So, Maine is a pretty magical state. I am here because I got called on to work with the Beehive Design Collective. The Beehive Collective is a volunteer-driven non-profit political organization that uses illustrations as educational tools to spread stories of resistance to corporate globalization. If you'd like to read more about them, here's the link

This is the rest of my 35mm film from the past few weeks.

Here's what we are working on currently. I am helping the bees finish up a drawing that is a huge poster depicting resistance to corporations threatening the cultural and ecological vitality of the Mesoamerica region. After the poster is finished, it will be toured, lectured, and distributed around the world in an effort to spread education on the issue. The photo above is of Kehben Grifter grinding in details in the studio last week. It's humbling to be surrounded by a talented team of artists.

Homebase for now. Below is the entrance to the magic studio through the library. 

 

More after the jump…

These are from some rolls of film that I shot of my last few weeks in MIchigan and as I headed out East towards Maine where I am now anchored for a few months. I am there working with the Beehive Collective, which I'll explain more about later. I was excited to see some places I haven't seen yet and learn from new people I've gotten to meet. 

My last hoorah in Michigan was going North with buddies to camp and making a ruckus in Manistee National Forest.

Yay, chopper camp 2012.

More after the jump…

This is August so far. Its the first time I've gotten to really take part in Michigan summer.

 

 

More after the jump…

I got a new sketchbook. All the content from the last one is pretty much under wraps as I'm using it for that book I've been compiling work for. This sketchbook is Data from the Field VI. Can't wait until there's ten. Also, there is a new illustration following these three sketchbook pages

"Eating Lunch Together" ink on paper, ink wash/digital color composite

"Out in the Yard" ink on paper, 2012

You can have a print of this for free. Here's the details:

Feel free to download the high-res of this, print it at kinkos, put it on your skateboard, your wall, whatever. I wanted to offer a drawing that anyone can afford because I know not everyone can buy originals or afford a print. This drawing is the opposite of exclusive. I have the original available, and will be offering prints of this soon for sale, but I'm good with pretty much calling it a wash on any "lucrativity" that may have derived from this piece. When musicians give out free EP's, I get so excited that they were willing to do that. Maybe us art makers can do the same.

Here's the legal talk: I'm pushing this drawing out as Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License. Meaning, anyone can have it for free, but can't make money off of it or manipulate and change the image.

Download it below. And please post pictures or email me how you end up using it! 

Download

"Trust: Ill-Advised in a Digital Age" pencil, acrylic, digital color

Client: The New York Times

Art Direction: Erich Nagler

the full story

Having fun getting to do some editorial illustrations recently. Lots more to share soon. Hopefully I'll be able to post the whole Alaska project this week.

Ink, watercolor, composite film photograph, and digital color.

I drew this several months ago and finished tweaking it today enough to share. I suppose this illustration is about academic elitism and empty promises.

This is a post about the last three months. Most of my days have been spent travelling and making drawings all in the pursuit of digesting various daunting and seemingly indescribable life experiences. Trying to stay aware of time passing, constantly watching it move without looking away. Here's some news:

l. Travelling across the country, working on a book, travelling

The first two months of my summer were spent playing the train game, meeting strangers, and travelling across the North, Midwest, and Western United States. I worked on drawings along the way and have a full sketchbook along with many film photos in which I am in the process of organizing in hopes to make an art book dealing with trains and the stranger parts of our country. This is a big work in progress, here's a few photos and drawing previews.

 

ll. New York Times Illustration

In the short time before heading to Alaska, I was commisioned to do a fun illustration for New York Times Magazine. Here's the illustration along with a link

Here's the pencil sketch and prelim color study too. 

 

lll. Wilderness and Katmai

I spent the last month working with the National Park Service on an artist residency in Katmai National Park in Alaska. Doing the residency was a wonderful pause from the intense concentration on the subject matter of the previous month's projects, yet equally purposeful in my eyes. I am pleased to playing a small role in park interpretation and find it peculiarly relevant to the other work I've been making as the work was all created in what most consider to be America's last frontier. I am in the process of organizing all the artwork and images to publish the full project on the site shortly. Until then, here's some previews of the drawings and film I've developed.

 

I've been cramming a lot into everyday, trying to not waste a minute. It's interesting to me that we are living in the middle of something with a distinct start and finish. We're in this playing field of middle ground, and knowing that its not going to be like this forever has convinced me to try to have a conversation about it while we still can. Going a little crazy, working hard.

Thanks everyone for the coninued interest and support. Happy to be making things and learning.

About 5 months ago, I was really trying to sharpen my oil painting skills, so I painted these two portraits. I figured I might as well share them, painting is fun every now and then.

Oil on panel, 18" x 24"

Oil on panel, 18" x 24"