what the dickens
Once again, Portland Stage Company debuts another season of A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens’ holiday classic written over 170 years ago. I was thrilled to create the marketing visual, back in July 2014 when Christmas felt a century away. This is a return of post I made in November of that year. They are using the illustration again; some things bear repeating, right? At the time, a new look was at hand, allowing a half-circular space for illustration. I couldn’t get the idea of ornaments out of my head, and these preliminary sketches all played a part in the final image. In...
Read MoreMECA: Now With More Pulp!
Have you seen THE PULPS? This astounding exhibit of pulp fiction art from the collection of Robert Lesser is on view at the Portland Public Library until Dec. 26! The opening on First Friday in October was a gathering of the illustration tribe, and then some. The works glisten with dynamic compositions, exaggerated expression, and powerful painting chops. Is it curious that there’s a whole section of Ladies in Terror? The implied violence to women was good bait for the times. With the exhibit as inspiration, I asked my illustration juniors to create a pulp fiction cover in their own...
Read MoreHenrik Drescher workshop at MECA
The renowned illustrator Henrik Drescher gave a public lecture last week at the Portland Public Library, followed by a 3-day workshop at Maine College of Art, thanks to stellar advance work by our new Co-Chair of Illustration, Mary Anne Lloyd. As a long-time fan of Henrik’s quirky books, what a thrill to meet this charming and well-traveled artist. His talk centered around his recent book, China Days, a Visual Journal from China’s Wild West. Henrik’s been living in Dali, Yunnan with his wife/artist Wu Wing Yee for over a decade. In a province that borders Burma, Laos, and...
Read Moretbt: RISD redux
That crisp feel in the air? It’s the smell of back-to-school. I personally love autumn the best. It brings new rhythms and sometimes uncanny flashbacks. As the semester’s about to begin again at Maine College of Art while my own daughter faces her senior year and college applications, I went back a few decades to find my application slides for RISD. They still ask for a drawing of a bicycle. Back then, a drawing of boots was also required. I’d taken a life drawing class at Plymouth State College, so included this, done in 1975. Today I attended a life drawing session on...
Read Moremore PDX love
It’s been two weeks since we visited the Other Portland, but the glow remains. This is one souvenir, a tea towel by Catstudio. ICON8 kept us pretty busy, but we enjoyed many sights in transit. Especially the public art. An eyeball with a steering wheel, now that’s a metaphor I can love. This one’s on a busy island, so people walk through it. Total whimsy. A monument to two wheels. This is my sketch of a sculpture seen on the way to the airport. A funny cloud standing on steel rain. Loved this assemblage seen at Oblations, spokes of measurements. Time shines on. That place...
Read Moreepic ICON8 recap
For those who were at ICON8, the biennial illustration conference, this drawing by Souther Salazar pretty much sums up the corps d’esprit of the whole shebang. For those who weren’t, beware a long and detailed report follows. Too much delicious to leave a crumb out. The Student Council secretary still lives inside me. Bitten two years ago by ICON7 and the blood, sweat, and tears that an all-volunteer posse brings to life, I could barely wait for this one. We made our way July 8 from Portland to Portland and crashed at the Benson Hotel. The schedule on July 9, held at Pacific...
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