For this week’s Illustration Friday topic: The Zoo.
(This was done originally for the LA Times Book Review.)
I love working in black and white. I should do that more often. :)

(click on thumb for bigger version)
As you probably know by now, this week is a special topic for Illustration Friday… There’s are lots of participants so far and the work is looking wonderful. yay!
I am submitting this piece for the theme: “Open”. This piece was done for New York Times Book Review for the book [...]

We are doing a special topic and event this week over at Illustration Friday.com — The very first Illustration Friday Gallery show! All the info you need to participate is right here… should be so much fun. Special thanks to Open Books in Long Beach, California for making this happen. :)
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Illustration Friday

I just wrote a post about the Quilts of Gee’s Bend over at the IF blog. Maybe it will inspire you, too…
happy tuesday, friends.
p
p.s. If you’ve emailed me lately, I’m sorry I’ve not responded… we went out of town for the weekend and I’m just catching up.

This week’s IF topic is “Remember”.
Balt Sun commissioned this piece as a memorial story for a coworker of theirs who had passed last year. I had a really hard time trying to honor that… such a tender story. I did not want to do a straight portrait of her (I don’t do portraits well), but [...]

Green is spring is dragonflies and flowers…
Check out more IF submissions here.

hi friends! I’m in need of some help…
I would love a couple of people to help me moderate the forums on Illustration Friday. Just an extra set of eyes to keep tabs on spam and other no-nos, and also to help keep the forums the place of inspiration, answers and community that it was meant [...]

For illustration friday topic: Buzz. It was initially created for a web site that will be launching soon… And it will be available as a print (along with the orchids painting in the previous post).
Feeling sleepy and a little frayed today. A big punch bowl of pink emotions… Is that part of simple beauty? Is [...]

For Illustration Friday’s Topic: Invention.
This illo was originally for a story about a man who refused to get on the bandwagon with modern invention. No remote controls for tv, no ipods when the radio worked just fine. And no leaf blowers when a rake would suffice. Until his family bought him a leaf blower and [...]

Here is a piece I finished recently called “Thanksgiving King” for Baltimore Sun. It was for a story about a man who doesn’t feel like he’s adult enough, but finds himself hosting the annual family Thanksgiving dinner, kiddie table and all.
I painted the Thanksgiving crown in full color with dimension, but left the man [...]

This image was originally created for Discipleship Journal. The story was about a woman who gives control of her days to God. Letting go of her to-do list. And now, for the Illustration Friday topic: Wind.
Here’s a closeup:

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And by the way, tomorrow is the LAST DAY submissions are being [...]

For this week’s Illustration Friday topic: Trouble.
This was originally created for a story about a drug addict who was imprisoned by his habit and eventually went to jail.

Colin started his new job last week, writing for a new agency called Riggs. Riggs does this really cool thing called CreatAthon, where once a year they take on a dozen or so not-for-profits that could use some help and they stay up all night working on campaigns for them. This year’s CreatAthon fell on [...]

For the Illustration Friday topic: Farm. (originally created for a Balt Sun story about a graveyard that had no raised graves… only the kind where you can trip over them if you’re not looking out. Pasture-like.)

This piece was created for a story that ran in the Baltimore Sun. The author recalls Hurricane Hazel of 1954. She was a little girl when the hurricane hit and had to run home from school when the weather got bad enough for the nuns to dismiss them. She ran the mile to her home [...]

For this week’s illustration friday topic: play.

A big giant all-embracing thank you hug for all your kind words and prayers that were sent out to Alison as she looks this cancer in the face and battles right through. Your reaching out means so much to her and I. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
I did this illustration last week [...]

Okay, so this is the piece that sort of sent me in a tailspin wondering where I’m headed style-wise. I think I’m getting over it now… I don’t really have a choice I guess. There is work to be done. Just keep walking forward, making art and enjoying the process… maybe the outcome is less [...]

This was an illustration I completed last week for the Baltimore Sun. The story was about a woman who had to put her cat to sleep after 12 long, happy years. Her cat’s name was Grey and she loved him very much… It was a very touching story about how the woman said goodbye, so [...]