posted: August 18, 2010

I've always had big dreams of playing guitar in a rock band. Illustrating the cover of this CD, Mirage Cartography is as close as I'll ever get since I've never really picked up the guitar.

Paul Mark, an amazing musician and founder of Radiation Records, gave me a call a few months ago and asked if I'd be willing to illustrate his new acoustical guitar album. Since Paul is based in NYC, we met up to talk about the music and to go over some of the initial sketches. Most of the initial sketches were based in a desert to riff off of the title. In the end we decided that the final image would take place in some sort of dreamy/playful NYC water landscape and to include a guitar in some way. I was planning on doing some hand-drawn type for the cover, however, Paul was really set on a cover without type and title. It was so refreshing to actually meet the client and have a back and forth discussion about the concepts.

Here's a recent review and a link to listen. "Instrumental trip into the heart of the Americana landscape...rich melodies, steel strings and buzzing frets jabbing into a fading dreamworld...roots music at its most refined".

posted: June 3, 2010

M-44s are spring-activated sodium cyanide pipe devices that shoots a deadly dose of this poison -one of the most toxic chemicals approved by the EPA -into the animal's mouth when the animal tugs on the baited knob sticking out of the ground. The sodium cyanide combines with the water in the mouth to produce poisonous cyanide gas. The animal dies an excurciating death within minutes or painfully lingers over a long period of time.
These devices, that are strewn across our public lands, are used by the Wildlife Services, an agency housed within the US Department of Agriculture, to protect livestock by killing predators such as coyotes and foxes but wolves, bears, bobcats, eagles and dogs are also targeted. The devices are indiscriminate killers and any animal that tugs on the meat-scented device will be poisoned. Today, the agency spends over $100 million annually to kill millions of animals each year. In 2008 alone, Wildlife Services spent over $121 million to kill 4,996,899 animals. 

 
Here is a heart-wrenching video of a first-hand account of an M-44 poisoning of a couple and their beloved dog.

 
Wildlife services spends 80 percent of its mostly public funding to protect cattle and sheep. However, the correlation between animals killed and benefits needs a serious look. The killing of 5 million predators at a cost of $1.6 billion from 1939 to 1998 had little effect on the sheep and cattle industry trends. Data from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, shows that each year only 2.9% of the total US sheep production is lost to predators, while 4.9% was lost to other causes such as illness, disease, lambing and weather. Cattle statistics reveal an even wider gap: In 2005, .18% of cattle were killed by predators and 3.7% died from other causes such as respiratory illness, weather and theft.
 
As of May 2010, a bill to ban this device has been proposed and is starting to recieve some Congrssional support. You can find out more info on how to help support this bill here.
 
Much of the above information and statistics was from an article, about the impact of the M-44 especially on the wolf population, in Brown University's Watershed magazine written by Lisa Upson. My class at RISD has been illustrating this beautifully designed environmental magazine for the past few years. I just couldn't get this article out of my head and thought it would be perfect fodder for a painting for the Earth: Fragile Planet Show opening tomorrow, June 4th, at Society of Illustrators. I'm very honored to be part of this show along with so many great friends and artists.

posted: May 26, 2010

I've been living in the East Village for almost 15 years. I pick up the Voice almost every week and I've always wanted to do the cover. I got real close with this week's inside cover for the Summer Guide. Justin Reynolds AD wanted an image announcing summer with a single figure, sun and ice-cream. Thanks Justin for letting me have some input in the final direction!

posted: April 11, 2010

The 100 Heads for Haiti show was incredible. There was a line waiting at the door before it opened and a real mad rush to get the pieces. It was so cool to see the desire from ADs, illustrators, students and just regular people to own a piece of our art. Ellen knocked everyone down and made it to the table first. I think Flaherty even got trampled in the process. Almost all were sold by the time we left. I'm proud to say that we now own a Burckhardt, a Taxali, a Clayton and a Travis Lampe. Never been to Baltimore but I was so impressed with the town. Plunkert and company are living the giant art studio dream out there. It was great meeting the Spur Design crew - David, Joyce, Alex, Jess, Al and his wife. Thank you so much for setting up a successful show and designing the beautiful poster. I'm so glad that I went.

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