Very Thankful

I've spent the past few days in Oklahoma for Thanksgiving. Sometimes I think people must assume I'm exaggerating when I talk about how magical this place is, so I'll just let this picture do the talking.

Polecat

Another inky animal to add to the bunch. I'm glad to report that I've never been sprayed by a skunk, though I've certainly had some close calls.

Where it's _at

Three more animals...I guess these have officially become a series.

Lupine

I guess a wolf seemed like the logical step after drawing so many sheep in Scotland.

Scottish Sketching

I've just gotten back from a 10 day trip to Scotland. Here are a few sketches...

Scotland has a lot of sheep. I have learned that sheep enjoy 3 things: 1. Grass, 2. Chillaxing, and 3. Standing in the middle of the road, completely unfazed by cars and their horns.



We spent several days of the trip on the Isle of Skye, which was an absolutely breathtaking place. This is a sketch done during the midpoint of a 12 mile hike through the forest, along the coast, and into the mountains. It started raining halfway through this drawing (this happened a lot).



The next day, we took another hike out to the lighthouse on Neist Point, the western most tip of the Isle of Skye, which can only be reached on foot.



It started raining again while I did this quick sketch of Dunvegan Castle.



Most of our time in Scotland was spent with the incredibly lovely Sylvia Simon, and this is a drawing done inside her walled garden in Strathtay. I had never seen this flower before, but it is called crocosmia, and it grows like you would not believe in Scotland. I actually spotted it growing in the wild in a few places.

Ca-Caw

This is a personal piece that I have no doubt comes from my recent rediscovered love for "Six Feet Under"...I have always loved the crow in the opening credits almost as much as I adore the Fishers.

We Know We Belong to the Land

I've spent the last few days visiting my family. I'm from a small town in Oklahoma where my parents raise quarter horses. Here are a few members of the herd. I wish I'd had a chance to draw all 37 of them.

Neda Agha-Soltan

On June 20th, 2009, Neda Agha-Soltan was shot and killed by government snipers during a protest of the Iranian election. Her death was filmed and photographed by fellow protestors, with footage and pictures quickly making their way to YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Her death has in many ways provided a rallying cry for Iranians, despite the fact that the government has declared mourning and prayer for Neda illegal. She has become a symbol of the hundreds of people who have lost their lives standing up for what the believe in during this tumultuous time. The name "Neda" means "voice" or "calling" in Persian, and she has been referred to as the "voice of Iran".

Her story has struck a chord with me in many different ways, especially since we were born in the same year, and I felt strongly compelled to make a portrait of her. Though her death was horrific and far too soon, it has made a huge impact around the world. She is a martyr in the truest sense of the word. Here's to the people of Iran. Stay strong.

FIT Sketching, the Sequel

We went back for another sketch night at the old alma mater on Thursday evening. Two nights of long figure drawing sessions in one week was a total luxury, and I was so glad to be able to take advantage of such lovely opportunities. Here are a couple of drawings from Thursday...Thanks to my partner in crime Stephen Gardner for keeping everything in check and for bringing such great music along. If only I could draw from four models to Mazzy Star every night...

Sketching at FIT

Last night I went to a wonderful sketch night at FIT organized by the always inspirational Melanie Reim. It was a night steeped in nostalgia in many ways, drawing on our old turf for several hours. I'm a big fan of the way Melanie structures drawing sessions. Most poses are kept very short, giving you time to put it down without getting too fussy. This creates a great energy in the room, which everyone contributes to and feeds off of. The drawings below are a few of my favorites from the night. The sketches on kraft paper were from one minute poses, and the ones on white were five minutes.

Memorial Day

I went down to Media, PA this weekend. It was so nice to escape from the city for a few days. A good dose of flowers and sunshine goes a long way.

American Illustration & Applied Arts

I got word recently that these portraits of Poe and Ayn Rand have been "chosen" for the American Illustration 28 web gallery.

I did the Rand portrait in the Atlanta airport while waiting for a connecting flight to visit my family in Oklahoma. I always get nervous that airport security will try to confiscate my scratch nibs as some sort of tiny, terribly ineffective arsenal of weapons (this has never happened, I just like to worry about it). I'm glad I didn't have any run-ins with TSA on that trip.

Several of these portraits will also appear in the Applied Arts photo/illustration annual out this month. They have put the work up online as well.

hoot

Fast and loose bit of scratching for a card...

Are you Henry?

I come from a family where telling stories always leads to side splitting laughter, even if you've heard that particular story a hundred times before. Everyone has their favorite experience to recount, and this is the most vivid image I have of mine, from a trip 13 years ago with my mom, sister, and a car full of 8-year-old girl scouts.

Back at Sketch Night

I made it out to the Society for Sketch Night. Drawing with good friends always makes for a wonderful night. Congratulations go out to my favorite Englishman turned Yankee Doodle Dandy, the illustrious Stephen Gardner.

Slumdog

Slumdog Millionaire is the movie of the year in my books. My fingers are crossed for it tonight...Let's hope "it is written".

Here's a detail for good measure...

Creative Quarterly 13 & Altpick Awards

Three of my author portraits (Poe, Twain, and Kafka) are in the current issue of Creative Quarterly. This is their first issue to include professional work. Also, I can't believe I forgot to post about it, but this series also was given 2nd place in the Altpick awards popular vote.

Sketch Night

I went to sketch night at the Society tonight with my friends Monika and Chad. It was a really fun night, to say the least. I'm hoping to keep going to these as often as I can.

A-Squared

I just got back in tonight from visiting my sister in Ann Arbor. While I was staying with her, I realized that one of the figure drawings hanging in her living room is from the first night I ever drew with ink.In 2005, I was in my first semester of the graduate program at FIT, in the drawing class designed and taught by Melanie Reim (one of my all-time favorite people). That class was a time of tremendous growth for all of us, and that night in particular, something clicked inside me. Melanie handed out cups of ink and bamboo pens and gave us no other option for materials. It's something I doubt I ever would have tried left to my own devices, and that push was something I desperately needed. Drawing from life changed over from this nerve-wracking, labored activity into something natural and fluid that just felt so right. I'll always be grateful for Melanie's influence (which continues to this day).
The drawing above is from the same night, and it was my very first ink drawing. On the left of the page, I was trying to get the feel for how the pen worked.


Ann Arbor was beautiful -- snow-covered and completely charming. I always enjoy visiting there, and this trip was no exception. I also have to say, it's kind of great to have a little sister who asks for your drawings to hang on her walls.

Suka

I wasn't able to make it out to the Society tonight, but managed to find an obliging model. He held the pose for about 30 seconds, and then came over and helped me finish it up as he tried to drink inky water.

Another Sketch Night

I met up with Steve and Chad for another sketch night at the Society yesterday. The models wore costumes, which made for an interesting night.