Been an interesting year. Had two projects where I got to draw each and every president (once in a straightforward simplified scratchboard style, and again as a set of color caricatures), and I had two board game projects where I drew overhead views of two European cities. (and in looking back through 2009’s output, I also got a lot of practice in on ‘bugs’ on several projects, and several chances to hone my skills at ‘pirates’). New clients included Dover Books, National Geographic and additional ‘game projects’ for the designer in Finland.

Despite the dismal economic situation in the country, I managed to keep my head above water for most of the year, but I have a feeling that I’m whistling in the dark, and the worst may be yet to come.

On the personal side, I had the good fortune to get a chance to act & sing on stage this summer, in a local stage production of ‘Woody Guthrie’s American Song’, along with my son, home from his first year in college (and in the bargain, sing the national anthem at our local AAA ballpark on the fourth of july with the same small group of performers). This had the added benefit of jump starting my interest in music once again, and I made several contacts and friends with whom I’ve enjoyed performing with in the time since. I started attending a monthly songwriter group, which got me writing songs once again on a regular basis. In addition, I joined a small local adult string orchestra, in order to get the cello back out of mothballs.

Still living in the same green house on the Grand River, and our son is halfway through his sophomore year at college in Chicago, and looking forward to the next decade after 20 years at this illustration career.

These are what I consider my best pieces from 2009 (click on the thumbnails to see a larger version):

382 illustrations approximately this year, bringing the grand total up to 11,914 since 1989.