ring of pillars glistening in the new day's light.
A million souls.
A million dreams.
A million heartfelt cheers, raised up to the cold January sky.

Whole families with grandmas in shaws and bundled babies,
school children laughing,
fathers and sons with their boyfriends,
heads bowed at prayers said in Spanish,
all standing together, proud and strong.
Today is our day.

So wave the flags and snap pictures to remember,
these moments shared with smiling strangers–
kindred souls in the long struggle.
God bless President Obama,
and may we all show love for one another,
this our American family.

-thoughts on the Inauguration

Family Circle Magazine

My illustration in this month's Family Circle, out on racks now. I'm in love with their idea, hanging your tv on the wall with your framed art, just wish I had a house with high ceilings to be able to do it! : )