APRIL FIRE ENGINEERING MAGAZINE ILLO

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

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!!!

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!!

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.

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.

Some quick 15 minute warm-up sketches!

Big Red and his High Mountain Posse

Spring's Just Around The Corner!!!!

"Woo-Hoo!" Spring training starts today! Feels warmer here already.

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".

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...

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.

New Style

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

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!

Bowl Season

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

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.

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 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:(

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.

October Fire Engineering.com Posts

Friday Sketch

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.

I love Halloween!

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

Tommy Boy!

Gonna miss ya, Buddy! Happy retirement, Tom!

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

Fire Engineering Magazine Ed. Illo

So very, very true...

Wildfires

This is my second September Fire Engineering post.

Magazine Illo

Illustration about office weight loss for an Inside Business Magazine article.

September Fire Engineering.com Post

Never, ever forget!

My first fireengineering.com illustration has been posted as the featured commentary. This is the first of many, many illustration to come. I will be producing two illustrations per month and sincerely hope to have your feedback and comments. Whether you like the commentary, or not, it's meant to spur introspective thought and healthy conversation and debate. Let's go...

With my first post coming so close to another sobering 9/11 milestone, I thought it only appropriate to bring light to another growing tragedy - post 9/11 illness. Like a left hook after the sucker punch, the death toll from that awful day keeps rising. "Never forget" is most often associated with the 343 FDNY Brothers lost on that terrible day. Please, never forget that the pain, suffering, and memories still linger with those who worked the aftermath.

Be Original!

Ya gotta love a new school year!