posted: March 11, 2010

 

I really enjoy working for New York Magazine and consider myself fortunate when they contact me for any assignment.   This one on the Cheney's was certainly a challenge.    It was tough because the feature was on such a polarizing family " The Cheney's"  It's sort of like having "The Palin's" as an assignment.    However, the Editors didn't have satire or dark humor in mind when asking me to paint a family portrait and a portrait of the, air apparent, to the Cheney political machine,  Liz Cheney.  They wanted something I never thought of before for Liz Cheney…  Hot and Fierce!   and if I could do the same in the family portrait?   I tried to put my bias aside and execute.   

 

In the family portrait I tried to have both liz and DICK! in a highlighted manner, as to show that special bond they have, and have the other 2 feel separate.   A funny thing happened in my email exchanges with Hitomi Sato (the AD on this feature).  I accidentally, or maybe it was a Freudian slip, referred to Dick and Liz as Dick in Liz.  

posted: February 1, 2010

This is a portrait that I painted for Chicago Magazine of our current Ambassador to Great Britain, Louis Susman.

posted: January 29, 2010

2009 was... for me..."The Year of the Zombies".   This "Zombie" assignment came from the wonderful Richard Aquan, at Harper Collins.   The Book was titled "Queen Victoria, Demon Hunter"  She loved her country.   She hated Zombies... or so it says on the cover.     The painting is taken from Franz Xaver Winterhalter's portrait of the young Queen on the throne, with the exception of decapitated zombie heads and weaponry ( love that word ).      The book can be found at Amazon.com


http://www.amazon.com/Queen-Victoria-Hunter-E-Moorat/dp/0061976016/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264797686&sr=8-1

posted: January 20, 2010

As Lou, Nancy and Tim have posted their wonderful pieces for the Stefan Kiefer book, I thought I'd post my contribution and a funny experience I had with Stefan some years back.   I got the email sometime this past summer from Barbara Berry, who's a Great Gal, and has paid me a visit here in Annapolis, about the thank you book Astrid was putting together for Stefan.   I thought about doing a portrait of Stefan, without realizing I didn't have any pictures of Stefan.   I quickly changed directions thinking that if I were to do this right I should appeal to Stefan's sense of humor.   So I came up with this one of Chancellor Merkel (The Playmate) reading her favorite magazine.

Here's the funny story.  Early on in my career Stefan gave me a cover assignment, that I just wasn't ready for.   I hadn't yet realized what overbooking could do to one's life.   Anyway it was a cover story on Asia and the troubles they were having symbolized in the Tiger.   He asked me to create sketch for him and that he would be flying in to New York in a few days and I could show him the sketch over dinner.    So we meet at the Bryant Park Grill for the first time.  His wife at the time was with us and we began to have great conversation and a lovely dinner.   However, I was nervous about my sketch and the importance of Der Spiegel.   I was also exhausted from my schedule and It showed.   So when Stefan asked me to take out my sketch I had butterfly's in my gut.   As you many know many restaurants in NYC are poorly illuminated and have lit candles at the tables to help us who are challenged by this.   So as I was holding up my sketch just over the candle to Stefan, whose sitting across from me, I began verbalizing what I was trying to do in this hack of a sketch.  As I was focused on Stefan  I began to noticed he looked uncomfortable  and wanted to interrupt my blathering.   (Pause)  He want to tell me that my sketch was on fire.  

I thank God there are people like Stefan in the illustration business who really believe in peoples talent that he can overlook a young fool like myself and give me countless opportunities to make him proud.

I got a call not that long ago from Stefan when he saw my contribution and he graciously laughed and thanked me for my illustration.   Stefan...  Thank you.

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