Library and Subway drawings

The last month has been something of a transitional period in my life and studies. I've found myself without even my own desk set up for creation. This is, however, absolutely NO excuse to not continue drawing!


I witnessed this elderly gentleman on the train a few days ago while going to my teaching gig in Charlestown. He is what I'd imagine the character Harry Haller would look like in Hermann Hesse's "Stephhenwolf".
If you're aware of my online personality via facebook, you'll know that I am in the two piece Psychedelic-Surf-Metal band "MEGALIFE". I am designing a logo for the band modeled after the grateful dead skull, but with a wolf and a pheonix as opposed to a skull and a lightning bolt. Here are my notes and early renderings. The finals will be painted and shown at a gallery show at Montserrat College of Art later on in October. More information will be posted about that later.
Last year before I took on my year long artist in residency at LE GRAND DAVID AND HIS SPECTACULAR MAGIC COMPANY I was in the early stages on writing a story entitled "The Ballad of Joni Wynonna Winston". During the residency I put the project on hold as I wrote the newspaper comic "6 Months with the Magi". The comic ended mid point and unfortunately it will probably remain a "non-finito". Regardless, I'm glad I took a year off to reflect on Joni Wynonna, because now the story's plot is stronger, more open ended and bad ass. I'll be posting it as a webcomic (and in print eventually) which should be on track for release in ... November/December? Here's an early sketch of the first story arch entitled "The Humbled Drummer".
Here's a girl on the subway reading. There's tons of subway drawings but this one sticks out to me for being simultaneously realistic/proportionate but also simple. I don't know if anybody's hair actually does that.
Here are some studies I did while looking at Howard Chaykin's "Midnight Men". Chaykin's aesthetic and subject matter isn't really for everyone, but his keen eye for advertisement inspired design is a wonder to look at. I first got into him from picking up a copy of the second volume of his "Time squared" graphic novel. I liked it and picked up the first one from Picturebox Inc. If you're interested in how experimental, multi-layered art looked before Photoshop, pick this title up. He also has a fantastic sense of the figure and draws in perfect perspective.

So in conclusion, I'm not DEAD! I'm stilling drawing and making music, even if it's just at the Boston Public Library. Stay tuned, true believers ... ;-)