The Night Is Dark and Full of Terrors

A graphic designer-y tribute to all the Game of Throners eagerly awaiting tomorrow’s season premier.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

I took a recent trip to Rome in November to 1) visit my dear friend, Liz, from college 2) eat gelato 3) see the ruins between gelato consumption. As a gift to my hostess, I knew that bringing anything gastronomic from the US to Italy would be akin to giving a billionaire cash, so I opted to draw a portrait of her.

On her delightful blog, Rome If You Want To, Liz gave an account of how we met, my visit and a much appreciated, glowing showcase of the portrait I drew. Be sure to check out her blog—and be sure to go to Gelateria del Teatro when you get to Roma.

A Sneeze

Entry for the 2013 Tomie dePaola illustration contest. Fairly certain this happens to everyone on a subway train at least twice per winter.

Sweet

As in Sweet Miscellany. As in the ever-tasty, all natural sweets and treats from my culinarily talented sister.

I designed a banner for her site as well as her booth at the Longview, Texas, farmer’s market (where she routinely sells out). Check out the unveiled-this-weekend banner below, then check out her Sweet Miscellany blog here and etsy shop here. Do your body good.

Illustrations For Reel

Below is a reel of select pieces in my portfolio from picture book trade illustrations, educational publishing illustrations, to  editorial illustrations. I really wanted Courtney Love to perform an acoustic track for the background but she was unavailable so I went with vintage instrumentals.

 

Direct link to video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmppSB-CLQg

 

 

Oh My Gouache

Making the move from mainly using watercolor to mainly using gouache took a lot of thought. I felt like I was breaking up with a medium. And now that gouache and I are ready to update our relationship status on Facebook, I don’t know why I didn’t make the move sooner. Gouache and I are totally full on dating now. Here’s our first collaboration (a re-imagining of a piece I did a while back in watercolor).

Sprung

It’s shocking. NYC is sunny, warm and pleasant out there today. Before temperatures dip again and the sprung of spring becomes a sprang at the end of the week, it’s time to get out there and enjoy it. Some might be inclined to don fashionable boots and dive into horticultural madness like the kiddo below. I, however, am inclined to take my dog to the park and as he sniffs every tree in a 30 mile radius, I’ll absorb copious amounts of vitamin D like a snowbird in Boca.

Sleep No More

I’d rather be slumbering with sweet content like the little wombat below, but deadlines and coffee tell me otherwise.

Go Away

Yeah, winter chill, I’m talking to you. You were cute and all when it was fun to bring out the sweaters, and huddling over homemade cocoa was new once again. But now, you make us want to hide. Perhaps this unhatched little creature has the right idea in terms of outerwear. Blech.

 

Spotlight: Alain Gree

When I need a reality check I…wait. Let me rephrase that. When NYC, city I love, has made me so tightly wound I feel like I might punch a pigeon if it looks at me funny, I turn to Alain Gree’s artwork. He creates just about the sunniest, happiest, dagnabbit adorable illustrations I’ve ever seen. If you want some sunny smiles and/or the pigeons in your neighborhood live in fear of you, go here: http://www.alaingree.com/en/main.htm