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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.

Not so Supercommittee

2011-11-21T15:40:15Z

A new series of spots for the Wall Street Journal, about the possible outcomes of the budgetary 'supercommittee', ranging from full success to complete failure. The cynic in me is completely unimpressed.

possible outcome: successful probability: very low

possible outcome: partially successful probability: low

possible outcome: failure, triggers engage probability: low

possible outcome:complete failure probability: very high

And a snapshot of the icons in place on the page

Show Ready

2011-11-11T18:49:10Z

I am very excited about getting the upcoming Mecanismos show together. It opens November 26, at Oeno Gallery. Part of the challenge in launching a show like this is finding a way to get one hundred pieces framed and ready to hang. I worked with Carlyn Moulton at Oeno and we decided to handle the framing on site.

I have been working with Ivan Tanzer, matting the pieces and then assembling the frames. It is meticulous and demanding work, but anything this repetitive has a certain zen-like quality to it. I think that all artists get lost in process at times. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

I also appreciate getting everything together well ahead of schedule. A luxury for someone who works to short deadlines on a regular basis.

If you are in Prince Edward County or passing through, please join me at the opening or drop by to see the show. It runs from November 26 through the holidays until January 3.

Land Lines

2011-11-04T14:57:15Z

I threw my fax machine out the other day. It had been sitting on my desk for years, gathering dust, occasionally whirring, beeping and spewing out junk ads. Jamming whenever I tried to send something out. What an odd and crude beast in an age of wireless, handheld communications.

I do remember how cool it was when I bought my first fax machine. When I started out as a freelancer, I would deliver sketches and finals by hand, an having a device that could send ideas to clients for approval. I dreamed of the day when I could send artwork over the wire, and in full colour too!

I received an assignment from Gretchen Kirchner at Forward magazine for a full-page illustration. It's all about companies that still use antiquated (fax and landlines) to get their message out in the wireless age. After developing and drawing this character, I made the move with my fax machine.

Here are the sketches I developed for the project, I had a lot of ideas ready to go on this one. I think we developed the right one.

Blinded by Science

2011-10-26T14:56:40Z

I knew who Magnus Pyke was before his rants of Science! set the tone for Thomas Dolby's ubercheesy techno pop smash hit. He was a panelist on the show Don't Ask Me. Hey, I'm a science geek.

The age of the gentleman scientist has passed, but there are like-minded individuals toiling away in relative obscurity, observing the world around them, taking notes and filling sketchbooks. I spent my formative years collecting insects and keeping a journal of sketches of the creatures I saw in the wooded ravine behind my house. That experience, and the observational skills it involved, laid the groundwork for a budding young illustrator. You have to have a boundless curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.

I had the chance to illustrate a cover for University of California, Berkeley's College of Engineering magazine Forefront.

Forefront used an illustration on the cover for the first time. Kudos to designer Alissar Reyes, who I worked with on the cover and inside layout. I also worked with Silas Pandoori and Todd Edmonds at Iron design, creating the cover for Cornell University's Connections. Another first-time use of a fullly illustrated cover.

When I went to University, my two favourite courses were Biology and Art History. At the time, I would have happily chose a career in either field. Art won out. I still love doing these assignments, being an illustrator exposes me to so many different ideas, concepts and theories.

The article for Stanford discusses artificial intelligence. It is an interesting look at using technology to diffuse complex and dangerous strategies and conflicts. Alissar nailed this layout contrasting a photograph of the scientist featured in the article with the illustration I created. They do look alike!

I followed up the cover illustration with inside spots based on the three main factors upon which human intelligence is based: learning, knowledge, and reasoning. Developing artificial intelligence requires an incorporation of all of these elements.

I know that computers are becoming more and more sophisticated and that we are fast approaching the time when artificial intelligence matches wits with users on a day-to-day basis. Programming a computer to play chess is one thing, but when the day comes that my computer suddenly cracks a joke that makes me laugh, I will throw it out the window. To paraphrase Douglas Adams, the one thing I really can't stand is a smart-ass.

Anatomy of a Default

2011-10-12T16:31:22Z

A recent series of spots for the Wall Street Journal. The anatomy of a National Default. We've been hearing plenty about the crisis in Europe. This is some deep shit we are in here, folks, let's hope it doesn't get to stage 5.

Stage 1: Banking Trouble

Stage 2: Political Turmoil

Stage 3: External Aid Package

Stage 4: Bond Swap/ Offer Package

Stage 5: Capitulation/Default

C-word

2011-10-11T15:42:40Z

I've been called it before. I prefer to be known as an illustrator, but I started out as one of them, so I understand where the name comes from. I'm talking about being a cartoonist. When I began drawing, cartoons were a great way to express my ideas. I drew strips and dreamed about doing an independent comic book series. There are so many amazing cartoonists out there that influenced my art. My work in the college newspaper led to paying gigs and I realized that there might be a way to make a living from this.

Drawing cartoons is a great way to add a narrative to the pictures. Setting up a panel teaches composition and layout skills. You have to be fast and adaptable. Over time, I realized I didn't have the patience to stick with a given set of characters and a given style over time. I wanted to have the freedom to explore new ideas, techniques and directions. The thrill of deadlines and the constant input of ideas from editiorial illustration assignments drew me into becoming a full-time illustrator.

That's not to say I don't do cartoons, I haven't left them behind, I have a lot of fun cartooning. I host The Monthly Prince Edward County Comix Jam (last Wednesday of the month at the Acoustic Grill) and work on books and assignments in cartoon style.

I have worked with Doogie Horner at Running Press and with Josh McDonnell on epic volumes like Sci-Fi Baby Names and First Timer's Kit: The Safe, Effective Way to Loose your Virginity. My latest project for Running Press is The Fart Dictionary. Written by Scott Sorenson, it's an A to Z compendium of fart definitions. A fart for every occasion, if you will.

When you get an assignment like this, the first question is: How do you draw a fart? There is plenty of cartooning shorthand for facial expressions and emotions, and movement and profanity, but a fart? I started sketching - scribbles, clouds, but wanted to keep things classy. A flourish, a sophisticated calligraphic swirl, would do the trick.

I was also limited to two colours on this project. It's the kind of thing that sounds like a restriction, but working in a limited palette requires better design and smarter use of what is available. I choose an acid orange and black combination. Josh agreed.

The Fart Dictionary - available at fine bookstores everywhere.