Pachyderm Express

This year's a rollin' on!

2012-01-27T12:37:00.000-08:00

Wow, almost two months since I've posted! December found me busy with finishing up a book I'm working on, Christmas vacay, and few Holiday shows. It's the new year now and I'm still finishing up the book, just hung work at the San Mateo main library, and put some goodies in a show at Creative Framing & Gallery in Oakland.Whew, getting off to a good start!

Above are two of my new paintings at the gallery in Oakland, titled "Love Birds (1 & 2)". They are part of a group show called "Red, Hot Chocolate". A great grouping of art for Valentine's day, lots of juicy, tasty, 'lovely' art! If you're in the area, check it out!

I'm looking forward to doing some new work this year, and have started a new project, daily doodles. More info to come on that... But for now, thanks for checking my stuff out and enjoy!!

Santa's back!

2011-12-12T17:54:00.000-08:00

If you're feeling a little crazed like our friend Claus, no need to worry! Here is a crafty little project to help get you in the joyful Christmas spirit. A paper box ornament. Just print, cut, fold and glue. I created this Frazzled Santa last year and thought he was so fun, so I had to share him again this year. Click on the image, then right click to download. Enjoy!

Exodus

2011-11-18T09:52:00.000-08:00

I'm currently working on a new picture book for EKS publishing, and it has been loads of fun! Lots of research, and lots of drawing neat old time periods. This is a spread from the book (which should be available early 2012), depicting the Exodus from Egypt by the Israelites. I am really happy with how it turned out, and just wanted to share. A little taste to whet your appetite!

Long Time, No Post

2011-11-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

Wow, things have been so busy I didn't realize how long it's been since I last posted on the old Pachy! Here are a few things I've been up to:

Advent Calendar - I've been wanting to do one of these for a long time, and this year I finally did. It's a 25-day Advent calendar, and each day you place a new sticker until Christmas when the image is completed. Fun for the family! Check it out here at Crafty Cat Press and get your copy! They make great gifts too.

Here is a list of the shows I have for the next couple months as well:

Studio Gallery - I have 4 pieces in "tiny" at this awesome gallery in SF. Through December 23

Gallery Annex - Downtown Redwood City, I have several paintings on view and a reception Saturday night, Nov. 5 from 6-9pm.

Hometown Holiday Children's Boutique - I will be selling books, cards, paintings and prints at this fun festival in downtown Redwood City on Saturday December 3.

Creative Framing and Gallery - This cute frame shop/gallery will be showing smaller works of art and cards during December and hosting 2 receptions. Come by and get some great fine art and handmade gifts! Through December, receptions on December 10 and 17, from 6-9pm each day.

Holiday Open Studio - 1420 James Ave., Redwood City. Join me and 2 other artists for a holiday showing of our works, and sweet treats! November 12-13 from 12-5pm each day.

Asleep

2011-06-01T12:49:00.001-07:00

Somewhere in a dream.

Happy Lost Sock Day!

2011-05-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

Here's hoping you find both socks of a pair in your laundry, but if not... know they are living it up somewhere in the single sock retirement community! May 9th is "Lost Sock Memorial Day". I'm going barefoot today.

Art + Coffee = Satisfaction!

2011-05-02T11:06:00.001-07:00

Not children's book related, but art related! For the month of May I'll be showing my landscape paintings at two coffee shops and one gallery here in the bay area.

The first is in San Jose, at Red Berry Coffee Bar on Santa Clara St. (near 6th, across from City Hall). Very cool cafe with some really great single origin locally roasted coffees (De La Paz, Barefoot, Ritual, etc.). Go check them out if you're in the south bay!

Second, I'll have some larger work up at 3 Bee's Coffee in downtown San Mateo, on 3rd St. Cool coffee place with tasty snacks and a great atmosphere.

Lastly, I have some work in the "Terrain" show at STUDIO Gallery in San Francisco during May. They are located on Polk St. near Washington, and they always have an awesome selection of amazing art. Definitely check them out if you are in SF!

So that's all for now folks, VERY busy month for me! 3 chances to check out some of my new work and get some great coffee. What more is there to life, art + coffee...?

The journey

2011-04-19T15:59:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the journey is exciting and fun,
all signs say go...
Sometimes the road is long, winding,
and very slow...
Then there are the times,
When you wonder,
"I don't really know,
maybe I shouldn't be here...
Let's go!"

Cultivate

2011-03-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

Spring is so close,
I can smell the flowers,
the fruits
and rich soil.
Don't forget to cultivate
your garden,
keep it rich
with your hard toil.

"Warning" ..or.. "How I lost my lunch, and my grandmother"

2011-03-04T08:28:00.000-08:00

A little girl with a red hoodie went to visit her granny. You know the rest.

Pied Piper

2011-02-27T14:23:00.000-08:00

A man with a tune that sounded so lovely, swarms of rats would follow him through town. The kids enjoyed the music too...

Layers

2011-02-18T12:32:00.000-08:00

Can you have too many layers? Definitely not!

Tradition

2011-02-17T17:35:00.000-08:00

Who, day and night, must scramble for a living,
Feed a wife and children, say his daily prayers?

The papa, the papa! Tradition!

Holding Hands

2011-02-14T17:27:00.000-08:00

Two lovers in love,
Just because, that's why!
Two jellyfish learning,
how love makes you fly.

Lucky Little Sailor

2011-02-06T09:52:00.000-08:00

This is Lucky little sailor. Charting his course for adventure at high sea!

More new paintings

2011-01-17T08:28:00.000-08:00

Into The Garden - 32x29.5

Front Porch Roses - 16x20

A couple new paintings. I know these aren't really in the style of mine you're used to, but I'm trying this out. I'd love to hear what you think! This weekend I'm going on a 'painting trip', so hopefully I'll have a bunch of new cool stuff in another week or two! Anyway, a couple garden scenes from Ardenwood Farm in Fremont.

New paintings

2011-01-13T15:12:00.000-08:00

New year, new paintings.
Taking a break for a minute,
from whimsy,
and smelling some fresh flowers.

"Paperwhites and Pattern" - 16x20

Free Frazzled Santa Ornament

2010-12-15T20:06:00.000-08:00

Here is a little Santa paper ornament, for all you creative, crafty folks! Poor Santa, wiped out from the long night, and the elves playing pranks on him. Make your own ornament now and help him get happy! Just download the image (click to enlarge, then right click to save), print, and follow directions to create your own "Frazzled Santa". Merry Christmas!

Here he is on my tree, all settled in for a nice night.

Spread Joy!

2010-12-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

As the bird flies south
to seek comfort in warmth,
so flies peace, joy,
and forgiveness-
over our homes,
and over our hearts.
Warmth is born,
spread through the chill
of long, cold
winter's night.
A Christmas song,
a gift of life,
a comforting love
has been sent to us.
A joyful life!

A wet monster t-shirt contest...

2010-10-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

I've submitted a design to Threadless and you can now vote for it to become a shirt! Please vote for Mr. Gene Kelly monster to win!

Score this design: "Singing In The Rain," to help it get printed on Threadless!

Scarecrow, Where Do You Go?

2010-10-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

The awesomely silly musician Andy Z asked me to illustrate his first book based on his song "Scarecrow", so of course I said yes! It is a hilarious tale about what Patch the scarecrow does every night, and why his clothes are so tattered and torn. Here is the last scene from the book, racing through the fields:

This book was so much fun to create, and the perfect project for Autumn! So get your copy now and sing along with Andy Z and the crows. The book includes an audio cd of the song Scarecrow.

A Primate Primer

2010-10-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

Some sketches of Samango monkeys for an idea I'm working on. These guys are so cool, with those well coifed eyebrows and puffy cheeks.

A view from on high

2010-10-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

High above the rooftops
and tall tree leaves,
a view worthy of royalty,
a sight
rarely seen.
Beneath a warm autumn sun
lay quietly,
someone,
to watch with delight,
a royal bird
take flight.

artwork © 2010 Woody Miller

My new old-fashioned book

2010-09-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

My second book is now out and available! Zishe the Strongman, written by Robert Rubinstein, is about the life of Sigmund "Zishe" Breitbart, a poor Polish Jew, who became the featured Strongman of circuses throughout the world. Published by Kar-Ben publishing, who did an awesome job on the text and layout design!

This book was fun to create, and I got to do a lot of research on strongmen in the early 20th century. Check it out here, and soon I'll have some signed copies to sell!

An Elephant's dilemma

2010-09-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

The problem: Elephant is hungry.
The solution: He eats a coconut, his favorite snack.
The REAL problem: There's no easy way to get a coconut, but with friends to help it just might work!

These are scenes from my story, "The Hungry Elephant" which will be available for iPad soon. I think it will be available as a traditional book as well... more on that later. In any case, here he is, Elephant the hungry!

Also, new goal for self, new blog post at least twice a month...

Star gazing storytime

2010-08-19T10:33:00.000-07:00

My story, Philippe's Wish, is now available in the app store for the iPad and I'm so excited I could pop! Just had to share the cool news! Creating this story has been such fun and like no other experience. It is about Philippe and his journey into the sky to catch a star and make a wish. There are animations, interactivity, games, narration and music that create an almost movie-like experience.

So if you have an iPad, check it out! Let me know what you think of it, as I've just finished a second story, "The Hungry Elephant", and I'm working on a third.

Above are a couple screen shots and here is a link to it in the app store.

SCBWI LA conference

2010-08-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

So it was a long, and very fast 4 days of knowledge, inspiration, insight, meetings, meet-ups, and of course, more knowledge. The SCBWI summer conference in LA. Here are a few of the speakers that I really enjoyed:

Of course the one, the only, the first (and former) ambassador of young people's literature and author of "The Stinky Cheese Man" and "The True Story of The 3 Little Pigs", among other books; Jon Scieszka. A very funny guy, but also very smart and not afraid to tell it like it is.

The very prolific Paul Fleischman, who had some very good tips on working on a project more involved and longer than you may be used to.

Priscilla Burris (right) and David Diaz (left) were awesome as the illustrator team heading up the artist portion of the conference. David had some great things to say about the modern world, and how nothing perfect goes away (books), but the design and style may change to reflect the times.

Gordon Korman, a great speaker with some witty, funny insights into the mind of a 14 year old. Author of 2 of the "39 Clues" books which sound very interesting... here I come library!

And finally, Loren Long. What can you say about such a cool guy? His art is incredible and he is just such a great guy. He had great things to say about keeping it simple when working on books. "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." Just do one drawing in one day, one piece at a time. Super fun guy with great art, great stories, and an inspiration.

All in all, an amazing first conference for me, met lots of cool people (send me an email or facebook me if we met!), learned bunches, and got inspired. Looking forward to next year!

Double Juggle... or... My childhood knife juggling gypsy hero

2010-07-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, the biggest event of every summer was "The Fair". The Nevada County Fair, to be exact. A wonder filled week of smoking carnies, ear bleeding AC/DC and vomit inducing entertainment. You'd see all of your friends, plus get a special peak into the down n' dirty "real world" of the redneck-coon-killin' white trash mullet-sportin-sleeveless-shirt wearin' (because you tore them off to show your muscles... or pit hair) 'Mericans. All the sweaty, dirty, beer soaked, corn dog luvin, metal music mayhem one could hope to dream for in our land of freedom.

And every year I looked forward to seeing the man, the legend, the exotic storytelling magical juggling of Izzy Tooinsky. He juggled knives, balls, played with fire and told fascinating stories the whole time, all without breaking a sweat (and while wearing sleeves on his shirts!). Always a favorite of mine, Izzy was a man from another land, a gypsy like character with incredible skill.

So here is my very quick sketch in honor of him, and the Little Giant Theater. A "double" take on the wonderful magic of childhood entertainment. Perhaps I'll have to do a finished painting in his honor soon.

...On another note, seriously, if you're in LA for the SCBWI conference this weekend, send me an email and let's meet!

Grumpy breakfast

2010-07-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

Someone woke up on the wrong side today, tired, isn't hungry, and of course it's a bad hair day. To top it off, oatmeal again!

On a separate note, is anyone out there going to the SCBWI summer conference in LA next week? I'll be there and looking to meet some new friends. If you're going, send me a comment or an email and maybe we can meet up. Would love to met some fellow artist/writer friends from the interwebs!

Summertime swim

2010-07-14T15:53:00.000-07:00

I've been working on another book for the iPad and it has been shaping up nicely. Lots of fun with animals and a silly story about one hungry elephant. Just wanted to share a little bit of the action!

ssssslither

2010-06-30T10:51:00.000-07:00

Sssliding along, sssnake sssslid himssself into quite a sssspot.

Satellite

2010-06-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

Calling all earth orbiting robots...

Ripple part 2

2010-06-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are not aware, there is a great project going on right now at the "Ripple blog" by Kelly Light. Basically, artists are creating art cards and you can buy them for $10 each, with all proceeds going to help out with the gulf oil spill. The two non profits they are supporting are The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies and The International Bird Rescue Research Center. There has already been $4,000 raised in just a month or two!

Of course I wanted to help out and this seemed like the perfect idea, tons of people pulling together for an awesome cause and doing it in a cool way. So I did 3 pieces and intended to write about them here, but before I could they already sold! Marsha the hippo is one of them. Anyway, you can check them all out here, as well as all the others and I encourage you to buy one or two, a great way to help out with the oil spill and get some original art along with it.

Ripple

2010-06-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

My long lost blog, how hast thou been? Neglect has suffered thine weary days, and few posts hast thy borders contained. But alas! A new thought hast sprung forth! Breath hast begun to bloweth, and the drop of life has produced a ripple to spring forth!

Seriously, has it been a month since my last post!? Well here we go, a little ripple for illustration friday.

Fearless... my journey into digital art

2010-05-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

For several years I've played around with a little digital art here and there, but never really dove into it. I'm a very hands on person, I love touching the artwork, getting paint on my hands, and using pencils and bushes. But awhile back I was contacted to see about coming up with a digital ibook for the iPad.

I decided to do it digitally so it would be easier to manipulate and animate. After a couple weeks, I really got into it and feel like I'm finding my way to a great style. The book I'm working on is called "Philippe's Wish" and should be out later this year through "ibookkids". It is about Philippe, a dapper little dog who sets out into the night sky to catch a star and make a wish on it. A very fearless little character. Above is a sample of one of the pages.

So thanks for checking it out, and if you have an iPad, watch for the book and I'll put up another post when it comes out!

Mural é finito!

2010-05-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

I've been in a cocoon for the last couple months working on this mural for my church. Now that I've finally finished it I'm excited to show it off! It lives down in the kids hall and measures 8x35 feet (approximately, I haven't actually measured the whole thing). Here is the full mural, and a couple sections.

The concept is, from left to right, starting at the Golden Gate Bridge side of San Francisco at night, and spanning across the city to the Bay Bridge in daytime. Along the way are many creatures taking delight in the city - Lombard street (the crooked street), cable cars, sea lions, the wharf, coit tower, etc...

I think I started it in February (ideas started forming in December...) and finished the other day. This was so much fun to create and really pushed me to dive in, so hopefully the joy shows. I would love another opportunity for something like this, so if you need a mural or know someone who does, send me a line and I'd love to give an estimate. Kids' murals or other subjects, I'm open to whatever.

Anyway, hope you like it and if you're ever in SF on a weekend, come by Lighthouse church on 1337 Sutter St. to check it out and visit!

ahead

2010-04-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

Trying to find a way to get above,
around, and ahead of the town,
Christian kneeled down and whispered aloud,
"Take me on a ride if you can..."
and off it took into the sky,
the carpet could most definitely fly!

Linked

2010-04-12T16:31:00.000-07:00

Linked arm in arm
the two foxes stroll,
through the forest,
the shade,
and around the knoll.
Two lovers,
perhaps.
Two friends,
who knows.
Two kinds of company
to help joy
grow.

Mellie....

2010-03-24T16:17:00.000-07:00

She sautes, whips, and bakes,
stirs, chops, and makes cake.
Meet Mellie, the chef,
who cooks step by step,
the most tasty food you can make!

Hey Diddle Diddle...

2010-03-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

The Cat played the fiddle,
and the cow jumped over the moon!

A walk with Claude

2010-03-03T10:34:00.000-08:00

Down a dusty path
the wind tumbles softly along,
the blossoms grow like
billowing clouds of cotton,
nestled in soft pillows of pink.
Claude takes a stroll
through the fresh perspective of spring,
cold white snowflakes are gone,
now it's warm, white petals
floating all along.

Meet the Howler's!!

2010-03-02T10:37:00.000-08:00

"Meet the Howler's"(published by Charlesbridge), a fun picture book I recently illustrated is getting some good reviews! It's written by the super talented and prolific April Pulley Sayre and follows a howler monkey family through the high tree tops in the jungles of Central America. Written in rhyme, it tells about a howlers' sloppy eating, long naps, and general crazy-monkey-silliness. Here is the review from School Library Journal:

"A whimsical introduction to a family of monkeys. Full-bleed spreads show the animals in action, accompanied by a rhyming text in a large font and related facts in a smaller type. The illustrations, done in acrylic, watercolor crayon, and colored pencil and featuring the active animals against backdrops of lush greens, show the Howlers as they fly from broad green-leafed branch to branch, calling out so loudly the males “can be heard a mile away.” “Woo-hoo-hoo!/AH-UH-OH!” ties the action together as a refrain. The illustrations support the introductory information about the Howlers, their calls, behavior, diet, and habitat, providing a comfortable slice of life for early literacy presentations. A fact page and map are more complex, yet will enhance a one-on-one experience.–Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA"

Here is a spread of papa howler from the book:

Order your copy today!
Charlesbridge
local bookstores
Powell's
amazon

If you order from my website, I will sign your copy(s)!

My Traveling Star

2010-02-26T09:29:00.000-08:00

High above the city
on a quiet, clear blue night-
getting some perspective on life
and a lovely new view of things.

take THAT!!!

2010-02-22T15:49:00.000-08:00

Kung-fu squirrel and Samurai bear. Watch your back!
A couple paintings I did for my art group, which has yet to come up with a good name for the group. More Ninja nonsense to come soon...

Jungle fever - CATS!

2010-02-10T14:43:00.000-08:00

Some cats are furry, head to toe,
some are sneaky sleek and sly, as you know.
The striped and strong fast ones fly,
the big brown lazy ones watch the sky.
Small black fuzzy ones sleep on our laps,
and spotted quick jungle ones run so fast.
All kinds of cats jump around and run,
lions, tigers, panthers and leopards-
they all have so much fun!

A little cheese in your life

2010-02-04T09:36:00.000-08:00

Everyone needs a little cheese sometimes. Grilled cheese is always good. Wensleydale, Brie, Mozzarella, Feta, Gruyere... And with that intoxicating smell, every once in awhile, someone gets very focused on it.

Focused... on hats!

2010-01-29T13:51:00.000-08:00

As you may know, I love a good animal with a hat on. So It's only natural for me to wonder, how did they get their hats? By focusing on the target!

Also, "Meet the Howler's" is officially available starting February 1st! Written by April Pulley Sayre, and illustrated by me, it's a wild romp through the life of the howler monkey. Here's a secret, you can get your signed copy right now here.

Wilderness

2010-01-21T08:34:00.000-08:00

An older painting, but I think it fits the theme, "wilderness". Plus I had no time to do a new one because I'm getting ready for the release of Meet the Howler's!

Check it out, my first illustrated picture book! Also fits under wilderness I suppose.

A quiet Sunday night

2010-01-17T21:07:00.001-08:00

Wine and art.

Grilled Cheese

2010-01-05T12:23:00.000-08:00

Can anyone resist the succulent smell of moist bread crusting while grilled in butter, full of heavenly ooooozing cheese? The French do it right, with a baguette and brie - the English with crusty bread and Wensleydale. mmmmmmmmmmm.....

New music for new years

2010-01-04T14:34:00.000-08:00

Time to play the old year out with a wave, please don't follow too closely! A new music floats in with the new year, and hopefully a new melody. No looking back, but finding new style, new love, new hope, and new joy. Perhaps a new technique, what do you think? A couple songs with my friends - the elephant plays low and mellow, the bird a light, sweet song. Thanks friends for the past, now let's keep on with the journey. To 2010, and to happy painting!!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T09:54:00.000-08:00

...and happy holidays! I hope you have a wonderful season and pray mother nature hasn't undone all your travel plans. See you in 2010!

Mr. Fox

2009-12-12T08:36:00.000-08:00

I went to see Fantastic Mr. Fox the other day and highly recommend it. If you get tired of formulaic, dumbed down, predictable movies (*cough* Blind Side *cough*), this is for you! Part Raising Arizona, part Royal Tenenbaums, part Wallace and Gromit. I am always so happy to see such creative, original, quirky movies and am glad people are sticking their necks out for such uniqueness. Mr. Fox lies right in that not really for kids, but not quite for adults sector. Perfect for the creative minded adult who never really grew out of childhood (or rather, never fully gave over to 'adulthood'). Wes Anderson has such a personality about him, and his movies are so specific, mix that with awesome stop-motion animation and you have a wonderful film.

A word of warning, it is different, if you know what I mean, but if the thought of an awesome animation doesn't make you excited, go see Blind Side.

Meet Mortimer

2009-12-10T15:34:00.000-08:00

Mortimer is the frog who stars in many adventures that are told to a couple of kids by their very imaginative father. Included in the stories are Mr. Beaver-the builder, and the princess Raccoon. I did this painting for a good friend who is trading a snuggly hand-knit baby blanket for it. A fine trade, exclaims Mort!

Also, I've missed illustration friday lately, so here are a couple images for that. I have SO many music inspired paintings, I can't believe I missed the week it was the topic! The first two are for "music", and the last picture is a page from my upcoming book called "ZISHE - The Superman of Strength" published by Kar-Ben publishing fall of 2010. Zishe used to crack nuts and drive nails into boards with his bare hands. So here we are:

A little Christmas and a cartoon

2009-12-07T09:40:00.000-08:00

I love doing a new Christmas painting, something I do every year. Something about the magic feeling, something bigger than us, but smaller somehow that draws inspiration from me. This year I thought I'd try a new color scheme and get away from the usual 'red/green'. I knew I wanted to use gold leaf, but after painting it, I thought the orange/rusty copper leaf would go better with the blue/greens. So here it is, "Adoration".

Also, I've done another small stop-motion animation so I'm posting that as well. This is my second 'video' and they are so fun to do, I love picking music to go with the art. On a side note; I'm not actually left handed. I had to shoot the video upside down, then when I flipped it over, it played backwards. Anyhoo, give it a look-see.

P.S. can't believe I missed Illustration Friday the last couple weeks, so I'll post another couple pictures this week!

Have a good winter

2009-11-17T08:20:00.000-08:00

I hope this winter season is fun for all, put please be safe and watch your speed! You may become 'unbalanced' in your pursuit of happiness.

This is a new postcard I'm sending out for the holidays. Good times!

Surfing Pig

2009-10-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

A little stop motion video I did of myself working on a painting. I love watching other artists work and seeing how they work and where they work, so here is a little peek into me. Enjoy!

Sendak on Sendak

2009-10-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to see the exhibit of Maurice Sendak's work at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in Sf. If you are anywhere near San Fran and have any interest at all in Sendak, go see it. It is always so inspiring and enlightening for me to see other illustrators work, especially a master.

One thing that surprised me was the size of his work, there are a few spreads from "Wild Things" there and they are half the size of the book! So the Nutshell Library drawings are like, actually that size. Anyway, fascinating guy with a fascinating story who does fascinating work.

"Infinity"... or "The night cat caught a shooting star"

2009-09-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

The moon and a shooting star. How far does the star fly? Infinitely!

Also a cat, just for fun.

Welcome!!

2009-09-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

I got the okay to show some art from "Zishe the Strongman", the second picture book illustrated by yours truly and coming out next Fall through Kar-Ben Publishing. So here is a scene from the book, when Zishe coming from Poland arrives in America, his reputation having arrived before him.

A big welcome from the big apple!

...And while we're on the topic, here is a nice 'welcome' spread from "Meet the Howler's", my other book coming out next year, about howler monkeys. It will be released in Spring 2010 from Charlesbridge, so be shure to pick up your copy of each book!!

STRONG!

2009-09-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

Well, this is one Illustration Friday topic I have many pieces for. As some of you know, and some of you will find out, I recently finished illustrating a book for Kar-Ben publishing about a real life strongman from the early 1900's. It was lots of fun to do and is coming out fall of 2010.

I'm not sure I should be posting any of the art from the book just yet, but what the heck, above are a couple sneak previews!

Below are just a few other "strong" images. Strongmen are just so fun to draw ( I think it's the mustache)!

September Art Show

2009-08-30T17:46:00.001-07:00

For the month of September I'll have art hanging at "3 Bees Coffee" in downtown San Mateo, CA. It's located on 3rd at B street. Really cool little place with great coffee! Hope you can make it!

Here is their website.

Wrapped

2009-08-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

My painting for the kids over at Chicken Nugget Lemon Tooty (just try and say that without smiling!). They have asked artists for some 'fan art' based on the kids drawings, and I picked Lily's "Booked"... but I like to think they are all 'wrapped' up in a good book, or 3!

A piece I did for a friend's going away present. A scarf is the perfect accessory for a long neck, and what better way than to make your own.

Impatience

2009-08-07T13:37:00.000-07:00

Two drawings this week, they just happened to both fit this theme (roughly). Impatience can get you stuck in a bad place. Or a good one.

Modify

2009-08-03T20:51:00.000-07:00

The zoo monkey modifies a passer-by without notice! A sketch for a book idea I'm working on, stay tuned...

Idle

2009-07-30T07:55:00.001-07:00

A cat will idle where it pleases.

Tango at Trieste

2009-07-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

This is a piece I did recently for my show at Caffe Trieste in downtown San Jose. Not specifically a tango painting, but it has that feel. I've been experimenting with a few new techniques also. Lately I've been really into Bossa Nova and all manner of jazz from Brazil, which is what sort of inspired this. Check out this great blog (Loronix) for tons of great records and info!

Anyway, it's been quite the "tango" dancing through all the projects I'm currently working on. See the previous post for more on that. But to see this painting in person, and much more, visit Caffe Trieste at 315 S. First Street in San Jose from 7/24 - 8/30. There is a reception the First Friday of August, the 7th, from 7pm-whenever. It'd be great to see you if you can make it (and are in the bay area, of course)!

Upcoming shows

2009-07-16T08:13:00.000-07:00

Some of the events and shows coming up featuring my art:

SUDIO Gallery website: www.STUDIOGallerysf.com

Art on the Square info here.

Festa Italiana info here.

Caffe Trieste info here. Opening reception is Friday, August 7 from 7pm-whenever.

Art on the Square info here

Drifting

2009-06-22T08:18:00.000-07:00

A piece I did recently that I titled "Adrift". Then I noticed this week's Illustration Friday topic was "drifting", then I noticed I haven't posted on my blog in many moons. So here is the triple play!

You can buy a print of this here.

Paper Making

2009-05-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

Last weekend our art group made paper out of recycled junk mail. So this morning I carved a linoleum block and printed on it. Some of them turned out well, but I need to work on getting the paper smoother, less texture. All in all, a fun experience. Here is a photo of the print on a sheet of handmade paper.

Coming soon!

2009-05-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

The story of Walter, and how he satisfied his hunger. 4 part series.

Hierarchy

2009-05-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

This week's Illustration Friday topic, "Hierarchy". Don't know if these two know, but the order seems a little mixed up between them! :)

Time lapse, an impossibility

2009-04-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

So it's been some time since I've posted here. Maybe not so much an impossibility, but that is this week's Illustration Friday theme. So here is my "Impossibility". Maybe impossible, but a pretty good day dream!

Barefoot show pics.

2009-04-08T13:37:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from my show at Barefoot Coffee in Santa Clara. Thanks Lisa and Sarah for coming out! It's up all of April, so after you get your taxes done, go have a nice relaxing, tasty cup of espresso.

Art Show in April

2009-03-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

Come on by if you're in the area. Here is Barefoot Coffee Roasters website. Here is a map to the coffee shop. I'll have lots of little original paintings, as well as some medium size stuff and some felt ornaments.

This place has some super awesome coffee as well. Really funky cafe. Artists reception this Saturday from 8-10 pm (I'll probably be there earlier).

Top 10 picture books, at least for today.

2009-03-25T11:21:00.000-07:00

So over at Fuse #8 the gauntlet has been thrown down, and the challenge is to come up with your 10 best picture books of all time. Then a list will be compiled of the 100 best picture books of all time, using the results of everyone who entered.

As this is such an awesome challenge, I couldn't let it pass me by. However, this is a bit difficult for me because my favorites today are not the same as my favorites next week, or next month. So, despite my easily swayed sense of loyalty and unquenchable thirst for my next favorite artist, here is my list as of March 25, 2009:

Top 10 Picture Books Of All Time

1) Where The Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak.
Okay, no surprise here. You'd be hard pressed to find a list without this one. Obviously, awesome.

2) The Snowman, by Raymond Briggs.
This book is so beautiful and magical. The mood is so powerful and real to life, but so much like a dream. The scene when they are flying over the city gives me chills every time I see it. Lovely.

3) A Pirate's Night Before Christmas, by Philip Yates, illustrated by Sebastia Serra.
This book just came out last year, but it's already high on my list. This is exactly the type of book I would have loved as a kid. Pirates. Christmas. The illustrations are so fun and filled with little details. Makes me happy.

4) The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg.
It was hard for me not to make a list of 10 of my favorite Van Allsburg books. But this one would be on the top. A classic Christmas story, and the illustrations are so mysterious and quiet. I so want to go to the north pole.

5) Listen, Listen, by Philis Gershator, illustrated by Alison Jay.
Okay, Alison Jay is radical. This poem is so fun to read, and I had a hard time picking one or two of Alison Jay's books for this. But this book is just such a good idea and evokes each season so well.

6) Good Night, Mr. Night, by Dan Yaccarino.
Speaking of great ideas, make night a "Mr." and show how he wakes up and closes the world down, then he goes to sleep when the day starts. Such a wonderful idea and soothing paintings.

7) Chowder, by Peter Brown.
Look at that dog's face. Nuff said.

8) Katy and the Big Snow, by Virginia Lee Burton.
Why do so many of my books involve snow? I always loved this book as a kid, and still think it's great. There are so many neat little details in here, and it flows so well when Katy starts to plow the town. I love the limited palette.

9) The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, by Chris Van Allsburg.
It was hard to pick just one of his other books, but this one always sticks out in my mind. The illustrations are so mysterious and atmospheric. I would love to get lost in the garden.

10) Hondo & Fabian, by Peter McCarty.
Just such a wonderful buddy story, and the perfect bedtime story. Soft, quiet pictures with gentle, flowing text and great characters. All with such minimalism. Beautiful.

So there it is. There are several books that are on my honorable mention list, but for whatever reason these ones made the cut. Maybe they just seem to stick in my head, and isn't that what a good picture book does?

Legendary

2009-03-16T08:19:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple weeks since I've posted on Illustration Friday, but I've been painting a lot lately and a lot of my work might fit under this category, so here we go! I did this painting the other day, small, like around 6x9-ish, for a show I'm doing in Santa Clara at a place called Barefoot Coffee (awesome coffee by the way, if you're ever around Steven's Creek area [Brandon] check it out).

Anyhoo, a little scene of Walter Elephant roaming the lost city. Enjoy!

Instinct

2009-02-23T08:24:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's instinct, maybe it's the music...

muscle man

2009-02-12T09:56:00.000-08:00

Trying to get into strongman muscle mode for the book I'm working on, so I thought I'd post an old painting from college. Just for fun.

show set up

2009-02-05T15:30:00.000-08:00

Some pics from set up at the gallery for my show. Come check it out in super-fantabulous ultra-hi-def-color, this Friday night, 7-9 at KALEID gallery, 88 South Fourth St., San Jose!

"Flawed"..or.."What has become of kids these days"

2009-01-31T11:21:00.000-08:00

So this is a painting from my show that is being hung today in San Jose. Monkey taking a smoke break. I always love the titles on Rocky and Bullwinkle, so I thought I'd come up with two titles for this post. Anyway, even workin' monkeys need a break...

Don't forget if you're in the bay area in February, check out KALEID gallery on 88 South Fourth St. in San Jose where I'm one of the featured artists. There is a show opening reception on Friday Feb. 6 from 7-9, with food and music and art!

Here is a link to a video I made with a few paintings from the show. Unfortunately I'm not well versed in the technicalities of internet streaming video, so the quality is a little poor. But you can get the idea...

Well friends, stay tuned next time for, "New art"..or.."Things that come from Woody's head"!

Art Show Video

2009-01-28T08:55:00.000-08:00

Here's a little video I made of some of the paintings in my upcoming art show at KALEID gallery in San Jose. The image quality is quite poor, but you get the idea!

There are a lot more paintings, and even painted wooden boxes and felt ornaments in the show. It runs all of February and there is an opening on Friday, Feb. 6 from 7-9pm.

The gallery is at 88 South 4th St. in San Jose, next to the university. Come out and hang, very casual and funky, there will be food and music too!

Pale

2009-01-16T14:31:00.000-08:00

"The Countess"

She may be pale, but she can burn you! A new painting that will be in my February show at KALEID gallery in San Jose. Here is the info, would love to have you come if you're in the bay area February 6!

Resolve

2009-01-05T16:29:00.000-08:00

Delilah made her resolve,
Samson would fall to her,
his passion she'd control,
and his power would falter.

Howler Monkey hiatus!

2008-12-23T10:28:00.000-08:00

Finally, after my month long affair with the howler monkey, I am finished with the final art (minus the cover)! WOoo Hoooo! Now to relax for a little Christmas R&R with the family in Oklahoma. Here is a super-special secret sneak peak at the art.

Now only one more YEAR until the book comes out...

Pardon Me!

2008-11-26T12:14:00.000-08:00

In my opinion you should look both ways before crossing a school of fish! Or you may get all tangled up.

Peaceable Kingdom

2008-11-18T07:50:00.000-08:00

For this weeks illo friday, my version of the "Peaceable Kingdom". There may be some pretending going on in there... Still tweaking here and there before I paint it.

Wise

2008-11-07T12:16:00.001-08:00

Yes we did!

2008-11-05T08:39:00.000-08:00

image by MAFmove from designforobama.org

HALLOWEEEEEN!!

2008-10-31T09:02:00.000-07:00

Of course, a special spooky holiday Halloween post. First, my spookiest painting, for Illustration Friday's "vacant" theme.

Also, my 'art group' carved pumpkins this week so I thought I'd show off the handy-work. First is my little owl pumpkin, all lit up at night.

And there is all of us, Jessica on the left with her knobbed-nose Pirate, Lisa with her adorable little Vampire Bat (it actually had little pumpkin wings!), Joni with her Pirate (love the earring!), and me with my owl. Lots of fun!

Repair

2008-10-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

In need of repair,
the man who is the moon asks,
"Would you mind tipping my hat,
I just can't seem to get a grasp.
Being of oblong stature just isn't
conducive to a hats charms.
So please do be kind
and help a moon man with no arms!"

Packed!

2008-09-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

These guys are PACKED!! An oldie, but a goodie. This one dates all the way back to art school!

Super-Fantastical Excit-e-static!

2008-09-25T09:50:00.000-07:00

Next week I'll be on the east coast, visiting the autumn leaves and I've just discovered the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is close, so look out Amherst, Mass.! SO excited! These types of museums are far and few between, so I'm all over this! Woo Hoo!

Clique

2008-09-23T21:43:00.000-07:00

For Illustration Friday, 'clique'. I didn't get around to painting it yet, but I still might one day.

Apparently, squirrels are solitary animals, so they were never assigned a group name (lounge of lizards, herd of buffalo, murder of crows, etc.). Which in a way is a good thing, because I only have to get angry at the one squirrel that keeps digging holes in all my plants every fall and spring!! Darn tootin'!

Done!

2008-09-10T22:33:00.000-07:00

... but still not installed. Next week I should have pictures of the mural installed. But here it is all finished, resting in my carport.

He's a Howler!

2008-09-09T10:53:00.001-07:00

As you may know (and if you don't, here you go!) I'm working on a picture book about monkeys for Charlesbridge publishing. The book is called "He's a Howler" and is authored by the prolific April Pulley Sayre. It is due out spring of 2010, but here is a super special sneak peak (I haven't even starting painting yet, just sketches!). Keep on the lookout for updates!

Mural... in progress

2008-09-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

So I'm still wondering what in the world I did when I signed up to do an 8x8 foot mural. It has been such a different experience for me, a challenge but a in a good way. Downtown Redwood City will have 8x8 foot murals displayed for the month of September and maybe October, starting on September 19th. Several artists are doing murals to go into empty storefronts. Here are some progress photos.

This project has been a huge undertaking, but very rewarding (although, I'll wait to claim success until it's installed and I see it from more than two feet away!). It has really been a good exercise not only for my body (very strenuous painting work!) but also for my mind. It requires a large idea and has given me room to really loose myself in the creation aspect. I will say, I feel a deeper understanding and closeness to God's creation of the universe. As corny as that sounds, it really has given me a different kind of respect for "creative/creation-ness".

While I have painted large before, nothing on this scale. It is something completely new for me, yet very familiar. It requires discipline in adhering to the forms and colors I've laid out, yet I feel very free and liberated to let the creation process unfold organically. New ideas are coming forth as I create and the act of creating itself is leading me in new directions: bringing new ideas to light.

I know many of you would not call yourselves "artists" in the traditional sense, but I strongly urge you to create something in your life. The act of creation brings me a new respect for and deeper understanding of the spirit of our Creator.

Anyway, thanks for humoring me and hopefully you'll get a chance to see the mural finished! I'll keep updating as it comes along and gets installed.

Detach

2008-08-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

Just in time! I always get my illos done just in time, right before the new illustration friday topic. Better late than never. Here is my entry for "detach". I had to take a little break while working on the monkey book, so thanks Illustration Friday for the distraction! Almost done with the sketches, then I'll have time to work on some personal stuff until I start the final art around October. So keep on the lookout for new work...!

Also, redesigned the blog. It just seemed so stale before, so I thought I'd add some color!

Poof!

2008-08-06T10:39:00.000-07:00

No time to do any new pictures since I'm trying feverishly to get my sketches done on the book by September. So here are a couple oldies. POOF!

first tomato!

2008-08-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

The first tomato off my Roma plant. The first tomato I've ever grown, homegrown and organic yumness! Just look at that little red sucker!