2009

So, I think I can say without hesitation that the year 2009 was the best year of my life. I feel like its extra awesome because it followed a few hard years - so all in all i feel very fortunate and very blessed. Some highlights include: Living in England and the addition of Ema, Hugh and G$ to my friend posse. Spain, Paris, Amsterdam, Wales, Berlin etc. Jills business taking off and her ability to constantly make better work / work harder - Im very proud of her. Johl being a dad and all the success BIB has had. Dad feeling better after a long sickness, those were hard times and they're behind us now - Same goes with Leslie - To continued health and eternal life you two! How Lucky I am to have worked with so many wonderful AD's and amazing, awesome publications - Thank you for taking the risk and please continue to do so ;) . Im so happy so many great illustrators have taken time to let me interview them on Nonslick. I honestly have a million more to interview. Im sorry that its updated so sporadically - I'll try to do it a bit more regularly this coming year. I've gotten to know (even if only over the Internet) many talented and wonderful illustrators this year that seem to provide endless inspiration and insight - you know who you are, thank you. And while we're on the subject thank you to the following illustrators who are so inspiring and amazing - YOU people are the reason I love this business - your work is amazing - Thank you thank you thank you: Brian Cronin, Dan Page, Riccardo, Gary Taxali, Alex Nabaum, Jon Krause, Dan Bejar, Mike Byers, Devon Bowman, Edward McGowan, Brian Stauffer, Chris Buzelli (you've totally re-opened my eyes to how amazing painting is), Kyle Webster, Daniel Hertzberg, Mark Smith, Yuta Onoda, Sam Weber, Nimit Malavia, Mark and Jos, Juan Solon, Dave, my good friend Mr. Jack Dylan, Alexei Vella, Gerard Dubois, Christopher Silas Neal, Jennifer Daniel, Christoph Niemann, Kathryn Adams, Julia Breckenreid, John Hendrix, Brad Yeo, Marco Cibola, Tessar Lo, Ryan Snook, Paul Blow, Tavis Coburn, and anyone that I may have forgot. You are all amazing. Thank you for making this dream and exciting one. Please keep it up! Finally Thank you Vicki, Gail and Kate - You three are amazing and Im very very fortunate to get to work with such pros.
Thank you for reading my blog, thank you for posting comments, thank you for making this seem real!! Im the luckiest person alive. To anyone I've wronged in 09', please accept my apologies, Im sure Karma has already made it up for you. I love you all.
To close heres a super quick piece for the Globe. More work up in 10'. May y'all be blessed this year and have lots of awesome shit fall on your laps.
RIP Michael, the King of Pop.

EASY E-book (like the rapper, but also the book)

This piece was for the cover of an ebook about the changes happening in marketing right now - Specifically, if leaders in the industry want to stay leaders they'll adopt some changes. Communication, growth, evolution were all themes i played with. the talented AD was my friend Emily. She's such a pro. clear with her expectations, and great with feedback. i liked the final idea a lot - that the new target market is built on a foundation of communication. i also loved the juggling rough - im sure we'll be seeing that idea again soon. its almost the weekend. thank God.

shorty got low low lower lowest.

New piece for research world about the decline in revenue within the advertising industry. - to be a bit more specific its really a decline in the traditional markets. - I thought it would be funny to use a sandwich board - the most antiquated form of advertising i could imagine. theres also a focus on a change over to digital (see other roughs) - but i liked the idea Steve chose a lot - i feel it was more all encompassing. was really happy with the idea and execution. thanks Steve!!!
liked the "unraveling" idea
coulda been a pretty fun final too - considering the article

Rotten

These little babies were for an article featuring the website Rotten Tomatoes. Not familiar with the site? You should be! It correlates movie reviews and posts the findings on a "Tomato Meter" from fresh to rotten. The focus of the article was the sites Oscar predictability. Very interesting. Working with Wes is the best. Wes is the best. Heres a feature illo showing the "fortune teller" aspects of the site (the sites tomato logo as a crystal ball), and a little spot - showing the sites influence on the awards (tomato slice replacing film reel - foundation). Did i mention I love working with Wes? Both finals painted in just a day and a half - So, Im getting faster. Oh, and while I have you - be sure to check out Jills new website: www.loveheadmistress.com it was designed by Phillip Nessen (I know, how awesome is that) and its UNREAL!
EDIT - This image just wont die. Shortly after this piece ran Wes asked me if i could make a few changes to run in the "Brand X" section as well. Thanks Wes! Now DIE IMAGE DIE!!!

Thats more like it...

detail

For an article about Americas "ripple effect" on the Canadian economy.
97% painted, which im pumped about.

olympic Jews

our dreams are in your hands
several burned screens / extra paint = two versions.

this is the year

detailfor an article about how some of Alberta's fast growing companies plan to take off in 2010. My 5th piece for Alberta Venture, this time for Kim. I always love working with them cause it truly feels like a collaboration. This article is about businesses standing out (outlook, positioning etc)- especially during the recession they're ushering in the recovery. fun project and weird, difficult shape to work with and really hard to paint because everything was so small - i think in real life its about 2.5 inches high and maybe 14.5 wide. final and a rough or two

roughs about "the right tools / workers" and "setting the standard that others will follow"

fresh like damn

this was for an article about the rights of singles vs. the rights gay couples vs. the rights of married couples. It seems that although there are inequalities for gays getting married (and even not having that option is some states) there are even more inequalities for singles. Those choosing not to share their lives with someone generally cannot pass social security on to a person of their choosing + about a million other issues. Really interesting article which boiled down to "the single person, whether gay or straight is being discriminated against". i wanted to play with hierarchies and after some sketching a podium came to mind - and what looks like a podium? you guessed it, a wedding cake. i loved this idea, and thankfully it was chosen. attached are some roughs and the final. Thanks Grant!!
woulda been happy if this idea was chosen too (scale idea)

hollyweird

not my best title, but one that kinda has anything to do with the post for a change. This was for an article about this really crazy psychological syndrome exclusive to hollywood - where up and comers are defining their happiness by their success in the industry - they're obsessed, as their careers wane, they'd rather be DEAD than obsolete. to start, i sent alot of roughs - i liked this article and it seemed full of potential visuals, heres a small selection of favourites:i really liked the idea of being "tripped up by fame" - like not seeing it coming (star is on of those stars on the sidewalks)also really liked the idea of the would be star being pierced through the heart be the attention, because in essence thats what happens
falling into the spot light

taking a shot at fame
and finally a descending staircase in a red carpet. - the final they decided to go with
after some back and forth and a more refined rough it was decided that we'd have the red carpet going over a cliff - a more immediate, easy to read, and understandable solution - im all about understandable. It was fun to work with Paul, hes the type of person that i can tell is a nice guy in real life. anyway, more work soon-ish - everyone thats going to the ai party have an amazing time, i will jealously be looking out the window that night - thinking of you all.
oh, heres the final:

Global Metal

This illo was for a book review of Mary Karr's new memoir "Lit". I've never done a job like this - generally with the stuff i get to do the articles have a set idea or theme and i can kinda just play with that - in this case i felt like i had alot of interpreting to do and it was a real workout. "Lit" essentially has many meanings in the memoir, but I chose to focus on the authors drinking and its destructive coarse throughout her life. The memoir also speaks of fire alot - when i combined the two i thought of a Molotov cocktail - a really good solution because it sort of ties everything together but also comments on the destructive and at times rebellious nature of her life. I was really really happy to be able to work on this and the AD Jane made it really easy and created a nice creative environment for me. Also, fun to push some new work and be paid for it.
Oh, and Jill and I just moved into our new place in Toronto and its really great - stop by wont you?! Thanks for looking and reading - Oh - i attached a rejected rough - really liked this idea too.

we're a tightly knit group

so, this is the image of my fall postcard promo - forgive the slightly dull colours, IRL they look very vibrant, as I imagine they will also in print. This is the second time doing this image, this was actually the first piece I ever did for an idea that i loved- so I thought it was a great piece to "do right", kind of a full circle moment. On the back of the postcard it will say "I've re-invented myself" - a little reference to the slight turn my work has taken. If anyone would like a card just send me a message and I'd love to mail one out to you - oh, and i'll try to post an image of the cards in print.
lots and lots and lots of new work / ideas to post soon.

Nude erection

when you say that fast it sounds like new direction said fast....isnt that funny?!!?
well, the time has come, im going to start unveiling some new work in my new direction.
Whats changed? well, basically its the exact same sans outlines around the figure and plus a bit of dimension to the characters. turns out those few changes really take the work somewhere else. i will be posting alot of this new work in the coming weeks - plus a new promo, and if i ever get paid to do this - some new commissioned work. this piece was for an article about depression. some AD's already willing to take the risk - come to me AD's - be sucked into my sirens song...
ps, why is it that even previewing the jpeg i post the colours are SO MUCH better than when i post it? annnoooyyyiiinnngggg

stranger than ficton

piece for the stranger a little while back for a book review about this book that reads like a mix tape

water you doing

i like punns. ...wait, could that be considered a punn? hmmmmm.
anyway, to continue on with my previous rant Im ready to implement some of the changes in my work that i've been going on and on and on about these past nine months or so. here is my first step - with more changes etc. to come.
this piece was for the LAtimes, about, of all things turf. it seems in LA there is a real issue with having turf that can resist the suns heat. Grass scientists are slowly (and painfully) engineering a turf that doesnt need as much water and can handle sun in its place - (hence the illo). here are some roughs
i really liked this idea - was hoping it would be chosen - the grass snipping the hose like scissors
kinda obvious
...ha, oh and this little gem as well - there were more roughs too
anyway, onto the rough chosen and the final
playing with the idea of the sun replacing water from the watering can
and the actual final - there are a few open areas, left for text - all in all turned out really nice -
in the mountain of rough painting and "tests" i do im seeing the work being handled alot like the watering can - simular drawing and texture - but more 3D and line work that matches the image a bit more - eventually there will be a point where its 100% like this i think, but for now, im introducing it into my work. i'd love to hear any thoughts.

at home

often in between being busy with life i like to go back to work i've done and re-visit it. i have sort of a secret fantasy of working digitally, for both the freedom it provides and the opportunity. i like to take pieces i've completed and re-imagine them , how they might look if i took my work one direction or another. i think this is a useful tool, because often times i get good ideas that i can translate into my existing work - to help it grow. if you read my blog on the regular you know i wrestle with style alot. partially, because i know there are a million places i want to take my work, and sometimes letting it happen naturally can feel too slow - also, partially because i have a strong desire to further distance myself from my laundry list of influences and amazing illustrators. Its no secret that i love taxali's work, or dan pages, or devon bowmans etc etc. and so its important to me to continue not to step on their toes through my progression. the one thing i know, is that to me atleast - my work has come a long way from this point last year - as im sure it will continue to. i have alot of ideas, not the least of which are limited by the tools i use to create. i have had success and i have had failures branching out, i guess the important thing is to continue to branch. i crave feeling understood.
heres one of those "revisited" pieces - i have some new work to post soon, just thought i'd share some thoughts. thanks.

No money? No worries

A quick spot image for an article about relaxing when times get tough - stress and anxiety only make it more difficult - the best advice is to just take it in stride.
i was so happy with this solution.
more soon.

thug life...

heres two spots recently finished for "Cottage Life" mag. Steve Balaban, the AD didnt want super conceptual pieces, more - work that was in keeping with the mag. The first piece was about cottage drinking water, and being cleaner than the source (lake water) - the second was about how regular cleaning of baseboard heater can save you money. Kinda dry articles, but Steves feedback made it alot of fun. I really like how these were painted and was happy with the results. Thanks for reading
more when i get home to Canada...
oh, i attached a few roughs too - the pipes one woulda been bad ass

research world #2

two more images i just finished for research world. I love articles like the ones i get from them - really tough, really conceptual.
this article was about surveys and the industry behind them
my main image focused on the declining rate of surveys being done now in every respect - human participation, valuable information etc etc.
the second image that went with it focused on how as a result of this diminishing amount of feedback - survey researchers are having to take every drop of information they can -
i've also attached some of the roughs below...there were alot.
thanksssss for reading!