Forgetting Why We Remember

Here is an illustration I did for an Op-Ed piece by David W. Blight in yesterday's New York Times. The article was on the largely unknown beginnings of the Memorial Day tradition in America, and the events surrounding the first recorded gathering to mourn the losses of the Civil War in 1865.

Below are the quick ballpoint thumbnail ideas, and then the two more realized sketches from there, and then the finished ink wash painting. Much thanks to Aviva Michaelov for the always inspiring assignments.

By the Power of Grayscale

Here are a couple of recent black and white assignments for the New York Times and Nylon Guys.  Getting to think in limited color and focus on light and contrast are aspects I've always loved doing in sketchbook work so it's fun to be able to develop those elements into more finished pieces.

Above is from last week's New York Times for an Op-Ed piece by Mohammad Al-Asfar about revolutionaries in Libya, and below is a piece for the Times letters page on "Echoes From the Revolt in Egypt" which ran shortly before Mubarak's departure.  The third image is the illustration for the latest installment in the Nylon Guy's serialized story, "The Empath."

New York, New York

Last week, I had the good fortune to get a call from Aviva Michaelov at the New York Times with an assignment for the Op-Ed page.  The article, which ran yesterday, reflected on Sinatra's role as the touchstone of style and cool within mainstream hip-hop on what would have been his 95th birthday.

The Terrorist Next Door

My first OpEd illustration for the New York Times is out today, alongside Michael Sheehan's piece about the challenges of preventing lone-wolf terrorism. Much thanks to Aviva for the call.