Boy, it's been forever since I put anything new up here. First I was crushed in the studio, then it was Christmas which, let's face it, is an unpaid second job for a month, and now I'm sick with some kind of chest cold. Ugh.

It's the week between Christmas and New Years, I have no work in the studio and this cold is making me sleep all the time, so I have absolutely no idea what day of the week it is.

Anyway, I'm nearly finished with a kids book about Broadway for Penguin Random House. Just a handful of illustration roughs I'm waiting to hear back on.

It's a really fun book and I'm really happy with how the illustrations look. Hopefully, I'll get to do  a couple more books in the new year.

Then I started working on our Holiday card in a blind panic. Couldn't really come up with an idea I was happy with, so started rendering this.

Then, in the middle of it, remembered a sketch I had done at an SCBWI conference a few years ago.

So, I shut down the Chris Moose card until later and banged this one out in a day so I could get them printed in time (thank you, VistaPrint).

You just never know when you'll have a better idea.

Then, I needed to get a piece of art done for my wife for a Christmas present. She is a HUGE Prince fan, so I did this scratchboard drawing and had it printed on a t-shirt (thanks again, VistaPrint) that she could wear to yoga.

Pretty damn happy with how it turned out and she loved the shirt, so all is good.

Happy New Year to all!

Work in the studio is picking up, knock on wood. It occurred to me this morning that illustration students are always taught to pick a style and go with it. I've never been able to do that. I find the challenge of trying different styles irresistible. I mean, I wouldn't eat the same thing every day, so why do the same art every day?  Anyway, to illustrate that, so to speak, these pieces were all done this week:

Whew, you know that old axiom that if you want something done give it to the busy person? Well, don't. Just kidding, my schedule is finally cleared up. So, got work?

Finished up 80 illustrations for a book about the Galapagos Islands for Penguin Random House. Now I can draw tortoises in my sleep!

Speaking of Penguin Random House, also just finished 80 sketches for a biography of Chuck Jones. Yes, now I can draw animators in my sleep.

Also had the opportunity to do a series of 9 illustrations for Cobblestone Magazine depicting important historical figures from Chicago. Since it's a kids magazine I always have to "youth-enize" the portraits.

A friend discovered this portrait I painted a few years ago. It's hanging in a doctor's office.

And I'm still hoping to find time to get back to this painting.

In the meantime, I've really been enjoying our weekly figure drawing sessions. It's nice to get away from the Wacom tablet and draw from real life.

It's the time of year where if I'm not slammed with work in the studio, I'm slammed with yard work. Grass cutting, chainsawing, stacking wood, planting the garden, mowing the lawn again. There's always something that needs to be done outside.

Garden, mostly planted. 8 tomato plants, 4 bell peppers, lotsa pole beans, a potful of poblano peppers and some carrots. Oh, and weeds.

Had the opportunity to design a fun logo for a company in the food industry.

Did a bunch of storyboard frames to fill some downtime.

Sent off the sketches to my latest book about the Taj Mahal.

On a sad note, got asked to do a portrait of my friend Jeff Kowal for his memorial services.

And, on a happier note, am nearly finished with the latest painting of our niece if I can only figure out what to do with the background. This was only supposed to be an experiment but wound up being a finished painting. Doh!

Yoy and double-yoy, you'd think I'd be able to keep some new stuff up on this page wouldn't you? It's been a crazy-busy past couple of months. Working on illustrating 3 books for Penguin Random House, some fun scifi magazine illustrations and a few illustrations for Cobblestone Magazine about conservationists.

Also, finally got back to the easel. Spend enough time away from it and you wind up feeling intimidated by the prospect of sitting down in front of it again. Happy to say I'm pleased with what I'm working on. It's an experiment, oils on gessoed paper with a toned wash. Normally my wash would be a neutral or contrasting color to the main subject but this time I went with a nearly skin-tone color. Interesting, but I don't think I'd do it again.

Geez, it's been a bazillion years since I've added anything here. That's what I get for being crazy-busy in the studio for months on end. So, let's get some new stuff up here:

Just something I did for fun during my spare time. The line work is Prismacolor pencil on paper and all the coloring was done in ArtRage.

An illustration of Marie Curie for the cover of a children's magazine. All Photoshop. Fun but kinda creepy.

In the past couple weeks I had this portrait commission to work on. Oil on canvas, 16x20".

One of the projects keeping me super-busy was a book for Penguin Books, Who Was Bruce Lee?, which needed 80 line illustrations like this one. All Photoshop.

Last, but not least, I'm taking some time in the studio now to finish some of my personal projects. This painting has been sitting for months waiting for me to get back to it. Oil on panel, 12x24". With any luck I can get this finished this week and get started on the next one.