A west coast escape...

I picked a great week to be out of NYC since the temps shot into the triple digits. The weather was temperate and mild on the west coast. I first flew to Portland, OR and met up with my bro and his family. We drove out to the coast where we surprised Grandma and joined more family. It was a great visit. There was TOO MUCH FOOD and it was all great!


It was the Fourth of July. The photos above (L to R): The front door of the Warwick beach house near Waldport, my brother Jordan playing tag with his son Jack (taken through the traditional window art), some random folks standing behind us as we watched the LaDeDa Parade in Yachats, a taster tray from Rogue Brewers on the Bay, the family watching as my bro and I set off fireworks in the driveway, Yaquina Head Lighthouse, and the family in the midst of taking the family photo.


Here's more (from L to R): Me at Heceta Head Lighthouse, Grandma, still at Heceta Head, Mom and my bro's family at the entrance to the Enchanted Forest, me and my lemon teeth at the Chowder Bowl, nephew Jack and "Abraham Lincoln", and Jack getting a shooting gallery lesson.


Then I headed down to Southern California to visit friends and to get some R & R time on the North San Diego coastline. The photos (from L to R): the meditation gardens at the Self Realization Fellowship in Encinitas, a couple shots of me at Swami's Beach below the gardens, Stone World Bistro & Gardens, Randy's Donuts which was just down the street from the car rental place.

It was a great visit. I got to see so much of my family and eat a LOT. (Did I mention that?) And in Cali, I got to see a lot of friends and chill out a bit. I look forward to a return. In the meantime, things are picking up here in NYC. I've landed a few commissions in addition to the weekly piece on Broadway.com. AND I just had a couple of exciting meetings that will be leading to some fantastic developments. (I'll post when things are more firm.) I'm drawing a lot and enjoying it very much.

And this weekend I'll be in Milwaukee, witnessing the final presentation of the 2010 Ten Chimneys Fellowship. It should be stunning! Can't wait!

Well, that's a lot, but I've been storing up. Take care, all! Peace and love.

Shakespeare in the Park...

I took part in an NYC tradition the other day. I got up early and waited on line for free tickets to see one of the Public Theatre's Shakespeare in the Park offerings. After waiting for about three and a half hours, I had a couple tickets to The Winter's Tale. I then went on with my day and returned in the evening...



Roller and I got there in time to grab a beverage and climb to our seats. The play was great and very well-done. Such beautiful design – such wonderful stage pictures – and the cast was really amazing. But most of all, I kept thinking about how I was in the middle of a huge city, in the middle of an astonishing park, experiencing live theatre. Really cool. I took a couple photos on the sly. Above is the stage at intermission. You can see Belvedere Castle there in the background. The other picture is during the second act.

What an amazing institution this is! Before it's done for the summer, I want to return to see Al Pacino in The Merchant of Venice. I hear one has to be a bit more of an early bird to get tickets for that one.

Well, that's all for now! Back to work. Peace and love, all!

Catching up again...

I've been caught up in the whirlwind once again. There is just so much to do. And when there isn't much to do, there is so much to see. I'm swamped! But there are some things I'd like to show you from wanderings I've had lately.



Here's me at Belvedere Castle, and then overlooking the Delacorte Theatre where I hope to catch some Shakespeare In the Park soon. And at the recently restored Bethesda Fountain. Central Park is such a gift. What a pleasure it is to spend a day just wandering. So much to see! So many adventures! This evening I was so happy to get caught up in the fireflies that emerged at dusk in the park. West coasters don't get this much, so it's pretty magical when it happens. Here's a little glimpse...



Well, I've got to get to bed. Take care, all! Peace and love.

Making good on delinquency...

Oh wow, have I been tardy with a post lately! Honestly... I've been busy. Okay, maybe I haven't been busy enough to warrant the kind of procrastination that yields wonderful rambling posts, but I really have been swamped with various nifty jobs and gigs.

The biggest of the bunch has been the first of my weekly contributions to the Broadway.com website. This first piece found me awake for 26 hours straight. Check out a wee video accounting of the day here...



Today found me wandering around Hell's Kitchen, SoHo, the Lower East Side, Greenwich Village, and up 40 blocks of Seventh Avenue. Along the way, I gathered lunch, dinner, a couple beers, one of the most amazing donuts I've ever had, art supplies, new ear buds for my iPhone, and tons of photos. And I saw a really amazing movie... Micmacs (by the same team that brought us City of Lost Children and Amelie). What a day!

Tomorrow will find me water-taxiing to Governor's Island with my good friend Lisa for the aforementioned Brewfest. Beer tastings from 100 different craft brewers. Food and live music and an amazingly interesting setting. Should be a great afternoon.

Life is full here in NYC. There's a lot of fun to be had and thankfully the fun includes my work. I'm here to get the art out there. 'Nuff said. And I'm happy to say that the plan is working out. And the plan rolls on!

Best wishes to you all in all that's next. Peace and love.

Dropping in for a quick post...

I haven't been the best at updating this thing lately. Whoops. But I'm still finding that balance between working on all the project in the works AND gallivanting around the city, meeting up with friends and sitting in Broadway theatres. (I'm making progress, though.)

Today, I took some "me" time after updating the websites to wander the neighborhood. I found a decent little sushi place and located where I'll be buying my next burger... and grabbed some groceries. Part of this excursion was during a lovely little summer rainfall. The pavement smelled like that freshly rained-on smell.



This past weekend found my friend Ralph in the city. He spent his time in the city gathering friends to see shows and share meals. It was so nice to see him and connect with others that are part of his gang o' pals. There he is at O'Flaherty's with a NYer by way of San Diego, Spencer. And there's me at dinner with Ralph and Moriah at Joe Allen. The wall decor is mostly posters from flop shows which is incredibly fun. I'm posing in front of a couple of my favorite flops' window cards.


Speaking of window cards, I don't think you've made it as a poster illustrator in this big city until someone has defaced your work. Here's my (gap-toothed) Danny Kaye (well... Brian who plays him) on 46th Street.

Life is full here in NYC. I'm diggin' the new adventure. And of course now I'm fading. Sleep! Tomorrow will bring more sketch work and then a bite with my pal Greg. June is here. Can you believe it?? Well, I gotta catch some winks. Take care. Peace and love.

Dinner at Sardi's.

So few words these days can sum up such an old school Theatre District experience. Sardi's has been an institution since the 1920s and has distinguished itself throughout the years as THE place to see and be seen pre-show and post-show. And in my little world, I'm especially drawn to the place because it represents the place where theatre and caricature meet. Traditions live on here, and the history is palpable.

Another distinction here is the long-held tradition of offering a discounted Actor's Menu. Every day, the prices are a bit lower if you show a membership card from an actor's union, but on Wednesdays the prices drop well below that. I made the trip yesterday, and with my iPhone and Hipstamatic photo application I subtly documented the experience. Do you like how artsy fartsy this is?


L to R: Me in front of the brass signs on the sidewalk; the Actor's Menu; me at my table with oodles of caricatures behind me; the latest caricature (Stanley Tucci) to be hung on the walls; and a photo of the place after dark.

I had center cut pork chops and a Bass ale preceded by a side Caesar salad. Vanilla ice cream and coffee for dessert. All of it was amazing... the food, the service. But most of all, it did my soul good to take some time in this magical place. I'll be back.

NYC reflections...

As I've been getting settled here in NYC – exploring, revisiting, catching up – I've been remembering some great times here in this city. My first trip to the Big Apple was just in 2004. It was the first time I was considering the move, but I wanted my first trip to be a vacation, so I got a hotel room at the Ameritania near the Ed Sullivan Theatre.


The first Broadway show I saw was the Roundabout revival of Sondheim's Pacific Overtures. Being a Sondheim nut it was a happy thing that I saw one of his shows first, especially since it features probably my favorite SS song, "Someone In A Tree." The intro to that song began and my face was suddenly a waterfall.


This trip was also incredibly significant because I visited the Margo Feiden Galleries, Al Hirschfeld's dealer. I hadn't planned on it previously, but I ended up dropping a significant amount of cash on Hirschfeld litho. (Read the story behind my purchase HERE.)


I discovered magical Central Park and marveled at how a huge, bustling, city with multitudes of busy folks has this huge green spot right smack dab in the middle of it. Here's the great Hans Christian Anderson statue next to Conservatory Water.

I love this city. I'm so happy to be here, and I'm proud of myself for taking a big step out of my box and shaking up the routine. I know it will pay off with something wonderful. To be honest, it already has. Just the act of making the jump has been a big reward.

I also want to acknowledge the constant evolution of a big city. Things go away. Sometimes this is really sad. A few visits ago (February 2007), my friend Meloney and I had an absolutely wonderful adventurous day. The main reason for the day was the Martin Sexton concert at Joe's Pub. But we dropped into an old bar called Chumley's in Greenwich Village. It has a long history as speakeasy and watering hole for multitudes (including famously many renowned authors). One of the many stories about how the term "86 it" came from originated here. When the bar owners were tipped off about a raid during Prohibition, they would call out "86 it!" which meant that the patrons were to leave out the front entrance which is 86 Bedford Street. F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald had their wedding reception here. Edna St. Vincent Millay occasionally subbed in behind the bar. It was a cozy, dingy old place lined with book dust jackets and graffiti-carved tables and benches. As Mel and I wrote poetry after the amazing Marty concert, the little fireplace took the chill off the place on the very cold day. I'm so glad that we had this magical experience.



Just two months after our visit, the pub management was digging in the basement to clear more space to chill beer kegs. They hadn't sought the correct inspections or permits, and they ended up compromising the foundation of the historic building. Although they're attempting a rebuild, Chumley's as generations have known it is gone. So sad. Here's a shot through the construction fencing.

I don't mean to leave this post on a sad note. Life goes on, and fortunately for this one amazing little nook, there are thousands more in this amazing city. Well, that's all for now. Take care! Peace and love.