I participated in the American Scottish Society’s annual John Muir charity golf tournament. I guess the money raised supports the summer youth employment at the Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. I got off the train dressed for golf in a white golf shirt, plaid shorts, white hat, and bag full of golf clubs. I think I might have stuck out a little. I seemed to be one of the only people who took the train. I felt like I snuck up on the people at the registration table. They were set up to receive people from the front entrance where the parking lot was. Regardless, they took me right in. I bought 20 raffle tickets since they were helping employ kids in the area. I got some food and put my tickets in to the cups I wanted a chance to win a prize for. Met Warren, my friend at the Society of Illustrators. He introduced me to his friends I’d be playing with in our foursome. Houston and Jimmy. After a short ceremony reminding everyone who John Muir was and that the course was the oldest public course opened in 1898, we were off. Girls in golf carts full of beer drove around selling beer and my game got steadily worse. My big shot? Why, thanks for asking! I came about 19 inches from making a hole in one at a par 3 hole. Other than that, I lost about 10 golf balls.

It’s nice not doing a politician again! Unless Charles Barkley decides to run for some office. Not sure when SI comes out, so hopefully this isn’t a spoiler.
This is what will be printed.

I fiddled in photoshop a little to make the BG dark. They still went with the first one. Except for a few tweaks in PS it’s gouache on bristol.

I did this the night before. Cover for The Week Magazine. The editors anticipate Obama finally being delared the winner, or something like it. Turned this in early Wed. morning. Wed. night I went to the opening for the J.C. Leyendecker show at the Society of Illustrators. After-which,
I walked with my friends Steve, Kurt and Zelda  down to 42nd St.  All the coffee shops were closed so we went down to the East Village to a 24 HR Diner, Around The Clock. We talked about the show and drew in each other’s sketch pads while drinking coffee and eating calamari. I got home late. I then worked on my spot illo for Bank Tech News.

My next door neighbor is an artist. In 3 years we’ve barely spoke. Today while coming in the door of my building, he sees me approaching and opens the door for me. I didn’t expect that! As I fumble with the pause on my I-pod, he asks how I’ll react to the Orphan Works bill presently getting rammed through congress if it passes. I haven’t talked with the guy in at least a year and this is his opener! He asks if I’ll be taking down all my images on my website. I hadn’t really given it much thought considering I have so much stuff out on the web already. I guess I might. Then I’ll have to get really good at describing each illustration I do instead of just showing it to people. Then I can embellish and come off sounding like the Rembrandt of caricatures! Maybe this won’t be the nightmare it most definitely will be for EVERY artist.

Until congress FUCKS the freelancers like me, I’m the new guy on the “Players” article for Sports Illustrated every week. Here is the first of probably about 50 illustrations for them.

Every time there is a possible critical turning point in the Democratic race between Clinton and Obama, I get the fortunate task to do an extra back up illustration for the cover at The Week Magazine. Being really busy for my fine art show coming up, it’s like suddenly working 2 full time jobs! I imagine they used the Clinton piece with the running out of gas metaphor. Both ideas reflect on the voters falling for the tax holiday on gas… or not.

Cyberdine Art Show Explores Boundaries Between Man and Machine
(New York, NY) On May 17th, Last Rites Gallery, New York’s only gallery of dark art, will present Cyberdine, a show of two artists exploring the boundaries between man and machine.

Fred Harper and Christopher Conte are two prolific, artistic virtuosos with a dark, cyberpunk aesthetic which they express in wildly different ways. Born in Norway, Conte’s background is in making prosthetic limbs for amputees.  He now turns his sculptural talents towards mechanized skulls- coils growing like cancer; and predatory, robotic insects poised to strike.   His work has been seen in Wired, Popular Science, Make Magazine, and the Discovery Channel.
Harper, meanwhile, honed his skills as an illustrator and comics artist.  His paintings, alternately moody and violent, are a classically painted savagery of the human form.  Nude sirens with metal and amputated limbs populate a nightmare vision of New York.   Harper’s work has appeared in New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Esquire, Playboy, and Time Magazine, and he’s created the key art for Ozzfest.
Cyberdine’s opening reception will take place on May 17th, 7-10 pm, at Last Rites Gallery, 511 W. 33rd Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues (3 blocks from Penn Station), 3rd floor, New York, NY 10001.  The exhibit runs through June 29th. Visit www.lastritesgallery.com for more information.

About Last Rites Gallery: Last Rites Gallery is New York’s only gallery of dark art.  Founded by legendary painter and tattoo artist Paul Booth, Last Rites opened on April 4th and has received accolades from places as diverse as Inked Magazine, Juxtapoz, and the Channel 11 Morning News.  All shows are curated by gallery director Genevive Zacconi.