Jared Boggess

Minefields

2012-02-02T13:00:00.000-05:00

Last week, I was happy to do some advertising work for my church, Atlee Community Church. The next series is about the challenges of marriage, thematically comparing it to navigating a minefield, hence the title. We agreed on an approach that brought together the danger of minefields and the beauty of marriage. I really enjoyed applying that theme to the typography.

Postcard design:

Memoirs of the Deep: Update

2012-01-13T09:35:00.001-05:00

As I'm nearing completion of my illustrations for the animated short, Memoirs of the Deep, I realized it's been awhile since a good blog post. Things are coming along nicely with the project. I can't wait to share some of the animation work James and Ryan are pulling together, but it may be quite some time before that is released. For now, here are a few more snapshots to whet your appetite.

Memoirs of the Deep: Faces

2011-12-09T11:29:00.001-05:00

As we continue development on Memoirs of the Deep, an animated short film by James Loizou and Ryan Homan, we are creating the illustrations in several layers. This allows movement of the separate pieces, being to life otherwise still images. (This will make more sense later.) I'm really enjoying inking these portraits, but I can't wait to get their diving suit helmets layered over top.

CFA Magazine: Best Educated Bubble

2011-12-08T11:14:00.001-05:00

Spot illustration for CFA Magazine for an article about the debt bubble for the recently graduated workforce. Had a great time illustrating the title on this one.

Stepping out.

2011-12-01T16:00:00.000-05:00

Today marks the day I move into illustration on a full-time basis. This shift has been a long time coming. The last 5 years, I've been working for various advertising and design agencies while I attend VCU and The Illustration Academy. I knew eventually the day would come that I must move from a career that sustained me into one that will fulfill me.

I learned so much from my days in advertising and design that have already begun to benefit my work ethic and process as an illustrator. There is an art to communicating with clients and discovering what is necessary to ultimately satisfy the project's goals and the client's needs, all while balancing your integrity as an artist.

There are so many people who were crucial to this experience: Kevin Flores, Jordan Schmidt, Whitney Stanton, Sarah Sheldon, Kim Winters, Robert Meganck, Alex Bostic, Sterling Hundley, a family that has always supported me, a wife who believes in me and, most importantly, God. These folks taught me that you can make a living doing what you love if you are willing to make tough choices and live according to your ambitions. Thank you.

So now folks, it's time to get to the workshop and make it happen.

Bubble Type

2011-10-04T12:41:00.000-04:00

Today, I've been inking and painting an editorial illustration about the student debt crisis. I've been particularly excited about the opportunity to handle some hand-drawn type. I'll share more later!

Sketches from the deep.

2011-09-20T13:23:00.000-04:00

The workshop has been feverish lately with development of Memoirs of the Deep, a dark tragedy about miners in the dangerous world at the floor of the ocean.

We've made headway on diving suit concepts, a drop-off chamber and some storyboards. You can see the workshop is littered with drawings and plenty of delightful submarine reference.

More to come!

Memoirs of the Deep

2011-08-31T20:28:00.001-04:00

Some very interesting characters have been coming to life in the workshop. A couple months ago I was contacted to work on an animated short film about deep sea miners. So the last few weeks, I've been feverishly developing concept art for the gritty characters and their crude deep sea mining suits.

I'll share some concept art as the project progresses.

Next on the schedule: storyboards.

What's He Building In There?

2011-07-14T21:50:00.003-04:00

Click to enlarge.

New illustration for Gene Cox's The Inventor. The tale is a bit of mystery, a bit of suspense, and a whole bunch of sarcasm. The illustration connects the inventor's desk and the news desk. So that's Gene up top.

Synopsis:
In 1999, Hurricane Floyd struck the East Coast with fierce winds and rain. The terrible storm reached north to Virginia causing devastation and widespread power outages to a region rarely scarred by such weather. Nearly the entire state was without power. However, a few houses kept their lights on. But how?

The local newsroom was flooded with phone calls from frustrated viewers who couldn't get information otherwise. Among those calls was James Smith, an apprehensive man with an impossible claim: the invention of an energy machine.

In The Inventor, Virginia news anchor legend, Gene Cox has crafted a tale of what might have followed that true call. He sets out to find James and verify his claim. With amusing skepticism, Gene wrestles his own curiosity as he uncovers madness and a family of geniuses. But are their claims as crazy as they seem?

Available June 20 at electronic booksellers.

New client: a certain Gene Cox.

2011-06-14T12:06:00.000-04:00

I'm happy to announce a new client: Richmond's own Gene Cox.

Cox will be retiring from his accomplished career as Richmond's channel 12 news anchor at the end of the week. This summer he will be releasing his first fiction eBook with yours truly as artisan for the cover. More to come.

Richmond Illustrator's Club 4th Juried Exhibit

2011-05-14T18:17:00.003-04:00

I'm excited to be heading to Ghostprint Gallery today to drop off two pieces accepted to the Richmond Illustrators Club 4th Juried Show. The jury, made of notable illustrators such as Mark Summers, selected "Water for Elephants" and one of my Jekyll & Hyde illustrations. My framed artwork will be for sale at $200 each. So come check out the opening Friday June 3rd from 7 to 10. I'll be there! The show remains on display until June 25th, so don't miss this great collection of local and national talent.

Congratulations to everyone accepted this year!

Royal Jelly

2011-04-21T12:30:00.001-04:00

A while back, I stumbled across a curious little book at a yard sale. The ragged dust-jacket warned: Stories to be Read with The Door Locked. Intrigued, I purchased this mysterious collection of short stories & returned home. Following the recommendation, shut up in a small room, I proceeded to pore over a plane hijacking, haunted Mexican roads and murders. Swimming in suspense, horror, and mystery, I was struck by what seemed to be an out-of-place quaint country tale about a beekeeer — Royal Jelly. But Roald Dahl didn't disappoint.

Albert and Mabel Taylor resort to feeding their ailing daughter royal jelly with ghastly results. Baby Taylor swells up round as a barrel. And while Albert is thrilled with the result, Mabel worries about the hasty weight gain and sprouting of bristly hairs. Truth be told, the baby girl becomes unsettlingly grubbish. Which, come to think of it, shares a stark similarity to someone else Mabel knows...

Bronze at Richmond Show 2010

2011-04-19T12:32:00.001-04:00

Proud to announce an illustration of mine is part of an award-winning design. At Richmond Show 2010 this past Friday, The Flores Shop won bronze for our Correspondence Cards. Go team!

“In today’s world of email, text messaging and video conferencing, let’s not forget the importance of good communication and the power of a simple, hand-written note.”

Gone fishing again.

2011-03-12T00:12:00.004-05:00

While I'm not the biggest fisherman you'll meet, none-the-less fishing carries a fair amount of nostalgia for me. I grew up going out in the boat with my dad. With his dad. With my uncle. With my brother. With friends. And while I never had a huge amount of patience for the act of fishing, I always love floating out on the water, soaking up the ole' outdoors.

Anywho—I've wanted to create an image of my grandpa for some time now, and with my dad's birthday being this past week, I took the opportunity to create an image of my Grandpa fishing. Happy Birthday, Pappy!

"Fishing for Breaquist"

Side note on the title: not but a year or so ago, my grandpa confessed he'd always thought breakfast was actually pronounced "breaquist". We had a good laugh, since we weren't sure how he could have got that mixed up and that it took him 60+ years to realize it. Love ya Papa!

Cotton Tots

2011-02-02T13:06:00.001-05:00

Ok. So this is probably the cutest drawing I'll ever do. A family member of mine is having their second child and I wanted to give them the big ole "Congratulations!" The drawing will probably end up in their nursery so it needed to be warm and fuzzy.

I've done this type of image before where I created animal characters to represent a family's children. This time around the idea was pretty self apparent since their first child's nursery was decorated with rabbits, while the next one is with lambs. Bam! Done and done.

Also, I liked the connection between the lamb wool and the rabbit's "cotton-tail" so I thought it would be cute to play it up with decorative cotton plants. Without further ado, altogether now, "Aawwwwww."

"Cotton Tots"

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T02:16:00.003-05:00

This was a fun quick way for to pick up my brush and pens, which I haven't done since July! A small Christmas angel for you to enjoy. Merry Christmas, everyone!

"Whose Birth The Angels Sing"

Peacocks & Wedding Invitations

2010-12-17T23:11:00.004-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with pleasure I announce my latest in fine design and imaginative offerings: I have added wedding invitations to my repertoire! You'll have to forgive this blog's idleness these past few months, as preparing for the wedding itself has consumed my time. But at long last, I can share the invitations I created a while back.

It was quite the experience working for myself and the (at the time) wife-to-be. Any artist can attest to the fact that working for yourself, let alone a significant other, can be daunting. The bar is somehow lifted leagues higher than could possibly make sense and it can be very difficult to land on ideas that measure up.

Early on in our wedding planning, Danielle and I decided on a peacock theme. We loved the color and class that's associated with peacocks and their glamourous feather trains. I knew that the illustration for the invitation needed to showcase that theme as it would set the tone for the event. So after some brief research I learned of the beautiful white peacocks. (I know, I know, I'm the only person on the planet who hadn't heard of them.) The concept quickly fell into place from there as the white peacock offered a perfect symbol for the bride's white dress.

It was really enjoyable to explore ways to treat the peacock feathers. In the end I was really happy with the limited color palette from our wedding colors. And the typography was just plain fun, as always. Bold and classy, but unique from the typical flourish approach to weddings.

Head over to my website to see more images of the design.

Water For Elephants

2010-06-26T20:30:00.005-04:00

And at last, my final piece from the Illustration Academy. Chris Payne gave us the single stipulation that we had to do an image of two people in conversation.

I took the opportunity to do an illustration for Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants. I recently read the story and have been looking for a chance to make an image related to it's characters. I had a lot of fun with this solution as I was able to subtly reference many elements of the story. Here, we see August in his top hat leading Jacob into the circus tent. I won't say much more, because I highly recommend that everyone takes time to read this fun, moving and intense novel.

Conceptual Portraits

2010-06-15T14:33:00.004-04:00

Here are a couple illustrations I've done while here at the Illustration Academy.

"Age 9: Symphony in E Flat, No. 1"
This first ink illustration was done for Robert Megank. The idea here plays off the fact that Mozart composed his first symphony at age 9.

"Anderson Family Portait"
We just finished conceptual portraits for Anita Kunz. I chose a certain Wes Anderson, the director of delightful films such as The Royal Tenenbaums, Darjeeling Limited, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. The image speaks to dysfunctional families, the theme common to all his films. So we see some of his characters disconnected from a would-be family portrait. If you haven't, check out awkwardfamilyphotos.com. It was a huge inspiration for this one.

Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde: Done.

2010-05-13T10:56:00.003-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, I've completed my book cover design for Jekyll & Hyde. The distraught Dr Jekyll on the front hints at the psychological battle he faces during the story. While its importance is widely overlooked, I introduce the cheval glass as well. And on the back we get an ominous view of 18th century London row houses.

15th Illustrator's Club Exhibition

2010-04-22T10:00:00.004-04:00

The Illustrators Club of Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia just accepted two of my illustrations for their 15th Juried Exhibition! The work was selected by award-winning judges and will be displayed at PEPCO's Edison Place Gallery in downtown Washington, DC from May 13, 2010 to June 26, 2010 and will also appear in the Exhibition Catalog which will be available in print and on line. The selected works are below. Starting with the illustrations from a book I created last year about a city that flooded.

And finally, the first illustration I did for Jekyll & Hyde:

Jekyll & Hyde Pt.II

2010-04-07T16:39:00.004-04:00

Another 2-page illustration for Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. The mystery nears its end as Mr. Utterson and Jekyll's butler, Mr. Poole, break into the doctor's research cabinet and find the corpse of none other than Mr. Hyde. Utterson reads a letter from his missing friend, Dr. Jekyll: "When this shall fall into your hands, I shall have disappeared, under what circumstances I have not the penetration to foresee."

Cambiare Suite

2010-03-31T22:39:00.005-04:00

Ladies and gents. After over 6 months of recording and mixing and art-working, my friends and I in Set Sail Caravel are releasing Cambiare Suite. Here's a description of the album:

Set Sail Caravel's sophomore release takes a modern take on the classical suite. Written as a symphonic poem to an original epic written by guitarist David Bates, the album spans six carefully composed parts that follow the journey of a brave ship. Cambiare Suite is about change, as the latin word "Cambiare" implies, a theme carried in both concept and music.

Keeping with the story based theme of the album, I decided to make the artwork feel like reading an antique book. Complete with cloth cover and frontispiece! You can stream the full album on ReverbNation(below), and if you'd like to read the poem you can download it here. If you'd like to purchase a copy of the CD for the low, low price of $4.99, please email me! (mail@jaredboggess.com)

Happy Birthday Dad!

2010-03-09T21:56:00.004-05:00

New piece I made for my dad. This one is part etching, part watercolor. Titled:

"I think I got one!"

Chirp-chirp.

2010-03-04T18:29:00.003-05:00

"Clair de Lune Quatuor" (Moonlight Quartet)

A good friend of mine gave me this idea a long time ago. At long last, I managed to bring it to life.

Jekyll & Hyde pt.I

2010-02-25T12:21:00.011-05:00

For my senior project, I've decided to illustrate Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. To get started, I've completed the first two illustrations. My goal for this project is to enhance the experience of the story. While Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde can be quite horrific at times, it's core is a tragedy— of the human soul and the person of Dr. Jekyll. I'm looking to intensify that tragedy.

The first illustration, a two-page spread, is of Mr. Utterson as he waits during his search for Mr. Hyde: "From that time forward, Mr. Utterson began to haunt the door in the by-street of shops. In the morning before office hours, at noon when business was plenty, and time scarce, at night under the face of the fogged city moon, by all lights and at all hours of solitude or concourse, the lawyer was to be found on his chosen post."

And the second is of Dr. Jekyll in a climactic moment as he struggles to rid himself of Mr. Hyde: "The pangs of transformation had not done tearing him, before Henry Jekyll, with streaming tears of gratitude and remorse, had fallen upon his knees and lifted his clasped hands to God. The veil of self-indulgence was rent from head to foot."

more to come...

"Pas la Sirène, mais la Muse."

2009-11-30T14:43:00.013-05:00

"Pas la Sirène, mais la Muse."

I'm finishing up an etching edition right now. The image is about the dual nature of the muse: both a temptress and inspiration and not always for the good. It's not what I set out to say, but the image certainly evolved into this idea. And I'm not one to resist the self-compulsion of an idea. Image itself is 7 inches x 12 inches. Including paper size, 13 inches x 19 inches.

I will be selling prints at a vendor fair this Saturday. If your interested in buying something you can come and see them in person, or if you'd simply like to see the other great hand-made craft/vendors come check it out. It's from 10am to 4pm Saturday, Dec 5th at the Hanover Tavern. Check hanovertavern.org for full info.

le Faire.

2009-11-16T21:23:00.005-05:00

A panel from a massive work in progress: The entrance to the 1904 World's Fair.

The Thief and the Chest.

2009-11-11T17:14:00.005-05:00

Just finished this illustration for a short story about a thief making his getaway across a snowy landscape. In the end of the story he's turned into birch trees by a mysterious hermit feller. Full size is about 11" x 15".

Dreams for sale.

2009-10-30T12:15:00.006-04:00

Having so much fun in my Etching course this semester. I've learned how to work with multiple plate registration so that I can incorporate different colors and it worked out beautifully. Enjoying some fresh perspective from the printmaking department as well. They have a completely different outlook on art than the Comm Art kids. It's refreshing. It's definitely creating a larger scope to think about as I work.

This print is a moment from a dream I had probably when I was 12 or something. I remember being on this strange raft and floating around meeting people. I remember it being really dark. Thus "Toward and Away from Dark". Image itself is about 5 inches x 8 inches. Including paper size, the piece is about 11 inches x 15 inches. I pulled an edition of 5, all of which are for sale. Contact me if you're interested.

On a side note, I may be showing/selling my work at a craft fair in December. Stay tuned for more info!

The abandoned tavern.

2009-10-07T20:50:00.004-04:00

The bitter soft breeze followed our wanderings to a hilltop and brought with it the rich scent of autumn wine. We had been in the vineyards for days now, searching for the old retreat. And there it sat. Across the downs from our view, the ancient tavern was planted eerily amidst shrubs. Rampant, the unforgiving scarlet ivy had all but swallowed the place. It looked quite lonely. I suppose when you’ve had so many visitors over the years, it can be disheartening to see no more.

The doorway welcomed us with the scent of nature reclaiming its territory: mold and weeds. The faded paint on the edifice was cracked and flaked, shuddering in the wind. Inside, a foyer that may have been warm and hospitable was now silent and dreary. The fireplace had caved in and sprouted clover. Moss rolled out across the floor — a new rug for smaller visitors that sneak in at night. Faded ovals marked the yellowed wallpaper where sconces had adorned the walls. Down a narrow hall, we braved a decrepit staircase whose handle retired on the ground.

Upstairs, soft evening light seeped through holes in the roof and created dark corners where families of shadows hid from view. The eight humble lodgings offered no privacy as their doors leaned from rusted hinges or no longer stood at all. The ivy curtained the windows that once offered tired travelers a relaxing view. Its wooden floors were black as madness. Glass and frames lined the edges of the rooms, dropped by nails that had failed them. And the poor broken beds, whose mattresses were lost to theft, made trusses for vines and spider’s webs.

In a drawing room before the end of the upstairs corridor, we found a lonesome couch with wooden arms and festering velvet upholstery. It sat enticingly vacant next to a tall iron coat rack. We pondered why either had not yet been stolen years ago. Thus, it was in a hundred-year-old couch that we rested our weary bones for the night.

Printmaking trees

2009-03-30T11:18:00.010-04:00

After much delay: new personal work.

I've been delving into lithography and etching recently and have found that I thoroughly enjoy both. Printing an edition of work has one key thing in common with what I love about books: the resulting many copies of one body of work. So without further ado...

"Well, Hello There"
11"x 17.5" Lithograph

Still, Save for Three
6"x7" Hard & Soft Ground Etching

Stave Oak
6"x8.25" Hard & Soft Ground Etching

Imagine

2008-12-09T10:58:00.007-05:00

New work about imagination.
11" x 14.5"
Gouache

Our Still Memories CD layout

2008-11-20T11:07:00.006-05:00

I've got some catching up to do. I've finished a lot lately and am still working feverishly to get other project going, but I wanted to share an illustration I've been juggling since August. My friend and cohort from Set Sail Caravel, Benjamin Mauch, had composed and recorded a few piano solos back in the Summer and asked if I would illustrated his cover.

I wanted to capture the same concept he developed around his songs in the artwork. The songs encompass a day with two lovers. The song titles act as the narrative through this day. The idea in the illustration is to show the lovers' day as the songs themselves. Hence the piano keys become a window to this day.

Concerto for Bough and Branch in D minor

2008-10-14T19:33:00.011-04:00

I completed an assignment for my Photographic Principles class this past weekend. The assignment was inspired by "Delicatessen," a french film I highly recommend to everyone. The photograph had to include a man, a woman, an instrument, and either be on a rooftop or in a kitchen. Additionally, we were given a quote that ties into the film.

"It may be that those who do most, dream most." - Stephen Leacock

I was inspired by the work of Robert and Shana Parke Harrison. Their book, called The Architect's Brother, first of all has gorgeous visuals, but is just as commendable conceptually. While it addresses the environmental concerns of our world today, I really enjoy how they toy with reality, especially through the use of trees. Thus I came to the idea to create instruments out of found wood. The idea of "dreaming most" would be captured by the characters' ability to create music with these created instruments. So with a little cleverness, a few scrapes and some time sitting on a stump in my back yard, I crafted two delightful contraptions that, while not actually able to create music, are conceptually very reminiscent of certain stringed instruments.

Now, on to the photoshoot: an unexpressable thanks to my models.

New Work

2008-09-23T20:43:00.010-04:00

School is off to a good start. While things are getting progressively more busy, I'm truly enjoying myself.

Title: Vital Signs are Good or Dead without Dying

New work for Painting And Drawing course. The assignment was called "Man & Machine" and the only criteria was to depict at least one hand interacting with some man-made tool. I decided to drive the assignment further, by pushing the Man & Machine idea further. I wanted to address man's dependency on the machine, hence the patient on life support. As you may note, I took some liberties with historical accuracy, since electrodes are a later invention. It serves as a symbol foremost, but I liked the suggestion of unbridled experimentation, a theme inspired by a video game called Bioshock.

Birds and Rats.

2008-06-15T14:57:00.004-04:00

It has been a busy month. I started a new job that is going very well. Between several trips, including N. C. Wyeth’s hometown in PA, I’ve done a little illustration work for some friends. I took a brief camping trip with some friends, played a few shows around the region with Set Sail Caravel, spent a couple days up north in museums viewing work by N. C. Wyeth, a favorite of mine, and Howard Pyle. Their work was truly inspiring and I couldn’t get over how beautiful the land was up there. I wouldn’t be surprised if I move up their one day down the road.

So: work. Completed a tattoo design for a good friend of mine. She was looking for a creative take on the classic swallow tattoo. The swallow in tattoos is a symbol for loyalty. Reason being, swallows are the only monogamous birds, staying with the same mate their entire life. She asked for three birds; one for herself, her husband, and her son. She also wanted it to have space for future children-birds. I did two designs for her to have something to choose from.

In the end she chose the first design. She decided, and I agree, that it would work better as a tattoo and would age better. Hopefully I’ll post how it turned out later on.

I also did a spot illustration for a new Since 1913 t-shirt. I was very happy with how this turned out and they were very excited about it as well. Which is always nice. I knew I wanted to use rats pretty early on and after much exploration finally decided on waiters. I liked the way the rats were “presenting” the band.

Isola Dei Giganti

2008-05-08T19:04:00.006-04:00

Last project of the semester was rather intense, but quite delightful. A poster, web page, and business/promo card advertisements. I decided to do a mock book advertisement for a book about an island of giants, "Isola Dei Giganti". Not sure where the idea came from; I suppose it was quite out of thin air. So when it came to designing the giant, I wanted something not too vicious, but also not too silly. I used whales as a starting point and it remains evident in the face. They have such a wise, yet epic, look about them.

the promo card.

The promo card is design so that the silhouette on the back lines up with the sketch on the front, I hope, to call more attention to the giant. I then moved to creating an illustration that would need to work for both the poster and web page. I had to design the painting in a way that could be cropped to suit both formats.

the full painting.
the poster.

the web page.

My teacher pointed out how Lost has influenced me. And I agree, not only in content, but also the visual tone of the illustration: quiet, vague and yet monumental. It is interesting how I'm influenced by all medium. Of course, I think that is true for most artists.

Oh, Dear...

2008-04-28T10:01:00.003-04:00

Occasionally, an assignment comes along which has rather vague guidelines. Meaning, while there may be one central point to the project, all details are left up to the artist. Things like size, media and specific content remain unspecified allowing the artist absolute free reign over the result.

These assignments are not far from dropping a person in the middle of a desert they've never seen before and telling them to find the closest town.

Now, when an assignment of this nature is given, artists have one of two reactions: inspired excitement or absolute dread. Excitement comes to an artist who either has an uncanny ability to draw ideas out of thin air or are fortunate to have a "light-bulb" moment. Unfortunately, others feel simply baffled, no idea where to go, or even which way to start.

I must admit, I was victim to such an assignment. I was told, and I quote, "Illustrate sound." Apart from the lack of direction given, this is a rather abstract design problem. So for quite some time I was frustrated and without any worth-while ideas. I was going an abstract direction with absolutely no motivation, as I find painting in abstraction rather dull. Don't hear me wrong, I have a complete appreciation for abstract painting and I find myself emotionally moved even by the most non-representational imagery. However, I find no enjoyment in expressing myself that way.

Finally, after about 2 weeks of nothing, I had a blessed moment in which I received an idea quite out of thin air.

Presenting: "Oh Deer, What Was That?"

Instead of illustrating what a sound might look like, I would illustrate the reaction to a sound without clearly defining the sound itself. This was more at home to me.

Upholstered & Glorious

2008-04-18T23:50:00.008-04:00

I've been in the process of upholstering my drumset over these past two weeks and after much deliberation and indecisiveness, I've finished. I found some lovely drapery at a fabric store and have tediously crafted new covers for my set. I had been looking at the same silverish-blue for the past 8 or so years and decided it was time to get creative. But alas, I'm satisfied.

Publicity, a New Tree, and an End.

2008-03-30T00:27:00.021-04:00

This past week, my "For the Sapling" giraffe was up at the Anderson Gallery. Show closes tomorrow, but thanks to all who went out to the show and supported the VCU Comm Art department. There was some really great work on display, and I was proud to be included.

I've just finished a poster and t-shirt. The assignment is for the ADCMW Real Show 2008 competition. I chose one of 5 project choices where I design a poster for a concert tour and a t-shirt to go along with it. I felt it a good opportunity to return to my tree-portrait concept as the bands lend themselves to old-fashioned folk-rock. I went through a first design, that would eventually have had vultures resting on his branches and a herd of buffalo scurrying along beside him to indicate a massive scale tree-fellow. I feel as though this first design will be used one day, but we'll see.

In the end I was somewhere a bit more familiar, but still using the vultures as a means to define scale. Overall I'm very excited about what I've done. It may one day turn up as a Set Sail Caravel t-shirt... I'll have to talk to the guys.

In other news, I've finished reading the thirteenth and final book in A Series of Unfortunate Events. I must say, it feels as though an old friend has moved away. I've been reading through all 13 books on and off for over 2 years now and it makes me sad that their tale is finished. It makes me a bit apprehensive about Lost; while I want to know what happens, you grow to love those characters. All in all, the end of Unfortunate Events was wonderfully satisfying and well worth the long read. Lemony Snicket, or should I say Daniel Handler, is a very talented writer and story teller. That said, I highly recommend.

the White Hart Cafe

2008-03-11T23:23:00.008-04:00

After a long trip and a lot of frustration with iMovie, I have some souvenirs to share.

I took a trip to Lynchburg, this past weekend for a Set Sail Caravel show. We played in this wonderful little cafe' called the White Hart. The night before the show we holed up in Ben Mauch's aunt's house, resting quietly in the hills of mountainous farm land. It turned out to be quite inspiring as we wrote two new songs in a matter of a couple of hours. Anywho, here are two videos from the weekend, with the first called "The Forest" and the latter named "The Miner".

eerie Imagination

2008-02-04T16:42:00.001-05:00

Earlier this week, I did a small illustration (8” x 10”) for some friends of mine. Their new baby is just around the corner, and they requested "submissions" for baby room decorations.

Presenting: "For the Sapling"

I decided to revisit a technique I used back in July. I have several pieces of this lovely cardboard that works great as a mid-tone. It felt good to crack open the paint tubes and let loose, as I've been limited to drawing for school and Unnamed work. Ever since high school, I've enjoyed a contrast between the looseness of my brushwork and the intricacy of pen & ink. Conceptually, I also revisited this very simple form of symbolism. The tree-giraffe represents the baby (hence, “sapling”), while the tree above and behind represents the parents, my friends, sheltering and protecting. Anyways, while the symbolism is uncomplicated, it just gives me something to work with for the composition.

As aforementioned, I reapplied the concept of tree-creature hybrid. The result: as I designed the giraffe, a large branch grew out of his shoulder, as you can see. A couple people have commented on the oddness of it, especially for a baby room. I say O Well! This got me thinking about something I've noticed over the last couple years. Not that it just happened, but I've just become aware of it.

I was reading some of Oscar Wilde's fairy tales a while back and found them to be very sad. In almost all of them, a main character, usually humble and selfless, dies near the end. Oscar Wilde intended these for children. At first I was caught off guard, such tragedy for children? Isn't it interesting how what is deemed child-appropriate has changed over the years? Oscar Wilde's fairy tales were published in the late nineteenth century. I struggle to picture very many parents reading these stories to their children at bedtime, nowadays. Were people like Walt Disney responsible for this? Classics like the three little pigs were softened up to be less tragic for youngsters. Does this sheltering wash away the poignancy of the moral? Is imagination sheltered by the removal of magic from stories or images? This might be a loose connection, but it applies to my point: I appreciate the eerie or peculiar as it fosters imagination.

Luckily, my friends really liked the illustration and seemed quite fond of the “tree-raffe”, as it was so dubbed.

Sawdust & Diamonds

2007-12-06T11:27:00.001-05:00

New work for my Typography class. This is the only substantial project we've had all semester, but I'm content with it. Used lyrics from Joanna Newsom's "Sawdust & Diamonds".

Hunting Party

2007-12-04T14:08:00.002-05:00

Latest work for my Visual Studies course: entitled “Where the Search Ends And the Chase Begins”.

The assignment was to depict a “party”. As you may realize, I have a fondness for the 1800’s. Hence the old-fashion hunting party scene with all the vests, facial hair and hats. There is just something intriguing about that era.

This first phase is halfway through…

And the final piece…

In conclusion, I wanted to note that I did this piece as a warm up for some illustrations I’ll be doing over the holidays. A good friend of mine, Ross Wright, has asked me to illustrate his first novel, Chronicles of the Unnamed Kingdom. It is a quirky fantasy adventure story about love loyalty, and secrets. He plans to send it to publishers this coming year.

I will try to post some sketches as work progresses.

A Family Portrait: painted

2007-11-04T19:52:00.001-05:00

This is a new work for my Visual Studies course. You may recognize it from a drawing I posted a few weeks ago. The piece is 14" x 19" done in acrylic. Spent 15+ hours on this stage.

A Family Portrait: Granny Nabors

2007-10-02T15:34:00.001-04:00

This past week, I've been working on a piece for my Visual Studies course. Having to be done in graphite, I spent around 9 hours to complete it. As I've been increasingly interested in storybook illustrations, I employed a storybook subject matter and tone. Paired with a classical composition(a triangle formed by the focal points), I felt an arched border would amplify that theme.

This is my grandmother.

Note: Please excuse the texture, my scanner amplified the pencil marks.

Lately...

2007-07-18T14:55:00.000-04:00

Things have been pretty slow over the last 2 months for me as far as creative things go. But in the last week or so, I've begun feeling unbelievable inspired. The wheels are turning again. Ideas are popping into my head, many of which I don't know what to do with.

This past week, I read The Spiderwick Chronicles. A wonderful short children's book series about a boy who discovers that faeries are real. I won't spoil anything else, but I strongly recommend them to folks who even slightly enjoy faerie tales. The reason I'm bringing them up is not to give a review, but to share how inspiring they are. As a creative person, artist/writer or otherwise, I find them to be very inspiring. The books are filled with wonderful illustrations and heavily encourage imagination. Which is why it has, in turn, been a largely overdue jump start for me.

Some food for thought by one of the authors:
"I am often asked if I've ever seen a faerie. As if not seeing a thing makes it less real. I can't see microbes, but they are everywhere, in the millions. They are just too small to see with the naked eye. And for hundreds of years people didn't even know they existed. That didn't mean they were not real. I've never seen many of the bizarre deep-sea fish that exist in the inky depths of the ocean, but I've observed models of them in museums with detailed notes similar to those in ancient bestiaries. How do I know that they're real?"
-Excerpt from Foreword by Tony DeTerlizzi, Cowriter & Illustrator of Spiderwick Series

******

In this past week amidst my inspiration and reading, I finally did an illustration for a very special person to me. I've been meaning to create it for a while now, but due to my "dry spell" I simply haven't sat down to do it. The piece is not titled, but the concept basically includes interests of the two of us, for her: elephants and myself: trees. It's done in acrylic and pen & ink.