Ice Cream Season Has Begun!

Just a quick sketch to celebrate the kick-off of summer! Hope you are enjoying the beach, a park, your yard, or at least an ice cream cone this weekend!

LOST!

LOST is actually over– I can hardly believe it! Here is a quick copic marker and pitt pen sketch in honor of the finale, which I loved. I know a lot of people probably didn't like it, but I thought is was a really beautiful goodbye to some of the most memorable characters ever on television. And of course, the story centered on Jack, who was official protector of the island only for a short time, but that short time had a huge impact. And a special note to all the complainers: please try and think of another recent piece of fiction that had you so moved, so interested and so stimulated for so long. That's extremely rare, and as a creative pro myself, I hope to achieve even a fraction of what LOST has done in the future. If the finale didn't fit your list of questions to be answered, or your specified number of fight scenes– give it a break and try writing your own perfect show! I'm going to be enjoying LOST on DVD.

Sketch Mondays!

So, I've been neglecting the blog for a bit. Busy with the yard, family, business etc. But in an effort to be more consistent with blogging, I present to you all "Sketch Mondays"! I will be posting a sketch, whether it's just pencil rough, or a more finished Copic marker & Pitt pen character study [such as Snowbird here], every Monday for sure, and hopefully in-between Mondays as well. Let me know whatcha think!
Snowbird is a Marvel comics superhero and a member of the group Alpha Flight. I grew up perusing my older brothers comics, and Alpha Flight was a book that was always around. I guess I took to Snowbird because she's a pretty girl who can turn into cool animals, like snow owls, foxes or polar bears. I just read the Wikipedia page on her and found her origin story completely convoluted (not surprising!) so I won't even try to get into it. But she is sort-of Native American, I think, so I tried to give her features a very slight Native look.

Foodie Buttons!

I recently created these new buttons for Whole Foods Market Chelsea Team Members to celebrate Team Member Appreciation Week. Each Team Member's name was placed in the center of the button. Don't worry– this is not the only thing done for the Team Members– there was food, massages, gifts and, oddly enough, karaoke. The people I spoke with really did seem to enjoy their new buttons, and that's pretty cool. They were fun to make of course, since I love food. My favorites are the sushi and the avocado. Pop quiz– the one on the top right may look like cake, but it ain't– what foodie item is it?

Paris Chic

I haven't been posting too much lately, because I've been working hard at a nice, big freelance project, which I'll post about in a few weeks. But recently I was able to do a really fun piece promoting La Vie Parisienne Nouveau and Deco-inspired jewelry for Whole Body at Whole Foods Market Chelsea. This jewelry is amazing– so elegant and interesting– and I wanted to create some really stand-out signage for it.

As much as I enjoy doing full-color work, I would often find that there would be a little nuance from the original sketch that was missing from the finished product, so I've been experimenting with layering some of my sketches into the finished paintings/color work, and so far I like the results. I am also continuing to use vector art in my illustrations, which I enjoy doing, to switch it up.

So, if you know a girl who loves shiny, sparkly things (that's most of us), get some of La Vie Parisienne's gorgeous jewelry for her, at Whole Body at Whole Foods Market, Chelsea. I may have to get a pair (or two) of the earrings myself to get me all set for my trip to Paris this Fall!

Year of the Tiger!This Sunday is Valentine's Day, but it also happens to be the Lantern Festival, the last day of the Chinese New Year celebrations. And it's the Year of the Tiger– and who can deny that tigers are super-cool? That's right, no one. This sketch was done with ink and copic markers.

Sneak Peek!

Sneak peek of my sexy sci-fi painting. Now working digitally...can't wait to get it done!

Tee Shirt!I recently designed a tee shirt for the winter season at Whole Foods Market Chelsea. I got my hands on a shirt today and they came out great! The colors are pretty different, which I was prepared for, and while I do like the colors on my original art, I think they look a little more wintery on the shirt.

Sexy Space Cadets!Here's the preliminary sketch for my next piece, a sexy alien babe and a studly space captain. (A tribute to my love of Star Trek, Star Wars, Futurama, X-Men, etc., born from growing up with three nerdy older brothers.) I'm working on the sweet alien-planet background now. Can't wait to start color! This is going to be a really fun one.

M.I.A.M.I.A. has intrigued me since I first happened upon her videos for Bird Flu, Sunshowers and Boyz online (way before Pineapple Express!). She is definitely one of the most unique musicians to emerge in the last few years, and I love her tendency to push the envelope in everything she does, while still being perfectly authentic. Apparently other people feel the same way, too!
I hope I captured some of her swagga in this piece.