Christmas Ornaments Christmas Card

“This card is dedicated to my mother.
Filled with the Spirit of Christmas,
She always made sure the holidays were all about the special
details.
Whether it was a hand-made Christmas tree ornament
Or a beautifully wrapped package,
Christmas always had her signature style.
All the ornaments illustrated on this card have hung from
My mom’s Christmas tree.
Some of them are hand-made and decades old,
While other ornaments are more recent.”

This is the written dedication that appears on the back of the 2011 wrap-around Christmas card.

This card was a long time in-the-making.  The last time I had created a Christmas card was 1998.  And since 13 years had passed, I wanted this design to be very special.  It doesn’t get any more special (for me) than Christmas and my mom. 

Having worked from older photographs, the pencil sketches for this card had been drawn years ago.  I always knew I wanted to create a card like this, so much of the necessary ground work had already been started.  Comparing the existing pencil drawings to the photos, I did make some minor revisions to some of the sketches.  I then scanned them and created the black line work using Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop.  For example: the stocking, candle, Christmas tree, reindeer cup cake, pine tree candles and star were easier to create using Illustrator.  The balance of the card: the twink elf and the bearded elf were created using Photoshop.  The starburst and snowflakes are Photoshop brushes that I downloaded from online.  This is the first art work posted to this blog that was predominantly created digitally.  Yes, the sketches were created traditionally using pencil and paper, but going forward, most of my work will begin with pencil sketches.  That is what I know.  That is comfortable for me.  And I would like to keep some of the creative process grounded in tradition.  But, the bulk of this design was created using CAD programs, which was pretty much a milestone for me. 

The ornaments on the face of the card are very special to me and hold treasured sentimental significance.  Both the candle and stocking were made by my mother from felt.  They were created from a felt ornament kit purchased at a local craft store.  They were cut, sewn and stuffed in the late 1960’s or early 1970’s.  These ornaments are embellished with beads and decorative cording.  There were multiple felt creations that not only hung from the Christmas tree, but decorated our house every year at Christmas time.  These hand-made treasures have been divided up by my mother and gifted to my brother, my sister and myself throughout the years at Christmas. 

When I was younger, my parents would purchase a Christmas ornament each year, for each child.  Eventually, these ornaments would be gifted or “passed down” (by our mom) to my brother, my sister or myself throughout our adult years as our “special Christmas present” that year.  Of course, we loved this because most of those ornaments were made by her.  But some were not.  The twink elf, the bearded elf and the cup cake reindeer were all purchased when I was a child.  I do remember the first year the cup cake reindeer was placed on the tree, but I don’t remember where it came from.  The two elves are ornaments that I remember always being on our tree, so I don’t know when they were introduced.  But I’ve always loved these three ornaments, especially the cup cake reindeer.  It’s so unique and colorful.  The Christmas tree ornament is dimensional and made of wood.  It was made in Germany and purchased at Disney’s Epcot Center in one of the German gift shops.  It was purchased in the early 1990’s when my mom, my (then) partner, his son and I vacationed at Disney in Orlando.    

On the back of the card are pine tree candles and a star.  These adorn one of my mom’s smaller Christmas trees, as these are mini-ornaments.  My mom is a big fan of all things colonial.  She loves anything relating to Williamsburg, VA.  So when she came across these common-wick “hand dipped” candles in the shape of Christmas trees I’m certain she felt the need to have them.  The star is ivory bisque porcelain with painted trees in each of the star’s five points.  Because my mom is a star (in my book) of course, I had to include it.  

Nutcrackers Christmas Card

Also known as “A Very German Christmas”, this design was created in 1998.  All of my nutcrackers and smokers (rauchermann) are wood, hand painted and were made in Germany.  They are either very traditional (like the two kings; one wearing the red coat while the other decked in blue) or very beautifully unique (like the snowman nutcracker).  Many of these beautiful nutcrackers were given to me over the years by my mother, usually as a very special Christmas gift.

I do have a small collection of smokers (rauchermann).  Essentially these are incense burners in the form of pipe smoking everyday figures.  The Santa Claus was one of the first smokers given to me by my mother.  While the three nutcrackers are colored accurately, the Santa Claus is not.  The original is lightly stained in muted Earth tones.  The red of Santa’s coat is more like a brick red “barely-there” wood stain.  The white is more like a white-wash, hit-or-miss in its opacity and coverage.  I used artistic license to re-color the Santa smoker so he was visually similarly to the three nutcrackers, keeping consistent color harmony. 

These sentimental items are not only beautiful works of art rich in history and tradition, but they also hold treasured memories for me.

I really loved the previous Christmas cards, but I wanted more color.  As a result, this card was printed two up on 8.5 x 11 inch paper using a color copier.  The printed paper was then mounted to 8.5 x 11 inch twin-tack (double stick adhesive paper, similar to double stick tape, but paper…not tape) and each illustration was cut from the paper and applied (peel and stick) to a blank card. 

The original artwork was created using the same technique as my erotic pieces.  Black India ink line work painted then photographed using a stat camera.  The black and clear acetate of the painted line work was then used as a guide for “painting-between-the –lines” to produce the multi-colored Nutcracker Christmas card.  

Christmas Cardinals Christmas Card

Christmas Cardinals has a bit of a story behind the design, ever so slightly auto-biographical.  It was 1994 and my (then) partner and I were planning a pretty significant move the following month, in January of 1995.  We were moving from Jersey City to a lovely home in the picturesque Northern New Jersey town of Maplewood.  In addition to this being our Christmas card in 1994, it also functioned as a change of address notification.  So, having two male cardinals gathered around a festively decorated birdhouse seemed like a fitting design. 

I’ve always loved (male) cardinals.  They are stunningly beautiful, as their red feathers are usually in stark contrast to their surroundings.  They are also most impressive song birds.  But probably my favorite reason for loving them so much are some precious childhood memories.  I can remember being in my grandmother’s dining room, where she had a windowsill bird feeder.  Now, from what I can recall, the bird feeder was pretty rigged up, possibly even home-made.  I remember it being some sort of aluminum foil covered metal pan measuring about 8 inches wide and the length of the window ledge.  She would scatter bird seed in the pan, close the window and then the magic would begin.  Within minutes, all sorts of birds would descend on her home-made feeder as we quietly watched on the other side of the glass.  Of course, the brilliant cardinals were my favorite of her daily visitors.

Becoming more comfortable conceptualizing, designing and executing camera ready Christmas card mechanicals allowed me to invest more of myself into each design.  I also added more bells and whistles to this design.  This is a three color offset printed card with the black color raised using thermographic printing.  I also incorporated a Letraset half-tone screen pattern off the black screen to create the gray color of the roof’s shingles as well as the home’s interior.  

Santa Moon Christmas Card

In 1993 I designed the “Santa Moon” Christmas card.  This card was different from the previous two cards for several reasons.  This was my first two-color offset printed card.  I used a Letraset half-tone screen pattern off the red color to create the flesh tone of Santa’s face.  The five-pointed star areas were left blank so I could fill them with metallic gold stars.  The gold stars were created using a rubber stamp and metallic gold stamping ink.  This card differed from the previous two also because it was printed on bright white card stock. 

Because I love rubber stamps, I also had a stamp created with just the Santa Moon.  To this day, it is one of my favorite rubber stamps.  

Prancing Reindeer Christmas Card

The second Christmas card I had printed was created in 1992.  It is a one color reindeer design, executed in a flat graphic style and printed on ivory card stock.  The dark green reindeer is in profile, soaring through the air (as reindeer do); with a festive double ribbon trailing in the breeze behind him.  I wanted the look of a second color, so I created a half-tone using the same dark green and some dashed lines, forming a background scroll pattern.  The design is framed nicely with a double rule border (the exterior rule thick, the interior rule thin) in which the antler and back hooves of the reindeer break the frame, creating a limited feeling of depth.  A sense of depth is also implied by placing one of the two streaming ribbons in front of the scroll background and the other ribbon appearing to unfurl in the breeze behind the background. 

In addition to the card, I also had a rubber stamp created using the exact design.    

Classic Poinsettia Christmas Card

I’m working on several erotic pieces, but unfortunately, they are not finished.  So, in the Spirit of the Season, I’d like to share some of my other work. 

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always created greeting cards for my parents.  I used to draw birthday cards, Anniversary cards and Christmas cards for them.  I’ve always loved creating Christmas cards.  They were my favorite. 

At several points in my career, I applied to Hallmark Cards.  Each application got me closer to obtaining an interview, but since the third time was not a charm, it became Hallmark’s loss, not mine.  Yeah, I was upset and very disappointed, but that was several lives ago, so to speak.

In an effort to turn lemons into lemonade, I worked through my disappointment from Hallmark’s repeated rejections and did my best not to become too discouraged.  After all, there will always be folks who love your work and those who don’t.  So, I’ve learned to surround myself with people who support and encourage me.  I try to be my best advocate by believing in myself and my work.

In 1991, I had my first Christmas card printed.  I designed and painted the card, created the mechanical and delivered it to the printer.  It was a simple one color poinsettia design which was offset printed in a bright garnet red on ivory card stock.  The design of the poinsettia was based on square Victorian panel decorations.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Early October, 2012

Creative Inspiration: The Cowboys at the Rodeo

On Saturday I headed up to Shawnee Mountain in the Poconos with my friend Mark.  We had such a great time checking out all the handsome men. 

It was very inspirational, to say the least. 

Pigskins and Foreskins

While “Pigskins & Foreskins” is not my best work, it is the piece with the most emotions attached to it, both happy and sad.

As I mentioned in one of the previous posts, I had been shopping my artwork around to some of the gay publications in New York City.  It was early summer 1996 and one of those appointments was with the art director at Maverty Media Group, Ltd., which published numerous gay magazines such as: Playguy, Torso, Honcho, Inches and Mandate.  I didn’t leave that appointment with any freelance work, but I did receive a phone call a few weeks later regarding an assignment for Torso magazine.  The art director told me about a manuscript (aka erotic story) that needed an illustration.  I jumped at the opportunity to have my work published and went into Manhattan to meet with him.  The name of the story was “Pigskins & Foreskins” and dealt with a coach and his football team.  I was thrilled!  Not only was I given an erotic story to illustrate, but it was a full page / full color assignment.  WOW!  I had landed my first homoerotic illustration job and it was fully loaded…literally!  I was so excited to have this opportunity…I couldn’t believe what was happening. 

At that time, having spent nearly a decade employed as a full time designer, I was working from my home studio in Northern New Jersey as a freelance artist/illustrator/designer. I shared that beautiful home with my then partner of nearly 8 years.  While I was so excited to create the work you see above, I had no idea my world was about to be turned completely upside down.  As we approached the end of the summer, the illustration deadline was drawing near, and unbeknownst to me, so was the end of my relationship.  With the money earned from the Torso illustration, I took us out for a wonderful dinner overlooking the Manhattan skyline to celebrate this milestone in my career.  The illustration had been handed in and I was ecstatic, however, it seemed like I was the only one at our table who was celebrating.  I noticed my partner was miles away from the conversation and even further from celebrating this incredible moment with me.

As much as I wanted to pursue a career as a homoerotic illustrator, sadly I needed to find a full time job, pack up my belongings, pack up my studio and find a new place to live.  The joy I had for landing my first homoerotic illustration quickly turned into sadness beyond description.  My relationship was broken beyond repair, as I began to discover my partner preferred countless anonymous encounters in the woods of the South Mountain Reservation over what we had worked so hard to build together.  As the weeks went on, I was repeatedly stunned at the scope of his transgressions and infidelity.  Heartbroken was an understatement.  You see, years before we had made a monogamous commitment to each other…but I was unaware of the change in status he had brought upon our relationship.

Needless to say, this was a very difficult time in my life.  I had to pack my belongings, move from our beautiful home, leave my relationship of 8 years and find a job all at the same time.  I started working as a full time designer on Friday, November 1^st and moved out on Saturday, November 2^nd. 

As they say, that was a lifetime ago.  Yesterday, September 15, 2012, was the one year anniversary of this blog!  Woo-Hoo!  I’ve posted much of what I created, getting me to the point of having my work published in Torso magazine.  I have tried to give you an idea of my creative process and my peaks and valleys that I have traveled to get me to this point.  “Pigskins & Foreskins” was printed in the December issue of Torso magazine in 1996.  I was beyond thrilled to see my artwork published along with my name next to that work.  I had great joy and was very proud.  All the painted pieces (Princess, Nagel Boy, Tex, International Male) motivated me to hire a model which inspired me to create all those hybrid pieces (The Sweat Shop, Vested, Treasure Trail, Gay Pride, Scruff and Blue Collar).  And it was those early works that prompted the art director to offer me the magazine illustration.

Hybrid

You’ve all read about my “hybrid” pieces.  Those are the works that were created traditionally (with pencils, paints, brushes and on actual paper) back in the 1990’s and either completed or modified recently using Photoshop.  Some of the original works were taken to completion with full color, while others just remained black and white line paintings (India ink on bristol paper) waiting nearly two decades for color to be applied. 

Probably the most modified painting from the 1990’s is “Blue Collar”.  I thought I would show you the (untouched) before (1994) and the after (2012).  You can see just how much the piece has been changed.  The most obvious modification is color.  Then perhaps comes the details such as facial hair, body hair and tattoos.  Almost 20 years later, I went back into the piece to correct the original painting, making the drawing more accurate.  I made his hand larger, lowered the placement of his ear, put more detail in his ear, tweaked his nipples making them larger and made the profile of his face more accurate to the model’s facial structure.   

There are many benefits to using Photoshop during the creative process, but one of my favorite uses is applying color.  As you can see from the 1994 painting, sometimes the color does not always dry even.  This was always a big concern for me.  Being a perfectionist, I wanted the color to be flat, even, consistent and flawless.  You could mix the paint to the perfect consistency, you could make sure your best brushes were cleaned and ready to go, but that didn’t guarantee a flat and even finish to the color.  With Photoshop, the color application is flawlessly flawless each and every time. 

Blue Collar

It’s been a while since I posted anything, not to mention the last time I posted some artwork.  So, I thought I would show the most recent hybrid piece.  Everyone remembers what I mean when I say hybrid, right?  The artwork was created traditionally in the mid 1990’s, but updated recently using Photoshop.  “Blue Collar” is a piece that was conceptualized for the December 1993 photography session with the model.  When I say it was conceptualized for the photography session, I meant I actually put thought into the poses, clothing and props I wanted the model to wear and use.  While he supplied the baseball cap and shirt, I supplied the chain.  I really wanted to use chain in some of the poses.  To me it’s a very industrial and masculine element and I thought it would be a great prop to use.  The fact that it additionally symbolizes bondage didn’t hurt either. 

The photos that inspired this illustration are probably my favorites from the session.  As part of my contract with the model, I cannot publish any of his photos.  Sorry, that was part of our agreement.  But trust me, when he put on that baseball cap and barely-there shirt, he was adorable beyond description.  He was very handsome, possessing (what I like to call), all American good looks.  I guess the best way to describe that look is the male models from Abercrombie and Fitch.  There is a boyish charm to them, but there is also a sense of collegiate sophistication.  They are not only text-book handsome but they also look intelligent, collegiate and prep-school-like.  I really lucked out when he posed for me.  He got a few hundred bucks for a few hours work and I got some amazing photos to inspire my creativity. 

He was in his mid thirties when these photos were taken and he still looks just as good today.  Almost 20 years have passed since December of 1993, but I checked out his facebook page, and he is still just as handsome.  Time has been very kind to him.    

As I mentioned, this is another hybrid piece.  The black line work was painted with a fine sable hair brush and India ink.  I would paint the ink onto hot press bristol paper or illustration board.  The design would be drawn and painted double the size of the final presentation (in my portfolio).  If the finished work was shown in my portfolio at 8.5” x 11”, I would paint the original at 17” x 22”.  It was easier for me to paint larger than actual size.  I also loved how “tight” the finished work looked when it was reduced.  The imperfections were less noticeable and the line work became thinner and more delicate.  I would then take the original black and white painting to a graphics photographer where he would use a stat camera to photograph the art at half scale onto a sheet of clear acetate.  I would head back to my studio and mix the colors needed to finish the piece.  Once the paints were mixed, I would lay a sheet of semi-transparent waxed rice paper (artist’s paper called waxed masa) on top of the black and clear acetate and carefully paint in-between-the-lines to add the color.  The type of paint I used was gouache.  When finished carefully painting between the black lines onto the waxed paper, I would then switch the positions of the paper and acetate, placing the acetate on top of the painted waxed paper.  After lining up the black line work with the under lying painting, I would then securely tape the sides of the two together creating the finished piece.  The hybrid part comes in with Photoshop.  How I use Photoshop varies from one work to another.  But at the very least, Photoshop is used to smooth out the paint, making the colors flat and even.  During this process, I usually re-color the piece, changing the colors some.  I may also go in and rework some of the black line work.  On “Blue Collar” I reworked his facial structure as well as giving his ear more detail.  I added the tattoos on his arm as well as the facial and body hair.  I also reworked his nipples from the original artwork. 

There were a lot of steps to this traditional process, but I truly loved the end results.  I very much enjoyed painting the precise, even line work.  I know this might sound odd, but it was somehow relaxing.  I’m sure it would drive other artists insane to paint such precise and even line work, but I’m part German and very much an Aries, so that might be part of the answer.  Every artist has their own techniques used to create their distinctive style.  This is what makes art so interesting and different.  It would be very boring if all artists produced the same style of work.  

Chick-Fil-A...Hating in the Name of God

Well, I really tried not to get political on this blog.  My original goal was to keep the posts strictly creative, but these days, there seems to be a lot that is raising my ire.  I suppose much of this comes from the fact that it is a Presidential election year, which naturally brings out the divisiveness in this country.  Also, the recent admission from President and Mrs. Obama that they support gay marriage has sent the haters and hard-core religious extremists into holy seizures.

The fact that the Chick-Fil-A “buycott” was so successful this past Wednesday was, as one gay Chick-Fil-A employee put it, “very depressing”.  I felt the need to vent and create a new header for my facebook page and thought I would share it here on my blog. 

To me, this piece shows just how hurtful and cruel it is to deny anyone the simple right to marry the person they love.  It should not be a privilege that most of the population can take part in, it’s a right.  It was wrong when African Americans could not marry each other and it was wrong when African Americans could not marry outside of their race.  It is wrong to deny this right to gays and lesbians, and the President said so. 

The black and white images are shocking and certainly bring up many terrible memories of how minorities have been treated in this country.  The images of people lined up outside Chick-Fil-A restaurants the day of the buycott is just as painful as the other images.  In my opinion, they should have been wearing white hoods and burning crosses in the parking lots.  The obvious display of hate this week by these Christians is both sickening and disgusting.  I was actually ashamed to be American.  It was shocking to see just how many people in this country hate gays and lesbians.  To be willing to wait in line for hours, baking in the scorching Summer heat, really drove home the message that many Americans honestly, truly and sincerely hate gay people.   

The Wisdom of Aang

Time Cast A Spell On You, But You Won't Forget Me...

One of the best versions of my favorite Fleetwood Mac song, 

"Silver Springs".

Seems Fitting...

Surround yourself with positive and supportive people.

Life is so much sweeter when you share it with folks who nurture, affirm and support you.

Scruff

“Scruff” is definitely a favorite of mine.  It’s a favorite because I love faces, especially handsome ones.  Beautiful bodies are great, but there is something about a stunningly handsome face that can stop us in our tracks.  That iconic look, like Pete Kuzak’s look, takes your breath away.  Well, it takes my breath away.  Striking facial features, like those of Kellan Lutz, Jason Statham, Chris Hemsworth, Liam Hemsworth, Sam Worthington, Matthew Fox, Shemar Moore, Bradley Cooper, Cameron Mathison, Rock Hudson, Marlon Brando and John Gavin are the fantasies of wet dreams.

While “Scruff” does not look exactly like the model, it does resemble him.  Because my work is stylized and graphic, it makes portraiture less convincing, to some.  I hope to get better, with practice and time, at creating more accurate or convincing portraits.  That being said, I think capturing the likeness of someone’s face is one of the most difficult tasks an artist can take on. 

“Scruff” was drawn and inked back in the mid 1990s.  It has been updated for the blog, with the color applied using Photoshop.  Back then it was painted with gouache and the line work was, of course, India ink.  The updated Photoshop coloring is very similar to the color feeling from the mid 1990s.  The major design changes are: the dot pattern over the blue field was added as was the stripe pattern on the seafoam green field.  These patterns were added because I felt the piece was lacking.  It looked boring.  It definitely needed some activity in the background, but not too much to take away from the model’s face.  While the 1990s piece did have very dense facial hair, I added additional scruff creating a soon-to-be-completed goatee.  I also revised his lips some, making them fuller.  I think a man’s lips can be one of the sexiest features on his face.

Working From The Heart

Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put into his heart.

 Djalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi 

Gay Pride

“Gay Pride” is another hybrid creation that was started back in the mid 1990’s.  Like all the other works I created then, “Gay Pride” was painted using fine Sable hair brushes and India ink.  I did complete this piece in full color using gouache, but in order to update the work for the blog, I re-colored it using Photoshop.  I stayed true to the original gouache coloring, but using all the Photoshop bells and whistles is certainly a lot more fun than using paints and brushes.  Sorry traditionalists, I still love to sketch and draw using pencil and paper, but applying flat color to my graphic works is easier, faster and more fun using digital means.

While my model did not pose nude for me, that didn’t mean I couldn’t make him naked in my mind.  I did ask him to poses in certain ways knowing I was going to make it a nude illustration.  He was aware of my intentions, he just didn’t want naked pics of him floating around.  And I don’t blame him.  I wouldn’t want naked photos of me out there…even if I looked as good as him! 

Everybody Has A Calling...

Everybody has a calling, and your real job in life is to figure out what that is and get about the business of doing it.

Every time we have seen a person on this stage who is a success in their life, they spoke of the joy, and they spoke of the juice that they receive from doing what they knew they were meant to be doing...

We saw it every time Tina Turner, Celine, Bocelli or Lady Gaga lit up the stage with their passion. Because that is what a calling is.  It lights you up and it lets you know that you are exactly where you're supposed to be, doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing.  And that is what I want for all of you and hope that you will take from this show.  To live from the heart of yourself.  You have to make a living; I understand that.  But you also have to know what sparks the light in you so that you, in your own way, can illuminate the world.

from The Oprah Winfrey Show finale
May 25, 2011
Oprah Winfrey 

Gay Games

In June of 1994, the Gay Games came to New York City.  I had been shopping my illustrations around to the various gay publications, so some of the art directors knew my name and the style of my work.  I was asked to donate as many illustrations as I would like to “The Official Guide to all Gay Games IV & Cultural Festival Events”.  The black and white spot illustrations were divided between another illustrator and myself.  I was honored to have been asked.  I was even more honored to have my work appear alongside the other artist’s work, as he was very talented and very well known.  Each illustration was credited to the artist and had the potential to be seen by many, both locals and tourists. 

My spot illustrations were used for the following activities: country & western dance competition, flag football, diving, comedy performances and music.