Muddy: Behind the Art


I'm so excited about the upcoming release of the next book I worked on, Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters, written by Michael Mahin! It won't be available until September 5, but here's a sneak preview and a little "behind the scenes" about the creation of the art for the book.

Research drawing from Clarksdale, Mississippi

With every new book comes a new research process! You can read more about the research for this book in two blog posts I wrote last year about my trips to the Mississippi Delta, where Muddy was born, and Chicago, where Muddy created his signature sound.


Research drawing from Chicago
 
Another part of my research is always to look at artwork to help create a visual style and language that is specific to the topic and the story. Whenever I do school visits (more info here), I like to talk to kids about this step. I hope that it will inspire them to take a look at artists and art they may not have known before.


For this project, I was very excited to get to take a deeper look at some of my favorite artists, including Ben Shahn, Matisse, Picasso, and particularly Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, and William H. Johnson.



I also looked at quilts by the Gee's Bend Quiltmakers of Alabama, a group of African American women who have been creating unique, varied, and innovative quilts for decades and generations. Many artists of the Harlem Renaissance (including Lawrence, Bearden, and Johnson) looked to the African American quilt-making tradition and African art for study and inspiration, as well as contemporary European art movements.


The incredible composition and rhythm of their quilts inspired the design for the artwork in Muddy. If you look at the small color thumbnail pagination I made while planning the book (below), you can see the influence of the blocks of color of the Gee's Bend artists.

Color pagination of thumbnails for Muddy


I wanted the illustrations to show the journey of Muddy and his music from his roots in Mississippi, the electric explosion in Chicago, and his synthesis of the two. I showed this in a few ways:


One was in the newspaper collage. In sharecropper cabins, like the one Muddy grew up in in Clarksdale, Mississippi, they only had newspaper to wallpaper their walls. So I collaged newspapers from the local Clarksdale Daily Register from 1918 on the walls.

In progress collage

You can see what it looked like here before I painted on top of them. Here the headlines are mostly about small town things like the cost of cotton or stories about World War I.


When Muddy moves to Chicago, he is surrounded by the headlines of the Chicago Defender, a legendary black newspaper. Here the headlines are about African American triumph and struggle, and civil rights issues of the day. And once Muddy becomes famous, he finds himself among the headlines of African American heroes in the Chicago Defender.

Preliminary sketches for Muddy

I also used color and a style shift to signify Muddy's journey.

Final art scenes from Muddy in Mississippi

In Mississippi, Muddy is surrounded by warm, rich colors: the yellow, red, and brown of the earth and heat; the deep indigo of the Mississippi River; the yellowy green of crops; the black and white of the cotton fields; and the vibrant purple of his grandmother's dresses.

Final art scenes from Muddy in Chicago

But when he arrives in Chicago, he is surrounded by the clashing neon colors of the city. The green is no longer earthy, but slick and electric. The blue is not deep and powerful, but bright, cool, and modern. The bright red halo of Muddy's country roots makes him stand out among the city slickers.

But once Muddy begins to let his true self out in his music, everything begins to come together. There is the electricity and intensity of the city, but also the richness, and depth of the Mississippi River, the cotton fields, and the memory of his grandmother. Everything pieced together like a quilt.


 The illustrations themselves were pieced together like a quilt as well.


I drew out the composition, and then cut out each of the shapes to make stencils. Then I filled in the shapes thickly with oil pastel on top of a watercolor/gouache background. 


Then details and patterns were created by adding more oil pastel, or scraping it away with a palette knife to make textures and different effects.

Muddy learning the bottleneck slide from his hero, Son House

The whole progression of art throughout the book was to show how Muddy grew and changed with his music, but also how he always stayed true to himself.

 
Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters will be released on September 5, 2017.
More information and pre-order links here:

 Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters

The Storyteller

 

I am so excited to announce that my debut as author/illustrator, 'The Storyteller', is now out in stores! Take a look at the trailer below:




Featuring music by NYC-based Moroccan gnawa ensemble Innov Gnawa.

It's been amazing to see the great reception so far! I hope you will check it out. There will be a book launch party at Books of Wonder on Thursday, June 30 from 6-8PM, so I hope you can come down and celebrate with me! There will be book signing, original art, a window display, and light refreshments. Check out the event here:


For more information about the book, its inspiration, teaching resources, and reviews, check out the website:

The Storyteller Website

Get your copy at:
Amazon | Indiebound | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble | Simon & Schuster
Or better yet, at your local independent bookstore! 

"Patterns" at the Woods Hole Film Festival


I am very excited to announce that my animated short "Patterns" is an official selection for the Woods Hole Film Festival in Cape Cod, and will be screening there August 1st.

This carved wood animated short tells the stories of hundreds of years of life, death, and rebirth etched into the wood of the Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaleship in the world. The whaleship is currently being restored at Mystic Seaport, and will be put back in the water July 21st. The animation was created as part of a group show with Dalvero Academy at Mystic Seaport. I think it's a wonderful place for a festival premiere, because the Morgan will be sailing to Cape Cod after its restoration is complete! You can view the trailer below:


You can take a look at more stills from the animation here:
 Patterns

The screening information is below:

August 1, 2013
5:00 PM
Prior to "The Roper"
Lillie Auditorium
Cape Cod, MA

To purchase tickets, please visit the festival page for the film here:

Morocco: On the bus



The bus rides between cities often showed as much about the country as the cities themselves. Groves of olive trees stretched for miles across endless landscapes as men rode by the roadside on donkeys (or in trucks full of donkeys).



While waiting in one of the bus depots with a gaggle of European and Moroccan tourists, we fell in love with a tiny stray kitten (of which Morocco has no shortage) who we named Bertouche (after his American cat uncle Bert). He wandered around the cafe outside mewing and squeaking for food (we gave him some chicken on our way out) and then nestled into a flower pot for a nap.

 



Morocco: The Red City


Our trip began with Marrakech, The Red City. Surrounded by African desert and thick red walls, Marrakech was more foreign even in the approach from the airport than I had been expecting. Because Morocco is so diverse and so close to Europe, I had begun to think before leaving that it would be more like a trip to a European country than an African one, but Marrakech quickly shattered that idea.

In a country as foreign as Morocco, it can often be difficult to break down the barrier between tourist and local: you don't want to be seen as another tourist, and they don't want to be seen as an exotic native. Being blonde and white makes me visible to every salesman from halfway across Morocco, so every person on the street is competing to try to sell something by the time I get there. It's often an overwhelming experience, and one that made us shut down a few times just from the stress of finding a restaurant.


I think that drawing on location often offers a unique experience to be able to interact with people in a different way. Because you are doing something new and exiting, people often drop their usual tourist routine and both groups let down their guard a little. While wandering around in the medina, Chris and I came upon a neighborhood that was completely residential, with not a tourist in sight, but still bustling with people. The walls of the quarter had been freshly washed with "Marrakech Red", and bright red and green flags hung from every building.


As we started to draw, people would smile as they passed, which was very reassuring in an unfamiliar neighborhood. Soon a gaggle of kids began to crowd around us, hopping up to see the drawings and asking to have each one of their portraits drawn. Some men and women came by to peek as well, and one man even shooed some of the kids away to help when he thought they were getting too boisterous. It is one of my fondest memories from Morocco because when you can engage with people on a personal level, where the differences aren't so great, it makes you feel more at home.

We stayed and drew there until sundown, under the latticed roof of the tiny maze-like alleyways, watching people and mopeds pass by, and kittens scamper down the dusty streets and across the rooftops.

Morocco: The Eid

 

I'm back from a wonderful and intense trip to Morocco, and to start off I thought I'd post some drawings I did of the preparation for the Eid al-Adha which took place this Friday (Eid Mubarak!). The Eid is a major Islamic holiday that celebrates the story of Abraham and his willingness to sacrifice his son to God. In response to Abraham and his son Ishmael's willingness, he gave Abraham a ram to sacrifice in his son's place, and so Muslim people sacrifice an animal for their family as a celebration and remembrance of that sacrifice.

All throughout the trip we saw little glimmers of the coming holy day's approach: On bus rides we passed shepherds tending their flocks by the side of the road and trucks full of sheep being shuttled to town, and shopkeepers were more willing to give a good price to a blonde-haired, blue-eyed tourist to get a little extra money to buy a sheep. By the time we reached Fes near the end of our trip, the preparations were in full swing.


Outside the medina, sheep grazed in a nearby stable, chomping away and stumbling into each other, oblivious to their impending fate.

 
Families came to look at the sheep, and sometimes to select one for purchase.



Then came the parade of sheep down the tiny, maze-like alleyways of the medina. Sometimes they were rolled down the streets in carts, but often men picked up the hind legs and wheelbarrow-ed unruly rams down the hill, while children laughed and pulled their tails.

It was exciting to be able to see a part of Moroccan culture that tourists are not really a part of. The Moroccan/Tourist barrier sort of broke down when people talked about the Eid, and I got more of a feeling of what people were like outside the tourist industry. Little kids were just as excited to see the sheep as I was, and sat around watching me draw in the stable. Although the traditions and symbolism are different, the energy felt very much like the approach to Christmas with people shopping for last minute gifts, picking out the perfect Christmas tree, and the buzzing excitement of the coming celebration with family.



Seasons Changing


This past week we had some spectacular weather in New York, where it already started to feel like fall. I took one crisp, sunny day to go out in Central Park and look at the colors as summer comes to an end. Fall always seems to come and go so quickly, so I always feel much more at ease when I have days I can sit out and appreciate the beautiful change.

 

 

 

Disneyworld: Hollywood Studios



I just got back from another wonderful drawing trip to Disneyworld in Orlando with 8 (long) days of drawing, studying, and learning. It's always nice to be able to completely reorient yourself and come back feeling exhausted, refreshed, inspired, and playful.


One of my favorite days this trip was a day at Disney Hollywood Studios (MGM) where I got to play around with a town of sunny and colorful California art deco.





iPad Portraits For Time Inc. Event

 

Last night I had the pleasure of being hired along with two other artists, Tae Won Yu and Jorge Colombo, to do "live drawing" portraits of partygoers at Time Inc.'s party for their "Top 10 NYC Startups To Watch".

 

It was a great party on a beautiful roof-deck in Chelsea, with a chance to meet some very nice people. It was a fantastic experience, and I hope to be able to do it again soon!

"Restoring a Past, Charting a Future" Opens at Mystic Seaport!



The Dalvero Academy show at Mystic Seaport is finally open! I had the chance to go up and see it this weekend, and I am so thrilled that the show has come to fruition after 3 years and so proud to be a part of it.

My contribution to the show focuses on the theme of woodcarving as a symbol for the creation of the Charles W. Morgan, the last surviving wooden whaleship in the world, and the carving of global culture that grew out of whaling and survives today. These are a few drawings I did about the woodcarver's shop. Definitely go check out the show! In addition to drawings, I am also exhibiting my own wood carved sculptures and an animated short film, not to mention the incredible art from the 23 other artists I'm honored to be showing with!

You can read more about the show and its artists here:

Dalvero Mystic

"Restoring a Past, Charting a Future" at Mystic Seaport


I am proud to announce that I am participating in an upcoming show at Mystic Seaport as a part of Dalvero Academy called "Restoring a Past, Charting a Future". You can see a preview of some of the wonderful art and learn more about the show here:

http://dalveromystic.com/

It is a group of 24 artists who have been documenting the restoration of the last wooden whaling ship in the world, The Charles W. Morgan, and the art that came out of that study and research.

Inspired by my friend and fellow Dalvero-er, Alex Charner, I'll be posting some drawings from Mystic that I've done that will not be at the show. Check out his beautiful daily posts here:

http://alexcharner.com/

As well as Julia Sverchuk's fantastic drawings from Mystic here:

http://juliaidrawings.blogspot.com/

Seattle: Pike Place Market

This summer, I had the chance to visit the Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle. It's a bright and colorful place with a diverse group of sellers (and the original Starbucks!).


My favorite was seeing the incredible flower shops run by the Hmong. The Hmong are a group of people from Laos, who, during the Vietnam war, came in large numbers as refugees to America. The Hmong were unsung heroes of the Vietnam War, with over 18,000 losing their lives in dangerous missions from the CIA in a special task force. As a result of the war, there are large Hmong communities across the country, with one of the largest in Northern California. Their flowers were brilliant, fresh, and endless.



Pike Place is famous for as a fishing market, and there are several fish and seafood shops. I'm not much for eating seafood, but it is an entertaining array of things to draw.



The "fish toss" is one of the main attractions of the market, with tourists lining up to take pictures as the sellers toss large fish back and forth.



Among the flowers and fish are stands of delicious and vibrant fruits and vegetables from local growers, so I decided to make a few fruit crate labels for the Market.

Featured in Varoom! Magazine

Exciting news!

My reportage of Seattle Gay Pride was featured in Varoom! Magazine, a UK publication put out by the Association of Illustrators.



"Depicting the celebratory nature of a Gay Pride march is always going to include the most flamboyant participants, and Evan Turk's drawings from this year's parade in Seattle capture the muscle guys and drag queens with rapid lines and streaks of colour. He expands the story by turning his eye to those watching the march and equally celebrates the older people and possible first timers sharing an empowering event such as this." -Derek Brazell for Varoom!

Very exciting to see, and also exciting to see a whole section on reportage in a publication like this!

Another of my illustrations from the event was used on the website.

Gay Pride Seattle


More from my trip with Dalvero to the West Coast! Our first three days were in Seattle, which happened to coincide with Seattle's gay pride parade! I was very excited to be able to do a reportage of the parade, especially after the gay marriage bill passed back home in New York (yay!), and I wasn't going to be there to celebrate.


The Rainbow Flag was atop The Space Needle for the second year in a row, as a response to a fund-raising effort by the Seattle gay community for local causes and an overwhelming outcry when the Space Needle announced it would not be displaying the flag this year. As I waited for the parade, I sat next to a sweet lesbian woman and her preteen daughter (who pointed out every mostly nude person that walked by to her mother). It was cute seeing a family that had made Pride (nudity and all) a family tradition.


The parade began, as New York's parade does, with the sputtering engines of the Dykes on Bikes. The crowd erupted in a roar of cheers as they circled around, studded leather jackets flying in the wind (among other things).


The Dykes were followed by a troop of drag queens in sky-high platform heels and gothic black dresses. The crowd itself was no less diverse, with it's share of...everything, shouting and cheering as the parade marched down the street.



Soon after was the familiar explosion of muscley male gyration, rainbow flags, and even more drag queens.


Some new additions from Seattle were the completely nude, painted rollerbladers and bike riders and another, more "free-wheeling" Dyke on a Bike.

But just as with the New York parade, for every muscle-Daddy in assless chaps and a leather g-string, there is a sweet moment between two people that are just happy to be out holding hands with the person they love.





What I love about Pride parades, is that it brings out all facets of the gay community, and makes them visible.


You can see everyone from young gay boys, who may be out for the first time...



...to an older lesbian couple who have been together, and watching the parade for 20 years.


So congratulations to New York on making a huge step towards equality, and good luck to Seattle's gay community! Here's hoping you're next!

West Coast Travels!


I just returned from an amazing trip with Dalvero Academy to Seattle and San Francisco. I hadn't been to either place while being old enough to remember, so it was exciting for me to get to go to not just one, but TWO brand new places.

As I wind down...here are a few drawings I made at a nature preserve that was just a 30 minute walk from our hotel in Berkeley. It was a beautiful place. Every time you turned around, there was another beautiful impressionist landscape waiting for you. It made for a very slow, but very nice, walk.



It was mainly a bird preserve, so there were seagulls, sparrows, geese, swallows, and crows twittering and flying all around me as I was drawing. I found a rocky beach as well, with glittering water lapping up on the shore, and birds diving in to catch fish.

"Milking the Rhino"



This is a drawing I made while watching a documentary called "Milking the Rhino" which discussed the ways in which conservation of wildlife has intersected and butted up against industry for local people.

Going to Africa to reportage is at the very top of my "bucket list", so this was a really fascinating thing for me to watch. The idea of "marketing" the wilderness, such as in National Parks, has always felt like somewhat of a double-edged sword. Obviously it's better to have them protected than open to poaching and complete destruction. But turning nature (and the people of rural Africa) into a commodity is unsettling as well, and often has the result of making it feel like a theme park. I can't pretend to know where the happy medium is, but it was interesting to see many different sides of the issue presented. I highly recommend it! (Plus it's on NetFlix instant watch!)