Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas everyone! I know I'm a little late but I've been out of town celebrating Christmas with my family in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. I just got back into NYC today and wanted to share a little project I worked on over my break. This Christmas I decided that I would record my Christmas in pictures. So, throughout the holiday I carried my sketchbook with me and took time to sketch some of the memories.

As it does for so many of us, Christmas began with the task of getting home. The first image I drew in Penn Station in New York, waiting for Amtrak to announce the gate of my train. Not only was this project a great exercise to keep myself working over the break, but it was also a great way to keep myself from getting bored... It actually worked a little too well, though. I missed the station announcing my train and nearly missed my ride home!

All was well, though, and I made it safely to my seat as the train left the station on it's way to PA. I was worried for a bit this second image wouldn't get made. As I sat down and pulled out my sketchbook, the person sitting next to me asked about my work. We ended talking all the way to Philadelphia about art and the growing acceptance of digital work in the Gallery scene. It was one of the most pleasant rides I've had on Amtrak. Figures it would happen when I had grand plans for the trip!

Luckily for my project, my friend exited in Philly and I was free to draw for the second leg of the trip.

The next montage I have to admit I drew from Christmas Eve photographs. There's no way to capture on paper a toddler at Christmas. Seriously. This little lady is my niece. Christmas was all about her this year. Last year she was only 10 months at Christmas, so this year was the first she was able to open her own gifts and everyone was sure to spoil her. She could not have been more excited (or cute).

The third image of her is after two gifts (in her right hand you can see the Minnie Mouse I gave her). At his point she's debating how to reach back into her stocking an pull out gift three, without putting down gifts one and two. I swear, funniest thing ever.

Christmas Day!!! We spend Christmas day at my aunt's house because of her giant kitchen (shown above). Pretty much everyones shows up at Vicki's and we have a huge feast. There was so much food this year I couldn't fit everything on one plate! I decided this year that if for going back for "seconds" you don't actually get anything that you got in the first round, it should still count as the first round. Although by that standard, I didn't make it to "thirds" this year as I usually do, unless you count the baked brie appetizer or the whole table of desserts... Anyway, there's a lot of food.

The next two images are post dinner. Basically they're capturing everyone falling into their "food coma." Following the "food coma" all the kids start running around like crazy from all the energy they've just absorbed and everyone else just tries to keep up. More presents were exchanged, football was watched, snacks were had and merriment was all around.

Unfortunately, this is where the images end. Turns out, I didn't adequately prepare for this little project and didn't notice I only had a few pages left in my sketchbook. :( Things that happened this Christmas vacation that missed capturing:

- Times with old friends

- Sam the oversized black lab with his oversized Christmas gift dog bone

- My friend's new engagement ring!

- The process of cleaning out my old room at my mom's (Three bags of clothes for Goodwill, two boxes of toys and books, one bag of recycled magazines/newspapers, and Five black trash bags full of crap!)

- Penn Station, Harrisburg

-Also, to round things out, I would have liked to draw the train ride back to NYC, but that wouldn't have happened anyway since I slept the whole way...

I guess I'll have to try again next year!

I hope everyone had as an amazing Christmas as I did and I wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Extreme Muraling

There's a certain makeover show that happens to air on Sundays that I just did a mural of the Paris landscape for. The image covers three entire walls plus the ceiling!

It was an extremely difficult project because if the short time table I had to work with. I'm extremely happy with the result, though. Honestly, it just came out beautifully. This may be the fastest I've taken a project from start to finish and is certainly the largest files I've ever worked on. Did you know that Photoshop has a Large Document Format for files that exceed 2GB? I do now...

Not certain of the date/time of the airing of the episode, yet.

More to come!

NYC Marathon 2009

Congratulations to Meb Keflezighi (2:09:15) for being the first American in 28 years to win the ING New York City Marathon and to Derartu Tulu (2:28:52) of Ethiopia for her victory as well!!!

The NYC Marathon was last weekend, running through the five boroughs of New York City. It was a thrilling race with stacked rosters in both the men's and women's races. I went out early to about mile 11 to cheer for the leaders of both races but then focused my energies on cheering for my friends and Front Runner teammates.

I was sad not to be running the race again this year (we'll see about 2010) but was super duper excited to be on the sidelines with my sign screaming. I got quite the workout hitting three spots along the course and meeting everyone at the finish. By the end of it, I felt like I had done a race, myself, but I'm sure I was feeling nothing compared to the 43,000 finishers.

Front Runners alone, had 18 women and 95 men running in the race, with 4 women under four hours, 11 men under three hours and oh-so-many Boston Qualifiers and Personal Bests that I don't care to count. I'm so proud of all my teammates and can't wait to see them out at our next fun run or whenever they're able to walk again...


Pictured: Myself, Kelsey Louie (2:55:35 PR), & David Lin (3:31:05)

Brooklyn, the Beautiful...

Oh Beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountains; majesty, above the fruited plain...

I've been working from home a lot lately and it gets pretty boring. Imagine not having to take the subway for work, to pack or go out for lunch, having any coworkers to gossip with or about and with everything you need in reach of your desk (including a bed...).

It's a bit lonely and I get stir crazy. So occasionally I'll take a break from work and make a point to get out of my apartment. I take a walk around the block, go for a run, do my laundry and sometimes just climb up to my roof.

Yesterday I took a trip to the roof and was greeted by this amazing sky. I'm actually working on a piece right now that is all about a beautiful sky so I was so happy to find such great reference right before me. Not wanting to risk missing the moment by running to grab my camera, I just took this shot with my camera phone. (God bless technology.)

It's a mix of the Brooklyn and Manhattan skyline with the Williamsburg Bridge right in the center. My favorite part by far though are those tremendous clouds.

Check back in a month or so to see the piece I'm working on...

Running Pants Incorporated

The other day I was inspired to make something just for fun. Do you remember the last time you just gave in, put down your work and just did something that you knew you would enjoy even though it would probably go nowhere? That's the mood I'm talking about.

I created this little logo a few months ago while I was working on finishing my grad thesis. I actually threw him aside with the dozen and dozens of other "failed" logos I had sketched. Later, flipping through my sketchbook I found him and saw in him something I'd missed initially. He was exactly what I was looking for... He was fun. He was pure energy. He was running!

Well, I haphazardly cleaned him up and threw him around a few places as I was rushing to finish my thesis, but didn't really spend any quality time with him. The other day I discovered him again and decided he needed a real home where he could run free to his heart's content. Here at Running Pants Inc., he's free to run all he wants. And run he does! Just look at him go! Whilst running he thinks and dreams of running and poetry. Visit him everyday for a new haiku. He has thought of many and wants to share them. He also wants to share the haikus his friends have written. Won't you share a running haiku with him?

Haikus have three lines that go 5 - 7 - 5 syllables. Haikus can be about anything running- victories, trails, sneakers, short shorts, and even blisters. Here's an example for you.

A wind in my hair,
a wild furnace in my heart,
pebble in my shoe.

Let your creative juices flow! Think about it on your next run! Just relax for a minute and have fun! You can leave your submissions as comments or email them directly to me. We can't wait to hear them!

In the meantime, watch Running Pants Inc. slowly grow. Into what? you may ask. You'll just have to wait and see. I've already order tattoos of our little friend (let me know if you want one). In the future we're hoping for t-shirts, arm-warmers, bling and of course running pants! (Also, let me know if you're interested in some of these...) Remember friends; IT'S A MARATHON, not a sprint. Patience is rewarded.

Playboy: Light, Sweet & Crude

I'm not an avid reader of Playboy Magazine (or patron of any kind) but I'll be picking up an issue this month. This month is their annual Collegiate issue and somehow I managed to land an illustration in it.

Every year they have a annual College Fiction Writing Contest, and over a year ago, I submitted an image to illustrate the winning story. Well, it took a while, but the story has finally been published, and my illustration was named a Runner-up! "Light, Sweet, Crude" by Purdue graduate Christopher Arnold is about a young, hotshot, Houston-based, oil trader from humble oil drilling roots. The story deals with his rocky relationship with his father and shady (at best) oil trading practices that lead him to international scandal. It's actually a really great story and doesn't feature any scantily clad women at all!

Congratulations to Christopher Arnold (writer) and Mike Marsicano (illustrator) for winning and getting their story/illustration published!

Past the irony of the publication, I'm super excited to have this as my first published editorial piece! Now, I suppose I have to go out and actually buy an issue...

I Love Running, Inside and Out

I almost feel like I should wait until Halloween to post this. I've had a couple friends tell me I'm pretty gross, but I just think they're fun. Oh well.

I just finished drawing these guys and gals. I've been thinking about what goes on inside the body as we run. There's a lot happening at once. Each system is working independently and together to propel us forward.

These drawings are sort of a first step. Here each system is working correctly, but we all know that is not always the case. Stomach aches, cramps, shortness of breath, shin splints, stress fractures; the list of possible injuries and complications goes on and on. The next step is to represent all of that. Should be fun. Stay tuned!

Not sure if I like them on white or black though. What do you think?

Sweet Street Anatomy

I'm a little bit of a science nerd. In high school I excelled in my science classes, and Biology was my favorite. If art school hadn't worked out, the plan was to go into med school, no lie.

As a runner (especially as such an injury prone one), I'm very conscious of they way my body works as it seems every season I hurt a different ligament, tendon, muscle, bone as a result of my body's inability to properly metabolize iron, calcium, vitamin X, Y, or Z.

This all shows through in my art. My art is about the body; athletic, injured, writhing, active, or even stagnant body. I find the body infinitely beautiful and intriguing inside and out. To make my art I'm always looking for reference. I've got quite a few anatomy books and if I had a dollar for every Google Search I've done on organs or otherwise, I wouldn't need to make art.

Every once and a while, I find a really great gem of a site. Sites I bookmark and return to over and over again. One of these sites is StreetAnatomy.com. It seems these folks seem to share my obsession with the body and regularly share some really great findings of organs, bones, and otherwise in pop culture, sub culture and anywhere else they can find it. They've been a great inspiration.

The other day, I sent them an email letting them know how great I think their blog is. In return I received a sweet message back and was super excited to find myself posted on their site. I'm just so excited I can't contain it.

Boy I'm glad I became an artist and am not helping someone with an awkward rash right now.

Kanye West

Can you say Ass-Glasses? Maybe it should just be glASSes? I don't know. For those of you that follow Pop Culture, I'm sure you know how Kanye West was a total jerk to Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards last week. (For those of you who don't, Kanye interrupted Taylor during her acceptance speech and said she didn't deserve the award, seen here.)

Everyone keeps making jokes about it, so it's been on my mind. This idea came to my head, and I just couldn't resist. Kanye really didn't seem like someone I wanted to spend a week drawing, so this is just a page from my sketchbook. Enjoy!

CeleBritney

It's Britney B*tch! I'm a huge fan of Pop Music. I admit it. There's nothing like it to get my energy flowing. There's no way I would have gotten my college (or grad) diploma without its special brand of simple beats and repetitive lyrics.

In honor of Pop Music, I give you the Princess of Pop herself, Miss Britney Spears. Girl is a hot mess, but she can't be ignored. And I can't get enough. There's no one I'd rather shake my booty to in the studio working or in the club workin' it.

Here's to you Britney Spears and Pop Music.

Alice + Olivia Spring 2010 Fashion Show

It's Fashion Week here in New York! For most people not much changes this week until you find yourself standing next to a 6'2," 110 lbs, blonde girl on the corner near Bryant Park or in the Meat Packing District.

Last night I got to step a little deeper into Fashion Week by attending designer Stacy Bendet’s Alice + Olivia Fashion Show/Party. I got an invitation after being hired to create illustrations for the show. The show consisted of a Parisian theme for their Spring 2010 collection and I was asked to create pen and ink drawings of things quintessentially French: the Eiffel Tower, Pont Neuf, street signs, windows and then some fun accessories for the models to hold: balloons, ice cream cones, and flowers.






The show was a ton of fun to attend with a live performance by the french band the Plasticines, and I was super excited by the way the illustrations turned out. I was worried they might not hold up being blown up in size a couple hundred times, but they held together on the wall just as well as they did on paper.

I'm not very good at the whole celebrity sighting game, but I nearly brushed shoulders with Heather Graham as she strolled through the show. There was one girl everyone was taking pictures of that I had no idea was. Turns out it was Ashley Greene one of the vampire stars of that hit (that I haven't seen) Twilight. Also in attendance were Lindsay Lohan, Mena Suvari, Nikki Hilton, Jared Leto, Kelly Rutherford from Gossip Girl and some stars from the new series of 90210 and Melrose Place. I guess I need to catch up on my pop culture before heading to my next show...

You can check out some pictures of the celebrities (some posing next to my drawings!!) and the rest of the pretty clothes at the following links.
http://shop.lucidnewyork.com
http://www.zimbio.com

There's even a YouTube video!

This project was a ton of fun and I really wouldn't mind doing more like it (hint, hint, nudge to anyone reading).

Tweet Tweet

I'm on Twitter! (Actually, I have been for a few months now...) If you can't get enough John MacConnell (and who can?), you can follow me on a day by day basis! Come check out my Twitter page and subscribe to find out updates on my art, running, and random thoughts. More John MacConnell than you ever thought possible!!!!

If you've haven't heard of twitter or have thought tweets are for twits and have been ignoring it, it's a really cool site. Although I to post a thing or two a day, I mostly use it to follow my favorite artists, news organizations, and friends. Everyone keeps me up to date on the latest in arting and running trends.

You can see on my page who I am following, but some of my favorites are Runners World, Running Guru Mike Young, PhD, illustrator Luc Latulippe, and designer Ben Kutil.

Check it out!

Sketches

I've been so busy lately I haven't had the opportunity to post (or even make...) anything lately. The beginning of the summer was much more relaxed, and I thought I'd take this opportunity to post some of the random sketches done.

The first sketch is of my good friend Chef Terry in the kitchen whipping something up. It was really fun to draw Mike in the kitchen, but he sure did move fast. There's a bit of a time lapse going on here. Obviously he's shown more than once, but the ingredients also began to pile up in the drawing. My favorite part was when Chef put a box of pasta front and center, obstructing my entire view. jerk

The next two drawing were done in my neighborhood. There's a really great park in the area named McCarren Park, with a full track open to the public at all hours. I've found myself running on this track more than a few times thinking, "It'd be great to sit on the bench and just draw here." Well, seems I only thought of that whilst running, so the drawings never got made.

Well, I'm currently in recovery mode (Seems you hear more of my injuries than any successes in this here blog...) and am limiting myself to only two or three short runs a week. Well, I need to get out of my apartment for some fresh air more than that so I decided it was time to make it to that park for some good ol' drawing. In the park I positioned myself near the workout station/jungle gym thing and tired to be less than obvious while drawing. I got a few confused/annoyed looks but it was fun capturing everyone stretching, push-upping, pull-upping and dipping. It was really hard for me not to jump up and start working out myself. Luckily, I was smart enough to leave my running shoes and shorts at home, having anticipated this very urge.

I was really enjoying the scene, but the mosquitoes were out that night and I value my precious blood, so I was only able to get these two page done. It was a lot of fun, though. So, once work settles down I'll have to go out for one more try. And that time, MOSQUITOS BEWARE!

That's all I've got for now. I'm currently working on a new portrait and hope to be posting it pretty soon. Stay tuned true believers!

Live Stronger: Lance Armstrong

Of course I'm going to do a portrait of Lance Armstrong. He's probably the best known endurance athlete of all time. I don't even follow biking but I can't help but look for news on this guy. "I think I'm going to win the Tour de France seven times, take a few years off, come back, and contend for the title again." I know, I know he got third this year, but his dedication to the sport is simply unreal. I know I hear he's got kind of an attitude, but he's become a celebrity. Give the guy a break, he raises millions and millions of dollars for cancer research a year. Here's to you Lance Armstrong!

PS. My marathon time is better than yours... granted I couldn't even make it 26.2 miles on a bike...

San Francisco is where Young People go to Retire

My summer of fun just keeps on continuing. This time it brought me to (sometimes) sunny San Francisco, California! What a trip. I was in the city for about week and I think I saw everything worth seeing in that seven by seven mile city. I, literally, think I could lead city tours now.

We jaunted from the Cliff House on the beach of the Pacific, through Golden Gate Park, Richmond, Haight-Ashbury, the Castro, and the Mission District. We then went back up through Union Square, North Beach, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf and to the Golden Gate Bridge. We even took a day to leave the city and tour the Sonoma and Napa Valleys.

Also on the constant lookout for art, we made sure to stop into the de Young Museum, San Francisco MOMA, and a few galleries we happened upon along the way. Some highlights for me were the Picassos' and John Singer Sargents' and it was great to see some Wayne Thiebaud's in their native habitat.

I took a couple hundred photos while in the city, but unfortunately didn't get much time to draw. There was just so much to see and do! These are the few drawings that I was able to do on-site, though. They include a drawing from our day in the Mission District, our hostel room, and of the planes from the airport. Not the most exciting things I saw whilst traveling, with all the sea lions, landscapes and hoola-hoopers around, but it was these were the only times I wasn't on my feet running around or passed out from all the running around.

There were so many things I missed drawing, I'll just have to go back there soon and make up for it.

Obama-thoner

Back on November 2nd when I ran the New York Marathon, the whole city was in an election frenzy. Even with a twenty-six mile race ahead, people couldn't keep their minds away from the election race only days away. Stocking up at my local running store on Gu and other necessities I saw the funniest thing. The store was selling shirts for the marathon with you-know-who's face on it. Obamathoner it said.

The day of the race I couldn't believe people traded in their synthetic, non-chafing jerseys to show their support. I mean, good for them, but I could have just saved it for post-marathon celebration time.

It's nearly a year later, now, and that really has nothing to do with my illustration, but it just came to mind as I was posting this new image. It's part of a portrait series I'm starting. This is just the drawing. I still have to add color, which will just be simple. More to come!

Italy & Greece

This is rounding out to be one of the most exciting summers of my life. I've finished Graduate School, living in New York City, surrounded by great friends, and traveling my little butt off.

About a week ago I returned from a trip to Italy and Greece. I had an absolutely amazing time. One of my really good friends is a high school Latin teacher and planned the trip for her students. I was lucky enough to be invited to be one of the chaperones for the trip because of my Art History background, travel savvy, and iron fist with children. (Or at least two of those three.) The trip started in Rome and ended in Athens. In the middle we visited Pompei, Mycenae, Olympia, Epidavros, and Delphi. So much to see in only 10 days!

The trip was a whirlwind tour, but was so much fun. I met so many people and had so much fun with the kids. Some of the highlights were the Acropolis, Pompei, and the Sistine Chapel. My only regret was that we didn't get to check out the Caravaggio exhibit while in Rome. I mean, seriously, how can you NOT look at Caravaggio while in Rome?? (We also missed the School of Athens :( )

Since I was in charge of protecting and herding 29 kids, needless to say, I didn't have much free time. I was able to get a few drawings done while there. Here we have the Parthenon, a statue of Antinious, and one of the many bus rides we endured. I did get a drawing of Pompei, but it has been mailed to my mother (I'm such a good son) before I got to scan it... I hope it makes it!

San Francisco is the next trip planned for this summer. Stay turned for more posts!

New York Pride Run 2009

If you were in New York City three weeks ago you probably had a hard time missing all the rainbow flags. Three weeks ago was Gay Pride in New York. Every year the week is full of events and parties and then concluded with the Pride Run on Saturday and then the Pride Parade on Sunday.

My running club, Front Runners New York, actually hosts the Gay and Lesbian Pride Run every year. This year I was lucky enough to be asked to create all the advertising for the event. It was quite an honor and quite the task. A few logos/identities were created (and rejected) and then a few advertisements. In the end I ended up having my artwork appear in two magazine, two newspapers, and a few website banners. It's the most exposure I think I've had yet.

The most exciting part was the t-shirt design. Thousands of my t-shirt were created and it was so amazing to see, race day, everyone wearing the shirts. The most amazing thing about the shirts is that people will be wearing them for years to come. I can't wait to go running in the park and see one.
I'm so happy to have been able to contribute to be able to contribute to a group like the Front Runners on their 30th Anniversary of the club and on the 40th Anniversary of Stonewall.

On a sidenote, I ran the Pride Run again this year and finished 16th overall with a time of 28:04 (Sadly a minute slower than last year). I was the first FRNYer to cross the line, though, and came home with a nice little trophy and a gym membership (which is great cause I'm having more injury problems...).
Photos by DAVID LIN & TED PASZEK

Tasmanian Print Exchange

I've had the unique opportunity to take part in a print exchange with 9 other American arts and 10 graduate students from the University of Tasmania. The exchange required me to create an edition of 22 prints 5"x7" in dimension, of any media and subject matter Once collected each artist will get a print from each other artist, and the remaining 2 sets will go on display in the US and Tasmania.

I've been super excited about this for several reasons. First, I feel so honored to be asked. Second, it's been a lot of fun to get to back into printing. And third, This is the first time my work will be displayed abroad. I don't have details on when or where the shows will be held because they're still forming, but I'll definitely let you all know.

The piece I've created is a continuation of the running/body series I began in my thesis. It's a reinterpretation of the One Track Mind drawing from earlier in the year. This time I've connected the "shoe brain" directly to the body's nervous system. I really love the way it's turned out!

I can thank Hilary Lorenz for this awesome opportunity. I met Hilary through running and she was a guest lecturer for one of my classes at SVA. She's quite the accomplished printmaker (and runner!). She had an amazing experience in Tasmania, through a residency at the University of Tasmania, and currenly teaches at Long Island University in Brooklyn, New York.

The Logo Boneyard

This new website has just started up and I think it's pretty cool. Every company wants to be known for their own unique identity, and that identity so often is hinged upon a single mark, the logo. As artists and designers it is our responsibility to create these mini-masterpieces that capture anything and everything about an organization and it's agenda.

Not so simple a task, many logos get created and tossed aside because they don't quite hit the mark. Although they may not fit the client, many of these discarded logos are little gems that get buried, never to been seen again. The Logo Boneyard is giving these logos a second chance to live and shine and putting them on display for the world to see.

I'm super-excited because I've been lucky enough to have two logos chosen to be displayed at the boneyard. I really recommend you check them out and if you have something pretty buried in the depths of your harddrive, feel free to submit too!

And I just have to say how much I LOVE the identity for the site itself! Mmmm bones and swirls!

Yuko Shimizu(Red)

Okay, that title doesn't really work. But WOW was I surprised to walk into the Gap and find Yuko Shimizu's artwork on their t-shirts. Not only on shirts, but part of the Project (RED) campaign to stop the spread of HIV and AIDS in Africa. First of all, I'm really happy to see illustrators and designers being so involved in such a global epidemic, and also, just congrats to Yuko for contributing.

It's not just Yuko, though. Other illustrators and designers have their work on the (RED) shirts including illustrator/designer Mike Perry, illustrator Steve Wilson, artist Jess Rotter, graphic artist Supermundane (Rob Lowe), illustrator/designer Si Scott and illustrator Hiroshi Tanabe. You can check out many (but unfortunately not all) of the shirts here and purchase them here (or at your local Gap retail store).

This is just another example of why I want to steal Yuko's career. In high school I used to work at the Gap. Maybe I can call them up and see if I can pull some strings to be in the next run of shirts. Don't hold your breath...

and PS, please forgive the poor camera phone photo...

Success!

The MFA Thesis exhibition came down this past Monday. I have been waiting to post on this until I had some pictures from the opening, but alas, I forgot my camera, and I've been having some difficulty getting images from friends. :( I couldn't keep you all waiting any longer, though. I had to say THANK YOU to everyone who made it out to the show especially to those who came to the opening. I had such a good time and felt so much love and support!

Posted are some pictures of myself showing my good friend Danny Jones the exhibition. (Pictures courtesy Mike Terry's iPhone).

For those of you that couldn't make it out, you'll notice I got a really great wall for the show. I planned on putting three pieces and a book into the show. Shown to my space in the gallery, I had to run back to my studio to grab another drawing! I had a great huge wall. On display were two pieces you've all seen, two new pieces and a new book that traces my whole thesis project this year.

All the work looked great in the show. I hope you all took the chance to check out the MFA Illustration website, because there was a lot good things happening in the gallery.

The best part of the evening was definitely when I found out I had a fan and got to sign an autograph. :)

Thanks again everyone. I'll keep you posted on any shows that may come in the future!

The Show is OPEN!

MFA Illustration as Visual Essay Thesis Exhibition 2009! (Take II)

It has been forever since I've posted last. I've been so busy preparing for the thesis show, I just haven't had the time! And it doesn't hurt that I've got some stuff that you haven't seen to put in the show now.

As promised, here are details. Hope to see you all there!

MFA Illustration as Visual Essay Thesis Projects

Curated by David Sandlin

Selected Works from the Class of 2009: Rachel Allison, Lisel Ashlock, Josh Bayer, Maria Berrio, You Byun, André da Loba, Matt Cavanaugh, Ray Jones, Yuriko Katori, YJ Lee, Youngsun Liu, John MacConnell, Joanna Neborsky, Anna Raff, Heejin Roh, Nu Ryu, Sybille Schenker, Russ Spitkovsky, Rich Tu, and Edwin Vazquez.

Reception: Tuesday, May 5, 2009, 6 - 8pm

Exhibition Showing May 1 - 16, 2009

Visual Arts Gallery

601 West 26th Street, 15th Floor

New York, NY 10011-3201

212 592 2145

Gallery Hours: Monday - Saturday, 10am - 6pm

Find a sneak peak of the work here!

A New Piece

A new piece, but I'll write about it later...

Cedar Lake Dance

Last month, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to spend some time in the dance studio of Cedar Lake Dance, a contemporary ballet company, here in NYC. Everyone was uber-welcoming and I really had fun and got to know some of the dancers.

My mission while I was there was to make a record of the motion within. I draw athletes all the time and I'm fascinated by the body. Often I'm forced to work from photography or imagination, though, when it comes to representing motion. Drawing at Cedar Lake, though, was an amazing experience and it truly gave me a lesson on motion. These guys don't stay still!

By the of three days, I had a filled an entire sketchbook! I don't think my images captured the grace of the dancers, but there was at least motion.

I guess they didn't mind having me there either, because they decided to use some of my images in their weekly newsletter for March 17th. You can check it out here.

Currently they're dancing with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and you can see their next performance April 24th in New Brunswick, NJ.