3D Glasses not necessary!

 I have been holding on to this for a while. Toward the beginning of the year I got involved in some fun facebook shenanigans in which the first four people on your comments would receive something homemade in the mail. Of a few of the lists I made it onto, brilliant sculpture, fellow highlights artist and friend, Helena Bogosian, was one of them. I had no idea what to expect. Sometime a few weeks ago the sculpture below showed up in the mail. Upon opening it I literally screamed and laughed with excitement. Helena had taken my drawing of the Dirty Student (as seen below the photos) from my book, Which Art Student Are You?, and turned it into a three dimensional piece! It is honestly one of the coolest things I have ever seen and it is extremely touching. Thank you so very much, Helena! You're awesome!

Give me a home...

I don't know what my fascination with the wild west is but I'm partly convinced I was born in the wrong state and at the wrong time. In 2003 I went on a solo camping trip to Wyoming and I just never felt at home here on the east coast. Late last year I discovered that my great - great - grandfather, Luke Dillon, was an army cavalrymen stationed in Wyoming so maybe it's just in my blood.

Giddyup.

I am working on something extra fun.

That Silly Parade!

Drawing a marching band is not easy. So much research was involved in making this as believable as possible, from the individual instruments to how to correctly hold them. I've really only ever played some guitar so my wife's knowledge of these instruments was invaluable to me. This piece is currently in the July 2011 issue of Highlights High Five which is available now.

I put a lot of cameos of family and friends in this one. The band is loosely based on my wife's high school, North Penn and their Marching Knights, of which she was a member. My wife can be seen playing the clarinet with holly attached to her hat. My Grandfather (of whom I am named after) can be seen on the left with my Grandma Vi. The four children sitting on the curb (one has a horn) are of myself (I'm wearing the Canada cap), my two brothers and my sister. We would often go to parades that were just up the road from us on Frankford Avenue in the Mayfair section of Philadelphia. Some of my nieces and nephews are pictured as well as a couple of friends with their kids. 

Here is the line art:

Subtract.

Sometime last year Illustration Friday's theme was subtract. I submitted the image below but I found it confused people more than made them laugh. I eventually removed it. I didn't want anyone to think I was being gross. I just thought it was a funny thought that the Love is couple were Ziggy's parents since they don't wear pants. That was IT. Honest, you sickos. Perhaps I was just missing my older target audience who actually remembered the comic strip, Love is?

Anyway, the reason I bring this up is to show you the sketches below. I'm currently building my new website and I stumbled on them while looking for some files. I thought they were pretty funny and I may do more.