#9 on the Billboard Charts

I am proud to say that the record that I did handlettering for the cover, made it to #9 on the Alternative artist list.

Congrats to my boys! Support them on tour please.

The Upsides

"The Upsides" - Due out Jan. 26th 2010

I was asked by my good friends The Wonder Years to provide some hand lettering to go on to their new album, "The Upsides" coming out in late January.

When I talked to one of the guys 9 months ago while they were in pre-production, why they were choosing to use photography for this record whenever other records they put out had been beautifully illustrated; the answer was simple. They wanted to try something new, and had a lot of friends that did photography they wanted to try out. None the less I was glad to draw up some hand lettering to go on the cover of their new record. Below is the chosen piece you can click to enlarge in the first round of colors sent off to the band.

It's Never Sunny in South Philadelphia

Another cool shirt illustration/design I did for The Wonder Years, a super cool Philly based Pop Punk band. Though the name of the shirt is similar to the tv show, its was actully going to be a song title for their split album with UK pop punk band All or Nothing. So instead of Its original song title it became "Don't open the Fridge!".

True story.

Success and Failure: Summer of Book binding

This summer, I took an independent study class at Harrisburg Area Community College with Professor Shawn Williams to further explore an area of interest I have. Book making/Binding.

I have learned a thing or two this summer about making books and printing for books like, its hard to hold detail in a screen printed image when its originally made for 8x11 and up and you print it in a 4"x4" area. None the less, even though the printing is not all that to be wowed by, the fact that I made my first printed book is an exciting experience. This is something that I plan on continuing and exploring so that I can then become a book maker.

Below is a close up to one of my favorite pages.

Culture Shock and Adjustment for Skidmore College

A week before I started to move my things from Carlisle, PA to Queens, NY I get an email from Kathy Hemingway Jones
Associate Director of Student Academic Services at Skidmore College asking if she could re-use my painting Dreamer for a packet for her international students orientation. I didn't have a problem with it, but I no longer had the original painting or a good photo of it. I still had the drawing, so I accepted the offer on the grounds that I could also design the packet.

This isn't an everyday illustration, since how do you do a mailer to a college you might say. She found me by accident through google in search of Youtube videos of a graduate who did a great lecture on culture shock whom goes by the name Daniel Fishel. I just got lucky she found my artwork. This job taught me a few things indeed about the business side of illustration and also getting back into using indesign. I havent used it in a few months so I was rusty and glad to get back into it.

You can also view the packet as a PDF by clicking here to view it.

Buy my poster next week! (if your live on the west coast)

I just got done printing 100 of these bad boys, and sent them off to California, where the band The Motel Life (not to be confused with The Movie Life), will be playing a short 2 week tour. I do not have extra's so you gotta talk to the band if you want to get one of these posters for probably $5.

When the band contacted me back in July, they literally said, interpret the quote "(So Sorry) We're not what you're looking for" in your illustration. I took a week to think about it since the deadline was far enough away, and sent off sketchs. Got the final word a week later and did the finished image in a day.

The image they chose, was one that represents a 90's indie girl displeased with what she saw through her camera lens. Sketchs are below.