cabin fever and other adventures in illustration

When I was asked to illustrate a 4-page special section for the March issue of Kiwi Magazine called “Beat Cabin Fever,” little did I suspect I would come down with a serious case myself! 

This plum assignment—in addition to the regular cooking class spots and end-of-the-book essay pieces (see Measuring Up, above) that I’ve been illustrating for over a year—kept me furiously busy at my drawing board for a few weeks.

The feature includes games, puzzles, a recipe, and a pull-out fortune teller (above) to help kids decide what to do when the weather (or illustration assignments) forces them indoors.

Unfortunately, one of my favorite spots wound up on the cutting room floor, but I’m showing it here in all its glory. It was to go with a piece on recycling household materials into cool craft projects.

And finally, that athletic troupe of dried beans you see is part of this month’s cooking class: How to Measure Ingredients. It’s always a challenge to find an adventurous twist in what can be a pretty mundane subject. Speaking of which, this month we’re washing spinach!