Voices

Not quite this season's flair, but I thought it would be good to post it. This what I did for an assignment I give one of my classes. We listened to one of Danny Elfman's Sound track titled Shrunken Heads and do a black and white illustration. I do not let the students know the composer or the title of the piece.

Weekly Bow Tie Guy

Merry Christmas
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Weekly Bow Tie Guy

Moon (moōn)

This was an idea from my oldest daughter. I felt it was appropriate for The Man on The Moon to have a bow tie and how could I resist the opportunity to draw something that is made of cheese.

Similar

This is an image that has been running through my head ever since it appeared in my sketch book a few years ago. With all the grading I've been doing for the end of the semester, I needed a release. I realized I had not drawn in a while, so I gave myself an assignment from Illustration Friday to do an illustration in less than a week so I could keep sane. I 'm not really sure if there is a specific meaning to the image. The title “The Evolution of an Idea” keeps coming to mind.

Weekly Bow Tie Guy

Alligator (ˈaliˌgātər)

These large semiaquatic reptiles are similar to crocodiles, but they have a broader and shorter head. The alligator is native to the Americas and China and have a penchant for showing up in sewers. I feel like I am getting better at creating individual personalities.

Barclayic Term: Juken

Based on the request of some of my students, I decided to add a section of Barclayic words and phrases that I use. Barclayic is anything that uniquely dealing with Barclay his sayings, art style, intellectual processes, sense of humor etc.

This Entries Barclayic Term: Juken
juken: (joōkn)
noun
1 A dance.

verb
1 to dance

Examples: That robot in the illustration should be juken. I'm juken to the B52's

Quimby Gallery Opening Next Week

Opening Reception: November 13 at 6:00 p.m.
Show Dates: November 14-December 12
Gallery Hours: Weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: Harvey Academic Center

Again there will be cheese.

Happy Halloween

We carved pumpkins last night as a family. True to form I carved my first bow tie guy jack-o-lantern.

BoNE Show on the Road

BoNE Show is coming to Lyndon State College's Quimby Gallery
Show Opening Reception: TOMORROW! Thursday, October 23, 6-8 p.m.
Show Dates: October 24 - November 11
Gallery Hours: Weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: Harvey Academic Center, 1001 College Road, Lyndonville, VT

Designs were chosen by a panel of nationally celebrated judges: Stefan Bucher of 344 Design, Luba Lukova of NY, and Kevin Krueger of SamataMason. The nearly 100 pieces on exhibit were chosen out of more than 500 entries. Brought to you by AIGA Boston, AIGA New Hampshire/Vermont, and Lyndon State College.

Weekly Bow Tie Guy

Blob (bläb)

Its getting close to Halloween and what better way to celebrate than to start posting some of my monster bow tie guys. In trying to figure out the whole concept of a blob with a bow tie, I realized it would be inside the creature. It is as if all that remains of a meal is the bow tie and glasses.

Weekly Bow Tie Guy

Hot Air Balloon (hät e(ə)r bəˈloōn)

This is in honor of the he Albuquerque International Balloon festival that starts this week. As I spent some of my formative years in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I gained a love for hot air balloons. If you haven't been, it is a beautiful site to see hundreds of balloons launch at relatively the same time. If I ever get horribly rich, aside from hiring a bag piper to follow me around all day playing music, I am going to buy a hot air balloon and go to ballooning school.

Faculty Art Exhibit

Opening Reception for the Lyndon State College Faculty Art Exhibit will be this Thursday October 2 at 6:00. There will be cheese.

Weekly Bow Tie Guy

Cactus (ˈkaktəs):

One of my students suggested this one. It wasn't working until I put the bird on the head. Now it is one of my most popular bow tie guys. I keep running out of my business cards with him on it. We might be seeing a variety of cacti in the future. While I was in Pasadena, CA for my MFA a few years ago, I took close to 200 photos of cacti. They are fascinating to look at.

Weekly Bow Tie Guy

Black-Necked Stilt-Legged Bird (blak-neked stilt-leged bərd):

First week of school, and things are getting tight time wise. I am continuing with the bird theme and animals I found while drawing at the Fairbanks Museum (it’s a great place to draw). I found the awkwardness of the long thin legs irresistible to draw.

Weekly Bow Tie Guy

Flamingo (fləˈmi ng gō):

One of my past students requested a flamingo bow tie guy and since I had recently completed one I thought I would post it today. I had been working on drawing a flamingo for some time, but it wasn’t until I drew the flamingos at the Fairbanks Museum that I finally understood how they work visually. There is something about seeing things in real life that you just can’t mimic from a photo. They are awkward birds. I didn’t know that they hold their bill upside down in the water in order eat.

Summer Sketching

As mentioned in an earlier post, this summer I taught a drawing class. The idea was to capture aspects of Vermont. On one of the days we visited the Simon Pierce store in Quechee. We spent a few hours drawing the process of glass bowing. It was a beautiful, fascinating and mesmerizing morning. It was also a challenge to draw while they were moving. I highly recommend visiting if you have the chance.

Weekly Bow Tie Guy

Bathtub (ˈbaθˌtəb):

I love these types of tubs. They have so much character. As I was looking at one I realized it was something like the Gump from The Marvelous Land of OZ. It’s also an example of how a bow tie works on anything.

Summer Sketching

Over the summer my family and I visited Utah. This sketch is from the Centerville Park’s July 4th celebration. I spent most of the evening dancing with my daughters. While I was walking back to the rest of my family, someone stopped me and said, “Hey you’re the dancing father-you have some cool moves.”

One of my Professors, David Paselaqua, had told us that you can’t draw until can draw everyone as they enter the gates of Disneyland. I am getting closer.

Weekly Bow-Tie Guy

The Short Beaked Echidna (əˈkidnə):

What can I say, I really like odd-looking creatures. I found this one at the Fairbanks Museum in St Johnsbury Vermont, while drawing with my summer illustration class. They are also referred to as the spiny anteater. I see it as a cross between a hedgehog and a duck. They can be found in Australia and New Guinea, and are from the same order as the duck-billed platypus (Monotremata). So they are egg-laying mammals.

I am currently using the “Bow Tie Guys” as part of my brand. They appear on my business cards, letterhead, mailing labels. etc. I have had some success with them helping me get my foot into the children’s picture book market.

I hope to be posting one on a weekly basis. If you have any suggestions on different things you would like to see with glasses, a bow tie and a sweater-vest, please send them my way.