a more mobile-friendly ornithoblogical

Ornithoblogical is now even easier to follow while you are on the go. With a new mobile-friendly interface, you can quickly scroll through the latest birds on your phone, as well as read or add to the comments section.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the latest installment of Thanksgiving-inspired birds. Looking over the comments, I see no one has yet cried fowl. ;v)

cold and flu season - group health cooperative

If you live on the East Coast, you no doubt heard, or perhaps directly experienced that crazy nor’easter over the last weekend of October. Earlier that week, I completed an illustration assignment that really put me in the mood—albeit not too literally. 

I was asked by the Group Heath Cooperative in Seattle to create an image for their cold and flu season outreach, encouraging members to get their flu shots. Below are a few of the sketches. The final solution (above) is more straight-forward, but the message is less dire than say, skiing off a stuffy nose mountain, or fending off a storm of birds and swine. Although, I think you’ll appreciate the humor of those sketches (below). Here’s to staying healthy this winter!

your holiday prep...rescued!

If you’re like me, you sometimes get so caught up in holiday hype, you forget how to do even the simplest of things. Thankfully, the folks at Kiwi Magazine and I are here to help. 

Yes, now you’ll never have to stress about remembering how to shape a cookie. Available on newstands—if not now, soon—here it is in print, complete with step-by-step illustrations. So even if you forget how to read, your holidays table won’t be ruined by square cookies. And anyway, if I were you, I’d be more worried about that bossy walnut with the ruler.

big night

Last night I had the privilege of attending two great Illustration Week events in NYC. Chair of the Masters in Illustration Department at the School of Visual Arts, artist, mentor, saxophone player, and my occasional boss, Marshall Arisman was one of the honorees at the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame Gala. Just being in the same room with luminaries of the design and illustration worlds, such as Viktor Koen, Steven Heller, Louise Fili, Massimo Vignelli and Paul Davis, to name a few, was a thrill.

Next, doing my best impression of a jet-setting New Yorker, I jumped into a cab to head over to “The Party,” which marks the publication of American Illustration 30, and to hobnob with my fellow illustrators and celebrate our inclusion in this years annual. Needless to say, I’m a little weary today. 

of potstickers and sleep apnea

A changing of the guard always brings with it the potential for growing pains, but I’m pleased to report my delight with the tear sheets that arrived in my mailbox today. The current issue of Kiwi Magazine on newsstands marks my first collaboration with their new creative director, Ridge Carpenter. 

As usual, my illustrations are featured in two sections: accompanying the essay on the last page, and in a series of spots for their “Cooking with Kids” section (above). The latter is now much more cleanly designed and, lucky me, my images are larger.  

So for the latest techniques on how to fold a potsticker, and to learn how a dad copes with the dangerous mix of parenting and sleep apnea...Well...you know the drill.