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Bright Lights

2012-05-22T13:59:31Z

Last month I had a television crew at the studio. Interview and filming for an upcoming series about art and artists who work on the boundaries of art. I was nervous going into this, but the crew from Whistlestop put me at ease and made the whole process enjoyable.

I was working on a tight deadline during the filming, turning around sketches for an assignment for the New York Times that day. Trying to get the right expressions on a pair of privileged tots was not going according to plan. That's just how things go, and having to concentrate on getting things right gave me a focus beyond the camera pointed in my direction.

Sometimes getting things right takes a few tries. I think this took 9 rounds in total. I was struggling with baby-like faces and expressions, but in the end, I'm glad that we could work this out, get things right.

You can see the article here. Always great to work with Minh Uong. The starts off with a hoax about genetic testing for preschoolers, that people actually bought into. Competition between parents getting their children into the right preschool is getting more and more intense. How far will things go? This may just be the next step.

Studio Tour

2012-04-17T19:29:23Z

I grew up working in construction. Learning how to build is an important asset for me. I use it when I put an illustration together, and it really helped when I built my studio space.

When we bought our house I looked at the out building, an old corrugated metal and wood barn, as a potential knock-down. My brother pointed out the concrete foundation and the relative squareness of the structure, still solid. I rented a studio space for a short while and spent the summer planning and framing the studio on the upper floor, converting the space from an old hayloft. That was fourteen years ago.

Here are some interior shots:

I worked with my friend Mark Guildenhaar, a talented furniture designer, to design and build a computer desk over 15 years ago. That desk has followed me around through a couple of moves and I sit at it every day.

The view from the stairwell. The computer desk sits behind the bookcase.

I know this is cheesy, but I painted a compass on floor. When I first moved here, my sense of direction was a bit off-kilter. I've sorted things out since then, but I like to think it keeps me pointed in the right direction.

It's great to have a space away from the house and kids, and the commute is a breeze. Pants must be put on, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

I asked my dad, the pro, to build a winding staircase. It's a real space saver and it's a beautiful stairwell. I must go up and down this thing about 100 times a day.

The old barn, with the studio on the upper floor. Drop by any time, but remember - first you'll have to get past 'killer

Contraband Cover

2012-04-09T14:20:26Z

I bought this book for the cover. Love the colour, amazing type and a hip illustration.

Design by Bill English, 1950.

Did a little snooping and got this information about the designer:

Active in the mid-twentieth century, book jacket designer Bill English became known for his theoretical and formal sophistication in design, which was influenced by the work of Paul Rand and other Modernists of this generation of designer. English is most remembered for his work with The Viking Press, including his important covers for Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe series of mystery novels, but his career also included designs for The Vanguard Press among others.

Happy?

2012-04-06T14:53:40Z

Are you happy? If you are, what is it worth? More than money. The United Nations wants to get the world to stop thinking so much about wealth creation, as expressed by gross domestic product (GDP), and to instead focus on gross national happiness, or GNH. You can read the article here

I struggle with this question all the time. I would love to have wealth and happiness, but I am often working towards one or the other, or both.

The GNH scale offers a perspective so radically different from GDP, I thought it would be a good idea to show separate halves of the globe - one side focused on wealth and production, the other on more heartfelt pursuits.

Thanks to Dave Bamundo at the Wall Street Journal for this assignment. You can find it in today's edition.

Spring Glory

2012-04-02T15:54:43Z

Inspired by the glorious morning, I decided to create this two-colour tribute to the season. Pardon my gushing, but I do love this time of year, even the rainy days. Don't get me wrong, winter is beautiful, but almost always overstays its welcome. This year has been spectacular, full of promise.

I have also been able to work on some great assignments as well. A recent piece for the New York Times. The cold reality of paying taxes also hits home, and my friendly little automaton is giving it up for the IRS.

And while we are still on the topic of spring, it's also a great time to tee off. Here's a recent full-page illo for Golf Digest.

Green House

2012-02-27T17:39:56Z

I grew up in Leamington, Ontario. My old hometown is now surrounded by greenhouses. My grandfather and uncles owned greenhouses. I remember them as fragile glass structures heated by massive coal or gas-fired boilers. Modern operations cover acres of high-tech hydroponics and utilize waste co2 to feed the crops inside. Farmers are seeking out alternative green energy sources like biomass, wood pellets and methane.

So there is more 'green' in greenhouses than meets the eye.

I found this assignment from On Earth very satisfying and intriguing. It's about greenhouses built in hot, arid environments that draw salt water from the oceans, use the water to cool and control the temperatures inside the greenhouses, and produce fresh water for the operation. High tech, green and innovative.

I haven't worked in my CMY-X style for a while. I enjoy working with Gail Ghezzi on these assignments. Here are a few sketches from the assignment.

Power Grab

2012-01-22T19:14:09Z

Private equity has been squeezing profits from various corporations. What are the repercussions? Marc J. Leder is the head of Sun Capital, the company that Mitt Romney founded. He is also the campaign manager of Mitt Romney's presidential run. If elected, who will get the squeeze? This feature article takes an in-depth look.

I worked on this illustration with art director Minh Uong. After considering the alternatives we decided on this image, of a large mecanical claw gouging the landscape.

I really enjoyed working on this image. Here is a detail of the background. I designed a number of factories in isometric form and developed the background to be interesting but not overpowering. I wanted the black excavator arm to stand out.

I worked on a number of sketches. Here are a couple of them. I liked both the concepts but the images here were a bit over the top.

Bitcoin and other Fiats

2012-01-12T18:28:22Z

I worked on a cover story with designer Joannah Ralston for the Milken Review about Bitcoin, the internet-based peer-to-peer currency created by the programmers behind Wikilieaks. Bitcoin gained some traction in the spring of 2011, with a speculation frenzy that created a spike in its value. The crash that followed burned a lot of folks involved. The creation of bitcoins is a fascinating and complex but finite process, and bitcoins are 'mined' by cryptographic speculators. Handling of the currency and related security is complex and intriguing but also a reflection of broader global fiat currency issues. Whew. That's a lot of nerdspeak, now here are the visuals.

What is a bit coin worth? Well, it all depends on who you ask. Bitcoins are secure, but owners have had their computers hacked or stolen and lost everything.

I wanted to convey some of the complexities of the currency in this full-page opener

TCOB

2011-12-19T05:52:12Z

A busy fall session of business-related assignments. My piece about the lingering effects of a financial crisis ran in the Economic View section of Sunday's New York Times.

Assignments like these can be challenging. Economics-related articles can induce eye-glazing at the best of times. My job is to counteract that effect. When coupled with the disastrous results of the worldwide economic troubles, you have to resist the urge to go over the edge of the cliff. Although one of my sketches did just that.

Here's another piece for the same section, about charging fees for services that have been offered for free. Citibank suffered a huge backlash and ridicule after placing a $5 user fee on debit card usage.

Great to work with art director Minh Uong on these.

Mecanismos Launch

2011-12-01T22:22:55Z

The Oeno Gallery is a beautiful spot. Owner Carlyn Moulton has been fantastic to work with in launching this show. Mecanismos opened on the weekend, and I took a bit of time to recover from the tension and excitement of launching a solo show.

The show runs through the holidays and will be up until January 3. There was a lot of work involved in getting it together and I am very thankful for all of the friends and folks who showed up at the opening, and to those who bought pieces as well.

I stopped by the gallery this afternoon, when things were quiet to take some photos of the space and the work in place.

Oeno Gallery

I worked with Oeno Gallery to produce a book, including all 100 prints. It includes an introduction by Gary Taxali and I also talk about the process of creating Mecanismos, influences and ideas that went into the work.

$60, contact me if you would like to get your hands on one.