IT'S A MARATHON

The New York Times/Advocate Magazine

2011-12-17T20:35:00.004-05:00

So Cool! The New York Times on December 1, 2011 published the article, After Pushing Gay Marriage, Cuomo Is Thanked With Money. In it they reference the Advocate Magazine's September issue with "his smiling image on the cover." I made that smiling image!!! They even link to it. :)

Just in case you've forgotten it, I've taken the liberty to repost the image for you. Also, did you see the About the Artist blurb the Advocate wrote about me? Well, in case you haven't, here it is.

Big thanks to my friend Dave Lin for pointing it out to me!

The Village Voice: All the Single (Black) Ladies

2011-12-17T20:21:00.004-05:00

This is one is a few weeks late. Here's an illustration I did for the Village Voice, published on November 9th, 2011. Steven Thrasher talks to Ralph Richard Banks about his book, Is Marriage for White People.

Read it on the Village Voice website.

The Village Voice: Spinning Out of Control

2011-10-05T21:57:00.002-04:00

The eighth installment from Harry Siegel. On newsstands October 5th.

Read it on the Village Voice website.

The Village Voice: Casinos Head to NYC. You Lose.

2011-09-28T21:14:00.003-04:00

The seventh installment from Harry Siegel. On newsstands September 28th. And currently front and center on their site! (Well technically, top-right...)

Read it on the Village Voice website.

The Village Voice: Parading While Black

2011-09-14T01:25:00.003-04:00

The sixth installment from writer Harry Siegel, illustrated by John MacConnell. On news stand September 14th!

Read it on the Village Voice website.

Pines Nude Drawing Part 4

2011-09-12T23:08:00.003-04:00

Drawings from my fourth and final Pines Nude Drawing session, brought to you from the Meatrack! This session was especially fun as we brought our drawings supplies out into the woods of the Meatrack--the section of Fire Island between the Pines and Cherry Grove. It was quite the adventure since we had to navigate through the floods left from Hurricane Irene and the extra rain that followed, just to get to our drawing spot!

Once we found a spot, it turned out to be a really beautiful day to be outside. Our models looked so perfect set against nature. It's such a treat to get to draw a model outside of the studio. I can't count the number of drawings and paintings I have with studio chairs, easels, and random drapery in the background. A tree is a nice substitute.

We worked in two places in the rack. The first was a rather secluded section with lots of sun. The second was a little deeper into the woods and a little closer to the main pathway. Our little drawing session got a range of reactions by those passing through. Particularly interesting where those who passed through two, three, and four times. ;)

Our Meatrack drawing session, was a fun little way for me to end my summer of drawing in the Pines. There's one more session of Pines Nude Drawing, next weekend, if you're interested. Unfortunately, I'm unable to make it. I'm grateful for the times I have gotten to go this summer, though.

I have to say it again, that it was one of my favorite parts of my summer vacation. Not only was it fun, but it's inspired me to do more sketchbook work. I'm definitely going to be looking this fall and winter for some opportunities. It won't be the same as my Saturday beach drawings, though. So, I definitely can't wait until next summer to do it again!

Pines Nude Drawing Part 3

2011-09-12T23:02:00.003-04:00

Pines Nude Drawing from August 20th beach weekend.

Pines Nude Drawing Part 2

2011-09-12T22:54:00.006-04:00

Another installment from Pines Nude Drawing from my August 13th Pines beach weekend.

The Village Voice: Ground Zero Tolerance

2011-09-06T23:40:00.005-04:00

The fifth installment from Harry Siegel, illustrated by John MacConnell. This one might be my favorite one, yet!

On the Village Voice website.

The Village Voice: Koch v. Obama

2011-09-06T23:35:00.000-04:00

The fourth installment by Harry Siegel, illustrated by John MacConnell.

On the Village Voice website.

The Advocate is the Best!

2011-08-23T16:16:00.002-04:00

The folks at The Advocate Magazine are the best! In the mail, I just received a few copies of my issue, AND A POSTER OF MY COVER! Can you say, "Best Client Ever!" It's so cool of them to send me the poster. I was already planning on getting the issue framed. Now I have even more.

Made my day, guys. Big thumbs up. Thanks! :)

The Village Voice: Sharpton's Racket

2011-08-23T15:46:00.003-04:00

The third installment from Harry Siegel, illustrated by John MacConnell.
On the Village Voice website.

The Village Voice: The Next Major? You Don't Care, Do You?

2011-08-23T15:38:00.006-04:00

The second installment from Harry Siegel, illustrated by John MacConnell.
On the Village Voice website.

The Advocate: The Cuomo Evolution

2011-08-09T02:04:00.002-04:00

Check out my illustration for the cover for the September issue of The Advocate!

Marriage Equality has been passed in New York State and this issue talks to the man who pushed for it, Governor Andrew Cuomo. I know you want to run out and go grab it now, but it's not on stands, yet. So, you're just going to have to settle for reading/seeing my artwork on the Advocate website.

I'm so honored to have been asked to create the image for this monumental issue and I'm excited it turned out so great. Once it becomes available you should get one right away. Trust me, it's going to be a hot commodity. I think I'm going to frame mine. :)

Pines Nude Drawing

2011-08-09T01:43:00.005-04:00

I am really having a great summer. During the week, I've been working my butt off with freelance jobs and every couple weeks I've been running off to the beach for the weekends. What more could I ask for?

This summer there's something new going on in the Fire Island Pines. Carlos Pisco has started up the Pines Nude Drawing. Every other week, Carlos has been pulling together a group of guys to get together and draw. It's not something one typically finds at the beach, but where else could there be a more beautiful setting? I went for the first time the last time I was out and had a blast. It was a great way to start my morning--poolside with my sketchbook, pencils, and free models.

Here's just a few of the drawing I did while I was there. It was a really wonderful experience and I can't wait to get back to do some more!

The Village Voice: Bloomberg's Machine Politics

2011-08-07T19:53:00.003-04:00

Go out right now and pick up a copy of this week's Village Voice! Now, go to page 10! There it is! There it is! This is the first image of a series that I'm doing for the Village Voice!

After the doing a piece for the movie, "Hanna," the Village Voice has brought me on to do a weekly illustration, paired with their writer Harry Siegel. The column is very traditional, in the sense, that it will be digging and revealing, reporting on local politics. This week's article looks at Mayor Bloomberg. The mayor has been caught using Bloomberg.com email address for office communication, leaving messages off the record. Read more about it on the Village Voice website.

The Village Voice is printed on a weekly basis and distributed throughout the red boxes every Wednesday morning. Pick it up every week to see my contribution!

Website Update

2011-07-27T06:47:00.004-04:00

Lots of things going on these days! Look for a lot of posts coming up. I'm really excited about a project that hits newsstands in August. I'll definitely be posting about it right away!

In light of all the work I've been doing, I decided that it was past due for me to update my website--in particular, the Design page. Many of these projects were already listed on the site, but I've finally taken the time to flesh some of them out adding many new pictures and brief project descriptions. Of note, I've divided the projects by type and added Jean-Paul Viguier: Cool Models, Covergirl, and various logo concepts to the list. The Illustration page remains mostly the same, with the addition of new projects.

There's still some work to be done, though. Some of the project descriptions could still use a little work and I'll hopefully be adding a project or two more, shortly.

So, please go check it out and remember to visit the About page and Like me on Facebook!

Backpacker Magazine Asks, "Are you Tough Enough?"

2011-04-23T18:41:00.006-04:00

And I answer, "Most certainly not!" But, I'm happy to do some pretty exciting illustrations of these tough guys.

First, we have the smokejumper. These guys jump out of airplanes, into the middle of forest fires to put them out... OUT OF AIRPLANES, INTO FOREST FIRES! Simply unbelievable. Let's not forget they're carrying 110 lbs of gear and have to worry about getting caught in the 150 foot tall ponderosa trees on their way down...

Also, listed is the Sherpa or mountain guides of the Himalayas. They spend their days living at 13,000 feet helping whoever wants to climb Mt. Everest this day or next. Unfortunately, they end up climbing 10x the amount of their clients and have to organize the transport of the 8,000 lbs of gear throughout the hike. But I hear you can't beat the views.

This was a super fun job to work on, though. Totally felt like I was getting to draw superheroes for this project. And really, I think I was--these people save lives every day. I just wish I could have gotten to draw something for each of the other jobs which included Gurkha soldiers, wildlife biologists, river raft guides, outward bound instructors, and Navy SEALs.

Check out my illustrations and of course the rest of the article in the May 2011 issue of Backpacker Magazine, on shelves now.

Follow-up on Hanna the Village Voice

2011-04-23T18:34:00.005-04:00

Here it is! Just thought you'd want to see for yourself. :)

Hanna the movie for The Village Voice

2011-04-10T00:10:00.006-04:00

Quick! Run out and grab the current Village Voice! It's their Comics Issue in honor of MOCCA Fest which is taking place this weekend. I created this illo for their movie review of HANNA which opened this past Friday. If you can't find it on the stands (I had trouble), you can check it out here. Yay comics!

Running with Supermodel Veronica Webb (part II)

2010-12-12T21:52:00.010-05:00

To follow-up on my previous post, I recently received a copy of the video of myself running with Veronica Webb! Apparently, it was showing on airplanes or something, as well as was shown on Bloomberg TV... This was to prepare for the 2010 NYC Half Marathon that Veronica and myself were running for Harlem United. As I suspected, everything I contributed was edited out of the video (which is more than fine with me), but my friend Kelsey got to say quite a bit! I did, though, create the design of the team t-shirt that everyone is wearing. Check it out!

As a sidenote, I've signed up for the NYC Half Marathon, again, in March of 2011. I think the half marathon is becoming my favorite distance...

Runner's World Daily

2010-12-12T16:25:00.000-05:00

Haha, crazy. I've been quoted in the Runner's World Racing News Blog. I've always wondered whether I'd rather be an artist for Runner's World or be featured as a runner... In two months I've sort of gotten a taste of both... Too funny.

Anyway, Front Runners New York made an, "It Gets Better" video in response to the recent bullying tragedies in schools across the country. As a member of the club I contributed and gave my message that, "Tomorrow's not going to be the same as today."

The video also features my good friends Dave, Gabriel, Janice, Kenyon, Megan, Beth, Linda, and Steve and their stories. Big thanks to Dave for pulling the whole thing together in just a few days, and to Runner's World for the support on an important issue!

New Website!

2010-12-08T16:59:00.001-05:00

If you've got some free time, check out my new website and let me know what you think. Unfortunately, Internet Explorer is not playing nicely. So, you will not be able to view it at its best in that browser (although, I'm working on it!). Hopefully, you're not using IE anyway. Safari, Firefox, and Chrome are so much better.

Still populating some of the projects. If I didn't post it, "as is" it would probably be another year before I'd have gotten it up. Only so many hours in the day...

Runner's World: Is Less More?

2010-12-05T15:11:00.005-05:00

This is huge for me. It has been a dream of mine to be published by Runner's World Magazine. And last month this (sort of) came true. In last month's issue of Runner's World I contributed a piece for their article "Is Less More?" an article on the future of running shoes.

I was shaking, I was so excited to get the assignment. The only catch--it was iPad exclusive. Which is super cool in its own right, but I'm still aiming for the magazine. At least I know they like my work over there and I'm not just killing tree by sending all those promos to Pennsylvania.

It's too bad I have to wait until Xmas to borrow my sister-in-law's iPad to see it...

Harlem United Artists

2010-12-05T13:35:00.009-05:00

"Harlem United Artists is an outgrowth of Harlem United's Art Therapy Program. The art created expresses the thoughts and feelings of the artists and represents the power of art in the healing process. Proceeds of all sales will directly benefit the Art Therapy Program."

As you may, or may not, know I work full-time for Harlem United Community AIDS Center, a nonprofit that provides housing, healthcare, and prevention for the Homeless living with HIV/AIDS as Coordinator of Special Projects. Recently, I got to work on a very special project that just came to fruition. Now available are Holiday cards featuring art by five talented clients of Harlem United.

The Art Therapy Program, which is part of our Adult Day Healthcare, held a competition do create work to be featured by this project, as well as artwork for the label. Winners were chosen and the cards are finally in!

I was able to contribute my talents by laying out the front and back of the cards and working with the printer to pull together this first of a kind project at Harlem United.

Each boxed set contains ten cards, featuring five images (two cards of each images). Boxes are $10.00 each. Please email info@harlemunited.org for purchasing options. Proceeds of all sales will directly benefit the Art Therapy Program.

Say Hello to SneakerDry!

2010-12-05T11:52:00.012-05:00

EXTRA EXTRA, Read all about it! SneakerDry keeps feet dry!

Back in June some friends and I debuted a new project. SneakerDry is an innovative product that every runner can use. How many times have you gone running and come home with soaking wet shoes? I can't count the times that on my run I encountered that unexpected monsoon, open fire hydrant, or puddle that looked especially splashy, only to return home with drenched, smelly shoes.

Don't Fret! SneakerDry is here to help. Before, it might take days for my shoes to fully dry out before I could run in them again. I dare not put them in the dryer--who know what shape they'd shrink into... Now there's a new solution. Just shove a few sheets of my trusty SneakerDry into my shoes and before I know it, I'm ready to go! And don't worry about paper waste; SneakerDry is completely recyclable!

SneakerDry first hit the scene in June as the program for the race program for the Front Runners New York, Lesbian and Gay Pride Run 2010. It was a big hit, providing useful information about the race, sponsors, and runners before the race, and then saving shoes afterwards.

The product is still evolving as we develop ways that you can customize it for your own particular race and as we get it ready to sell in stores. Please feel free to contact me or Damian, SneakerDry owner/founder, if you're interested in using it at one of your functions at Damian@SneakerDry.com. The website is currently under development, where you'll be able to purchase SneakerDry, as well as, upload your own artwork to make your own custom SneakerDry.

I've contributed all the artwork for SneakerDry. Everything from the logo, info graphics, to the layout for the Pride Run. It's been a super fun project to work on, combining my interests in running and design.

Because of the popularity of the newspaper during the 50s, I've been relying on it for as my influence. I picked up one of those great Taschen Icons books (50s Fashion: Vintage Fashion and Beauty Ads) and thinking of (one of my favorite movies) The Incredibles for inspiration. I'm really happy with the result--a logo that can stand independently and work as the header for our paper. I used the typeface Las Vegas by the type foundry House Industries and allowed it to dictate the shapes I used for the rest of the logo.

The most fun part for me were the graphics to describe how to use SneakerDry. It was a real challenge to simply the step and come up with images to represent the concepts. The best part was stretching to draw in a style I'm not accustomed to. I love the little runner man at the end of the steps. I'm hoping the project allows me to create some more similar work. I've already gotten to draw a little biker man for the project, as those bikers have to deal with the same problem.

There's definitely more to come on this project. Please contact me if you're a race director and are interested in using SneakerDry at one of your events.

And remember, Dry Feet are Happy Feet!!

Illustration & Graphic Design Explosion!

2010-11-02T00:00:00.005-04:00

So many things to blog, so little time. I've been procrastinating on posting so many different things. I'm months behind! This, I just had to share because I'm sooo excited. Sign-ups have begun at Long Island University Brooklyn Campus, where I will be teaching in the spring. I can't wait.

:)

Front Runners New York Lesbian and Gay Pride Run 2010

2010-06-28T22:52:00.012-04:00

June is New York City Gay Pride Month and June 26th - 27th was Gay Pride weekend; and what a weekend it was! Once again this year, I was asked by Gabriel "Gabby" Celis the Race Director of the Front Runners New York Pride Run to design the logo, advertising and t-shirt (and program, which I'll discuss in another post) for the Pride Run, a 5 mile race through scenic Central Park.

This year was just as crazy an experience as last, working with the Front Runners New York (FRNY) as I created a dozen different variations of the ad for newspapers, magazines, and the web and was at the whim of the crazy sponsors who couldn't make up their mind if they, in fact, wanted to be sponsors, or not.

Despite all aforementioned craziness, everything turned out great! I heard rave reviews from Front Runners, sponsors, and publishers, alike, on all the ads.

The real standout from the event was the race t-shirt. President of Front Runners, Rob Lennon, pushed the team to support getting a super-slick tech t-shirt for this year's race. It was a risky move, as lots of money can be lost on a high-ticket item by the club if the race isn't well attended, but it really paid off. I was able to create a really nice design to match the quality of the shirt and it was a success. Everyone loved the shirt and for the first time, they actually, completely, ran out of shirts before the race. I was told on numerous occasions racers offered to pay for an additional shirt, because they loved it so much.

Of course, people will always say nice things to the designer, who is also their friend, but the proof was on race day when an unprecedented number of runners showed up, ready to run, in the race t-shirt. It was amazing to see so many people wearing my shirt at the same time. I know this is going to be a shirt I'm going to see for years running through the park.

Imagery for the Pride Run is always difficult. There are a number of contributing factors that make the process a little extra special. The ad almost came as a "free pass" as the club decided to use an existing image I had created (see post on FRNY Annual Report 2010). The main difficulty is that the club is so darn welcoming! The ad needs to appeal to so many people -- fast, slow, women, men, butch, fem, fabulous, gay, straight, questioning, and everything in between!

The t-shirt is extra difficult, as well, as we want it to represent Front Runners, as well as not scare off anyone who might be a little skittish around the subject of sexuality (not to mention, the shirt was some pretty funky colors to start with -- who wears neon green??). With input from the FRNY Board, a perfect balance was achieved; a larger than life rainbow radiating over New York city and the park. It just so happens that the concentric semi-circles perfectly match the stripes of the adidas shirt. Could things work out more perfectly. I love it when these things just fall into place. With a little splash of FRNY orange here and there to make everything pop, viola!

As far as the race itself, things went pretty well for me, too. It was a hot and humid day for a race in the park with 73° weather and 71% humidity, but I managed to have a decent race. As always, I went out too fast (5:05 first mile) but then was able to (or had to) slow down to finish with a 5:20 average pace and a PR of 26:44. Of course I'm happy with any PR I can get, but I had set a goal of a 5:15 pace for the race. So, I guess I'll just have to try again next year.

In the overall results I placed 11th and finished as the first Front Runner, winning the Steve Gerben Award. You can find the full results on the New York Road Runners website, as well as some great pictures.

Overall, it was a great race and a great weekend. After the race (and before the race), I spent lots of time with Front Runners celebrating. Sunday was the Gay Pride March as well as more celebrating. It was truly a great weekend, and I'll remember it every time I see one of those great race t-shirts. :)

For more information on Front Runners New York, visit their website, and maybe I'll see you at a run!

Special thanks to Da Ping Luo, Ted Paszek, and NYRR for photographs.

Super Family

2010-06-23T23:28:00.007-04:00

You could say this was a Super-fun piece to create. A friend of mine asked me to create a family portrait for his partner for his birthday. The whole thing was very hush, hush, as it was a surprise.

Their family consists of their two, twin (adorable!) sons and them. The only instructions I was given was make it big (3'x5'), so it would fit their large wall, make it focus on the boys, and to do something fun. It was also hinted that the birthday boy had a thing for comics, which is why they thought of me as the creator of this piece.

With that in mind, I was a little nervous about creating something they'd like. That much freedom gives a lot of places to mess up, but I was assured they trusted me, and didn't even want to see sketches before I began the final piece. I knew exactly what I wanted to do, though, and I just prayed they'd enjoy the idea.

I was nervous throughout the creation of the whole thing cause of issues of size, using watercolor (a very unforgiving media), and not to mention I had to get four likenesses! You could say the whole piece just "flew" by, though, once I got started. For fun, I decided to take some pictures as I worked. Half way through, I decided it would be fun to turn them into an animation. As I wasn't planning this, I have to apologize for the lack of clothing in some of the stills. Now you know the perks of working from home...

It was a really fun piece to work on. I'm so happy to have had the opportunity. I was also lucky enough to be able to visit the piece at it's new home.

Letter from a Long Lost Lover...

2010-06-06T01:11:00.007-04:00

Dear Blog,
Sorry, it has been so long since I have written you. I have been very busy and have much to share. I promise to keep in better touch. Hope you are doing well. I miss you.

Sincerely,
John

Supermodel Veronica Webb

2010-03-17T22:36:00.005-04:00

I just went on a four mile run with supermodel Veronica Webb in Central Park! I have such a random life! Honestly, I only knew vaguely of her beforehand, but now I'm so impressed. Not only does she have an uber-impressive career as a model(the first black supermodel to receive an exclusive contract from a major cosmetics company!), writer and actress, but she's such a beautiful (I'm talking on the inside here) person.

Why did I run four miles in the park with a supermodel, you may ask. I say, why would I turn down the opportunity?? Turns out Veronica is also running for the Harlem United Community AIDS Center's Team Apollo in the New York City Half-Marathon this Sunday. She came out to run with me (well, actually Kelsey, our coach) to discuss running tips for the race, running in NYC in general, and to give a little pep-talk to our team as we prepare for the big race. As assistant coach of the team, I just got to tag along and add my two cents into the conversation. Honestly, everything I said will probably be edited out, as I can't put two word together on camera.

That's right, I said on camera! She brought her film crew out with her. She's cooking something up for t.v.! So in the (hopefully) near future I will be on t.v. running with Veronica and Kelsey!

Aside from starstruckness of it all, the four miles (inner loop, 72nd to 102nd) we ran were really nice. The weather was an amazing 60 degrees, the park was friendly and the conversation was fun. We went a nice easy pace as we're all tapering for the half on Sunday and also so the camera crew could keep up in the bike drawn carriage. It was especially entertaining as we went up hills and the cameras struggled to keep up.

All-in-all, it reminds me what I love so much about running. I'm talking about the friendship and adventures it brings. I've said it before that I love running because I love the people I run with. If it wasn't for great friends and running, I wouldn't find myself in such goofy/fun situations.

Anyway, if you don't know about Veronica Webb, I suggest you look her up. She's beautiful!

New York City Half Marathon 2010!

2010-03-16T13:26:00.004-04:00

The New York City Half Marathon is this Sunday! I can't wait! It will be my third half-marathon and so, it will be the first that I have a strategy. My training has been pretty good, the course is pretty nice, and suddenly rain is out of the forecast and 50-60 degree temperatures are pretty wonderful! It's going to be a great day.

I am so excited about the race, that I couldn't help but make some art about it! This is what I came up with on a 3 hour train ride I took about a week ago. I definitely could have added more to it, tightening it up with some details, but I'm really happy with where it's headed. I know I'm not going to have anytime before the race to add anything, so, it was post it now, or post it never... It definitely has some elements that I'd like to incorporate into some new pieces and I love the energy. Maybe someone over at New York Roadrunners will see it and ask me to work on next years ads... hint, hint!

The entire image was created in Adobe Illustrator. Usually, I'd add some hand-drawn and scanned elements or some textures, but there's not much opportunity for that on a train... Hopefully, I'll get some time to finish up the piece, and perhaps I'll post it with the results of my race... in a few months.

I'm not just running the race for myself this time. I'm running for Harlem United Community AIDS Center. Harlem United is a wonderful organization providing Housing, Healthcare, and Prevention to those living with HIV/AIDS, regardless of race, socio-economic status, or sexual orientation, many of whom wouldn't have access otherwise.

Their mission doesn't just end there, though. They not only treat their clients' physical needs, but their emotional, social, and spiritual as well. Truly a noble organization and one that is a model of its kind.

Please help and please donate to my page to help continue their quest!

I hope to see you all on the course on March 21st and thank you for your donations!

Michael Phelps

2010-02-15T16:58:00.006-05:00

So the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics have started! Yes, I know swimming is a Summer Olympics event, and that we won't be seeing any of Michael Phelps this time round (except he still seems to slip into commercials here and there...), but I created this piece a few months ago, and now seemed like the most appropriate time to post it. If I had to wait two years, I'd probably have lost it and it'd never see the light of day. And who's going to complain about looking at Michael Phelps, anyway?

It continues the portrait series I've been working on (Obama, Britney, Armstrong...) and it also continues the experimentation I've been doing with combining rendered and vector elements. Originally, I planned to draw a school of fish swimming with/fleeing from Phelps with the same attention and detail I rendered the swimmer. Last minute, I decided to try something a little different. I like the way the fish become more of a pattern upon the piece. Ideally, I'd like to have screen printed the fish directly on top of the original piece, but I don't have the facilities or nerve to do that...

Here's the original drawing, too. I've chosen to include it just so you can see how little I'm actually doing with photoshop. Everything tonal is done by hand. I basically just fill in large areas with color (background-aqua, phelps-peach; etc). The fish I drew on a different sheet of paper, scanned and then traced in Illustrator. The drawing is really doing the "heavy-lifting" of the piece. The color/computer aspect of the piece is really simplistic.

And since this blog is about my running also, I should also mention that this post is also extra appropriate to post since tonight is my first night of swimming for cross-training. I've got my speedo and cap all ready, wish me luck!

Anyway, Happy Olympics! Maybe I'll get a portrait of Apolo Ohno done in the next fourteen days...

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-12T14:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Anatomical Valentine's Day! I know, I know, I can hear Mom already... "Why do you draw such weird things?? Why would you draw that for Valentine's Day? Your childhood was okay, right?" Yes Mom, it was quite lovely, thank you. I don't just have love in my heart. I have it streaming through me, head to toe!

This is a piece I created or a friend. It was for a box set of Valentine's cards. Sadly, she couldn't use it. Turned out another friend did a similar image of a skeleton and turned it in first. Completely different, if you ask me, but oh well.

I'm really happy I did this image, though. I think it turned out quite nicely. I even like the original ink drawing. I'm thinking of getting it framed. I have enough of my own art on my wall, though. Maybe I should give it to my Valentine to put on their's. Would you be my Valentine? Okay, okay, enough cheesiness for one post.

Front Runners New York Annual Report Cover Sketches

2010-02-12T02:13:00.018-05:00

Just a few posts ago, I revealed the cover image for the FRNY Annual Report. In the post I mentioned, I created several sketches for project that I really liked. Well, in honor of the unveiling of the Annual Report to the club, I've decided to share with you the rest of the sketches!

Above is the sketch that most caught the attention of the club. They really thought it best caught the spirit of the club with the togetherness, diversity, and of course the rainbow. I really liked the idea for this image, but honestly the rainbow doesn't stick out as much as I would have hoped in the final. I really think I got caught up in the intricacies of the drawing and forgot to focus on the color shift. Looking back I see ways I could have emphasized it more, but hindsight is 20/20 and deadlines are even faster than me.

You can see The background ended up changing a lot (Really, there was no background before and simply, now there is one). This was my favorite development in the piece. I was happy to be able to incorporate the city and the park into the image. For me, the city and Central Park couldn't be more important to the club.
We meet every week (several times), race, host a race and generally escape from the city-ness in the park. The park is really integral to running in New York City and nearly any runner would agree to that. The city is also very important to Front Runners. Whether it is a First Friday social; a run across five bridges, along the waterfront, or down Summer Streets; or just the many great people from all walks of life, the city keeps everything exciting. There's just so much to see and experience running in the city.

These are the other covers I proposed to the club. I'm sure you can pick out the one that got turned into an interior page in the Annual Report (hint - #3). I'm really happy that I was able to incorporate elements from these into the chosen cover and the interior.

I was really excited about the image labeled #1. I had this really great idea to have the seasons (and outfits of the runners) changing with the seasons, but it wasn't chosen. I also was excited to get to draw so much nature, but I guess I'll have to wait for another event.

#2 I liked for it's simplicity. For those not in the club, it is a close-up of our team jersey. Really, it could be done with a photograph (OMG, an illustrator promoting a photographer!!), and I even mentioned this to the board deciding on the image. Everyone seems to really like the jersey/logo of the team and it makes us very easy to find in races. Seems like a good reason to have it as a cover... Simply iconic.

#3 and #4 where obviously used for the report. I've already talked about why I like them. Overall, I liked all the images I submitted to the club (if I didn't like one, why would I submit it as an option?).

I hope you're able to get a glimpse of my process from this. I know I occasionally get people asking me to share. I'm pulling together another post to share more of the process of anther one of my pieces. Stay tuned!

The Crying Show (Extreme Makeover: Home Edition)

2010-01-28T12:52:00.005-05:00

CLEAR YOUR CALENDARS FOR THIS SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2010! This day, (8:00/7:00c) my episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition will be airing, on ABC! Set your DVRs, VCRs, Tivos, tripods with a camera, or whatever you have to to be sure not to miss it!

Back in November, I was contracted to create a mural for a young girl who's into theatre. It was a rigorous process to concept, draw, ink, color, and email (yes, email!) the final result to be install in just ONE week. All of it was worth it, though, because I hear the house turned out beautifully!

Working for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (EMHE) was truly and exhilarating experience. The show really does take place over a week timeline (assembly in 72 hours), making the sketch-to-finish process a major challenge. Although the project was stressful at times, I'm excited to have had the opportunity to work with EMHE to give a family the home of their dreams and I can't wait to see the expressions on their faces.

In case you miss it (and you better not) or you just want to watch it over and over again (better idea!), you'll be able to find it for all your viewing pleasure on ABC's website.

Oh, and I almost forgot; the special guest hosts are pretty spectacular!

Front Runners New York Annual Report 2010

2010-01-21T12:33:00.008-05:00

Annual Report season is upon us. I was asked by my running club, Front Runners New York, to create a cover for their first published annual report, to be released in February. It ended up being a little more work than I anticipated; after submitting four concept sketches, I was asked to create two of the images, instead of one.

I was touched that all the sketches went over so well, but I was working down to the deadline to get it all together. The image above is the image for the cover and below in an image for the interior. I'm really happy the way they turned out; as I attempted a new technique.

Usually, I draw a piece entirely by hand and color it digitally. I've been working more and more on the computer these days (designing websites, layouts, etc.) and graphic elements have already begun to appear in my work. It was only a matter of time before I gave them a larger role in a piece. It seems like a such natural step forward for me.

The foregrounds are created the way I traditionally work, while backgrounds are created entirely in Illustrator (with the exception of a few added textures fo' flava). There's still a few kinks to work out in the process, (and I'm already looking at these pieces seeing how I could have done them better) but I'm really happy with the approach and am excited to work this way in the future.

I love the cover (above). The image wraps around the front and the back of the report, so that it is actually square. I was really wanted to make sure I made it a representation of both the city and the park, since they're both so present in each run we do. Since the background takes up such little space in the image, it was great to have a second image, where the opposite was true.

This piece was originally planned for the cover, also, but I think I liked it better as a landscape. It just had a nicer flow to it. The additional space for the roadway opened it up more and made it feel freer. I'll have to have to post the sketches so you can decide for yourself. It looks great inside the report, though. (I've been lucky enough to get a sneak peak of the whole report, designed by Sandi Rowe. I'd share it with you, but then I'd have to kill you...). Actually, the whole report looks AMAZING! I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy. I'm so glad I could contribute this year.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-28T17:56:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I know I'm a little late but I've been out of town celebrating Christmas with my family in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. I just got back into NYC today and wanted to share a little project I worked on over my break. This Christmas I decided that I would record my Christmas in pictures. So, throughout the holiday I carried my sketchbook with me and took time to sketch some of the memories.

As it does for so many of us, Christmas began with the task of getting home. The first image I drew in Penn Station in New York, waiting for Amtrak to announce the gate of my train. Not only was this project a great exercise to keep myself working over the break, but it was also a great way to keep myself from getting bored... It actually worked a little too well, though. I missed the station announcing my train and nearly missed my ride home!

All was well, though, and I made it safely to my seat as the train left the station on it's way to PA. I was worried for a bit this second image wouldn't get made. As I sat down and pulled out my sketchbook, the person sitting next to me asked about my work. We ended talking all the way to Philadelphia about art and the growing acceptance of digital work in the Gallery scene. It was one of the most pleasant rides I've had on Amtrak. Figures it would happen when I had grand plans for the trip!

Luckily for my project, my friend exited in Philly and I was free to draw for the second leg of the trip.

The next montage I have to admit I drew from Christmas Eve photographs. There's no way to capture on paper a toddler at Christmas. Seriously. This little lady is my niece. Christmas was all about her this year. Last year she was only 10 months at Christmas, so this year was the first she was able to open her own gifts and everyone was sure to spoil her. She could not have been more excited (or cute).

The third image of her is after two gifts (in her right hand you can see the Minnie Mouse I gave her). At his point she's debating how to reach back into her stocking an pull out gift three, without putting down gifts one and two. I swear, funniest thing ever.

Christmas Day!!! We spend Christmas day at my aunt's house because of her giant kitchen (shown above). Pretty much everyones shows up at Vicki's and we have a huge feast. There was so much food this year I couldn't fit everything on one plate! I decided this year that if for going back for "seconds" you don't actually get anything that you got in the first round, it should still count as the first round. Although by that standard, I didn't make it to "thirds" this year as I usually do, unless you count the baked brie appetizer or the whole table of desserts... Anyway, there's a lot of food.

The next two images are post dinner. Basically they're capturing everyone falling into their "food coma." Following the "food coma" all the kids start running around like crazy from all the energy they've just absorbed and everyone else just tries to keep up. More presents were exchanged, football was watched, snacks were had and merriment was all around.

Unfortunately, this is where the images end. Turns out, I didn't adequately prepare for this little project and didn't notice I only had a few pages left in my sketchbook. :( Things that happened this Christmas vacation that missed capturing:

- Times with old friends

- Sam the oversized black lab with his oversized Christmas gift dog bone

- My friend's new engagement ring!

- The process of cleaning out my old room at my mom's (Three bags of clothes for Goodwill, two boxes of toys and books, one bag of recycled magazines/newspapers, and Five black trash bags full of crap!)

- Penn Station, Harrisburg

-Also, to round things out, I would have liked to draw the train ride back to NYC, but that wouldn't have happened anyway since I slept the whole way...

I guess I'll have to try again next year!

I hope everyone had as an amazing Christmas as I did and I wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Extreme Muraling

2009-11-12T14:25:00.005-05:00

There's a certain makeover show that happens to air on Sundays that I just did a mural of the Paris landscape for. The image covers three entire walls plus the ceiling!

It was an extremely difficult project because if the short time table I had to work with. I'm extremely happy with the result, though. Honestly, it just came out beautifully. This may be the fastest I've taken a project from start to finish and is certainly the largest files I've ever worked on. Did you know that Photoshop has a Large Document Format for files that exceed 2GB? I do now...

Not certain of the date/time of the airing of the episode, yet.

More to come!

NYC Marathon 2009

2009-11-05T22:38:00.005-05:00

Congratulations to Meb Keflezighi (2:09:15) for being the first American in 28 years to win the ING New York City Marathon and to Derartu Tulu (2:28:52) of Ethiopia for her victory as well!!!

The NYC Marathon was last weekend, running through the five boroughs of New York City. It was a thrilling race with stacked rosters in both the men's and women's races. I went out early to about mile 11 to cheer for the leaders of both races but then focused my energies on cheering for my friends and Front Runner teammates.

I was sad not to be running the race again this year (we'll see about 2010) but was super duper excited to be on the sidelines with my sign screaming. I got quite the workout hitting three spots along the course and meeting everyone at the finish. By the end of it, I felt like I had done a race, myself, but I'm sure I was feeling nothing compared to the 43,000 finishers.

Front Runners alone, had 18 women and 95 men running in the race, with 4 women under four hours, 11 men under three hours and oh-so-many Boston Qualifiers and Personal Bests that I don't care to count. I'm so proud of all my teammates and can't wait to see them out at our next fun run or whenever they're able to walk again...

Pictured: Myself, Kelsey Louie (2:55:35 PR), & David Lin (3:31:05)

Brooklyn, the Beautiful...

2009-11-05T22:13:00.003-05:00

Oh Beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountains; majesty, above the fruited plain...

I've been working from home a lot lately and it gets pretty boring. Imagine not having to take the subway for work, to pack or go out for lunch, having any coworkers to gossip with or about and with everything you need in reach of your desk (including a bed...).

It's a bit lonely and I get stir crazy. So occasionally I'll take a break from work and make a point to get out of my apartment. I take a walk around the block, go for a run, do my laundry and sometimes just climb up to my roof.

Yesterday I took a trip to the roof and was greeted by this amazing sky. I'm actually working on a piece right now that is all about a beautiful sky so I was so happy to find such great reference right before me. Not wanting to risk missing the moment by running to grab my camera, I just took this shot with my camera phone. (God bless technology.)

It's a mix of the Brooklyn and Manhattan skyline with the Williamsburg Bridge right in the center. My favorite part by far though are those tremendous clouds.

Check back in a month or so to see the piece I'm working on...

Running Pants Incorporated

2009-10-22T23:15:00.005-04:00

The other day I was inspired to make something just for fun. Do you remember the last time you just gave in, put down your work and just did something that you knew you would enjoy even though it would probably go nowhere? That's the mood I'm talking about.

I created this little logo a few months ago while I was working on finishing my grad thesis. I actually threw him aside with the dozen and dozens of other "failed" logos I had sketched. Later, flipping through my sketchbook I found him and saw in him something I'd missed initially. He was exactly what I was looking for... He was fun. He was pure energy. He was running!

Well, I haphazardly cleaned him up and threw him around a few places as I was rushing to finish my thesis, but didn't really spend any quality time with him. The other day I discovered him again and decided he needed a real home where he could run free to his heart's content. Here at Running Pants Inc., he's free to run all he wants. And run he does! Just look at him go! Whilst running he thinks and dreams of running and poetry. Visit him everyday for a new haiku. He has thought of many and wants to share them. He also wants to share the haikus his friends have written. Won't you share a running haiku with him?

Haikus have three lines that go 5 - 7 - 5 syllables. Haikus can be about anything running- victories, trails, sneakers, short shorts, and even blisters. Here's an example for you.

A wind in my hair,
a wild furnace in my heart,
pebble in my shoe.

Let your creative juices flow! Think about it on your next run! Just relax for a minute and have fun! You can leave your submissions as comments or email them directly to me. We can't wait to hear them!

In the meantime, watch Running Pants Inc. slowly grow. Into what? you may ask. You'll just have to wait and see. I've already order tattoos of our little friend (let me know if you want one). In the future we're hoping for t-shirts, arm-warmers, bling and of course running pants! (Also, let me know if you're interested in some of these...) Remember friends; IT'S A MARATHON, not a sprint. Patience is rewarded.

Playboy: Light, Sweet & Crude

2009-10-08T16:59:00.006-04:00

I'm not an avid reader of Playboy Magazine (or patron of any kind) but I'll be picking up an issue this month. This month is their annual Collegiate issue and somehow I managed to land an illustration in it.

Every year they have a annual College Fiction Writing Contest, and over a year ago, I submitted an image to illustrate the winning story. Well, it took a while, but the story has finally been published, and my illustration was named a Runner-up! "Light, Sweet, Crude" by Purdue graduate Christopher Arnold is about a young, hotshot, Houston-based, oil trader from humble oil drilling roots. The story deals with his rocky relationship with his father and shady (at best) oil trading practices that lead him to international scandal. It's actually a really great story and doesn't feature any scantily clad women at all!

Congratulations to Christopher Arnold (writer) and Mike Marsicano (illustrator) for winning and getting their story/illustration published!

Past the irony of the publication, I'm super excited to have this as my first published editorial piece! Now, I suppose I have to go out and actually buy an issue...

I Love Running, Inside and Out

2009-10-05T20:44:00.005-04:00

I almost feel like I should wait until Halloween to post this. I've had a couple friends tell me I'm pretty gross, but I just think they're fun. Oh well.

I just finished drawing these guys and gals. I've been thinking about what goes on inside the body as we run. There's a lot happening at once. Each system is working independently and together to propel us forward.

These drawings are sort of a first step. Here each system is working correctly, but we all know that is not always the case. Stomach aches, cramps, shortness of breath, shin splints, stress fractures; the list of possible injuries and complications goes on and on. The next step is to represent all of that. Should be fun. Stay tuned!

Not sure if I like them on white or black though. What do you think?

Sweet Street Anatomy

2009-09-25T14:04:00.004-04:00

I'm a little bit of a science nerd. In high school I excelled in my science classes, and Biology was my favorite. If art school hadn't worked out, the plan was to go into med school, no lie.

As a runner (especially as such an injury prone one), I'm very conscious of they way my body works as it seems every season I hurt a different ligament, tendon, muscle, bone as a result of my body's inability to properly metabolize iron, calcium, vitamin X, Y, or Z.

This all shows through in my art. My art is about the body; athletic, injured, writhing, active, or even stagnant body. I find the body infinitely beautiful and intriguing inside and out. To make my art I'm always looking for reference. I've got quite a few anatomy books and if I had a dollar for every Google Search I've done on organs or otherwise, I wouldn't need to make art.

Every once and a while, I find a really great gem of a site. Sites I bookmark and return to over and over again. One of these sites is StreetAnatomy.com. It seems these folks seem to share my obsession with the body and regularly share some really great findings of organs, bones, and otherwise in pop culture, sub culture and anywhere else they can find it. They've been a great inspiration.

The other day, I sent them an email letting them know how great I think their blog is. In return I received a sweet message back and was super excited to find myself posted on their site. I'm just so excited I can't contain it.

Boy I'm glad I became an artist and am not helping someone with an awkward rash right now.

Kanye West

2009-09-22T16:03:00.004-04:00

Can you say Ass-Glasses? Maybe it should just be glASSes? I don't know. For those of you that follow Pop Culture, I'm sure you know how Kanye West was a total jerk to Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards last week. (For those of you who don't, Kanye interrupted Taylor during her acceptance speech and said she didn't deserve the award, seen here.)

Everyone keeps making jokes about it, so it's been on my mind. This idea came to my head, and I just couldn't resist. Kanye really didn't seem like someone I wanted to spend a week drawing, so this is just a page from my sketchbook. Enjoy!

CeleBritney

2009-09-21T19:28:00.005-04:00

It's Britney B*tch! I'm a huge fan of Pop Music. I admit it. There's nothing like it to get my energy flowing. There's no way I would have gotten my college (or grad) diploma without its special brand of simple beats and repetitive lyrics.

In honor of Pop Music, I give you the Princess of Pop herself, Miss Britney Spears. Girl is a hot mess, but she can't be ignored. And I can't get enough. There's no one I'd rather shake my booty to in the studio working or in the club workin' it.

Here's to you Britney Spears and Pop Music.

Alice + Olivia Spring 2010 Fashion Show

2009-09-13T16:15:00.008-04:00

It's Fashion Week here in New York! For most people not much changes this week until you find yourself standing next to a 6'2," 110 lbs, blonde girl on the corner near Bryant Park or in the Meat Packing District.

Last night I got to step a little deeper into Fashion Week by attending designer Stacy Bendet’s Alice + Olivia Fashion Show/Party. I got an invitation after being hired to create illustrations for the show. The show consisted of a Parisian theme for their Spring 2010 collection and I was asked to create pen and ink drawings of things quintessentially French: the Eiffel Tower, Pont Neuf, street signs, windows and then some fun accessories for the models to hold: balloons, ice cream cones, and flowers.

The show was a ton of fun to attend with a live performance by the french band the Plasticines, and I was super excited by the way the illustrations turned out. I was worried they might not hold up being blown up in size a couple hundred times, but they held together on the wall just as well as they did on paper.

I'm not very good at the whole celebrity sighting game, but I nearly brushed shoulders with Heather Graham as she strolled through the show. There was one girl everyone was taking pictures of that I had no idea was. Turns out it was Ashley Greene one of the vampire stars of that hit (that I haven't seen) Twilight. Also in attendance were Lindsay Lohan, Mena Suvari, Nikki Hilton, Jared Leto, Kelly Rutherford from Gossip Girl and some stars from the new series of 90210 and Melrose Place. I guess I need to catch up on my pop culture before heading to my next show...

You can check out some pictures of the celebrities (some posing next to my drawings!!) and the rest of the pretty clothes at the following links.
http://shop.lucidnewyork.com
http://www.zimbio.com

There's even a YouTube video!

This project was a ton of fun and I really wouldn't mind doing more like it (hint, hint, nudge to anyone reading).

Tweet Tweet

2009-09-09T00:53:00.006-04:00

I'm on Twitter! (Actually, I have been for a few months now...) If you can't get enough John MacConnell (and who can?), you can follow me on a day by day basis! Come check out my Twitter page and subscribe to find out updates on my art, running, and random thoughts. More John MacConnell than you ever thought possible!!!!

If you've haven't heard of twitter or have thought tweets are for twits and have been ignoring it, it's a really cool site. Although I to post a thing or two a day, I mostly use it to follow my favorite artists, news organizations, and friends. Everyone keeps me up to date on the latest in arting and running trends.

You can see on my page who I am following, but some of my favorites are Runners World, Running Guru Mike Young, PhD, illustrator Luc Latulippe, and designer Ben Kutil.

Check it out!

Sketches

2009-08-27T21:57:00.006-04:00

I've been so busy lately I haven't had the opportunity to post (or even make...) anything lately. The beginning of the summer was much more relaxed, and I thought I'd take this opportunity to post some of the random sketches done.

The first sketch is of my good friend Chef Terry in the kitchen whipping something up. It was really fun to draw Mike in the kitchen, but he sure did move fast. There's a bit of a time lapse going on here. Obviously he's shown more than once, but the ingredients also began to pile up in the drawing. My favorite part was when Chef put a box of pasta front and center, obstructing my entire view. jerk

The next two drawing were done in my neighborhood. There's a really great park in the area named McCarren Park, with a full track open to the public at all hours. I've found myself running on this track more than a few times thinking, "It'd be great to sit on the bench and just draw here." Well, seems I only thought of that whilst running, so the drawings never got made.

Well, I'm currently in recovery mode (Seems you hear more of my injuries than any successes in this here blog...) and am limiting myself to only two or three short runs a week. Well, I need to get out of my apartment for some fresh air more than that so I decided it was time to make it to that park for some good ol' drawing. In the park I positioned myself near the workout station/jungle gym thing and tired to be less than obvious while drawing. I got a few confused/annoyed looks but it was fun capturing everyone stretching, push-upping, pull-upping and dipping. It was really hard for me not to jump up and start working out myself. Luckily, I was smart enough to leave my running shoes and shorts at home, having anticipated this very urge.

I was really enjoying the scene, but the mosquitoes were out that night and I value my precious blood, so I was only able to get these two page done. It was a lot of fun, though. So, once work settles down I'll have to go out for one more try. And that time, MOSQUITOS BEWARE!

That's all I've got for now. I'm currently working on a new portrait and hope to be posting it pretty soon. Stay tuned true believers!

Live Stronger: Lance Armstrong

2009-08-13T12:14:00.005-04:00

Of course I'm going to do a portrait of Lance Armstrong. He's probably the best known endurance athlete of all time. I don't even follow biking but I can't help but look for news on this guy. "I think I'm going to win the Tour de France seven times, take a few years off, come back, and contend for the title again." I know, I know he got third this year, but his dedication to the sport is simply unreal. I know I hear he's got kind of an attitude, but he's become a celebrity. Give the guy a break, he raises millions and millions of dollars for cancer research a year. Here's to you Lance Armstrong!

PS. My marathon time is better than yours... granted I couldn't even make it 26.2 miles on a bike...

San Francisco is where Young People go to Retire

2009-08-04T20:19:00.011-04:00

My summer of fun just keeps on continuing. This time it brought me to (sometimes) sunny San Francisco, California! What a trip. I was in the city for about week and I think I saw everything worth seeing in that seven by seven mile city. I, literally, think I could lead city tours now.

We jaunted from the Cliff House on the beach of the Pacific, through Golden Gate Park, Richmond, Haight-Ashbury, the Castro, and the Mission District. We then went back up through Union Square, North Beach, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf and to the Golden Gate Bridge. We even took a day to leave the city and tour the Sonoma and Napa Valleys.

Also on the constant lookout for art, we made sure to stop into the de Young Museum, San Francisco MOMA, and a few galleries we happened upon along the way. Some highlights for me were the Picassos' and John Singer Sargents' and it was great to see some Wayne Thiebaud's in their native habitat.

I took a couple hundred photos while in the city, but unfortunately didn't get much time to draw. There was just so much to see and do! These are the few drawings that I was able to do on-site, though. They include a drawing from our day in the Mission District, our hostel room, and of the planes from the airport. Not the most exciting things I saw whilst traveling, with all the sea lions, landscapes and hoola-hoopers around, but it was these were the only times I wasn't on my feet running around or passed out from all the running around.

There were so many things I missed drawing, I'll just have to go back there soon and make up for it.

Obama-thoner

2009-07-22T13:28:00.005-04:00

Back on November 2nd when I ran the New York Marathon, the whole city was in an election frenzy. Even with a twenty-six mile race ahead, people couldn't keep their minds away from the election race only days away. Stocking up at my local running store on Gu and other necessities I saw the funniest thing. The store was selling shirts for the marathon with you-know-who's face on it. Obamathoner it said.

The day of the race I couldn't believe people traded in their synthetic, non-chafing jerseys to show their support. I mean, good for them, but I could have just saved it for post-marathon celebration time.

It's nearly a year later, now, and that really has nothing to do with my illustration, but it just came to mind as I was posting this new image. It's part of a portrait series I'm starting. This is just the drawing. I still have to add color, which will just be simple. More to come!

Italy & Greece

2009-07-17T12:20:00.005-04:00

This is rounding out to be one of the most exciting summers of my life. I've finished Graduate School, living in New York City, surrounded by great friends, and traveling my little butt off.

About a week ago I returned from a trip to Italy and Greece. I had an absolutely amazing time. One of my really good friends is a high school Latin teacher and planned the trip for her students. I was lucky enough to be invited to be one of the chaperones for the trip because of my Art History background, travel savvy, and iron fist with children. (Or at least two of those three.) The trip started in Rome and ended in Athens. In the middle we visited Pompei, Mycenae, Olympia, Epidavros, and Delphi. So much to see in only 10 days!

The trip was a whirlwind tour, but was so much fun. I met so many people and had so much fun with the kids. Some of the highlights were the Acropolis, Pompei, and the Sistine Chapel. My only regret was that we didn't get to check out the Caravaggio exhibit while in Rome. I mean, seriously, how can you NOT look at Caravaggio while in Rome?? (We also missed the School of Athens :( )

Since I was in charge of protecting and herding 29 kids, needless to say, I didn't have much free time. I was able to get a few drawings done while there. Here we have the Parthenon, a statue of Antinious, and one of the many bus rides we endured. I did get a drawing of Pompei, but it has been mailed to my mother (I'm such a good son) before I got to scan it... I hope it makes it!

San Francisco is the next trip planned for this summer. Stay turned for more posts!

New York Pride Run 2009

2009-07-16T17:13:00.011-04:00

If you were in New York City three weeks ago you probably had a hard time missing all the rainbow flags. Three weeks ago was Gay Pride in New York. Every year the week is full of events and parties and then concluded with the Pride Run on Saturday and then the Pride Parade on Sunday.

My running club, Front Runners New York, actually hosts the Gay and Lesbian Pride Run every year. This year I was lucky enough to be asked to create all the advertising for the event. It was quite an honor and quite the task. A few logos/identities were created (and rejected) and then a few advertisements. In the end I ended up having my artwork appear in two magazine, two newspapers, and a few website banners. It's the most exposure I think I've had yet.

The most exciting part was the t-shirt design. Thousands of my t-shirt were created and it was so amazing to see, race day, everyone wearing the shirts. The most amazing thing about the shirts is that people will be wearing them for years to come. I can't wait to go running in the park and see one.
I'm so happy to have been able to contribute to be able to contribute to a group like the Front Runners on their 30th Anniversary of the club and on the 40th Anniversary of Stonewall.

On a sidenote, I ran the Pride Run again this year and finished 16th overall with a time of 28:04 (Sadly a minute slower than last year). I was the first FRNYer to cross the line, though, and came home with a nice little trophy and a gym membership (which is great cause I'm having more injury problems...).
Photos by DAVID LIN & TED PASZEK

Tasmanian Print Exchange

2009-06-17T15:59:00.008-04:00

I've had the unique opportunity to take part in a print exchange with 9 other American arts and 10 graduate students from the University of Tasmania. The exchange required me to create an edition of 22 prints 5"x7" in dimension, of any media and subject matter Once collected each artist will get a print from each other artist, and the remaining 2 sets will go on display in the US and Tasmania.

I've been super excited about this for several reasons. First, I feel so honored to be asked. Second, it's been a lot of fun to get to back into printing. And third, This is the first time my work will be displayed abroad. I don't have details on when or where the shows will be held because they're still forming, but I'll definitely let you all know.

The piece I've created is a continuation of the running/body series I began in my thesis. It's a reinterpretation of the One Track Mind drawing from earlier in the year. This time I've connected the "shoe brain" directly to the body's nervous system. I really love the way it's turned out!

I can thank Hilary Lorenz for this awesome opportunity. I met Hilary through running and she was a guest lecturer for one of my classes at SVA. She's quite the accomplished printmaker (and runner!). She had an amazing experience in Tasmania, through a residency at the University of Tasmania, and currenly teaches at Long Island University in Brooklyn, New York.

The Logo Boneyard

2009-05-29T16:58:00.007-04:00

This new website has just started up and I think it's pretty cool. Every company wants to be known for their own unique identity, and that identity so often is hinged upon a single mark, the logo. As artists and designers it is our responsibility to create these mini-masterpieces that capture anything and everything about an organization and it's agenda.

Not so simple a task, many logos get created and tossed aside because they don't quite hit the mark. Although they may not fit the client, many of these discarded logos are little gems that get buried, never to been seen again. The Logo Boneyard is giving these logos a second chance to live and shine and putting them on display for the world to see.

I'm super-excited because I've been lucky enough to have two logos chosen to be displayed at the boneyard. I really recommend you check them out and if you have something pretty buried in the depths of your harddrive, feel free to submit too!

And I just have to say how much I LOVE the identity for the site itself! Mmmm bones and swirls!

Yuko Shimizu(Red)

2009-05-26T21:11:00.009-04:00

Okay, that title doesn't really work. But WOW was I surprised to walk into the Gap and find Yuko Shimizu's artwork on their t-shirts. Not only on shirts, but part of the Project (RED) campaign to stop the spread of HIV and AIDS in Africa. First of all, I'm really happy to see illustrators and designers being so involved in such a global epidemic, and also, just congrats to Yuko for contributing.

It's not just Yuko, though. Other illustrators and designers have their work on the (RED) shirts including illustrator/designer Mike Perry, illustrator Steve Wilson, artist Jess Rotter, graphic artist Supermundane (Rob Lowe), illustrator/designer Si Scott and illustrator Hiroshi Tanabe. You can check out many (but unfortunately not all) of the shirts here and purchase them here (or at your local Gap retail store).

This is just another example of why I want to steal Yuko's career. In high school I used to work at the Gap. Maybe I can call them up and see if I can pull some strings to be in the next run of shirts. Don't hold your breath...

and PS, please forgive the poor camera phone photo...

Success!

2009-05-22T00:03:00.006-04:00

The MFA Thesis exhibition came down this past Monday. I have been waiting to post on this until I had some pictures from the opening, but alas, I forgot my camera, and I've been having some difficulty getting images from friends. :( I couldn't keep you all waiting any longer, though. I had to say THANK YOU to everyone who made it out to the show especially to those who came to the opening. I had such a good time and felt so much love and support!

Posted are some pictures of myself showing my good friend Danny Jones the exhibition. (Pictures courtesy Mike Terry's iPhone).

For those of you that couldn't make it out, you'll notice I got a really great wall for the show. I planned on putting three pieces and a book into the show. Shown to my space in the gallery, I had to run back to my studio to grab another drawing! I had a great huge wall. On display were two pieces you've all seen, two new pieces and a new book that traces my whole thesis project this year.

All the work looked great in the show. I hope you all took the chance to check out the MFA Illustration website, because there was a lot good things happening in the gallery.

The best part of the evening was definitely when I found out I had a fan and got to sign an autograph. :)

Thanks again everyone. I'll keep you posted on any shows that may come in the future!

The Show is OPEN!

2009-05-01T10:36:00.005-04:00

MFA Illustration as Visual Essay Thesis Exhibition 2009! (Take II)

2009-04-19T18:55:00.004-04:00

It has been forever since I've posted last. I've been so busy preparing for the thesis show, I just haven't had the time! And it doesn't hurt that I've got some stuff that you haven't seen to put in the show now.

As promised, here are details. Hope to see you all there!

MFA Illustration as Visual Essay Thesis Projects

Curated by David Sandlin

Selected Works from the Class of 2009: Rachel Allison, Lisel Ashlock, Josh Bayer, Maria Berrio, You Byun, André da Loba, Matt Cavanaugh, Ray Jones, Yuriko Katori, YJ Lee, Youngsun Liu, John MacConnell, Joanna Neborsky, Anna Raff, Heejin Roh, Nu Ryu, Sybille Schenker, Russ Spitkovsky, Rich Tu, and Edwin Vazquez.

Reception: Tuesday, May 5, 2009, 6 - 8pm

Exhibition Showing May 1 - 16, 2009

Visual Arts Gallery

601 West 26th Street, 15th Floor

New York, NY 10011-3201

212 592 2145

Gallery Hours: Monday - Saturday, 10am - 6pm

Find a sneak peak of the work here!

A New Piece

2009-03-26T14:23:00.005-04:00

A new piece, but I'll write about it later...

Cedar Lake Dance

2009-03-20T11:25:00.014-04:00

Last month, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to spend some time in the dance studio of Cedar Lake Dance, a contemporary ballet company, here in NYC. Everyone was uber-welcoming and I really had fun and got to know some of the dancers.

My mission while I was there was to make a record of the motion within. I draw athletes all the time and I'm fascinated by the body. Often I'm forced to work from photography or imagination, though, when it comes to representing motion. Drawing at Cedar Lake, though, was an amazing experience and it truly gave me a lesson on motion. These guys don't stay still!

By the of three days, I had a filled an entire sketchbook! I don't think my images captured the grace of the dancers, but there was at least motion.

I guess they didn't mind having me there either, because they decided to use some of my images in their weekly newsletter for March 17th. You can check it out here.

Currently they're dancing with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and you can see their next performance April 24th in New Brunswick, NJ.

What is Illustration?

2009-03-14T17:19:00.004-04:00

Believe it or not, this is a question I get asked all the time. I've just finally accepted that the general public has absolutely no idea what illustration is or where it can be found. When asked, my general answer is that I want to do editorial illustration you might see in Runner's World Magazine or the New York Times, cause this seems like the easiest thing to explain. Even this gets the surprised response (from avid runners/readers) "Runner's World has illustration?" Yes, as a matter of fact, it does. Last month's issue had over 20!

Anyway, my interests stretch much further than that. I have interests in seeing my illustrations anywhere from the newspaper page, to billboards, subway stations, sneakers, bedsheets, and yes even to the children's book page. And as I think of it, my list will keep growing.

It's always nice to find illustration inspiring a new generation (Hopefully, one that will know what it is). A friend (Thanks Anna!) forwarded me this article "A Is for Artwork That Lures Bronx Schoolchildren to New Libraries" from the New York Times about illustration showing up in the classroom. One of the main dreams I could have for my work would be that it would inspire and stimulate. These illustrators including Maira Kalman, Christoph Niemann, and Yuko Shimizu can be assured their's will. The Robin Hood Foundation has been raising money and support to build new libraries for the public schools of New York City. Sadly, here they're a luxury for a school and not a staple.

These illustrator were able to help out by contributing their hand by creating murals for each of these libraries. The murals are both beautiful and thought provoking. I would love to be a part of this. This is the kind of illustration I want to do. This is what illustration is.

Yay illustration!

MFA Illustration as Visual Essay Thesis Exhibition 2009!

2009-03-02T11:07:00.005-05:00

Mark your calendar folks! The show exhibiting my work from the past year is beginning to take shape and the dates are set for May 5 -15th at the SVA Visual Arts Gallery. Closer to the show I will post dates/times for the show opening. Also look out for a sneak peak into the work you'll see from myself and fellow artist!

Here is the postcard for the show. Each of us has created a portrait of each other. It was pretty fun and I think the results are fantastic. I got to draw my friend Ray Jones (bottom center). Can you find me? These drawings are cropped images that are going to be silkscreened into a limited edition poster. More details later. Stay tuned, true believers!

Share Some Candy

2009-02-25T10:21:00.003-05:00

Hey, check it out! I've been posted onto ShareSomeCandy. As they put it so eloquently, they are "a curated collective of inspiring design finds and art... Criteria for inclusion are finds that are universally inspiring, beautiful and thought provoking."

Pretty sweet, if you ask me!

Nature Boy

2009-02-16T14:44:00.007-05:00

Last week we experienced some really beautiful weather here in New York. It's not often that you see sixty degree days in February. When you do though, you have to find some way to take advantage of it. Of course my favorite thing to do in that kind of weather is obvious: run.

I made sure I got outside in my t-shirt and shorts for a day or two to appreciate the beautiful day. There's nothing like clean air filling your lungs and the warm sun on your skin.

New Website for Eidetic Production

2009-01-29T11:22:00.005-05:00

You may or may not know this (hard to tell, I don't even know who reads this), but I moonlight as a web designer. For the last six months I have been working with Seth Bernstein; a lighting designer, documentarian, and friend; on a new website and business cards for his company Eidetic Production.

The site shows off his work (which is pretty cool) and works as a blog so he can update it with his newest stuff. It was a really fun project because one, Seth is really cool, and two because he works on some really cool projects, including (but not limited to) fashion shows, openings, and even live television events. Check it out, and if you need anything well lit, you know who to call.

Butterfly Baby!

2009-01-26T12:29:00.004-05:00

A lot of my work tends to sway toward the darker side. My mom regularly always asks me if I had a troubled childhood that she was unaware of. I don't know where it all comes from, I think it's more fun to draw. I guess that I could just be all dark and twisty on the inside.

Occasionally, I get the opportunity to create something a little brighter. These jobs are really fun too and get to be a breathe of fresh air. This piece isn't really a job, though. This was for my niece Baby Madalyn Kate. On a sidenote, she's adorable. Her room is all purples and flowers so I wanted to create something that would fit right in for her for her first Christmas. At first I was a little stumped as what to draw because I wanted to create something child-appropriate, but also something that fits with the rest of my work. I think I accomplished it. Anyway, Baby Madalyn (at 10 months) was too occupied with the wrapping paper to care, but my sister-in-law liked it.

One Track Mind

2009-01-24T22:45:00.002-05:00

This is another piece for my thesis. I was inspired to create this piece by the piece from two posts ago, although I had this idea quite a while ago. Really spent the time to render this one. Whew, glad that is over. Haven't worked this detailed for nearly four years and never at this scale. (This piece is 22x30".) There are a few meanings in this one; simply thinking about running and also allowing your mind to race through thoughts and ideas (particularly whilst running).

I feel this piece is really working for both veins of my thesis, which is great. Hopefully, I can keep that up.

Run the Dog

2009-01-15T23:53:00.005-05:00

Been catching up on posting lately. This is one from my thesis. This is thesis 1.0. Well, really, more like 1.1. Those last three are sort of Thesis 2.0. All of them all have to do with running and slowly they are merging together (I hope).

This is part of my original plan to do a campaign for healthy living (Thesis 1.0), which has been simplified to a campaign for running (Thesis 1.1). This is pretty much done except for the type. It is just a place holder for the moment, until I have time to really go back and draw it by hand. I think the image is done and clear, though. I've decided that the campaign is just going to be filled with word/image-play and bad puns. Ideas I'm working on: Run with the Crowd and Run Your Mouth. Have any more for me? I'd love to hear them!

Machinelike

2009-01-14T11:54:00.003-05:00

This piece is almost a companion to my perviously posted item. While the last piece showed a runner broken, this piece shows a runner at their strongest.

Running creates these times of elation and astonishment where one discovers their potential. These moments come after a creating a new personal record (PR) in a race, finishing a seemingly impossible workout, or covering more miles than you ever thought possible in a single run. These moments few and far between and are are nearly out of body. "Did I really do that?" often comes to my head. We often imagine ourselves weaker than we truly are and it really is uplifting and surprising when we see ourselves at our full potential.

On a side note: MacConnell is not the most common of names. It is close to several other names so it does not seem all to strange to most, but computers do not like it. They always are telling me I am not who I think I am and I am actually supposed to be Mr. John McDonald, Mr. John McConnell, or Mr. John Unknown. Occasionally, the spell-check get creative and throws something new at me. It was really was difficult for me to correct the spell-check the day that it confused me for a Mr. John Machinelike. I kind of like it. Anyway, story time is over. As always, tell me what you think!

Atrophy

2009-01-13T22:06:00.005-05:00

As you may or may not know, I got a stress fracture in my foot from doing the New York City Marathon back on November 2, 2008. By doctors orders, I was on crutches for two and a half weeks, followed by no running for 7 weeks. During that time I did this drawing expressing the powerlessness and anxiety that I felt.

Fortunately, it has been 10 or so weeks since the marathon and I am once again free to run the streets! Luckily the road to recovery is in Central Park and filled with friends. :)

Keep Your Enemies Closer

2008-12-23T23:39:00.004-05:00

This is from my thesis also. It has a couple different directions. Ask if you're curious.

the Labyrinth

2008-12-23T23:30:00.008-05:00

A piece from my thesis.

Snap Crackle & Pop

2008-11-21T12:04:00.006-05:00

This piece strangely seemed appropriate to post today. I actually created this over the summer when I was having problems with my knee. Whenever I take time off from running, the tendonitis seems to flare up as I begin to build up my miles. It's quite frustrating because the only thing that seems to help is lots of ice, Advil, and patience.

So, I'm definitely not a stranger to injury. I've injured/had problems with nearly every bone, muscle, tendon, and joint from the 5th metatarsal to the groin in my ten years of running. Today is a big day, actually. It is the first day I'm allowed to be off my crutches from my current stress fracture. Assuming today is pain-free, I only have four short weeks until I'm on the roads running again. Let's just hope the knee doesn't act up again...

It Runs in the Family

2008-11-17T15:38:00.005-05:00

15: Kristen from Caleb Custer on Vimeo.
I happen to not be the only artist, or athlete (as this seem to border both), in the family. My cousin Kristen Weiser is also an fantastically talented artist. She is dances for Cedar Lake Dance a contemporary ballet studio, here in New York. She was recently featured in a video by project52, a collaboration with Cedar Lake to highlight the dancers' intersections of life and dance.

I am especially proud and excited to introduce my cousin because she is one of the reasons I am an artist today. Her drive and willingness to dream has given me the confidence to pursue my own goals. If she hadn't been willing to take the hard, and certainly painful, road to become a "rockstar" in the dance world, I don't know if I would have been willing to take such a leap into the art world as well.

If you're interested in seeing more of Kristen and Cedar Lake, and I highly recommend it, their next performances are January 8-18th. They are located at 547 West 26th St, New York, NY 10001.

The Stress of a Fracture

2008-11-11T13:34:00.007-05:00

What I failed to mention in my post about the New York City Marathon and my race, was that post race I was achy all over and began getting sharp pains on the outside of my right foot. Some aches and pains are expected post marathon, so I decided to give them a few days to take care of themselves. After three days of icing, wrapping, medicating, and limping, I went to the doctor and got x rays. After a weekend on crutches, I met with the orthopedic surgeon, today, to find out the verdict.

At the orthopedists, I learned that you can develop a stress fracture anytime within two weeks of the initial impact. From my x rays the doctor determined that if I didn't have a stress fracture already, I was on the verge of developing one in the near future. Either way, the treatment is the same. So I will be on crutches for the next two weeks followed by another four of low impact living. Meaning I cannot run for six weeks. :(

These are the my x rays. The doctor said an MRI or bone scan would be able to give a clearer picture, but you can tell where there is stress on the bone by the darker spots. Even without a break, I think these pictures are pretty cool.

The Bookshow

2008-11-10T13:20:00.004-05:00

Opening Reception: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 from 6-8pm, Visual Arts Gallery.

In the Main Gallery, The Book Show is an exhibition of 20 books, curated by Marshall Arisman and Carl Titolo, including mine Living Dying. Living Dying is my final project from my first year in the MFA program of SVA. The narrative follows life from conception to death and shows the glories and defeats a full life brings. Copies of the book will be for sale at the event. Editions are limited so if you want one let me know and I'll reserve you one (two or three!).

Also opening in Project Room 3 is The Call of Cthulhu, curated by Viktor Koen. The show features a selection of narratives based upon the short story by H. P. Lovecraft. The shows are brought to you by the MFA Illustration as Visual Essay Department of the School of Visuals Arts.

The Visual Arts Gallery is located at 601 West 26 Street, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10001. 212.592.2145. Gallery hours are Monday - Saturday 10am - 6 pm.

For more information call the MFA Illustration as Visual Essay Department at 212.592.2210.

ING New York City Marathon 2008

2008-11-09T18:55:00.005-05:00

On November 2, 2008 the 2008 ING New York City Marathon took place, spanning the five boroughs of New York City. As part of the World Marathon Majors, the New York City Marathon bring over 90,000 applicants and 39,000 entrants. It was a beautiful day for the race and the elite Men's race, along with the first wave of the race, started promptly at 9:40.

Yours truly competed this year placing 411th with a time of 2:50:31. My first NY Marathon, it was quite the amazing experience. The fans are what make this such an amazing race. After mile 15 I was ready to drop, but the fans' wild screaming is what kept me going. I finished only 10 minutes short of my goal, a miracle, based on the way I was feeling. Here is a picture of me at mile 11 on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (before I was feeling like death). A special thanks to You Jung Byun for taking the photo. This race is sure to inspire some new work. Don't be surprised to find some work with the themes of pain, exhaustion, defeat, and maybe exhilaration in the near future.

Thesis

2008-11-07T16:00:00.003-05:00

Here is an image I have created for my Grad Thesis at SVA. I'm not entirely clear on what my thesis is right now, but it definitely has something to do with running. This piece is greatly inspired by poster design and might be the beginning of my work taking a more graphic twist. Let me know what you think.

When I Grow Up, I Wanna be Famous...

2008-09-26T18:06:00.002-04:00

I've been doing a lot of drawing lately. I've recently was given a really nice brush pen and it has inspired me to get into my sketchbook more often. It is taking a little to get used to, but I think I'm starting to see some really nice results.

Today I'm bringing you something else. As you may have noticed, these are not done with a brush pen. These are done by an 9(?) year old. These are from a sketchbook of mine from elementary school. I can't take responsibility for the compositions. They've been lifted straight from a pack of Fleer Ultra cards. I recently found this sketchbook and thought it best to share it with the world because of their great significance to me. This is how I got into art. These are the first drawings that I did and really cared about. I've got a ton of these. I'll probably post another few later. Let me know if you like them. Maybe I'll publish the whole book.

And oh yeah, I'll post some of those brush pen drawings soon, too.

Random Works on Paper

2008-09-15T21:08:00.002-04:00

A lot of things have been going on, lately. I began my final year of grad school in SVA's MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay two weeks ago. Later there will be a post outlining the thesis that will be dominating my life for the months to come. Also, I been working on building a website for a lighting designer that work on television, fashion, and documentary shows, and also on other events and opening. On top of that, this weekend I ran a race called Reach the Beach in New Hampshire. It was a 208 mile relay, beginning in the mountains and ending at the Atlantic Ocean. It was really a beautiful run. An my team managed to take home a third over all finish (out of 355), second in our division.
These are just some random sketches that have happened over these past few weeks, some related to those events, others, not. Once the website is complete I'll post the link for everyone to check out.

Mr September

2008-09-02T22:49:00.007-04:00

Apparently, this is my month of stardom. I've been featured as the Profile of the Month on the Front Runners New York website. Check it out by clicking here.

This comes after being shown running on the History Channel's show EVOLVE, last week. I've also just gotten word that I will be shown again on the series. This past episode was about the evolution of skin and how the human's skin allows humans to be more efficient at running than other creatures. I will also be appearing in a few weeks (still awaiting a date, check back soon) on Speed. So if you missed the last one, here's another chance. Don't miss out!

EVOLVE

2008-08-25T23:58:00.004-04:00

The time has come! Tomorrow night is my debut as a television star. Be sure to tune in tomorrow night to the History Channel series, EVOLVE. The episode is on Skin and yours truly will be featured. This is what they have to say about the Episode,

"It makes up 16% of your body weight, is the largest organ in the human body, allows birds to fly, mammals to nurse their young, and provides a lifelong defense against predators and parasites alike. What is it? Skin. From the delicate membranes that encased the earliest animals to the leathery hides that protected the dinosaurs, this episode looks at how skin has changed and adapted to virtually any challenge it has faced throughout history."

So watch me sweat and learn something new. The show is airing at the following times:

Tuesday, August 26 @ 10pm
Wednesday, August 27 @ 2am
Sunday, August 31 @ 11pm
Monday, September 1 @ 3am
Saturday, Septmber 13 @ 2pm

Honestly, I haven't seen it yet, and I could be horribly embarrassed. So, tune in, and let me know what you think!

I Should Travel More!

2008-08-15T01:08:00.007-04:00

Last weekend I took a trip down into Pennsylvania to visit the family. Time, on the way down, was spent preparing materials for my upcoming book show and my book Living Dying. (Stay tuned for it to go on sale!) The trip back was much more relaxed, and I was able to spend some time just drawing. I'm learning I really love to draw the tight interiors of buses, trains, and planes.

Oh Deer!

2008-08-09T10:39:00.005-04:00

This is also from the beach. Let's just say I have plenty of reference photos should any deer projects come up.

A Trip to the Beach

2008-08-05T00:42:00.004-04:00

This past weekend, I took and afternoon and went to the beach with some friends. It was really a lovely day. Sunny but not too hot. This trip actually replaced a long run I was supposed to do.

The water was a little chilly, but I still got in a few times. I even got to play frisbee a little. I think with those two things I'll consider it a cross-training day. Of course there was lots of laying in the sun, also, and even a little drawing.

Bicycle

2008-07-27T14:09:00.006-04:00

I've been thinking about getting a bicycle. It would be a lot more efficient to get around the city. Also I wouldn't mind getting into bike races. Soon, I might have to change the name of this to "IT'S A TRIATHLON."

I Love Drawing

2008-07-27T13:43:00.005-04:00

I have been working a lot lately and haven't be able to find much time to spend in my sketchbook. Here's a little something from the last few weeks. The first image was created during some down time at work, and the second was created as I waited for some friends uptown at 73rd St. and Amsterdam Ave.

Illustrator/Designer/ACTOR?!

2008-07-23T12:23:00.007-04:00

The History Channel is beginning a new series in the next few months. Part of the series discusses the human body and it's functions. I spent the day yesterday being filmed for this series. I will be in the episode that discusses skin and sweating. Check back often for the update of my debut on screen. I'll post dates and links as soon as I have them.

Fountain

2008-06-22T16:59:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to check out the SUPERHEROES: Fashion and Fantasy exhibition with a friend. The show is a lot of fun and I highly recommend it.

Before the visit I ran 9 miles with my running club. My club meets in Central Park which is right next to the MET. Well, I was done with the run by noon and I wasn't meeting my friend until 2. I spent the two hours walking around the park and was able to sit down and get a nice (not quite finished) drawing done. All-in-all, it was a lovely afternoon.

Rooftop Sketch

2008-06-09T21:14:00.004-04:00

Here is the second installation of my weekly entries. It was really difficult to not put a UFO or a monster ravaging the landscape in this one. Enjoy!

Sketchbook

2008-06-02T21:54:00.003-04:00

This is the beginning of what will hopefully be a new thing. I want to try to post at least one thing, a sketchbook entry, something in progress, inspiration, my grocery list, or whatever, a week.

This week is a sketch that I did at the track at the local park. It's very rough, but that is because runners in motion are very difficult to draw.

New Website!

2008-05-22T15:38:00.004-04:00

My new website is finally up and running. Check it out and leave me suggestions!

JohnMacConnell.com

My First Half-Marathon!

2008-05-03T18:06:00.005-04:00

I ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon today, from Coney Island to Prospect Park, a total of 13.1 miles. I placed 50th overall and qualified for the New York Marathon in November! (Which is why I did the race.) My time was 1:17:23.

The "Golden Years"

2008-04-15T20:26:00.006-04:00

This is another image for my book on Life. This image is for the section on the end of life.

Schoolyard Tussle

2008-04-08T00:02:00.005-04:00

This is another image for the Childhood section of my book. Let me know what you think. I did a few things differently for this one.

I Love to Paint

2008-04-02T22:39:00.004-04:00

I only have four more weeks of painting class. I am really going to miss it.

Growing Up

2008-03-24T23:03:00.004-04:00

Another illustration for my book.