Soon to be in NYC...

Am I just a posting fool or what? Two in a day! Wow.

I don't know if I'm mentioned it here, but I'll be heading to NYC next week. In fact, this time next week I'll be on the plane. I'm excited to be catching up with friends, seeing shows, building some professional relationships and making contacts. I'll be there May 20-26.


The instigation for this post was some fun news I got today. I won tickets to a taping of the Late Show with David Letterman. Should be fun. I applied online a while back and they called today and asked me a trivia question: "Where does Rupert Jee work?" And there's a photo I took with Rupert in 2004 in the Hello Deli. Ta da!

What's up lately... and Irving Berlin.

Hi all! Here's my Monday sketch a couple days late. This week I decided to celebrate the legacy of Irving Berlin whose birthday was Monday. Berlin's contribution to American music is beyond measure. Songwriter Jerome Kern said, "Irving Berlin has no place in American music. He IS American music."

Things are staying busy on the drawing board. I'm working on a four logos, a corporate birthday card, and a caricature project. Then I have my own stuff... the Monday sketches which will get a bit crazier coming up here soon since I'll be creating collages representing all the Tony nominees. I'm almost ready to post a few revisions/additions to the website. And I continue prom season with a gig at the Aquarium of the Pacific on Saturday. Busy is good (and fulfilling).

This past weekend was great. It was fantastic to see friends – some doing amazing work and some just for good visits. It was also wonderful to talk with Mom and Grandma on Mom's Day.

The Avett Brothers killed it at both venues. They play hard and have really good things to say. I'm happy to get to see Sara Watkins (formerly of Nickel Creek) at Largo tomorrow night. Her recent debut solo album is absolutely wonderful.

Well, that's me in a nutshell lately. Hope you all are doing great. Take care. Peace and love.

Drawing a crowd...

I've never posted a video to my blog, but I thought I'd give it a shot. A week ago, I joined fellow quick-sketch artists Greg Dohlen and John Alex at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda to draw caricatures for Edison High's prom. Great guys... so much fun to work with! Anyway, my first two "victims" of the night were documented by the videography of Sir Dohlen who put together this little video. (Thanks, Greg!!) It's kind of fun to see the squiggles all sped up...

Fun weekend.

Hi all! This is gonna be a great weekend...

I'm thrilled to be catching Back to Bacharach and David tonight at the Henry Fonda in Hollywood. My friend Steve Gunderson co-created the show with his longtime pal Kathy Najimy. And I'll be taking my first trip on the Metro Red Line which will take me from North Hollywood (and plentiful parking) to Hollywood and Vine which is just a hop from the theatre.


Also, I get to see one of my favorite bands twice this weekend. The Avett Brothers are ironically also playing the Henry Fonda (different space in the venue) tomorrow night, and they're at the Belly Up Tavern down south in Solana Beach on Sunday. They're always so amazing live, so I can't wait!

And between Avett shows, I'll be heading back to the ol' Welk Resort Theatre to see another Steve Gunderson show, Suds. This trip is due to friend Victor Hernandez going on in Steve's role since Steve is being all fancy and hanging with the actual Burt Bacharach at the show in Hollywood. I look forward to seeing the great gang at the Welk (and catching Stevie in the show at a later date).

And I'm so thrilled I get to visit with friends this weekend – Echo, Sista E, the Beavs, Victor, Amy, the Welk gang. I'm blessed to know such great folks.

That's all for now. Take care! Peace and love.

Monday sketch on Wednesday...

Hi all! So sorry I didn't post this here on Monday when I put it up on the art page, but here it is...


It's a really interesting thing when someone captures the eye and ear of millions of people. Popular phenomena is fascinating... striking a chord with folks who chat around water coolers, forward posts online, vote for a nationally televised contest, etc. In this sketch, I've featured the amazing Adam Lambert who is currently wowing the judges and fans on American Idol. It seems like yesterday when we were singing "Rock and Roll Party Queen" in Grease together. Now, with this amazing exposure, he is going to be able to write his own ticket. Congrats Adam! Also featured is Susan Boyle who pleasantly shocked folks on Britain's Got Talent with her lovely rendition of "I Dreamed A Dream." A friend who knows the show's music director says that they are currently trying to find her follow up song which has proved to be a daunting task. Lastly, we have Miranda. If you haven't witnessed the magic, go to YouTube and look up her channel, Miranda Sings, and start with "Free Voice Lesson." Musical theatre folks are going nuts over her, and she has just returned from NYC where she sang at numerous events including Easter Bonnet and Cast Party. You never know where the lightning will strike... what will grab our attention. Now, the thing to watch is where fame will take these folks. Best wishes to all!

Other than the art, I'm having a lovely time catching up with stuff at home, getting reacquainted with my roommate and the cats, and having a little more time to myself. I feel blessed to have some stage work lined up in the summer and some art jobs on the near horizon. I'll be heading to NYC in a couple weeks for a quickish trip which I'm really looking forward to. Things are good. I feel blessed. Take care, all! Peace and love.

Forbidden Broadway show and tell...

Hi all! Today I completed work on my contribution to the set of Forbidden Broadway at Musical Theatre West in Long Beach, CA.


I met with the gang at MTW and director Bill Selby last Monday to discuss sketches that would fit the bill, and through the week I did some rough sketches and mock-ups. After final approval I tightened everything up and created final inked pieces. Once I got to the theatre on Monday morning, I used an opaque projector to project the art onto prepared plywood where I penciled the images. Tuesday was a long day of filling in the pencil work with black paint. And today after my compadre Irma used a jigsaw to cut out the pieces, I touched 'em up and applied a protective clear coat. The tech gang led by set designer Kevin Clowes will be hanging the pieces around the proscenium before the show's promo photos are shot tomorrow. I'll do my best to get ahold of some action photos, but for now here are a couple shots from the shop: above is all eight images pre-jigsaw, and below is me and a ten foot tall Harvey Fierstein.


I'm super thankful to MTW and my pally Steve Glaudini for making this happen. It was a super fun project.

Well, that's all for this wee post. Take care, all! Peace and love.

Monday art and a new chapter...

Hi all! Here are a couple sketches I've just posted over at Squigs Knows His Lines... a tip o' the hat to the amazing Bill Irwin AND a tribute to the late, great Bea Arthur. In the midst of closing a show, packing, and prepping art for a new adventure next week, I hit the drawing board for these two pieces... and I've enjoyed the chance at digging into some of my favorite theatrical memories to do so.


Yes, The Scarlet Pimpernel has run its course at the Welk Resort Theatre. I'm SO thankful for the employment and the wonderful friendships cultivated, but it was indeed time to move on. We closed well today and some raised a glass at the wonderful Stone Brewery. A lovely closing of a happy chapter.

I head to Long Beach tomorrow morning to begin my contribution to Musical Theatre West's Forbidden Broadway set. It's a new adventure for me, but one I hope will lead to some nifty future opportunities. After this project is done, I have some interesting work through May and the beginning part of June. Mid-June I head to Music Theatre of Wichita to play King Pellinore in Camelot, and then upon returning to Southern California, I will jump right into rehearsals of 42nd Street at the Moonlight Amphitheatre. It's such a blessing to be working and enjoying diverse and enjoyable projects.

Well, take care, all! Peace and love.