Highlights Cover

I received a nice little treat in the mail the other day. It was my illustrator's copies of the February issue of Highlights magazine... with my illustration on the cover.
I try very hard to keep a healthy detachment from my work once it's published, but I have to admit that it is very satisfying to see my work on the cover of such a prominent magazine. Thanks so much Cindy, it looks great.

I've posted two versions of the illustration; the published version, and an alternate version that I created for my portfolio. Enjoy.


Published Version, Digitally Colored Drawing


Alternate Version with Dog , Digitally Colored Drawing



Here I am with my boys at Barnes and Noble.

The Three Little Worms Spell it Out

This is the third story to feature the Three Little Worms (it's the second to feature Bucky Bug) and I'm told there are more stories to come. I absolutely love illustrating these characters. You can read the full story and see the rest of the illustrations in the current issue of High Five Magazine (January 2010).

Here's a sample of the final sketches (p. 3 & 4) that were approved by Highlights High Five Magazine, along with the final art for the same images... enjoy.




In order to get the child-like look for Bucky's drawing I created a separate work of art using oil crayons on charcoal paper. I scanned the image and then warped it in Photoshop, according to the perspective of each scene. Take a look.

Art Poster for The Children's Illustration Exhibit

The illustration at the bottom of the second column next to Justin Gerard's Reluctant Dragon is mine! Thanks again Tim.

The All Year Christmas Tree

The All Year Christmas tree is I great little story by Monica Gunning, about two brothers trying to make the best of the holidays when their parents don't have enough money to afford a Christmas tree. It's a great story and I was really excited to illustrate it. You can read it and see the other two illustrations in the current issue of Highlights Magazine.



This is one of the three illustrations that I created for the story. I'm fairly pleased with the results however, I was trying to get a stronger sense of mood through the use of atmosphere and lighting. This image fails in that regard but there is another illustration where the mother is sitting on the side of the older boys bed in which I thought the lighting in the room was complementary to the scene. Oh well, perfection can be an endless pursuit.... perhaps I’ll get all three right on the next assignment.

I'll Be Participating In A Children's Illustration Exhibit

Tim Davis invited me to be part of an exhibit which is now open for viewing at the Hargis Art Studios and Gallery. There are some great illustrators participating in this show, including Caldecott Medalist, Eric Rohmann. I can't thank Tim Enough for thinking of me for this show.

You can check out Tim's work here, and if you're in the Greenville area stop in and check out some great artwork!

Silas, Final Version

This is the final version of Silas. I reworked it to fit the the square format for a group project that my fellow art teachers and I are putting together for the Averill Park Educational Foundation. I think the square format is much better than the original.

Tentatively Titled: The Dragon Slayer's Daughter

Here are two slightly different compositions for a project that I recently set aside just before going to final art. I still plan on finishing it, but for now it will exist as a sketch.