Beauty and The Beast

In this case, the beast is pollution. I joined the NYC Urban Sketchers and the Gowanus Canal Conservancy last Saturday to draw for conservation. As my sketching buddies and I recorded the canal, in its glimmering, albeit scary, luminosity, the Conservancy workers were clearing debris, and cleaning up the waterfront to a great Latin music track. Tireless, they were- and are, as we were treated to an overview of the history and the long road ahead to clear up the sludge, deceptive under the bright blue and green of the canal. For the artist, it was a visual treat. The majesty of the industrial environment against the bright blue sky. Deep shadows and glistening highlights. The canal has its doubters, but there is a core group of people, plugging away. I was honored to be there that day.

Across the Pond in the Name of Fashion

I was so very honored to be an invited speaker to The Big Issue: What's Next Conference at Manchester Metropolitan University in Manchester, England, in March. During my presentation, I chose to speak about Accidental Fashion Illustrators, focusing on those greats from the Golden Age of Illustration. You know, the likes of Al Parker, Coby Whitmore, Jon Whitcomb, Jack Potter, Joe Bowler and Bernie D'Andrea, to name a few.
I was asked to illustrate my head shot, in lieu of a photo. And, to bring an umbrella.

I soon realized why the umbrella was my best accessory- it NEVER stopped raining!

Here are a couple of drawings from inside a local pub. When in Rome….

Once on campus, the rain mattered little, when I had a prime time seat to the sewing studio. So exciting to see the designs come to life!