New York City Marathon

My mom and I went to see her good friend Tina run the New York City Marathon and cross the finish line with her sister. The city was buzzing and I managed to sketch a bit while we waited. Here's one I scanned into Photoshop and added color to. More to come so stay tuned.

Grace Makes the Cut for Charity!

When my good friend Grace told me she was going to be cutting more than 8 inches of her hair to donate to charity, I was impressed at her guts, as well as her incredible generosity. When she asked me if I wanted to draw the experience, I jumped at the invitation. The Mark Garrison Salon provides a complimentary haircut for those donating their hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, a charitable organization that creates wigs for women fighting cancer. Sanae Furutani was the impeccable stylist who gave Grace her fabulous haircut, and I was lucky enough to capture her in some of my sketches. Mark Garrison was warm and welcoming, and invited me to share my illustrations with his clients on his blog. For more information on the salon and Pantene Beautiful Lengths, visit the Mark Garrison Salon website.

Outside Vasac's Window

Last week I went to Vasac's Drink and Draw and instead of drawing inside the bar, I drew what was outside its window.  I left the right hand side of the page blank, at first because I was not sure what to do with it, but eventually because I liked the negative space.

Rosie "Mutombo" Passione

Found this old drawing I did of my cat, Rosie. I scanned in an ink drawing and added color in Illustrator. This pose is typical - she can always be found asleep somewhere in the apartment (usually under a pillow). When she's not sleeping she's playing catch with her favorite yellow ball. And if you throw it to her just so, she grabs it with her paws or smacks it back towards you. Byron nicknamed her Mutombo, after Dikembe Mutombo, one of the best defensive players and shot blockers in the NBA.

European Sketchbook

Hi again!

I'm back from Europe and glad to be home in NYC.  The trip was a great experience - and there was a ton of beautiful things to draw...  If you haven't been on my Facebook page, here are a handful of the sketches I did while I was overseas. 

There's a lot more where these came from, but I plan on saving some for the illustrated travel journal I will be self-publishing in the near future.

Thanks for checking out the work! I will add some more soon!

Rome...Somewhere near the Piazza di Spagna

The beach in Nice

Gaudi's Casa Batllo

Florentine Accordionist

Roman Holiday

Just finished a week in Rome and it was a sight for sore eyes. Everywhere I turned there was something Archaic, beautiful, and overpowering. Although I finally have wifi here in Florence, this site doesn't allow me to upload images from my phone. Therefore, please go to my Facebook page to see sketchbook work! Ciao!

Artwork IS work!!!

I mysteriously received this bumper sticker in the mail the other day and have yet to figure out who sent it.  Nonetheless, it boats an important message:

Me, thinking about how many "discounts" I've given clients...

The One That Didn't Make the Cut

This past week I've just finished a series of drawings for my show at the Museum at FIT.  The collection features scenes from Los Angeles and New York and scrutinizes both the differences and similarities between the two cities.  I did some drawings at Chelsea Market on Ninth Avenue (to compare to LA's Grand Central Open Air Market).  Though I really enjoyed creating this drawing, sadly, it did not make the cut and will not be in the show in September.  Thus, I decided to share it here!

The MFA Bridge Show at the Museum of FIT will run from September 2-24, with an Opening Reception on Thursday, September 8, from 5:30 - 7:30PM. 

"An Oldie But A Goodie"

I've recently had to start deleting files off my startup disc because I have begun to get the dreaded pop up window that tells me I have less and less room on my computer... The good thing is that going through old files has me discovering work I've done in the past that I never intended to show to anyone.  Here is an example of what my grandma would call, "an oldie but a goodie":

 

 

Society of Illustrators Summer Illustration Art Academy

My good friend Stephen Gardner invited me to join him at the Society of Illustrators where he was a guest instructor for the Summer Illustration Art Academy.  It was great seeing so many young kids getting excited about art, some of them handling art supplies for the first time.  Kudos to everyone at the Society who worked hard to get this grant from the NEA. More info on the Summer Illustration Art Academy: Society of Illustrators

I managed to get in a quick sketch of one of the young ladies busy mixing watercolors on a rock by the lake in Central Park.

Coney Island Teaser

I went to Coney Island on Sunday to create some drawings for my show in September.  I'm posting a small sketch that won't be in the show as a bit of a teaser : )

It was a scorching hot day, but by the pier it was pleasant.  After my drawings I met up with my good friend Margo and her dad.  We went on the Cyclone and suffered extreme whiplash. Our hair will never be the same.

Jenna + Crista

Next couple in the Admirable Couple entries....

Jenna and Crista!

Drink and Draw!

Another few hours well spent at the Horseshoe Bar in the East Village.  Good friends, good beer, good prices, and good times drawing.  I was frustrated but managed to squeeze out some OK sketches...

Some of my Favorite People

My official last day of school - I now have a Master's of Fine Art in Illustration!  Class included working on our graduate exhibition...but I also had to do some portraits of my fantastic classmates.

Madison Square Park

Manhattanites know where to sunbathe, that's for sure.

Dawn + Julie

Second entry for "Admirable Couples," as submitted by Diane Yodice.  Here's Dawn and Julie!

Thea + Edie

As suggested by Bri Hermanson, the first in my series of "Admirable Couples" is Thea Spyer and Edie Windsor, in honor of the Same Sex Marriage bill being passed.

Edith "Edie" Windsor, who shared her life with her late spouse, Thea Spyer, for 44 years, files a lawsuit against the federal government for refusing to recognize their marriage. The lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of the "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA), a federal statute that defines marriage for all federal purposes as a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife. Windsor and Spyer were married in Canada in 2007, and were considered married by their home state of New York. [ACLU Youtube Video]

Love Conquers All!

Tonight is a night for dancing in the streets! In honor of this historic moment, send me a picture of a couple you admire - whether gay or straight, this is something we should all be proud of - and I would be happy to draw a portrait to celebrate on my site!

 

 

Snoozers

I always see people sleeping on the subway, but these ladies take the cake for most inspiring naps.

Sketch in the Park

Some drawings I did at the Sketch in the Park event held by Stonehenge Real Estate and the Art Students League of New York. Check out the link to see yours truly being interviewed!

 

 

Sketch in Park: 150 New Yorkers Drawing Models in a Times Square Park