drawings from a fan: madeline, aged 11

Every once in a while, you get an email that makes your day—maybe even your week. That’s just what happened to me last Saturday, when I opened up a message from a friend. Apparently, his 11 year-old daughter Madeline, has become a huge fan of Ornithoblogical, and spends long stretches perusing the site, laughing at all the ridiculous puns. Best of all, he told me, she’s made up a few birds of her own. 

And how thrilled was I when I asked Madeline if she would permit me to share them here, and she said “Yes!” So—with great admiration and thanks—I present to you the drawings of Ms. Madeline of Millis, Mass. 

Wow...do I wish I’d thought of these!...Still laughing over Turkey Bakin’...

late summer book update

It’s been a while since I posted an update on my ongoing book projects, so here goes...

In July, I signed with Holiday House to illustrate a non-fiction picture book by the prolific David A. Adler, and I’m having a great time with the water-related theme. It has also been a welcome distraction from the dreadful, hot weather in NYC this summer.

Sylvia’s Spinach is due in stores this November, but if you want to get a jump on your shopping, it’s available for pre-order here.

The lovely folks at Candlewick sent me proofs of World Rat Day the other day, which was a thrill. I’m really loving how the book has turned out, and can’t wait to share some images when the time is right. The same holds true about pre-ordering this book—that is, if you really want to get a jump on your shopping for 2013. Here’s where to go. The official pub date for World Rat Day is March 12th, so you’ll have to wait a while longer to see what this gang of rat butchers is running from.

In other news, the “Cooking with Kids” section of the current issue of Kiwi Magazine teaches kids how to flour a cookie cutter! Surely, a vital life skill, if there ever was one. Next issue’s lesson is bit more challenging, but more on that later. One step at a time...

the ornitholympics!

It’s the Ornitholympics! That’s right, for the remainder of the 2012 Summer Games in London, fresh-faced-yet-fierce, sporting birds will be strutting their stuff each day on Ornithoblogical. Glory was cut short for today’s competitors, due to that controversy of Olympic proportions earlier this week. I present to you, “Angry Birdies.”

And if that’s not enough for you, I’ll also be featuring some feathered competitors from bird days past on the Ornithoblogical Facebook page, such as “Foils”—seen below—a favorite of my brother’s, who was once a fencing coach. 

So take a gander. I hope you have as much fun viewing these as I did making them.

ny times: the picky eater who came to dinner

I have another piece in the Sunday New York Times—this time in the Sunday Styles section. The story is about how difficult it is to entertain these days with all the restrictive diets Americans impose upon themselves. You can read the full article here.

Just for the record, I’ll eat everything pictured, aside from the milk and table settings. 

taking it on the Rhode - see you @ ICON7

It’s been a very busy spring. What with my scant bird posts since the end of April (aka Chicken Month), and my infrequent updates to this page one might think it more of a silent spring. Far from it...

I’ve been at work finishing up the art for J. Patrick Lewis’s World Rat Day, (due to be released by Candlewick in March 2013), and preparing for this year’s ICON7, the big illustration conference in Providence, RI later this month. Also I’m participating in ICON’s Rhode Show Bazaar on the evening of Friday, June 15th. The show is open to the public, so come on out if you’re in the area. A great group of illustrators will be displaying portfolios and selling their wares.

My table (lucky #23 - for all you Michael Jordan fans out there) will feature a first glimpse at Sylvia’s Spinach by Katherine Pryor, a picture book I had the pleasure of illustrating. My publisher, Philip Lee, has generously granted me permission to show it off, even though it won’t be published until later this fall.

In addition, I’ll be hawking hand-painted kid’s shirts, books, and some Ornithoblogical products including—by popular demand—a magnet featuring “Mixer,” last seen in American Illustration 30. I know what you’re thinking...your refrigerator is naked without one.

See you in Providence!

are you sitting down? i'm in the new york times

If so, stand up! At least that’s the message from the article I had the pleasure of illustrating for last week’s Sunday Review section of The New York Times.

Art Director Aviva Michaelov sent me a great piece about the many dangers of sitting all day. Admittedly, I have been spending an inordinate amount of time in my chair lately, working on various projects, so this subject has been very much on my mind (and aching joints). Since the finished pieces turned out nicely, I’d like to take this opportunity to share a bit of my process.

Once I got started with sketches, I kind of couldn’t stop. Sometimes you get assigned something that just illustrates itself, the subject/writing is so good. That was definitely the case for me here.

I’m sure I supplied more sketches than were necessary. Above is my first one, followed by a bunch of the others as ideas evolved.

In then end, what started out as one piece turned into four! Aviva was very gracious, redesigned the page and approached the editor with my ideas, even though (unbeknownst to me) they had  discussed images of standing people.

Then the fun really began. Pictured here may look like a pile of scribbles and splotches—which it is. Behold the ugly underbelly of my process. Through the power of the internet—while waiting for some paint to dry—I watched a video of the great Quentin Blake discussing his process, and picked up a great blotting technique to create the texture in the final skull chair.

Oh!...and in the midst of all this, the Space Shuttle flew by.

Here’s how it looks in print, and a link to the article online. Thanks Aviva ~ that was really fun!

eat your peas...

April is the cruelest month, if you are a chicken-hater, and aren’t a fan of fresh peas. Despite all that, this month, in a series of spots in the latest issue of Kiwi Magazine, I show you how to shell the latter. And you will like them!