From the Sketch Book #040112 & #040312

Hello and Happy Wednesday friends! Thought I would dust off the old blog and share two new drawings from the sketchbook...Hope you like! Of course, I like one better than the other...can you guess which one? Let me know your thoughts, I’m always happy to get feedback! Hope you all have a wonderful week. Stay tuned and stay inspired, spring is here!

From the Sketch Book: #091911

Hello Friends! Hope this post finds you well, I have a new sketch for you today! I apologize for the lack of variety in my posts lately, but I am happy to report that I’ve been sketching A L O T. Unfortunately, this particular sketch turned out to be a quick and sort-of-sloppy one because I was sprawled out on a blanket drawing at the park. It was a beautiful evening, just before sunset, but the wind really picked up while I was there. It ended up getting chilly, so I rushed to get the sketch done and ran home to drink something warm and take a nap…welcome September…I guess fall is officially here! Either way, I hope that you like the sketch…there will be more to come soon, so stay tuned and stay inspired!

From the Sketch Book: #071311 & #071011

Hello and Happy Thursday friends! Thought I would have a new Tintastic, or a Visual Diary post for you today, but naaaahhh, I have another two drawings from the sketchbook instead! Hope you like.

Out of the few people that I have shown the drawings to, prior to posting, people either like one, or the other. I am actually very happy with sketch  #071311 (top) because I feel that lately, I’ve been drawing a lot of sketches that look like #071011 (bottom) and really appreciate the dimension in #071311.

Either way, let me know your thoughts, I’m always happy to read your comments! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Stay tuned and stay inspired…it’s Summer ;}

From the Sketch Book: #060211 & #052811

Hello and Happy Friday everyone! Hope this post finds you well. Sorry I've been a bit absent from posting lately, life has once again taken over my schedule and my hobbies. However, the good news is...I have been drawing! I'm happy to share with you, two new lovlies from the sketch book.

I tried a couple of different things in these, some elements and experiments I like, and others...well, I don't. But so it goes, that's what sketchbooks are for; just getting ideas down and out, all dirty like.

Anyway, I hope that you like them. Feel free to leave a comment, I love reading what you guys have to say and be sure to check back soon, as there will be some new posts coming up. You can look forward to a Tintastic post and maybe a Visual Diary post or two. So, stay tuned and stay inspired!

From the Sketch Book: #031111 and #030511



Hello and happy St. Patrick's Day folks, I hope this finds you in a prticularly fun mood. I’ve got two new sketches from the sketch book for you today! Despite the fact that I haven't been to the studio in weeks, I have managed to find some time to draw in the comfort of my own living room. Life has gotten the best of me lately and before these two sketches, it had been a while since I last picked up a pen and hit paper. As a result, I don’t think these are as strong as they could’ve been.

Out of the two though, I think I prefer #031111 (top) the most, only because it has an interesting dichotomy happening between the organic and the linear elements. And although there are things that I like about each drawing, the scratchy and loose lines in #030511 (bottom) are driving me a bit crazy; every time I look at the sketch, I want to fix their wobbly stature!

In addition to these two, I did create a couple of other drawings, but I was pretty much repulsed by both of them, so I won't be posting them...and, unless someone digs them out of a box one day (after I’ve left this world) they will never see the light of day. I’m not even sure I signed them. So, there you have it folks, the two sketches that I do like! Feel free to leave me a post and let me your thoughts. There will be more doodles and such to come soon, so stay tuned and stay inspired!

From the Sketch Book #071910

Hello and happy almost Friday friends! I've got a newbie from the sketch book for you today. At first I wasn't sure I was going to post this one, since I'm not actually that happy with it, but then I realized...I haven't posted anything in weeks, eek! So, here you have it.

Overall, I think the sketch is ok; it's not bad, but it's not good either. I think it looks rather flat and one dimensional and almost cartoonish. Not really what I was going for, but I've learned sometimes that it's a necessary evil, as an artist, to create something that you dislike. It's sort of like cleansing your creative palette; you have to throw it up and get it out of your system in order to move onto something better. Besides it keeps you humble and keeps your ego in check. It also makes you appreciate the work that you are happy with...that much more. With that said, I'm off to bigger and better things folks! Enjoy your weekend. More posts to come soon, so stay tuned and stay inspired!

From the Sketch Book: #061310

Hello and happy Monday peeps, hope you all had a lovely weekend! Mine was rather chill…I spent all of Saturday in the studio and spent most of Sunday doing errands and relaxing indoors. Given the rainy weather, it was a great weekend for staying in and getting stuff done. I only wish I had been more productive in the studio. As you may, or may not know, I’m working on some new pieces that will be up at White Electric in August and unfortunately, I didn’t get much done in preparation for this. However, I did manage to play around with a couple of concepts/ideas that I think will develop nicely into some new Envelop products! Yey! So, stay tuned for more info on that to come…

In regards to preparing new work (a.k.a drawings, etc) for White Electric, I seemed to have been more productive outside of the studio. Rather unexpectedly, I cranked this sketch out late last night in the comfort of my itty bitty kitchen. Considering I didn’t think I had any creative juices in me what so ever, I’m happy with the way it turned out. It sort of reminds me of an oceanic/bayscape view with a heavy dripping effect that may, or may not have been a subconscious effort to illustrate the recent BP spill. It’s strange how the brain regurgitates information sometimes. Either way, I hope that you like it, feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think…I always enjoy the feedback! More good stuff to come soon, so stay tuned and stay inspired!

From the Sketch Book: Cosmos Creative and Scott Boilard

Hello and happy Monday folks! Jeez, I can’t believe it’s been over two weeks since I last posted...sorry about that! Good news is, I've got a lovely new piece of eye candy for you to feast on!

A couple of weeks ago, I was hanging out with my friend and coworker, Scott Boilard, at one of our favorite Worcester hot spots, when I decided that I would contribute to his ever present sketchbook (he takes the thing with him everywhere!). Just as I started to sketch, Scott chimed in with a pencil and before I knew it, we were off on a drawing do si do that culminated in this crazy sci-fi-ish landscape!

I just love how Scott’s shading and lighter line work adds depth and contrast to my heavy black line work to create a truly dimensional piece. Considering the whole process was entirely unplanned, random, and totally intuitive, I think the sketch came out pretty great! What do you think? Leave a comment and let us know! Also, if you care to see more of Scott’s work, be sure to check out his website. As for my work, if you haven’t already checked out the gallery, feel free to do so. Also, you can see more of my sketches here. Happy viewing, enjoy!

The Sketchbook Project: #4

Another day, another post…and another sketch to hit the pages of my Moleskine! I have to admit, this past weekend was a creative struggle; I had a hard time getting started in the studio. In fact, for this sketch, I had to begin with a quick spray of sumi ink to jump-start the creative brain. And although the drawing is quite different from any of the other sketches in the book, it definitely echoes some of my earlier works that I did in 2006 and 2007. I think it most resembles “Bridgescape Birds” shown below…

I particularly like the texture that the sumi ink brings to my drawings; it creates a sense of depth that I think compliments the line-work well. Overall, I’m excited about the new sketch. I think that it will develop nicely into a new pattern…something I will certainly explore in the future! So, stay tuned to see the metamorphosis! Until then, if you’re interested in seeing more of my earlier drawings, be sure to take a peek at my online gallery…have fun and enjoy!

The Sketchbook Project: #3

Hold on to your pants folks, the third sketch to hit the pages of my Moleskine has arrived! Loosely based on an earlier sketch, I did about a year or more ago, this sketch is pretty different from the other two I’ve done already for the book. It has more of a futuristic Sci-Fi element that tends to pop up every now and again in my drawings. It excites me when this happens, because it sort of opens the floodgates for what’s possible; new elements emerge that, like letters in an alphabet, I re-use over and over again throughout succeeding works. I especially like the curvature in the horizon that is happening in this drawing. It reminds me of how the earth’s surface can look from an airplane window…depending on your view, etc. Hope you enjoy it! More sketches to come, hopefully sooner than later, so stay tuned.

The Sketchbook Project: #2

Lo and behold, I’ve done it folks; I’ve finally added another drawing to the sketchbook! Man, am I moving at a snail’s pace with this project! It’s a good thing Art House extended the deadline to January 4th.…it’s as if they answered my prayers, yey!

Pretty happy with the way this sketch came out. As you can probably tell, I’m literally drawing one page at a time, since I don’t like drawing across two page spreads. I’m very fussy about line quality and any little break, or unintentional swirvature bugs me. So, I was thinking that between each sketch, on the above/opposite page I might paste in print-outs of my pattern designs, from the Cosmos Creative Collection, as I create them. However I’m not entirely sold on this concept yet, since I rather like the white space and the minimal feel of the book as it’s coming along. Either way, I’ll be sure to keep you posted…ha! that was an unintentional pun, tehehe. So, stay tuned and stay inspired, more sketches, patterns and Cosmos news to come!

The Sketchbook Project: #1

Check it out, the very first sketch to hit the pages of my Moleskine! I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out. As I’m working on these, I have to remind myself, that they are; a) sketches and b) they need to be done QUICK! I have a hundred pages to fill and not a whole lot of time to do it in. By Dec.1st I have to have this book filled-up and shipped back to Art House, so that it can start its tour across the US. I have such a tendency to get sucked into the itty-bitty details of each drawing, so this is certainly going to be an exercise in speed and restraint.

Overall, it’s an exciting challenge and I’m happy to participate in such a great project! If you missed my earlier post about Art House and The Sketchbook Project, be sure to read it here. Also, be sure to check out the the Art House website if you’re interested in joining, or participating in any of their future Projects! Stay tuned…many more sketches to come!

The Sketchbook Project: Library

I’m super excited to announce that my sketchbook from Art House has arrived!! A little over a month ago, thanks to my wonderfully talented friend Gillian, I learned about Art House and decided to participate in one of their fantastic projects, The Sketchbook Project: Library.

Started two years ago, Art House creates massive, nationwide art projects that tie hundreds of artists together with the goal of bringing art to the masses. The purpose of The Sketchbook Project is to create a giant collection of sketchbooks from around the globe and make it accessible to everyone. Once I’ve filled up my sketchbook with lovely little tid-bits, it will join thousands of other books made by artists from all over the world. Starting in April, they will be exhibited at select galleries across the US before finding a permanent home in the Art House Library. Visitors to the galleries and the Library will receive library cards that will allow them to view the books alphabetically by artist, location, etc.

Overall it’s a fun and exciting opportunity to share my work with hundreds of people that might not otherwise see it. And the best part is – each sketchbook has a theme…but, of course, I’m not going to tell you what mine is. Not yet. So, check back frequently to see photos of my sketchbook as I fill it. Perhaps by the time I’m finished, you’ll figure out what the theme is!