MICHAEL BYERS ILLUSTRATION

HONOLULU MAG.

2011-09-07T08:27:00.000-07:00

Here is a piece that I did for the wonderful Honolulu magazine. It was a feature about a section of restaurants. It was a story about how expensive ingredients like fish are becoming for restaurants in Hawai'i. Such a fun time on this one.

All the bestmb

Fantasy Football

2011-08-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

This was a fun piece I did for the Hollywood Reporter. It's about how fantasy football and how it relates to Hollywood. This is an unusual job in that it was a rush job, sketches due on a Thursday or Friday and final for Monday, and I got a green light from one sketch. It was helpful in that the Art Director I worked with had an idea that I just riffed off of. I don't recommend other illustrators take this que. I usually send at least four different ideas. I had a bunch of other projects on the go when this came in so I did what I could to see the AD's vision through. I think I did alright. It was lots of fun.

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Jump To The Front

2011-08-18T16:51:00.001-07:00

This was for the Wall Street Journal about aspiring ETF sponsors seeking creative ways to jump to the front of the line to help people with their investments. I had a lot of fun with this one.

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Regulatory Reform

2011-08-18T16:00:00.001-07:00

Here is a few pieces I did for a job with Detroit Business magazine. It was an interesting piece about how business basically have their hands tied up in so much red tape that it's making it difficult for business growth. Michigan companies are finding themselves jumping through hoops and dealing with ridiculous regulations. The three spot illustrations are for a few of the silly regulations involved. The piece with the hoops was the full page opener.
Opener

Spot 1: Excessive rules on child care — it is government-mandated that child care workers must smile.

Spot 2: Barbershop wastebaskets — there are rules mandating how often wastebaskets must be emptied and the size of the wastebaskets barbers should use.

Spot 3: Rules set for boards that don’t exist — such as the Board of Landscape Architects and the Board of Forensic Polygraph Examiners.

Spot 4: Obsolete recordkeeping — rules for the Public Service Commission mandate that records must be kept in punch-card format, preventing digital recordkeeping.

Spot 5: Obsolete signature-gathering — wage and hour rules prevent electronic signatures, a now common practice used on federal documents such as student loan documents.

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SINK OR SWIM

2011-07-20T21:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent piece I did for Texas Monthly Magazine. This was a fun piece to go with a story about two female friends and a day at the pool venting and gossiping about their live, their children, and other life stuff. This was one of those jobs where the Art Director didn't really give a lot of direction and left the creative part up to me which as well all know doesn't always work out like that.
Below is the piece in layout as well as on it's own.

Thanks
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MAKE A SPLASH

2011-07-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent piece I did for the National Post newspaper here in Canada. It was the cover for a section on cottage country called Muskoka Bound. If the weather is anything like it is here in Guelph then I'm sure you all would love to be able to do this today instead of working in a studio. I know I do.

All The Best
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PIKE PLACE MARKET

2011-07-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

I've never been to the Pike Place Market, yet I've found myself becoming very familiar with the historical market located in beautiful Seattle. As some of you know I do maps as well as editorial illustrations. They can be a lot of work sometimes however for the most part very fun and informative. I get to learn a lot about interesting places that I have yet to visit.
The Pike Place Market is one of those places. Thanks to my Fresh page in the Illustration Annual of Communication Arts magazine, I got a call from Andre Mora at Seattle Met magazine. They wanted to do an illustrated map of the market that is not only fun but effective in helping people navigate through the market and still be something that they might want as a keep sake. Let me start by saying that there are great art directors, art directors that just do their job, and art directors that go out of their way to not only make the work great but promote you and your work.
Andre Mora fits into all categories. It was such a pleasure to work with him. If he's not on your list of art directors to work with then he should be. I find in this business that many make wish lists of clients they want to work with and usually their lists consist of art directors that work at the major publication like the New York Times or Rolling Stone etc. Well we must not forget about the smaller publications or place specific publications. Some of my best work and some of the best art directors I've worked with have been from such publications. Examples would be Honolulu magazine, Hour Detroit Magazine, and now I add Seattle Met and Andre Mora to my list. My friend and peer, Dan Page gave me some good advice with regards to art directors and client wish lists. It's amazing if you get to work with the big guys like NY Times, etc. however they use a large variety of illustrators. There are many cases where they might only use you once and then onto the next person. However the same can happen with smaller publications however in a lot of cases if you develop a great working relationship with the art directors there then you have a better chance of them using you time and time again. Or if you're really lucky you are able to score a monthly gig. Now I'm not saying in any way to give up on your wish list and to discount the larger publications. I'm just saying not to forget about the smaller ones. Sorry for going off on a tangent here. Back to the Pike Place project.
I hadn't even started working with Andre on this map and he had already suggested me as a great option to do a map for their sister publication, Portland Monthly. I wasn't even totally finished this map and I got a call from Michael Novak at Portland Monthly to do a map for them. I thought that was really great of Andre to do that before we had even worked together.
Andre was pumped about this Pike Place map for Seattle Met. He was so pumped that Seattle Met took the sketches I was doing to the officials at the Market who loved it. They asked if some extras could be printed to just hand out for free people at the Market.
So cool. Now I feel a need to travel to Seattle to see this place for myself.
Below is the map as it's been printed. Enjoy.

All the Best
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CRIME FIGHTERS

2011-06-27T17:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a piece I did for Hour Detroit magazine. It was a lot of fun and super fascinating. It was about this new system of crime fighting that the Detroit police have been using. It's called Shot stopper. It's a series of sensors that are mounted to the tops of buildings and lamp posts etc. They are able to pick up the sound of a gun shot in seconds and relay the location the shot came from to the police who then are able to respond in minutes. I decreases the amount of get-aways.

All the best.

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INC Business stuff

2011-06-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some illos I did for a recent issue of INC magazine. It was for a section of different solutions to help business be for efficient and grow.
The first was the opener. The others were smaller illos.

Opener:

Get an intern:

Business Perks:

Travel help:

All the Best
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Wall Street Journal

2011-06-27T17:09:00.000-07:00

Here are two recent Wall Street Journal pieces I did. One is on being shut out of the family will and how rogue wills are being validated. This is good for the people benefiting from the deceased yet terrible for the people that are shut out.
The other piece is about fixing any mistakes you might have made on your taxes before the powers that be catch them and penalize you for your mess up.

Wills...

Taxe MIstakes...

All the Best
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CAPITOL HILL

2011-06-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

Here is a map I did recently for 5280 Magazine. I did another one shortly after that one. I'll post it later. It's a lot of fun doing maps. Not only does it give me an opportunity to draw fun images it allows me to get to know different parts of the world without even needing to be there. This map was for Denver's Capitol Hill area. It's a trendier hip area full of cool places to eat, get coffee, get your hair done, buy some music, etc.
Tons of fun.

Until next time
All the best
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TASCHEN!!

2011-06-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

I'm super excited about the book I received in the mail today. It's TASCHEN's new Illustration Now Portraits that I'm honored to be a part of. I have to give a huge shout out and thanks to my wonderful rep Sari Schorr at Levy Creative Management for her hard work over the past few years and for submitting my work on my behalf. It was nice to see in print.
Here are the pages. I've also got a bunch of projects to post that I've been meaning to do but haven't had the time to. Posting more soon. Keep and eye out soon.

Ciao for now.
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BORDERS FALLS OFF THE SHELF

2011-05-27T17:20:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest piece I did for Honolulu Magazine. It's about how Borders book stores are closing several locations throughout the US. All the borders in Hawaii are closing which leaves their publishing industry up in the air as to how they'll get their products out to the people on the islands.

Until next time.
All the best.
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MERIT CANADA

2011-05-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

Here is another map I did recently about Merit Canada and it's office locations. Merit is the association of General Contractors in Canada. I really enjoy doing maps. They're a lot of fun and it's a great way to learn cool things about different parts of the world we live in.

All the Best
MB

GREGORY PEPPER

2011-05-04T15:50:00.000-07:00

Here is a portrait I did at the latest Drink & Draw session of my friend and talented person Gregory Pepper.

All the best
MB

RELIC HUNTERS

2011-05-01T22:34:00.000-07:00

This is a piece I did last month for this month's issue of Alberta Oil Magazine. It's about an archeologist who consults with big oil companies before they plan on starting up any oil operations. They go through him first to determine whether or not an area is safe to dig. Being an archeologist in Canada means this guy knows that Alberta has one of the richest dinosaur fossil deposits. And lots of oil.

All the Best.
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DANCE FLOORED

2011-05-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

Dance floored: Deborah Kimmett, the author of the piece, lets her mother lead the way. This story was a fun one about a woman deciding to join her senior mother to a singles dance. Being divorced for a few years and nothing else to do she thought why not. It could be fun. She quickly learns that age isn't a factor when it comes to male/female relationships. Men act the same way whether their 18 or 80. Apparently the dating thing doesn't change much either. She figured she wasn't going to hip check and 80 year old woman out of the way to get to the single guy. Deborah declares she prefers her men without yellow toenails.

All the Best.
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WORK/LIFE

2011-04-02T19:46:00.001-07:00

This was a special piece for me. I participated in the second edition the illustration directory called WORK/LIFE. This is a beautifully laid out directory of illustrators world wide by the talented Janine Vangool from Uppercase gallery in Calgary Alberta. The first one was a great success for everyone involved and so Janine decided to create a volume 2 with even more talent to showcase.
Below is the image I did. It's funny how things go for illustrators. We think of ourselves as visual communicators. We interpret stories, narratives, and other things of that nature that come before us and present our idea of what the words are in pictures. Well here our task was to represent the idea or concept of WORK/LIFE. It was the idea that your work is your life and your life is your work. One thing I particularly love about an illustrators method of creating is that we can have an idea behind an image and as life goes on, so too does the meaning of the image. Just like a song, even if the author or creator meant for it to mean one thing someone else can get an entirely different meaning out of it. I love that. I love it especially when it happens to me when looking at my own work.
This piece was initially done with the WORK/LIFE theme in mind. I thought it's funny to think of someone fishing. It's like what we do. We fish for ideas. We don't always come up with a winner or "the big one" but we still love the fact that we are able to do what we love.
That was the initial meaning. Then as I was going to go to final it began to mean even more for me. I ended up doing the final just after my father passed away. I thought it was a great idea because my father loved to fish. I was one if his favorite past times. I'm sure he's doing it now. The name on the boat is the name on the boat he last owned. He loved his boat. He looked forward to getting out onto any body of water in the "Anne B" and try his hardest to catch something. The biggest thing my dad caught in my mind was a mountain of respect and love from anyone he came in contact with. The Anne B named after my second mom's name. By that I mean my wonderful stepmother. He would have taken her in his pocket everywhere if he could. Thank goodness for cell phone technology because when he finally got one he was able to do just that.
I know I'm going off on a tangent but I love to take any opportunity to talk about how wonderful my Dad is.
If you want to go check out this book then I suggest you do so here. It's fantastic.

Lots of love
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Remodeling 101

2011-04-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

Everything you need to know about selecting a home contractor. This is a piece for Baltimore Home magazine. It was a fun little piece about how to pick the right contractor for your home renovations. There's a series of questions to ask these so-called experts to see if they're really capable of tackling any of your reno needs.

Until next time.
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ALASKAN MARATHON

2011-03-21T10:57:00.000-07:00

Here some new art I did for a large Runner's World feature. It was great working with Kory Kennedy and then Marc Kaufman. Great guys. Look forward to working with them again. They really are great art directors. Enough gushing.
This piece was a story by sports writer Steve Friedman and his trip to Alaska. He signed up for the Great Alaskan Marathon Cruise. This would entail boarding a cruise ship that would sail around Alaska. Steve was one of several other running enthusiasts who would do daily runs. The Marathon cruise also included three stops at three different port towns in Alaska where marathon participants like Steve would do a small mini marathon at each location.
He wasn't exactly in the best of shape when he first arrived. He wasn't exactly the best socially either. It's a funny story that you can read in this month's issue on news stands now.
Below is some process and the images in the feature.

Final Art.

Full Page opener

1/2 Page

1/2 Page.

1/4 page

1/4 page

Sidebar spot

Until next time.
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KIDS OF A DIFFERENT TYPE

2011-03-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some spots I did for the NATIONAL POST a little while back. Forgot about them. It was fun. It was a simple piece about different types of children. You have your typical nerdy, academic kid. Then there's your artistic, creative type. You have your over-achieving, activist type kid who always has a cause of some sort. There is your adventurous, outdoorsy kid who loves to get out and explore. Lastly, there is the sporty child who wants to play on every team they can.

Enjoy.
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WHEN YOUR ADVISER IS AN ETF NEWBIE

2011-03-16T22:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a piece that ran on Tuesday in the Wall Street Journal about Exchange Traded Funds. The idea that if your adviser is a newbie then make sure you ask all the right questions.

Enjoy.
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KAZOO! FESTIVAL

2011-03-16T18:44:00.000-07:00

Here is the most recent poster I did. I was for Brad to promote this year's KAZOO! FESTIVAL. What's KAZOO! FEST you ask? No. It's not necessarily a festival of Kazoos. However perhaps someone uses one. It's a wonderful grassroots Music, Art, and media festival in Downtown Guelph. If you want more accurate info check out their website here.

Enjoy the poster. If you're from guelph you'll find it up all over town now.
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MITIGATED GALL

2011-03-13T10:15:00.000-07:00

"On reaching a truce with your own body" (Michael Keany for Honolulu Magazine)
This piece was done for the back page of Honolulu magazine. It was a piece by Michael Keany about his making a truce with his body after having his gallbladder removed. The truce came after many years of abuse to his body from falling out of a tree as a youngster, to going ass-over-teakettle on a bike going down hill, to the many crashes with his dirt bike in his teens. The accidents took their toll and the final resort was to remove the little organ called the gallbladder. A lot of people get this removed. I think it's quite normal.
Anyhow. Here is the final piece I did for this article with some sketches.

Until next time.
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WALRUS READING

2011-02-18T20:55:00.001-08:00

Here is a piece I did for the WALRUS magazine. I must say it was a great pleasure to work with Paul Kim and the folks at the WALRUS. I also have to give a shout out to my illustrator friend Pete Ryan for the hook-up. Appreciate the vote of confidence. The piece was a simple yet bright piece about a fun literary competition we have up here in Canada aptly named "Canada Reads." This year marks the tenth anniversary of the competition that has five of Canada's top fiction authors battling to see who is Canada's favourite book. Here is a link to this years winner. I suggest you check it out. The book is called "The Best Laid Plans" by Terry Fallis

Until next time.
All The Best
m

Some Work

2011-02-18T20:44:00.000-08:00

Here I thought I'd post some work that I've done in the past few months. It's a few assignments that were either smaller pieces or just didn't get around to posting them. So I thought I'd do a group post.
Enjoy.

Thanks a bunch
All the Best
m

-Alberta Venture Magazine

-Golf Digest

-Golf Digest

-Golf Digest

-Honolulu Magazine

FRIENDS WITH DOGS

2011-02-13T12:04:00.000-08:00

Here is a piece I just did the other day for a friend of mine. It's her and her husband in their living room. Only thing is their two dogs are their heads. Chloe and Pepper are the names of their dogs. You can see the lovely couple in their wedding photo I put in the background. Hope you all enjoy.

Ciao for now.
Thanks
m

OC WEEKLY

2011-02-07T05:56:00.001-08:00

Here is a piece I did for the cover of OCWEEKLY. The piece was about how art houses are going out of business in Orange County. If they're not going out of business then they're in financial trouble of sorts. I think it's sad that this is the case because we have a wonderful independent theatre here in Guelph called the Bookshelf Cinema. Independent theatres are great. They play the movies that you've only heard are great but didn't have a chance to see because the larger cineplex places don't show them. Indy theatres also have in a lot of cases a membership system where a better rate is given to the members rather then the general public.
I love my indy theatre.
You can read more about this story here.
Below are some sketches and the final.

More new work to come...

All the Best
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JOURNEY INTO CANCERLAND

2011-01-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year readers. Sorry to start the first post of 2011 on such a somber note. I'll have more happy posts soon I promise.

I thought for my first post I'd put up this piece I did for Cincinnati magazine's January 2011 issue. This piece was interesting in that the story really hit close to home. It's about the author, Dennis O’Connor's journey into what he calls "Cancerland." Every time I read one of his experiences I got flash backs of the past few months when my Dad would tell me very similar things about his journey. Thankfully the Dennis is still able to enjoy a beautiful sunrise. If you read the article you discover that he has a whole new outlook on life now.

My father unfortunately passed and doesn't have the same luxury of looking out his window and watching the sun rise above the Vermont mountains.

It wasn't an easy assignment but somehow I did find some joy in doing this piece. It was helpful in ways. I truly hope the best for the Dennis and his family and hope they find some cure for this disease. No one should ever have to go through what Dennis and my Dad had to endure.

If you'd like to read the article you can read it here.

Until next time.
All the best.
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THANK YOU...

2010-12-14T08:12:00.001-08:00

This has been a real roller coaster year for me. I've had many ups and downs throughout the year that are shaping who I am and shaping my career.
Personally I got engaged to a fantastic woman, moved into a wonderful apartment, and recently joined a gym to better myself, physically, and mentally. However with every good thing this year there seems to have been an equal sad event. It first started with taking my mother's cat into the Vet's to be put down. That more recently my Grandmother passed away. Six days later my Father passed on after a short battle with Cancer.
Professionally I've taught a class for the first time, I received some recognition in the way of being selected into a few annuals and exhibitions. Also on the plus side I gained quite a few new clients that have all be great to work with. On top of that I got to work again with some of the great clients I've had the privelege to work with in the past.
There are too many people to thank individually so I'll just leave this vague. It's a thank you to everyone who's touched my life this year. Everyone from the new friends I've met, the new clients I've connected with, the family members that showed their support through some dark times, my friends near by and my friends from afar. I appreciate all you have done for me and will continue to do. I'll do my best to reciprocate.
I love you all and am grateful to have met you.
Friends I look forward to more good times;
Family I look forward to the moments we'll be sharing.
Clients and potential clients I look forward to more great times working together.

All the best and Happy Holidays this 2010 season.
Drink lots, don't drive if you're drunk, hug more then you think you should, laugh at everything, cry when you feel you need to, smile at those who are not, play in the snow if you have snow where you live, eat great food if you can, and just do me the favor of being the best you that you can possibly be. That will benefit all of us.

Love lots
m

Geothermal Suburbia

2010-12-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

This was done for HOUR Detroit Magazine. I had fun with this image for a fairly dry topic about how there's a city in Michigan that is working on making the entire city use Geothermal technology. The city is starting with introducing it to new homes that are being built and slowly retrofitting some of the older buildings in the down town.

All the Best
m

When Appliances Die

2010-12-08T12:35:00.000-08:00

This was for Detroit Home magazine. It was a piece about how when our appliances die on us they all seem to go at the same time. The author touches on the idea that some people will try to do their best to put their appliances on some sort of life support to keep them around longer by getting them fixed.

Some process followed by the final.

All the Best
m

Fertility Rites

2010-12-08T12:29:00.001-08:00

Chimp sperm may unlock one of the riddles of human conception. But first you have to collect it. This image was for Atlantic Monthly back in October's issue.
Again really fun. I love working with Atlantic Monthly. Great client.

Some process followed by finals.

All the Best
m

Fun College How To's

2010-12-08T12:14:00.000-08:00

Here are four images I did for Carleton College, a small, private liberal arts college in the historic river town of Northfield, Minnesota's Alumni Magazine. This was a fun assignment. The list of "How To's" I was given had a lot of fun topics. I got to pick four of them to do.

One was how to fake a phone call. This one was for women trying to have an out when being harassed in a bar situation.
Another was how to sooth a crying baby. This one actually came in handy when I was holding my niece one time.
Another was how to pack lightly for travel.
The last was how to ace a job interview. This one was basically telling you to be unique but not too crazy so that you stand out from the crowd.

Some process work followed by the finals.

All the Best
m

The Real Squatters of OC

2010-12-08T10:18:00.000-08:00

Can you really just show up at a multimillion-dollar Newport Coast home and move in without buying it or paying rent? Apparently, yes.

These images goes along with an article in OC Weekly about a couple who is squatting in a two million dollar home.

Some process work followed by the finals.

All the Best
m

Who’s Smarter: The Apple Genius or the Best Buy Geek?

2010-12-08T10:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a piece I did for PC World magazine.
Some common support questions were asked of each party to see who in fact was the smartest. Not sure if there was really a clear winner. However the Apple Genius seemed to come out a head slightly. Maybe that's just my bias talking.

Some process work followed by the final.

All the Best
m

Protect your kids on Facebook

2010-12-08T09:40:00.000-08:00

I've got a bunch of work to post that i've been slacking on. Spending a day updating a bunch of websites I'm on. Didn't realize that staying connected to so many social networks takes so much time. Who ever said that computers will make life faster should be slapped up side the head. This piece was for MONEY magazine.

As the movie title suggests, Facebook has become the social network. Teens are using it for almost every aspect of their social lives, from promoting their relationship status (available), to reporting on last night's party (check out the photos!), to playing games (level up on FarmVille). But Facebook's popularity has led to some unintended consequences -- risks that could endanger your child's financial well-being and possibly yours as well. - Excerpt from Money Magazine article by: Karen Cheney, contributing writerNovember 26, 2010

Here are some process images followed by the fina.

All the Best
m

NEW POSTER

2010-10-31T19:37:00.001-07:00

Here is a new poster I just did on short notice for my friend Gregory Pepper. He's a very prolific artist. Not only does he do visual art but he's deep into the music scene. He's got two projects on the go. The first was an album released under the band name, Gregory Pepper and His Problems. The other new project by Gregory is called Common Grackle. Some great stuff on this album including a song done with Kook Keith, Hip Hop artist extraordinaire! Songs from that album can be heard here.
If you're in the Guelph area you can seem Common Grackle and others live at the eBar down town guelph, November 11.

Enjoy
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MARINE CORPS MARATHON for WASHINGTON POST

2010-10-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

Here is a piece I did for the Washington Post. It was in yesterday's paper. The article is a ode to the losers. It talks about how in a race like the Marine Corps Marathon and others like it, the winners need the losers and vice versa. It's this yin and yang thing. Hot/cold, up/down, good/evil sort of thing. Essentially the piece talks about how those who finish first have time to watch and possibly cheer on the others struggling to just make it across the finish line. In doing so they see how hard the others that are losing are working and suffering and it makes the winners feel even better for where they're at. That sort of thing. It's as if you can't have winning with out losing.

Enjoy!!
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Attack of the Bed Bugs

2010-10-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

This was a gross article but a fun piece to do. It was for Honolulu Magazine. I've done a bunch of work for them this year. They've been really awesome to work for. They always have fun pieces for me to do. I love working with them. This was a piece about bed bugs in hotels in Hawaii. Not so good for their tourism industry I'd imagine however it's a real problem. It seems to resinate all over the world. I've heard similar issue in Toronto and also in NYC.

Enjoy!
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New Women's Club

2010-10-22T14:14:00.001-07:00

Here is a fun piece I did for MORE magazine about a women's financial organization. Penny Deming was an employee of Royal Bank of Canada when she felt the need to leave and start her own financial service that would be directed more to the needs of women. Leaving her high ranking job with RBC wasn't an easy decision but she now heads a company that is fast growing and helping more and more women who feel they aren't getting their financial needs met as well from the normal financial institutions.

Enjoy!
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Travel Shopping

2010-10-22T14:05:00.000-07:00

A lot has gone on in my life in the past few weeks. I'm just playing catch up with all my social networking sites. I'll be spending the next while updating my website and other portfolio sites I have on the go. I've got lots of fun images to post so keep an eye out.
This one was for the Wall Street Journal a couple weeks back now. It was for a regular column called Ask Terri. She talks in the piece about shopping while on vacation. In particular, places like London, Paris, etc are mentioned.
I had fun with this one.

Here are some process images.

Black and white version that was actually printed.

They wanted a color version as well.

Enjoy
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OMNIPRESENT OPEN

2010-10-07T05:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent piece I did for TENNIS magazine. It's about the idea of being able to always be in touch somehow with what's going on during the U.S. Open when it was in New York last month. OmIpresent open deals with a humorous look at how technology and social networking allows a fanatical Tennis fan to remain caught up with the latest gossip, scores, and other exciting news at the any given time. It's as if the U.S. Open is all around them. For this one I also added some roughs.

Enjoy
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YET ANOTHER POSTER!

2010-09-20T13:40:00.001-07:00

Here is another poster I just finished for my friend's band, Modern Field Recordings. I had a lot of fun with this one. I'm so grateful that my friend Chris is so open to my ideas. That's the reason I love doing posters for music events because in most cases the sky is the limit to what kind of a concept you can come up with.
I've added my initial rough sketch to this post to see where it went.

Enjoy!
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Re-Doing Older Images

2010-09-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

Here is an image I did in 2008 for a friend of mine who for some reason really had a thing for intestines. She asked me if I could do a portrait of her singing her guts out, literally. So this was the first result. In the past two years I feel that my work and my skills have evolved to new levels and so I thought it'd be fun to return to those images from the past and re-do some of them.
Here is the result of re-doing this image for my friend.

2008

2010

Enjoy.
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How To Be A Cool Entrepreneur

2010-09-13T18:49:00.000-07:00

This is a piece I did for Alberta Venture Magazine. It's a full page illo that goes with text telling you how to be a cool Entrepreneur.
This one was a lot of fun.

Enjoy.
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Mural Fun

2010-09-09T07:59:00.001-07:00

Here is a mural I just finished with my great friend Vince Moskowec. It can be seen on the patio at the Red Brick Cafe in Guelph, Ontario. I'm gonna be participating in another larger mural project with Vince and some other artists in town later this year. Hope you enjoy.

Ciao for now.
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SHOW and TELL

2010-08-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

Here are two posters I did recently for some friends of mine. The beauty of having a lot of friends who are musicians and whom play gigs regularly means that I have lots of opportunities to do posters for them. These two were a ton of fun. One was for my friend Rob Nicholls who goes by the name LAND. The other is for an show coming up with my friend Chris who goes by Modern Field Recordings. If you click on their names you will be linked to their myspace pages so you can hear what they're all about.

Enjoy.
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FUN WITH PHOTOSHOP

2010-08-14T19:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a series of concert posters I just did for my friends band. I had so much fun designing these with him. Photoshop can be so fun when you just let go and not care if it looks like it's been done with photoshop. I am always inspired by retro looking things. I occasionally will hit up the huge antique market every Sunday just outside of GUelph. Or I'll browse around the large antique shop in my hometown of Cambridge.
I hope you enjoy these as much as I did making them. It just goes to show that if you're creative enough you can make anything. That's the beauty and the power of programs like Photoshop. I want a poster. Okay. I'll just make one. Done. Now print. Frame. and hang. Just like that.
I love it.

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Relax, Recharge

2010-07-30T17:09:00.000-07:00

Runners who sweat every detail of a workout—pace, distance, effort—may not think twice about a "recovery day" on their training program. After all, rest is easy, right? But while some people are more than happy to take a day on the couch, others can't resist going for a bike ride or even a light three-mile jog. Which is best?

Thanks
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CREATURE COMFORT

2010-07-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

This is a piece I did recently for Hour Detroit Magazine. It was a fun one for sure. Thanks Cassidy. It was about how the economy has seemed to affect many industries but surprisingly not the Pet Funeral business. Many pet owners are still spending, in some cases, over $1000 for a funeral for their beloved creatures. Funerals including ceremony, and burial.

Enjoy
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WASHINGTON POST HUNT

2010-07-15T08:31:00.001-07:00

Here is a project I did back in June. It was the cover for Washington Post Magazine. I also did three spreads to accompany the cover. The issue was dedicated to the annual Washington Post Hunt. It's a super fun looking event that's great for everyone. Families, friends, couples, and even co-workers get together down town Washington D.C. to participate in the Hunt. The hunt is a series of areas that participants go to. At each area are riddles of sort that each participant needs to figure out. There are clues and questions plus a map in each issue of the Magazine. So therefore people need to pick up a copy of the magazine to help them out. Once the individual or team has completed all of the questions successfully they meet back up at the starting place. First one with all the correct answers wins a money prize. Kind of wish I was able to participate. Oh well.

Enjoy the images.
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STORE FRONT

2010-07-06T21:09:00.000-07:00

Here are a few images of the new window display that I did with my friend and co-worker Rob Nicholls. It says "Art on the Street July 17." This is a big art event that takes place in a couple of weeks. They close off a small portion of Quebec Street down town Guelph, Ontario to set up tents/booths for local artists of all sorts to sell and show their great stuff. It's fun for everyone so go check it out.
That's the best thing about working at an art store. We have so much fun. I know I know. You're not supposed to have fun at work. Well that's one rule I intend to break daily for the rest of my life.

Enjoy.
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TYING THE KNOT

2010-07-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

It seems fitting that I post this piece I did a couple weeks ago. It's fitting because I just proposed to my girlfriend and now have a fiance. She did indeed say yes. I'd say the cliche saying that she made me the happiest man but I'd be lying. The truth is that she already did that the moment we got together. She's amazing.
This however was a piece I did for a couple that are friends of ours that coincidently have the exact same names. That's right. It's another Jessica and Mike. Can you believe it? I KNOW! It's really fun when we go over for dinner or have games nights. It's Jess and Mike against Jess and Mike.
I did this little piece as a wedding gift for these two. Mike is an airline pilot for Air Canada and loves airplanes. I met Jess his wife at our art store when she came in to get a bunch of his airplane pictures framed. I thought fitting to do an airplane themed piece.
It was a lot of fun to do.

Enjoy.
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ACE RETURN

2010-07-04T13:22:00.001-07:00

This was a personal piece I did for fun. It was inspired by the people playing tennis outside my apartment, across the street. I love the idea that when you play with people you don't know they may be more powerful then you even know.

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KNUTTY KNITTERS

2010-06-29T07:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a logo I designed for my girlfriend's knitting club she's organizing.

Enjoy
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Hollywood in Hawai'i

2010-06-28T20:06:00.001-07:00

I'm sure it's pretty rare, especially these days, that one would get two assignments for the same issue of a magazine. That was the case with Honolulu Magazine. This pieces was titled "Hollywood in Hawai'i" It was about the many films that have been either filmed on the islands or actually take place in the lovely state. Both assignments were really great to work on. This was a super fun client to work with. Can't wait for the next time.

Enjoy
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YANKEE MAG

2010-06-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

here is another map I did. This one is for Yankee Magazine about the Maine Island Trails. These are a series of paths to take when kayaking along the Maine Coast that involve many interesting camping spots. This story is from the point of view of a man who has taken on this Kayak trip and how times have changed the way you'd go about doing it. An example is how technology has made it a little harder to stay away from the world or to just enjoy your trip and let go of that part of your life.

Enjoy
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DUCK DUCK GOOSE

2010-05-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

A new poster I did for a St. John Ambulance event that Jess is putting together. It's a Games night get together with a sleepover option if you have a few too many wobbly pops.

Enjoy

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BLACK DRESS

2010-05-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a little sketch I did at work at the Art Store. I sometimes will doodle stuff like this when I'm trying out new pens or markers. Usually it's when I'm demonstrating cool pens like the Pentel Pocket Brush pen. The best brush pen I've used so far.
Scanned and then color added later in Photoshop.

Enjoy
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SEE FOOD

2010-05-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

These are a series of fun images I did for Dallas Magazine. It was to accompany an article about how to choose the right seafood when you're going to buy some. It was a lot of fun.

Enjoy.
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THE ELECTRONIC BOOK

2010-05-16T10:39:00.001-07:00

Below is the final art.

This was a piece for Seattle Magazine about how more people are using technology like iPhones and iPads to read the Bible in during church service. It's big business. There are several programs you can get for these devices that allow you to continue your Bible studies in the technological age. This allows for a broader scope of study because you are able to read passages and if there are any parts you're not familiar with then there'll be links to web pages and other such resources.

I've added a few rough sketches that I did.

FLICKED OFF

2010-05-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

This one is called "Flicked Off" - an article on how the Maryland film industry went from bustling to bust
and its chances for a revival. Such a fun group of people to work with at Baltimore Mag.

Thanks again guys.
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AMERICAN ILLUSTRATION 29 "CHOSEN"

2010-04-30T11:25:00.001-07:00

This piece was chosen for the American Illustration 29 Website gallery. I didn't get into the book this year :( Next year for sure. I still plan on being at that party though so what out of the tall goofy looking fellow with the dark-rimed glasses. Yup. That's me drunk in the corner with my pants around my head. Party on.

Enjoy
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GHETTOBLASTER

2010-04-28T19:24:00.000-07:00

This was a lino block print i did tonight. I think I'd like to do more of them. They're fun and make for a great mind escape. I think I am planing on taking on some personal projects that involve me finally venturing outside of the ink drawing, photoshop coloring realm. I might even do some sculpting. Might as well take advantage of the great art supplies at the store I work at.

Enjoy.
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BBQ and BOWLING

2010-04-26T17:04:00.000-07:00

This coming weekend is another St. John Ambulance get together event. As you can see we'll be going to a BBQ and Bowling. I did this poster real quick for Jess. It's great when she asks me to do a poster for the events she puts together because it's a free chance for me to do a fun poster. I love doing them. I'm hoping to get more poster commissions this year.
Enjoy.

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RED FISTED

2010-04-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a personal piece I whipped up on my lunch break. Decided to color in later. I love drawing.
Enjoy.
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TRIBECA FILM FEST HMMMM...

2010-04-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a piece I just did for The Village Voice. Such a fun piece.
Advice for the Tribeca Film Festival: Party Harder! New great piece by MIKE BYERS for The Village Voice. Where is the future of the film festival going? "It was a nice idea, although it did seem to some that Chinatown was the truly wounded neighborhood and New York needed another film festival about as much as it needed another Duane Reade." Check out the article in this weeks Voice for more.

Enjoy
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SHAFTED

2010-04-20T16:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a piece in the issue of the Atlantic on shelves now called Shafted. The piece is about cleaning up the rivers in Colorado that have been contaminated by the near-by Mines. The water that runs off of these mines is contaminating the local rivers with toxins from the mines themselves.

Enjoy.
Thanks again Melissa.
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SHOCK OF THE OLD

2010-04-19T00:14:00.001-07:00

Here is a piece that you can find on store shelves now that I did for Maisonneuve Magazine. For those who aren't familiar with this publication, it's sort of like a Canadian version of Harper's, or The Atlantic. It's out of Quebec. They have great articles and great people working there as well. Thanks again.

This article was about the idea of how the old is becoming new again. Things such as vinyl records are making a comeback. A company opened up in Montreal that is repressing albums. YAY. Believe it or not last year vinyl records out sold CD's in most areas. Crazy but great.

Enjoy.
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Run Run RUn

2010-04-09T22:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a personal piece. It stared with just the runny dude I did at the Drink and Draw I run once a month here in lovely Guelph. I decided to have some fun with it. I love life.

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OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE

2010-03-19T14:33:00.001-07:00

Here is a piece you can get on the shelves now for ATLANTIC MONTHLY. Hope you enjoy. It's about the different kinds of meat you can get in Australia. A few farmers are trying to persuad people to eat meat such as camel and kangaroo. Very interesting article.

Ciao
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SPLIT IT UP

2010-03-01T14:39:00.001-08:00

Here are a couple ink on paper drawings I did for a fundraising show here in Guelph called Split it Up. The show is a collaboration of drawings and photography.

Enjoy
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LEARNING TO DRAW

2010-02-25T22:51:00.000-08:00

The best way to learn how to draw and to get better at drawing I've discovered is to draw. It's not a recent revelation. Just thought I'd remind myself. This image above is just something I decided to color from my sketchbook. I realize that the more I draw the better my visual recall becomes. I'd love it if I never had to use photo reference for things but I'm afraid to do. I don't mind. I think photos are a great visual tool.

Enjoy.
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Image update

2010-02-22T21:58:00.000-08:00

Once in a while I'll take an image I've done band either adjust it because I'm not super satisfied with it or change it slightly. Here you'll see a poster for my friend that I gave a little boost to. I like this version much better.

Enjoy
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BODIES ARE COOL

2010-02-21T06:17:00.000-08:00

These are some sketches I did at BODY WORLDS at the Ontario Science Centre yesterday. I was really cool to see the bodies in action. I really enjoyed the displays at this one. I went to the exhibit when it first came around Toronto a few years ago. The other one had more bodies on display but this one had more of a positive vibe to it. I mean they emphasized a few times how much our emotions can dictate how our health goes. If you can read my chicken scratch writing in one of the sketches you can get a sense of what was going on. I copied those words down from the posters they had up in the exhibit.

Enjoy.
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FAMILY CIRCLE

2010-02-14T18:11:00.000-08:00

Here is an opener I did for Family Circle's Fiction writing contest. Accompanying the image is two 1/4 page illustrations. It was fun. It was a sad and touching story about a woman reminiscing about a period in her life when times were golden. It's called "Our Atlantis" and you can read it here.
I thought I'd show you some roughs.

NEW SKETCHBOOK

2010-02-10T16:12:00.000-08:00

I always love getting a new sketchbook. It's motivating. I love the newer Moleskines that are A3 size. There are ink with brush. Trying to get better with the brush. Feeling great and inspired to be more loose with the brush.

More to come I'm sure.

Enjoy

SCREEN PRINTING

2010-02-07T15:12:00.000-08:00

on cardboard

on screen printed background
on map of vermont
I just did a screen printing workshop today at our store. Very basic but so fun. I'm hooked. I think it's going to be time to take my work and some of the illustrations I do to a new level. Perhaps I'll get enough print editions by the end of the year to have show. We'll see. Baby steps. But I'm really excited about the endless possibilities. Who needs threadless. Ha ha.
Above are a few of the results. I also did a T-shirt for myself.

Enjoy.
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FAMILY SKATE DAY

2010-02-06T21:11:00.001-08:00

Here is an image I did for Jess. She volunteers for St. John Ambulance and she's organizing a family skate day for the volunteers to attend. She asked me to do this image so she could use it for her event on Facebook.

Enjoy.
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THE LONG WAIT

2010-02-02T13:12:00.000-08:00

These three images are from an assignment with Avenue magazine in Edmonton with the lovely Paige Weir. She's super awesome to work with. She seems to always help make my work look good. I just received the magazine in the mail. She was super nice to add me to the Contributors page. Very nice indeed.

Thanks Paige.
Enjoy
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BOOK COVER

2010-01-31T19:17:00.000-08:00

Here is a MOCK book cover I did for myself after I read this neat book called "Ignore Everybody" by: Hugh MacLeod. I look forward to doing more book covers soon enough. This book and a few great talks with some great people have helped renew my love and desire to be creative. Read more about what I thought about this book on my NEW blog Delicious Brain Candy.

Enjoy
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ADVERTISING ON FACEBOOK

2010-01-30T21:12:00.000-08:00

Here is a recent piece I did for INC magazine. It was all about how to advertise on Facebook. Such a great client. They were so fun to work with. Very interesting stuff. So many new avenues to go down when it comes to advertising these days. A lot more companies and individuals seem to be taking out ads on facebook. I think because they have to be so simple and to the point, they need to be a little more over the top. I mean in terms of content. In some cases a few ads will appeal to the sexy factor. Very neat. You can read more here. INC magazine.

Enjoy
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SKETCHBOOK

2010-01-26T19:26:00.000-08:00

Here are the first few pages of my new sketchbook. Yes it's a Moleskine. I'm not gonna lie. I'm a snob about my sketchbook. But as I should. I figure this is my livelihood. It's just one more tool in my illustration tool box. Hopefully my masterpiece comes out of this. I'm hoping that one day soon I can publish a work of my work.

Enjoy
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MUNNY NINJA

2010-01-22T21:12:00.000-08:00

Here is the art ninja. This is the Munny doll I did for my boss. I had him for our secret santa gift. Our rules at the art store were that what ever your gift it had to be made. We're doing our holiday party after the new year because before x-mas the store gets super busy.

I always have so much fun doing these things.

Enjoy
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POSTER

2010-01-18T22:15:00.001-08:00

Another quick poster for my friend's band Modern Field Recordings.

Enjoy

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EVERYONE'S A CRITIC

2010-01-17T13:38:00.000-08:00

Here is a piece I did for Columbia Journalism Review magazine. You can see it in this months issue. It was about food journalism. It talks about Craig Claiborne, some would say the pioneer of food criticism, and how he created a form of ethics when it comes to visiting restaurants to give a review.
Now with the increase of bloggers comes self professed food critics. Everyone eats but that doesn't make you a food journalist.

Enjoy.
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MAP IT OUT

2010-01-17T13:36:00.000-08:00

Here is a map that didn't get published in National Geographic Adventure magazine. It didn't get published only because the magazine folded. Very unfortunate but I guess that's the way it is sometimes.

DUMB DRIVERS

2010-01-10T08:27:00.000-08:00

It will be a year living with Jess here in Guelph since I moved in last June. I must say that I've been delighted with not having to drive so much. We live in a great location that allows me to walk to my part-time job at the art store. In fact I can just walk anywhere I need to go here. We have a lot close by.

I'm so grateful for this because I was getting so sick of driving. I know you all out there can relate. One of my driving pet peeves has to be those people who drive too slow. I'm not talking about driving 60 km/hour when I want to go 80 km/hour. I'm talking about those who drive unnecessarily slow. Those who aren't even doing the speed limit.

Little to some people realize, but you CAN actually get pulled over or get a ticket for driving too slow. Didn't these people take a driving course. They specifically told us if everyone is going faster then the speed limit you should too or else you could be in danger for impeding traffic.

This illo I got to do for Hour Detroit magazine was just about that. In Detroit it seems they are giving out tickets to those who tend to not see the speed limit signs while they're driving around.

Driving too slow can give you more then a few honks. It can get you a nice knock on your window by a nice police officer.

Enjoy
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MAIL

2010-01-06T13:42:00.001-08:00

I love receiving mail. This just came in today. The American Illustration 28 book. Feel so lucky to receive a spread. Nice way to start the year.

Enjoy
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GOODBYE 2009, BRING ON 2010!

2009-12-31T07:37:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading my good friend Pete Ryan's blog and got inspired to write my own farewell Ode to 2009. Thanks good pal.
2009 is gone but definitely not forgotten. I am in the infant stages of my illustrious illustration career that I plan to continue doing until I am at the very least, 92 years old. If Al Herschfeld can do it until he died at 100 then surely I can make it to 92. Maybe i drink more beer then he does. Regardless, 2009 has proved to be an exceptional year for me. I got to work with some fantastic new clients. I was also able to continue to work with the wonderful clients I already have an established relationship with. For those of you who read this you know who you are. I look forward to the growing list of great people that I'll surely be working with in 2010.
I'm forever grateful for all of the learning experiences that fall into my lap. 2009 has been full of many lessons both professionally and personally.
Let's recap. I met the woman of my dreams. We moved in together a short two months later. I continue to be amazed by her everyday. I watched a friends mother die of cancer before my very eyes. Then I listen to a voice on the other end of the telephone a few months later tell me of how my Stepmother is diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Funny how that works. I got to do few AD campaigns. I did a few maps for the great people at National Geographic Adventure Magazine. Rest in Peace you guys. No one died there. Sadly the magazine folded and became another victim of the universal axe that seemed to haunt the publishing industry. Ryan you rock buddy. Thanks for the map jobs. Hope to work with you again soon.
I am forever grateful for my travel partner who happens to be my life partner, Jess. Our trip this year to New York turned out to be a very productive and eye opening one. It helped inspire me artistically, I met a bunch of great people at the parties we attended, got to see what a great 'Wing Man" Jess is, and the trip also re-affirmed that fact that I am with the best woman I've ever met. Thanks Sari for all you did. You Rock. I'm so grateful for the day we connected. I look forward to this next year. We make a great team.
2010 will be full of many more challenges, life altering experiences, mind blowing fun, tons of great work, lots of image making, and more great stuff. I look forward to working with great people, traveling and growing with Jess, getting closer to my family with the addition to come of another nephew/niece. We're still not sure what the baby will be. Awesome, I'm sure.
So I raise a toast to all of those who have been there for me, you know who you are.
Thank you Jess, you are my world. Thank you mom and dad you have been my mountains. Thank you Michelle and Lyndi, I couldn't ask for better siblings. Thank you grandparents for if it wasn't for you I wouldn't be here. Thank you Mandy for changing my view of what doing good for yourself is like. Thank you Trevor for inspiring me to follow my real passion. Thank you Chad for being such an amazing friend even if we don't connect on a regular basis. Thank you Tasha you are a ray of sunshine. Thank you Matt, Chris, Tay and the rest of my friends. You have made me laugh harder then I can even remember. Thank you to my new illustration friends and my old ones. Thank you Mike Brodie. You are the second half of the Killer Michael B's. You keep me grounded. Thank you Jay for the inspiration. Keep making kids happy on Saturday mornings. Thank you Pete. You are such a great man. I'm glad that we are getting closer. You rock.
To anyone I've missed just trust that it's only because I wanted to stop typing and not because I've forgotten about you. I know there are many who read and/or follow my blog. For those who do just know that I love you all and look forward to many more years of Awesomeness together.
Cheers, Salute, and whatever else you can think of.

Here's to a STELLAR 2010.
Much love and stay AWESOME.
Michael

PS: More post to follow. I'll try to keep them going on a more regular basis.

POSTERS

2009-12-18T15:31:00.000-08:00

Here is a poster I did for St. John Ambulance. It's to advertise a post holiday party they are planning to have at the Stampede Ranch in Guelph.

Enjoy.
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CANADIAN PRINTER

2009-12-18T15:14:00.000-08:00

The printed version.

Here is a cover I did for Canadian Printer Magazine. It was fun to just draw machines and such.

Have a beautiful day.

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SKETCHING

2009-11-26T07:43:00.000-08:00

Here are some sketches from my sketchbook. The last three are during my trip to NYC. The funny thing is that I thought I'd do tons of sketching but that didn't end up being the case. So instead you get three sketches during our times of transport. The first was of the people beside me on the plane. The next was on the 'A' Train. The last one was at the airport getting ready to leave NYC.

The other sketches were just random stuff.

Enjoy.
Thanks
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POSTERS POSTERS I LOVE POSTERS

2009-11-24T19:26:00.000-08:00

Here is another delightful poster for my friend's band...

Modern Field Recordings

Also you'll notice little Panda characters. Those are the creation of my good pal Mike Brodie.
He collaborated with me in doing this image. You can see more of his fantastic work here...

mikebrodie.carbonmade.com

Enjoy.
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BusinessWeek Stuff

2009-11-04T15:21:00.000-08:00

Here are two new pieces for BusinessWeek magazine. They're out on stands now so go pick them up if you can.

Enjoy
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CONCERT TIME

2009-10-30T18:45:00.000-07:00

Here is another poster for my friends awesome band "Modern Field Recordings." You can check them out here below.

Modern Field Recordings on Myspace and on Youtube.

I love doing posters. I'll be doing a few more for some friends around my town. It's a fun way to keep myself busy in between assignments.

Ciao for now.
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the VERMONT 100

2009-10-30T18:36:00.000-07:00

Here is another map I did for National Geographic Adventure magazine. I'm not gonna lie and say that I'm pretty new at this map thing. I think I'm getting better with each map I make. I just finished another for National Geographic Adventure that I'll post in a little while. I'm in the middle of another one.

I love the assignments where I get to learn something neat about an area of the world I never really knew about. That's gotta be one of the perks of my career. The chance to constantly learn.

This map is about the Vermont 100. It's a highway that Vermontonians call the 'Skier's Highway' as there are several of the best ski resorts located along this stretch of road. It was great because my Dad and Stepmother live in Vermont so I felt a certain sense of attachment to the assignment. It was a lot of fun to do.

Keep you eye out for the next.

Enjoy
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THE OTHER WOMAN

2009-10-24T16:11:00.000-07:00

This was for Seattle Business Monthly magazine. It's about how Black Berry devices can cause jealousy in marriages when it seems that someone is more into the Smartphone then they are the spouse.

Enjoy
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A NIGHT OUT

2009-10-21T22:15:00.001-07:00

Here are some sketches from the night out at the local coffee house watching some live music.

Enjoy

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