Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Debt Crisis Explained in a Telegram

Running out of money from war and greed• (stop)

Need more money but no plan• (stop) Default means everything costs more• (stop)

Both sides fighting and both sides wrong• (stop) Also need more jobs• (stop)

Economic plunge imminent•

Stop.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Hot. Just slimy, crusty, tiresome, sweaty hot.

Its over 100 degrees here in Music City and in my studio the AC is losing its battle against the heat, which make working in front of a computer monitor and under drawing table lights no fun at all. But sit here I do because I'm in the throes of deadline mania. Not only do I have several illustrations due for my regular VBS project with Lifeway, and a book cover, and magazine illustration for Somersaults I'm also heading to the SCBWI LA conference in 10 days... which means I'm on it trying to get my portfolio updated. Yowza. So while I haven't been posting many sketches the last few weeks, its not for lack of drawing.

As proof positive here's a couple of kids from the recreation activity books for my Lifeway series, Amazing Aviation Adventure. In the last decade of working with the good folks over at Lifeway I've drawn kids doing everything from holding spoons in the armpits to doing a backwards somersault through a hula hoop. I'll make a bet with anyone that I can draw a kid doing anything. And he'll be blindfolded. And East Indian. Go on, try me, I dare ya.



Friday, July 8, 2011

The.Coolest.Thing.Ever.

Summer around the Fabulous Illustrator's studio is usually a pretty busy time, fortunately this year is no different. However I had to pause for a break Saturday night to go see The. Coolest. Thing.

Ever.

It was in fact U2's 360ยบ tour stop at Vanderbilt Stadium. There are not words, or pictures, for that matter that describe how intense it was to be in the audience of forty thousand people and hear Where the Streets Have No Name, and One live..... but there are pictures at least to show off the awesome set - at 167 feet high it towered over Vandy stadium. I managed to do one sketch of a scene from the audience that night and took a couple of good cellphone shots of my inspiration: