The Return of the Fireflies

 
 

I’ve been so nose-to-the-grindstone lately that I really haven’t done much personal work. But I did sneak in some time to paint this.

 
 

It’s been a peculiar garden year. The weather has been all over the place, but to be fair, I was late getting in a lot of the early crops. The chamomile is going gangbuster this year, though, and if you add that and some mint to seltzer water, it’s a delight. The teacup is not necessary, but it can’t hurt.

Éowyn

 
 

I’m almost done with The Lord of the Rings. And by “almost done,” I mean I have somewhere around 250 pages to go, which considering that I’m 880 pages in, is okay’ish. Several weeks back, my mom jokingly promised to bake me a Lord of the Rings cake when I finally finished the book. I decided to ignore the fact that the offer was in jest and instead have been sending her LOTR cake ideas such as Exhibit A and Exhibit B. Promises, promises…

Anyway, I couldn’t resist doing a quick painting today of Éowyn doing battle with the Nazgûl. If I ever form an Icelandic metal band (which, to be honest, isn’t high on my list of priorities) I’d name if after these guys.

"Keep Sinking All My Ships..."

 
 

Never not a sucker for this song/lyrics.

  • I started a Substack (because who needs sleep, ha…) with a focus on illustration, picture books, art, etc. It’s still very much in its infancy, but I’m hoping to do some more in-depth writing there, the sort of thing I’d have liked access to as a freshly hatched illustrator. Any/all suggestions for future posts are welcome.

  • I can’t vouch for the ending, but I’m 3/4 of the way through ”The Ipcress File” and it’s a delightful throwback to old school spy films. Great use of 60’s camera angles, impeccable costuming and oodles of globe trotting are a delight. Also, there’s Tom Hollander as an MI6 handler and that alone should sell you.

 
 

Tiptoe through the Tulips

 
 

A springtime pattern, inspired by my mom’s garden. This is the first year in recent memory that the deer haven’t mowed down the tulips and the bulbs are glorious.

And because I can never say no to a mockup, here’s some flowery tennis shoes.

Par Avion

 
 

I finished watching Mr. Bates vs. The Post Office this week and couldn’t resist doing a drawing of Toby Jones’s character . If you haven’t seen it, definitely queue this one up. A story that repeatedly affirms altruism and the pursuit of truth, this is an absolute gem.

 
 

This time of year is grand. Most of winter feels like an unchanging, grey slog, which gets into your bones and head. But come April? May? Every day is some fresh new unfolding, something else waking up from its slumber.

Also, I am so, so sorry to see Taproot Magazine end its publication. Illustrating their 2018 covers was an absolute joy. That publication will forever be one of my very favorite clients, ever.

This is Only a Test

 
 

I had a chance to run some test prints last week, to check the second block. Peeling back the paper and seeing the end result is always pure magic. There’s still a fair amount of cleanup to do on this one, but I did order inks and paper, so I’m inching closer to a print run. The pinstripe shirt is nagging at me, though, and I’m leaning towards turning it into a plaid. Or maybe I’ll just carve it away all together. Decisions…

Life has been mostly work and taxes and more work and snow (!), but also the yearly pilgrimage to Harvey’s for hot cross buns, so all is not lost. Aside from sugar, though: