posted: November 3, 2009

I've been working on a project with The Library of Congress and The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance called The Exquisite Corpse Adventure.
As The Library of Congress site read.gov describes it:

Our "Exquisite Corpse Adventure" works this way: Jon Scieszka, the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, has written the first episode, which is "pieced together out of so many parts that it is not possible to describe them all here, so go ahead and just start reading!" He has passed it on to a cast of celebrated writers and illustrators, who must eventually bring the story to an end.
Every two weeks, there will be a new episode and a new illustration. The story will conclude a year from now.

The roster of writers is very impressive – and aside from Jon Scieszka also includes Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket, Gregory Maguire, M.T. Anderson, Nikki Grimes, and lots of others. My fellow illustrators are Chris van Dusen, Timothy Basil Ering, Steven Kellogg and James Ransome.
For chapter three I chose to depict the scene where Boppo the evil narcoleptic clown is threatening our heroes by juggling two meatballs and a bomb, until...

The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance site describing the project is here.
The interactive book on the Library of Congress site is here.

And lastly, a poem about Clowns I wrote last year that fits well with my approach to the drawing:

Clowns

Just for a moment,
suppose that clowns
were hilarious
instead of terrifying.
It’s hard to imagine,
but keep trying.
Suppose that clowns
were likable,
merry, and droll,
instead of striking fear
in your very soul.
Could their clowning skills
inspire polite chuckles
instead of cold chills
and white knuckles?
Would you laugh
at every clowny antic
instead of feeling frantic
and full of agitation?
Try to picture it.
Use your imagination.

© Calef Brown 2008

Finally, if we're talking about evil clowns, we can't forget the dude from that band Prodigy.

posted: November 2, 2009

posted: November 1, 2009

This is a poster for the Ferry Building Marketplace in San Francisco.
I wasn't aware of the building before I took the project, but it was a wonderful subject.
Another landmark for lucky Bay Area residents to be proud of.

Two rather un-artful sketches

A beautiful shot of the building and the bay.

posted: August 17, 2009

Celebrated dandies– the Beau Brummells, Lord Byrons, and James Whistlers of the world are well known, but few are aware of this fearsome foursome of foppish fashion-mongers.Their fame was strictly regional, contained to the modest lanes and poorly stocked haberdasheries of their respective villages.

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