AIDS Book

I have been working on the designs and art for an AIDS health textbook. Here are some of the drawings.

Gracie

This is a watercolor I did last year of our dog, Gracie. She is a mix of Australian Shepherd and Lab. At five and a half, she is a sweet girl who wants to say hello to everyone. Recently she developed sclerosis of the liver and a form of hepatitis. As a result, she has lost some weight and is being treated with steroids and a slew of other medicines. We are hopeful for the best.

Robert Weaver in the NY Times

Robert Weaver in the NY Times
From the Times:
In February 1962, Sports Illustrated sent the illustrator Robert Weaver to cover spring training in Florida. He then created a series of paintings that appeared in the March 5, 1962, issue of the magazine.

The drawings that follow are from his sketchbook.

D.B. Dowd, a professor of visual communication and American culture studies at Washington University in St. Louis, wrote the commentary in the accompanying captions.

George Pratt's Blind Boy Documentary

My good friend George Pratt made an incredibly moving documentary called. "See You in Hell, Blind Boy" about his travels to the Mississippi delta and encounters with some incredible unknown musicians including Jack Owens and Jeff Longino. "Blind Boy" is a blues legend, which inspired George to make the journey to the deep south, write a book about it, paint it, photograph it, and make the film. You do not want to miss seeing this masterpiece, soon to be released on DVD.

http://gallery.mac.com/georgepratt#100105

Yellow Boots, Kosovo

I have been following the situation with Kosovo lately and read that they have declared their independence and been recognized by western nations. I realize that the separation of Kosovo is painful for some and joyous for others, but I am hopeful that there will be acceptance and peace instead of the bloodshed of a decade ago when Albanians and Serbs were being killed on a daily basis. This piece was done after reading a story about a child killed with her yellow boots still on. It was the first of many anti-war pieces that I did between 1998 and 2001.

Governing Magazine Illustrations

Jandos Rothstein, Art Director at Governing Magazine called last week with a job for the magazine's Observer section. Three pieces, and after sketches were approved, and with other commitments, about a day to do them all.

They are not my best pieces, but I thought I'd share them as an example of some work done under a very short deadline. Jandos is great to work for and has allowed me to explore a lot of different types of solutions over the years. Some of my favorite work was done for him when he was at Washington City Paper.

Baton Rouge Boomtown: About the city's ability to attract and keep residents after the influx of people after hurricane Katrina.

A piece about border fences in Texas that are being put up through people's property, dividing communities.

All Nighter: About inefficiencies in the Michigan state legislative system. Legislators pulling all nighters after waiting till the eleventh hour to pass bills.

Fireman's Fund Illustration

This is one of about 40 pieces I did for a Fireman's Fund print campaign that ran between 1998 and 2002. The title of this one was, "Business is a Circus."

Robert Weaver Election Art

There is a great series of Robert Weaver illustrations posted on Ulcercity along with some insightful comments by the blog's author, DB Dowd. The art originally appeared in an April 1959 issue of Esquire. Click the headline to see the rest of the art.

Here's a preview of just one of the many images.