These drawings for Prevention Magazine accompany a humorous essay about the challenges of learning how to meditate. Thanks to Annabelle Gurwitch for the fantastic writing, and to Nathan Sinclair for the excellent art direction.
Mr. Liquid Crystal
James Ferguson made an enormous contribution to the digital world by inventing LCD technology. His daughter Terri wrote a book about his life. I was thrilled to contribute the cover illustration - which incorporates the colors of natural liquid crystals.
This project came about after Teri came across a portrait I created of her father in 2011, for the tech company, Softmart. The drawing (below) appeared in a calendar celebrating great technological innovators. In adapting this piece to a book-cover, I found Teri and designer Susan Shankin to be a pleasure to collaborate with.
Riverdale Country School
Here's a promotion I created for Riverdale Country School. This Bronx-based educational institution believes that learning is not just limited to the classroom. It's also about benefiting from lots of life-experiences out in the world.
Shirley Chisholm
Before Hillary Clinton, and before Barack Obama, there was Shirley Chisholm. This African-American congresswoman ran for the US presidency in 1972. Along with Jesse Jackson, She helped break down racial and gender barriers for future candidates on the road to the White House. A special thanks to Christa Tubach at UConn magazine for this timely assignment!
A Spider's Education
Here are new drawings for American Educator magazine. They accompany an article by the Vermont Writing Collaborative, about a new approach to teaching writing. It's based on the idea of gaining a deep understanding of your subject matter. An example of this is displayed by a character in E.B. White's classic book, Charlotte's Web. The spider Charlotte has a deep understanding of (and affection for) Wilbur the pig. In order to save him from a fate at the slaughterhouse, she spells out words in her web to describe Wilbur's terrific attributes. Spelling out the truth about Wilbur saved his life. It was fun to mimic the spirit of this beloved story in these drawings. A special thanks to AD Jennifer Chang for this fun assignment.
Bros with Beards
Much like in the age of Abraham Lincoln, we live in an era where beards are prevalent in society. Here's a little sketchbook study of guys with beards. Maybe you'll recognize one or two of these characters?
Princeton Dispatch art
Here's a new drawing for Princeton Alumni Weekly. The university was recently ranked as the best school for African-American students by Essence Magazine.. Given recent racial unrest on campus, this story gauges student reactions to this prestigious ranking, A special thanks to AD Marianne Nelson for another thought-provoking assignment.
Talking about race through drawings is sensitive business. Here are some ideas I submitted:
Systema Naturae
This sketchbook spread was inspired by Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction. This book walks readers through the major extinctions which have taken place on Earth. She also discusses the history of zoology, in which the first book (published in 1758) on this subject was Carolus Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. This Swedish scientist attempted to map out an order to the animal, plant and insect kingdoms. His work was an important building block towards our modern understanding of nature and evolution.
The Zen Coach
This piece for Rutgers Magazine accompanies a story about alumnus, Ed Nessel, who coaches Olympic-level swimmers. He incorporates unique exercises into their training regimen, including yoga sessions to get swimmers into a zen state.
Bubby's Burrito Stand
I'm very grateful to the 3x3 International Illustration Show judges for giving this drawing an honorable mention. This local burrito stand is open in the summer, and it's just a few blocks away from my home. Bubby's adds so much charm and character to my community, I was compelled to capture it in a picture (drawn on a map of my town).
Have Jung, Will Travel
Here's a drawing created for the NY Center for Jungian Studies, an organization dedicated to the ideas of renowned psychotherapist, Carl Jung. This piece will help promote a series of seminars being heldaround the world: Have Jung, Will Travel! Below are a few of the ideas submitted for this assignment:
Theordore Roosevelt
This sketchbook spread was inspired by The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, by Edmund Morris. This former US president wore many hats - as a naturalist, hunter, author, taxidermist, colonel, historian, conservationist, and politician. Although Mr. Roosevelt died at age 60, he seemed to live 9 lives in that span of time.
Princeton Poker Art
I was very bullish on this assignment for Princeton Alumni Weekly. The story addresses how playing poker can help prepare you for a job on Wall Street. Mastering this game involves math skills, understandingquantitative reasoning and psychology, and having the ability to manage risk. These are all valuable tools for working in the securities industry. Below are some ideas for this story.
Sit-In at Princeton
Here's a new piece for Princeton - about a student reporter embedded at a sit-in in the school president's office. The students were protesting the university's use of Woodrow Wilson's name on a campus building. - in light on his racist views. While the president's office was in lock-down for 32 hours, the reporter (Gabe Fisher) was able to blog real-time updates about negotiations between students and the school president, Christopher Eisgruber (standing). The sit-in sparked a passionate debate about race, legacy, political correctness, and the concept of scrubbing history. Below are a some of the ideas I submitted...
Rutgers Health
Here's a new piece for Rutgers Magazine. It accompanies a story about the amazing new health system the school is creating. The network will serve all of New jersey - and beyond. A very broad range of services will be represented under one umbrella. A special thanks to AD John Van Cleaf for a fantastic assignment.
Wilderstein
I drew the Wilderstein estate in Rhinebeck, NY for their organization’s annual silent auction. This house, which is situated on the Hudson River, was built in 1888 for the Suckley family. They were famous for their close friendship with Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt. They gave FDR his beloved black terrier, Fala, who was his loyal sidekick towards the end of his presidency. Below is my portrait of Fala...
Presidential Pop Quiz
Here's a new piece for American Way, the magazine of American Airlines. It accompanies a movie quiz - which asks trivia questions about presidents portrayed in movies and TV shows. From top to bottom the presidents are George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant, JFK, Bill Clinton, FDR, and Abraham Lincoln. I was asked to use red and blue as colors - which is perfect for such a patriotic theme. Below are a few of the sketches I submitted for this project...
HR Wearables Art
Here's a new piece for HR magazine. Many companies are enacting wearables programs - asking their employees to wear gadgets on their wrists which monitor your sleep and exercise habits (one brand is Fitbit). They want to encourage employees to be conscious of their health. Some companies also use GPS systems in wearables to monitor movement patterns within the organization - to study ways for improving efficiency. Many employees can have concerns about the "Big Brother" aspect of these programs. This story looks at how HR departments can address employee worries about privacy and surveillance. Below are some of the ideas I cooked up for this story:
