Got Big Thumbs?

Author Martin Dawber and Anova Books will be publishing "The Big Book of Contemporary Illustration" early next year. I happy to announce that I will be one of the 400+ designers/illustrators to be included in this book. It will be the largest resource book of it's kind for this subject matter.

The book will be published in UK for worldwide distribution. It it will not be a 'show-and-tell' book but more of a visual source book for creatives to dip into to gain insight and inspiration for their own work.

A handful of my illustrations were chosen and I am thankful and glad to be included in such a large book/project.

Check out http://www.anovabooks.com/.

Good food + Good art

I'm pleased to announce that Pier 74 in Ceder Lake, will be displaying my artwork as a local artist of the month for the month of November. I've selected a handful of my portraits (about 16 total) to decorate the walls of this fine eatery. So stop by and pick-up a bit to eat and look at some of my artwork. The restaurant is located at 13125 NE Lake Shore Drive in Cedar Lake, IN.

I would just like to thank Ryan Spencer for this wonderful opportunity.

Visit them online at www.pier74pizza.com.

Singing the Blues

This July 12th and 13th is the Blues, Jazz and Fine Arts Festival in Munster, Indiana. I've been fortunate to be asked to be this years featured artist. With doing so I've created the poster, t-shirt, special section in The Times, and public art mural. I will also have a booth at the event with fine art prints of my illustrations. A portion of the sales from the prints will be donated to the Cancer Resource Center in Munster, Indiana. An organization that provides education and support for those that deal with cancer and their families, all free of charge. I will also be taking orders for my t-shirts from allmightys.com at an extremely reduced price of $30 with shipping included (regularly $45.37 with shipping). These shirts are of the highest quality and are printed on American Apparel super soft t-shirts.

The mural is made of two 8 foot by 4 foot sections each shows images of pollution with an instrument shooting green imagery into beautiful green fields. The blues fest is going green this year. So this mural is meant to education people on the dangers of pollution and how through music and education we can create change. The public is asked to come and fill in the mural with color so I invite everyone, old and young to come and fill in the lines. Below are some of the pictures.

On the 6th Day He Rested

Faith Church(www.faithchurchonline.org) has started it's new series "Re:Think" which covers the issues like the creation of the earth and what we need to do to keep it for our future. They have also taken an artistic approach to the education and awareness of the gospel. I've been asked to depict the creation of the world and man kind. I was given a four foot by four foot blank canvas to show this powerful scripture. I wanted it to have a childlike feel to it and appeal to children, thus giving them a platform for discussion about the process as a whole. It a was a fun thing to do and drawing again was therapeutic.

North Township Trustee New Logo

Creating the identity for a government office is not the most exciting project at face value. But after finishing this new logo for the North Township Trustee of Lake County, Indiana I have a better understanding of what this office does for the under privileged people of our area. From providing rides to meals and aid the NTT helps people in need. The new identity reflects this service that the Trustee provides. The logo depicts people standing in line with the first person in the head of the line getting help or receiving aid from the people on the right hand side. They are lifting them up and putting people back on their feet. The figures all create the initials of the Trustee N T T. The complementing typeface mimics the shapes of the people in the mark and is a soft yet strong face that holds up well at small sizes or in one color.

To find out more about what the North Township Trustee provides visit their website at www.northtownshiptrustee.com
I am also designing the website with, CNI Services, which should be completed in the next few weeks.

Finding the Best Solution

Jennifer Litwin is the buying guru. She finds the best deals, researches warranties, and is the expert in furniture purchasing. She is a regular contributor to ABC 7 Chicago with her Shop Cop segments and is on many other daily shows across the country and is the author of two books. Jennifer wanted an identify that instantly reflects what she does, so animating her into a detective holding a magnifying glass over a sales tag has done so to the 'T'. The mark works well in all sizes and on TV as well. This was a fun project with lots of hand drawn versions of Jennifer. This one fits perfectly.

For more information on Jennifer Litwin visit her site at www.jenniferlitwin.com.

Miracletwentyone: The Dirty Rooks

Miracletwentyone: The Dirty Rooks

The Dirty Rooks

I really don't post things about others that often, but these guys are the exception. The Dirty Rooks are a mind blowing band with some amazing songs. You have to check them out. I got there first cd a while back and its still in my top play list and in constant rotation on my iTouch.

Check them out here: www.myspace.com/dirtyrooks, they have an upcoming show next month

May 17 at 9:00pm at Martyr's3855 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60613.

A review printed in NewCity Chicago by Tom Lynch

Chicago's boozy, seventies-rock-and blues-inspired band The Dirty Rooks burrow themselves underneath your nails, along with the dirt and scum and filth of the city streets. And they're good. The group's self-titled record, self-released, doesn't (expletive deleted) around--one song even starts with the sentiment, "I was born on the day my mama died." There's a lot of whiskey in that lyric. The slow, moody "Tell Me Something" should quiet even the rowdiest bar room. Even the acoustic-based "Little Queen"--with its subsequent blues-country harmonica--works nicely. Other than with Velcro Lewis and His 100 Proof Band, rock 'n' roll hasn't been this drunk in a while.

I'm in the House

In this years Graphic Design Inhouse Annual that is. I received notice that the work I did on the Community Hospital history book will be published in this years GD USA American Inhouse Awards Annual. Its a very cool honor and I look forward to getting my issue in July. This year over 5,000 entries were submitted and only around 500 were excepted. You can read more about it here: http://gdusa.com/contests/aida.php

Painting the Blues...and Jazz

Like water and chocolate, blues and jazz are great together. What's even better is that this years Blues and Jazz Fest (July 12-13) will have some amazing artwork to go with it. I've been asked to be this years event artist for the festival. My duties include coming up with two 8 foot murals that will be painted by the public during the two-day event. I also get to design the event poster. Its a very cool and exciting opportunity and I am extremely honored to be participating in this years fest. I will also have a booth there were I will be selling some of my latest prints. Stay tuned for details.