Artist Craig LaRotonda in Illustration 53

Craig LaRotonda has a fabulous two page spread in the latest Communication Arts, Illustration annual 53, page 180. The spread highlights Craig's fine art work, and includes 5 pieces featuring apes that characterize the seven deadly sins. The pieces were originally created for his solo show called "Eternal Consequences" at Last Rite Gallery in New York.

Craig LaRotonda illustrations - Full spread in Communication Arts, Illustration 53

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Martha Rich - Junky cover illustration

Martha Rich did this cover illustration for a re-release of the William S. Burroughs classic titled "Junky".  This is just one of several classics by James Joyce, Truman Capote, Dashiell Hammett, and the like, that are part of The Penguin Essentials, a collection of some of the twentieth-century’s most important books that have been updated with fresh cover designs by Penguin Books UK.  This was a fun project because Martha was given complete creative freedom, and the only request from the art director was that it be fresh, surprising, exciting and memorable!  And here's what Martha came up with:

Martha Rich - Cover illustration for Junky

Martha Rich - Junky By William S. Burroughs

And here are some of the other cover illustrations that are included in the collection:

Penguin Essential

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Jen Lobo illustrates carnivorous plant

Jen Lobo has been working on a series of illustrations based on recent scientific discoveries. For this one, she was inspired by the discovery of a carnivorous plant that feasts on bat dung, of all things! Most pitcher plants use their prey-trapping mechanism to trap and then devour their victims (think Venus Flytrap); however, in the case of this particular plant, which was discovered in Borneo, its "pitcher" makes a snug roost for tiny bats that unknowingly nourish the plant while they hang out and rest. It's a win-win!

Jen Lobo - carnivorous plant

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Joel Nakamura illustrates for Sandalista

Joel Nakamura's artwork is now available on shoes!  Sandalista, the makers of custom flip-flops, has licensed some of Joel's images for use on their unique sandals.  We're excited to be a part of the Sandalista family, and you can visit Joel's Sandalista Shop to pick up a pair of super cool flip-flops of your very own!  Here are just a few of Joel's designs, but you can see all of them in his shop.

Joel Nakamura - Samurai 2

Joel Nakamura - Monkey

Joel Nakamura - Gummy Dragon

Joel Nakamura - Drum

View more of Joel's work

Mariya Paskovsky illustrates Tea Cups

We've previously mentioned Mariya Paskovsky's latest exploration into illustrating objects, and we shared the shoe illustrations that she first started experimenting with.  Well, she went from intricately patterned shoes to ornamental tea cups, and here three of her latest illustrations.  She created these with watercolor and ink:

Mariya Paskovsky - "Tea Cup illustration 1"

Mariya Paskovsky - "Tea Cup illustration2"

Mariya Paskovsky - "Tea Cup illustration3"

View more of Mariya's wonderful illustrations

Terri Fry Kasuba illustration on The AI-AP Archive

We just learned that these two illustrations by Terri Fry Kasuba have been chosen to appear on the American Illustration juried web gallery, The AI-AP Archive. Only 331 illustrations were selected out of about 8,000 submissions, and these will appear permanently on the website.  This is great news - Congrats, Terri!

Terri Fry Kasuba - See Loch Ness

Terri Fry Kasuba - I Love Emus

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Kim Rosen illustration for IBM

Massachusetts-based artist Kim Rosen completed a double page spread in the current issue of IBM Systems magazine. The article discusses a new powerful server coming out which uses Linux, an open source operating system. The Linux logo is a penguin so they ran with that theme and played on the bigger and better aspect of the new server.

Kim Rosen – Linux penguin for IBM Systems Magazine

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Calef Brown illustrates Bushman Lives! book

Calef Brown illustrated the cover art, including hand lettering, for Daniel Pinkwater's new novel, Bushman Lives!  The book is a "fantastic adventure filled with wild humor and vivid characters", and it's due out this fall.  And here's a sneak preview!

Calef Brown - Cover illustration for "Bushman Lives!"

There are 79 chapters in the novel, and Calef illustrated a small spot ink drawing to accompany each chapter opener - here are a few of his favorites:

Calef Brown - Spot illustrations for "Bushman Lives!"

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Martha Rich in American Illustration 31

Martha Rich had these four illustrations chosen to be in American Illustration 31, the book.  Very cool - and a big congratulations Martha!

Martha Rich - 7mm

Martha Rich - 8mm

Martha Rich - 9mm

Martha Rich - 4mm

View more of Martha's  work

Joel Nakamura article on Vibrant Climate

There's a great article about Joel Nakamura on the blog, Vibrant Climate.

"A celebrated illustrator and fine artist who has made his home in Santa Fe since 1996, he describes himself as a modern folk artist. While this title is applicable, it only hints at the inspired intricacies, humor, and capacious depths that inform his work. There is something so refreshing about Joel Nakamura. He exudes the presence of one who is firmly rooted, feet solid on the ground, and then there is the juxtaposed sense of his head soaring gleefully in the clouds..."  read more...

Joel Nakamura on Vibrant Climate blog

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A Livia Cives illustrated cocktail: Blue Lagoon

Livia Cives illustrated the latest cocktail recipe for The Art of the Cocktail. Her selection is the Blue Lagoon, a Vodka based summer cocktail everyone can enjoy. Here's a peek at the illustration ... and here you can check out the two full pieces and learn the recipe!

A teaser piece from the Blue Lagoon cocktail illustrated by Livia Cives

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Claudine Hellmuth's Suburbanology Illustrations

Claudine Hellmuth has been creating illustrations for a bi-monthly column in Bethesda Magazine called "Suburbanology" by April Witt.  The current feature questions why people in America don't walk as much as they should, and this is the illustration that Claudine came up with for the piece...

Claudine Hellmuth - These Feet Are Made for Walking

...and here are a few of the other illustrations that Claudine has created for Suburbanology over the past year - we love 'em!

Claudine Hellmuth - HandyMan

Claudine Hellmuth - Grill Master

Claudine Hellmuth - Nature School

View more of Claudine's work

Shoe illustrations by Mariya Paskovsky

Mariya Paskovsky has been exploring illustrating objects in addition to her signature images of fashionable people with long, flowing lines...and so she decided to start with shoes.  She has a series of other objects that we will share with you soon, but we thought it would be fun to start by showing you some of Mariya's latest shoe creations which, as expected, are full of wonderful patterns and intricate details.  Enjoy!

Mariya Paskovsky - Shoe 01

Mariya Paskovsky - Shoe 02

Mariya Paskovsky - Shoe 03

Mariya Paskovsky - Shoe 04

Mariya Paskovsky - Shoe 05

View more of Mariya's wonderful illustrations

 

Lucie Rice's Hot-man-ta for Atlanta Magazine

Lucie Rice did this illustration for an article in the April 2012 issue of Atlanta Magazine.  The story was about the fact that Atlanta was voted the number one city for "hot guys", but no one can seem to find them anywhere!

Lucie Rice - Hot-man-ta

 A short excerpt from the article:

Hot-man-ta

Atlanta ranks first for handsome fellows.
So where are they?
 
Atlanta is a hotbed of handsome—at least, we seem to think so. The deal-doling website LivingSocial commissioned a survey by third-party Mandala Research asking residents in the top twenty U.S. cities to rate their city’s vanity. Lo and behold, ours ranked number one for handsome men. Which led us to one question: Where are all these hotties hiding?

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Artist Martha Rich featured on 20X200 - Frosted Goodness

Martha Rich is featured on the 20X200 blog -- quite a nice read which will most likely inspire many to acquire one of her delicious pieces!

From the source:
Grab your (proverbial) forks, collectors. If the mere sight of today’s frosted goodness has you wanting to dig in, allow yourself this tempting treat.
Yes Please, by Martha Rich, offers up the sweetest spot for your consumption—that perfect corner where top- and side-icing cozies up to tiers of moist, rich cake. Despite the title’s polite plea, today’s delectable edition is there, and yours, for the taking (much like other sweet opportunities in life) ... read on

Matha Rich - "Yes Please"

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Joel Nakamura illustration – Eater of Bad Dreams

This is a new piece by Joel Nakamura, and it is his interpretation of "Baku".  Baku are Japanese supernatural beings that devour dreams and nightmares, and they have a long history in Japanese folklore and art.

Joel Nakamura - Baku

 Joel donated prints of this piece and a miniature painting to be auctioned at an event called Hanami After Dark, which benefits TOMODACHI, an initiative led by the U.S.-Japan Council in an ongoing effort to support Japan’s recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake.  The event is one of many taking place during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC.

View more of Joel's work

Lucie Rice's illustrated cocktail recipe: Hop, Skip, and Go Naked ...

Lucie Rice recently completed an illustration for The Art of the Cocktail ... Illustrated, an online journal of cocktail <and mocktail> recipes that showcases not only the recipe and a history of the drink, but also one or more illustration(s) by a select artist.

Lucie's selected drink was a vodka-based drink called Hop, Skip, and Go Naked, which we had never heard of before -- we'll let you click on the image to go read more about it and view the two wonderful and 'refreshing' pieces.

Lucie Rice - illustration for The Art of the Cocktail ... Illustrated. Teaser piece for Hop, Skip, and Go Naked.

Go to The Art of the Cocktail ... Illustrated.