Tiger Confessions

Here's a new piece for Princeton Alumni Weekly. It accompanies a story about a private Facebook group for Princeton students,  Tiger Confessions. In this group, students can anonymously express thoughts they're uncomfortable  expressing in person to others. These confessions can run the spectrum from happy, sad, embarrassing, to just plain humorous. In a recent post, a student discussed committing suicide, which caught the attention of the school administration. They reinforced the idea that, while it is worthy to have forum such as this, there are mental health professionals available, who can help address difficult issues and emotions which students confront.  

A special thanks to art director, Marianne Nelson, for this fascinating assignment. 

John F Kennedy

This portrait of President John F Kennedy was sparked by a line from a famous speech he gave to 450,000 West Germans, "Ich bin ein Berliner" ( I am a Berliner). This 1963 speech was delivered during the cold war, bringing comfort to West Berliners who feared an East German occupation.

NY Federal Reserve Map

I had the pleasure of collaborating with an amazing designer, Megan Mardiney, in creating this ambitious 8 ft by 10 ft map installation. It’s located in the museum at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, on Liberty St. in Manhattan.

The NY Fed helps implement US monetary policy (regarding interest rates, inflation, treasury bonds, etc). This map represents the region they encompass,: NY State, Puerto Rico. the Virgin Islands, as well as parts of CT and NJ. The NY Fed maintains a healthy dialogue with the people, businesses and local governments throughout this territory. They promote sound economic decision-making.

This museum educates people about the role of the Federal Reserve, as well as how our economy works. The vignettes on this map represent various industries, landmarks and animals of the region. Enormous thanks to Megan and Kerwin Adduru for including me in this amazing project. You can visit their website here!

This design was inspired by a vintage postcard map of NY State

A closeup detail. The little town where I live is located on the upper right, just above Poughkeepsie.

Megan Mardiney and her design teams added wonderful details to this map

An example of one of the vignette illustrations on the map, a gorge in Watkins Glen, NY

An example of one of the vignette illustrations on the map, City Hall in Buffalo, NY

a montage of dry-brush drawings before I colored them.

Here is one of three layout ideas I submitted for this project.

I started this project by submitting dozens and dozens of vignette=ideas for this map.

Thank you so much for visiting. More about this project to come soon!

A Tin Full of Tunes

Years ago, at a yard sale, I found a mysterious tin full of index cards (which I bought for $1.00). All that was typed on each card was a song title, and the name of a singer or band. The reason why these cards were made is unknown, but they sparked my imagination.  Here are a few drawings in which I utilized individual cards as canvases. More to come soon!

Thanks for visiting. Please check out my Etsy shop to find fun and interesting prints!

Ezra Koenig

I attempted a portrait of Ezra Koenig, the frontman of one of my favorite bands, Vampire weekend. He’s written some beautiful tunes about Capre Cod, which sparked this idea.

Prints of this piece are available here!

Julius Caesar

It was fun to bust out some spray paint for this experimental drawing, inspired by ancient Roman themes.  

American Illustration Interview

It was an honor to participate in an interview with American Illustration, part of their DART series (Design Arts Daily). The interviewer, Peggy Roalf, asked very thoughtful questions about my map drawings, sketchbook images, what my habits are, and who my influences are. You can read the full interview here! 

Kurt Cobain

We lost Kurt Cobain on this day, 25 years ago, but his musical legacy will always be in bloom. Local friends, this drawing is part of a group exhibit - The Grand Floral Show - at The Farm Salon, Greig Farm, Red Hook, NY, April 6-28th. The gallery is open Fri-Sun 10-3 pm.

You can order your signed print of this portrait here!

Seed Stories and the Power of Plants

I’m thrilled to have this piece included in an exhibition at the Staten Island Museum, April 13th - February 23, 2020. This drawing was originally commissioned by the Hudson Valley Seed Company, to illustrate a seed packet of Blue Jade Sweet Corn (a plant which originated in Mexico). The exhibit is called Field Notes: Seed Stories and the Power of Plants. You can learn more about this show here.

Muhammed Ali

He floated like a butterfly, and stung like a bee. Known as ’the Greatest’, this legendary boxer was also an civil rights activist, anti-war protester, devout Muslim, and quick-witted poet.  His legacy will float on forever.

You order a signed print of this portrait here!

Hawaiian Ink

This drawing (from 2012) was recently licensed to be used as set dressing on the TV show, Magnum PI, which is filmed in Hawaii. I have yet to seen this reboot of the 1980s series, but my favorite set piece from the original version has gotta be Tom Selleck's mustache.

Prints of this piece are available here!

Here's a small study of singer/songwriter, Kasey Musgraves. This drawing of one of my favorite country artists was inspired by her song, Butterflies. No doubt, when I listen to her music, I get butterflies!

Signed prints of this piece are available here!

Willem de Kooning

Here’s a portrait of Willem de Kooning, drawn on a reproduction of his painting, Parc Rosenberg. A Dutch immigrant, he helped lead a movement which would help define American painting on its own terms. Up until the the mid 20th century, there was a perception that European artists contributed all the big breakthroughs in the evolution of painting. Along came a group of NY painters, the abstract expressionists, who were the first to break away from figurative art altogether. Their act of painting went after emotional expression, and emphasized creative spontaneity. As a leader of this group, Mr. de Kooning helped stimulate a dialog about the definition of art, the act of painting, the boundaries of creative expression, and where painting would go next. To be fully appreciated, his paintings must be seen in person. They are spectacular.

You can order your signed print of this piece here.

Amy Winehouse

Heres a portrait of the brilliant singer/songwriter, Amy Winehouse, in which I utilized makeup brushes to create depth. So many iconic singers have tragically died at 27 years of age, including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison and Brian Jones. Sadly, Amy joined that club in 2011. I drew this tribute on a map of her hometown, London. Signed prints are available here!

Jerry Garcia

As a band, the Grateful Dead seemed to tap their inspiration from the deepest of American wellsprings. With music that was earthy and organic, they gained a following who rewarded this authenticity with complete loyalty. As a singer and (legendary) guitar player, Jerry Garcia channelled their vision to perfection. He will always be the face of the incredible community. Signed prints are available here!

Edie Sedgwick

I recently read an enlightening biography of Andy Warhol (called Pop,by Tony Scherman and David Dalton). One unique aspect of his vision was that he saw little difference between art galleries and supermarkets. In other words, he saw art in even the most mundane aspects of American culture. With that in mind, I attempted this portrait of his first superstar muse, Edie Sedgwick. I want to give a big thank you to my local supermarket for supplying my canvas for this drawing! Signed prints are available here!

Yoko Ono

She’s a visual artist, singer/songwriter, activist, and philanthropist all in one person. She steadfastly honors the legacy and vision of her late husband, John Lennon. And when it comes to waging peace, Yoko is numero Ono. Signed Prints of this piece are available here!

Hannibal Lecter

Here's a portrait of the infamous Hannibal Lecter. Known as Hannibal the Cannibal, this fictitious serial killer left an indelible mark on our culture (through novels written by Thomas Harris). He was brilliantly portrayed by Anthony Hopkins in the film, The Silence of the Lambs. His character is a perfect foil to the FBI agent played by Jodie Foster. Considering this movie was released back in 1991, it sensitively addresses many concerns which resonate with today’s #MeToo movement.  

Prints of this piece are available here!

Fennec Fox

I recently read a hauntingly beautiful novel by Paul Bowles, The Sheltering Sky. The book’s setting in Northern Africa led me to learn more about life in the Sahara Desert. Through my research, I came across this cute critter, the fennec fox. Also known as a sand fox, these tiny creatures weight no more than 3.5 pounds as adults. I’m guessing 90% of that weight is in their ears.

Sighed prints of this piece are available here!

Mystery Project

I’ve been busy in recent months, working on a top-secret illustration project. 

It will be revealed soon, but here’s a sneak peek!