Small Exhibit of Work

This is appearing to be a week of announcements. For those that are interested I have a few small prints of my Vermont Bow Tie Guys on exhibit at Kingdom Imports. This wonderful auto mechanic shop shows work from local artists in their waiting room and they asked me to provide a few prints to hang. They are for sale if you want one.

Aside from the fact that I trust them implicitly (I have had a hard time finding mechanics I can trust), they listen to Julia. In the past we have had mechanics that would treat Julia has if she was a person that didn't know anything about cars because she was a woman. With Kingdom Imports it has been quite the opposite. If I am picking up a car and they have information about what we need to look out for and they start explaining it to me they stop after seeing the blank look on my face and say “I'd better just call Julia and let her know.” I am not a handy man and they know it.

You can see their Facebook page here.

A Match Made in Heaven

I was going to try to announce this last week, but I took a day off and was away from the internet for a few days. (Sometimes you just need to take a break.)

On Thursday, I took a beautiful drive to Middlebury, VT to visit Beau Ties LTD. of Vermont to talk about the possibility of working with them and having my Bow Tie Guys on their ties. It was a wonderful visit. I was impressed with their kindness and the quality of their work. It was so exciting for me to meet everyone there.

I am thrilled at the opportunity to work with them. It is as if a dream has come true. If all goes well we will be seeing some of my illustrations on bow ties this fall. It is also possible that I will be doing some illustrations for their catalog. I will be making updates on the process without giving too much away. I like to build suspense.

I would also like to thank Leslie Cherrington for her involvement in helping make this happen. If it wasn't for her e-mailing Beau Ties and telling them about me, I would have probably never gotten around to contacting them myself. I feel blessed to have many great friends.

You can visit Beau Ties LTD. of Vermont here and see their current line of ties.

Hartford Illustration MFA's New Website

In 2007 I finished my MFA in Illustration at the University of Hartford, Hartford Art School Low Residency program. It was a wonderful privilege and one the best things I 've done art wise. It set me on the path I am on now. It was working with Murray Tinkelmann, Bunny Carter, Dennis Nolan, Ted and Betsy Lewin, and Bill Thomson that I realized that I needed to be myself as an illustrator. That has made all the difference.

From watching Joe Bowler paint to visiting Dreamworks studio it was an unforgettable experience. I am grateful for the opportunity and I am grateful for all that I learned there and the friends that I found.

Weekly Bow Tie Guy

Frog-Rex (fräg-reks)

One of the wonderful outcomes of my 100 Bow Ties in 100 days or less project was not only the time I set aside to draw, but also the ideas that came out of it. I found that in become more familiar with drawing many different animals the easier it is to mix them up and be creative. The Frog-Rex is a result of that understanding. He just showed up in my sketchbook one day.

Second Bow Tie Guy of the Week

Pangolin 2.0 (pa ng ˈgōlin)

Being one that is rarely satisfied with his work, I have redrawn the Pangolin Bow Tie Guy. This one has more personality. You can see the original here. He still looks like a poké mon

Bow tie Guy of the Week

Cockatrice (käkətris; -ˌtrīs)

These funky mythical creatures are a mix between a dragon and a chicken. Most of the illustrations of these that I have seen have them looking rather grotesque and or horrific. I kept thinking “it's got a chicken head! how can that be scary?” So I gave him that vacant chicken stare.

Just a note. I am hoping to have some good news next week. I am just trying to not count my chickens before they hatch.

Happy Valentines Day

Weekly Bow Tie Guy

Moose (moōs)

I am always amazed at how big and awkward these guys are. Years ago I was driving on Rt. 114 in Vermont and a bull moose came out on the road from the left. I was in my Geo Metro at the time and I swear I could have driven underneath it and not get a scratch.

I wasn't happy with my previous moose. so I spent a great deal of time researching and drawing moose over and over. I keep coming back to what I learned in my MFA with Bunny Carter and Denis Nolan. Draw it a hundred times and then you can draw it.