Month: October 2013

75 Years

Boston Globe, Green Prints, WSJ

My Dad turns 75 tomorrow. There were times over the past ten years since he’d been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma that I didn’t think he’d make it to this day. There were times over the past weekend, when I wasn’t sure. But after a troubling past month, there are encouraging signs that he might be back on the mend again. The milestone gives me pause, and I’ve been doing some thinking about time, and anniversaries and what may lay ahead both in my personal life and in this business that I’ve found myself in. I started this freelance illustration business almost 25 years ago (my 25 year anniversary will be next spring, when, back in 1989, I left the security of a 9 to 5 job and a steady paycheck to try my hand at drawing pictures full time). 25 years ago, my Dad was 50, 2 years younger than I am now. My son will turn 25 next year, 2 years younger than I was when I started this business.

Anyhow, on to the work I’ve managed to squeeze in during the past two weeks. Above was an illustration for the Boston Globe (click on the small sample to see a larger version) on ‘Workplace Happiness’. I last had an assignment for the Globe 2 years ago, and was very excited to see them back for more. Below are a few illustrations for GreenPrints magazine that I also did last week, plus a ‘drop cap’ and a few ‘doodads’ for this issue and the last.


I also had a few assignments for the Wall Street Journal this past weekend, one a ‘weekend’ piece, plus a series of 5 spots of ‘face washing myths’ that I finished up yesterday afternoon (one of the six pictured was an original version of one that they had me revise).







In addition to all these, I also managed to finish up the last of the large book project I’ve been working on, and steeling myself for the work on the 2nd of these two large projects, once the OK from the editors comes in. (Due to contractual obligations, I’m unable to share any of the illustrations from these book projects until after publication).

Elder Care

Barrons, ChronicleHE, US Catholic

The past few weeks have been a bit of a blur for me. Dad’s been in and out of the hospital and various doctor’s offices so many times that I’ve lost track, and meanwhile, I’m still trying to keep the illustration business going during whatever stolen hours I can manage. Most of the work the past few weeks have been for the aforementioned book project (in the home stretch now of that 80+ illustration project, with only about twenty more to go). Meanwhile, here are a few samples of some of the quicker turnaround magazine/newspaper work I’ve been doing for the past few weeks. Above is a piece for the Chronicle of Higher Education to accompany an article about a woman caring for her aging mother. The one above, and the one directly below were felt to be too harsh in their depiction of the older woman’s hands, so I was asked to go in another direction, and the final result is pictured below.


And further down the page are an illustration for US Catholic on ‘destination weddings’ (click on the small version to see a larger, more detailed enlargement), and below that, an illustration for Barrons that I just finished up this morning.