Giddyap!

I'm working on a project that stars a cowboy. Here's a collection of sketches where I'm "searching" for an appropriate look for the character. Not sure which of these I like–if any. But I know I'm fond of handlebar mustaches.

Zombie Jamboree

I'm working on a short comic that will appear in an upcoming anthology of zombie comics. Chris Dahlen wrote the bleak story about a zombie preschool entitled "My Li'l Zombie." Not my typical project but comics are near and dear to my heart. I did a lot of comics as a kid.

Here I am working old school – brush and ink. Actually, brush and gouache. I find gouache doesn't gunk up the brush; it lays down smoothly and holds the brush tip.

The downsize is that gouache isn't waterproof but I'll be doing the color digitally so that's not an issue.

NH Children's Museum Meet the Artist Event

The New Hampshire Children's Museum hosted a meet-the-artist event to celebrate my show, "Introducing Dinosaurs." Gallery manager, Tess Feltes, organized an extensive, informative and fun exhibit around the illustrations I created for the Child's World. I had a blast meeting everyone at the museum and mingling with friends, family and dinosaur fans.

The night ended with a surprise performance by the a cappella group, The Overtones, featuring my wife Jessica.

The show will be up until March 31st. And if you haven't seen the new children's museum, you should check it out – the facility is beautiful and impressive!

From the Archive: Godzilla vs. Gigan!

While preparing for my upcoming show at The Children's Museum of New Hampshire I unearthed this masterpiece. Clearly, Creature Double Feature made a huge impression on my small, young brain.

Dinosaurs in Dover

I'm proud to announce an exhibit of my illustrations at The Children's Museum of New Hampshire. The show opens February 1st and features art created for the book series, Introducing Dinosaurs, published by The Child's World. On display will be final illustrations, thumbnails, preliminary sketches and even an example of paleo-art that I created in First Grade!

The Portsmouth Herald and The Union Leader have both written great articles about the event. The Children's Museum of New Hampshire is located in Dover, New Hampshire – for hours and directions, click here.

The Year in Pictures

Last year was the Year of the Dinosaur. When 2009 began, I was working on a dream job: a 12-book series about dinosaurs. I created 72 illustrations for the project and had a blast, despite an aching back, sore wrist, and tired eyes.

I was fortunate to have steady work throughout the year. As you can see from the thumbs above, the subjects ranged from robots to Greasers to Frankenstein's monster–and a joint of ham. The variety kept me on my toes and certainly kept things interesting. Looking over these images, I realize I've made progress this year with:

• Working with tight deadlines
• Developing a suitable BW technique
• Conveying a wider range of emotions
• Refining my digital painting (only 2 illustrations above are traditional media)

And I feel like I'm getting closer to developing my own "style" of illustration. As I learned to work more quickly and efficiently, I found my work becoming more spontaneous and less labored. I'm learning I can trust my instincts.

I'm kicking off the new year with a book about elves and a short comic-book story about zombies.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Holiday Fly