Lots o' Hidden Pictures.

I assume these are in print since I did them so long ago.

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Toys and Costumes!

Here are the latest Heidi and Zeke Eagle Eye Hidden Pictures. I had a bit too much fun with the Toy Store hidden picture. There are a ton of nods to science fiction.

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That's Silly, Ski Slope!

This That's Silly! illustration is in this month's Highlights' High Five magazine. Thanks, Highlights!

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Heidi wears a dress.

... with some of the cast of Downton Abbey.

Heidi and Zeke Hidden Pictures.

These are some recent hidden pictures I did for Highlights Eagle Eye Hidden Picture magazines. The name of the character in the first story was Lucy who happened to have two younger brothers so I couldn't help but make her a little nod to Lucy Van Pelt of Peanuts. I added a few obscure nods to Lucy's world. There is also a nod to Peanuts in the second one as well We'll see who can find it...

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That's Silly, Beach Lake!

... and some Heidi and Zeke hidden pictures.

My latest That's Silly! illustration is in this July's Highlights High Five issue. I took inspiration from many childhood summers spent at Pennsylvania's Promised Land Lake and some more recent memories of Rickett's Glen Sate Park (seriously the most beautiful park in PA).

The Heidi and Zeke hidden pictures are from July's Highlights Eagle Eye Hidden Picture magazine. Unlike regular hidden pictures, short stories accompany the illustration. In the first one Heidi and Zeke help a troubled young girl find her bunny rabbit before her family goes on a long car trip. Second, Heidi and Zeke help the Zamboni operator find his lost keys so he can clean the ice for the kids to get back to skating. 12-14 other objects are also hidden in each of these illustrations but I did them so long ago that I can't remember where they are. Wink!

My first cover.

Forgive my excitement. Here is my first cover art for Highlights' July issue which is available now. Nerdily, the sky is astronomically correct (as best as I could research it) for July 4th at about 9:30pm.

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Heidi and Zeke snowman and soccer help!

In this month's Heidi and Zeke adventure: Heidi and Zeke help a friend find a cookie to complete their snow family and an absent minded soccer coach needs help finding a soccer ball!

Northeast Philadelphia's Vogt playground and a northeast Philadelphia rowhome can be seen in the soccer illustration. I grew up right next to Vogt playground- the largest playground in Philadelphia- consisting of 7 baseball fields, 5 soccer fields, an olympic size swimming pool, 2 tennis courts, a roller hockey rink, 2 outdoor basketball courts, a kid's jungle gym, several drunk teenagers (at night) and a large gymnasium (of which my brother fell of the roof of and broke his arm).

Oh, and our puppy (at the time), Abbey, can be seen in the soccer illustration as well.

Remember, Highlights makes a great gift for the kids in your life. There's magazines and hidden pictures for all ages! Get them a subscription!

March's Heidi and Zeke for Eagle Eye!

Let me tell you, drawing a bleacher is not fun. Tilt-a-whirl, however, was kind of fun.

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Heidi and Zeke Parts 9 and 10

Here are two of my recent Heidi and Zeke Hidden Pictures from Highlights' Eagle Eye!

Latest published stuff...

Hi. I'm busy. Here's some fun stuff I recently did. Have a Merry Christmas!

A School Band What's Wrong? from January 2014's Highlights...

From Highlights Hidden Pictures Eagle Eye Books 3 and 4...

Heidi and Zeke 1 and 2

Here are the first two hidden pictures starring Heidi and Zeke.

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Eagle Eye Hidden Pictures Book 3 and 4!

Hidden Pictures Eagle Eye books 3 and 4 are out this month. Woo! More Heidi and Zeke!

Subscriptions to Highlights' Hidden Picture Book Club make really cool gifts for the kids in your life! Check it out!

Introducing Highlights' Eagle Eye Hidden Pictures featuring Heidi & Zeke!

With this month's debut of the first two issues of Highlights Eagle Eye Hidden Pictures debuting online at Highlights Hidden Picture Club, it's hard to believe that I've been working on Heidi & Zeke for just shy of a year now. In fact, I just submitted book 17 and 18's sketch last week. I've been doing my best to quietly contain my excitement but, if you know me, it hasn't been easy.

It has been a tremendous pleasure to consistently work on and develop the characters of Heidi and Zeke. I confess, it wasn't until I finished book 8's hidden picture that I realized Heidi and Zeke's names were a play off of Hide and Seek. Hoo-boy! I'm swift! 

Unlike the hidden pictures you may be familiar with, the ones in Eagle Eye are accompanied by puzzles, stickers, games or, as with Heidi and Zeke, a story! Join Heidi and Zeke twice a month as they help their friends find their many lost objects. As the tag line says: "No object is too hard to find when detective Heidi Hamilton & her trusty dog, Zeke, are on the case."

Subscribe to Highlights or Hidden Pictures for the kids in your life. You know they'll love getting their very own issues each & every month!

Sketches from the Stargazing What's Wrong? illustration.

Here are the sketches from my latest What's Wrong? illustration created for November's Highlights. 

As you can see the first one is a bit too crowded, there aren't enough average sized telescopes and there isn't enough sky showing.

The second is less crowded. The only problem is a few "wrongs" aren't obvious enough.

The "wrongs" are not a bit easier to read but more children are needed.

The final sketch.

What's Wrong, Italian Market?

When Highlights asked me to make a What's Wrong? of a City Market I could think of no other than Philadelphia's Italian Market. I've only been there once in my life, during the off peak time, but I did a lot of research (see below) to make it look authentic minus the trash and fire barrels. If you've ever been to the Italian Market in South Philadelphia, or saw the scene in Rocky when he is jogging through it  (starts at :23) one thing comes to mind, "this is so beautiful and yet, totally disgusting." Honestly, it smells, there's trash all over the place, and most of the merchants are rude. Ah, Philadelphia! City of Brotherly Love. That's what makes this city so great- everyone wears their hearts on their sleeve and we don't apologize for it or care if you're offended- much like you would speak to a close family member. Ha!

I finished this piece the week my Dad went into the hospital before he passed away. Good friend and designer, Drew Phillips, helped me out with doing some flat coloring for me. All I had to do was make some adjustments, then add textures and shadows. Thanks, Drew!

Things to look for in this piece: Adrian Balboa ironing a sock, myself, wife and daughter driving a row home, and my personal favorite, a girl mouse being serenaded with her concerned Father reacting in a nearby window.

The original sketch is below. One thing I was sad to see go was Adrian Balboa carrying Rocky's two turtles known as Cuff and Link.

The scene was based loosely on these photos:

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That's Silly, Carnival Midway!

My latest That's Silly! piece for Highlights High Five. It is in the June issue which is available now. Sketches and some roughs are below the final art.

Here are the roughs:

I liked this last rough (below) but felt the other compositions were easier on the eyes for the younger readers.

Below is the first sketch before being revised to suit the art director's request to make it less cluttered and some other minor changes. I was sad to see the stilt walker go but you've got to do what you've got to do. Hopefully I succeeded in making a non-creepy clown.

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What's Wrong, Ducks?

I hope this brightens up everyone's day.

This What's Wrong? is on the back cover of this month's Highlights.

I was unaware of Rubber Duck races until I was asked to draw this one.

Right click and open in another window or tab to view this piece larger.

That's Silly, Bumper Cars!

This piece was recently published in Highlights High Five. I had a lot of fun doing extensive research on retro bumper cars. I found that the modern ones were just plain ugly.

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Dad.

In true Irish fashion my Dad passed away Sunday morning. The prior Sunday he suffered a massive heart attack. As a result his brain was damaged and, reluctantly, we had no choice but to let him go. After a very long night he finally passed on. It turns out that the last story he needed to tell was that he passed away on Saint Patrick's Day.

My Dad taught me many, many valuable things. Among them his great sense of humor, gift of story telling and love of the outdoors.

He never missed an opportunity to tell someone that I was a "cartoonist"- something he was very proud of and, admittedly, could never quite understand. I can remember many times, at his request, drawing eagles on cocktail napkins for all of his friends- my first art commissions as I was often given quarters or dollars for the drawings. As I was growing up he would take me on fishing trips from the far north of Quebec, New Brunswick, Ontario, to northern Maine, as close as our own Pennsylvania and, of course, his beloved Delaware River. Those are some of the most cherished memories I have to this day.

Anyone who knew him will miss him dearly. Thank you so very much for all of the prayers and notes of kindness. With Daisy away in Switzerland last week I have no doubt that it was God's answer to your prayers that held me together.

These Highlights illustration clippings are just some of many that I have drawn my Dad in.