Living Our Values

Is a snowy, seasonally-appropriate holiday season too much to ask?? Baltimore seems to think so...it's either been unusually warm, or just sort of rainy over here. At least I got to draw some snow for the Dec/Jan cover of The Progressive!

I was tasked with making a typographical cover about issue's theme, "Living Our Values".
All of the writers' values were wide-ranging, so at first I thought it'd be interesting to put different illustrations inside of the "Living Our Values" letterforms. However, I was disappointed to find that I couldn't get the letters big enough to actually be usable spaces for images!
So, after re-reading all the articles, I thought that the main connecting thread was a hope for a better future and a connection with the land/people/environment. I thought that a snowy, unspoiled new-years landscape, with a person just stepping out of of their cabin to enjoy the vista, might work as a symbol for a new beginning.

My AD thought so too, so I tried out some other variations! One of my ideas was to incorporate the sun as part of the Progressive title, and we ended up using it.

I submitted several color variations for the title--this was one of the other options that I liked, besides the red-lettered version which they ended up choosing.

Hand-lettering the whole thing (title included!) was a little intimidating at first, but I'm pleased with the result. I'd love to do more environment-based (or typography-based!) illustrations in the future. Thanks to my AD Nick Jehlen for the fun assignment--and I get to share the issue with lovely illustrators like Victo Ngai & Yuko Shimizu to boot! Happy Holidays guys!

Lady of the Lake

The Lady of the Lake, for the GIRLS: Fact or Fiction art show at Light Grey Art Lab! She was my first choice—what’s not to love about a mysterious, super-powerful, watery maiden, from the tales of King Arthur? I think the most interesting thing about her, to me, is that her exact identity is so vague (it’s thought that she may be based on celtic water deities or nymphs) and yet she had such a big impact on the events in Arthurian legend.
You can buy a print of my Lady here!
I’m sure you’ve already seen some of the other amazing contributions to the show, if not, take a gander! The collected book and all the other prints are all available for purchase there. Plus, if you spend $100 on ANYTHING in the store before the 7th, LGAL will give you a free GIRLS book!

Footnote: The black swans in the background are a small tip of the hat to NC Wyeth's gorgeous Excalibur piece! What a guy.

Mothers Superior

I recently had the pleasure of illustrating some kickass nuns for Mental Floss magazine's December issue! Thanks to my AD Winslow Taft for the fantastic layout and the idea to have me do the illustrations in illuminated manuscript style. It's always been really fun for me to try and imitate other illustration styles  (japanese woodblock prints, art deco) and it's a good challenge to try and add my own twist while still making the style recognizable.

Sketches!

I had a grab-bag of cool ladies from different centuries & locations to inspire me, including Ani Pachen (tibetan warrior nun), Katharine Drexel (fought against the Ku Klux Klan & segregation), Hildegard of Bingen (a crowd favorite in the 11th century),  Juana Ines de la Cruz (intellectual, writer, early feminist from the 17th century), and Dolores Hart (former hollywood actress).

The final layouts!

There were so many individualized stories so I tried to keep the illustrations general in scope (pursuing knowledge, fighting against the forces of evil, etc.). However, because Ani Pachen was the only tibetan nun, I thought it'd make sense to show her specifically. She led 600 tribesman on horseback to fight against the Chinese army. Pretty cool!
All in all, a really fun assignment.

MAKE Illustration Workshop with Light Grey Art Lab!

Big news! Are you ready to get creative in 2013?? I am! And I am so excited to announce that I will be leading a 2.5 day intensive illustration workshop at Light Grey Art Lab in Minneapolis, January 4-6! The wonderful Lindsay Nohl (of Light Grey Art Lab & Paper Bicycle) contacted me about putting this workshop together. Lindsay has a lot of great resources around Minneapolis and at LGAL to draw on (and had previously set up an illustration bootcamp with Meg Hunt), and it's great to be partnering with her & the LGAL crew!

We'll be covering a lot of ground in a lot of different ways, including group discussions, one-on-one creative sessions with me, talks with other industry professionals, and a big fun illustration meet 'n greet party! We'll be talking about creativity and idea generation, the business and practice of illustration, illustration process, and more! Plus we'll have an exciting in-studio project which will be featured in the gallery. This will be a collaborative experience, and whether you're a current creative professional or just want to kick-start your art in 2013, we'll be working together to help & inspire each other!
Space is limited to 18 participants, so reserve your spot now!
You can see Light Grey Art Lab's writeup on their blog, and check out the sign-up page for the full schedule, specifics, and prices!
Looking forward to seeing you there!

Bastille Day with Anne Fontaine!

Over the summer, I designed a postcard image for french fashion designer Anne Fontaine! The company was looking for an illustration for their Bastille Day event mailer and I was happy to oblige.
Chic ladies in Paris? Yes please.
 They wanted an image that incorporated the Eiffel tower and the french flag, as well as showcasing one of their signature bags & all-white outfits. (it was fun getting a sneak-peek of the new clothing they were introducing!)

They chose the walking sketch on the right, but requested that I add a shopping bag & some Bastille Day fireworks as well.

After a last minute costume-change, voila! A chic Anne Fontaine woman, running off to a Bastille Day party after shopping at her favorite store!

Thanks to my contact Christina Ramirez-Madisson and Anne Fontaine for the lovely job! (and thanks to fellow MICAn Haniya Rae!)

Post-SPX!

QUITE the belated post here, but I just wanted to say a giant THANK YOU to everyone who stopped by and said hello (or bought something!) during SPX. It was lovely meeting you all face to face! I had such an amazing time that weekend and every single person I met—both exhibitors & attendees— was so kind, welcoming, and excited! It was a giant hotel full of talented awesome people! I feel lucky that my first exhibiting experience was so positive, I know Sam and I are definitely going to do it again.

I’ve been inside a maelstrom of work ever since I got back, (sorry about the lack of updates), but I have some posts on the horizon & will be putting the remaining samurai shirts up for sale soon!

I was so caught-up in SPX fun that I totally forgot to take any photos (nooooo!) So big thanks to Burton Durand for the lovely shot of Sam & I’s table, & Russ Creech for the full-length photo!

I need your help!

Hey guys! This year my friends and I have 2 tables at SPX— Sam & I are sharing one, and our talented pals Andrea & Jimmy are sharing the one right next to us!

 I’m going to primarily be selling prints this year, and I need your help to figure out which prints I should bring!
Of the prints above, please let me know what your top 5 favorites are. Which would you wanna buy? (and for those of you who have already given me your picks on tumblr or twitter, thanks so much for your help!)

 Also, for anyone who won’t be attending SPX, these prints are also available from my inPRNT shop, and there’s a Labor Day sale today!