Now considered vintage, these two books—The Ultimate Bug Book (1993) and The Ultimate Ocean Book (1995)—were published by Western Publishing Co. I painted the covers for both titles, while other artists and paper designers handled the interior artwork.
Read MoreA Spell to End All War, 2022. Graphite on Arches paper, mounted to hardboard.
A Spell To End All War
Could an image itself be a spell? This drawing began as a simple still life of skull, pinecone, and violets, but soon became an altar of intention. I explore how art can function as an operative image—more than illustration, a form of magic
Read MoreA Horizon, 18” x 24”h, oil on canvas. 2003
A Horizon
Certain art teachers over the years have said that any art we make is a kind of self-portrait. While the girl doesn’t really look like me, she contains my doubt and fear. I painted this close my graduation, so the academic robe and lab rat were deliberate choices….
Read MoreEarth Day poster, 2004. Oils, 22” x 30”.
Earth Day Poster
Every year on Earth Day I think of this piece and how much I enjoyed making it and I wonder who and where it’s affecting the world right now.
Read MoreRussell Cave and a portrayal of the native archaic peoples. Acrylic on board, 36” x 40”.
National Parks: Russell Cave National Monument
Not in my wildest dreams would I have imagined I’d end up creating a brochure for the National Parks ….
Read MoreLittle Kingdom, 13”, graphite on Arches, 2023.
Little Kingdom
The art that now lives in the frame started with an October walk through a section of the Appalachian Trail in Gardners, PA. There, I took a few reference shots of some mushrooms I saw, including these deadly…
Read MoreMoonlight Toad, 12" x 15" Oil on gesssoed paper. 2005 (?). The piece was created as an advertisement for my work in the Picture Book directory and recently sold at IlluXCon.
Moonlight Toad
My agent suggested that I try my hand at anthropomorphizing a few of my favorite animals to see if I could make a transition into the narrative side of the children’s market. Aside from medical illustration, opportunities to work in hard science illustration were becoming…
Read MoreNatural History, oil in gessoed paper, 17” x 18”. 1999.
Natural History
It’s a piece that has more of a formal design presentation with lots of natural light; quite different from the jumble and “messy” space of the “Shadows” painting I did a year later. To create this image, I set up a small table near a window in my studio and appointed the space with books, insect mounts, a skull…
Read MoreEphemerata, 28” x 28”, July 2013
Ephemerata
There were a few courses I took in ecological studies while I was an undergrad where learned about the fascinating “ephemerata” of streams. Lab/ field trips were great fun: wade into a stream, put out a net and kick over a few rocks. Try not to get knocked over by the current. Don’t touch any of the hairy vines on the trees.
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