sketchbook top

Illustration


These illustrations are from books and stories of classic literature.


Select image to view:

This is one of many pen and ink illustrations created for "A Little Princess" the 1905 children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett and published specially by Hallmark Gift Books and Greenwich Workshop.
A Little Princess		This is one of many pen and ink illustrations created for Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" published specially by Hallmark Gift Books and Greenwich Workshop.
Little Women		These are three of the illustrations created for Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" published specially by Hallmark Gift Books and Greenwich Workshop.
Little Women		This is my finished painting inspired by Benjamin Franklin's 1745 letter, "Advice to a Young Man on the Choice of a Mistress." Part of the wonderful new three-volume compendium edited by Russ Kick, "The Graphic Canon. " My painting appears in the first volume. Instead of literally illustrating the text of Frankin's 1745 letter, I painted a picture showing the first flirtations between an itinerant silhouettist and a well-to-do-widow that may lead up a sybaritic assignation. The scene shows a street in Philadelphia sometime about the last quarter of the 1700s. The shadow portraitist complements a fine lady on the quality of her classic profile and offers to cut her likeness for only the enjoyment and artistic pleasure of the experience. Behind them, a British grenadier enjoys his pipe and the scene as it plays out in front of his recruiting office.
Choosing a Mistress

Troll Warrior
Orc Scout
Gollum and the Ring		Otisen, a more human character from J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings.
Otisen
An elder Bilbo Baggins sits at his breakfast table enjoying a simple meal and contemplating the One, True and Only Ring... from J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings. The redware mug was modeled after a reproduction of a 17th century English style vessel created by well-known historic potter, Julia Smith. The knife, plate, egg cup and coffeepot are actually a bit of an anachronism. They are all art-deco era objects, whose colors and shapes I thought somehow fitting for use by Hobbits.
Old Bilbo		Lobelia Bracegirdle Sackville-Baggins, a cousin to Bilbo Baggins and very covetous of Bilbo's box of silver spoons, from J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings.
Lobelia Sackville-Baggins		A Dwarf Warrior with his armor and with his battleaxe from J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings.
Dwarf Warrior		Barliman Butterbur, the owner of the Inn of the Prancing Pony from J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings. The pottery you see Barliman holding is painted from examples of authentic 18th and 17th century reproduction ceramics created by historic potter Julia Smith, and can be found at historic sites across the country.
Barliman Butterbur
The center spread illustration from David Morrell's wistful story, "The Hundred-Year Christmas" from Overlook Connection Press. This is of course, Santa's workshop, and the elves are readying the reindeer for their yearly round-the-world excursion.
100-Year Christmas - Center Spread		An illustration from David Morrell's wistful story, "The Hundred-Year Christmas" from Overlook Connection Press. Santa's looking worried as the hourglass on the table runs out. It's not a common hourglass though and if it's not turned over in time, dire consequences can be expected.
The Hourglass		David Morrell's wistful story, "The Hundred-Year Christmas" was a deeply satisfying and also an intensive project. All aspects of the book were open for my design... the foil-stamped slipcase, cover design, eleven full color illustrations and endpapers and the decorative page frames. It's still available from Overlook Connection Press in various signed and limited editions.
The Hundred-Year Christmas		"Lancelot" Oil, 11"H X 17.5"W This was created for a set of gaming cards portraying mythical characters and subjects. This fun project was cancelled unfortunately but I finished the painting anyway. That is, of course, Camelot in the distance. The bit of heraldry on Lancelot's chest and the flower he grasps in his hand were all symbolic of his story.
Lancelot
This is the cover painting for "A Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett, published by Greenwich Workshop and Hallmark. My model for this was a little girl just leaving for karate class so she posed with her karate gi at her front door. The art reproduced as a tiny 2 5/8 inch color print mounted into a velvet embossed cover.
A Little Princess		Along with the center painting of Holmes, I created a series of cover designs with decorative frames that varied in hue from title to title for this reprint series of the classic stories. The roundel at the bottom of the frame had an iconic image that varied with each book.
Sherlock Holmes