Playboy Jazz Festival

The Playboy Jazz Festival goes on today and tomorrow at the Hollywood Bowl. Below is an illustration they commissioned of Jazz pianist Monty Alexander for their program. Every year the program includes a portrait of each performer. I'd love to see all the other art that's in the book. Many thanks to AD Fred Fehlau.

Portraiture

I've always loved painting portraits, especially of friends and family. Here's a recent painting of my good friend Christine; probably my largest watercolor portrait to date. Schmincke and Fw's on 22"x 30" Rives BFK. I've got several more portraits in the works. I also managed to get a good scan of Ping's portrait.

Magic

I'm a native Angeleno, so naturally I've always been a huge fan of the Los Angeles Lakers. Here's a classic basketball portrait of one of my all-time favorite players, Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

Hair-Raiser

The popularity of alternative modes of transportation is on the rise both as a result from economic and environmental concerns. This was for an article about how, despite this trend, commuting on a bicycle will never truly catch on until helmet hair becomes universally chic.

It's been a while...

I've been very busy working on lots of new things for the San Diego Comic Con. I've also got several very large watercolor portraits in the works. Here's a portrait of my friend Ping. I had forgotten to photograph this piece before it went to the gallery, so my apologies for all the glare.

A Slowdown That May Slow Us Down

This was based on an Op-Ed piece about how many of the workers who have managed to avoid unemployment are now being asked to work fewer hours. Those who can afford them might actually come to like their furlough, while those already struggling to get by will be in for even tougher times.

#49 Joe Black

The first spring training game of the season is just a few days away...so here's a classic baseball portrait.

News You Can Endow.

The advent of digital media has caused a serious decline in the world of print publication. With general readership down in addition to the current recession, most newspapers will not weather the economic storm. Many have already filed for bankruptcy. One possible way to save newspapers would be to turn them into endowed non-profit institutions, like colleges or museums. The elimination of advertising revenue would free them from the political agendas of their clients, thus creating a more fair and balanced press. The trouble is finding enough enlightened philanthropists to do the job.

Should the Obama Generation Dropout?

This article made the argument that it's not appropriate to keep the bachelor's degree as the measure of job preparedness as the minimal requirement to get your foot in the door for vast numbers of jobs that don't require a B.A. or B.S. It's what you can do that should count when you apply for a job, not where you learned to do it.

El Presidente

Here's a small Obama piece I had done on Inauguration Day. It feels a little overworked, but I'm pretty happy with how the tie turned out.

Ben Roethlisberger

I meant to post this piece last week in celebration of the Steelers' Superbowl victory over the Arizona Cardinals.


I've also included some documentation of my painting process. I used a #5 and a #10 Series 7 Finest Kolinsky Sable brush with FW Acrylic ink on Rives bfk printmaking paper.