Dylan Thomas wrote about the 'force that through the green fuse drives the flower'. In a few short weeks, the landscape has changed, everthing is now blanketed in green. It's nice to get caught up in the excitement and change of the season.
I have been working on a series of assignments about new growth, the idea of good things beginning to emerge. Positive energy and vibrations. It's good to find that energy and harness it in my work.
'Fresh Growth' for Hanley-Wood, Pete Morelewicz, Art Director
I also worked with Joan Ferrell at American Lawyer on a similar feature, The Am Law 100, and developed a series of drawings based on numbers, and new growth. Joy!
Growing up I dreamed of being an astronaut. They always send up scientists and engineers. Why not an artist? Someone who could observe and document the experience on a personal level? Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has been taking a series of amazing photos from the space station, capturing some of the amazing vistas of earth that can only be seen from space. An inspirational document of our planet.
Watching the unmanned rovers poking and probing the surface of Mars looking for signs of life has been amazing. I find the images of snow and ice and from the satellites circling the planet to be beautiful and captivating. When you get down to the surface of the planet, however, it gets very cold and bleak and barren. Imagine waking up on that cold and distant planet every day. So remote and inhospitable. Like the moon with an atmosphere. Could humans survive on Mars? If we go, chances are those who do will never come back. Could you live there for a year, or a decade? Or for several generations?
I loved working on this story, it asked those questions and came up with a lot of surprising answers, and unusual twists. Take the time and see for yourself.
Big thanks to Irene Gallo for sending this one along. Always great to work in these cover illustrations, I get to take my work in new directions and explore distant horizons.
Here's a little tribute to words that have ceased to be, rung down the curtains, and joined the choir invisible. It's called the Dead Words project.
I spotted this collection online last month and jumped right in. Karen To has gathered a list of antiquated words and combined them with designers who give their own spin on the topic. I like to dig around old manuscripts and encyclopedias to discover obscure references and outdated research, so I found this project appealling on so many levels.
Here's my contribution:
Mecography (mi-kop-gruh-fee) n.1603-1890, measurement of the dimensions and weight of body part.
Ex.The condom company used mecography to obtain necessary data about its clientele.
It's an excellent word, isn't it? How could we let it fall through the cracks? Couldn't you imagine an urgent call going out the the mecographer in one of those gruesome forensic prime time shows? Or perhaps in a sporting environment, consulting with bodybuilders or fitness gurus? " My mecographer recommends...."
I received a couple of assignments recently - new territory, unfamiliar subject matter. I am a pacifist and have never used gun images in my illustrations. But this issue has forced its way into the collective consciousness in brutal and unimaginable acts, inflicted on the innocent. It has sparked debate and demanded action in terms of gun awareness, gun ownership and gun control.
Kory Kennedy at Entertainment Weekly commissioned a series of illustrations from some incredible artists, including Gary Taxali, David Plunkert, Eddie Guy and Dan Bejar. The article examined the role guns play in the whole entertainment market, from television to movies to video games. I was given the topic of guns and television. Here's my contribution:
I was really honoured to be a part of this series. Here is a couple of spreads from the magazine. When it comes to an issue like this, the illustrations are so amazingly effective and have a real impact.
Schools should be a safe place for our children. We have to do everything we can to prevent what happened in Newtown from happening again. Gun violence has cast a shadow over these places. Something has to be done.
This piece was commissioned by Phoenix Magazine.
On a personal note, the lettering for this illustration was taken from the school where my son attends and my wife teaches.
