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Odds & Ends

Applied Arts Award May 9th, 2012

So pleased to have 5 pieces awarded in this years Applied Arts Illustration Annual, especially since they were among the projects I enjoyed most from 2011. Who can complain when asked to draw cougars in tea houses and divine woodpeckers?

Here are 3 illustrations  for Canadian Wildlife Magazine’s article on urban wildlife: A cougar considers his mounted cousin at the tea house / A man surrenders this balcony to the racoons / Montreal’s pigeon man’s love for the flying rodents is almost saintly. Always great to be art directed by Steven Balaban and do some fun animal pieces for Canadian Wildlife Magazine.

The illustration below always makes my day since I persuaded my husband Jamie to model for me. How can I not laugh at the image of him being attacked by racoons and squirrels? These are the harsh situations one must face living in Canada.

Pigeons often have a bad rap but this fella is trying to change that.

 

Here’s one of the spreads from the orginal article designed by Steven Balaban.

Here are the other two awarded illustrations, Woodpecker Guardian & Divine Woodpecker from Angels on Earth Magazine art directed by the lovely Olga Jakim. This article focused on a granddaughter’s story of her deceased grandfather’s love for the woodpeckers who he believed watched over him. If anyone is interested, these fine winged fellows are available in my shop as prints.

 

There’s a bunch of good work featured in the magazine, so go and pick it up now. To keep with the animal theme of this post, one of my favourite illustrations from the annual is from the talented Dushan Milic. What an amazing piece!

Thanks Applied Arts!

 

On this wondrous day of love I present for your enjoyment creepy vintage Valentine’s Day ephemera found in a local antique shop.

The one below surely is the winner. Who wouldn’t want to be taken for this one’s mate? He seems like he has a way with the fairer sex. That devious smile and firm throat grab are always winners when one is courting.

Below: “To Ralph Cooper from Cifford Mc Creodie”

What are these lovelies escaping from one has to wonder? Did their families disapprove of their torrid romance? Did blondie have to leave her family for a little trip for 9 months or so to come back a changed woman with a new little “sister”. Never trust those daredevil pilot types. You were warned. They are all fun and excitement at first but they will leave you a ruined woman.

Below: “Everett from Grandma and Grandpa” – “I wish I had your permission to sign myself your devoted and true Valentine”  It’s very formal & to be honest, slightly needy for Grandparents, no? Ralph sure guards his affections close to his chest. He is a hard boy to win over.

Also, I’m wondering is these are two different girls? Obviously this chap has a thing for the dark haired beauties which I fully understand, we are quite the prize, but always with the picnic ploy eh? Yes, a park surely is a romantic outing but try and mix it up and make it at least feel unique and sincere for each of your new ladies. A girl wants to feel special. You can do better.

 

Below: “Ian to Ralph” -  Ralph sure was loved. What lucky boy.

Is it just me or is the expression on this clown’s face pure terror? Surely there is an underlying message to this Valentines. Seems like there is something suspicious about this magic sorcerer and the hallucinogenic wheel in the back. Ian, is this some ruse to hypnotize Ralph into loving you? Really Ian, you don’t need to fall into such cheap tactics. I’m sure Ralph loves you for yourself if you’d just trust your feelings and be honest and grow a pair.

Happy Valentine’s Day folks.

Happy Holidays Folks!

I had so much fun painting this pin-up back in 2006. I’m still fond of the expression on that polar bear’s face. Maybe next year I’ll do a sassy holiday series. Hmmmm…..

Recent Features & Interviews September 18th, 2011

I was really thrilled the last month or so to get so many nice blog posts and requests for interviews. It’s an added bonus that I read these blogs regularly too! Here’s some:

The Dieline – The other week my husband, Jamie Lawson (from Poly), & I were so pleased to find our Two Crown King album art and design at the top place in the Dieline’s top ten package designs!

Applied Arts – Two Crown King album art/design feature. Nice to be on the Canadian wire!

Dribbble Time Out – Although interviews do make me feel shy, I have to admit it does feel nice to be listed amongst some of the top designers of Dribbble.

Pitch Design Union -  I love Margot Harrington’s blog. She always features such amazing design and illustration projects and it’s wonderful to hear her personal voice come through. Here she kindly features my process work for the Lion artwork.

Legendary Lindy hopper Frankie Manning passed away on April 27, 2009, one month before his 95th birthday. He danced right up until the end, traveling around the world to teach and dance. He was always full of enthusiasm & life and such an inspiration to so many dancers. We all miss him terribly.

His incredible life story from frankiemanning.com: Swing dancer extraordinaire Frankie Manning was a leading dancer at Harlem’s legendary Savoy Ballroom where, in the mid-1930s, he revolutionized the course of the lindy hop with his innovations, including the lindy air step and synchronized ensemble lindy routine. As a featured dancer and chief choreographer for the spectacular Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, he performed in numerous films (including Hellzapoppin’), and entertained on stages around the world with jazz greats Ethel Waters, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Cab Calloway.

Upon the demise of the Swing Era, Frankie took a job in the Post Office, where he worked for thirty years until his rediscovery by a new generation of swing dance enthusiasts in the mid-1980s. Since then, he’s been in constant demand and motion, teaching, choreographing, and performing globally. He won a 1989 Tony Award for his choreography in Black and Blue, and served as a consultant for and performed in Spike Lee’s Malcolm X. Frankie’s activities have been chronicled in hundreds of articles (including features in GQ and People) and dozens of news programs (including a profile on ABC’s 20/20). Considered the world’s leading authority on the lindy, he is highlighted in Ken Burns’s acclaimed documentary, Jazz.

Between jobs I’ve been very slowly working on some ideas for a graphic novel about the history of African American dance. Here’s a rough drawing so far of one of Frankie’s mentors, Shorty George Snowden, a first generation Lindy Hopper. The next pic I’ll be tackling is their famous dance battle in 1935, when Frankie shocked the crowd with the first aerial! Let me know what you think so far? It still needs to be painted and inked. This is a new format for me. I really hope I capture the spirit of the dance.

Frankie reminiscing about the first air steps in his battle against Shorty at the Savoy in 1935. An interview for the Ken Burns Jazz documentary on PBS:
“It was coming down to the end of our turn, so I said, “You ready to do the step?” “Yeah, let’s do it.” That’s exactly what she said. I remember it as if I was there right now. I swung her out and did a jump turn over her head while Chick said, “SHUUMMP!” Then I jumped so we were back to back and flipped her. While she was going over, he played “CHI- CHI- CHI- CHI- CHI- CHI-CHOO.” And when she hit the floor right on the beat… “BOOMP!”
The crowd had been clapping in time with the music and yelling, “Go Musclehead!” (my nickname), but when Frieda landed, for one second, it seemed like everyone in the audience caught their beat. Their mouths opened, but no sound came out. It was as if people weren’t sure they had really seen what they’d seen, like they were trying to figure out what we had just done. They were awestruck. Then all of a sudden, the house erupted! Everyone jumped up and started stomping, clapping, hollering, and grabbing each other saying, “Did you see that?” “What the heck did he just do?” “He threw that girl over his head!” Folks were just carrying on. It was turmoil!”
-Frankie Manning

The Lindy Hop by Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003)
Frankie, “Man, they dug a hole in the floor!”