Marc Burckhardt

Art From Anxious Times

2008-09-29T21:21:48+00:00

Never was there a more appropriately timed show.
On Thursday, October 2, from 6-8pm there will be an opening at the Art Students League of New York for the exhibit "Art From Anxious Times". While the works in the show draw on a variety of subjects, their common ground is the unsettled world we live in. Artists in the show are:

Marshall Arisman
Hugo Bastidas
Dozier Bell
Phil Borges
Marc Burckhardt
Edward Burtynsky
Robert Cenedella
Tim Daly
Etienne DeLessert
Eric Drooker
Randall Enos
Joan Fontcuberta
Emily Jacir
Peter Kuper
Nora Ligarano
Marshall Reese
Maya Lin
David Opdyke
Jean-Pierre Roy
Robert Selwyn
Antia Steckel
Adam Stratus

Phyllis Harriman Mason Gallery
The Art Students league of New York
215 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019

Charlie Haden Family & Friends

2008-09-22T06:57:51+00:00

This summer, I was contacted by the folks at Decca/Universal Records about doing a cover for the legendary bassist Charlie Haden, the jazz great and Liberation Music Orchestra leader who has recorded countless classics with the likes of Ornette Coleman, Keith Jarrett, and John Coltrane. But this record—Rambling Boy—is something of a departure for Haden: a bluegrass album that takes him back to his roots. Charlie grew up in the equally legendary Haden Family Band, whose live country radio show back in the 40's and 50's brought him into the circle of the Carter Family, Jimmie Rogers, and Hank Williams. For this album, he brought together his wife Ruth and his own children, daughters Tanya, Petra, Rachel, and son Josh to record with him, as well as friends like Elvis Costello, Roseanne Cash, Vince Gill and Pat Metheny.The result, which will be released this week, is a beautiful collaboration that's anchored in family and tradition.

Hats off to Fanny Gotshcall and Pat Barry at Decca for being so great throughout, and to Charlie and Ruth for their commitment and dedication to getting this cover just right. I know they're going to have huge hit on their hands with this album.
And by the way: The Sunday New York Times ran a feature on the album in the Music section yesterday, which was pretty exciting to see. And there's also a wonderful profile of Rambling Boy on NPR's Sunday edition, with cuts from the album and a great interview with Charlie and the family. Well worth a listen.

Gulp!

2008-09-15T12:03:53+00:00

BLAB! Show Los Angeles

2008-09-02T13:09:19+00:00

Next Saturday night, September 6th, at Copro Nason Gallery in Los Angeles, there'll be an opening for the BLAB! Show, featuring work by SHAG, Gary Taxali, Gary Baseman, Ron English, Fred Stonehouse, Mark Todd, Ryan Heska, Laura Levine, Travis Lampe, CJ Pyle, Andy Kehoe, Spain, Tom Huck, Kevin Scalzo, Travis Louie, Luke Chen, and myself. Most of the work, including the piece above, will be featured in the upcoming issue of BLAB! 19, Monte Beauchamp's legendary publication.

This piece was inspired by the Renaissance tradition of the "Ill-Matched Lovers", a few examples of which I've posted here (Cranach, Massys). Mine is named "Well-Matched Lovers".

If you're in the area, the vitals are:
The BLAB! Show
Saturday, September 6th, 8-11:30pm
Copro-Nason Gallery
Bergamot Station, Bldg. # T-5
2525 Michigan Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
310.829.2156

The Midsummer Classic, 2008

2008-07-16T13:36:46+00:00

Last night—and well into this morning— the 79th All Star game was played at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. If it seemed like they didn't want to wrap it up, you could understand: This was the last All Star game to be held in the fabled House That Ruth Built, as it'll be replaced by the time the 2009 season opens. With it goes a cathedral of baseball, and 85 years of American history.

I didn't get to the game—it would have been a tough commute from Austin—but I was honored to play a small part in the experience the folks who did make it there had: the portrait of Babe Ruth above was commissioned by Major League Baseball for last night's All Star game program. I have to admit I was both honored and a bit intimidated by the task, given the special place both the Babe and Yankee Stadium hold in the hearts of fans.

Wolf Totem

2008-06-25T17:12:13+00:00

I just opened my mail to find a tearsheet (who gets those anymore?) from Standpoint magazine, a wonderful new political publication based in London. Actually, art director Ingrid Shields sent me the whole July issue, and the cover art by Noma Bar is a standout as well. Thought I'd post them both.

The article I was commissioned to illustrate was a book review of Jiang Rong's Wolf Totem, the autobiographical tale that won the 2007 Man Asian Literary Prize, and is a best seller in China. The nomadic life of Inner Mongolia and the bold spirit of the wolves who roam their grasslands, as well as the eventual demise of that culture, are metaphors for Rong's view of contemporary China. I wanted to capture the nobility of the wolf set against the Mongolian foothills, using golfleaf to reinforce both the regal quality and to reflect the graphic nature of traditional Chinese guó huà painting.

This cover double portrait by Noma Bar is amazing in its simplicity, intelligence, and ability to capture the candidates. Wonderful work by the brilliant artist from israel, now living in England.

The Afterlife

2008-06-06T15:42:10+00:00

I'm often asked to work on projects with historical themes, and over the years some of those have developed a history of their own. Today, I received an e-mail from Justin Catanoso, the author of My Cousin the Saint: A Search for Faith, Family, and Miracles, whose original article I created this portrait for in 2004, through Holly Holiday at Attaché Magazine. In the intervening years, he developed that article into a book, recently released by Harper Collins, and art director James Iacobelli chose to use my art for the cover as well. Apparently it was that cover that caught the eye of Christopher Schoppa at the Washington Post, who yesterday penned his own article titled "What You See Is What You Get: Judging Five Books by Their Cover". I was surprised to see that among the five, mine was the only one with an illustrated cover—and that three of the others had photos of dogs on them (do I detect a bias there?).

Justin's book is about the his grandfather's cousin, Padre Gaetano Catanoso, who spent his life in Italy serving the poor, and in 2001 was canonized by Pope John Paul II. The story of the divergent paths of these two cousins—one who emigrated to America in search of a better life, the other who stayed behind to serve his countrymen—led to an exploration of faith and family that's resonated with readers.

The path this painting has taken, from magazine, to book cover, to private collection (the author bought the portrait from me after the project was completed), is a journey of its own, and shows that not only do saints have an afterlife, but art does, too. And people do judge books by their covers, sometimes to their credit.

New Paintings @ Marder

2008-05-12T14:11:41+00:00

Here are three new paintings I have in " Big Show 3" at Silas Marder gallery in Bridegehampton, NY May 17-June 22. All three are small (8" x 10" on wood panel) in keeping with the format of this annual show. There'll be 50 different artists exhibiting, each with three panels, and the opening will be 5-8pm Saturday, May 17th. If you're in the area, come take a look.

Silas Marder Gallery
120 Snake Hollow road
Bridgehampton, NY 11932
www.silasmarder.com

Just Say No

2008-05-07T17:57:20+00:00

If you're here at Drawger, you have an interest in art. The people who create visual art in the US are under direct threat today from a strange combination of corporate interests and Utopian "free-culture" academics, brought together under the The Orphan Works bill. Lots of folks here have explained the reasons why this is destructive to people who actually create art, as opposed to those who seek to "aquire" it, so I'll make my post here simple. If you have an interest in seeing visual art survive as both an artform and a means of supporting artists themselves, you have to write your representatives in Washington today. It's very easy to do, and will make all the difference between this bill passing or being stopped in its tracks. And that has to happen NOW.

Click here to go to a very quick, easy site that will allow you to reach all your representatives in less than 2 minutes. And thanks for supporting visual art and the people who make it.

Happy 75th, Willie

2008-04-30T13:45:11+00:00

Down here we have a slogan: "Keep Austin Weird." Nothing and no one embodies that spirit of off-kilter mellowness more than our own Willie Nelson, who turns 75 today. Tonight, KGSR FM is broadcasting a birthday celebration for Willie that includes Patty Griffin, Bob Schneider and Alejandro Escovedo, so tune in, light up, and wish Willie many weird birthdays to come.

Here's the beautiful cover of this month's Texas Monthly, shot by Platon and designed by the great TJ Tucker. Hats off to them both, and to editor Evan Smith for allowing a cover this nice to go out into the world without the clutter of type.

London Calling

2008-03-17T00:28:55+00:00

Just before Thanksgiving, I got a call from Wieden Kennedy/London to work on a series of pieces for the Civic Hybrid as part of a broader campaign for HONDA's "Problem Playground", which focuses on their creative engineering efforts. The various images all play off the theme of puzzles to highlight the challenges that Honda surmounted in creating their performance hybrid. As we went along, the number of formats and uses expanded dramatically, and ultimately called for two complete versions of each piece to accommodate the horizontal and vertical uses (6 paintings in total, several requiring multiple pieces within each piece which were then composited for animations). In the end, I worked on this project through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve, wrapping it up just a few weeks shy of the media buy. I understand these can be found throughout the subway ("tube") and train stations, on billboards and building wraps all over the city, and even animated on digital billboards in London. Here's one of the paintings I did for this project, along with some detail shots from the landscape version. Just last week I found out we won the ANNA Award (Awards for National Newspaper Advertising) for this piece in the series, so I thought I'd show it off here. Hats off to Creative Directors Kim Papworth & Tony Davidson, and creative team Mark McCall, Frank Ginger, Sam Heath, Mark D'Abreo, Richard Dorey, and Guy Featherstone for sending this one my way.

Bonny Doon

2008-02-29T07:06:07+00:00

Last month, I got a call from Burke Owens at Bonny Doon Vineyard to create art for a new dessert wine they're introducing called Angel Paille, or Angel Pie: a sweet wine made from Grenache Blanc grapes, which are picked ripe and then dried on mats in the vineyard before pressing. The wine was described to me as "lush, with a pale gold color and sweet pear, quince and spearmint aromas", and the vineyard where the grapes were grown is named Beehive.

Working with those various clues, I tried out a number of different directions in B&W studies, finally settling on a combination of elements that spoke to different attributes the wine possessed. The bees reflect the vineyard name, the sweetness of the wine itself, and the sting of love (and fine wine).

The pie in the image is both a nod to the name (In the South, Angel Pie is a special style of dessert) and the function of dessert wines generally: To pair with a great after-dinner treat. Working with both the typography and imagery is something I always enjoy, and Burke was terrific in giving me the freedom to run with this one.

Christmas in Clarksville

2007-12-21T06:28:37+00:00

Janice and I live and work out of a renovated 1910 farmhouse in the great old neighborhood of Clarksville, which sits on the edge of bustling downtown Austin. In one direction you're steps away from restaurants, nightclubs, and skyscrapers, but in the other you're in one of the oldest single family areas in the city—it was recently named one of the 10 Best Neighborhoods in the US. One of our neighbors, Willis, is part of the reason why: he's single-handedly been putting the Merry in Christmas for years now with a light show that seems to grow every time you visit it. And he's more than ready to give you the tour. I thought I'd put up a few shots of his display—hope you enjoy.

Art Basel Miami

2007-12-03T06:03:43+00:00

Just finished this piece for Art Basel Miami, which I'm participating in as part of the KNOW Art Books Exhibition. If you happen to be there December 6-9, then drop in and see the work. There'll be pieces there by Jordin Isip, P-Jay Fidler, Kathie Olivas, Chris Pyle, Jeff Soto, Mark Todd & Esther Watson, Joel Nakamura and many others. The place to be is:

Claremont Hotel
No. 215
1700 Collins Avenue (17th St)
Miami Beach : FL
December 6 – 9 : 2007
10 am - 8 pm

Phil Hays Show @ SI

2007-11-25T16:25:57+00:00

On Friday, December 7th, the Society of Illustrators will have an opening reception for "Phil Hays: Artist & Mentor", with an outstanding collection of work that spans the career of this phenomenal artist and teacher, whose work influenced a generation of illustrators. I can't say enough good things about Phil—he was a genuinely gifted teacher, one who found the light in his students and fostered the best in all of them. He was a personal mentor in my career whom I owe a great artistic debt to, and I know there's an army of fellow artists who feel the same. If you're in the NY area, don't miss this show, running through the 29th of December.

A number of people contributed pieces to this show, but the bulk of the collection comes from Jon Conrad and Alex Gross, both illustrators themselves, and former students of Phil. In his later years as chairman of Illustration at Art Center, Phil became the Greta Garbo of illustration, turning down projects from the top clients and publications in order to focus his energies on teaching. Consequently, many of his works are being seen for the first time in decades. It promises to be an outstanding exhibition.

Friday, December 7th, 6-9pm
Society of Illustrators
128 E. 63rd Street (btw. Lexington & Park)

Bette Midler and Eric Clapton portraits for Rolling Stone

Dual portraits of Muddy Waters for the Grammy winning "I'm Ready" (1978)

New Paintings @ Silas Marder Gallery

2007-11-19T16:13:50+00:00

I've been working on a number new paintings for a show that opens this week at Silas Marder Gallery in Bridgehampton, NY (Saturday, November 24th, to be exact). The space itself is beautiful, and I'll have some wonderful company: Camille Rose Garcia, Sandy Litchfield, Tomory Dodge, Diane Giardi, and Mark Romanek, who directed Johnny Cash's famous "Hurt" video, and now has a new feature film coming out. Should be a great show! Here are the details:

Opening Reception Saturday, November 24th, 5-9pm
Silas Marder Gallery / 120 Snake Hollow Road / Bridgehampton, NY

November 24-December 23, 2007

Think GREEN

2007-11-12T15:58:43+00:00

As Joseph Fiedler mentioned the other day, if you're in LA on Saturday, November 17th (7:30 opening), check out the GREEN Show at the Robert Berman Gallery, curated by Mr. Mark Murphy. Over 40 artists, myself included, created work for the show, and it will be up until December 22nd. For more details on the exhibition, check out www.robertbermangallery.com or www.murphydesign.com There'll be live music by SSI and the Modlins and many artists to meet:

Jason D Aquino + Jordan Awan + Andrew Brandou + Cathie Bleck+ Marc Burckhardt + William Buzzell + Luke Chueh : David Chung + Amy Crehore +Kevin Christy + Sas Christianson + John Copeland + Bob Dob + andrew foster+ Douglas Fraser + P-Jay Fidler + Joseph Daniel Fiedler + AJ Fosik + Robert Hardgrove + Jody Hewgill + Michael Hussar + Tim Hussey + Jordin Isip + Rich Jacobs + Pamela Jaeger + james jean + David Choong Lee + Anthony Lister + Jen Lobo + Mars-1 + Chris Mostyn + Mark Murphy + Scott Musgrove + Joel Nakamura : Christian Northeast + Martha Rich and Esther Pearl Watson Collaboration + Kathie Olivas + Nathan Ota + Brandt Peters + Jermaine Rogers + Kim Scott + Keith Shore + Jeff Soto + Damon Soule + Matt Stallings + Gary Taxali + Amanda Wachab + Justin Wood

Robert Berman Gallery
Bergamot Station Arts Center
2525 Michigan Avenue / C2 / Santa Monica / CA / 90404

Gabriel von Max

2007-10-29T15:20:12+00:00

I've been wanting to post something about one of my favorite artists, Gabriel Cornelius Ritter von Max, (August 23, 1840 - November 24, 1915) for some time now. Given the various competitions in our field that are either being unveiled or judged in the coming weeks, I saw a very thin thread to hang it on now. After all, one of von Max's most famous paintings, "Monkeys as Critics", was about judgement and aesthetic.

Gabriel von Max was the son of a sculptor, Joseph Max, and he initially trained in his native Prague with Eduard von Engerth. He later went to the Viennese Academy of Art and finally to the Munich Academy, where he studied under Karl Theodor von Piloty and Hans Makart. He settled there, and from 1879 to 1883 he was a professor of Historical Painting at the Munich Academy. He was also an accomplished illustrator, producing images for a variety of literary stories, poems, fairy tales and folk songs.

But what's most interesting to me about von Max's work is the mystical & allegorical paintings he began producing later in his life. In addition to "Monkeys as Critics", works like "The Anatomist", and "The Ecstasy of Katharina Emmerich" (all three in the Neue Pinakothek in Munich—one of my favorite museums) take on an almost surreal quality that's unlike anything his peers were doing, and that foreshadows both the Secessionist movement and today's figurative/symbolist genre.

While a great deal of his work had a religious theme, there's a haunting quality about his paintings that comes partly from the muted palette he used for most of his later works, but also from the lifelong interest he had in mysticism and philosophy, which colored even his most conventional subjects.

BLAB show!

2007-09-07T15:58:46+00:00

Here's my devil portrait for the BLABSHOW, opening tomorrow night at Copro-Nason Gallery. Monte Beauchamp, artist and BLAB! publisher extraordinaire, will also be rolling out the latest issue of BLAB! and debuting the release of his new book DEVILISH GREETINGS: Vintage Devil Postcards. There'll be a second gallery full of those vintage cards. Both shows continue until September 29.

THE BLABSHOW & DEVILISH GREETINGS
Saturday, September 8, 8:00-11:30 pm
Copro-Nason Gallery
2525 Michigan Ave T5
Santa Monica, CA
310.829.2156

Elephant in the Room

2007-07-23T04:07:41+00:00

TJ Tucker called me to do this spread portrait of Ron Paul, Texas Congressman and current GOP Presidential candidate, for the August issue of Texas Monthly. The article is entitled "The Elephant in the Room", and discusses Paul's controversial positions (at least in contemporary GOP circles) on the war in Iraq and government intrusion on civil liberties. Seems Paul is against these things! He cites both Jefferson and Washington as warning us against "entangling ourselves in the affairs of other nations" and claims that "the biggest threat to your privacy is the government". Come to think of it, those do sound alot like the words of Goldwater Republicans.

Still, he's become a very uncomfortable presence for some in the GOP, and that's the feeling I wanted to capture in this piece. I immediately thought of Rene Magritte's famous painting of an apple, and the sense of claustrophobia it evoked through scale. I also wanted to use color, texture, and physical features to bring out the sense of unease and the connection Paul has with his four-legged roomate. I did this quick sketch for TJ and got started on the piece.

This painting had a fun personal connection for me as well: I went to school at Baylor University years ago with Ron Paul's son, Rand, and he and I were members of a underground gadfly fraternity together. Ron Paul's beliefs seemed far-fetched to many folks back then, but they've gained new converts since, and it's remarkable how consistent his philosophy has been despite a changing world. In that respect, at least, he may have more in common with our current President than we realize.

To listen to Paul's views on the war and the roots of terrorism, and witness the some of the other candidates discomfort with those positions, see this clip from the recent debates:

Watch here

Warning Signs

2007-07-03T05:05:48+00:00

I've worked on some interesting projects for regional publications over the years, so when John Baxter at Indianapolis Monthly called a few weeks ago with a portrait project that had virtually no reference, I was intrigued. The article, "Warning Signs", was about the Church in Indianapolis (CII) and it's elusive leader, Mike Peters, who has kept such a low profile that practically no photos of him exist. The church apparently owns a number of properties in the New Augusta Woods neighborhood there, and they've erected metal signs that let outsiders know they're not welcome. When strangers do appear, the residents quickly disappear into their homes, peering through their curtains and leaving the streets deserted. Their behavior has become increasingly secretive, and information about their leader is equally difficult to find.

I was in the midst of juggling several deadlines, and John had just a few days to complete the project, but I didn't want to pass this one by. All I had to work with were a few screen grabs from a video message he made for his followers, and the article's title. I wanted to suggest both the reclusive and the Messianic quality of Peters, and quickly sent a rough sketch off to John. He gave me the go ahead right away, and the finished art came shortly thereafter. I liked the challenge of working with only a blurry sense of the character, trying to convey a likeness through emotional qualities more so than physical attributes.

Arena Stage @ Society of Illustrators

2007-05-21T23:49:07+00:00

If you're in the New York area, the Arena Stage exhibition will have its official opening at 5:30 on Thursday night at the Society of Illustrators (128 E. 63rd Street). The exhibit showcases a selection of 33 original works created for the renowned theater over the last 10 years by artists Mike Benny, Olaf Hajek, Jody Hewgill, Gary Kelley, Wilson McLean, Balvis Rubess, Mark Ulriksen, and others. I'll even have one in there myself.

Under the leadership of artistic director Molly Smith, Arena has commissioned some of the most award-winning work of the last decade. Staff art directors Maggie Boland and Ann Marie Czaban, along with Scott Mires and the folks at Mires+Ball design in San Diego, continue to commission great work, and are currently adding to the roster with Sterling Hundley and Raul Colon. In addition to mainstage shows, Arena commissions original work to promote some of its special events, including two Wine Auctions, the downstairs new play reading series, and the annual Arena Stage Benefit.

Make it out to the show if you can!

Hamptons show

2007-05-16T17:11:47+00:00

May 19th through June 17th, I'll be exhibiting these new paintings at Silas Marder Gallery in Bridgehampton, New York, as part "The Big Show", which brings together 50 artists from around the world working in a variety of media. There'll be an opening on Saturday, May 19th, from 4-8pm, so if you happen to be in the area, drop in.

NOLA

2007-05-13T21:40:09+00:00

Last weekend, Janice and I visited New Orleans for Jazzfest. Last year I gave a full report, but this time I thought I'd just post a few shots to give an impression, so here you go......

TIME 100

2007-05-08T16:22:39+00:00

TIME released its "100 Most Influential People" issue on Friday, and I was asked this year to create a portrait of Sonia Gandhi, the widow of Rajiv Gandhi and the powerbroker behind India's democratic government. It's always an honor and a challenge to be a part of. Over the years, I've been able to create portraits that mine a range of cultures and historical styles for the "100", so I thought I'd put a few of the past examples up as well.

Design Ranch Workshop

2007-04-26T20:13:50+00:00

Last weekend, I was one of the workshop leaders at Design Ranch, the AIGA event held out in the beautiful Hill Country of Texas, along with designer/artist Stefan G. Bucher, design shop Decoder Ring, Fossil Watch guru Tim Hale, designer Michael Osborne, designer and teacher Petrula Vrontikis, photographer Dan Winters, and the amazing team at Yee-Haw Industries. Around 150 designers from all over the country (and Mexico!) came out for some hands on experience and fun, and the weather couldn't have been better. My workshop paired folks off for portraiture, with a demo on acrylics and some tips for getting a great painting in under two hours. Most had done little or no painting before, but we provided Bloody Marys for inspiration, and the results were outstanding. In the evenings, the bands came in and there was much rejoicing! Snapshots below:

Jean Baptiste Oudry at the Getty

2007-04-10T16:44:23+00:00

On May 1st, the Getty Museum in Los Angeles will open a exhibit of works by Jean Baptiste Oudry (1686–1755), one of the most celebrated animal painters of his day. Among the pieces in the show are two works, Rhinoceros and Lion, that underwent a massive 5 year restoration and conservation at the Getty. These pieces will be included along with nine other paintings by Oudry, as well as many of his drawings.

The immediate artistic ancestor to George Stubbs, Oudry took conventional animal painting and elevated it to the level of portraiture. These pieces were part of a series commissioned to document the exotic animals of French King Louis XV, who kept these creatures at Versailles and occasionally toured them around capitol cities. The Rhino above is Clara, and she was something of a celebrity in eighteenth-century Europe, where the rise of Empiricism and an interest in natural history created a thirst for knowledge of the animal world. Oudry created the most accurate representations of the rhino to date - an animal that had until then been depicted in Western prints and paintings as something closer to a dragon or dinosaur than the creature we know today. He also was a master at capturing the sense of aggrandizement and nobility that was a significant reason to own - and have portraits made of - exotic and pure bred animals.

Medal of Arts, Texas Style

2007-04-04T16:44:49+00:00

"The stars at night,
are big and bright,
Deep in the (he)art of Texas."

Monday and Tuesday were busy days here in Austin, with the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts ceremonies taking place. I was asked to create the art for this year's event, which was used on everything from posters and three-dimensional installations to tickets and gift bags. Janice and I attended most of the events over the last two days, and had a blast!

This year's honorees included Walter Cronkite, jazz legend Ornette Coleman, the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, sculptor Jesus Moroles, and screenwriter Bill Wittliff. After a gala dinner at the historic Driskill Hotel around the corner, we were led by the dancing, drumming performance group Urban 15 over to the awards ceremony itself, held at the Paramount Theater, one Austin's oldest and most beautiful venues and a great architectural jewel of the city.

Presenters for this year's awards included CBS anchor Bob Schieffer, Tommy Lee Jones and piano great Van Cliburn, and bands Del Castillo, the Quebe Sisters (pronounced Kway-bee - check them out , they're amazing!), and Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel fame kept folks entertained with toe-tapping Texas tunes. The night was capped off with champagne and dessert (and lots of dancing) back at the Driskill Hotel.

In addition to all this fun, we were invited to a few other special pre-event events, which included a luncheon at the Governor's Mansion, as well as a VIP 'Legislative" reception at the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum, which put me and my "plus one" guest, Steve Brodner (down for a Texas Monthly assignment) in close quarters with virtually every power broker and politico in the state. An eye opener for Steve, who has some stories of his own to tell from his visit to our fair city. And now, back to my quiet life again......

Come on down

2007-03-23T02:36:42+00:00

For those of you who can't make it to the SI Advertising & Institutional opening in New York City on Friday, March 30th, but might find yourselves in the Fayetteville, Arkansas area instead........I'll be speaking to the Northwest Arkansas Art Directors Club, 7:30 pm at the Dickson St. Theatre. Slow down, now - there are limited tickets available, so line up neatly and be patient, please. Posters will be available for signing.

The Stooges and SXSW

2007-03-19T00:04:00+00:00

For the last three days, I've been living in the heart of one of the biggest music festivals in the country: South by Southwest. Over 50 venues showcase almost 1400 bands, and most of the action takes place within a short stroll of my house/studio. This year's biggest act was the opening gig of the Stooges new tour, following the release of their first album together in 33 years. The piece above was done a while back for a book and exhibition at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and it seemed like the right time to break it out.

I'm an Iggy fan from way back, having first seen him live when I was a teenager, and over 20 times since. I even got to meet him once, at a now defunct record store here called the Inner Sanctum, and found him to be a very nice and approachable guy. In concert, however, he's a force of nature, and last night's show was no exception. It's hard to believe that a guy about to turn 60 still looks like this and is willing to throw himself into the moshpit mid-concert to battle it out with the fans (which he did several times last night). The band even invited the crowd up on stage during the final number, which was absolute chaos. All and all, a Fun Time.

Along the way, I saw some other great acts, including my new favorite Peelander Z, a Japanese band now based in NY that's part punk and part Teletubbies, and from what I can tell the official band of Kaiju Big Battel - itself a cross between pro wrestling, bad science fiction movies and performance art. We also saw the Polyphonic Spree, the Little Ones, and a number of other bands that were new to me.

Another aspect of the Fesitval is the showcase Flatstock, which brings together some of the best gig poster art & artists from around the country. Yee Haw Industries, Methane, Burlesque of North America, and several other great groups that create the most amazing concert art are all under one roof, and selling their posters at very reasonable prices.

Today, the crowds are starting to head home and city is beginning to quiet down again. There's always great music here in Austin, but SXSW represents one of the main reasons this city has developed the reputation it has internationally for music, and one the best times of year to come and see why Austin is a destination.

Visit Austin!

2007-03-12T18:43:01+00:00

A shameless plug for a great event:

From April 19th through the 22nd, Austin's own AIGA chapter will hold its semi-almost-annual event in the heart of the beautiful Texas Hill Country, at Waldemar Guest Ranch, along the Guadalupe River. It's become the preferred getaway and tubing mecca for designers and artists across the country, and having been a few times myself, I can personally attest to the fun: its one of the best times you'll ever have while actually learning something. It's got hands-on, back to basics workshops - no computers, no lectures - interspersed with BBQ, swimming, canoeing, and a cool beverage or two, not to mention the dancing and entertainment from some of the best bands in Austin. Did I mention there are art director's everywhere? I'll be doing a workshop there, as well as these fine folks:

Decoder Ring | Austin | Designers (www.thedecoderring.com)
Michael Osborne | San Francisco | Designer (www.mobsf.com)
Tim Hale | Dallas | Designer (www.fossil.com)
Stefan Bucher | Los Angeles | Illustrator (www.344design.com)
Petrula Vrontikus | Los Angeles | Designer (www.35k.com)
Dan Winters | Los Angeles | Photographer (www.danwintersphoto.com)
Yee Haw! | Knoxville | Designers (www.yehawindustries.com)

As if all that wasn't enough, it's in the mid 70s today, with a blue sky and flowers blooming everywhere. Mid April is even prettier.......

The links:

Waldemar GuestRanch, where it all happens. 693 acres so beautiful you'll want to take up ranching.

The Official Design Ranch site

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Hail Mary

2007-03-05T15:34:44+00:00

In the March issue of Mother Jones, there's a piece written by Bill Donahue about a visit he made to the swamps of south Florida, where Tom Monaghan, the billionaire founder of Domino's Pizza, is building an ultraconservative Catholic university and gated community. Done in the style of an illuminated manuscript, my images make clear that Bill wasn't exactly welcome on the campus of Ave Maria.

This was an article that hit home for me, as I went to a religiously affiliated university myself, though a Baptist one. We seem to be living in a time where more and more Americans of different beliefs and political affiliations want to live separate lives, apart from the influence of those they disagree with. This is just one of the more extreme examples, but it's a growing trend. An interesting topic, made all the more complex in our current political climate. To read Bill's article, click the Mother Jone's link here.

nEuROTIC, by John Cuneo

2007-03-02T20:26:57+00:00

I just got a copy of John Cuneo's new book of dirty drawings, nEuROTIC, (even came in a brown paper bag), and I highly recommend it. Designed by the great Robert Festino, it's one you need on the (top) shelf of your bookcase. In addition to be being completely depraved and a work of genius, I understand all proceeds are applied directly to John's psychiatrist bills.

To get your own, click on the Amazon.com link here.

The Decider

2007-02-27T16:00:09+00:00

Yesterday, Roberto Parada posted an article about his terrific cover for Texas Monthly, which featured several essays on the legacy of George Bush. TJ Tucker, art director at TM, also commissioned Steve Brodner, Cristoph Niemann, Ralph Steadman, Mark Ulriksen, Joe Morse, and myself to do portraits of W. to accompany those essays. Mine is above, and here's an excerpt from the text by Robert Caro that inspired it:

".....I am unable as of now to escape the feeling that George Bush has done what is, for a president, a very dangerous thing. He has surrounded himself with people who have the same way of looking at the world as he does. He has surrounded himself with people who tell him only what he wants to hear."

Happy birthday, Johnny Cash

2007-02-26T17:24:16+00:00

Today marks what would have been the 75th birthday of one of American music's greatest talents, Johnny Cash. I thought this would be an appropriate time to post a few of my Cash-related images and share the best story I'll ever have to tell about how art can take you through doors.

Back in early 2003 I got a call from Dualtone records to do June Carter Cash's upcoming album, "Wildwood Flower", but before the project got past the scheduling stage, June passed away, following heart surgery. I'd already received a copy of the recordings, and was blown away by how moving these songs were: mostly Carter family classics, they were done with Johnny and her daughter-in-law Laura Cash, as well as a host of other family & friends, and most of the songs were recorded in the living room of her ancestral home in Virginia. Unlike anything I heard before, this was an album about love, family and the awareness of its inevitable end. I'd lost my own mother not long before, and this music spoke to me.

After a few weeks, the project restarted, and working with their son, John Carter Cash (who produced the album), I created the cover art. Not long after, I got a call from John Carter asking if I might be willing to come to Hendersonville, Tennessee, and paint another portrait of June in the home of Johnny Cash himself; apparently, my portrait of June on Wildwood was his all time favorite, and he wanted a version for himself. As soon as I could pick my jaw up off the floor, I said of course. So in early August, 2003, Janice and I spent 3 days there working on the piece in his lakeside home - the one you see in the movie - while he came and went. At the end of our stay, they invited us across the road and over a hill to the Cash Cabin Studio, literally a tiny cabin in the woods, where we sat in while Johnny, Marty Stuart, John Carter and a few others recorded some songs (including Sheryl Crow's "Redemption Day"). He even did a a cappella version of Jack of Diamonds. Just over a month later, we got the news he too had passed away.

I've had the honor of doing alot of music-related work, and along the way gotten to meet some amazing folks through the serendipity that it sometimes brings, but I doubt I'll ever have an experience that measures up to meeting the great Johnny Cash. People like him come along once a generation, if that, and on a day like today, I'm thankful for that remarkable experience.

George Stubbs

2007-02-02T16:00:28+00:00

On February 14th, the Frick will open a show of work by George Stubbs (1724 –1806) one of the most underappreciated 18th century British painting masters. His lack of reknown is primarily due to his subject matter: he created portraits of horses.

Stubbs also did many very powerful portraits of humans and exotic creatures from around the world, but was primarily a painter of domestic animals, which were commissioned for their "status" as objects of wealth and power. What makes his work so unique was that he portrayed these animals with an attention to detail and personality that raised the bar of the artform. If you find the genre of English sporting paintings at all interesting, Stubbs' work is without a doubt the pinnacle of it. And then there's the Frick itself, which is always a treat to visit.

The New SI Annual

2007-01-24T21:09:04+00:00

I just received my copy of the Society of Illustrators 48th Annual, and it's a beauty. With a cover by Jeff Decoster (who's profiled in CA this month as well), a design by Erin Mayes, and the best chair's statement I've ever seen (Tim Bower, drawing his thoughts on illustration and awards), it's more than worth a look. You can get one of your own through SI, Amazon, and probably even your local bookstore.

Oh, and did I mention the chair's portrait is by a guy named Tim O'Brian, or O'Brien....something like that.

Music & Art: a parallel?

2007-01-18T17:23:06+00:00

I came across this article today about Mary Wilson's visit to our fair city yesteday. She's pushing for legislation called the "Truth in Music" bill, which would prevent "fake" bands from performing as the original item. She argues that this sort of copyband phenomenon deprives the original artists of their livings. Given the many discussions of the issue among artists, I thought it was an interesting read. Read the Link

The Iceman Cometh

2007-01-16T22:53:45+00:00

Here in Austin, we don't get much in the way of hard winters - in fact, we were running around in t-shirts just a few weeks ago. But as of yesterday, that changed. Here's a snapshot of an icicle hanging off the gutter of my house today. Clocked in at over 2 and half feet long. I know you Northerners are rolling your eyes, but this is a newsworthy event in our neck of the woods. I hear it's coming your way.....

Eakins Update

2007-01-04T23:26:56+00:00

Recently, I posted an article on the Thomas Eakins' painting "The Gross Clinic" , which was about to be sold by Thomas Jefferson University, possibly to a museum outside Philadelphia. I'm happy to report that the piece will remain in Philly now, and will rest in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The painting is only half paid for, however, so the museum is collecting donations in order to meet its debt. To find out how to support this effort, go the the PMA official site.

Eakins, anyone?

2006-12-14T17:44:09+00:00

Read today that Thomas Eakins' painting "The Gross Clinic", which has been in Philadelphia for over 130 years, may be sold to a partnership between the National Gallery in D.C. and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas. It will undoubtedly be in good hands either way, but it seems a shame for Philly to lose one its historical treasures, both from an artistic and civic perspective. The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts need to raise $68 million (!) by December 26th to keep it; it's owned by the Jefferson Medical College, and has been on loan since its original purchase in 1878, for just $200. Anyone have some spare change for the folks in Philly?

Mmmm, Tacos

2006-12-04T17:11:29+00:00

There's been a lot of discussion of food here as we head into the holidays, so this seemed like an appropriate piece to highlight.
Texas Monthly art director TJ Tucker asked me to do a year end cover for them on the best tacos in the state. All he had to do was mention Mexican food and I was there. In addition to the cover art, TJ commissioned a series of interior pieces by Ross MacDonald, an old friend and illustration master. A worthwhile issue for anyone interested in good eating, Tex-Mex style.

German beer coasters

2006-11-05T18:02:16+00:00

I've got a collection of German beer coasters that I've always loved - great type and imagery that I find inspiring (not to mention fun to collect!). To see more of them, check out my Coasters gallery.

Alright Edel

2006-11-01T21:33:37+00:00

The floor is open to questions.

Novemberfest, Drawger-style

2006-10-29T16:55:23+00:00

I officially propose a Drawger gathering Tuesday evening, November 7th, at the Society of Illustrators bar. 6pm?

New studio assistant

2006-10-22T22:30:13+00:00

It's been a while since I added anyone to the staff around here, but I plan on working this one like a dog. She definitely needs some training; has slept most of the day away so far. Hard to find good help anymore.......

Inviting all Drawgers

2006-10-03T18:14:33+00:00

For the last month I've been working night and day on paintings for a show that opens Saturday at Mendenhall Sobieski Gallery in Pasadena, CA, and runs through October 24th. If any of you happen to be in the area for the opening on Saturday, October 7th, 7-9pm, I'd love to see you there. The details are:

Mendenhall Sobieski Gallery
40 Mills Place
Pasadena, CA
(626) 535-9757
http://www.mendenhallsobieskigallery.com

OK, enough already!

2006-09-20T22:20:03+00:00

I've been in my new studio/home for about two weeks time, so it's not very presentable, but here are a few pictures of the work space. It's designed as more of a living room studio, since I'm obsessive with my hours and would never spend time with my wife or friends if not for the shared space.

Sattler and Panorama painting

2006-09-14T15:41:12+00:00

I've been off the board and traveling this summer, taking in some great art and getting inspired. One of the amazing things i came across was in Salzburg, where the "Panorama Museum" houses the collected works of Johann Michael Sattler, one of the most prolific landscape artists of the 19th century. The main focus of the museum is his colossal mural of Salzburg, 16 feet high and 85 feet long, completing a perfect 360 degree view of the city as it appeared in his time, 1825.

To say Sattler was detail-oriented is an understatement; imagine Tim O'Brien on steroids, and you get the picture. Even more impressive than the Salzburg panorama are the host of depictions of cities throughout the world, which he painted with a degree of finish that makes you want to put your little brushes down and take up house painting. And the genre of panorma itself is fascinating, done in the spirit of giving an accurate and even scientific depiction of the world most folks would never see otherwise, with just a hint of the sideshow spectacle. Apparently these "cosmoramas" were all the rage in the 18th and 19th century, and there were a number of artists who specialized in these works, though very few of the paintings remain and even fewer compare with the Salzburg work.
Inspiring and humbling stuff!

Happy 400th, Rembrandt

2006-07-15T13:26:26+00:00

Today is the 400th birthday of Rembrandt van Rijn. Anyone who has picked up a brush since has been awed and influenced by his work, which feels more alive and contemporary than any other art, music or writing of that vintage that I can think of. I visit the Met's Rembrandt room every time I'm in NY, and those portraits are so well realized in both technique and character that it feels like they're ready to step out of the frames and start walking around the museum. Truly one of the greats.

O Canada

2006-07-14T16:03:27+00:00

Janice and I went for our annual trip to Canada this past weekend to visit our friends Dick Chin and Anita Kunz at their cottage in Honey Harbor on Georgian Bay - one of the most beautful spots around, and Dick and Anita are wonderful hosts.

Anita got the idea to arrange for a dinner at the famous chef Michael Stadtlaender's place, Eigensinn - an eccentric and top notch restaurant/farm he runs in the middle of the Canadian countryside where he lives. Only 8-10 people can dine there each evening, and the food is phenomenal (he's apparently ranked as one of the the top 10 chefs in the world). He's also a folk artist of sorts, and wandering around his farm before dinner was a real experience.

First of all, this guy knows his grills. He has all sorts of sculptural ovens and just nutty objects placed in fields and at the ends of paths where you just stumble across them; they apparently have events throughout the year where folks can wander around and dine in various spots on the farm, so he has set up "field kitchens" to accomodate them.

As you get further into the property, you find some real "Blair Witch" style areas, including this teepee, some wooded eating areas, and some sections where signs carved in boards have all sorts of deep and obscure quotations.

Here are a few more spots, including a "winter house" that's really a round hut that seemed like a cross between Hundertwasser and Howard Finster (upper left), an "Oyster Pavillion" entirely lined with oyster shells, another oven adorned with moose antlers, and piles and piles of wine bottles lining the pathways - dead soldiers from the many dinners over the years (it's a BYOB place, and they fax you the recommended wine list the day before based on what they'll be serving).

The meal was great, the experience and the artwork inspirational, and once again we had a wonderful time in Canada. These folks have it figured out!

Beck! Live with Puppetron

2006-06-24T20:01:38+00:00

Saw Beck Tuesday night at the Backyard (which has changed pretty dramatically since my last visit, the result of a giant suburban mall that's been built all the way around its once beautiful hill country setting). Still, the show was great and I'm here to extoll the virtues of marionettes. He had a real live puppet show (by the Team America people) reenacting every move of the entire band, directly behind them and projected onto the giant screen. They were so compelling we hardly even watched the band. When in doubt, break out the puppets....

Jazzfest NOLA

2006-05-14T21:59:27+00:00

A few years ago I promised myself that if that season's hurricane didn't destroy New Orleans, I'd finally make the trip to Jazzfest. It didn't, but neither did I. Realizing now that I'm at least partially responsible for Katrina - this doesn't relieve George and Brownie one bit, BTW - I decided to make amends and take the plunge (my apologies for the bad pun/symbolism/metaphor/whatever). A few friends and I jammed into a new Prius for the roadtrip out, with the goal of seeing how little gas it would take to get there and how gassed we could get once we arrived. We did the latter well enough that I can't recall the answer to the former, but I did manage to take some pictures to remind myself of what we saw, so I thought I'd put 'em up here. I've now offically reached that point in life where you bore your friends with your vacation pictures.......

One of the first things you need to do when you cross into Louisiana is begin looking for a place - almost any place - to eat. It's the national pastime there, and with damn good reason. We missed a few opportunities to hit the roadside shops for Cracklin's (fried pork fat - trust me, it's better than it sounds), but we quickly found ourselves at the doorstep of Crawfish Town. What it lacks in ambiance it more than makes up for in cholesterol.

Fish isn't typically associated with heart disease, but then not much is typical in Cajun Country. In addition to the platter of ditchbugs here, there was a dish of deep fat fried fish, crab, shrimp and a few other unidentified things pulled out of the swamp that were delicious when stacked together like a edible Tower of Pisa. Washed down with a few Abitas, this hit every spot available, all at once.

Of course, there's always one more spot that needs hitting, and nothing doe the job better than Bread Pudding - the official dessert of Louisiana. It's the best thing since sliced bread was allowed to go stale and get soaked in milk, butter, cinnamon, raisins, and bourbon.

After this we were wheeled out to our car by the friendly staff and pointed in the direction of New Orleans. A few hours later, we were rolling into town.

I fully expected to see some significant damage when I got there, but I was really struck by both how widespread the destruction was and how quickly the tourist sections of New Orleans were (seemingly) brought back to their pre-Katrina state. There were lots of the old spots missing (Felix's, for one), but passing through the Quarter and the Garden District, you'd have been hard-pressed to think much more than a hard thunderstorm had recently hit. It was really easy to see how, depending on the direction you pointed the camera, you could frame the picture of this city any way you wanted.

With six guys off on the long (lost) weekend, we stuck close to the Jazzfest and Quarter for the trip, so we didn't begin to see the worst of what Katrina did to this beautiful city (we were told again and again that the 9th Ward and others areas would leave you wondering if you were in a Third World nation). Still, just the ride to and from the festival grounds gave plenty of evidence of a job left undone, including these pictures of blue-tarped roofs, temporary trailer homes, and seas of flooded and abandoned cars under every elevated stretch of freeway. You can still make out the high-water lines and spray-painted codes on the exteriors of virtually every house front indicating how many animals and/or humans were found in a given structure. So this is what a post-Apocalyptic America will look like.......

Our first night out, we made it to a great bar called DBA where Papa Mali, Eddie Bo and Big Chief Monk Boudreax were tearing it up. We did likewise, and rolled in around 5am, stopping on the way back to the hotel to get beignets at Cafe Du Monde (I know, I know, but it was good). The bartendress was kind enough to write the band's name on my hand before we left the club, but the evening was far too fun to be that easily forgotten.

Hats and odd outfits are a must for any festival. Folks here know how to make statement.......

......and some even had the hutzpah to tie their's on the back of an airplane. This guy circled the fest for an hour, letting sponsor Shell know what they thought of their civic outreach (in case you can't read it, it says "Shell - great music - don't kill our fish!").

Lots of folks dancing, having fun, and generally being extroverted.

No, he's not dead, just resting between acts.

This lady was catching up on a little reading while the Radiators played.

And the obligatory photo with Beetle Bob.

I've actually started a collection of Bob photo ops ever since I first met him at the Austin City Limits Fest two years ago. For those of you who don't know about him (I didn't either before ACL), he's sort of a oddball celeb, showing up (usually without a ticket, from what I hear) and getting the VIP treatment based on cult status alone. You'll typically find him in front of the band everyone wants to see, doing his crazy dance in the roped off section and generally adding to the atmosphere. A very nice guy......

Well, that's it. Great music, great food, and great fun. It's a good thing this only happens once a year.

Austin on a Sunday night

2006-05-01T21:10:52+00:00

So, last night Janice and I were invited to party to celebrate the 33 1/3 year anniversary of John Kunz (owner of Waterloo Records here in town) and his gal Kathy Marcus (some of you folks will remember her from the old Texas Monthly art staff). Anyway, John & Kathy threw a big shindig at the Broken Spoke (where Tim O'Brien regularly dances when he's in town), and John being John, Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Lloyd Maynes were part of the lineup (see above). As if that weren't enough, the party took on a whole new dimension when John & Kathy stepped up to the mike and made an announcement: they were getting married on the spot, with all us in attendance. Best wedding I've ever been to, and definitely the best wedding band.

Greetings from Texas

2006-04-30T02:28:30+00:00