Spring work

Decades after the Avro Arrow was shelved, records and aircraft destroyed, amateur sleuths and devotees still work to piece together the legacy. Recently, one of scale models test fired into Lake Ontario was retrieved. Other leads have turned up to be dead ends, but the legend continues to grow. . .

Love to work on subjects like this! Thanks to AD Meg Botha at Watershed Magazine.

Vaccines offer a new beginning. The innovation and development of the COVID vaccine offers hope after a long year and a half of restrictions and tragedy.

 
Recent assignment for Barron’s.

I've been working on a personal project. Here's an isometric study of a vintage toy robot:

Modern Robot, Yonezawa (1950’s)

30 Years

Looking back on the past year: a mix of challenges, successes and interesting assignments.

This year marked my 30th year as a full-time freelancer, a milestone. In one way, it's a marker of both age and experience. In another, it's a testament to resourcefulness, creative thinking and being able to adapt to change. Throw in some perserverence and determination and you have a balance that's carried me this far. I'm incredibly proud of the work that I do and the clients I have, and I'm constantly humbled by the incredibly talented artists whose work I admire and that I consider friends. I don't intend to slow down any time soon.

Being an illustrator requires a constant burning curiosity and a certain level of optimism. You have to look at your work objectively and listen and learn when you get challenged by a new assignment. I also spend time pursuing creative ideas, doing personal work, and working with wood or paint or remodelling my house. I get outside as much as I can to recharge my batteries and avoid burnout and anxiety (something most working artists deal with regularly). Always looking for the right balance, it's a work in progress.

I left my teaching position at Sheridan in December, a difficult choice because the students I work with are so talented, enthusiastic and energetic. I'd love to return to the classroom but for now I will make good use of the extra time.

A composite of images from 30 years in the biz:

Some assignment work images:

PM Network, illustration and layout in the spread (Art Director Hugo Espinosa)

Box Store Sci-Fi Book cover for Tor.com (Design by Christine Foltzer):

The McLuhan Way, for Watershed Magazine, about the local legacy of Marshall McLuhan:

Interesting feature on EVTOLS (Electronic Vertical Take-off & Landing) vehicles for AOPA:

The right NOT to bear arms, about the dangers of teachers carrying firearms, for Teaching Tolerance:

It was a busy year, so these are just some of the highlights. I resolve to post more work in the new year. On that note, I made this for a group show and calendar at Blizzmax Gallery. Best wishes for 2020, keep your head up!

Hello 2017

Let me quote a little Dickens to kick things off:

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…"

Here's a personal piece called 'Disruptor', about the unpredictability of technology and politics, the feeling of seismic shifts beneath our feet.

This year felt like some kind of reallignment, or hiccup, or catastrophe, depending on your viewpoint or politics. I am hopeful for a new beginning in 2017, but frightened by the pace of change. 

Having said that, I have to put together some images from the fall. I've been super busy the past few months, always thinking about posting some work, so my first resolution for the year is right here, read on.

Here's a piece for Reader's Digest about understanding and treating Migraines. It's an interesting article and my son suffers from them, so I could really connect with the subject matter. Scientists are working on new strategies, getting a better understanding of triggers and brain physiology in the hunt for new insights and treatments.

I got a little lost in the details on this illustration for Watershed magazine about perils and peculiarities of pipelines.

Pour This Story Down Your Pipeline by Orland French.

Terry Gilliam was a huge influence on me when I was growing up, I always loved his animated work and connecting all these pipes and random elements made me think of the great things he did when he was starting out. I had a lot of fun pulling this together.

A Fork in the Road

New directions, new assignments. Here's a healthy portion of recent assignment work. Calorie-free!

Here's the latest illustration for a monthly column for the New York Times called Raw Data. It's written by George Johnson and raises questions about statistical analysis and scientific data. Interesting topics and a potent mix of science, data and our common misconceptions. The latest is on challenges to all of the warnings we have been given to eating red meat. Long-term studies refute the findings of earlier results.

An Apple a Day, and Other Myths - the gap grows between food folklore and science on cancer. Art director Peter Morance is always great to work with.

Just finished this spot for Daniel Smith at the Wall Street Journal, about the FCC auctioning off low-frequency bandwidth to a pool of four wireless carriers.

A portrait of Enrico Fermi and the development of nuclear science. For a book review in the Christian Science Monitor.

Hard Knock Renovations

I own a house that was built over 100 years ago. I know renovations. I have resurfaced, remodelled and repainted almost every square inch of my home over the years. It's an ongoing obsession and if I ever get everything done I will probably have to sell it. Not that it's all bad - I enjoy the results - recently I was riding high after finally wiring proper lighting in my dingy basement (another in a long list of small victories).

I really enjoyed working on this assignment for Indianapolis Monthly, about the nightmarish ordeals faced by a pair of naive homebuyers who picked up a lot more than they bargained for buying a house without having an inspection, and doing the renovations on their own. They called the house 'Beelzebub', and were convinced for a while that the house wanted to do them in. Fortunately, both have prevailed.

  I'll be getting back to my ongoing projects later this week. Building a workshop in the basement. I like this quote by Jerome K. Jerome:

'I want a house that has got over all its troubles; I don't want to spend the rest of my life bringing up a young and inexperienced house. '