postcards from summer

These long summer days have been packed lately. I have finally (with the help of Julia) solidified my picture book dummy and it is almost ready for me to put it into the hands of (hopefully) eager art directors. Please everyone cross their fingers for me!!

Because this has been taking up my life recently, I have been lagging on producing any new work so I have nothing to share yet. Check out Julia's blog to see a little highlight on Jess and myself all hanging out on a recent hot summer night.

A relic was sent to me from my aunt in Maine: an old copper plated block for printing a postcard or a photo in a newspaper. It seems to be a picture of a fairly desolate roadside motel or lakeside cottages. Maybe someday I'll try to print it and see what it really is.



In the meantime, I'm going to try to spend as much time as possible floating in water until the weather turns cold...

From the depths of a bookstore...

...i found two old books by illustrators that I love. The World of Horses by Dahlov Ipcar.



and Fierce the Lion by Evaline Ness.



Also, when in NH, I found a little (literally) trove of tiny Golden Books. All written by Dorothy Kundhart and illustrated by Garth Williams. More tiny books for the tiny shelves! They are all only about 2 inches. Naturally, I almost had a heart attack when I found them.



Other than that, I've been plugging away at my picture book sketches and working at my new job at the letterpress. I'm still trying to learn how to operate this thing:




yeah. I know.

Bears, Blimps and Books

I spent the last week in New Hampshire where I had every intention of doing a lot of drawing, but instead ended up doing a lot of reading, swimming and nothing. The hood blimp made a mysterious and disorienting appearance over my nap one afternoon. I opened my eyes to this:



Also, lots of thunderstorms:



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Recently (just last night), another one of my illustrations sold with it's matching bear figure made by Marylou Foley. This is my most favorite one she has done yet.



Just look at that butt!!!



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Lastly, Brian's book, The Tornado is Not a Surrealist was released this week on a small press called Greying Ghost. It looks fantastic. The cover is very old fashioned and classy looking. It almost looks like hand-set type with ornaments:



Go read a sample poem here.

Go buy it here.

Congratulations Brian <3

Everyone should adopt a black animal

Today was my first day off in what seems like an excruciatingly long time. I have started a new job as an assistant printer at a letterpress which is replacing my former part time job at a children's bookstore. In the overlap, I have been working both jobs and been trying to squeeze in my freelance work in the night time. Basically, today was the end of the overlap and back my normal part-time life.

I told myself I would do nothing but read today. Instead I suddenly was struck with the urge to do a small triptych I'm now referring to my "Domestic Trio". I was thinking about black animals in shelters. They are less likely to get adopted because they are more likely to blend in and people have a hard time seeing them. So I created some homely little black animals that I now love.



Can you tell that I am painfully lacking both a cat and a dog...

soon, soon I tell myself.

The Parting

This is my newest illustration for a short story by Evelyn Hampton. It will be in the new issue of Smokelong Quarterly.



On a different note, this is my favorite new (old) book by Bob Gill. The drawings and the design of this book are extremely thoughtful and, I think, brilliant. I've recently found some other favorite books but I will save them for later because they are all by Marc Simont. Maybe I will do a highlight on him next...

Poets, Literary Journals and Me

The newest issue of Oranges and Sardines is out and there is an interview with me along with some of my artwork. Oranges and Sardines is a new literary magazine put out by Didi Menendez and is available for purchase here.

Here is the full list of all the contributers:

Featuring Artists: Ethan Diehl, Marcia Molnar, Holly Picano, Cheryl Kelley, Jennifer Wildermuth, L.D. Grant, Niel Hollingsworth, Steph Chard, Jeremy Baum, Jeff Filipski and E.B. Goodale. Poems by Blake Butler, Dana King, J.P. Dancing Bear, Josh Olsen, Steffi Drewes, Matthew Hittinger, Patrick Leonard, Diana Adams and Greame Mullen. Short story by Kirk Curnutt. Reviews by Miguel Murphy, Michael Parker, Cheryl Townsend, Courtney Campbell and Jim Knowles. Columns by Talia Reed and Caridad McCormick. Grace Cavalieri interviews Mark Doty.


Also, this weekend is a reading at Brookline Booksmith with Zachary Schomburg, Rauan Klassnik, Chad Reynolds and Carl Annarummo where I will go and meet Rauan Klassnik who has so kindly purchased the print "Don't Be Afraid" which was based on one of his poems. Above is the framed print in all it's glory.

Also, I was just asked to illustrate a short story for the lit magazine Smokelong Quarterly by a lovely woman named Evelyn Hampton. I will update on that when it's out!!!

God bless bunnies

Those of us that live in the neighborhood adjacent to Harvard tend to have a love-hate relationship with Harvard. The one undeniable goodness that Harvard hosts is the abundance of bunnies that live on the grounds. Almost every time I'm out walking at night, I see their mysterious little silhouettes in the shadows. This was the inspiration for my little painting "night rabbit" (see right.)

Tonight (just now) I was out walking and saw a little bunny running across the street. I involuntarily shouted "No, bunny, no!!" but then watched as it safely reached the other side. Then I walked in the door, sat down at my desk and did this:



the end.