Of beaches and Boston...

It's been a while since I've landed here with tales of adventure. Sometime you just have to store up... and then toss them all out at once. I recently had the best type of vacation I can imagine... adventures, exploration, friends, food. I spent a week on Cape Cod and in Boston. And here's a doozy of an account of the discoveries. (I feel like I'm setting y'all up for a big ol' vacation slide show.)


The instigation for the visit was the wedding of my friends Christine and Joe. 1) I stayed at their rental and had the two-story windmill all to myself. 2) The view of the marshlands out behind the house. 3) Joe and Christine, and wedding attendees Kathel and Jimmy. 4) Jimmy bearing the rings at the wedding. 5) Me on the lower level of the windmill... with warm decor, quirky art, and old musical instruments. 6) The ceiling in the second floor bedroom.


The wedding took place at the Edward Gorey house in Yarmouth, MA. Gorey is a renowned (and prolific) illustrator, known by most from his many books, and also his contributions to the PBS series Mystery and his Tony-winning designs for Dracula starring Frank Langella. I'm enthralled with his work and his unique style. So I was like a kid in a candy store with the opportunity to look around. 1) The yard sign. 2) Pointing the way. 3) Illustration recreation and Black-eyed Susans that decorated the house. 4) Gorey's book The Gashleycrumb Tinies inspires a scavenger hunt of sorts throughout the house where you can discover all 26 untimely ends of the unwise children. 5) Gorey's Tony and Dracula designs. 6) Omblegroom, the 22lb. Gorey House cat.


The nifty look of these photos comes courtesy of the Hipstamatic application on my iPhone. Here is a selection of photos using the grainy black & white "film"... 1) Weathervane and original design. 2) Window decorated with some beloved objects. 3) Trick wallpaper... the ladies only show up when the light hits it from the correct angle. 4) Another window, this time with toy mice. 5) Edward's fridge. 6) Out another window is a Gorey-inspired graveyard.


In nearby Dennis, MA you'll find the Cape Playhouse and the Cape Cinema. 1. The front of the playhouse, showing the awning damaged by high winds the previous week (and when this photo was taken, anticipating hurricane Earl). 2. The playhouse has been open every summer since 1927 and the walls are papered with posters featuring many notable names who have performed. 3. Gertrude Lawrence is said to haunt the place. If you are in "her" dressing room and you don't bring her flowers, things tend to fall off shelves. A scrap of paper featuring her autograph fell from the rafters when a tour was being given. Spooooky (and fun)! 4) The Cape Cinema was built three years after the playhouse and now features art and foreign films on the one screen. 5) Vintage concession ads and preview graphics are part of the experience. I saw the Robert Duvall movie Get Low while I was there. (Amazing!) 6) But, hands-down, the star of this place is the enormous mural covering the entire ceiling and walls... designed by famed illustrator Rockwell Kent and painted by legendary set designer Jo Mielziner. Wow!


On a full day's meandering, I drove the length of the Cape, from Yarmouth up to Provincetown. 1. Yours truly and the Highland Light in North Truro. 2) The "Nantucket Bucket" at Moby Dick's... steamed mussels, little-neck clams, and corn on the cob. 3) Some old pilings in Provincetown with the Pilgrim monument in the distance. 4) Charming P-Town. 5) Lobster roll! 6)Sun setting over the water... the only place you can see that on the east coast.


On the way to Boston, I navigated the Old King's Highway and stopped where I felt the calling... from Yarmouth to Plymouth (lots of "mouths"). 1. Lothrop Hill Cemetery. 2. A fire station sign announcing the imminent arrival of Hurricane Earl. 3. In Plymouth, a monument to Samoset (I believe). 4. The rock and my shadow. 5) The Mayflower II. 6) Burial Hill.


Boston adventures: 1) The view of downtown from my hotel room. 2) A couple pigeons atop the Boston Common plaque, with Park Street Church looming overhead. 3) The gravestone of Mary Goose, possibly legendary "Mother" Goose. 4) These may or may not be pencil nubs once used by a renowned and revered caricaturist. 5) A large milk bottle near the site of the Boston Tea Party. A little tea house down the street was advertising a special called "Earl's Fog" in commemoration of the hurricane... Earl Grey tea, honey, and cream. I couldn't help but feel the whole tea irony. 6) The Old State House and the site of the Boston Massacre.


1) Paul Revere's house. 2) Paul Revere monument with the Old North Church in the foggy haze of the background. 3) A blurry but pretty shot from the hotel room as the Earl rain began. It ended up being pretty much a dud of a storm. 4) Trinity Church. 5) In front of the Boston Public Library. 6) One of the many murals inside the library. I was a bit disappointed that the John Singer Sargent mural gallery was closed. Ah well... incentive to return.


1) A monument near the Boston World Trade Center and a fun shadow. 2) The Museum of Fine Arts. 3) I did get to see the Sargent murals here. 4) Scuplture study: Air. 5) Fenway Park from the outside. 6) And looking in. Note: I also enjoyed the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Sargent's huge El Jaleo and many more amazing pieces in an absolutely stunning building surrounding a beautiful courtyard. There are also two large empty frames, left that way after the Rembrandts once held there were stolen in a big heist.

Well, that's the end of this particular journey. After a four hour bus ride, I was back in NYC. And I can say that I do indeed feel at home in my new home city based on a wonderful happy feeling as I approached the Midtown Tunnel. So many adventures to be had here... and even more just a quick jaunt away. Such a wealth! Take care, all! Peace and love to you.

An epic walkabout...

Just to keep my hand in 'round here, I'm bringing you a mini photo essay with glimpses from a day full of wandering adventure...


Here we go... 1. A trek down to the southern tip of Manhattan found me first at Bowling Green, the first public park established in NYC. 2. And just a skip from said park is the famous bull statue which gets numerous visitors to its undercarriage. 3. Then, in Battery Park (where I also enjoyed a meander through an out-of-the-way labyrinth... not the Henson type) is a really amazing sculpture called "The Immigrants." Here's a shot of part of it. 4. Then, sort of nearby is Fraunces Tavern which hold a lot of weight in the Revolutionary War era's history. George Washington really did sleep here. Or if he didn't actually sleep, he met with a lot of influential folks here. 5. I then moseyed north to Central Park where I found Sheep Meadow teeming with sun-worshippers and frisbee tossers. 6. And as I headed up the Mall, I found a photo op at the Columbus statue. The red orbs might be caused by the sun... or by the souls sent to heaven from the disease CC introduced to indigenous cultures. Oops... got dark there.


Toby continued... 1. Still in the Park, I gravitated once again, as I often do, to Bethesda Fountain. 2. At Strawberry Fields, I overheard a girl ask her mother, "Imagine what?" I was agog. 3. After running a few errands, I took advantage of the amazingly temperate weather and ventured over to the Hudson River for an early evening hike. 4. Heading back east to meet up with friends, I passed a public school which featured a mural designed and painted by students. Note the literary tribute of the top book in the stack. 5. Graffiti on the sidewalk in Chelsea is radically optimistic. 6. Here's just a glimpse at a wonderful evening with friends... After truffle mac & cheese at The Cafeteria and before beers at the 156 year-old McSorleys, we dropped into the workplace of our friend Jenn. She sells cupcakes and we ate some. Mmmm!!

Well, that's it for now. A post in the near future might just come from a cah in Hahvahd Yahd. Or maybe Cape Cahd. We'll see. Take care, all! Peace and love.

Catching up.

I've been meeting up with friends to catch up lately. It's such a wonderful thing... to "catch up"... to find out what's new and exciting in each others' lives and just "be" in the same general vicinity. In fact since I've been in town three months now, I'm already catching up with folks I've seen since I got here. That's pretty neat. But NOW I need to catch up on this blog. The whirlwind that is my life is making it difficult to justify spending a lot of time updating blogs and websites and Twitter and Facebook notes, but this afternoon the blank slate that will soon be filled with ink (on a commission) is allowing me a little bloggage time. I'll start with some broad strokes and get more specific as I go...


The gig at Broadway.com is pretty exciting. I'm now receiving press tickets to see shows which are complimentary. Free tickets to see Broadway and off-Broadway shows. It's a huge perk and sort of a dream come true. I'm not taking it for granted. The projects are fun and exciting, and I'm mostly happy with my output. Here's a little graphic with slivers of my nine pieces to date. I have my sketching schedule now through the end of September, and then the rest of the autumn will bring a cornucopia of possibilities for the column. I'm so excited (and grateful)! Be sure to drop by Broadway.com every Thursday afternoon for fresh art.

In addition to the weekly website work and the encouraging progress of the work with Broadway Cares, I've built up quite a workload of commissions... a couple touring show commemorations and celebrations of several folks' amazing milestones. I feel blessed to have the chance to be a part of these special events... and to be doing what I love to do for a living.

I turned 38 last week. August 7th was full of friends and fun... brunch, a play (actually for work, but can you believe I get paid for this???), beers and dinner, an outdoor concert (See a snippet on my other blog, Everything Waits To Be Noticed), a gathering with out-of-town friends. It was also wonderful to hear from Dad who left a happy message, and the onslaught of little messages on Facebook is always a nice surprise. On a day where one reflects on one's life, I realized again and again just how much I'm blessed and doing exactly what I am meant to be doing. And, looking ahead, I am so grateful to be opening a few doors that will lead to some nifty things.

I've booked my travel plans for an adventure to Cape Cod and Boston at the end of the month. I'm going to the wedding of some friends, seeing a show, and doing some good ol' exploration of the Cape. And then I'll spend a couple days in Boston (and surrounding environs), again exploring places that are new to me. I might even head out to Walden Pond... but not unless I read up on my Thoreau.


Here's a little glimpse into how my brain sometimes ticks. I was watching the 1983 movie Muppets Take Manhattan on Netflix Instant View and noticed that the Broadway theatre in which they mount their show "Manhattan Melodies" is the Biltmore (I'm sure merely used for exterior shots). I looked it up on the Wikipedia and noted that after it sat vacant for years after an arson fire, it was renovated and was renamed the Samuel J. Friedman (now featuring shows presented by Manhattan Theatre Club). I had a meeting today at Hotel Edison which is right across the street, so I took this photo. Ironically, the play advertised on the front of the theatre (which closed weeks ago) starred Linda Lavin. Ms. Lavin also had a star cameo in Muppets Take Manhattan. The correlations put a smile on my face. The world is an intriguing puzzle. Oh... and since that theatre was the Biltmore – and just down the block is the Barrymore – 47th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues was once truly the street with "more." Hee hee.

And I ate my first lobster roll today. A New England delicacy, many restaurants have their versions. I went to a great little place today in Long Island City called Sage General Store. The lobster roll was AMAZING and it came with their bacon potato salad which was absolutely DIVINE! Anyway... it was a good day.

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

You can't stop the ink...

I really love what I do, and that's a good thing because I'm doing a whole heck of a lot of it! I've just finished up my seventh piece for Broadway.com, and as we head into the autumn the assignments will be coming even more fast and furious. During the summer, the pickins are a bit more sparse, but worthy of celebration nonetheless. This week's sketch will be celebrating the new cast members in the Pulitzer Prize winning Next to Normal. Here are a few photos from along the way (and please note that the incredibly stylish sock on my drawing arm is to keep me from sticking to the paper on hot & humid days)...



I also dropped by the office today to sign a boat load of prints. Wow, they look good... giclee prints on amazing paper. And the colors pop SO well! I hope they all go to good homes!

There is even more in the works. I'm working with Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS on a couple projects including the poster for their big early autumn event, the Broadway Flea Market. It's a great cause, and I'm also happy to say that this will be wonderful exposure for my work. There are more possibilities in the works, but I don't want to count those proverbial chickens. Exciting possibilities, though.

Well, I have a few things to do before catching some winks. Take care, all! Peace and love.

Raspberries!!

Okay... I'm not usually one who will attend celebrity appearances unless it's to see them do what they typically do, BUT I had heard that Carol Channing was to be dropping by the Barnes and Noble at Lincoln Center this evening for a chat and maybe a bit of singin' from her new CD which mostly includes hymns and gospel tunes. The juxtaposition and proximity made it irresistible. And she's just so precious. And such a legend. I joined my friend Deejay Gray and we reveled in the experience.


I'm not typically an autograph guy. I'm not even good about getting subjects to sign things I've drawn. It just isn't normally important to me. But I stuck around and got Ms. Channing to sign my CD booklet. She was so lovely, and then I distracted her while she wrote my "XX"s and "OO"s. So I got a couple "X"s and a squiggle of sorts. And when Deejay told her "You're the reason I got into theatre." Carol said, "All right." Hmmmm.

Here are a few clips from the musical part of the event. (Not sure if I was supposed to do this, but it'll be fun while it lasts.) Ms. Channing is lending her support to the important cause of keeping arts education alive in the schools. If you want to follow her efforts (and I hope you do), check out her website: carolchanning.org

Well, that's it for now. Much more to come. I'm going to bed now... the first night in a while that I've planned to get eight hours of zzzzzzzzz.

My friend Nils.

A dear friend made his transition a week ago. Dear friend to many, actor, musician, husband, father, cool cat Nils Anderson is feeling no pain after a five year battle with cancer. I found out as I turned on my phone while taxiing to my gate at NYC's JFK airport last Saturday. He left a multitude of us with hearts aching for one more hug but full of his unique presence and the understated but sincere joy that he offered us all. His presence is still felt substantially through his daughter Amy and his son Eric and his wife Leslie. I will also personally remember him each time I develop an onstage character (and/or affix a fake moustache), see an upright bass, or hear a cool scat solo.


I remember closing night of a production of The Secret Garden in Vista, CA. Eric was hanging with us backstage as Nils and I got out of costume. Nils always had a secret with every character he played... something that informed his character work, but that he kept to himself until closing. He asked Eric and I if we wanted to know his secret as he had assessed the role of crusty Ben the Gardener. He removed his shoe, and taped to the sole of his sock were pennies and pebbles which gave him a very convincing limp onstage. I was enthralled, but the laugh that came out of E told me just how much the trade passed from father to son. It was a great glimpse into that family. I too am grateful for a father who is willing to pass on his stories to his kids. Not everyone is so lucky.


The day after Nils passed, Eric was in NYC fulfilling the culmination of a lot of dream-filled work... work that Nilsie lived to hear about. The Freakers Ball (an evening of the musings of Shel Silverstein) became so much more than just a groovy evening. It was a celebration of the heart of Nils carried on through E. For me it became more like "The Freakers Bawl." I was a mess and I was so honored to be present. Nilsie was in the room.


Today, a few friends were walking through Central Park. A little jazz combo was playing. One of us said, "I love an upright bass." It was a few hours later when we realized that we all thought of Nils at that same moment. As it should be.

Rest well, Nilsie. We miss you, but you're still with us in so many wonderful ways. Heaven is a much cooler place right now.

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.