I Draw All Day

Rhythm & Ribs 18th & Vine Jazz & Blues Fest 2011 Official Event Poster

2011-09-30T16:40:00.043-05:00

The completed event poster for 2011.

For this year's piece, I worked with a fabulous Kansas City musician for my model. My young son and I went down to 18th & Vine to photograph this musician for the reference shots. It was a great experience for us all, and gives the poster a sense of place and authenticity. The incorporation of historic landmarks, the Charlie Parker sculpture, and a portrait of a working musician, gives a soul to the artwork.

The event takes place Saturday, October 8th. You can get more info here.

Rhythm & Ribs 18th & Vine Blues & Jazz Fest 2011

2011-08-20T01:53:00.004-05:00

The American Jazz Museum presents the 6th Annual Rhythm &Ribs 18th & Vine Jazz Fest. Headliners this year are WAR, Bobby "Blue" Bland and Christian McBride & Inside Straight.

I am fortunate to be working with the folks at AMJ again to create art for the festival. Below is a promotional piece advertising early ticket sales for the event. This first piece is inspired by the funk style of the mid-late1960s and early 1970s. It has been particularly fun to work on. Check back for more work as it is developed for the promotional poster.

2011 R&R 18th & Vine Jazz & Blues Fest
early ticket sales poster

The American Jazz Museum: PEER Logo

2011-05-13T17:25:00.003-05:00

A fun project I recently completed was a logo design for the American Jazz Museum. It is a logo to represent the new initiative the American Jazz Museum is taking toward fund raising. Below is the final logo design, concepts, and a short video and story from our local NBC affiliate. It was fun using letterpress type and illustration combined to create this piece.

This logo design is a new member of a family of logos created for the AMJ. The logo for the Rhythm and Ribs event logo can be viewed here.

Final PEER logo

Original Concepts for Logo

KANSAS CITY, Missouri - The American Jazz Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, is launching a new initiative called PEER into the Future.

At a luncheon on Monday, business executives, community leaders and corporate managers were asked to become lifelong donors and volunteers to continue the mission of the Jazz Museum.

The American Jazz Museum is the only museum in the world solely focused on the preservation, exhibition and advancement of jazz.

“We want to have traveling exhibits that go around the country promoting jazz and showing incredible historic performances on film,” said Greg Carroll, CEO of the American Jazz Museum.

“We also want to increase student attendance at the Jazz Museum so that those students become future jazz audiences and jazz performers,” Carroll added.
“This is about securing jazz as the original American music art form that it is with deep roots in Kansas City,” Carroll explained.

If you would like to donate visit the American Jazz Museum at www.American JazzMuseum.com

From NBC Acton News

Painting for Pre-School

2011-04-30T10:08:00.002-05:00

I recently had a wonderful opportunity to perform a live painting for my son's school. I have to say, I was more than a little nervous. I emerged unscathed and we all had a great time. I completed a painting of a mustached robot in about 2 hours, start to finish. It's acrylic on canvas, 24" x 36". Below are some shots from the process, including my rough sketch I worked from. The children painted their interpretations of a robot while I painted mine. I love what they created!

Completed painting

Robot in Process

Kid's Paintings

Doodle

2011-02-20T15:25:00.000-06:00

Weston Ruddy Wheat Packaging Photos

2010-12-18T17:37:00.000-06:00

Below are photos of the produced Weston Ruddy Wheat packaging. The work was originally posted back in April right after completing the design and illustration for the red wheat brew. The beer is now available in stores. Check out Weston Brewing Company to find out more.

What the Gardener Saw

2010-11-06T16:03:00.000-05:00

I have decided to include my personal work with my commercial work here on I Draw All Day. My current project is entitled "What the Gardener Saw", you can view some of the work here and on my WTGS Facebook page.

What the Gardener Saw is a series of paintings and sculptures. Each piece has a botanical theme/name referring to the Victorian-era means of communication called “The Language of Flowers”. Various flowers and floral arrangements were used to send coded messages, allowing individuals to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken.

I am currently collaborating with author J. Alexander Greenwood on a novella based on this work. An excerpt from the book will be available soon. The completion of this work is slated for next year, the culmination of 5 years work. A permanent website for this collection is currently being developed. The scope being a way to convey the story of the 'Gardener' visually and through the written word. Below are some of the paintings, sketches and sculptures.

"The Fertile Mind of Helebore Mandrake"

by David Allen Terrill

Oil on Wood Panel

24"x24"

Photo by Steve Wilson

"The Lost of Agrimony Bodge"
by David Allen Terrill
Oil on Wood Panel
24"x24"

Photo by Steve Wilson

"The Odd Encounter of Baltus McCloud"
by David Allen Terrill
Oil on Wood Panel
24"x24"

Photo by Steve Wilson

"Oleander Mandrake: Grey Man of Frog Ophrys"
by David Allen Terrill
Oil on Wood Panel
24"x24"

Photo by Steve Wilson

"The Eyes of Hortensia Teasel"
by David Allen Terrill
Oil on Wood Panel
24"x48"

Photo by Steve Wilson

"Helenium Mandrake: The Gift of Madness"

by David Allen Terrill

Oil on wood panel
24" x24"
Photo by Steve Wilson

"Seelen Loch"

by David Allen Terrill

Bronze on African Mahogany Base

Various sketches from my sketchbooks

Pilate's Cross Book Trailer

2010-10-13T23:22:00.001-05:00

Back in December of 2009, I was fortunate enough to create the book cover for J. Alexander Greenwood's novel, Pilate's Cross. My very talented friend has just released a book trailer of his work. I have posted it here for your viewing pleasure along with the press release explaining the plot in more detail.

Mystery Thriller "Pilate's Cross" Based on Real Life Murders

10.08.2010– In the early 1950s, a professor in tiny Peru, Nebraska strode into a college president's office and shot him dead, then killed himself. Though few remember this terrible event, it inspired J. Alexander Greenwood to write the novel "Pilate's Cross." A two-minute film about the book premiered October 13, 2010.

Today Greenwood is a public relations consultant in Kansas City, but in late 2003 he moved to Nebraska's Peru State College for a two-year stint as director of marketing and public relations. Nestled in the rural "Campus of a Thousand Oaks," he found the inspiration for a mystery story.

“The real core of this book is about the open secrets that can fester in a community until an outsider raises questions,” Greenwood said. "When I worked in Peru, every day I’d walk past a plaque in the administration building that honored the college’s former president and dean, who both died on the same day in the 1950s. It didn’t hint at anything nefarious; it could have been a car wreck for all I knew. I finally asked--and it was worse than I ever imagined.”

Greenwood eventually gained access to police records, crime scene photos, witness affidavits and news coverage of the decades-old murders, but the resulting book is not a thinly veiled fictionalization of an historical event.

“The professor’s motive was, in the grand scheme of things, terribly petty,” Greenwood said. “'Pilate’s Cross' is inspired by the questions this terrible crime created; but as a work of fiction it is set in a different place and has a more complex motive for the murders."

"Nearly all aspects of the book, including the location, characters and most importantly the mystery are strictly products of my imagination.”

However, recent real-life events are chilling in their similarities, and lead Greenwood to reconsider marketing the book.

"In April the former president of the college took his own life as news of a financial scandal was about to break. Though I wrote this book two years ago--three years after I left Peru--I had some serious trepidation about promoting it in the wake of this tragedy."

He added, "The 'college president' character isn't based on my former boss, and I would be very concerned if readers thought he was. Peru was very good to me, and it's very important that people know this book was not meant to mar his memory or upset anyone--especially my friends in Peru, Nebraska."

"Pilate's Cross" has been described as 'The X-Files' meets 'The Prisoner.' It follows newly transplanted college instructor John Pilate, his sarcastic imaginary pal Simon and lovely friend Kate as they investigate the unsolved mystery of a murdered president of Cross College. In too deep to wash his hands of the mystery, he risks his life to get to the truth of what really happened in 1963 and why it's just as deadly more than 40 years later.

The book's cinematic structure made it an ideal project for a book trailer by celebrated digital media design company T2 + Back Alley Films of Kansas City. The trailer's world premiere was at 1:13 p.m. CST on October 13, 2010 at www.PilatesCross.com.

"T2 is simply the best in the business. I'm over the moon at T2's interpretation of the book," Greenwood said. "The trailer really transports you right into the world of Cross Township--like a movie."

T2's concept and screen execution was teamed with Wheeler Audio of Kansas City to record actors and mix sound for the trailer. Greenwood wrote the dialog and voiced two of the characters.

"The trailer was truly a collaborative effort between T2, Wheeler and me," Greenwood said. "I just hope that the book lives up to the high expectations set by the trailer."

T2 + Back Alley Films, led by CEO Teri Rogers is a nationally recognized digital media agency that creates all forms of new media content. Their specialties include motion graphics design, experiential design, augmented reality and other forms of new media, as well as original films and documentaries, digital production and postproduction.

Cover artist David Terrill designed a book cover as intricate as the plot.

"David's cover reminds me of an Alfred Hitchcock film poster," Greenwood said. "There's a lot going on in his concept. It really elicits the book's themes of isolation, danger and mystery."

Greenwood and Terrill are now collaborating on a novella based on a series of Terrill's paintings titled "What the Gardener Saw." Greenwood is also working on a follow-up to "Pilate's Cross."

"The reviews have been very good so far, and I love writing about these characters, so why not?" Greenwood said.

"Pilate's Cross" is a Premium Selection at Smashwords.com. Smashwords has distribution relationships with leading online retailers such as Apple, Diesel eBooks, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Sony, and leading mobile e-reading apps including Aldiko, Stanza, Kobo, FBReader and Word-Player, spanning all major mobile platforms including Android, Blackberry and iPhone.

The book's website at PilatesCross.com has links to retailers where the book is sold; as well as excerpts, more information about the author and an interview about the origins of the book.

Nerdbot: Oddmund T-Shirts

2010-09-16T16:35:00.001-05:00

Back in July, I was lucky enough to be asked to illustrate a T-Shirt for my friends that create Nerdbots. I chose to illustrate and design a Nerdbot named Oddmund, They have been printed, and they turned out great. Below are some photos of Oddmund being modeled by my sweet daughter while playing in the yard.

You can purchase your own Oddmund shirt here.

New Rhythm & Ribs Identity Logo

2010-09-13T15:52:00.001-05:00

I am currently working on creating a new identity system for the Rhythm & Ribs 18th & Vine Blues and Jazz Festival. The request was made to base the new look on the sax player from the publicity poster. I took my original illustration and created a "vectored" version. This new illustration has the ability to be resized as needed. The logo has been converted to four colors and has been simplified for an easier read.

I am currently working on letterhead, envelope and business card designs using this new logo. I will share these pieces when they are completed.

Thanks for looking.

R&R Logo

Updated: Rhythm & RIbs Poster: Artist Lineup

2010-08-31T22:37:00.000-05:00

Below is the finalized poster for this year's Rhythm & Ribs event with the artist lineup. Performing are, Nicholas Payton - Artist in Residence, "A Tribute to Donny Hathaway" featuring Kirk Whalum and Lalah Hathaway and Sugarfoot's Ohio Players. A roster of local talent will be announced soon.

Visit the American Jazz Museum's website for more information about the event taking place on October 9, 2010, in the historic 18th and Vine Jazz District. located in Kansas City, Missouri.


Rhythm & Ribs Poster with Artist Lineup and Sponsors

An Illustrator Photographing France

2010-07-23T14:01:00.000-05:00

Back in 2003 my wife and I went to France for our honeymoon. We spent time in Paris sight seeing, painting in Monet's Garden located in Giverny and trekking to Mont St. Michel off the coast of Normandy. I am not a photographer, but I do love to take pictures. It helps me work on my composition skills, while recording the moment. After arriving home, I took the photos into Photoshop and applied some grit, texture and color manipulation to emulate the look of antique prints. I treated the photographs like paintings. Below are some of my favorite pieces from our trip.

View of Mont St. Michel during low tide

The Eiffel Tower and surrounding Paris from the top of Notre Dame Cathedral

Door detail from Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris

Gargoyle from the top of Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris

Sainte Radegonde Church, Giverny

burial site of Claude Monet

Sainte Radegonde Church, Giverny

Nerdbot: Oddmund T-shirt

2010-07-16T09:34:00.000-05:00

T-shirt Illustration of Nerdbot: Oddmund

(click to view larger)

T-shirt Illustration of Nerdbot: Oddmund

(click to view larger)

I was asked by my friends that create Nerdbots if I would like to illustrate one of their creations for a T-shirt design. Of course I said yes! Here he is, Nerdbot Oddmund. Below is Oddmund's bio.

Completely obsessed with ornithology, Oddmund cannot hide his enthusiasm for professional birding. He loves argyle socks, making shadow puppets and has a strange fascination with toothpaste. He’s currently working towards collecting spoons from all 50 states.

Visit Oddmund here. He has already been adopted, but there are plenty of his brothers and sisters waiting to go to a good home. His Nerdbots brethren live all over the United States and the world. Below is a brief description from the Nerdbots website.

Who We Are
Oddly obsessed with all things robot, married couple Nicholas and Angela from Kansas City, Missouri, decided on a whim one day to do nothing other than to build one themselves.
After piecing together parts found at their favorite antique and thrift stores, they created their first robot friend. Since that first day, Nicholas and Angela have added many fabulously geeky robots to their beloved robotic collection.

Adopt a Nerbot today.

Food Now Event Poster

2010-07-05T13:05:00.001-05:00

Foodie Unite 1st Annual Event Poster

(Click to view larger)

It was fun illustrating this one. Simple watercolor shapes on a white background. A great exercise in composition. I explored integrating the event title in the art (on the wine label), but in the end it was felt that it was competing with the design. The use of bright color on a white negative space gives the viewer the impression of fresh food.

Copywriter: Jesse Hamilton. Logo in bottom right corner: Dave Swearingen

For more info about the event, visit here.

Kansas City Rhythm and Ribs 2010 Poster

2010-07-04T13:12:00.000-05:00

Rhythm and Ribs Event Poster 2010

(Click to view larger)

Rhythm and Ribs is back! The event returns this year Saturday, October 9, 2010 in the historic 18th and Vine Jazz District of Kansas City. See my past work for R&R here. I have been fortunate enough to have created the design and illustration for the 5 years of it's existence. This particular design was created for the 2009 event that was unfortunately canceled. The poster gets to live again representing the 2010 event. For more info, visit the American Jazz Museum's website.

This particular piece is paying tribute to some of the great jazz album covers of the late 1950's. I have always had a great admiration for the genre and the illustration style of the period. I will post more images as they become available.

Press release below:

Rhythm & Ribs Jazz and Blues Festival Set for Oct. 9, 2010
New Format Connects Community to its Cultural Heritage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – June 21, 2010 – Kansas City, MO – Organizers of Kansas City’s blues and jazz festival, Rhythm & Ribs, announced today that the event will return in 2010 as a one-day music event on Saturday, Oct. 9 at the American Jazz Museum – located in the Historic 18^th & Vine Jazz District.

The 2010 Rhythm & Ribs Jazz and Blues Festival of Kansas City, presented by the American Jazz Museum, will feature multiple stages in the heart of the Jazz District within the walls and grounds of the award-winning American Jazz Museum. The artist lineup for 2010 will showcase the best of local and regional talent with a national headliner format. The entertainment lineup is expected to be announced on Friday, Aug. 6.

“This new format for Rhythm & Ribs will follow in the footsteps of one of the world’s great jazz events, the Monterey Jazz Festival in Monterey, California,” said Greg Carroll, CEO of the American Jazz Museum. “As a result, Rhythm & Ribs will relocate from an adjacent Parade Park to the heart of the American Jazz Museum and the Historic Jazz District at 18^th & Vine. This move will offer a wonderful opportunity for the Community to connect to its cultural heritage and experience the treasures of the Jazz District and its award-winning venues.”

Carroll will step into the lead role as Executive Producer in 2010. The American Jazz Museum and its cultural programs will be the beneficiary of the festival’s proceeds.

Since its inception in 2005, the Rhythm & Ribs Jazz and Blues Festival has attracted thousands of visitors to the Historic 18^th & Vine Jazz District each year to celebrate three of Kansas City’s greatest traditions: jazz, blues and barbecue. Featuring great performers on multiple stages, a food court anchored by the best ribs in Kansas City, the Jazz Links Education Workshop, film screenings, panel sessions, the children’s pavilion and a host of other activities, Rhythm & Ribs provides family-style fun in one of America’s greatest jazz crossroads, 18^th & Vine.

“We are delighted to welcome Rhythms & Ribs back to 18^th & Vine in 2010,” said Bill Dietrich, president and CEO of the Downtown Council, an active leader in the district and the festival. “The Historic Jazz District – the museum and our many jazz venues – celebrate this great music and rich Kansas City heritage every day.”

For more information on the Heart, the Soul and the Sauce of Rhythm & Ribs, including sponsorship opportunities, entertainment and more, stay tuned to www.americanjazzmuseum.com.

A Christmas Carol Poster

2010-07-04T12:51:00.000-05:00

1. A Christmas Carol poster for KC Rep

(click to view larger)

Fun stuff. This year I am fortunate enough to create 3 KC Rep posters this year. This time around it is the holiday standard, A Christmas Carol. The client chose my second concept consisting of Scrooge's face and the 3 ghosts that visit him, Past, Present and Future (see figure 2). But after some consideration, it was felt that a more traditional piece would be more appropriate. The final poster is the above illustration of Scrooge and Tiny Tim (see figure 1). The reference I used was from an actual production still. I had to move fairly fast on this one, so I needed to create the image in a style that allowed me to do so. I kept the title treatment and applied it to the new image. Although I prefer the ghost version (figure 2), the final piece conveys the message needed by the client.

2. A Christmas Carol poster for KC Rep

(click to view larger)

3. First round marker roughs

Cabaret Poster

2010-06-11T14:06:00.007-05:00

Cabaret Poster

(Click to enlarge)

Another poster for the KC Rep. This time around, it is for the musical, Cabaret. Lots of concepts were thrown around and it was decided to go with a classic image. Some may say is cliche', but it is actually a homage to the poster styles of the period. I tried to give the poster the feel of the period by use of a limited color palette, large blocky type, and a simple icon. Look a little closer and you may find some other hidden imagery.

Cabaret Outdoor Board

(Click to enlarge)

Peer Gynt Poster

2010-05-31T14:23:00.019-05:00

One of my favorite projects of the year is to work on a poster design for the Kansas City Repertory Theatre. This year I am illustrating and designing a poster for Peer Gynt. Peer Gynt is the self-centered protagonist and this is a story about his adventures. It is a play about self discovery and redemption based on a Norwegian folk tale. Below is the description from The KC Rep's site:

"Get ready for a wild, hilarious, and surreal adventure in this brilliant adaptation of Ibsen’s famous play. Based on a Norwegian folk tale with forty characters and five acts, one of Ibsen’s most influential and famous plays is almost never staged. But now, world renowned director David Schweizer takes this “impossible to produce” play and turns it into a hilarious comic adventure that will delight audiences of all ages."

My first sketches (see figure 3) were a bit too dark and menacing. I was focusing too much on the imagery of an onion from the story. In the story, Peer is peeling away the layers of an onion, only to reveal nothing inside, and after doing so, finds similarities to himself and his life. After speaking with the Artistic Director of the KC Rep, it was decided the piece needed a friendlier face. We still wanted to suggest the theme of layers, but in a different manner. The solution was to create a "portrait of Peer" made up of his adventures (see figure 2). I have created a few other posters in the past in this manner. See the Rhythm and Ribs Commemorative Poster from 2006 and the KC Rep poster for Around the World in 80 Days from last year.

The styling of the illustration has a more sketch like quality– direct and not too thought out. I think it gives it a feeling of whimsy and makes it more approachable to the viewer. It is fun to look at the face, look a little closer and discover the individual drawings contained within, conveying the layers theme. The limited color palette and distressed elements, along with the line work, is meant to remind the viewer of an old fairy tale engraving.

If you would like to know more about the story of Peer Gynt, see the plot summery from Answers.com.

1. Peer Gynt Poster for KC Rep
(click to view larger)

2. Detail of the poster revealing elements making up the face

3. First round concepts

Working in New Media: Drawing with Black Sugar, Painting with Cream Cheese

2010-05-23T14:19:00.000-05:00

My son and I like to bake together. He loves to "mix" the ingredients (which sometimes end up everywhere but the mixing bow). Last year my wife submitted a letter to Country Living Magazine chronicling our attempt to make a version of the magazine's Halloween spider cover cake. While we have a new appreciation for the artistry of pastry chefs, we did enjoy the process, and it tasted pretty good too. It is nice to put yourself out of you comfort zone and try different media.

Weston Ruddy Wheat: Beer Logo/Label & Packaging

2010-04-16T11:11:00.003-05:00

I am once again lucky enough to get to design and illustrate beer packaging for my friends at Weston Brewing Company. I really enjoyed creating the Leapin' Leprechaun and Drop Kick Ale packaging for them in the past. This time around I thought it might be fun to share the process and evolution of the packaging from the very beginning.

I like to pull out a pencil and sketch first, then work out color in marker early in the process.This allows me the freedom to experiment. I find that if I jump into using the computer too soon, I tend to get married to a design before I have fully explored other options. Below are the two sketches I landed on. The main logo image on the left and a secondary image on the right. Hand lettering the fonts is something I have grown to love over the years. It made sense for this design to follow suite and fit right in with the LL and DKA packaging. See image 1a. below.

Next, the carrier for the bottles. I felt an old wood crate fit the feel of the artwork. It was fun illustrating the wood with the brass corner hardware and an old paint washed crate. The beer logo/label is intended to look like it is printed directly onto the wood, time worn and established. See packaging image 1b. below.

After reviewing with the client, there were some minor revisions to the art. The request made were: make the beer glass slightly larger, add the words " Handcrafted Amber Wheat Ale, and enlarge the "Wheat" in the banner. See the revisions in image 2 below.

The last image is of the 6-pack carrier flat (unfolded). The same elements from the front panel are carried thought the design. See image 3 below.

There will be a fun interactive element that I will explain when I post photos of the actual packaging and bottles after production. Look for an update in the near future.

1a. Original sketches and marker comps for logo/label

1b. Front panel of 6-pack carrier

2. Label for the bottles with revisions

3. 6-pack carrier (unfolded & flat)

Blacktop Creative Website: Wins AAF-KC Gold Addy

2010-03-06T15:20:00.001-06:00

On Saturday, February 20th, this year's AAF Kansas City Addy Awards were held. Blacktop Creative was rewarded with a Gold Addy for the Blacktop Creative Website in the Advertising Industry Self Promotion Category. Through the creative union of Blacktop Creative (Design, Illustration), Propaganda 3 (Programming, Motion), and Bazillion Pictures (Music, Sound Design) we were able to bring to life our vision of an exciting and engaging site.

Check it out here.

Blacktop Creative has merged with Barkley to form Barkley Blacktop.

Various Illustrations

2010-01-23T14:31:00.000-06:00

Below is a collection of illustrations created over the past few years. Included are editorial illustrations and a couple posters/t-shirt designs. I like to mix up the media, so there is a smattering of watercolor, acrylic, and inked drawing/digital painting techniques.

Charles Bukowski Portrait

for a Literary Cook Book

– Acrylic paint and colored pencil

Piece for the KC Star

– Inked drawings with digital painting

Poster for the 1st RMAF 2003

– Inked drawings with digital painting and hand lettering

St. Patrick's Day Poster and T-Shirt Design for Harry's Country Club

– Limited color palette to to give it an old honkey tonk

– Inked drawing and digital color and typography

Personal piece for my Dad

– Straight-up watercolor painting

Catalog Cover Concept

– Watercolor and digital painting/lettering

Ink Drawings

2010-01-22T15:24:00.000-06:00

I love to draw in ink using a crow quill nibs and a dip pen.I recently ran across a few ink drawings from past projects. I thought it would be nice to show them in their early/raw stages. Below are a few in no particular order. Included are portraits of Alan Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs.

Concept Sketches for "Pub Installaton"

2010-01-09T14:00:00.001-06:00

These drawings were concepts for a corner "nook" in a local Irish themed pub. There was an oddly shaped corner space that was perfect for a fun themed "animatronic-like" experience. The idea was to have kind of a shadowbox effect in the corner with exaggerated angles, motion and light. Every piece would be flat 2-D painting, layered in fore, middle and background. Curtains in front, characters in the middle then the background/walls. To give you an idea of scale, the top of the stone wall is the height of a chair or booth back. Earth, water and air are themed throughout all the concepts, along with music and storytelling. Each piece had motion in mind along with the use of dramatic lighting. Below is a brief description of each concept.

1. Musicians: The most straightforward idea, 3 musicians playing, simple movement and dramatic lighting coming from the footlights and back lighting the trio.

2. Musicians B: Variation on the above, but taking it a step further having each musician symbolize earth, water and air. Each would moving in accordance to their nature.

3. Storyteller: A large bust of a man. The top of his head opens to release a lifetime of stories.
4. Séance: A Séance theme. 3 portraits of our characters moving on the wall, flickering light in the center of the table. Spirit world all around them in the background. More dramatic lighting.

Drop Kick Ale Beer Tap Handle

2010-01-05T21:58:00.000-06:00

This is the last piece in the Drop Kick Ale project. I designed a tap handle to be a 3-D representation of the "DK" character. I directed the manufacturer how I wanted the handle to look and feel. It needed to look like a weathered, carved piece of wood to capture the feel of days gone by. The piece turned out well considering some of the limitations with the production process. It should stand out next to other handles and entice someone to give the beer a try.

Above is my original sketch and specs for the Tap Handle Design

The completed tap handle

In Memory of Ella Sue Terrill 1943-2009

2010-01-01T13:45:00.000-06:00

My dear mother, Ella Sue Terrill, unexpectedly passed away a week before Christmas.This is a very difficult time in my life as well as my entire family. After reviewing her obituary, I felt it did not even begin to tell the story of my mother, at least what she has meant to me. I would not be "Drawing All Day" if not for my mother and father and their support through the years.

I grew up in a fairly small town. There wasn't a lot of "The Arts" present in my little corner of the world. But, at a young age my mom recognized my ability and nurtured it. I remember her taking me to a retired woman's house who taught art to children. I remember my mother supplying me with art sets to teach myself how to paint and draw (I always think of the John Gnagy sets, along with the Walter Foster books). When I was older she enrolled me in classes at the Middletown Fine Art Center to take drawing and painting classes from a wildlife artist. I was the only youth attending classes with mostly retired folks (I still recall this is where I learned how to draw an eye). Not having any real art classes in high school, she was always looking for ways to expose me to art instruction.

The years went by, countless sketch pads, pencils and paints used up, walls filled with my creations, and it was time to attend college. I went off to Miami of Ohio to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. My parents continued support was amazing. Some parents may have viewed my love of art as a hobby, not as a potential career, but I didn't ever hear the "you better have something to fall back on" speech. Both my mom and dad totally supported me in my quest. I went on to achieve success and personal fulfillment in my chosen vocation. I am lucky, I get to "Draw All Day". I owe this to my parents.

Ella Sue Terrill was an amazing mom, wife, nana, and friend. She gave me the tools to be a good man, husband and father. She was also my muse.

I love you mom.

Mom and Me

Mom and my son

Mom and my daughter

On my wedding day, which is also her birthday

Beer Posters

2009-12-09T13:30:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple posters I created from some of my beer packaging. You can view the original packaging for Drop Kick Ale here and Leapin' Leprechaun here. Both these posters are 18"x24" in size. Copywriter: Garrett Street.

Blacktop Creative Christmas Card

2009-12-05T12:34:00.000-06:00

Below is this year's Blacktop Creative Christmas card. I have always been greatly inspired by the cartoon drawing styles from the late 1950's and early 1960's. I love the limited color palettes, black line, and use of negative space.This is my homage to those who came before,
including a hand-lettered sentiment. Copywriter: Garrett Street

Cover

Inside

Pilate's Cross Book Cover

2009-12-05T10:33:00.000-06:00

I recently had the opportunity to create a book cover design/illustration for my friend and author J. Alexander Greenwood. His new novel, "Pilate's Cross" is available for purchase at Smashwords Publishing. Visit the author's website for more information and to read an excerpt of the novel.

I really enjoyed working on this project. I was able to explore my love of illustrating type and it's relation to negative space. The title is knocked out of the silhouette of the man's profile, forming a "maze". This signifies the characters "internal search" along with the "external search" for answers in regard to the murder mystery. There is a small graphic figure of a man entering the maze. The black and white relates to the winter setting for the story.

Pilate's Cross

"Once upon a midnight dreary..."

2009-10-07T13:45:00.000-05:00

It's October and I am getting in the Halloween mood. I came across this Edgar Allan Poe illustration of mine from a while back. Seems like an appropriate time of year to share it.

The piece was created with pencil and watercolor.

Personal Work: What the Gardener Saw

2009-10-01T09:04:00.000-05:00

It's hard, but I find a little time to create some art for myself. I have been working on a series of paintings and sculptures for some time. I am keeping a Facebook page and a blog chronicling the process while developing an official website. Below is a "quick look" at some of the paintings.

What the Gardener Saw is a series of paintings and sculptures inspired by the Mandrake family tree. Each piece has a botanical theme referring to the Victorian-era means of communication called "The Language of Flowers". Various flowers and floral arrangements were used to send coded messages, allowing individuals to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken. The names of each person reflects this practice as well. There is an interwoven storyline connecting each character in the series, with an underlying tone of dark humor.

Ceramic Stoneware "Moby Dick" Table-Top Fountain

2009-09-28T16:35:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I like to sculpt, too.

This is a table top fountain I made a few years ago. The water shoots out of the blow hole and lands in the little boat on his tail, running down into the basin. Hand-built ceramic stoneware.

Close-up of the great white whale.

Monday Morning Doodles 2

2009-09-21T14:11:00.000-05:00

Monday morning doodle from last week.

Remembering Gale Bennett (1939-2008)

2009-09-13T12:51:00.000-05:00

GALE BENNETT (1939-2008) was Founder and Director of ArtStudy Giverny in Giverny, France, a school for artists and photographers celebrating its 14th anniversary in 2009. A native of SW Florida, Bennett studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. The works of this internationally-known artist can be found in collections throughout the US, as well as in Canada, Europe, Japan, and Australia. Gale Bennett said that Nature in all forms provided his primary inspiration. His modern eclectic painting style included references to Abstract Expressionism, Impressionism, Cubism, and even Renaissance art. In 2008 Bennett was honored with the “Lifetime Achievement” award given annually by the “Angels of the Arts”. Until his death in 2008, the artist and his wife, Cello, divided their time between Giverny, France and Southwest Florida.

The above bio is from Gale's website. To view his work click here.

I met Gale in Giverny in September of 2003. This was a very eventful year for me. My wife Alexandra and I were just married, and I had just started a new job with Blacktop Creative. Alexandra arranged for us to spend a week in Giverny while on our honeymoon in France. If this place sounds familiar, it is because it is the location of Claude Monet's famous gardens, home and final resting place... which just touches on this amazing village. I'll save the art history lesson for another time.

I only spent a week working with Gale, but learned a lifetime of information. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't use what Gale taught me that week in 2003. From composition to color, I haven't looked at painting and design the same since. I use it in my commerical as well as my personal work.

I only recently learned of his passing last year. My wife and I were greatly saddened by the news. We had corresponded with his wife Cello on and off since 2003, but as often happens, we lost touch.I just wanted to say thank you Gale. That time in France rejuvinated, inspired and instructed me to keep doing what I love, and I will always be grateful.

Gale Bennett

Gale instructing me

Painting on location

A painting I did in Paris the following week of the trip

Pears painted after returning home, remembering Gale's instructions

Gillis T-Shirt Designs

2009-09-07T13:34:00.000-05:00

T-shirt designs for Gillis Home for Children and Families. Front and back designs, including mock-ups, showing how the art would look on the shirts. These were created in Illustrator with a custom drawn font. The character developed is a simple "circle" that can be put in different cenarios. In this case, an astronaut and a superhero. The goal was to establish a simple style to convey inspirational messages. Get more info about Gillis here.

Westlake Ace Hardware Convention Invite

2009-09-07T13:12:00.000-05:00

Invitation created for Westlake Ace Hardware

You Can't Win 'Em All

2009-08-22T12:41:00.001-05:00

It is always exciting to create work for a new client. Do your research, develop your idea, execute, and present it. Then... the client doesn't choose your design. This doesn't always mean they don't like it, just that they may want to go in another direction. It is all part of the cycle of design. You win some, you lose some. Below are a few pieces that fell into this category.

American Royal Poster Illustration/Design

Three design/illustrations for a proposed beer label

Monday Morning Doodles

2009-08-22T12:26:00.000-05:00

Monday mornings here at Blacktop bring staff meetings, status sheets are passed out, and we go over week's work. This is the moment I begin to doodle. Since I was a child I have drawn on anything that was put in front of me. To some, it may look like I am not paying attention, but ironically this is the way I process information. It has become a great way for me to prepare myself for the week ahead. Below are a few of my "Monday Morning Doodles" from the past few years.

Sketch to Finish: Illustrated Poster Design

2009-08-17T12:29:00.000-05:00

This week's post continues my exploration of integrating hand-lettering with my illustration. Along with the poster I've posted my original sketch so you can see how the illustration evolved into the final piece. The need for a quick turn around kept me from painting this in a conventional manner, so it was created using Illustrator and Photoshop, based on the original sketch. I still wanted it to have an "organic" feel, so I created a custom brush in Photoshop and "painted" with it to make the piece feel a little less computer generated.

Editorial Illustration

2009-08-12T22:38:00.000-05:00

At one point in my career, I illustrated regularly for few alternative news weeklies around the country. A typical job went something like this: The call would come in the morning with an emailed copy of the story. I would send a rough sketch in the afternoon, and if I was lucky, the finish would be due by the next morning. All this made possible by the wonderful world of email. Fast turn arounds and short deadlines urged me to create a style that allowed me to work fast while still creating compelling work. Below are a few pieces.

Westlake Ace Hardware Poster

2009-08-10T22:17:00.001-05:00

Westlake Ace Hardware Poster

Silk-screened poster for Westlake Ace Hardware. I was influenced by the Soviet propaganda posters of the past. The theme of the poster conveyed a message of how to reduce shrinkage in the store.I used a claw-hammer to visually represent the "fight" against shrinkage, along with a red and black color scheme. The claw-hammer is a play off of the Soviet hammer and cycle.

O'Malley's 1842 Irish Pub Posters

2009-08-09T13:41:00.000-05:00

Both these posters were created for O'Malley's 1842 Irish Pub and The Weston Brewing Company, in Weston Missouri. I hand-cut linoleum blocks for an old world feel. Anytime I get the opportunity to go "old school".

Weston Brewing Company
Logo with portraits of owners Corey & Mike

This little piece is used on the bottom of some of the beer packaging.

La Bella Vita Espresso Label

2009-08-05T20:04:00.001-05:00

La Bella Vita Espresso
Label Concept

The Beautiful Life. This was a concept for an espresso coffee label. While not selected, I still enjoyed illustrating and designing it. I continued my exploration into designing and hand-lettered type.

MySpace Secret Show Posters

2009-07-28T21:43:00.001-05:00

Bennie K

Japan

Silk-screen poster created for MySpace Secret Shows Japan, promoting the artists Bennie K, an urban female duo that consists of rapper Cico and vocalist Yuki, who both love American hip-hop music. View an archive of the show here.

Paul Wall
Houston, Texas

Silk-screen poster created for MySpace Secret Shows for the American rapper Paul Wall. View an archive of the show here.

Shadows Fall
Springfield, MA

Silk-screen poster created for MySpace Secret Shows featuring Shadows Fall. Shadows Fall is an American heavy metal band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. They are one of the few bands who take their lyrical influence from Buddhism. View an archive of the show here.

Primal Scream
London, England

Silk-screen poster created for MySpace Secret Shows UK, promoting the band Primal Scream. Primal Scream are a Scottish alternative rock group formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie and Jim Beattie. View an archive of the show here.

KC Rep Poster: Around The World In 80 Days

2009-07-28T08:38:00.001-05:00

Around The World In 80 Days Poster

Poster created to promote the Kansas City Repertory Theatre's production of Around the World in 80Days. Get show info here. This poster illustrates the various stages of the journey that Fogg and his companions encountered during their adventure, all within the gentleman's top hat.

Rhythm & Ribs 18th & Vine Jazz Festival

2009-07-27T21:38:00.001-05:00

2009 Rhythm & Ribs Promo Poster
(Event postponed until 2010)

2009 Rhythm & Ribs Promo Poster Concept

2008

2008 Rhythm & Ribs Promo Poster

2007

2007 Rhythm & Ribs Promo Poster

2006

2006 Rhythm & Ribs Commemorative Poster

HOW International Design Awards 2007: Outstanding in Poster Category. The poster is 24"x24" two color screen print. Limited edition, signed and numbered. It is made up of small drawings, photos and words representing the event– all coming together to form the face of a vocalist.

2006 Rhythm & Ribs Promo Poster

2005

2005 Rhythm & Ribs Promo Poster

Leapin' Leprechan Ale Packaging

2009-07-27T21:16:00.001-05:00

Leapin' Leprechaun Ale 6-pack packaging and label design.

Leapin' Leprechaun Ale bottle label design close-up.

Leapin' Leprechaun is seasonal ale brewed by the Weston Brewing Co. located in Weston, Missouri. The label and packaging designs are hand-drawn. The illustration includes hand-rendered type giving the packaging a friendly, playful feel feel.

Drop Kick Ale Packaging

2009-07-26T09:41:00.001-05:00

Drop Kick Ale 6-pack packaging and label design.

Drop Kick Ale bottle label design close-up.

I had a blast designing and illustrating this packaging. All the lettering is hand-rendered for a one of a kind look. The illustrations of "DK" and his team-mates (on the back of the box) are based on early 20th century European football players. "DK"is the team captain of a soccer team. He is rough and tumble guy on the field, but the first one to buy you pint after the game.

The Beer That Kicks Back

"In the summer of 2008, the Kansas City Soccer Foundation and Weston Brewing Company teamed up to create a hand-crafted, traditional ale that can be served in either cask-conditioned, hand-drawn barrels or conventional bottles and kegs. Three months and twelve hundred gallons later. Drop Kick Ale had made it's mark as the beer that kicks back. Today, Weston Brewing Company is proud to donate $10 for every keg and $2 per case sold to the Kansas City Soccer Foundation to directly benefit youth scholarship and athletics."

Drop Kick Ale back of packaging

I Draw All Day

Rhythm & Ribs 18th & Vine Jazz & Blues Fest 2011 Official Event Poster

Rhythm & Ribs 18th & Vine Blues & Jazz Fest 2011

The American Jazz Museum: PEER Logo

Painting for Pre-School

Doodle

Weston Ruddy Wheat Packaging Photos

What the Gardener Saw

Pilate's Cross Book Trailer

Nerdbot: Oddmund T-Shirts

New Rhythm & Ribs Identity Logo

Updated: Rhythm & RIbs Poster: Artist Lineup

An Illustrator Photographing France

Nerdbot: Oddmund T-shirt

Who We Are

Food Now Event Poster

Kansas City Rhythm and Ribs 2010 Poster

A Christmas Carol Poster

Cabaret Poster

Peer Gynt Poster

Working in New Media: Drawing with Black Sugar, Painting with Cream Cheese

Weston Ruddy Wheat: Beer Logo/Label & Packaging

Blacktop Creative Website: Wins AAF-KC Gold Addy

Various Illustrations

Ink Drawings

Concept Sketches for "Pub Installaton"

4. Séance: A Séance theme. 3 portraits of our characters moving on the wall, flickering light in the center of the table. Spirit world all around them in the background. More dramatic lighting.

Drop Kick Ale Beer Tap Handle

In Memory of Ella Sue Terrill 1943-2009

Beer Posters

Blacktop Creative Christmas Card

Pilate's Cross Book Cover

"Once upon a midnight dreary..."

Personal Work: What the Gardener Saw

Ceramic Stoneware "Moby Dick" Table-Top Fountain

Monday Morning Doodles 2

Remembering Gale Bennett (1939-2008)

Gillis T-Shirt Designs

Westlake Ace Hardware Convention Invite

You Can't Win 'Em All

Monday Morning Doodles

Sketch to Finish: Illustrated Poster Design

Editorial Illustration

Westlake Ace Hardware Poster

O'Malley's 1842 Irish Pub Posters

La Bella Vita Espresso Label

MySpace Secret Show Posters

KC Rep Poster: Around The World In 80 Days

Rhythm & Ribs 18th & Vine Jazz Festival

Leapin' Leprechan Ale Packaging

Drop Kick Ale Packaging