I rented t a nice car to go for a ride and see a friend last Monday. That friend being Mark Texeira, or "TEX" as he signs his comic book work. We hung out in the little town in Connecticut that he moved to last year. He showed me his studio which he is still setting up. Good to see all the new work he's doing for various Kickstarter books. Everything is being painted and has a light watercolor touch.

We came back to my place to continue talking about art etc. He was going to stay the night and we were going to paint and talk shop. Well, Tex doesn't come to NYC very often so we had visitors. Our mutual friends, Travis Louie, and Ray Lago came to hang out. Ray and Travis had never really hung out so it was a good time and very inspirational. Molly was in the studio putting the finishing touches on her memoir, "Drawing Blood" that is scheduled to come out in the fall. She took a break to hang out and BS with us. I think she actually had Ray as a teacher when she was attending FIT.  I'm very fortunate to live where I do so it's relatively easy for folks to visit.

Out of nowhere, Tex pulls out a small sketch pad that he had passed around to various artists he has met at conventions. He hangs out with some great people! I was actually in this one. I had completely forgot about the pad let alone what I had made in it! It was 3 pages and is completely goofy. I'm sure some scotch had influenced it in some way as well. To be read in a rough and tumble old western cowboy drawl.

"Recently" defined as the last few months. When you look back at things you realize that something historical is happening all the time. Sometimes I go in to an illustration thinking one way about a subject... and I am usually more galvanized about it later. I think the only illustration I've looked back on that I've changed how I felt are A-rod and Obama.

The first Obama illustrations were very positive and hopeful that he wouldn't be just like every other politician. He was a let down. A-rod I was caught up a little with the steroid cheating and all his antics drawing attention to himself and the big denials etc. He was and probably still is an ass. But he's a competitor. What made him a great baseball player before steroids is the same drive that made him do the drugs, come across as an ass in the press. The mentality that makes a great athlete doesn't make the warmest fuzzy person. So I'm indifferent to good with him and what he's accomplishing. CRAP! now I should include an A-rod illo.