At Planet Labs' offices in San Francisco, the conference rooms seem to be named for historical and current figures that have made a positive impact in science, agriculture, or humanitarian issues. Near my desk there's the "Gandhi" and "Malala" rooms.
Read MoreFelix "Nadar" Tournachon, Buckminster Fuller, Eadweard Muybridge, Julius Neubronner
Planet Portraits - Finished Color Art
I'm pleased to say that the coloring is complete on my portraits of these five pioneers of Earth imaging. I used a combination of Adobe Illustrator (with help from Astute Graphicsadd-ons for texture) and Manga Studio for touch-up work and detail.
Read MoreWork-In-Progress, Marie Tharp
In researching influential people in the various fields of Earth imaging, I learned about cartographer Marie Tharp.
Read MoreIn Progress - Coloring the Pioneers
I'm currently in the process of coloring the Pioneers of Geospatial Imaging artwork. I use Adobe Illustrator for most of my initial color and texture work.
Read MorePioneers Of Geospatial Imaging, Ink Lines
For my black linework, I use a combination of brush/ink for initial lines, Adobe Illustrator, and Manga Studio. First, I draw directly over the pencil lines on bristol board paper. Then, I scan the art into Photoshop.
Read MoreWreath of Khan
So, I made this after walking home from drinks with a friend last night. My front door was very popular Twitter today, so thanks to all of you that appreciate the joke.
Read MorePioneers of Geospatial Imaging, Pencil Drawings
One of my projects as a Planet Labs Artist in Residence is going to be commemorative portrait drawings of people that inspired others to push things far enough so that we have the ability to take photos of the whole planet from space. The first set in the series will be those that pioneered imaging of the planet in new and strange ways.
Read MoreEmperor Norton in "Views of the Pacific Coast", 1968 by HELIOS aka Ewd. J Muybridge.
Emperor Norton Stereograph
For my residency at Planet Labs, I'm researching the early history of photography, specifically aerial and sequential photography. That led me to a library book on Eadweard Muybridge. The book explains Muybridge's experiments with stereographs.
Read More2015, My Year in Review
Every year I'm a little more flabbergasted by how fast it goes. It's the very end of November as I write this and there's still a small chunk of the year left, but in a blink that will over too. Part of it is just being continually occupied with projects, I suppose. To that end, 2015 has definitely been my busiest year as a working artist. So much happened both professionally and personally. Right now I'm still riding the wave of gratitude and tryptophan from Thanksgiving, so I'm feeling introspective I guess. This year I've learned a lot about community, family, letting people in and letting some people go. It's difficult to outline everything that happened, and some stuff you wouldn't believe me if I told you anyway. Here are some highlights.
- In January, I traveled to Seattle for an incredible birthday trip that included a Ghostbusters-themed burlesque show. I did the flyer.
- In February, flew to Mexico for my sister's wedding. There was drinking, sketching and lots of "bathroom time". Thanks, Mexico.
- For Valentine's Day, I traveled to San Diego for a studio portrait session with Chase No Face, the cat without a face.
- BART, the Bay Area's rapid transit system featured my artwork in train cars throughout the system.
- I made a shirt design for a robotics conference in Hamburg, Germany.
- Arcade cabinet maker X-Arcade hired me to imagine some fictitious retro machines. I came up with "Snack Fighter" and "Space Race".
- I beta tested a new revolutionary input device called the Sensel Morph.
- I made lots of cover artwork for No Starch Press, a publisher that makes tech books fun.
- My "Drunk Tweets" paintings were featured at Gestalt bar in San Francisco
- I went to Comic Con and didn't even have to work a table this time! Instead, I sketched, walked around, and took photos.
- I dressed up at Super Mario for an event at Oakland's Fairyland.
- I made illustrations for Target featured at their D23 Expo booth in Anaheim, California.
- I exhibited at SF Zinefest and the 2015 Alternative Press Expo.
- I flew home to Michigan for my cousin Jacob's wedding and visited family, swam in a pool, and saw some old friends.
- The mysterious secret art cult I was in broke apart. Yet, somehow the best parts of it still linger.
- My hammock that secret art cult friends were lounging in broke apart. I crowdfunded a replacement. Now I have two hammocks.
- Make Magazine featured my gold/black buttons as a tutorial on their website.
- Months later, Make hired me to make a mural at the Make Media Lab.
- I made artwork for a "robot carnival" themed art show at Gallery1988 West in LA.
- The obsession with Chase No Face spawned a comic strip drawn in the style of Garfield. I call it "Garface".
- I was in a Phyllis Diller themed art show.
- I drew "Abraham" for an Oakland Animal Services art benefit. You can adopt the real Abraham here.
- I'm now the current Artist-In-Residence for Planet Labs, whose goal is to image the entire Earth every 24 hours with tiny satellites.
I've written a lot of these recaps over the years and it seems like I always end it with, "Who knows what 20-- has in store??", but this time I don't think it's ever been more honest. I honestly have no idea what's going on next year beyond parts of January. I hope it's as interesting as this year and maybe even just a little better. I wish my friends, family, and community of local weirdos the best for the coming year. I'm just glad to be here. Talk to you soon.
Resident Artist at Planet Labs
I'm proud to announce that I'm the Artist in Residence for Winter 2015 at Planet Labs in San Francisco. Planet Labs is a private aerospace company with a mission to image the entire Earth from space every twenty-four hours. Their tiny satellites even have artwork emblazoned on the exterior. You can read more about Planet Labs online here.
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