Tim O'Brien

Change I can Believe In

2008-12-20T18:40:07+00:00

Is there an editorial art director working today on fire as much as SooJin Buzelli?
We've all seen it displayed here, free ideas allowed to flourish in an environment where normally editors use their extensive art backgrounds to clip and prune even the best talent. SooJin must have the best gig and the only annoying part has to be dealing with the truckload of illustrators' mailers that arrive every day.

Recently I was asked to do a cover for her magazine, PlanSponsor. The request, which I read over and over for wiggle room, was to illustrate this; 'Now What? What the new president/congress/senate means for the health care issues.'

The next request was for Obama and other's in his team to be around the operating table. It couldn't be Obama alone.
I read that over and over and wondered how to compete with the coolness of the sample covers she sent. It made me think of how art directors view me and what I do. I see the full spectrum of what I can do and like to do, but not all art directors share that vision. I was reminded that it was my job to show that spectrum even if it's not requested.

So, I did a few sketches that referred to the initial request. I have a fear sometimes of offering literal, realistic, situational illustrations. This is what I call most Rockwell pieces, characters cast for roles and acting them out. In my style this can look too stiff and awkward unless it's done in a comic way. I imagined my sketch coming in, going to finish then coming out and saw that next to all those cool covers. I decided to offer another thing I can do, more of a conceptual and iconic solution. I thought of the 'caduceus' or medical symbol and how ripe that was for this assignment. I did a quick sketch of that new idea but thought again that I had to offer another along the lines of my first sketch. I did an Obama as doctor looking at an X-ray.
I sent them all in and SooJin chose the caduceus symbol. Of course she would!
I told her I was relieved to not have another Obama assignment for the 13th time (not kidding) and we both agreed that this was the best solution for a great cover and to relieve me of the long string of Obama illustrations I've done this fall. Since then I've done 2 more to bring my total to 15. Amazing.

SooJin did a nice crop of the art and I'll post that once she gives me the go-ahead.

The lesson leaned, or relearned was that I have to decide how I'm used but it's a lot easier over at PlanSponsor.

Lennon

2008-12-09T04:17:17+00:00

Here's to John Lennon!

Gifts

2008-11-26T23:58:47+00:00

One of the nice things about being on Drawger is getting to receive gifts from fellow Drawgers. One particular generous soul is Stephen Kroninger. He's not only an enormously talented illustrator, he is a human encyclopedia, or, if I want to seem more current, a human wikipedia. Stephen is a collector of music and ephemera and doesn't horde it (much) but enjoys sharing it. My music collection is more complete because of his generocity and obsessions.

Stephen recently used Marc Burckhardt as a mule to deliver a package to me. In it was a copy of Sports Illustrated from October 13th, 1975. The cover story was of the fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in Manila, their epic third fight.

I received my first copy of this when I was 10. A year and a half earlier my father had died and my mother and 2 brothers and I were still trying to sort things out. I still have no idea just what was in their heads at the time, but I recall what I was going through. I was forever angry and feeling put-upon. I also missed having a father around. Our beloved Uncle Eddie O'Neal surprised the boys with a subscription to Sports Illustrated. It may seem like nothing today, but for us it was a real magazine and it was grown up and intended for us. We could read about all sports and see the most amazing images. We all were sports fans; my brother baseball and football and I loved boxing. My younger brother would become a hockey player but was 7 at the time.

Sports Illustrated was so great. I would get all the boxing stories and pour over them, ingest the information then carefully cut out the photographs and glue them onto sheet or cardboard that started to move across my bedroom wall. I loved the photography and in the issue that Stephen sent, all were shot by the great NeilLeifer, article by Mark Kram.

Ali was a marvelous figure in my early world. He was everywhere and I have all kinds of memories of him. With this fight the photographs were different though. Something was not pretty anymore. The opener is stunning with both heads side-by-side showing the damage that 15 rounds in 100 degree heat can do.

So, it's appropriate that I give thanks to several figures here. First, thanks Stephen for the magazine and all the gifts all year long. Thanks to my late Uncle Eddie who suddenly saw that he was a shadow father to a bunch of boys he never thought he'd have to be. HE continued that subscription for about 10 years.

Thanks to my family for allowing me to work out who I would be. Fist holes circled the room and these posters would move to cover the evidence. Finally to the great ghost himself, Muhammad Ali. I should have latched onto Picasso or Degas but artists are built in funny ways.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone.

AI-08

2008-11-13T21:03:46+00:00

Quite surprisingly, AI and their jurors chose this really traditional illustration for the book this year.

I'm thrilled.

See you all there.

Before the moment passes...

2008-11-07T15:16:53+00:00

In a rare royal flush, 3 Drawgers illustrated the covers of 3 major magazines in the same week.

Brian Stauffer on the cover of the New Yorker, me on the cover of Time and Gary Taxali on the cover of Newsweek.

Proud to be in such good company. Illustration is alive and well and we have to keep it up in 2009. Many Drawgers had their work out front this year and while print is still around, we are still in the game.

Give magazines away as gifts this season.

The UNITED STATES of AMERICA

2008-11-05T14:57:34+00:00

For a few weeks now, most people I know have watched the polls and heard the pundits predict an Obama victory. Still, we have all been there before. Watching states that were close show surprising strength for the opponent in the late hours of the evening on election night.

This was the first election my son watched and followed. On election night he and his friends stayed up late and waited until it was called a victory for Barack Obama. Cassius saw his mother weep and his father stand up and howl and pump his fist. The kids went nuts, partly because it's fun, and partly because they liked this man, this modern American man.

Congratulations to all of you who dontated and made calls and talked your parents into voting for a real change for America.

Congratulations Cassius!

Marathon 2008

2008-11-03T14:40:12+00:00

What a race. What a summer of training.

After my disaster race of 2007 I had to find out why I passed out at the end and blew that one so bad. Initially I pinned my poor performance on dehydration as that was what the first aid folks said. It seemed probable. All year I certainly was more careful about fluid intake. In late summer, and into the fall I had some reoccurrence of dizziness and rapid heart rate. This year I began to wear a hear rate monitor. I noticed that in some of my long runs my rate would go up and not come down, even after stopping and breathing normally. This was scary for me.

My father died at 35 of a sudden heart attack. I wondered just how stupid I was to do this running with that history and for a while felt down and confused. I went to an amazing Doctor in Manhattan whose specialty is cardiology. She was so great and thoughtful and concerned. I had every test I could have, ran with event monitors to see if I could re-create the symptoms. She also put me on blood pressure medication to finally deal with my high blood pressure. That might have in the end been the cause of my rapid heart rate last year and this fall. I felt great on the medication with no side effects. But that wasn't all. There then was a question about me having an enlarged heart. This caused concern and as a result I saw another cardiologist. He felt that the size was due to being an athlete and not due to damage from the blood pressure. Still, HE wouldn't give me a go ahead until I got a magnetic resonance test. This is one of those great color 3D images that can show everything. I got the all clear the day I had to start the Time cover. That was a good day.

So, I got ready to race. I trained all year to run slower and steady, so no more going out fast. My desire and goal was to HOLD BACK. I repeated this mantra to myself all race..."hold back!" When runners inched past me I resisted the sprinter in me and let them go by, even if that meant looking at my feet. I actually spent much of my time scanning the faces of the spectators, slapping kid's hands. Amazing experience.

I went out slow and tried to just run and not get winded. I never did and never hit any wall. I'm amazed! I ate goo all day but also feasted on spectator bananas and oranges, water and more gatorade than you want to drink in a year.

For those that know this race, it ended like this. As I entered the Bronx I pulled off my earphones and took in the sounds. The music in the Bronx was loud and fun this year. I waited for the sudden and upsetting wall to wash over me and then I was on the bridge to leave the Bronx. Out of that borough and into Manhattan and I could feel that the last 5 miles would be easy. Still, I held back. I passed my family cheering section at 93rd and smiled this year to let them know I was fine. It was now time to push. I started opening my stride and felt fine. Now I entered the park and looked for Dave Flaherty who said he was there to watch bleeding nipples on the hill. I scanned the folks but missed him if he was there. Soon, I could see ahead, the place where I fell out of the race last year; mile 25. I burst past it and headed for the finish line. With the lights and crowd in view and sprinted. I raised my arms in victory and crossed the finish line with a smile. It was perfect.

I heard from so many people pre-race and that day and I have to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. It meant a ton.

Now what?

I used the NYRR service that alerts a few friends of certain times along the race. I must have been annoying to recieve because they send a million e-mails to these victims...I'm sorry folks.

The thing is, they were NOT accurate. I checked the site myself and then checked my Garmin GPS I wear and my late race sprint is recorded accurately.

I stopped 3 times. Once to say hello to Elizabeth in Brookly and I accidentally shut off my iPod. DAMN. So, I had to turn it back on and select the same music and then start up again. 4 stinkin' minutes! I stopped 2 more times for a quick pee break. Why not?

So, here are the times and info from Garmin on my race.

The Choice

2008-10-31T06:05:07+00:00

There is a scene in Goodfellas where Ray Liotta's character Henry Hill is doing a million things at once. He has to make the sauce, deliver some stolen guns, see his goumada and pick up some drugs to sell, arrange for his babysitter to act as a mule to deliver the drugs, get her lucky hat for her when she indicates she can't travel without it...the list goes on. All illustrators have days, weeks or years like that. I mostly have weeks like that. This week was definitely like that, (minus the crime)...all that was missing was a helicopter circling overhead.
I started my week by teaching a class in Philadelphia. Once home, I observe the green light blinking on the answering machine. It's Arthur Hochstein at Time asking me to call. Gulp. It's a cover and it's a big one. I need to run so I go out in the dark and get that in. Tuesday I go to see yet another heart specialist for a magnetic heart scan. That night the washing machine broke. Tuesday I stay up all night to finish the cover for 10 am Wednesday. I finish at about 10:30, get it to him and then go to sleep. I get up at 2:45 to go and pick up Cassius from school. When I get home Arthur tells me the cover will run! YES! I go off training and have wine. Before I do that I have to run again. Thursday I get up and catch up on work that was pushed aside and then go and teach at Pratt. I rush home to receive the new washing machine. I then dart off to the Jacob Javitts Center to pick up my number for Sunday's New York City Marathon. More sketches to work on tonight and then up early to take Cassius to school again. Friday Halloween, Saturday rest and Sunday run a marathon.

~~~~~~~~~~

When I was in college I used to see the cover or TIME as the ultimate I could hope for in a career. My heros at the time were on that cover, such as Gottfried Helnwein, and Birney Lettick. As a tight realist I left college with a portfolio of realistic portraits and textures. One such texture was water drops. It's because of those that Rudy Hoagland called me from Time and I think I worked with Arthur also. The assignment for this 24 year old was to paint a tear on George Washington for a Time Cover. This was the first cover I accomplished and I have been so lucky to have done many more over the years. Working for Time has ALWAYS been the best. Arthur is the person I've worked the most for I suppose. He's very clear and tells you subtle directions and why they are important to getting the art to work. I've learned a great deal from him about how subtle things make or break a piece. He is also a wonderful person.

A call from Arthur is always a rush. My brain scans my life, my calender and jobs on my easel that are due. I always say yes and hang up readjusting my world to this new chaos.
Arthur's call this week was well timed actually. I saw this historic election winding down and did wonder if I would get to ever do a cover as important as this one again. He asked me to paint "the choice." I did do a similar cover in the mid 90's of Bill Clinton and Bob Dole. I worked up some sketches and with Elizabeth's help, tried out a conceptual background of words. This idea came out of sketching and is what I think this cover is about. Months and months of noise and campaigning all stops and it's just YOU and THEM in the voting booth. I did many versions using different reference shots to work from. The last set of sketches were the close up ones. I knew these were the ones that would win. Arthur chose them and I was off.

McCain was easy to paint so I did him first. His color would set the tone for the spread. Obama proved more difficult as I got kind of lost (and tired) while painting his face with a million little brushstrokes. Trying to get his color just right, I optically mixed purple, red, green and yellow all in tiny slashes to achieve a luminous skin tone. Back to McCain and trying to give him the same attention. Back and forth until the sun was up and the ties and jackets were not yet begun. I can paint those in a flash.

I'm a veteran of the Time cover assignment and know to NOT get too excited. Don't tell anyone and just work on impressing Arthur and Rick Stengel, the managing editor. I think both were happy and I got the cover.

This was good timing for me. For reasons I'll try to get to next week, the marathon and training for it has consumed me for 5 months and mentally for a year. There is a point in long runs or crazy races like marathons that I berate myself to "BE AN ILLUSTRATOR!" This job kept my mind calm this week and put things in perspective.
Thanks Arthur for again having faith in me.
Life is chaotic, the alternative is worse.

Obama Wins...McCain Wins..Obama wins..

2008-10-22T14:16:27+00:00

I wonder what I will be illustrating in 2009? In 2008 I did many portraits and illustrations of the primary players in this historic election. As we come down to the final weeks, magazines seem to be offering their readers a glimpse at the possible impact of a McCain or an Obama administration( see Zina's post today). The first of these side by side offerings just came out. ABA Journal called and had a dual cover job. On one side the swearing in of Obama and the other the swearing in of McCain. As I was doing this I was watching debates and the close polls and the unknown nature of the future campaign made me super nervous.
The comp they sent was a digital comp that was helpful but so much had to be worked out. As I dove in I had to think like a movie director. What would Obama wear, what would his wife wear...OH NO, wait, they're outside. I had to find a coat.
Justice Roberts would swear them in but then there is the background. I had to mess up the background so people were not too recognizable. The funny thing was that the reference had some harsh light in their eyes so they all looked miserable. I wanted a focused scene on the foreground so I merely darkened everything and muted the colors in the background. I had at an early stage in the process suggested that I paint one cover and 'paper-doll' the second pair over the other cover but they thought they would rather have 2 covers. 2 paydays for me so I did not resist. However, painting 2 presidential seals was torture.

In the end I like both covers. I would prefer to see the Obama cover come to life and the McCain cover go into my file of paintings I call, the alternative reality show.
Someday I would like to show the killed jobs I did that were pulled because the story changed. Images would include OJ guilty, Bin Laden killed, Colin Powell runs for president and the newly minted, McCain is sworn in.

The article for ABA Journal is below.

ABA Journal

Brooklyn Bridge

2008-10-10T16:26:27+00:00

This was a monster of a job I did a few months ago that I can finally show. The client was TAG. Jermaine Dupri, a music producer, is the president of the TAG Records, handling all creative and talent development. Yes, TAG is a body spray. I have never used such a product but this is being marketed to a younger demographic. I suppose you if you tell kids they smell and show famous people using an anti-smell spray, they will buy the product. Brilliant. Jermaine was the main character of the piece. The main point of the campaign is to launch the record company.

This assignment came to me then went away. It quickly came back with much more urgency. The client wanted a specific scene that was based on Washington crossing the Delaware River. I knew this job was a bear so I took a deep breath and dug in. The ADs were terrific when they came to me the second time and were really supportive while still asking for many changes. They offered a digital comp based on shots they took and it was my job to paint the scene and achieve the right look. The final is rougher than I usually work but still interesting. I had very little time to do the original art.

The main idea, that a car can ride across the Brooklyn Bridge seems so wrong to me. I run over it every weekend and it's not possible. Still, the idea worked I think.

O'Brien for Obama

2008-10-05T22:35:20+00:00

I've never just posted a video on Drawger without a piece of art I've done, so I've added a crop of a larger piece that is yet unpublished. This post is NOT about the painting of Obama.

We are living in an historic time, one where we are presented with an erratic and increasingly desperate republican candidate who really has no plan for what his administration would do for the middle class other than the tired old promise of crumbs falling off the table. On the other side we have a smart and measured democratic candidate with specific programs and a proven ability to deal with issues in a thoughtful way. No erratic stunts from him, such as picking a frighteningly unqualified running mate, suspending his campaign for nothing, and now starting an announced and already discredited smear campaign against Obama. The choice is abundantly clear that America needs a change and Barack Obama is the right man for the job.

In this historic election, there is the issue of race at play that has yet to be effectively discussed in my opinion. Obama is running as an American, not an African American, but there are still parts of this country that only see race. It is partly a generational split, but the more insidious issue is what is sometimes called "the Bradley effect" . This refers to a frequently observed discrepancy between voter opinion polls and election outcomes in American political campaigns when a white candidate and a non-white candidate run against each other. It's named after Tom Bradley, an African-American who lost the 1982 California governor's race despite being ahead in voter polls. The Bradley effect refers to a tendency on the part of voters -- black as well as white -- to tell pollsters that they are undecided or likely to vote for a black candidate, and yet, on election day, change their vote.
One theory for the Bradley effect is that some white voters give inaccurate polling responses for fear that, by stating their true preference, they will open themselves to criticism. This effect is similar to people refusing to discuss voting choice at all. If you state you are undecided, you can avoid being forced into a political discussion with someone highly partisan. The reluctance to give accurate polling answers has sometimes extended to post-election exit polls as well. The race of the pollster conducting the interview may be a factor into voters' answers.

It's sad to imagine this STILL happening in America but it's true. I hope discussing it causes people to think about the only the ISSUES in the voting booth.
Still, I feel that when politicians discuss race they skirt the issue as to not sound like they are accusing anyone of anything. Change has to come from us.

I saw this amazing speech earlier today and I was deeply moved by it. Thanks Edel for showing it to me. The speech comes from AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Richard Trumka. He's a third generation coal miner from Pennsylvania who went on to receive his degree from Penn State and then his law degree from Villanova. I believe he gave this speech on July 1st 2008.

www.youtube.com/watch

Thanks for giving it a look and pass it on.

A Mammoth Problem

2008-09-24T17:11:03+00:00

Here is another thing to worry about. The permafrost in Siberia is melting.
I recently did a cover and opener for Stamford Magazine. They were really great people to work with. Hats off to Amy Shroads.
The article was a fascinating mone that detailed the aweful situation in Siberia. Global warming is effecting and melting the permafrost. As the permafrost melts, what lies beneath is just starting to decay. And what is beneath the surface? Dead animals and most prominently, frozen and rotting Wooly Mammoths. The stink is sickening because in bogs all over Siberia, methane gas rises and creates a greenhouse effect that traps heat and speeds up he cycle. One fellow, Sergei Zimov also speculates that the lack of large herbivores such as the mammoths means trees don't get consumed and trampled and these forests are traveling north. Unlike short grass which is covered by snow in the winter, trees are dark and catch the sun's rays and heat up the area which again keeps the cycle going. Sergei is trying to use larger animals such as horses to recreate the environment where plants are consumed and the forests are kept in check.

I am just trying to be an illustrator. What a slacker.

I did a sketch of a side-view of the earth with a mammoth underground. This was chosen as in interior and the cover was a more simple and powerful image of a Mammoth.
I had a blast doing it. Still, now I have to worry about this?
Think happy thoughts...think happy thoughts.

The Last 8 years and 4 more?

2008-09-09T14:28:53+00:00

Meanwhile back in Washington... Just in case any of you haven't noticed, the last 8 years have been a long steep decline for a majority of Americans. The republicans have had control of the White House and have really wrecked this country. Thousands of new tombstones for young men and woman, devastating injuries to survivors from attacks in a war pitched for one cause then flipped for another are it's legacy. The trickle-down theory was tested on America yet again and guess what?... the rich got richer and jobs did NOT grow and incomes did NOT go up. Did it work as pitched? No. So we must all agree that the Bush years were just awful. I did this cover for Mother Jones about a month ago, out right now. At the time I was absolutely sure that America was sick of the last 8 years. The cover story was about the ways to move past these last 8 years. The award-winning creative director Tim Luddy at Mother Jones called with this fun idea of Bush as the Wicked Witch melting with other characters around him; Barack as Dorothy, McCain as the Cowardly Lion and my favorite, Cheney as a flying monkey. I did wonder if having McCain as a Cowardly Lion would be 'leading with our chin' and offered a sketch of him as the Tin Man, squeaking "Oil, oil" but that one was rejected for the Lion. After seeing the cover I see the two asterisks that reveal on page 2 this funny explanation: **As for you my friend, your a victim of disorganized thinking...you're confusing courage with wisdom" -The Wizard to the Cowardly Lion. Brilliant! I can't resist here pointing our to anyone still on the fence in this election that the plan that McCain/Palin have for the next 4-8 years is to continue the Bush tax policy, the social agenda perhaps more focused on ending a woman's right to choose, a carbon-based energy policy of drilling everywhere in American and lying that it will end foreign dependency( it won't) and finally, not a single program to help the middle class of any worth. Ding, dong, the Bush years are almost over but as Bush once warned: "fool me once, shame on ... shame on you. It fool me. We can't get fooled again."

Finally this issue is FILLED with great illustration...Steve Brodner, Mark Matcho, Peter Arkle, Ralph Steadman, Yuko Shimizu, Jason Holley, Harry Campbell, John Ueland, Juliette Borda, and Christian Northeast.

As mentioned above, this issue is filled with great illustrations thanks to Tim Luddy and the rest of the art department AND the illustrators...forgive the bad shots, but I thought they should be here...

Sandhogs

2008-09-06T18:03:50+00:00

Life can be strange and wonderful all at the same time. We've all had these things happen; a great event is oddly intertwined with another. My friend EddieRosenstein is a documentary film maker and screenwriter and this Sunday night at 10 PM on the History Channel, his new series 'Sandhogs' will premier. Also this Sunday evening is the last performance of the musical 'Rent' on Broadway. Here's the story. Eddie was best friends and for years writing partner with the creator of the musical, Jonathan Larson. He watched him toil and craft this piece, a musical based on Puccini's La Boh�me and re-imagined taking place in modern New York. Larson's narrator and main character in the piece is a documentary film maker 'Mark', based on Eddie, a guy who won't put the camera down. As most already know, Larson died of an aortic aneurism when it was in previews. It won rave reviews, changed Broadway and won the Tony and Pulitzer Prize. When Jonathan passed, Eddie was there to find his friend. Eddie is an amazing talent. He is wildly curious and has a great eye for where the story is. He is full of ideas and enthusiasm and several years ago Eddie became interested in the fascinating world of the sandhogs. These men are to ones who build tunnels under NY City. For 150 years this close knit but fairly unknown group does dangerous work underground. We travel through their tunnels and survive drinking water through them as well. It is not easy to get underground as a civilian, and there have only been a select few who have had the chance. To be able to be down there for more that one day required some real sacrifice for Eddie. He found out that it would be much more acceptable to the men if he BECAME a sandhog. So, Eddie began waking up in the predawn hours and went to work under Manhattan as a real Sandhog. He joined the union and earned the trust to begin filming. Eddie likes to point out that he is the first Jewish Sandhog. History Channel picked up the work he was doing and offered him a series. It chronicles the lives and dangerous work of these men. This Sunday night Eddie will not be a launch party for the Sandhogs series or at a gathering with the men who are in the piece, he will be at the closing of Rent. Congratulations Eddie and I hope all of you check it out or Tivo it. Morgan Curran; SANDHOG

One final note, congratulations to the whole Rosenstein/Blanco family. Randi, Isaiah and August all supported Eddie with love and understanding throughout the entire endeavor.

Hunger Games

2008-09-04T23:02:23+00:00

Elizabeth Parisi, my wife and Executive Art Director at Scholastic worked on a job this Spring that went on and on and on. Part of the reason was that everyone who read the manuscript loved it and imagined different images and solutions.
This seems to be an important book for Scholastic and they and she spent quite a bit of effort trying to get it right. Great illustrators were hired to do covers for this book and the versions they came up with were inspired.

She doodled a sketch of a pendant of a bird (RISD graduate in illustration) and asked if I could do a sketch for her to show. I did and it worked. People jumped on board and I took it to finish.
I think the cover is quite powerful and the book is a hit. This coming week Stephen Kind gave it a great review in the upcoming Entertainment Weekly.

I'm about to start the second book and I've promised to not procrastinate. It's tough being married to the Art Director.

Endless Summer

2008-09-02T20:25:21+00:00

I have spent another wonderful summer in the Endless Mountains and at the Atlantic coast. I am sure all of you have had great summers too and it is really self indulgent to offer photographs of the summer, but I can't resist.
The summer started with a trip to the Vineyard which I posted about before. As we have every year, we headed off to the town of Eagles Mere in Pennsylvania.
For a brief period of time we visited Marc and Janice Burkhardt (and Gertie) on Peaks Island in Maine. That was great and I hope to go back again soon (THANKS MARC!)
Finally I ended the summer with a long period of time back up in Eagles Mere.

Today I am back in the studio doing jobs, planning my teaching and hearing about Cash's first day of school. A great summer. I hope for a great Fall!

In the woods kids (and big kids) build these tiny structures called fairy houses. Here are a few...

We then went to Maine's Peaks Island. The O'Briens make quite a splash...

We returned to Eagles Mere and saw the green with fresh eyes. There is a smell to being there. Pine and clean wind.

In the final few days, the weather was rainy and as usual we went to the Forksville Fair in drizzle. I like it that way.

These are my favorite images I shot that day. The sad and tired Republican Headquarters at the Forksville Fair...

Thanks for scrolling through all of these images. I think I needed to post them in order to get into the fall.

See you all at Politics 08!

2008 China Olympic Games

2008-08-04T15:24:36+00:00

Relationships are the threads that bind together a long career in illustration. I got my start as an illustrator offering clients tight realistic paintings. Of course, my subjects and style evolved over the years, offering new ways to use this realism, but the genre is one that is not practiced by as many illustrators as there were when I started. I work pretty hard to stay in the game and really enjoy my clients. It's these clients who trust me with their deadlines and assignments and give my career wings. The relationships that come from this work is not often spoken about. I have such great art directors I work with, such as Arthur Hochstein, Florian Bachleda, Dave Matt, Jeanne Lee, Stefan Kiefer, Elizabeth Parisi and so many others. Joe Zeff is a friend and former AD from Time that gave me a ton of Time covers when he was there. He liked the way I worked I guess, and trusted me to come through for him. Joe is also an extremely talented artist and left Time to start his own freelance career. His CGI illustration work is the best I know of. We remain friends and he still thinks of me when certain assignments come to him that are not quite the best fit. Joe works for the New York Times on occasion as do I, and recently turned down an assignment again and suggesting me in his place. Wayne Kamidoi at the Times is a smart and positive art director whom I've worked for doing opener packages for in the past. I did a few big Tiger Woods sections for him and this time had a fun assignment to pitch. Could I do a landscape painting of the Chinese Olympics in the style of an old chinese silk painting? I have done some work like this in the past for Business Week when discussing Asian markets. This one was a challenge in that I had to insert new landmarks into the scene I came up with as well as a hint of some sports. That was tough as the point of view I came up with was far away. Little boats became a rowing race and a mountain range turned into a marathon road race. Getting the look right was important. At first I did some golden scenes but a grayish landscape sample provided me a good roadmap to follow for not only the color but a way to add hints of color here and there. In the end I was able to get approval and do the piece. Last week I stayed up a few days in a row and got it done. This one was fun and today when I opened the New York Times I saw the section and was thrilled not only with the way it printed (always a crapshoot on newsprint) but that Wayne again allowed me to have the credit read; painting by Tim O'Brien. Thanks Wayne and Joe.

Stained Glass Lovers

2008-07-01T15:15:23+00:00

It's a common occurrence; go on vacation and get calls for work. Not just calls but good calls. Time, a long time client seems to be the most common vacation call.

Years ago I arrived at Eagles Mere, PA to start a week long vacation. I turned around and left without unpacking for a cover. I've also missed Time calls while out of town.

I have learned to bring supplies with me and try to accommodate my clients while chilling out.

Some may ask my I would not just say "I'm not available".
I actually can have a better time knowing I'm plugged in and needed. It's soothes a deep, career-long insecurity. Maybe one day I'll get over it.

This year's call was from Time and it sounded like it was a job I could start in the Vineyard and finish at home.

The assignment was to paint a stained glass window of a couple either in an embrace or more and a spot of a book in a window.

The article, out this week, is about a few Christian groups/churches that advocate intimacy plus frequency for married couples.
From the article:

" Genesis, chapter 2 verse 24, says a man "shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh." But how liberally to define cleave? That was the very special Bible query the Rev. Stacy Spencer and his wife Rhonda took up last month with 252 married people at their New Direction Christian Church in Memphis, Tenn. And the Spencers' answer was ... encouraging. Does frequent sex have a place in marriage? Yep. Oral sex? Read the Song of Solomon 2: 3 for assurance. How about role-playing? One participant expressed a yearning to see her husband dressed as a police officer. The Good Book offers no specifics on that, so Stacy Spencer allowed that it was up to the woman, "as long as you're not lusting after a particular officer. Jesus talked about spiritual adultery, and that could be spiritual adultery. But if it's just a generic cop, go for it."

Superior sex can be difficult for some couples to discuss with each other, let alone with their pastor. But having taken on almost every other aspect of their congregants' lives, churches oriented toward young adults and Gen Xers have begun promoting not just better sex, but more of it. Well, not just promoting it but penciling it in. When New Direction launched its "40 Nights of Grrreat Sex" program, the Spencers gave participants daily planners. A typical week is marked "Sun: Worship together"; "Mon: Give your wife a full body massage"; "Tues: Quickie in any room besides the bedroom"; "Wed: Pleasure your partner"; "Thurs: Read 1 Corinthians 7--How can I please you more?"; and so on.
New Direction is not the only church promoting a frequent-sex regimen. In February, Paul Wirth, pastor of the Relevant Church in Tampa, Fla., issued what he called "The 30-Day Sex Challenge." The program featured an extensive questionnaire, a Bible verse a day and the assumption that participants would engage in some kind of sex each night."

Doing this job on Martha's Vineyard required me to go to Chilmark library and do some sketches. I was sent some reference of couples and when downloading them, it looked like I was a perverted New Yorker downloading racy photos while on vacation. I hunched over the laptop probably drawing even more attention to myself. I imagined the embarrassment of being sent out of the building, surely making it to the local paper.

My sketch was good I thought but there were some questions coming back. Not as smooth as I had hoped. Addressing those comments, I came in closer with another couple and I think it was a better read and less like an Abercrombie & Fitch ad.

In the end my revised sketch was approved and at home I did the art and spot very quickly. <a href="http://www.drawger.com/tonka/index.php?section=comments&article_id=3806" target="_blank">I had done this kind of thing before for Time so how to do it was not difficult.</a>
I will tell you that when I finished my sketches that day in the library, we headed off to Menemsha and the Dock and I ate a dozen oysters on the half-shell.

Martha's Vineyard 2008

2008-06-24T21:50:35+00:00

For the 14th year in a row, Elizabeth and I started our summer by going to Martha's Vineyard. The location of our honeymoon, this spot in Chilmark is really breathtaking. For the past few years we have gone with our friends and their kids so it's a really fun time. Eddie Rosenstein, who is a documentary film maker, (look for his series on the History Channel on the Sand Hogs) is a great cook and does his magic in the kitchen each night. Randi Blanco is fun and athletic and game for any adventure and their kids Isaiah and August are great and together with Cassius, have a great time.

I spent quite a bit of my time working on art in some way. First, I took a job while I was there from Time.... more on that later.

I created a trompe l'oeil on the ceiling of the main house. A few years ago the old ceiling was damaged and a plank had to be replaced. I was asked to try to make this stark white plank fit in the room again. Some of the family wanted a match of the wood there already and some wanted a look at blue sky. I had no opinion either way but thought of a solution when I was asked to come up with an idea myself. One idea was to have a broken board up there with some light shining through. This was passed over after I saw a window there that looked great and would be a good model for a relica of sorts up there.

The vacation itself was needed. I was overworked and so was everyone else, including Cassius. I ran two long runs to Vineyard Haven, ate great food and laughed hard. I did have a few drinks here and there, I won't lie.

I have this routine that I started not long ago of painting on the hands of kids with gouache and watercolor. They all have elaborate requests and it's really fun...for a while.

So, another year and a great visit to paradise. I love it there and of course doing a job for Time and a sketch for another client made me feel so able to live anywhere. Elizabeth is a busy NY City Executive Art Director and that health insurance is mighty sweet as well. Back to Brooklyn...until Eagles Mere!

Tim Russert

2008-06-13T22:11:48+00:00

I am so sad at the sudden passing of Tim Russert. Decent. He just seemed so decent. Smart, and genuine. If he asked someone a question he drew out a serious honest reply because he was so earnest and honest. I painted his portrait a few years ago for Irish American Magazine. Hard to imagine it is he who passed before big Russ. Death out of order is illogical and unfair.

The Mayor of Casterbridge

2008-06-12T02:58:34+00:00

Recently I was asked to do the cover of Thomas Hardy's 'The Mayor of Casterbridge. It's the story of the rise and fall of a man named Michael Henchard. At the beginning of the novel, Henchard is a volatile, twenty-one-year-old hay-trusser. He gets drunk at a fair and sells his wife and daughter to a sailor in an auction, which originally began as a joke, turns serious. Upon realizing that he has sold his family, Henchard searches for them to no avail, and takes an oath to give up alcohol for twenty-one years. Years later Michael's wife, Susan Henchard, and her daughter began a search for Michael Henchard, who has become the mayor of Casterbridge. The novel proceeds as many soap-opera-like events unfold. An unfavorable trait Henchard possesses is not letting go of past mistakes. Although he tries to atone for the past indiscretions, fate always seems to catch up to him. These factors and others contribute to his downfall. Covers of this sort are usually skimmed from existing art and are merely cropped. Effective, they don't however deal with the text apart from having the same general feel. I at first, hoped for an image not unlike the painting by Rembrandt Peale of Rubins Peale with a geranium. After some roughs, I did a drawing that ended up looking like Brian Rea, who I hoped would model for it if it were approved. The other sketch I liked was a profile. I saw him as frozen in his dejection and in the rain. The Profile was approved. My drawing was of an English looking man with cartoonish featured. Sadly, with some minor adjustment, I can appear cartoonish.

Leyendecker again

2008-06-10T14:00:33+00:00

While there is still time, I want to urge those who can, to visit the Society of Illustrators to see the J. C. Leyendecker exhibition at the Society. I attended a luxurious dinner the other night hosted by the Society's Judy Francis Zankel. This event put the Society and yours truly in the New York Times' society pages. Putting on my vic-president hat for one moment, I was asked to again, alert those who can, to attend an evening lecture on Wednesdays, June 11th, at 6:30PM at the Society of Illustrators "An Evening with Bunny Carter" Alice Carter chairs the Illustration program at San Jose State University with a direct line to Industrial Light & Magic and other high end animation studios. Her students are a who's who of that market. Bunny authored the essay for the catalog of "Americans Abroad: J. C. Leyendecker and the European Academic Influence on American Illustration".. That show will be on display the night of the lecture. This is a rare opportunity to Q&A with a special woman. Terry Brown, Director Emeritus, will moderate the evening in his best James Lipton "Actor's Studio" manner ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Again, this show is stellar and worth the trip. Stay cool.

Robert F. Kennedy

2008-06-06T13:57:28+00:00

I am fascinated with the Kennedy family. Perhaps it's because I was born into the void of JFK's assassination and then lived through the sorrow of Robert's. I find RFK to be the most interesting and complex Kennedy. The transformation from the tough US Attorney General to the lost soul after JFK's death and then the re-emergence of as a beacon of hope for an end the the war in Vietnam and perhaps ending real problems in this country, is a story that speaks to me. How does one rewire their brain and 'reboot' a life to follow a new path and act on one's deep held dreams? This speech from the Citizen's Union on December 14th, 1967 has always given me goosebumps. It's quick and to the point and amidst the eating of food and the clinking of plates, Robert turns this crowd's attention to what this country should see. As he speaks of the young 'negro', I am thinking of a 7 year old Barack Obama, who just captured the Democratic nomination almost 40 years to the day after Robert F. Kennedy's assassination the night he won the California primary. RFK died on June 6th, 1968. Obama, as fate would have it, will also accept his party's nomination on another fateful day - the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial. This coincidence of the calendar underscores the way in which Obama's candidacy symbolizes a step toward resolution of the shattered dreams of mid-1960s. I wish more politicians were as honest and focused on telling America what it needs to hear rather that what it wants to hear. Here is to Robert F. Kennedy.
powered by ODEO This next clip is from a 42 year old Robert Kennedy to an audience of 20,000 at the Univercity of Kansas.
powered by ODEO

Luka

2008-06-03T22:41:06+00:00

Well, this is clearly a day to announce our choices. Like my friend Anita, I would like to reveal our new dog, Luka. She's a 5 month old papillon. We are in full training mode with a cage, treats, we-wee pads, the whole deal. I saw her several days in a row before I decided to go for it. Cassius, my dear son, has been begging for a pet forever. He misses our late dog Busker who was mine for 15 years. He talks about her and pines for her even though I don't think he can remember much about her. He was 2 when she died. My friends here on Drawger have been dealing with the sad loss of loved pets lately. I know how that feels. Busker still holds a high mark for a pet around here, but Luka is SO much like Busker. This is why I chose her. She is calm and sweet and a great companion. She sits in my studio most of the day and chews stuff and then get agitated....OOOOPS! Time to take her out! Down the stairs to the back yard and ....YES!!! GOOD GIRL!!! There is a lot of that going on. Anyway, here is Luka. I wanted to call her Radar, Cassius wanted Coco and Elizabeth wanted what Cassius wanted. I offered a compromise of Luka. We made a deal.

J.C.Leyendecker

2008-05-22T16:33:52+00:00

Last night I went to the opening of one of the best exhibitions the Society of Illustrators ever mounted. The work of J.C. Leyendecker is featured and it's an amazing collection. I think Judy Francis Zankel, past president and Terry Brown did a stellar job putting it together and it is presented in such an elegant and accessible way. The value of the work is such that a guard has even been hired while this show is at the Society. Several months ago I took over Museum chair from Anita Kunz. She was the chairman when this show was put on the schedule. Deciding where to take the work on our walls is a daunting task. A museum chair must work their way though countless proposals and hopefully only mount shows that are the very best work and showcase both contemporary and important vintage images. The work in this show has raised the bar for both. I walked through last night with a respect and knowledge of Leyendecker, but never did I have him on my radar as a personal influence. Perahps this will change. The paintings look wet, as if done yesterday. The ridiculously confident parallel brushwork and abstract assembly of background and foreground was a revelation to me. I stared at one part of a painting for quite a while trying to recognize that the reason it looked so great was that it was probably painted in minutes yet looked so assured. This is one you all have to see. From the Press Release: �Americans Abroad: J.C. Leyendecker and the European Academic Influence on American Illustration,� on display at the Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators, May 21-July 12, 2008. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEW YORK, NEW YORK � � The Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators presents �Americans Abroad: J.C. Leyendecker and the European Academic Influence on American Illustration.� Opening May 21-July 12, 2008, the exhibit showcases the history and art of Leyendecker and other American Illustrators whose studies in London, Munich and Paris were influenced by the traditional teaching methods of the European Academies in the 19th Century.

Ralph Stanley

2008-05-19T14:02:24+00:00

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Tyler Darden of Virginia Living magazine. He's the very talented art director who has won a pile of medals and awards most notably with our very own Sterling Hundley. I jumped at the chance to work with him. He wanted a portrait of legendary Blue Grass musician, Ralph Stanley. In 2006 he was awarded the National Medal of Arts. Stanley's work was also featured in the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, in which he sings the Appalachian dirge "O Death". With that song, Stanley won a 2002 Grammy Award in the category of Best Male Country Vocal Performance.

The interesting thing about this assignment was what I thought it was going to be and how it turned out. I was thrilled to be called by Tyler and after getting some reference shots produced a sketch. His reply was to draw his own sketch that was slightly different but not all that different. I was initially confused and maybe even a bit tweaked. I thought about it a bit and contacted him about the awkward nature of being given an assignment then being told how to draw it out. He was so nice about it. He is actually a very talented artist and his sketch was quite nice. Once I got over the fact that his sketch was better, I had a blast. I think I assumed that the art director who worked with Sterling and allowed such free-formed images would let me just go with it. Expectations are sometimes the wrong thing to hold onto. I ended up loving the image and really enjoying working with Tyler. He's a prince.

Here is my final artwork.

Here is the reference I shot of me holding my axe. One day, when I'm gone, there will be quite a pile of reference of me in all kinds or positions and situations. Also I have a huge collection of annoyed photos of my wife Elizabeth. I usually hit her up for modeling for me about 11 PM on short notice. She is beautiful but when asked to suddenly pose, she is not amused.

The Vulture

2008-05-15T13:14:57+00:00

For a job last week for Fortune, I was asked to paint a vulture about to swoop down on an unsuspecting Wall Street below. The AD said that they were envisioning a Gotham City version of New York; darker and even distorted. I love jobs like this and I needed it too. I love doing portraits but I think I had done almost 20 in a row. What came to mind was the work of Barry Jackson. I loved his work from the 1980's though I have no hard copies of any of it, but work off of memory. The assignment, "The Vulture" refers to how the private equity firms that will thrive in the year ahead are those that know how to profit from others' misfortunes, swooping down to pick over the bones. Fortune is great to work with.

Orphan Works?

2008-05-08T20:47:03+00:00

Normally I post stories and images of illustrations I've been lucky enough to do or tell a tale or two. Today I want to join the chorus of voices within the illustration community, to my mind a unanimous voice, denouncing a terrible and unnecessary bill. The Orphan Works Bill claims to help museums, educational institutions and libraries from the terrible hardship of not being able to use images they want to without copyright clearance. The bill is broadly written and will cause great harm. On Tuesday, May 6th I attended a panel discussion at the Society of Illustrators. On the stage was Brad Holland, William Vasquez, Cynthia Turner, Constance Evans, Terry Brown and Ted Fader. I found this portion to be particularly clarifying. This is not a good bill and I urge not only other artists but anyone you know to take a moment to use the extremely easy-to-use-link to help blunt it's passage. Click HERE to write to your representatives.

Queen of Clubs

2008-04-14T01:13:05+00:00

For the Society of Newspaper Designers who are having their convention in Las Vegas this summer, I contributed a painting for an illustrators' deck of cards. Edel posted on this earlier offering a beauty. My card is the Queen of Clubs. I had to do this quickly but thought about it for a long time. At first I thought I would do it as a demo but never had a free moment. Initially I thought I would paint a queen surrounded by water and waves. A recent job drained me a bit of wanting to do another piece with waves so I went back to the drawing board. I kept thinking of painting a grand, impressive woman and remembered a cool sculpture in the back of the Brooklyn Museum. Behind the museum in a chain linked fenced area there are pieces of old buildings, sculptures that actually mostly came from the old Penn Station. I shot a photo of this statue years ago and just found it last week. Bingo. I altered it a bit, added an arm and staff and of course, flipped it over and painted the whole thing as a worn Trompe-l'oeil. That stuff I can do in my sleep. The question was, would I do two halfs or just one and clone it over. I decided to dig in and do the whole thing. I had fun. Back to the paying gigs this week.