Gallop Cover, with oil!

Well, I did it. I think I am done with horses for awhile! I am so excited to move onto different subject matter. Making picture books, and working on the same subject for quite literally years makes your patience and attention level sink rather quickly.

The cover is a full wraparound but the scanner reacts badly to darker, layered areas of my work. I actually used a good chunk of oils on this one. And you know what? I think I am going to be using more and more! It was a bit more smooth looking than the watercolor layer I traditionally use.

ONTO DUCKS!

Almost Done

Ugh! Nearly done with these beasts! These are for Mudpuppy Press, floor puzzles to be exact. Oh, you horses!!!

Illustration Friday: Farm

Maybe It's the Moon

It's official. I am in full freak out mode. Irrational thoughts, beyond messy studios, and gross fixations on how your phyiscal and mental fitness is in a severe stage of decay was the story today. It's days like this where you really think about why you're doing and what you're doing. I think I need to get out of the studio for an hour. It is soooo hard to balance everything. Damn you, horses! Next up for damnation... DUCKS!

Give him the duck, DON'T GIVE HIM THE DUCK!

A bit awkward in the croppping of the arc, but here is the cover image for an early reader. Uuugh, so much work before I leave for Paris. Oi! Les canards!!!

Illustration Friday: Safe

This is a pretty quick sketch, but it was sooo good to try something new, that didn't involve any horses whatsoever. I eventually plan on finishing this is color. A safe place, in my head, always seems like something that can easily be tampered with, just because it is labelled "safe".

Fuzzy Fury

A few more pictures of the kittens and a few more days with Mabel, Ollie (Olliepussy to me), Simon, Sparrow, and Loki. Luckily, I know almost all the houses they are headed off to, so I can see them anytime I want. Let me know if you are interested in adopting one of these terrors! Mom is an absolute sweetheart, too. So sweet, Lils and I might have a new roomie.

Illustration Friday: Run

Things have still been fairly busy these last few months, so I haven't been able to sketch out brand new ideas for each subject. But, this is an image from the book I recently passed in, entitled Gallop O' Gallop.

Allagash Brewing Company

ABC easy as 1-2-3. Once again, I've let a bit more time slip by than I'd like for a beer review. So this time I decided to really go for the gold, or maybe the white. If you've been keeping up with these posts, you're quickly noticing I have a fascination with those sweet, lovable, beer master Belgians. This time I am honoring the founder of Allagash Brewing Company, Rob Tod, with my Belgian Badge of Honor. Here's a bit of history to the brewery.

Allagash Brewing Company sold its first batch of beer in the summer of 1995. The Allagash story, however, has roots that go much further back then the ten years the Portland, Maine brewery has been in operation. The roots go into the early 1990's when founder Rob Tod saw something missing in the American beer market. Allagash began as a one-man operation, with Tod assuming all brewing duties in a small space located in a building on the outskirts of the maritime city of Portland. While both German and British styles had become prevalent throughout the U.S., the ever-creative Belgian-styles were very difficult to find. Through his travels, Tod had sampled many of these unique beers and felt that the flavors and traditions of this European nation needed to be shared with the American drinking public. He designed a small 15-barrel brewhouse specifically to embrace the Belgian tradition of beer making, gathered the finest array of authentic raw materials and began his quest towards the production of traditional Belgian style ales. GOD BLESS ol' ROB.

Allagash began with the release of its Allagash White, modeled after the traditional "White" beers of Belgium. Also referred to as "wit" beers, they get their unique flavor from the use of wheat in place of barley, Curacao orange peel and the careful sprinkling of coriander and other spices. Allagash combined these ingredients with their very own proprietary Belgian yeast strain to create the remarkably unique and refreshing beer that is today their flagship brand.

Because the Allagash White is so dang good, they've expanded to many others, including Allagash Dubbel, Tripel, Grand Cru, Curieux, and many others. It's clear that Allagash has strived to produce choice full bodied Belgianess on this side of the pond. I was only recently introduced to it, and the name at first took a bit of time to stick in my head, but I'll give you a happy little rhyme to remember the name when going to make a purchase:

"Make a mad dash, to get your Allagash... to go have a Belgian Bash!"

Because let's all admit it. Drinking out of a giant glass goblet is really cool. Second to crushing cans against your head. I was actually joking about the cans. Goblets are, as Belgians would say, Brusseliscious!

Cheers!

kelmurphy on Drawn!

Thanks to the kind folk who posted my work and a link to this blog at Drawn! If you do not know Drawn!, it was recently named Time Magazine's top 50 websites of 2006. Illustration, animation, cartoon, and comic work are displayed in a wonderful array of techincolor display.

Check DRAWN! out!

Colour: Like.No.Other

This is just too amazing not to post. This new Bravia TV commercial will be directed by award-winning director Jonathan Glazer, who is responsible for a dazzling array of original work in the fields of commercial, music video and film production.
The project involved:

70,000 litres of paint
358 single bottle bombs
33 sextuple air cluster bombs
22 Triple hung cluster bombs
268 mortars
33 Triple Mortars
22 Double mortars
358 meters of weld
330 meters of steel pipe
57 km of copper wire

The ad will be coming to your screen in the Autumn. And in the meantime, check out their site here!

Illustration Friday: Match

Another sample of the cutout style I have been working with. It's one of the first samples I did.

Dragon Character Sketch

This sample was made for an upcoming book, Hush Little Dragon, with Harry N. Abrams. It's a cut out style I've been itching to work with, so I hope they give me the greenlight to try it out.

BEERFEST

If you haven't heard already, there is a horrible/wonderful movie coming out August 25th, entitled Beerfest. Will I be attending, potentially drunk, and ready to write a review? I'm not even going to answer that because it's so obvious. Here's a quick run down of the plot, if there indeed is one:

Two brothers travel to Germany for Oktoberfest, only to stumble upon secret, centuries-old competition described as a "Fight Club" with beer games.

That sort of reminds me of Airplane when the two girls start fighting in the bar. Where they girl scouts or german soldiers? For some reason that always made me laugh. No one ever said I was sane... If the movie incorporates brats and oodles of dream beergarden girl halloween costumes, I'm in love. Stay tuned for my review!

Cuteness Overload

So, if you really know me, you know the only thing that makes me cry is Animal Planet or things simliar to it. I decided to be proactive instead of passive, and started fostering my feline friends. I started off with a foster Mom and 5 kittens. They are adorable... and the mom is so sweet. She lost her own kids and gracefully took in these terrors. It's times like this I wish I had a bigger place. All my friends and family think this concept is deadly because they know me. I will only want to keep them all. It's true, but I know the space is limited... and Lily would kill me. But as long as I can give these kids a happy childhood, that's all I ask for. Every animal is a gift from God... pure in nature and devotion. They have always been my best friends.

Illustration Friday: Play

Another oldie! Blast from the past.

The Blue Bathroom

My first painting, just for kicks, in a long while. It's so tough to get the actual colors on my scanner. Things are a bit less cobalt. Maudit...

Shybird No. 2

Collaboration illustration with french artist Antoine Revoy.

Illustration Friday: Capture

An image from ago. Illustration Friday on a Friday!

Keep On Trucking

It's so nice to work on week long projects, instead of year long books. Even if they are about ducks in an attic. Don't worry. There are two book projects looming over my shoulder. Maybe this weekend, I can work on personal work. Who am I kidding...