Color and costume for Stinker

Stinker and the Onion Princess is an updated Grimm's story set in Texas—but with a fairy tale quality.  I didn't want the characters to look too real, but they should be sort of modern-day.  To get the kind of vibe I was looking for, I turned…

Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast 2009

Jules has a retrospective of 2009; I'm among some pretty exalted talent.  Seeing such impressive work makes me want to do better work myself. Here's the interview from January.

Hannah

I did a caricature of our neighbor, Hannah.  Here's the sketch, and painting in progress.

Big Mama/Big Daddy

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Two more characters from Stinker and the Onion Princess. Big Mama and Big Daddy are tired of seeing their son lay around the house—they want him hitched so they can hear the pitter-patter of their grandkiddy's feet.

The Onion Princess

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Some more character designs from Stinker & The Onion Princess, the book that never got past the sketch stage. Here's the lovely Onion Princess, pictured here dressed for Big Daddy's barbecue party.  Big Daddy is hoping to get his son hitched. She's…

Stinker

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Some time ago, I got a fabulous manuscript to work on: Stinker and the Onion Princess.  Set in Texas, is was a retelling of the Grimm tale King Thrushbeard, but this time the proud and beautiful princess was replaced with a proud and handsome…

The Soldiers’ Night Before Christmas

A few posts ago I zeroed in on a book cover from the fifties showing Santa Claus smoking tobacco from a hookah.  Pretty unusual, right?  Nothing like what you'd see Santa doing in a kids' book nowadays.  Well, not so long ago I illustrated…

Interview

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Head over to the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators website, where you'll find our newsletter, PSInside.  Editor Anni Matsick interviews me.

An early Christmas gift

Our British friends, the Wallaces (John, Sarah, William & Sam) sent a delightful little children's book about a British family who travel around the United States.  It's titled: Flight Three, U.S.A., A Ladybird Book of Travel Adventure. …

A great old truck

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My friend Tim is a landscaper in Mars, Pa, and owns this wonderful 1950s Ford truck.  It still runs but needs a bit of, ah, cosmetic repair in one or two spots.  Yes, that's a fender in the bed.  I confess: I covet it and would love to have…