Autumn days.

A big sketch project tumbled out of my pens quicker than I thought, and so I spent a little time breathing in the autumn, although the weather is once again non-autumnal. I'm hoping for some chill in the air very soon. I think I'll have to wait until I'm visiting St. Paul and Chicago later this week.


But I took last evening to wander about Pasadena. I enjoyed some pumpkin pie gelato in the courtyard at One Colorado Plaza where Yoko Ono's art installation Wish Tree for Pasadena has been growing for the past weeks. There are 21 trees upon which folks are welcome to tie tags upon which they've written heartfelt wishes. (How's that for grammar?) See the picture. Especially in the evening lighting the effect is amazing. I then checked out a really fantastic movie, Mike Leigh's latest, Happy-Go-Lucky. Really wonderful evening.

Today, I ventured out to favorite autumn locale, Claremont. I've loved this college town since I took part in a few shows at the local dinner theatre (ten plus years ago). I was happy to meet up with friend Roger Castellano who joined me for a walk around town. And now I'm home working on a couple new art projects and pounding out Plaid Tidings parts on the borrowed keyboard. Tomorrow, I'll be running errands to prepare to leave town Thursday morning. But in the midst of prep, I'm happy to be joining friends to catch the Martin Sexton concert in Hollywood. The flight to Minnesota early the next morning will hopefully bring a little sleep before I meet up with the bro and family. I can't wait to carve pumpkins and color with the niece and nephew. Life's full of great moments right now, and I want to savor each one.

So take care, all. Happy autumn! Peace and love.

Vote.

Yes, I know election day isn't for another couple weeks, but here's my rant... Vote! If you're not registered, I know that at least here in California, the deadline is today. Do it. Of course I want you to vote how I do (in a nutshell: Obama/Biden) but whatever you believe, go out and put into practice one of the rights and blessings (and duties) that we as Americans have.

Take care, all. Happy autumn. Peace and love.

Finally... an enjoyable trip to the post office.

My journey to the post office box today was sans inconsiderate drivers, so I was already in a good mood while turning my combination knob. But what awaited me inside made me even happier. First, I received the results of a fantastic purchase across the pond: new business cards! I ordered these "mini cards" from moo.com – 100 two-sided mini cards for $20. And I was able to upload up to 100 individual images so each card could be unique. (I only uploaded 20 so I could have duplicates.) These are SO COOL!! I designed my cards to be tone on tone (oranges) with only my Squigs signature popping in white. The reverse has my pertinent info in dark blue. I am SO HAPPY with these cards. The down side is I don't want to give them out. I want to keep them all and stack them and look at them and hug them. Okay, I'm not that fanatical, but I do like them. And I highly recommend moo.com (which I found via ReadyMade magazine).

Also awaiting me in my PO box was my absentee ballot. (I'll be in rehearsals in Escondido on the big election day.) So I'm happy to be casting my votes this evening and dropping it in the mail tomorrow. As Bob Schieffer's mother used to say, it's gonna make me feel big and powerful. And I'm going to pray that a majority of folks votes the way I do. Voting is an honor, a privilege, and a duty. Here I go.



Finally, if you scroll down to yesterday's post, you'll see that Brian d'Arcy James commented on the illustration I created commemorating his upcoming Broadway turn as Shrek. How cool!! The guy is super talented. He's had many a Broadway star turn (and some prime appearances on the big and small screens). I had the pleasure of drawing him previously when he starred in the LA production of Irving Berlin's White Christmas (opposite Anastasia Barzee, Jeffry Denman, and Meredith Patterson... commissioned by stage manager David Lober). You can see that illustration here as well as a wee photo of said fellow.

So that's it for now. I'm heading back to the drawing board because I have so much to do. Take care, y'all. Peace and love!

Art, stupid drivers, and Scott Farkus...

First off, today at the post office I ran into the guy who played the bully Scott Farkus in A Christmas Story. That was pretty cool. And he didn't even pelt me with snowballs. That would be difficult since our autumn in the Valley has brought us 90 degree temps.


Why is it that some days it seems like they let the inconsiderate drivers out of their corral here in North Hollywood? Two days in a row I've been met with drivers going out the in driveway at the post office. And the kicker was yesterday when a woman cut across three lanes of traffic from being parked, forcing me to slam on my brakes, so she could get into a turn lane. When I honked my horn at her, she flipped ME off. What??!! My biggest pet peeve is inconsiderate people, so I've been gritting my teeth lately. And THEN there was the guy in front of me in the grocery line carrying on a loud conversation and totally ignoring the checker. He only paused long enough to ask me if he could use my discount card. And THEN... Oh, I think I just need to stay home. But then tonight is the last presidential debate. I think I'm going to dig a hole and crawl into it. Sheesh!


Finally, here are a couple new illustrations... This first one is a commission that I received on my recent visit to NYC. Stephen Dolginoff wrote and starred (along with Doug Kreeger) in the musical Thrill Me, telling the story of the Leopold and Loeb murders in 1920s Chicago.


The second piece is one I just did for fun because I dig Brian d'Arcy James' eyebrows. He will be returning to Broadway in title role of the new stage version of Shrek and so I thought I'd whip up a little caricature illustration to commemorate it. I have a couple more projects on the drawing board as well before I head off on my St. Paul/Chicago trip next week. Lots of art. That's how I like it.

So, take care, all! Go Obama! Peace and love.

Autumn is for reminiscing...

Ah! Today feels like autumn... finally! Unfortunately we're supposed to get another warm-up next week, but I slept oh so cozily last night with the chill in the air and the wind rustling through the trees outside. I hope to get out to a pumpkin patch very soon, and I'm earnestly seeking the perfect bowl of soup. And while Southern California does have a teensy bit of fall color (The photo here was taken last week in Costa Mesa.), I look forward to seeing (and feeling) some real autumn when I visit my bro and his family in St. Paul and a bunch of the friends in Chicago later this month. Yay autumn!!

This is the time of the year for reflection and reminiscing. I've spent a good majority of the morning scanning old artwork. As some of you may know, the illustration career was born of my tradition of drawing closing night gifts for each of the show families I've been a part of. I've drawn nearly every full production I've been in since 1993... around 50 pieces. (Wow, that was a long, awkward sentence.) So! I decided it would be wise to finally fill out my digital show sketch archive with the pieces I created before I got a scanner. It has been a fun, warm & fuzzy project. I've been looking back at folks I've worked with: colleagues that have become dear friends, friendships and marriages that have developed, friendships and marriages that have dissolved, friends who are no longer with us (well, in the flesh), and countless magical onstage and offstage moments. I've been laughing a lot, and there's been a lot of – empathizing with Truvy's favorite emotion in Steel Magnolias – laughter through tears. I feel blessed to be an actor in the theatre as well as an illustrator and documentarian.


Here's one piece of the many classic Squigs pieces I've gandered at this morning. This is the Moonlight Amphitheatre's 1999 production of Carousel. So many in the show are such close friends now: Bets Malone and Steve Glaudini, Eric Anderson, Ralph Johnson, Erin Granahan way up there in the back, and so many more wonderful folks. And as I was reminded of just a couple years ago, a future megacelebrity. If you look just to the left of me (I'm the one with the goatee, boater, and pipe.) you'll see a young Vanessa Hudgens (of High School Musical fame) who played mine and Bets' youngest child. It made me feel a bit old, but my niece really appreciated it. The sketch itself was inspired loosely by the amazing work of Lincoln Center artist James McMullan who created the 1994 Broadway revival poster. I usually prefer my more recent work and still feel that my next piece is always my best piece, but I really dig this one for many reasons. Side note: I just remembered that I played a little bit with unique textures in this piece. Eric (the largest figure in the piece – down center) or rather his vest is shaded by spattering ink through a bit of window screen. Ah, illustration experimentation!

So that's more than I anticipated writing, but there you go. I'm heading back to the drawing board now. Happy autumn, all! Peace and love.

More new stuff...

Just when I feel like I've been slacking off, I look at the recent projects and realize that I've been pretty busy.


I'm working on creating a series of graphics aimed at a Broadway-type audience – a really geeky Broadway fan. I've included a couple pieces in that neighborhood. This piece about the Broadway divas working at the Costco features a few legendary ladies... and a couple Broadway urban legends. See if you get 'em.


Another graphic is directed at the same audience – at Hallowe'en time. If you don't get the references, just Google the names. I may be directing the comedy at a much too limited audience, but we'll see.


On another end of the spectrum, I've also been working on a few test projects aimed toward independent music crowds. This particular image is for a group that plays regularly at LA club Largo (the Watkins are out of the Newgrass group, Nickel Creek, and play with folks like Benmont Tensch of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers, Greg Leisz who has played steel guitar on everyone's albums, Jackson Browne, and Fiona Apple) and have given me some of my favorite musical outings. Anyway... my art might soon be steered toward posters and the like. We'll see. Let me know if you like.

Well, that's all for now. Take care, loved ones. Peace and love!

Presidential ink-slingin'...

It's getting dirty out there. The mud is being slung and it's getting a little tiresome. As I watched the news last night, I was inspired to do a little doodle of the major players in the race...