Wrapping Up, part 2

Maintaining your perspective can be a tricky balance. I came off a ridiculously busy month in November to face a very quiet December. Good time to get my house in order for the Holidays. I hauled out some prints that I have been intending to frame and got them together. Framing up work is incredibly meticulous and stressful, but ultimately rewarding once the work is on the wall. These pieces are much larger than I usually work, but it is so nice to see them up on the wall!

 I ventured into the bathroom to do some renovations as well. Never a good idea, under the best of circumstances. But I emerged with with my sanity in tact and happy with the results. I have patched, painted and renovated almost every square inch of the house we live in over the past 15 years. It's looking pretty good now. 

I worked on a cover for Renovations magazine with Pete Morelewicz last month. Great guy to work with. Here's a peek at the cover artwork.

Given the ups and downs of the economy, how do you see the upcoming year? Up or down? The prospects for an economic recovery look promising, but there is the looming fiscal cliff in the U.S. and the ever-present Eurozone Crisis.

I worked on a series of spots for the Wall Street Journal on the Congressional budget negotiations last fall and recently did this piece for the New York Times, with European leaders playing a dangerous game of 'chicken' with the markets. It's been a white-knuckle ride so far. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

 

Keep your head on straight in the New Year. Have a safe and Happy Holiday Season. All the best for 2013!

 

Studio Tour

I grew up working in construction. Learning how to build is an important asset for me. I use it when I put an illustration together, and it really helped when I built my studio space.

When we bought our house I looked at the out building, an old corrugated metal and wood barn, as a potential knock-down. My brother pointed out the concrete foundation and the relative squareness of the structure, still solid. I rented a studio space for a short while and spent the summer planning and framing the studio on the upper floor, converting the space from an old hayloft. That was fourteen years ago.

Here are some interior shots: 

I worked with my friend Mark Guildenhaar, a talented furniture designer, to design and build a computer desk over 15 years ago. That desk has followed me around through a couple of moves and I sit at it every day.

The view from the stairwell. The computer desk sits behind the bookcase.

 I know this is cheesy, but I painted a compass on floor. When I first moved here, my sense of direction was a bit off-kilter. I've sorted things out since then, but I like to think it keeps me pointed in the right direction.

It's great to have a space away from the house and kids, and the commute is a breeze. Pants must be put on, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

I asked my dad, the pro, to build a winding staircase. It's a real space saver and it's a beautiful stairwell. I must go up and down this thing about 100 times a day.

The old barn, with the studio on the upper floor. Drop by any time, but remember - first you'll have to get past 'killer