amador county

Young cousins of mine at the ranch.
Acrylic on wood panel, 8 x 8".

the godfather 2

Here are some environment concept paintings I did for the Godfather 2 game recently released by EA Games.

sketchcrawl 22: chinatown, sf

For more sketches from San Francisco and around the world, check out the forums at sketchcrawl.com.

life drawing

the new yorker's eustace tilley contest 2009

My piece won:

This is the second year the New Yorker has invited the public to submit their own interpretations of the magazine's iconic mascot, Eustace Tilley, originally drawn by Rea Irvin for the magazine's first cover in 1925.

12 winners were chosen from over 300 submissions. You can see a slideshow of all 12 on the New Yorker's website here

My piece also appears, along with three others, in the current issue of the New Yorker on the stands now.

Two of my pieces won last year too. You can see those along with the rest of the 2008 winners at the New Yorker site as well.

sketchcrawl 21: haight st, sf

For more sketches from San Francisco and around the world, check out the forums at sketchcrawl.com

life drawing

sketchcrawl 20: the mission /noe valley, sf

Saturday, Oct 25th was worldwide sketchcrawl 20. Here are some of the sights from San Francisco, including highlights from the Noe Valley Harvest Festival. Click on the images to see them larger.




For more sketches from San Francisco and from around the world, check out the forums at sketchcrawl.com.

gallery nucleus

Opening this weekend at Gallery Nucleus: Endless Reflections - Commemorating 20 Years of Sandman Art, featuring two of my pieces and works by over 30 other artists.






If you're in the LA area, stop by!

Endless Reflections
October 4, 2008 – October 20, 2008
Opening Reception October 4, 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM

Gallery Nucleus
210 East Main Street
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 458 - 7482

life drawing

life drawing

sebastopol

The abandoned tractor in its skeletal shed in the field just past the garden and the chicken run across the bridge from the willow tree. Click to see larger.

sketchcrawl 19: fort point

Saturday, June 21st was worldwide sketchcrawl 19. The San Francisco group met at Fort Point and Crissy Field. I got there a bit late and didn't draw as much as I wanted to, but I made these. Click to see them larger.


The fort was built in the 1850s to defend the bay against enemy warships. In the 1930s the Golden Gate Bridge was built right over it. The combination of the brick masonry and that giant red arch overhead makes this an amazing architectural space.This view features the lighthouse which dates from 1864.



Here is a quick sketch of one of the upper passageways, several of the cannons on display on the ground floor, and my buddy Justin Chin sketching. The passport-style souvenir stamp can be found at the Warming Hut, down the shore along Crissy Field.

For more sketches from San Francisco and around the world, check out the forums at sketchcrawl.com

tuolumne

I spent last weekend at Berkeley Tuolumne Camp, a family camp up in the mountains. This is a view from the beach looking out across the swimming hole to the main lodge complex. There's no lifeguard on duty, kids, so swim at your own risk. Click to see larger.



This fellow camper was kind enough to let me sketch her over breakfast

life drawing

fish head

What was left of the rainbow trout at Saul's

artists warehouse sale

I collaborated with Claire B. Cotts on a few pieces for the annual SF MOMA Artists Gallery warehouse sale. I drew the birds, she pretty much did the rest. The sale goes on May 7- 11, and the art goes for 50% off. Get the bargains while they last.


(detail)


SF MOMA Warehouse sale

sketchcrawl 18: hyde street pier, sf

Saturday, March 29th, was worldwide sketchcrawl 18. I met with the local contingent at Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco. Click the images to see them larger.


I headed down the hill to the Hyde Street pier to see the historic ships. It was cold and windy where I caught this view of the stern of the Balclutha, a square-rigger from Glasgow. In the distance you can see both the Transamerica Tower and Ghirardelli Square.


Anyone who didn't pay the $5 to board the ships was missing out. I wish I could have drawn everything but I was having too much fun exploring around. Here are some spot observations from the Balclutha and a view of the Hercules, a steam tug.



Here is a view of the steam engine at the heart of Eureka, a ferry boat, and a father and daughter, below me, listening to the docent explaining how it all worked. I think the old guy was dozing off behind his sunglasses. The lower deck is something of an antique car museum. Here is a 1930 Graham Paige sedan and a sliver of a ford truck.

For more drawings from San francisco and around the world, check out the forums at

sketchcrawl.com

bluesman

about 15 minutes or so, while he played.

the new yorker's eustace tilley competition

Two of my pieces won:


The New Yorker recently ran a contest inviting the public to submit their own interpretations of the magazine's iconic mascot, Eustace Tilley. The original was drawn by Rea Irvin and graced the magazine's first cover in 1925, and the monocled dandy has appeared in some form or another on most every anniversary issue cover since.

20 winners were chosen from a pool of almost 300 entries. You can see all 20, including both of my submissions on the New Yorker's web site here.

Check out the contest page on Flickr to see all of the entries. There were many very clever ones and I don't envy the judges.

You can listen to an interview with the magazine's art director, Francoise Mouly, in which she discusses the contest, the history of the character, and mentions my "blowing bubbles" piece here.

You can also see my entry "The Springfieldian," - a collaboration with Claire B. Cotts who came up with the basic premise - in The New Yorker magazine itself along with a few of the other winners in the current anniversary issue (Feb. 11th & 18th). So check it out!

All apologies to Matt Groening and the good people at Gracie Films.

sketchcrawl 17: chinatown

January 19th was sketchcrawl day. I met with the Bay Area sketchcrawlers in Chinatown, SF. It was cold, and I had handwarmers in my pockets, but they don't help much when your hands are out and sketching. Here are some highlights.

Lanterns hanging over the street at Grant and Clay

One of the distinctive double dragon lampposts that line the street.

For more, check out the forums at sketchcrawl.com

life drawing

sketch crawl 16: oaxaca

I was in Oaxaca Mexico on sketchcrawl day. This is the church of Nuestra Senora de la Soledad.

A couple of boys who came to see what I was doing as I was drawing the church.

Ancient artifacts from the cultural museum

Waiting at the airport for our (delayed) flight home.

oaxaca

I took a trip to Oaxaca Mexico recently to witness the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations. I was on the go most of the time, but I did manage to record a few sights in my sketchbook.

These sketches (above) are mostly from Oaxaca City. The Zapotec woman at the bottom was selling pan de muerto which is good for eating or leaving on an ofrenda or altar for the dead and which looks like a regular round loaf with a little angel head sticking out to one side. She carried them in a basket on her head covered with an embroidered cloth. At the top right is a street view looking toward the church of Santo Domingo, along the middle are some chickens and cilantro from a comida counter in the public market, and at the bottom is the inside of the bus heading up to Monte Alban.

A few very quick views around the ancient ruins of Monte Alban and some items on display at the visitor center including a drinking vessel decorated with images crossed bones and a severed hand, and human skulls showing signs of trepanation - holes drilled into the cranium to relieve pressure on the brain. The little girl at the bottom was with a family selling peanits in a market in the town of Ocatlan.

The woman here is Rocio, part of a community of mostly American expats in the town of St. Augustin Etla. I drew her in the dark. On Nov. 1st, Etla holds a comparse or masquerade in which the residents wear costumes made of mirrors and bells that they've spent all year putting together and which can weigh up to 60 lbs. They dance all night with a marching band accompanying them as they go from house to house through the town. Dressed as demons on this night, they are free to speak their minds about anything including the government. They put on little dramas. You can see quick impressions of some of the costumes at the bottom, drawn as we made our way through the crowd looking for a late ride back to Oaxaca. Also here are drawings of statues from an antique shop in the city.

sketchcrawl 15

I met with the sketchcrawlers outside the De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, S.F. There was a jugband festival at the bandstand. I recognized some Mississippi John Hurt numbers as I drew this.

Three views from the observation tower of the museum, overlooking the park and the city.

Some of the other sketchers outside the Tea Garden at mid day.

At the fountain, just before we met to pass sketchbooks around. That's the museum tower in the distance.

For more, check out the forums at sketchcrawl.com

life drawing

comics

A couple of old comics pages of mine are in a group gallery show in Redwood City.
From the Books of Magic Annual no. 3 (Vertigo/DC). Script by Peter Gross

Click to view large.