Wednesday, May 12

MAY FIRE ENGINEERING MAG ILLO


...and just in time for all those summer wildfires, too. I am truly amazed every year as I watch reports from the network news drama-mill (insert Fox News, here) about folks who refuse to leave homes and property threatened by wildfires. Understanding that every home is a man's castle and we'd all fight to keep ours, it's comments like "I'm can fight it off myself" and "I'm not asking anyone to save me" that really wrinkle my diamond-plate! Because we all know as soon as reality settles in and ol' man wildfire is licking at their back door, who they're going to call to rescue them at the last minute. And of course, we do, because that's what we do.

I'm preaching to the choir with this one, but hopefully it will be worth a laugh, if not a well timed sigh.

Tuesday, May 11

Frank Frazetta 1928-2010


One of my all-time favorite illustrators has passed away at age 82. I learned much of my early style by copying Frazetta's artwork in high school. I wish I could have met him...

Sunday, May 9

WHERE ARE THEY NOW!?




Isn't it hilarious how those who were screaming "Drill, Baby Drill" and championing offshore Gulf drilling have become dubiously quiet? Surely a little thing like an environmental disaster wouldn't effect their political grand-standing, would it?

I'm not naive enough to believe our energy needs will be settled by just turning off the oil pumps, but we NEED to begin an aggressive approach to renewable energy. The time is now, and this disaster is just a reminder of what is to come if we base our short-sighted hopes on off-shore drilling. It's a short term fix at best and the consequences of a disaster, possibly larger than the current Gulf spill, is just too great. We're the most resourceful, innovative, and proactive country in the world - we can do better than this!

Friday, May 7

Michael Ruhlman Illo



My latest illo for Inside Business Magazine. Fun article about celebrity food writer Michael Ruhlman and how smart-phone apps are changing the way we do business.

Monday, May 3

Who's Serving Who?



Ahhh, the stench of May elections is in the air and I just couldn't resist pulling out my ol' political cartoon pens to take a stab at our "helpful" elected officials - with an obvious fire service twist, of course. This cartoon expresses two points; the first being that our elected public servants tend to steer the wagon they're sworn to empower (even when they're clueless to the desired direction), and secondly, this is nothing new.

My Department is fortunate that our city officials allow us to operate with minimal interference - a result of mutual respect, a solid history, and positive communication between both parties. This of course is contingent from one election to the next - but we've had a great run. Unfortunately, it does not take much research or talking with folks at events like FDIC before you realize that the situation is much, much, much worse in other areas.

I have always loved this quote by Groucho Marx, "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies". Regrettably, these are the horses trying to steer our steamers.

Tuesday, April 27

APRIL FIRE ENGINEERING MAGAZINE ILLO


This is my latest Fire Engineering magazine illo. To see more, click on the image...

Tuesday, April 13

FDIC


I'll be at FDIC in Indianapolis all next week sketching and signing autographs. I will also be signing complimentary, limited edition, anniversary prints at the Fire Engineering booth. As soon as I know specific dates and times, I'll post them here.

Hope to see you there!!!

Tuesday, April 6

Fight Is NOT Over!


On the eve of next month’s ICC Code hearing in Dallas, it seemed only appropriate to opine about our continuing fight for residential sprinklers in ALL new homes. The National Assoc. of Home Builders (NAHB) has been working hard to undermine the ICC’s earlier ruling (BIG money talks, folks) and we must show up in force to reaffirm our hard earned success in Minneapolis and Baltimore. If you are not familiar with this very important issue, please research and learn more. There have been many fabulous articles written (especially by my dear friend Ozzie Mirkhah) – just Google the subject, there will be no shortage of fodder.
The fight is not over!!

Sunday, March 28

Little Indian Bear Princess, all grown up!



This is a drawing I did of daughter when she was seven. She posed in our back yard before going to a Halloween party where she would grace the floor as the Indian Bear Princess. It was a fun costume, Pocahontas dress, with moccasin slippers and a stuffed bear rug on her head. Add a few turkey feathers we found while hiking, and voila - the Princess had her crown!

I post this for the simple reason that my little Indian Bear Princess turns sixteen in a couple of months and I'm feeling very nostalgic (and old), besides, it's just a fun image to look at. We should all put a bear rug on our heads from time to time and forget life's little demands. So, I think I'll put on my old fuzzy gorilla slippers (Oggo and Toggo - yes, I named them) and watch some good ol' westerns today.

Thursday, March 18

Firefighter Monopoly game

This game has been on the selves for a few months now, and from what I've been told, it's doing well. I gave one each to my Crew as a Christmas gift, and they loved it. For my part, it was an extremely fun project to work on and I'm excited about some future projects with Go Forward Media (stay tuned). I've included a link to the game as well as a close-up of the tray illustration. But I must say the best part was creating the chance cards - what fun!!!






Go to http://www.firefighterplay.com/ to purchase your copy.

Tuesday, March 2

Wednesday, February 17

New Sheriff In Town


Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, and Judge Issac Parker, all rolled into one no-nonsense law-man. The piece is aptly titled "Welcome to Hang'em, Kansas".

Thursday, February 11

DemoCrazies!


I can't begin tell you how disgruntled I am with my dysfunctional party of choice. However, I think this new illo pretty much sums it up for me!

On an artistic note, doing this piece reminded me how refreshing and therapeutic political editorial illustration can be - and of course, I miss my editorial cartoon days! I think I'll do more...

Stay tuned...

Friday, February 5

Shoot'em Up!


Anyone who knows me, knows my love for Westerns! I'm a sucker for anything John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, or Glenn Ford. These movies celebrate and exaggerate the myths and folklore of the old west, and I LOVE it! The real western lifestyle was most certainly hard, gritty, and adventurous - but Hollywood give us an illustion of fast shooting, hard drinking, anything but dull men and women who are colorful and dramatic. I accept this fiction, and embrace the mirage of daily shoot-outs at high-noon - just for the pure fun of it!!

Enjoy my outlaw, there will be more Old West illustrations in the near future.

Monday, January 25

New Style


Ahhhh, I can smell the BBQ already! And of course, you gotta have blues with BBQ!

Tuesday, January 12

What's In Your Trash?


We've all seen the ever present Capital One commercials with their famous "what's in your wallet?" catch-line. Some are cute, most are just annoying, but while sketching in front of the TV one evening, it sparked a commentary twist.

I wanted to create something for the Holidays and tie in a New Year's resolution for this particular post, so I began thinking about what I may want to change for the upcoming year. I want to spend more time with my family (points from my wife and daughter), attend at least three Officer training/strategy classes (points from my Crew), get in better shape.... ah, yes, that's the one!! Except for a small percentage of those firehouse gym-rats who can claim near Adonis-like physiques, better fitness is something we can all strive for and will most likely set as a goal for 2010. Now, I work out, I'm a novice runner and cyclist, and a damn good tennis player - unfortunately, I'm also a late-night, junk-food junkie. Embarrassing to admit, but I have a sneaky suspicion that I'm not alone here.

So, I had my topic, it was just a matter of finding a way to get my point across in an effective, yet entertaining way. Enter our two little scourging friends. It would have been too easy just to have a couple of firefighters discussing nutrition. I wanted the humor to come from an outside voice, and it works perfectly with the raccoons possessing a wisdom about a subject we take for granted. The very thought of the raccoon being repulsed about our eating habits, a creature that will eat anything, is funny to me - and, I hope, an effective tool to make you re-think what is in your refrigerator, cupboards, and of course - what's in your trash!

Let's all make better nutrition and fitness a goal for 2010!

Wednesday, December 23

Bowl Season


You gotta love college bowl season - it smells like money.

Thursday, December 17

What A Shocker!


This is one of four occupational safety posters I just created for Princess Cruises. These large posters are posted around the ships to remind employees about dangerous situations in a humorous way. Very fun projects!!

Cleveland Magazine Illustration


This is my latest illustration for Cleveland Magazine's "My Town" section. A fun piece about weight-lose, the Cleveland way.

Wednesday, November 11

Veteran's Day


This is an editorial cartoon I created a few years back for Veteran's Day - with a fire service twist. Please remember our fire Brothers and Sisters who are serving at home and abroad. Take care, stay safe and come home soon!

Friday, November 6

Friday Sketch


Saw this gentleman sitting on a bench at my doctor's office yesterday. He was all smiles, friendly, and had those remarkably big ears - I couldn't wait to sketch him! So, I took a mental snapshot and sketched the basic lines as soon as I returned to the studio. Finished the rest last night as I listened to my daughter suffer through the flu and waited for my turn to get it! Hey, we share everything in this family:(

Friday, October 30

Cleveland Magazine Illo




Here is an illustration I just finished for Cleveland Magazine. It's for a fun article about a man and his "chew and eat everything" dachshund - and the medical bills that followed. Fun project! Here is the before rough concept and the final result.

Thursday, October 15

Afternoon Sketch!


Thought I'd take some time this afternoon and sketch at our local café. I'm not happy with this sketch, but it's a good start as I dedicate more time to sketching and drawing from life. If they're not too terribly bad, I'll share them here.

Monday, October 12

I love Halloween!


This is my latest postcard promotional mailer - thought I'd have some fun with Frankenstein and the Mrs.

Thursday, October 8

Friday, October 2

Print Store Redesign!

All fire service commentary created over the past five years is now available on my web store, including EMS and September 11th illustrations. Check it out!
http://artstudioseven.com/page-fire-ems-prints.htm